Michael Conforto Homers In Debut

New York Mets outfielder Michael Conforto was activated off the disabled list Thursday and hit leadoff and showed why fantasy owners were clamoring for his return. Conforto finished 1-for-4 in his 2018 debut, hitting a home run, scoring two runs, knocking two more in and walking once. The home run was particularly notable, as the […]

Kyle Schwarber And Jason Heyward Out Of Thursday’s Lineup

The Chicago Cubs will begin Thursday’s game with outfielders Jason Heyward and Kyle Schwarber on the bench. With the Cubs being opposed by left-hander Brent Suter, manager Joe Maddon will shift Ian Happ to left field with Albert Almora starting in center and Ben Zobrist in right field. Almora makes his money against lefties and […]

Trey Mancini Moved To Leadoff Spot On Thursday

Baltimore Orioles outfielder Trey Mancini is hitting first for Thursday's game against the Yankees. It looks like the Chris Davis experiment is over. Davis is now batting fifth to break up the righty tandem of Adam Jones and Tim Beckham. It may also be an effort to snap the first baseman out of his early-season […]

Jose Martinez Gets the Start at First Base on Thursday

St. Louis Cardinals infielder Jose Martinez is getting the start at first base and batting fifth in Thursday's lineup. With regular third baseman Jedd Gyorko on the disabled list with a hamstring injury, Matt Carpenter is playing second base and Yairo Munoz is at third. Martinez can flat out hit and should be owned in […]

Dan Vogelbach Back In Lineup Thursday

Seattle Mariners designated hitter Dan Vogelbach is back in the lineup Thursday, per MLB.com. Vogelbach got the start on Wednesday and went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI. Vogelbach is deployed primarily against right-handers and is seeing extra playing time due to the injury to Nelson Cruz. Vogelbach will face another right-hander in the […]

Nelson Cruz Making Progress With Sprained Ankle

Seattle Mariners designated hitter Nelson Cruz has seen the swelling go down in his sprained ankle. Cruz was placed on the disabled list retroactive to April 1 and could be ready to play by as early as next week. It is unclear whether he would go on a rehab assignment to get a few at-bats […]

James Paxton Gears Up For Cold Conditions Thursday

Seattle Mariners starter James Paxton will take the ball on Thursday against the Twins with frigid temperatures in the forecast. The series opener is a quick turnaround for the Mariners, and he will have to combat temperatures in the mid-30s come game time. Paxton is looking to get back on track after allowing six runs […]

Mike Zunino's Return Pushed Back

Seattle Mariners catcher Mike Zunino's (oblique) return to the lineup has been pushed back, per MLB.com. Manager Scott Servais told reporters that the team has decided to be "cautious" in bringing Zunino along. The veteran catcher has been dealing with a sore oblique muscle and had begun to catch some simulated innings and swing in […]

Yuli Gurriel Could Be Back In A Week For Astros

Houston Astros first baseman Yuli Gurriel (hand) will begin his rehab assignment in Double-A Corpus Christi, per MLB.com. Gurriel is coming back from hamate bone surgery in his hand and will need a steady dose of at-bats before coming back. Barring a setback, Gurriel is expected to return to the team in about one week and […]

Ben Gamel To Begin Rehab Assignment

Seattle Mariners outfielder Ben Gamel (oblique) will begin a rehab assignment with High-A Modesto, per MLB.com. Gamel is recovering from a strained oblique, so the Mariners opted to send him to High-A as opposed to the chilly temperatures of Triple-A Tacoma. Gamel is certain to see a few games to ensure there are no setbacks before […]

Hunter Renfroe, Manuel Margot Return to Padres Lineup Thursday

After not getting the start Wednesday against the Rockies, San Diego Padres outfielders Manuel Margot and Hunter Renfroe will start in center and right field, respectively, in the Padres final game of the four-game series. Renfroe pinch hit for pitcher Robbie Erlin in the eighth inning Wednesday, hitting an RBI single in his only plate appearance. Margot […]

Ervin Santana Not Yet Cleared To Throw

Minnesota Twins right-hander Ervin Santana still has not been cleared to throw following February surgery on the middle finger on his pitching hand. Santana may go back for another exam on the finger, suggesting it may not be healing as expected. Manager Paul Molitor told reporters that it is, "Just one of those fluid situations." […]

Phil Hughes To Start In Fort Myers Thursday

Minnesota Twins right-hander Phil Hughes (oblique) is scheduled to make another minor league start on Thursday evening, this time at Fort Myers. Hughes opened the season on the disabled list due to an oblique injury but is progressing toward being able to return to the big league team sooner rather than later. Hughes will have […]

Logan Morrison Not In Lineup Thursday

Minnesota Twins designated hitter/first baseman Logan Morrison is not in the team's lineup on Thursday as they get set to take on the Seattle Mariners at home. It is simply a routine day off as Morrison, a lefty, will sit against tough Seattle southpaw James Paxton. Morrison is off to a slow start with his […]

Eloy Jimenez Hurts Himself Lifting

Chicago White Sox top prospect Eloy Jimenez (pectoral) hurt himself lifting on Thursday, but Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports it is minor. Merkin also says that Jimenez has been hitting off a tee and is expected to report to extended spring training next week. Jimenez will begin the season in Double-A but should be able […]

