Yoshihisa Hirano Tests Positive For COVID-19

Seattle Mariners relief pitcher Yoshihisa Hirano has tested positive for COVID-19 and was transferred to the injured list on July 14. Hirano had tested positive back on June 25 and has since had one negative test. He will need one more negative test in order to get back into camp with the Mariners. It is good […]

Tommy Hunter Reports To Summer Camp

Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Tommy Hunter reported to the team's summer camp on Friday. Hunter has finally been cleared to join the team after testing positive for COVID-19 earlier this month. The 34-year-old right-handed reliever may not be ready for the start of the season with a delayed start to summer camp and with Opening […]

Justin Anderson To Have Tommy John Surgery

Los Angeles Angels relief pitcher Justin Anderson (elbow) will have Tommy John surgery next week. An MRI exam revealed a tear in the UCL of Anderson's right elbow. Surgery will be performed on Wednesday by Dr. Keith Meister in Dallas, Texas. The right-hander made 111 relief appearances for the Halos over the last two seasons […]

Scott Oberg On Pace To Be Ready

Colorado Rockies relief pitcher Scott Oberg hasn't appeared in an intrasquad game yet in summer camp, but he's expected to do so soon. Oberg was one of the better relievers in baseball last year, going 6-1 with a 2.25 ERA with five saves and 58 strikeouts in 56 innings before undergoing surgery for blood clots […]

Pirates To Mix And Match With Keone Kela Out

Pittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton said that the team will mix and match to fill the closer's role with Keone Kela (undisclosed) out to begin the 2020 season. Shelton doesn't anticipate using one guy to do the job, and it'll likely be matchup-based. It'll be a committee approach, but Kyle Crick is widely considered to […]

Ryan Pressly Dealing With Blister

Houston Astros relief pitcher Ryan Pressly (finger) couldn't pitch in the team's intrasquad game this week because of a blister on his right index finger. It's unclear when Pressly will be good to go, but he's running out of time to be ready for Opening Day next Friday. With closer Roberto Osuna behind in summer […]

Roberto Osuna Yet To Throw Off Mound

Houston Astros closer Roberto Osuna is still ramping up and hasn't thrown off a mound at the team's summer camp. The right-handed reliever is throwing long toss from 200-plus feet, but manager Dusty Baker isn't sure when Osuna will get on a mound. However, pitching coach Brent Strom still thinks that Osuna will be ready […]

Drew Smith Throwing Mid-90s And Higher In Camp

New York Mets reliever Drew Smith (elbow), who is rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, has been throwing mid-90s and above in Mets summer camp, according to Mets manager Luis Rojas. The 26-year-old last pitched in 2018 for the Mets when he posted a 3.54 ERA and 1.43 WHIP in 28 innings pitched. Assuming he is […]

Keone Kela Placed On Injured List

The Pittsburgh Pirates placed closer Keone Kela on the injured list on Thursday, but no specific injury was listed, leading us to believe it's related to COVID-19. Kela has also not been active in summer camp and the Pirates haven't provided an explanation for his absence. He was sliding down draft boards as the Pittsburgh […]

Tyler Rogers (RP, SF) - Fantasy Baseball Draft Sleeper

BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~ 310 CURRENT ADP: ~368 overall ANALYSIS: Rogers, the brother of Twins closer Taylor Rogers, will get his time in 2020 to save games for the Giants. Rogers has shown the ability to close out games throughout the Giants' farm system, so the ability to finish games has already been established. He […]

Tim Hill Packing His Bags For San Diego

The San Diego Padres acquired reliever Tim Hill on July 16 in exchange for outfielder Franchy Cordero and pitcher Ronald Bolanos. As a left-handed specialist, the 30-year-old fills an immediate need for the Friars with the recent injury to Jose Castillo (lat). With a 4.11 ERA across two big league seasons, Hill will be utilized […]

Franchy Cordero, Ronald Bolanos Traded To Kansas City

The San Diego Padres traded outfielder Franchy Cordero and pitcher Ronald Bolanos to the Kansas City Royals on July 16 in exchange for left-handed reliever Tim Hill. Cordero was logjammed in San Diego as he battled outfielders Josh Naylor and Edward Olivares for a platoon role. With Olivares excelling in summer camp and top prospect Taylor […]

Trevor Cahill Unlikely To Be Ready

It's looking like San Francisco Giants pitcher Trevor Cahill (finger) won't have enough time to ramp up to be ready for the Opening Day roster because of a fingernail issue. Cahill was hoping to win a rotation spot heading into the regular season, but that probably won't be the case for the 32-year-old because of […]

Eduardo Rodriguez, Others Nearing Return

Boston Red Sox pitchers Eduardo Rodriguez, Josh Taylor and Darwinzon Hernandez are all getting closer to rejoining the team after their positive COVID-19 tests. Manager Ron Roenicke stated that all three of the left-handers are making progress as they attempt to return to Fenway Park with the remainder of the team. “All three of them […]

Phillies Release Bud Norris, Add Two To Player Pool

The Philadelphia Phillies released right-handed reliever Bud Norris and added catcher Rafael Marchan and lefty reliever Austin Davis to their player pool on Thursday. Norris was fantasy relevant in 2018 when he saved 28 games for St. Louis, but he didn't pitch in the Major Leagues last season and is a long shot to contribute […]

