Tucker Barnhart Gives Up Switch-Hitting

Cincinnati Reds catcher Tucker Barnhart will hit exclusively from the left side moving forward after switch-hitting his entire career. Barnhart, 29, batted exclusively from the left side over the final month of the 2019 season. He hit .231/.328/.380 with 11 home runs and 40 RBI in 114 total games last season, hitting .247 from the […]

Sonny Gray Feeling Normal This Spring

Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Sonny Gray (elbow), who had right elbow surgery to remove bone chips in September, is feeling normal in spring training. Gray said he threw more than usual this offseason and feels great. The right-hander said he pitched with elbow stiffness for "multiple years," but he didn't miss a single start in […]

Spencer Howard Tweaks Knee During Workout

Philadelphia Phillies pitching prospect Spencer Howard (knee), the team's top pitching prospect, tweaked his right knee in a pre-camp workout last weekend, according to manager Joe Girardi. As a result, he has yet to throw a bullpen session in camp. A precautionary MRI exam showed that Howard doesn't have structural damage, and he continues to […]

Phillies Acquire Kyle Garlick From Dodgers

The Philadelphia Phillies acquired outfielder Kyle Garlick from the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday in exchange for pitcher Tyler Gilbert. Outfielder Nick Martini was designated for assignment by the Phils in a corresponding move. Garlick, 28, hit .250/.321/.521 with three homers and six RBI in 30 games in his first taste of the big leagues […]

Sergio Romo Has Minor Shoulder Strain

Minnesota Twins relief pitcher Sergio Romo (shoulder) will be limited in camp the next few days with "the most minor of minor left shoulder strains," according to manager Rocco Baldelli. Romo should be back on the field soon. The veteran reliever had a 3.43 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 20 saves and 60 strikeouts in 60 1/3 […]

No Structural Damage For Miles Mikolas

An MRI exam on St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Miles Mikolas (forearm) on Saturday found no structural damage in his arm. The flexor tendon issues he's feeling this spring are similar to the soreness he felt last season. Mikolas will hold off on throwing for a few days and go from there on a day-to-day […]

Chris Sale Might Not Be Ready For Opening Day

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Chris Sale (illness) is dealing with a mild case of pneumonia in camp and "still doesn't have full strength back," according to manager Ron Roenicke. Sale is progressing and playing light catch, but the Red Sox acknowledged that he might not be up to speed by Opening Day, and they […]

Ty Buttrey Tweaks Intercostal Muscle

Los Angeles Angels relief pitcher Ty Buttrey (intercostal) tweaked an intercostal muscle and will be slowed down in camp for a couple of weeks. However, manager Joe Maddon still expects Buttrey to be ready for Opening Day. Relievers don't need as much time to get ramped up for the regular season, so Buttrey might not […]

Tony Watson Not The Official Closer

San Francisco Giants relief pitcher Tony Watson is the most experienced arm for the late innings with Will Smith now in Atlanta, but the Giants might start the year without naming a specific closer. New manager Gabe Kapler won't commit to using a traditional ninth-inning closer, but Watson should be seen as the favorite. He […]

Alex Verdugo Has Stress Fracture In Back

Boston Red Sox outfielder Alex Verdugo (back) is dealing with a stress fracture in his lower back and is now doubtful to be ready for Opening Day, according to manager Ron Roenicke. The team knew about Verdugo's injury before trading for him earlier this week. The youngster also missed the last two months of 2019 […]

Victor Robles Being Considered for Leadoff Role

Washington Nationals outfielder Victor Robles is entering his second full season of play in 2020 with an opportunity to be the team's leadoff hitter. Robles is a speedster, which traditionally fits the role, but his .327 career OBP doesn't lend itself quite as well to the #1 spot in the order. But if he gets […]

Dansby Swanson (SS, ATL) - Fantasy Baseball Draft Sleepers

BALLER MOVE: Target ~210 CURRENT ADP: ~230 overall ANALYSIS: Atlanta Braves shortstop Dansby Swanson was terrific throughout the first half of 2019, but then a July 23 heel injury sunk it all. He would miss a month, only to return with a 32% strikeout rate compared to 20.4% prior to the injury. He hit 17 […]

Rougned Odor (2B, TX) - Fantasy Baseball Draft Sleepers

BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~pick 180 CURRENT ADP: ~218 overall ANALYSIS: Rougned Odor just turned 26 a few weeks ago, which seems shocking since he broke into the Majors in 2014. Yes, he's struggled with strikeouts and has hit just above .200 in two of the last three years, but people continue to talk about […]

Mychal Givens Under The Weather

Baltimore Orioles closer Mychal Givens (illness) will miss his bullpen session on Saturday due to an illness. Reliever Hunter Harvey is also sidelined with an illness to start the weekend. Givens was Baltimore's primary closer in 2019 and had a rough 4.57 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 11 saves while striking out 86 in 63 innings. […]

Miles Mikolas Being Slowed In Camp

St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Miles Mikolas' (forearm) throwing program has been slowed in camp as part of a plan to accommodate for the sore flexor tendon he had last season. Manager Mike Shildt said that Mikolas could be delayed for the start of Grapefruit League games as a result. Mikolas fell back to Earth […]

