Drew Pomeranz Scheduled To Pitch Friday

San Diego Padres reliever Drew Pomeranz (forearm) is expected to pitch Friday. The 32-year-old southpaw has been sidelined for two weeks with forearm tightness but tests revealed no structural damage. Pomeranz posted a fantastic 1.45 ERA and 40 percent strikeout rate in 20 appearances in 2020, gathering four saves. He's currently the favorite to close […]

Jacob Nix Undergoes Tommy John Surgery

The San Diego Padres confirmed pitcher Jacob Nix (elbow) underwent Tommy John surgery last week. The former prospect debuted in 2018 to a 7.02 ERA in nine starts but had battled elbow issues over the past two years. The 25-year-old was a long shot to make the squad as bullpen depth but will now rehab […]

Josh Hader To Serve As Traditional Closer In 2021

Milwaukee Brewers relief pitcher Josh Hader will serve as a traditional closer for his team during the 2021 season, per manager Craig Counsell. Hader will be locked into the ninth-inning- with Devin Williams in front of him- a role that should be great news for his fantasy value. The 26-year-old has compiled 50 saves with […]

Brusdar Graterol Unlikely To Make Opening Day Roster

Los Angeles Dodgers right-handed pitcher Brusdar Graterol (undisclosed) is "unlikely" to be a part of the club's relief corps come April 1, per manager Dave Roberts. With the news coming down Monday that Graterol was not likely to pitch in a Cactus League contest, Roberts admitted that the hard-throwing righty may not be ramped up […]

Hector Neris Fires Scoreless Inning Against Yankees

Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Hector Neris pitched a perfect seventh inning in Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Yankees. Neris now has nine strikeouts against no walks with a 2.70 ERA and 0.45 WHIP through 6 2/3 spring innings. Neris is in the mix to be the team's closer, but is competing with Archie Bradley […]

Non-Roster Matt Bush Strikes Out Two Batters

Texas Rangers non-roster pitcher Matt Bush struck out two batters in a perfect inning of work on Monday just hours after it was announced that reliever Jose Leclerc would miss significant time with an elbow injury. The club will now be without its two top relievers — Leclerc and Jonathan Hernandez — for an extended […]

Cincinnati Inks Heath Hembree To Minors Deal, Invite To Camp

Right-handed reliever Heath Hembree has joined the Cincinnati Reds on a Minor League contract that includes an invitation to the team's big league camp. Hembree appeared in seven Cactus League contests with Cleveland and allowed just one earned run over 6 1/3 innings, striking out eight batters. Hembree scuffled during the abbreviated 2020 season, posting […]

Justin Wilson Exits Monday’s Game With Shoulder Injury

New York Yankees left-handed pitcher Justin Wilson (shoulder) left Monday's Grapefruit League game versus Philadelphia due to left shoulder tightness. Wilson is set to undergo further evaluation Tuesday, when the club is expected to provide an update on an integral member of their bullpen. Having notched a 2.91 ERA over 68 appearances with the cross-town […]

Brusdar Graterol Likely Won’t Pitch In Cactus League

Los Angeles Dodgers right-handed pitcher Brusdar Graterol (undisclosed) is on track to face batters during spring camp, but manager Dave Roberts said Monday that it likely won't be during Cactus League play. Graterol has been slowly brought along ahead of his age-22 season. Having lit up the radar gun in his first extended taste of […]

Josh Hader Sharp On Monday Against Cleveland

Milwaukee Brewers relief pitcher Josh Hader looked sharp on Monday against the Indians. Hader pitched a scoreless inning, striking out a pair of batters while allowing just one hit. The 26-year-old had a rough start to the spring- he allowed two home runs in his first outing- though he has yet to allow a run […]

Kirby Yates Has Significant Elbow Injury

Toronto Blue Jays closer Kirby Yates (elbow) is injured. The club announced that he would miss multiple weeks with a flexor-pronator strain in his right arm. It's an injury similar to the one that sidelined Shohei Ohtani in August last season. The injury typically requires four to six weeks of healing before a pitcher can […]

A.J. Puk Hit Hard By Diamondbacks

Oakland Athletics starting pitcher A.J. Puk allowed three runs in 1 2/3 innings in a Cactus League game against the Diamondbacks. Puk allowed three hits and two walks while only striking out one in a relief outing Monday. Fantasy managers generally shouldn't put too much stock into Spring Training stats, but given how little Puk […]

Taylor Rogers Fans Two In Scoreless Inning Monday

Minnesota Twins relief pitcher Taylor Rogers pitched a scoreless inning against the Braves on Monday, allowing no hits or walks while striking out two batters. Rogers had the slider and sinker working against Atlanta, as he exclusively threw those two pitches, getting a strikeout with each offering. The veteran closer had a 30-save season in […]

Trevor Cahill Earns Win In Pirates Debut Monday

Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Trevor Cahill made his debut with the team on Monday afternoon, tossing two perfect innings of relief and striking out one to earn the win over the Orioles. Cahill was hitting the zone well in the outing with 12 of his 17 pitches going for strikes, as he will likely start the […]

Duane Underwood Jr. Strikes Out Two In Pirates Debut

Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher Duane Underwood Jr. struck out two in a perfect inning of relief on Monday, as he made his Pirates debut against the Orioles. Acquired in a trade with the Cubs earlier this month, Underwood looks to be locked in for a spot in the Pirates bullpen, where he will bring with […]

