Nick Margevicius To Make Debut Saturday

San Diego Padres starting pitcher Nick Margevicius will make his major league debut on Saturday when he gets the start against the Giants at home. The 22-year-old southpaw hasn't pitched above Single-A and is likely just making a spot start early in the season for the Friars. It speaks to how weak San Diego's starting […]

Jurickson Profar Starting At First Base Against The Angels

Oakland Athletics first baseman Jurickson Profar will bat fifth on Thursday against the Los Angeles Angels and Trevor Cahill. With Matt Olson (hand) sidelined for six-to-eight weeks, Profar was expected to be the in-house replacement. That plan changed on Wednesday night as the Athletics traded for slugger Kendrys Morales. It is unclear how the team […]

Sandy Leon Accepts Assignment To Triple-A

Boston Red Sox catcher Sandy Leon accepted his outright assignment to Triple-A Pawtucket on Thursday after clearing waivers on Tuesday. The team may still look to trade Leon, as his $2.475 million contract is included in the Sox's Opening Day payroll. However, it may be tough to find suitors, as the defensive-minded catcher slashed .177/.232/.279 […]

Bryan Mitchell Cut By Padres

The San Diego Padres designated starter Bryan Mitchell for assignment in their final round of transactions before Opening Day. The Friars acquired Mitchell last season via trade but he quickly fell out of favor with a horrendous 5.42 ERA and major control issues. Given an opportunity to regain a starting job this spring, Mitchell was […]

Adam Jones Batting Leadoff On Opening Day

Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Adam Jones is batting at the top of the lineup on Opening Day against the Los Angeles Dodgers. With Steven Souza Jr. (knee) out for the year, Jones will get everyday playing time in the outfield. The veteran had a modest season in 2018, batting .281 with 15 home runs and 63 […]

David Bote Starting At Second Base

Chicago Cubs infielder David Bote is starting at second base and hitting sixth on Opening Day on Thursday against Rangers starting pitcher Mike Minor. With Addison Russell suspended and the Cubs facing a lefty, Bote gets the call instead of lefty outfielder Kyle Schwarber. The 25-year-old hit .275/.381/.490 with two homers and seven RBI in […]

Fernando Tatis Jr. Slots Sixth In Major League Debut

San Diego Padres shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. will bat sixth on Opening Day in his major league debut. The Padres surprised the league earlier this week by adding Tatis to the major league roster to begin the season. He'll face San Francisco Giants left-handed ace Madison Bumgarner. The 20-year-old will likely get regular starts if […]

Jeremy Jeffress Placed On 10-Day Injured List

Milwaukee Brewers reliever Jeremy Jeffress (shoulder) was placed on the 10-day injured list on Thursday afternoon. Jeffress would have been the favorite for the closer role with Corey Knebel (elbow) sidelined, but he is not expected to be back until mid-April. Jeffress threw a bullpen session without any issue on Thursday and is scheduled to […]

Kyle Schwarber Left Out Of Opening Day Lineup

Chicago Cubs outfielder Kyle Schwarber will be absent from the team's Opening Day lineup on Thursday. The Cubs will face left-handed pitcher Mike Minor and manager Joe Maddon does not like to deploy Schwarber versus lefties. Outfielder Mark Zagunis will replace Schwarber and bat ninth. Zagunis had a nice spring, but can be ignored outside […]

Ryan McMahon Hitting Seventh For Rockies

Colorado Rockies second baseman Ryan McMahon is starting at second base and batting seventh on Opening Day on Thursday against Marlins starter Jose Urena. McMahon swung the bat really well in spring training and won the starting job at the keystone over Garrett Hampson, but he'll have to perform to continue seeing regular playing time. […]

Jose Osuna Placed On Injured List

The Pittsburgh Pirates placed outfielder Jose Osuna (neck) on the 10-day injured list on Thursday. Osuna had a chance to be on the Opening Day roster as a bench bat, and he likely would've seen some playing time in right field with Gregory Polanco (shoulder) not expected to return until May. Instead, Melky Cabrera will […]

Lewis Brinson At The Top Of The Lineup On Opening Day

Miami Marlins outfielder Lewis Brinson is batting in the leadoff spot against the Colorado Rockies on Opening Day. The centerpiece of the Christian Yelich deal had an encouraging spring that saw him hit .278 with five home runs and eight RBI through 54 at-bats. He will hope to carry over that success to the regular […]

Kev's 10 Bold Predictions for 2019

That's GOLD, Jerry! GOLD! RotoSurgeon here with my first ever "gold predictions" piece. Many of you may not be familiar with my work because I have not been with RotoBaller as long as some of my esteemed colleagues. It is reasonable to not trust nor care about what I say because of my lack of […]

Danny Duffy Officially Put On Injured List

The Kansas City Royals placed starting pitcher Danny Duffy (shoulder) on the 10-day injured list on Thursday. It's an issue that dates back to the close of last season, and the left-hander might not return to the starting rotation until May. Duffy wasn't very good last year even when healthy, going 8-12 with a 4.88 […]

Brandon Drury Batting Leadoff Against The Tigers

Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Brandon Drury is batting at the top of the lineup on Opening Day against the Detroit Tigers. The 26-year-old had a fantastic spring training, posting a .315 average to go along with three home runs, six RBI, and two stolen bases. Most importantly, manager Charlie Montoyo gave him an extended […]

