Tony Cingrani To Miss Beginning Of The Season

Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Tony Cingrani is dealing with soreness in his left shoulder and he has been shut down. He will not be ready for Opening Day and will begin the season on the 10-day injured list. The southpaw will leave just Scott Alexander as the only left-handed specialist in the bullpen for […]

Nicholas Castellanos Scratched From Thursday's Lineup

Detroit Tigers outfielder Nicholas Castellanos (hand) was slated to start on Thursday after missing the team's last game against Boston. Castellanos was hit by a pitch on Sunday against the Yankees and has been on the mend since, but apparently was not well enough to play Thursday. Manager Ron Gardenhire indicated that Castellanos will take […]

Michael Fulmer Shut Down To Work On Mechanics

The Detroit Tigers have put starting pitcher Michael Fulmer on the shelf to "refine lower-body mechanics," team sources reported Thursday. The club has given no timetable for when Fulmer will get back on the mound. In his last start, Fulmer touched 92 MPH on the radar gun, but all his remaining 43 pitches clocked between […]

Victor Robles Goes 2-For-4, Homers

Washington Nationals outfielder Victor Robles hit his second home run of the spring on Thursday and is now batting .375 with a 1.069 OPS this month. His main competition for playing time this season, Michael A. Taylor, also suffered a knee injury which, if serious, would mean extra at-bats for Robles. Robles makes for a […]

Michael A. Taylor Injures Left Knee

Washington Nationals outfielder Michael A. Taylor injured his left knee robbing Byron Buxton of a hit in the second inning on Thursday. He left the game at the end of the inning and will be evaluated further on Friday. Based on reports, the injury may not be serious, but a significant injury would pretty much […]

Jhoulys Chacin Named Opening Day Starter

Milwaukee Brewers manager Craig Counsell named starting pitcher Jhoulys Chacin as his Opening Day starter on Thursday. He'll face the Cardinals at home on March 28 after the 31-year-old had a stellar year in 2018. Chacin went 15-8 with a 3.50 ERA in the regular season before posting a 1.46 ERA in three playoff starts […]

Mallex Smith Won't Go On Injured List

Seattle Mariners outfielder Mallex Smith (elbow) won't make the trip to Japan, but general manager Jerry Dipoto said Smith won't go on the 10-day injured list and should be ready to play in the team's home opener on March 28 against Boston. Smith has been out all spring with a strained right elbow, but he […]

Kyle Seager Likely Out Until June

Seattle Mariners third baseman Kyle Seager will miss at least the next two and a half months after having surgery to fix a tendon in his left hand, according to general manager Jerry Dipoto. Dr. Donald Sheridan, who performed the procedure on Tuesday, estimated a recovery period of eight to 10 weeks for Seager. The […]

Austin Hedges' Job Security Appears Safe For Now

San Diego Padres catcher Austin Hedges launched two home runs Wednesday against the Los Angeles Angels, giving him three dingers and a 1.159 OPS in 19 spring plate appearances. The 26-year-old is set to begin his third full season as the Padres primary backstop and one of baseball’s premier defensive catchers. While he’s demonstrated pop […]

Daniel Norris Improves Following Mechanical Adjustment

Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Daniel Norris hasn't been terribly effective this spring and was roughed up badly on March 3 against the Yankees, allowing three home runs while recording just five outs. But after a sit-down with veteran Jordan Zimmermann, Norris was able to make a mechanical adjustment that he says has him feeling much […]

Chris Paddack Almost A Lock For Rotation

San Diego Padres starter Chris Paddack continued to impress on Wednesday, recording six strikeouts across four innings against the mostly big-league Los Angeles Angels lineup. He gave up just one run, five hits and zero walks. With 20 strikeouts and a 14.2 K/9, Paddack leads all spring training pitchers in strikeouts. Baseball’s No. 34 prospect […]

Tyler Glasnow Throwing Gas

Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow drew praise from manager Kevin Cash as he was hitting 98-101 mph heat in his minor league appearance Wednesday. His spring with the big-league club has not gone great so far, as he's allowed six earned runs in only 5 1/3 innings pitched with seven strikeouts. The expectation […]

Tommy Pham Begins Throwing Program

Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Tommy Pham (shoulder) has started throwing again on Thursday. Manager Kevin Cash is expecting him back in the outfield in the middle of next week. This is continued good news, as Pham is being taken as the 17th outfielder in fantasy drafts, according to NFBC's average draft position. A clean bill of […]

Nicholas Castellanos Will Play Thursday

Detroit Tigers outfielder Nicholas Castellanos (hand) should be back in the lineup on Thursday, according to manager Ron Gardenhire. The slugger was hit by a pitch on Sunday against the Yankees and has been undergoing treatment on his left hand since. Castellanos has been the topic of trade rumors for the rebuilding Tigers since last […]

ADP Champ or Chump - C.J. Cron and Robbie Ray

No matter how much you prepare for a draft, what you do in the heat of the moment can reveal who you like and who you don't. I recently completed two Rotoballer Challenge drafts (there's still time to sign up if you haven't yet) and decided that any player I took in both of them […]

Where Do Elite Starters Come From?

