Rockies Being Cautious With Peter Lambert

The Colorado Rockies are being cautious with right-hander Peter Lambert (elbow) after he had some pain in his elbow toward the end of the lockout. Lambert is fine now and will throw a live batting practice session on Monday, but he's recovering from Tommy John surgery in July of 2020. The 24-year-old allowed seven earned […]

Pete Fairbanks Injured Sunday

Tampa Bay Rays relief pitcher Pete Fairbanks exited the Grapefruit League game early after throwing five pitches on Sunday against the New York Yankees with an undisclosed injury. Fairbanks left the mound and headed toward the dugout with an athletic trainer. The Tampa Bay Times' Marc Topkin is speculating that it's a shoulder injury for […]

Nolan Gorman Scratched With Back Tightness

St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Gorman (back) was scratched from the Grapefruit League lineup on Sunday against the New York Mets with lower back tightness. It's unclear how serious Gorman's injury is, but we'll keep a close eye on his status in the coming days. The 21-year-old is ranked by MLB Pipeline as the […]

Yankees Sign Shelby Miller To Minors Deal

The New York Yankees signed free-agent starting pitcher Shelby Miller to a minor league deal with an invite to spring training on Sunday. The 31-year-old right-hander spent last year with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago Cubs, allowing 13 earned runs in just 12 2/3 innings pitched (9.24 ERA) while striking out eight and walking 11. […]

Andrelton Simmons Expects To Throw Soon

Chicago Cubs shortstop Andrelton Simmons (shoulder), who is dealing with right shoulder soreness, is expected to throw in the next day or two. Simmons was scratched from the Cactus League lineup on Saturday, but his injury doesn't appear to be serious enough to endanger his status for Opening Day in early April. The 32-year-old could […]

Wade Miley Throwing Live BP Sunday

Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Wade Miley (neck) is throwing live batting practice on Sunday. Miley's 2021 season ended with a strained neck, which has delayed his spring training this year. The 35-year-old veteran left-hander doesn't have much time to ramp up before Opening Day with a shortened spring training, so if he's not on the […]

Ian Happ Back In The Outfield Sunday

Chicago Cubs outfielder Ian Happ (elbow) is starting in left field and batting eighth in the Cactus League game on Sunday against the Kansas City Royals. Happ has only been serving as the designated hitter this spring after having right elbow surgery in February, but he's clearly made progress as we approach Opening Day. He […]

Hunter Greene To Make Another Start Thursday

Cincinnati Reds right-hander Hunter Greene is starting another Cactus League game on Thursday against the Chicago White Sox. With Mike Minor unlikely to be ready for the start of the season, Greene, the No. 22 overall prospect in baseball per MLB Pipeline, has a legitimate shot at starting the season in Cincy's starting rotation. The […]

Frank Schwindel Returns To Lineup Sunday

Chicago Cubs first baseman Frank Schwindel (back) returned to the team's Cactus League lineup on Sunday and is hitting third and playing first base. Schwindel has been out of the spring lineup since he was scratched with back tightness on Wednesday, but the injury wasn't very serious and he may not have missed a game […]

Yordan Alvarez Scratched Sunday

Houston Astros outfielder Yordan Alvarez was scratched from the Grapefruit League lineup on Sunday with what a team spokesman called "a personal matter." Lewis Brinson is making the start in right field in Alvarez's place, with Kyle Tucker in left field. It's unknown when Alvarez will be back in a spring training game, but the […]

Giants Not Ruling Out Brandon Belt, Tommy La Stella

The San Francisco Giants aren't ruling out first baseman Brandon Belt (knee) or infielder Tommy La Stella (Achilles) for Opening Day, even though neither has appeared in a spring game yet. Belt and La Stella have been simulating game action by taking plenty of at-bats in live batting practice. Belt, 33, had surgery in September […]

Jace Peterson On Track To Start At Third Base

The Milwaukee Brewers haven't officially ruled out third baseman Luis Urias (quadriceps) for Opening Day due to his left quad injury, but manager Craig Counsell said this weekend that it's "getting less likely" that he'll be active on Opening Day on April 7 against the Cubs. Jace Peterson, Mike Brosseau and Pablo Reyes could all […]

Devin Williams' New Pitch Has Looked Good

Milwaukee Brewers relief pitcher Devin Williams, who was the National League Reliever of the Year in 2020, has been working on a cutter/slider that breaks in the opposite direction from his changeup. The hard-throwing right-hander broke his new pitch out in spring action on Friday and struck out three straight Oakland Athletics hitters. "I don't […]

Andrew McCutchen Sends Two Out On Saturday

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Andrew McCutchen hit two home runs against right-handed pitchers in spring training action on Saturday against the Seattle Mariners. Although he's no longer in his prime, McCutchen had 27 home runs with the Philadelphia Phillies last year, although he hit much better against lefties (.293/.405/.622 with 15 homers in 195 plate appearances) […]

Cody Bellinger Struggling In Spring Training

Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Cody Bellinger struck out four times in a Cactus League game on Saturday and has 14 strikeouts in 19 spring at-bats so far. "Tonight was the first time I felt like things sped up on him. We just got to go back to work and keep grinding," manager Dave Roberts said. […]

