Spring Training Injury Rundown 3

Arizona: Patrick Corbin (likely Tommy John surgery) is out. OF Cody Ross (hip) should be back in April. SP Bronson Arroyo (back) might not miss a start.

Atlanta: SPs Brandon Beachy and Kris Medlen (Tommy John surgery) are out. SP Mike Minor (shoulder) might miss half of April. OF/C Evan Gattis should be ready for opening day. SP Gavin Floyd (elbow) might be back in May.

This might be Mat Latos. He probably tripped
over the missing "t" in his name.

Chicago: SS Starlin Castro (hamstring) should be ready for opening day. SP Jake Arrieta (shoulder) is expected to start the season on the DL. SP James McDonald (shoulder) is a mystery.

Cincinnati: RP Aroldis Chapman will miss at least a month after being hit in the face with a line drive. SP Mat Latos (knee) is likely to start the season on the DL. C Devin Mesoraco (oblique) has been shut down and could start the year on the DL. SPs Johnny Cueto (scapula inflammation) and Homer Bailey (groin) are on track for opening day.

Colorado: SP Jhoulys Chacin (shoulder) is expected to be out until early May.

Los Angeles: OF Matt Kemp (ankle) will start the season on the DL. SP Josh Beckett (thumb) is on the DL for now. SP Chad Billingsley (elbow) is out until May. SP Paul Maholm (elbow) is a mystery.

Miami: None

Milwaukee: None

New York: SP Jon Niese (elbow) will start the season on the DL. SP Matt Harvey (Tommy John surgery) is expected to miss the season.

Philadelphia: SP Cole Hamels (shoulder) is expected to miss most of April at least. SP Jonathan Pettibone (shoulder) is recovering and competing for a rotation spot. OF Darin Ruf is out 4 to 6 weeks with an oblique strain. SP Miguel Gonzalez (shoulder) isn't even throwing.

Pittsburgh: SP Francisco Liriano (groin) left a start early with groin tightness.

San Diego: 3B Chase Headley (calf) might be ready by opening day. OF Cameron Maybin (biceps) will miss at least a month. SP Cory Luebke (Tommy John surgery) is out for the year. RP Huston Street (groin) is expected to be ready to start the season.

San Francisco: 2B Marco Scutaro (back) is 50/50 to start the season on the DL.

St. Louis: SP Jaime Garcia (shoulder) could be throwing off a mound by the end of the month.

Washington: SP Doug Fister (elbow inflammation) is expected to be ready for opening day.

Spring Training Injury Rundown 2

Based on how his season went last year, is it possible for Rick to draft every player on this injury list? Is this the first injury list in MLB history that didn't include Carlos Quentin's name? With all the Tommy John surgeries going around, is it possible to buy stock in Dr. James Andrews? These questions and more probably won't be answered below:

Arizona: Poor Patrick Corbin. The SP appears headed to the operating table for Tommy John surgery. OF Cody Ross (hip) should be back in April. SP Bronson Arroyo (back) still hasn't appeared in a game.

Atlanta: SPs Brandon Beachy and Kris Medlen seem likely to need Tommy John surgery. SP Mike Minor (shoulder) might not start until the Braves need a fifth starter. OF/C Ryan Doumit has a finger contusion and is getting X-rays. 1B Freddie Freeman has a thumb contusion, and it might be the same thumb that caused him problems last year. Stay tuned.

Don't burn your foot on a Foreman grill.

Chicago: SS Starlin Castro (hamstring) is expected to be out another week at least. SP Jake Arrieta (shoulder) is expected to start the season on the DL.

Cincinnati: SP Mat Latos (knee) might be ready to pitch by April 6.

Colorado: SP Jhoulys Chacin (shoulder) is expected to start the season on the DL.

Los Angeles: OF Carl Crawford (baby daddy) will miss the Dodgers' games against the Diamondbacks in Australia. OF Matt Kemp (broken-down shell) will miss at least the Australia series as he recovers from his ankle injury. SP Josh Beckett's status is unknown with a thumb problem. SP Chad Billingsley (elbow) is out until May.

Miami: None

Milwaukee: RP Francisco Rodriguez (bonehead) stepped on a cactus. No joke.

