Spring Training Lineup Takeaways - Week 2 Lineup Trends

Welcome back RotoBallers! We are entering week three of Spring Training already, and with that came a lot of things we saw in week two. But of course, my week one review also still has very relevant information as well. Just a reminder, in my Lineup Takeaways series we are focusing 100% on lineups, news and […]

Jo Adell Leaves Game After Crashing Into Wall

Los Angeles Angels outfielder Jo Adell exited Saturday's game in the third inning after slamming into the outfield wall. The outfield prospect complained of discomfort but no long-term injuries were discovered after he left the game. Adell is just 2-for-11 (.182) this spring after struggling at the major league level in 2020. He hit .161 […]

Jake Fraley Exits After Colliding With Wall

Seattle Mariners outfielder Jake Fraley exited the Cactus League matchup against the Rockies on Saturday, one inning after colliding with the wall. Fraley was attempting to make a play on a Chris Owings drive to left center field. While he stayed in the game at the time after being examined by the trainer, and in […]

Taylor Trammell Continues To Excite

Seattle Mariners outfielder Taylor Trammell seems to make something happen every time he sets foot on the field. A day after beating out a bunt single, Trammell once again put his speed to use Saturday, motoring up to an impressive sprint speed of 28.9 feet per second to reach base on a bouncer to the […]

Jarred Kelenic Progressing Towards Return

Seattle Mariners outfielder Jarred Kelenic (knee) was expected to miss three to six weeks with a Grade 2 adductor strain, but he is already ramping up his rehab and could possibly return to the lineup before spring training comes to a close. The team will surely be cautious with their top prospect despite Kelenic's protests […]

J.D. Martinez: Bounce-Back or Fantasy Bust?

It's easy to forget that just three short years ago, J.D Martinez was considered the best hitter in baseball. He slashed an incredible .330/.402/.629 with 43 home runs and 130 RBI, taking home the AL Hank Aaron Award. Martinez followed up that season with a very solid 2019, but his production completely fell off in […]

Michael Florio's Hitters to Target

Every year, one of the articles I look most forward to writing is about the players I am targeting in my drafts. It not only allows me to talk about the players I know I am high on and go into my drafts hoping to select, but it also forces me to look over my […]

Wil Myers Dealing With Right Knee Inflammation

San Diego Padres outfielder Wil Myers is dealing with some right knee soreness, which kept him out of Saturday's Cactus League game vs. the Arizona Diamondbacks. Beat writer Jeff Sanders noted that Myers went through practice fine on Saturday but that it was cold outside and his knee tightened up on him, which forced him […]

Trayce Thompson Snaps Skid, Homers Against Padres

Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Trayce Thompson snapped a 1-for-18 skid on Saturday afternoon, as he went 2-for-3 with a home run, two RBI and a stolen base. It was Thompson's third home run of the spring, as he improved his triple-slash line to .212/.257/.485 over 10 games. Thompson has struggled in limited playing time over the […]

Tim Locastro Goes 2-For-2 in Return To Lineup

Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Tim Locastro made his return to the lineup on Saturday, where he went 2-for-2 with a pair of singles in the victory over San Diego. Locastro had missed most of the last two weeks after testing positive for COVID-19, but he looked solid at the plate with an infield single in the […]

Ketel Marte Homers In Diamondbacks' Win

Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Ketel Marte slugged his first home run of the spring on Saturday, as he finished 1-for-3 in the win over the Padres. Marte has been on fire so far, going 9-for-16 with four doubles, one home run and four RBI, while getting a hit in six of his first seven games. He […]

Bryan Reynolds Homers Against Yankees Saturday

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Bryan Reynolds hit his first home run of Spring Training on Saturday, as he went 1-for-2 with a hit-by-pitch in the loss to the Yankees. Reynolds sent an 0-2 slider from Darren O'Day into the stands in right field for his only hit of the day. After putting up a big rookie […]

Anthony Alford Exits Game Early On Saturday

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Anthony Alford exited Saturday's game early with what is described as right wrist discomfort, according to Alex Stumpf of DK Pittsburgh Sports. Alford was hit by a pitch in the fourth inning while facing Corey Kluber, and he was quickly removed from the game. There is no official word yet on how […]

Juan Soto Back In The Lineup Saturday

Washington Nationals outfielder Juan Soto (illness) is back in the lineup Saturday against the Mets. Soto was sent home on Wednesday after feeling sinus discomfort, though he tested negative for COVID-19- and it was never viewed as anything too serious. The 22-year-old will bat second against New York. Soto owns a career .972 OPS with […]

Garrett Hampson Leading Off On Saturday

Colorado Rockies second baseman Garrett Hampson is leading off on Saturday against the Seattle Mariners in Cactus League play. This will be the fourth time this spring that the 26-year-old has led off for the Rockies this spring. While Hampson is a second baseman by trade, he's played the majority of Cactus League games in […]

Tim Locastro Returns To Lineup Saturday

Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Tim Locastro is back in the lineup and hitting second on Saturday after missing the last week and a half due to a positive COVID test. Locastro had appeared in only one game this spring before testing positive, going 0-for-2 with a strikeout. He has shown that he can be a 15-homer, […]

