Gregory Polanco Hoping for Bounce-Back Season After Dropping Weight

Talented Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Gregory Polanco has yet to live up to his potential, but he's hoping 2018 is the year it happens. In a story by The Athletic's Rob Biertempfel, Polanco mentioned that he lost weight in the offseason, believing his bulkiness led to an injury-filled season last year. The Pirates right fielder has […]

Willy Garcia Begins Strengthening Program

Chicago White Sox outfield Willy Garcia (wrist) has begun a strengthening program with the goal of hitting off a tee and then eventually taking part in batting practice. The end goal is to try to get Garcia in some games before Opening Day. Garcia will compete for a bench spot and can be avoided by […]

Brandon Crawford Held Out Thursday

San Francisco Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford (finger) is being held out of Thursday’s lineup after jamming his right index finger on Wednesday. The club announced on Wednesday that he was pulled as a precaution. Crawford isn’t expected to miss much time and should be good to go in a few days.

Yu Darvish Throws Bullpen Session

Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Yu Darvish (illness) threw a two-inning bullpen session on Thursday morning in Cubs camp. Darvish also swung the bat during batting practice. The right-hander was scheduled to start this afternoon but was scratched with the stomach flu.

Matt Strahm May Not Be Ready To Start

AJ Cassavell tweeted that San Diego Padres pitcher Matt Strahm may not be ready to start by Opening Day but can come out of the bullpen. Although he's competing for a back-end rotation spot, Strahm also projects to be a useful relief arm. Strahm is returning from a torn left patellar tendon suffered last July. […]

Pedro Strop Dealing With Sore Left Calf

Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Pedro Strop (calf) has been kept off the mound. The relief pitcher has been sidelined with a sore left calf. Aside from holds, Strop carries minimal fantasy value.

Kris Bryant Returns To Cubs Camp

Chicago Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant (illness) has returned to Cubs camp Thursday. The former National League MVP should once again be one of the better offensive players in 2018 and should see his run production improve from 2017.

Randal Grichuk Sprains Right Wrist

Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Randal Grichuk sprained his right wrist when making a fantastic diving catch on Tuesday, but fortunately, he is not expected to miss much time. That’s obviously great news for Grichuk, who is expected to see the bulk of the playing time in right field for Toronto. He brings plenty of power […]

Juan Lagares Will Play On Friday

Little by little, the New York Mets are starting to get healthy after their early rash of minor injuries. On Thursday, outfielder Yoenis Cespedes returns to the lineup and on Friday it will be fellow outfield mate Juan Lagares (hamstring). Lagares has been day-to-day with a strained left hamstring, but it was never believed to be […]

Andrew Cashner Throws Two-Inning Sim Game

Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Andrew Cashner, who is competing for a starting rotation spot, threw a two-inning simulated game. Orioles regulars like outfielder Mark Trumbo and shortstop Tim Beckham, along with outfielder Craig Gentry, stepped into the box against him. According to Eduardo A. Encina of The Baltimore Sun, he had good stuff and the ball moved well, […]

Yu Darvish Scratched From Thursday’s Start

Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Yu Darvish (illness) has been scratched from Thursday’s start. Darvish has come down with the stomach flu and is day-to-day. It’s nothing to worry about and owners should target Darvish between the fourth and fifth rounds of their draft.

Daniel Norris Takes Lumps In Spring Debut

Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Daniel Norris made his spring debut against a Yankees lineup that was at full strength with Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, and Gary Sanchez sitting in the heart of the order. Norris is fighting for a rotation spot this spring, but his chances took a blow Wednesday. Norris struck out Judge, then […]

Yoenis Cespedes Back In Lineup Thursday

New York Mets outfielder Yoenis Cespedes was held out a few games after dealing with mild shoulder soreness earlier in the week, but he’s back in the lineup on Thursday. It’s one day earlier than expected, as Cespedes had told the media he would be back on Friday. The issue was never expected to be […]

Austin Hays To Be Shut Down For Several Days After Injection

Baltimore Orioles outfielder Austin Hays will stop all baseball activities for a few days after getting a shot for his sore lat. He may swing a bat on Saturday and resume other activities after Monday's off day. He says it only bothers him when he's throwing, not hitting.

