Jonathan Lucroy Could See Time At First Base

Boston Red Sox catcher Jonathan Lucroy, who worked with pitchers Ryan Brasier, Colten Brewer and Brandon Workman during the shutdown, could see some time at first base in 2020. Boston will likely start the year with catchers Lucroy, Christian Vazquez and Kevin Plawecki on the active roster. Lucroy has taken ground balls at first base […]

Jason Castro Off To Strong Start Offensively

Los Angeles Angels catcher Jason Castro is off to a strong start in summer camp with the bat, as he doubled on Tuesday and tripled off the wall on Friday. Castro is set to be the team's primary catcher in 2020. The 33-year-old former Stanford product is more of a defensive backstop, but he did […]

Shohei Ohtani Likely To Pitch Once A Week

With Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani pitching once a week, manager Joe Maddon said it's likely that the Angels use a modified six-man starting rotation this year. Andrew Heaney, Dylan Bundy and Griffin Canning are locks for the rotation, with Matt Andriese and Felix Pena the front-runners for the two open spots. Jaime […]

Jo Adell Turning Heads In Camp

Los Angeles Angels outfield prospect Jo Adell has turned heads in summer camp so far, impressing manager Joe Maddon with an opposite-field home run off Jose Rodriguez in Thursday's intrasquad game. The No. 6 overall prospect in baseball, per MLB Pipeline, is part of the group training at Long Beach State. Maddon appreciates Adell's old-school […]

Corey Knebel Feeling Good After Intrasquad Outing

Milwaukee Brewers relief pitcher Corey Knebel (elbow) took a step forward in his return from Tommy John surgery on Friday when he threw an inning in an intrasquad game at Miller Park. "I'm happy with how I feel right now. Everything feels good, so that's a positive," Knebel said. The right-hander's velocity is still a […]

Giants Think Joey Bart Needs More Development

San Francisco Giants manager Gabe Kapler reiterated what president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi said about catching prospect Joey Bart not being a likely candidate to jump in right away and replace Buster Posey, who has opted out of the 2020 season amid the coronavirus pandemic. "We all feel strongly that Bart has some development […]

Hunter Pence Dealing With Foot Inflammation

San Francisco Giants outfielder Hunter Pence's (foot) MRI exam on Friday revealed inflammation in his foot. He is still hitting, but the coaching staff will keep him from running over the weekend, according to manager Gabe Kapler. It's good news for the 37-year-old and his chances of being ready by Opening Day on July 23 […]

Cardinals Owner Tests Positive For COVID-19

Arizona Cardinals owner Michael Bidwell has tested positive for COVID-19. The team thinks he contracted the virus while traveling and spending time on the East Coast for several weeks. Bidwell's doctor recommended that he admit himself to the hospital. His symptoms have subsided and he's expected to be released from the hospital sometime this weekend. […]

Starling Marte Back In Camp Friday

Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Starling Marte was back in summer camp on Friday after he had missed the last three days of workouts, according to outfielder David Peralta. It's unclear if Marte tested positive for COVID-19 or came in contact with someone who did, but either way, he's back in camp and looks ready to go […]

Shaquil Barrett Files Grievance To Be Tagged As Defensive End

Tampa Bay Buccaneers pass-rusher Shaquil Barrett is signing his franchise tender on Friday and has filed a grievance against the team that he should be tagged as a defensive end and not as a linebacker. The franchise tag for a linebacker pays around $15.8 million, while the tag for a defensive end pays around $17.8 […]

Gavin Lux Reports To Camp Friday

Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Gavin Lux reported to the team's summer camp on Friday. The team's top prospect and No. 2 overall in baseball, per MLB Pipeline, missed the first week of workouts for undisclosed reasons. Lux is the favorite for the starting job at second base in 2020, but it's not a complete […]

Kole Calhoun Reports To Summer Camp

Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Kole Calhoun, who had missed the first seven days of summer camp after testing positive for COVID-19, reported to camp on Friday. Calhoun will now get to work in preparing for his first season with the Snakes after spending eight seasons with the Angels. The left-handed slugger blasted a career-high 33 home […]

Yoan Moncada, Jose Ruiz Placed On Injured List

Chicago White Sox third baseman/second baseman Yoan Moncada and relief pitcher Jose Ruiz were placed on the 10-day injured list on Friday. The White Sox aren't specifying an injury for either player, so it's a good bet this is related to COVID-19. Moncada has been away from summer camp since Monday and it's unclear if […]

Michael Kopech Opts Out Of 2020 Season

Chicago White Sox general manager Rick Hahn announced on Friday that starting pitcher Michael Kopech has opted out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19. The 24-year-old right-hander has one of the best arms in baseball and was recovering from Tommy John surgery which held him out all of last year. You can obviously cross […]

Hunter Pence Undergoing MRI

San Francisco Giants outfielder Hunter Pence (foot) underwent an MRI exam on his right foot, which has been bothering him in summer camp. The Giants should have the results of the exam later on Friday. Consider the 37-year-old veteran day-to-day for now, but this isn't what you want to see from an aging outfielder coming […]

