|
|
| The Phillies traded Wes Helms to the Florida Marlins on Sunday for cash, this according to Delaware Online. Jorge Cantu, who is currently the starting third baseman for the Fish, will likely lose some at-bats with Helms entering the picture. |
|
|
|
| Garrett Atkins went 2-for-4 in Sunday's loss to the Diamondbacks. In his four at-bats, there was only one runner in scoring position. This has been the story for Atkins and the entire Rockies offense in '08. The Colorado third baseman is hitting .304 on the young season but has yet to drive in a run. One of Colorado's strongest attributes last year was its potent offense. So far, the Rockies have struggled, scoring two runs or less in five of six games. |
|
|
|
| Colorado rookie Franklin Morales held the Diamondbacks to two hits over six innings in his first start of the 2008 season. The left-hander struggled this spring (6.65 ERA and a 1.80 WHIP in 21.2 innings) but showed his potential with a strong showing on Sunday night. |
|
|
|
| Edgar Gonzalez worked five innings for the Diamondbacks, giving up just one run and scattering six hits as Arizona swept a three game series from Colorado on Sunday. He entered the game with a 9.00 career ERA against the Rockies. Gonzalez could receive a hand full of starts with Doug Davis scheduled to undergo surgery and Randy Johnson (back) taking part in a minor league rehab assignment, but he's the odd man out when both pitchers return. |
|
|
|
| Brandon Lyon gave up a Matt Holliday home run in the bottom half of the ninth inning in a blown save on Sunday night. It was Lyon's second blown save in three chances this season. The whispers of Tony Pena or Chad Qualls taking over the ninth inning role for the D'backs are growing louder. |
|
|
|
| Todd Helton had an RBI single in Colorado's Sunday loss to the Diamondbacks. The veteran first baseman has hit safely in all six games this season. The former perennial All Star is hitting .320 with two home runs, three RBI and three runs scored this season. |
|
|
|
| Mark Reynolds hit a two-run homer in the ninth and the Arizona Diamondbacks scored three runs in the 10th inning for a 5-2 win over Colorado. Reynolds, ignored in most mixed formats this March, has been solid in the first week of the season. He's hitting .304 with two home runs, six RBI and five runs scored. |
|
|
|
| Takashi Saito worked a 1-2-3 ninth inning during Sunday's 3-2 win over the Padres. It was Saito's third appearances this season, but his first save opportunity. In three innings of Week 1 work, the right-hander has yet to give up a hit, walk or run -- and has four strike outs, a win and a save to show for it. |
|
|
|
| Andre Ethier hit a leadoff home run against Chris Young in the second inning of the Dodgers Sunday win over the Padres. It was only the second homer this season for Los Angeles. Ethier also singled, stole a base and scored a second run in the win. Ethier and center fielder Andruw Jones appear to be the two everyday outfielders with Juan Pierre and Matt Kemp sharing at-bats. |
|
|
|
| Derek Lowe pitched six innings for Los Angeles, allowing two runs and five hits. He finished with six strikeouts and one walk in the no-decision. |
|
|
|
| Trevor Hoffman was charged with his second loss in his last three games, allowing Chin-lung Hu's tiebreaking RBI single in the ninth inning of the Dodgers' 3-2 win over the San Diego Padres on Sunday.
Hoffman, who blew a save on Tuesday and picked up the loss against Houston, is 0-2 with a 12.27 ERA in four games this season.
