Anthony Swarzak Throws Modified Bullpen Session

New York Mets reliever Anthony Swarzak (calf) threw a modified bullpen session on Monday (around 20 pitches) and emerged feeling “really good.” Swarzak has been dealing with a strained left calf, which he injured last Tuesday after running to cover first base. Assuming he continues to progress as he is now, he should be ready to […]

Jordan Schafer Reassigned to Minor League Camp

The St. Louis Cardinals reassigned pitcher/outfielder Jordan Schafer to minor league camp. He was one of seven players to be reassigned to minor league camp by the Cardinals this weekend, but the only one that may have been an interesting piece this season. Schafer played in the big leagues from 2009-2015 as an outfielder but […]

David Price Is Confident In New Spring Routine

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher David Price praises the new spring regimen, according to Nick Friar of SouthCoastToday.com. Price is supportive of the gradual and methodical progression of the staff's pitching plan. This year, he has been allowed to build up his pitches to the point he feels more prepared than past years to face […]

Brad Boxberger Has Bullpen Session

Arizona Diamondbacks reliever Brad Boxberger threw a successful bullpen session on Sunday, according to Craig Grialao of ArizonaSports.com. The session consisted of 25 pitches. “I was there to watch it. It was very aggressive and looked good,” manager Torey Lovullo said, adding the team will now reassess and determine Boxberger’s next step. Thus far, Boxberger […]

Tom Koehler Will Start Season On DL With Shoulder Strain

Los Angeles Dodgers reliever Tom Koehler, the only major offseason acquisition by the club, was diagnosed with a mild shoulder capsule strain and will start the season on the disabled list. The righty left his Cactus League game on Friday after giving up a home run and two walks, while only getting one out. The […]

Addison Reed (RP, MIN) - 2018 Fantasy Baseball Sleepers & Draft Values

BALLER MOVE: Target ~200 CURRENT ADP:  260 ANALYSIS: Reed is currently being drafted right around pick 260. He’s going after at least 25 other relief pitchers, one of whom is teammate Fernando Rodney. This is the same Addison Reed who has posted a 2.29 ERA since going to the Mets in September of 2015. That 2.29 ERA […]

Colin Rea Shut Down With Shoulder Pain

San Diego Padres starting pitcher Colin Rea (elbow, shoulder) is being temporarily shut down after experiencing shoulder pain. This is a tough setback for Rea, who missed all of 2017 recovering from Tommy John Surgery. Rea's absence will jeopardize his shot as a starter. His injury likely leaves seven Padres pitchers vying for three rotation […]

Sandy Alcantara Continues To Impress This Spring

Pitcher Sandy Alcantara impressed for the Miami Marlins on Thursday by allowing four hits and only one earned run in three innings against the New York Mets. Alcantara, who came to Miami from St. Louis in the Marcell Ozuna trade, has looked solid this Spring. In five innings of work, the young fireballer has a […]

RotoBaller Industry Expert Fantasy Baseball Mock Draft

On Thursday, February 15th, we brought together an illustrious group of industry experts to take part in the RotoBaller Friends and Family mock draft. We'll be playing this out as a best ball league. Our participants represented sites like: Creative Sports (Lawr Michaels) Fangraphs (Alex Chamberlain) GuruElite (Ray Flowers) Fantasy Alarm (Howard Bender) CBS (Heath […]

2018 Bullpen Outlooks - National League East

The National League East kicks off the first of our National League bullpen outlooks. Check out all of the American League divisions here: AL East, AL Central, AL West. The NL East doesn't feature any of the big name closers that casual baseball fans would recognize, but there are some solid relief arms on each team […]

Mark Melancon Hopes To Put 2017 Behind Him

San Francisco Giants closer Mark Melancon is looking to move on from an unforgettable 2017 campaign. Melancon spoke about his focus for 2018 and how he won’t forget about 2017, but will learn from it and make sure it doesn’t happen again. He is also focused on being productive and healthy. Melancon dealt with injuries […]

Tom Koehler Leaves Game With Possible Injury

Los Angeles Dodgers reliever Tom Koehler (undisclosed), who was recently acquired, left Friday's Cactus League game against the White Sox after a third of an inning. He left with trainer Nate Lucero and got an MRI. He quickly gave up a home run to Adam Engel on his first pitch of the third inning, so things […]

Kenley Jansen Given Day Off, Will Still Be Ready

Los Angeles Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen has been given the day off from his bullpen session on Friday. He'll still be ready for Opening Day, though, since relievers are given a lighter workload in the spring. The team is also mindful of his innings from last season and hopes to give him a similar number […]

Michael Kohn Tears Right Biceps

Minnesota Twins right-hander Michael Kohn tore the coracobraschialis muscle in his right biceps on Wednesday. The 31-year-old right-hander is expected to miss several months after the injury and will be seen at the Mayo Clinic to undergo further testing. After undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2016, Kohn spent the 2017 season pitching in the minors […]

Brad Brach Will Pitch For First Time On Saturday

Baltimore Orioles relief pitcher Brad Brach will see game action for the first time this Spring when Baltimore goes up against the Phillies. Brach is holding down the fort at the closer position until Zach Britton returns from his Achilles injury.

