David Hess Moving To Bullpen
Baltimore Orioles pitcher David Hess will head to the bullpen to clear space for John Means in the starting rotation, according to manager Brandon Hyde. Hess is 1-4 with an ugly 5.88 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 18 strikeouts in 26 innings in his six appearances (five starts) for the O's so far this year. He […]
Lou Trivino Still Unavailable
Oakland Athletics manager Bob Melvin said that relief pitcher Lou Trivino (thumb) is feeling better, but he's still unlikely to be available on Friday. However, the fact that he hasn't gone on the injured list yet is a good sign that he could return to action soon. The right-hander was one of the team's best […]
Cody Allen Lands on Injured List
Los Angeles Angels relief pitcher Cody Allen (back) has been placed on the 10-day injured list. Allen was removed from the closer role earlier in the week. He will now get some rest and hopefully get back on track in a few days. The Angels may decide to go with a closer-by-committee, which is going […]
Raisel Iglesias Nails Down Sixth Save
Cincinnati Reds closer Raisel Iglesias got the final five outs of a 4-2 win over the Atlanta Braves on Thursday to earn his sixth save of the season. Iglesias struck out two and walked one in the scoreless outing. Iglesias got off to a rough start this season but hasn't allowed a run in his […]
Brad Hand Saves His Seventh Game With a Perfect Inning
Cleveland Indians closer Brad Hand picked up his seventh save of the season on Thursday night, tossing a perfect ninth inning with one strikeout. He needed 15 pitches to retire the side in order, lowering his ERA to 1.54. He's one of the better, more consistent closers in the American League.
Tyler Clippard Added to Indians Roster
Cleveland Indians relief pitcher Tyler Clippard has been recalled from Triple-A on Thursday. He suffered a pectoral strain in spring training, but appears ready to pitch now. Jefry Rodriguez has been sent down in a corresponding move. Rodriguez had a 2.13 ERA across 12 2/3 innings of work, so he shouldn't be in the minors […]
Aroldis Chapman Redeems Himself With Fourth Save
Just two days after blowing an extra-inning save against the Angels, New York Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman once again stepped on the mound in Anaheim to try and close out a win. Seeking his fourth save, Chapman once again made it slightly difficult for himself, putting the second batter he faced on base with a […]
Brandon Morrow Could Resume Throwing In A Few Weeks
Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Brandon Morrow (elbow), who is still in a diagnostic stage, could resume throwing in a few weeks. Morrow recently had a setback with his right elbow and has been shut down for the foreseeable future. He missed the entire second half last year and has no timetable for a return. As […]
Deeper AL-Only Waiver Wire Sleepers for Week 4
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 […]
Ty Buttrey Blows Save In Wednesday's Implosion
Los Angeles Angels relief pitcher Ty Buttrey allowed an earned run and two hits with three strikeouts over 2 2/3 innings in a blown save and loss on Wednesday against the New York Yankees, as the Angels blew a five-run lead to lose for the ninth time in 10 games. Buttrey is in the mix […]
Top 30 Impact Prospects for 2019 Redraft Leagues (Week 4)
The Top 30 list continues to evolve as prospects get closer to compiling meaningful amounts of at-bats. And we’re also gaining a better understanding of what big league performances are sustainable, and which ones were the result of small-sample noise. Jonathan Loaisiga and Jon Duplantier rejoin the list after demotions from their respective Major League […]
Deeper NL-Only Waiver Wire Sleepers for Week 4
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 […]
Mychal Givens Earns Ugly First Save Of Season Wednesday
Baltimore Orioles relief pitcher Mychal Givens escaped with his first save of the season in Wednesday's 4-3 game against the White Sox. Givens pitched an uneventful eighth inning and stayed on to pitch the ninth with a two-run lead. He promptly gave up two doubles with an out in between, making it a one-run game. […]
John Means Earns Win In Start Wednesday
Baltimore Orioles pitcher John Means pitched well and earned a win in Wednesday's 4-3 game against the White Sox. Means pitched five innings, allowing a single run on four hits and a walk with six strikeouts. The 26-year-old is not currently in the rotation, but based on manager Brandon Hyde's comments after Wednesday's game, it […]
The Fantasy Injury Exam Room - Five Weeks for Aaron Judge?
