Johnny Cueto To Start Opening Day

San Francisco Giants manager Gabe Kapler announced that starting pitcher Johnny Cueto will start on Opening Day on July 23 against the Dodgers. Cueto also received the nod on March 11, the last day of spring training before MLB paused camps due to COVID-19. The veteran right-hander threw more than 60 pitches in a three-inning […]

Anthony Santander Confirms Positive COVID-19 Test

Baltimore Orioles outfielder Anthony Santander confirmed that he tested positive for COVID-19, which is why he wasn't in summer camp. The good news is that Santander joined the team's workouts on Tuesday, which means he could still have time to get ready for Opening Day next Friday. If healthy, he should have a starting role […]

Joe Smith Placed On Restricted List

The Houston Astros placed relief pitcher Joe Smith on the restricted list on Wednesday, but Smith has not informed the team of his final intentions for the 2020 season. It was reported earlier that Smith was opting out of the 2020 season due to concerns around the coronavirus pandemic, but he hasn't made a final […]

Jacob deGrom Going For MRI Exam

New York Mets manager Luis Rojas said starting pitcher Jacob deGrom (back) is day-to-day and is going for an MRI exam on Wednesday. Rojas said it's too early to speculate on deGrom's status for Sunday's exhibition game against the Yankees and for Opening Day next Friday. The right-hander left his intrasquad start early on Tuesday […]

Pirates Add Nick Gonzales To Player Pool

The Pittsburgh Pirates added first-round pick Nick Gonzales to their 60-player pool on Wednesday after they drafted the New Mexico State shortstop seventh overall in June. Gonzales will report to the team's alternate training site in Altoona if he returns a negative COVID-19 test. Pittsburgh had an opening on their roster when pitcher Hector Noesi […]

Joe Musgrove Lined Up For Opening Day

Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Joe Musgrove will make his final intrasquad start this Saturday, which likely means he'll pitch on Opening Day on July 24 against the Cardinals. The Pirates could slot him fourth in the starting rotation to have him start the home opener on July 28, but that would require another start next […]

Gerson Bautista Suffers Injury Saturday

Seattle Mariners relief pitcher Gerson Bautista hit 101 mph with a fastball during an intrasquad game on Saturday, but his next pitch came out at 94 mph and he threw one more pitch before something looked wrong. Athletic trainer Rob Nodine came to the mound to check with Bautista before they both walked off moments […]

Zach Eflin Day-To-Day With Back Spasms

Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Zach Eflin (back) is day-to-day with back spasms and has yet to face hitters in game situations in summer camp, according to manager Joe Girardi. If he's ready for the start of the regular season, Eflin projects to be the club's No. 4 starter. The 26-year-old right-hander had a career-low 4.13 […]

Brian Dozier Not Expected To Join Player Pool

San Diego Padres second baseman Brian Dozier isn't expected to be added to the team's 60-man player pool in the upcoming week, meaning he can opt out of his contract on July 18. Instead of Dozier, it seems likely the Padres will add a relief pitcher in the wake of recent injuries to Jose Castillo […]

Socrates Brito Back In Camp Saturday

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Socrates Brito is back in summer camp on Saturday after he confirmed his positive COVID-19 diagnosis. Brito is just hoping to somehow crack the team's Opening Day roster, but his late arrival to camp will make that even more of a long shot. The 27-year-old left-handed hitter was decent on the farm […]

Bobby Dalbec Cleared To Resume Workouts

Boston Red Sox third base prospect Bobby Dalbec has been cleared to resume summer camp workouts with the team after previously testing positive for COVID-19. He will join the team at Fenway Park on Sunday. The 25-year-old should be on the team's roster at some point in 2020, but it remains to be seen how […]

Shohei Ohtani Dealing With Stiff Back

Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani (back) is being held back a bit in camp because he's dealing with a little bit of a stiff back, but manager Joe Maddon said he's still on schedule to make his next intrasquad outing. Ohtani is feeling well and it's "nothing alarming." It's probably not much to […]

