Nicolo Melli Will Join in Rising Stars Challenge

New Orleans Pelicans forward Nicolo Melli will replace Deandre Ayton (ankle) in the upcoming Rising Stars Challenge. Ayton has missed each of the last two games and will miss the upcoming All-Star game activities as a precaution. Melli has been more involved in the rotation with Brandon Ingram (ankle) banged up. Melli could be a […]

Damian Lillard Will Miss All-Star Game

Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (groin) won't participate in the upcoming All-Star Game. He strained his groin during Wednesday's game against the Memphis Grizzlies. The Blazers will have Lillard undergo an MRI on Thursday, but he'll sit out of the All-Star Game as a precaution. Devin Booker will replace Lillard in the upcoming All-Star […]

Karl-Anthony Towns Will Miss Time After All-Star Break

Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns (wrist) is expected to miss multiple games following the All-Star break. He's dealing with a left wrist injury that sidelined him from Wednesday's game. An MRI didn't reveal anything significant, but the Wolves are going to play it safe. Naz Reid and James Johnson will have some low-end fantasy value […]

Trent Grisham The Front-Runner In Center Field Competition

The San Diego Padres expect outfielder Trent Grisham to be their Opening Day center fielder, according to San Diego Union-Tribune beat writer Kevin Acee. The 23-year-old was acquired in the offseason for infielder Luis Urias from the Milwaukee Brewers. Grisham lit up the minors last year before debuting with the Brewers to a .738 OPS […]

Anthony Lynn Given One-Year Extension

The Los Angeles Chargers agreed to a one-year contract extension with head coach Anthony Lynn that puts him with the team through the 2021 season. The Chargers are entering a transition now that they have officially moved on from veteran quarterback Philip Rivers, and they're expected to let running back Melvin Gordon walk in free […]

Joey Lucchesi And Cal Quantrill Battling For Fifth-Starter Gig

The San Diego Padres No. 5 starter could come down to Joey Lucchesi or Cal Quantrill. San Diego Union-Tribune beat writer Kevin Acee expects the top four rotation positions to be secured by Chris Paddack, Garrett Richards, Dinelson Lamet and Zach Davies. Both Lucchesi and Quantrill are homegrown youngsters that showed well in spurts last […]

Brusdar Graterol Will Be A Reliever

Los Angeles Dodgers pitching prospect Brusdar Graterol, who was acquired in the three-team blockbuster trade that sent Kenta Maeda to the Twins, will be a reliever with his new team, according to manager Dave Roberts. The Red Sox saw something in Graterol's medicals that they did not like, and they viewed him as a reliever […]

Joc Pederson, A.J. Pollock To Platoon In Left Field

Los Angeles Dodgers outfielders Joc Pederson and A.J. Pollock are set to platoon in left field this year. Pollock's fantasy value was hurt the most when the Dodgers trade with the Angels for Pederson fell through, although LA could still ship Pederson somewhere else before the start of the season. If Pederson stays with the […]

Tommy Milone Signs With Orioles

The Baltimore Orioles signed starting pitcher Tommy Milone to a minor league deal on Thursday, according to an industry source. Milone will be a non-roster invite in spring training. The 32-year-old lefty, 33 on Sunday, went 4-10 with a weak 4.76 ERA and 1.12 WHIP in 23 outings (six starts) for the Mariners last year […]

Shelby Miller Down 30 Pounds

Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Shelby Miller, who is in camp as a non-roster invite, is down 30 pounds from last year when he tipped the scales at 255 pounds. It's that time of the year: When we'll hear plenty of best-shape-of-my-life stories. The former first-round pick in 2009 is motivated, though, after posting a hideous […]

Eduardo Rodriguez Loses Arbitration Case

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez lost his salary arbitration case and will make $8.3 million in 2020 instead of the $8.975 million that he requested, according to a source. Boston will be relying on Rodriguez even more this season after they traded David Price to the Dodgers. The 26-year-old (27 in April) left-hander […]

Alex Verdugo Up In The Air For Opening Day

Boston Red Sox outfielder Alex Verdugo (back, oblique), who was acquired from the Dodgers in the blockbuster deal including Mookie Betts and David Price, might not be ready for the start of the season, according to a source. Verdugo is still battling a back injury that shut his 2019 season down in August. His potential […]

Chris Paddack Emphasizing Curveballs In First Bullpen Session

San Diego Padres starter Chris Paddack was seen working “plenty” of curveballs into his first spring training bullpen session. The 24-year-old burst on the scene last season with a 3.33 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 9.8 K/9 in his debut campaign, while primarily utilizing a fastball-changeup combination. Having thrown his curve just 10 percent of pitches […]

Jose Soriano Undergoes Tommy John Surgery

Los Angeles Angels pitching prospect Jose Soriano (elbow) underwent Tommy John surgery last week and will miss the entire 2020 season. Still just 21 years old, Soriano is the Angels No. 9 prospect, per MLB Pipeline. The right-hander dominated the Midwest League in 2019, posting a 2.55 ERA and 1.30 WHIP while striking out 84 […]