Caleb Smith Looks To Duplicate Previous Success In Thursday's Start

The Miami Marlins will send starter Caleb Smith to the mound against the Phillies on Thursday as he looks to duplicate the success he garnered in his first start. In Smith's first start of the season against the Cubs, he struck out eight batters in 5 1/3 innings en route to a no-decision. The young […]

Jose Leclerc Optioned to Triple-A

To clear room for the returning Martin Perez, the Texas Rangers optioned reliever Jose Leclerc to Triple-A. The 24-year-old has pitched well in 2018, giving up no runs while striking out a batter per inning over three innings. Leclerc was a dark-horse candidate to close games, but he'll make way for the veteran due to […]

Nick Delmonico Out Of Thursday’s Lineup

Chicago White Sox outfielder Nick Delmonico is out of Thursday’s lineup versus the Detroit Tigers. Delmonico has struggled early on and is just 1-for-13 on the young season. Outfielder Leury Garcia will take over for Delmonico and bat sixth. With the White Sox off Friday, Delmonico will hope to get back on track Saturday.

Ryan Zimmerman Back In Lineup, Michael Taylor Batting Ninth

Washington Nationals first baseman Ryan Zimmerman is back in the Nationals lineup, batting cleanup while center fielder Michael Taylor is batting ninth. That means starter Stephen Strasburg is batting eighth. Zimmerman was given the day off Wednesday but did pinch hit in the top of the sixth only to strike out. He's slashing .167/.286/.333 with […]

Scott Kingery Starting In Right For Home Opener

Philadelphia Phillies manager Gabe Kapler stated earlier this spring that prized rookie second baseman Scott Kingery would play all around the field for the club this season. On Thursday, as the team gets set for their first home game of the year, that announcement continues to be validated, as the 23-year-old will start in right field […]

Dominic Smith Begins Rehab Assignment

New York Mets first baseman Dominic Smith is set to begin a minor league rehab assignment with Triple-A Las Vegas after missing most of spring training with a quadriceps injury. He’ll likely be spending a fair portion of the season in Triple-A regardless, though, as the Mets didn't seem particularly high on him this offseason […]

Justin Smoak Stays Hot

After a massive breakout in 2017 at age 30, the fantasy community was wondering how much Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Justin Smoak could carry it over to 2018. After seven games, the answer seems to be a lot. In a 4-3 loss to the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday, Smoak continued his hot start […]

Aaron Sanchez Pitches Well In Jays Loss

After a successful 2016 followed by an injury-plagued 2017, starting pitcher Aaron Sanchez is undoubtedly the most intriguing member of the Toronto Blue Jays rotation. His first start against the New York Yankees wasn’t so hot, but he rebounded nicely against the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday. Sanchez picked up the quality start by pitching […]

Martin Perez to Make First Start of the Season

Texas Rangers starting pitcher Martin Perez will return Thursday to start the mid-afternoon game against the Oakland Athletics. The poor state of the Rangers starting rotation ensures that Perez is in no danger of losing his spot, regardless of his performance. The veteran is the dictionary definition of an innings-eater, and an ERA in the […]

Michael Conforto Hitting Leadoff On Thursday

Not only was New York Mets outfielder Michael Conforto (shoulder) activated from the disabled list on Thursday, but he’s getting right back in the thick of things by starting right away. Conforto is hitting leadoff on Thursday for the opening game of the Mets showdown with the division-rival Washington Nationals. Conforto spent the majority of his […]

Michael Conforto Is Officially Back

The New York Mets have activated outfielder Michael Conforto (shoulder) from the 10-day disabled list. It’s a stunningly quick return for Conforto, who had been projected to be out until at least early May after undergoing shoulder surgery last summer. Conforto is coming off a massive breakout of a season in 2017, when he slashed .279/.384/.555 […]

Jurickson Profar Draws the Start at Second, Goes Hitless

Texas Rangers utility infielder Jurickson Profar started for second baseman Rougned Odor at the keystone against the Athletics. Hitting in the seven spot, the former top prospect was unable to make the most of the opportunity, leaving three on base while going hitless across three at-bats. Profar has yet to register a hit on the […]

Jose Berrios, Byron Buxton Turned Down Contract Extensions This Winter

On the heels of the Colorado Rockies and Charlie Blackmon agreeing to a contract extension, news broke that the Minnesota Twins offered winter contract extensions to several of their young stars. According to a report, Minnesota tried to extend outfielders Byron Buxton and Max Kepler, right-hander Jose Berrios and two other unnamed young players, but all […]

Sean Manaea Dominant In Eight Innings

Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Sean Manaea continued his solid start to the season in Wednesday's victory against the Rangers at home. He pitched eight innings, allowing one run on three hits and striking out four. On the season, Manaea has a 1. 15 ERA in 15 innings and only allowed one walk. He will be […]

Kevin Kiermaier Drives In A Run Wednesday

Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Kevin Kiermaier went 1-for-4 Wednesday versus New York Yankees. He scored the first run of the game. He also struck out his last three times at the plate. Kiermaier is off to a horrible start, as he is 2-for-23 with one walk in the first six games of the season. He […]