MLB Player News

Hicks went 2-for-3 with a two-run home run and an additional RBI in Monday's 9-4 loss to the White Sox.

Hicks cracked his second homer of the campaign Monday. Most of the 26-year-old backstop's action in 2026 is likely to come at either catcher, designated hitter or first base, as Agustin Ramirez is locked in as Miami's top catcher, and Hicks is making an early case for the Marlins to find ways to get his bat into the lineup.

Holmes (1-0) earned the win against the Cardinals on Monday, allowing two runs on four hits and three walks while striking out five over 5.2 innings.

Holmes surrendered an early run in the first inning but settled in from there, shutting down St. Louis over the next four frames. The right-hander was one out away from a quality start before Nolan Gorman tagged him for a solo homer in the sixth, immediately ending his outing. Following this strong start to the season, the 33-year-old is lined up to face San Francisco in his next start, a favorable matchup given the Giants' offensive struggles so far in 2026.

Paddack (0-1) took the loss Monday against the White Sox, allowing eight runs on eight hits and no walks in four innings. He struck out six.

Despite getting what appeared to be a soft matchup versus the lowly White Sox, Paddack completely came apart following two scoreless frames to begin his outing. Chicago plated four runs in each of the subsequent innings, though Paddack was at least able to fan six and register 15 whiffs to provide something of a silver lining Monday. Paddack's next start is lined up to come in New York against the Yankees, and he won't be a recommended streaming option for that one.

Phillips earned the save Monday against the Pirates, walking two in a hitless and scoreless ninth inning. He struck out one.

Closer Emilio Pagan was likely unavailable after working each of the past two days for Cincinnati, opening the door for Phillips to claim his first save opportunity of the year. Monday marked Phillips' first career major-league save, though the right-hander doesn't figure to see very much ninth-inning work in 2026 when Pagan or other Reds high-leverage arms are available.

Ashcraft (0-1) took the loss Monday against the Reds, allowing two runs on four hits and four walks in six innings. He struck out three.

The right-hander was saddled with a tough-luck loss, logging a quality start in his season debut. The four walks allowed matched a career high for Ashcraft, but it was still a fine showing overall at hitter-friendly Great American Ball Park. Ashcraft's next start is scheduled to come over the weekend at home versus the Orioles, and he'll be trying to reach the 90-pitch mark after tossing 87 pitches Monday.

Burns (1-0) earned the win Monday against the Pirates, allowing no runs on one hit and three walks in five innings. He struck out seven.

It was a sparkling season debut for the hard-throwing right-hander, who held Pittsburgh to a lone single in the hit column. Burns touched 99 mph on his fastball on 10 occasions, producing an impressive 15 swings and misses on the evening as well. The righty is set for his next start later this week in Texas versus the Rangers, and Burnes will be looking to stretch out further after throwing 78 pitches Monday.

Hoerner went 1-for-2 with a walk, a double, an RBI and two runs scored in Monday's 7-2 win over the Angels. He also stole a base.

The runs and RBI are certainly icing on the cake, but Hoerner is once again making his biggest impact from a fantasy perspective on the bases. The speedy infielder has stolen a base in three straight games and has yet to get caught this season. Hoerner had 103 steals over the last three years, reaching the 30-steal plateau twice in that span and falling just short with 29 in 2025. It looks like he'll once again push toward that mark in 2026 if he stays healthy.

Swanson went 2-for-3 with a walk and an RBI in Monday's 7-2 win over the Angels.

Swanson started the season going 0-for-8 with three walks across the first three games against Washington, but he got on the board with his first hits of the year Monday. The shortstop is traditionally a slow starter with a .670 career OPS in March and April, which is his lowest of any month. Even if he scuffles some, Swanson should maintain a regular role for the Cubs, and his MLB track record suggests that production will come.

Rea allowed two runs on four hits across three innings of relief and earned the save in Monday's 7-2 win over the Angels. He struck out four.

New Chicago starter Edward Cabrera tossed six scoreless innings in his team debut, and with the Cubs up 6-0 at that point, they let Rea close things out to save other arms in the bullpen. The veteran righty allowed a two-run home run to Yoan Moncada in the seventh inning, but then tossed blanks in the eighth and ninth. Rea has never had more than one save in a season during his MLB career, and he's unlikely to have too many more in 2026 from his long-relief role.

Happ went 1-for-4 with a walk, a solo home run and an additional run scored in Monday's 7-2 win over the Angels.

After a relatively quiet performance on Opening Day, Happ has now gone deep in Chicago's last three games. He's thriving in the No. 3 spot in the order between Alex Bregman and Pete Crow-Armstrong. Happ's career high in home runs for a season is 25, which he's done twice, and while it's too early to say he'll surpass that figure, he is at least off to a promising start for fantasy managers.