Travis Etienne Jr.'s Touches To Be Scaled Back?

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr.'s 325 touches last year were third-most in the NFL for a RB, but head coach Doug Pederson said that Etienne as a workhorse back "is not the recipe" he prefers. Pederson mentioned that D'Ernest Johnson was injured in 2023, and Tank Bigsby was learning as a rookie. The […]

Forrest Wall Making A Case For Roster Spot

Atlanta Braves rookie outfielder Forrest Wall, who has game-changing speed on the basepaths, is making a case to open the year on the team's Opening Day roster out of camp. Wall also plays all three outfield positions. He totaled 57 stolen bases in 66 attempts in 2023 at Triple-A Gwinnett and in the majors. Wall […]

Jose Caballero Looking To Pull The Ball More

Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash said that hitting coach Chad Mottola has informed infielder Jose Caballero that he has the freedom to pull the ball in the air, advice that has paid dividends in recent years for Rays hitters like Yandy Diaz and Isaac Paredes. "He's letting it loose," Cash said. "He seems to […]

Nick Senzel, Keibert Ruiz Scratched Wednesday

Washington Nationals third baseman Nick Senzel (illness) and catcher Keibert Ruiz (illness) were both scratched from Wednesday's Grapefruit League lineup due to illnesses. Senzel has been sick now for a few days, and Ruiz may have caught the same bug. Both players should be able to return to the lineup in a few days at […]

A's To Ease Mason Miller Into Closer's Role?

Oakland Athletics right-hander Mason Miller, along with Dany Jimenez and Trevor Gott, could get an opportunity to close out games this season. However, when asked about the possibility of Miller seeing save chances, manager Mark Kotsay indicated he'd like to see Miller succeed in high-leverage spots and gradually move up the ladder rather than anoint […]

Graham Ashcraft, Nick Lodolo Nearing Spring Debuts

Cincinnati Reds right-hander Graham Ashcraft (toe) is to be scheduled for his first Cactus League start "within the next week," according to manager David Bell. Meanwhile, left-hander Nick Lodolo's (leg) spring training debut would be a bit behind Ashcraft's. The 26-year-old Ashcraft is returning from surgery on his right big toe last September and is […]

Trevor Stephan Shut Down For Three Weeks

Cleveland Guardians right-hander Trevor Stephan (elbow) has a deep bone bruise in his throwing elbow and will be shut down for three weeks. There won't be enough time for Stephan to recover in time to be ready for Opening Day at the end of March, so he'll be forced to open the 2024 season on […]

Julio Rodriguez Likely To Play Again On Saturday

Seattle Mariners manager Scott Servais said that outfielder Julio Rodriguez (hand) is likely to play in Saturday's Cactus League game against the Oakland Athletics. Rodriguez has been dealing with some left-hand inflammation in recent days, but he has been doing light baseball activities and is feeling better. The 23-year-old All-Star's injury is not serious at […]

Luis Rengifo Working Out Wednesday

Los Angeles Angels infielder Luis Rengifo (hamstring) is doing some hitting and defensive drills in camp on Wednesday. The Angels are easing Rengifo back into action at spring training after he dealt with some left-hamstring tightness. The 27-year-old still has plenty of time to get ready for Opening Day at the end of March, unless […]

Angels Confirm That Carlos Estevez Is The Closer

Los Angeles Angels skipper Ron Washington confirmed that right-hander Carlos Estevez is the team's closer to open the season. "Right now, we've got him as a closer," Washington said. "So we don't need to talk about that." The 31-year-old is coming off a season that saw him register a 3.90 ERA with 78 strikeouts in […]

Michael Stefanic Back To Baseball Activity

Los Angles Angels infielder Michael Stefanic (quadriceps) has resumed baseball activities at camp on Wednesday. Stefanic suffered a left-quadriceps strain in the team's Cactus League game last Saturday against the Los Angeles Dodgers and was held out of workouts since then. The 28-year-old appears to be recovering now, though, and he should be able to […]

Robert Stephenson Dealing With Shoulder Soreness

Los Angeles Angels right-hander Robert Stephenson (shoulder) is dealing with some right-shoulder soreness in camp but is playing catch on Wednesday. It's the reason why Stephenson hasn't appeared in a Cactus League game yet, although it's a good sign that he's playing catch in Wednesday, and he still has enough time to get ready for […]

Justin Verlander Not Ready To Face Hitters Yet

Houston Astros right-hander Justin Verlander (shoulder) felt good after his bullpen session on Tuesday, but manager Joe Espada said that the future Hall of Famer is not ready to face hitters yet. However, Espada still isn't ruling Verlander out for Opening Day, but he acknowledged "obviously we're kind of running out of days here." The […]

Luis Urias Could Begin Season On Injured List

Seattle Mariners third baseman Luis Urias (shoulder) could need to open the 2024 regular season on the injured list due to right-shoulder inflammation. Urias has been throwing from around 70 feet at spring training, but it doesn't sound like he's close to making his Cactus League debut. On top of it, the 26-year-old infielder didn't […]

