MLB Player News

Maeda allowed three runs on four hits and a walk in an inning of relief during Friday's 7-4 win over the White Sox. He struck out one.

Maeda entered the contest in the eighth inning with the Tigers up 7-1, and he made it through his first frame unscathed. However, the righty struggled mightily in the ninth and was yanked without recording any outs. Maeda has only made two appearances so far this year, but he's allowed five runs already over three innings of work. It's an uninspiring start to his relief role, though he does have time to turn things around.

Taveras went 1-for-3 with a run scored, an RBI and two stolen bases in Friday's 5-2 win over the Rays.

The 26-year-old switch hitter hasn't done much at the plate so far -- he's batting .182 (4-for-22) with zero extra-base hits and a 1:6 BB:K -- but Taveras is at least making an impact with his legs. After swiping a career-high 23 bags in 2024, he's gone 4-for-4 in steal attempts through his first seven games of the campaign. Evan Carter has just one hit in 17 at-bats to begin his season at Triple-A Round Rock, so Taveras seems to have a firm hold on the starting center field spot in Texas for now.

Smith went 2-for-3 with a solo home run and a second run scored in Friday's 5-2 win over the Rays.

The utility infielder took Zack Littell deep in the seventh inning to account for the game's final run. Smith was getting the start at third base and batting seventh, and he figures to see the bulk of the playing time at the hot corner while Josh Jung (neck) is sidelined. Through seven appearances this season, Smith is batting .250 (4-for-16) with a homer, a steal, two RBI and three runs.

Jackson struck out two in a perfect ninth inning Friday to record his fourth save of the season in a 5-2 win over the Rays.

The 33-year-old righty has only delivered double-digit saves once before in his career, when he racked up 18 for Atlanta in 2019, but Jackson is well on his way to topping that total in 2025. He's converted four straight save chances to begin the campaign while posting a 5:2 K:BB in 4.1 innings, although a shaky performance in a non-save situation on Opening Day still has him saddled with a 6.23 ERA. The Rangers have other ninth-inning options if he falters, but for now Jackson appears to be following the trail blazed by Kirby Yates in last year's bullpen.

Mahle (1-0) picked up the win Friday in a 5-2 victory over the Rays, allowing one hit and two walks over five scoreless innings. He struck out five.

The win was Mahle's first in two years, as his last one came as a member of the Twins on April 3, 2023 -- less than a month before he was shut down ahead of Tommy John surgery. The right-hander made only eight starts combined the last two seasons, but he looks healthy to begin 2025 as he attempts to reclaim some of the promise he showed with the Reds earlier in his career. Mahle will take a 1.35 ERA and 8:6 K:BB through 6.2 innings into his next start, which is scheduled to come on the road next week against the Cubs.

Littell (0-2) took the loss Friday as the Rays were downed 5-2 by the Rangers, coughing up five runs on six hits and two walks over seven innings. He struck out three.

Most of the damage came in the third inning, when Texas reeled off five straight hits before Littell could record an out. The right-hander has given Tampa Bay some length to begin the year, and through his first two starts he sports a 4.15 ERA and 10:2 K:BB in 13 innings. He'll look to get into the win column in his next outing, which lines up to come at home next week against the Angels.

Tolbert went 0-for-1 with two stolen bases in Friday's 8-2 win over the Orioles.

Entering the game in the seventh inning as a pinch runner for Jonathan India, Tolbert swiped second and third base -- his first two career MLB steals -- before grounding out in the eighth in his lone plate appearance. The Royals have a long history of aggressively deploying speedsters late in games, and with Dairon Blanco (Achilles) currently on the shelf, Tolbert is filling that role. It would take a rash of further injuries in the outfield for the 27-year-old to have real fantasy value in most formats, however.

Garcia went 2-for-4 with a double, a run scored, three RBI and a stolen base in Friday's 8-2 win over Baltimore.

The steal was his first of the season, while the RBI doubled his total to begin the year. Garcia is off to a flying start to his campaign, batting .381 (8-for-21) through seven games with three doubles, two homers and four runs scored.

Lugo (1-0) picked up the win Friday, allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits and a walk over six innings in an 8-2 victory over the Orioles. He struck out two.

The veteran righty tossed 59 of 85 pitches for strikes in his first quality start of the season, but Lugo relied heavily on generating weak contact and managed only two swinging strikes on the night. He sports a 3.27 ERA and 6:4 K:BB through his first 11 innings of 2025, and Lugo will look to build on this performance in his next outing, which is scheduled to come at home next week against the Twins.

Kremer (1-1) took the loss Friday as the Orioles fell 8-2 to the Royals, giving up three runs (two earned) on eight hits over 4.1 innings. He struck out one without walking a batter.

The right-hander didn't allow a lot of hard contact -- the only extra-base hit off Kremer was a Salvador Perez double in the first inning -- but his pitch count ran up to 88 (63 strikes) before he was lifted, and he was far from dominant with only five swinging strikes. Kremer will carry a 6.52 ERA and 7:2 K:BB through 9.2 innings into his next start, which lines up to come on the road next week in Arizona.