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Aaron Nola Whiffs Six On Opening Day
Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Aaron Nola allowed two runs in 6 2/3 innings with six strikeouts in a no-decision on Opening Day. Nola dominated a good Braves lineup allowing just six hits and no walks on 84 pitches. As good of a start as it was, Nola couldn't quite finish the job allowing a two-run... Read More
Athletics Option A.J. Puk and Daulton Jefferies To Alternate Site
Oakland Athletics pitching prospects A.J. Puk and Daulton Jefferies did not make the Opening Day roster and have been optioned to the alternate training site. This likely means Cole Irvin will be the club's fifth-starter to begin the season. Jefferies turned heads in Spring Training pitching to a 1.50 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, and racking up... Read More
Adam Haseley Gets The Nod In Center Field For Opening Day
Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Adam Haseley is in the Opening Day lineup and will bat eighth against Braves starter Max Fried. Fellow competitors for the center field job, Scott Kingery and Odubel Herrera, were optioned to the alternate training site, but Roman Quinn is on the MLB roster and will be in the mix for playing... Read More
Mitch Moreland To Serve As Everyday DH
Oakland Athletics first baseman Mitch Moreland will serve as the team's everyday DH for the 2021 season. This was expected after he signed a one-year contract in Oakland as he won't take playing time away from two-time Gold Glove winner Matt Olson at the cold corner. However, with Khris Davis now in Texas, the A's... Read More
Hector Neris Named Phillies Closer
Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Hector Neris was named the team's closer by manager Joe Girardi. Neris is the longest-tenured reliever in the Philly bullpen and has had success in the role before racking up 26 saves in 2017 and 28 saves in 2019. Neris - along with the entire Phillies bullpen - struggled mightily in... Read More
Seth Brown Optioned To Triple-A
Oakland Athletics outfielder Seth Brown was optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas, according to MLB.com. The move clears the way for Ka'ai Tom to make the Opening Day roster for Oakland. Tom was one of the most electrifying players in A's camp while Brown batted just .226 across 38 plate appearances in Cactus League play. Brown... Read More
Zach Eflin Healthy After Final Spring Tuneup
Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Zach Eflin (back) allowed two runs, one earned, across five innings in Monday's start against the Blue Jays. More importantly, Eflin said he felt healthy after the game and is prepared to start the team's third game of the season against Atlanta. The 26-year-old righty changed his pitch-mix in 2020 which... Read More
Roman Quinn, Adam Haseley Make Opening Day Roster For Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies outfielders Roman Quinn and Adam Haseley earned the last two roster spots for the Phillies, edging out Odubel Herrera and Scott Kingery in the competition for the starting center field job. Manager Joe Girardi, however, did not announce if Quinn or Haseley would start against the Braves on April 1. From a fantasy... Read More
Odubel Herrera Starting Season At Alternate Training Site
Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Odubel Herrera did not make the team's Opening Day roster and will begin the season at the alternate training site. Herrera had been competing with Roman Quinn and Adam Haseley for the starting center field job. The 29-year-old missed the 2020 season as a result of a domestic violence suspension. Herrera would... Read More
Ka'ai Tom Makes Opening Day Roster For A's
Oakland Athletics outfielder Ka'ai Tom made the team's Opening Day roster, according to MLB.com. Tom was a Rule 5 pick last December after spending five years in the Cleveland farm system; his first appearance this season will be his MLB debut. The 26-year-old will serve as the fourth-outfielder behind Mark Canha, Ramon Laureano, and Stephen... Read More
Vince Velasquez To Start Season In The Bullpen
Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Vince Velasquez seems ticketed for the bullpen to start the 2021 season, according to NBC Sports Philadelphia. Velasquez had been competing with Matt Moore and Chase Anderson who will start the season in the starting rotation. Velasquez has high upside in fantasy when he does start thanks to a swinging-strike rate that's... Read More
Brad Miller Doubles In Spring Training Game Monday
Philadelphia Phillies first baseman/outfielder Brad Miller had an RBI double and scored a run in Spring Training action on Monday. Miller (oblique) was playing in his second Grapefruit League game as he seems to be on track for Opening Day. Miller is a key piece for the Phillies as a left-handed bat off the bench,... Read More
Lou Trivino Looks Good In Cactus League Play
Oakland Athletics relief pitcher Lou Trivino has looked good in Spring Training having thrown 7 1/3 shutout innings over eight appearances. Trivino struck out eight against three walks and only one hit allowed. The 29-year-old righty was the team's eighth-inning man in 2018 pitching to a 2.92 ERA and a 27.4 percent strikeout rate while... Read More
Chad Pinder To Occupy Super Utility Role
Oakland Athletics infielder Chad Pinder is again slated to be a "super-utility player" for the team this season, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Pinder's versatility makes him a very valuable player for the A's, but less so in fantasy, even if he finds himself starting four or five games per week. Non-starters can have... Read More
A.J. Puk Sharp In Third Spring Appearance
Oakland Athletics starting pitcher A.J. Puk tossed four shutout innings with three strikeouts in a Cactus League start against the Rangers on Friday. Puk is battling for the fifth rotation slot in Oakland vacated by Mike Fiers (back); Daulton Jefferies and Cole Irvin are also in the running for the job. Puk is ranked as... Read More