Hoffman had two blown saves in three games at the end of last season, including that the all important 13-inning loss at Colorado on Oct. 1 in the wild-card tiebreaker game. |
|
|
|
| Chris Young allowed two runs on five hits over seven innings of work in Sunday's loss to the Dodgers. Young struck out eight and walked two in a no-decision. The home run Young gave up to Andre Ethier equaled the total number of homers he allowed last season in 13 starts at spacious Petco Park covering 85 1-3 innings. It was Young's second strong start. |
|
|
|
| Rick VandenHurk had a nightmarish outing against Pittsburgh on Sunday, as he allowed four runs on six hits over a mere 2.1 innings of work, with two walks and four strikeouts in a 9-2 loss. His ERA jumped to 11.81 and he will need to bounce back soon if he wants to hold on to his spot in the Marlins' rotation. |
|
|
|
| Ian Snell was impressive on Sunday as he only allowed two runs on four hits over six innings against Florida, with an eye opening 10 strikeouts and no walks, in a 9-2 win. He performed like the Pirates ace today, and bounced back from his first start in which he allowed four runs in a no decision against Atlanta. |
|
|
|
| Randy Winn missed Sunday action due to an ankle bruise, according to MLB.com. The Giants' outfield was already playing without Aaron Rowand today, and Eugenio Velez replaced Winn in the lineup. He may be able to return on Monday. |
|
|
|
| Jason Wood has been designated for assignment, according to FishStripes.com. He notably made the Marlins opening day roster in 2007, but was not as lucky in 2008. |
|
|
|
| Derek Lowe is going to start against San Diego tonight and he has not fared great against them in the past, according to MLB.com. Lowe has allowed seven runs over 11.1 innings of work in two starts, and is 3-3 with a 3.09 ERA lifetime against the Padres. He will square off against Chris Young. |
|
|
|
| Blake DeWitt expects to play Sunday night against San Diego, according to MLB.com. He stated that he expects to be ready to start Sunday, after taking a shot from a Jake Peavy pitch to the back of his right arm on Saturday. The pitch notably hit DeWitt where the tricep meets the elbow, and it tightened up very quickly. He remained in the game, but was reportedly having trouble making the throw across the diamond in between-inning warmups. DeWitt commented, "It just caught me wrong, but it hit mostly muscle." This is good news for the Dodgers' youngster, who has five hits over 14 RBI so far this season. The Dodgers are already thin enough at third base as well.
|
|
|
|
| Lance Berkman will miss another game on Sunday due to his injured neck, according to ESPN.com. Berkman noted that his neck felt better on Sunday, and hopes to be in the lineup on Monday for Houston's home opener against the Cardinals. Berkman said, "I've got a lot more flexibility. I can turn my neck a little farther than I could yesterday." This is good news for the Astros' slugger.
|
|
|
|
| Jacque Jones has a poor track record against Sunday's starting pitcher Mark Buehrle, according to MLB.com. Jones only has one hit over 27 at-bats against Buerhle in his career. |
|
|
|
| The next save that Jose Valverde records will be the 100th of his career, according to MLB.com. He has one save so far this season. |
|
|
|
| Reed Johnson will make his second consecutive start for the Cubs in center field today, according to MLB.com. Felix Pie is still nursing a sore hand, and Johnson is off to a good start as he is hitting 3-for-6 with two RBI so far. |
|
|
|
| Josh Paul has been signed to a minor league deal by the Astros,according to MLB.com. He will report to Triple-A Round Rock this week. He holds no fantasy value as he only hit .190 over 105 at-bats with Tampa Bay in 2007. |
|
|
|
| Carlos Zambrano is set to return to the hill today against Houston, according to the Sports Network. Zambrano was notably forced to leave his last outing on Monday due to a cramp in his right forearm, but the injury was determined to have been caused by dehydration, and he won't miss his scheduled start today. This is great news as Zambrano has dominated the Astros, as he holds a 10-6 mark with a 2.65 ERA over 26 games, with 126 strikeouts.
|
|
|
|
| Felix Pie sat out another game on Sunday, likely due to his sore right hand. Reed Johnson will once again fill his spot in the starting lineup. |
|
|
|
| Ryan Speier has been recalled from Triple-A Colorado Springs, according to the Sports Network. The reliever has been called up to replace Luis Vizcaino, who has been placed on the 15-day DL. Speier held a 4.00 ERA over 18 innings of work in 2007, with 13 strikeouts. |
|
|
|
| Luis Vizcaino has been placed on the 15-day DL due to a right shoulder strain, retroactive to April 4, according to the Sports Network. The 33-year old reliever has surrendered four earned runs over a mere 1.1 innings of work this season. |
|
|
|
| Jeremy Hermida is not returning to the Marlins today, but may return on Monday, according to the Sun Sentinel. He was eligible to come off of the DL on Saturday, but the team decided to keep him in Jupiter instead. He could be available in time for Monday's road opener in Washington, and Manager Gonzalez noted that Hermida didn't suffer a setback, but the hamstring wasn't there yet. He added, "He's not comfortable enough to turn it loose. We just want to make sure he's 100 percent. Right now we're not so sure."
