Blake Snell Has Rough Outing In Return To Mound

Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Blake Snell (elbow) walked four of the five batters he faced in his return to Grapefruit League action on Monday before being pulled. However, he was clocked at 97-98 mph with his fastball. Snell called his performance "ridiculous" and "brutal." The good news, though, was that the left's elbow felt […]

Michael Conforto To Meet With Team Medical Director In NY

New York Mets outfielder Michael Conforto (side) is headed back to New York to meet with team medical director Dr. David Altchek. Conforto tweaked his side while making a catch in right field on Saturday. He did not play on Sunday or Monday and underwent an MRI, but reportedly he needs to be evaluated further. In […]

Danny Jansen Slugs Grand Slam

Toronto Blue Jays catcher Danny Jansen kept his strong spring going with a grand slam off Rays right-hander Trevor Richards on Monday. It was his third homer and 10th RBI of the spring as he's now hitting a cool .429 through seven games. Jansen disappointed fantasy owners in 2019 when he slashed a miserable .207/.279/.360 […]

Hyun-Jin Ryu Efficient Versus Rays

Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu stymied the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday, tossing 4 1/3 scoreless innings in the team's win. The veteran allowed three hits while striking out four batters in the 64-pitch effort, 44 of which were thrown for strikes. Ryu is riding his momentum from his stellar 14-win, 2.32 ERA […]

Teoscar Hernandez Nearly Past Minor Groin Issue

Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Teoscar Hernandez (groin) is feeling better after experiencing some groin soreness last week and is expected to play in the outfield as soon as Tuesday. Hernandez was able to DH in Monday's game, where he went 0-for-1 with a pair of walks in the team's split-squad game versus the Pirates. He […]

Spencer Howard Throws Live Batting Practice

Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Spencer Howard (knee) has returned to the mound to throw live batting practice at Phillies camp. Howard, the Phillies second-ranked prospect, injured his knee in February during a pre-camp workout and is yet to appear in Spring Training action. Updates on the 23-year-old right-hander have been positive, however, as he's reportedly […]

A.J. Puk To Throw Tuesday

Oakland Athletics starting pitcher A.J. Puk (shoulder) will start throwing again Tuesday or shortly thereafter, according to Shayna Rubin. Puk felt discomfort in his pitching shoulder during a bullpen session last week and has been shut down to rest. Initial reports were that the injury wasn't overly serious, and if Puk can start throwing again […]

Niko Goodrum (1B/2B/SS/OF, DET) - Fantasy Baseball Draft Sleeper

BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~260-270 CURRENT ADP: ~284 overall ANALYSIS: Niko Goodrum is on pace to start the year as Detroit’s everyday shortstop, but has insane versatility that allows him to fill in wherever needed. Goodrum delivered a 12 home run/12 stolen base season in just 112 games last year, with 15/15 available on the cheap […]

Yoenis Cespedes Continues To Progress Toward Return

New York Mets outfielder Yoenis Cespedes (heel, ankle) has progressed to running to first base at full speed and hitting regularly in simulated games. While he cannot yet make turns at full speed, Cespedes continues to progress from the heel and ankle injuries that have kept him sidelined since mid-July 2018. The Mets are taking […]

Kole Calhoun (OF, ARI) - Fantasy Baseball Draft Sleeper

BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~280 CURRENT ADP: ~298 overall ANALYSIS: Kole Calhoun hit .232/.325/.467 with 33 HR over 632 PAs for the Angels in 2019 before signing with Arizona as a free agent. Thirty-three bombs are nothing to sneeze at, and his peripherals suggest that his power uptick was real. Calhoun's 22.9% HR/FB last season was […]

Kevin Newman (2B/SS, PIT) - Fantasy Baseball Draft Sleepers

BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~170s CURRENT ADP: ~192 overall ANALYSIS: Kevin Newman didn't begin the 2019 season on most fantasy owners' radar, but by the year's end, he had cemented himself as an excellent middle-infield option. The 26-year-old slashed an impressive .308/.353/.446 as a rookie, with 12 home runs, 16 stolen bases, and respectable run production in […]

Jean Segura (2B, PHI) - Fantasy Baseball Draft Sleeper

BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~170s CURRENT ADP: ~191 overall ANALYSIS: Jean Segura underachieved, for his standards, in his first season with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2019. He slashed .280/.323/.420 with 12 HR, 79 R, 60 RBI, and 10 stolen bases as some minor injuries limited him to 144 games. Segura disappointed the most on the base paths, […]

Andrew Heaney Named Opening Day Starter

Los Angeles Angels starter Andrew Heaney was named the Opening Day starter on Sunday by manager Joe Maddon. The left-hander boasts strong strikeout totals over his career but battled injuries last season while going only 4-6 with a 4.91 ERA. The Angels are heading into their season without a true ace on their staff so […]

A.J. Minter Optioned To Triple-A Gwinnett

Atlanta Braves reliever A.J. Minter was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett on Monday afternoon. The 26-year-old was abysmal in 2019, posting a 7.06 ERA and 2.01 WHIP in just 29 1/3 innings. He is an afterthought in fantasy formats to start the 2020 season, with several better options in the Braves' bullpen. Mark Melancon will begin […]

