Gio Urshela Heading To Bench Saturday

Minnesota Twins third baseman Gio Urshela will start Saturday's game against the Seattle Mariners on the bench, according to MLB.com. Luis Arraez will take his spot and bat second. Urshela, 30, was traded from the New York Yankees in the offseason. During his time in the Bronx, he slashed .292/.335/.480, but had just a .720 […]

Eric Haase Starting At Catcher Saturday

Detroit Tigers catcher/outfielder Eric Haase will get his first start of the season Saturday against the Chicago White Sox, catching and batting seventh, according to MLB.com. The 29-year-old was a pleasant surprise last season when he slashed .231/.286/.459 with 22 HRs over 98 games. During yesterday's Opening Day, Haase was used as a pinch-hitter and […]

Mike Zunino Sitting Saturday

Tampa Bay Rays catcher Mike Zunino is not starting Saturday's game against the Baltimore Orioles, according to MLB.com. Instead, it will be 26-year-old Francisco Mejia behind the plate and batting sixth. Even though Zunino had a career year in 2021, hitting .216 with 33 HRs in 109 games, the Rays figure to split time between […]

Gary Sanchez Not Starting Saturday's Game

Minnesota Twins catcher Gary Sanchez is absent from Saturday's starting lineup, according to MLB.com. The 29-year-old started Friday's Opening Day game as the designated hitter but will now turn it over to Alex Kirilloff. Sanchez didn't have a great debut with his new team, going 0-for-4 in the 2-1 loss to the Seattle Mariners. He […]

Lucas Giolito To Miss At Least Two Starts

Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Lucas Giolito (abdomen) will go on the injured list and miss two starts at the very least, according to Vinnie Duber. The right-hander started Friday's Opening Day game against the Detroit Tigers, pitching four innings and allowing no runs before feeling pain in his abdomen. This is bad news for […]

Kyle Tucker Drives In Four During Friday's Victory

Houston Astros outfielder Kyle Tucker had an impressive day at the plate on Friday, homering twice in five at-bats while driving in four runs to help the club defeat the Los Angeles Angels 13-6. The 25-year-old has a 1.333 OPS in his first two games of the season. Tucker was one of the biggest names […]

Kyle Schwarber Begins His Philly Career With A Bang

Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Kyle Schwarber made a good first impression with his new team, hitting a home run to lead off Friday's Opening Day matchup against the Oakland Athletics. He later added a walk and an RBI single, helping the club in their 9-5 victory. Schwarber looks to be a valuable addition to the Phillies […]

Mariners Extend J.P. Crawford On Five-Year Deal

The Seattle Mariners and shortstop J.P. Crawford have agreed to a five-year, $51 million contract extension on Friday, Jeff Passan of ESPN reports. The agreement covers the rest of his arbitration, plus two years of free agency. Crawford, 27, is beginning his fourth season in Seattle and slashed .273/.338/.376 with nine home runs, 89 runs, […]

Clarke Schmidt Likely To Make Opening Day Roster

New York Yankees right-hander Clarke Schmidt has "an excellent shot" to travel north with the club for the start of the season, according to manager Aaron Boone. The young pitcher is currently the Yankees seventh-best prospect, as per MLB Pipeline, and is putting together a strong spring. Over 9.1 innings, he's compiled a 3.86 ERA, […]

Danny Santana Hit With PED Suspension

Free-agent infielder/outfielder Danny Santana has been suspended by Major League Baseball for testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs, according to Britt Ghiroli. The ban will last 80 games. Santana had yet to sign with a club before the announcement after spending last season with the Boston Red Sox. In 38 games during 2021, the 31-year-old slashed […]

Ty Blach To Make Rockies Opening Day Roster

Colorado Rockies left-hander Ty Blach will be on the Opening Day roster, according to Nick Groke of The Athletic. The news comes after the announcement that Ryan Rolison (shoulder) will start the season on the 60-day injured list. Blach will be used as a long man out of the bullpen but could see some spot […]

Luke Weaver To Start Season In The Bullpen

Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Luke Weaver (thumb) will begin the year in the bullpen, according to manager Torey Lovullo. Weaver started two Spring Training games, pitching to an 8.31 ERA over 4.1 innings, but left his last start after experiencing a blister on his thumb. The good news is he'll be ready for Opening Day, though […]

William Contreras Could See Time At Third Base And Outfield

Atlanta Braves catcher William Contreras could play third base and outfield occasionally this season, according to manager Brian Snitker. The young backstop has never played another position besides behind the plate, but the club has good depth at catcher with Travis d'Arnaud and Manny Pina on the roster as well. Contreras slashed .215/.303/.399 last season […]

Jonah Heim Makes Rangers Opening Day Roster

Texas Rangers catcher Jonah Heim will be on the Opening Day roster after Saturday's trade of fellow backstop Jose Trevino, according to Kennedi Landry of MLB.com. Heim, 26, made his debut last season, appearing in 82 games, but hit an unimpressive .196 with 10 HRs and three stolen bases. He will presumably back up recent […]

Cardinals Extend Harrison Bader On Saturday

The St. Louis Cardinals have signed outfielder Harrison Bader to a two-year contract extension that covers his final two years of arbitration, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. The deal is worth $10.4 million. Bader, 27, is coming off a productive 2021 in which he slashed .267/.324/.460 with 16 HRs, nine stolen bases, 45 […]

