Masataka Yoshida Unlikely To Hit Leadoff

Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora threw cold water on Sunday on the idea of outfielder Masataka Yoshida hitting leadoff in his first MLB season. Instead, he's likely to hit near the middle of the batting order to open up the 2023 campaign. The 29-year-old was able to get on base frequently while playing in […]

Brayan Bello Back On The Mound Sunday

Boston Red Sox right-hander Brayan Bello (forearm) is back on the mound on Sunday for the first time since he experienced forearm tightness earlier in spring training. Bello is set to throw 20 pitches in a bullpen session on Sunday. The Red Sox took precaution and shut down the 23-year-old for a week after he […]

Justin Steele Scratched Sunday With Arm Fatigue

Chicago Cubs left-hander Justin Steele (arm) was scratched from his Cactus League debut on Sunday due to general arm fatigue. The plan is to give him a few days to rest before he throws a bullpen session. Javier Assad will now start in Steele's place on Sunday against the Los Angeles Dodgers. As of right […]

Seiya Suzuki To Have Tests Done Sunday

Chicago Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki (oblique), who was scratched from the team's Cactus League debut on Saturday due to left oblique tightness, will have tests done on Sunday to determine the severity of his injury. The Cubs are expecting an update on his status on Monday. The good news for the 28-year-old is that it's […]

Yordan Alvarez Still Not Swinging A Bat

Houston Astros outfielder/designated hitter Yordan Alvarez (hand) sill isn't swinging a bat in spring training, according to manager Dusty Baker. Alvarez is dealing with left hand soreness in camp, which is something he also dealt with in 2022, so it's certainly something to keep a close eye on for one of the best all-around hitters […]

Padres, Manny Machado Finalizing 11-Year Extension

The San Diego Padres and star third baseman Manny Machado are finalizing an 11-year, $350 million contract extension on Sunday, according to sources familiar with the deal. Machado has helped turn around the franchise and was planning on opting out of his previous deal after the 2023 season. The 30-year-old All-Star had six years and […]

First Base Dynasty Rankings for Fantasy Baseball

After years of mostly just top-tier production, first base is making a comeback in fantasy output. There are some intriguing names in re-draft leagues, but we will look at dynasty fantasy baseball rankings here. Most leagues are starting to decide who will be part of their future; some will be looking to draft some of […]

A Year To Remember: Pitchers Who Had Career Years In 2022

With spring training up and running, and fantasy drafts underway, it’s as good a time as any to rehash some notable 2022 pitching performances. We're looking to the guys who broke out with career years last season. Declaring an active player’s career season is something of a backhanded compliment. Yes, it means they had a […]

Daily MLB Injury Roundup for February 26th, 2023

RotoBaller has assembled a list of daily MLB injury updates to help you prepare both your seasonal and daily fantasy baseball (DFS) lineups, every day of the MLB season. Below is our updated list of injured MLB players for February 26th, 2023. Only players on teams that are scheduled to play today will appear below […]

Chris Sale Throws Batting Practice On Saturday

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Chris Sale (wrist) faced live hitters on Saturday during a 23-pitch batting practice session. The left-hander has progressed to facing live hitters for the first time since last July. The organization is hopeful that Sale will be able to make a return to the mound in March. The 33-year-old is […]

Fernando Tatis Jr. Could Play Next Week

San Diego Padres shortstop/outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr. (shoulder, wrist) is hopeful to get back on the field as early as next week, according to manager Bob Melvin. The 24-year-old has progressed to taking live batting practice earlier this week. The team believes he could make his Cactus League debut as early as Tuesday. The right-handed […]

James Kaprielian To Face Live Hitters On Sunday

Oakland Athletics starting pitcher James Kaprielian (shoulder) is scheduled to face live hitters on Sunday. The right-hander is set to throw a 20-pitch live batting practice session as he works his way back from offseason surgery. Manager Mark Kotsay mentioned Kaprielian will throw at least one more batting practice session before getting into spring training […]

Clayton Kershaw Throws On Saturday

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw threw a bullpen session on Saturday. The left-hander is fully healthy, but recently withdrew from the World Baseball Classic due to an insurance issue. The 34-year-old continues to ramp up his activities, so he should be able to pitch at some point in March. The Dodgers are going […]

Seiya Suzuki Scratched On Saturday

Chicago Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki (oblique) was a late scratch from Saturday's Cactus League opener against the San Francisco Giants. The hope is that Suzuki was pulled as a precaution because the Cubs don't want to take any chances this early into camp. The team is calling the injury left oblique tightness, so he'll likely […]

Corbin Martin To Work Exclusively As Reliever

Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Corbin Martin will work exclusively as a reliever heading into the 2023 season, according to manager Torey Lovullo. The 27-year-old has been working as both a reliever and starter throughout his career. Last season, Martin made seven appearances (two starts) with the Diamondbacks, but the results weren't favorable. Now, Martin is working […]

