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  • Sharp in spot start
    Maldonado came away with a no-decision in Friday's 3-1 loss to the Nationals, allowing three hits over three scoreless innings. He struck out two without walking a batter.

    Advice: Promoted from Triple-A Jacksonville earlier in the day for his big-league debut, Maldonado was expected to work only as an opener while Kyle Tyler handled bulk relief duties. Instead, Maldonado gave Miami an efficient 36 pitches (23 strikes) and left the mound with his team ahead 1-0. The 26-year-old righty has been deployed almost exclusively as a reliever in the minors -- his two other starts as a professional came back in 2021 at Rookie ball -- but this performance might encourage the Marlins to give him another turn in the rotation and try stretching him out a bit more considering their lack of healthy alternatives. Rotowire.com 3 minutes ago
     
  • Picks up eighth save
    Finnegan struck out one in a perfect ninth inning Friday to record his eighth save of the season in a 3-1 win over the Marlins.

    Advice: He needed only six pitches, all strikes, to dispatch the middle of Miami's order. Finnegan hasn't allowed an earned run yet in April, converting all seven of his save chances on the month with a 9:4 K:BB through 9.2 innings. Hunter Harvey, who collected his eighth hold Friday with a clean eighth inning, has been more dominant to begin the season and has a 19:2 K:BB through 13 innings. For now though, Nats manager Dave Martinez is content to let him handle highest-leverage spots while Finnegan takes care of business in the ninth. Rotowire.com 15 minutes ago
     
  • Struggles in Friday's loss
    Holton allowed five earned runs while retiring just a single batter in Friday's 8-0 loss to the Royals. He gave up two hits and a walk.

    Advice: Holton was ineffective in this one, and his ERA jumped from 1.50 to 5.11 in the process. The lefty was good for the Tigers last season, posting a 2.11 ERA and 0.87 WHIP across 85.1 innings, so this was likely just a blip on the radar. He'll have to string together a few strong performances to get his ERA back down to a more acceptable number, however. Rotowire.com 17 minutes ago
     
  • Stingy in no-decision
    Williams came away with a no-decision in Friday's 3-1 win over the Marlins, allowing one run on five hits and two walks over five innings. He struck out only one.

    Advice: The veteran right-hander continues to be used very judiciously by the Nationals, but it's hard to argue with the results. Williams threw 80 pitches (46 strikes) Friday and got lifted before most Miami hitters got a third look at him, and he's completed six innings only once in his first five starts this season. Despite those limits, as well as a poor 18.8 percent strikeout rate, he's delivered a 2.70 ERA and 1.05 WHIP through 26.2 innings. He faces a tougher test in his next outing however, which lines up for a road start next week against the Rangers. Rotowire.com 20 minutes ago
     
  • Continues strong play
    Thompson tossed 2.2 scoreless innings of relief in Friday's 7-1 win over the Red Sox. He allowed two hits and a walk, while striking out two.

    Advice: Thompson has still yet to allow an earned run this season across 9.2 innings out of the bullpen. The righty has tossed multiple innings in four of his five appearances this season, making him an effective long-relief weapon for the Cubs. His fantasy value is capped in the role, but Thompson figures to have some occasional appeal whenever he vultures a win or scoops up a save. Rotowire.com 22 minutes ago
     
  • Struggles against Brewers
    Gil surrendered five earned runs on six hits and two walks while striking out six batters across five innings during Friday's loss to Milwaukee. He didn't factor into the decision.

    Advice: Though he was able to limit his struggles with walking batters, Gil's five runs and six hits allowed represented season highs for the 25-year-old, who now owns a 4.01 ERA and 1.34 WHIP through five starts. He's lined up to face another high-octane offense in Baltimore on Wednesday, and he could be at risk of getting hit around again if his command doesn't improve. Rotowire.com 43 minutes ago
     
  • Roughed up Friday
    Rea gave up five earned runs on four hits and three walks while striking out four batters across six innings during Milwaukee's win over the Yankees on Friday. He did not factor into the decision.

    Advice: All five of the Yankees' runs against Rea came via the long ball, as Juan Soto and Alex Verdugo both hit solo shots in the first two innings, and Trent Grisham blasted a three-run homer in the fourth. Rea still boasts a 3.25 ERA through 27.2 innings despite his poor showing Friday, though his fantasy value could take a significant hit if he's unable to bounce back in his next start -- tentatively scheduled for Wednesday against the Rays. Rotowire.com 44 minutes ago
     
  • Hit hard in Friday's loss
    Butto (0-1) took the loss Friday as the Mets fell 4-2 to the Cardinals, giving up four runs on four hits and three walks over 5.2 innings. He struck out four.

    Advice: Homers by Alec Burleson in the second inning and Willson Contreras in the third accounted for all the damage off Butto, and were the first long balls he's served up this season. The right-hander tossed 94 pitches (56 strikes) before exiting, and while his 2.86 ERA and 1.09 WHIP through 22 innings look sharp, he's walking a tightrope with his control and command -- Butto has issued at least three walks in three of his four starts, and he's hit a batter with a pitch in three straight. The 26-year-old will look for his first win of 2024 when he takes the mound next week at home against the Cubs. Rotowire.com 45 minutes ago
     
  • Picks up fourth save
    Yates struck out two batters in a perfect ninth inning to earn the save in Friday's 2-1 win over the Reds.

    Advice: Yates struck out Jonathan India and Jeimer Candelario to begin the ninth, giving him 13 punchouts in 11 innings out of the bullpen. The 37-year-old righty still has yet to allow a run this season, and he'll likely continue receiving the bulk of save opportunities as long as that remains the case. Rotowire.com 48 minutes ago