Jordan Hicks Picks Up a Save With a Perfect Inning on Thursday

St. Louis Cardinals closer Jordan Hicks earned his 12th save of the season on Thursday, tossing a perfect ninth inning to lock down a 3-1 win. He lowered his ERA to 3.80 and opposing hitters are batting just .189 against him. Still, it looks like his leash might be shorter than expected, with John Gant […]

Wade Davis Could Return This Weekend

Colorado Rockies closer Wade Davis (back) feels ready to return after his throwing session on Wednesday and could be activated during the series against the Mets this weekend. The veteran should return to the closer's role immediately after posting a 2.45 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, seven saves and 18 strikeouts in 14 2/3 innings before his […]

Hunter Strickland, Felix Hernandez Throw Bullpens Thursday

Seattle Mariners closer Hunter Strickland (lat) and starting pitcher Felix Hernandez (lat) both threw successful bullpen sessions on Thursday. Strickland will throw another one on Sunday and expects to start a rehab assignment with Triple-A Tacoma next week. Strickland is obviously closer to a return than Hernandez and should retake the closer role when he […]

Tommy Milone to Follow Opener Austin Adams Thursday

Seattle Mariners pitcher Austin Adams will serve as an opener Thursday for Seattle's game against the Houston Astros, with Tommy Milone following to pitch the bulk of the innings. Milone has been successful in three starts this season, with a 3.60 ERA and 19 strikeouts in 15 innings. However, in his career, he has just […]

Craig Kimbrel Won’t Pitch For Cubs Right Away

Chicago Cubs newly signed closer Craig Kimbrel will need at least three weeks before returning to the bullpen. Manager Joe Maddon said on Thursday that he will talk to Kimbrel about a workout and throwing program. Maddon also stated that Kimbrel has to build up strength and hit check points just as he would in […]

Brandon Morrow Slowly Building Up

Chicago Cubs president Theo Epstein said that relief pitcher Brandon Morrow (elbow) has been playing catch out to 75-90 feet and is also throwing breaking balls. The Cubs are still practicing plenty of caution with him, though, and there remains no timetable for his return. With the Cubs signing closer Craig Kimbrel on Wednesday, it […]

Jose Leclerc Nearing Return To Closer Role

Texas Rangers reliever Jose Leclerc is "getting closer" to returning to ninth-inning duties, per manager Chris Woodward. Leclerc picked up 12 saves with a 1.56 ERA in 2018, but he stumbled out of the gate in 2019 and lost his closer role. He has not allowed a run in nine of his last 10 appearances […]

Jorge Lopez Continues To Struggle

Kansas City Royals pitcher Jorge Lopez was moved to the bullpen a few weeks ago to see if he could be the next KC convert from below-average starter to power reliever. It looks like a pretty big failure so far. After a spotless two-inning appearance to begin his relieving career, Lopez picked up one last […]

Digger Deeper: AL-Only Waiver Wire Report for Week 10

Every week in baseball, a significant player will hit the disabled list, slip into a slump, or get traded out of a good spot. How fantasy owners adapt to these situations can make or break the season as a whole. One lousy add might not hurt the long-term standing of a team, but failing to […]

Daily Slivers of the Fantasy Soapbox (6/6/19)

Welcome to the Thursday, June 6th 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 […]

Top 30 Impact Prospects for Redraft Leagues (Week 10)

It was a quiet week for prospect promotions and catcher Will Smith was the only position player who was promoted and stuck. He’s had some swing-and-miss to his game but he’s hitting .286 with a home run through his first 14 MLB at-bats. Jon Duplantier got another recall to The Show and was gifted with […]

Brad Hand Lowers His ERA to 1.05 With His 18th Save

Cleveland Indians closer Brad Hand saved another game on Wednesday, his 18th. He tossed a perfect inning including a strikeout, closing out a 9-7 win over the Twins. Hand lowered his ERA to 1.05 and needed just 12 pitches, making quick work of the ninth inning. He's somewhat quietly one of the best closers in […]

Tyler Clippard Struggles as the Opener on Wednesday

Cleveland Indians relief pitcher Tyler Clippard served as the opener on Wednesday, but struggled, allowing two runs on two hits in 1 1/3 innings. Clippard actually got through a scoreless first inning, but sending him out for the second proved to be a mistake. He's been a decent enough middle reliever this season, but doesn't […]

Steve Cishek Picks Up Save No. 6

Chicago Cubs reliever Steve Cishek recorded his sixth save of the season on Wednesday versus the Rockies. Cishek allowed a double Trevor Story and then a RBI single to David Dahl, but settled down and retired the next three batters. The Cubs activated closer Pedro Strop on Tuesday and he recorded the save, but they […]

Zach Britton Collapses Late As Yankees Lose Again

The New York Yankees dropped their first series in 10 Wednesday night in Toronto as their vaunted bullpen blew a late lead. Zach Britton was at the center of the collapse, as he was handed a one-run lead in the eighth. He would go on to allow three runs, all coming off a three-run home […]