Ken Giles Expects Jays To Use “Old School” Pitching Approach

Toronto Blue Jays closer Ken Giles stated in an interview that he expects the team to use an “old school” pitching approach with starters going deep into games and relievers finishing the last few innings. This philosophy will mean that the right-hander will likely work the ninth inning predominantly instead of playing matchups in the […]

Rafael Montero Not Expected To Be Ready

Texas Rangers relief pitcher Rafael Montero is not expected to be ready in time for Opening Day on July 24 because he's behind the other pitchers in summer camp due to a late arrival because of a family issue. Montero is on the 40-man roster and is out of minor league options, but the 30-man […]

Matt Bowman Throws 35-Pitch Bullpen

Cincinnati Reds reliever Matt Bowman (elbow) threw a 35-pitch bullpen session on Tuesday. He dealt with some elbow soreness earlier in camp but is working toward being ready for Opening Day. Bowman posted a 3.66 ERA and 25 strikeouts in 27 games for the Reds in 2019. He is likely ticketed for a middle-relief spot […]

Joe Smith Placed On Restricted List

The Houston Astros placed relief pitcher Joe Smith on the restricted list on Wednesday, but Smith has not informed the team of his final intentions for the 2020 season. It was reported earlier that Smith was opting out of the 2020 season due to concerns around the coronavirus pandemic, but he hasn't made a final […]

Miami Marlins: Top 10 Dynasty Prospects

The Miami Marlins will be our next stop on the farm to evaluate the best prospects on each MLB team. Once the 2020 MLB season begins, it may turn out that Minor League systems will be more important than usual. Franchises are losing money during the pandemic layoff, so many teams will be looking for […]

Cal Quantrill Unlikely To Win Starting Gig

San Diego Padres pitcher Cal Quantrill is receiving praise in summer camp but may still not earn a starting gig. Battling for the fifth rotation spot with Joey Lucchesi, Quantrill appears destined to play the long-relief and follower role. A former top prospect, Quantrill pitched well in his 2019 rookie year before a 10.90 September […]

Gerson Bautista Strains Right Elbow

Seattle Mariners relief pitcher Gerson Bautista has suffered a flexor mass strain in his right elbow. Manager Scott Servais said that Bautista won't need surgery but the strain is likely forcing him to start the 2020 season on the injured list. Though Bautista showed some promise with an above average strikeout rate in the minors, […]

Jordan Hicks Opts Out of the 2020 Season

St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Jordan Hicks has opted out of the 2020 season, according to the Cardinals official Twitter. Hicks cited pre-existing health concerns as his reason. The hard-throwing closer was going to start the season on the injured list as he completed his recovery from Tommy John Surgery, but was expected to pitch […]

New York Yankees: Top 10 Dynasty Prospects

The New York Yankees will be our next stop on the farm to evaluate the best prospects on each MLB team. Once the 2020 MLB season begins, it may turn out that Minor League systems will be more important than usual. Franchises are losing money during the pandemic layoff, so many teams will be looking […]

Zach Britton To Close For The Yankees If Aroldis Chapman Isn’t Ready

New York Yankees relief pitcher Zach Britton will be the team’s primary closer if closer Aroldis Chapman isn’t ready for the start of the season, according to manager Aaron Boone. Chapman was diagnosed with coronavirus on Saturday and has been showing symptoms, so fantasy owners should expect Britton to start the season as the closer […]

Gerson Bautista Suffers Injury Saturday

Seattle Mariners relief pitcher Gerson Bautista hit 101 mph with a fastball during an intrasquad game on Saturday, but his next pitch came out at 94 mph and he threw one more pitch before something looked wrong. Athletic trainer Rob Nodine came to the mound to check with Bautista before they both walked off moments […]

Padres Looking For Left-Handed Relief Help

The San Diego Padres are looking for bullpen help as injuries accumulate in summer camp. With key left-handed reliever Jose Castillo (lat) out at least six weeks, the Friars are down to just two relief southpaws in Matt Strahm and Drew Pomeranz. Meanwhile, lefty pitching prospects MacKenzie Gore and Adrian Morejon are viewed more as […]

Aroldis Chapman Tests Positive For COVID-19

New York Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman tested positive for COVID-19, according to manager Aaron Boone. "He has mild symptoms, but he’s doing well," Boone said. The hard-throwing lefty closer will be out for the foreseeable future, and with just under two weeks until Opening Day on July 23, there's a chance that Chapman won't be […]

Astros Cancel Workouts On Saturday

The Houston Astros canceled their summer camp workouts again on Saturday. "As part of MLB’s testing and reporting plan, we were alerted that a staff member was potentially exposed to a COVID-positive individual outside the organization," general manager James Click said. It's a reminder that all it takes to jeopardize an entire team's health is […]

Corey Knebel Feeling Good After Intrasquad Outing

Milwaukee Brewers relief pitcher Corey Knebel (elbow) took a step forward in his return from Tommy John surgery on Friday when he threw an inning in an intrasquad game at Miller Park. "I'm happy with how I feel right now. Everything feels good, so that's a positive," Knebel said. The right-hander's velocity is still a […]