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Welcome to the 2021 edition of RotoBaller's Spring Training Notebook. Thankfully, we have real, live baseball being played every day again, and while it doesn't count for anything, these exhibition games gives us the smallest glimmer into players and teams heading into the new season.
We're into our third week of spring training games and that means we're in the thick of position battles, as well as roster and injury evaluations. The April 1 opening day will be here before we know it, which means fantasy drafts are already underway and if you're reading this, you're in the right spot.
As fantasy baseball managers, we must perform our due diligence in understanding every team's situation heading into the season. There's so many names to keep track of so it's crucial to find a place where the most important information is in one spot. Here at RotoBaller, we have everything you need for success this season, and I'll do my part here as I bring you a quick-read, one-stop shop of 2021 spring training information with a fantasy twist.
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Injuries/COVID
Riley Set To Return From COVID
Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley (COVID) will re-join the starting lineup for Wednesday's spring game against Baltimore. It will be almost a week since Riley last played. The 23-year-old slugger is hitting .357 through 14 at-bats with just one RBI, but has hit 26 homers in his first 503 plate appearances. At such a deep position, Riley is going around pick 210 but if he is able to consistently tap into the power we've seen, he will easily beat that draft value.
Alford Back Swinging
Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Anthony Alford (wrist) was swinging a bat Monday, marking consecutive days since he was hit by a pitch in the right wrist on Saturday. Clearly this is a minor issue if he is able to swing that soon after the HBP event. It would be good news to see him back in the lineup soon to continue his strong spring where he is hitting .385 with two homers and four RBI in 13 at-bats. He's a strong candidate to be the team's starting center fielder on opening day, and wile he doesn't have fantasy currently, he's clearly inspired by the opportunity.
Britton Timetable Questionable
New York Yankees relief pitcher Zach Britton (elbow) has no direct recovery time following his bone spur surgery he underwent last Wednesday. Reports were positive following the surgery, but it's possible Britton could be out more than a month. The southpaw is entering his third season in the Bronx, but at 33, the team will likely take the conservative route with his recovery, nullifying his fantasy value until he's back on the field.
Severino At Two Bullpens Per Week
New York Yankees starting pitcher Luis Severino (Tommy John Surgery) is working himself back at a strong pace following last year's surgery on his right elbow. He's throwing just fastballs right now but with the encouraging progress, a possible timetable is an early summer return.
Robert Scratched Monday
Chicago White Sox outfielder Luis Robert (abdomen) was pulled from Monday's lineup but the team says it was precautionary. One of the top prospects in baseball heading into last season, Robert hit 11 homers and rove in 31 runs in 2020 and is primed for a big season in his first full season. An abdomen injury might raise your eyebrows a bit, since hitters use their core so much at the plate, so it's worth monitoring if you plan on going after the top 10 outfielder this draft season.
Luis Robert Dealing With Abdominal Strain https://t.co/fv9e4jdeue
— RotoBaller MLB (@RotoBallerMLB) March 15, 2021
Bregman Will Debut Tuesday
Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman (hamstring) will finally make his spring debut in Tuesday's game against the St. Louis Cardinals. Hamstring injuries are always a bit worrisome, but Bregman seems confident the issue isn't serious. Just 26, the slugger is a top 10 fantasy third baseman despite hitting just six homers and driving in only 22 runs in 2020. It's definitely worth monitoring his performance over the remaining exhibition games, but for now we'll trust his words that he'll be all systems a-go soon.
Risers
Scherzer Shoves
Washington Nationals ace Max Scherzer punched out seven hitters over four innings of work against the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday. He's now struck out 14 hitters in just 8.2 innings this spring and allowed just two runs in that stretch. He's 36 but age doesn't seem to be holding him back in prepping for a new season. He enters Tuesday as a top 10 fantasy starter and with more warm ups like this, it's hard not to be confident in him.
