Salvador Perez Splitting Time Between Catcher And DH This Spring

Kansas City Royals catcher/designated hitter Salvador Perez is batting .267 with one home run and three RBI in 15 at-bats this spring while seeing time both at catcher and designated hitter. The 33-year-old also spent time at first base in 2023 while slashing .255/.292/.422 with 23 home runs, 59 runs scored, and 80 RBI in […]

Jose Miranda Could Play In Field Soon

Minnesota Twins third baseman Jose Miranda (shoulder) has gone 3-for-8 in Grapefruit League games this spring, all while serving as designated hitter. However, the 25-year-old expects to progress to the field early the week of March 4, with a defensive focus on first base. The former fantasy prospect dealt with right shoulder pain for all […]

Caleb Thielbar Throws Another Bullpen Session Monday

Minnesota Twins relief pitcher Caleb Thielbar (hamstring) threw his second bullpen session of March on Monday at close to full effort. The 37-year-old sustained a left hamstring strain during his conditioning exercises in late February. Thielbar performed well for the Twins last season, going 3-1 with 14 holds and a 3.23 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, and […]

Andrew McCutchen Could See Game Action In Coming Week

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen (Achilles) could see Grapefruit League action the week of March 4. The 37-year-old signed a one-year, $5 million deal this off-season to return to the Pirates after slashing .256/.378/.397 with 12 home runs, 55 runs scored, 43 RBI, and 11 stolen bases in 473 plate appearances. He was forced to […]

Bryce Harper, Phillies Contract Extension Currently Nebulous

Both Philadelphia Phillies management and first baseman Bryce Harper have expressed interest in an extension that would keep Harper on the team through the end of his career. However, managing partner John Middleton said on Monday, "We need to get something done, but when we get it done and how it gets done, it's not […]

Oswald Peraza Scratched With Tight Shoulder Tuesday

New York Yankees infielder Oswald Peraza (shoulder) was scratched from Tuesday's Grapefruit League game lineup with a tight shoulder, per manager Aaron Boone. The Yankees are hoping that his injury is merely day-to-day and did not indicate the need for any tests at this time. The 23-year-old had a disappointing rookie season offensively, slashing just […]

Christian Yelich Takes Live Batting Practice Tuesday

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich faced teammates DL Hall and Devin Williams in live batting practice Tuesday but has yet to debut in a Cactus League game. The good news is that the 32-year-old is gearing up for the regular season and has gotten at least 600 plate appearances in each of the last two […]

Kyle Schwarber Hitless In Lone Spring Game

Philadelphia Phillies outfielder/designated hitter Kyle Schwarber has appeared in just one spring training game early on, going 0-for-3 with a strikeout on Sunday. The 30-year-old is set to be the team's primary DH in 2024 after slashing .197/.343/.474 with 47 home runs, 108 runs scored, and 104 RBI in 720 plate appearances in 2023. Schwarber […]

Giants, Blake Snell Deal A "50-50" Possibility

San Francisco Chronicle's Susan Slusser reported Tuesday that the San Francisco Giants remain in the hunt for free-agent starting pitcher Blake Snell, and that the possibility of a deal is "50-50." No further details were mentioned. The team's rotation is already short-handed to begin the season, with Alex Cobb (hip) and Robbie Ray (elbow) on […]

Jung Hoo Lee Shows Leadoff Promise In Spring Debut Tuesday

San Francisco Giants outfielder Jung Hoo Lee made his much-awaited big-league debut on Tuesday, hitting leadoff in a 10-10 Cactus League tie with the Mariners. Lee went 1-for-3 with a single and a strikeout, sparking a five-run first inning. The 25-year-old is expected to serve as the team's routine leadoff hitter after signing a six-year, […]

Chris Sale Sharp In Spring Debut Tuesday

Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Chris Sale made a great first impression with his new team in Tuesday's 13-4 Grapefruit League loss to the Pirates. The 34-year-old pitched two scoreless innings with no hits or walks and four strikeouts. His velocity was up over the outing, with his fastball touching 97.1 MPH. This is encouraging for […]

CJ Abrams Swipes First Bag Of Spring Monday

Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams picked up his first stolen base of the spring in Monday's 6-3 Grapefruit League loss to the Mets. The 23-year-old is 2-for-5 with two singles in his first games of spring action. The former first-round pick delivered a power-speed combination in 2023, slashing .245/.300/.412 with 18 home runs, 83 runs […]

No Firm Timeline On Tommy Edman Playing Spring Games

St. Louis Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said Monday that there is no firm timetable for when middle infielder/outfielder Tommy Edman (wrist) will begin playing in Grapefruit League games. The 28-year-old had offseason surgery on his right wrist and is now hitting off a tee and with soft toss from coaches. The switch-hitter is progressing quicker […]

Simeon Woods Richardson Showcases New Arm Angle Monday

Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Simeon Woods Richardson turned in a strong spring debut Monday, pitching a 1-2-3 inning with a strikeout of Juan Soto in a 9-2 Grapefruit League win over the Yankees. The 23-year-old said that he has been working on altering his arm angle this off-season, bringing his delivery down from directly over […]

Liam Hendriks Throws On Flat Ground Monday

Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Liam Hendriks (elbow) threw on flat grass from about 60 feet on Monday, per the Boston Globe's Pete Abraham. He was throwing to a catcher standing up and "threw with a pretty decent amount of zip". The 35-year-old is recovering from Tommy John surgery and hopes to make his season […]

