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| Carlos Silva impressed in his first start of the '08 campaign,leading the Mariners to a 4-1 victory over the Texas Rangers. Silva threw 116 pitches (68 for strikes) over seven innings, allowing just one run on three hits with three walks and five strike outs on the night. Silva did give up a homer to Ben Broussard in the sixth, but the bulk of the game was nothing short of positive. |
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| Josh Hamilton is struggling to translate that amazing spring-training success at the plate into the regular season, going 0-for-2 with two walks in the Rangers' 1-4 loss to the Seattle Mariners. Hamilton has a homer on the books, but he has just three hits in 11 at-bats for a .273 batting average. Of course, it is early, so stay tuned. |
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| Jose Lopez enjoyed a nice evening at the ballpark in support of Seattle's 4-1 win over the Texas Rangers. Lopez went 1-for-4 at the plate, hitting his first home run of the season in the 5th inning off Jason Jennings with two on and two out. |
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| Nick Blackburn put forth a strong effort for the Twins, but it was not enough as the Twins fell 0-2 to the Angels. Blackburn threw 86 pitches over seven innings, allowing just one run on five hits with just one walk surrendered versus six strike outs. No offensive support killed the effort as the Twins posted just four hits on the evening. |
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| Francisco Rodriguez picked up his first save of the season, closing the 9th on Joe Saunders outstanding eight innings of work. K-Rod needed ten pitches to throw one walk, one strikeout, and two ground outs to pick up the save. |
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| LHP Joe Saunders was a guiding light in his first start of the season, throwing just 80 pitches in eight full innnings of work to lead the Angels to a 2-0 win over Minnesota. Saunders threw 52 strikes to make quick work of the game, allowing no runs on just four hits with one walk and four strike outs on the evening. This is a great start for the Angels, getting a strong contribution from a pitcher that could be huge for them this season. |
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| A.J. Pierzynski was the lone bright spot for the White Sox in a 2-7 loss to the Cleveland Indians this evening. Pierzynski hit 3-for-4 at the plate, taking a Jorge Julio pitch deep in the 9th for his first homer of the season. Pierzynski has raised his average to .625 on the young season. |
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| Asdrubal Cabrera went 3-for-5 at the plate this evening in Cleveland's 7-2 win over the Chicago White Sox. Cabrera raked a double and posted two RBIs on the night, bringing him to a .333 average on the season, but he left three men on base. |
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| As expected, CF Grady Sizemore is working as the weapon of choice for the Indians, swinging big lumber in tonight's 7-2 win over the Chicago White Sox. Sizemore went 3-for-4 at the plate, hitting a triple with three RBIs and two runs scored on the evening. Sizemore is now hitting .500 and appears to be starting a season that could be as exciting as any. |
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| Fausto Carmona enjoyed a solid outing in his first start of the season, pitching seven full innings in the Indians' 7-2 win over the Chicago White Sox. Carmona allowed just one run on four hits, surrendering four walks balanced with four strike outs, giving him a 1.29 ERA to start the campaign. More impressively, Carmona enticed 16 ground balls versus just one fly ball on the evening, a great sign movin forward. |
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| Aubrey Huff had a huge night for the Orioles in a 9-6 win over the Tampa Bay Rays. Huff hit 2-for-4, collecting his first double and home run on the year, totaling four RBIs and two runs scored on the evening. |
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| Adam Jones went 2-for-4 tonight in the orioles' 9-6 win over the Tampa Bay Rays. Jones was a monster on offense, picking up his first RBI of the year as well as his first stolen base and run scored. |
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| Nick Markakis continues to swing it in the early games of the season, going 2-for-4 with one RBI and one run scored as the Orioles prevailed over the Tampa Bay Rays 9-6. Markakis is now hitting .429 on the season and appears to have a good thing going. |
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| B.J. Upton went 1-for-3 in the Rays 6-9 loss to Baltimore this evening, hitting a double with two runs scored and two walks. Upton is expected to step his game up to high marks this season and this early success gives us hope that all that talent and potential might finally come to fruition in '08. |
