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Sam Chinitz has written 567 articles so far, you can find them below.
Carter Kieboom Named Starting Third Baseman
Washington Nationals third baseman Carter Kieboom will be the team’s starting third baseman this year after beating out Asdrubal Cabrera for the job. Kieboom struggled in a brief major league stint last year with a 24 OPS+ over 11 games, but the 22-year-old is a consensus top-25 prospect and posted a .303/.409/.493 slash line in... Read More
Miguel Sano Tested Positive For Coronavirus
Minnesota Twins first baseman Miguel Sano tested positive for coronavirus on Saturday. Sano is asymptomatic, but he’s required to self-isolate until he tests negative twice. With that in mind, Sano appears likely to be ready for the start of the season, though there is no definite timetable. If Sano does miss any time, then Marwin... Read More
Salvador Perez Tested Positive For Coronavirus
Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez has tested positive for coronavirus. Perez is reportedly asymptomatic and is optimistic that he can return after self-isolating for 12 more days. That puts Perez back with the team on July 16th, likely giving the catcher enough time to be ready for the start of the season. Perez missed... Read More
Freddie Freeman Tested Positive For Coronavirus
Atlanta Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman has tested positive for coronavirus. Freeman has been battling a coronavirus-related fever since Thursday, putting his chances of playing at the start of the season in jeopardy. Fantasy owners should expect Freeman to miss at least the start of the season, but it’s unclear how long he’ll remain sidelined... Read More
Masahiro Tanaka's CT Scan Came Back Negative
New York Yankees starting pitcher Masahiro Tanaka (head) had his CT scan come back negative and will enter the concussion protocol after being struck by a line drive during a simulated game on Saturday. It's encouraging that Tanaka didn't suffer anything worse than a concussion, but he may still miss time. Tanaka's status for Opening... Read More
DJ LeMahieu Tested Positive For Coronavirus
New York Yankees infielder DJ LeMahieu tested positive for coronavirus on Saturday. LeMahieu will have to test negative for coronavirus before returning to the team, so his readiness for the start of the season is unclear. LeMahieu is expected to be the primary second baseman for the Yankees this season after posting an impressive .327... Read More
Masahiro Tanaka Hit By Line Drive
New York Yankees starting pitcher Masahiro Tanaka (head) was hit in the head by a line drive off the bat of Giancarlo Stanton in a simulated game on Saturday. Tanaka walked off of the field on his own power and was declared alert and oriented after being inspected at a hospital, but it's possible that... Read More
Aaron Judge Faces Live Pitching
New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge (rib) faced starting pitcher Gerrit Cole during a simulated game on Thursday. The Yankees are optimistic that Judge will be ready for the start of the season, and facing live pitching is an important step in that direction. If Judge doesn’t experience significant soreness in the next few days,... Read More
Gerrit Cole Touches 99 Mph In Simulated Game
New York Yankees starting pitcher Gerrit Cole looked to be in midseason form during a simulated game on Thursday, touching 99 mph with his fastball. Cole’s fastball got up to 101 mph last season, and he'll look to repeat his impressive 2019 performance this year in his first season in pinstripes. Last season, Cole posted... Read More
Yankees To Use Five-Man Rotation
New York Yankees pitching coach Matt Blake announced that the team is likely to start the season with a five-man rotation. Some teams may be more likely to use alternative rotation strategies in a shortened season, but the Yankees appear unlikely to be in that group. The Yankees are likely to go with a rotation... Read More
Miguel Andújar Might Play In The Outfield
New York Yankees third baseman Miguel Andújar has a chance at claiming a role in the outfield this season, and manager Aaron Boone believes that the 25-year-old is capable of handling the defensive responsibilities required in that scenario. Despite posting a .855 OPS in his rookie season, Andújar will have trouble finding consistent playing time... Read More
Masahiro Tanaka Back In New York
New York Yankees starting pitcher Masahiro Tanaka is back in the United States after spending his break from baseball in Japan. That means that Tanaka will not be at risk for travel-related delays that could have impacted his readiness for the start of the season. Tanaka is looking to rebound from a relatively poor 2019... Read More
Giancarlo Stanton Likely To Be DH-Ready For Opening Day
New York Yankees outfielder Giancarlo Stanton (calf) is expected to be healthy enough to DH on Opening Day. Stanton suffered a calf strain early in spring training, and although fantasy owners should expect Stanton to be healthy enough to hit by Opening Day, his ability to take the field may take longer. If Stanton becomes... Read More
Aaron Judge Expected To Be Ready For Opening Day
New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge (rib) is expected to be healthy in time for Opening Day, according to general manager Brian Cashman. Judge could still suffer setbacks between now and late July, but after months of significant uncertainty, fantasy owners should now expect Judge to be ready for the start of the season. Outfielder... Read More
Luis Severino Placed On The 60-Day Injured List
New York Yankees starting pitcher Luis Severino (elbow) was placed on the 60-day injured list on Sunday. Severino underwent Tommy John surgery in late February and will miss the entire 2020 season as he recovers, with an expected return in June of next season. Severino is an elite fantasy option when healthy with a 3.13... Read More
Yankees Sign Matt Duffy
New York Yankees infielder Matt Duffy signed with the team and was added to their 60-man roster. A shoulder injury held Duffy to only 46 games last season, but he’s a year removed from a solid .294 batting average and 12 stolen bases. A reverse platoon split and defensive versatility should allow Duffy to find... Read More
Yankees Sign Austin Wells
New York Yankees catcher Austin Wells signed with the team for $2.5 million after being the team’s first-round draft pick this year. Wells may transition from catcher to left field or first base during his professional career, but the 20-year-old boasts an advanced bat that helped him produce an impressive .357/.476/.560 slash line over 71... Read More
Chad Bettis To Retire
New York Yankees reliever Chad Bettis announced his retirement after a seven-year major league career. Bettis spent his entire MLB playing career with the Rockies before joining the Yankees over the offseason but has missed significant time with injuries and cancer over the past few seasons. Bettis’s retirement shouldn’t have too much on an effect... Read More
Aaron Judge May Be Ready For Opening Day
New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge (rib) recently began hitting off of a tee as he continues to rehab from a stress fracture in his rib. The extra rest provided by a delayed season has given fantasy owners hope that Judge may be healthy for Opening Day in late July, but fantasy owners should remain... Read More
Three NL Outfielders Set To Bust in 2020?
