Max Kepler Set To Make Spring Debut Friday

Minnesota Twins outfielder Max Kepler (back) will make his Spring debut on Friday against the Red Sox. The Twins believe that the soreness in Kepler's back is unrelated to last year's injury, which bodes well for the 27-year-old's fantasy stock heading into the 2020 season. Kepler could score and drive in 90 runs again like […]

Will Harris Dealing With Abdominal Issue

Washington Nationals relief pitcher Will Harris will be re-evaluated in three to four days after tweaking his abdomen recently. Harris was slated to make his spring debut before the injury popped up. For now, it appears to be a minor issue. Harris will be a relief ace for the Nationals this year, but Sean Doolittle […]

Robinson Cano To Debut On Friday

New York Mets second baseman Robinson Cano (legs) is set to debut in spring training on Friday when the Mets take on the Cardinals. Cano is spending more time strengthening his legs than previous spring camps in an effort to avoid the same leg issues he suffered in 2019. Quadriceps and hamstring injuries limited Cano […]

Reese McGuire Pops Spring Homer

Toronto Blue Jays catcher Reese McGuire slugged his first long ball of the spring off Twins right-hander Randy Dobnak on Thursday. He has a good chance at cracking the team's Opening Day roster if he can beat out veteran Caleb Joseph for the backup job, and he could even become the starter if Danny Jansen […]

Hyun-Jin Ryu Strikes Out A Pair In First Spring Start

Toronto Blue Jays starter Hyun-Jin Ryu made his Grapefruit League debut versus the Twins on Thursday, striking out two batters in two frames of work. He allowed a hard-hit double in the first inning that he worked around before serving up a no-doubt homer to Zander Weil in the second for his only blemish on […]

Jorge Alfaro Scratched With Oblique Tightness

Miami Marlins catcher Jorge Alfaro was scratched from Thursday's Grapefruit League lineup due to left oblique tightness. The Marlins will need to be extremely careful with Alfaro, because if the tightness were to become a strain, Alfaro would be looking at significant missed time. He likely won't see Grapefruit League action for a while as […]

Justin Verlander Throws Simulated Game

Houston Astros starter Justin Verlander (groin) threw a simulated game on the day he was scheduled to make his Grapefruit League debut. The session "went as good as I could have hoped" according to Verlander as he simulated two innings worth of work. The injury does not appear to be serious and the veteran opted […]

Justin Upton Flying Under The Radar

Los Angeles Angels outfielder Justin Upton will be looking to bounce back this season after a knee injury sidelined him for most of 2019. By the time the veteran could make it on the field, he played only 63 games and slashed an abysmal .215/.309/.416. But Upton claims he is healthy and, even better, is […]

Jack Flaherty Works Into the Third Inning on Thursday

St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Jack Flaherty pitched into the third inning in Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Atlanta Braves. He ended up with 2 2/3 innings, allowing one run on two hits and two walks with one strikeout. Flaherty wasn't quite his dominant self in this one, but he was able to limit […]

Lance McCullers Jr. To Debut Sunday

Houston Astros starter Lance McCullers Jr. (elbow) will make his Grapefruit League debut on Sunday against the Cardinals. It will be the first time McCullers will take the mound since undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2018. The Astros are hoping that the right-hander can rejoin the rotation this season, but getting back on the mound […]

Scott Kingery Launches Two-Run Homer

Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Scott Kingery launched a two-run homer to dead center in the Phillies Spring Training game against the Red Sox Thursday. Kingery had an up-and-down season last year working in a super-utility role, but the Phillies have plans for him to stick at second base this year and hopefully some consistency will […]

Edwin Encarnacion Dealing With Back Stiffness

Chicago White Sox first baseman/designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion (back) has been scratched from Thursday’s game with back tightness. More should be known on the sluggers status as the day goes on and he should be considered day-to-day for now. Encarnacion is aging, but will be in the middle of a good White Sox lineup and […]

Shin-Soo Choo Expected Back In Lineup On Friday

Texas Rangers outfielder Shin-Soo Choo (oblique) is recovering well from the muscle tightness that saw him scratched from Tuesday's game, and is expected to return to the lineup on Friday versus the Los Angeles Angels. The Rangers said that they were being extremely cautious with the injury as Choo is a veteran, and they could […]

Stephen Piscotty Still Dealing With Strain

Oakland Athletics outfielder Stephen Piscotty (rib cage) will not take batting practice on the field on Thursday as he continues to deal with an intercostal strain. Piscotty had been taking swings in the batting cages and hoped to get on the field Thursday, but he is still dealing with twinges from the strain. Piscotty said […]

Adeiny Hechavarria Scratched With Oblique Tightness

Atlanta Braves shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria was scratched from Thursday's Grapefruit League lineup with left oblique tightness. There has been no word yet on the severity of the ailment, but the veteran infielder may not be ready for Opening Day. The 30-year-old signed with the Braves midway through last season, slashing .328/.400/.693 with four home runs […]