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| Cliff Floyd did damage at the plate this evening, but his work fell a bit short as the Rays fell to the Baltimore Orioles 6-9. Floyd went 1-for-3 on the evening, hitting his first home run of the season to pick up three RBIs. |
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| Carl Crawford is up to his usual tricks, going 2-for-4 at the plate with second stolen base of the year as the Rays suffer the 6-9 loss to Baltimore. Crawford also picked up two runs scored and a walk in the loss. |
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| Jeremy Accardo earned his first save of the season this evening, closing the 5-2 win for Toronto over the New York Yankees. Accardo faced three batters in the ninth, allowing two hits while striking out one, getting the remaining outs on fly balls. |
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| Alex Rios continues to swing a hot stick for the Toronto Blue Jays, hitting 2-for-3 in the Jays' 5-2 win over the Yankees. Rios posted two RBIs and a run scored with a walk along the way. Rios is showcasing a strong eye thus far, earning three walks in two games versus the Yanks while hitting the ball when it's in the zone. |
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| Vernon Wells gave fans and fantasy owners plenty to cheer about in Toronto's 5-2 win over the New York Yankees this evening, going 3-for-4 at the plate with a home run off Mike Mussina. Wells racked up two RBIs and two runs scored on the night, bringing his batting average to .375 on the season. |
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| A.J. Burnett struggled a bit on the mound but prevailed in a 5-2 Toronto win over the New York Yankees. Burnett allowed two runs on five hits over six innings of work, surrendering just one walk versus three strike outs. |
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| Alex Rodriguez went 1-for-4 in New York's 2-5 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays this evening, hitting his first home run of the year off A.J. Burnett. A-Rod finished with two RBIs, two strike outs, and two men left on base, bringing his batting average to .429 on the season. |
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| Mike Mussina suffered through a rough evening on the mound, using 5 2/3 innings to surrender 4 runs (3 earned) on 8 hits, including a home run for Vernon Wells, as the Yanks lost 2-5 at home to the Blue Jays. The Yanks are in need of much more from their starting pitching if they hope to keep pace with the always-competitive AL East, and while it is very early and this struggle should not weigh on the minds of fans and fantasy owners, it is a bit frustrating to see the Yanks start so poorly. |
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| Mark Teixeira started the year 0-for-13 before blasting a home run that helped the Braves to break open a close game in the eighth inning. Teixeira, a top-20 pick in almost all leagues this season, is being counted on to provide at least 30 HR and 100 RBI this season, numbers he has reached in each of the last four years, though the Braves and his owners are certainly hoping for more. |
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| Xavier Nady continued his hot start by knocking in two runs to up his total to six RBI though two games this season. Nady will likely end up wearing another team's uniform at some point this season, but if he keeps hitting like this perhaps the Pirates will consider holding on to him. |
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| Toronto reliever B.J. Ryan hit the mound in minor-league action today, continuing his progress back to the majors, according to MLB.com. Ryan underwent reconstructive surgery on his left elbow this offseason and is now attempting to complete his rehab and get back to action for the Blue Jays. Today he pitched a simulated game, throwing 21 pitches to several of Toronto's minor-league prospects. The team has scheduled Ryan to appear in a minor-league game on Saturday. If that goes well, he could join the major-league roster early next week. |
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| Justin Duchscherer , making his debut as a starting pitcher after Oakland has converted him from a bullpen role, is likely to be limited to 100 pitches tomorrow versus the Red Sox, according to MLB.com. While the A's want to bring Duchscherer along with caution, they are also excited to see their new late-inning reliever Santiago Casilla. Casilla submitted two perfect innings of work against the Red Sox in Tokyo last week, pitching one scoreless inning. On Wednesday, Casilla got the call with the bases loaded and nobody out in the seventh inning, but he got David Ortiz out on strikes and tempted Manny Ramirez into a rare double play. |
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| Toronot RHP Dustin McGowan is struggling with illness, apparently displaying the dreaded "flu-like symptoms" on Wednesday, and thus was sent back to the team's motel to rest, according to MLB.com. Manager John Gibbons believes McGowan will be good to go for his Thursday start against the Yankees, but the team will go with Shaun Marcum if his condition does not improve.
