Starlin Castro Will Mostly Play Second Base

Washington Nationals manager Dave Martinez said that infielder Starlin Castro will mostly play second base, while Howie Kendrick will mostly play first and second base in spring training. Castro and Kendrick could play some third base later this spring, but Carter Kieboom and Asdrubal Cabrera are expected to be the primary options at the hot […]

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Working To Improve Launch Angle

Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. said he has been working to improve his launch angle, which at 6.7 degrees in his rookie season in 2019 ranked 372nd out of 406 major league hitters who put 100 or more balls into play. Hitting coach Guillermo Martinez and the team's strength and conditioning staff […]

Brian Snitker, Alex Anthopoulos Receive Extensions

The Atlanta Braves extended the contracts of manager Brian Snitker and general manager Alex Anthopoulos on Monday. Anthopoulos will be promoted to the team's president of baseball operations, and his contract is extended through 2024. Snitker and his coaching staff are now extended through the 2021 season. Snitker, 64, is 318-292 in three full seasons […]

Chris Davis Tried To Regain Strength In Offseason

Baltimore Orioles first baseman Chris Davis said that he gained around 25 pounds in the offseason in order to regain his strength. Davis calls it "good weight" and said that being leaner hurt his power and confidence. Hitting .179/.276/.326 is bound to hurt anyone's confidence, and the power-hitting left-handed swinger has now hit under .200 […]

Adam Frazier Played Through Finger, Shoulder Injuries Last Year

Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman Adam Frazier (finger, shoulder) revealed that he played through a broken right index finger and separated shoulder in 2019. Frazier said he broke his finger in spring training and separated his shoulder on Opening Day, but he didn't want the team to disclose his injuries and he played 152 games. Despite […]

Nathaniel Lowe Drops 20 Pounds

Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Nathaniel Lowe has slimmed down by around 20 pounds. In his rookie season in 2019, Lowe hit .263/.325/.454 with seven home runs and 19 RBI in 50 games for the Rays in 152 at-bats. There's definitely some intrigue here, but the Rays have plenty of other options for first base, […]

Miguel Cabrera Back To 2015 Playing Weight

Detroit Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera said he put on weight last year, but he's now back to his playing weight from the 2015 season. Cabrera changed his diet in the offseason to include more vegetables and fewer carbohydrates. The 36-year-old (37 in April) Dominican hit .338/.440/.534 with 18 home runs and 76 RBI in […]

Jean Segura Comes To Camp Lighter

Philadelphia Phillies infielder Jean Segura came to camp 14 pounds lighter this year. He achieved that in the offseason by eating better, sleeping more and cutting out whiskey from his diet. Segura is willing to play anywhere the team wants him to play. The Phils said they plan on using him at either third or […]

Alex Bregman Focused On Mobility In Offseason

Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman focused on his mobility in the offseason and came to camp weighing 195 pounds after he weighed in at 215 pounds last year. Typically a slow starter, Bregman is hoping to jump out of the gates quickly in 2020. The 25-year-old (26 in March) hit .296/.423/.592 with 41 home […]

Bo Bichette, Cavan Biggio Expected To Hit Atop Jays Lineup

Toronto Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo gave some insight on the team's potential batting order, stating that he expects shortstop Bo Bichette to hit leadoff, followed by second baseman Cavan Biggio. "Biggio was so good at the top of the lineup last year; he got on base all the time — second half, August and […]

Clayton Kershaw Healthy Entering 2020 Season

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw (shoulder), who didn't pitch in a single spring training game last year and who missed the first three weeks of the regular season due to a left shoulder injury, said he feels "a lot better" after a healthy offseason. The left-hander also said he "never really did stop […]

Joey Wendle Recovered From Wrist Injury

Tampa Bay Rays infielder Joey Wendle (wrist) is confident that the right wrist injury that sidelined him twice last season is fully healed. "It feels really good," Wendle said. "I don’t foresee it being an issue whatsoever this season, and I’m looking forward to hopefully a fully healthy season." Wendle hit just .231 with a […]

Tommy La Stella, David Fletcher Could Platoon At Second Base

Los Angeles Angels manager Joe Maddon said the most likely situation to fit both infielders Tommy La Stella and David Fletcher into the lineup together is with La Stella at second base and Fletcher in right field. “Obviously you want to get Tommy out there as often as you can against righties,” Maddon said. “The […]

Jimmy Nelson, Dustin May Dealing With Minor Injuries

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said that starting pitcher Jimmy Nelson (groin) is dealing with minor "benign" groin soreness, while Dustin May has some tightness in his side. Of the two, May is the more attractive fantasy option at just 22 years old with a lot of upside. He'll be a late-round upside selection […]

Jurickson Profar To Work Exclusively At Second Base

San Diego Padres infielder Jurickson Profar will work exclusively at second base in camp, according to manager Jayce Tingler. Profar could bounce around at other positions during the season, but that's unlikely if everyone stays healthy. The 26-year-old struggled at second base last year, committing 11 throwing errors. Profar hit .218/.301/.410 with 20 home runs […]

