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Ellis Canady - RotoBaller has written 674 articles so far, you can find them below.
J.D. Martinez Will Debut Next Week
According to Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald, Boston Red Sox outfielder J.D. Martinez is acclimating quickly and is expected to debut next week. “His routine got messed up the last four or five days and it was the first day he hit in four or five days, so we want him to get back... Read More
Marco Hernandez Returns To Camp
Boston Red Sox infielder Marco Hernandez returned to camp Tuesday after his second shoulder procedure in a year, according to Christopher Smith of MassLive.com. A week ago, Hernandez returned to Boston after doctors determined that pins put in his shoulder last May needed to be removed. The initial report was Hernandez would return when he was... Read More
Tyler Thornburg Scheduled For Bullpen Session
Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Tyler Thornburg (shoulder) is scheduled for a bullpen session Wednesday, according to Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe. This will be Thornburg's first bullpen session since having thoracic outlet surgery in June 2017. “Big day for him,” manager Alex Cora said. Thornburg never had an opportunity to pitch in 2017 due to... Read More
Taijuan Walker Wants To Redeem Himself
Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Taijuan Walker wants an opportunity to redeem himself from his performance in Game 1 of the Division Series, according to Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic. In that game, Walker lacked the consistency he displayed all season; he allowed four runs in the first inning. In his first season in Arizona,... Read More
Steven Souza Jr. Committed To Goals
Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Steven Souza Jr. is committed to certain goals in his first season with the team, according to Jody Jackson of Fox Sports Arizona. Continuing a method he first used in 2017, Souza will write down his goals that he hopes to achieve this season and stash them to review once the season... Read More
Archie Bradley Shows His Velocity
Arizona Diamondbacks relief pitcher Archie Bradley has already demonstrated the velocity that he hopes to maintain throughout the 2018 season. He admitted to having inconsistencies in past seasons that began even in spring training. However, in a game situation on Saturday, Bradley's first pitch was 95.1 mph. Afterwards, his 17-pitch outing only increased in speed,... Read More
Paul Goldschmidt's Plan Includes Time Off
According to Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo, first baseman Paul Goldschmidt will get more days off this year, as reported by Steve Gilbert of MLB.com. Goldschmidt has played 155 games or more four out of the last five seasons. He is well known for his durability. As Goldschmidt has turned 30, the manager seems intent... Read More
J.D. Martinez's Contract Has Opt-Outs And Protection
Outfielder J.D. Martinez and the Boston Red Sox have officially signed the agreed-upon contract of five years and $110 million. According to Evan Drellich of NBC Sports Boston, the contract was delayed by a medical issue in 2017 -- a sprained Lisfranc ligament in right foot -- and he has three opt-outs as well as... Read More
Robbie Ray To Build Upon Strong Resume
Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Robbie Ray believes that last year's performance was more of a floor than one of his best years, according to Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic. Ray was second in the majors with 12.1 strikeouts per nine innings and third in hits per nine. Ray impressed with 218 strikeouts for the... Read More
Jake Lamb Fine After Hit On Ankle
Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Jake Lamb (ankle) was hit on his right ankle by a line drive, according to Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic. Indians infielder Erik Gonzalez hit a line drive with an exit velocity of 114 mph. Lamb stated he was fine and did not appear to have any issues. We will... Read More
J.D. Martinez Press Conference Still On Hold
Sean McAdam of the Boston Sports Journal has reported that there is still no news on the physical nor impending press conference of Boston Red Sox outfielder J.D. Martinez. "I'm not concerned. My concern is with the guys here," said Red Sox manager Alex Cora. Until we hear more about the exact holdup, we will just... Read More
Marco Hernandez Experiencing More Pain
According to Jen McCaffrey, Boston Red Sox infielder Marco Hernandez (shoulder) had to return to Boston due to discomfort in his left shoulder. Doctors determined Hernandez needed to have the pins removed that were inserted into his shoulder last May. "He was doing everything fine and he felt weak or he was sore and it... Read More
Blake Swihart Not Named As Starter Or Backup Catcher
According to Evan Drellich of NBC Sports Boston, Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora has stated that Sandy Leon and Christian Vazquez are his catchers. This news means that Blake Swihart has lost another opportunity to win a starting position. Through process of positional elimination, Swihart will be relegated to a utility role. Thus far... Read More
Eduardo Rodriguez Begins Throwing
According to Jen McCaffrey of masslive.com, Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez (knee) will be throwing his first side session on Monday. Rodriguez is recovering from knee surgery in October. He has had various knee issues every year. Hopefully, this surgery will resolve it for good and keep Rodriguez on the mound. When healthy, Rodriguez has... Read More
Steven Wright's Investigation Moves Toward A Conclusion
Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Steven Wright met with MLB and the investigation into his arrest for domestic assault may soon be concluded, according to Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe. Wright was arrested in December 2017 for an argument with his wife. The Tennessee court retired it for one year, meaning it will be... Read More
