Trent Thornton Returns to Action

Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Trent Thornton (elbow) pitched his first game of the spring on Friday. He had been recovering from an injury that caused him to appear in just three games in 2020. The right-hander threw two no-hit, shutout innings against the Detroit Tigers. Thornton struck out four batters while touching 93.8 mph with his fastball […]

Jake Odorizzi Eyeing First Homestand For Season Debut

Houston Astros starting pitcher Jake Odorizzi expects to be ready to take the mound for his team's first homestand. Odorizzi is continuing to build up his arm for regular-season action, as he threw his second live batting practice on Friday, lining him up to make his Grapefruit League debut on Wednesday. While he likely won't […]

Robbie Ray’s Displaying Newfound Control

Toronto Blue Jays starter Robbie Ray struck out seven Detroit Tigers on Friday. The veteran right-hander also continued his run of new-found control and issued just one free pass in 5.1 innings. Over four starts this spring, Ray has a K-BB of 18-5 in 13.2 innings and he's allowed just six hits. Prior to his […]

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Records Seventh Straight Hit

Toronto Blue Jays infielder Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is 7-for-7 with two doubles and a triple over his last two games. Playing third base on Friday against the Detroit Tigers, he recorded three singles. He's now 12-for-20 (.600) with four extra-base hits and a BB-K of 5-2 this spring. Guerrero Jr. produced a 112 wRC+ in […]

Yankees Option Mike Ford

New York Yankees first baseman Mike Ford was optioned to the minor leagues by the team on Friday. Ford's demotion comes as no surprise as the Yankees have a crowded competition to fill out the remaining spots on their bench, but it's disappointing to see Ford lose his MLB playing time after posting a .909 […]

Stephen Piscotty Scratched From Lineup Friday

Oakland Athletics outfielder Stephen Piscotty (wrist) was scratched from Friday's lineup due to left wrist soreness, according to San Francisco Chronicle writer Matt Kawahara. Kawahara reports that Piscotty received a cortisone shot for the ailment, and that he is expected to miss a couple days. Piscotty has struggled this spring with a .150/.280/.150 line and […]

Stephen Strasburg To Throw Simulated Game Friday

Washington Nationals starting pitcher Stephen Strasburg (calf) is scheduled to throw 60 pitches over four innings in a simulated game on Friday afternoon, according to Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports. Strasburg exited his start on Sunday with a calf injury, but he later said that if it was a regular season game it would not have […]

Brendan Rodgers To Miss At Least A Month With Hamstring Strain

Colorado Rockies second baseman Brendan Rodgers (hamstring) will miss "at least a month" due to a hamstring strain suffered on Saturday, according to William Ladson of MLB.com. Rodgers injured himself attempting to steal second base, and early reports had suggested he would be able to return in time for Opening Day. Now it appears he'll […]

Edwin Diaz Feeling Confident This Spring

New York Mets closer Edwin Diaz is feeling extremely confident, and looks like it on the mound this spring. Diaz has pitched four scoreless innings, allowing just two baserunners while fanning six batters. The soon-to-be 27-year-old is coming off a strong 2020 season, where he registered six saves while posting the highest strikeout rate of […]

J.T. Realmuto Remains On Track For Opening Day

Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto (thumb) began taking batting practice outdoors and playing long toss recently as he looks to still be on schedule for a return by Opening Day, reports The Athletic's Matt Gelb. Realmuto is recovering from a fractured right thumb, and according to Gelb, it appears Realmuto could potentially be activated in […]

Jorge Polanco Back On The Practice Field Friday

Minnesota Twins shortstop Jorge Polanco (groin) was back on the field in practice on Friday, where he was hitting, running and taking grounders, according to Dan Hayes of The Athletic. Polanco left Tuesday's game early with left adductor tightness after trying to make a diving stop on a grounder. It appears that this injury won't […]

Will Harris To Be Evaluated For Blood-Clot Issue

Washington Nationals relief pitcher Will Harris will be evaluated "soon" after an MRI revealed a blood clot in his right (throwing) arm, Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports reports. Harris last appeared on the mound on March 9, and Zuckerman adds that Harris had thrown in a "B" game on March 13, which he says is likely […]

George Springer Expected To Start In Center Field

Toronto Blue Jays outfielder George Springer is expected to make most of his starts in center field for his new team. Springer spent most of his time in Houston as a right fielder, though he's made 276 career starts in center, recording a .997 fielding percentage. Springer signed a monster contract to join an up-and-coming […]

Dinelson Lamet Unlikely To Be Ready For Opening Day

San Diego Padres starting pitcher Dinelson Lamet (elbow) is unlikely to be ready for Opening Day. Lamet continues to progress slowly through his recovery from last year's elbow injury, as he's thrown three simulated games but has yet to take the mound for Cactus League action. Still, Thursday was a step in the right direction […]

Mixed Results For James Karinchak So Far This Spring

Cleveland Indians relief pitcher James Karinchak has had an up-and-down spring so far. Karinchak has made seven appearances so far, pitching 6 1/3 innings while allowing six hits, five walks, and four earned runs with 13 strikeouts. The ability to miss bats is evident- 48.6 percent strikeout rate in 2020- but the command issues continue […]

