Starling Marte Scratched On Opening Day

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Starling Marte has been scratched from the Opening Day lineup as he deals with migraines. Veteran Melky Cabrera will play right field and bat second in his place on Thursday, while J.B. Shuck will start in center and bat seventh. Marte, 30, is coming off a season that saw him hit a […]

Jordan Lyles To Throw Simulated Game This Week

Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Jordan Lyles (side), who is starting the year on the 10-day injured list, is scheduled to throw a six-inning simulated game this week, according to director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk. Lyles is expected to be the team's fifth starter when he's healthy, but he suffered from pain in his right […]

Jose Osuna Placed On Injured List

The Pittsburgh Pirates placed outfielder Jose Osuna (neck) on the 10-day injured list on Thursday. Osuna had a chance to be on the Opening Day roster as a bench bat, and he likely would've seen some playing time in right field with Gregory Polanco (shoulder) not expected to return until May. Instead, Melky Cabrera will […]

Kev's 10 Bold Predictions for 2019

That's GOLD, Jerry! GOLD! RotoSurgeon here with my first ever "gold predictions" piece. Many of you may not be familiar with my work because I have not been with RotoBaller as long as some of my esteemed colleagues. It is reasonable to not trust nor care about what I say because of my lack of […]

Lonnie Chisenhall Out 4-6 Weeks With Broken Hand

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Lonnie Chisenhall (hand) will be out four to six weeks with a broken hand, reports The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal. He was hit-by-pitch in Monday’s spring training game against the Astros and was immediately pulled from the game. Chisenhall’s career has been marred by injuries but the Pirates are now forced to use […]

Melky Cabrera Batting Seventh On Opening Day

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Melky Cabrera will be the starting right fielder and bat seventh against the Reds on Opening Day on Thursday. Cabrera gets the nod after expected starter Lonnie Chisenhall (hand) was pulled from Monday’s spring game after being hit-by-pitch. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported on Thursday morning that Chisenhall has a broken […]

Predicting the Top 10 Finishers in Stolen Bases in 2019

Predicting the leaders in steals for the upcoming season may sound like a straightforward task, but it’s not as easy as it seems. There is quite a bit of variance involved, and the league as a whole has seen a sharp decline in stolen base attempts since the 2012 season (about 700 fewer attempts). Past […]

Jameson Taillon Eager For First Opening Day Start

Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Jameson Taillon will make his first career Opening Day start on Thursday on the road against the Cincinnati Reds. Taillon finished last season on a high note, reaching 14 wins in 32 starts. Over his final 22 starts, he never allowed more than three earned runs in an outing, compiling a […]

Gregory Polanco Playing In Minor League Games

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Gregory Polanco (shoulder) played five innings in a minor league game on Sunday and was slated to play five more innings in a Triple-A game on Tuesday. Polanco responded well in his first game and reported only normal body soreness. The 27-year-old had left shoulder surgery in the offseason and is expected […]

Updated Relief Pitcher Rankings - 5x5 Roto (Mixed Leagues)

We're back up on the bump for this edition of our mixed rankings analysis, and not a moment too soon. The 2019 baseball season is already here! RotoBaller writers Nick Mariano, JB Branson, Bill Dubiel, Pierre Camus, and Scott Engel want to make sure you are prepared for last-minute drafts, so they have given their […]

Updated Catcher Rankings - H2H Points Leagues

As we enter the final stretch for drafting it is time to take a look at the latest iteration of points leagues rankings from our amazing hard working rankings staff. Few things in fantasy baseball are more miserable for many than discussing catchers, with perhaps just injuries and suspensions taking the crown. However, getting the […]

Updated First Base Rankings - H2H Points Leagues

The RotoBaller Head-to-Head rankings review series winds down with a view of first base through the lens of our three-man expert panel of fantasy accuracy champ Nick Mariano and premier staffers JB Branson and Bill Dubiel. The top tier could conceivably have a new kingpin at any point, and not all of our experts believe […]

DraftKings Daily Fantasy Baseball Picks (3/28/19): MLB DFS Lineups

Opening Day is finally here! The baseball season officially got underway last week in Japan but for all intents and purposes this is Opening Day for most fans. Of course that also means the return of daily fantasy baseball. The Opening Day main slate kicks off at 3pm ET with the Houston @ Tampa Bay […]

FanDuel MLB DFS Lineup Picks (3/28/19): Daily Fantasy Baseball Advice

The 2019 MLB season is finally upon us as opening day is Thurday. Luckily, FanDuel kept this one full slate, and we have 14 games. The games start between 1 and 4 PM EST, and we should have the majority of lineups out by the time the first game begins. With this being such a […]

Nick Kingham Named To 25-Man Roster

Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Nick Kingham was named to the Opening Day roster, the team announced on Tuesday. Also joining him on the season-opening 25-man roster are relief pitcher Nick Burdi, utilityman Pablo Reyes, and shortstop Kevin Newman. Kingham was fighting for the team's fifth rotation spot this spring but will instead start the season out […]

