Max Fried Scratched From Start Due To COVID-19 Protocol

Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Max Fried was scratched from his scheduled start on Friday due to being exposed to COVID-19, according to ESPN. Fried has not tested positive for the virus but will need to quarantine for a few days before he can make his Grapefruit League debut. The 27-year-old lefty is coming off a […]

Luis Castillo Predicted As Potential Strikeout King In 2021

Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Luis Castillo was tabbed by MLB.com's David Adler as a potential dark-horse candidate to lead the majors in strikeouts in 2021. Castillo has placed in the top-20 in strikeouts in each of the last two seasons while pitching to a 3.35 ERA in 260 2/3 innings. The key to his success […]

Freddie Freeman To Make Spring Debut Friday

Atlanta Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman will make his 2021 spring training debut on Friday against the Twins. Freeman is slotted into the three-hole in the Braves lineup, a place he's quite familiar with, having batted 1002 career games at that spot. The 2020 National League MVP slashed .341/.462/.640 in the shortened season, clubbing 13 […]

Jorge Polanco Struggles In The Field Thursday

Minnesota Twins second baseman Jorge Polanco struggled in the field during Thursday's loss to the Rays. Polanco collected two walks and a hit but committed a throwing error in the first inning, then had a wild throw on a potential double-play ball that cost the Twins a run. The former shortstop did make a nice […]

Jarren Duran Shows off Power Stroke

On the same day that the Boston Red Sox learned Jackie Bradley Jr. would be playing elsewhere in 2021, outfield prospect Jarren Duran had a strong spring performance. He doubled and hit a home run against promising young hurler Dean Kremer. The show of power was a good sign for Duran, who is better known […]

Aaron Boone To Rejoin The Yankees This Weekend

New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone will rejoin the team sometime this weekend after undergoing surgery to receive a pacemaker in his heart on Wednesday. Thankfully, Boone’s surgery reportedly went smoothly, and the skipper’s return to the team has been on schedule as he had been expected to miss only a few days. The biggest […]

Jackson Rutledge Flashes High Upside

Washington Nationals pitching prospect Jackson Rutledge made his spring debut on Thursday with a scoreless inning of work. The 17th-overall selection from the 2019 draft allowed a hit to Brandon Nimmo but promptly picked him off first base. Rutledge then struck out both Jeff McNeil and Dominic Smith, the former on a fastball and the […]

Mackenzie Gore Struggles With Control in Spring Debut

The San Diego Padres' top pitching prospect, MacKenzie Gore, struggled with his control on Thursday against the Texas Rangers. He walked three batters in two innings of work but also held the Rangers lineup hitless and he struck out two batters. Most of his trouble came in the first inning and he fought back in […]

Liam Hendriks Looking To Bring Intensity To Chicago

Chicago White Sox relief pitcher Liam Hendriks hasn't appeared in a Cactus League game yet, but his presence has been felt in camp thanks to his intense demeanor on the mound. The Aussie closer signed a $54 million contract to come to Chicago and help give the team a "killer instinct" after Chicago limped to […]

Tanner Houck Struggles to Find Strike Zone

Boston Red Sox pitching prospect Tanner Houck struggled with his control on Thursday against the Baltimore Orioles. The former first-round pick walked five batters and allowed two hits in two-thirds of an inning. Houck had an uneven 2019 season in the upper minors but redeemed himself with three outstanding big league starts in 2020 by […]

Josiah Gray Has Uneven Performance

Los Angeles Dodgers pitching prospect Josiah Gray didn't have the strongest start to the spring on Thursday. He was unable to record an out during his second inning of work. Facing mostly minor league hitters, the young pitcher struck out two batters in his first inning but was then chased from the game after opening […]

Oneil Cruz Could See Playing Time in the Outfield

Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Oneil Cruz could start to see more playing time in the outfield writes The Athletic's Rob Biertempful. On Wednesday Cruz started at shortstop but played the final two innings in center field, and then on Thursday he got the start out in center field. The Pirates have not officially indicated their plans […]

Hansel Robles Showing Improved Velocity On Fastball

Minnesota Twins relief pitcher Hansel Robles had a bit of a rough day in Thursday's loss to the Rays. Robles was saddled with the loss, as he pitched one inning, allowing four hits and three runs, two of them earned. However, the 30-year-old reliever showed some improved velocity on his four-seam fastball, touching 96 on […]

Luis Torrens Could Play Saturday

Seattle Mariners catcher Luis Torrens (finger) could make his spring debut Saturday. He would slot in as the designated hitter in Seattle's matchup against the Athletics. Torrens, who cut his finger while working in the weight room, will not yet return to the catching rotation. Expected to share playing time behind the plate with Tom […]

Corey Seager Keeping Focus On Winning Ahead Of Free Agency

Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager said his focus is on this season and would rather not talk about his upcoming free agency after the season. Seager said all he wants to do is help the Dodgers win back-to-back World Series titles and, "Let the chips fall where they may," after the season. Los Angeles […]

