MLB Player News

Paddack (0-3) took the loss Wednesday against Atlanta, allowing two runs on five hits and no walks in 4.2 innings. He struck out four.

Paddack held Atlanta in check for the most part, but he wasn't particularly efficient with his pitch count. The right-hander couldn't get through the fifth inning, finishing with 92 pitches and failing to cover at least five frames for the third time in four starts to begin the season. Paddack appears to have a soft matchup against the Cardinals in his next scheduled start, but he still won't be a recommended option for most fantasy managers while carrying a 5.59 ERA and 1.45 WHIP across his first 19.1 innings of 2026.

Elder (2-1) notched the win Wednesday against the Marlins, allowing four hits and two walks in 5.2 scoreless innings. He struck out seven.

Given how well he was pitching, it was pretty surprising to see Elder get pulled from the outing at just 79 pitches. The right-hander threw 53 strikes on the evening, submitting his third scoreless start already this year. Elder hasn't yet touched the 90-pitch mark this season -- Atlanta could have some form of workload restrictions in place -- but he has a microscopic 0.77 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 23:7 K:BB over 23.1 innings thus far, making him close to a must-roster fantasy player ahead of a favorable matchup against Washington next week.

Santana picked up the save Wednesday against the Nationals, hitting a batter but allowing no other baserunners in a scoreless ninth inning. He did not record a strikeout

After it looked as though left-hander Gregory Soto was Pittsburgh's preferred closer earlier this year, Santana might be taking back over as the club's favorite for saves. The right-hander sports a 1.00 ERA, 0.67 WHIP and 6:4 K:BB with two saves over his first nine innings, though he did blow a save Saturday against the Cubs. Soto has four holds to one save chance, whereas Santana has two holds to his three save opportunities.

Mlodzinski (1-0) earned the win Wednesday against the Nationals, allowing no runs on two hits and two walks in six innings. He struck out five.

Working in long relief behind opener Mason Montgomery, Mlodzinski delivered six sterling frames for the Pirates on Wednesday. It was easily the best outing of the year so far for the right-hander, who set a season high in innings and gave up a season-low two hits. Mlodzinski has a 1.77 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and 20:8 K:BB over his first 20.1 innings (three starts), and it remains to be seen how Pittsburgh will opt to deploy him in his next scheduled appearance versus Texas.

Irvin (1-2) took the loss Wednesday against the Pirates, allowing two runs on four hits and three walks in five innings. He struck out five.

It was a bit of a hard-luck loss for Irvin, who yielded just four singles but did struggle with his control. The right-hander tossed five innings for the third time in four starts to begin the year, though he's yet to give up fewer than two runs in any of them. Irvin has a lackluster 6.16 ERA, 1.47 WHIP and 21:11 K:BB over his first 19 innings, so he'll remain difficult to trust in fantasy lineups against Atlanta next week.

Perez will be called up from Triple-A Gwinnett to start Friday's game against the Phillies, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

Perez elected free agency Tuesday, returned to Atlanta on a minor-league pact Wednesday, and he's now set to rejoin the big-league rotation Friday. The 35-year-old lefty owns a 3.14 ERA and 0.91 WHIP through 14.1 innings on the season, and he'll match up against a Philadelphia offense that's posted just a .229 batting average (22nd in MLB) across its first 18 games.

Fermin was removed from Wednesday's game against the Mariners with an apparent injury, Jeff Sanders of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Fermin was immediately pulled from the game after taking a Brendan Donovan foul tip off his mask in the third inning. He'll presumably be evaluated for a concussion. Meanwhile, Luis Campusano will take over behind the plate and should handle the starting job if Fermin misses any time.

Shaw went 3-for-4 with three doubles, two runs scored and three RBI in Wednesday's 11-2 win over the Phillies.

Shaw got into a nice groove Wednesday as he delivered his first three-hit effort of the season and doubled his extra-base hit total. The 24-year-old also raised his batting average from .200 to .245 in the process. Shaw has seen his playing time trend down with Seiya Suzuki back from the injured list, though the former can still provide some fantasy value from a super-utility role due to his ability to hit for power and swipe a base.

Swanson went 3-for-5 with a solo home run, an additional run scored and two total RBI in Wednesday's 11-2 win over the Phillies.

Swanson appears to be heating up, as he now has three home runs across his last four games. The shortstop's batting average is still sitting at just .200, but his recent surge suggests that figure will continue to climb. Swanson has also yet to sit out a game this season, and his consistent playing time should offer him plenty of opportunities to keep racking up counting stats while he's locked in at the plate.

Hoerner went 3-for-5 with a home run, an additional run scored, a stolen base and five RBI in Wednesday's 11-2 win over the Phillies.

Hoerner's scorching-hot start to the season continued, as he delivered his third three-hit effort through 18 games and launched his second home run. The infielder is also a perfect 6-for-6 in stolen bases, and he's batting a robust .324 with a .917 OPS. At this rate, Hoerner appears primed to make his first All-Star Game appearance this summer, and he seems locked in as Chicago's preferred leadoff hitter against both righties and lefties.