Matt Duffy Placed On Injured List

The Tampa Bay Rays placed third baseman Matt Duffy (hamstring) on the 10-day injured list on Thursday. Duffy was pretty much hurt all of spring training and might not return until sometime in August. He's only worth stashing in AL-only leagues. Yandy Diaz will start at the hot corner on Opening Day and figures to […]

Yoan Moncada Batting In The Two Hole On Opening Day

Chicago White Sox infielder Yoan Moncada will start at third base and bat second on Opening Day against the Kansas City Royals. Moncada has been a frustrating fantasy asset over his young career. He posted solid counting stats in 2018 with 17 home runs, 61 RBI, and 12 stolen bases, but his dismal plate discipline […]

Victor Robles Hitting Ninth On Opening Day

Washington Nationals outfielder Victor Robles is starting in center field and batting ninth on Opening Day on Thursday against Mets starter Jacob deGrom. The 21-year-old Robles had 17 hits in 59 at-bats (.288) and three home runs in 21 games for the Nats last year and has a lot of upside, but his ceiling is […]

Jonathan Villar Batting Third Against Yanks

Baltimore Orioles second baseman Jonathan Villar is hitting third against Yankees starter Masahiro Tanaka on Opening Day on Thursday. Villar is useful to fantasy owners in all leagues because of his speed, mostly, but he'll also have a chance to drive in runs in the middle of the O's lineup. He's hitting .333 but has […]

Adalberto Mondesi Batting Second Against The White Sox

Kansas City Royals shortstop Adalberto Mondesi will bat behind Whit Merrifield on Opening Day against Carlos Rodon and the Chicago White Sox. Mondesi has a ton of fantasy hype surrounding him heading into the 2019 campaign. In 75 games last season, the 23-year-old had a .276 average to go along with 14 home runs, 37 […]

Yandy Diaz Starting At Third Base On Opening Day

Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Yandy Diaz will bat fifth on Opening Day against the Houston Astros. The 27-year-old put together a respectable spring, posting a .286 average to go along with two home runs and nine RBI. Diaz is a versatile infielder that can play all over the diamond and with Matt Duffy (hamstring) […]

Rowdy Tellez Recalled From Triple-A Buffalo

Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Rowdy Tellez was recalled from Triple-A Buffalo on Thursday morning. Kendrys Morales was traded to the Oakland Athletics on Wednesday night, so Tellez is an in-house replacement. The 24-year-old hit .314 with four home runs and 14 RBI across 23 games with the Jays last season. While Tellez showed promise […]

Corey Knebel Determining Fate On Friday

Milwaukee Brewers reliever Corey Knebel (elbow) said he'll decide on Friday whether to undergo Tommy John surgery or attempt to rehab his ulnar collateral ligament. Knebel aggravated the injury during spring training. The 27-year-old is going to be sidelined for a considerable amount of time, regardless of the decision. The Brewers are likely going to […]

Lonnie Chisenhall Out 4-6 Weeks With Broken Hand

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Lonnie Chisenhall (hand) will be out four to six weeks with a broken hand, reports The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal. He was hit-by-pitch in Monday’s spring training game against the Astros and was immediately pulled from the game. Chisenhall’s career has been marred by injuries but the Pirates are now forced to use […]

Melky Cabrera Batting Seventh On Opening Day

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Melky Cabrera will be the starting right fielder and bat seventh against the Reds on Opening Day on Thursday. Cabrera gets the nod after expected starter Lonnie Chisenhall (hand) was pulled from Monday’s spring game after being hit-by-pitch. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported on Thursday morning that Chisenhall has a broken […]

Josh Donaldson Batting Second On Opening Day

Atlanta Braves third baseman Josh Donaldson will be batting near the top of the order on Opening Day against Aaron Nola and the Philadelphia Phillies. Donaldson had a mediocre spring as he carried a .130 average across 27 plate appearances. Regardless, the 33-year-old has intriguing bounce-back potential playing in a deep Braves lineup this season. […]

Eloy Jimenez To Bat Fifth In Big League Debut

Chicago White Sox outfielder Eloy Jimenez will bat fifth in his big league debut Thursday. Jimenez is one of the best prospects in the game and is a candidate for Rookie of the Year. Jimenez isn’t in the best lineup, but the potential is there for him to be a big contributor this year in […]

Ronald Acuna Beginning Season In Four Hole

Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna is in the cleanup spot in the Atlanta Braves Opening Day lineup. After setting the world on fire to the tune of a .328/.409/.634 slash line as a leadoff hitter in 2018, the Braves are placing Acuna into more of a run-producing spot this season. Hitting directly behind other MVP candidates Josh […]

Troy Tulowitzki Batting Ninth On Opening Day

New York Yankees shortstop Troy Tulowitzki will be batting at the bottom of the lineup on Opening Day against the Baltimore Orioles. The veteran infielder will likely see steady playing time until Didi Gregorius (elbow) is back to full health. The 34-year-old hit .242 across 39 plate appearances in spring training with four home runs […]

Using Sabermetrics For Fantasy Baseball Part 15 - Ballpark Factors

If you have ever selected a streamable pitcher based on home park or benched an otherwise must-start arm at Coors Field, you already know how much a stadium can impact a player's bottom line. Ballpark Factors quantify the influence each stadium has, allowing you to make the most of your fantasy team's real-life schedule. Today, […]