The Opener News & Rumors

Here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Astros roster moves incoming?

The Astros got hit with a double whammy on the injury front yesterday, as both center fielder Jake Meyers and right-hander Cristian Javier exited yesterday’s game due to back and shoulder injuries respectively. There’s likely to be some roster shuffling as a result of those injuries today. In particular, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle notes that outfielder Taylor Trammell was scratched from the Triple-A lineup last night as Meyers is expected to head to Houston for imaging. That would fairly cleanly replace Meyers on the roster, but it leaves open the question of how the Astros will handle the potential loss of Javier. Hunter Brown is already on the injured list, and the club was seemingly planning to go to a six-man rotation in the coming days. Spencer Arrighetti, Colton Gordon, and Jason Alexander are among the options at Triple-A who could be asked to take up a rotation role moving forward.

2. Rockies going streaking:

The Rockies didn’t enter the 2026 season with much hope for a successful campaign on the field. It will take more than the first couple weeks of the season to change that perception, but the club has put together a bit of a winning streak with wins in each of their last four games to pull them up to .500. That keeps them out of last place in the NL West and makes them the only club in the division besides the Dodgers with a positive run differential. All of that leads into a series against the division rival Padres that opens today wherein Colorado could have a chance to pull themselves into a winning record and perhaps even sole possession of second place in the division. Those efforts will start tonight at 6:40 local time in San Diego when right-hander Randy Vasquez takes the mound for the Padres against an as-of-yet unnamed Rockies starter, though Chase Dollander is expected to get the bulk of today’s innings.

3. Tigers looking to avoid sweep:

Meanwhile, the Tigers entered the season with lofty expectations but have gotten out to a rough start this year. They’re 4-8 to open the season this year, putting them tied for last in the AL Central alongside the White Sox. That’s in large part due to a rough series against the Twins, who have won three straight against the Tigers. Today, Detroit will be looking to avoid a sweep while the Twins will try to finish the job with Mick Abel on the mound against veteran right-hander Jack Flaherty. That game is scheduled for 12:40pm local time at Target Field in Minnesota. Both have struggled badly so far this year, with a 7.56 ERA in two starts for Flaherty while Abel has posted an 11.05 ERA in 7 1/3 innings of work. Will one be able to get back on track today?

On the heels of this morning’s big Pirates news, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Drohan to make MLB debut:

The Brewers promoted left-hander Shane Drohan to the majors earlier this week, and now he’s poised to make his MLB debut against his former club. Acquired from the Red Sox in the Caleb Durbin trade, Drohan was a fifth-rounder drafted by the Red Sox back in 2020 who posted a 2.27 ERA in 47 2/3 innings of work at Triple-A last year. Drohan made just one start with the Brewers at Triple-A this year before being promoted, but now he’ll face off against veteran righty Sonny Gray (4.28 ERA in 2025) at Fenway Park later today. The game is scheduled for 1:35pm local time in Boston this afternoon.

2. Braves, Angels brawl:

The Braves and Angels got into a brawl yesterday, with right-hander Reynaldo Lopez and slugger Jorge Soler at the center of it. As noted by Rhett Bollinger and Courtney Hollman of MLB.com, Soler hit a home run in his first plate appearance and was plunked in his second. In his third appearance, an up-and-in pitch came close to him, leading to him charging the mound and throwing punches at Lopez, who retaliated by punching back. Both benches cleared as Lopez and Soler fought, and the pair were eventually ejected from the game. Suspensions and fines haven’t yet been handed down from MLB after the brawl, but it seems likely that disciplinary action could come as soon as today. Meanwhile, the clubs will have the opportunity to work out any lingering tensions during this afternoon’s game, where Grant Holmes will face off against Reid Detmers at 1:07pm local time in Anaheim.

3. Pitchers’ Duel today:

A rematch of the 2025 World Series is currently ongoing, and tonight’s game in that rematch features a particularly exciting pitching matchup. Shohei Ohtani will be taking the mound for the World Champion Dodgers in his second start of the season. He threw six scoreless innings in his first outing of the year, racking up six strikeouts while allowing just one hit. His opponent will be newly-signed Blue Jays ace Dylan Cease, whose first two starts in Toronto have seen him post a 2.79 ERA with 18 strikeouts in just 9 2/3 innings of work. The game is scheduled for 3:07pm local time in Toronto and comes as the Jays look to avoid a sweep at the hands of Los Angeles, who won the first two games by a combined score of 18-3.