Luis Castillo and Lucas Sims Throw Bullpens Saturday

Cincinnati Reds right-handers Luis Castillo (shoulder) and Lucas Sims (elbow) threw bullpen sessions on Saturday, according to Bobby Nightengale. The duo will begin the season on the 10-day injured list but shouldn't miss much time, expected to be ready by late April at the latest. Castillo is looking to keep his momentum going after pitching […]

Lance Lynn Injured In Saturday's Spring Game

Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Lance Lynn left Saturday's Cactus League game against the Arizona Diamondbacks with an apparent leg injury. He pitched 3.1 innings before his exit, walking one and striking out five while allowing four earned runs. After throwing a pitch, Lynn walked off the mound and limped to the dugout, according to […]

Wade LeBlanc Retires Saturday

Free-agent left-hander Wade LeBlanc is calling it a career after 13 seasons in the big leagues, according to Jon Morosi of MLB Network. The 37-year-old had an up and down career altogether but will end with a lifetime ERA of 4.54, spending time with nine clubs. LeBlanc went unsigned during the offseason but pitched in […]

Nick Madrigal To Play Minor League Game Sunday

Chicago Cubs second baseman Nick Madrigal (leg) will appear in a minor-league Spring Training game on Sunday, according to Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune. The 25-year-old Madrigal experienced leg fatigue before Friday's Cactus League game and was held out for two straight contests. He has yet to play a game with the Cubs after […]

Kyle Hendricks Named Opening Day Starter

Chicago Cubs manager David Ross announced on Saturday that starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks will start Opening Day, according to Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic. This will mark his third straight Opening Day start. Hendricks has been known for his consistency without overpowering stuff but struggled last season. Across 181 innings, the right-hander had a 4.77 […]

Craig Kimbrel Officially Named Dodgers Closer

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has confirmed that newly acquired reliever Craig Kimbrel will start the season as the team's closer, according to Fabian Ardaya. Kimbrel, who was traded from the Chicago White Sox on Friday for A.J. Pollock, pitched to a 2.26 ERA with 100 strikeouts over 59.2 innings in 2021, adding 24 […]

Spencer Torkelson To Make Tigers Opening Day Roster

Detroit Tigers first baseman Spencer Torkelson will make the Opening Day roster, according to the Detroit Free Press, and will likely assume the starting first base job. Torkelson is the best prospect in the Tigers farm system, as per MLB.com, and has hit .280 with a .406 OBP and .846 OPS in 25 at-bats during […]

Justin Upton Designated For Assignment Saturday

The Los Angeles Angels have designated outfielder Justin Upton for assignment on Saturday, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN. Upton, who spent four and a half seasons with the Halos, slashed .211/.296/.409 with 17 HRs, 47 runs, 41 RBI, and four stolen bases over 89 games in 2021. He was impressive against lefties, though, hitting […]

Andrew Benintendi (OF, KCR) - Fantasy Baseball Draft Values

BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~165 pick CURRENT ADP: ~184 overall ANALYSIS: Kansas City Royals outfielder Andrew Benintendi didn't amaze anyone with his numbers last season but contributed a little bit in each category, hitting .276 with 17 HRs, 8 SBs, 63 runs, and 73 RBI over 134 games. His 8.9% barrel rate (55th percentile) and 34.5% flyball […]

Franmil Reyes (DH, CLE) - Fantasy Baseball Draft Values

BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~pick 105 CURRENT ADP: ~120 overall ANALYSIS: Cleveland Guardians designated hitter Franmil Reyes was solid in 115 games last year, bashing 30 HRs with 57 runs, 85 RBI, four stolen bases, and a .254 batting average. His knack of hitting for power comes with some strikeout issues, though, and that continued in 2021 […]

Charlie Morton (SP, ATL) - Fantasy Baseball Draft Values

BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~pick 80 CURRENT ADP: ~96 overall ANALYSIS: Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Charlie Morton bounced back in his first year in Georgia, posting a 14-6 record, 3.34 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 7.7 BB%, and 28.6 K% in 185.2 innings. His 3.18 FIP backs up his success, and he's now produced a sub-3.60 FIP the last […]

Jose Miranda Diagnosed With Jaw Contusion

Minnesota Twins infielder Jose Miranda has a jaw contusion, according to manager Rocco Baldelli. The 23-year-old left Friday's Grapefruit League game against the Pittsburgh Pirates after he was hit by a ball on the basepaths. There were concerns that he experienced a concussion, but those concerns are gone and he shouldn't miss much action. Miranda […]

Humidors To Be Put In Place Around The League In 2022

Eno Sarris of The Athletic announced on Friday that every MLB stadium will use a humidor for the upcoming season, which could cause an offensive boost around the league. The Arizona Diamondbacks have used a humidor at Chase Field since the start of 2018, inducing an uptick in home runs at the park. A number […]

Jason Castro Contemplating Retirement After This Year

Houston Astros catcher Jason Castro has told reporters he's considering retiring following the 2022 season, according to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. Castro, 34, has played 11 seasons in the big leagues, amassing a .230/.315/.392 slash line with 96 HRs. He's been with the Astros for the majority of his career, playing in Houston for the […]

Harold Ramirez Traded To Rays

The Chicago Cubs have traded outfielder Harold Ramirez to the Tampa Bay Rays Friday for minor-league infielder Esteban Quiroz, according to Jordan Bastian of MLB.com. Ramirez, 27, hit .268 with seven home runs, 41 RBI, 33 runs, and three stolen bases in 99 games last year with the Cleveland Guardians. His outlook doesn't change much […]