Kenley Jansen Rankings Debate - Comparing RotoBaller's Rankers

We continue our rankings debates with a look at the game's best reliever. RotoBaller's expert writers have come up with our consensus rankings for mixed leagues, but that doesn't mean we agreed on everything. In this space, we'll hear from rankers with the biggest differences of opinion on a well-known player and have them defend […]

Using Sabermetrics For Fantasy Baseball Part 10 - 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. […]

Travis Wood's Knee Injury Doesn't Look Promising

Detroit Tigers relief pitcher Travis Wood left Thursday's game against the Braves with a left knee sprain, but manager Ron Gardenhire says that things don't "look very good," leading to speculation that it could be more serious than a sprain. The 31-year-old pitcher had a rough go of things last year with the Royals and […]

ADP Sleepers and Busts - NL Relief Pitchers

Early-season drafts do not always tend to be reflective of a player's actual value. Average draft position does not tend to stabilize until closer to Opening Day but that does not stop people like myself (and presumably you as well if you're reading this) from drafting well before then. The ADP of relief pitchers is […]

2018 Bullpen Outlooks - American League West

The American League West is third in our series of 2018 Early Bullpen Outlooks and will wrap up the AL side of things. The AL West has some solid bullpens with some dependable closers at the helm, but none who really inspire confidence as early or even mid-round fantasy selections. At least not yet. The Angels have some […]

Robbie Erlin And Colin Rea Return To Game Action

After both players missed 2017 recovering from Tommy John Surgery, San Diego Padres starting pitchers Robbie Erlin (elbow) and Colin Rea (elbow) returned to live action in a "B" game on Thursday. They each pitched two innings and struck out a pair. Erlin and Rea are two of eight Padres pitchers battling for three rotation spots and could […]

Cubs Sign Danny Hultzen

The Chicago Cubs have signed former top pitching prospect Danny Hultzen. The 28-year-old announced his retirement after the 2016 season but will give it a go with a second chance with the Cubs. The former first-round pick -- No. 2 overall by the Seattle Mariners in 2011 -- Hultzen never figured things out and never reached […]

Matt Strahm May Not Be Ready To Start

AJ Cassavell tweeted that San Diego Padres pitcher Matt Strahm may not be ready to start by Opening Day but can come out of the bullpen. Although he's competing for a back-end rotation spot, Strahm also projects to be a useful relief arm. Strahm is returning from a torn left patellar tendon suffered last July. […]

Pedro Strop Dealing With Sore Left Calf

Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Pedro Strop (calf) has been kept off the mound. The relief pitcher has been sidelined with a sore left calf. Aside from holds, Strop carries minimal fantasy value.

2018 Relief Pitchers - Dynasty Tiered Rankings

As we move closer to the 2018 baseball season, at RotoBaller we have released our Dynasty Rankings. We have been dissecting the tiers of each position, showing fantasy owners where to find value in their draft. We have a total of 54 relief pitchers ranked in the first six tiers. When looking at dynasty leagues, one […]

Danny Salazar Still Limited But Starting to "Turn a Corner"

Cleveland Indians pitcher Danny Salazar (shoulder) is still limited to playing catch from 75 feet, but he said he hopes to advance further soon. He recently threw on back-to-back days for the first time this spring. Salazar was feeling shoulder discomfort earlier in camp but has said that he felt he was starting to "turn […]

Mark Melancon Throws On Wednesday

San Francisco Giants closer Mark Melancon (forearm) threw for the first time since this past September on Tuesday. The closer threw 20 pitches and said he felt fine. Melancon is coming off a rough season but should be a strong bounce-back candidate. Owners who draft Melancon would be wise to keep an eye on relief pitchers […]

Seung Hwan Oh's Elbow Expected To Be Fine

When the Toronto Blue Jays signed reliever Seung Hwan Oh, there were some reports indicating that his right elbow might be troublesome. This was largely due in part to Oh’s verbal agreement with the Texas Rangers falling apart due to a rumored failed physical. For now, though, it sounds like Oh’s elbow is good enough, […]

Alex Reyes Will Throw Live Batting Practice Wednesday

St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Alex Reyes (elbow) is scheduled to throw live batting practice on Wednesday. It will be his first time facing live hitters since undergoing Tommy John Surgery last February. Reyes will be brought along slowly, with the team expecting him back on the big league mound sometime in early May. The Cardinals […]

Tyler Thornburg Throws Bullpen Session Wednesday

As scheduled, Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Tyler Thornburg (shoulder) threw a bullpen session Wednesday comprised of 20 fastballs off the mound, according to Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe. This was Thornburg's first bullpen session since having thoracic outlet surgery in June 2017. Christian Vazquez seemed enthused after catching Tyler Thornburg's first side session since surgery. He let […]