MLB Player News

DeGrom (2-1) took the loss Tuesday against the Yankees, allowing one run on three hits while striking out five over six innings.

DeGrom surrendered an RBI double to Cody Bellinger in the first inning before settling in and dominating the Yankees' lineup. The right-hander went on to retire 16 of the next 18 batters he faced before his exit, but he ultimately took the loss due to Cam Schlittler's performance on the other side, as Schlittler held Texas scoreless over six innings. DeGrom continues to pitch at an elite level, allowing just four runs across his last five starts while posting a 33:7 K:BB over that span. The 37-year-old now owns a 2.01 ERA and 0.96 WHIP across 31.1 innings this season, and as long as he stays healthy -- something fantasy managers are closely watching after years of uncertainty -- deGrom remains one of the most dominant arms in the league. He's slated for a rematch with New York in his next scheduled start.

Schlittler (4-1) earned the win Tuesday against the Rangers, allowing three hits and two walks while striking out eight over six scoreless innings.

Following an excellent outing his last time out, when he tossed eight innings and allowed one run, Schlittler continued his dominant start to the season, tossing six scoreless innings while matching his season high with eight strikeouts. The right-hander effectively shut down Texas' lineup, recording his third consecutive quality start. This was the also the fourth time in seven starts that he hasn't allowed an earned run. Schlittler owns a stellar 1.51 ERA with 49 strikeouts across 41.2 innings, ranking among the league's best marks. He will look to continue his spectacular start in his next scheduled outing, slated against Baltimore early next week.

Rodriguez went 3-for-5 with three doubles, two RBI and two runs scored in Tuesday's 7-1 win over the Twins.

After starting the night 0-for-2, Rodriguez caught fire, ripping three straight doubles, including a two-run knock in the ninth inning. The outburst continues a strong stretch at the plate, as he has now recorded a hit in 10 of his last 12 games, with five multi-hit efforts in that span. While the power numbers are still building, Rodriguez is finding his rhythm and is now slashing .256/.333/.355 with two homers, six doubles and 12 RBI across 121 plate appearances.

Ohtani (2-1) took the loss against Miami on Tuesday, allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits and three walks while striking out nine batters over six innings.

Ohtani was his own worst enemy in the second inning, as he hit Agustin Ramirez with a pitch and subsequently committed a throwing error to gift the Marlins a run. The two-way star yielded just one more run -- only his second earned run allowed so far this season -- the rest of the way, but the usually potent Dodgers offense was able to muster up just one run of support. Ohtani wasn't his sharpest Tuesday, especially in terms of control (his four walks were a season high), but he still pitched very well with 13 whiffs, nine punchouts and his fifth consecutive quality start to begin the campaign. Ohtani didn't serve as a hitter Tuesday, and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said before the game that the team could occasionally hold Ohtani out from hitting on days he pitches throughout the campaign, per Jack Harris of the California Post. If that happens often enough, it could have a small impact on Ohtani's offensive stats, though it may also help him continue his dominance on the mound. As it stands, he's been one of baseball's most effective hurlers in the early portion of the season, recording a 0.60 ERA, 0.87 WHIP and 34:9 K:BB through 30 innings.

Naylor went 3-for-5 with a home run and four RBI in Tuesday's 7-1 win over the Twins.

Naylor continued his recent surge at the plate, delivering an RBI single in the sixth inning before adding a three-run homer off Cole Sands in the eighth to put the game out of reach. The long ball was his fourth of the season. The first baseman now has five multi-hit games in his last nine contests, going 15-for-33 (.455) with eight RBI over that stretch. Despite the hot streak, Naylor's overall numbers remain modest, as he's slashing .220/.295/.349 with 15 RBI, eight runs scored and four stolen bases across 122 plate appearances.

Phillips recorded a save against the Dodgers on Tuesday, allowing one hit over one scoreless inning. He didn't walk or strike out any batters.

With Pete Fairbanks (hand) landing on the injured list earlier Tuesday, Miami turned to Phillips in the ninth inning while holding a one-run lead. The right-hander got the job done, working around a one-out infield single to prevent Los Angeles from catching up. Phillips blew a save chance one day earlier, but it's hard to blame him for that, as he inherited a one-out, bases-loaded situation after Fairbanks exited with his injury. The Marlins may ultimately opt for a committee approach to closer while Fairbanks is sidelined, but Phillips figures to factor into the mix for save chances during that time, as he's posted a strong 1.47 ERA along with a 1.36 WHIP and 19:12 K:BB with two saves through 18.1 innings spanning 10 appearances this season.

Junk (2-2) earned the win over the Dodgers on Tuesday, allowing three hits and issuing one walk while striking out four batters over six scoreless innings.

Junk thoroughly handled the Dodgers' talented offense, holding Los Angeles without an extra-base hit. He escaped a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the first inning and then breezed through his remaining five frames, as the Dodgers were unable to get another runner to second base while he was in the game. Junk has won each of his past two starts, tossing a combined 11 scoreless innings during that span. The right-hander's lack of strikeouts (he has just 21 punchouts through 33 frames on the campaign) limits his fantasy appeal, but Junk has otherwise put up good numbers this season, registering a 3.00 ERA and 1.06 WHIP through six starts. He's lined up to next face the Phillies at home.

Ryan (2-3) took the loss Tuesday against the Mariners, allowing two runs on six hits and one walk while striking out six over six innings.

Ryan was effective for most of the outing, limiting Seattle to just three hits through the first five innings. In the sixth, back-to-back hits led to a run on a Josh Naylor RBI single, and after returning for the seventh the right-hander allowed a leadoff double that forced his exit and the runner later came around to score. Despite the loss, it marked Ryan's third quality start in his last four outings. He now owns a 3.76 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and a 39:9 K:BB across 38.1 innings and is slated to face Toronto in his next start.

Witt went 1-for-5 with a three-run home run and a stolen base in a 4-1 extra-inning win over the Athletics on Tuesday.

Witt was 0-for-4 when he came up to the plate with a pair of runners on base in the top of the 10th frame, and he cleared the bases with a three-run blast to right-center field. The long ball was his second in his past two games after he began the campaign going homerless over his first 27 contests. The power had been the primary thing preventing Witt from meeting fantasy managers' expectations, as he's slashing .289/.362/.439 with 10 stolen bases and 15 RBI through 29 games. If he indeed has his power stroke back, Witt could very well end up a top-10 fantasy asset by the end of the campaign.

Erceg picked up a save against the Athletics on Tuesday, allowing one hit, issuing one walk and striking out one batter over one scoreless inning.

The game was tied 1-1 after nine frames, but Kansas City was able to score three runs in the top of the 10th to give Erceg the ball with a decent cushion. The right-hander didn't exactly cruise -- he retired the first two batters he faced before issuing a walk and giving up an infield single to load the bases and bring the winning run to the plate for the A's. However, Erceg was able to get Darell Hernaiz to line out to second base to end the contest. Erceg has gone 7-for-9 in save opportunities this season despite an unexciting 4.38 ERA and 10:10 K:BB through 12.1 frames, giving Kansas City a mostly reliable closer in the wake of Carlos Estevez landing on the IL due to a foot injury after just one appearance. Estevez is reportedly nearing a rehab assignment and could be back in early May, but it remains to be seen if he'll retake the closer role upon his return.