Bradley Zimmer Off To Torrid Start

Cleveland Indians outfielder Bradley Zimmer has a new swing approach, and it's working very well for him this summer. Zimmer has been using an altered stance, and he's making a strong case to make the Opening Day roster. “I’m not gonna lie, I’m feeling really good,” Zimmer said via Zoom. “This is honestly what I... Read More

Keston Hiura Scratched With Arm Fatigue

Milwaukee Brewers second baseman Keston Hiura was a precautionary scratch from Wednesday’s intrasquad lineup because of right arm fatigue, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports. Hiura has a history of elbow issues dating to his college days at UC Irvine. The Brewers knew of a right elbow injury before they drafted him ninth overall in 2017,... Read More

Corbin Burnes Making Strong Statement

Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Corbin Burnes was untouchable on Wednesday night. The right-hander, seeking a spot in the Brewers rotation in the upcoming shortened season, retired all 12 batters he faced to lead his team to victory at Miller Park. Burnes struck out seven in all, utilizing a fastball that hit 98 mph on the radar... Read More

Eric Lauer Confirms Placement On COVID Injured List

Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Eric Lauer confirmed Sunday that he was placed on the COVID-19 injured list, though the left-hander said he is healthy and expects to be ready to go for the start of the 2020 season, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports. Lauer was part of the trade that sent Zach Davies... Read More

Cesar Hernandez Expected To Lead Off For Indians

Cleveland Indians second basemen Cesar Hernandez is expected to lead off this season, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports. Oscar Mercado was the presumed leadoff hitter, but it sounds like he may end up hitting in the bottom half of the order. The Indians signed Hernández after the Phillies decided against tendering his contract at the... Read More

Delino Deshields Back With Team

Cleveland Indians outfielder Delino DeShields is back with the team after testing positive for COVID-19. He has now tested negative twice after his positive test prior to summer camp. Projected to be the Tribe's fourth outfielder in 2020, DeShields offers some cheap speed late in drafts in deep mixed and AL-only leagues. He racked up 106... Read More

Brice Turang, Ethan Small Among Players Added To Roster

The Milwaukee Brewers added 12 players to their 60-man roster on Thursday. Headlining the group are outfielder Corey Ray (first-round pick in 2016), left-handed pitcher Ethan Small (first-round pick in 2019) and shortstop Brice Turang (first-round pick in 2018). These players will report to the alternative camp in Appleton, WI. The Brewers roster currently stands... Read More

Franmil Reyes Away From Camp Due To Safety Precaution

Cleveland Indians outfielder Franmil Reyes has been away from camp as a safety precaution after he spent time at an Independence Day party without masks, Zack Meisel of The Athletic reports. Indians manager Terry Francona said, "He's not in the penalty box. I want to make that perfectly clear. It's just how we have to operate... Read More

Indians Sign Steve Baron, Jake Elmore, David Hernandez

The Cleveland Indians have signed catcher Steve Baron, infielder Jake Elmore and relief pitcher David Hernandez to minor league deals on Friday. Baron will report to the club’s Lake County camp, while Elmore and Hernandez will report to Progressive Field in Cleveland. Hernandez should be used regularly early on as starters begin to build up their... Read More

Carlos Carrasco Already Built Up To Six-Inning Workload

Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Carlos Carrasco (elbow) has already built up to a six-inning workload, Zack Meisel of The Athletic reports. It sounds as if Carrasco was able to build up momentum on his own before joining his teammates for their first workouts together. This is obviously great news for Carrasco owners. He should be... Read More

Drew Rasmussen Makes 60-Man List

The Milwaukee Brewers have invited 45 men to join the team's workouts at Miller Park to ramp up for the upcoming 2020 season. Thirty players will make the Opening Day Roster, while the others will join the team's taxi squad'. A few notable players include outfielder/first baseman Ryan Braun, who will likely take advantage of the... Read More

Small Number Of Brewers Test Positive For COVID-19

Milwaukee Brewers general manager David Stearns said "we have had a small number of individuals'' in the organization test positive for COVID-19. "They are asymptomatic and are doing well.'' Stearns did not differentiate players from staff, Tom Haudricourt reports. Multiple teams have now reported similar scenarios within their organizations, and it certainly raises concerns about... Read More

Emmanuel Clase Won't Be Eligible For 2020 Season

Cleveland Indians relief pitcher Emmanuel Clase's suspension will be completed if the MLB finishes the entire 60-game season in 2020, Paul Hoynes of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports. Clase was originally suspended 80 games by Major League Baseball for testing positive for a banned performance-enhancing substance, but the suspension won't carry over to 2021 if... Read More

Joey Votto (1B, CIN) - Fantasy Baseball Draft Sleeper

BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~220 CURRENT ADP: ~285 overall ANALYSIS: While Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto has long been a staple of fantasy baseball lineups, those days of him as a guy who will lead your team to championships are long gone. The six-time all-star has not aged gracefully, slashing career lows in 2020. His season... Read More

Jorge Polanco (SS, MIN) - Fantasy Baseball Draft Sleepers

BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~150 CURRENT ADP: ~170 overall ANALYSIS: Jorge Polanco was fantastic in the first half of 2020, earning his first all-star nomination. He ended up playing in a career-high 153 games and hitting .295 with a .841 OPS.  Polanco had career highs in .190 ISO and 22 home runs, fueled by an increased launch... Read More

