Robbie Ray The Main Candidate To Start Opening Day

With the injury to Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Zack Greinke (groin), it looks like the Diamondbacks will turn to budding star Robbie Ray to pitch on Opening Day. Ray has done enough to earn the spot, posting a 2.89 ERA and 1.15 WHIP across 162 innings last season. His high strikeout upside and improving control give him […]

Lewis Brinson Projected To Make Opening Day Roster

Miami Marlins No. 1 prospect Lewis Brinson is projected to make the Opening Day roster, according to MLB.com's Joe Frisaro. Brinson was dealt to the Marlins from Milwaukee in the Christian Yelich trade, and all he's done this Spring is impress. The speedy Florida native is batting .366 in 41 Spring Training at-bats, and Frisaro […]

Bradley Zimmer Scratched from Monday's Lineup

Cleveland Indians outfielder Bradley Zimmer was scratched from Monday's Cactus League lineup due to a mild left groin strain. He'll be replaced by Tyler Naquin. There doesn't seem to be much concern around Zimmer, and he should be back in the lineup in the next few days.

Tommy Joseph Claimed By Rangers

After the Phillies designated first baseman Tommy Joseph for assignment, the Texas Rangers have swooped in and claimed the slugger. The 26-year-old didn't really have a place in Philly with the signing of Carlos Santana and emergence of Rhys Hoskins, and Texas can deploy the unathletic hitter as a pure designated hitter. It is unlikely […]

J.T. Realmuto Confident He'll Be Ready

Miami Marlins catcher J.T. Realmuto (back) is confident he'll be ready for Opening Day despite missing a week with a bruised lower back in camp. He played catch Monday for the first time since suffering the injury on March 11 and is hoping to swing a bat in the next couple of days. "I'll be […]

Ryan Hanigan Released

The Cleveland Indians released catcher Ryan Hanigan on Monday. Hanigan was a non-roster invitee in Cleveland's camp, and hit just .154 in Cactus League play. He's a veteran with experience and will try to latch on with a new team before Opening Day, although he's unlikely to crack a big league roster to start the […]

Melvin Upton Released

The Cleveland Indians released outfielder Melvin Upton on Monday. The veteran only managed a .189/.250/.297 batting line in 40 Cactus League plate appearances, making the decision easy for Cleveland. He'll try to work his way onto a new team before Opening Day, but it's looking like he'll have a hard time making it onto a […]

Hyun-Jin Ryu Named As Fifth Starter

Los Angeles Dodgers starter Hyun-Jin Ryu was officially named as the team's fifth starter on Sunday. He'll make his regular season debut in the second series of the year against the Diamondbacks in Arizona. Despite giving up five runs on seven hits in three innings recently against the Cubs, the club likes the strides that […]

Ervin Santana Progressing As Expected

Updating a previous report, Minnesota Twins right-hander Ervin Santana is progressing as expected after having surgery on his right middle finger in February. Santana's initial timetable for return was set at eight to 10 weeks but an updated report stated that it may be closer to 12 weeks before he's able to pitch. The veteran […]

Mike Fiers Dealing With Back Injury, Rotation Spot In Jeopardy

Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Mike Fiers (back) has been less than stellar this spring, to put it mildly. The veteran righty has been touched up for 12 earned runs in 11 1/3 innings of work and has issued eight free passes as well. It's not what the Tigers were hoping for out of Fiers, but there […]

Julio Teheran Named Opening Day starter

The Atlanta Braves made it official that starting pitcher Julio Teheran was going to be their Opening Day starter. It's his fifth consecutive one, tops in Atlanta Braves history -- Warren Spahn did it six times when they were in Milwaukee. That's nice and all, but you need to decide whether you buy his redemption hype […]

Trea Turner Out With Ingrown Toenail

Washington Nationals shortstop Trea Turner (toenail) is out of action Monday due to an ingrown toenail. He's expected to return Tuesday. Teammate Bryce Harper also suffered an ingrown toenail a few weeks ago, so the Nationals should think about putting a pedicurist on the payroll. Turner is a first-round talent, given his position, and will […]

Ryan Zimmerman Will See Grapefruit Action This Week

Washington Nationals first baseman Ryan Zimmerman will play in Grapefruit League games this week for the first time all spring. There's nothing officially wrong with him, but he's being brought along slowly due to his age and history of injury. The 33-year-old slugger enjoyed a resurgent year in 2017, hitting career highs in home runs […]

Daniel Murphy Will Start Season On DL

Washington Nationals second baseman Daniel Murphy (knee) is starting the season on the disabled list, as he is still recovering from microfracture surgery on his right knee. The team is "almost at that point" of declaring so, according to general manager Mike Rizzo. Murphy has yet to take grounders that aren't hit directly at him, […]

Trayce Thompson Being Shopped By Dodgers

Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Trayce Thompson is likely to be traded by the team before Opening Day. Thomspson is out of minor league options and would surely be picked up on waivers by another team if he were sent down. The 27-year-old is behind on the outfield depth chart to Yasiel Puig, Chris Taylor, Kike Hernandez, […]

Johan Camargo Is Iffy For Opening Day

Atlanta Braves third baseman Johan Camargo (oblique), while cleared for game action in a day or two, is still not a shoo-in to start with the team on Opening Day. The team thinks he may be able to, but as is often the case, they are hoping for the best while preparing for the worst. He's going […]

Danny Valencia Scratched From Monday's Game

Baltimore Orioles infielder Danny Valencia, who was supposed to start on Monday, was scratched. No reason has been given yet. Jomar Reyes will be taking Valencia's spot in the lineup. We'll update when we hear more about Valencia.

