Ryne Stanek Will Be The Opener Tuesday Versus Toronto

Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Ryne Stanek will start the game Tuesday versus Toronto. He will fill the role of an opener and will likely be followed by Austin Pruitt, who they hope will cover the bulk of the remaining innings. Stanek's fantasy value is limited anyway, but starting limits it even further. Stanek is […]

Bud Norris Picks Up His 13th Save on Monday

St. Louis Cardinals closer Bud Norris collected his 13th save of the season on Monday, tossing a scoreless inning with one strikeout. Norris was called on to close out a 5-2 lead and did just that, lowering his ERA to 3.38. Not even meant to be the closer when the season started, Norris has become […]

Frankie Montas (SP/RP, OAK) - Week 11 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 23% of leagues ANALYSIS: Write off Oakland Athletics pitcher Frankie Montas at your own risk. The young, hard-throwing right-hander has been traded three times before the age of 25, and the consensus seemed to be that he didn't have what it takes to stick in an […]

Steven Wright (SP/RP, BOS) - Week 11 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 22% of leagues ANALYSIS: Red Sox starting pitcher Steven Wright is a bit of a lone ranger in today's MLB landscape - he is the only active pitcher still fooling professional hitters throwing a pitch that averages just 74.2 MPH.  That pitch, of course, is the […]

The State of Baseball - Champions Analysis Podcast

Rotoballer Expert Kyle Richardson is joined by Blake Sullivan and the founder of BaseballFam.com, Shane Sullivan, to discuss the state of baseball. The guys talk about how MLB can market the game and players better, what is it that turns casual fans away from the game and are all the new rule changes good for […]

Dominic Leone is Improving

According to St. Louis Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak, relief pitcher Dominic Leone (arm) is "improving," which has left the team "optimistic" about his recovery. Leone has been on the disabled list with a nerve issue in his throwing arm. Mozeliak also said the team would know more about Leone's condition in four to six weeks, […]

Luke Gregerson Undergoes Knee Surgery

St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Luke Gregerson underwent arthroscopic knee surgery on Monday to repair a torn meniscus. He's expected to be sidelined for at least four weeks and possibly up to six. Gregerson has been on the disabled list for almost a month with a shoulder issue, and now will spend even more time […]

Carl Edwards Jr. to Play Catch Tuesday

Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Carl Edwards Jr. (shoulder) is scheduled to play catch Tuesday. This will be the first time Edwards will be throwing since going to the disabled list with shoulder inflammation. Like teammate Yu Darvish, Edwards does not have a timetable for his return yet and it will likely hinge on how his arm feels […]

Zach Britton To Be Activated From DL Monday

Baltimore Orioles closer Zach Britton (Achilles) will be activated from the disabled list Monday prior to the Orioles game against the Red Sox, per The Baltimore Sun's Jon Meoli. A countermove has not yet been announced. Britton has yet to pitch in the big leagues this season but has been an elite closer for the […]

Evan Marshall Sent Back Down to Triple-A

Cleveland Indians relief pitcher Evan Marshall was optioned to Triple-A Columbus on Monday. Marshall hadn't pitched in a week and had basically become the last arm in the bullpen. He has a 6.75 ERA in nine appearances so far this season. His demotion made room for catcher Francisco Mejia to be added to the active […]

Brad Keller Takes No-Decision Sunday

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Brad Keller started for the third time on Sunday, and he took a no-decision after he left the game tied at two. Keller only allowed one earned run over 5 1/3 innings, but KC's offense wasn't able to give him more support. It was Keller's longest outing of the season […]

Daniel Poncedeleon Called Up by the Cardinals

The St. Louis Cardinals called up pitcher Daniel Poncedeleon from Triple-A Memphis. His first appearance will be his major league debut. Poncedeleon was pitching well in Triple-A, posting a 2.41 ERA and 71:35 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 59 2/3 innings. He was working as a starter, but will likely start out working out of the bullpen […]

Roberto Osuna’s Administrative Leave Extended Again

In the “headlines that we’ve written before” category, the administrative leave for Toronto Blue Jays closer Roberto Osuna has once again been extended by Major League Baseball. The extension is for another week, taking us through June 18. Same old story here. The administrative leave is simply a transactional formality; we won’t know much of […]

Streaming Wars: Waiver Wire Targets For June 12

Welcome back to Streaming Wars, your one-stop shop for streaming the waiver wire. This article, which began last season, runs seven days a week. We are always ready to stream. For those who are newcomers to this feature - use this column on a daily basis to improve upon your neediest categories, and target players who may be […]

Brooks Pounders Draws Anger For Hit Batter

In a blowout loss on Saturday, Colorado Rockies relief pitcher Brooks Pounders was one of the few to escape unscathed against the rolling Arizona offense. Unfortunately, he still got plenty of attention after he hit D-Backs star Paul Goldschmidt with a pitch. Goldy murdered Rockies pitching all weekend, so many thought Pounders made the move […]

