Tristan Beck Dealing With Hand Discomfort

The San Francisco Giants said that right-hander Tristan Beck (hand) went back to San Francisco to see doctors because of right-hand discomfort. Beck and Keaton Winn (elbow) were the favorites to round out San Fran's starting rotation to begin the year with Alex Cobb (hip) and Robbie Ray (elbow) not ready, but now both Beck […]

Craig Kimbrel Expects To Make Spring Debut Thursday

Baltimore Orioles closer Craig Kimbrel (quadriceps) threw a live batting practice session on Monday at camp and said he felt great. Kimbrel expects to make his Grapefruit League debut on Thursday. Kimbrel dealt with quadriceps soreness over the weekend and was shut down for a few days as a precaution. The 35-year-old veteran reliever is […]

Five Breakout Outfielders For Fantasy Baseball Drafts - NL Edition (2024)

The term "breakout" always gets the juices flowing, so to speak, in our fantasy baseball world. Everyone loves a good breakout. So much in fact, that we decided to do two whole articles on breakout outfielders here on RotoBaller. Today I'll be discussing five National League outfielders that I'm expecting to break out offensively this […]

Top 100 FYPD Prospects for Fantasy Baseball First-Year Player Drafts (February 2024)

The final update of the First-Year Player Draft rankings is just in time for peak FYPD draft season. This update adds in a half-dozen signees from the January 15 international class along with updating the teams for a few former Japanese players who signed this offseason with an MLB club and a player who was […]

Liam Hendriks Throws On Flat Ground Monday

Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Liam Hendriks (elbow) threw on flat grass from about 60 feet on Monday, per the Boston Globe's Pete Abraham. He was throwing to a catcher standing up and "threw with a pretty decent amount of zip". The 35-year-old is recovering from Tommy John surgery and hopes to make his season […]

Shawn Dubin Dealing With Shoulder Inflammation

Houston Astros right-hander Shawn Dubin (shoulder) is dealing with right-shoulder inflammation in camp and will be shut down from throwing for three days. The injury, although it may not be very serious, is going to make it more difficult for Dubin to win a spot in the team's Opening Day bullpen out of spring training. […]

Sam Bachman, Jose Quijada Continue Their Throwing Programs

Los Angeles Angels pitchers Sam Bachman (shoulder) and Jose Quijada (elbow) have continued their throwing programs in spring training. Bachman is recovering from right-shoulder surgery last September and was planning to throw from 75 to 90 feet on Monday. Quijada, who is recovering from Tommy John surgery on his left elbow last May, was planning […]

John McMillon Throws Live Batting Practice

Kansas City Royals right-hander John McMillon (forearm) was scheduled to throw a live batting practice session in camp on Monday. Barring a setback, McMillon could soon make his Cactus League debut. The 26-year-old made his major-league debut in 2023 for the Royals and allowed just one earned run on a solo home run while walking […]

Mason Thompson To Be Re-Evaluated This Week

Washington Nationals right-hander Mason Thompson (elbow) is set to be re-examined by team doctors this week after being shut down the last two weeks of camp with a sore elbow. Thompson had Tommy John surgery nine years ago as a junior in high school. He's avoided major injuries since then, but he did miss three […]

Gregory Santos To Begin Throwing Program Tuesday

Seattle Mariners right-hander Gregory Santos (lat) will begin his throwing program on Tuesday. The 24-year-old was acquired this offseason in a trade with the Chicago White Sox after he impressed in 60 appearances on the south side in his rookie campaign in 2023. Santos worked to a 3.39 ERA in his 66 1/3 innings of […]

Matt Barnes Linked To Nationals

Free-agent reliever Matt Barnes' market is heating up, as the Washington Nationals are one club that is linked to him. The right-hander underwent offseason surgery on his hip but threw for interested clubs in late January and appears ready to join a big-league spring training camp soon. It was a tough 2023 season for the […]

Yuki Matsui Day-To-Day With Back Inflammation

San Diego Padres left-hander Yuki Matsui's (back) MRI exam showed inflammation but no structural damage in his back, according to manager Mike Shildt. Matsui is considered day-to-day. Matsui was scratched from spring training action over the weekend due to tightness in his back, but it appears the injury isn't very serious. It's unclear when the […]

Pitcher Statcast: Using Sabermetrics for 2024 Fantasy Baseball

Statcast metrics such as Barrels and Brls/BBE are great ways to evaluate a fantasy baseball batter's performance, so it is only natural to assume that the metrics would be predictive for pitchers as well. As much as batters want to hit a Barrel every time, pitchers want to avoid them at all costs. Yet, there […]

Craig Kimbrel Dealing With Quadriceps Tightness

Baltimore Orioles closer Craig Kimbrel (quadriceps) said he cut his live batting practice session in camp on Saturday shorty by around five pitches because he felt some tightness in his lower body. However, Kimbrel isn't concerned after getting treatment from trainers. He's scheduled to throw again on Monday. Manager Brandon Hyde later said Kimbrel was […]

Josh Taylor Tosses Scoreless Inning In Return

Kansas City Royals reliever Josh Taylor (back) was listed among the team's available pitchers prior to Saturday's Spring Training game. He ultimately entered the game and pitched one inning, allowing two hits but escaping after just five total pitches. All of this is a good sign for the Royals and their left-handed hurler after he […]

