Yasmani Grandal Adjusts Launch Angle In Offseason

Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Yasmani Grandal has joined the fly-ball revolution, according to The Athletic's Pedro Moura. Grandal ran into hitting coach Casey Chenoweth, who, ironically, now works for the Giants in the minor leagues, in the offseason and became interested in launch angles as a way to improve his catching. But an adjustment with his […]

Pirates Hope Daniel Nava Will Return Soon

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Daniel Nava (back) has not participated in the team's last two workouts and is "rehab-only," according to director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk. General manager Neal Huntington said the team is hopeful Nava will return quickly, but outfielders Bryce Brentz and Michael Saunders are backup plans in case Nava isn't ready. Nava […]

Joe Musgrove's Injury Is Minor

Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Joe Musgrove's (shoulder) right shoulder pain is "minor" and "precautionary," director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said. Musgrove could resume throwing in the "coming days." The former Houston Astro should be fine for Opening Day, but he's currently slightly behind the other pitchers in camp. Musgrove was much better as a […]

Austin Barnes Has Elbow Discomfort, Will DH For Now

Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Austin Barnes (elbow) began to feel his elbow "barking" as he prepped for spring training and won't catch during this first week. He will serve as the designated hitter instead, according to manager Dave Roberts. The situation doesn't seem to be serious, though, and he'll be put on a delayed throwing program. Yasmani […]

Devon Travis Impressing Early In Camp

Toronto Blue Jays second baseman Devon Travis (knee) has been impressing the coaching staff and his teammates early in camp and has been taking batting practice and participating in fielding drills daily. “You watch him move around, and if you didn’t know he’d had an injury, you wouldn’t think anything of it,” manager John Gibbons […]

Blake Swihart's Plan For Playing Time

Boston Red Sox catcher Blake Swihart continues to be the focus of attention and efforts to get more playing time. Manager Alex Cora said that Swihart will focus on catching, outfield and designated hitter for the near future. There is no time yet for Swihart to get repetitions in the infield. "Versatile enough that you […]

Alex Cora Not Concerned About Lineups

Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora is not concerned with the particulars of lineup construction based on splits, according to Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe. Cora is not concerned with splitting up righties and lefties and doesn’t plan to get carried away with batter/pitcher matchups if it’s a small sample. With this news, there […]

Carlos Rodon Won’t Be Rushed Back

Richard Justice of MLB.com reports that Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Carlos Rodon (shoulder) won’t be rushed back in 2018. Rodon underwent arthroscopic shoulder surgery in September, and the club is looking to get him healthy for the long term. The left-hander has seen injuries slow him the past few seasons. General manager Rick Hahn […]

Alex Wilson Will Make First Start In Spring Opener

Detroit Tigers relief pitcher Alex Wilson is on record saying he wants to stretch out and make a bid for a spot in the starting rotation this season. He will get his first opportunity in the Tigers' spring opener Thursday. The Tigers will take on Florida Southern University, as is tradition in Lakeland. Wilson has […]

Andrew Benintendi Success Stems From Summer Break

Boston Red Sox outfielder Andrew Benintendi has already accomplished in his rookie year what many players fail to reach in their entire career; he joined the 20 homers and 20 steals club. Benintendi attributes his sudden rise to stardom to an offseason before his sophomore season at the University of Arkansas. "I didn't play summer […]

Nomar Mazara Not Far From Competing for an MVP

SportsDay's Evan P. Grant believes if Texas Rangers outfielder Nomar Mazara makes a small adjustment, he will be in the conversation for MVP in 2018. Grant is encouraged by Mazara's 100-RBI campaign from a season ago and believes if he can clean up his approach against lefties, then there is more success to come. The […]

Ryan Merritt on the Roster Bubble

Cleveland Indians pitcher Ryan Merritt is on the roster bubble this spring and might have a hard time cracking the 25-man roster coming out of Spring Training. Merritt is out of options, which may complicate things, as Cleveland would risk losing him without any compensation if they choose not to carry him on the Opening […]

Young Padres Infielders Learning From Freddy Galvis

San Diego Padres shortstop Freddy Galvis is embracing his role as a mentor for young San Diego ballplayers. Touted prospects like Fernando Tatis Jr. and Javier Guerra will soak in Galvis' tutelage as they plan to usurp his job. Galvis forecasts as the Friars opening day shortstop, but the rapid development of the next generation […]

Angels Trade For Jabari Blash

The Los Angeles Angels acquired outfielder Jabari Blash from the New York Yankees in exchange for a player to be named later or cash. Blash hit just .213 with five home runs and 16 RBI last year for the Padres. He has some pop in his bat but likely won't be anything more than a […]

Brad Hand Set To Be Unorthodox Closer

MLB.com reports the San Diego Padres will use closer Brad Hand in various situations rather than limiting him to the ninth inning. Hand's primary gig will still be slamming the door, but matchups and game circumstances may require his services earlier. A former starter, Hand appeared in several multi-inning outings last season and will still […]

