Keone Kela To Begin Season As Rangers Closer

Texas Rangers manager Jeff Bannister has announced that relief pitcher Keone Kela will open the season as the Rangers closer. Bannister also mentioned that he won’t use any relievers in three straight games and that Kevin Jepsen could also be in the mix for saves. The biggest loser for fantasy purposes is reliever Alex Claudio, […]

Mark Melancon Placed On 10-Day Disabled List

San Francisco Giants closer Mark Melancon (elbow) has been placed on the 10-day disabled list with a flexor strain in his right elbow. Melancon said earlier this spring he is not 100 percent. The closer has been a bust thus far for the Giants with both on-the-field struggles and injuries. Relievers Tony Watson and Sam Dyson […]

Ian Happ Leading Off On Opening Day

Chicago Cubs outfielder Ian Happ, as expected, will be at the top of the Cubs batting order on Opening Day. Happ had a monsterous spring with five home runs and has improved his stock heading into the season. He needs to be owned in all leagues. The rest of the Cubs lineup is as follows: […]

Hector Santiago Breaks Camp With White Sox

Pitcher Hector Santiago will be on the Opening Day roster for the Chicago White Sox. Santiago has been a starting pitcher throughout his career but will operate out of the bullpen to start 2018. Santiago can be avoided in all formats as long as he's coming out of the bullpen.

Kevan Smith Placed On Disabled List

Chicago White Sox catcher Kevan Smith (ankle) has been placed on the 10-day disabled list. Smith suffered the ankle injury on March 20. Smith was in a battle with Omar Narvaez to back up starting catcher Welington Castillo. He holds no value for fantasy owners at this point.

Carlos Rodon Placed On Disabled List

The Chicago White Sox have placed starting pitcher Carlos Rodon (shoulder) on the 10-day disabled list. As expected, Rodon will not be on the Opening Day roster. The left-hander has been throwing on flat ground but isn’t expected back until June. He is worth a stash for owners who have a spot in deeper leagues.

Reynaldo Lopez Finishes Spring Strong

Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Reynaldo Lopez will pitch the third game of the season for the White Sox. Lopez got off to a slow start this spring but finished on a high note, giving up one run over his last three appearances. Lopez is worth a dart throw at the end of drafts, but […]

Nick Delmonico To Work Out Wednesday

Chicago White Sox outfielder Nick Delmonico (hamstring) plans to work out on Wednesday. Delmonico has been dealing with a hamstring issue over the past week and was held out of the lineup for precautionary reasons. Delmonico is expected to be ready for Opening Day.

Tim Anderson To Work Out Wednesday

Chicago White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson (shoulder) plans to work out on Wednesday. Anderson hurt his shoulder this past week and has been held out of the lineup for precautionary reasons. He should be good to go for Opening Day and offers owners a power and speed option at shortstop.

Carl Edwards Finishes Spring On A High Note

Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Carl Edwards has finished Spring Training in top shape, allowing no runs and striking out eight batters over his last six appearances. Brandon Morrow will open the season as the Cubs closer, but Edwards is likely to be the next man up if Morrow gets hurt or struggles. Outside of holds, […]

Hunter Pence Has Solid Spring

San Francisco Giants outfielder Hunter Pence hit .314 with two home runs in 51 at-bats this spring. Pence played 134 games in 2017, which was his most since 2014. Pence was once one of the more underrated fantasy players, but injuries and age have slowed him down. Outside of very deep leagues, Pence can be […]

Albert Almora Has Rough Spring

Chicago Cubs outfielder Albert Almora has struggled this spring and will be the team’s fourth outfielder. Almora was in a competition with outfielder Ian Happ for the the center field job, but Happ was on a tear this spring and ran away with the job, while Almora hit .164 in 55 at-bats. Almora will still […]

Brandon Morrow Has Mixed Results In Spring Training

Chicago Cubs closer Brandon Morrow offered mixed results this spring. The free-agent signee gave up three earned runs over four innings. Morrow is coming off of his most dominant season as a big leaguer, as he set up for Kenley Jansen in 2017. Morrow has very little closing experience, but fantasy owners shouldn’t overreact over […]

Buster Posey On Fire This Spring

San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey is ready to go for Opening Day on Thursday. Posey dealt with some ankle issues early in camp, but has bounced back strong with a .471 batting average with two home runs and 10 RBI over 34 at-bats. He remains one of the top-three options at catcher along with […]

Jon Lester Has Favorable Matchup On Opening Day

Chicago Cubs Opening Day starter Jon Lester has looked good this spring after a disappointing 2017 campaign. The left-hander had a 2.81 ERA and struck out 15 batters in 16 innings. Lester will square off versus the Marlins on Thursday and is a good bounce-back candidate heading into 2018.

