Houston Astros relief pitcher Josh Hader picked up the save on Thursday, closing the doors on the Mets in a 3-1 victory. It wasn't a flawless inning by any means, as he allowed one run on two hits and one walk. Early season rust aside, Hader should continue to be one of the game's most dominant closers. In 2024, he collected 34 saves while posting a 3.80 ERA and 0.96 WHIP in 71 innings. He did need 35 pitches to finish the frame, so don't be surprised if he is unavailable out of the pen for the next game or two.

Houston Astros starting pitcher Framber Valdez was dominant on Thursday, tossing seven shutout frames while striking out four. There was never any real danger for the ace, as he scattered four hits and two walks throughout the game. He is coming off of a 2024 season where he posted a 2.91 ERA and 1.11 WHIP with 169 strikeouts in 176 innings. He may not give you the strikeout upside of some other aces, but his reputation as a workhorse pitcher is becoming a rare occurrence in today's game. He is a true innings-eater who will provide great ratios as a matchup-proof option for fantasy.

Houston Astros right fielder Cam Smith wasted no time at all in collecting his first career MLB hit, slapping a single to opposite field on the first pitch he saw from Clay Holmes, finishing 1-for-3 in Thursday's 3-1 victory over the Mets on Opening Day. It has been a meteoric rise for the 2024 first-round draft pick, progressing from Single-A to Double-A in his first taste of professional baseball last season, to making the Astros' Opening Day roster after a blisteringspring in which he slashed .342/.419/.711 with four home runs in 38 at-bats. The 22-year-old batted seventh in the order on Thursday, but as long as he's getting regular at-bats, he should at least be a viable bench option in most fantasy leagues until he proves otherwise.

Cincinnati Reds relief pitcher Ian Gibaut blew the save chance and suffered the loss in a 4-6 loss to the Giants on Thursday. He allowed four runs on three hits and a walk. The Reds were entering the season with a suspected closer committee, but Gibaut was interestingly not on anyone's radar for the role. Scott Barlow, Emilio Pagan, and Tony Santillan were all more favored for save chances, yet they pitched the sixth, seventh, and eighth innings of this game. With so many options, this might be Gibaut's first and last opportunity to close a game for a while.