Luis Castillo Brings Heat In Spring Debut Monday

Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Luis Castillo looked ready to go in his spring debut Monday, firing two scoreless innings in a 2-0 Cactus League win over the Reds. Castillo's fastball touched 96 MPH as he allowed no hits and a walk with a strikeout. The 31-year-old turned in another stellar season in 2023, going 14-9 […]

Luis Robert Jr. Hitless Through Two Spring Games

Chicago White Sox outfielder Luis Robert Jr. has played in both Cactus League games to start spring, going a combined 0-for-4 with a strikeout. The overall positive takeaway is that the 26-year-old is healthy and on the field, as injuries have been an issue throughout his career. Robert was able to stay on the field […]

Rafael Devers Homers In Spring Debut Sunday

Boston Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers started his spring on the right foot Sunday, going 1-for-2 with a three-run home run and a walk in an 8-6 Grapefruit League win over the Twins. The 27-year-old is coming off another excellent season in which he slashed .271/.351/.500 with 33 home runs, 90 runs scored, 100 […]

Liam Hendriks Expects To Pitch By Trade Deadline

Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Liam Hendriks (elbow) said Tuesday that he hopes to debut for his new team by the trade deadline. The 35-year-old veteran overcame non-Hodgkin's lymphoma last year but then underwent Tommy John surgery in August. Hendriks said, "That's my goal. That's 12 months-ish. ... Throwing has been going well." It remains […]

No Extension Talks Yet For Marlins, Luis Arraez

Miami Marlins second baseman Luis Arraez said Tuesday that while he "100 percent yes" would be interested in a contract extension, the team has not started any related conversations. The 26-year-old and the Marlins just completed his arbitration case, in which he will earn the $10.6 million the Marlins filed for in 2024, rather than […]

Brendan McKay Faces Live Hitters Tuesday

Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Brendan McKay (elbow) successfully threw live batting practice Tuesday, the first time he had pitched to hitters since August of 2022. The former fourth overall pick in the 2017 draft has endured several injuries, the latest being Tommy John surgery in September of 2022. McKay is at camp as a non-roster […]

White Sox Plan To Develop Colson Montgomery At Shortstop

Chicago White Sox director of player development Paul Janish said Tuesday that the team plans to allow top prospect Colson Montgomery to initially play in his natural position of shortstop. Janish said, "We are proponents of let's give him that opportunity." However, he also mentioned that health and playing success could leave the possibility of […]

Yuki Matsui To Make Cactus League Debut Thursday

San Diego Padres manager Mike Shildt said Tuesday that newly signed relief pitcher Yuki Matsui will make his Cactus League debut in Thursday's opening game against the Dodgers. The 27-year-old lefty signed a four-year, $21 million contract this off-season after spending the past decade pitching for the Rakuten Golden Eagles in Japan. Matsui was a […]

Maikel Garcia To Start Season At Third Base

Kansas City Royals manager Matt Quatraro said Monday that, while the team values the multi-position skill of several of their players, third baseman/shortstop Maikel Garcia will start the season at third base. This is not that surprising, as the 23-year-old spent the majority of his rookie season at the hot corner. Garcia slashed .272/.323/.358 in […]

Hyun Jin Ryu Reportedly Signs With Former KBO Team

Korean media reported Monday that free-agent starting pitcher Hyun Jin Ryu signed a contract with his former KBO team, the Hanwha Eagles. The team has not confirmed the deal's finalization. The 36-year-old lefty played with the team from 2006 through 2012, earning Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Year awards in 2006. His big-league […]

Jeremy Pena Bringing Quieter Batting Stance To 2024

Houston Astros shortstop Jeremy Pena showcased a more efficient batting stance in Monday's live batting practice, per the Athletic's Chandler Rome. The changes include less pre-pitch bat movement and a more subtle front-leg load. Manager Joe Espada expressed his pleasure in Pena's changes, saying he is "hitting the ball in the air more with power". […]

Mariners Have Discussed Pursuing Matt Chapman

The Seattle Mariners have already made several moves this offseason but "have discussed the possibility of adding" free-agent third baseman Matt Chapman, per the Seattle Times' Ryan Divish. The 30-year-old had an excellent start to the 2023 season but finished with a .240/.330/.424 slash line and 17 home runs, 66 runs scored, and 54 RBI […]

Starting Pitcher Busts Due To Bounce Back for 2024 Fantasy Baseball

When it comes to identifying potential fantasy value, one of the hardest things to do is to put faith in a player who burned you last season or who did not meet expectations. Even more complicated is figuring out which of those players have the chance to return to form. Fortunately, fantasy managers have tons […]

Red Sox Willing To Listen To Offers For Chris Martin, John Schreiber

While the Boston Red Sox have been in trade talks for closer Kenley Jansen this off-season, they are also reportedly willing to listen to offers for setup men Chris Martin and John Schreiber. Martin had an excellent 2023 season but is due $9.5 million in 2024, so a potential trade would seemingly be for monetary […]

Astros Acquire Oliver Carrillo From Padres

The Houston Astros acquired first baseman/outfielder Oliver Carrillo from the San Diego Padres in exchange for international bonus pool money on Tuesday, per MLB Pipeline. The 22-year-old slashed .303/.542/.586 with 11 home runs, 43 RBI, and four stolen bases in 225 plate appearances in 2023 in the Dominican Summer League. Carrillo was assigned to the […]