Sam Haggerty Steals Two Bases

Seattle Mariners utility man Sam Haggerty just keeps on stealing bases, adding two more Thursday for a spring total of five. Haggerty played third base Thursday against the Giants, and has also appeared at second base, shortstop, and in the outfield. Haggerty is not currently on fantasy draft boards, but he could be the next […]

Taylor Trammell Shines Again Thursday

Seattle Mariners outfielder Taylor Trammell played left field and led off Thursday, and once again made his presence felt. Trammell went 2-for-3 with a double and a walk, driving in one run and scoring two. He also stole a base. It is now difficult to imagine that anyone other than Trammell will start the season […]

Shed Long Jr. Starts Running

Seattle Mariners second baseman Shed Long Jr. (shin) has begun running. Long has been taking batting practice pain-free for several days and is now said to be "moving better." Long has not yet appeared in a Cactus League game, making his supposed position battle with Dylan Moore for playing time at second base a non-issue. […]

Andres Munoz Has A Setback

Seattle Mariners reliever Andres Munoz (forearm) has had a setback in his return from Tommy John surgery. The flame-throwing right-hander was expected to return in May or June of this season, but that will now be put off for an undetermined amount of time. Munoz, acquired from the San Diego Padres in the Austin Nola […]

Jose Abreu Has Productive Day At The Plate

Chicago White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu had a productive day at the plate in Thursday's win over the Royals. Abreu went 2-for-3 with an RBI, a run scored, and a walk. The 2020 AL MVP has yet to hit his first spring homer, though he had gotten off to a similarly slow start in […]

James Paxton Has Been Delayed By Visa Issues

Seattle Mariners starting pitcher James Paxton has yet to make a Cactus League start this spring. The club has insisted that this is not due to any injury, and it was recently confirmed that the delay has been due to a visa issue. That looks to be resolved, as Paxton is now expected to make […]

Justin Dunn Uneven On Thursday

Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Justin Dunn had an impressive start to his outing against the Giants on Thursday, setting down each of the first seven batters in order. His third inning spiraled out of control, however, with three consecutive walks to load the bases. He finished the game with three runs charged to him, having […]

Nick Margevicius Throws Four Scoreless Innings

Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Nick Margevicius appeared in relief against the San Francisco Giants Thursday, throwing four scoreless innings and striking out six. For the spring, Margevicius now sports a 2.00 ERA and 1.11 WHIP with ten strikeouts in nine innings. Margevicius appears to be on the outside looking in with regards to a rotation […]

Keston Hiura Strikes Out Three Times On Thursday

Milwaukee Brewers second/first baseman Keston Hiura continues to struggle at the plate this spring. Hiura went 0-for-3 with three strikeouts against the Angels, lowering his Cactus League average to just .154 with 11 total punchouts to just one walk. Three of his four hits so far have gone for extra bases, though it's hard to […]

Amir Garrett, Lucas Sims Expect To Be Ready For Opening Day

Despite not appearing in a Cactus League game yet, Cincinnati Reds relievers Amir Garrett (forearm) and Lucas Sims (elbow) both expect to be ready for Opening Day. Both relievers are being counted on as key members of the Cincinnati bullpen, with one of them expected to serve as the Reds' primary closer. Left-hander Sean Doolittle […]

Zach Plesac Impressive In Five Innings Against Cubs

Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Zach Plesac tossed five innings on Thursday, the longest any Cleveland starter has gone this spring, allowing four hits and one run while fanning four batters. It's been an up-and-down spring so far for Plesac, though he was able to adjust against the swing-heavy Cubs on Thursday, moving away from his […]

No Progress Between Mets And Michael Conforto On Extension

The New York Mets have reportedly not made much progress on their extension talks with outfielder Michael Conforto this spring. Conforto is due to become a free agent after the 2021 season and, much like shortstop Francisco Lindor, both the Mets and Conforto have stated they will not negotiate a contract extension after Opening Day. […]

Little Movement On Francisco Lindor Extension Talks

The New York Mets have reportedly continued extension talks with shortstop Francisco Lindor, but there is no real movement by either side toward ultimately reaching a deal. Both Lindor and the Mets have stated that they will not negotiate after Opening Day. The industry expectation is that Lindor will command at least a 10-year deal […]

Corbin Burnes With Another Solid Outing

Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Corbin Burnes had another solid outing in his third Cactus League start on Thursday against the Angels. Burnes tossed 3 2/3 innings allowing two hits, one unearned run, and a walk while striking out four. The 26-year-old now owns an 11-2 strikeout-to-walk ratio this spring through 6 2/3 innings. Burnes was […]

Dominic Smith Close To Returning To Action

New York Mets outfielder Dominic Smith (wrist) took batting practice on Friday, one day ahead of his schedule to do so. Smith has been held out of the Mets' past few Grapefruit League games due to a sore right wrist. The injury does not appear to be serious and reports indicate that Smith should be […]