LOLMets: 1B Ike Davis (calf) isn't even running. SP Jon Niese (elbow) might miss opening day. SP Matt Harvey (TJ surgery) is expected to miss the season.

Philadelphia: SP Cole Hamels (shoulder) is expected to miss most of April at least. SP Jonathan Pettibone (shoulder) is recovering and competing for a rotation spot.

Pittsburgh: None

San Diego: 3B Chase Headley (calf) is still a week away from game action and might start the season on the DL. OF Cameron Maybin (biceps) will miss at least a month. SP Cory Luebke (TJ surgery) is out for the year. RP Huston Street (groin) is expected to be ready to start the season.

San Francisco: 2B Marco Scutaro (back, finger) could be ready to start the season. OF Michael Morse (calf) should be ready to start the season barring a setback.

St. Louis: SP Jaime Garcia (shoulder) could be throwing off a mound by the end of the month.

Washington: SP Doug Fister (elbow inflammation) is expected to be fine for opening day.

More NL Position Battles

With the season starting shortly, we're looking at some of the key position battles.

Part 2

Milwaukee first base: This is looking like a platoon of Mark Reynolds and Lyle Overbay, with Juan Franscisco still making a push. Reynolds has the highest offensive ceiling, and the Brewers like Overbay's defense. And, hey, anything's better than starting Alex Gonzalez and Yuni Betancourt! Francisco is likely to be traded if he doesn't top the depth chart. And there's always the chance the Brewers will pursue an outside option, like Kendrys Morales or Mike Carp.

Pushed to the brink of irrelevance, Rickie Weeks is having a big spring.

Milwaukee second base: More Brewers intrigue! This one is more clearcut: old/expensive Rickie Weeks vs. young/cheap Scooter Gennett. Weeks has played well this spring and Gennett has struggled, leading to the strong possibility that Weeks will win the job, at least to start the year. But Weeks has been slumping for two years now, and the Crew are unlikely to have much patience if he struggles out of the gate. If that happens, he'll be fitted for pinstripes before you know it.

New York first base: Two flawed candidates, two leg injuries. Ike Davis, who admitted to keeping his injury from the Mets, is the likely favorite to start the season with the job if he's healthy. Or he could be traded to some team infatuated with underachievers. Lucas Duda is healthier right now and just might win the job by default. Because... well, it's the Mets.

Bud Harrelson, baseball enforcer.

New York shortstop: The Mets desperately wanted Ruben Tejada to take this job. They did nothing to shore up the position, brought in no competition, treated the whole thing in a very Mets fashion, in fact. Tejada, um, didn't exactly grab the job. So now the Mets are looking at trade targets like Nick Franklin and still considering signing Stephen Drew. And they're trying top prospect Wilmer Flores at shortstop, which would be a great idea if he'd played the position in the last three years. Still, he's a possibility to start at shortstop, as are Omar Qunintanilla, Kevin Elster, Rey Ordonez, Jose Vizcaino, Jose Oquendo and Bud Harrelson (OK, really only Quintanilla, but you believed it for a second, didn't you?)

Pittsburgh first base: Gaby Sanchez is the only proven guy on the roster and is being given every chance to win the job. Andrew Lambo, a powerful left-handed hitter, could be part of a platoon here, but he's just 2 for 23 this spring. Unless the Pirates make a move like signing Brett Wallace or Morales (or, dear God, trading for Ike Davis), look for Sanchez to tepidly be the man here.

Pittsburgh right field: Until top prospect Gregory Polanco is ready, the sampler plate of Jose Tabata, Travis Snider, Jaff Decker and Chris Dickerson are battling for the job, with a Tabata/Snider platoon seeming the most likely outcome. At least until June.

St. Louis center field: Now healthy, Peter Bourjos looks to be the main guy in center field, but Jon Jay lurks to steal some starts.

Washington second base: This was an open competition between Anthony Rendon and Danny Espinosa to start the spring, and both seem likely to make the team. But Espinosa's sluggish spring makes Rendon the favorite to start.

NL Position Battles

With the season starting shortly, we're looking at some of the key position battles.

