
Articles

Mike Tomlin Confident Ben Roethlisberger Will Be Ready
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said he has "no hesitation" that quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (elbow) will be ready for Week 1. "This guy is the ultimate competitor. He dropped the gauntlet down. He made the statement he's coming back," Tomlin said. Roethlisberger played in just two games last year before needing season-ending right elbow […]
Keith Hernandez
Jets Unlikely To Trade Le'Veon Bell
The New York Jets won't cut running back Le'Veon Bell because of the $19 million in dead salary cap money if they do so, and because of his massive salary, a trade is remote as well. If they really wanted to trade Bell, they'd have to be willing to pay a portion of his 2020 […]
Keith Hernandez
Brian Snitker, Alex Anthopoulos Receive Extensions
The Atlanta Braves extended the contracts of manager Brian Snitker and general manager Alex Anthopoulos on Monday. Anthopoulos will be promoted to the team's president of baseball operations, and his contract is extended through 2024. Snitker and his coaching staff are now extended through the 2021 season. Snitker, 64, is 318-292 in three full seasons […]
Keith Hernandez
Chris Davis Tried To Regain Strength In Offseason
Baltimore Orioles first baseman Chris Davis said that he gained around 25 pounds in the offseason in order to regain his strength. Davis calls it "good weight" and said that being leaner hurt his power and confidence. Hitting .179/.276/.326 is bound to hurt anyone's confidence, and the power-hitting left-handed swinger has now hit under .200 […]
Keith Hernandez
Adam Frazier Played Through Finger, Shoulder Injuries Last Year
Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman Adam Frazier (finger, shoulder) revealed that he played through a broken right index finger and separated shoulder in 2019. Frazier said he broke his finger in spring training and separated his shoulder on Opening Day, but he didn't want the team to disclose his injuries and he played 152 games. Despite […]
Keith Hernandez
Nathaniel Lowe Drops 20 Pounds
Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Nathaniel Lowe has slimmed down by around 20 pounds. In his rookie season in 2019, Lowe hit .263/.325/.454 with seven home runs and 19 RBI in 50 games for the Rays in 152 at-bats. There's definitely some intrigue here, but the Rays have plenty of other options for first base, […]
Keith Hernandez
Miguel Cabrera Back To 2015 Playing Weight
Detroit Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera said he put on weight last year, but he's now back to his playing weight from the 2015 season. Cabrera changed his diet in the offseason to include more vegetables and fewer carbohydrates. The 36-year-old (37 in April) Dominican hit .338/.440/.534 with 18 home runs and 76 RBI in […]
Keith Hernandez
Jean Segura Comes To Camp Lighter
Philadelphia Phillies infielder Jean Segura came to camp 14 pounds lighter this year. He achieved that in the offseason by eating better, sleeping more and cutting out whiskey from his diet. Segura is willing to play anywhere the team wants him to play. The Phils said they plan on using him at either third or […]
Keith Hernandez
Alex Bregman Focused On Mobility In Offseason
Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman focused on his mobility in the offseason and came to camp weighing 195 pounds after he weighed in at 215 pounds last year. Typically a slow starter, Bregman is hoping to jump out of the gates quickly in 2020. The 25-year-old (26 in March) hit .296/.423/.592 with 41 home […]
Keith Hernandez
Clayton Kershaw Healthy Entering 2020 Season
Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw (shoulder), who didn't pitch in a single spring training game last year and who missed the first three weeks of the regular season due to a left shoulder injury, said he feels "a lot better" after a healthy offseason. The left-hander also said he "never really did stop […]
Keith Hernandez
Joey Wendle Recovered From Wrist Injury
Tampa Bay Rays infielder Joey Wendle (wrist) is confident that the right wrist injury that sidelined him twice last season is fully healed. "It feels really good," Wendle said. "I don’t foresee it being an issue whatsoever this season, and I’m looking forward to hopefully a fully healthy season." Wendle hit just .231 with a […]
Keith Hernandez
Tommy La Stella, David Fletcher Could Platoon At Second Base
Los Angeles Angels manager Joe Maddon said the most likely situation to fit both infielders Tommy La Stella and David Fletcher into the lineup together is with La Stella at second base and Fletcher in right field. “Obviously you want to get Tommy out there as often as you can against righties,” Maddon said. “The […]
Keith Hernandez
No Timetable For Ryan Shazier's Return
There remains no timetable for a potential return for Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier (back) as he rehabs from spinal stabilization surgery. Shazier has not played for the last two seasons, and it remains to be seen if he'll ever play again. His contract from the 2019 season will not toll over to 2020, but […]
Keith Hernandez
Jimmy Nelson, Dustin May Dealing With Minor Injuries
Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said that starting pitcher Jimmy Nelson (groin) is dealing with minor "benign" groin soreness, while Dustin May has some tightness in his side. Of the two, May is the more attractive fantasy option at just 22 years old with a lot of upside. He'll be a late-round upside selection […]
Keith Hernandez
Jurickson Profar To Work Exclusively At Second Base
San Diego Padres infielder Jurickson Profar will work exclusively at second base in camp, according to manager Jayce Tingler. Profar could bounce around at other positions during the season, but that's unlikely if everyone stays healthy. The 26-year-old struggled at second base last year, committing 11 throwing errors. Profar hit .218/.301/.410 with 20 home runs […]
