Stephen Piscotty Scratched From Lineup Friday

Oakland Athletics outfielder Stephen Piscotty (wrist) was scratched from Friday's lineup due to left wrist soreness, according to San Francisco Chronicle writer Matt Kawahara. Kawahara reports that Piscotty received a cortisone shot for the ailment, and that he is expected to miss a couple days. Piscotty has struggled this spring with a .150/.280/.150 line and […]

Stephen Strasburg To Throw Simulated Game Friday

Washington Nationals starting pitcher Stephen Strasburg (calf) is scheduled to throw 60 pitches over four innings in a simulated game on Friday afternoon, according to Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports. Strasburg exited his start on Sunday with a calf injury, but he later said that if it was a regular season game it would not have […]

Brendan Rodgers To Miss At Least A Month With Hamstring Strain

Colorado Rockies second baseman Brendan Rodgers (hamstring) will miss "at least a month" due to a hamstring strain suffered on Saturday, according to William Ladson of MLB.com. Rodgers injured himself attempting to steal second base, and early reports had suggested he would be able to return in time for Opening Day. Now it appears he'll […]

J.T. Realmuto Remains On Track For Opening Day

Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto (thumb) began taking batting practice outdoors and playing long toss recently as he looks to still be on schedule for a return by Opening Day, reports The Athletic's Matt Gelb. Realmuto is recovering from a fractured right thumb, and according to Gelb, it appears Realmuto could potentially be activated in […]

Prospects to Know in 2021 - NL East

Can you feel the excitement in the air? It's Spring Training! We're a few games in now so it's time to overreact about which unknown player is going to be an MVP candidate and which star player is "clearly" washed up. But when we're not overreacting, we shouldn't forget to think about the new faces […]

Jorge Polanco Back On The Practice Field Friday

Minnesota Twins shortstop Jorge Polanco (groin) was back on the field in practice on Friday, where he was hitting, running and taking grounders, according to Dan Hayes of The Athletic. Polanco left Tuesday's game early with left adductor tightness after trying to make a diving stop on a grounder. It appears that this injury won't […]

Will Harris To Be Evaluated For Blood-Clot Issue

Washington Nationals relief pitcher Will Harris will be evaluated "soon" after an MRI revealed a blood clot in his right (throwing) arm, Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports reports. Harris last appeared on the mound on March 9, and Zuckerman adds that Harris had thrown in a "B" game on March 13, which he says is likely […]

Diamonds in the Pen - Deep Reliever Draft Targets

When it comes to building a pitching staff in fantasy, most managers focus solely on starting pitchers and closers. And that makes sense. In standard scoring, those pitchers are the ones who are going to make the greatest contributions to wins, strikeouts and saves. A guy that comes in and tosses a scoreless frame in […]

Bobby Dalbec (1B, BOS) - Fantasy Baseball Draft Values

BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~pick 250 CURRENT ADP: ~277 overall ANALYSIS: After coming up through Boston's farm system as a third baseman, Dalbec now projects to be the Opening Day first baseman for the Red Sox with Rafael Devers manning the hot corner. Dalbec slugged his way through the upper levels of the minors, hitting 32 home runs […]

Devin Williams (RP, MIL) - Fantasy Baseball Draft Values

BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~pick 150 CURRENT ADP: ~167 overall ANALYSIS: It's no surprise that Williams is one of the highest non-closer relievers being drafted now after his insane 2020 season that saw him win the NL Rookie of the Year Award and finish seventh in the Cy Young race. Obviously, the strikeouts were a big […]

Marcus Semien (SS, TOR) - Fantasy Baseball Draft Values

BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~pick 110 CURRENT ADP: ~131 overall ANALYSIS:  If you look at his expected batting average from 2020, Marcus Semien should have theoretically performed worse than he actually did (.223), which suggests he was somewhat lucky. But then you look at his .260 BABIP last year which was both a career-worst and […]

Triston McKenzie (SP, CLE) - Fantasy Baseball Draft Values

BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~pick 165 CURRENT ADP: ~185 overall ANALYSIS: Triston McKenzie was ranked as a top-100 prospect from 2017 through 2019. He missed the 2019 season due to strains of his lat and pectoral muscles, but his career 30.4 percent strikeout rate, 0.997 WHIP and 2.68 ERA over four seasons in the minors was […]

Tyler Glasnow Strikes Out Seven Against Pirates

Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow allowed four runs on six hits and a walk while striking out seven in four innings of work Wednesday, as he earned the win over the Pirates. It was his second straight outing with seven strikeouts, as he now has 17 strikeouts over 9 2/3 innings this spring. […]

Austin Meadows Homers, Snaps 0-For-8 Skid Wednesday

Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Austin Meadows snapped an 0-for-8 streak on Wednesday afternoon, going 2-for-4 with a home run, two runs, two RBI and a stolen base against the Pirates. His two-run blast in the third inning was Meadows' first home run since March 7, and his fourth of Spring Training. Meadows had a down […]

Mitch Keller Allows Eight Runs Against Rays Wednesday

Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Mitch Keller continued his spring struggles on Wednesday afternoon, as he was rocked for eight runs on 10 hits and one walk over two innings against the Rays. Keller allowed five of the first six batters he faced to reach base before being replaced with one out in the first inning. […]