Part 1

Arizona shortstop: Youngsters Didi Gregorius and Chris Owings are battling for the starting job, with Gregorius emerging as the better defender and Owings as the superior hitter. Old guy Cliff Pennington is also a possibility here, though a distant one. All signs point to this battle going down to the last minute, as Kirk Gibson has said that both youngsters will play in the opening series against the Dodgers next weekend in Australia.

A fairly typical Darwin Barney swing.
Good thing he's a Gold Glover!

Chicago second base: Oregon State product Darwin Barney is the incumbent here, but his lack of offense has opened him up to a challenge from Emilio Bonifacio. It looks like both will make the team and that Barney will be the regular second baseman while Bonifacio plays all over the field, but Barney has also played some shortstop this spring. Making things more muddled has been the stellar play of top prospect Javier Baez, a shortstop who looks like the potential long-term answer at second base as the Cubs remain firmly attached to Starlin Castro.

Chicago third base: Though he's starting the season in Triple-A, Baez is a possibility here, too. Luis Valbuena is the incumbent at third, but former top prospect Mike Olt, coming off eye surgery, could be a factor once his shoulder his healthy. Current top prospect Kris Bryant has made a charge this spring and is a dark horse candidate. Donnie Murphy, who was probably the best player at the hot corner for the Northsiders last year, could also be a factor. Honestly, there are more candidates to start in the Cubs infield this year than there are for the 2016 election.

Colorado second base: Josh Rutledge came into last season appearing to be the second baseman of the future... until struggles and injuries opened things up for D.J. Lemahieu, who had a solid season. Both will likely make the team, but LeMahieu is the favorite to be the everyday starter, especially given his strong defense. Rutledge, as the likely utility infielder, will have every chance to hit his way into the starting job.

Colorado center field: And you thought the Cubs infield was a mess. Once the Rockies gave up the pipe dream of "Carlos Gonzalez, center fielder," this job became wide open. Drew Stubbs, Charlie Blackmon, Corey Dickerson and Brandon Barnes are battling to start, with Dickerson probably being the most attractive candidate from a fantasy perspective. Unless you get points for strikeouts, in which case Stubbs is your man. Also, the dreaded platoon is a very realistic possibility.

No, not THAT kind of expensive Cuban import.

Los Angeles second base: Hey look, another second base job up for grabs! Former shortstop prospect Dee Gordon looks like he'll start the season as the starter, but expensive Cuban import Alexander Guerrero seems likely to take the job at some point, once his defense catches up a bit. Gordon leads the Cactus League with nine steals, but his hitting and defense have always been shaky. Former Met/current ginger Justin Turner could also get some time in a platoon if Gordon struggles at the plate.

Miami first base: Garrett Jones and Jeff Baker look likely to platoon.

Miami center field: Hotshot youngsters Marcell Ozuna and Jake Marisinick are dueling here, with Ozuna displaying the raw power and lack of plate discipline that he showed last year and Marisinick featuring speed and defense. Ozuna seems to be the favorite, but this is another platoon possibility.

Spring Training Injury Rundown

"Jimmy's gonna get you, Kramer!"

Howdy, FBLG gang! We're just three weeks away from our draft, so let's check in with the notable guys who are battling injuries this spring:

Arizona: SP Bronson Arroyo is (back) should be ready for opening day. OF Cody Ross (hip) might be back by late April.

Atlanta: SP Mike Minor (shoulder) should be ready for opening day. SP Gavin Floyd (shoulder) could be back by late May.

Chicago: SS Starlin Castro (hammy) could be ready by opening day. SP Jake Arrieta (shoulder) could be back by late April.

Cincinnati: SP Mike Leake (lat) should be ready for opening day. SP Mat Latos (knee) might not be ready for opening day.

Colorado: SP Jhoulys Chacin (shoulder) might not be ready for opening day.

Los Angeles: SP Zack Greinke (calf) might not be ready for opening day in Australia but appears to be in line for the stateside opener a week later. SP Josh Beckett (shoulder) should be ready for opening day. SP Paul Maholm (elbow) should be ready for opening day. SP Chad Billingsley (elbow) might be back by May. OF Matt Kemp (ankle) might not be ready for opening day. OF Yasiel Puig (lots of stuff) is banged up but should be ready for opening day.

