Ian Happ To Handle Majority Of Leadoff Duties

Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune reports that outfielder Ian Happ will handle the bulk of the leadoff duties for the Chicago Cubs in 2018, with outfielder Albert Almora also being in the mix. Happ has been on fire this spring and is hitting .342 with five home runs so far. Coming off a strong […]

Wil Myers Feels Comfortable Taking a Step Back From Leadership Role

According to a story from the San Diego Union Tribune, San Diego Padres outfielder Wil Myers is "happy to have ceded the mantle and the burden of Padres leadership to Eric Hosmer." With Hosmer becoming the leader in the clubhouse, Myers should be able to step back and focus more on his performance on the […]

Lucas Giolito Will Start Second Game Of Season For White Sox

Chicago White Sox manager Rick Renteria announced Wednesday that starting pitcher Lucas Giolito will slot in behind James Shields as the team’s No. 2 starter. Giolito will be followed by Reynaldo Lopez, Miguel Gonzalez and Carson Fulmer in that order. Giolito had a strong finish in 2017 and is holding his own this spring with a 2.04 […]

Adam Engel Scratched With Back Stiffness

Chicago White Sox outfielder Adam Engel (neck) has been scratched from Wednesday’s lineup with neck stiffness. Engel has been battling with outfielders Leury Garcia and Ryan Cordell for everyday at-bats in center field. Engel is having a monster spring, as he has hit .346 with four home runs. He is worth a dart throw in […]

Carlos Rodon To Throw Side Session

Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Carlos Rodon (shoulder) will throw a side session on Thursday. The left-hander is recovering from arthroscopic surgery on his pitching shoulder and is expected to miss most of the first half. Rodon has always had potential and provides a good amount of strikeouts for owners, but health has been an […]

Corey Ray Looking To Bounce Back In 2018

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Corey Ray is looking to bounce back in 2018 after dealing with a knee injury that he suffered in 2016. The former fifth overall draft choice in 2016 had a rough rookie season in the Carolina League with a .238 batting average and a league-leading 156 strikeouts. Ray is going into this year […]

Collin McHugh Being Groomed For Bullpen

Houston Astros pitcher Collin McHugh appears destined for the bullpen. The former 19-game winner is the odd man out in a numbers game with so many quality starting pitchers now on the roster. But manager A.J. Hinch expressed optimism about the move and shot down the notion that McHugh will simply be a setup man. […]

Stephen Vogt Still Recovering From Shoulder Strain

Milwaukee Brewers catcher Stephen Vogt is still dealing with a shoulder strain and will travel with the team to continue a throwing program, according to Tom Haudricourt on Twitter. Vogt had an off year last season, only hitting for a .233 batting average compared to his .251 average in 2016. Vogt does provide some value […]

Joaquin Benoit Won't Make Opening Roster

Washington Nationals reliever Joaquin Benoit (forearm) won't make the team's active roster to open the season due to a forearm strain. The team signed him in the offseason to give their bullpen depth, but tightness in his back led to the discovery of the strain recently. The Nationals still have a solid bullpen full of […]

Daniel Murphy Will Not Be Ready For Opening Day

The worst-kept secret in spring training is official. Washington Nationals second baseman Daniel Murphy (knee) will not be ready for next week's start of the season. Murphy himself acknowledged the news and has only just begun to do lateral fielding drills. He's recovering from microfracture surgery, which can delay his arrival all the way until […]

Johan Camargo Making Progress But Opening Day Still Iffy

Atlanta Braves third baseman Johan Camargo (oblique) has been doing baseball activities like taking dry swings, hitting off a tee and doing soft toss. While he hopes to be ready for Opening Day, it's still far from a certainty. If you drafted him, you may have to wait a bit longer before being able to […]

JT Riddle Scratched Wednesday

Miami Marlins shortstop JT Riddle (shoulder) was scratched from the Grapefruit League lineup on Wednesday with some soreness in his surgically repaired shoulder. It doesn't seem to be anything serious, but Riddle is no lock to be ready for Opening Day, as he has yet to play in a major league spring game after having […]

Yuli Gurriel Worked Out Tuesday

Houston Astros first baseman Yuli Gurriel (hand) fielded grounders, ran the bases and did light hitting on the field on Tuesday. It's good progress for the Cuban, but he's still expected to be sidelined until around mid-April. He could come slightly cheaper in drafts as a result, and he showed fine contact and hard-hit rates […]

Hunter Harvey Sent Down To Minors

Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Hunter Harvey will go down to the minor leagues to begin the season. He was initially supposed to pitch Wednesday but since Baltimore signed starter Alex Cobb, manager Buck Showalter will give Miguel Castro and Nestor Cortes a chance to prove they belong in the bullpen. Harvey was a long shot to make […]

Michael Brantley Will Make His Cactus League Debut on Wednesday Night

Cleveland Indians outfielder Michael Brantley (ankle) is scheduled to make his 2018 Cactus League debut on Wednesday night when Cleveland takes on the Kansas City Royals. Brantley is coming back from major ankle surgery in the offseason, and while he's been working out and practicing with the team, he's yet to get into an actual […]

