Minnesota Twins shortstop Andrelton Simmons has arrived at camp after having issues obtaining his visa. Simmons isn't the only player who had such an issue, though the Curacao native seemed to have more trouble than most in getting the appointment for his issued visa. Manager Rocco Baldelli said that Simmons was able to put in some quality work during the delay- and that the team hopes to have him on the field this weekend. He's currently clearing the team's COVID protocols but will be good to go once he does that.
Cincinnati Reds right-hander Tyler Mahle pitched well but took a hard-luck loss at the hands of the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday. Mahle allowed just two runs (one earned) over five innings while striking out seven but the Giants went on to win 3-0. Mahle has been solid this season, but he has not been very efficient with his pitches as he needed 89 to get through the fifth inning on Wednesday and has yet to make it beyond the fifth inning in any of his three starts on the year. Fantasy gamers will take his production, however, as he has a 1-1 record, 1.93 ERA, and 22 strikeouts across 14 innings of work. Mahle lines up to start against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
St. Louis Cardinals utility player Tommy Edman extended his hitting streak to 10 games on Wednesday, as he went 1-for-3 with a double and a walk in a loss to the Nationals. He only has one game this season in which he went hitless, but he drew a walk in that appearance to give him a 12-game on-base streak to open the year. He hasn't shown much power, but that's not stopping him from getting results, as he is slashing .294/.357/.412 with a double, a triple, a home run, three steals and a 5:5 K:BB ratio.
Minnesota Twins outfielder Alex Kirilloff was returned to the team's alternate site following Wednesday's doubleheader with the Red Sox, according to Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com. The move is not a surprise, as Kirilloff was added as the team's 27th man for the doubleheader. Making his major league debut, Kirilloff went 0-for-3 with a strikeout while playing in both games of the doubleheader. He should get more playing time in Minnesota throughout the year, as he is currently the team's No. 2 prospect.
Detroit Tigers outfielder Nomar Mazara left Wednesday's game in the middle of a plate appearance after he appeared to injure himself on a swing, according to Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press. JaCoby Jones entered the game as a pinch hitter to finish the plate appearance and drew a walk to load the bases in the top of the fourth inning. There is no word yet on what Mazara may have injured. Mazara has had a good start to the season, slashing .250/.289/.417 with two home runs and five RBI in 12 games so far.
Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Chris Archer (forearm) is still dealing with tightness in his forearm as of Wednesday, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Archer landed on the 10-day injured list with forearm tightness on Saturday, and he had performed some light catch on Wednesday, but manager Kevin Cash said that Archer was still feeling it a little bit. This update doesn't necessarily mean that Archer will be out for a prolonged amount of time, but it is something managers should keep an eye on in case his IL stint isn't as short as Archer originally hoped it would be.
Boston Red Sox outfielder Alex Verdugo combined for five hits including his second home run of the year in a doubleheader sweep of the Twins on Wednesday. After going 2-for-4 in Game 1, Verdugo went 3-for-5 with a home run, three RBI and two runs scored in Game 2. Wednesday saw Verdugo continue his recent hot streak, as he is now 7-for-16 with two home runs and six RBI over his last four games. He remains one of the better fantasy outfielders in the game.
Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Tyler Mahle struck out seven batters in five innings of work on Wednesday in a 3-0 loss to the Giants. Mahle allowed two runs one earned on three hits and one walk, as he fell to 1-1 on the year with a 1.93 ERA in 14 innings of work. He currently boast a 40.5 percent strikeout rate this season, and he'll have another good matchup in his next scheduled start against the Diamondbacks.
Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Corbin Burnes continued his run of dominant pitching on Wednesday by overwhelming the Chicago Cubs en route to a 7-0 victory. Burnes struck out 10 Cubs over six shutout innings, permitting just two hits and no walks on 81 pitches. He's yet to walk a batter this season in 18 1/3 innings, and his 30 strikeouts make him the first pitcher since 1906 to begin a season with those figures through three games. Burnes now has a 0.49 ERA on the season. Fantasy owners, we are witnessing sheer greatness.
Milwaukee Brewers catcher Omar Narvaez went 1-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored in Wednesday's win over the Cubs. He found a way to produce in this one and he's now hit safely in eight of his first 10 contests. The backstop is hitting .414 with a 1.091 OPS through his first 33 plate appearances in 2021. If Narvaez is sitting around on the waiver wire, it may be time to add him if you are in need of a new catcher option.
Washington Nationals first baseman Ryan Zimmerman went 1-for-4 with a walk and a two-run home run on Wednesday. Batting third for the first time since 2018, Zimmerman brought his early season line to .346/.370/.500. Zimmerman has played more often than expected so far this season due to Josh Bell missing time during the team's coronavirus situation. Zimmerman will not play enough going forward to sustain a spot on rosters in season-long leagues at almost any depth. Those times that he is in the lineup, there's enough still left in the bat to consider as a DFS play at first base.
