Cristian Javier Turns In Rough Start Monday

Houston Astros starting pitcher Cristian Javier yielded his worst start of the spring in Monday's 10-1 Grapefruit League loss to the Nationals. Javier pitched 4 2/3 innings, allowing five runs on three hits (including a solo home run) and four walks with one strikeout. The 26-year-old is coming off of a surprisingly poor 2023 season […]

Hunter Brown Having Strong Spring

Houston Astros starting pitcher Hunter Brown has put together a strong spring to this point, compiling a 2.84 ERA with a 1.12 WHIP and 12 strikeouts in 12 2/3 innings pitched. This is a good sign for the Astros and fantasy managers, as the team has expressed that the 25-year-old will need "to take a […]

Matt Canterino Suffers Setback Monday, Will Need Injured List Stint

Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Matt Canterino (elbow, shoulder), who had Tommy John surgery in August of 2022 and did not pitch in 2023, suffered a shoulder strain Monday and will start the 2024 season on the Triple-A injured list. This is a shame, as the Twins pitching staff has suffered numerous injuries and The 26-year-old […]

Caleb Thielbar To Start Season On Injured List

Minnesota Twins relief pitcher Caleb Thielbar (hamstring) will be one of several of the team's pitching staff to start the 2024 season on the injured list, per the Athletic's Aaron Gleeman. Thielbar suffered a strained left hamstring early in camp and, while he progressed to throwing live batting practice last week, it was determined that […]

Will Benson, Stuart Fairchild Could See Time In Center Field

With Cincinnati Reds outfielder TJ Friedl (wrist) set to open the 2024 season on the injured list with a fractured right wrist, Will Benson and Stuart Fairchild could see additional playing time to start the season, per MLB.com's Mark Sheldon. Manager David Bell said, "It's all going to work out. I'm focused on the guys […]

Zac Gallen Gets Opening Day Nod

The Arizona Diamondbacks announced Monday that starting pitcher Zac Gallen will be the team's Opening Day starter. This will be the second consecutive season that the 28-year-old has earned the honor. Gallen will get a favorable matchup against the Rockies at home. He put forth another strong season in 2023, going 17-9 with a 3.47 […]

3 Overvalued Closers: Bust Candidates for Fantasy Baseball Drafts (2024)

Relief pitcher is one of the trickier positions to determine fantasy baseball value given the volatility of the position and the limited ways it can provide fantasy output. Generally speaking, relief pitchers are only valuable in most fantasy leagues if they serve as the closer for their team. There are exceptions depending on league type, […]

Matt McLain Confident In Opening Day Health

Cincinnati Reds second baseman Matt McLain (oblique) said Tuesday that he will "totally" be ready to start the 2024 regular season healthy after missing most of spring training with an oblique injury. The 24-year-old, who made his Cactus League debut on Sunday, has the support of manager David Bell, who said Tuesday, "I am confident […]

Jordan Westburg Hits Three-Run Homer Tuesday

Baltimore Orioles second/third baseman Jordan Westburg had a nice game at the plate in Tuesday's 12-8 Grapefruit League win over the Rays. The 25-year-old went 2-for-3 with a three-run home run. Westburg has put together a solid showing offensively this spring, batting .286 with two HR and five RBI in 28 at-bats. The O's have […]

Colin Rea To Start Season In Brewers Rotation

Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy said Tuesday that starting pitcher Colin Rea will start the season in the team's rotation. The 33-year-old made 26 appearances (22 starts) for the Brewers in 2023, going 6-6 with a 4.55 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, and 21.3% strikeout rate. Rea has looked sharp in his eight innings of work this […]

Colt Keith Posting Modest Offensive Spring

Detroit Tigers second/third baseman Colt Keith has put forth a .250 batting average with no home runs, five RBI, and no stolen bases in 24 Grapefruit League at-bats this spring. While it is unclear if the 22-year-old will start the season with the Tigers, he signed a six-year, $28.64 million contract extension this off-season. Keith […]

Luis Robert Jr. Homers Twice Tuesday

Chicago White Sox outfielder Luis Robert Jr. had a big day at the plate in Tuesday's 14-1 Cactus League win over the Reds. The 26-year-old went 2-for-3 with a solo home run, a two-run HR, and a walk. He hasn't been particularly effective at the plate overall this spring, batting .231 with no stolen bases […]

Yuki Matsui Scheduled To Pitch Wednesday

San Diego Padres manager Mike Shildt said Tuesday that relief pitcher Yuki Matsui (back) is slated to return to game action on Wednesday in the team's Cactus League finale against the Athletics. Matsui, who was signed this off-season, has missed the last three weeks with back tightness. However, the left-hander pitched in an intrasquad game […]

Jackson Jobe Throws 102 MPH In Spring Debut

Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Jackson Jobe made his long-awaiting spring debut in Tuesday's 1-0 Grapefruit League loss to the Twins. The 21-year-old, who is the Tiger's No. 3 prospect and the No. 25 overall prospect per MLB Pipeline, pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning with two strikeouts and hit 102 MPH with his fastball. Jobe was […]

Rangers, White Sox Potentially In Discussions For Dylan Cease

The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reported Tuesday that there are "growing indications" that the Chicago White Sox are more serious about trading starting pitcher Dylan Cease, and that the Texas Rangers may have been in recent discussions. The reigning World Series champions currently have several key injured rotation pieces and also lost Jordan Montgomery to free […]