Colin Moran Launches First Home Run Of Spring

Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman Colin Moran launched his first home run of the spring on Wednesday, as he finished 2-for-3 with two RBI in the loss to the Rays. It's been a rough start to the year for Moran, who entered Wednesday with a .167/.318/.278 line across eight games this spring. Moran looked solid last […]

Bryan Reynolds Homers In Loss Wednesday

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Bryan Reynolds launched his second home run in his last three games on Wednesday, finishing 1-for-3 with two RBI in the loss to the Rays. Reynolds is riding a six-game hitting streak now, as he has raised his triple-slash line to .304/.407/.609 this spring. Those numbers look much more in line with […]

Anthony Alford Returns To Lineup Wednesday

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Anthony Alford (wrist) is back in the lineup on Wednesday against the Rays, where he will be playing in center field and batting sixth. Alford had exited Saturday's game early after being hit by a pitch, but he appeared to be swinging the bat well in practice over the past few days. […]

Madison Bumgarner Strikes Out Three, Earns Win Tuesday

Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Madison Bumgarner allowed two runs on three hits while striking out three in four innings of work on Tuesday, as he earned the win against the Athletics. Bumgarner allowed only one hit through the first three innings, before he got tagged for a pair of home runs in the fourth inning. […]

Asdrubal Cabrera Doubles, Homers In Diamondbacks Win

Arizona Diamondbacks infielder Asdrubal Cabrera had his first multi-hit performance of the spring on Tuesday, finishing 2-for-3 with a double, a home run, three RBI and two runs scored. It was a slow start to the spring for Cabrera, as he was 1-for-12 through his first five games, but he now has four hits over […]

Chad Kuhl Strikes Out Four On Tuesday

Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Chad Kuhl tossed three scoreless innings against the Twins, allowing two hits and two walks while striking out four. Kuhl improved to 2-1 this spring, as he has nine strikeouts in six innings of work. Last year Kuhl posted a career-high 22.3 percent strikeout rate, but his 14.2 percent walk rate […]

Ketel Marte Homers, Injures Ankle Tuesday

Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Ketel Marte went 1-for-2 with a home run and two runs scored before exiting the game after rolling his ankle on Tuesday. Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports that Marte rolled his left ankle going into third base on a double by Asdrubal Cabrera, and that he was removed from the game as […]

Nick Ahmed's Absence Tuesday Not Related To Knee Injury

Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop Nick Ahmed was removed from the lineup Tuesday due to personal issues, according to Steve Gilbert of MLB.com. Ahmed had missed time recently due to right knee soreness, and he was scheduled to make his return to the lineup Tuesday before his sudden removal. Gilbert says that manager Torey Lovullo said the […]

Marcell Ozuna Hits First Homer Of Spring Tuesday

Atlanta Braves outfielder Marcell Ozuna went 1-for-3 with his first home run of the spring on Tuesday in a loss to the Red Sox. Ozuna accounted for all of the Braves' runs in the loss with his three-run blast to left with one out in the third inning. After a slow start that saw Ozuna […]

Willie Calhoun Likely To Miss Start Of Season

Texas Rangers designated hitter Willie Calhoun will likely need longer to recover from a groin strain that has kept him sidelined this spring, according to Evan Grant of Dallas Morning News. Grant reports that Calhoun will most likely not be on the Opening Day active roster as he continues to heal. Calhoun had struggled to […]

Didi Gregorius Checked For Concussion After HBP

Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Didi Gregorius was removed from Tuesday's game due to concerns over a possible concussion, according to NBCSports' Jim Salisbury. Gregorius was hit in the back of the helmet by a pitch in the bottom of the second inning, and was eventually replaced defensively in the fourth inning. Manager Joe Girardi said Gregorius […]

Felix Hernandez Exits Early Tuesday With Elbow Discomfort

Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Felix Hernandez left his start early on Tuesday with what was described as elbow discomfort, The Athletic's Dan Connolly reports. Connolly adds that manager Brandon Hyde described the move as precautionary, and that he will be reevaluated on Wednesday. Hernandez had looked sharp in the one inning he pitched, retiring the […]

Kyle Gibson Named Rangers Opening Day Starter

Texas Rangers starting pitcher Kyle Gibson was named the Opening Day starter on Tuesday, according to Rangers executive vice president of communication John Blake. Gibson struggled during the 2020 season, going 2-6 while posting his worst numbers since 2017 with a 5.35 ERA and 19.3 percent strikeout rate, while setting career-worsts with a 10 percent […]

Buster Posey Scratched From Lineup Tuesday

San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey was scheduled to be in the lineup on Tuesday against the Rangers, but he will instead be held out due to tightness in his right hip, according to NBCSports' Alex Pavlovic. Pavlovic adds that Posey's hip issue is described as minor, and manager Gabe Kapler said that he expects […]

Alex Wood To Have Ablation Procedure On Spine

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Alex Wood will undergo an ablation procedure on his spine, according to Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic. Wood has missed time this spring with what was described as back tightness, and Baggarly reports that manager Gabe Kapler said the procedure won't necessarily mean he misses starting the season in the […]