Jose Alvarado Tweaks Ankle Friday

Tampa Bay Rays relief pitcher Jose Alvarado rolled his ankle slightly during pre-game workouts on Friday but ultimately checked out fine. The left-handed reliever should be available out of the bullpen on Friday night. He's one of the favorites for saves in Tampa's bullpen along with Diego Castillo and Chaz Roe in 2019, so he […]

Diego Castillo (SP/RP, TAM) - Week 1 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 9% of leagues ANALYSIS: Diego Castillo emerged as a key cog in the Rays' bullpen after Tampa traded away Alex Colome last season. Over 56.2 innings of work, he posted a 3.18 ERA and 0.95 WHIP, with 64 strikeouts against just 18 walks. He performed especially well […]

Fernando Rodney The Oldest Active Player in MLB

Oakland Athletics relief pitcher Fernando Rodney, 42, is the only active player left born in the 1970's now that Ichiro Suzuki is officially retired and with Bartolo Colon unable to find a team. Rodney saved 25 games for the Minnesota Twins last year before being traded to Oakland in August, where he took on a […]

Hector Neris Allows First Home Run Since Last June

Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Hector Neris allowed a two-out, two-run home run to Matt Joyce in the seventh inning of Philadelphia's 10-4 win over the Atlanta Braves on Thursday. It was the first home run Neris had given up since he allowed three on June 29 of last year. He returned to action on August […]

Opening Day Observations

When are we going to finally get around to making MLB Opening Day a national holiday? I can tell you the only thing that kept me from calling in sick was the fact that technology allows me to stream live games in HD on my cell phone while I sit at my desk waiting until […]

David Hernandez Earns Save In Season Opener

Cincinnati Reds reliever David Hernandez picked up the save in his team's 5-3 season-opening win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday. Hernandez pitched a third of an inning, issuing one walk in the process. He was able to end the game on a groundout off the bat of Corey Dickerson. While Hernandez earned the first […]

Brad Boxberger Earns One-Out Save

Kansas City Royals reliever Brad Boxberger picked up his first save of the season in the team's 5-3 win over the White Sox on Thursday. They entered the final frame up 5-0 and used four pitchers to get the last three outs in a shaky bullpen effort. The Royals have stated they won't use a […]

Raisel Iglesias Has Shaky Debut

Cincinnati Reds reliever Raisel Iglesias had a rough outing against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Opening Day. He entered the game in the eighth and immediately served up a homer to Corey Dickerson. Iglesias retired the next three batters but walked two in the ninth before getting yanked with two outs to go in the game. […]

Taylor Rogers Earns Save For Twins

Minnesota Twins reliever Taylor Rogers was called upon in the eighth inning to shut down the Cleveland Indians on Opening Day. Rogers came into the game with a runner on and two outs and retired all four batters he faced for the save. He struck out three of the hitters in a surprise move by […]

Ken Giles Sharp In First Outing

Toronto Blue Jays closer Ken Giles had an impressive debut to his 2019 season on Thursday. He entered the game in the ninth inning in a 0-0 tie and struck out the side against the Detroit Tigers. It wasn't a cakewalk either as he faced Miguel Cabrera, Nicholas Castellanos, and Jeimer Candelario to keep the […]

David Robertson Throws Eighth Inning Thursday

Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher David Robertson gave up an earned run, two hits and a leadoff walk in his inning of relief on Opening Day on Thursday in the eighth inning. Robertson gave up a leadoff walk to Josh Donaldson. This was followed by a Freddie Freeman single to right followed by a Ronald Acuna single […]

Shane Greene Logs First Save On Opening Day

Detroit Tigers closer Shane Greene took the ball in the bottom of the 10th inning and was asked to protect a two-run lead on Opening Day on Thursday. He did not disappoint. Greene delivered a perfect inning and struck out one to secure the victory for the visiting Tigers. Greene's ERA was an unsightly 5.12 last […]

Josh Hader Records Multi-Inning Save

Milwaukee Brewers reliever Josh Hader pitched two perfect innings and secured the save for Milwaukee's win against the Cardinals while striking out four. With Corey Knebel and Jeremy Jeffres both starting the year on the injured list, it is no surprise that Hader would be first in line for saves. Hader remains a valuable reliever […]

Edwin Diaz Records Save On Opening Day

The New York Mets enjoyed superb pitching on Thursday afternoon, shutting out the Washington Nationals for an Opening Day victory. The very last pitcher to take the hill was closer Edwin Diaz, making his season debut with the club after being acquired from the Seattle Mariners in the offseason. Diaz threw just 14 pitches and […]

Josh Tomlin Makes Braves' Opening Day Roster

Facing a litany of injuries to their pitching staff, the Atlanta Braves have named veteran right-hander Josh Tomlin to the 25-man roster for Opening Day. The 34-year-old, who began the spring with the Brewers before being released, will likely serve as the long reliever out of the bullpen. A casualty of Tomlin's promotion is Adam […]

Will Smith To Close For Giants

San Francisco Giants relief pitcher Will Smith was named the team's closer by manager Bruce Bochy on Thursday. Smith, who struck out seven and walked two in six shutout innings during spring training, beat out Mark Melancon for the role. Smith was considered to be the favorite but now it's official, so if he's somehow […]

