Dylan Carlson Won't Throw Until Monday

St. Louis Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said that outfielder Dylan Carlson (arm) is on a "no-throw" plan until at least Monday after injuring his arm in a Grapefruit League game on Thursday. Carlson can continue to hit, but the Cardinals want to rest his arm through the weekend. This doesn't appear to be a very […]

Yordan Alvarez Still Not Swinging

Houston Astros outfielder/designated hitter Yordan Alvarez (hand) still isn't swinging a bat at spring training, according to manager Dusty Baker. General manager Dana Brown said on Tuesday that Alvarez "should definitely be back for Opening Day," but the longer he goes without swinging, the greater the chance that he might need an injured list stint […]

Statcast xStats: Using Sabermetrics for 2023 Fantasy Baseball

Statcast is a valuable tool for fantasy baseball analysis, and it can be easy to look at a stat called "Expected Batting Average" and blindly use it as your projection moving forward. Of course, proper use of these metrics is a little bit more nuanced than that. First, a disclaimer: This article is about the […]

Nick Mariano's Early-Round Overvalued List for 2023 Fantasy Baseball (Premium Content)

This premium article is part of our 2023 Draft Kit. All other Premium Tools can be accessed on the premium dashboard. Fantasy baseball drafts (and their articles) are almost all about finding the next superstar and unearthing talent late, but we can't forget that surrendering value by over-drafting can be just as crucial. In order […]

Justin Dirden Impressing Dusty Baker

Houston Astros outfielder Justin Dirden has been impressing manager Dusty Baker in spring training. The 25-year-old left-handed-hitting outfielder isn't on Houston's 40-man roster, but he's already hit two home runs in the Grapefruit League. "We're impressed with him and that's why he's here," said Baker. "He's getting a lot of playing time, getting a lot […]

Wil Myers (1B/OF, CIN) - 2023 Fantasy Baseball Draft Values

BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~pick 225 CURRENT ADP: ~240 overall ANALYSIS: Myers’ ADP continues a modest climb following his signing in Cincinnati but there’s still plenty of room to profit. There’s some Myers fatigue as he debuted in 2013 at 22, but the man is only 32 and now gets hitter-friendly confines at Great American […]

Nick Gordon Suffers Ankle Sprain

Minnesota Twins utility man Nick Gordon (ankle) suffered a mild to moderate left ankle sprain in the team's Grapefruit League game on Friday against the Boston Red Sox. X-rays ruled out a fracture, but he was in a walking boot and was using crutches after the game. The Twins will continue to evaluate him, and […]

Nick Gordon Leaves Game Early With Injury

Minnesota Twins outfielder Nick Gordon (undisclosed) was slow to get up after tumbling to the ground during a throw to first base in the Grapefruit League game on Friday against the Boston Red Sox. He walked off the field gingerly with head athletic trainer Nick Paparesta. It's unclear exactly what Gordon's injury is, so check […]

Nick Senzel Hitting In Simulated Game Friday

Cincinnati Reds outfielder Nick Senzel (toe) will take a big step on Friday when he hits in a simulated game on the back fields at camp, according to manager David Bell. Senzel has been behind in spring training after having toe surgery in the offseason. If he's unable to get into Cactus League games by […]

Corey Dickerson Has Been Hitting Second

Washington Nationals outfielder Corey Dickerson has hit in the two-hole in all three of his Grapefruit League games so far, and manager Dave Martinez has praised him as a "professional hitter." There's a chance the Nats keep the 33-year-old veteran near the top of the lineup when regular season games begin at the end of […]

Mike Yastrzemski Back In Action Friday

San Francisco Giants outfielder Mike Yastrzemski (knee) is back in the Cactus League lineup on Friday against the Colorado Rockies, starting in center field and batting leadoff. The Giants held Yastrzemski out of the spring lineup the last two days with some minor right knee soreness, but he's back in there for the weekend. In […]

Jorge Soler Could Hit Second This Year

Miami Marlins outfielder Jorge Soler hit second in the team's Grapefruit League game on Thursday against the Washington Nationals and went 2-for-3 with his first home run of the spring, and he could remain in the two-hole during the regular season. Soler mostly hit third last year for the Fish, but new manager Skip Schumaker […]

Michael Brantley Away From The Team

Houston Astros outfielder Michael Brantley (shoulder) is currently away from the team in spring training while dealing with a family matter, according to a team spokesman. Brantley hasn't even made his Grapefruit League debut this spring after having shoulder surgery last August, and it remains to be seen when he'll actually get into a game […]

Ramon Laureano Back In Spring Lineup Friday

Oakland Athletics outfielder Ramon Laureano (groin) is back in the Cactus League lineup on Friday against the Kansas City Royals, starting in right field and batting third. Laureano missed two spring contests this week with groin tightness, but it obviously wasn't a very serious situation. Injuries have been an issue for the 28-year-old in the […]

Padres Open To Extension Discussions With Juan Soto

Even after the San Diego Padres signed third baseman Manny Machado to a new 11-year, $350 million deal, they remain open to contract-extension discussions with star outfielder Juan Soto. Owner Peter Seidler has been shocking the world with his spending in San Diego, and it may not stop. The Padres are expected to reach out […]

