Hunter Pence Has Solid Spring

San Francisco Giants outfielder Hunter Pence hit .314 with two home runs in 51 at-bats this spring. Pence played 134 games in 2017, which was his most since 2014. Pence was once one of the more underrated fantasy players, but injuries and age have slowed him down. Outside of very deep leagues, Pence can be […...

Albert Almora Has Rough Spring

Chicago Cubs outfielder Albert Almora has struggled this spring and will be the team’s fourth outfielder. Almora was in a competition with outfielder Ian Happ for the the center field job, but Happ was on a tear this spring and ran away with the job, while Almora hit .164 in 55 at-bats. Almora will still […...

Brandon Morrow Has Mixed Results In Spring Training

Chicago Cubs closer Brandon Morrow offered mixed results this spring. The free-agent signee gave up three earned runs over four innings. Morrow is coming off of his most dominant season as a big leaguer, as he set up for Kenley Jansen in 2017. Morrow has very little closing experience, but fantasy owners shouldn’t overreact over […...

Buster Posey On Fire This Spring

San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey is ready to go for Opening Day on Thursday. Posey dealt with some ankle issues early in camp, but has bounced back strong with a .471 batting average with two home runs and 10 RBI over 34 at-bats. He remains one of the top-three options at catcher along with […...

Jon Lester Has Favorable Matchup On Opening Day

Chicago Cubs Opening Day starter Jon Lester has looked good this spring after a disappointing 2017 campaign. The left-hander had a 2.81 ERA and struck out 15 batters in 16 innings. Lester will square off versus the Marlins on Thursday and is a good bounce-back candidate heading into 2018...

Yu Darvish Fares Well In First Spring Training With Cubs

Chicago Cubs prized free-agent signing Yu Darvish fared well over 19 1/3 innings this spring. The starting pitcher will be slotted behind Opening Day starter Jon Lester in the Cubs rotation this year and has a favorable matchup versus the Miami Marlins on Friday. Darvish remains one of the best starting pitchers for strikeouts and […...

Anthony Rizzo Has Strong Spring

Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo is coming off of a very nice spring. Rizzo hit .354 with three home runs and 10 RBI over 48 at-bats. Rizzo has been one of the more consistent fantasy players over the past few years and he should continue to be a safe pick. It also doesn’t hurt […...

Kris Bryant Headed For A Strong 2018 Campaign

Chicago Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant had himself a very nice spring, hitting .366. Bryant only delivered one home run and three RBI in 41 at-bats, but fantasy owners should not be worried. Bryant had a "down" year in 2017 due to limited run production, but everything else was in line with his career numbers. […...

Steven Duggar To Begin 2018 In Triple-A

San Francisco Giants outfielder Steven Duggar has been optioned to Triple-A Sacramento. Duggar remains a bright spot in the Giants future outfield, but without everyday at-bats, it made sense for him to start the season in the minor leagues. Duggar should be up at some point in 2018 and could be looked at in NL-only […...

Mark Melancon May Not Be Ready For Opening Day

San Francisco Giants closer Mark Melancon is not a guarantee to be ready for Opening Day on Thursday. Manager Bruce Bochy wouldn’t expand on what is wrong with Melancon, but the closer will play catch on Tuesday and Wednesday. A decision will then be made about his status for Thursday. Melancon is already beginning to […...

Jeff Samardzija To Begin Playing Catch

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Jeff Samardzija (pectoral) will begin throwing on Wednesday. Samardzija may be ahead of schedule and it’s possible that he only misses a couple of weeks. With Madison Bumgarner (hand) already sidelined, the Giants are hoping to have Samardzija back sooner than later...

Derek Holland Makes Giants Rotation

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Derek Holland will make the Giants rotation. Holland needed injuries to Madison Bumgarner (hand) and Jeff Samardzija (shoulder) to lock down a spot. This spring, Holland had a 4.05 ERA and 23 strikeouts in 20 innings. The veteran probably won’t help owners much outside of streaming in good matchups. He […...

Alec Hansen To Start In Double-A

Chicago White Sox starting pitching prospect Alec Hansen will begin the 2018 season in Double-A Birmingham. Hansen is one of the top pitching prospects for the White Sox but has carried injury risk throughout his young career. Hanson is unlikely to make an impact in 2018, but if all goes well, he could be in […...

Jarrett Parker Designated For Assignment

The San Francisco Giants have designated outfielder Jarrett Parker for assignment. The club needed to open a spot on their 40-man roster for starting pitcher Derek Holland, and Parker was the odd man out. Parker struggled this spring with a .220 batting average but should be able to land somewhere as organizational depth. If he […...

Tim Anderson And Nick Delmonico Remain Out

Chicago White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson (shoulder) and outfielder Nick Delmonico (thigh) remain out of Monday’s lineup. Both players are being rested as a precautionary measure and are expected to be ready for Opening Day. Anderson offers more upside with both power and speed, while Delmonico is worth a roster spot in AL-only leagues and […...