Titans Bring Anthony Firkser Back

The Tennessee Titans agreed on a one-year contract extension with tight end Anthony Firkser on Thursday. Firkser was on track to become an exclusive-rights free agent in March. Financial terms of the deal weren't disclosed. The Harvard alum had two big touchdown catches in the playoffs and hauled in 14 passes for 204 yards and […]

Ben Roethlisberger's Rehab All Good

Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert said that "all signs are good to this point" with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (elbow), who will have a medical checkup on Feb. 21. The team's medical staff has constantly been working with Big Ben, and Colbert said Roethlisberger could be better than he was a year ago. The 37-year-old […]

Yonny Chirinos In Great Shape

Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash said that pitcher Yonny Chirinos looks "awesome" after losing 15 pounds while working out this offseason. Chirinos went 9-5 with a 3.85 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 114 strikeouts and only 28 walks in 133 1/3 innings over 26 outings (18 starts) in 2019 for the Rays. He was slightly better […]

Brandon Ingram Could Sit Versus Thunder

New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram (ankle) is listed as a game-time decision for Thursday's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. He was able to get in some work during shootaround on Thursday. Fantasy owners are likely going to have to wait until closer to tip-off for more information. Josh Hart would be in line […]

Jaylen Brown Might Play on Thursday

Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (calf) is listed as a game-time decision for Thursday's game against the Los Angeles Clippers. He was able to get through shootaround and is listed as probable on the injury report. Brown has been banged up, so it wouldn't be surprising if the Celtics decide to rest him here. Marcus […]

Robert Williams Will Practice After All-Star Break

Boston Celtics center Robert Williams (hip) is expected to return to practice after the All-Star break. He's been ramping up the his activities lately and was able to get through a full-contact workout. The hope is that Williams is going to be ready shortly after the break. Daniel Theis and Enes Kanter are going to […]

Deandre Ayton Won't Play in Rising Stars Challenge

Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton (ankle) won't play in the Rising Stars Challenge this weekend. Ayton missed each of the last two games heading into the All-Star break due to left ankle soreness. Hopefully, Ayton will be able to rest up and be ready to play after the break. Fantasy owners shouldn't be worried about […]

Kyrie Irving Could Practice After All-Star Break

Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving (knee) could return to practice after the All-Star break, according to head coach Kenny Atkinson. It's unclear when Irving is going to be able to get back on the court. It will likely depend on how he feels after those practices, so fantasy owners are going to have to wait […]

Eugenio Suarez Has A Realistic Shot At Opening Day

Cincinnati Reds third baseman Eugenio Suarez (shoulder) has a realistic chance at being ready for Opening Day, according to manager David Bell. The 28-year-old underwent surgery to remove loose cartilage in his shoulder back in January. While this is a promising step in the right direction, Suarez still needs to resume swinging a bat and […]

Ryan Blaney Could Be Great Value For Daytona 500

Ryan Blaney, driver of the No. 12 Menards Ford Mustang for Team Penske, is entering his fifth season as a full-time Cup driver and third season with Team Penske. Blaney has been a consistent driver in his NASCAR career to this point, improving his average finish for the whole season every year that he has […]

Martin Truex Jr. Is Overvalued at Daytona

Martin Truex Jr., driver of the No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing, is entering his 15th full-time season in the Cup Series and second season with JGR. Truex has had a career resurgence in recent years, compiling 23 of his 26 career wins in just the previous four seasons, including […]

Jarrod Dyson Officially A Pirate, Jameson Taillon to 60-Day IL

Free-agent outfielder Jarrod Dyson has cleared his physical and has officially signed a one-year contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates. To make room on the 40-man roster for Dyson, the Pirates have moved pitcher Jameson Taillon to the 60-day injured list. The Pirates gain a top-10 active base-stealer in Dyson, which includes an 85% success rate […]

Domingo Santana Agrees To One-Year Deal With Indians

Outfielder Domingo Santana and the Cleveland Indians have come to terms on a one-year deal, pending that the 27-year-old passes a physical, Paul Hoynes of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports. Santana had a .253 batting average last season for the Seattle Mariners. He hit 21 home runs and drove in 69 runs in 121 games […]

Kyle Busch Is A Risky Play For Daytona 500

Kyle Busch, driver of the No. 18 M&Ms Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing, is entering his 16th season as a full-time Cup driver and his 13th with JGR. Busch has had incredible success in his career, especially since joining JGR. That success has not consistently been shown at Daytona International Speedway, however. Busch has […]

Matthew Stafford Trade Rumors Are False

Detroit Lions general manager Bob Quinn refuted a Wednesday night report that the team is in talks to trade quarterback Matthew Stafford. "100% False!!" Quinn wrote in a text message to the Free Press. Stafford is entering his 12th season in the NFL and threw for 2,499 yards, 19 touchdowns and five interceptions while setting […]

Dustin Pedroia Won't Report On Monday

Boston Red Sox manager Ron Roenicke said that second baseman Dustin Pedroia (knee) won't report with the rest of the position players on Monday. It is now unlikely that Pedroia will be in spring training this year because of the significant setback he had with his left knee last month. The four-time All-Star and former […]