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 […]
Angels To Use Closer-By-Committee Approach
Los Angeles Angels manager Brad Ausmus said he plans to use a combination of relief pitchers Ty Buttrey, Hansel Robles and Luis Garcia in the ninth inning moving forward until Cody Allen turns it around in low-leverage situations. Allen has been bumped from the closer role after allowing at least one run in four straight […]
Cody Allen Demoted From Closer Role
Los Angeles Angels closer Cody Allen has been removed from the closer role. Allen has saved four games for the Angels so far this season but has done so with a 5.40 ERA and a WHIP of 1.56. Considering those rate stats, Allen wasn’t providing any real fantasy value outside of a few saves, so there […]
Jeremy Jeffress Keeps Pitching Well
Milwaukee Brewers reliever Jeremy Jeffress threw another scoreless inning and struck out two during Wednesday's loss to the Cardinals. Jeffress was presumed to be Milwaukee's closer coming into the year before he ended up on the injured list. Josh Hader took over and seemed to be unstoppable until late, giving up runs in three straight […]
Jordan Hicks Nabs a Quick One-Out Save on Wednesday
St. Louis Cardinals closer Jordan Hicks got a quick save on Wednesday, recording just one out but notching his seventh save of the season. Hicks only threw five pitches, striking out the lone batter he faced after coming into the game with the bases loaded in the ninth inning. It was the definition of slamming […]
Chad Green A Major Concern In Yankees Bullpen
The New York Yankees handed reliever Chad Green a six-run lead when he entered Tuesday night's game in the seventh. In the eighth, the 27-year-old ran into major trouble, surrendering a pair of singles, a walk and a grand slam all in succession to begin the frame. Green would be pulled as his woes continue […]
Luke Gregerson Inching Towards Return
St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Luke Gregerson (shoulder) is moving to Double-A Springfield for the next few days. Gregerson is nearing the end of his rehab assignment for a right shoulder impingement and has been feeling "tremendously better." The plan is for the veteran reliever to be used in a less-structured manner. Gregerson has allowed […]
Shane Greene Earns MLB-Leading 11th Save
Detroit Tigers closer Shane Greene logged another save on Tuesday in the nightcap of a two-game sweep over Boston. The veteran reliever is perfect in save chances on the season, and is tied with Kirby Yates with an MLB-leading 11 saves on the year. With Tuesday's efforts, Greene now boasts a stingy 1.38 ERA and […]
Blaine Hardy Goes On Injured List
Detroit Tigers relief pitcher Blaine Hardy was placed on the 10-day injured list Tuesday with a left forearm strain, club sources announced. Jose Fernandez was recalled from Triple-A Toledo in a subsequent move. Hardy has appeared in 10 games, pitching 10 innings and striking out 10 batters. He's a holds candidate in Detroit, especially given […]
Jordan Hicks Allows a Home Run but Earns a Save on Tuesday
St. Louis Cardinals closer Jordan Hicks earned his sixth save of the season on Tuesday despite allowing a home run in the ninth inning. Hicks struck out a batter and issued a walk as well. He'll take his six saves and a 2.70 ERA into his next outing. He's a must-own in all eligible formats.
Anderson Espinoza Undergoes Second Tommy John Surgery
San Diego Padres pitching prospect Anderson Espinoza (elbow) underwent Tommy John surgery on Monday. The injury setback is a terrible break for the Padres No. 13 prospect, who will now need to rehabilitate from a second consecutive Tommy John surgery. Espinoza was acquired from the Boston Red Sox three years ago for current San Francisco […]
Carlos Martinez Will Pitch Out of the Bullpen
St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Carlos Martinez (shoulder) will reportedly pitch out of the bullpen when he returns to the team, according to manager Mike Shildt. It sounds like Martinez is still having a tough time building up strength in his right arm. The Cardinals believe the bullpen is a better fit for Martinez at the […]
Ji-Man Choi Placed On Restricted List
The Tampa Bay Rays placed first baseman Ji-Man Choi on the restricted list on Tuesday due to personal reasons and recalled reliever Austin Pruitt from Triple-A Durham in a corresponding move. It's unclear how long Choi will be out, but it'll also afford him more time to recover from a mild calf injury he was […]
MRI Reveals Nick Burdi Has Strained Bicep Tendon
Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher Nick Burdi was diagnosed with a strained right biceps tendon and flexor mass Tuesday, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN.com. Luckily, nothing was fully torn or broken. However, Passan also reports that Burdi is going to seek a second opinion just to ensure that there isn't more severe damage. Regardless if […]
Lou Trivino Dealing With Thumb Injury
Oakland Athletics relief pitcher Lou Trivino will likely be unavailable the next couple of games, as he's listed as day-to-day with a thumb injury on his pitching hand. The right-hander suffered the injury playing catch before the game on Sunday and was wearing a protective covering on his right thumb on Monday. He doesn't expect […]
Wade Davis Picks Up Second Save
Colorado Rockies closer Wade Davis welcomed a new week with another save. It had been a full seven days since Davis last got a save opportunity, and he made it a little exciting by allowing two runners on and striking out no one, but he eventually got the job done. Davis is a bit of […]