Christian Yelich Smashes First Home Run On Opening Day

Milwaukee Brewers right fielder Christian Yelich went 1-for-2 with a three-run homer and two walks in Thursday's win against the Cardinals. There has been a lot of talk over the off season on whether or not Yelich could reproduce the power that led him to the 2018 MVP, and Thursday's 407-foot homer looks to answer […]

Harrison Bader Hits an Opening Day Home Run

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Harrison Bader hit a home run on Opening Day, finishing 2-for-3. Bader hit eighth in this one, but he's likely to force his way up in the lineup and carries some legitimate sleeper appeal in mixed leagues. The Harrison Hype Train is gaining steam, jump on before it gets too full.

Josh Hader Records Multi-Inning Save

Milwaukee Brewers reliever Josh Hader pitched two perfect innings and secured the save for Milwaukee's win against the Cardinals while striking out four. With Corey Knebel and Jeremy Jeffres both starting the year on the injured list, it is no surprise that Hader would be first in line for saves. Hader remains a valuable reliever […]

Jhoulys Chacin Solid In Opening Day Win

Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Jhoulys Chacin gave up three runs on three hits and two walks through 5 1/3 innings Thursday against the Cardinals while striking out seven. Chacin gave up all three runs on two home runs in the second inning, but otherwise pitched how you would expect an opening day starter to pitch. […]

Kolten Wong Hits Two Home Runs on Opening Day

St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Kolten Wong drove in three runs on Opening Day, hitting two home runs and finishing 2-for-3 before being replaced by a pinch hitter. Wong came out of the gates scorching hot, but fantasy players shouldn't look too deep into one game. Wong is a solid fantasy second baseman, but not […]

Miles Mikolas Gets Off to a Rough Start

St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Miles Mikolas struggled on Opening Day, allowing five runs on five hits and a walk in five innings of work. Mikolas coughed up five home runs and struck out just three batters. There's a legitimate chance this will be Mikolas' worst start of the season, his fantasy owners shouldn't worry […]

Aaron Judge Scores Three Runs In Win

Back at his familiar positions of starting right fielder and No. 2 hitter for the New York Yankees, outfielder Aaron Judge was the catalyst his offense needed. The 26-year-old recorded two hits and scored three runs as the Yankees were victorious over the Baltimore Orioles on Opening Day. Judge's first his was his club's first hit, […]

Masahiro Tanaka Delivers Win On Opening Day

While he wasn't originally scheduled to pitch on Opening Day, New York Yankees starting pitcher Masahiro Tanaka delivered a winning performance, leading the Yankees to a 7-2 victory. The 30-year-old allowed two runs, one earned, in 5 2/3 innings of work. Considering how vaunted the Yankee bullpen is, he was always going to be on a […]

Luke Voit Fires Opening Salvo To Begin Season

The battle for first base in the Bronx spilled over into the start of the 2019 season as the New York Yankees featured both Luke Voit and Greg Bird in the opening day starting lineup. With the Yankees already beginning a rally in the first inning, Voit, batting fourth, stepped to the plate with two […]

Jacob deGrom Begins New Season In Style

Facing fellow National League East ace Max Scherzer, New York Mets right-hander Jacob deGrom was once again terrific en route to victory. The reigning NL Cy Young winner fired six shutout innings on the road against the Nationals, allowing five hits and a walk. He also struck out 10, nearly matching Scherzer, who wound up […]

Shin-Soo Choo Sits On Opening Day

The Texas Rangers opted to start outfielder Hunter Pence as the designated hitter on Opening Day over fellow veteran Shin-Soo Choo against the Chicago Cubs. Choo, a left-handed batter, was benched in favor of an extra righty against the lefty starter. Rangers manager Chris Woodward specifically said Pence was with the club to help against left-handed […]

Trea Turner Steals Three Bases on Opening Day

Washington Nationals shortstop Trea Turner went 2-for-4 and stole three bases in Washington’s 2-0 Opening Day loss to the New York Mets. Turner has been encouraged to run more this season and he definitely obliged in Thursday’s game, an aggression and success rate that his fantasy shareholders hope continues. The shortstop may well be on […]

Robinson Cano Delivers On Opening Day

The New York Mets and Washington Nationals delivered as they engaged in a classic pitcher's duel on Opening Day. Second baseman Robinson Cano, making his debut with the Mets, drove in the only two runs of the game in a winning effort. His first hit came in the very first inning of the season, as he […]

Max Scherzer Drops 2-0 Pitcher’s Duel Thursday

Washington Nationals starting pitcher Max Scherzer was his usual dominant self on Opening Day on Thursday, allowing just two runs on just two hits with 12 strikeouts against three walks in 7 2/3 innings. Robinson Cano’s solo home run in the first inning was the only run the Mets put on Scherzer until Matt Grace […]

Edwin Diaz Records Save On Opening Day

The New York Mets enjoyed superb pitching on Thursday afternoon, shutting out the Washington Nationals for an Opening Day victory. The very last pitcher to take the hill was closer Edwin Diaz, making his season debut with the club after being acquired from the Seattle Mariners in the offseason. Diaz threw just 14 pitches and […]