Anthony Bass Contributes Another Scoreless Inning

Miami Marlins relief pitcher (and presumed closer) Anthony Bass pitched a scoreless inning in Monday's Grapefruit League win against the St. Louis Cardinals. Bass pitched the eighth inning, allowing a hit while throwing a total of 13 pitches. His spring ERA sits at 2.45 and manager Don Mattingly has all but named Bass the closer […]

Matt Harvey Drawing Praise For Velocity This Spring

Baltimore Orioles pitcher Matt Harvey has been throwing between 92 and 95 mph with his fastball this spring and is earning praise from the team, per MLB Network's Jon Heyman. The 31-year-old is fighting for a spot on the O's roster after struggling for the past several seasons of his career. While the velocity may […]

Jose Leclerc Sent For Tests On Injured Elbow

Texas Rangers pitcher and potential closer Jose Leclerc (elbow) has been sent for additional tests on his ailing elbow. General manager Chris Young is expecting to be without the high-leverage reliever for an extended period of time. The club is also without Jonathan Hernandez (elbow) for a lengthy time — as well as Joely Rodriguez […]

Matt Barnes' Spring Performance Impressing Alex Cora

Boston Red Sox reliever Matt Barnes has been absolutely dominant this spring, and his performance has caught the attention of manager Alex Cora. Cora said on Sunday that his fastball looks the best it has in years, and he has done a good job cleaning up his delivery. Barnes has thrown four scoreless innings this […]

Drew Rasmussen Strikes Out Two Batters

Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Drew Rasmussen threw 1.1 shutout, hitless innings and struck out two Seattle Mariners on Sunday. He's having a solid spring with two runs allowed in seven innings (2.57 ERA). He's given up just three hits but has also walked four while striking out nine batters. Rasmussen has the ability to pitch as […]

Wil Crowe Holds Red Sox To One Run

Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Wil Crowe held the Boston Red Sox to just one run over 3.2 innings on Sunday. The young right-hander is looking to secure a spot in the rebuilding club's starting rotation to open the year. Crowe was acquired from the Washington Nationals back in December as part of the modest return for […]

MLB Sophomores: Who Will Improve, Who Will Stumble?

We all expect excellent rookie seasons from the most hyped prospects in baseball. But the reality is that some players just don’t hit their strides for a year or two. Other prospects start off strong but then fade away. If we look back at 2015, Corey Seager, Miguel Sano, Carlos Correa, and Kris Bryant had […]

Kyle Bishop's 10 Bold Predictions for 2021

I've been in the bold predictions game since 2015 and in that time I've had my share of successes. Befitting a premise that demands spicy takes, though, I've also wildly missed the mark a bunch of times (whither goest thou, Byung-Ho Park and Delino DeShields?) The format's been around long enough that you almost certainly know the […]

Keynan Middleton Strikes Out Three

Seattle Mariners relief pitcher Keynan Middleton has had a spring training to forget, but took steps to get back on track Sunday, throwing a scoreless inning while striking out three. Middleton did allow two baserunners, on a hit and a walk. This marks the first scoreless outing for Middleton out of six appearances this spring. […]

Nick Mariano's Top 140 Saves+Holds Rankings

To any reader who thinks they don't have a voice here at RotoBaller, let it be known that this article came from a simple Reddit comment about how those seeking Saves+Holds reliever ranks were often overlooked. Poof, and here we are. Allow me, Nick Mariano, 2018's most accurate draft expert (top-three for RPs in '18 […]

Aroldis Chapman Getting Comfortable With Splitter

New York Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman is getting more comfortable with his split-fingered fastball this spring. Chapman has relied upon his four-seam fastball-slider combo while using a changeup and splitter sparingly over the years, though he's intent on adding the latter pitch to his arsenal. One American League scout said the pitch looks "nasty"- noting […]

Chad Green Working On A Curveball

New York Yankees relief pitcher Chad Green is introducing a curveball to his arsenal this season, providing him with a possibly strong complimentary pitch to his high-spin fastball. Green had originally planned to introduce a curveball last season but temporarily scrapped the pitch because of the delayed and shortened season, though pitch-tracking systems appear to […]

Yimi Garcia Strikes Out The Side On Sunday

Miami Marlins relief pitcher Yimi Garcia struck out all three batters he faced in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Houston Astros. Garcia pitched the eighth inning and needed just 13 pitches (nine strikes) to strike out all three batters. Garcia has some pretty good strikeout upside but will at least start the season behind […]

Tyler Clippard To Be Shut Down For Six Weeks

Arizona Diamondbacks relief pitcher Tyler Clippard (shoulder) will be shut down for six weeks with a capsule sprain in his right shoulder, reports Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. Clippard exited Friday's game early after allowing seven runs on four hits, two walks and a hit by pitch as he failed to record an out […]

Steven Wright Signs Minor League Deal With Pirates

Free agent pitcher Steven Wright agreed to a minor league deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday, according to USA Today's Bob Nightengale. Wright has missed time over the last three years due to suspensions for domestic violence and PED use, before being knocked out of the 2020 season following Tommy John surgery. Wright is […]