Matt Carpenter's Back Feels "Perfect"

St. Louis Cardinals infielder Matt Carpenter said his injured back felt "perfect" after playing an intrasquad game on Sunday. He'll make his 2018 Grapefruit League debut on Tuesday as a designated hitter. At this point, unless he suffers some other setback, it looks like Carpenter should be ready for Opening Day. Aside from his back, […]

Carlos Carrasco Dominates on Sunday

Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Carlos Carrasco was dominant in his Cactus League start on Sunday, striking out six while tossing three shutout innings. Carrasco has been in midseason form lately, notching 10 strikeouts over his last six Cactus League innings. He's not the ace of his own team thanks to Corey Kluber being around, but […]

Michael Brantley Does a Baserunning Workout

Cleveland Indians outfielder Michael Brantley (ankle) participated in a baserunning workout on Sunday. Brantley's rehab from an ankle surgery that stabilized the ligaments has been slow but steady. He likely won't be ready on Opening Day, but assuming no setbacks, he should be back on the field not too long after the opener. Brantley is […]

Danny Salazar Will Throw a Weighted Baseball

Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Danny Salazar (shoulder) will progress to throwing a weighted baseball in his recovery from right rotator cuff inflammation. He'd been on a long-toss program, so the progression to a weighted ball is a step in the right direction. He's already been ruled out for Opening Day, but it's unclear just how far […]

Abraham Almonte and Others Optioned to Triple-A and Minor League Camp

Cleveland Indians outfielder Abraham Almonte was optioned to minor league camp. Almonte, Francisco Mejia, Julian Merryweather, Shawn Morimando and Adam Plutko will all head to Triple-A while Bobby Bradley, Louis Head, Josh Martin and Adam Wilk were reassigned to minor league camp. Almonte was battling for a reserve outfield spot, and he'll basically still have […]

Alex Reyes Pitches in an Intrasquad Game on Sunday

St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Alex Reyes (elbow) pitched in an intrasquad game on Sunday. It was the first game-like action for Reyes, who is returning from Tommy John Surgery. He's been throwing live batting practice for a few weeks now, but this was his first time back on a mound in a somewhat competitive […]

Tyler O'Neill Optioned to Minor League Camp

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Tyler O'Neill was optioned to minor league camp. A power-hitting prospect who mashed 31 homers in the minors last season, O'Neill may have had a chance to break the Opening Day roster, but he's had to deal with an oblique injury and a hamstring strain this spring. He'll likely make his […]

FOX Interested in Bringing Jason Witten into the Broadcast Booth

Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten has been targeted by FOX as their new Thursday Night Football analyst. Seeing the success CBS had with Tony Romo, FOX is trying to grab another Cowboy who is just out of the league. The issue this time is that Witten has already said he would like to play […]

2018 Bullpen Outlooks - National League West

The National League West wraps up our 2018 Bullpen Outlooks series. Check out all of the American League divisions here: AL East, AL Central, AL West, and the rest of the National League here: NL East, NL Central. Stick with Rotoballer all season long for weekly Closer Reports including recaps of the week that passed, outlooks for […]

Tyler O'Neill Dealing With a Brand New Injury

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Tyler O'Neill was forced to leave Friday's Grapefruit League game due to a hamstring injury. O'Neill had just gotten back on the field after recovering from an injury to his oblique. The new hamstring injury is unrelated and is a brand new issue for the top outfield prospect in the Cardinals […]

Carlos Martinez Named Opening Day Starter

St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Carlos Martinez was named the team's Opening Day starter on Friday. He'll take the ball on March 29 in New York to take on the Mets. It'll be Martinez's second straight Opening Day start. He has some nice upside this season, but comes with a bit of risk. The 26-year-old […]

Cardinals Are OK With Not Naming a Closer

The St. Louis Cardinals seem content to go into the season without naming a closer. While reliever Luke Gregerson was seen as the favorite to man the ninth inning, he is dealing with an oblique injury and has been limited to just one Grapefruit League appearance. Meanwhile, Dominic Leone and Tyler Lyons have pitched well enough […]

Matt Carpenter Begins Fielding and Batting Practice

St. Louis Cardinals infielder Matt Carpenter (back, shoulder) began hitting and fielding drills this week. The team is reportedly concerned about both Carpenter's back and his shoulder, which may lead them to sticking him at first base. Originally, Carpenter was being looked at as a super-utility infielder who could play almost any infield position. For […]

Tyler O'Neill Off the Injury List and Into the Lineup

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Tyler O'Neill (oblique) is off the injury list and into a Grapefruit League starting lineup. O'Neill has been dealing with a strained left oblique muscle that has caused him to miss more than half of the spring training schedule. He'll get the start in right field against the Astros. O'Neill hit 31 […]

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 […]