Nick Markakis Elects To Sit Out 2020 Season

Atlanta Braves manager Brian Snitker announced on Monday that outfielder Nick Markakis has elected to skip the 2020 season due to concerns around COVID-19. Markakis makes the decision after Atlanta announced that four players tested positive for the coronavirus on Saturday, including first baseman Freddie Freeman. Markakis, 36, is a .288/.358/.424 hitter with 188 home […]

Byron Buxton Away From Camp For Birth Of Son

Minnesota Twins outfielder Byron Buxton (shoulder) has not arrived to summer camp yet because he just welcomed his second child into the world. Buxton underwent shoulder surgery last September and hadn't played in any games when spring training was shut down in March. He should be ready for the start of the season in late […]

Jose Berrios In Midseason Form

Minnesota Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said that starting pitcher Jose Berrios hit 95-96 mph in his first inning of live batting practice on Friday. Berrios threw around 45 pitches overall. "He couldn't look any better. He looks like a bulldog," Baldelli said. The 26-year-old had a career-low 3.68 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 8.8 K/9 in […]

Red Sox Planning To Use Five-Man Rotation

The Boston Red Sox are planning to use a five-man rotation to begin the 2020 season, with Ryan Weber positioned to claim the No. 4 spot behind Eduardo Rodriguez, Nathan Eovaldi and Martin Perez. New pitching coach Dave Bush said Rodriguez, Eovaldi and Perez should be able to go five or six innings when the […]

Cowboys Pump Brakes On David Njoku Rumor

Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku demanded a trade on Friday, per his agent, Drew Rosenhaus. Soon after, reports surfaced that the Dallas Cowboys were a "potential suitor" for Njoku. "That," one source said Friday as the news broke, "sounds like an agent creation." The Cowboys made a commitment to Blake Jarwin and also signed […]

Shohei Ohtani "Doing Great"

Los Angeles Angels manager Joe Maddon said that starting pitcher/designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (elbow) is fully healthy and will be ready to serve as a two-way player to begin the 2020 season. Ohtani threw a bullpen session on Friday and will continue to take batting practice to prepare for his role as the DH. "He’s […]

Dillon Peters Won't Be Fully Healthy Until July

Los Angeles Angels left-handed pitcher Dillon Peters (oblique) isn't expected to be fully healthy until mid-July after straining his oblique muscle in spring training. It means that Peters might not be ready for Opening Day in late July. The 27-year-old southpaw went 4-4 with a 5.38 ERA, 1.54 WHIP and 55 strikeouts in 72 innings […]

Jed Lowrie Still Using Knee Brace

New York Mets infielder Jed Lowrie (knee), who played nine games last September because of knee issues, worked out with his knee brace tucked underneath his uniform on Friday. It sounds like he's in no better position than when spring training was shut down in March. The Mets are unsure if Lowrie will be full-go […]

Jose Martinez Not Present Friday

Tampa Bay Rays first baseman/outfielder Jose Martinez was not present for the team's first summer camp workout on Friday, and it wasn't because of a travel issue. Martinez has been working out at Tropicana Field for most of the shutdown, so this brings in speculation that he may have tested positive for COVID-19. Pitchers Yonny […]

Willians Astudillo Tests Positive For COVID-19

Minnesota Twins catcher Willians Astudillo is one of the Twins players to test positive for COVID-19 upon his arrival to summer camp. Astudillo has been quarantined and is asymptomatic. Minor leaguers Edwar Colina and Nick Gordon tested positive before arriving, so they are not in camp. Colina is the team's No. 16 prospect, while Gordon […]

Rich Hill Fully Recovered From Elbow Surgery

Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Rich Hill (elbow) threw a bullpen session on Friday and is fully recovered from offseason elbow surgery. "It didn't look like he was holding anything back," president Derek Falvey said. "He feels good." The 40-year-old southpaw is one of the players that really benefited from the season being delayed, as he […]

Lance McCullers Jr. To Throw Batting Practice Saturday

Houston Astros starting pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. (elbow), who missed all of 2019 after having Tommy John surgery, will throw batting practice on Saturday. McCullers will simulate three innings, which is something similar to what he did a few days ago. He made three Grapefruit League starts before spring training was suspended and hopes to […]

Madison Bumgarner Doesn't Work Out Friday

Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Madison Bumgarner was one of the eight to 10 players who did not work out at Chase Field on the first day of summer camp on Friday. Bumgarner is waiting for clearance from the COVID-19 test protocols. MadBum doesn't necessarily have coronavirus, and he could be cleared to join workouts as […]

Charlie Blackmon Won't Be Available For Start Of Camp

Colorado Rockies outfielder Charlie Blackmon will not be available for the start of summer camp on Saturday after testing positive for COVID-19, according to manager Bud Black. Pitchers Phil Diehl and Ryan Castellani have already returned after testing negative. It's unclear how long Blackmon will be out or if it'll have an effect on his […]

Kirby Yates Not Yet In Camp

San Diego Padres closer Kirby Yates is not in summer camp due to a non-COVID-related family issue, according to general manager A.J. Preller. Yates is likely to report to San Diego later this weekend and go through the subsequent testing protocols. The 33-year-old right-handed reliever was lights-out for the Friars as a first-time All-Star, posting […]

