Cody Bellinger Expected To Be Ready For Opening Day

Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Cody Bellinger (shoulder) is expected to be ready for Opening Day, according to manager Dave Roberts. Bellinger underwent shoulder surgery in November after injuring it in the final game of the World Series, but it wasn't expected to limit him at all entering the 2021 season. After winning the National League […]

Taylor Trammell Could Contribute In 2021

Seattle Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto said that outfielder Taylor Trammell, MLB Pipeline's No. 100 overall prospect in 2021, will receive strong consideration to contribute this season after being acquired in a trade with the Padres last year. The 23-year-old is a former first-round draft pick and is a player that Dipoto said the team […]

Kyle Lewis Stands Out On Day 1

Seattle Mariners outfielder and reigning American League Rookie of the Year Kyle Lewis stole the show on the first day of full-squad workouts at spring training on Tuesday. Lewis hit 17 home runs over 76 games with an .824 OPS and 128 OPS+ in the last two seasons, and he homered to the opposite field […]

Jack Flaherty's 2020 Struggles Not Entirely His Fault

St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Jack Flaherty, who won his salary arbitration case last week against the team, was the unfortunate victim of bad timing in 2020. The right-hander made just one start before the team's COVID-19 outbreak, and his next turn in the rotation came 26 days after his Opening Day start. Flaherty was […]

Aaron Judge Plans To Play Smarter To Avoid Injuries

New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge said he plans to play smarter in 2021 in order to stay on the field. The right-handed slugger hit nine home runs in 16 games to start last season, but he only played in 28 total games due to a right calf strain, and he's played in 242 of […]

Mike Trout's Numbers Defy The Odds

Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout is really good at baseball. Nobody can really dispute that, but a deeper dive into his numbers shows just how good he really is at hitting baseballs. Over his last 299 big-league games, he has a .299 batting average, a .440 on-base percentage over his last 440 plate appearances, […]

Matt Chapman Has No Restrictions This Spring

Oakland Athletics third baseman Matt Chapman (hip), who was limited to just 37 games last year due to a right hip issue that required surgery, slimmed down in the offseason after rehabbing and said that he has "no restrictions coming into spring training." The lingering hip injury required heavy daily maintenance in order to loosen […]

Scott Kazmir, Giants Reach Minor League Deal Tuesday

The San Francisco Giants and veteran left-handed pitcher Scott Kazmir have agreed to a Minor League deal with an invitation to big league camp, per ESPN's Buster Olney. The 37-year-old has not pitched since 2016, but reportedly threw up to 93 MPH in his latest bullpen session. Kazmir owns a career 4.01 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, […]

Hansel Robles Impresses At Twins Camp

Minnesota Twins reliever Hansel Robles impressed in his first action at Twins camp. Robles threw live batting practice on Monday at a group that included new teammates Luis Arraez and Jorge Polanco and immediately impressed his new manager Rocco Baldelli- who spoke about Robles' unique mix of delivery and arm action. The 30-year-old had a […]

Yoan Moncada Dealing With Arm Soreness

Chicago White Sox third baseman Yoan Moncada has been dealing with arm soreness and his throwing has been restricted so far in spring training. Moncada tested positive for COVID-19 prior to last season and said "It was very, very difficult for me to keep playing because I wasn't feeling like myself." Moncada finished the season […]

Can Justin Upton Return To Form?

Los Angeles Angels outfielder Justin Upton will have plenty to prove this season and could prove to be an X-factor for the Angels offense. After a 2019 season ravaged by injuries, Upton was mostly healthy during the shortened season in 2020. But the veteran slumped mightily out of the gate, hitting only .099 through the […]

Andrelton Simmons Delayed To Camp By Visa Issues

Minnesota Twins shortstop Andrelton Simmons has been delayed to the team's camp by visa issues. The exact details are unclear at the moment, though manager Rocco Baldelli described it as "travel-related"- saying that it could take a few days to resolve. Simmons signed a one-year deal worth $10.5 million this offseason to be the new […]

Travis Snider Agrees With Braves

The Atlanta Braves agreed to a $600,000 minor league deal with free-agent outfielder Travis Snider on Tuesday. Snider hasn't resurfaced in the big leagues since 2015, when he hit .232/.313/.350 with four home runs and 28 RBI in 265 plate appearances over 87 games with the Baltimore Orioles and Pittsburgh Pirates. The left-handed hitter spent […]

Jose Abreu Delayed At Camp

Chicago White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu's arrival to camp will be delayed due to additional COVID-19 antibody testing, but he's expected to be at spring training on Wednesday. Abreu won the 2020 American League MVP by posting career-highs in nearly every offensive category. But he's entering his age-34 season in 2021, and fantasy managers […]

Estevan Florial Not At Spring Training Yet

New York Yankees outfielder Estevan Florial has yet to join the team in Tampa Bay as he deals with visa issues, according to manager Aaron Boone. One of the team's top prospects, Florial made his MLB debut in 2020 but played in only one game. Still an exciting young outfielder, Florial boasts an impressive combination […]