Austin Hedges Hits Third Spring Homer

San Diego Padres catcher Austin Hedges hit his third spring training home run on Wednesday against the Dodgers, sending a Wilmer Font pitch over the left field wall. Hedges has started red-hot, going 3-for-5 with a homer in each game played. The rate is unsustainable, but early returns are promising for Hedges, who changed his swing […]

Platoon Role For Hunter Renfroe Possible

San Diego Padres outfielder Hunter Renfroe will likely assume a platoon role in 2018. Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports on the ongoing battle in San Diego's outfield, pointing out Renfroe's struggles with righties (.636 OPS) and success against lefties (1.077 OPS). Manager Andy Green admitted injuries and lack of depth last season forced […]

Brandon Crawford Jams Finger

San Francisco Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford (finger) jammed his right index finger on Wednesday. The injury happened on a pickoff attempt. Crawford didn’t undergo X-rays and the injury isn’t considered serious. Crawford is hoping to bounce back after he struggled with the bat in 2017. He is a better real-life player than fantasy player, but […]

Eloy Jimenez Does Hitting Drills On Wednesday

Chicago White Sox outfielder Eloy Jimenez (knee) spent Wednesday doing hitting drills, and is expected to be at "full activity” on Thursday. One of the best prospects in the game, Jimenez sat out Tuesday with soreness in his left knee. The White Sox are playing it safe, as it appears Jimenez should be good to […]

Chris Davis Hits Homer In Loss While Battling Forearm Tightness

Baltimore Orioles first baseman Chris Davis (forearm) was supposed to play first base in Wednesday's game against the Cardinals. He wound up being the designated hitter while outfielder Mark Trumbo took his spot at first. Davis, who hit a three-run homer in the loss, explained after the game that he was experiencing forearm tightness, possibly because of […]

Manny Machado Blasts Grand Slam In Loss

Baltimore Orioles third baseman Manny Machado has had a hot Spring so far, and it got hotter with him blasting a grand slam in the third inning of Wednesday's game. He was out of the game by the time the bullpen coughed up an eight-run lead, but he has to feel good about this start. Of course, […]

Ronald Acuna Drives In Two Runs In Loss

There's one thing to remember about Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna: He's young. Really young. He's only 20 and he's not even turning 21 until December. He still wants to make the team, though the front office might decide he needs some more seasoning in the minors. Acuna made a case for himself Wednesday, driving […]

Max Stassi Flashing Early Power As Spring Training Begins

Houston Astros catcher Max Stassi has hit two home runs in his first seven spring training at-bats. The 26-year-old backstop currently is behind veteran Brian McCann and the talented Juan Centeno right now in the Astros major league pecking order, but a strong spring could put himself in position to see some major league at-bats […]

Blake Swihart Plays The Field For First Time

For the first game this spring, Boston Red Sox catcher Blake Swihart played first base on Wednesday against the Pirates. He went hitless in three at-bats and struck out once. The plan to increase Swihart's versatility has begun, and now we will see what he does with it and how it affects his future with […]

J.D. Davis Off To Hot Start For Defending Champs

Houston Astros third baseman J.D. Davis is off to a strong start at the beginning of spring training for the defending-champion Astros. It may only be 11 at-bats, but Davis has already hit two home runs, driven in four and is hitting .364. Davis saw only 64 at-bats with the big league club last season, […]

Patrick Corbin Pitches Two Solid Innings Against Rockies

Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Patrick Corbin pitched two innings in his first outing, striking out two. Corbin did give up a solo home run, but was very efficient, only facing seven batters in the two innings. While the homer is not a good sign, it is not as much of a concern given his home […]

Marco Hernandez Six Weeks Away From Baseball Activities

Boston Red Sox infielder Marco Hernandez (shoulder) says it will be about six weeks before he can start baseball activities, reported Rob Bradford of WEEI.com. Hernandez returned to camp from Boston on Tuesday. While in Boston, he had two screws removed from his shoulder, stemming from a procedure he had in May. He will be […]

Daniel Nava Out 10-12 Weeks After Surgery

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Daniel Nava (back) underwent back surgery on Tuesday and will be out 10 to 12 weeks, according to head trainer Todd Tomczyk. It's a tough blow for the 35-year-old Nava, as he was hoping to make the team out of camp as a platoon partner in left field. That was looking less […]

Brandon McCarthy Goes Three Strong Innings Against Mets

Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Brandon McCarthy had a good first showing of the Spring. He threw three scoreless innings against the New York Mets, walking one and striking out three. The right-hander is slated to be the No. 3 starter behind Julio Teheran and Mike Foltynewicz. He's hoping for another sub-4.00 ERA this year, which […]

Matt Duffy To Miss A Couple Days

Tampa Bay Rays infielder Matt Duffy (back), who was scratched with back spasms Tuesday, said he will only be out a couple of days. "No issues with the foot. Just a little back spasm. It'll be a couple days. It's pretty anti-climactic," Duffy said. Duffy missed all of 2017 with injuries, but he should have […]

Danny Salazar Still Limited But Starting to "Turn a Corner"

Cleveland Indians pitcher Danny Salazar (shoulder) is still limited to playing catch from 75 feet, but he said he hopes to advance further soon. He recently threw on back-to-back days for the first time this spring. Salazar was feeling shoulder discomfort earlier in camp but has said that he felt he was starting to "turn […]