Tyler Saladino Feels Better
After colliding with teammate Nick Delmonico, Chicago White Sox infielder Tyler Saladino (concussion) said he is feeling much improved and worked out with the team on Wednesday. Saladino should be good to go for Opening Day, but he can be left on the waiver wire entering 2018.
Andrew Romine May Not Be Out Long
Seattle Mariners infielder Andrew Romine (shoulder) is dealing with a shoulder subluxation but will rest for now, and he doesn't think it'll keep him out for long. Romine should be good to go for the start of the regular season as he competes for a utility role on the team's bench. He hit just .233 […]
Brad Miller Out Another 4-5 Days
Tampa Bay Rays infielder Brad Miller (toe) will miss another four to five days before he's able to play in a game, but his availability for Opening Day shouldn't be impacted, according to manager Kevin Cash. The left-handed hitter slugged a whopping 30 home runs in 2016 but fell back to earth dramatically in 2017, […]
Robinson Cano Could Return To Games Next Week
Seattle Mariners second baseman Robinson Cano (hamstring) could return to spring games next week after suffering a left hamstring strain. Cano should be fine for Opening Day, barring any setbacks, but the Mariners will likely be cautious with their star second baseman. Don't expect another season approaching 40 home runs for Cano, but he can […]
Matt Carpenter Makes His 2018 Debut
St. Louis Cardinals infielder Matt Carpenter (back, shoulder) made his 2018 Grapefruit League debut on Tuesday, walking twice and scoring two runs. Carpenter has been recovering from a back injury and is still dealing with a shoulder issue that plagued him last season. Still, it seems like everything went OK on Tuesday, and unless something changes, […]
Daniel Murphy Takes Grounders For First Time
Washington Nationals second baseman Daniel Murphy (knee) did some fielding drills on Tuesday, according to Chelsea Janes of The Washington Post. She notes that he wasn't moving laterally, however. Murphy is being brought back slowly from microfracture surgery on his right knee. He's also been hitting in the batting cage during regular batting practice. Murphy […]
Devon Travis (2B, TOR) - 2018 Fantasy Baseball Sleepers & Draft Values
BALLER MOVE: Target ~ 375 CURRENT ADP: 413 ANALYSIS: Let’s get the obvious out of the way first: Devon Travis is injury-prone. That may actually be a huge understatement, as the Blue Jays second baseman has not had a single healthy major league season in three tries. Knee and shoulder ailments have forced Travis to […]
ADP Busts - 2017 Infield Breakouts to Avoid in 2018
Earlier this week, I took a look at four outfielders whose disappointing 2017 performances made them potential draft bargains for the 2018 fantasy baseball season. Today, we’re taking the opposite tack. Overpaying for last year’s breakout is one of the easiest – and costliest – mistakes a fantasy owner can make, and we’ve all fallen […]
Top Second Base Prospect Rankings - 2018 Impact Rookies for Fantasy Baseball
Welcome back, RotoBallers. I'll be breaking down impact prospects by position. Today I'm bringing you my top 10 second basemen - MLB prospect rankings for the 2018 fantasy baseball season. Second base is not a particularly strong position for prospects. It suffers from the same issue as first base: it is used as the position […]
Gleyber Torres Sent To Minors
In a move that seemed inevitable, the New York Yankees officially reassigned top prospect Gleyber Torres to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. The 21-year-old appeared unlikely to break the major league roster with an extra year of control over him in play should he remain in the minors through mid-April. Additionally, acquisitions of Brandon Drury and most recently Neil […]
DJ LeMahieu Continues Solid Spring Training
Colorado Rockies second baseman DJ LeMahieu hit two singles and earned a walk in three plate appearances in the 8-7 win against the Seattle Mariners. Ever since entering the league, LeMahieu has been heralded for his solid contact, and so far has earned 12 hits in 26 at-bats for a batting average of .462. LeMahieu […]
Javier Baez Could Return By The Weekend
Chicago Cubs second baseman Javier Baez (hamstring) could return by the end of the weekend. Baez hurt his hamstring last Thursday, but said he is ready to return and is “110 percent.” Baez remains a good power option and is eligible at both second base and shortstop in most formats.
