Buchanan (6’2/233) spent four seasons at UC-Davis before transferring to Cal for the 2024 season. A former high school quarterback, Buchanan successfully transferred his field-reading skills to his role as a coverage linebacker, yielding just a 7.9 percent target rate and a 56.3 percent catch rate. Buchanan led all linebackers at the NFL Scouting Combine in the vertical jump (40 inches) and tied for the positional lead in the bench press (26 repetitions). Buchanan can close on ball carriers quickly when he correctly reads the play, but can otherwise get lost in box traffic and lacks ideal thump. He uses his speed well as a blitzer and should be a standout player on special teams.

Sauer will be capable of working multiple innings, but the 26-year-old won’t be able to go deep enough to qualify for a victory unless the Athletics are incredibly aggressive against the right-hander. He won’t be a quality streaming option for Thursday’s bullpen game against the Athletics.

Ohtani hit a no-doubter to lead off the game for the Dodgers and it bumps his homer total to 13. He’s been remarkably — and surprisingly — good in the month of May, and he’s now slashing .341/.442/.818 over those 48 at-bats in that timeframe. There’s a long way to go, but a back-to-back MVP season is well within reason, even if he doesn’t return to the mound in 2025.