Sean Murphy To Make Spring Debut On Thursday

Oakland Athletics catcher Sean Murphy (lung) will make his Cactus League debut on Thursday, according to manager Bob Melvin. Murphy is recovering from a collapsed lung that required offseason surgery. The 26-year-old backstop had a strong rookie year in 2020 blasting seven homers in 43 games. He won't hit for much batting average, but a […]

Nick Ahmed Scratched From Lineup Tuesday

Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop Nick Ahmed (knee) was a late scratch from the lineup on Tuesday afternoon, according to Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic. Ahmed has not appeared in a game since March 6, as he has been dealing with right knee soreness. With Ahmed's continued absence, Josh Rojas has been taking advantage of the increased […]

Yu Darvish Looking Ready For Regular Season

San Diego Padres starting pitcher Yu Darvish continues to look sharp this spring. He's pitched five scoreless innings while boasting a 7-0 strikeout-to-walk ratio, allowing just two baserunners. The veteran right-hander said he focused on throwing more changeups and splitters in his second spring outing, two pitches he combined to throw less than 10 percent […]

Aaron Judge Unwilling To Change Approach At The Plate

New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge is unwilling to swing at low pitches that often get called for strikes against him. Judge said he's thought about swinging at those pitches, but doing so would take him out of his approach. The slugger ultimately chalked it up to an umpiring issue, saying he'd rather focus on […]

Antonio Senzatela Will Pitch In B Game On Tuesday

Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Antonio Senzatela, who has been dealing with a hamstring strain since March 1, will pitch in a B game against the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday, according to Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post. He's scheduled to throw three innings and should then pitch in a Cactus League game on Sunday, […]

Billy Hamilton Signs Minor League Deal With White Sox

The Chicago White Sox have agreed to a minor league deal with outfielder Billy Hamilton. Hamilton was recently cut by the division rival Cleveland Indians and the speedster will look to earn a spot on the White Sox bench this upcoming season. Outfielder Adam Engel will be the biggest competition for Hamilton, but it is […]

Whit Merrifield Seeing The Ball Well This Spring

Kansas City Royals outfielder Whit Merrifield continues to see the ball well in Cactus League action. Merrifield collected another two hits in Monday's game to raise his spring average to .529, along with four doubles, four runs scored, and an RBI. The 32-year-old has been locked in at the plate and seems poised to deliver […]

Nate Pearson Aggravates Groin Injury

Toronto Blue Jays top prospect Nate Pearson (groin) aggravated his groin injury on Tuesday while throwing the second bullpen session in his rehab process. He was originally diagnosed with a groin injury after appearing in his first spring game back on March 1. Pearson was expected to be a key contributor to the Jays starting rotation […]

A.J. Puk Will Pitch In Spring Training Game Wednesday

Oakland Athletics starting pitcher A.J. Puk (shoulder) is scheduled to make his Cactus League debut Wednesday, according to manager Bob Melvin. The 25-year-old lefty was once a top prospect in the A's system, but a myriad of injuries have derailed the early portion of his career. Puk missed the 2018 season after undergoing Tommy John […]

Joey Lucchesi In Tight Battle For Rotation Spot

New York Mets manager Luis Rojas stated on Tuesday that the competition for the fifth rotation spot between David Peterson, Joey Lucchesi, and Jordan Yamamoto remains "really tight." Lucchesi, acquired by the Mets from the Padres in the offseason, struggled in limited action in 2020, going 0-1 with a 7.94 ERA in two starts and […]

Trevor Rosenthal Scheduled To Pitch Wednesday

Oakland Athletics relief pitcher Trevor Rosenthal (groin) is yet to appear in Cactus League action with his new team, but he's been throwing bullpen sessions and manager Bob Melvin said he is scheduled to pitch in Wednesday's game. Rosenthal is the presumed closer for the A's after signing a one-year deal in Oakland this offseason. […]

Carlos Carrasco Throws Bullpen Session Tuesday

New York Mets starting pitcher Carlos Carrasco (elbow) threw a bullpen session on Tuesday and is expected to advance to throwing live batting practice on Thursday. While the Mets have indicated Carrasco's elbow issue isn't a concern, it is likely that the Mets will exercise a considerable amount of caution with their newly acquired starting […]

Clayton Kershaw To Start Opening Day For Dodgers

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw will take the mound for his team on Opening Day against the Rockies. Kershaw will be making his ninth career start on Opening Day, which is the most in Dodgers' franchise history. The veteran left-hander pitched to a 2.16 ERA in 58 1/3 innings last year while posting […]

Matt Barnes Throws A Strong Inning Of Relief

Boston Red Sox reliever Matt Barnes had another strong outing on Monday, striking out two in a scoreless inning of relief. Barnes has yet to allow a run in three scoreless outings this spring, making a strong case for the closer's role. His competition for the spot, Adam Ottavino, has also pitched well this spring, […]

Ryan Braun Still Heavily Leaning Towards Retirement

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun visited Brewers camp Monday but is still "strongly leaning" toward retiring, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports. Braun's visibility at the camp may have led some to believe he is considering playing at some point this year, and he did not close the door on that happening, saying, […]

