Anthony Santander Plays Outfield Tuesday

Baltimore Orioles outfielder Anthony Santander (shoulder) played the outfield for the first time in a Grapefruit League game on Tuesday and went 1-for-2 with a home run. Santander had previously been serving as the designated hitter this spring. The 25-year-old Venezuelan hit .261/.297/.476 with 20 home runs and 59 RBI in 93 games for the […]

JaCoby Jones To Play Thursday

Detroit Tigers outfielder JaCoby Jones (calf) has been working out and running, and the plan is for him to play in a Grapefruit League game on Thursday. Jones should have time to get ready for Opening Day. The 27-year-old hit just .235/.310/.430 with 11 home runs, 26 RBI and seven steals for Detroit in 88 […]

Bryce Harper Has Bruised toe

Updating previous reports, Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Bryce Harper (toe) suffered a bruised left big toe when he was hit by a pitch in the Grapefruit League game on Tuesday. Harper is expected to play again on Friday, according to manager Joe Girardi. The Phillies were just exercising caution with their superstar outfielder, and Harper should […]

Michael Conforto Diagnosed With Oblique Strain

New York Mets outfielder Michael Conforto (oblique) was diagnosed with a right oblique strain on Tuesday. He was sent back to New York on Monday evening to meet with the team medical staff and he has now received his diagnosis. Conforto tweaked his side while making a catch in right field on Saturday. Conforto will […]

Giancarlo Stanton To Start Running

New York Yankees outfielder Giancarlo Stanton (calf) will reportedly begin running on the field in the next couple of days. Stanton has yet to see game action this spring but started running on an anti-gravity treadmill last week and seems to be progressing relatively well. The Yankees have not provided a clear update on Stanton's […]

Bryce Harper Fine After Leaving Game

Updating a previous report, Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Bryce Harper said he is fine after being hit by a pitch in the foot and leaving Tuesday's game. Harper was removed from the game as a precaution, but it sounds like the star outfielder is fine and should continue his spring as normal. Harper slashed .260/.372/.510 with […]

Yordan Alvarez A Question Mark For Opening Day

Houston Astros outfielder Yordan Alvarez (knee) will not play on Wednesday as previously reported, per manager Dusty Baker. Alvarez has been dealing with pain in his knee all spring and now his status for Opening Day is in question. The AL Rookie of the Year exploded on the scene last season but has struggled this […]

Alex Verdugo Takes Swings, Does Agility Work

Boston Red Sox outfielder Alex Verdugo (back) took 20 swings in the batting cages on Monday and also did some agility work on the field. Verdugo will open the season on the injured list because of a stress fracture in his back, but there's still a chance he'll return in late April. The 23-year-old has […]

Bryce Harper Leaves Game After Hit By Pitch On Foot

Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Bryce Harper (foot) left Tuesday's spring training game after being hit by a pitch. Harper was hit on his left foot and was pulled from the game by manager Joe Girardi. His status is uncertain as of now, but hopefully the Phillies are just being overly cautious with their star outfielder and will […]

Pirates Discussing Extensions For Joe Musgrove, Others

The Pittsburgh Pirates have approached starting pitcher Joe Musgrove, outfielder Bryan Reynolds, shortstop Kevin Newman and third base prospect Ke'Bryan Hayes about contract extensions, according to sources. Hayes, the team's No. 2 prospect per MLB Pipeline, has yet to play in the major leagues, so agreeing to a contract extension would ensure him a spot […]

Nick Solak To See Significant Playing Time In Left Field

With Texas Rangers outfielder Willie Calhoun (jaw) expected to miss significant playing time to begin the season due to a fractured jaw, utility man Nick Solak is expected to replace Calhoun in left field, according to manager Chris Woodward. Solak had been bouncing around positions this spring, and the Rangers were trying to find a […]

David Dahl A Strong Possibility To Lead Off

Colorado Rockies outfielder David Dahl is being considered for the leadoff spot this season, according to manager Bud Black. The growth of analytics has changed how leadoff hitters look over the last couple years, so Dahl could fit well in the role even though he's only got a career OBP of .346. If he does […]

Mauricio Dubon Could Spend Time In Outfield

San Francisco Giants manager Gabe Kapler said Monday that middle infielder Mauricio Dubon could see "quite a bit" of time at center field, per NBCSports.com's Alex Pavlovic. The 25-year-old has seen time at second base, shortstop, center field, and third base this preseason. The Giants view him as a flexible option who can fill playing […]

Adam Eaton (OF, WAS) - Fantasy Baseball Draft Sleeper

BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~180s CURRENT ADP: ~204 overall ANALYSIS: In 2019, a healthy Adam Eaton hit .279/.365/.428 with 15 home runs, 15 steals, 103 runs scored and 49 driven in—nothing spectacular, but useful in four categories. He played in 151 games after combining for just 118 in his first two years in Washington. That […]

Batters on a Diet: Sweet-Spot% Fallers

Last week, we talked about players who increased their proclivity to hit the ball between eight and 32 degrees in a stat known as sweet spot percentage. This week, we focus on some players whose sweet spot percentage decreased. But not all decreases in a stat are made equal. The players below all saw their […]