Miami: None

Milwaukee: None

New York: SP Matt Harvey (elbow) is likely out for the season. SP Jon Niese (shoulder) might not be ready for opening day. RP Bobby Parnell (neck) should be ready for opening day.

Philadelphia: 3B Cody Asche (hand) is day-to-day. SP Cole Hamels (shoulder) might be out until May.

Pittsburgh: SP Wandy Rodriguez (arm) should be ready for opening day.

San Diego: SP Cory Luebke (elbow) is out for the season. SP Huston Street (groin) is day-to-day. OF Cameron Maybin (biceps) could be back in April. 3B Chase Headley (calf) might miss opening day. C Yasmani Grandal (knee) might miss opening day.

San Francisco: 2B Marco Scutaro (back) might miss opening day.

St. Louis: OF Peter Bourjos (leg) should be ready for opening day. SP Jaime Garcia (shoulder) is out indefinitely.

Washington: SP Doug Fister (elbow) should be ready for opening day.

Draft Month!

The Smarch weather may be lousy where you are, but baseball is still close.

The calendar has flipped over to March, which means it's draft month. The Dodgers and Dbacks kick off the regular season in a couple weeks, and Opening Day is just a week later.

It's almost here.

A reminder that our draft will be Saturday, March 29th at 4 p.m. Pacific time.

We have shared a variety of documents with you to help you prepare for the draft, all of which should be available through Google Drive. Here's what you should have access to:

• 2014 FBLG preseason stats
• Projected NL rosters 2014
• FBLG emails 2014
• FBLG rulebook
• FBLG scoring
• Head to head
• FBLG best available players
• FBLG history

We'll also be sharing the 2014 Draft document with you before draft day. 

If you don't have access to any of these, or can't find Google Drive, or anything like that, please email the commishes ASAP. 

The projected NL rosters are still in flux, and we'll keep updating those as needed. There are still a few unsigned free agents who could be added as well.

If there are any names missing from the preseason stats, please alert the commishes. We think we've gotten everyone, but you never know.

Otherwise, enjoy spring training and March Madness. The draft is 26 days away.

Offseason Update

The Super Bowl is almost here, which means Spring Training starts soon. The long cold winter will thaw and baseball will draw near. And it's about damn time.

Here are some updates to get you through until then.

• The 2014 FBLG draft has been set. It will take place online on Saturday, March 29 at 4 p.m. Pacific time. We will send out the draft document as we draw closer. Bill has offered to host for anyone in the Salem area.
• We have a new team owner, with Adam taking Brian S's spot. 
• We will shortly be sending out a number of pre-draft documents on Google Drive. There will be:
• Last season's stats on it for all NL players.
• A projected rotation/lineup for each team.
• A list of the FBLG owners and their email addresses.
• The FBLG rulebook.
• The FBLG scoring document.
• The head-to-head weekly matchup document.
• The list of best-available players
Some of these will be blank, of course, but this will make sure that everyone has access to all of the documents. Also, some will change as the last free agents are signed and depth charts are shuffled. We'll be sure to have them as updated as possible by draft day.

• This year's draft order:

1. Adam
2. Rick
3. Henry
4. Jon
5. Scott
6. Matt
7. Bill
8. Reid
9. Tim
10. Rich/Brian

2013 Season Recap: Manwaring a Muumuu

How bad are the Mets? This man was one of the league's most dominant pitchers,
finished fifth in the Cy Young... and had nine wins.

Overview

Total points: 4,610 (1st place)
Head-to-head record: 12-6 (2nd place)
Postseason: Lost in championship round

Draft

Best picks: Matt Harvey (9th round), Shelby Miller (11th round), Jedd Gyorko (14th round), Domonic Brown (15th round)

Worst picks: Aramis Ramirez (3rd round), Jimmy Rollins (8th round), Jason Kubel (10th round)

Season highlights

Put up 258 and 216 in back-to-back weeks in May and June to grab hold of the points lead and not relinquish it. ... Advanced to championship round and went toe to toe with Arbitration Losers, but had to settle for second place. ... Led all teams in scoring from starting pitchers with 1,622, 144 more than the second-place team. ... Rotation of mainly Matt Harvey, Mat Latos, A.J. Burnett, Mike Minor and Shelby Miller was dominant much of the year. ... Also finished second in points at catcher and shortstop. ... One of league's best offenses when players were healthy, which was not too often.