Hirokazu Sawamura Struggles Monday

New Boston Red Sox reliever Hirokazu Sawamura had a rough outing on Monday, walking three and failing to finish his only inning of relief in Grapefruit League action. Sawamura, who came over from Japan this offseason, impressed scouts and fans alike with his upper-90s fastball and mid-90s splitter, but outings like this could quickly lose […]

Nick Pivetta Has Another Strong Outing

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Nick Pivetta looked good again in Monday's start, throwing four innings of one-run ball while striking out four and walking just one. Pivetta has been sharp from his very first pitch this spring, as evidence by his 8:1 K:BB ratio. With Matt Andriese struggling and prospect Tanner Houck pitching in relief, […]

MLB Spring Training Notebook (3/16) - Luis Robert Scratched Monday

Welcome to the 2021 edition of RotoBaller's Spring Training Notebook. Thankfully, we have real, live baseball being played every day again, and while it doesn't count for anything, these exhibition games gives us the smallest glimmer into players and teams heading into the new season. We're into our third week of spring training games and […]

Fantasy Baseball Spring Training Injury Updates

Injury updates tend to change often during Spring Training. "Soreness" is a common theme as players get back into game shape. I will be giving the most recent available injury updates from the offseason. These updates will undoubtedly change as Spring Training continues. As we get closer to Opening Day, some injuries are much more […]

Michael Chavis Homers Again

Boston Red Sox utilityman Michael Chavis hit his fourth home run of the spring on Monday, continuing to make a strong impression as he fights for a roster spot. Chavis is coming off a down 2020 in which he dealt with injuries and posted just a 69 OPS+. Chavis has been very vocal about his […]

Later-Round First Basemen - Targets and Avoids

Once you reach the middle-to-late rounds of drafts, everyone wants to draft some upside fliers that can provide a great return on value. You can take a risk or two on a variety of different players, including a prospect, forgotten veterans, players returning from injuries, or even players with skills but have playing time concerns. […]

Giancarlo Stanton With Two Hits Monday

New York Yankees designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton went 2-for-4 with two RBI in Monday's 4-2 win against the Philadelphia Phillies. The two hits now have Stanton hitting 5-for-17 with one home run and five RBI across six spring games. He batted fourth in this one, which is where he is expected to hit throughout the […]

Taylor Trammell The Early Favorite For Left Field Job

Seattle Mariners outfielder Taylor Trammell continued his impressive play on Monday. Acquired from the San Diego Padres late in the 2020 season for catcher Austin Nola, the athletic rookie led off Monday's game and got on base twice in three plate appearances with a double and a walk. Trammell is now 7-for-24 (.292) with four […]

CJ Abrams Hammers A Grand Slam

San Diego Padres middle infielder CJ Abrams slugged his second home run of the spring — a grand slam — on Monday. Known for his plus hit tool and blazing speed, the former sixth-overall draft pick from 2019 is now 8-for-30 (.267) this spring with a triple, two home runs, and three stolen bases. Just […]

Matt Manning Throws Two Shutout Innings

Detroit Tigers rookie pitcher Matt Manning threw two shutout innings against the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday. The club is being cautious with the young hurler this spring and limiting his innings after he suffered a forearm strain in 2020. Manning's fastball touched 97 mph in Monday's game and he recorded all his outs with […]

Franmil Reyes Collects Two Hits Monday

Cleveland Indians outfielder and designated hitter Franmil Reyes went 2-for-3 with a run scored in Monday's 7-3 win against the Oakland Athletics. Reyes is now 5-for-17 with a home run and two RBI across seven spring games. Reyes will be a monster source of power for fantasy players in 2021 after he crushed 37 bombs […]

Shane McClanahan Has Struck Out Seven Straight

Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Shane McClanahan struck out the side on Monday against the Boston Red Sox. What's more impressive is that he's now whiffed seven straight batters going back to his first appearance on March 3. The southpaw is traditionally a starting pitcher but all three of his appearances this spring have been one-inning […]

Dylan Carlson Slugs First Extra-Base Hit

St. Louis Cardinals outfield prospect Dylan Carlson slugged a triple on Monday. An early favorite to be one of the top rookies in 2021, he's off to a slow start this spring. Carlson is just 5-for-24 (.208) with eight strikeouts and the triple was his first extra-base hit. He also struggled in his first taste […]

Shogo Akiyama Will Open The Season On Injured List

The Cincinnati Reds announced on Monday that outfielder Shogo Akiyama (hamstring) will open the regular season on the injured list. Akiyama felt something while running the bases during Saturday's Cactus League game against the Oakland A's. Through his translator, Akiyama said, "I heard something before I landed on the base, and after I landed on […]

Wade Miley To Start Against Rockies On Tuesday

Cincinnati Reds left-hander Wade Miley (hamstring) will start against the Colorado Rockies in Cactus League action on Tuesday. Miley left his appearance last Thursday early with a left hamstring injury but it appears that the injury was minor with the veteran slated to take the mound again this soon. If he can stay healthy, Miley […]