Eric Samulski's 10 Bold Predictions for 2020

I've read these columns for years, so it's kind of surreal to be putting out my own. As somebody who constantly over-analyzes, I tend to be less risky in my fantasy decisions because a part of my brain always walks me back from the ledge. With that in mind, I tried to mix up the […]

Finding Over/Undervalued Second Basemen Using Expected Draft Values

A couple weeks ago, we introduced our Expected Draft Values and explained how they would help us identify both over and undervalued players of all types. Power, speed, power+speed, batting average+power, and so on, with pitchers as well. Today, we'll look at four "power" hitters, as identified by our site projections. Stay tuned over the […]

Late-Round Outfielders - Targets and Avoids in 2020

Once you reach the middle-to-late rounds of drafts, it would be smart to consider drafting some upside fliers that can provide a great return on value. You can take a risk or two on a variety of different players, including a prospect, forgotten veterans, players returning from injuries, or even players with skills but have […]

Nick Senzel Hits First Spring Homer

Cincinnati Reds outfielder Nick Senzel went 1-for-4 with a leadoff solo homer in a 3-3 Cactus League tie with the Chicago White Sox on Monday. Senzel is off to a slow start this spring, with that homer going into the books as his first hit in 10 spring at-bats. The former top prospect's camp got […]

Jay Bruce Expected To Open Season In Left Field

Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Jay Bruce is expected to be the Opening Day left fielder, according to manager Joe Girardi. Bruce has been playing DH when he can this spring, but is expected to play the outfield later in the week. Bruce should hold down a starting outfield job until Andrew McCutchen (knee) is ready to […]

MLB Spring Training Notebook - Injuries, Risers, and Fallers (3/10/20)

Welcome to the Spring Training Notebook for March 10, 2020, where we'll dive into a few of the bigger stories around Major League Baseball's Grapefruit and Cactus Leagues. As we head through the thick of Spring Training 2020, players are starting to separate themselves in the eyes of their organizations with hopes of making the […]

Kyle Lewis Goes Yard Again On Monday

Seattle Mariners outfielder Kyle Lewis went 1-for-3 in the loss to Milwaukee, smashing a shot to left center off of Corbin Burnes in the top of the fourth. Monday marked the third homer of spring training for the 24-year-old, good for first on the team. His batting average of .192 is concerning, but with seven […]

Byron Buxton To Take Batting Practice Tuesday

Minnesota Twins outfielder Byron Buxton (shoulder) will take live batting practice on Tuesday. The team will evaluate him on a day-to-day basis as they determine if he'll be ready for Opening Day. Buxton had surgery last September to fix a torn labrum in his non-throwing (left) shoulder. If he can avoid setbacks, he still has […]

Willie Calhoun Has Surgery For Broken Jaw

Texas Rangers outfielder Willie Calhoun (jaw) had surgery on Monday to fix a broken jaw after being hit in the face by a pitch on Sunday. Surgeons installed a plate to steady the fracture, which should make for a quicker recovery than if his jaw had to be wired shut. General manager Jon Daniels said […]

Michael Conforto To Meet With Team Medical Director In NY

New York Mets outfielder Michael Conforto (side) is headed back to New York to meet with team medical director Dr. David Altchek. Conforto tweaked his side while making a catch in right field on Saturday. He did not play on Sunday or Monday and underwent an MRI, but reportedly he needs to be evaluated further. In […]

Teoscar Hernandez Nearly Past Minor Groin Issue

Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Teoscar Hernandez (groin) is feeling better after experiencing some groin soreness last week and is expected to play in the outfield as soon as Tuesday. Hernandez was able to DH in Monday's game, where he went 0-for-1 with a pair of walks in the team's split-squad game versus the Pirates. He […]

Niko Goodrum (1B/2B/SS/OF, DET) - Fantasy Baseball Draft Sleeper

BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~260-270 CURRENT ADP: ~284 overall ANALYSIS: Niko Goodrum is on pace to start the year as Detroit’s everyday shortstop, but has insane versatility that allows him to fill in wherever needed. Goodrum delivered a 12 home run/12 stolen base season in just 112 games last year, with 15/15 available on the cheap […]

Yoenis Cespedes Continues To Progress Toward Return

New York Mets outfielder Yoenis Cespedes (heel, ankle) has progressed to running to first base at full speed and hitting regularly in simulated games. While he cannot yet make turns at full speed, Cespedes continues to progress from the heel and ankle injuries that have kept him sidelined since mid-July 2018. The Mets are taking […]

Kole Calhoun (OF, ARI) - Fantasy Baseball Draft Sleeper

BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~280 CURRENT ADP: ~298 overall ANALYSIS: Kole Calhoun hit .232/.325/.467 with 33 HR over 632 PAs for the Angels in 2019 before signing with Arizona as a free agent. Thirty-three bombs are nothing to sneeze at, and his peripherals suggest that his power uptick was real. Calhoun's 22.9% HR/FB last season was […]

Yordan Alvarez Says He'll Be Ready For Opening Day

Houston Astros outfielder Yordan Alvarez (knees) said on Monday that the pain in his knees "has gotten better" and that he'll be ready for Opening Day. Alvarez hasn't played in a spring game in eight days, but he was available to take part in baseball activities on Monday, according to manager Dusty Baker. The skipper […]