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| The Braves will recall Jo-Jo Reyes from Triple-A Richmond to replace the injured Mike Hampton on the roster, according to the AP. Reyes' stay in the big leagues figures to be brief, as the team will activate Chuck James sometime next week to replace Hampton in the rotation. |
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| Manager Bobby Cox said he plans on activating Chuck James from the DL to replace the injured Mike Hampton in the rotation, according to the AP. James is coming back from a shoulder injury. He should make his first start next week. |
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| The strained pectoral that made Mike Hampton a scratch from his start Thursday will force him to go on the DL, according to the AP. "It's the toughest thing I've had to deal with," Hampton said. "Having to step off the mound and say 'I just don't want to do it,' it's definitely a tough pill to swallow." The Braves will recall Jo-Jo Reyes from Triple-A Richmond, and the left-hander will be available for Friday's game. Manager Bobby Cox plans on activating Chuck James from the DL to take Hampton's spot in the rotation. This is a tough break for Hampton, but is anyone really surprised? |
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| Jeff Bennett pitched respectably in a spot start for the injured Mike Hampton Thursday, allowing two runs on four hits and two walks while striking out three. The right-hander is likely to be optioned to Triple-A Richmond when John Smoltz is activated from the DL Sunday. That's assuming Hampton doesn't need a DL stint. |
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| Miguel Montero will play his first game at extended spring training Sunday, according to the Arizona Republic. The catcher is recovering from a broken finger, and it's not clear when he'll be able to rejoin the D'Backs roster. |
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| Dmitri Young's back flared up on him again Thursday, making him unavailable for a critical pinch-hitting opportunity in the ninth inning of what became an 8-7 loss, according to the Washington Post. Young had an MRI on his back, and the results will be known when the Nats reach St. Louis tomorrow. The team is listing Young as day-to-day for the time being. Nick Johnson will continue to see the bulk of the playing time at first. |
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| Orlando Hernandez allowed two runs on on three hits while striking out six and walking one in five inning Thursday in a rehab start for Single-A St. Lucie. He also hit a batter and tossed a wild pitch. Adam Rubin of the NY Daily News reports that his source said El Duque had impressive offspeed stuff but that his fastball lacked zip. The righty expects to throw two more minor-league games before being activated. “It’s a little tough, but I think day to day it’s geting better,” he said about the bunion on his right big toe. “I need to throw. I need to work out.” With Pedro Martinez out, the Mets could use El Duque's help. We're not sure how much he'll help your fantasy team, though. |
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| Jack Wilson left Thursday's game in the seventh inning with an apparent calf injury. The injury came after Wilson tied the game with an RBI single. The severity isn't known at this point. Chris Gomez came into the game to play second, with Luis Rivas sliding over to short. |
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| Freddy Sanchez had to leave Thursday's game after the fifth inning with an undisclosed injury. Chances are he had some pain in his surgically repaired shoulder that gave him problems this spring, but check back for updates to make sure. Luis Rivas took Sanchez's spot at second. |
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| Kelly Johnson is growing frustrated by pain in his right knee that won't go away. He's missed the past two games with the ailment and admitted that he's had discomfort in the knee for more than a year, according to MLB.com. Johnson hopes to avoid the DL but concedes that it is a possibility. "I don't want to [go on the disabled list]," Johnson said. "I'd love to completely avoid it. But you'd rather miss a handful of games now instead of constantly missing games here and there throughout season. Maybe the answer is rest. But I had a lot of rest when the [2007] season ended." Johnson had an MRI on the knee in January and again on Tuesday. Both times no structural damage was found, but the second baseman says the pain "feels like a knife in my knee." Manager Bobby Cox indicated that he might be able to put Johnson back in the lineup Friday, otherwise he'll once again go with Martin Prado. |
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| The Mets have interest in bringing Claudio Vargas in as a replacement for the injured Pedro Martinez, but it appears that there might not be a fit. Bean Stringfellow, the agent for Vargas, indicated that GM Omar Minaya was not prepared to offer the right-hander a starting job in the immediate future. “Omar, to his credit, has been very upfront with me and I appreciate the Mets’ candor,” Stringfellow said to Newsday. “What I’m hearing from that situation, it just doesn’t jibe. I’m trying to get Claudio in the right situation, not a quick situation.” Vargas was released by the Brewers last month. He won't have trouble finding a job somewhere, but with El Duque due back soon, going to the Mets might not be the best move for him. |