Here are three things for MLBTR readers to keep an eye on throughout the day today:

1. Red Sox, Brewers face off amid tense series:

The Red Sox and Brewers played last night, and right-hander Brandon Woodruff hit veteran first baseman Willson Contreras with a pitch. Contreras, who had spent the entirety of his career prior to this season in the NL Central, has been plunked by the Brewers 24 times in his career, including six by Woodruff specifically. That was enough to raise tensions on the field, and after the game both Contreras and a handful Brewers players commented on the situation (as relayed by Tim Healey of The Boston Globe).

“The 24th time, it’s not [a] coincidence,” Contreras said, as relayed by Healey. “They’re going there with a purpose. And that’s fine, that’s pitching. But next time you hit me, the message is clear: I’m going to take one of them out.”

Brewers veteran Christian Yelich was nonplussed by Contreras’s comments. “We’ve seen that skit for the last 10 years. It’s nothing new. Not surprising. You just keep it rolling. You got a game to win and lock the boys in, rally the troops.”

All of this sets up an interesting game between the clubs later today. At 6:45pm local time in Boston this evening, Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet will take the mound opposite hard-throwing righty Jacob Misiorowski. Crochet fell just shy of the AL Cy Young award last year and has a 3.27 ERA through two starts. Misiorowski, for his part, received an All-Star nod in his rookie season last year and has now posted a 2.45 ERA in his own first two starts of the year.

2. A’s 40-man roster move incoming:

The A’s are expected to select the contract of right-hander Joel Kuhnel later today. Before they can do that, however, they’ll need to create a spot on the 40-man roster for him. Right-hander Gunnar Hoglund is the only player on the club’s injured list at the moment. It’s unclear when exactly the right-hander will return from his current back injury, but he isn’t a known candidate for the 60-day injured list at this point. Barring a surprise transfer for Hoglund or a surprise trade that clears 40-man roster space, the A’s will have to designate a player for assignment today. That move can be expected sometime this afternoon, given that the club is slated to play their next game at 7:05pm local time in New York against the Yankees.

3. MLBTR Chat Today:

The regular season is in full swing at this point, with some clubs (like the 6-5 Angels) exceeding expectations in the early going while others (like the 2-8 Red Sox) have struggled unexpectedly out of the gate. Whether you’re wondering what to expect from your team this year or just trying to separate the contenders from the pretenders, MLBTR’s Anthony Franco has you covered with a live chat at 11:00am CT this morning. You can click here to leave a question in advance. That same link will also allow you to follow along with the chat live when things get underway and view a transcript of the chat after it concludes.

Here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Rays return to the Trop:

Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg is set to host its first MLB game since 2024 today. The renovations for the Rays’ current home stadium are now complete, and the club is poised to celebrate with a game against the Cubs later today. First pitch is scheduled for 4:10pm local time, with staff ace Shane McClanahan set to make his second start of the year after returning to the big league mound for the first time since 2023 last week. McClanahan’s opponent will be veteran right-hander Jameson Taillon, who pitched around plenty of traffic on the basepaths to post 4 2/3 scoreless frames for the Cubs his last time out. As noted by Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times, gates will open at 2:10pm local time for today’s game and fans are asked to be in their seats by 3:30pm local time for pregame ceremonies.

2. Trout day-to-day:

Future Hall of Famer Mike Trout has begun the season healthy, which is good news on its own given how often he’s been injured in recent years. Better yet, he’s looking good at the plate with a .212/.435/.424 slash line and a strikeout rate of just 26.1% after punching out more than 30% of the time last year and posting a career-low wRC+ of 120. While Trout seems to be back to something resembling his old self, Angels fans got a big scare yesterday when he left the game after being hit by a pitch on his hand. Fortunately, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com (among others) relayed yesterday that x-rays on Trout’s hand came back negative, and that he’s day-to-day after the incident. Trout noted to reporters (including Bollinger) that his hand was swollen after the incident. While it’s fortunate he appears to have avoided a serious injury, he still might be sidelined for a couple of days or so if the swelling persists. If Trout does end up missing time, Bryce Teodosio could get some looks in center field.

3. Pitchers’ duel today in the AL West:

An early meeting between two division rivals will see two of the most impressive pitchers in baseball face off on the mound today. The Mariners are headed to Globe Life Field in Texas for a 7:05pm local time game against the Rangers, and Seattle will be sending star right-hander Logan Gilbert to the mound coming off a 2025 season where he was limited to just 25 starts but turned in a solid 3.44 ERA with a 3.35 FIP. He’ll be facing off against veteran righty Jacob deGrom, who enjoyed his first healthy season in years last season and managed a 2.97 ERA in 172 2/3 innings of work that year. So far, neither deGrom nor Gilbert has gotten the results they’ve wanted in 2026, though they’ve gotten strong peripheral results. Will one or both be able to turn those peripherals into production tonight?