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| Kevin Youkilis continues to carry a hot stick in the early going for the Red Sox, hitting 2-for-4 in Boston's 5-0 win over Oakland. Youkilis also picked up one RBI and one run scored on the day, a performance that brings his average to .400. |
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| Catcher Jason Varitek went 2-for-4 today in Boston's 5-0 romp over the Oakland A's, hitting a homer in the ninth of Huston Street to complete the fun. Varitek finished with two runs scored, now touting a batting average of .250. |
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| David Ortiz hit his first home run of the season today, belting a 7th-inning offering from Alan Embree in the stands. Ortiz finished going 2-for-4 with one walk and two strikeouts, leaving three men on-base, to bring his seasonal batting average to .133. |
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| Yankee catcher Jorge Posada will miss tonight's game against the Toronto Blue Jays, according to Yahoo Sports. Posada is suffering from a stiff right shoulder and will be replaced by Jose Molina. |
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| Boston starter Jon Lester put forth a strong effort in his second start of the season, holding the Oakland A's scoreless over 6 2/3 innings of work, allowing just three hits and three walks while posting three strike outs. The results resound much better with fantasy owners than his first outing of the season, allowing four runs on eight hits in just four innings of work, bringing Lester to a seasonal ERA of 3.38 with a 1.31 WHIP. |
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| Roy Corcoran was recalled from Triple-A on Wednesday to take the roster spot of J.J. Putz who was placed on the 15-day DL, this according to the AP. Corcoran hasn't seen major league action since 2006, and with only 18.1 innings in his brief major league career not a lot should be expected of him initially. The Mariners bullpen is in transition with Putz out and Brandon Morrow in the minors, so keep an eye on Corcoran to see if he can find a spot in the Mariners bullpen. |
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| Mark Lowe may be asked to do much more than setup the team's closer. He may be forced into the role due to the injury that has resulted in the Mariners placing J.J. Putz on the DL on Wednesday. The team had hoped that Brandon Morrow could fill the setup role this season and to fill in for Putz if any troubles arose, but given that Morrow was sent down to the minors because of a lack of control, the closer role would appear to be Lowe's hands for the time being, meaning you should run to waivers and pick him up if you have space on your roster though he may not be able to pitch on Wednesday since he has thrown in each of the first two games of the season. |
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| J.J. Putz, a day after giving up a game-winning home run to Josh Hamilton, was placed on the DL on because of a rib cage injury, this according to the AP. There is no word yet on the severity of the injury, so we don't know if this is a minor hiccup or a major issue for the Mariners. Given the way their bullpen looks now, it would appear that Mark Lowe will serve as the team's closer. |
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| Travis Buck has been benched for Wednesday's game against Boston, MLB.com. He was off to a dreadful 0-for-14 start and stated, "The way I'm swinging. I won't be able to hit anyone right now."