RotoBaller Staff Mock Draft Analysis: 12-Team Roto League Draft

Mock drafts remain an integral piece of fantasy baseball prep in 2023. Some of RotoBaller’s top minds joined up for a 12-team 5x5 Roto mock draft over on Fantrax. I’ll be delivering a round-by-round breakdown of the draft and highlighting some noteworthy picks along the way. Then I'll point out some trends, including how third […]

Ken Giles Auditions For Padres

Free-agent relief pitcher Ken Giles threw a bullpen session for the San Diego Padres on Friday at their spring training complex in Peoria, Ariz. He will continue to throw bullpens every Tuesday and Friday for interested teams until he gets signed. Giles also threw for interested clubs at Arizona State on Feb. 8, but nothing […]

James Paxton To Make Spring Debut On Friday

Boston Red Sox left-hander James Paxton (lat) is scheduled to make his Grapefruit League debut next Friday as the Red Sox begin to start mixing regular starters in. Paxton made just one start in 2021 and missed all of the 2022 season while rehabbing from Tommy John surgery and he also dealt with a lat […]

Trevor Larnach Could Begin The Year In Minors

Minnesota Twins outfielder Trevor Larnach must demonstrate a lot in spring training in order to win a roster spot in 2023. The addition of infielder Donovan Solano means more time in the outfield for Joey Gallo and few designated hitter at-bats to go around. With the Twins roster being jam-packed, even a great spring from […]

Nate Pearson Preparing For Bulk Role

Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Nate Pearson has missed most of the last two seasons due to injury, which is why he isn't being stretched out as a starter in spring training this year, but instead he's preparing for a bulk role. Pearson was sitting at 96-97 mph during live batting practice this week, and pitching […]

Yusei Kikuchi Has A New Curveball

Toronto Blue Jays left-hander Yusei Kikuchi, who is starting the team's Grapefruit League opener on Saturday against the Pittsburgh Pirates, is featuring a new curveball in camp this spring. Kikuchi is trying to win the fifth spot in the starting rotation in spring training this year. He struggled in his first season with the Blue […]

Brandon Belt To Be Eased In At Spring Training

Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Brandon Belt (knee) has played in seven spring training games in the last two years while managing a knee issue. The Blue Jays and the 34-year-old agreed to a plan to ease him into camp this year as a precautionary measure after he had knee surgery last September. Belt said […]

Noah Syndergaard Ready To Be Dominant Again?

Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Noah Syndergaard thinks he can get back to being a dominant starter again in 2023 in his first season in LA. The 30-year-old was very average with the Los Angeles Angels and Philadelphia Phillies last year in just a year removed from Tommy John surgery. "My recovery game is second to […]

Pirates Haven't Made An Offer To Bryan Reynolds

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Bryan Reynolds said he doesn't have an idea on whether he expects contract-extension talks to be productive with the team because the team has yet to make a new offer. Reynolds also said he's not going to set any deadline to complete a deal, so it sounds as though he'd be open […]

Barrels and Brls/BBE: Using Sabermetrics for 2023 Fantasy Baseball

Previously, we looked at how the exit velocity is only one piece of the fantasy baseball analysis puzzle. Baseball broadcasts will commonly cite Launch Angle (LA) to complement their EV figures, but it is given in terms of degrees. LA is basically a fancy way of saying things that the fantasy community has used for […]

Second Base Draft Values for Fantasy Baseball - EDV Finds Undervalued, Overvalued Picks

And we're back to the Expected Draft Values (EDV) series, where we look at historical data to identify both over and undervalued players of all types. Whether you're targeting power, speed, power+speed, batting average+power, and so on, we've got you covered. We started with first base and now head to second base as we make […]

Daily MLB Injury Roundup for February 25th, 2023

RotoBaller has assembled a list of daily MLB injury updates to help you prepare both your seasonal and daily fantasy baseball (DFS) lineups, every day of the MLB season. Below is our updated list of injured MLB players for February 25th, 2023. Only players on teams that are scheduled to play today will appear below […]

Vinnie Pasquantino Blasts Homer On Friday

Kansas City Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino came into Spring Training ready to play as he put together a strong performance in Friday's opener. The 25-year-old went 2-for-2 with a huge two-run home run in the victory over the Texas Rangers. Pasquantino was a reliable bat for the Royals last season and it doesn't appear […]

Glenn Otto Strikes Out Five Batters

Texas Rangers starting pitcher Glenn Otto experienced mixed results during Friday's Cactus League opener. The right-hander struck out five batters over two innings of work. However, he also walked a batter and gave up two runs on a two-run home run in the opening frame. The good news is, Otto rebounded nicely, but he'll still […]