Mark Trumbo Will Be The DH on Wednesday

Baltimore Orioles designated hitter Mark Trumbo (quadriceps) will make his way back onto the field on Wednesday. Manager Buck Showalter said Trumbo would likely assume the DH duties again that day. In the interim, several players, including Austin Hays and Pedro Alvarez, have filled that role. Even if he's healthy, there's no guarantee that Trumbo […]

Steve Pearce Could Play By Thursday

Toronto Blue Jays utilityman Steve Pearce has been on the shelf with a calf sprain this spring but it sounds as if his return could be right around the corner. Pearce started running on Sunday and will continue to do so on Monday. If that goes well, he could be playing by Thursday. After looking […]

Hanley Ramirez Has Multi-Hit Game Against Orioles

Boston Red Sox designated hitter/first baseman Hanley Ramirez was 2-for-3 in Sunday's game against the Orioles. Ramirez has made some bold proclamations this spring. While a 30-30 season might not be a reasonable expectation, Ramirez can still recover some value in an improved lineup. Ramirez is expected to bat third and will see plenty of […]

Nelson Cruz Out Sick Again

Seattle Mariners designated hitter Nelson Cruz (flu) was scratched from the Cactus League lineup for the second straight day with the flu. The big bopper should be fine in the long run. He managed 39 home runs and 119 RBI in 2017 and should once again threaten the 30-homer mark and could once again put […]

Logan Morrison Will Return To Lineup Tuesday

According to reports, Minnesota Twins designated hitter Logan Morrison (gluteus) is expected to return to the lineup on Tuesday. Morrison has been out since last Wednesday after straining his glute on a hard slide into home plate. Morrison's expected return to the lineup shows that his injury was never considered serious. Morrison will play his […]

Nelson Cruz Scratched Saturday

Seattle Mariners outfielder Nelson Cruz (illness) was scratched from the spring lineup Saturday because he wasn't feeling well. Cruz will be fine. He managed to hit .288 with 39 home runs, 119 RBI and a .549 slugging percentage in 556 at-bats for Seattle last year and will once again be a strong fantasy consideration, even […]

Nelson Cruz Smacks First Spring Home Run

Seattle Mariners designated hitter Nelson Cruz snapped an 0-for-14 streak to begin spring training with his first home run on Friday. Cruz went 2-for-2 in the game and scored two runs for his first hits of the preseason. The early funk is nothing for fantasy owners to worry about when it comes to a veteran […]

Logan Morrison Getting Better But Will Miss Friday, Saturday

Minnesota Twins first baseman/designated hitter Logan Morrison (gluteus) is on the road to recovery after straining his glute on Wednesday while sliding in a spring training game. Morrison told manager Paul Molitor that he is improving, but the team plans to be cautious with Morrison and will most likely hold him out of action on […]

Mark Trumbo Making Way Back From Injury

Baltimore Orioles outfielder Mark Trumbo (quadriceps) is feeling better, according to manager Buck Showalter. There's no definite timetable, but surely the Orioles hope that Trumbo can be back in time for Opening Day. Right now, first baseman Pedro Alvarez has been given the DH duties and while his power can be enticing, he's also not much of a […]

No Timeline For Steve Pearce's Return

Toronto Blue Jays utilityman Steve Pearce has been suffering from a calf strain this spring, and while he’s feeling better, there isn’t a timeline as for when he might get back on the field. For a good portion of the offseason, it looked as though Pearce might just have a starting role in Toronto’s outfield […]

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 […]

Mark Trumbo Has Quad Injury

Baltimore Orioles designated hitter Mark Trumbo has soreness in his right quadriceps, and manager Buck Showalter said Trumbo could miss three to seven days. This is a precautionary measure since Showalter also said that if this had occurred during the regular season, Trumbo would have played through it. If it turns out to be more, Pedro […]

Victor Martinez Will Likely Retire After 2018 Season

Detroit Tigers designated hitter Victor Martinez has indicated on more than one occasion that this is likely to be his last season in the big leagues. The veteran slugger has endured two knee surgeries and spent time on the disabled list last season with an irregular heart beat. It's understandable, then, that Martinez's production at […]

Chris Davis Hits Homer In Loss While Battling Forearm Tightness

Baltimore Orioles first baseman Chris Davis (forearm) was supposed to play first base in Wednesday's game against the Cardinals. He wound up being the designated hitter while outfielder Mark Trumbo took his spot at first. Davis, who hit a three-run homer in the loss, explained after the game that he was experiencing forearm tightness, possibly because of […]

Kennys Vargas Enjoying Improved Vision

Minnesota Twins first baseman/designated hitter Kennys Vargas has been benefiting from better vision after getting a a new contact-lens prescription for his left eye. The switch-hitter told reporters that both eyes are now 20/20 as he heads into the season. The young slugger is out of options with the Twins and has heard his name […]

C.J. Cron Could See Consistent Playing Time

Tampa Bay Rays first baseman C.J. Cron may see consistent time in 2018. Manager Kevin Cash says Cron will be more than a platoon player and could play "a lot." One possible alignment could see Brad Miller playing second base while Cron plays first and outfielder Denard Span serves as the designated hitter. Cron might also see […]

