Keone Kela To Face Hitters Thursday

Pittsburgh Pirates closer Keone Kela (illness) is scheduled to face live hitters on Thursday after missing his first live batting practice session due to a viral infection. The Pirates have named Kela their ninth-inning closer heading into the 2020 season after he posted a very nice 2.12 ERA and 1.01 WHIP with one save in […]

Matt Magill Dealing With Shoulder Discomfort

Seattle Mariners relief pitcher Matt Magill (shoulder) is being held back after feeling shoulder discomfort prior to camp. However, Magill said the injury is minor and he threw a bullpen session on Tuesday without issues. The right-hander finished 2019 as the team's closer and is a leading candidate for the same role this season. Barring […]

Mitch Haniger Not Doing Much At Camp

Seattle Mariners outfielder Mitch Haniger (back) is back in camp but cannot do any lifting or much activities for another month following microdiscectomy surgery on his back. There remains no timetable for Haniger's return, but he fully expects to return this season and is relieved to finally have some answers for his back issues. It's […]

Anthony Rizzo Could Hit Second In Lineup

Chicago Cubs manager David Ross hinted that first baseman Anthony Rizzo could be the team's No. 2 hitter this year. Ross announced on Wednesday that he plans to have third baseman Kris Bryant hit in the leadoff spot. Having the team's best two hitters at the top of the order makes sense, although it could […]

Tanner Roark On Track For Start Of Season

Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Tanner Roark (illness) is still sick but is improving, according to manager Charlie Montoyo. Montoyo said that Roark remains on track to be ready for the regular season. The right-hander had a 4.35 ERA and 1.39 WHIP while striking out 158 and walking 51 in 165 1/3 innings over 31 […]

Lourdes Gurriel, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. To Hit 3-4 For Jays

Toronto Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo expressed on Thursday that outfielder Lourdes Gurriel and third baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. will hit third and fourth in the lineup for the club this season. Guerrero mentioned he likes batting behind Gurriel since pitchers attack both of them similarly. These bats will be in a prime position to […]

Carlos Carrasco Dealing With Leg Injury

Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Carlos Carrasco (leg) experienced discomfort in his right leg during a workout Wednesday and is scheduled to undergo further testing and imaging Thursday. He walked into the clubhouse Thursday morning using one crutch under his left arm but was able to put pressure on both legs. While the extent of the injury […]

Miguel Sano Committed To Learning First Base

Minnesota Twins third baseman Miguel Sano is "very motivated right now to become the best first baseman he can possibly be," according to manager Rocco Baldelli. Sano will move across the diamond to first to accommodate the team's big free-agent signing over the winter in Josh Donaldson. He will take part in all of the […]

Max Scherzer Feels Good This Spring

Washington Nationals starting pitcher Max Scherzer is expected to start the spring training opener against the Astros on Saturday night after throwing two rounds of live batting practice on Wednesday. "I feel really good right now," Scherzer said. "To be at this point, to hit the live BP, first live BP, and be able to […]

Nicky Lopez Adds Some Muscle

Kansas City Royals second baseman Nicky Lopez put on around 18 pounds of muscle in the offseason and looks visibly larger in camp. “I can feel the extra pop when I’m swinging,” Lopez said. “It feels good.” He was careful not to lose flexibility, however, that might hinder him with his defense. The 24-year-old (25 […]

Ryan O'Hearn, Ryan McBroom Competing For First Base Job

Kansas City Royals first basemen Ryan O'Hearn and Ryan McBroom will be competing for the starting first base job in spring training. McBroom, 27, hit .293 with five doubles in September in 2019 and slugged 26 homers for the Yankees Triple-A affiliate before coming to the Royals. O'Hearn, who hits from the left side, hit […]

Adalberto Mondesi On Track For Opening Day

Kansas City Royals star shortstop Adalberto Mondesi (shoulder) separated his left shoulder on two separate occasions in 2019 and needed shoulder surgery to fix the issue. Mondesi, 24, is now able to perform virtually all baseball activities this spring and began taking swings from the right side this week. The switch-hitter is on track for […]

Pablo Reyes Hit With 80-Game Suspension

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Pablo Reyes received an 80-game suspension without pay after testing positive for Boldenone, a performance-enhancing substance. Reyes, 26 years old, can play the infield and outfield and made his MLB debut in September of 2018 while hitting .293 with three home runs and seven RBI in 63 plate appearances. He hit only […]

Masahiro Tanaka Working On Cutter

New York Yankees starting pitcher Masahiro Tanaka is reportedly working with former Yankee Andy Pettitte on his cutter. Tanaka effectively ditched the pitch last season, throwing it just 1.56% of the time. Over the past three years, Tanaka’s cutter has allowed a poor .424 xwOBA, the worst of any pitch in the 31-year-old’s arsenal. Adding […]

Aledmys Diaz Beats Astros In Arbitration

Houston Astros infielder Aledmys Diaz won his salary arbitration case and will make $2.6 million in 2020 instead of the $2 million that the team was proposing, according to sources. Diaz missed some time with injuries last season and had just 210 at-bats in a utility role, but he was useful to Houston with his […]