Lonnie Chisenhall’s Opening Day Status In Question

Pittsburgh Pirates right fielder Lonnie Chisenhall (hand) isn't available in the team's final spring training game against the Astros on Tuesday. He was hit by a pitch in Monday's contest and was immediately pulled from the game for precaution. Chisenhall had a history of injuries in his time with the Indians but was brought to […]

Updated Shortstop Rankings - H2H Points Leagues

The RotoBaller Head-to-Head rankings review series continues with a view of shortstop through the lens of our three-man expert panel of fantasy accuracy champ Nick Mariano and premier staffers JB Branson and Bill Dubiel. The position is well-stocked with useful starters, but as you get deeper, the H2H negatives will get exposed more. Near the […]

Updated Starting Pitcher Rankings - H2H Points Leagues

We are continuing our updated analysis of points league tiered rankings with a final look at starting pitchers. In H2H points leagues, starting pitchers are the lifeblood of a fantasy team. The more innings and strikeouts a starter can rack up, the further it carries your team toward a championship. There is a solid core […]

Five Starting Pitcher Sleepers: National League

With Opening Day now close enough at hand that we can count the hours instead of the days, weeks, or months, the majority of fantasy baseball drafts have already taken place. Still drafting your teams? This column was meant to be ready a week earlier, but the great and unknowable forces of the universe conspired […]

Where Are The Elite Starters? Looking for 2019’s deGrom

Researching elite starters has taught me a number of things about pitcher development. One of the most valuable has been the reminder that progress is never linear. Blake Snell and Justin Verlander present recent examples of that. Verlander has been in “obvious decline” on two occasions now, and both times he’s bounced back. 2016 Blake […]

Jose Osuna To Be Examined This Week

Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman Jose Osuna didn't make the trip to Houston because of lower neck discomfort, and he will return to Pittsburgh this week for further testing. It looks likely that Osuna will start the year on the injured list, and there's no timetable for his return. The 26-year-old hit .226 with three home […]

Lonnie Chisenhall Removed From Game Monday

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Lonnie Chisenhall was hit by a pitch on his hand Monday night in spring action and had to be removed from the game. It remains to be seen how serious the injury is. Chisenhall figures to see everyday playing time in right field to begin the season with Gregory Polanco recovering from […]

Updated Third Base Rankings - H2H Points Leagues

We are continuing our updated analysis of points league tiered rankings with the hot corner. Third base has a treasure trove of fantasy stars in the making, if things break right of course. If you are relatively new to points leagues, you need to pay close attention to the difference between these rankings and that […]

Updated Outfield Rankings - H2H Points Leagues

As we enter the final stretch for drafting it is time to take a look at the latest iteration of points leagues rankings from our amazing hard working rankings staff. Starting with the outfield is always fun because there is so much depth at the position, especially if you only require three of them, as […]

Second Base Draft Sleepers for 2019

I've written before about my qualms with the term "sleeper." In an age where more information is available than ever before, the odds that you'll catch any of your rivals napping on a particular player are fairly low. Having said that, it's still useful to consider players whose average draft position comes in well below […]

Jung Ho Kang Hits Seventh HR of Spring Training

Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman Jung Ho Kang went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in a 1-1 tie with the Orioles on Sunday. The home run was Kang's seventh of the spring. While Kang is only hitting .238, his power potential is very intriguing at the hot corner. Kang has already been named the Pirates' […]

Nick Kingham Allows One Hit In Relief Sunday

Pittsburgh Pirates starter Nick Kingham held the Orioles split squad scoreless on Sunday, allowing just one hit and striking out two. Kingham will likely come out of the bullpen to start the season but could enter the rotation if fifth starter Jordan Lyles falters. The 27-year old struggled to a 5.21 ERA last season and […]

Trevor Williams Throws Three Scoreless Innings

Pittsburgh Pirates starter Trevor Williams ended his spring training in style, spinning three scoreless innings against the Orioles split squad on Sunday. Williams gave up three hits and struck out two in the eventual tie. Williams finished last season with 126 strikeouts and a 3.11 ERA in 31 starts. While his ERA was appealing, he […]

Updated Starting Pitcher Rankings - 5x5 Roto (Mixed Leagues)

We're back up on the bump for this edition of our mixed rankings analysis, and not a moment too soon. The 2019 baseball season is already here! RotoBaller writers Nick Mariano, JB Branson, Bill Dubiel, Pierre Camus, and Scott Engel want to make sure you are prepared for last-minute drafts, so they have given their […]

Felipe Vazquez Continues Scoreless Spring

Pittsburgh Pirates closer Felipe Vazquez pitched a scoreless inning on Saturday, giving up a walk while striking out one in a win against the Phillies. Vazquez has only made five spring appearances thanks to an illness early in camp. However, he has shown no ill effects, having not allowed a run thus far. Vazquez remains […]