Athletics left-handed pitcher JP Sears looked great in his season debut, only allowing five hits, no walks, and two runs while striking out seven over 6 2/3 inning in the 2-1 loss to the Seattle Mariners. Although Sears was tagged with the loss in this contest, he went toe-to-toe with Mariners young pitcher Bryan Woo. Sears' only blemish in this one was a two-run home run by Julio Rodriguez in the sixth inning. Next up for Sears will likely be on the road in Colorado next weekend to take on the Rockies. Sears will look to keep it going against them, although Coors Field is always a tough place to pitch. Fantasy managers may want to consider sitting Sears next weekend, but be encouraged by what they saw on Sunday for the long haul.

Cleveland Guardians designated hitter Kyle Manzardo ripped a two-run blast off of Sam Long in the fifth inning, which proved to be the game-winning hit for the Guardians on Sunday. Manzardo enjoyed an impressive series against the Kansas City Rotays, going 5-for-11 with a pair of long balls, three walks, four extra base hits, three runs scored, and six RBI. With Jose Ramirez (wrist) sitting out on Sunday, Manzardo occupied the three-spot in the lineup, batting behind Steven Kwan and Lane Thomas, who each got on base five times in the contest. Manzardo is making a case to stick around at the top of the order and has become one of the hottest waiver-wire pickups after Opening Weekend. Fantasy managers looking for production at their utility spot or some power in their lineup will want to pick him up before someone else does.

New York Mets starting pitching prospect Brandon Sproat allowed three hits and four earned runs across two innings of work in his season opener with Triple-A Syracuse. He allowed three free passes and struck out three batters. He ran into most of his trouble in the third innings when he served up two consecutive walks and then allowed a two-run single to Marcelo Mayer, which broke the game open. Sproat was in contention to make the Opening Day roster but was eventually sent to Triple-A Syracuse to continue his development. Last season, the Florida product progressed through the minor leagues fairly quickly, boasting a 2.05 ERA with a 0.94 WHIP across 87 2/3 innings split between High-A and Double-A. He ran into trouble during his first taste of Triple-A last summer, and these struggles appear to still remain. Fantasy managers should monitor his status, but he will need to progress much further at Triple-A before reaching Queens.

The Baltimore Orioles have placed outfielder Colton Cowser (thumb) on the 10-day injured list due to a fracture in his left thumb. In a corresponding move, the Orioles promoted outfielder Dylan Carlson to the MLB roster. Cowser sustained this injury during their contest against the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday. Cowser apparently injured his thumb when sliding for a base. He was replaced by a pinch hitter in the ninth inning of that game. Fantasy managers should continue monitoring his status but expect him to remain sidelined for the foreseeable future. While Cowser remains sidelined, fantasy managers should expect Ramon Laureano and Heston Kjerstad to see an increase in opportunities in the corner outfield spots. Kjerstad got the starting nod on March 29, suggesting he may be slightly higher than Laureano on the depth chart. Carlson will likely only have a depth role in the outfield.

Seattle Mariners young star, Julio Rodriguez, blasted his first home run of the 2025 season on Sunday against left-handed pitcher JP Sears. His two-run home run proved to be enough to help the Mariners secure a 2-1 victory and split their four-game series against the Athletics to open the 2025 campaign. Rodriguez is off to a slow start to the year, going 2-for-12 with three walks, two stolen bases, and six strikeouts, so hopefully, this home run can get him some confidence going into their next series against the Detroit Tigers. Fantasy managers can continue to start Rodriguez in all formats, as the 24-year-old is looking to bounce back from a poor 2024 season, where he only hit 20 home runs compared to 28 and 32 in 2022 and 2023, respectively.