Daniel Mengden Is First Athletics Starter To Go Five Innings

Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Daniel Mengden provided the longest outing of the team's spring, going 5 2/3 innings against the Indians on Friday. Mengden struck out four, allowing two runs on two hits. Mengden has surely locked down a spot in the rotation. "It’s not really up to me, I can only control what I […]

Mallex Smith To Get Minor League Game Before Return

Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Mallex Smith (hamstring) will perform drills this weekend and then get a minor league game either Monday or Tuesday. He is still expected to be ready for Opening Day. Smith is all about speed, and he's stolen exactly 16 bases each of the last two seasons. He played in just 81 […]

Robbie Erlin Strong In Unscheduled Start

Battling for one of the final two spots in the Padres rotation, San Diego Padres starting pitcher Robbie Erlin took to the mound in an unscheduled start on Saturday night. Bryan Mitchell was scratched with a neck injury, giving Erlin a chance to prove himself. Erlin threw 3 2/3 innings of one-run ball, allowing only […]

Alex Reyes Won't Pitch This Month and Won't Have a Defined Role in 2018

St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Alex Reyes won't pitch in any Grapefruit League games this spring. Pitching coach Mike Maddux said it is not due to any setbacks, just a precautionary measure to make sure Reyes stays healthy. Reyes will not have a defined role in the 2018 season, instead pitching in a "hybrid" role […]

Luke Gregerson Faces Live Hitters on Friday

St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Luke Gregerson (oblique) faced live hitters on Friday in his continued return from injury. Gregerson's next step will likely be to appear in a Grapefruit League game. If he pitches well and avoids any setbacks, he may still start the season as the team's closer. For now, that job seems […]

Mike Clevinger Will Be Back on the Mound on Sunday

Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Mike Clevinger (illness) will return to the mound on Sunday. Clevinger was scratched from his last Cactus League start due to an illness, but it was never considered serious and he should be back on track on Sunday. Clevinger has made the Opening Day rotation, and should be able to keep […]

Yan Gomes Sidelined With Minor Arm Soreness

Cleveland Indians catcher Yan Gomes is currently sidelined with what is being described as "minor arm soreness." Gomes will not be behind the plate again until Monday at the earliest, and he won't make the trip to Las Vegas with the team. He will stay back and work as the designated hitter in minor league […]

Ian Desmond Homers Twice In One Inning

Colorado Rockies outfielder/first baseman Ian Desmond was apparently paying attention to the press this morning. Shortly after an article came out headlining Desmond's terrible spring at the plate, he took the Angels to task. Desmond ignited Colorado's offense in the second inning by blasting a towering home run off Japanese phenom Shohei Ohtani, and the […]

Danny Salazar Long Tossing from 130 Feet

Cleveland Indians pitcher Danny Salazar (shoulder) has been long tossing from 130 feet. Manager Terry Francona also implied that Salazar was close to returning to throw on the mound. Salazar has been dealing with a rotator cuff injury in his throwing shoulder and has already been ruled out for Opening Day. Josh Tomlin will be […]

Jon Gray Struggling With Fastball Control

Spring is always a time for experimenting with new pitches and approaches, but Colorado Rockies ace starting pitcher Jon Gray is having some trouble with his go-to pitch, his fastball. While Gray's fastball has been sitting comfortably in the mid-90s throughout the spring, his control has faltered. Gray has also been experimenting with a new […]

Jeremy Hellickson Signs Minor League Deal With Nationals

Washington Nationals new starter Jeremy Hellickson has signed a minor league deal with the club, a source has told ESPN's Jerry Crasnick. The details of the deal aren't know yet. Hellickson was not very good last season for the Phillies and Orioles, amassing a 5.43 ERA (FIP of 5.77) across 164 innings in 30 starts. […]

After Brief Scare, Gio Gonzalez Finishes Solid Outing

Washington Nationals starter Gio Gonzalez (leg) scared everyone during his third Grapefruit League start on Friday. He grabbed his leg and shook it after a play to first, something that he says he does often. It was indeed nothing and Gonzalez finished up the outing by scattering four hits and three strikeouts while walking one batter […]

Jose Altuve Nearing Massive Extension

Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve is nearing a five-year, $150 million extension that would begin in 2020, per MLB.com. The reigning MVP's deal ensures he will be in the heart of the Houston lineup for a long time after slashing .346/.410/.547 with four triples, 24 home runs, 32 stolen bases, 39 doubles, 81 runs […]

Adam Eaton To Make Grapefruit Debut Saturday

Washington Nationals outfielder Adam Eaton (knee) will make his Grapefruit League debut on Saturday. He'll play left field and bat third in the order. Eaton has been recovering from a torn ACL in the early part of last season and the club has been slowly ramping up his baseball activities. He's played in some minor league […]

Twins Acquire Jake Cave, Designated Kennys Vargas For Assignment

The Minnesota Twins acquired outfielder Jake Cave from the New York Yankees on Friday, sending right-handed pitcher Luis Gil to New York in exchange. To make room for Cave, the team has designated first baseman Kennys Vargas for assignment. Vargas' days in Minnesota were numbered from the moment they signed Logan Morrison as a free […]