Forrest Whitley To Undergo Additional Testing

Houston Astros relief pitcher Forrest Whitley (finger) experienced middle finger soreness while warming up for a live bullpen session on Saturday, manager Joe Espada told members of the media, including The Athletic's Chandler Rome. Whitley ultimately skipped his bullpen session and is set to undergo additional evaluation with team doctors. Injuries have put a damper […]

Dylan Floro Sidelined With Shoulder Tightness

Washington Nationals relief pitcher Dylan Floro is experiencing shoulder tightness and will be sidelined for a little while, manager Dave Martinez told Andrew Golden of the Washington Post. Martinez noted that Floro typically deals with some soreness in Spring Training, so he's not too concerned. The 33-year-old inked a major league deal with Washington this […]

Ian Gibaut To Rest A Few Days

Cincinnati Reds relief pitcher Ian Gibaut will be shut down from throwing for 3-5 days because of a pronator strain. Manager David Bell stated it is "nothing serious." If that is the case for Gibaut, he shouldn't fall behind in the spring. The 30-year-old is a decent play in save+hold leagues after making 74 appearances […]

Barrels and Brls/BBE: Using Sabermetrics For 2024 Fantasy Baseball

Previously, we looked at how exit velocity is only one piece of the fantasy baseball analysis puzzle. Baseball broadcasts commonly cite Launch Angle (LA) to complement their EV figures, but it is given in terms of degrees. Are we trying to find the hypotenuse of an isosceles triangle? Launch angle is basically a fancy way […]

Top 150 Relief Pitcher and Closer Fantasy Baseball Rankings (February Updates)

Hey, RotoBallers! It's an exciting time for fantasy baseball, with spring training starting soon and Opening Day approaching. We are back with more fantasy baseball rankings. Saves are one of the most volatile categories in fantasy baseball. We are here to help you sort it all out and make those crucial draft decisions with our […]

Red Sox Sign Joely Rodriguez To Minors Deal

The Boston Red Sox have signed reliever Joely Rodriguez to a minor-league deal. The left-hander returns to the Red Sox after being limited to just 11 outings with the club in the 2023 season due to oblique, shoulder, and hip injuries. The 32-year-old struggled in his brief work a season ago, tossing a 6.55 ERA […]

Kris Bubic Moved To 60-Day Injured List

Kansas City Royals left-hander Kris Bubic has been moved to the 60-day injured list as he continues his recovery from Tommy John surgery last April. The 26-year-old was limited to just three starts before undergoing the knife last season, tossing a 3.94 ERA in that time. Bubic recently threw his first bullpen session of the […]

Brian Anderson, Trevor Kelley Sign Minors Deals With Mariners

The Seattle Mariners signed free-agent infielder Brian Anderson and right-hander Trevor Kelley to minor-league deals on Friday, according to sources. Both players will receive invites to major-league spring training. The 30-year-old Anderson really struggled in 96 games for the Milwaukee Brewers last year, slashing .226/.310/.368 with nine home runs, 40 RBI and 38 runs scored […]

Matt Brash Shut Down From Throwing

Seattle Mariners right-hander Matt Brash said he is "a little banged up" and has been shut down from throwing after his second bullpen session of spring training on Tuesday. General manager Justin Hollander said the team has scheduled the hard-throwing reliever to be "down" through the weekend. The hope is he can resume throwing next […]

Reynaldo Lopez Could Be Favorite For Final Rotation Spot

MLB's Mark Bowman writes that it feels like Atlanta Braves right-hander Reynaldo Lopez might be the early favorite to start the year as Atlanta's fifth starter behind Max Fried, Spencer Strider, Charlie Morton and Chris Sale. However, how long Lopez remains a starter remains to be seen. He hasn't thrown more than 66 innings in […]

John Brebbia In A Walking Boot

Chicago White Sox relief pitcher John Brebbia (calf) said he strained his right calf walking back to the mound after moving toward first base on a grounder during a live batting practice session at camp the other day. Brebbia was able to finish the BP session and said his pitching is unaffected, even though he's […]

Carlos Hernandez Experiencing Shoulder Soreness

Kansas City Royals reliever Carlos Hernandez (shoulder) is dealing with right shoulder soreness and has not thrown off a mound in two weeks, president of baseball operations J.J. Picollo told MLB.com's Anne Rogers on Friday. With that said, the expectation is that Hernandez will throw his first bullpen soon and should get six or seven […]

Nathan Webb Throwing Bullpen Sessions

Baltimore Orioles right-hander Nathan Webb (elbow), who was signed to a minor-league deal in October, has thrown five bullpen sessions in camp and hopes to be available to pitch in games by the first week of May. "I haven't had a single issue so far," Webb said. "I'm in the bullpen phase. I feel really […]

Corey Knebel A Bit Behind Other Pitchers

Chicago White Sox pitching coach Ethan Katz said that reliever Corey Knebel (shoulder), who didn't pitch at all last year while working his way back from right-shoulder surgery, is a bit behind the team's other relievers in camp. Knebel will need to throw a few more bullpen sessions before he's cleared to pitch in a […]

John Brebbia Dealing With Right-Calf Strain

Chicago White Sox relief pitcher John Brebbia (calf) suffered a right-calf strain in a live batting practice session that he threw on Wednesday. Manager Pedro Grifol said the team is hopeful Brebbia will be ready for Opening Day. An already weak White Sox's bullpen might have just lost their expected close for the start of […]