Adley Rutschman, Others Added To Player Pool

The Baltimore Orioles added catcher Adley Rutschman, Keegan Akin, Michael Baumann, Issac Mattson, Cedric Mullins and Taylor Davis to their 60-man player pool on Friday, according to manager Brandon Hyde. The team's No. 3 prospect, DL Hall, is another candidate to join the player pool soon. Per MLB Pipeline, Rutschman is the club's top prospect, […]

John Means Named Opening Day Starter

Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher John Means will be the team's Opening Day starter on July 24 against the Red Sox. Means was great in his rookie season, as he made the All-Star team and finished second in American League Rookie of the Year voting by going 12-11 with a 3.60 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 121 strikeouts […]

Eduardo Rodriguez Running Out Of Time

Boston Red Sox manager Ron Roenicke acknowledged that starting pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez, who tested positive for COVID-19, is running out of time to be ready for the start of the season. "We need to hear some good news pretty soon," Roenicke said. With E-Rod looking more unlikely to be ready for Opening Day by the […]

Quinton Dunbar Allowed To Attend Training Camp

Seattle Seahawks cornerback Quinton Dunbar, who is currently in the middle of an armed-robbery case, is allowed to be at training camp and is expected to report later this month. Dunbar recently hired a second attorney for his case despite the team hinting at positive developments for Dunbar's case in June. He has pled not […]

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Shifting Focus To First Base

Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. will shift his focus to first base during summer camp, according to manager Charlie Montoyo. "He's going to focus on 1B and DH," Montoyo said. Third base will be an option for Vlad, but it won't be his primary position anymore. Nobody realistically expected Guerrero to remain […]

Giants Could Consider Russell Martin

The San Francisco Giants could consider free-agent catcher Russell Martin in their search for experienced catchers now that Buster Posey has decided to opt out of the 2020 season amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Martin is 37 years old, but the Dodgers loved his experience and leadership last year. With Aramis Garcia unlikely to play this […]

Chiefs Re-Sign Matt Moore

The Kansas City Chiefs agreed to a one-year deal to re-sign backup quarterback Matt Moore on Friday, according to a source. The Chiefs hope they won't need Moore or Chad Henne after signing superstar QB Patrick Mahomes to a 10-year, record-breaking extension this week, but Moore will provide valuable depth. Moore is heading into his […]

D'Andre Swift Ready To Compete Full Force

Detroit Lions rookie running back D'Andre Swift, a second-round pick in April, is "ready to compete" with Kerryon Johnson and wants to start in 2020. Head coach Matt Patricia won't shy away from the idea of listing both Swift and Johnson as starters in the backfield this year. Johnson has run for more than 1,000 […]

Justin Simmons Accepts Franchise Tender

Denver Broncos safety Justin Simmons accepted his franchise tender on Friday and is expected to sign it this weekend, according to sources. A third-round pick in 2016, the 26-year-old played at a Pro Bowl level in 2019 and was tied for second on the team with 93 tackles. Simmons led the team with four interceptions […]

Joey Gallo Cleared To Work Out

Texas Rangers outfielder Joey Gallo has been cleared to work out after testing positive for COVID-19 and is hoping to play in the team's intrasquad game on Saturday. With two full weeks before Opening Day on July 24, Gallo should be completely ready for the start of the regular season. The 26-year-old left-handed hitter has […]

Alex Faedo, Tarik Skubal Head To Injured List

The Detroit Tigers placed five more players on the 10-day injured list on Thursday night, including shortstop Sergio Alcantara, outfielder Daz Cameron, right-hander Alex Faedo, third baseman Isaac Paredes and lefty Tarik Skubal. The team didn't specify injuries for any of them. The Tigers announced on Wednesday that they've had individuals test positive for COVID-19, […]

Nick Burdi Looks Amazing

Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher Nick Burdi was impressive in spring training earlier this year and has picked up where he left off in summer camp workouts. “He looks amazing,” starting pitcher Jameson Taillon said. “No matter how many injuries this dude’s had, he still throws 100 mph. His slider’s still disgusting.” Burdi had Tommy John […]

Gregory Polanco Says He's Healthy

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Gregory Polanco (shoulder) feels like he's almost back to where he was before a left shoulder injury ended his promising 2018 season and ruined his 2019 campaign. "Last year, I wasn’t healthy. This year, I’m healthy," Polanco said. He said he's feeling no pain or tightness in his surgically repaired left shoulder […]

Chris Stratton An Option In Piggyback Role

Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Chris Stratton, along with Steven Brault and Chad Kuhl, is a candidate to function as a piggyback starter in the shortened 2020 season. Stratton leaned on a high-spin fastball and had a 3.66 ERA with 47 strikeouts in 46 2/3 relief innings for the Bucs over 28 relief outings last season. He […]

Ke'Bryan Hayes Hasn't Taken Part In Summer Camp

Pittsburgh Pirates third base prospect Ke'Bryan Hayes hasn't taken part in any of the team's summer camp workouts, and manager Derek Shelton hasn't provided an explanation for his absence. Outfielder Socrates Brito, who tested positive for COVID-19, and Hayes were the only position players absent on Thursday. Hayes is the team's No. 2 prospect, per […]