MLB Player News

Vargas went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and an additional run scored in Monday's 9-6 win over Detroit.

Vargas started at designated hitter Monday after the Diamondbacks placed Pavin Smith (elbow) on the 10-day injured list. The switch-hitting Vargas got the assignment against a right-hander, although manager Torey Lovullo typically likes to rotate bodies through the DH spot. Vargas is more experienced at second and third base, but he has played 14 games at first base during his career and could be part of the rotation there along with Carlos Santana and Tim Tawa.

Santana started at first base and went 0-for-3 with a walk in Monday's 9-6 win over the Tigers.

Santana was in the lineup against a right-hander after Pavin Smith (elbow) was placed on the 10-day injured list Monday. The switch-hitting Santana, in theory, could start against pitchers of either hand, but it's uncertain how manager Torey Lovullo wants to handle first base going forward without Smith. Tim Tawa and Ildemaro Vargas are also options. Santana is 1-for-12 through four games played in the regular season.

Benge went 2-for-4 with a run scored and a stolen base in Monday's win against the Cardinals.

Benge continued his fast start to the season, collecting two hits and swiping his second stolen base of the year. The 23-year-old later came around to score in the fifth inning on an RBI single from Bo Bichette. The rookie has carried over his impressive spring, where he slashed .366/.435/.439, and is quickly establishing himself as a contributor early in his MLB career.

Walker (0-1) suffered the loss in Monday's defeat against the Nationals, allowing seven runs (six earned) on 10 hits and three hits while striking out two in 4.2 innings of work.

Things went wrong almost immediately for Walker in his first start of 2026. He was tagged for four runs in the first inning, two in the second and one in the third, and the Phillies were down 7-0 before nine outs were recorded. The 33-year-old didn't allow seven runs in one start at all last season, so it certainly wasn't the debut that he was hoping for. His next shot at a rebound will likely come at altitude against the Rockies.

Carroll went 2-for-4 with a home run, a triple, a walk, two total runs and four total RBI in a 9-6 win against the Tigers on Monday.

Carroll pummeled future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander, opening the scoring with an RBI triple in the first inning and tacking on a three-run homer in the second. The star outfielder was due for a breakout game after going just 2-for-11 without an extra-base hit over his first three games. Carroll put together his first career 30-30 campaign last year, and Monday's performance is the type of explosive performance that made him a consensus top-20 pick in fantasy drafts ahead of this season.

Wiemer went 2-for-4 with a walk and two runs scored and tied an MLB record for most consecutive plate appearances reaching base to start a season in Monday's 13-2 win over the Phillies.

With two singles to start Monday's game, Wiemer officially matched the mark of 10 consecutive plate appearances reaching base to start a season set by Carlos Delgado in 2002. The streak stopped at 10 after he grounded out in the fifth inning. Regardless, the first three games of Wiemer's Nationals tenure couldn't have started much better as he's slashing .800/.846/1.600 with two home runs and eight RBI.

Garcia went 2-for-6 with a double, a run scored and three RBI during Monday's 13-2 win over the Phillies.

It was a great day for essentially everyone in the Nationals lineup with all but one starter recording an RBI in the game. Nobody had more than Garcia's three, though, as he knocked in a run on a fielder's choice in the third inning and drove in two with a single in the ninth. Those were the first RBI of the season for the 25-year-old, who had 66 in 139 games played last year. With Andres Chaparro optioned to Triple-A on Sunday, Garcia will likely get most of his playing time at first base.

Sewald earned a save against the Tigers on Monday, striking out one batter in a perfect inning of work.

It didn't look like there would be any save opportunities after Arizona built an 8-0 lead through five frames, but Detroit made a late rally to get close. Sewald was summoned to protect a three-run lead in the ninth frame, and he avoided any drama by retiring the side in order on 12 pitches. Manager Torey Lovullo previously hinted that Sewald might be the favorite for early save chances, and that became a firmer scenario given Monday's bullpen usage. Sewald certainly has plenty of experience in the role, having racked up 81 regular-season saves between 2021 and 2024.

Marchan went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run and was also hit by a pitch in Monday's 13-2 victory over the Phillies.

Marchan made his first appearance of the season to give J.T. Realmuto a rare game off, and he made the most of that chance. He was one of the lone bright spots in an otherwise forgettable game for the Phillies, accounting for the team's only runs with his two-run shot in the fifth inning off of Foster Griffin. The 27-year-old had just two homers in 42 games last year, so he's already halfway to that mark to begin 2026.

Soroka (1-0) earned the win over Detroit on Monday, allowing four hits and issuing one walk while striking out 10 batters over five scoreless innings.

Soroka dazzled throughout the start, racking up 12 whiffs and even recording the first immaculate inning of the 2026 campaign in his fifth and final frame. The right-hander was rolling at the time he was pulled, retiring eight straight batters (including six by strikeout), but Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo opted not to push the hurler any further after he reached 89 pitches. Soroka has struggled with injuries for much of his career and hasn't reached 100 big-league innings since 2019, so it's reasonable for Arizona to be cautious with his pitch counts. With that being said, Soroka averaged over a strikeout per frame each of the past two campaigns (during which he was deployed as both a starter and reliever), and Monday's outing makes him an intriguing option for fantasy managers in need of starting pitching.