Mets Have Checked In On Tony Watson

The New York Mets are among many teams to check in on free-agent relief pitcher Tony Watson, who is one of the better left-handed relievers in the last decade. The 36-year-old has a career 2.90 ERA and could help many teams if he decides to continue his career. The Mets current top southpaws in the […]

Yankees Haven't Made A Run At Brett Gardner

The New York Yankees have yet to make their late annual run at free-agent outfielder Brett Gardner. He filled in nicely last year, but at this point, the Yankees must feel fine with their outfield picture heading into the 2022 season. The Toronto Blue Jays have shown interest in the veteran outfielder, but it's unclear […]

Teoscar Hernandez Homers Saturday

Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Teoscar Hernandez (wrist) hit a home run in his first plate appearance on Saturday in a minor league game. Manager Charlie Montoyo expects Hernandez to return to the team's Grapefruit League lineup on Sunday against the Philadelphia Phillies. The 29-year-old has been dealing with a sprained wrist, but he seems to […]

Trevor Story Expected To Return Monday

The Boston Red Sox expect second baseman Trevor Story to be back in camp on Monday after leaving the team recently to be with his wife, who was giving birth to the couple's child. With a shortened spring training, manager Alex Cora expects to give Story some early season off days once the season begins. […]

Updated Fantasy Baseball Shortstop Rankings - 5x5 Mixed Roto Leagues

With Spring Training upon us, and the fantasy baseball draft season in full swing, it's time to look at the shortstop position and see who may or may not be fantasy-relevant and worthy of a draft pick this season. RotoBaller's lead MLB rankers - JB Branson, Pierre Camus, Ariel Cohen, Nicklaus Gaut, and Nick Mariano […]

Updated Fantasy Baseball Draft Rankings for Roto Leagues - Ronald Acuna, Randal Grichuk, Luis Castillo, Dylan Floro, Shane Baz and More

Welcome back RotoBallers! Spring Training is upon us, and fantasy baseball drafts are about to get busy. Below are our updated 2022 fantasy baseball draft rankings and tiers for roto leagues. We will be updating these rankings constantly, and releasing updates every few days along with relevant injury updates to be aware of. Five of […]

Late-Round Starting Pitchers - Fantasy Baseball Draft Values and Targets

Welcome officially to the 2022 fantasy baseball season! Now that an MLB deal is in place, a lot more fantasy drafts will be taking place -- and we're here as always to guide you through it. Once you reach the late rounds of drafts, everyone is looking to draft players with upside that can provide […]

Daily MLB Injury Roundup for March 27th, 2022

RotoBaller has assembled a list of daily MLB injury updates to help you prepare both your seasonal and daily fantasy baseball (DFS) lineups, every day of the MLB season. Below is our updated list of injured MLB players for March 27th, 2022. Only players on teams that are scheduled to play today will appear below […]

Jon Anderson's 2022 Fantasy Baseball Draft Guide

Baseball is happening in 2022, and it is happening in full force. With the excellent news of the lockout ending, we are ready to dive full steam ahead into the fantasy baseball draft season! I have had my head deep in baseball data since before Christmas, so I wanted to come out with a miniature […]

Jesse Winker Takes Reps At First Base

Seattle Mariners outfielder Jesse Winker wore a first baseman's glove and fielded grounders from infield coach Perry Hill on Sunday, according to Ryan Divish. Acquired from the Reds earlier this month, Winker has never played the infield before, let alone first base. However, it appears the Mariners are exploring their options at the position now […]

Zac Gallen Unlikely To Be Ready For Opening Day

Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Zac Gallen (shoulder) is "unlikely to be ready to take the ball in the second game of the season," writes Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. Hindered by a shoulder injury, Gallen threw a two-inning simulated game on Friday and should take the mound in a spring training contest soon. However, Arizona […]

Nick Castellanos Will Make Phillies Debut On Sunday

Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Nick Castellanos, who signed a five-year deal last week, will make his team debut against the Blue Jays on Sunday afternoon. He's expected to start in left field. The 30-year-old demonstrated an impressive All-Star season in 2021, slashing .309/.362/.576 through 138 games with the Phillies. He added 34 homers and 100 RBI […]

Blake Treinen Not A Lock For Closer Role

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts wouldn't commit to using Blake Treinen as the team's closer this season, according to Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register. Asked about the team's plans for a closer in the post-Kenley Jansen era, Roberts said, "I think the easy answer is Blake [Treinen]. But I don't know if […]

Zack Wheeler Throws Simulated Inning

Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler (flu, shoulder) threw a simulated inning against multiple batters, including Bryce Harper, on Saturday. He battled shoulder soreness for most of the offseason and came down with the flu last week, but this latest development is another very positive step in the right direction. The right-hander was stellar last season, […]

Manny Machado Dealing With Back Tightness

San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado was scratched from Saturday's Spring Training lineup due to back tightness, the team announced. Although no additional updates were provided, it's very possible that Machado's removal from the lineup was merely a precaution. Last season, he slashed .278/.347/.489 with 28 homers, 106 RBI, 63 walks, 102 strikeouts, and […]