Trevor Bauer Is Struggling His Way Through Spring

Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Trevor Bauer is having a hard time getting outs so far this spring in Cactus League play. In 8 1/3 innings spread across three games, Bauer has an 8.64 ERA. He's allowed 11 hits, nine runs and three walks while striking out 10. It's nice to see the strikeouts, but Bauer […]

Yonder Alonso Looking Good in His New Uniform

Cleveland Indians first baseman Yonder Alonso is looking good in his new uniform, starting off Cactus League play by playing well. He's slashing .375/.500/.938 with two home runs so far. He's walked four times and struck out just three times. Alonso was signed to replace Carlos Santana, who joined the Philadelphia Phillies as a free […]

Edwin Encarnacion Off to a Slow Start So Far in Spring Training

Cleveland Indians designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion is off to a slow start in Cactus League play this spring. He's slashing just .167/.211/.333 with one home run and two RBI. He has struck out eight times in just 18 at-bats. Encarnacion was somewhat disappointing last season when compared to previous years, and while the spring sample […]

Jason Kipnis Is Putting On a Show This Spring

Cleveland Indians second baseman/outfielder Jason Kipnis has gotten off to an excellent start in Cactus League play this spring. Kipnis is slashing .450/.450/1.350 with six home runs, 12 RBI, and only three strikeouts. After what was mostly a lost 2017 due to injuries and prolonged slumps, Kipnis is looking to come out of the gates […]

Francisco Lindor Off to an OK Start This Spring

Cleveland Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor is off to a decent start in Cactus League play. He's slashing .238/.360/.476 with one home run and five RBI. He's struck out twice and walked three times. Lindor looks set for another excellent season and should be one of the first few shortstops taken in most formats. While he […]

Michael Brantley to Face Live Pitching

Cleveland Indians outfielder Michael Brantley (ankle) was scheduled to face live pitching during Wednesday's team workout. Brantley is recovering from surgery on his ankle to stabilize ligaments that forced him to miss most of last season. He comes with tons of upside, but is a big injury risk as well. Owners who snag him later […]

Luke Gregerson Dealing With an Oblique Injury

St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Luke Gregerson is dealing with an oblique injury. Gregerson was scheduled to pitch Tuesday and didn't, then he missed Wednesday's scheduled appearance as well. Manager Mike Matheny described the issue as "minor," but oblique injuries are tricky for pitchers and can sometimes linger, taking much longer than expected to recover from. Gregerson […]

2018 Bullpen Outlooks - National League Central

The National League Central continues our series of National League bullpen outlooks. Check out all of the American League divisions here: AL East, AL Central, AL West, and the first National League article here: NL East The NL Central has several strong closers who could make some significant noise in fantasy leagues this season. Even with that being […]

Francisco Mejia Suffers a Right Foot Contusion

Cleveland Indians catcher Francisco Mejia suffered a right foot contusion and was forced to leave Tuesday's game. He was hit by a pitch in the eighth inning, but he was able to walk off the field on his own power. He'll probably need a day or two off for swelling to go down, but it […]

Matt Carpenter Might Not Be Ready for Opening Day

St. Louis Cardinals infielder Matt Carpenter (back) may not be ready for Opening Day. He has resumed baseball activities in Cardinals camp, but still hasn't appeared in a Grapefruit League game. Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said, "If this doesn't stay on track, I don't know if he'll be timed up. Physically, I think he'll be […]

Carlos Martinez On Track to Start on Thursday

St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Carlos Martinez (personal) is set to make his next Grapefruit League start, scheduled for Thursday. Martinez was a late scratch from his scheduled start last Friday because of personal reasons, but he was able to pitch a three-inning simulated game. No light has been shed on what Martinez's personal situation […]

Brent Celek Plans to Return for Another Season

Philadelphia Eagles tight end Brent Celek confirmed on Tuesday that he plans to return for a 12th NFL season in 2018. There were rumors that Celek was considering retirement, but he responded to those by saying, "I want to play" on Tuesday. Celek is extremely durable, but is a pure blocking tight end. He hasn't […]

Bud Norris Throws Live Batting Practice on Tuesday

St. Louis Cardinals right-handed relief pitcher Bud Norris (hamstring) threw live batting practice on Tuesday. Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said that the reason they were having Norris throw batting practice instead of pitching in a regular game was because they wanted him to be able to get his work in without having to worry about […]

Brandon Guyer Progresses in His Rehab

Cleveland Indians outfielder Brandon Guyer (wrist) has moved on to front-toss hitting in his rehab. Guyer re-injured his surgically repaired left wrist during a fielding drill early in Spring Training. Guyer will be part of an outfield platoon, playing mostly when the team is facing left-handed pitching. While he's making progress, it remains unclear if […]

Michael Brantley Progresses to Agility Work

Cleveland Indians outfielder Michael Brantley (ankle) has moved on to agility work in his recovery from ankle surgery. Brantley underwent surgery to stabilize the ligaments in his right ankle in October and has been working his way back all spring. Brantley has been hitting, throwing and running and reportedly hasn't hit any snags in his […]