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| It was a strained pectoral that kept Mike Hampton from making his scheduled start Friday, according to Sports Network. The lefty was supposed to take the mound for the first time since August of 2005, but he felt a twinge in his pectoral while warming up before the game. Hampton is being listed as day-to-day, but given his injury history, we wouldn't be surprised if a DL stint is needed. |
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| Jeff Bennett got a spot start for the Braves Thursday, filling in for the injured Mike Hampton, who felt discomfort during his warmup session. Bennett earned the last spot in Braves bullpen and has pitched two games in relief already, giving up a run in two innings. His outing tonight figures to be a short one, even though he trained as a starter this spring. |
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| Mike Hampton was scratched from his scheduled start Thursday after feeling discomfort during his warmup session, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. It's not clear at this point which area was giving the lefty trouble, but we'll pass along more info when it becomes available. Jeff Bennett is starting in his place. |
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| After hitting eighth in the first two games of the season, Jack Wilson is batting second tonight. "It's like I said earlier, we're going to put the lineup together the way we best see it fitting that night," manager John Russell said on MLB.com. "Jack will hit in the top of the order. He'll hit No. 8 sometimes. We'll just see how it plays out." Wilson is 0-for-8 to start the year, so he certainly didn't earn the move to the top. He's not much of a mixed league option but has value in NL-only play. |
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| Dave Bush had a disappointing 2007 and is off to a bad start in 2008. On Thursday, the right-hander allowed six runs on six hits and five walks while striking out four. Bush will have to pitch better in his next start if he wants to avoid being sent to the bullpen when Yovani Gallardo returns. |
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| Matt Stairs is in the lineup Thursday after sitting out the first two games of the year with a sore hip. The veteran is playing left field and batting second in the lineup. |
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| Scott Hairston continued his terrific start to the 2008 campaign Thursday, going 3-for-3 with a double, triple and two runs scored. The outfielder is batting .400 with two homers, three RBI and four runs after four games. He hit leadoff Thursday with Brian Giles getting a day off. Hairston is a fine NL-only play right now and is making a case to be owned in mixed league formats, as well. |
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| Kerry Wood second outing as the Cubs closer went much better than the first. He pitched a scoreless ninth Thursday to pick up his first save of the year, allowing one hit while striking out a pair. Wood has good enough stuff to succeed in the closer role, but whether he can stay healthy and pitch on back-to-back days are questions that need to be answered. |
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| The Astros signed Tim Byrdak to a minor-league deal Thursday. He'll report to Triple-A Round Rock initially, but Houston has just one lefty in the pen now and could bring him up soon. Byrdak was released last week by Detroit. |
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| Johnny Estrada began a rehab assignment at Triple-A Columbus Thursday, according to the AP. The catcher is coming back from elbow surgery and is expected back in a couple weeks. |
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| Ryan Dempster's return to the rotation is off to a great start. The right-hander allowed just two runs (one earned) on three hits and two walks while striking out five over six innings Thursday in a 6-3 win over Milwaukee. Dempster could wind up being a decent guy to fill out your rotation in mixed leagues, but don't go overboard in bidding for him after this one start. |
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| Tony Gwynn left Thursday's game in the fifth inning with a hamstring injury, according to SportsTicker. He was injured while running out a ground ball. Gabe Kapler replaced him in center field. The Brewers didn't indicate how much time Gwynn would miss. We'll pass along any updates as we get them. |
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| Troy Tulowitzki had a tough day at the plate in a 3-0 loss to the Cardinals on Thursday, as he went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts. He is off to a 3-for-12 start and has cooled off following a hot spring training. |
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| Garrett Atkins went 3-for-4 in a 3-0 loss to the Cardinals on Thursday. That was a great day for him, as he needed to bounce back from a 1-for-7 start. |
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| Brad Thompson was dominant in his win against Colorado on Thursday, as he didn't allow any runs over 6.2 innings, with six hits allowed and six strikeouts. His fantasy stock will continue to rise following this strong showing. |
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| Jeff Keppinger went 2-for-3 with one RBI on Thursday, and notably blasted his first homer of the season in a 3-2 win over Arizona. Keppinger is off to a hot start as he registered five hits over his first 10 at-bats of the season. |