Luis Alexander Basabe To Miss 6-8 Weeks

San Francisco Giants outfielder Luis Alexander Basabe (wrist) will miss six to eight weeks with a wrist sprain, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. Basabe suffered the injury in Tuesday's game while diving for a ball in right field. He was only 1-for-9 this spring, but he did show some speed with two […]

Nick Senzel Reaches Base Twice In Loss

Cincinnati Reds outfielder Nick Senzel went 1-for-2 with a single and a walk in a 4-3 Cactus League loss to the Seattle Mariners on Friday. Senzel is putting together a productive spring, hitting .313 with two homers, three runs, and two RBI across 16 at-bats. The young outfielder is expected to open the season as […]

Jesse Winker Crosses The Plate In Loss

Cincinnati Reds outfielder Jesse Winker went 0-for-3 with a run scored in a 4-3 Cactus League loss to the Seattle Mariners on Friday. Winker struck out twice in the contest as he saw his batting average dip to .200 over 10 spring at-bats. The veteran outfielder is still working his way back after missing the […]

Estevan Florial Among Yankees First Spring Cuts

New York Yankees outfield prospect Estevan Florial was optioned to Triple-A Scranton//Wilkes-Barre among the team's first roster moves in camp on Friday. Right-hander Luis Gil was optioned to Double-A Somerset. Right-hander Luis Medina, infielder Oswald Peraza and right-hander Alexander Vizcaino were optioned to High-A Hudson Valley, while right-hander Yoendrys Gomez was sent to Low-A Tampa. […]

Jay Bruce Making A Case For Bench Spot

New York Yankees veteran first baseman/outfielder Jay Bruce said that he feels the healthiest he has in years while he competes with Mike Tauchman and others for a bench spot this spring as a non-roster invitee. Bruce was 1-for-2 with a walk in Grapefruit League action on Friday, and the three-time All-Star is hitting .400 […]

Mitch Haniger Scratched Due To Wet Field

Seattle Mariners outfielder Mitch Haniger was a late scratch from Friday's Cactus League matchup against the Cincinnati Reds. Haniger was set to lead off and play right field. Luis Liberato replaced Haniger in the lineup. This is reportedly a result of the wet field in Arizona, not an injury, as the Mariners are being cautious […]

Jackie Bradley Jr. Set For Cactus League Debut Saturday

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. is on track to serve as the leadoff hitter for Saturday's Cactus League matchup versus the Rangers. Bradley made his unofficial team debut Friday during an intrasquad contest, logging four plate appearances. After being a late signee, Milwaukee is attempting to ramp Bradley up in time to be ready […]

Yordan Alvarez Set For Spring Debut Sunday

Houston Astros outfielder/designated hitter Yordan Alvarez (knee) has been pegged to serve as the DH in Sunday's Grapefruit League outing against Washington, marking his spring debut. Alvarez has worked his way back from double arthroscopic knee surgery, which limited him to just two games during the 2020 year. When healthy, his power is unquestioned. Currently […]

Starling Marte Continues To Thrive In Camp

Miami Marlins outfielder Starling Marte went 1-for-2 with a walk, a stolen base, and a run scored in Friday's Grapefruit League game against the New York Mets. Marte is hitting a strong .412 with a 1.092 OPS so far this spring, with reporters saying he's hitting the ball well and running even better. This could […]

Victor Robles Walking, Stealing Bases In Early Spring

Washington Nationals outfielder Victor Robles is having a nice spring so far with four walks, four steals in four tries and a .250/.429/.438 triple-slash line in 21 plate appearances. Those walks and on-base percentage are key, with the Nationals hoping Robles can be their leadoff hitter in 2021. Robles' career to date (.250/.320/.407) doesn't justify […]

Trent Grisham Set To Miss One Week With Hamstring Strain

San Diego Padres outfielder Trent Grisham (hamstring) has been determined to have a Grade 1 left hamstring strain stemming from Thursday's Cactus League contest. The team hopes that Grisham will need to miss only a week of action due to the ailment, which gives him some leeway as it pertains to being ready for Opening […]

Max Kepler Exits Thursday With Thigh Bruise

Minnesota Twins outfielder Max Kepler (thigh) departed Thursday's Grapefruit League contest versus Boston after he fouled a ball off of his left thigh. Manager Rocco Baldelli indicated that the outfielder figured to have a sizable bruise on the spot, but that there was little long-term concern. Kepler has gotten off to a slow start this […]

Using Sabermetrics for Fantasy Baseball: Batting Order

You may be wondering why there aren't any advanced stats aimed at predicting a player's counting stats like runs and RBI. The answer is simple: modern sabermetrics reject the idea of a "clutch RBI guy" and therefore do not bother inventing predictive metrics for it. Runs and RBI are team-dependent stats and are unhelpful in ascertaining […]

MLB Spring Training Notebook (3/12) - Severino Beginning Build Up

Welcome to the 2021 edition of RotoBaller's Spring Training Notebook. Thankfully, we have real, live baseball being played every day again, and while it doesn't count for anything, these exhibition games gives us the smallest glimmer into players and teams heading into the new season. We're officially through the first week of spring training games […]