Alex Reyes Expected To Be Cardinals' Primary Closer

St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Alex Reyes is expected to open the year as the team's closer according to Cardinals beat writer Derrick Goold. Goold said that, "Even if they don't call him closer. He'll be the reliever they're going to call on to finish games." This take from Goold is a bit surprising as […]

Josh Rojas Leading Off For Diamondbacks On Opening Day

Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Josh Rojas will lead off for the team as they face Yu Darvish and the San Diego Padres on Opening Day. Rojas is getting the start at shortstop in the game with the team's primary shortstop Nick Ahmed (knee) sidelined with a knee injury. Ahmed is considered day-to-day. The 26-year-old Rojas […]

Josh Donaldson Lifted In The First Inning With Calf Injury

Minnesota Twins third baseman Josh Donaldson (calf) was taken out of Thursday's game against the Milwaukee Brewers in the first inning. He hit a double in his first and only at-bat and seemed to aggravate his calf while rounding first base. Jake Cave entered the game to replace him, taking over left field while Luis […]

Justin Williams Starting In Right Field On Opening Day

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Justin Williams is starting in right field and batting eighth on Opening Day as the team faces Luis Castillo and the Cincinnati Reds. Harrison Bader (forearm) is opening the season on the injured list and is expected to miss about a month. During that period, Williams should see regularly playing time. […]

Tony Gonsolin And David Price Won't Pitch Two Straight Days

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told media that relief pitchers Tony Gonsolin and David Price won't be utilized out of the bullpen on consecutive days. He also threw reliever Jimmy Nelson into the discussion. He said that he wouldn't inform the three pitchers which games they should expect to pitch, explaining that he has to, "watch […]

AJ Pollock Slated To Start Next Three Games

Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder AJ Pollock is not in the team's Opening Day lineup as they face German Marquez and the Colorado Rockies. Following the lineup decision, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told the press that Pollock would be starting the team's next three games against the Rockies from Friday through Sunday. Roberts also said that […]

Josh Fuentes Hitting Second In Rockies Opener

Colorado Rockies third baseman Josh Fuentes is batting second in the team's Opening Day game against Clayton Kershaw and the Los Angeles Dodgers. With Brendan Rodgers (hamstring) on the injured list, Fuentes could see some additional starts in the season's opening weeks and it's encouraging to see him hitting near the top of the lineup. […]

Joey Wendle Not In Opening Day Lineup

Tampa Bay Rays infielder Joey Wendle is not in the team's Opening Day lineup against Sandy Alcantara and the Miami Marlins. Yandy Diaz is getting the start at third base, where Wendle is expected to see most of his time this year, though he may also see a good deal of time at his primary […]

Baldelli Insistent Nelson Cruz Will Regularly Get At-Bats

Minnesota Twins designated hitter Nelson Cruz is not in the team's Opening Day lineup as they face the Milwaukee Brewers in a road game without the designated hitter spot. Twins manager Rocco Baldelli was asked whether Cruz would be limited this year because of the lack of a designated hitter in National League games. Baldelli […]

Joc Pederson Batting Fifth On Opening Day

Chicago Cubs outfielder Joc Pederson will be hitting fifth in his Cubs debut against Chad Kuhl and the Pittsburgh Pirates on Opening Day. Pederson had a strong spring training, hitting eight home runs, and is hoping to find more consistent playing time and production in his first year with the Cubs. Pederson has proven to […]

AJ Pollock Absent From Opening Day Lineup

Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder AJ Pollock is not in the team's Opening Day lineup as they take on right-hander German Marquez and the Colorado Rockies. Chris Taylor is getting the start in left field with Gavin Lux at second base. The right-handed Pollock was far more productive against lefties than righties last year. He had […]

Andrew Benintendi Hitting Second On Opening Day

Kansas City Royals outfielder Andrew Benintendi will bat second on Opening Day as the team takes on right-hander Kyle Gibson and the Texas Rangers. He's starting his Royals career off in a great position, sandwiched between leadoff hitter Whit Merrifield and Carlos Santana. The left-handed Benintendi has been more productive against righties than lefties. He's […]

Adalberto Mondesi Placed On 10-Day Injured List

The Kansas City Royals have placed shortstop Adalberto Mondesi (oblique) on the 10-day injured list with a right oblique strain. Nicky Lopez was recalled from Triple-A in a corresponding move. Lopez should see regular time at shortstop while Mondesi remains on the injured list. Mondesi had a foot injury earlier this spring, but it was […]

Fantasy Basketball Dynasty Risers - Week 14

Last week’s trade deadline shook up a number of rosters across the league. Fantasy managers should still see ramifications from all the developments play out in the coming weeks. We’ve reached Week 14 and most leagues will only have about three weeks left after this before the playoffs begin. The four players featured this week […]

Christin Stewart To Begin Season At Triple-A

Detroit Tigers outfielder Christin Stewart was optioned to Triple-A Toledo earlier this month. Stewart has split his past three years primarily between Triple-A and the Tigers. He's shown some significant power upside at Triple-A. Over 125 games with Toledo in 2018, he mashed 25 home runs and had a .488 slugging percentage. Stewart appeared in […]