Blake Swihart Might Need A New Venue
Boston Red Sox catcher Blake Swihart is following a plan that manager Alex Cora and the staff has prepared to make him more versatile and improve the chances of Swihart getting more playing time. However, now might be the perfect opportunity for the Red Sox to trade Swihart, according to Evan Drellich of NBC Sports... Read More
J.D. Martinez Deal Waiting On Physical
According to Christopher Smith of masslive.com, there will not be a press conference Thursday to officially announce the signing of outfielder J.D. Martinez by the Boston Red Sox. The reason is the physical has yet to be completed. There is no additional word regarding any specifics that the physical is causing the holdup. Smith also reported that... Read More
Yasmany Tomas Might Not Make Roster
According to Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic, Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Yasmany Tomas looks to have a hard time securing a roster spot, let alone a spot in the starting lineup. The acquisitions of outfielders Steven Souza Jr. and Jarrod Dyson secured the most likely spots Tomas could play in the outfield. Among 12 other... Read More
Blake Swihart's Plan For Playing Time
Boston Red Sox catcher Blake Swihart continues to be the focus of attention and efforts to get more playing time. Manager Alex Cora said that Swihart will focus on catching, outfield and designated hitter for the near future. There is no time yet for Swihart to get repetitions in the infield. "Versatile enough that you... Read More
Alex Cora Not Concerned About Lineups
Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora is not concerned with the particulars of lineup construction based on splits, according to Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe. Cora is not concerned with splitting up righties and lefties and doesn’t plan to get carried away with batter/pitcher matchups if it’s a small sample. With this news, there... Read More
Andrew Benintendi Success Stems From Summer Break
Boston Red Sox outfielder Andrew Benintendi has already accomplished in his rookie year what many players fail to reach in their entire career; he joined the 20 homers and 20 steals club. Benintendi attributes his sudden rise to stardom to an offseason before his sophomore season at the University of Arkansas. "I didn't play summer... Read More
Chris Owings Will Roam The Whole Field
Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Chris Owings will get plenty of playing time this year, according to manager Torey Lovullo. "He’s going to walk all over the diamond and impact the game at a different angle at different times throughout the course of the season." The agenda seems to be getting him repetitions at all the... Read More
Blake Swihart Gets Work At Other Positions
Boston Red Sox catcher Blake Swihart will get work at positions other than catcher, according to Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe. The Red Sox continue to try to find ways to get Swihart's bat into the lineup. This will prove tough since the lineup is stacked with offensive contributors. The current plan is for... Read More
Rafael Devers Gets MVP Instruction
Boston Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers has been getting expert instruction from Mike Lowell, a former World Series MVP, according to Jen McCaffrey of masslive.com. There is no question about Devers' bat. In 222 at-bats, Devers hit 20 home runs and had a slash line of .283/.338/.482. The point of this expert assistance was... Read More
Dustin Pedroia Doing Baseball Activities
Boston Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia (knee) started taking grounders from his knees Tuesday. Pedroia had offseason knee surgery, and demonstrating an ability to actually conduct activities from his knees is a good sign. He is currently expected to return in May. Pedroia spent much of the 2017 season dealing with injuries but still had... Read More
Nicholas Castellanos (3B/OF, DET) - 2018 Fantasy Baseball Sleepers & Draft Values
BALLER MOVE: Target ~80 CURRENT ADP: 103 ANALYSIS: The Detroit Tigers offense is aging and showed a significant drop-off from their 2016 season. In 2017, while most of the roster was struggling, Nicholas Castellanos was the lone bright spot as he continued to improve his offensive ability. Castellanos had a .272 average with 26 home runs and... Read More
Blake Swihart Working With Catchers
Boston Red Sox catcher/outfielder Blake Swihart is working with the catchers Monday, which is the first day of full-squad workouts, according to Jen McCaffrey of Masslive.com. Swihart was groomed as a catcher, but concerns with his defensive ability led him to change positions to left field. However, an injury forced an end to that experiment in 2016.... Read More
Eduardo Nunez Goes Beyond Normal Signing Procedures
Infielder Eduardo Nunez has officially signed with the Boston Red Sox. He went beyond the normal physical to demonstrate not only his health, but how much he enjoyed playing for the team. According to Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe, the Red Sox had to be more diligent in ensuring Nunez's health due to knee injuries... Read More
Three Up, Three Down – 2018 First Base Prospects
Power. Nothing else defines the first base position more than pure, raw power. If you have it, you better display it in abundance or there will be concerns. If you are smaller in stature, there will be concerns. If your talent is just hit tool, there will be concerns. If your defense is lacking, there... Read More
Taijuan Walker Hopes Humidor Helps
Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Taijuan Walker hopes the humidor helps him this year, but he is not sure, according to Nick Piecoro of Arizona Central. “It’s pretty easy to get a grip with the fastball, but the hardest thing for me is getting a grip with the curveball,” Walker said. “If that (the humidor) is... Read More