Julian Merryweather Looking at Possible Tommy John Surgery

Cleveland Indians pitching prospect Julian Merryweather has been diagnosed with a sprained ulnar collateral ligament in his throwing elbow. While this diagnosis doesn't immediately lead to Tommy John surgery, it's certainly the gateway. He's been shut down from throwing and will get a second opinion from Dr. Keith Meister on Tuesday. Merryweather is 26 and […]

Jose Martinez Scratched from Tuesday's Lineup

St. Louis Cardinals infielder Jose Martinez was scratched from Tuesday's Grapefruit League lineup due to a left groin spasm. There's no word on the severity of the injury yet. Martinez was excellent last season, but has been struggling in Spring Training so far this year. With a crowded lineup, Martinez will need to really pick […]

Danny Salazar to Start the Season on the Disabled List

Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Danny Salazar will start the season on the disabled list due to a shoulder injury. Cleveland manager Terry Francona said Salazar "is not going to be ready" for the regular season. Salazar has been dealing with inflammation in his right (throwing) rotator cuff since the beginning of camp. He's been able […]

Mike Clevinger Named to the Starting Rotation

Cleveland Indians manager Terry Francona named right-handed pitcher Mike Clevinger as a member of the starting rotation. Clevinger was excellent in 2017, but was still on the outside looking in for the Tribe's rotation heading into Spring Training. With the news that Danny Salazar will be starting the season on the disabled list with a […]

Cowboys Officially Place Franchise Tag on DeMarcus Lawrence

The Dallas Cowboys officially placed the franchise tag on defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence. This was expected all along, as the two sides were unable to come to an agreement on a long-term contract. The defensive end franchise tag is worth approximately $17.5 million. Lawrence recorded 14.5 sacks in 2017 and will continue to be a […]

Eagles Want More Than a First-Rounder for Nick Foles

The Philadelphia Eagles are looking for more than the first- and fourth-round picks they got when they traded Sam Bradford if they are going to trade Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles. The Eagles are reportedly "fielding inquiries" from other teams for Foles, but the best offer reported so far has been a second-round pick. The […]

Cowboys Will Franchise Tag DeMarcus Lawrence

The Dallas Cowboys and defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence will not be able to reach an agreement on a long-term deal before Tuesday's deadline, according to a source. That means the Cowboys will be placing the franchise tag on Lawrence, as they have said they would do all along. The two sides will likely still try […]

Jordan Schafer Reassigned to Minor League Camp

The St. Louis Cardinals reassigned pitcher/outfielder Jordan Schafer to minor league camp. He was one of seven players to be reassigned to minor league camp by the Cardinals this weekend, but the only one that may have been an interesting piece this season. Schafer played in the big leagues from 2009-2015 as an outfielder but […]

Eagles "Confident" Carson Wentz Will Be Ready for Week 1

The Philadelphia Eagles are "confident" that quarterback Carson Wentz (knee) will be ready to go for Week 1 of the 2018 season. Wentz had surgery on a torn ACL in December but was already moving around on crutches and throwing passes before the Super Bowl. With the Eagles seemingly certain their franchise quarterback will be on […]

Matt Carpenter Could Start Swinging on Tuesday

St. Louis Cardinals infielder Matt Carpenter (back) could start swinging a bat as early as Tuesday. Carpenter hasn't appeared in any Grapefruit League games yet and has been limited in practice since the start of camp due to tightness in his back. Unless Carpenter has another setback, he should still be on track for Opening […]

2018 Bullpen Outlooks - National League East

The National League East kicks off the first of our National League bullpen outlooks. Check out all of the American League divisions here: AL East, AL Central, AL West. The NL East doesn't feature any of the big name closers that casual baseball fans would recognize, but there are some solid relief arms on each team […]

Keith Smith Will Not Be Tendered a Contract by the Cowboys

Dallas Cowboys restricted free-agent fullback Keith Smith will not be tendered a contract. Smith is a converted linebacker who played 128 offensive snaps last season but graded out poorly, according to Pro Football Focus. Even though they won't tender him a restricted free-agent contract, the Cowboys do reportedly want Smith back on a cheap multi-year […]

Michael Brantley Progresses to Defensive Drills

Cleveland Indians outfielder Michael Brantley (ankle) is going to test his lateral movement by participating in some defensive drills on Friday. It's the only thing he hasn't done yet in his rehab from an ankle injury. He's been hitting, throwing, and running, but has not participated in full defensive drills yet. Brantley has nice upside […]

Carlos Martinez Scratched From Friday's Start

St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Carlos Martinez was scratched from Friday's start due to "personal reasons," according to manager Mike Matheny. Nothing else is known yet, but details are sure to emerge before too long. Still, it doesn't seem to be anything to worry about, at least on the injury front. Martinez is a solid […]

2018 Bullpen Outlooks - American League West

The American League West is third in our series of 2018 Early Bullpen Outlooks and will wrap up the AL side of things. The AL West has some solid bullpens with some dependable closers at the helm, but none who really inspire confidence as early or even mid-round fantasy selections. At least not yet. The Angels have some […]