Sean Doolittle Departs Thursday With Apparent Injury

Washington Nationals left-handed pitcher Sean Doolittle recorded just one out in relief Thursday against Atlanta before departing with what appeared to be a side/oblique ailment. Doolittle had notched holds in each of his last two appearances, not having allowed an earned run in any of his last six outings. Snakebitten by injuries in 2020, Doolittle’s […]

Kenley Jansen Delivering Sensational Statcast Campaign

Los Angeles Dodgers right-handed pitcher Kenley Jansen has posted across the board an elite Statcast season in 2020, leading all qualified pitchers in average exit velocity (82 MPH), Hard Hit % (10.5), xBA (.152), and xSLG (.264). After a heart ailment sidetracked his 2019 campaign, Jansen has thundered back into the conversation as the best […]

Giovanny Gallegos Sustains Groin Injury Thursday

St. Louis Cardinals right-handed pitcher Giovanny Gallegos departed Thursday during a doubleheader against Detroit due to what manager Mike Shildt confirmed was a groin injury. Gallegos likely will be sent for an MRI to determine the extent of the ailment, although any absence may allow lefty Andrew Miller to slot back into the closer’s role. […]

Jose Alvarez Will Miss Remainder Of Regular Season

Philadelphia Phillies left-handed pitcher Jose Alvarez is not guaranteed to return in 2020 after sustaining a testicular contusion Aug. 20, but manager Joe Girardi made clear Thursday that if he does return, it won’t be until the postseason. Should Philadelphia be on the outside looking in come the playoffs, Alvarez will finish the year with […]

Nate Jones Returns Off Paternity List Thursday

Cincinnati Reds right-handed pitcher Nate Jones was activated off of the paternity list prior to Thursday’s contest versus the Cubs. In a corresponding move, the team optioned right-hander Jose De Leon to its taxi squad. Jones has proven to be a vital cog in the Cincinnati bullpen, having amassed four holds and struck out a […]

Orioles-Yankees Postponed Thursday, DH Set For Friday

The Baltimore Orioles and New York Yankees have been rained out Thursday, with the clubs set to participate in a traditional, seven-inning doubleheader Friday. Baltimore will get right-hander Alex Cobb back, as he is set to start Game 1, as Keegan Akin will slide down into the Game 2 start. New York is sticking with […]

Emilio Pagan Returns From IL Stint Thursday

San Diego Padres right-handed pitcher Emilio Pagan was activated off of the injured list prior to Thursday’s contest versus the Giants. Pagan landed on the IL due to inflammation in his right biceps on Sept. 2, although he hasn’t allowed a run in his past four appearances. San Diego brought aboard Trevor Rosenthal at the […]

Drew Smyly Activated On Thursday

San Francisco Giants pitcher Drew Smyly (finger) was activated off of the 10-day injured list on Thursday evening. The 31-year-old left-hander has not appeared in a game since August 1 with a strained index finger. Smyly is returning to the team in a relief role, after posting a 3.24 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, and 11/4 K/BB […]

Trevor Rosenthal Cements Sweep With Perfect Ninth

San Diego Padres closer Trevor Rosenthal pitched a perfect ninth inning Wednesday against the Colorado Rockies for his second save as a Friar and ninth overall. Rosenthal has now posted four scoreless frames for his new squad with six strikeouts and holds a 2.55 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 13.8 K/9 across 18 total appearances. Emerging […]

Daily Slivers of the Fantasy Soapbox - Yesterday's Recap

Welcome to the September 10th edition of Daily Slivers of the Fantasy Soapbox. Discussing baseball is as fun as the game itself. It has a way of bringing people together to share different opinions about the sport we all love. A similar action can be done with fantasy baseball where we not only discuss topics […]

The Baller Ranks: Top 200 Hitters Weekly Rankings (Week 8)

Welcome to the homestretch. The past week seems to have reversed some of the trends and shifts that we were seeing earlier in the season. Edwin Encarnacion appears resurgent. Brandon Lowe looks like he is scuffling. And Tommy Pham might be coming back. The first two are more complex than they seem, but if Pham […]

Jordan Yamamoto Allows 13 Runs In Under Three Innings

Miami Marlins pitcher Jordan Yamamoto set a record on Wednesday, allowing 13 runs on 11 hits and two walks in just 2 2/3 innings. Yamamoto somehow threw 94 pitches in a relief appearance and didn't even record nine outs. Brought in to mop up after started Pablo Lopez allowed seven runs in under two innings, […]

Shawn Armstrong Resumes Throwing Program

Baltimore Orioles reliever Shawn Armstrong (back) started a throwing program on Wednesday at the team's alternate training site. The 30-year-old has not appeared in a game since August 22, and he is already eligible to return from the injured list. Armstrong was enjoying a stellar 2020 season, posting a 2.19 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, and 12/3 […]

Josh James Activated Off Of Injured List

Houston Astros reliever Josh James was activated off of the 10-day injured list on Wednesday evening after missing a couple of weeks with hip discomfort. It was a quick recovery for the 27-year-old, as manager Dusty Baker was not expecting him back until the team's next homestand. James may find his way into the closer's […]

Jimmy Yacabonis Joining Mariners Bullpen

The Seattle Mariners purchased the contract of Jimmy Yacabonis from their alternate training site on Wednesday evening. The 28-year-old has not pitched yet in 2020, but he registered a 6.80 ERA and 33/24 K/BB rate in 2019. Yacabonis will stretch out the Mariners' bullpen a bit, but he holds no fantasy value for the remainder […]