Prospects Fernando Tatis Jr., Luis Urias Sent To Minors
Two top San Diego Padres prospects were reassigned to minor league camp on Tuesday. Baseball's No. 2 ranked shortstop, Fernando Tatis Jr. (No. 8 overall), and No. 2 rated second baseman Luis Urias (36th overall) will continue their development away from the majors. Both youngsters were holding their own in spring training, but the moves were […]
Dilson Herrera Clears Waivers
Cincinnati Reds second baseman Dilson Herrera has cleared waivers and will no longer be part of the team's 40-man roster. He is expected to remain in big league camp in the meantime as the team attempts to get him more at-bats. Herrera had season-ending shoulder surgery in July 2017 and has not yet been able […]
Willie Calhoun Optioned to Triple-A
In a surprise move, Texas Rangers top prospect Willie Calhoun has been sent down to Triple-A Round Rock. Calhoun was penciled in for the starting left field role and had been getting repetitions at second base as well, but the Rangers have opted to give him some time at Round Rock to start the season. […]
Danny Espinosa Released By Yankees
Signed during the offseason to battle for one of the New York Yankees voided infield spots, second baseman Danny Espinosa has been released by the club. The 30-year-old’s chances of earning one of those spots gradually slimmed with the rises of Miguel Andujar and Tyler Wade, alongside the acquisitions of Brandon Drury and Neil Walker. In […]
Dilson Herrera Unlikely To Play Defense Soon
Cincinnati Reds second baseman Dilson Herrera (shoulder) is unlikely to get back on the field in a defensive capacity anytime soon, according to manager Bryan Price. When Price was asked about when Herrera would play defense, he told reporters not in the next week. Herrera underwent shoulder surgery in July 2017 and is not quite ready to […]
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, […]
Adalberto Mondesi Returns To Action, Still Not Throwing
Kansas City Royals prospect Adalberto Mondesi (formerly Raul Mondesi) is back in action Monday, but he'll be serving as the designated hitter due to still nursing his shoulder injury. He has not begun throwing yet, but the team still sees the injury as a minor one that shouldn't have any long-lasting concern. Mondesi was the […]
Scooter Gennett Hitting .300 This Spring
Cincinnati Reds second baseman Scooter Gennett is out to prove his career year in 2017 was no fluke. The 27-year-old is off to a hot start this spring, batting .304 with one homer, five runs and two RBI in 23 at-bats. Gennett was a late addition to the Reds during the spring in 2017 and […]
Chris Taylor Rankings Debate - Comparing RotoBaller's Rankers
We continue our long-running series of articles debating fantasy rankings with a super-utility player that suddenly became a fantasy force in 2017. The question remains: is it repeatable? RotoBaller's expert writers have come up with our consensus rankings for mixed leagues, but that doesn't mean we agreed on everything. In this space, we'll hear from […]
Whit Merrifield Continues Raking
Kansas City Royals second baseman and 2017 waiver wire hero Whit Merrifield has been putting on a clinic in the Cactus League. Merrifield blasted his second homer of the spring session this week, and he's now batting a cool .500 for the period. He also picked up his first stolen base this week. Merrifield is […]
DJ LeMahieu Extends Spring Hitting Streak
Colorado Rockies second baseman DJ LeMahieu has been on fire this spring, and he extended a small hitting streak to four games by lacing a single against the Dodgers on Sunday. LeMahieu is now hitting .417 this spring, though unsurprisingly, he has zero home runs, RBI or stolen bases to go along with the batting […]
Robinson Cano To Undergo MRI
Seattle Mariners second baseman Robinson Cano (hamstring) will undergo a precautionary MRI exam on Monday, but he doesn't think his hamstring injury is serious. While Cano may not miss more than a few days in camp, it's a reminder that at age 35, he's no longer a lock to stay healthy over a full season. […]
Yoan Moncada Hits Home Run On Sunday
Chicago White Sox second baseman Yoan Moncada hit his first home run of the spring on Sunday. Moncada finished the game 1-for-4. One of the more exciting prospects in the game, Moncada has struggled to the tune of a .219 batting average with seven strikeouts in 32 at-bats. Moncada came on towards the end of […]
Jose Pirela Assured A Roster Spot
San Diego Padres manager Andy Green all but confirmed outfielder Jose Pirela's roster spot after Sunday's spring training loss to the San Francisco Giants. Getting the start at second base, Pirela went 2-for-3 with a homer and is now hitting .481 with a 1.448 OPS in 27 spring at-bats. Pirela, who Green quoted as "one […]
Jed Lowrie Picking Up Pace In Spring
Oakland Athletics second baseman Jed Lowrie has picked up the pace this spring and raised his average to .278 with one home run. Lowrie is already 33 years old and is rarely healthy for a full season. The hope is that he can repeat his 2017 season of 86 runs with 14 home runs and […]
Tyler Saladino Placed In Concussion Protocol
Chicago White Sox infielder Tyler Saladino (concussion) has been placed in the MLB concussion protocol and will miss a minimum of seven days. Saladino is dealing with a minor concussion and suffered the injury when he collided with outfielder Nick Delmonico going for a pop-up. Saladino is expected to be the White Sox's utilityman in […]
Cesar Hernandez Without Threat To Starting Job
Despite the presence and strong performance of second baseman Scott Kingery, one of the Philadelphia Phillies top prospects, the starting second base job remains Cesar Hernandez’s. The 27-year-old has hit just .231 this spring, driving in just one run and swiping a pair of bases. Hernandez has been a rock for the Phillies the past three […]
Chase Utley Will Return To Action Monday
Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Chase Utley will play on Monday after being given two days off for "family reasons." The veteran was signed to a two-year deal by the Dodgers, mostly to mentor their younger players and provide depth at second. He's a hard-nosed player who is as competitive as they come, but he […]