NFL, Players Union Haven't Agreed To Training Camp Report Dates

The NFL was hoping to start training camp on July 28, but the league and the players' union have not agreed on dates of reporting to camp or prior dates for testing of COVID-19, according to a source. Most importantly, the two sides need to agree on what the testing protocols will be as players […]

Patriots Gain Valuable Salary Cap Space

The New England Patriots were down to less than $500,000 in salary cap space earlier this week, but they now stand at $7.794 million with flexibility for in-season roster moves. They achieved that by reaching settlements in compensation grievances with wide receiver Antonio Brown ($4 million) and tight end Aaron Hernandez ($2.55 million). For a […]

Hunter Henry Not Expecting Extension Before Deadline

Los Angeles Chargers tight end Hunter Henry isn't expecting a long-term contract extension before the deadline of Wednesday, July 15, so he expects to play the 2020 season under the $10.6 million franchise tag. The 25-year-old doesn't seem to be too worried about it, though, and he's focused on the 2020 season. He views this […]

Orioles Interested In Yasiel Puig

The Baltimore Orioles are interested in signing free-agent outfielder Yasiel Puig and have made at least one offer, according to a source. It probably has something to do with the fact that Anthony Santander and Dwight Smith Jr. have yet to arrive at summer camp, but Puig would be an upgrade to Baltimore's outfield regardless. […]

Masahiro Tanaka Playing Catch Saturday

New York Yankees starting pitcher Masahiro Tanaka (head) is playing catch at Yankee Stadium on Saturday. Tanaka was diagnosed with a mild concussion last weekend after he took a Giancarlo Stanton line drive to the head exactly a week ago. But he's been symptom-free in the last week and was riding a stationary bike during […]

Aroldis Chapman Tests Positive For COVID-19

New York Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman tested positive for COVID-19, according to manager Aaron Boone. "He has mild symptoms, but he’s doing well," Boone said. The hard-throwing lefty closer will be out for the foreseeable future, and with just under two weeks until Opening Day on July 23, there's a chance that Chapman won't be […]

Cam Gallagher Tests Positive For COVID-19

The Kansas City Royals announced on Saturday that catcher Cam Gallagher has tested positive for COVID-19. Gallagher isn't showing any symptoms, but he'll need two negative tests in order to return to the team. The backstop hit a home run in the intrasquad game on Friday night. This is especially troubling for the Royals with […]

Scott Kingery Rejoins Workouts Saturday

Philadelphia Phillies infielder/outfielder Scott Kingery, who had previously tested positive for COVID-19, was cleared and rejoined the team on Saturday. He took part in batting practice but won't play in the scrimmage. The Phillies will ease him back into things after he suffered from some symptoms. There's a chance that Kingery is used more as […]

Cole Hamels Dealing With Triceps Tendinitis

Atlanta Braves manager Brian Snitker said that starting pitcher Cole Hamels (triceps) scrapped his planned side session on Saturday because he had some triceps tendinitis. "I think we're probably a week away from seeing where he's going to be," Snitker said. Hamels missed spring training earlier this year because of a left shoulder strain, so […]

Le'Veon Bell Backs Jamal Adams

New York Jets running back Le'Veon Bell had a "great talk" with disgruntled All-Pro safety Jamal Adams on Thursday and came away with the impression that Adams wants to stay in New York if he gets a new contract. Bell doesn't oppose Adams' hard-line stance in negotiations. Adams formally requested a trade last month and […]

Eagles Discipline DeSean Jackson

The Philadelphia Eagles announced on Friday that they fined wide receiver DeSean Jackson "for conduct detrimental to the team," which included controversial posts on Instagram and sharing an image of a quote falsely attributed to Adolf Hitler earlier this week. Jackson has since offered multiple apologies, but he "must also commit to supporting his words […]

Astros Cancel Workouts On Saturday

The Houston Astros canceled their summer camp workouts again on Saturday. "As part of MLB’s testing and reporting plan, we were alerted that a staff member was potentially exposed to a COVID-positive individual outside the organization," general manager James Click said. It's a reminder that all it takes to jeopardize an entire team's health is […]

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 […]