Byron Buxton Hitting Off Tee

Minnesota Twins outfielder Byron Buxton (shoulder) is hitting off a tee in camp. Buxton said that "everything is going according to plan," but he has stopped short of laying out a timetable for a return after having surgery last September to fix the labrum in his left shoulder. The goal is for him to be […]

Alex Verdugo Won't Rush Back For Opening Day

Boston Red Sox outfielder Alex Verdugo (back) said, "There’s no reason to rush back and make it for Opening Day if I’m not fully back, because then you’re going to start messing around with getting re-injured. I’ve been out this long, might as well keep it a little longer and make sure it’s 100%." Verdugo, […]

Mock Draft Review: Best Late-Round Targets

Last week, some members of the RotoBaller staff completed a 12-team mock draft for standard 5x5 format. After the draft, we each broke down our strategy and some of our favorite picks, which can be found here. However, I want to take a closer look at one portion of the draft in particular. Since we know that […]

Faster and Furious: Pitchers with Rising Velocity/Performance

Welcome fantasy baseball players! I’m sure that you, like me, are anxiously counting down the days until your drafts and Opening Day. While the fantasy season may not start for several weeks, there are plenty of things we can do to start preparing for a successful season. One of those things is to take a good […]

James Karinchak Is A Relief Pitcher To Know in 2020

One of the lesser-known players that intrigues me for the 2020 MLB season is Indians relief pitcher James Karinchak. The former Bryant Bulldog was drafted by Cleveland in the ninth round in the 2017 draft and went on to have one of the most outrageous statistical seasons in minor league baseball history. As someone who […]

2020 Relief Pitcher Rankings - H2H Points Leagues

Often regarded as an inferior fantasy baseball format, points leagues offer a different style of boasting over your friends or coworkers similar to that of fantasy football. These setups are typically head-to-head formats for a one-week stretch where the player with the most points gets a win. Easy right? While it's true that roster construction […]

Russell Martin Intends To Play In 2020

Free-agent catcher Russell Martin intends to play in 2020, according to sources. Martin has turned down some opportunities in the offseason in order to tend to a family matter, but he's expected to re-enter the market in the next few weeks and resume talks with interested teams. The 36-year-old (37 on Saturday) is a veteran […]

Hyun-Jin Ryu Expected To Be Opening Day Starter

Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu is expected to be the team's starter on Opening Day. “It’s going to be hard to see a scenario where it’s not Ryu,” general manager Ross Atkins said. “That’s health dependent obviously, and breaking camp, that would be the most likely scenario.” Ryu had a great 2019 season […]

Ryan Borucki Shut Down With Elbow Tightness

Toronto Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo revealed on Friday that starting pitcher Ryan Borucki (elbow) is being shut down in camp with left elbow tightness, a troubling development after his 2019 season was basically lost due to elbow issues. The 25-year-old is coming off surgery to clean up bone spurs. He initially started feeling pain […]

Red Sox Officially Add Kevin Pillar

The Boston Red Sox officially signed outfielder Kevin Pillar to a one-year, $4.25 million deal on Friday, according to a major league source. There are no incentives or bonuses included in the deal. The 31-year-old has played in the majors for seven seasons and spent the first six years of his career with Toronto before […]

Mike Clevinger Expected To Return To Game Action In 6-8 Weeks

Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Mike Clevinger (knee) is expected to return to game activity in six to eight weeks after having surgery on Friday to fix a partial tear of the medial meniscus in his left knee. With Opening Day almost exactly six weeks away, Clevinger shouldn't have to miss much time to open the […]

Carter Kieboom Looking Like Opening Day Third Baseman

With no trade in sight, Washington Nationals infielder Carter Kieboom is looking a lot like the team's Opening Day third baseman. Kieboom only hit .128/.209/.282 in a 43-PA cup of coffee in 2019, but his .287/.378/.469 career minor league better demonstrates the hype that has long surrounded him. If he busts in spring training, he […]

Corey Knebel Could Be Ready By Early May

Milwaukee Brewers relief pitcher Corey Knebel (elbow) is scheduled to throw his fourth bullpen session on Friday, in which he'll throw around 20 pitches at 80 percent intensity. Barring setbacks, Knebel could return to the team's bullpen around the first week of May. The hard-throwing right-hander is coming back from Tommy John surgery that kept […]

Josh Hader Loses Arbitration Case

Milwaukee Brewers All-Star closer Josh Hader lost his salary arbitration case and will make $4.1 million in 2020 instead of the $6.4 million he was requesting. Hader, who turns 26 in April, had 37 saves in 44 chances in 2019 and was 3-5 with a 2.62 ERA in his second straight All-Star campaign in 2019. […]

Jeremy Hellickson Announces Retirement

Free-agent starting pitcher Jeremy Hellickson announced his retirement on Friday after 10 seasons with 10 teams. The 32-year-old suffered a shoulder setback a few weeks ago that would have required surgery. Hellickson went 76-75 in his career with a 4.13 ERA in 232 games with the Rays, Diamondbacks, Phillies, Orioles and Nationals. In that time, […]