Among expert drafts, starting pitchers are coming off the board earlier and more rapidly than in previous years. For instance, the LABR mixed league saw nine starters drafted in the first two rounds in comparison to just six in 2018 and five in 2017. Pitcher selection in expert drafts has been somewhat more aggressive than […]

Breakout Relievers Who'll Keep Succeeding in 2019

"Don't pay for saves." That has always been the advice repeated ad nauseum by veteran fantasy baseball players and while that sentiment is true on the surface, dealing with bullpens in fantasy baseball is a lot murkier in 2019 than it was in 2009. With specialized pitching roles leading to starters being left in the game […]

Dustin Fowler Optioned Despite Nice Spring

The Oakland Athletics optioned outfielder Dustin Fowler to Triple-A Las Vegas on Wednesday despite the fact he had a strong spring. He his .293 (12-for-41) with two home runs during Cactus League spring play, but he was on the outside looking in once Robbie Grossman was added to the roster early in camp. "I knew […]

Mike Fiers Serves Up Three Homers In Spring Game

Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Mike Fiers allowed five earned runs, eight hits and a walk with two strikeouts over 3 1/3 innings, and he served up three home runs in the Cactus League spring finale against the Chicago Cubs. It was his final tune-up before he makes the Opening Day start in Tokyo against the […]

Daniel Mengden Optioned To Triple-A Las Vegas

The Oakland Athletics optioned starting pitcher Daniel Mengden to Triple-A Las Vegas. Beat writer Susan Slusser suggests that this move doesn't necessarily mean he is out of the running for a rotation spot, it just means that someone else will fill his roster spot for the Japan Series next week against the Seattle Mariners. The […]

Stephen Vogt's Shoulder Holds Up Nicely

San Francisco Giants catcher Stephen Vogt (shoulder) was able to withstand five innings behind the plate in a minor-league spring game on Wednesday. He finished 1-for-3 and was able to throw out a base runner. The latter is the most important part, as he continues to build up strength and stamina. He'll see occasional starts […]

Steven Duggar Still Not Cleared To Dive

San Francisco Giants outfielder Steven Duggar (shoulder) played in his second consecutive Cactus League spring game without any setbacks after some hard contact. He even had to dive back into first base once, with his non-repaired arm, which likely worried the training staff. Duggar has not been cleared to dive in the outfield, and he […]

Ketel Marte Will Still See Time In Center Field

Arizona Diamondbacks infielder/outfielder Ketel Marte is still expected to see plenty of starts in center field. He has only played infield during his career, and he will also play second base and shortstop. The signing of veteran Adam Jones does not mean that the Marte experiment in the outfield is over. Marte is going to […]

Adam Jones To Play All Over The Outfield

New Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Adam Jones will not be limited to center field, but he is expected to play the corner outfield spots, too. Jones will be slotted in center field when infielder/outfielder Ketel Marte is starting at second base or shortstop. When Marte plays center, Jones will give either David Peralta or Steven Souza […]

Jarrod Dyson On Track For Opening Day

Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Jarrod Dyson (oblique) feels he might be able to return to Cactus League spring game action sometime late this week. He has been sidelined due to a strained left oblique muscle. If he is able to play later in the week he would be on track to be ready by Opening Day […]

Velocity Up For Zack Greinke In Latest Outing

Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Zack Greinke allowed just one hit with one walk and six strikeouts over 4 2/3 scoreless innings in his Cactus League spring start against the Texas Rangers while the velocity of his fastball topped out at 91 mph. "I don't know what it was exactly," Greinke said. "But the swings on […]

Cesar Hernandez Is the Bargain 20/20 Player You're Looking For

The Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Cesar Hernandez has produced solid fantasy results in his last few seasons and it’s time to start taking him seriously in drafts. Second base can be a tricky position to get good value after the first few rounds; Hernandez can help owners later in the draft with a quality option […]

Walker Buehler To Pitch Either Monday Or Tuesday

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Walker Buehler will pitch in a Cactus League spring game Monday or Tuesday, manager Dave Roberts said. The team has been bringing Buehler along slowly during camp, trying to preserve him for the season. Buehler said he plans to be able to pitch without restrictions once the regular season starts. […]

Clayton Kershaw To Throw Bullpen On Thursday

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw (shoulder) will throw a bullpen session on Thursday, manager Dave Roberts said. The southpaw is expected to throw his entire array of pitchers after throwing only fastballs in his most recent session. After that, barring any setbacks, he is expected to throw a live batting practice session. There […]

Corey Seager To Play Defense In Minors Game

Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager (elbow, hip) is scheduled to play three innings in the field in a minor-league spring game on Thursday, manager Dave Roberts said. Seager hasn't played shortstop in a Major League game since last April before his reconstructive elbow surgery. It appears he is rounding the corner, and Roberts said […]