Max Scherzer Strikes Out Seven On Monday https://t.co/b71F9J116p
— RotoBaller MLB (@RotoBallerMLB) March 16, 2021
Gant Solid in Start
St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher John Gant lasted 4.2 innings in Monday's start against the Nationals. The righty gave up two run while scattering four hits, striking out three and walking a pair. The 28-year-old hasn't made a start since 2018 and despite the 0-3 record last season, he went 11-3 with 3 saves in 2019, so it will be interesting to see if the Cardinals carry into the regular season with him in the rotation. There's not much fantasy value here until he's for sure in the rotation and proves that he can keep the spot for an extended period.
Sixto Debuts
Miami Marlins starting pitcher Sixto Sanchez threw 1.2 scoreless innings Monday, giving up just two hits with a walk. It was the spring debut for the 22-year-old that went 3-2 in seven starts last season. The young hurler is going around pick 133 so far but that's purely for his upside down the stretch. Since he just made his spring debut a few weeks in, the team will be able to stretch him out further as the season nears, limiting his output in the first month.
Hayes Connects With First Homer
Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes went 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBI on Monday against Baltimore. Over 24 spring at-bats, the 24-year-old is hitting .417 with six extra-base hits and four RBI. The Pirates young star is on a spring tear and is the only Pirate going within the top 15 rounds of fantasy drafts thus far. He impressed in 2020, slugging five homers and riving in 11 runs over just 95 plate appearances.
German Posts Impressive Outing
New York Yankees starting pitcher Domingo German posted four scoreless frames against the Philadelphia Phillies Monday, while striking out six and allowing just three hits. The 28-year-old should be more than fresh after not pitching in 2020 and his first nine spring innings have supported that, striking out 13 hitters and allowing no runs. The righty is going at the very back-end of drafts right now, but if he continues this pace, we could see him jump up inside the top 300 picks (current ADP of 324).
Domingo German Stays Hot On Monday https://t.co/tHns3o0HEl
— RotoBaller MLB (@RotoBallerMLB) March 15, 2021
Fallers
Altuve Struggling This Spring
Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve is just 3-for-20 with no RBI over his first nine games. The 30-year-old has drawn four walks so far, which is encouraging considering he recorded a career-worst .286 OBP. Altuve carries an ADP of 97 right now, and while spring numbers must be taken with a grain of salt, it's worth following how Altuve is playing as we enter the final stretch of spring training.
Bauers Records Just Second Hit
Cleveland Indians first baseman Jake Bauers went 1-for-3 with a run scored Monday against the Athletics. The 25-year-old is 2-for-13 this spring with three runs scored, but he's walked six times and struck out four more times. After not playing in the bigs in 2020, the lefty is already behind the eight-ball heading into 2021. A positive is that the team gave him some direction and wants him to focus on first base, so if he can gather himself at the plate, he may walk into 2021 the starting first baseman, but his fantasy relevance is minuscule at best until his role is defined.
Martinez Off To Rough Start
St. Louis Cardinals Carlos Martinez threw four complete frames Sunday and allowed two runs on five hits while striking out three and walking one. This was the 29-year-old's best outing thus far, having thrown just 8.2 total innings and giving up eight runs on 11 hits with six strikeouts and walks apiece. The righty went 0-3 in five starts with a dreadful 9.90 ERA in 2020, so Martinez has a lot to prove as the spring winds down.
Lynn's Control Worrisome
Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Lance Lynn threw 3.1 innings on Sunday, allowing just one hit while striking out four and walking three. While an overall solid outing or the veteran, he now has eight walks in just eight innings. The righty is in his first year with the White Sox, but in his past two season with the Rangers, he registered the lowest BB% of his career, so it's entirely possible this is spring rust wearing off. Lynn is being drafted around pick 53, which is warranted coming off his big seasons in Texas, but these control issues definitely need to be brought in check if we expect the 33-year-old to carry this value throughout another season with a new team, in a new park.
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