Reds Reassign Dilson Herrera, Others

The Cincinnati Reds have reassigned second baseman Dilson Herrera, catcher Chadwick Tromp, and infielder/outfielders Darnell Sweeney and Patrick Kivlehan to minor league camp. Herrera is the biggest name of the group and was once considered the team's second baseman of the future but shoulder surgery in July of 2017 is still preventing him from playing […]

Craig Kimbrel Still In Boston With Daughter

Boston Red Sox closer Craig Kimbrel is still in Boston with his daughter Lydia, according to Alex Speier of The Boston Globe. Manager Alex Cora is very supportive of the family and stated, "That’s about Lydia. ... They’ll make a decision as a family." Kimbrel has been away from camp since Feb. 27. He did […]

Nick Senzel Still Part Of Plans

The Cincinnati Reds and third baseman Eugenio Suarez agreed to a long-term contract extension on Friday. The team announced that Suarez has signed a seven-year, $66 million extension, which will keep him in Cincinnati through the end of the 2024 season. General manager Dick Williams was asked what the extension means for top prospect Nick […]

Atlanta Sends Max Fried To Triple-A

Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Max Fried will be spending time in Triple-A Gwinnett. He was sent there by the Braves largely because he wasn't appearing in games and needs to have innings. Fried should be back at some point during the season, so keep an eye on call-ups or rumors of impending call-ups. Until then, […]

Braves Sign Anibal Sanchez To Minors Pact

The Atlanta Braves signed free-agent starting pitcher Anibal Sanchez to a minor league deal after the Minnesota Twins cut him loose. Sanchez hasn't really been an effective pitcher since 2014 and his starts with the Twins didn't do much to alleviate concerns about his decline. All he's got is a camp invite and the Braves […]

Franchy Cordero Day-to-Day With Groin Tightness

According to MLB.com beat writer AJ Cassavell, San Diego Padres outfielder Franchy Cordero is listed as day-to-day as he deals with tightness in his groin muscle. San Diego's No. 12 prospect, according to MLB.com, Cordero was hitting .343 with two home runs and a 1.179 OPS over 16 games this spring as he battled for […]

Jharel Cotton Getting Second Opinion

Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Jharel Cotton (elbow) is getting a second opinion in Dallas on Friday, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. Cotton says he remains optimistic he will get good news, as he feels his elbow has full strength. Cotton was removed from his start on Monday and an MRI revealed on […]

Clayton Richard Officially Named Opening Day Starter

As many have speculated, the San Diego Padres have officially announced that starting pitcher Clayton Richard will be their Opening Day starter, according to MLB.com beat reporter AJ Cassavell. Richard will take the mound on March 29 at Petco Park against the Milwaukee Brewers. Last year, he compiled an 8-15 record with a 4.79 ERA […]

Eric Lauer is Solid Against Giants, Strengthens Case for Landing in Rotation in 2018

San Diego Padres pitcher Eric Lauer didn't factor into the decision Thursday night, but he had another strong outing as he allowed only one run on four hits while striking out four over four innings. Over four appearances this spring, Lauer is 1-0 with a 2.53 ERA and 10 strikeouts over 10 2/3 innings. One […]

Kennys Vargas Not Expected To Make Final Roster

Minnesota Twins first baseman/designated hitter Kennys Vargas will likely be the odd man out when the team has to trim the roster down to 25 players. Vargas was originally expected to be the team's backup first baseman but the mid-spring signing of Logan Morrison will likely leave Vargas without a spot on the active roster, […]

Miguel Sano Scratched With Knee Bruise

The Minnesota Twins scratched third baseman Miguel Sano from the lineup on Friday after he came down with a bruised right knee. Fortunately, the issue is not related to the injury which caused Sano to undergo offseason surgery to have a titanium rod inserted in his left shin. Sano is having a nice spring, batting […]

Jason Heyward Continues To Struggle

Despite hitting his first home run of the spring on Thursday, Chicago Cubs right fielder Jason Heyward continues to struggle this spring. Heyward has been a major bust since signing with the Cubs two years ago and is only hitting .172 this spring. The Cubs brought in new hitting coach Chili Davis this offseason with […]

Kyle Hendricks Continues To Have Strong Spring

Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks continues to have a strong spring. On Thursday, the right-hander pitched six innings and allowed one run on seven strikeouts. Hendricks will pitch the second game of the season for the Cubs and remains one of the more underrated pitchers in the game. The Professor should be able to […]

Jean Segura Back In Lineup Friday

Seattle Mariners shortstop Jean Segura (hamstring) is back in the Cactus League lineup Friday. Segura was removed from the game as a precaution earlier this week after tweaking his hamstring, but obviously it wasn't very serious. After hitting .300 with 11 home runs, 45 RBI and 22 steals in 524 at-bats last year, Segura will […]

Nick Delmonico Returns To Lineup

Chicago White Sox outfielder Nick Delmonico (shoulder) has returned to the White Sox lineup. Delmonico suffered a partial dislocation of his left shoulder after colliding with infielder Tyler Saladino last Sunday. Delmonico said his shoulder is 100 percent. Delmonico fared well in his first 43 games of his big league career in 2017, as he […]