Josh Tomlin Makes Braves' Opening Day Roster

Facing a litany of injuries to their pitching staff, the Atlanta Braves have named veteran right-hander Josh Tomlin to the 25-man roster for Opening Day. The 34-year-old, who began the spring with the Brewers before being released, will likely serve as the long reliever out of the bullpen. A casualty of Tomlin's promotion is Adam […]

Starling Marte Scratched On Opening Day

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Starling Marte has been scratched from the Opening Day lineup as he deals with migraines. Veteran Melky Cabrera will play right field and bat second in his place on Thursday, while J.B. Shuck will start in center and bat seventh. Marte, 30, is coming off a season that saw him hit a […]

Ildemaro Vargas Makes Diamondbacks Roster

After suffering an unfortunate injury, Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Steven Souza Jr. (knee) will miss the entire 2019 season following reconstructive knee surgery. In his place, the club has named infielder Ildemaro Vargas to the Opening Day roster. The 27-year-old has played in 26 major league games over the past two seasons, hitting .250 with eight […]

Kyle Freeland Facing All Right-Handed Marlins Lineup

Colorado Rockies left-handed pitcher Kyle Freeland will face only right-handed hitters in his Opening day start against the Miami Marlins. That could hurt him a little bit, but he's still facing the Miami's deficient offense at their pitcher's park, so Freeland could be a solid DFS play despite generally having less strikeout upside than other […]

Victor Victor Mesa Playing In Games

Miami Marlins outfield prospect Victor Victor Mesa (hamstring) has resumed playing in minor league games after being shut down this spring. The team will make a decision in the next few days on whether he goes to High-A Jupiter or extended spring training. The 22-year-old Cuban was signed last fall and is already the team's […]

Jordan Lyles To Throw Simulated Game This Week

Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Jordan Lyles (side), who is starting the year on the 10-day injured list, is scheduled to throw a six-inning simulated game this week, according to director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk. Lyles is expected to be the team's fifth starter when he's healthy, but he suffered from pain in his right […]

Andrew Heaney Shut Down Once Again

Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Andrew Heaney will get his elbow re-evaluated after feeling a twinge during a side session on Thursday. Heaney will see the doctor this afternoon, and manager Brad Ausmus is "a little concerned." Heaney's draft stock fell as Opening Day approached due to his injury, and now he takes an even […]

Mitch Haniger Batting Leadoff Against Red Sox

Seattle Mariners outfielder Mitch Haniger is starting in right field and batting leadoff in Thursday's home opener against Boston Red Sox ace Chris Sale. Haniger is one of Seattle's best hitters, but batting leadoff will take away precious RBI opportunities. He's 0-for-5 in his career against Sale, but he should be a lineup lock in […]

Rich Hill Feeling Better Every Day

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Rich Hill (knee) said he threw on flat ground on Thursday and has been feeling better every day. He will attempt long toss on Friday. The veteran left-hander begins the regular season on the injured list with a left knee strain, but he might only miss a few weeks and […]

Will Smith To Close For Giants

San Francisco Giants relief pitcher Will Smith was named the team's closer by manager Bruce Bochy on Thursday. Smith, who struck out seven and walked two in six shutout innings during spring training, beat out Mark Melancon for the role. Smith was considered to be the favorite but now it's official, so if he's somehow […]

Shohei Ohtani Takes On-Field Batting Practice

Los Angeles Angels designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (elbow) is taking on-field batting practice on Thursday for the first time since Tommy John surgery last October, according to manager Brad Ausmus. The Japanese two-way start won't pitch at all this year, but he will remain a mixed league asset for his bat and has a nice […]

Niko Goodrum Batting Fifth On Opening Day

Detroit Tigers infielder/outfielder Niko Goodrum is the designated hitter on Thursday and will bat fifth against Marcus Stroman and the Toronto Blue Jays. Josh Harrison takes Goodrum's usual second base spot. Goodrum, who started games at six different positions in a 16-homer, 12-steal season last year, also hit .321/.373/.509 this spring. Goodrum's positional eligibility, especially […]

Chad Pinder Playing Second Base, Batting Sixth Thursday

Oakland Athletics infielder/outfielder Chad Pinder is playing second base on Thursday and bats sixth. Pinder started in left field twice during the Japan series, but now moves to second base as Jurickson Profar (batting fifth) takes the injured Matt Olson's place at first. Pinder posted strong Statcast numbers last year and could provide solid power […]

Frank Schwindel To Make MLB Debut Batting Fifth

Kansas City Royals first baseman Frank Schwindel will bat fifth and play first base in his first career MLB game on Opening Day. This means that Ryan O'Hearn is not in the starting lineup against the left-handed White Sox starter, Carlos Rodon. Schwindel, whose time with the team may be temporary, plays some catcher but […]

Yu Darvish Good To Go For Season Debut

Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Yu Darvish (finger) said he's good to go for his season debut on Saturday against his old team, the Texas Rangers. Darvish threw in a minor league game last weekend and made it through a bullpen session on Thursday without using protection on his finger, so he's ready to go this […]