Adam Ottavino Feels Good After Bullpen Session

The beleaguered Colorado Rockies bullpen got one piece of good news this weekend as top-notch setup man Adam Ottavino reported that he was feeling good after throwing a 20-pitch bullpen session. Ottavino has been sidelined with a strained oblique since May 28, so he's eligible to come back at any time. Manager Bud Black said […]

Scott Oberg To The Disabled List

The Colorado Rockies placed reliever Scott Oberg on the disabled list with a back strain. Oberg has been one of the least abused members of the Rockies bullpen as he's carrying just a 4.08 ERA and 1.25 WHIP on the season, but with how bad the bullpen has been as a whole, management appears to […]

Jerry Vasto Lit Up In Debut

Colorado Rockies relief pitcher Jerry Vasto finally got his chance to throw to big-league hitters on Sunday, but it didn't quite go as planned. Vasto was brought in when the score was 4-2 and Colorado was still in the game. Unfortunately, Vasto gave up a pair of runs on a bases-clearing triple by red-hot Paul […]

Greg Holland Still Struggling in Minor League Games

St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Greg Holland ("hip") might not be back in the big league bullpen anytime soon. In two rehab games, Holland has walked four batters in two innings. Control was a big issue for him when he was "healthy" and it doesn't seem like he's been able to do anything to fix […]

Sam Howard Makes Major League Debut

Colorado Rockies left-handed reliever Sam Howard got his first major league action on Sunday as he finished up a lame duck ninth inning while the team was trailing by six runs. Howard was a mediocre starter at Triple-A Albuquerque, racking up a 4.68 ERA over nine starts there this season. He'd also only worked as […]

Mets Prospect Jamie Callahan Undergoing Shoulder Surgery

According to Triple-A Las Vegas manager Tony DeFrancesco, New York Mets prospect pitcher Jamie Callahan will undergo shoulder surgery. Tough break for Callahan, who we can only assume will miss the rest of the season (though we don’t know exactly what type of injury led to the surgery). Callahan has been out since April 21, […]

Anthony Swarzak Gets Save For Mets

When closer Jeurys Familia went down with a shoulder injury last week, many assumed Robert Gsellman would pick up the ninth inning duties for the New York Mets. Those assumptions would seem to be wrong. On Sunday against the New York Yankees, Gsellman pitched the eighth inning in a 2-0 victory, while the ninth inning […]

AL-Only Waiver Wire Team of the Week: MLB Week 11

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 […]

Keone Kela Takes Loss In Controversial Fashion

Texas Rangers relief pitcher Keone Kela took the loss Sunday in a strange fashion. Pitching with the game tied, and men on second and third, Kela was called for a balk, but only following a challenge from Astros manager A.J. Hinch. Kela, who is now 3-3 on the season has struggled in non-save situation all […]

Jared Hughes Earns Fourth Save Of Season

Cincinnati Reds relief pitcher Jared Hughes earned his fourth save of the season on Sunday against the Cardinals. Hughes came on to start the eighth inning and pitched two innings, allowing no runs on no hits and a walk with three strikeouts. Interim manager Jim Riggleman said that he did not deploy closer Raisel Iglesias […]

Blake Treinen Earns Third Win Of Season Sunday

Oakland Athletics closer Blake Treinen picked up his third win of the season on Sunday in a 3-2 game against the Royals. Treinen entered the game tied in the eighth inning with a runner on second and one out and was able to work out of the inning. He then came on to pitch the […]

Streaming Wars - Waiver Wire Targets For June 11

Welcome back to Streaming Wars, your one-stop shop for streaming the waiver wire all season long. This article, now in its second year, runs seven days a week. For those who are newcomers to this feature - use this column on a daily basis to improve upon your neediest categories, and target players who may be available on […]

Joakim Soria (RP, CHW) - Week 11 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues OWNED IN: 41% of leagues ANALYSIS: After allowing runs in four of five appearances during a rough patch in mid-May, it looked like Joakim Soria had lost his position as the preferred option for saves on the South Side. The veteran hasn't allowed a run in nine appearances since that iffy […]

Andrew Miller to Throw Bullpen Session Monday

Cleveland Indians relief pitcher Andrew Miller (knee) is scheduled to throw a bullpen session this Monday. Miller threw 30 pitches in a similar session on Friday and is likely getting eased back to playing sometime in the near future. He has already been placed on the disabled list twice this year and with the rocky […]

Joe Smith Heading to the Disabled List

Houston Astros relief pitcher Joe Smith will be placed on the disabled list Sunday. Smith has been part of a generally underwhelming Astros bullpen. In 19 2/3 innings, Smith has a 5.49 ERA and 20 strikeouts. In his place the Astros have called up relief pitcher Reymin Guduan. Guduan had a 7.88 ERA in 16 […]