Matthew Boyd (SP, DET) - Fantasy Baseball Draft Sleepers

BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~145 CURRENT ADP: ~161 overall ANALYSIS: Matthew Boyd showed glimpses of brilliance in 2019. He posted a career-high 238 strikeouts in just 185.1 innings pitched, with a 1.23 WHIP.  He was among the league's elite in terms of swing and miss ability and limiting walks. His big downfall was the 39 home runs... Read More

Emmanuel Clase Making Good Progress

Cleveland Indians relief pitcher Emmanuel Clase (back) is progressing well with his recovery, according to manager Terry Francona. Francona did not provide details regarding Clase's rehab progress but just said he's been doing throwing sessions in the Dominican Republic. The 21-year-old was the main prize the Indians received in the deal that sent Corey Kluber... Read More

Carlos Carrasco Has Been Throwing Bullpen Sessions

Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Carlos Carrasco (elbow) has been throwing bullpen sessions, according to manager Terry Francona. Francona said Carrasco is doing well in his recovery from elbow inflammation. It sounds like everything is progressing as expected for Carrasco after a mid-March injection in his sore right elbow. He's currently sitting on the SP2/SP3 fringe... Read More

Mike Clevinger Doing Well With Recovery

Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Mike Clevinger (knee) is doing well, according to manager Terry Francona. Clevinger underwent surgery on Feb. 14 and should be ready to go when play officially resumes in 2020. He has all the tools to ascend into ace-level status and has already proven himself as a top-30 starting pitcher. The delayed... Read More

ESPN Undervalued and Overvalued for H2H Points Leagues

Over the past couple weeks at RotoBaller, we've introduced a brand new approach to preparing for Points Leagues. Typically, analysts give you general points league rankings. We have those as well at RotoBaller. However, this approach falls short. Analysis and ranks must be platform specific, because every platform (ESPN, Yahoo!, CBS, NFBC, Fantrax) has wildly different scoring... Read More

Carlos Carrasco Shut Down For A Few Days

Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Carlos Carrasco (elbow) received an injection in his elbow and will be shut down for a few days, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports. Carrasco had an MRI exam earlier this week after the right-hander experienced some discomfort in his throwing elbow. The results revealed no structural damage, just some mild inflammation.... Read More

Brandon Woodruff Tosses Four Strong Innings

Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Brandon Woodruff allowed one earned run over four innings in Tuesday's spring game against the Royals. He struck out five and walked two. Woodruff has been building up his stamina this spring and is looking poised for another big year in 2020. Milwaukee has not yet named its Opening Day starter,... Read More

Eric Lauer Dealing With Shoulder Issue

Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Eric Lauer has a left shoulder impingement, which is considered minor, but it will rule him out for the start of the regular season, Will Sammon of The Athletic reports. That leaves Freddy Peralta and Corbin Burnes as the primary contenders for the final Brewers rotation spot. Both Peralta and Burnes... Read More

Corbin Burnes Making A Push For A Rotation Spot

Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Corbin Burnes had another stellar outing Monday, tossing four dominant innings in the Brewers 2-1 walk-off win over the Mariners at American Family Fields of Phoenix. Burnes allowed his first run of the Cactus League slate in the fourth when he gave up a leadoff home run to Kyle Lewis. However, he... Read More

Mike Clevinger Feels Good Coming Out Of Bullpen Session

Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Mike Clevinger (knee) took the mound at the Indians spring training facility on Monday in his first bullpen session since having surgery to repair his partially torn meniscus. Clevinger underwent the procedure on Feb. 14 and has since made it a goal to return on the quicker end of his six-... Read More

Francisco Lindor, Indians Suspend Contract Talks

The Cleveland Indians and star shortstop Francisco Lindor have suspended contract extension talks, Jason Lloyd of The Athletic reports. Lindor could still sign a deal with the Indians following the season but will focus on his on-field performance for the time being. "We had good conversations. We couldn't come up with an agreement," Lindor told... Read More

Tyler Naquin Will Need Doctor's Clearance

Cleveland Indians outfielder Tyler Naquin (knee) will need to go back to Texas to meet with his doctor before being officially cleared to resume full baseball activities, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports. He suffered a torn ACL after colliding with an outfield wall in 2019 and had surgery in September. Naquin should be able to... Read More

Mike Clevinger Will Throw Bullpen Session Monday

Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Mike Clevinger (knee) will throw his first bullpen session Monday after having surgery to repair his partially torn meniscus on Feb. 14, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports. He bumped up his rehab last week, throwing from flat ground at 150 feet. This is the next step for Clevinger, who hopes to... Read More

Luis Urias Cleared To Face Live Pitching

Milwaukee Brewers shortstop Luis Urias (hand) has been cleared to hit live pitching, MLB.com's Adam McCalvy reports. The 22-year-old infielder has been limited in spring training as he recovers from surgery for a broken hamate bone in his left hand. Urias is hoping to start playing games by the end of the week. He will... Read More

Oscar Mercado's MRI Confirms Mild Sprain

Cleveland Indians outfielder Oscar Mercado's (wrist) MRI results confirmed a mild sprain. Mercado sustained the injury while making a diving catch during Thursday's Cactus League game against the Giants. He's being listed as day-to-day and is still hoping to be ready for Opening Day. Mercado started 77 games for Cleveland last year and hit .269... Read More