Here are three things for MLBTR readers to keep an eye out for headed into the weekend:

1. MLBTR’s Free Agent Power Rankings:

The 2026 season is only just getting underway, but we at MLB Trade Rumors are always preparing for the next offseason. Much of the talk surrounding this coming winter is focused on the impending lockout, but just like any other year there will be a class of talented players reaching the open market. With the season still in its early stages, we’re taking the opportunity to take a temperature check of this year’s class with the first edition of our Free Agent Power Rankings. Some of those choices were obvious — spoiler: Tarik Skubal made the cut! — but there’s plenty of room for change in the pecking order as the season progresses, especially on the hitting side of things. MLBTR readers can look forward to the March/April installment of our Free Agent Power Rankings going live later today.

2. Griffin to make his debut:

While the sides are still deep in extension talks, the Pirates are calling up No. 1 overall prospect Konnor Griffin to the majors today. Griffin, 19, is now poised to debut three weeks shy of his 20th birthday after posting a .749 OPS in Spring Training and following that up with a 7-for-16 showing at Triple-A with three doubles and three steals. It remains to be seen if Griffin will hit the ground running in the majors or if he’ll need some time to adjust to the highest level, but fans in Pittsburgh are ecstatic to get to watch a potential cornerstone player on a daily basis either way. Griffin’s first assignment will come against the Orioles and right-hander Kyle Bradish at 4:12pm local time in Pittsburgh.

3. Fitzgerald on the move?

Giants utilityman Tyler Fitzgerald remains in DFA limbo after being designated for assignment earlier this week. He’s coming off a tough year in 2025 where he struggled to hit at the big league level, but his speed, versatility and strong 2024 season could still make him an interesting pickup for a club with a less crowded bench mix than the Giants. San Francisco will try to find a trade before placing Fitzgerald on waivers, and if a swap is to come together it’ll need to happen in the near future. Fitzgerald was designated on Monday, and at the five-day mark he’ll need to be placed on waivers so that 48-hour process could conclude within the maximum one-week window for DFA resolution. It’s unlikely the Giants would find a huge return for a player who’s been designated for assignment, but a swap for a low-level prospect or even just a cash deal is entirely feasible. Will the club find a deal to its liking, or will Fitzgerald simply hit waivers?

Here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball throughout the day:

1. Winn OK after car accident:

Cardinals shortstop Masyn Winn hit the first walk-off of his career against the Mets in the 11th inning yesterday, but not long after doing so the shortstop was involved in a single-car accident on the interstate near Busch Stadium. As noted by Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Cardinals thankfully announced that Winn is OK after he was examined at a local hospital.

The Cardinals are off today as they travel to Detroit for their first road series of the year. Whether the star shortstop will play remains to be seen, and Goold notes that the team plans to re-evaluate him prior to tomorrow’s game. Thomas Saggese, José Fermín, and Ramon Urías all have infield experience and could sub in for Winn on the infield if needed. Fermín and Saggese both have shortstop experience, while Urías could plug in at second base if JJ Wetherholt covers short for Winn.

2. Griffin, Pirates working towards extension:

The Pirates have been working to extend the sport’s top prospect, shortstop Konnor Griffin, ahead of his impending MLB debut later this year. ESPN’s Buster Olney characterized the sides as “deep” into extension talks yesterday. The Pirates are seemingly willing to offer Griffin the largest contract in franchise history (surpassing Bryan Reynolds‘ $100MM deal). That would also top Mariners prospect Colt Emerson‘s newly secured $95MM deal for the largest ever to a pre-debut player. Will Griffin join Emerson, Cooper Pratt, and Pete Crow-Armstrong in signing early-career extensions this spring?

3. White Sox home opener postponed:

The White Sox announced that today’s scheduled game against the Blue Jays has been postponed until tomorrow. Today was meant to be Chicago’s home opener, but those festivities will now be moved back a day due to an inclement weather forecast for this afternoon. Perla Paredes of MLB.com writes that the pitching matchup for the game remains unchanged, with righty Sean Burke set to take on former White Sox ace Dylan Cease as he returns to town with the Blue Jays. Gates for tomorrow’s home opener will open at 11:10am local time, with first pitch scheduled for 1:10pm. Paredes goes on to note that all tickets for today’s postponed game will be valid for tomorrow’s home opener without any exchanges being necessary.

