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 […]

Spencer Howard Throws Live Batting Practice

Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Spencer Howard (knee) has returned to the mound to throw live batting practice at Phillies camp. Howard, the Phillies second-ranked prospect, injured his knee in February during a pre-camp workout and is yet to appear in Spring Training action. Updates on the 23-year-old right-hander have been positive, however, as he's reportedly […]

A.J. Puk To Throw Tuesday

Oakland Athletics starting pitcher A.J. Puk (shoulder) will start throwing again Tuesday or shortly thereafter, according to Shayna Rubin. Puk felt discomfort in his pitching shoulder during a bullpen session last week and has been shut down to rest. Initial reports were that the injury wasn't overly serious, and if Puk can start throwing again […]

Aaron Nola Scratched From Start With Flu

Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Aaron Nola was scratched from his Grapefruit League start Monday because of the flu, according to Matt Breen. This shouldn't affect Nola long term, and he is still on track to start on Opening Day for the third straight year. Nola is coming off a slightly disappointing season where his ERA […]

J.T. Realmuto Having A Solid Spring

Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto is having a good Spring Training batting .353 through seven games. The Phillies backstop is 6-for-17 with a home run, four runs scored, and three walks to only two strikeouts so far this spring as he prepares for his second season in Philadelphia. Realmuto didn't have the breakthrough many predicted […]

2020 MLB Sleepers - Austin Hays

One of my favorite aspects of fantasy sports is the excitement that it can bring to fans that otherwise might not have much to cheer about. Fans of the Baltimore Orioles certainly fit that description. The O's lost 108 games last season and didn't make many changes to the Major League club, with the exception […]

Jesus Luzardo Strikes Out Eight

Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Jesus Luzardo dazzled in a Spring Training start against the Mariners on Saturday. The left-hander allowed one run in 3 1/3 innings pitched, but struck out eight in the dominant effort. There was already plenty of hype around Luzardo, and his 97 MPH fastball; this start will kick that hype into […]

Matt Olson Homers In Spring Start

Oakland Athletics first baseman Matt Olson went 1-for-2 with a two-run homer in a Spring Training game vs the Reds Friday. Olson also walked and scored in the game. Olson hit 36 homers last season, but there is room for more when looking at his batted ball data. The big first baseman made hard contact […]

Jake Arrieta Wild In Spring Start

Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Jake Arrieta pitched four scoreless innings in a Spring Training start against the Tigers Friday. Arrieta didn't allow a hit, but walked four and threw a wild pitch. The veteran righty didn't strike out a batter, which is a continuing trend for Arrieta. His strikeout rate has dropped five straight seasons, […]

Nothing Structurally Wrong For A.J. Puk

Oakland Athletics starting pitcher A.J. Puk (shoulder) has nothing structurally wrong with his shoulder, according to manager Bob Melvin. Melvin said Puk would likely take a few more days for strengthening before playing catch again, and he has no timetable for him to begin throwing. The good news here is it sounds like the top […]

Jean Segura Scratched With Illness

Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Jean Segura was scratched from the lineup Thursday due to illness. Top-prospect Alec Bohm will man the hot corner for the Phillies in their Spring Training game vs the Blue Jays. Segura is not injured, so he should be back in action soon and have plenty of time to prepare for […]

Aaron Nola Goes Four Innings Wednesday

Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Aaron Nola allowed two earned runs in four innings in a Spring Training start Wednesday. Nola struck out two while allowing four hits and a walk in his third start this spring. Nola was a mild disappointment last season, but still put up 202.1 innings with 229 strikeouts so if his […]

Bryce Harper Homers Twice Versus Pirates

Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Bryce Harper hit a pair of home runs in a Spring Training win over the Pirates Wednesday. Harper had been having a quiet spring, he had just five at-bats before Wednesday, but announced his presence in a big way. Harper quietly put up an impressive .897 OPS last season and backed it […]

Bryce Harper Having Quiet Spring

Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Bryce Harper has been quiet in Spring Training as he prepares for his second season in Philadelphia. The star outfielder has just five at-bats across three games this spring, but still has plenty of time to get into the swing of things before opening day. Last season, Harper slashed .260/.372/.510 to go […]

A.J. Puk Shut Down With Shoulder Strain

Oakland Athletics starting pitcher A.J. Puk has a mild shoulder strain and will be shut down for a few days, according to manager Bob Melvin. An MRI showed nothing structural, but he'll take a few days to rest and will be re-evaluated later in the week. Puk is a top pitching prospect and is expected […]

Jorge Mateo Collects Three More Hits Tuesday

Oakland Athletics second baseman Jorge Mateo went 3-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored in a Spring Training game vs the White Sox Tuesday. Mateo has been opening eyes in A's camp as he competes for a roster spot. Through eight games the 24-year-old speedster is batting a cool .300 with a .417 on-base […]