Eugenio Suarez Taking One-Handed Swings

Cincinnati Reds third baseman Eugenio Suarez (shoulder), who is recovering from shoulder surgery, took one-handed swings in the batting cage and is doing some non-throwing defensive work on Sunday. It's a good sign, but at this point Suarez is a real question mark to be ready by Opening Day, and he must resume regular swinging […]

Jed Lowrie Sporting Brace

New York Mets infielder Jed Lowrie (knee) is in camp with a big brace on his left knee/leg. Lowrie was a big free-agent bust for the Mets in 2019, seeing just seven at-bats because of various injuries, most notably to his knee. That came after his first All-Star selection in 2018 with the A's when […]

Yoshitomo Tsutsugo Will Be Used Primarily As Left Fielder

The Tampa Bay Rays current plan is to use Yoshitomo Tsutsugo as a left fielder, but he'll also be a designated hitter and will work at first base this spring. The Rays are looking forward to acclimating the Japanese power hitter in spring training, but his biggest adjustment will be with the increase in velocity […]

Gregory Polanco Won't Be Limited In Camp

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Gregory Polanco (shoulder) reported to camp on Saturday and will not have any physical limitations in workouts. Polanco had left shoulder surgery after the 2018 season and wound up playing in only 42 games last year because of complications with his shoulder. The 28-year-old Dominican says he's finally healthy, which could help […]

Xander Bogaerts Has Sore Ankle

Boston Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts (ankle) has a sore ankle and will take the next three days easy. However, this isn't a long-term concern. Bogaerts hit an impressive .309/.384/.555 with 33 home runs, 110 runs scored, 117 RBI and four steals in 614 at-bats for the Red Sox last season. It was a career […]

Chris Sale Says His Elbow Feels Good

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Chris Sale (elbow, illness) said his left elbow is "good, really good," and he felt strong all winter after being shut down last August with pain in his throwing arm. "I feel better than I have in a long time, actually," Sale said. He also said that "no one was […]

Hunter Renfroe Feels 100 Percent Healthy

Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Hunter Renfroe (ankle, foot) said on Saturday that he feels "100 percent" healthy after undergoing three procedures for his right foot and ankle. “Everything is good, everything is fixed,” Renfroe said. “I was going to the physical therapist and stuff like that and strengthening the ankle and getting it back to […]

Joey Votto Motivated To Bounce Back In 2020

Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto didn't pick up a bat at all during the winter after a disappointing 2019 campaign, but he also showed up more than a week early to camp, which is something he hasn't done in his 13-year career. The veteran first baseman had a career-low .768 OPS, well below his […]

Tucker Barnhart Gives Up Switch-Hitting

Cincinnati Reds catcher Tucker Barnhart will hit exclusively from the left side moving forward after switch-hitting his entire career. Barnhart, 29, batted exclusively from the left side over the final month of the 2019 season. He hit .231/.328/.380 with 11 home runs and 40 RBI in 114 total games last season, hitting .247 from the […]

Sonny Gray Feeling Normal This Spring

Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Sonny Gray (elbow), who had right elbow surgery to remove bone chips in September, is feeling normal in spring training. Gray said he threw more than usual this offseason and feels great. The right-hander said he pitched with elbow stiffness for "multiple years," but he didn't miss a single start in […]

Spencer Howard Tweaks Knee During Workout

Philadelphia Phillies pitching prospect Spencer Howard (knee), the team's top pitching prospect, tweaked his right knee in a pre-camp workout last weekend, according to manager Joe Girardi. As a result, he has yet to throw a bullpen session in camp. A precautionary MRI exam showed that Howard doesn't have structural damage, and he continues to […]

Phillies Acquire Kyle Garlick From Dodgers

The Philadelphia Phillies acquired outfielder Kyle Garlick from the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday in exchange for pitcher Tyler Gilbert. Outfielder Nick Martini was designated for assignment by the Phils in a corresponding move. Garlick, 28, hit .250/.321/.521 with three homers and six RBI in 30 games in his first taste of the big leagues […]

Sergio Romo Has Minor Shoulder Strain

Minnesota Twins relief pitcher Sergio Romo (shoulder) will be limited in camp the next few days with "the most minor of minor left shoulder strains," according to manager Rocco Baldelli. Romo should be back on the field soon. The veteran reliever had a 3.43 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 20 saves and 60 strikeouts in 60 1/3 […]

No Structural Damage For Miles Mikolas

An MRI exam on St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Miles Mikolas (forearm) on Saturday found no structural damage in his arm. The flexor tendon issues he's feeling this spring are similar to the soreness he felt last season. Mikolas will hold off on throwing for a few days and go from there on a day-to-day […]

Chris Sale Might Not Be Ready For Opening Day

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Chris Sale (illness) is dealing with a mild case of pneumonia in camp and "still doesn't have full strength back," according to manager Ron Roenicke. Sale is progressing and playing light catch, but the Red Sox acknowledged that he might not be up to speed by Opening Day, and they […]