Craig Kimbrel’s Deal Is For Three Years

The Chicago Cubs deal with free-agent closer Craig Kimbrel will be for three years with an option for a fourth year. Kimbrel will earn $10 million in 2019, and $16 million over the next two seasons with an option for $16 million in 2022 that comes with a $1 million buyout. Kimbrel looked good in […]

Seranthony Dominguez Has Elbow Soreness, MRI Set For Thursday

Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Seranthony Dominguez (elbow) faced three batters Wednesday, then walked off the mound with a sore elbow. He is headed for an MRI Thursday. Dominguez recorded his ninth hold of the season during Wednesday's game and his second hold in as many days. There will be more clarity after the MRI results, […]

Cubs And Craig Kimbrel Agree To Terms

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic is reporting that the Chicago Cubs and free-agent closer Craig Kimbrel have reached an agreement. The terms of the contract have not been given, but this is a huge addition for a Cubs bullpen that has struggled at times this season. It is also a great spot for fantasy owners, […]

Hector Neris Records Save No. 12

Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Hector Neris recorded the final five outs Wednesday to earn his twelfth save of the season. Neris allowed a walk and struck out two for his second save in as many days. Before the season, Phillies manager Gabe Kapler said he would play the matchups late but he seems to be […]

Joakim Soria Will Be the Opener Wednesday

Oakland Athletics pitcher Joakim Soria will be given the start against the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday. Soria will pitch in the first inning and righty Daniel Mengden will follow him. Mengden was scheduled to start, but the Athletics are going this route for some reason. Mengden is expected to pitch multiple innings, so fantasy […]

Wade Davis Throws BP Wednesday

Colorado Rockies closer Wade Davis (oblique) had a positive round of live batting practice on Wednesday and his return to the Rockies is getting closer. The 33-year-old might need some rehab outings before he's activated from the injured list, but Davis shouldn't be out much longer. He had a 2.45 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, seven saves […]

Alex Colome Blows First Save

Chicago White Sox closer Alex Colome gave up a walk and a walk-off home run in Wednesday’s outing versus the Nationals. Colome has pitched well all season, but didn’t have everything together Wednesday. It was Colome’s first blown save of the season and owners shouldn’t let one bad outing doubt him. He remains a good […]

Tyler Clippard Now Starting Wednesday for Indians

Cleveland Indians relief pitcher Tyler Clippard will open Wednesday's game against the Minnesota Twins after scheduled starter Carlos Carrasco was placed on the injured list with a blood condition. It is not clear who if anyone will pitch the bulk of the innings for Cleveland or whether it will be a bullpen game. With this […]

Braves Unlikely to Land Dallas Keuchel or Craig Kimbrel

Free agent starting pitcher Dallas Keuchel and relief pitcher Craig Kimbrel remain unsigned Wednesday with the draft underway, and it appears it won't be the Atlanta Braves who change either player's employment status. Atlanta is interested in Keuchel but not in active negotiations with him, while they find Kimbrel's asking price too high. Atlanta would […]

Braves Not A Finalist For Craig Kimbrel

The Atlanta Braves are not among the finalists for free-agent closer Craig Kimbrel, according to a source. As of right now, the Cubs and Twins appear to be the favorites to land him. Kimbrel is reportedly still seeking a multi-year deal, so the price may be too high for the Braves to stomach. They could […]

Ryan Brasier Allows One Run In Ninth

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Ryan Brasier allowed one earned run in the ninth against the Royals Tuesday. He's had significantly more trouble this year than last, which is evident in his 4.01 ERA over 24 2/3 innings. He's 44% owned in Yahoo leagues right now and hasn't earned a save in the last month […]

Chicago Cubs Making A Push For Craig Kimbrel

Ken Rosenthal has reported that the Chicago Cubs are making a strong push for free agent reliever Craig Kimbrel. The Cubs bullpen is currently top-10 in the Majors with a 4.02 ERA, but they only have a total of 12 saves with Steve Cishek and Pedro Strop having five each. Kimbrel would be a great […]

Twins Making Craig Kimbrel A Priority

The Minnesota Twins have made free-agent closer Craig Kimbrel a priority, according to team executives. Kimbrel is also still trying to land a multi-year deal now that draft-pick compensation is no longer tied to his name. Minnesota has been using Taylor Rogers and Blake Parker to handle saves in 2019, so adding Kimbrel would be […]

The Fantasy Injury Exam Room - deGrom, Gallo and More

In our weekly feature in collaboration with Inside Injuries, we take a comprehensive look into major injuries and their Fantasy implications. The medical team at Inside Injuries breaks down each player’s outlook from physical perspectives. RotoBaller then provides in-depth fantasy recommendations based on the impact of every injury breakdown. It’s an unrivaled combination of medical […]

Shane Greene Notches 19th Save

Detroit Tigers closer Shane Greene locked down the ninth inning once again as the Tigers beat the Rays on Tuesday. Greene allowed one hit in a scoreless frame, and now boasts a 1.08 ERA and 0.84 WHIP to go along with his 19 saves and 28 strikeouts. Nobody could have predicted this level of success […]