Here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world today:

1. Eflin injury spurs Orioles roster moves:

Orioles right-hander Zach Eflin is expected to land on the injured list as he undergoes imaging to determine the cause of his elbow discomfort, which has prompted the team to select the contract of veteran righty Albert Suarez. Baltimore will need to make a 40-man roster move, as Suarez is currently in Triple-A on a minor league deal. He’s been effective for the O’s when called upon over the past two years, with a 3.59 ERA and 4.07 FIP across 145 1/3 innings of work. While Eflin’s rotation spot eventually figures to go to Dean Kremer, Suarez can provide length out of the bullpen for a few days until Eflin’s spot in the rotation comes up, at which point Kremer can take over. Details on both Eflin’s MRI and the corresponding move for Suarez could be available as soon as today.

2. DeLauter nursing foot injury:

Guardians outfielder Chase DeLauter has kicked off his rookie season in a big way, slashing .273/.304/.818 with an MLB-best four home runs. Unfortunately, last night’s game against the Dodgers put a bit of a damper on his torrid start. DeLauter fouled a pitch from Shohei Ohtani off his foot in the first inning, forcing him to leave the game. Jacob Gurvis of MLB.com notes that x-rays came back negative. DeLauter was already scheduled to have today’s game off according to manager Stephen Vogt. With the Guardians off Thursday, the first big test for DeLauter’s injury will be whether he’s in the starting lineup against the Cubs on Friday. C.J. Kayfus replaced DeLauter in the outfield yesterday and would likely continue filling in until he’s ready to return to the field.

3. Skenes looks to move past rough first start:

Reigning NL Cy Young winner Paul Skenes kicked off the 2026 season with a rare clunker when he allowed five runs in the first inning while recording just two outs before being pulled. It was just the second start of Skenes’ career where he’s surrendered five earned runs, and the first one saw the righty go six innings despite those struggles. Skenes had no help from his defense during last week’s start, of course, and far fewer than five runs would have scored if not for defensive lapses from center fielder Oneil Cruz. Even so, Skenes wasn’t at his best; he faced a total of nine hitters, walking two of them and plunking another. He’ll look to rebound today against lefty Andrew Abbott and the division-rival Reds in a game scheduled for 12:40pm local time in Cincinnati.

Here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. McClanahan makes long-awaited return:

Rays southpaw Shane McClanahan hasn’t thrown a pitch in the majors since 2023 due to Tommy John surgery and nerve issues. After missing more than two full seasons, the lefty is finally ready to return to the major league mound. His first assignment will be a start against the Brewers and their own oft-injured ace, Brandon Woodruff (3.20 ERA in 12 starts last year). It’s easy to forget after such a long layoff, but McClanahan was among the most talented young starters in the sport when he first broke onto the scene in 2021. In 74 career starts to this point, the lefty sports a 3.02 ERA and 28.0% strikeout rate. Now just a month from his 29th birthday, McClanahan will have the opportunity to prove he can still be a high-end starter when healthy this year. His first game is scheduled for 6:40pm local time in Milwaukee.

2. Painter to make MLB debut:

Phillies right-hander Andrew Painter has been a highly-discussed name for years now, ever since he was on the cusp of making the majors with Philadelphia back in 2023. He wound up undergoing surgery on his UCL instead, and after missing two full seasons he return to the mound last year. Unfortunately his 22 starts at the Triple-A level came with lackluster results, including a 5.40 ERA. Despite that middling performance last year, Painter remains a consensus top-40 prospect in the sport and looked good during Spring Training with a 2.31 ERA in four starts. He didn’t strike out many of his opponents, but that was still enough to earn him a rotation job. He’ll finally make his big league debut today against the Nationals in Philadelphia. The game is scheduled for 6:40pm local time and will see him face off against D.C. lefty PJ Poulin.

3. Pratt extension incoming?

The Brewers and top shortstop prospect Cooper Pratt are reportedly working on an extension, though no deal appears to be finalized at this point. It’s a surprising move given that the 21-year-old is just three games into his Triple-A career, but with Caleb Durbin having been removed from the infield in Milwaukee over the offseason the Brewers might have interest in fast-tracking the youngster to the majors this year. The pact would guarantee him $50.75MM over eight years if finalized, and would have a pair of club options at the end as well. Assuming the deal gets done, Pratt will become the Brewer under team control for the longest period of time, beating out outfielder Jackson Chourio‘s own pre-debut extension. We’ll sure hear more about both the necessary corresponding move to add Pratt to the 40-man roster and the timeline for his arrival in the majors in fairly short order after the deal is completed.