Cole Irvin Making Bid For Rotation Spot
Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Cole Irvin dazzled in his last spring outing striking out 10 Dodgers in six shutout innings. The 27-year-old lefty carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning as he makes a bid for the fifth rotation spot vacated by Mike Fiers (back) who will start the season on the injured list. A's... Read More
Brandon Kintzler Makes Phillies Opening Day Roster
Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Brandon Kintzler was told he made the Phillies Opening Day roster, according to MLB.com's Todd Zolecki. Kintzler has pitched to a sub-three ERA in two straight seasons and will provide depth at the back end of the bullpen in his first season in Philly. The 36-year-old has closing experience with the... Read More
Mike Fiers Expected To Open Season On Injured List
Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Mike Fiers (hip/back) threw a bullpen session Friday, but is still expected to begin the season on the injured list according to Shayna Rubin. Fiers has been a decent arm for Oakland in the past few seasons, but a sub-20 percent strikeout rate severely limits his fantasy appeal. The 35-year-old righty... Read More
Roman Quinn Making A Push For Center Field Job
Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Roman Quinn is batting .323 across 34 Grapefruit League plate appearances as the battle for the starting center field job heads into the final week. Quinn is competing with Scott Kingery, Adam Haseley and Odubel Herrera for a starting role on the Opening Day roster. Quinn's spring numbers look better than his competition,... Read More
Scott Kingery Picks Up Hit In Bid For Starting Job
Philadelphia Phillies infielder/outfielder Scott Kingery picked up a hit in Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Tigers. Kingery is competing with Adam Haseley, Roman Quinn, and Odubel Herrera for the starting job in center field. Kingery is coming off a miserable 2020 where he hit just .159 in 36 games. While his bad 2020 has... Read More
Odubel Herrera Swinging A Cold Bat In Spring Training
Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Odubel Herrera went 1-for-4 in a Spring Training game Wednesday with two strikeouts. Herrera has just three hits in his last 20 at-bats as he battles Scott Kingery, Roman Quinn, and Adam Haseley for the center field job. Herrera had the best numbers of the group early in camp, but his recent... Read More
Adam Haseley Goes Hitless In Return To Lineup
Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Adam Haseley (groin) went 0-for-3 as the leadoff hitter in his return to Grapefruit League play. Haseley is competing with Roman Quinn, Scott Kingery, and Odubel Herrera for the starting center field job. A groin injury kept Haseley out of the lineup for three weeks, but no one else ran away with... Read More
Sean Manaea Effective In Spring Start Versus White Sox
Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Sean Manaea allowed one run on five hits in 5 1/3 innings pitched in a Cactus League start against the White Sox. Manaea struck out three and walked two while lowering his spring ERA to an even three. Manaea doesn't pitch deep into games, but he's a surprisingly strong source of... Read More
Revamped Phillies Bullpen Making Headlines In Spring Training
The Philadelphia Phillies had one of the worst bullpens in the Majors last season, but offseason acquisitions of Archie Bradley, Brandon Kintzler, and Jose Alvarado have been impressive in Spring Training and should join Hector Neris to be a formidable 'pen. The issue for fantasy managers becomes, "Who gets the saves?" Neris is the incumbent... Read More
Daulton Jefferies Making Case For Fifth Rotation Spot
Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Daulton Jefferies fired four innings of shutout baseball on Tuesday against the Rockies as he makes his case to be the fifth starter to begin the season. Mike Fiers (hip) and A.J. Puk are also in the running for the job, but Fiers has been injured and Puk has struggled with... Read More
Mickey Moniak Optioned To Minor League Camp
Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Mickey Moniak was optioned to minor league camp on Tuesday, according to Matt Gelb of The Athletic. Moniak had been competing with Scott Kingery, Odubel Herrera, and Roman Quinn for the center field job. Moniak hadn't played above Double-A prior to last season so he was never likely to win the job,... Read More
J.T. Realmuto Homers In First At Bat Of Spring
Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto (thumb) homered in his first at-bat of Grapefruit League play on Tuesday. That was a nice way to return from a thumb injury he sustained early in camp. Realmuto was always expected to be back for Opening Day, but it's nice to see him get some game action before they... Read More
Ka'ai Tom Continues Hot Spring In Push For Roster Spot
Oakland Athletics outfielder Ka'ai Tom is 8-for-16 with four extra-base hits and five RBI through five Cactus League games. Tom was a Rule 5 Draft pick and is competing for the fourth outfielder job in Oakland with Seth Brown. Tom was impressive again on Monday roping a two-run double and also drawing a walk against... Read More
Hector Neris Fires Scoreless Inning Against Yankees
Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Hector Neris pitched a perfect seventh inning in Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Yankees. Neris now has nine strikeouts against no walks with a 2.70 ERA and 0.45 WHIP through 6 2/3 spring innings. Neris is in the mix to be the team's closer, but is competing with Archie Bradley... Read More
Rhys Hoskins Collects Three Hits Versus Yankees
Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Rhys Hoskins went 3-for-3 with an RBI, a run scored, a walk, and a stolen base in Grapefruit League action against the Yankees. With only 10 career steals, fantasy managers shouldn't expect too much running from Hoskins, but it was good to see him hitting the ball well again after having... Read More