Alex Wood Will Start Season In Rotation

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Alex Wood will be part of the team's starting rotation to begin the season. He will work as the team's fifth starter, with Julio Urias getting the nod every fourth day. Wood only got into seven starts last season due to injury issues, but he has been a productive player throughout […]

Clayton Kershaw Set To Be Opening Day Starter

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw will be on the mound for the team's Opening Day matchup with the San Francisco Giants. It is the ninth time in Kershaw's career that he will start on Opening Day. The 31-year-old dealt with injury issues last season and still managed to tally a 16-5 record to […]

Yordan Alvarez Says He'll Be Ready For Opening Day

Houston Astros outfielder Yordan Alvarez (knees) said on Monday that the pain in his knees "has gotten better" and that he'll be ready for Opening Day. Alvarez hasn't played in a spring game in eight days, but he was available to take part in baseball activities on Monday, according to manager Dusty Baker. The skipper […]

Gary Sanchez To Take Batting Practice On Monday

New York Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez (back) is on track to take batting practice on Monday. Sanchez felt back soreness last Saturday and had originally been expected to play in games two days later, but was instead held out through last week. The Athletic's Lindsey Adler reported that Sanchez will be held out from games […]

Eugenio Suarez Slated To DH On Friday

Cincinnati Reds third baseman Eugenio Suarez (shoulder) is expected to be the team's designated hitter in Friday's Cactus League game. Team manager David Bell also told reporters that Suarez could possibly play on Thursday if his shoulder feels good. Suarez has been brought along slowly in camp after he injured his shoulder in the offseason […]

Shogo Akiyama Likely To Bat Leadoff

Cincinnati Reds outfielder Shogo Akiyama is expected to serve as the team's leadoff hitter this season, according to manager David Bell. Bell reportedly likes the on-base approach from Akiyama and first baseman Joey Votto atop the Cincy lineup. Akiyama is embarking upon his first MLB season after spending the entirety of his nine-year career in […]

Tyler Naquin Will Need Doctor's Clearance

Cleveland Indians outfielder Tyler Naquin (knee) will need to go back to Texas to meet with his doctor before being officially cleared to resume full baseball activities, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports. He suffered a torn ACL after colliding with an outfield wall in 2019 and had surgery in September. Naquin should be able to […]

Mike Clevinger Will Throw Bullpen Session Monday

Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Mike Clevinger (knee) will throw his first bullpen session Monday after having surgery to repair his partially torn meniscus on Feb. 14, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports. He bumped up his rehab last week, throwing from flat ground at 150 feet. This is the next step for Clevinger, who hopes to […]

D-Backs To Be Mindful Of Luke Weaver's Workload

The Arizona Diamondbacks will be "cognizant" of starting pitcher Luke Weaver's innings total this year, according to general manager Mike Hazen. Weaver was limited to 64 1/3 innings in the big leagues in 2019 and has never had more than 140 1/3 innings in any one season. It could mean a tighter leash with Weaver's […]

Justin Verlander Shut Down With Lat Strain

Houston Astros starting pitcher Justin Verlander (lat) has been shut down with a "mild lat strain," according to general manager James Click. Click said they "don't know yet" whether Verlander will be ready for Opening Day, but that would be optimistic to expect that at this point. The good news is it doesn't seem very […]

Luis Campusano-Bracero And Gabriel Arias Among Early Cuts

San Diego Padres catcher Luis Campusano-Bracero and shortstop Gabriel Arias were two key prospects sent to minor league camp over the weekend. The club’s No. 4 and 8 prospects, respectively, Campusano and Arias weren’t expected to compete for a roster spot after getting a few weeks of work in big league camp. The 21-year-old Campusano […]

Aaron Nola Scratched From Start With Flu

Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Aaron Nola was scratched from his Grapefruit League start Monday because of the flu, according to Matt Breen. This shouldn't affect Nola long term, and he is still on track to start on Opening Day for the third straight year. Nola is coming off a slightly disappointing season where his ERA […]

Fernando Tatis Jr. Back In Friars Lineup

San Diego Padres shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. (flu) is back in the lineup on Monday against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Tatis will lead off after missing over a week of game action. The 21-year-old has just one hit and five strikeouts in 10 spring at-bats but it hasn’t affected his fantasy stock. Tatis lived up […]

Seth Lugo Scheduled To Make Debut Monday

New York Mets relief pitcher Seth Lugo (toe) is scheduled to make his Grapefruit League debut on Monday against the Miami Marlins. Lugo has worked his way back from a fractured left pinkie toe suffered earlier this spring. Based on the progress he has made since the injury, it appears Lugo will be ready to […]

Matt Adams Returns Following Cardiac Testing

New York Mets first baseman Matt Adams has returned to Grapefruit League action after passing all of his additional cardiac testing. Adams is in the Mets lineup, batting cleanup as the designated hitter for Monday's game against the Miami Marlins. In 2019, Adams hit only .226 with a .741 OPS, 20 home runs and 56 RBI […]

2020 Fantasy Baseball Sleepers - Sam Hilliard

We have reached the month of March, and that means we are very close to the start of the MLB season. Reaching March also means Fantasy Baseball draft season is ramping up. A major part of every fantasy draft is finding value and sleepers as the draft goes on to fill out a team. In […]