Matt Brash Could Miss Significant Time

Seattle Mariners relief pitcher Matt Brash (elbow) could be sidelined for a significant amount of time with a serious right-elbow injury. Brash and the Mariners are in the process of trying to determine exactly what is wrong with his elbow, but there's the possibility that he could have to sit out the entire 2024 season. […]

Julio Rodriguez Feeling Much Better

Seattle Mariners outfielder Julio Rodriguez (hand) played catch for the second straight day on Tuesday and said he's feeling "all good" while recovering from minor inflammation on the back of his left hand. "He feels much, much better," manager Scott Servais said. Rodriguez was also scheduled to hit some flips in the batting cage on […]

Jose Urquidy Was Tipping His Pitches

Houston Astros right-hander Jose Urquidy said he discovered this offseason that he was tipping some of his pitches last year by how he moved/squeezed his glove in his delivery. Urquidy worked over the winter to solve that problem while also strengthening his lat/shoulder area where he got hurt in 2023. The 28-year-old Mexican hurler only […]

Drake Maye Not Throwing At Scouting Combine

North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye is not going to throw at the NFL scouting combine this week in Indianapolis and is solely planning to do "just physicals and interviews," according to a source. The top-three quarterback prospects for this year's NFL draft -- USC's Caleb Williams, Maye, and LSU's Jayden Daniels -- will all skip […]

Chiefs Want To Sign Chris Jones To Long-Term Extension

Kansas City Chiefs general manager Brett Veach said on Tuesday that the team would like to get a long-term contract extension done with impending free-agent defensive tackle Chris Jones this offseason. "Just like last year our goal and intent is hopefully to get something long term done," Veach said. Jones missed the season opener in […]

Daniel Jones Has Been Throwing

New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen said that quarterback Daniel Jones (knee) started stationary throwing two weeks ago, and the team thinks he could do 7-on-7 work this spring. Jones is currently on track to be ready for the start of training camp this summer. "I have faith in Daniel (Jones) as our starting […]

Geno Smith In The Team's Plans For Now

Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider said on Tuesday that quarterback Geno Smith is the team's starter "until he's not," when asked whether Smith is the team's starter "right now." Smith is coming off an uneven 2023 season and has two years left on his three-year, $75 million deal he signed last March. His $12.7 […]

49ers Seeking Extension With Brandon Aiyuk

San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch said on Tuesday that the team would like to sign wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk to a long-term contract extension. "We've got a nice track record of extending guys and [Aiyuk] is a guy we'd like to keep around," Lynch said. The 25-year-old is entering the fifth and final […]

Bengals Not Planning On Trading Tee Higgins

Cincinnati Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin hinted that the team doesn't plan on trading impending free-agent wide receiver Tee Higgins, who was given the franchise tag. "Really simple. He's a good player. We want to keep him. We have resources to do that. We're a better team with Tee," Tobin said. While it's […]

Derrick Henry Unlikely To Return To Titans

While it's unlikely that the Tennessee Titans re-sign impending free-agent running back Derrick Henry this offseason, they aren't completely closing the door on his return yet. A four-year, $50 million deal Henry signed with the Titans in 2020 is set to expire when the new league year opens on March 13. The 30-year-old isn't getting […]

Raiders Will Explore Re-Signing Josh Jacobs

Las Vegas Raiders general manager Tom Telesco said the team is going to try and bring back impending free-agent running back Josh Jacobs this offseason. "We're going to explore pretty hard and see if we can bring him back," Telesco said. The news comes a day after it was reported that the Raiders are unlikely […]

Julio Teheran Joins Orioles

Free-agent right-hander Julio Teheran signed a minor-league deal with the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday that includes an invitation to major-league spring training. Teheran will receive $2 million if he's on the major-league roster in 2024, and his deal also includes a $100,000 signing bonus and an opt-out clause. The 33-year-old pitched above expectations in 2023 […]

Red Sox Have Virtual Meeting With Jordan Montgomery

The Boston Red Sox recently had a zoom meeting with free-agent left-hander Jordan Montgomery. He would represent an upgrade for Boston's starting rotation in 2024 and potentially beyond if he's signed to a long-term deal. The Red Sox have the payroll flexibility to do it, but it's unclear if they'll pull the trigger. Outside of […]

Giants Still A Potential Landing Spot For Matt Chapman

The San Francisco Giants remain in play to sign free-agent third baseman Matt Chapman. Now that outfielder Cody Bellinger has re-signed with the Chicago Cubs, more attention has turned to Chapman as the best available position player on the open market during spring training. MLB Network's Jon Morosi doesn't think there's a better fit out […]

Osleivis Basabe Injured On Tuesday

Tampa Bay Rays rookie shortstop Osleivis Basabe (head) was shaken up in Tuesday's Grapefruit League game against the New York Yankees after sliding head-first into third base. He had to be helped off the field and was removed from the contest early. Basabe almost certainly will be checked for a concussion and will probably be […]

Jesse Scholtens Done For Season With Torn UCL

Chicago White Sox right-hander Jesse Scholtens (elbow) was placed on the 60-day injured list on Tuesday and is scheduled to have surgery to fix a torn UCL in his right elbow on Friday. The 29-year-old will in turn miss all of the 2024 season. The move to place Scholtens on the 60-day IL was made […]