In a nutshell

A classic case of peaking too soon. In the middle of the season, this team seemed unstoppable despite injuries to Aaron Hill, Aramis Ramirez, Wandy Rodriguez, Carl Crawford and Michael Cuddyer. Seemingly overnight, though, the offense went in the tank, the older players showed their age and ace Matt Harvey was injured. Muumuu stayed afloat down the stretch and eked out some close wins in the playoffs before falling in the championship round. The team run by the commissioners will be drafting from the bottom next year and expects to contend for another title.

2013 Season Recap: Arbitration Losers

"Did you catch that?" "Yes I did."
Marlins rookie pitcher Jose Fernandez did it all this year to lead the
Arbitration Losers to the title.

Overview

Total points: 4,420 (2nd place)
Head-to-head record: 10-8 (6th place)
Postseason: Won championship

Draft

Best picks: Allen Craig (5th round), Jonathan Lucroy (6th round), Gerardo Parra (16th round)

Worst picks: Matt Kemp (1st round), Johnny Cueto (3rd round)

Season highlights

Team was basically unstoppable after mid-July, winning last four games in regular season and rolling through the playoffs. ... Co-aces Cliff Lee and Jose Fernandez led the way, but pitching was solid top to bottom. ... Martin Prado's hot streak after the all-star break allowed for major positional flexibility when the inevitable injuries arose. ... A potent offense was led by Allen Craig, Matt Holliday and Jonathan Lucroy. ... Was second in the league in points at 1st base, starting pitching and relief pitching and third at catcher and outfield. ... Upset Testosteraun Braun 2-0 in the first round of the playoffs, then knocked off top-seeded Misfits 2-0 in the semifinals. ... Finally lost a week in the championship series, but won the war with a 215-point effort in the decisive week.

In a nutshell

This looked like one of the league's most dangerous teams after the draft, but injuries to Matt Kemp, Johnny Cueto, Angel Pagan, Chase Headley, Neil Walker and others kept them from their full potential for the season's first half. No matter. Shrewd moves by the owner, some players returning to health, and breakout years from Jose Fernandez, Gerardo Parra and Allen Craig led the Losers to the head-to-head title and a runner-up spot in the points race. After having the second pick in the draft and using his jinxing powers against Matt Kemp this year, we'll see how Tim responds to drafting near the bottom next year. It figures that he'll be a threat to repeat.

2013 Season Recap: Misfits

From phenom to ace to scrap heap and back to ace, Francisco Liriano
has had a roller coaster of a career. And he's still only 30.

Overview

Total points: 4,412 (3rd place)
Head-to-head record: 14-4 (1st place)
Postseason: Lost in semifinals, lost in third-place matchup

Draft

Best picks: Freddie Freeman (4th round), Carlos Beltran (5th round), Chase Utley (7th round), Marlon Byrd (16th round)

Worst picks: Bryce Harper (1st round), Roy Halladay (11th round)

Season highlights

Ace Adam Wainwright and waiver pickup Francisco Liriano led a solid rotation with a wide variety of contributors. ... After three-game losing streak early, team won final 11 weeks of the regular season to claim best record and top seed in the playoffs. ... Veteran-laden lineup (including Chase Utley, Troy Tulowitzki, Carlos Beltran and Brian McCann) led the way, but faded a bit late in the year as injuries mounted. ... Bad luck in the postseason, as Misfits ran into red-hot Arbitration Losers and red-hot Pitch You Blockhead in the playoffs. ... Freddie Freeman had a monster year and looks poised to be a top pick next season. 

In a nutshell

The league's most consistent team on a week-to-week basis, the Misfits finally succumbed to injuries and were eliminated from the playoffs by the two hottest squads and also were edged for second in the points race by a mere 8 points. It was a great season for the perennial contenders, though, as the veteran lineup produced all season and Adam Wainwright pitched like a Cy Young candidate to lead the rotation. You can always count on two things from the Misfits: they'll draft a bunch of old guys and they'll be among the leaders all year. Look for more of the same next season.