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| Francisco Cordero earned his first save on Thursday, in a close 3-2 win over Arizona, as he held the team hitless with one stikeout. His season is off to a solid start. |
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| Eric Byrnes had a tough day at the plate in a 3-2 loss to Cincinnati on Thursday, as he went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts. He only has one hit over his first 12 at-bats this season. |
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| Chris Young whiffed four times against Cincinnati on Thursday, just one day after drawing a career high three walks. He will bounce back and remains one of the most exciting young outfielders in the league. |
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| Justin Upton went 1-for-2 with an RBI in a 3-2 loss to Cincinnati on Thursday, and notably collected his first home run of the season. He also drew one walk, and led the club with four total bases today. The youngster is off to a good start. |
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| Johnny Cueto earned his first win on Thursday, as Cincinnati edged Arizona 3-2. Cueto was in control on the mound as he only allowed one run on one hit over seven innings, with an eye opening 10 strikeouts on no walks. His only run and hit allowed came on a Justin Upton home run, and Cueto registered a big blip on the fantasy radar after this impressive first outing. |
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| Doug Davis was dealt his first loss of the season on Thursday, as he allowed three runs (two earned) on four hits over 3.2 innings of work against Cincinnati, with six walks and four strikeouts. Davis is notably dealing with thyroid cancer, and it is undetermined how many starts he will make before undergoing surgery. |
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| Chad Cordero could reportedly return to action by Sunday, according to MLB.com. Cordero played catch on Thursday morning at Citizens Bank Park, throwing from 75 to 100 feet, and didn't experience any shoulder pain. If his right shoulder continues to get better, Cordero will have a bullpen session on Saturday in St. Louis and then possibly play in his first game of the new season on Sunday against the Cardinals, or Monday against the Marlins. Cordero is notably yet to play a game because of his shoulder tendinitis. He took a cortisone shot on Sunday and went through arm exercises. It seemed to have worked very well for him, and he stated, "Everything felt really good. We'll see how it is Friday. Once I got loose after the first couple of throws, it was really good. I was doing my best to let it go." This is encouraging news for the Nats' closer.
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| Chris Duncan missed his second game due to a sore left hamstring on Thursday, according to MLB.com. He may not return until Sunday and Manager LaRussa commented, "He's taking swings, so that's an improvement. We'll see how he comes out of the swings and then talk to head athletic trainer Barry Weinberg about it. Obviously we're going to try not to use him." Hopefully this won't be a chronic problem this season.
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| Randy Johnson is reportedly going to make his first start with the D-Backs on April 14, according to the East Valley Tribune. Johnson will make one more minor league start for the Sidewinders on Tuesday, to get his pitch count up a bit higher.
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| Jason LaRue has been handed the start at catcher for the Cardinals today. Regular starter Yadier Molina notably suffered through a poor spring training and is only hitting 2-for-8 so far in the regular season. This could develop into a platoon this season. |
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| Yadier Molina is not in the Cardinals' lineup today, as Jason LaRue is starting at catcher. Molina notably suffered through a poor spring training and is only hitting 2-for-8 so far in the regular season. |
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| Mike Hampton is set to make his first start in nearly two years (August 19, 2005) on Thursday, according to the Sports Network. Hampton missed the past two seasons after undergoing several elbow operations, and went 5-3 with a 3.50 ERA in 12 starts during the 2005 season. Hampton had a favorable spring training and it is nice to see him return to action against the Pirates tonight. |
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| Aaron Boone is starting at first base in favor of Nick Johnson today, according to the Washington Post. Manager Manny Acta noted that he doesn't want to wear out Johnson early and that Boone could use some at-bats. |
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| Nick Johnson is riding the pine against the Phillies on Thursday, according to the Washington Post. Manager Manny Acta had this to say about the move, "The matchup is not good for anybody with this guy. He gets out the three of them. Dmitri has a little bit of success against him. Boone needs to get some at-bats, too. I'm not going to run Nick down just because we're 3-0. The guy's coming back from that injury. He never played three games in a row a full nine innings in spring training. It's the first week of the season. Day after night game. So we got to try to keep everybody involved." He was referring to left handed pitcher Jamie Moyer, and Aaron Boone has been penciled in at first base.