Giancarlo Stanton Could Play Outfield

New York Yankees outfielder and designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton might spend some time in the outfield in 2021, according to manager Aaron Boone. Boone has previously stated his preference for the oft-injured Stanton to spend most of his time as the DH, so it's interesting to hear Boone mention Stanton's added flexibility for 2021. Fantasy managers […]

Kevin Plawecki Expected To Arrive Shortly

Boston Red Sox catcher Kevin Plawecki, who was placed on the COVID-19 list at the start of camp, is expected to arrive to spring training within the next day or two, according to manager Alex Cora. Plawecki hit .341/.393/.463 with 17 RBI in 24 games in his first season with the Red Sox. But the […]

Jacob deGrom Throws Impressive Bullpen Session Tuesday

New York Mets manager Luis Rojas reported that starting pitcher Jacob deGrom hit 99 mph in his bullpen session on Tuesday. Incredibly, it already sounds like deGrom is in midseason form. deGrom followed up his second consecutive National League Cy Young award season in 2019 by posting another gem in 2020. He finished 2020 with […]

Nick Yorke A Non-Roster Invite To Camp

Boston Red Sox second baseman Nick Yorke, an 18-year-old that was the 17th overall pick last June out of high school, is in big-league spring training camp as a non-roster invite. Manager Alex Cora said that Yorke is in a better place physically and has lost some weight since last season. Yorke was a surprise […]

Nick Pivetta Impressing In Bid For Rotation Spot

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Nick Pivetta, who is fighting for a rotation spot this spring, has impressed the team's coaching staff early in camp. The Red Sox acquired Pivetta from the Phillies last August in exchange for relievers Brandon Workman and Heath Hembree. "He proved it last year in a small sample size. I […]

Eduardo Rodriguez Throws Live Batting Practice

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez (heart) threw live batting practice on Tuesday for the first time in spring training after missing all of the 2020 season due to inflammation of his heart. Manager Alex Cora said that Rodriguez "looks good" and that the ball was coming out of his hand effortlessly like before. […]

Injuries Continue To Hamper Tommy Pham

San Diego Padres outfielder Tommy Pham was limited to just 31 games in the shortened 2020 season due to a left hamate fracture in his hand. The career .277/.373/.472 (126 OPS+) hitter batted just .211/.312/.312 (74 OPS+) when on the field in his first season with the Padres. But Pham walked and struck out as […]

Injury To Blame For Eugenio Suarez's Down Season?

Cincinnati Reds third baseman Eugenio Suarez had surgery in January of last year after a freak right shoulder injury, and it could've been largely responsible for his down 2020 season. He hit .118/.268/.235 with just four extra-base hits in his first 20 games. Suarez slashed a more respectable .246/.336/.592 with 19 extra-base hits and 13 […]

Forty-Plus Homers In Reach For Cody Bellinger

Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Cody Bellinger won the National League MVP in 2019 when he hit .305 with 47 home runs and a 1.035 OPS, but his OPS fell by 246 points last year. While he may never be able to replicate that special 2019 season, there are reasons for optimism. Bellinger hit .284 with […]

Michael Conforto Has Yet To Discuss Extension

New York Mets outfielder Michael Conforto stated on Tuesday that he has not yet opened contract extension talks with the ball club. In 2020, Conforto posted a .322/.412/.927 slash line with nine home runs, and 31 RBI in 202 at-bats. In 2021, the consistent Conforto will be hitting in the middle of an even more […]

Nolan Arenado Could Have Excellent First Season In St. Louis

St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado's disappointing 2020 season ended early due to a shoulder injury, but he still won his eighth straight Gold Glove Award and is joining a postseason contender. Arenado has never won an MVP, but he's finished in the top 10 in National League MVP voting five times, including three […]

Christian Yelich Should Bounce Back

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich's 34.6 percent swing rate last season was the second-lowest among qualified hitters in 2020. He had a 45.2 percent swing rate when he had his second straight MVP-caliber season, and the 10.6 percentage-point decrease was the largest among all hitters that qualified in 2019 and 2020. On the bright side, […]

Max Scherzer Progressing From Ankle Sprain

Washington Nationals starting pitcher Max Scherzer (ankle), who sprained his left ankle during conditioning drills two weeks before spring training, is progressing and threw from 60 feet on Sunday. "He felt better -- he said he's about 80 to 85 percent," manager Dave Martinez said on Monday. The Nats are taking it day-to-day with their […]

Joey Gallo Still Has Elite Power

Texas Rangers outfielder Joey Gallo didn't mash the ball like we're used to seeing in 2020 -- his .378 slugging percentage was the lowest mark in any season where he's played at least 20 games -- but his expected slugging percentage was at .413, ranking in the 49th percentile. He also had an average home […]