Bryan Mitchell Cut By Padres

The San Diego Padres designated starter Bryan Mitchell for assignment in their final round of transactions before Opening Day. The Friars acquired Mitchell last season via trade but he quickly fell out of favor with a horrendous 5.42 ERA and major control issues. Given an opportunity to regain a starting job this spring, Mitchell was […]

Jeremy Jeffress Placed On 10-Day Injured List

Milwaukee Brewers reliever Jeremy Jeffress (shoulder) was placed on the 10-day injured list on Thursday afternoon. Jeffress would have been the favorite for the closer role with Corey Knebel (elbow) sidelined, but he is not expected to be back until mid-April. Jeffress threw a bullpen session without any issue on Thursday and is scheduled to […]

Kev's 10 Bold Predictions for 2019

That's GOLD, Jerry! GOLD! RotoSurgeon here with my first ever "gold predictions" piece. Many of you may not be familiar with my work because I have not been with RotoBaller as long as some of my esteemed colleagues. It is reasonable to not trust nor care about what I say because of my lack of […]

Corey Knebel Determining Fate On Friday

Milwaukee Brewers reliever Corey Knebel (elbow) said he'll decide on Friday whether to undergo Tommy John surgery or attempt to rehab his ulnar collateral ligament. Knebel aggravated the injury during spring training. The 27-year-old is going to be sidelined for a considerable amount of time, regardless of the decision. The Brewers are likely going to […]

Using Sabermetrics For Fantasy Baseball Part 15 - Ballpark Factors

If you have ever selected a streamable pitcher based on home park or benched an otherwise must-start arm at Coors Field, you already know how much a stadium can impact a player's bottom line. Ballpark Factors quantify the influence each stadium has, allowing you to make the most of your fantasy team's real-life schedule. Today, […]

Red Sox Not Naming Closer Before Opening Day

Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora said he won't name a closer with Opening Day on Thursday. However, Cora said he's known since November how he'd approach the ninth inning, he's just not tipping his hand. Matt Barnes and Ryan Brasier will likely be used in situations with the highest leverage at the end of […]

Michael A. Taylor, Howie Kendrick Begin On Injured List

The Washington Nationals placed outfielder Michael A. Taylor (hip, knee), second baseman Howie Kendrick (hamstring) and relief pitcher Koda Glover (forearm) on the 10-day injured list on Wednesday. All three players likely won't be ready until at least mid-April, with Taylor's injuries likely to keep him out possibly until May. Taylor has an intriguing mix […]

After Hours With RotoBaller Radio: MLB Opening Day 2019 Preview

Host Anthony Aniano of RotoBaller Radio discuss the 2019 fantasy baseball season and gets you warmed up for the MLB preseason. This radio show is sponsored by our good friends over at RT Sports. Be sure to check out their Best Ball leagues, drafting every day, and their awesome contest the RealTime Fantasy Sports Baseball Championship with a […]

What's In Your Wallet? My Most-Owned Players in 2019

After a difficult 2018 season, I took stock of what had gone wrong and identified one potential source of trouble: Too many leagues across too many platforms. So, naturally, this is how I responded to that revelation this year: Me in January: Remember not to do too many leagues on too many different sites again, […]

Updated Relief Pitcher Rankings - 5x5 Roto (Mixed Leagues)

We're back up on the bump for this edition of our mixed rankings analysis, and not a moment too soon. The 2019 baseball season is already here! RotoBaller writers Nick Mariano, JB Branson, Bill Dubiel, Pierre Camus, and Scott Engel want to make sure you are prepared for last-minute drafts, so they have given their […]

Drew Pomeranz Cracks Giants Rotation

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Drew Pomeranz made the 25-man Opening Day roster and will be the fifth man in the rotation along with Madison Bumgarner, Derek Holland, Dereck Rodriguez and Jeff Samardzija. Pomeranz was absolutely awful last year for Boston, putting up a 2-6 record and a 6.08 ERA in 74 innings pitched. He's shown […]

Jeremy Jeffress To Throw Wednesday

Milwaukee Brewers manager Craig Counsell said that relief pitcher Jeremy Jeffress (shoulder) will throw live batting practice on Wednesday and then go with the team to Milwaukee for Opening Day. Jeffress will then return to Arizona to pitch in games at minor league camp. The team is hoping that he'll only miss around two to […]

Nick Kingham Named To 25-Man Roster

Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Nick Kingham was named to the Opening Day roster, the team announced on Tuesday. Also joining him on the season-opening 25-man roster are relief pitcher Nick Burdi, utilityman Pablo Reyes, and shortstop Kevin Newman. Kingham was fighting for the team's fifth rotation spot this spring but will instead start the season out […]

Nate Karns To Serve As Opener Saturday

Baltimore Orioles pitcher Nate Karns will start as the opener on Saturday against the Yankees. Karns will mostly pitch in relief for Baltimore to begin the year, so he shouldn't be owned in fantasy leagues. The 31-year-old right-hander didn't pitch at all in 2018 because of injury and wasn't very effective in mostly a starting […]