Here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world today:

1. deGrom still waiting for season debut:

Rangers veteran Jacob deGrom was slated to make his season debut over the weekend, but was scratched from his scheduled start due to a neck issue. Via Shawn McFarland of the Dallas Morning News, manager Skip Schumaker indicated that deGrom could still make his first start of the year during the club’s current series in Baltimore. Righty Jack Leiter has already been announced as today’s starter, but deGrom could start tomorrow’s game against Orioles righty Zach Eflin or pitch Wednesday versus lefty Trevor Rogers. The 37-year-old deGrom enjoyed his first full season of the decade in 2025, making 30 starts for the first time since winning the NL Cy Young Award in 2019. The righty’s 2.97 ERA and 3.64 FIP weren’t quite the same level as his peak, but that’s still clearly front-of-the-rotation production the Rangers are counting on as they look to return to the playoffs this year.

2. Murakami kicks off MLB career with homer streak:

Longtime NPB slugger and current White Sox rookie Munetaka Murakami exploded onto the stateside scene over the weekend, hitting home runs in three consecutive games against the Brewers to kick off his MLB career. The corner infielder took a deal well below expectations with Chicago due to concerns about his contact rate and defensive ability. Those concerns will take a lot more than one series to fade, but there was never any doubt about his prodigious power. That’s absolutely played so far, and when the White Sox head to Miami to face Chris Paddack (5.35 ERA in 2025) Murakami will look to extend his career-opening homer streak to four games. That game is scheduled to take place at 6:40pm local time in Miami this evening, with Davis Martin (4.10 ERA in 2025) set to take the mound opposite Paddack.

3. Key starters making team debuts:

As the first turn through the rotation of the 2026 season continues, a number of impact starters will make their first starts with new teams today. Cubs right-hander Edward Cabrera (3.53 ERA in 2025) will take on the Angels at 6:40pm local time in Chicago, while the Red Sox will send southpaw Ranger Suarez (3.20 ERA in 2025) to the mound against the Astros at 7:10pm local time in Houston. Ryan Weathers (3.99 ERA in eight starts last year) will make his Yankees debut against the Mariners at 6:40pm Seattle time, while Paddack (Marlins), Walker Buehler (Padres), Nick Martinez (Rays), and Kyle Harrison (Brewers) are among the other starters making team debuts. It’s not quite a team debut, but Justin Verlander (3.85 ERA in 2025) is slated to make his first start for the Tigers since 2017 at 7:10pm local time in Phoenix against Diamondbacks righty Michael Soroka (who is making his own debut for the Snakes).

With the 2026 season now underway, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world today:

1. Opening Day Part 3:

Most teams have already had their first game of the season, but a handful of clubs are only just now getting the Opening Day experience. The season begins today for fans of the A’s, Blue Jays, Rockies, Marlins, Royals, and Braves. The game between Kansas City and Atlanta is particularly exciting, given the impressive pitching matchup between a pair of excellent left-handers: Kansas City’s Cole Ragans and Atlanta’s Chris Sale. First pitch is scheduled for 7:15pm local time in Atlanta. Both Ragans and Sale missed time last year to injury, but the former has a 3.52 ERA in his last 45 starts while Sale has been even more impressive with a 2.46 ERA in 50 appearances.

2. Hoerner extension details incoming:

The Cubs and second baseman Nico Hoerner got together on a six-year extension last night. It’s the second six-year extension they’ve signed this week after star center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong agreed to a $115MM deal. The financial details of Hoerner’s contract aren’t yet known but should come to light in short order. Hoerner would’ve been among the top free agents in this year’s class had he tested the open market after this season. It does bring about questions about the future of Matt Shaw on the Cubs’ roster, as Hoerner and new third baseman Alex Bregman are now both locked into the Chicago infield for the foreseeable future, leaving Shaw without a position.

3. Starters suiting up for new teams:

A pair of starters will be making their debuts with their new teams Friday. Tigers fans will get their first look at southpaw Framber Valdez, who’ll take on right-hander Michael King and the Padres. King is coming off an injury-marred 2025 season but is one of the most effective arms in the sport when healthy, while Valdez posted a 3.66 ERA with a 3.37 FIP in 192 innings of work last year.

Fans of Valdez’s former club in Houston will be getting their first look at right-hander Mike Burrows, who came to the ‘Stros from the Pirates in the three-team trade that sent Jacob Melton to Tampa Bay and Brandon Lowe to Pittsburgh. Burrows, 26, made 23 appearances (19 starts) for the Pirates last year and posted a 3.94 ERA, 24.1% strikeout rate and 7.7% walk rate in 96 innings. He’s gearing up for his first full big league season and will get started with tonight’s game against Yusei Kikuchi and the Angels.