Chris Owings Will Roam The Whole Field

Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Chris Owings will get plenty of playing time this year, according to manager Torey Lovullo. "He’s going to walk all over the diamond and impact the game at a different angle at different times throughout the course of the season." The agenda seems to be getting him repetitions at all the […]

Javier Baez Can Earn More Plate Appearances With Better Plate Discipline

The Chicago Tribune is reporting that Chicago Cubs infielder Javier Baez can earn more at-bats this season if he improves his strike zone, draws walks and uses the whole field. Baez is one of the more exciting players in the game today due to his light-tower power and strong defense, but he has still struggled […]

Wil Myers Believes He's Stronger And Faster In 2018

Dennis Lin of The Athletic reports San Diego Padres outfielder Wil Myers put on over 20 pounds in the offseason, increasing his playing weight to 224. Despite the gain, Myers thinks he's both faster and stronger. This could be an iteration of the classic "best shape of my life" maxim, but fantasy owners could take […]

Mark Melancon Expected To Be 100 Percent By The End Of Spring

Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports that San Francisco Giants closer Mark Melancon (forearm) is expected to be 100 percent by the end of spring training. Melancon had a rough debut with the Giants in 2017, as he dealt with injuries and disappointed on the field. The closer underwent surgery in September to […]

Cubs Impressed By Yu Darvish

After throwing a 25-pitch session on Tuesday, many Chicago Cubs players and manager Joe Maddon were very impressed with starting pitcher Yu Darvish. Darvish recently signed a six-year deal with the Cubs and said, “it seems like I fit naturally with the team.” Darvish was the prized free agent in regards to starting pitchers and […]

Ben Zobrist Remains Out

Chicago Cubs infielder/outfielder Ben Zobrist (back) remains sidelined for workouts. Zobrist has been absent all week with a back issue. Manager Joe Maddon seems to be playing it slow with the veteran and said “he’s fine.” Aside from daily leagues or an injury to Javier Baez or Ian Happ, Zobrist shouldn’t hold much fantasy value […]

Joe Kelly Fine After Being Hit In BP

Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Joe Kelly (shin) went for precautionary X-rays after being hit in the shin by a batted ball in batting practice Wednesday, but he is fine. Coming off a terrible 2016 season, Kelly bounced back by posting a 2.79 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 52 strikeouts in 58 innings for the Red […]

Gleyber Torres Will Battle For Starting Second Base Position

Gleyber Torres, the top prospect in the New York Yankees farm system and the No. 5 prospect in all of baseball, will do battle for the starting position at second base this spring. This news came from general manager Brian Cashman in light of the club’s acquisition of infielder Brandon Drury from the Arizona Diamondbacks. While Torres, […]

Brandon Guyer Has an MRI on His Left Wrist

Cleveland Indians outfielder Brandon Guyer had an MRI done on his left wrist on Wednesday. Guyer "tweaked" his wrist in the outfield on Tuesday and will be examined on Thursday in order to determine the next course of action. While there's nothing official yet, it sounds like Guyer might be facing an extended absence. Set […]

Pirates Ink Michael Saunders To Minors Deal

The Pittsburgh Pirates signed free-agent outfielder Michael Saunders to a minor league deal Wednesday. Saunders was an All-Star in Toronto in 2016, but he fell off big time last year, hitting just .237/.312/.429 with 14 home runs and 38 RBI in 333 at-bats. Add Saunders to the list of players competing for playing time in […]

Michael Conforto May Be Out Longer

New York Mets outfielder Michael Conforto (shoulder) dislocated his shoulder last year and required September surgery, and Dr. A of Inside Injuries said that a normal recovery timetable for his type of surgery would be seven to eight months. From a medical standpoint, the chances of Conforto being ready to return in April seems to be […]

Cleveland Signs Carlos Torres

The Cleveland Indians signed free-agent pitcher Carlos Torres to a minor league contract with an invite to spring training. Torres is 35 and seems almost certain to serve as Triple-A depth, at best. He posted a 4.21 ERA and a 1.53 WHIP in 72 2/3 innings last season in Milwaukee. He can be used as […]

Corey Seager To DH This Weekend

Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager (elbow) will serve as the designated hitter in spring games Friday and Saturday. He's currently still progressing through his throwing program, and the Dodgers are playing it cautious with him early in camp. Despite dealing with elbow issues late in 2017, Seager still managed to finish the year hitting […]

Ronald Torreyes To Battle For Second Base Spot

With the arrival of infielder Brandon Drury to the New York Yankees, the competition for third base has become slightly clearer. For Ronald Torreyes, this also appears to make things clearer, as he seems set to focus on competing for the starting job at second base. According to general manager Brian Cashman, the Venezuelan will now mainly focus […]

Chris Taylor Will Also Play Shortstop And Second In 2018

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts explained on Wednesday that outfielder Chris Taylor will get repetitions at shortstop and second base, in addition to manning the outfield in 2018. The Dodgers have a recovering Logan Forsythe penciled in at second, and shortstop Corey Seager was hurt late last season. So Taylor, along with Kike Hernandez, will serve as […]