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| Casey Blake broke up John Danks' bid for a no-hitter on Thursday, as he belted a single to center field to lead off the sixth inning, this according to the Plain Dealer. He already had a three-RBI game in this series with Chicago. |
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| Felipe Lopez is set to make his left field debut against the Phillies on Thursday, according to MLB.com. Lopez is playing in the outfield due to injuries to Elijah Dukes and Wily Mo Pena, and Manager Manny Acta stated, "Lopez is a very good athlete. We have approached him about it. He has a great attitude. He has no problem with it. It will be good for him to get those at-bats."
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| Ryan Theriot has dropped down to the second spot in the batting order due to a slow start, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Alfonso Soriano has regained his leadoff role, as Theriot only has two hits over nine at-bats. |
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| Chris Burke is starting at first base against Cincinnati today, while Conor Jackson sits out due to illness. The utility man notably had a solid spring training. |
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| Conor Jackson is not expected to play today, according to the Sports Network. Jackson notably left yesterday's game in the fifth inning due to a stomach illness which resulted in a trip to the hospital, but he is expected to be fine.
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| Brian Stokes has cleared waivers, according to MetsFever.com. He is expected to stay with the organization in New Orleans. Stokes throws very hard and could prove to make a solid long reliever in time.
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| Freddy Sanchez continues to have no problems at all with his previously ailing shoulder, according to the Pittsburgh Post Gazette. Sanchez has five hits over nine at-bats this season, and is using a three-quarters motion on his throws to keep comfortable. |
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| Ronny Paulino will start at catcher against Atlanta on Thursday, according to the Pittsburgh Post Gazette. Ryan Doumit started the first two games for Pittsburgh, but the team is facing lefty Mike Hampton today, which is why Paulino gets the call. He notably played in 133 games in 2007. |
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| Kris Benson has been long-tossing in Clearwater, Fla., but it remains uncertain when he can throw from a mound again, according to the Philadelphia Enquirer. Benson won't likely pitch for the Phillies before the end of May, due to his right biceps tendinitis, but assistant GM Ruben Amaro Jr. wouldn't rule out the possibility, who stated, "Once he gets up and going, he could get on the mound fairly quickly. But it depends when he gets on the mound and starts throwing off the mound. I would like to hope that he'd be ready before June 1, but that's probably a little more of a realistic date." Benson won't hold much fantasy value when he returns. |
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| David Wright has a 20-game hit streak, dating back to September 19 of 2007, according to the Sports Network. Wright is off to a solid start in 2008 as he extended the streak by going 3-for-5 against Florida on Wednesday. |
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| Jeremy Hermida will play in the Jupiter Hammerheads' opener today, according to the Sun Sentinel. He is nursing a hamstring injury, and the plan is to have him play for Jupiter again on Saturday, and then join the Marlins for their finale against the Pirates. |
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| Randy Johnson is going to start a Triple-A (Tucson) game tonight, according to the Arizona Republic. He threw 75 pitches in his last outing and could challenge the 90-pitch range tonight. After tonight's performance, Johnson and the team will decide his next step. He could be activated from the DL, although he is likely to continue to build up his pitch count in the minors first.
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| Chris Young has drawn a career high three walks against Cincinnati on Wednesday, according to the Arizona Republic. After the game Young stated, "I'm getting more comfortable up there, getting a little more patient up there. I'm choosing my times when I want to be aggressive." The rising star is off to a strong start.
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| Conor Jackson has been battling illness and was taken to the hospital on Wednesday, according to the Arizona Republic. He left Wednesday's game in the fifth inning and was taken to Good Samaritan Hospital, where he underwent chest X-rays and was given antibiotics. Jackson had some trouble breathing after chasing a foul ball earlier in the game, and he later stated, "I'm fine. I think it's just a virus." Hopefully the young slugger will get back on track soon.