Brian Goodwin Wins Arbitration Case

Los Angeles Angels outfielder Brian Goodwin won his salary arbitration case and will make $2.2 million in 2020 instead of the $1.85 million the team was proposing, according to sources. Goodwin hit .262/.326/.470 with 17 home runs, 47 RBI, 65 runs scored and seven stolen bases in 413 at-bats for the Halos last year. He […]

Jesus Aguilar Wins Arbitration Case

Miami Marlins first baseman Jesus Aguilar won his salary arbitration case and will make $2.575 million in 2020 instead of the $2.325 million that the team proposed, according to sources. Aguilar was a first-time All-Star in 2018 when he hit .274 with 35 home runs, 108 RBI and an .890 OPS in 149 games with […]

Red Sox Sign Jonathan Lucroy

The Boston Red Sox signed catcher Jonathan Lucroy to a minor league deal on Wednesday. Lucroy has a chance to make the team's Opening Day roster and will compete with Kevin Plawecki to be Christian Vazquez's backup. Lucroy, 33 years old, has a career .274/.335/.416 slash line in 10 major league seasons, but he hit […]

Nelson Cruz Suffers Bruise After Hit By Pitch

Minnesota Twins designated hitter Nelson Cruz (wrist) suffered a bruised left wrist on Wednesday after being hit by a pitch during a live batting practice session. Manager Rocco Baldelli said Cruz should be fine. Cruz will turn 40 years old on July 1, and although there are obvious injury concerns with a player his age, […]

Byron Buxton Taking Live Batting Practice

Minnesota Twins outfielder Byron Buxton (shoulder) is taking live batting practice on Wednesday. Barring any setbacks in spring training, Buxton could be on track to be ready for Opening Day after having surgery to fix a torn labrum last August. As injury prone as they come, the 26-year-old also offers an enticing mix of power […]

Joey Wentz To Be Shut Down For 10 Days

Detroit Tigers general manager Al Avila said that an MRI exam on pitcher Joey Wentz (forearm) showed no structural damage to his arm, but he'll be shut down for around 10 days. The 22-year-old left-hander was traded from the Braves last season. He was much better for Double-A Erie in five starts to finish the […]

Sergio Romo Resumes Throwing

Minnesota Twins relief pitcher Sergio Romo (shoulder) is throwing a bullpen session on Wednesday after tweaking his non-throwing shoulder earlier in the week. He remains on track to be ready for the start of the season and won't need much time to get his arm ready for a setup role in his first full season […]

A's Easing Sean Murphy Into Action

Oakland Athletics manager Bob Melvin said that catcher Sean Murphy (knee), who had a minor knee cleanup in the offseason, won't take part in a spring game until March 2 as the team eases him into game action. Murphy held his own in 20 games in his first taste of the majors late last year […]

Lucas Giolito Expects To Throw Bullpen By End Of The Week

Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Lucas Giolito (chest) is "feeling 100 percent" and expects to throw a bullpen session by the end of the week. Giolito threw from 150 feet on Tuesday in a flat-ground session that included some breaking pitches. He has no doubts that he'll be ready for Opening Day on March 26. […]

Aaron Judge Playing Catch Wednesday

New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge (shoulder) is playing light catch on Wednesday. Judge came into camp with a sore and cranky shoulder, but it shouldn't affect his ability to be ready by Opening Day. Judge's health is surely something to watch in camp after he played in 102 games in 2019 due to injuries. […]

Matt Shoemaker Expected To Be Ready For Start Of Season

The Toronto Blue Jays are taking it slow with starting pitcher Matt Shoemaker (knee) this spring, but they aren't worried about him being ready for the start of the season. The Blue Jays don't know when Shoemaker will make his spring debut as he recovers from last year's knee surgery. The 33-year-old tore his ACL […]

Yankees Haven't Discussed Extension For DJ LeMahieu

New York Yankees infielder DJ LeMahieu said there haven't been any discussions yet with the team regarding a contract extension. LeMahieu was one of the best values in all of baseball in 2019, as he broke out to the tune of a .327/.375/.518 slash line with 26 home runs, 109 runs scored, 102 RBI and […]

No Limitations For Giancarlo Stanton

New York Yankees outfielder Giancarlo Stanton (knee, quadriceps) said he is limitation-free in spring training. Stanton rehabbed his knee and quadriceps after taking a few days off after being eliminated from the playoffs before going into his full offseason routine. The 30-year-old slugger managed to play in just 18 games last season in what was […]

Lourdes Gurriel Could See Reps At First Base

Toronto Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo stated Wednesday that outfielder Lourdes Gurriel may get some reps at first base this season versus left-handed pitchers. Travis Shaw will be the primary first baseman but has notably struggled versus these hurlers with a .225 career batting average. The Jays have plenty of outfield depth, so it would […]

Kris Bryant To Lead Off In 2020

Chicago Cubs third baseman/outfielder Kris Bryant will lead off for the Chicago Cubs in 2020. Bryant has been the subject of trade rumors, but it remains likely that he will open the season as a Cub. The former National League MVP will be in line to score more runs, but it will likely come at […]