Tommy Pham Tests Positive For COVID-19

San Diego Padres general manager A.J. Preller said that outfielder Tommy Pham tested positive for COVID-19, but he is asymptomatic. It means that Pham will get a late start to summer camp. A top-20 fantasy outfielder because of his mix of power and speed, the 32-year-old hit .273/.369/.450 with 21 home runs, 68 RBI, 77 […]

DJ Stewart A Full-Go For Camp

Baltimore Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said that outfielder DJ Stewart (ankle), who had right ankle surgery last fall, is "full-go" for summer camp. Stewart should have a good chance to win the Opening Day job in right field. Before his injury in 2019, he was hitting .238/.317/.381 with four home runs and 15 RBI in […]

Jon Duplantier Behind In Camp

Arizona Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen said that starting pitcher Jon Duplantier (elbow), who was shut down in April with right-elbow soreness, is a bit behind the other pitchers at the start of summer camp this weekend. Duplantier was working as a starter when things were shut down this spring and was ticketed to start […]

Clayton Kershaw, Alex Wood, Ross Stripling Ramping Up

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitchers Clayton Kershaw, Alex Wood and Ross Stripling have already thrown three-inning simulated games at summer camp, indicating that they could pitch deeper into games when the regular season begins at the end of July. The Dodgers have hinted that they may not go with a traditional five-man rotation to begin […]

Joe Musgrove Feeling Better

Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Joe Musgrove (shoulder) threw a five-inning simulated game on Friday and said that he feels better now than he did in March. Musgrove was battling shoulder fatigue before spring training was shut down earlier this year, and his results weren't pretty. The 27-year-old right-hander showed an uptick in strikeouts towards the […]

Luis Robert Expected To Be Starting Center Fielder

Coming off a 32-homer, 36-steal, 1.001-OPS season in the minors, Chicago White Sox outfielder Luis Robert is expected to open the year as the team's starting center fielder in his rookie season. Robert is the team's top prospect and comes in at No. 3 overall, per MLB Pipeline. There's massive power/speed potential with the 22-year-old, […]

Wander Franco Could Make Big League Debut This Year

Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco, MLB's top prospect, could find his way onto the big league roster later this year despite being just 19 years old and not playing at a level beyond High-A. Franco is the second prospect ever to receive an 80-grade hit tool (the other being Vladimir Guerrero Jr.) and has […]

Alec Bohm, Spencer Howard Could Be Options For Phillies

If Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Jay Bruce, who has a .219/.287/.445 slash line since 2018, struggles, the Phillies could turn to third baseman Alec Bohm at designated hitter. Baseball's No. 30 prospect could also see playing time if center fielder Adam Haseley doesn't hit enough, which would cause the Phillies to use either Scott Kingery or […]

Cade Cavalli Joining 60-Man Roster

Washington Nationals first-rounder Cade Cavalli will join the team's 60-man summer camp roster. Cavalli was the 22nd overall pick in last month's draft. The 6-foot-4, 226-pounder produces easy velocity (92-96 mph) and tops out at 98 mph with minimal effort. The right-hander out of Oklahoma also gets hitters off-balance with a low-80s curveball and a […]

Max Scherzer Throws 65 Pitches On Friday

Washington Nationals starting pitcher Max Scherzer threw 65 pitches to live hitters on the first day of summer camp on Friday. Scherzer was battling through an injury to his right side back in March, but it looks as though he's past that and ready for the start of the regular season later this month. The […]

Welington Castillo Opts Out Of 2020 Season

Washington Nationals manager Dave Martinez said that catcher Welington Castillo has opted out of playing in 2020 amid the coronavirus pandemic. Castillo will join teammates Ryan Zimmerman and Joe Ross in opting out this year. The 33-year-old was on a minor league deal that he signed in January and was unlikely to make much, if […]

Brett Martin Tests Positive For COVID-19

Texas Rangers relief pitcher Brett Martin has tested positive for COVID-19 and has some "mild" symptoms. Martin is a diabetic, so it is a delicate situation, and he's at risk for complications. Heading into the season, Martin was expected to serve in a setup role alongside Rafael Montero and Joely Rodriguez ahead of closer Jose […]

Troy Stokes Jr. Has Surgery For Broken Hand

Detroit Tigers outfielder Troy Stokes Jr. (hand) suffered a broken bone in his hand and underwent surgery to fix it, according to manager Ron Gardenhire. It's the reason why Stokes was left out of the team's player pool for the upcoming season. The 24-year-old is looking unlikely to be ready for the start of the […]

Cole Wilcox Added To Player Pool

The San Diego Padres are adding third-rounder Cole Wilcox to their player pool on Friday. The Padres just signed Wilcox to a record-breaking signing bonus for a third-round pick this week to persuade him not to return to college at Georgia. If it weren't for signability issues, the right-handed pitcher would've gone in the first […]

Mike Trout On The Fence About Playing In 2020

With Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout and his wife, Jessica, expecting their first child in August, he is discussing the possibility of sitting out in 2020 on a daily basis. "Honestly, I still don't feel comfortable," Trout told reporters Friday. The three-time American League MVP continues to have discussions with general manager Billy Eppler […]