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| Oliver Perez gained praise from Manager Willie Randolph following his strong winning effort on Wednesday night, according to MetsBlogs.com. Randolph commented, “Man, I could bottle that and put it away…He was awesome tonight…All his pitches were pretty crisp, even his change up…He stayed in his rhythm the majority of the game, that’s the real key for him…He needs to mature. That’s a big part of his development. He needs to be able, when things go wrong, to lock back in and stay focused on the task at hand. Obviously, he’s very capable of doing that, which he showed tonight. He just needs to be able to do it more consistently.” This is encouraging news for the young hurler.
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| Eric O'Flaherty will get a chance to be the team's closer while JJ Putz is on the DL, according to the Seattle Times. He was previously acting as the team's left handed setup man. |
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| Hong-Chih Kuo was thrown in as the Dodgers starting pitcher on Wednesday due to the threat of rain, according to MLB.com. The team pulled scheduled starter Chad Billingsley. Kuo pitched well as he only allowed three hits over three innings, with three walks and three strikeouts. |
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| Merkin Valdez pitched for the Giants in a spot start on Wednesday, as they pulled Tim Lincecum due to the threat of rain, according to MLB.com. He only went two innings, before the team decided to put Lincecum back in. Valdez went hitless over his pair of innings, with four strikeouts. |
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| Chan Ho Park is being called up from the minors, acccording to LA Daily News. He will provide long relief. |
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| Brian Wilson pitched 1.1 innings on Wednesday to pick up his first save of the season for the Giants. Wilson struck out one and allowed no hits while throwing just 15 pitches. The Giants are counting on Wilson emerging as the team's closer this season, and tonight was an excellent start toward meeting that goal. |
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| Much like the Dodgers did with Chad Billingsley, the Giants chose to leave their scheduled starter, Tim Lincecum, on the bench because of rain at the start of the game. When the rain cleared, Lincecum was summoned into the game. Unfortunately rain struck again and the game was halted for over an hour, but when play resumed the Giants allowed Lincecum to continue pitching. All told he pitched four innings allowing only one run while striking out four to pick up the victory. |
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| Chad Billingsley was scheduled to start on Wednesday but the Dodgers decided not to start him for fear of rain. When it looked like the rain had passed the Dodgers put Billingsley into the game, only to have the rains return. All told, Chad threw 21 pitches and picked up just one out before an hour plus rain delay knocked him out of the game. And that is a raspberry that you are hearing from the fantasy community Dodgers. Given that he was in line to pitch against perhaps the worst offense in the National League, the Dodgers couldn't have botched this any worse if they had tried. |
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| Trevor Hoffman blew a save on Wednesday and picked up a loss as he allowed three hits, one walk and four runs while picking up just two outs against the Astros. At least when Hoffman goes down, he goes down big as he gave up a 3-run home run to Lance Berkman. There is no word whatsoever that the Padres are thinking about removing Hoffman from the closers role, but they have to be getting concerned that the best closer in NL history may be nearing the end of his run. |
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| Adrian Gonzalez had two hits and two RBI in the Padres loss to the Astros on Monday. Gonzalez improved his numbers across the board last season though he may be hard pressed to exceed his total of 30 HR and 100 RBI this season given the fact that he hits in the best pitcher's park in the National League. |
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| Brian Giles may have totally lost his power stroke but the man can still hit and on Wednesday he did just that with three hits and three RBI for the Padres. Always a high OBP hitter, Giles is slightly miscast as a leadoff hitter for the Padres because of his lack of speed, but he still should be a fine fourth of fifth type outfielder in deep mixed leagues. |
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| Lance Berkman hit a ninth inning home run off of Trevor Hoffman to lead the Astros to a 9-6 victory on Wednesday night. Berkman had three hits, scored three runs and knocked in three runners in a fine all around effort. Berkman should have a nice bounce back type season with Carlos Lee and Miguel Tejada hitting behind him this season, though to be fair a .278-34-102-95 year really isn't all that bad now is it? |
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