Braves' Rotation Spot Down To Reynaldo Lopez, Bryce Elder

The Atlanta Braves final rotation spot is currently down to Reynaldo Lopez and Bryce Elder, per MLB.com's Mark Bowman. AJ Smith-Shawver put forth an impressive spring but was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett on Monday. Lopez has looked excellent this spring, while Elder has yielded poor results. Elder put forth a decent 2023 season for the […]

Michael Toglia Continues To Mash This Spring

Colorado Rockies first baseman/outfielder Michael Toglia continued his strong offensive spring Monday, hitting his third home run in a 7-2 Cactus League win over the White Sox. The former first-round pick has not yet been able to stick in the big leagues and is currently fighting for a roster spot. However, he is making a […]

Yu Darvish To Start First Game In Seoul Series

San Diego Padres starting pitcher Yu Darvish (elbow) has been named the Opening Day starter in Seoul, Korea, against the Dodgers. Right-hander Tyler Glasnow will oppose him. The 37-year-old's 2023 season was cut short when he underwent surgery to address elbow inflammation. However, he has looked good this spring, pitching 9 1/3 innings with a […]

Tyler Glasnow, Yoshinobu Yamamoto To Start Korea Series Games

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitchers Tyler Glasnow and Yoshinobu Yamamoto will pitch the first and second games of the regular season, respectively in Korea against the San Diego Padres. Glasnow has looked sharp so far this spring, while Yamamoto has struggled in limited appearances. Both pitchers should serve as high-end fantasy options this season, as […]

Edwin Diaz Strikes Out Side In Spring Debut

New York Mets closer Edwin Diaz (knee) made his first big-league appearance since the postseason of 2022 in Monday's 1-0 Grapefruit League loss to the Marlins. Diaz entered the game in the fifth inning and struck out the side swinging, touching 98 MPH with his fastball. The 29-year-old suffered a season-ending knee injury last March […]

Kenley Jansen To Throw Live Batting Practice Tuesday

Boston Red Sox closer Kenley Jansen (lat) is scheduled to throw another live batting practice session on Tuesday, per the Boston Globe's Pete Abraham. The 36-year-old reported right lat soreness early in camp and was shut down, but is now building up for Opening Day. Fantasy managers should monitor his situation for a better idea […]

Tyler O'Neill Expected To Play Tuesday

Boston Red Sox outfielder Tyler O'Neill (calf) is expected to return to Grapefruit League action on Tuesday, per the Boston Globe's Pete Abraham. The 28-year-old was dealing with tightness in his calf, so he did not make the trip to Santo Domingo over the weekend for the Dominican Republic Series matchup with the Tampa Bay […]

Tim Anderson Hits First Homer Of Spring Monday

Miami Marlins shortstop Tim Anderson hit his first home run of the spring in Monday's 1-0 Grapefruit League win over the Mets. Anderson hit a second-inning fastball from Tylor Megill over the right-field fence for the only run of the game. The 30-year-old is hitting .211 with no stolen bases in 19 spring at-bats. He […]

Adbert Alzolay Sharp In Spring Outings

Chicago Cubs closer Adbert Alzolay has made two Cactus League appearances this spring, allowing no runs with two strikeouts in two innings pitched. The 29-year-old emerged as a fantasy asset last season, earning 22 saves with a 2.67 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, and 26.5% strikeout rate. The Cubs did sign Hector Neris this off-season and he […]

Nathaniel Lowe Struggling In Spring Action

Texas Rangers first baseman Nathaniel Lowe is just 3-for-18 in Cactus League play this spring. The 28-year-old had another solid season in 2023, slashing .262/.360/.414 with 17 home runs, 89 runs scored, and 82 RBI. Fantasy managers shouldn't worry too much about small spring samples and Lowe will benefit from the full strength of the […]

Jose Alvarado Looking Fine In Early Action

Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Jose Alvarado has a 3.00 ERA with two strikeouts in three innings pitched of Grapefruit League action so far this spring. The 28-year-old flamethrower is currently penciled in for the closer's role, but fantasy managers may be a little apprehensive given how the Phillies treated their bullpen last season. The good […]

Jose Urquidy, J.P. France To Start Season In Rotation

Astros general manager Dana Brown said on Tuesday that he is confident in the team's current pitching depth despite Justin Verlander (shoulder) starting the season on the injured list. He stated that the back of the rotation will comprise Jose Urquidy and J.P. France (shoulder). Urquidy managed just 63 innings pitched last season before missing […]

Keaton Winn Progressing To Live Batting Practice

San Francisco Giants pitcher Keaton Winn (elbow) has progressed from throwing bullpen sessions to live batting practice, per the Athletic's Andrew Baggarly. The 26-year-old has been dealing with right elbow inflammation but is slowly showing signs of health improvements. It is unclear when he will be cleared to pitch in spring training games, but the […]

Tristan Beck Undergoes Successful Arm Surgery

San Francisco Giants pitcher Tristan Beck (arm) underwent successful vascular surgery to repair an aneurysm in his upper right arm, per the Athletic's Andrew Baggarly. He was placed on the 60-day injured list Sunday but was on track to start the season in the team's rotation. The Giants currently have numerous injuries to their pitching […]

Jake Burger Off To Slow Spring Offensively

Miami Marlins third baseman Jake Burger is hitting just 2-for-13 with an RBI in early Grapefruit League play. The 27-year-old burst onto the fantasy scene last season with the White Sox and Marlins, slashing .250/.309/.518 with 34 home runs, 74 runs scored, and 80 RBI in 540 plate appearances. Despite his slow start this spring, […]