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| Miguel Cabrera went 0-for-3 with one strikeout in a tough 4-0 loss to Kansas City on Wednesday. He has one hit over two games with Detroit, which was a home run. |
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| Edgar Renteria went 3-for-4 against Kansas City on Wednesday, but didn't do much damage as the Tigers were blanked 4-0. He was the only Tiger to get a hit today. |
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| Billy Butler went 2-for-4 and collected two RBI in a big 4-0 win over the Tigers on Wednesday. He could generate strong RBI totals if the Royals can continue to play this well. They are now 2-0 against Detroit this season. |
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| Alex Gordon had a tough day at the plate against the Tigers on Wednesday, as he went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts. He left four men on base, but will be forgiven as the Royals won 4-0. His batting average is a mere .111 over two games so far. |
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| Joey Gathright performed well in the lead-off spot on Wednesday as he went 2-for-4, while scoring one run. He started in place of the injured David DeJesus. |
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| Kenny Rogers was dealt his first loss of the season against the Royals on Wednesday, as he allowed two runs on five hits over six innings, with one walk and four strikeouts. He had a fairly solid spring training and should bounce back in his next trip to the hill. |
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| Joakim Soria generated three strikeouts in one inning of work against Detroit on Wednesday, as the Royals won 4-0. It would have been a save opportunity if Detroit could have just scored one run, or Kansas City scored one less. |
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| Brian Bannister was dominant on the mound against Detroit on Wednesday, as he held the team scoreless over seven innings, with only two hits allowed, and four strikeouts and no walks. That was a great showing for the Royals' number two starter, as he opens the season at 1-0 and an untouched ERA. |
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| David Price, who is nursing a strained left elbow, played catch on Wednesday for the first time since suffering the injury. Price stated that he threw from 60 feet 25 times, saying, "It felt good." He is expected to join the Vero Beach Devil Rays minor league club in a few weeks, according to TampaBay.com. He was notably the number one pick in last year's draft.
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| Coco Crisp is going to start in center field over Jacoby Ellsbury today, according to the Boston Globe. JD Drew will return to right field today and Manny Ramirez will play left field. |
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| Jacoby Ellsbury will ride the pine today, according to the Boston Globe. JD Drew is returning to right field today, Coco Crisp with play center field, and Manny Ramirez will start in left field, making Ellsbury the odd man out. |
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| J.D. Drew will start in right field against Oakland today, according to the Boston Globe. Previous reports stated that Drew could be out until the weekend, but that is not the case. |
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| Scott Kazmir threw a bullpen session on Wednesday, according to TSN.ca. He threw 44 pitches over a 13 minute session, and is expected to throw another on Saturday as he continues to rehab his left elbow strain. After the session Kazmir said, "My arm feels alive. It feels like I'm getting good extension on the ball. My mechanics are good, so I'm happy where I'm at." This is good news and the team would like to have him back before the end of April.
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| Daniel Cabrera is set to take the mound against Tampa Bay on Wednesday, according to the Sports Network. Cabrera was inconsistent in 2007, but fared well against the Rays as three of his nine wins came against them. For his career, Cabrera is a stellar 6-0 with a 3.04 ERA versus Tampa Bay.
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| David DeJesus is expected to remain on the shelf on Wednesday due to his ankle injury, according to the Sports Network. No news has been given regarding his return, and Joey Gathright is expected to replace him in the lineup. |
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| Joey Gathright is expected to start in place of David DeJesus on Wednesday, according to the Sports Network. No news has been given regarding DeJesus's return. |
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| Nick Blackburn will make his first Major League start on Wednesday, according to the Star Tribune. He will duel with Joe Saunders of the Angels and Manager Gardenhire stated, “When he uses all his pitches, he’s got as good of stuff as anybody on this staff. He’s got a great curve ball, he’s got a great cutter, he can sink it, and he can throw the heck out of the ball. He had a good spring.” This is encouraging news for the young hurler.
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| Josh Beckett is set to pitch for the Red Sox on Sunday when they battle Roy Halladay and the Blue Jays, according to the Boston Globe. He will be activated from the DL on Thursday. |
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| Jorge Sosa will be the second go around fourth starting pitcher in the rotation until Pedro Martinez' MRI results come in and Orlando Hernandez checks out fine to play, according to TheMackAttack.com.