Royals Value Patient Approach Of Carlos Santana

The Kansas City Royals brought in first baseman Carlos Santana this offseason to help give them a strong, veteran bat in their lineup. Royals manager Mike Matheny has spoken glowingly about Santana's plate presence, particularly his patience. Matheny says he wants his team to be known for their abilities to grind out at-bats and that […]

Greg Holland Set To Remain Royals Closer In 2021

Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Greg Holland had a fantastic season in 2020. He converted all six of his save opportunities and also went 3-0 while posting a 1.91 ERA and 0.95 WHIP. He averaged 9.8 K/9. This year, Holland is in position to close out games for the Royals once again. Last year was […]

Brad Keller Taking On A Leadership Role For Royals

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Brad Keller had a strong season in 2020. He went 5-3 with a 2.47 ERA and 1.02 WHIP. Five of his nine starts were quality starts. He held opposing hitters to a barrel rate of 3.7%, which ranked amongst the 89th percentile of the league. This year, Keller projects to […]

Brady Singer Looks To Build Off Strong Finish To 2020

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Brady Singer had a solid rookie year in 2020. He went 4-5 with a 4.06 ERA and 1.17 WHIP while averaging 8.5 K/9. His strongest stretch came over his last four starts, three of which were quality starts, including an eight inning, one-hit gem against the Cleveland Indians. The 24-year-old […]

Gregory Soto Strikes Out Side On Thursday

Detroit Tigers relief pitcher Gregory Soto had a disappointing spring debut on Monday, giving up a walk and two hits, including a Gary Sanchez home run, and lasting just 2/3 of an inning. He came back strong in his second appearance on Thursday. Facing the Toronto Blue Jays, Soto pitched a perfect fifth inning, striking […]

Nomar Mazara Joins Tigers Camp After Travel Issues

Detroit Tigers outfielder Nomar Mazara saw his arrival at camp delayed due to travel issues. However, he's now joined the team. He went through a full workout on Thursday. Tigers manager A.J. Hinch mentioned that he hopes to get Mazara into his first spring game by Sunday. Mazara is entering his first season with the […]

Sonny Gray Goes Two Innings In Spring Debut

Cincinnati Reds right-hander Sonny Gray made his Cactus League debut on Thursday, allowing one run over two innings in a 5-3 loss to the Kansas City Royals. Gray struck out one and allow just one hit, a solo homer to Ryan O'Hearn in the second inning. The veteran right-hander is coming a solid 2020 campaign, […]

Spencer Torkelson To Make His First Start On Friday

Detroit Tigers third baseman Spencer Torkelson will make his first spring training start on Friday against the New York Yankees. He'll be batting fifth in the game. Torkelson has made just two plate appearances so far, resulting in a walk and a strikeout. The 21-year-old Torkelson is the Tigers' top prospect and he's ranked No. […]

Bo Bichette Has Tough Day In Loss To Tigers

Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette had a tough day in Thursday's 8-2 loss to the Tigers. Bichette went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts and made a throwing error in the field. The 22-year-old shortstop has played three games so far in the spring and is 0-for-7 with three walks, though he still has plenty of […]

Taylor Trammell Steals A Base Thursday

Seattle Mariners outfielder Taylor Trammell stole second base and then scored a run after reaching base on a walk in the fourth inning of Seattle's Spring Training matchup against the Rockies Thursday. Trammell, who smacked a home run to the opposite field on Wednesday, has been one of the most talked-about players in Mariners camp […]

Zac Gallen To Make Spring Debut On Saturday

Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Zac Gallen is scheduled to make his spring debut on Saturday. He was originally slated to pitch on Friday, but the team has opted to push him back a day and start Seth Frankoff on Friday instead. Gallen is coming off a strong 2020 with Arizona. He made 12 starts and […]

Walker Buehler's Early Start This Spring Could Pay Dividends

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Walker Buehler is on the mound earlier this spring than in the buildup to past seasons. Buehler made his first spring start on Tuesday against the Giants, as he needed just 24 pitches to navigate through two scoreless innings. The 26-year-old right-hander's fastball was clocked at 93 MPH, down from […]

Jaylin Davis Dealing With Knee Soreness

San Francisco Giants outfielder Jaylin Davis (knee) is currently dealing with knee soreness. However, he ran the bases on Thursday and has a good chance to return to the lineup in the next couple days. The 26-year-old Davis has played just 21 games in the majors since making his debut in 2019. Over that stretch, […]

Brendan Rodgers Eying 20 Stolen Bases In 2021

Colorado Rockies second baseman Brendan Rodgers is looking forward to the team emphasizing speed this year. In a recent interview, he told Rockies beat writer Patrick Saunders that he wanted to steal 20 bases this year, while confidently adding "You heard it here first." Rodgers has a chance to be the team's primary second baseman […]

Madison Bumgarner Nearly Perfect in Spring Debut

Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Madison Bumgarner dominated the Angels on Thursday afternoon, allowing only one hit while striking out six in two innings to earn the win. Of the six strikeouts, four were swinging strikeouts as he threw 20 of 33 pitches for strikes. Another positive sign from this outing was his increased velocity, as […]