JaCoby Jones Struggling Through Spring Action

Detroit Tigers outfielder JaCoby Jones has had a rough spring training so far. Over 42 at-bats, he's slashing .119/.213/.286 with two home runs and 14 strikeouts. Jones figures to open the year as the Tigers' starting center fielder, but he has more competition for playing time this year than he did last year. The Tigers […]

Robbie Grossman Having Solid First Spring With Tigers

Detroit Tigers outfielder Robbie Grossman signed a two-year, $10 million deal with the team this offseason. After two straight years with the Oakland Athletics, Grossman now finds himself within a weaker batting order in Detroit. Run production will be lower for Grossman on a per-at-bat basis, but he should see a more featured spot in […]

Joe Jimenez Optioned To Triple-A

The Detroit Tigers have optioned relief pitcher Joe Jimenez to Triple-A Toledo. Jimenez had a rough spring. He pitched 5 1/3 innings and allowed six hits, three walks and five runs (three earned) while striking out six. Jimenez had two solid years in a row for the Tigers in 2018 in 2019, earning an All-Star […]

Jose Urena To Be Tigers Fourth Starter

Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Jose Urena will be the fourth starter in the team's rotation to start the year. His first start will come when the Tigers open up a three-game series with the Minnesota Twins on Monday, April 5. Urena had a solid spring overall, posting a 1.93 ERA and 1.14 WHIP over 14 […]

Bryan Garcia To Have Prominent Role In Tigers Bullpen

Detroit Tigers relief pitcher Bryan Garcia figures to be one of the team's top set-up men to start the 2021 season. Gregory Soto is slated to be the Tigers' primary closer, but Garcia could be next in line if Soto falters. Garcia has pitched 6 1/3 innings this spring, posting a 4.26 ERA and 2.05 […]

Jakob Junis Adds Cutter To Pitching Arsenal

Kansas City Royals pitcher Jakob Junis has added a cutter to his arsenal and has been throwing it a lot this spring. Junis has leaned heavily on his slider and four-seam fastball over his career. He threw his slider 46.2% of the time in 2020 and threw his four-seamer 34.8% of the time. In addition […]

Jackson Kowar Likely To Begin 2021 At Triple-A

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Jackson Kowar was reassigned to the Royals' minor league camp last week. He is expected to begin the 2021 season at Triple-A Omaha. Kowar struggled with the Royals this spring. He made six appearances and pitched 11.2 innings, posting a 10.80 ERA and 2.23 WHIP while striking out 10. The […]

Jesse Hahn Set For Prominent Bullpen Role

Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Jesse Hahn had the best year of his career in 2020. Over 18 appearances and 17.1 innings, he posted a 0.52 ERA and 0.69 WHIP while averaging 9.9 K/9. Hahn was a starter over the first four years of his MLB career with the San Diego Padres and Oakland Athletics. […]

Scott Barlow Effective In Spring Action

Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Scott Barlow has had a solid spring with the team. He's pitched 6 2/3 innings over seven appearances and has allowed three hits, five walks and two earned runs while striking out 11. Barlow yielded only 2.7 BB/9 in 2020, so hopefully the walks will go down once the season […]

Mike Minor Eager For Season To Start

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Mike Minor told reporters after his final spring star that he is "ready to have the games count." Minor made his final spring start against the Colorado Rockies on Sunday. He went five innings and allowed five hits, three walks and two runs (only one earned) while striking out six. […]

Jeimer Candelario Having A Solid Spring

Detroit Tigers first baseman Jeimer Candelario has been one of the team's best hitters this spring. Over 44 at-bats, he's slashing .341/.388/.432 with three walks and only six strikeouts. He's yet to hit a home run, but he has two doubles and a triple. Candelario hit just .203 during a rough 2019 season, but he […]

Ryan O'Hearn With Five Home Runs This Spring

Kansas City Royals first baseman Ryan O'Hearn has had a solid spring for the team. He's tied with Jorge Soler and Hunter Dozier for the team-lead in home runs with five. He's slashing .209/.306/.628 and he has six RBI and eight runs over 43 at-bats. O'Hearn will likely only make a few starts each week […]

Edward Olivares To Serve As Reserve Outfielder In 2021

Kansas City Royals outfielder Edward Olivares has only had 12 at-bats so far this spring, but he's made the most of them. He's gone 3-for-12 with two doubles and a home run. Olivares, who turned 25 this month, was acquired by the Royals in the 2020 trade that sent Trevor Rosenthal to the San Diego […]

Nicky Lopez Optioned To Triple-A

The Kansas City Royals have optioned second baseman Nicky Lopez to Triple-A. Lopez had a tough spring with the team. Over 34 at-bats, he slashed .118/.231/.147 with 13 strikeouts and only one extra-base hit, a double. Lopez was projected to be the team's primary second baseman this year, but now it appears as if Whit […]

Andrew Benintendi Has Five Doubles This Spring

Kansas City Royals outfielder Andrew Benintendi has appeared in 17 games so far this spring. Over 40 at-bats, he's slashing .225/.340/.350 with three RBI and five runs. He has five total extra-base hits, all of which have been doubles. He's yet to homer this spring. He's shown solid plate discipline as he's walked seven times, […]