Frankie Montas Sharp In Spring Start

Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Frankie Montas pitched two scoreless innings in a Spring Training start against the Cubs Monday. Montas hit a batter and allowed a walk, but didn't allow a hit while striking out two. Montas was having a great 2019 before being handed an 80-game PED suspension. He won nine of 16 starts, […]

Sean Murphy Healthy After First Spring Action

Oakland Athletics catcher Sean Murphy had two plate appearances in his Spring Training debut Monday against the Cubs, walking both times. More importantly, the A's starting backstop left the game healthy and pain-free as he continues to rehab from knee surgery. Murphy has power, he hit 15 home runs in 51 games between the Majors […]

ADP Cost Analysis - Carson Kelly vs Willson Contreras

It's the middle of the draft and the elite catching options are long gone. All of a sudden, an owner drafts a catcher. Then another catcher gets taken, then another. As your pick is approaching, the mid-round run on catchers has officially started and you feel a hint of pressure staring at the empty "C" […]

Mark Canha Walking Into Big Season

Oakland Athletics outfielder Mark Canha has four walks in just 12 plate appearances this spring as the veteran outfielder attempts to back up his big 2019. Canha blasted 26 home runs to go along with 80 runs scored and 58 RBI. His .279 batting average was good, but where Canha really shines is formats that […]

Matt Olson Struggling Early In Camp

Oakland Athletics first baseman Matt Olson has just one hit in his first 10 Spring Training at-bats and has four strikeouts in that span. The sample size is obviously small and Olson should be ready to mash once the games count. Statcast loved Olson last season, he finished in the top-seventh percentile or better in […]

Matt Chapman Off To Slow Start In Camp

Oakland Athletics third baseman Matt Chapman has just two hits through 11 Spring Training at-bats as he prepares for the 2020 season. One of those hits was a home run, however, and Chapman should be good to go by the time the games count for real. The Gold Glove third baseman slashed .249/.342/.506 last season […]

Alec Bohm Impressing In Phillies Camp

Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm has been making noise in Phillies camp and is a name to know heading into 2020. Bohm, the Phillies second-ranked prospect according to Baseball America, has seven hits in his first 13 at-bats this spring with 3 RBI. Last season Bohm hit .329 in High-A before being called up […]

Marcus Semien Collects Two Hits Saturday

Oakland Athletics shortstop Marcus Semien went 2-for-3 with two RBI in a Spring Training game against the Indians Saturday. Semien is coming off a career-year where he slashed .285/.369/.522 and finished third in AL MVP voting. He scored 123 runs last season and should score plenty again this year batting leadoff for a stacked Oakland […]

Zack Wheeler Gives Up Two Runs In Spring Debut

Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Zack Wheeler allowed two runs in two innings pitched in his first Spring Training start. After a clean first inning, Wheeler gave up a hit to Randal Grichuk before serving up a two-run homer to Danny Jansen. Wheeler signed a five-year contract with Philadelphia this offseason, and is expected to be […]

Mike Fiers Rocked In Spring Start

Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Mike Fiers was roughed up in his second Spring Training start Friday, allowing five earned runs in two innings pitched. Fiers walked three and struck out just one in the contest while allowing four hits. Veterans like Fiers often use Spring Training to work on things without worrying about their numbers, […]

Andrew McCutchen Won't Be Ready For Opening Day

Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Andrew McCutchen (knee) won't be ready for Opening Day but should be back sometime in April, according to Jim Salisbury. While it's unfortunate McCutchen won't be there to start the season, he should be a solid fantasy contributor for most of the year, as he's currently projected to bat leadoff for a […]

Sean Murphy Expected To Play Next Week

Oakland Athletics catcher Sean Murphy (knee) will make his spring training debut on March 3, according to manager Bob Melvin. Murphy has been easing his way into playing after knee surgery last October, but the A's backstop should have plenty of spring training left to be ready for the season. Murphy hasn't played much at […]

Stephen Piscotty Shut Down With Rib Injury

Oakland Athletics outfielder Stephen Piscotty (rib cage) will be shut down after reports that his MRI came back "a little worse" than expected, according to manager Bob Melvin. Piscotty had been taking batting practice in the cage but hasn't been on the field for Oakland this spring due to rib cage discomfort. Piscotty has some […]

Scott Kingery Launches Two-Run Homer

Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Scott Kingery launched a two-run homer to dead center in the Phillies Spring Training game against the Red Sox Thursday. Kingery had an up-and-down season last year working in a super-utility role, but the Phillies have plans for him to stick at second base this year and hopefully some consistency will […]