Michael Conforto Hopes To Return Before May 1

The New York Mets have been sticking to a May 1 return date for outfielder Michael Conforto (shoulder), but Conforto apparently has other plans. Conforto recently returned to simulated game action, hitting two home runs on Wednesday, and is scheduled to play the field during a minor league game on Thursday. All projections did not have […]

Jose Abreu Hopes To Play Friday

Chicago White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu (hamstring) is hoping to return to the lineup on Friday. Abreu left Tuesday’s contest with a tight hamstring but was in a very good mood when talking to reporters Wednesday. It seems like Abreu avoided what could have been a significant injury. Abreu remains one of the most […]

Orioles Designate Jose Mesa Jr. For Assignment After Signing Alex Cobb

There's almost always a roster casualty after a big signing. Baltimore Orioles relief pitcher Jose Mesa Jr. was it after Baltimore signed starter Alex Cobb on Wednesday. Mesa had a 3-1 record but an ugly 5.87 ERA this spring. It's a rough time, since teams are largely locking down their rosters, but Mesa might latch on […]

Yankees Not Fazed By Chance Adams’ Rough Spring

Ranked as one of the top-10 prospects in the New York Yankees farm system, pitcher Chance Adams endured a rough spring training this year. The 23-year-old made three appearances for the club this spring, surrendering six runs in 4 2/3 innings, posting an 0-1 record and an 11.57 ERA along the way. This came on […]

Pedro Strop Scheduled To Pitch Thursday

Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Pedro Strop (calf) is set to make his Cactus League debut on Thursday. Strop had missed most of the spring while dealing with a calf injury, but threw in a minor league game Monday. Strop is headed in the right direction and it appears he should be ready for Opening Day. […]

Matt Manning Out With Oblique Strain

Detroit Tigers pitching prospect Matt Manning is out with what sources are calling a "low-level" oblique strain. He will rest until he is pain-free, then resume his throwing program. Manning posted a 3.18 ERA and 1.29 WHIP in Single-A ball last year after being drafted by Detroit in the first round. The youngster was not […]

Jose Abreu’s Hamstring Injury Is Considered Minor

After leaving Tuesday’s contest with a hamstring injury, Chicago White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu (hamstring) is considered day-to-day. Manager Rick Renteria said that the White Sox believe that the injury is minor and could have been a cramp. Abreu will still be re-evaluated on Wednesday, but it looks like Abreu has avoided missing significant […]

Alex Cora Provides Clarity On Red Sox Starting Rotation To Start Season

Updating a previous report, there has been some clarity provided to the back end of the rotation for the start of the season for the Boston Red Sox. It remains clear that starting pitchers Chris Sale, David Price and Rick Porcello will start the first three regular season games against the Tampa Bay Rays. According to […]

Alex Cobb Is Now Officially An Oriole

Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Alex Cobb passed a physical on Wednesday and that cemented the four-year deal that he had signed. He's reportedly going to be sent to the minors for a brief time to allow himself to get stretched out before joining the team during the regular season. When he does, where he lands […]

Paul Blackburn Cannot Make It Out Of Third Inning

Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Paul Blackburn was scorched for seven runs against the Dodgers on Tuesday. Runs allowed in the spring is not an indicator of success in the season. On the positive side, though, he has struck out 17 batters in 17 innings. The biggest concern is his control; Blackburn has given away a […]

Rafael Devers Continues To Hit

Boston Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers went 2-for-2 with his third home run of the spring against the Pirates on Tuesday. There has never been a question about Devers' bat. He has always been able to hit. He is currently tied for the team lead in hits this spring. The Red Sox have been […]

Andrew Benintendi Is Dialed In This Spring

Boston Red Sox outfielder Andrew Benintendi went 2-for-4 against the Pirates on Tuesday. He also provided two runs and two RBI. Benintendi has already found his rhythm. He has a .405 average with three home runs, 10 RBI and 11 runs scored. Just as impressive is that he has four walks and just six strikeouts. […]

David Price Very Efficient In Start

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher David Price had a successful start on Tuesday against the Pirates, going five innings while allowing two runs with four strikeouts. He did allow a home run in the third but limited the Pirates to three hits. Thus far, Price is doing his best to eliminate any concerns of an […]

Sandy Baez Earns Win Against Yankees

Detroit Tigers prospect Sandy Baez started in place of the injured Mike Fiers on Tuesday and fired three innings of one-run ball for his club. He allowed four hits but didn't allow a single walk in his short outing. Baez was called upon to fill in for Fiers, who has been suffering from a stiff […]

Marcus Stroman To Make Spring Debut Wednesday

Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Marcus Stroman got off to a rough start this spring, missing a chunk of time due to shoulder inflammation. On Wednesday, he’ll be making his Grapefruit League debut with a little over a week to go before Opening Day. As of now, Toronto has Stroman lined up to start the […]