By Ray Flowers
April 20, 2009 2:21pm CDT

Arizona Diamondbacks Jon Rauch (10.80 ERA, 2.40 WHIP in five IP) has looked awful in the early going which means that Tony Pena Jr. is likely the name the team would turn to in the ninth inning if something happened to Chad Qualls. For his part, Pena is 2-0 with a hold in his seven appearances as he has posted a 1.50 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP... With Mark Reynolds (left quad) and Stephen Drew (left hamstring) ailing, Augie Ojeda is a name to remember in NL-only leagues. Besides breaking up Randy Johnson's no-hitter on Sunday, Augie has gone 6-for-14 to start the year (.429). He isn't more than a fill-in with a .239 career average in 349 games, and with Drew and Reynolds' injuries being the day-to-day variety, you needn't jump all over Ojeda at the moment.

Atlanta Braves Jordan Schafer earned his spot on the club with a solid spring, but perhaps his lack of experience is starting to show. After a hot start he is now in a 4-for-26 slump (.154) as the strikeouts are piling up at a scary rate (18 in 45 AB). If he doesn't start hitting soon, he could not only lose his job but also end up being sent to Triple-A... Garret Anderson's left quad tightened up on Sunday as he was removed after four innings. This is his second leg issue this season, previously it was his calf, leading to concern about whether or not his body is simply breaking down. Matt Diaz figures to see ample work until Anderson is healthy, though he is just 5-for-23 to start the year (.217). Still, he owns a .307 career average in 932 career ABs... Martin Prado continues to tear it up at the plate and is hitting .353 in 17 ABs. He just doesn't figure to get enough work to be a consistent option, but his versatility and talent at the dish mark him as a potentially valuable contributor in NL-only leagues.

Chicago Cubs While everyone is focused on who will take the ball in the ninth inning (Carlos Marmol or Kevin Gregg), don't overlook the contributions of Aaron Heilman. In eight appearances this season Aaron has two wins and three holds while producing a 1.17 ERA. He does need to work on the free pass though as he has walked five in 7.2 innings... Micah Hoffpauir was unbelievable this spring hitting six bombs with 26 RBI in just 33 games, and he has continued to slug away now that games count. In 15 ABs this year he has five hits along with three RBI. Though a first baseman by trade, he has been working in the outfield due to the injuries to Milton Bradley and has acquitted himself well. His stock continues to rise in NL-only leagues cause we all know that Bradley just won't stay healthy long enough to accrue 500-AB this season leaving plenty of work to the Cubs' bench option.

Cincinnati Reds Bill Bray has had a rough start to the year due to injury. He is currently on the DL in the minors with a strained elbow and may not be back in action until May... Jared Burton hasn't looked sharp in the early going in the understatement of the day. He has allowed four walks and eight hits in just 5.1 innings as his ratios have soared (11.81 ERA, 2.25 WHIP). He could be close to a demotion as a result... Jay Bruce should be back in the lineup on Tuesday as he works his way back from an injured hand. He has clearly been hampered in the early going with only six hits in 34 AB (.176)... Chris Dickerson is just 5-for-23 this season (.217) and his shot at regular playing time might be starting to diminish as a result.

Colorado Rockies Aaron Cook and Ubaldo Jimenez have been awful thus far. Cook is 0-1 with a 10.22 ERA and Jimenez is 1-2 with a 6.00 ERA. Without those two, the team is sunk... The bullpen has been awful as well with a 6.87 ERA. Manuel Corpas has taken over the closers role for a struggling Huston Street (9.64 ERA, 2.36 WHIP in 4.2 IP). Corpas hasn't been great (6.75 ERA, 1.50 WHIP), but unfortunately he has been one of the "better" relievers in the pen... Chris Iannetta has only two hits in 24 at-bats (.083). At least both the hits have gone over the fence... Ian Stewart continues to make his case for more playing time. He is 8-for-20 (.400) in the early going with two home runs and six RBI. Dating back to last season he has 12 home runs and 47 RBI in 286 ABs and has been used all over the field in the early going with five games at third, four in the outfield and two at second... Franklin Morales will start for the club on Tuesday as he will be recalled from Triple-A. He will be looking to lock down the fifth starter's role with another solid start after a great first outing (1.50 ERA, 0.83 WHIP in six innings).

