MLB Player News
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Pete Crow-Armstrong CF | CHC
Cubs' Pete Crow-Armstrong: Steals base in loss
Crow-Armstrong went 1-for-3 with a double, a stolen base and a run scored in Friday's 4-1 loss to the Guardians.
With Cleveland starting lefty Joey Cantillo, Crow-Armstrong slid down to eighth in the order, but he still managed to make an impact. The speedy outfielder has stolen three bases through seven games and is batting a respectable .269, but his .629 OPS reflects a lack of power so far. Friday's double was the first extra-base hit of the season for Crow-Armstrong, who is still in search of his first 2026 home run after going deep 31 times during the regular season last year.
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Tim Tawa 2B | ARI
Diamondbacks' Tim Tawa: Starts in left field
Tawa went 0-for-2 with a walk in Friday's 2-0 loss to Atlanta.
Tawa started in left field in Arizona's first game without Jordan Lawlar (wrist), who is expected to miss 6-to-8 weeks. Tawa is expected to share duties with Jorge Barrosa for now, but eventually left field will be the landing spot for Lourdes Gurriel (knee). Gurriel will initially serve as a DH but should be ready for the field at some point in May.
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Francisco Lindor SS | NYM
Mets' Francisco Lindor: Logs first steal
Lindor went 2-for-4 with a walk, a stolen base and two runs scored in Friday's 10-3 win over the Giants.
Lindor had gone 0-for-9 with four walks over his previous three games. He's had a good eye so far, posting a 10:5 BB:K through eight contests, but the shortstop is batting just .185 after his second multi-hit game of the year. Slow starts are nothing new for Lindor, so fantasy managers should continue to have patience until he's able to get things to click. As long as Lindor continues to rack up steals, he has 30-30 potential while also being in a good position as the leadoff hitter for a talented lineup.
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Bo Bichette 3B | NYM
Mets' Bo Bichette: Three knocks in win
Bichette went 3-for-5 with a double, one RBI and two runs scored in Friday's 10-3 win over the Giants.
This was Bichette's first multi-hit effort as a Met. The infielder is batting just .194 over eight games, but he has an extra-base hit in each of the last two contests and has struck out just twice over his last five games after fanning eight times in the first three games of the season. His speed has been down for three years, so he's unlikely to make noise on the basepaths, which makes it all the more important for Bichette to make hard and consistent contact while maintaining good plate discipline from the No. 3 spot in the order.
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Marcus Semien 2B | NYM
Mets' Marcus Semien: Homers in three-hit game
Semien went 3-for-5 with a two-run home run and an additional RBI in Friday's 10-3 win over the Giants.
Semien logged just his second multi-hit effort of the season. It included a fourth-inning homer, his first of the campaign and his first extra-base hit since Opening Day. The second baseman is still batting just .214 despite the big game, but his struggles have yet to cost him playing time. Semien was limited to 15 homers in 127 regular-season games for the Rangers last season, but he had hit at least 23 long balls while playing in at least 159 games in each of the previous four campaigns. Semien's sub-.700 OPS marks in each of the last two years are discouraging, especially since age is not on the side of the 35-year-old for a potential bounce-back year. He'll need to hit better if he's going to move up from the No. 7 spot in the order he's occupied for the first week of the season.
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Eury Perez SP | MIA
Marlins' Eury Perez: Can't find plate in Friday's loss
Perez (0-1) took the loss Friday, giving up four runs on two hits and six walks over four innings as the Marlins were downed 8-2 by the Yankees. He struck out four.
The 22-year-old right-hander's command within the strike zone was just as bad as his control, as both hits he allowed went for extra bases, including an Aaron Judge two-run homer in the first inning. Perez has had a bumpy start to the season, posting a 5.73 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 12:7 K:BB through 11 innings over two outings. He'll try to turn things around in his next trip to the mound, which lines up to come at home next week against the Reds.
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Francisco Alvarez C | NYM
Mets' Francisco Alvarez: Pops pair of homers
Alvarez went 2-for-5 with two solo home runs in Friday's 10-3 win over the Giants.
Alvarez went yard for the first time since Opening Day with his fourth-inning blast. He added a second homer in the seventh. The catcher is up to three long balls, three RBI, five runs scored and a double while batting. 286 over eight contests. Alvarez will likely have a majority of the starts behind the dish over Luis Torrens. After back-to-back regular seasons with 11 homers, Alvarez is looking to tap back into the rookie-year power that saw him swat 25 homers in 123 games in 2023 without sacrificing his gains in making better contact.
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Tyler Mahle SP | SF
Giants' Tyler Mahle: Loses again Friday
Mahle (0-2) allowed five runs on eight hits and two walks while striking out four over five innings to take the loss versus the Mets on Friday.
Three of the five runs on Mahle's line came from long balls, as Marcus Semien hit a two-run blast and Francisco Alvarez added a solo shot in the fourth inning. Mahle allowed just five homers over 86.2 innings across 16 regular-season starts last year while also maintaining a 2.18 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 66:29 K:BB. He typically doesn't have too much trouble with homers despite giving up plenty of contact in the air. He's allowed seven runs while posting a 9:3 K:BB over nine innings across two starts this season. Mahle is projected to make his next start at home versus the Phillies.
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Nolan McLean SP | NYM
Mets' Nolan McLean: Impresses in second start
McLean (1-0) allowed two runs (one earned) on one hit and two walks while striking out four over 5.1 innings to earn the win over the Giants on Friday.
McLean was perfect through five innings. He got into a bit of trouble in the sixth, but the Mets had put up five runs before McLean faltered, and Brooks Raley was able to finish off the frame despite allowing one inherited runner to score. Through 10.1 innings over two starts, McLean has allowed just four runs (three earned) while posting a 12:4 K:BB. The 24-year-old right-hander is looking promising so far after impressing with a 2.06 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 57:16 K:BB over 48 innings in eight regular-season starts at the tail end of 2025. His next start is projected to be at home versus the Diamondbacks.
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Ronald Acuna Jr. RF | ATL
Braves' Ronald Acuna: Picks up second steal
Acuna went 1-for-4 with a stolen base in Friday's 2-0 win over Arizona.
Acuna has two steals on three attempts this season. The star outfielder has yet to get his bat in order -- he's batting just .179 with a .528 OPS over eight contests so far, but the early slump hasn't cost him his leadoff spot. Acuna has been limited by injuries in the last two years, logging 25 stolen bases over 144 regular-season contests after posting 73 thefts on 87 attempts over 159 games during the 2023 regular season. If he can stay healthy, his power/speed combination is among the best in baseball, but Acuna has topped 120 games played just twice in the first eight years of his career.