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Rafael Marchan C | PHI
Phillies' Rafael Marchan: Homers in first game
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.
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Mike Soroka SP | ARI
Diamondbacks' Michael Soroka: Dominant in first start
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.
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Foster Griffin SP | CLE
Nationals' Foster Griffin: Works through five in win
Griffin (1-0) earned the victory Monday against the Phillies, giving up two runs on five hits while striking out five over five innings.
It was just about a dream start to the game for Griffin as he was handed a 4-0 lead before he even threw his first pitch Monday. He handled that run support well, holding down the Nationals lineup in his five innings of work aside from a two-run home run surrendered to Rafael Marchan. That's an encouraging start to the season for the 30-year-old Griffin in his first MLB start since 2022.
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Jose Altuve 2B | HOU
Astros' Jose Altuve: Erupts with two homers
Altuve went 4-for-4 with two solo home runs, two singles, a walk and four runs scored in Monday's 8-1 win over the Red Sox.
Altuve delivered a massive performance from the top of the lineup, reaching base in all five plate appearances while launching his first two home runs of the season in back-to-back trips to the plate. Both long balls came off Johan Oviedo and both cleared the left field porch to extend Houston's lead. While Altuve's no longer in his prime, flashes like this are a reminder that the elite bat speed that defined the 35-year-old's career is still very much there, and if the power sticks, he could push past his 2025 home run total of 26.
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Steven Kwan LF | CLE
Guardians' Steven Kwan: Racks up three hits, steal Monday
Kwan went 3-for-5 with a double, a run, an RBI and a stolen base in a 4-2 win over the Dodgers on Monday.
Kwan provided a big spark out of the leadoff spot, notching his third multi-hit game so far this season. The veteran outfielder knocked in the game's first run with a third-inning double and scored Cleveland's final run following a bunt single in the seventh. Kwan is off to a nice start to the campaign, slashing .318/.318/.364 through 22 plate appearances.
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Roki Sasaki SP | LAD
Dodgers' Roki Sasaki: Posts promising start despite loss
Sasaki (0-1) took the loss against Cleveland on Monday, allowing one run on four hits and two walks while striking out four batters over four innings.
Amidst Sasaki's disastrous spring, there was a lot of chatter about whether the young hurler was deserving of a spot in the Dodgers' rotation. The team decided to stick with him, and Sasaki mostly looked good in his first regular-season start in spite of being handed the defeat. The right-hander was particularly effective when he went to his cutter and splitter, getting seven whiffs on 40 pitches versus just two whiffs on the 38 fastballs he threw. Sasaki may not have the longest of leashes, so this outing should be counted as a success in contrast to how he pitched during most of the spring slate. His next start is projected to take place on the road against the Nationals.
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Jordan Hicks RP | CHW
White Sox's Jordan Hicks: Picks up four-out save
Hicks allowed one walk and struck out one across 1.1 scoreless innings to earn the save Monday against the Marlins.
Hicks was tasked with protecting a five-run lead, though he tallied the final out in the eighth inning with the bases loaded. He picked up the save as a result, but he still doesn't figure to compete for the closer role for the time being. In addition to Monday's performance not coming in a conventional save situation, Seranthony Dominguez was likely not available after pitching in both of the previous two days.
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Ranger Suarez SP | BOS
Red Sox's Ranger Suarez: Roughed up in Red Sox debut
Suarez (0-1) took the loss Monday against the Astros, allowing four runs on seven hits and one walk while striking out three over 4.1 innings.
Making his Red Sox debut after signing a five-year, $130 million deal this offseason, Suarez ran into trouble early. The left-hander opened the game by allowing three straight singles but limited the damage to just one run. Suarez couldn't piece it back together however, as he gave up a two-run homer to Yordan Alvarez shortly after in the third and a 434-foot solo shot to Brice Matthews in the fifth. The 30-year-old allowed a hit in all but one inning and generated just six whiffs, with his velocity topping out at 92.5 mph. Despite the trouble Monday, Suarez is more than capable of bouncing back as he's coming off a strong 2025 campaign in which he posted a 3.20 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 151 strikeouts over 157.1 innings
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Austin Hays LF | SD
White Sox's Austin Hays: Pops first homer
Hays went 1-for-5 with a three-run home run Monday against the Marlins.
Hays provided the key blow in a four-run third inning for the White Sox, popping his first home run of the season. While that was a positive, Hays struck out in all four of his other at-bats and now has eight strikeouts across only 15 plate appearances to begin the campaign. Despite those struggles, he's started three of four games in left field while hitting fifth in the order twice and third on Monday.
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Parker Messick SP | CLE
Guardians' Parker Messick: Hands Dodgers first loss
Messick (1-0) earned the win over the Dodgers on Monday, allowing five hits and striking out five batters over six scoreless innings.
Messick had to earn his spot in Cleveland's rotation with a strong spring, and he looked like an ace against the defending champs. The left-hander gave up just one extra-base hit (a Miguel Rojas double) and threw 51 strikes among his efficient 76 pitches. Messick had an intriguing first big-league stint with a 2.72 ERA and 8.6 K/9 over seven regular-season starts last year, and he'll probably be a popular waiver-wire pickup (in leagues in which he's unrostered) following Monday's standout outing. He'll look to build more momentum in his next start, which is tentatively slated to take place at home against the Cubs.