Yu Darvish Fares Well In First Spring Training With Cubs

Chicago Cubs prized free-agent signing Yu Darvish fared well over 19 1/3 innings this spring. The starting pitcher will be slotted behind Opening Day starter Jon Lester in the Cubs rotation this year and has a favorable matchup versus the Miami Marlins on Friday. Darvish remains one of the best starting pitchers for strikeouts and […]

Anthony Rizzo Has Strong Spring

Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo is coming off of a very nice spring. Rizzo hit .354 with three home runs and 10 RBI over 48 at-bats. Rizzo has been one of the more consistent fantasy players over the past few years and he should continue to be a safe pick. It also doesn’t hurt […]

Kris Bryant Headed For A Strong 2018 Campaign

Chicago Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant had himself a very nice spring, hitting .366. Bryant only delivered one home run and three RBI in 41 at-bats, but fantasy owners should not be worried. Bryant had a "down" year in 2017 due to limited run production, but everything else was in line with his career numbers. […]

Steven Duggar To Begin 2018 In Triple-A

San Francisco Giants outfielder Steven Duggar has been optioned to Triple-A Sacramento. Duggar remains a bright spot in the Giants future outfield, but without everyday at-bats, it made sense for him to start the season in the minor leagues. Duggar should be up at some point in 2018 and could be looked at in NL-only […]

Mark Melancon May Not Be Ready For Opening Day

San Francisco Giants closer Mark Melancon is not a guarantee to be ready for Opening Day on Thursday. Manager Bruce Bochy wouldn’t expand on what is wrong with Melancon, but the closer will play catch on Tuesday and Wednesday. A decision will then be made about his status for Thursday. Melancon is already beginning to […]

Jeff Samardzija To Begin Playing Catch

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Jeff Samardzija (pectoral) will begin throwing on Wednesday. Samardzija may be ahead of schedule and it’s possible that he only misses a couple of weeks. With Madison Bumgarner (hand) already sidelined, the Giants are hoping to have Samardzija back sooner than later.

Derek Holland Makes Giants Rotation

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Derek Holland will make the Giants rotation. Holland needed injuries to Madison Bumgarner (hand) and Jeff Samardzija (shoulder) to lock down a spot. This spring, Holland had a 4.05 ERA and 23 strikeouts in 20 innings. The veteran probably won’t help owners much outside of streaming in good matchups. He […]

Alec Hansen To Start In Double-A

Chicago White Sox starting pitching prospect Alec Hansen will begin the 2018 season in Double-A Birmingham. Hansen is one of the top pitching prospects for the White Sox but has carried injury risk throughout his young career. Hanson is unlikely to make an impact in 2018, but if all goes well, he could be in […]

Jarrett Parker Designated For Assignment

The San Francisco Giants have designated outfielder Jarrett Parker for assignment. The club needed to open a spot on their 40-man roster for starting pitcher Derek Holland, and Parker was the odd man out. Parker struggled this spring with a .220 batting average but should be able to land somewhere as organizational depth. If he […]

Tim Anderson And Nick Delmonico Remain Out

Chicago White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson (shoulder) and outfielder Nick Delmonico (thigh) remain out of Monday’s lineup. Both players are being rested as a precautionary measure and are expected to be ready for Opening Day. Anderson offers more upside with both power and speed, while Delmonico is worth a roster spot in AL-only leagues and […]

Luis Robert To Start 2018 In Single-A

Chicago White Sox outfielder Luis Robert (thumb) will begin 2018 in Single-A Winston-Salem. One of the top prospects in the organization, Robert, 20, was having a nice spring before going down with a sprained thumb. Robert is out at least six more weeks. Although he won’t help fantasy owners in the near future, Robert is […]

Pedro Strop Feels Fine

Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Pedro Strop (calf) will pitch on Tuesday and says he feels fine. Strop had dealt with a calf injury early this spring, but has been able to pitch over the past week. If everything goes well on Tuesday, Strop should be expected to be on the Opening Day roster. Aside from […]

Nick Delmonico And Tim Anderson Rest Sunday

Chicago White Sox manager Rick Renteria decided to give a day off to outfielder Nick Delmonico and shortstop Tim Anderson as both are dealing with minor soreness. Anderson hurt his shoulder while diving for a ball, while Delmonico is dealing with a hamstring issue. Both players should be good to go for Opening Day.

Ty Blach To Start Opening Day For Giants

The San Francisco Giants announced that Ty Blach will start on Opening Day versus the Dodgers. Blach will replace Madison Bumgarner (hand) who is expected to miss the first six-to-eight weeks of the season after fracturing his hand. Blach can be avoided in all leagues as he doesn’t offer much upside and doesn’t strikeout enough […]

Ian Happ Expected To Lead Off Opening Day

Chicago Cubs outfielder Ian Happ is expected to lead off on Opening Day. Happ has been tearing the cover off the ball this spring and has hit five home runs so far. His stock is climbing and he should be owned in all leagues as he should be able to help across the board with […]