Florida Marlins Emilio Bonifacio has come back to earth. He has one hit in his last 20 AB. His average is down to .321... Cody Ross continues to heat up, and how. Over his last four games he has three home runs and 10 RBIs after a brutal start to the year (he is 9-for-21 with 11 RBI in his last six games). Don't forget that he hit 22 dingers last year in just 461 AB... Cameron Maybin is struggling at the dish as his batting average is down to .206. With 14 Ks in just 34 AB, his plate discipline has been awful. If this goes on for much longer a demotion will likely be in the cards. Don't panic though as he certainly has the talent to turn this around in a flash, though his lack of experience is certainly a big concern... Hanley Ramirez is 5-for-30 to drop his average down to .245. He hasn't gone deep in eight games and has just one RBI in seven games.

Houston Astros Jose Valverde has struggled in the early going with a loss and a blown save in four appearances. LaTroy Hawkins has stepped in to help out at the end of games and has a save of his own on the young season. Still, barring an injury, Valverde is in no danger of losing his role to Hawkins who has usually failed when given anything more than a setup role... Felipe Paulino looked great in his first appearance racking up six K in six innings while allowing just five base runners. If he is on waivers if you your NL-only league pounce on him now. He has dealt with injuries of late, he tossed only one game at Triple-A last season, but he has a high ceiling and is worth a roster spot on the chance that he can lock down the fifth starter's role... Jeff Keppinger missed three straight contests with back soreness. He hopes to be able to go at the start of the Astros next series against the Dodgers on Tuesday. He is off to a blistering start going 7-for-15 (.467).

Los Angeles Dodgers Matt Kemp has hits in each of his 13 games this season and is hitting .383. Andre Ethier has 16 RBI in 13 games. Orlando Hudson is hitting .385 with four steals... The team scored 50 runs in its first six home games while batting .367 with 11 home runs... Hong-Chih Kuo is suffering from a lack of confidence. In 3.1 inning he has allowed three hits and four walks. After last years sterling effort (2.14 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 96 K in 80 IP), one has to think that Kuo will snap back soon. He had better because fellow setup man Cory Wade is on the DL with a right shoulder injury. The team is hopeful that Wade will return by the end of the month... Doug Mientkiewicz is on the DL with a dislocated right shoulder that will likely sideline him for three months. As a result, Blake DeWitt is back with the team. Look for him to be used enough to have value in NL-only leagues, but just barely - barring an injury.

Milwaukee Brewers Trevor Hoffman (oblique) will appear in a Triple-A game on Tuesday. He is expected to make two or three appearances before joining the Brewers to take over in the ninth inning, hopefully by the weekend. Carlos Villanueva, the current fill-in closer could end up falling to seventh inning duties after struggling so far (9.00 ERA, 1.50 WHIP in six innings). The reason? Todd Coffey has been strong with 9.2 scoreless innings. While the smart money is on Villanueva as the fallback option once Hoffman returns, those looking for a long shot to vulture some saves might look Coffey's way... The club needs to pick it up offensively. They are hitting .224 overall with a .712 OPS thanks to the struggles of guys like Ryan Braun (.222), Prince Fielder (.175), Jason Kendall (.129) and J.J. Hardy (.114). Combined, those four hitters have four home runs and 22 RBI in a 160 ABs.

New York Mets Gary Sheffield is starting to make his presence felt. Sheffield hit his 500th home run and has been in the lineup each of the past two days. Daniel Murphy has had his troubles on defense, but he has a hit in 10 of 11 games this season and is hitting .319 overall. Ryan Church is also hitting well. In fact, he is batting .378 but he has just three hits in his last 14 AB. It's a rather fluid situation with the three names mentioned possibly rotating between two spots depending on the matchup and how each is going at the dish... Fernando Tatis was a great addition in NL-only leagues last year (.297-11-47 in 273 AB), but with the addition of Sheffield he just doesn't figure to have a shot at anything resembling significant at-bats in '09.

Philadelphia Phillies Brad Lidge lost his 47-straight regular season save streak in his last outing. He has been struggling in the early going with locating his fastball. As a result he has already allowed three homers after giving up just two last season... Lou Marson is 3-for-6 since being called up to backup Chris Coste with starter Carlos Ruiz on the DL with a strained oblique. Ruiz has progressed to taking BP, but he still hasn't cut loose on throws. He is eligible to return on Sunday, though it is unclear if he will be able to do so... Chan Ho Park hasn't looked good in his two starts having allowed nine earned runs in just 8.1 innings (9.72 ERA) while posting a pathetic WHIP of 2.28. J.A. Happ, the man that was beaten out for the fifth starter's role, has looked sharp thus far in his 7.2 innings with a 2.35 ERA and a 0.91 WHIP. Could a change be in the cards? "It's still early," manager Charlie Manuel said. "We don't want to lose games, but at the same time, when you commit to somebody, I feel like you've got to give them the right chance."