A good portion of busts each year are the result of freak injuries, but some players are particularly risky. Spotting those bust candidates and avoiding them early in drafts can be a difference-maker for fantasy teams. Although a delayed and shortened season has helped some players recover from injuries and boost their fantasy values, it’s... Read More
Domingo German To Miss Entire Season
New York Yankees starting pitcher Domingo German is slated to miss the entire 2020 season after commissioner Rob Manfred set a 60-game season. German has 63 games left on his 83-game domestic-violence suspension, but according to the agreement between the league and the MLBPA, the remaining three games on German’s suspension will not carry over... Read More
Four Yankees Employees Test Positive For Coronavirus
Four New York Yankees employees have reportedly tested positive for coronavirus. None of the positive tests appear to be players, but additional MLB-related coronavirus cases put the season even more at risk than it already was. The Yankees are moving their spring training back to New York with rising cases in Florida, but even the... Read More
Aaron Hicks Ready For July Opening Day
New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Hicks (elbow) confirmed that he will be ready to play if the season starts in late July. Hicks has enjoyed a setback-free recovery from Tommy John surgery so far, and he’s been taking batting practice and throwing from 160 feet over the past few weeks. With the talks between MLB... Read More
Three Hitters Set To Break Out Earlier Than Expected
MLB hitters often tend to experience their best seasons between ages 26 and 29 years old. Even so, many players have breakout seasons before that peak. The cheapest path to talent acquisition is by successfully targeting players before they have their first big year and this article will take a look at three players who... Read More
Aaron Hicks Filmed Taking Batting Practice
New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Hicks (elbow) was filmed taking batting practice as he continues to recover from Tommy John surgery. Hicks appears to be in line for a healthy start to the season (whenever that me be) as expected, and fantasy owners should expect him to claim a starting job in the Yankee outfield.... Read More
Overvalued and Undervalued First Basemen for Points Leagues
First base is bottom-heavy for fantasy purposes this year, with just one player drafted in the top-30 picks on average. As a result, there are relatively few first basemen who are excessively overvalued and several who can provide solid value in late rounds. Below are first basemen who are particularly poorly valued in drafts. These... Read More
Does James Paxton's Spin-Rate Adjustment Matter?
Players frequently enter spring training in, "the best shape of their lives," but offseason programs rarely seem to pay significant dividends. The extended offseason may have provided some players with the opportunity to make unusually significant adjustments this year, though. One example of such an adjustment is Yankees starting pitcher James Paxton, who recently announced that... Read More
Luis Severino Recovering From Tommy John Surgery
New York Yankees starting pitcher Luis Severino (elbow) is reportedly progressing well from his offseason Tommy John surgery. Severino underwent the surgery in February, and if he can continue to progress without setbacks then he should be healthy for the start of the 2021 season. Severino is a fantasy ace when healthy with an impressive... Read More
James Paxton Adding Fastball Spin
New York Yankees starting pitcher James Paxton has altered his fastball grip to produce a higher spin rate with the pitch. Paxton tends to throw his fastball up in the zone, and the pitch is complemented by a solid curveball. As a result, if Paxton successfully adds spin to his fastball then he’s likely to... Read More
Giancarlo Stanton Taking Batting Practice
New York Yankees outfielder Giancarlo Stanton (calf) has been taking batting practice as he continues to recover from a calf strain suffered early in spring training. The Yankees have been optimistic that Stanton would be healthy for the start of the season, and taking BP is a strong sign in that direction. Stanton is sometimes... Read More
