Free-agent starting pitcher Mike Leake won't be playing to start the 2021 season after turning down multiple offers. If things are more back to "normal" in terms of COVID-19, Leake will be back pitching later this season if he can find the right fit. The 33-year-old right-hander opted out of the 2020 campaign due to the coronavirus pandemic and had his 2021 mutual option declined by the Arizona Diamondbacks. In his last full season in 2019, Leake had a 4.29 ERA and 1.29 WHIP in 197 innings with the D-backs and Seattle Mariners. Fantasy managers can obviously ignore Leake for now, but he could become a deep mixed innings-eater later in the season if he latches on with a team. Leake has shown pinpoint control in his career, but he doesn't have the velocity to generate many swings and misses, as shown by his career 6.1 K/9.
Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Mike Leake will opt out of taking part in the 2020 season, according to sources. Leake fractured his left wrist in a freak offseason injury at home, but he had been throwing bullpen sessions and would've been available for Opening Day at the end of July. It's unknown if the 32-year-old right-hander is a high-risk individual for COVID-19, but either way, it looks like he won't be in play in deeper leagues for fantasy owners this year. With Leake out of the picture in Arizona's starting rotation, Merrill Kelly and Alex Young could battle for the final spot in spring training 2.0, which will start at the end of this week.
Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Mike Leake (wrist) continues to make progress, but it's still unknown if he'll be ready for Opening Day. Leake, recovering from left wrist surgery, looked good during in a controlled game on Tuesday, allowing three runs on 10 hits while striking out four in five innings. The right-hander has not played catch or done defensive drills, but his arm looks to be in shape. Leake hopes to catch a ball next week, but he's more concerned with swinging a bat. If he's not ready for the start of the season, Leake will likely wind up only missing a start or two. The veteran right-hander is mostly an innings-eater for the D-backs and fantasy owners, and his mediocre strikeout rate gives him little upside in mixed leagues. His current ADP sits at 449.3, so he's mostly just one to stash in NL-only leagues.
Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Mike Leake (wrist) threw a 68-pitch simulated game over four innings on Thursday. Leake is still sporting a cast for his left wrist fracture, and he'll need to start catching baseballs to see how much impact his wrist can handle. The right-hander struck out five in his simulated game, but it remains to be seen if he'll be ready to go for the start of the regular season. He'll likely slide down to the No. 5 spot in the rotation this year behind Zac Gallen and Luke Weaver, but Leake is an innings-eater for the D-backs and fantasy owners. His lack of swing-and-miss stuff, however, makes him mainly an asset in NL-only affairs.
Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Mike Leake (wrist) might not be ready for the start of the regular season, according to manager Torey Lovullo. Leake has been recovering from a fractured left wrist and has been throwing regular bullpen sessions, but he hasn't been cleared to pitch in a game. Lovullo likes his starters to reach 75 pitches in a game "a couple times" in the spring before having one final start approach 90 pitches. The good news is Leake probably won't be delayed too long into April before he makes his season debut. The veteran right-hander is an innings-eater but doesn't strike out many and allowed a whopping 41 home runs with the Mariners and D-backs last season. Leake is mostly an NL-only option in fantasy.
Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Mike Leake (wrist) has a fracture on his non-throwing wrist, but he is still hoping to be ready for the start of the regular season. The 32-year-old underwent an MRI exam on Wednesday that revealed an old fracture that was aggravated by a fall caused while chasing his dog. Leake was sporting a small brace on his wrist on Thursday. He can still throw, but he will get balls out of a bucket instead of playing catch. "The plan is still to try and be ready for Game 1," Leake said. He's expected to be part of the rotation after posting a 4.29 ERA last year with the Mariners and D-backs. The veteran right-hander can eat innings but doesn't have much of a ceiling because he doesn't miss many bats. You can do better in mixed leagues at the back end of your rotation.
Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Mike Leake (wrist) has left wrist soreness and is undergoing a precautionary MRI exam on Wednesday. It's to his non-pitching arm, so Leake should be fine as long as it's not a serious injury. The veteran 32-year-old had a 4.29 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 127 strikeouts and 27 walks in 32 starts for the Mariners and Diamondbacks in 2019. He also posted a very weak 5.8 K/9 and allowed a whopping 41 home runs, so Leake wasn't missing many bats and gave up a lot of hard contact. Not much should change in 2020, making the right-hander a low-ceiling fantasy starter in deeper leagues, mainly NL-only ones.
Arizona Diamondbacks starter Mike Leake recorded his second quality start in his last three outings on Sunday, as he allowed two runs on seven hits while striking out three over 6 1/3 innings against the Reds. While it's nice to see Leake pitching well after a rough start to his Arizona career, owners shouldn't put too much stock in his performances over the last three starts as they've come against low-scoring offenses in San Francisco, San Diego and Cincinnati. For now, consider him a matchup dependent streaming option.
Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Mike Leake earned a win on Tuesday over the San Francisco Giants. Leake went 7 1/3 innings, allowing just two runs on four hits to go along with two strikeouts. He succeeded with 11 ground ball outs despite the low strikeout total. At this point of the season, Leake isn't someone to turn to except for extremely favorable matchups. He will take the bump again on Monday against the San Diego Padres.
Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Mike Leake will look to string together a quality start on Tuesday on the road against the San Francisco Giants. Leake has been a disaster with the D-backs thus far, going 0-2 with an 8.02 ERA in four starts. However, things could not be more favorable for the righty on Tuesday, as he will be facing a light-hitting offense in one of the most pitcher-friendly parks in all of baseball. As long as Leake can keep the ball on the ground, he should be a viable option.