Luis Robert To Start 2018 In Single-A

Chicago White Sox outfielder Luis Robert (thumb) will begin 2018 in Single-A Winston-Salem. One of the top prospects in the organization, Robert, 20, was having a nice spring before going down with a sprained thumb. Robert is out at least six more weeks. Although he won’t help fantasy owners in the near future, Robert is […...

Pedro Strop Feels Fine

Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Pedro Strop (calf) will pitch on Tuesday and says he feels fine. Strop had dealt with a calf injury early this spring, but has been able to pitch over the past week. If everything goes well on Tuesday, Strop should be expected to be on the Opening Day roster. Aside from […...

Nick Delmonico And Tim Anderson Rest Sunday

Chicago White Sox manager Rick Renteria decided to give a day off to outfielder Nick Delmonico and shortstop Tim Anderson as both are dealing with minor soreness. Anderson hurt his shoulder while diving for a ball, while Delmonico is dealing with a hamstring issue. Both players should be good to go for Opening Day...

Ty Blach To Start Opening Day For Giants

The San Francisco Giants announced that Ty Blach will start on Opening Day versus the Dodgers. Blach will replace Madison Bumgarner (hand) who is expected to miss the first six-to-eight weeks of the season after fracturing his hand. Blach can be avoided in all leagues as he doesn’t offer much upside and doesn’t strikeout enough […...

Ian Happ Expected To Lead Off Opening Day

Chicago Cubs outfielder Ian Happ is expected to lead off on Opening Day. Happ has been tearing the cover off the ball this spring and has hit five home runs so far. His stock is climbing and he should be owned in all leagues as he should be able to help across the board with […...

Victor Caratini Beats Out Chris Gimenez As Cubs Backup Catcher

The Chicago Cubs have named Victor Caratini the team’s backup catcher. He has beat out veteran Chris Gimenez. It’s a bit of a surprise as Gimenez has experience with the Cubs big free-agent signee Yu Darvish. Caratini hit .243 this spring, but it was enough to earn him the backup spot behind starting catcher Willson […...

Phil Hughes Could Start 2018 On Disabled List

Minnesota Twins pitcher Phil Hughes (oblique) could begin the season in the disabled list. Hughes has been dealing with mild left oblique strain. If Hughes were to begin the year on the disabled list, it would give him more time to rebuild his arm strength. Hughes is likely to operate out of the bullpen this […...

Madison Bumgarner Has Three Pins Inserted In Hand

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Madison Bumgarner (finger, hand) had three pins inserted in his hand this morning during surgery. Bumgarner was hit in the left hand on a comebacker this Friday and fractured his pinky finger. There is no firm timeline for his recovery, but early reports are that MadBum is likely to miss […...

Twins Claim Kennys Vargas

After losing first baseman Kennys Vargas to the Reds earlier in the week, the Minnesota Twins have claimed Kennys Vargas off waivers. Vargas wasn’t gone from Minnesota too long, but will still struggle to get everyday at-bats. Vargas has always shown strong power, but has struggled in other areas of his game. Unless he is given […...

Adam Engel Ready For Opening Day

After dealing with neck stiffness, Chicago White Sox outfielder Adam Engel said he’s “ready to rock” after playing in Friday’s contest. Engel has been tearing it up this spring and will be in center field on a regular basis for the White Sox. With how well he hit this spring, Engel is a worth a […...

Homer Bailey Will Pitch Opening Day For Reds

The Cincinnati Reds have announced that starting pitcher Homer Bailey will pitch Opening Day. Bailey will be followed in the rotation by Luis Castillo, Tyler Mahle and Sal Romano. The number five spot in the rotation is still up for grabs and likely between Brandon Finnegan and Amir Garrett. Castillo holds the strongest upside in […...

Cliff Pennington Will Make Reds Roster

Cincinnati Reds infielder Cliff Pennington will make the Opening Day roster for the Cincinnati Reds. The veteran provides valuable defense, but not much help to fantasy owners. He can be avoided in upcoming drafts...

Giants Could Talk To Mets About Starting Pitchers After Losing Madison Bumgarner And Jeff Samardzija

Jon Morosi of the MLB Network reports that after losing starting pitchers Madison Bumgarner (hand) and Jeff Samardzija (shoulder) to injuries, the Giants could talk to the Mets about acquiring starting pitchers. Heyman does note that the Mets are unlikely to move any pitching, but the Giants can still seek outside help from another organization...

Nate Jones Likely To Close For White Sox

Daryl Van Schouwen of The Chicago Sun-Times reports that relief pitcher Nate Jones is likely to open the season as the White Sox closer. Jones underwent season-sending elbow surgery last July and appeared in just 11 games. Van Schouwen notes that the White Sox are unlikely to overuse Jones and reliever Joakim Soria could also […...

Cubs Release Peter Bourjos

The Chicago Cubs have released outfielder Peter Bourjos. Bourjos wasn’t expected to break camp, but should be able to find another home due to his speed. Regardless of where he ends up, Bourjos can be avoided in 2018...