Jimmy Nelson Shut Down With Lower Body Discomfort

Los Angeles Dodgers reliever Jimmy Nelson left Wednesday's bullpen session with lower body discomfort, and the team has decided to shut him down. This injury likely guarantees that Nelson will not be on the Opening Day roster. The 30-year-old was once a top prospect in the Milwaukee Brewers' system, but injuries have limited him to […]

Griffin Canning Going For Elbow MRI

Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Griffin Canning (elbow) came up with an elbow issue after his first spring outing on Wednesday, and he's going for an MRI exam on Thursday. Manager Joe Maddon said he's somewhat concerned. The 23-year-old missed the end of last season with right elbow inflammation, but it was precautionary. Canning is […]

Brandon Nimmo Undergoing More Medical Tests

New York Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo is undergoing more medical tests on Thursday. These tests are in addition to the precautionary cardiac screening that caused him to miss Wednesday's Grapefruit League game. At this point despite the testing, nothing has been suggested by the Mets that Nimmo will miss time. In 2019, Nimmo played in […]

Seth Lugo Continues To Progress Toward Game Action

New York Mets relief pitcher Seth Lugo (toe) continues to progress from a broken pinkie toe. He has been throwing bullpen sessions without issue. The next step is for Lugo to throw live batting practice on Sunday. If all goes well on Sunday, he will pitch in Grapefruit League games next week. Based on Lugo's […]

Gio Gonzalez Not Ready For Mound Work

Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Gio Gonzalez (shoulder) is not ready for a bullpen session yet, but has been throwing long toss and building strength in his shoulder. Gonzalez has been dealing with discomfort in his left shoulder and it remains to be seen if he will be ready for Opening Day. Gonzalez is more […]

Niko Goodrum Held Out As Precaution

Detroit Tigers infielder Niko Goodrum has been out all week with a groin injury. According to reports, this is simply due to the Tigers being extra cautious, and he would in fact be playing if it was the regular season. Goodrum originally injured his groin in late August and he missed the final month of the […]

Emmanuel Clase Out 8-12 Weeks

Cleveland Indians reliever Emmanuel Clase (back) is expected to miss two to three months with a moderate strain of the teres major muscle in his upper back. It's a disappointing development for Clase, who was expected to hold a key role in the Indians bullpen this year and for years to come. The 21-year-old was […]

James Paxton Feels Good, Could Start Throwing Soon

New York Yankees starting pitcher James Paxton (back) had surgery three weeks ago and is now nearly ready to start throwing. An optimistic target date for Paxton to resume throwing is March 5, but the southpaw is reportedly feeling good, so some optimism is warranted. When healthy, Paxton is a hard-throwing lefty who accumulates strikeouts […]

Amir Garrett Working On Improving His Fastball

Cincinnati Reds reliever Amir Garrett is working on improving his four-seam fastball this spring. Already armed with an elite slider, Garrett is looking to add another wipeout pitch to his arsenal as he attempts to ascend to elite-reliever status in the league. According to Statcast, Garrett notched 68 strikeouts with his slider last season, compared […]

Jose Israel Garcia Impressing In Camp

Cincinnati Reds shortstop prospect Jose Israel Garcia is impressing in his first big-league camp. Garcia's blend of tools at the plate and in the field has been on display throughout camp, catching the eye of none other than Hall of Famer Barry Larkin. “I think he has all the tools to do it,” Larkin said. […]

Bubba Starling Homers Again

Kansas City Royals outfielder/forever prospect Bubba Starling is off to a quick start this spring, hitting his second homer of the season on Wednesday. Starling is out of minor league options, and so he's in a tight battle to find a roster spot. He's got an uphill battle, and he'll likely need someone like Nicky […]

Hunter Dozier Looking To Steal More Bases

Kansas City Royals third baseman/outfielder Hunter Dozier talked about how one of his primary targets for 2020 is going to be more stolen bases. Dozier's got the speed, as evidenced by his 10 triples last year, and his average sprint speed is just a hair slower than Whit Merrifield. With the prospective change to outfield […]

Chris Sale Will Begin Season on Injured List

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Chris Sale (illness) will begin the season on the 15-day injured list, according to interim manager Ron Roenicke. Sale is two weeks behind his throwing program in camp as a result of the pneumonia that he was dealing with, resulting in the delayed start that will force him to begin […]

Noah Syndergaard Comes Out Blazing This Spring

New York Mets starting pitcher Noah Syndergaard blanked the Astros over two innings of work in his spring debut on Wednesday. Syndergaard dialed up his fastball to 101 mph at one point. He recorded two strikeouts and allowed only one hit in his two innings pitched. Syndergaard had a disappointing 2019 in which he led […]

Edwin Diaz Has Mixed Results In First Spring Outing

New York Mets closer Edwin Diaz allowed three hits, including a pair of two-run doubles, in the Mets 4-2 loss to the Astros on Wednesday. On the plus side, Diaz generated swings and misses, hit 98 mph on his fastball and also struck out one batter in his one inning pitched. Diaz had a disastrous […]