Clemens went 2-for-3 with a solo home run, a walk and two runs scored Thursday's 5-1 win against the Royals.

Clemens showed out at the plate, reaching base three times after having gotten on in just two of his first 10 plate appearances entering Thursday. The 29-year-old added insurance in the ninth inning with his first home run of the season, a 391-foot solo shot off Steven Cruz that extended the Twins' lead to three runs. Thursday's performance seemed to reinforce the confidence that Clemens built during his 2025 breakout campaign, when he posted a .715 OPS with 19 home runs across 386 plate appearances.

Ragans (0-2) took the loss Thursday against the Twins, allowing one unearned run on four hits and one walk while striking out eight over six innings.

Ragans turned in a strong outing and bounced back nicely from his rough season debut, but the southpaw was tagged with the loss due to a defensive miscue and limited run support. His lone blemish came in the second inning when a pickoff attempt by Salvador Perez sailed high and deflected into center field, allowing a run to score. Ragans otherwise kept Minnesota in check, limiting hard contact while once again racking up strikeouts to bump his season total to 13 across 10 innings. After injuries sidelined the 28-year-old for much of last season, Thursday's performance was an encouraging one. Ragans will look to replicate that success in his next start, scheduled to come against Cleveland.

Bradley (1-0) earned the win Thursday against the Royals, allowing five hits and one walk while striking out three over six scoreless innings.

Bradley worked through a few early threats but managed to keep Kansas City off the board, showcasing his ability to pitch out of trouble. The right-hander's biggest moment came in the third inning, when he rebounded from a dropped foul popup by striking out Bobby Witt with a 100 mph fastball -- the hardest pitch thrown by a Twins starter in the pitch-tracking era -- to escape the jam. The 25-year-old righty was also efficient enough to reach the six-inning mark, tossing 65 of 100 pitches for strikes. Coming off a season in which he posted a 5.05 ERA, 1.31 WHIP and 127 strikeouts over 142.2 innings, Bradley is off to a red-hot start to 2026 and continues to justify Minnesota's decision to acquire him from Tampa Bay at last year's trade deadline.

Blubaugh has allowed one run on two hits, striking out six without a walk, across 5.1 innings in three appearances for the Astros this season. He earned his first career hold in Wednesday's 6-4 win over the Red Sox.

Blubaugh seems to be finding his niche -- and climbing the ladder -- in the Houston bullpen, as he already has a win and now a hold through three outings to begin the 2026 season. The 25-year-old right-hander has averaged 96.4 mph on his four-seam fastball, up multiple ticks from last season when he broke in as more of a swingman. Houston figures to keep him shortened up a bit so he can max out with his impressive stuff and provide valuable leverage innings while the team navigates the absence of closer Josh Hader (biceps).

Jensen was not included in Thursday's lineup against the Twins because he overslept and arrived late to the park, Sam McDowell of The Kansas City Star reports.

Jensen was a late scratch from the starting lineup in the team's 5-1 loss to the Twins in the series finale Thursday, which is now understood to be because he overslept. Jensen explained that he didn't wake up to his alarm and that he didn't have an excuse, ultimately feeling like he let his teammates and coaches down. The 22-year-old said he'll learn from his mistake and that it won't happen again. Through five games so far this year, Jensen has gone 2-for-16 with a two-run home run, a walk and eight strikeouts.

Avila will draw the start on the mound Friday against the Brewers, Jaylon T. Thompson of The Kansas City Star reports.

Avila was called up from Triple-A Omaha on Thursday, and he will now be tasked with taking the bump in the Royals' series opener against Milwaukee on Friday. The right-hander will replace Michael Wacha (illness) on the mound as Wacha is dealing with an apparent illness. Avila posted 1.29 ERA and 0.93 WHIP with 16 strikeouts over 14 innings in 13 appearances with Kansas City in 2025, and Friday's start will be his first as a major leaguer.

Wacha (illness) will be forced to miss his scheduled start Friday against the Brewers, Jaylon T. Thompson of The Kansas City Star reports.

Wacha is dealing with an apparent illness and as a result will now have his turn skipped in the Royals' rotation. The 34-year-old will shift his sights on being ready to go for his next tentative turn on the mound in Cleveland next week. In the meantime, Kansas City recalled Luinder Avila from Triple-A Omaha on Thursday, and he's expected to toe the rubber in the team's series opener against Milwaukee at home Friday.

The Marlins traded Acton to the Twins on Thursday in exchange for minor-league pitcher Logan Whitaker.

The 27-year-old righty was DFA'd by the Marlins on Sunday to make room on the 40-man roster for Leo Jimenez. Acton has pitched 2.1 scoreless innings in Triple-A to begin the season, and moving into a Twins organization that doesn't have much bullpen depth should help his chances of returning to the big leagues at some point.

Rice went 2-for-3 with a home run, a double, a walk, two total runs and two total RBI in a 5-3 win against Seattle on Wednesday.

Rice was the only Yankees player with multiple hits in the victory, and both of his knocks went for extra bases. The slugger kicked off the scoring with an RBI double in the first inning and plated New York's final run with a 427-foot solo shot in the ninth. Rice is off to a strong start this season, slashing .412/.524/.765 with four extra-base hits, five RBI, six runs and a 4:3 BB:K through five games.

The Mariners reinstated Crawford (shoulder) from the 10-day injured list Thursday.

Crawford dealt with shoulder problems throughout spring training, and he landed on the injured list at the start of the regular season after receiving a cortisone shot to treat the injury. After playing a full rehab game at Triple-A Tacoma on Tuesday without any issues, he'll now rejoin the active roster and slot in as Seattle's primary shortstop -- at least until the club is ready to promote top prospect Colt Emerson. Ryan Bliss was optioned to Tacoma in a corresponding move.