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| Curtis Granderson is going to get an X-ray on his broken hand on Saturday, according to Detroit News. Granderson said when referring to the X-ray, "I'm excited and nervous about it. I don't want to go in there and find out it's worse. I'm not 100 percent excited about it, because I'm being cautious in my thoughts. I know a normal break is 4-6 weeks and I'm coming up on the 2-week mark. It's kind of hard to look at it and say I could be ready to go in two weeks. But you never know." The team will soon be able to determine an exact date for his return.
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| Travis Buck went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts against Boston on Tuesday. He notably went 0-for-5 on opening day as well, and could be playing himself out of a job. |
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| David Ortiz remains hitless this season as he went 0-for-4 against Oakland on Tuesday. Hopefully his surgically repaired knee is not hindering his swing in some way. |
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| Chris Bootcheck, who is nursing a strained oblique, is scheduled to pitch in a minor-league game at the Angels' extended spring training camp on Wednesday, according to the OC Register. He may start a rehab assignment shortly after, and Bootcheck is also eligible to come off the DL this Sunday. He will need to build up his pitch count before he can handle long relief duties out of the Angels' pen.
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| Eric Chavez is going to visit a orthopedist (Dr. John Frazier) on Wednesday, according to MLB.com. Trainer Steve Sayles has stated, "He's going to physical therapy. Still no baseball activity at all. Just back therapy." Sayles won't reveal a timetable for Chavez's return, but it's likely that he will miss at least the first month of the season.
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| Chris Reitsma has not yet reported to Triple-A Tacoma, according to the Seattle Post Intelligencer. Reitsma holds a minor league contract, and if he does not report he could be placed on the restricted list, which would allow the Mariners to retain his rights but not have to pay him. |
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| Alex Rodriguez was not distracted by Jose Canseco's steroid claims, as he went 2-for-3 with an RBI against Toronto in the Yankees' season opener on Tuesday, while drawing one walk. The steroid news won't likely go away for a while, so it is encouraging to see A-Rod have a good opening night and keep his mind on his job. |
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| Mariano Rivera nailed down a save in the Yankees' season opener on Tuesday, as he held Toronto hitless over his inning, with a strikeout. Rivera should remain a strong closer. |
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| Roy Halladay was dealt his first loss in the Blue Jays' season opener against the Yankees on Tuesday, as he allowed three runs on seven hits (solo home run) over seven innings, with two walks and three strikeouts. He should bounce back. |
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| Kazuo Fukumori commented on his poor first outing of the season, according to The Dallas News. He allowed three runs and two walks on Monday and said, "I wasn't nervous. The results were bad. I wanted to make a good first impression. It's bad because it's the start of the season, but it's a long season. I hope to do better next time." Fukumori will need to settle down if he wants a big role out of the bullpen this season. |
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| Jason Giambi got his season off to a slow start on Tuesday as he went 0-for-3 against Toronto, while leaving three men on base. He enjoyed a solid spring training and should bounce back fine. |
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| Alex Rios went 1-for-2 against the Yankees on Tuesday, and has now registered a hit in 21 straight games against New York. He continues to wait for a new contract, and has his season off to a good start. |
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| Robinson Cano, who is batting sixth in the order, went 1-for-3 against Toronto on Tuesday. He was on fire through training camp and hopefully he can remain hot. |
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| John Lackey has been playing long toss and could begin throwing off a mound next week, according to the LA Times. He is targeting an early May return, at best. |
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| Joba Chamberlain is off to a strong start as he held Toronto hitless over one inning of work on Tuesday, with one walk and two strikeouts. He should serve as a solid setup man until he works his way up into the Yankees' rotation. |
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| Jorge Posada went 0-for-2 in the Yankees' season opener against Toronto on Tuesday, with one strikeout. He didn't have a strong spring training and hopefully he can get on track soon. |
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| Melky Cabrera is off to a good start as he blasted his first homer of the season against Toronto on Tuesday, while going 1-for-3 with one RBI. He should fit in well as the starting center fielder in New York. |
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