Pittsburgh Pirates Ian Snell has gotten better each outing this season. He allowed six earned runs in his first start, two in his next appearance and he shut out the Braves over seven innings the last time he took the hill. His K/BB ratio is still awful (12 to nine), but the game-to-game growth is encouraging... Zach Duke is going in the other direction. He was bombed in his last start allowing 12 hits and six runs in six innings. He continues to throw strikes (four walks in three starts), but his margin for error is razor thin. He is still nothing more than an NL-only option... Paul Maholm has been the club's best pitcher in the early going. He has allowed just two earned run in three starts leading to a 0.87 ERA and a 0.97 WHIP. Over his last 16 starts he has posted a 2.92 ERA with a 1.22 WHIP. Clearly he is a fine option in deep mixed leagues despite a marginal 5.69 K/9 mark in his career.

St. Louis Cardinals David Freese (3-for-19) is on the brink of being sent to Triple-A as Brian Barden (.409 with three home runs) and Joe Thurston (.345 with six RBI) have looked great at the dish. Barden is the bat to roll with at the moment given that he has five hits and two home runs in his last three games and figures to pick up the majority of the work at the hot corner... Trying to step up in place of injured Chris Carpenter, P.J. Walters needed 98 pitches to get through four innings against the Cubs. His slider gave the Cubs trouble (seven Ks), but he must be more efficient to have any value at all. Fellow rookie Mitchell Boggs could also compete for the starting spot... So much for his hot spring. Khalil Greene is just 2-for-14 of late though both hits have been home runs... Ryan Franklin appears to be the current flavor of the month for closing duties. He hasn't allowed a run while permitting just four base runners in 5.2 innings. He may not have the best stuff, but his results have been the best of the arms in the pen.

San Diego Padres Everth Cabrera has a broken hamate bone in his left hand. He could miss up to two months. As a result, the team has an opening for a backup shortstop behind Luis Gonzalez since they don't want to move David Eckstein from second base. They may have to look outside the organization... Heath Bell is 7-for-7 in save chances. He's looked really strong so far... Walter Silva was placed on the DL with a forearm strain so the team recalled Josh Greer. After a seven inning, one run outing, Greer became just the 11th pitcher in big league history to go at least five innings while allowing two or fewer runs in his first six starts... Mark Prior continues to make progress from multiple shoulder surgeries. You would be crazy to count on him to provide anything, but with the way he is progressing there could be a Prior sighting in San Diego before the end of May.

San Francisco Giants The club continues to try and find the right mix on offense. Pablo Sandoval has been dropped to sixth in the order and he is hitting .244 in 45 AB with one walk and 11 K. He swings at everything. Fred Lewis was put back in the leadoff role, he is one of the few bats currently producing as he is hitting .395 with an amazing .521 OBP. Emmanuel Burris was bumped to second in the order while Edgar Renteria was dumped to eighth. Obviously Manny will see his value increase substantially if he can hold down his spot at the top of the order while Renteria certainly will see his value continue to plummet if he cannot work his way back to the top of the lineup. Renteria is hitting just .200 with nine strikeouts in 40 ABs this season. Renteria owns a .279 batting average in April in his career, the second worst monthly mark of his career (.275 in September), so he figures to heat up with the weather.

Washington Nationals Saul Rivera was sent to the minors while Steven Shell and Wil Ledezma were designated for assignment. In their place, the club recalled Jason Bergmann, Garret Mock and Kip Wells. Rivera was the biggest surprise. He has been terrible thus far with a 12.42 ERA and a 2.59 WHIP in six appearances, but he had thrown 161 games the past two years for the club... Jordan Zimmerman makes his first start on Monday. He is lined up for two starts in his first week in the majors... The Nats blew three ninth inning leads against the Mets in three games. Closer Joel Hanrahan gave up game tying home runs on back-to-back days. He does have eight Ks in just five innings, but he must to a better job keeping runners off base (1.60) while obviously keeping the ball in the yard to continue to hold down the ninth inning duties, though to be honest, the team really doesn't have any other viable option to turn to.