New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso helped lift his team to their first victory of the campaign during Game 2 of a doubleheader in Thursday's 2-1 win over the Detroit Tigers, launching his second home run of the season in the ninth inning. The Mets needed a big hit in the worst way, and Alonso got a hold of a ball under the strike zone to will one to deep center and out of the ballpark. The 29-year-old slugging superstar has been one of the lone bright spots of New York's scuffling offense to begin the year, batting .292 (7-for-24) with an .888 OPS and two solo shots in six games. Alonso looks forward to a three-game weekend series starting on Friday against the Cincinnati Reds at the Great American Ball Park, where he has a .286 batting average, five homers, and eight RBI in 12 career games at the venue. Alonso will carry added DFS appeal in a bandbox ballpark.

Giants outfielder Luis Matos has opened the 2024 season in style at Triple-A. Matos, who struggled in his first taste of the big leagues last season, hit two home runs with five RBI and a stolen base in his first game of the year in Sacramento. The 22-year-old has already flashed elite contact skills and has shown an uptick in power over the spring and into the start of the season. The Venezuelan has a chance to be a multi-category contributor for fantasy managers in 2024, as he should get another shot with the Giants in the first half of the season.

Orioles infield prospect Jackson Holliday continues to show he has little to prove at the Triple-A level. In five games at Norfolk, the former first-overall pick has led off twice with home runs and is currently slashing a video game-like .400/.448/.800. Baltimore sent the 20-year-old down to the minors last month to gain more experience versus left-handed pitching, but if Holliday continues this tear, he will force the Orioles' hand. Fantasy managers should be all in, as the phenom continues to hit everywhere he goes. He should be the everyday second baseman for Baltimore within weeks.

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Brendan Donovan (elbow) said after Thursday's victory over the Miami Marlins that he'll be good to go for Saturday's game. Donovan was hit on the bicep in Los Angeles and just above his right elbow in Wednesday's loss to the San Diego Padres, but the training staff was able to do enough work to get him loosened up and on a good path moving forward. The 27-year-old has been beat up by hit by pitches in the last week, but he's not dealing with any structural damage and should return to the lineup on Saturday after an off day on Friday. Donovan is off to an 8-for-26 start (.308) with a homer, six RBI and six runs scored and should be in the lineup every day with Tommy Edman (wrist), Lars Nootbaar (ribs) and Dylan Carlson (shoulder) all on the injured list to begin the 2024 season.

St. Louis Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said that X-rays showed no fracture in catcher Willson Contreras' left hand. The Cardinals hope Contreras will be available in some fashion on Saturday. The 31-year-old veteran backstop injured his left hand when he was hit by a pitch in Wednesday's loss to the San Diego Padres, which caused him to miss the home-opening win on Thursday over the winless Marlins. With Contreras out on Thursday, Ivan Herrera got the start behind the plate and went 2-for-5 with his first major-league home run, two RBI, two runs scored and two strikeouts in the team's 8-5 win. Don't be surprised if Herrera gets another start behind the plate on Saturday, with Contreras serving as the designated hitter.