Victor Martinez Will Make First Post-Surgery Appearance Saturday

Detroit Tigers veteran designated hitter Victor Martinez will see his first live action Saturday since undergoing heart ablation surgery last September. Martinez hit the shelf on two separate occasions due to heart issues that gave everyone in the Tigers organization a scare. He's looking for a bounce-back season at the dish in what could be […]

Hanley Ramirez To Be No. 3 Hitter

Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora said first baseman Hanley Ramirez is currently in line to be the No. 3 hitter. Han-Ram had a disappointing season all around in 2017, but shoulder issues might've been the biggest reason for his decline across the board at the plate. Despite hitting .241, Ramirez still slugged 23 home […]

Adrian Beltre Open-Minded to Changing Role

Texas Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre told Jeff Wilson of the Star-Telegram that he's considering acquiescing to spending more time serving as the designated hitter. This is music to fantasy owners' ears, as this would mean less time at the physically-demanding hot corner. Beltre will play most of the upcoming season at age 39, so […]

Victor Martinez Had Normal Offseason

Detroit Tigers designated hitter Victor Martinez (heart) said he had a normal offseason training program and wasn't limited in any way. V-Mart missed the final month of last year with an irregular heartbeat and needed surgery to fix it. Unfortunately for fantasy owners, the 39-year-old doesn't have much left to offer with his bat. He […]

Adrian Beltre Hopes the Rangers Add Free Agents

Jeff Wilson of the Star Telegram reports that Texas Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre hopes the team adds some firepower before the 2018 season. Beltre, entering his 21st season, believes that the core roster is good enough to compete for a playoff spot and potentially a division championship, but thinks that general manager Jon Daniels should […]

Angels Add Chris Carter on Minor League Deal

The Los Angeles Angels signed free-agent first baseman/designated hitter Chris Carter to a minor league deal on Sunday. Carter will effectively take the place of recently-traded first baseman C.J. Cron, who was dealt to the Rays on Saturday. Carter will compete with Jefry Marte, Luis Valbuena and Albert Pujols for at-bats at first base and […]

C.J. Cron Traded To Tampa Bay, Rays Designate Corey Dickerson For Assignment

The Los Angeles Angels traded first baseman C.J. Cron to Tampa Bay for a minor leaguer to be named later. Cron hit .248 with a career-high matching 16 homers, 56 RBI and a .742 OPS in 100 games last season. The Rays also designated All-Star outfielder Corey Dickerson for assignment in a corresponding move. Dickerson started off […]

Justin Smoak (1B, TOR) - 2018 Fantasy Baseball Sleepers & Draft Values

BALLER MOVE: Target ~84 CURRENT ADP: 145 ANALYSIS: Justin Smoak broke out in a big way in 2017 with 38 HR, 90 RBI, a 20.1% K% on a triple slash of .270/.355/.529. The former top prospect made major changes to his approach, appearing more confident and comfortable. He made more overall contact than he had in years at […]

Champ or Chump - Brandon Moss and Todd Frazier

The theme of this article is cheap power. As more players than ever before start cracking 20 homers, fantasy owners can rely on legitimate power bats remaining available in the latter stages of their draft. Some owners believe that this allows them to wait on power, but the league-wide increase in home runs has also […]

Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Gary Sanchez To Rotate At DH

New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone said he plans to rotate the designated hitter position between outfielders Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and catcher Gary Sanchez in 2018. Judge and Stanton are also expected to play left field this spring, although neither has played the position in the majors. All three big-time sluggers will hit somewhere […]

Michael Fulmer, Victor Martinez On Track For Spring Training

Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Michael Fulmer (elbow) and designated hitter Victor Martinez (heart) are expected to be at full strength for spring training. Fulmer had elbow surgery in September and Martinez had a surgical procedure to fix an irregular heartbeat around the same time. "He's thrown out to 180 feet with no restrictions and no […]

Willie Calhoun is Coming...

Last season, the Rangers surprised the baseball world by trading superstar Yu Darvish to the Los Angeles Dodgers for a return that, at the time, was deemed pretty sparse. The centerpiece was a little known, and maybe lesser-appreciated infielder named Willie Calhoun. Drafted in the fourth round of the 2015 MLB draft, Calhoun started his […]

Justin Morneau To Retire

First baseman/designated hitter Justin Morneau will retire Wednesday, according to Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com. Bollinger adds that Morneau will join the Minnesota Twins as a special assistant. The four-time All-Star spent the bulk of his 14-year career with the Twins before spending two years with the Colorado Rockies and one season with the Chicago White […]

Evan Gattis, Astros Avoid Arbitration

Robert Murray of FanRag Sports reports that catcher/designated hitter Evan Gattis and the Houston Astros have come to terms on a one-year, $6.7 million deal. Gattis hit .251 with 12 home runs and 55 RBI in 84 games this past year. Outside of AL-only leagues, he won’t hold much value unless he earns an everyday […]