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Luis Garcia 1B | NYY
Nationals' Luis Garcia: Collects first steal of 2025
Garcia went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a stolen base in Thursday's extra-inning loss to the Phillies.
The 24-year-old second baseman had a strong start to his campaign, driving in his first run of 2025 and swiping his first bag in the eighth inning to help the Nationals tie the game at 3-3 before the bullpen imploded in the top of the 10th. Garcia was one of the most surprising contributors to Washington's MLB-leading 223 steals as a team last year, going 22-for-27 on the basepaths as part of a breakout season despite not having stolen more than 11 bags in a season at any level prior to that.
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Yu Darvish SP | SD
Padres' Yu Darvish: Goes on IL
The Padres placed Darvish (elbow) on the 15-day injured list Thursday.
Darvish was shut down from throwing in the middle of spring training due to right elbow inflammation, but he seems to be making some progress, as he was spotted playing catch Tuesday. Even so, Darvish will likely require a lengthy buildup and may not be ready to return from the IL during the first month of the season.
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Jacob Young CF | WAS
Nationals' Jacob Young: Nabs Opening Day steal
Young went 0-for-2 with a walk, a run scored and a stolen base in Thursday's extra-inning loss to the Phillies.
He was also hit by a pitch and caught stealing, as the 25-year-old center fielder had a busy day on the basepaths despite not getting a hit. Young's defense makes him a fixture in the Nationals' lineup, but he hit ninth Thursday and doesn't offer much fantasy appeal outside of his steals. He can be a useful one-category contributor, however, going 33-for-43 on the basepaths in 2024 as Washington led the majors in steals as a team with 223.
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Dylan Crews RF | WAS
Nationals' Dylan Crews: Swipes bag in Opening Day loss
Crews went 0-for-3 with a walk, a run scored and a stolen base in Thursday's extra-inning loss to the Phillies.
The Nationals led the majors with 223 stolen bases in 2024, and they picked up where they left off to begin 2025, going 3-for-4 on the basepaths as a team. Crews got in on the action in the eighth inning, taking third on the front end of a double steal with Jacob Young. Crews slashed a disappointing .218/.288/.353 over 132 plate appearances in his big-league debut last year, but he swiped 12 bags in 15 attempts and should make an impact in that category over a full campaign.
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Jacob Stallings C | BAL
Rockies' Jacob Stallings: On bench Opening Day
Stallings is out of the lineup for Friday's game against the Rays, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.
The 35-year-old appeared locked in to begin the season as Colorado's primary catcher, but it will be Hunter Goodman that receives the start behind the plate Opening Day. Stallings surprised with an .810 OPS in 82 games last season, but Goodman has more fantasy upside after clubbing 13 homers in 70 contests in 2024. The pair is likely to split playing time behind the plate.
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Mickey Moniak LF | COL
Rockies' Mickey Moniak: Not in Friday's lineup
Moniak is absent from the lineup for Friday's opener against the Rays.
Moniak just signed with the Rockies on Wednesday, so it's not a surprise the club is not throwing him into the lineup right away. He still has a good chance to start versus most righties, likely at the expense of Nick Martini. Martini is starting in right field Friday, while Jordan Beck is handling left.
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Tommy Edman 2B | LAD
Dodgers' Tommy Edman: Notches second homer
Edman went 1-for-4 with a solo home run against Detroit in Thursday's 5-4 victory.
Edman kicked off the scoring in the Dodgers' home opener with a solo shot in the second inning. He played center field Thursday after working as Los Angeles' second baseman in each of the team's first two games of the season in Tokyo, while Miguel Rojas handled the keystone. Edman figures to see time at both positions throughout the campaign, though in fantasy leagues that require 20 games for a player to gain eligibility at a position, managers will need to wait a bit to be able to slot Edman in at second base.
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Hunter Goodman C | COL
Rockies' Hunter Goodman: Draws Opening Day start
Goodman is starting at catcher and batting sixth in Friday's opener against the Rays.
Goodman had a fantastic Cactus League, finishing with a 1.322 OPS, three home runs and a 4:4 K:BB, and the Rockies are rewarding him with a start behind the plate over Jacob Stallings. The two catchers will likely split reps at catcher fairly evenly, but Goodman could see some action elsewhere on the diamond as well, and his fantasy ceiling is much higher.
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Shohei Ohtani DH | LAD
Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Goes deep in home opener
Ohtani went 2-or-4 with a solo home run and an additional run scored in Thursday's 5-4 victory versus the Tigers.
Ohtani provided a key insurance run in the seventh inning with a solo blast to left field. The superstar slugger is off to a hot start to the 2025 campaign, slashing .417/.500/1.000 with two homers and two RBI through three contests. He's yet to attempt a stolen base and is expected to run less following last season's historic 50-50 campaign, but Ohtani still figures to be one of the baseball's most impactful bats and is also expected to resume throwing off the mound during the upcoming weekend as he works toward returning to pitching in games for the first time since 2023.