Zack Greinke Feels Healthy After Bullpen Work

Arizona Diamondbacks starter Zack Greinke (groin) was all smiles after completing a 40-pitch bullpen session over the weekend. A right groin injury has cast doubt on Greinke's availability to open the season. Following the session, Greinke said, "I'll definitely be making the next outing. I felt healthy and the pitches were pretty good. Hopefully that […]

Nick Gordon Sent To Minors Sunday

The Minnesota Twins optioned shortstop Nick Gordon to minor league camp on Sunday. Gordon had a nice showing this spring, going 9-for-22 for a cool .409 batting average. Gordon has never played above Double-A and wasn't expected to make the big league club coming out of Spring Training. The 22-year-old shortstop is regarded as one […]

Nicholas Castellanos Displaying Power In Spring Training

Detroit Tigers third baseman turned outfielder Nicholas Castellanos has been slugging the ball all over this spring season. The power-hitting Castellanos has five homers already to go along with a double and a triple in Grapefruit League action. Castellanos is coming off a career year and gains outfield eligibility heading into 2018 with Jeimer Candelario […]

Victor Martinez Leading The Charge In Spring Training For Detroit

Detroit Tigers designated hitter Victor Martinez is a bounce-back candidate in 2018 after a miserable 2017 campaign that saw him miss time with a heart condition. Martinez has said that this will likely be his final season in the big leagues, and he appears to be healthy this spring. It appears Martinez is looking to […]

A.J. Puk Sent To Minors

Oakland Athletics pitching prospect A.J. Puk was one of the roster cuts made on Sunday, as reported by Jane Lee of MLB.com. Puk was having a productive spring with a 3.38 ERA over 10 innings with seven strikeouts but six walks. The intent is for Puk to get more refinement and consistent playing time in […]

Matt Andriese In The Mix For Role In Bullpen Day Starts

Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Matt Andriese is in the running to fill one of the multi-inning roles that will play a key part of the strategies the Rays hope to employ during the games where they will go with a bullpen approach rather than a traditional starting pitcher. Speculation suggests they will have at least […]

Brewers Send Keston Hiura To Minor League Camp

The Milwaukee Brewers sent second baseman Keston Hiura to minor league camp on Sunday. According to MLB.com, Hiura is the team's top-ranked prospect entering the 2018 season. He left quite the impression on the team in camp and could be up with the team in the second half. The ninth overall pick of last year's […]

Jason Vargas To Have Surgery Tuesday

New York Mets starting pitcher Jason Vargas (hand) will have surgery on Tuesday to fix a fractured bone in his right (non-throwing) hand. However, he'll resume throwing five days after the procedure, but he'll likely miss the start of the regular season. The veteran left-handed probably won't miss many starts in the first month of […]

Rockies Prospect Yency Almonte Turning Heads

Colorado Rockies prospect Yency Almonte looks to be the next big starting pitcher on their farm. Almonte was showered with praise by manager Bud Black for how he's performed this spring, and though he's going to start the season at Triple-A Albuquerque, it looks like he's a prime candidate for a mid-season call-up. Almonte will […]

Raimel Tapia Being Challenged on Basepaths

Colorado Rockies outfield prospect Raimel Tapia has always been known for his hit tool, but management is looking to develop his skills on the basepaths to help him contribute. This spring, Tapia's been picked off three times, but apparently that's by design. Manager Bud Black told reporters that Tapia's been challenged to take bigger leads […]

Bryan Shaw Touched Up By Giants

Colorado Rockies setup man Bryan Shaw had a rough outing against the Giants, surrendering home runs to Madison Bumgarner and Nick Hundley. Shaw is notorious for his rough spring trainings with the Indians, so there isn't a ton of concern about the poor performance at this point. For those in holds leagues, Shaw should still […]

Mike Moustakas Homers In Second Game Of Spring

There was some concern amongst the Kansas City Royals staff that third baseman Mike Moustakas may not get his timing back with his shortened spring session, but homering in his second game helped allay some of those fears. Obviously, spring is spring and the results aren't a guarantee to carry over, but everyone would always […]

Royals Prospect Ryan O'Hearn Bashes Another Homer

Kansas City Royals first base prospect Ryan O'Hearn has gone on a tear in the Cactus League. O'Hearn has belted four homers in his last three games, and though the 24-year-old will be starting the season at Triple-A Omaha, he could see big-league at-bats soon enough. O'Hearn has shown that he packs a real punch […]