Keone Kela Throws Bullpen Session Wednesday

Pittsburgh Pirates reliever Keone Kela (forearm) threw a bullpen session on Wednesday afternoon. It is the first time he has pitched since August 21. The 27-year-old is always an option to close games for the Pirates, but his time to return is running out. Richard Rodriguez will continue to handle the ninth-inning duties in the […]

Ken Giles Will Not Return To Closing Right Away

Toronto Blue Jays reliever Ken Giles (forearm) will not return to the closer's role immediately upon his activation from the injured list. Giles has been sidelined since July 26, so it makes sense to have him pitch in a low-leverage spot when he returns. Alas, it seems as though Giles will take over the ninth-inning […]

Robert Gsellman Out For Remainder Of 2020

New York Mets pitcher Robert Gsellman was placed on the 10-day injured list on Wednesday afternoon with a fractured rib. Right-handed reliever Drew Smith was recalled from the team's alternate site as a corresponding move. Gsellman labored through much of the 2020 season, as evidenced by his 9.64 ERA and 2.14 WHIP across 14 innings. […]

The Baller Ranks: Top 101 Relief Pitchers Weekly Rankings

We're into the meat of September and that means the Week 8 Relief Pitcher Baller Ranks are here for a weekly dive into how the top 101 RPs stand moving forward. You can check out my weekly Top 101 Starting Pitcher Baller Ranks as well. David Emerick rolled out an introduction to our Baller Ranks […]

Top 50 Prospects for Fantasy Baseball Redraft: Week 8 Rankings

It’s hard to believe that we’re only about three weeks away from the MLB playoffs. But it’s going to be a crazy time with lots of double-headers as teams look to solidify their playoff spots. A number of rookies will play key roles in helping their teams survive the hectic schedules over these next three […]

Week 8 MLB Closers & Bullpen Usage Report

Monitoring bullpens in 2020 will be a vital task each and every day. Because of this, we'll be publishing a weekly article at RotoBaller that tracks which bullpens are being taxed and which pitchers within that bullpen are being heavily used. The idea of this column is to help you gain an inside track into which […]

Liam Hendriks Notches 11th Save

Oakland Athletics relief pitcher Liam Hendriks allowed a, hit but needed just 13 pitches to nail down his 11th save of the season Tuesday vs Houston. Hendriks picked up two strikeouts which has become par for the course for the right-hander thanks to an elite 19.7 percent swinging-strike rate. Hendriks is a rare four-category contributor […]

Rafael Dolis Closes Door For Third Save

Toronto Blue Jays reliever Rafael Dolis pitched a perfect ninth inning in the team’s 2-1 win over the Yankees, securing his third save of the year. The right-hander struck out two in the 17-pitch frame, upping his total to 24 punchouts over 20 1/3 IP while holding an excellent 1.77 ERA and 1.18. WHIP. Dolis […]

Robert Gsellman Injured On Tuesday

New York Mets relief pitcher Robert Gsellman left Tuesday’s game with trainers and was in apparent pain. The exact nature of Gsellman’s injury is unclear for now, but he looked quite uncomfortable when leaving the field, and a stint on the injured list seems very possible. Gsellman was recently bumped back to the team’s bullpen […]

Pedro Baez Throwing Simulated Game Wednesday

Los Angeles Dodgers reliever Pedro Baez (groin) is scheduled to make a simulated appearance on Wednesday. Assuming there are no setbacks, Baez could return to the team's bullpen this weekend. The reliable right-hander posted a 3.97 ERA and 1.06 WHIP through 11 1/3 innings this season, but his only fantasy value comes in leagues that […]

Ken Giles Throws Live Batting Practice Tuesday

Toronto Blue Jays reliever Ken Giles (forearm) threw a successful live batting practice on Tuesday afternoon. Assuming there are no setbacks, Giles could potentially return to the team on the weekend. The 29-year-old has not appeared in a game since July 26, but he could be a worthwhile fantasy addition if he goes back to […]

Corey Knebel Activated From Injured List

The Milwaukee Brewers have activated relief pitcher Corey Knebel (hamstring) from the injured list prior to Tuesday's game against the Detroit Tigers. Knebel was placed on the injured list nearly three weeks ago while dealing with a strained hamstring. Knebel struggled mightily prior to his injury this year, allowing seven earned runs in just 6 […]

Chris Mazza Starting Tuesday's Nightcap

Boston Red Sox pitcher Chris Mazza will start the second game of Tuesday's doubleheader against the Philadelphia Phillies. Mazza threw four innings of one-run ball on Friday against the Toronto Blue Jays, so he will be operating on short rest. The 30-year-old owns a 6.00 ERA and 2.00 WHIP through 12 innings this year. He […]

Hot Prospects To Watch: Stretch-Run Rookies

Perhaps there's nothing more tantalizing in fantasy baseball than drafting an up-and-coming prospect or rushing to the waiver wire to bid on a Triple-A call-up. With no minor leagues this year, our favorite prospects are now playing on taxi squads, making it difficult for us to fantasize about since we can't get eyes on their […]

Daily Slivers of the Fantasy Soapbox - Yesterday's Recap

Welcome to the September 8th edition of Daily Slivers of the Fantasy Soapbox. Discussing baseball is as fun as the game itself. It has a way of bringing people together to share different opinions about the sport we all love. A similar action can be done with fantasy baseball where we not only discuss topics […]