Gilberto Celestino To Miss Significant Time

Minnesota Twins outfielder Gilberto Celestino (thumb) has suffered a ruptured UCL, which will sideline him for multiple weeks. The 24-year-old is set to undergo surgery that is going to sideline him for roughly 6-8 weeks. The expectation was that Celestino would begin the season in Triple-A anyway. However, he's now going to be sidelined until […]

Cavan Biggio Expected To Play Infield And Outfield

Toronto Blue Jays utility man Cavan Biggio is expected to split his playing time in the infield and outfield this coming season. The 27-year-old spent the bulk of 2022 at second and first base, and the Blue Jays were pleased by his performance in the outfield. While he made just nine appearances in the outfield, […]

Myles Straw To Make Spring Debut Thursday

Cleveland Guardians outfielder Myles Straw (knee) is expected to make his spring training debut on Thursday. He has been held out of Cactus League games so far due to knee soreness and will hit ninth against the San Francisco Giants. Straw slashed .221/.291/.273 for the Guardians in 2022 and added some hardware after securing a […]

Ramon Laureano (OF, OAK) - 2023 Fantasy Baseball Draft Values

BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~pick 200 CURRENT ADP: ~215 overall ANALYSIS: Over the last two seasons, among hitters with at least 650 at-bats, only a dozen hitters have averaged a homer and a steal every 30 at-bats or less. A homer and steal every 30 at-bats would get you roughly to an 18-homer, 18-steal season. […]

Royals Sign Jackie Bradley Jr. To Minor-League Deal

The Kansas City Royals signed free-agent outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. to a minor-league deal on Wednesday that includes an invitation to major-league spring training. Bradley will be hoping to impress enough in spring training to win a spot on the Royals' Opening Day roster. He has fallen off a cliff offensively the last two seasons […]

Aaron Judge Likely To Play Left Field Next Week

New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone said that outfielder Aaron Judge will play left field "soon." "Sometime, probably next week," Boone said. Judge, who broke the American League single-season home run record in 2022 with 62 home runs, is set to play some left field this year in the Bronx. The 30-year-old last played left […]

Austin Slater Shut Down For A Week

San Francisco Giants outfielder Austin Slater (elbow), who was scratched from the team's Cactus League opener on Saturday and has yet to appear in a game, will be shut down for the next week before being re-evaluated, according to the team. Slater is dealing with right elbow neuritis. The 30-year-old's availability for Opening Day is […]

Chris Taylor To Play SS 20-25 Percent Of The Time

Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Miguel Rojas will be the team's primary shortstop after the season-ending injury to Gavin Lux (knee), but the Dodgers are planning to rotate Chris Taylor in from the outfield to play the 6 about 20-25 percent of the time in 2023, according to manager Dave Roberts. Taylor played the position regularly […]

Wil Myers Scratched With Back Stiffness

Cincinnati Reds first baseman/outfielder Wil Myers (back) was scratched from the Cactus League game on Wednesday against the Oakland Athletics due to lower back stiffness, according to the team. Alex McGarry will take over at first base for Myers. For now, consider the 32-year-old Myers to be day-to-day. Myers is in Cincinnati in 2023 after […]

George Valera Could Go For Imaging Tests

Cleveland Indians outfield prospect George Valera (wrist), who left Tuesday's Cactus League game after injuring his right wrist on a swing, will take a couple days off before potentially having an MRI exam on his wrist. It's the same wrist that he had surgery on his hamate bone, and manager Terry Francona said "it's hard […]

Simon Muzziotti Back In The Lineup Wednesday

Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Simon Muzziotti (knee) will be back in the Grapefruit League lineup on Wednesday against the Minnesota Twins, starting in left field and batting ninth in the lineup. Muzziotti made his major-league debut with the Phillies in 2022 and went 1-for-7 with two strikeouts in just nine games played, and he ended the […]

Tyrone Taylor Out At Least Three Weeks

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Tyrone Taylor (elbow) received a platelet-rich plasma injection in his elbow and will be sidelined from any baseball activity for at least three more weeks. "We're looking at missing the first month of the season," manager Craig Counsell said. The 29-year-old will begin the 2023 season on the injured list due to […]

Anthony Santander To Play Wednesday

Baltimore Orioles outfielder Anthony Santander (knee) said he will be back in the team's Grapefruit League lineup on Wednesday against the Toronto Blue Jays. Santander's knee is fine after he was hit by a pitch on his left knee on Monday. X-rays came back negative and he was diagnosed with a knee bruise. The 28-year-old […]

Juan Soto Back In Cactus League Lineup

San Diego Padres outfielder Juan Soto (calf) is back in the team's Cactus League lineup on Wednesday, starting in left field and batting second against the Texas Rangers. Soto was scratched from the spring lineup on Monday as a precaution due to left calf tightness, but he's back in there to face the Rangers. The […]

Cody Bellinger Back In The Lineup Wednesday

Chicago Cubs outfielder Cody Bellinger (illness) is back in the starting lineup for a Cactus League game against the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday, starting in center field and batting cleanup. Bellinger made his spring training debut last Saturday, but he's been held out the last few days due to an illness. The 27-year-old former Rookie […]