Keith Hernandez
Eugenio Suarez Taking One-Handed Swings
Cincinnati Reds third baseman Eugenio Suarez (shoulder), who is recovering from shoulder surgery, took one-handed swings in the batting cage and is doing some non-throwing defensive work on Sunday. It's a good sign, but at this point Suarez is a real question mark to be ready by Opening Day, and he must resume regular swinging […]
Keith Hernandez
Jed Lowrie Sporting Brace
New York Mets infielder Jed Lowrie (knee) is in camp with a big brace on his left knee/leg. Lowrie was a big free-agent bust for the Mets in 2019, seeing just seven at-bats because of various injuries, most notably to his knee. That came after his first All-Star selection in 2018 with the A's when […]
Keith Hernandez
Yoshitomo Tsutsugo Will Be Used Primarily As Left Fielder
The Tampa Bay Rays current plan is to use Yoshitomo Tsutsugo as a left fielder, but he'll also be a designated hitter and will work at first base this spring. The Rays are looking forward to acclimating the Japanese power hitter in spring training, but his biggest adjustment will be with the increase in velocity […]
Keith Hernandez
Gregory Polanco Won't Be Limited In Camp
Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Gregory Polanco (shoulder) reported to camp on Saturday and will not have any physical limitations in workouts. Polanco had left shoulder surgery after the 2018 season and wound up playing in only 42 games last year because of complications with his shoulder. The 28-year-old Dominican says he's finally healthy, which could help […]
Keith Hernandez
Xander Bogaerts Has Sore Ankle
Boston Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts (ankle) has a sore ankle and will take the next three days easy. However, this isn't a long-term concern. Bogaerts hit an impressive .309/.384/.555 with 33 home runs, 110 runs scored, 117 RBI and four steals in 614 at-bats for the Red Sox last season. It was a career […]
Keith Hernandez
Chris Sale Says His Elbow Feels Good
Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Chris Sale (elbow, illness) said his left elbow is "good, really good," and he felt strong all winter after being shut down last August with pain in his throwing arm. "I feel better than I have in a long time, actually," Sale said. He also said that "no one was […]
Keith Hernandez
Hunter Renfroe Feels 100 Percent Healthy
Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Hunter Renfroe (ankle, foot) said on Saturday that he feels "100 percent" healthy after undergoing three procedures for his right foot and ankle. “Everything is good, everything is fixed,” Renfroe said. “I was going to the physical therapist and stuff like that and strengthening the ankle and getting it back to […]
Keith Hernandez
Ty Johnson Not A Lock To Make 2020 Roster
Detroit Lions running back Ty Johnson won't be a guarantee to make the team's roster going into training camp, in the opinion of The Athletic's Chris Burke. Johnson, a sixth-round pick in 2019, ended his rookie season with 63 carries for 273 yards (4.3 yards per carry) and no touchdowns on the ground. The Lions […]
Keith Hernandez
Rashaad Penny Making Progress In Rehab
Seattle Seahawks running back Rashaad Penny (knee), whose 2019 season ended in early December when he suffered a torn ACL, said he got back on an exercise bike earlier this week. The 24-year-old second-year back is ahead of schedule in his recovery, but he still might be a question mark to be ready for Week […]
Keith Hernandez
Jets Unlikely To Re-Sign Robby Anderson
The New York Jets are highly unlikely to re-sign impending free-agent wide receiver Robby Anderson, according to league sources. Anderson is expected to receiver $13 to $15 million annually on a multi-year deal on the open market, but Gang Green would like to sign him for just $10 million annually. Because the 26-year-old will be […]
Keith Hernandez
Buccaneers Still Undecided On Jameis Winston
Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians said that the team remains undecided on whether to keep quarterback Jameis Winston or move on from the former first overall draft pick. Arians said they probably won't know what direction they are headed until the start of the three-day legal free-agent tampering period from March 16-18. If […]
Keith Hernandez
A.J. Bouye Could Be Released
Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback A.J. Bouye could be released this offseason to clear $11.4 million in salary cap space. Bouye has two interceptions the last two years, while Tre Herndon, who started opposite of Bouye when Jalen Ramsey was traded to the Rams, had three interceptions last season and will make $660,000 in 2020. Jacksonville could […]
Keith Hernandez
Nick Foles A Candidate To Be Traded?
The Jacksonville Jaguars need to continue searching for a franchise quarterback. Rookie Gardner Minshew showed flashes in 2019, but he'll need to prove he's more than just a game manager in a larger sample size. The team could also seek to find a trade partner for Nick Foles, who flopped as a big free-agent acquisition […]
Keith Hernandez
Will Jaguars Pick Up Leonard Fournette's Fifth-Year Option?
The Jacksonville Jaguars must decide this offseason if they will pick up running back Leonard Fournette's $10.1 million fifth-year option for 2021. It's an interesting decision because they are limited for salary cap space, so they could decline the option and wait to see how he performs in 2020 before considering a contract extension. The […]
Keith Hernandez
Joey Votto Motivated To Bounce Back In 2020
Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto didn't pick up a bat at all during the winter after a disappointing 2019 campaign, but he also showed up more than a week early to camp, which is something he hasn't done in his 13-year career. The veteran first baseman had a career-low .768 OPS, well below his […]
Keith Hernandez