|
|
|
|
| Darin Erstad is filling in for the injured Lance Berkman at first base, according to the Houston Chronicle. Berkman is dealing with a neck sprain, and Erstad has registered two hits over five at-bats this season. |
|
|
|
| Tomas Perez is filling in at second base for the time being, according to the Houston Chronicle. Geof Blum has been moved over to third base to cover for the injured Ty Wigginton, and Lance Berkman is dealing with a neck sprain. |
|
|
|
| Utility man Geoff Blum is filling in for Ty Wigginton at third base while he sits out with his thumb ailment, according to the Houston Chronicle. He is known to be a clutch hitter, and could surprise at the hot corner as a starter. He is hitting 3-for-7 so far this season. |
|
|
|
| Ty Wigginton is optimistic that he won't have to go on the DL due to his thumb injury (small fracture), according to the Houston Chronicle. Wigginton was sore after sustaining the injury, although he hopes to avoid the DL. He will see Dr. Tom Mehlhoff on Monday and said, "Hopefully it's nothing for the DL."
|
|
|
|
| Matt Wise will be out of action for a few days due to a sore arm, according to the NY Post. The Mets' reliever had an MRI, which came back negative. |
|
|
|
| Nelson Figueroa will start for the Mets on Friday, according to the NY Post. It may only be a one-time situation for him if Mike Pelfrey pitches favorably and if Orlando Hernandez comes off the DL as scheduled next week. Figueroa was notably called up from Triple-A New Orleans on Wednesday, after Pedro Martinez was sidelined 4-to-6 weeks with a hamstring strain.
|
|
|
|
| Adam LaRoche will not start on Sunday against the Marlins, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Manager Russell said that LaRoche has some tenderness in his right thumb and has been cheating a little bit on his swing, as he tried to fight through the ailment. He only recorded two hits over 22 at-bats, with 10 strikeouts so far this season, and hopefully he can bounce back when he returns. |
|
|
|
| Brian Bixler was called up from Triple-A Indianapolis on Sunday, and will likely start at shortstop in place of the injured Jack Wilson, who has been placed on the 15-day DL. This according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Manager Russell stated that Bixler is their top prospect at shortstop and he will get the bulk of the playing time during Wilson's stint on the DL. Russell added, "We're not bringing him up here to sit him."
|
|
|
|
| Jack Wilson has been placed on the 15-day DL due to his strained left calf, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Wilson is eligible to return for the Pirates' series against the Cubs, that begins April 18. He will be replaced by top shortstop prospect Brian Bixler until he returns.
|
|
|
|
| Freddy Sanchez is questionable to play on Sunday as he continues to battle shoulder inflammation, according to MLB.com. Sanchez said this about his ailment, "It has not gotten any worse, but it has just not gotten any better. It's not where it needs to be." Sanchez has been solid in limited action as he has collected five hits over 12 at-bats, and hopefully he can return soon.
|
|
|
|
| Jack Wilson will miss another game due to his strained left calf, according to MLB.com. Wilson is still unable to bend his left leg after sustaining the ailment on Thursday. Because his leg remains swollen, the Pirates' medical team has not been able to assess how bad of a strain he suffered.
|
|
|
|
| Aaron Rowand sustained bruised ribs on Wednesday and is likely out for Sunday, according to GiantsMLBnews. He sat out Saturday as well. |
|
|
|
| Edinson Volquez is set to make his first start for the Reds today as they battle the Phillies, according to the Sports Network. The 24-year old Volquez was acquired by the Reds in a December 21 trade that sent Josh Hamilton to the Rangers. He has appeared in 20 Major League games over three seasons, going 3-11 with a 7.20 ERA in 80 innings.
|
|
|
|
| Barry Bonds could possibly be on the Rangers' radar, according to the Star Telegram. Rangers GM Jon Daniels commented that Bonds will likely end up being a DH somewhere by mid-season due to injuries and other circumstances, and it might even be in Texas. He added, "If he's healthy, I'm not sure there's a club that his bat wouldn't help. As for us, we've just made an organizational decision not to pursue him at this time. It just doesn't fit what we're trying to do right now. It wouldn't surprise me if a club tries to sign him at some point. There are a lot of positives in that regard, not the least of which is there's no need to trade young talent to acquire him. It comes down to how you value all of the elements. What effect it has on the clubhouse, the acquisition cost, your expectations of his performance, and the organization's appetite and ability to handle the media and fan reaction."
|
|
|
|
| Moises Alou has started swinging a bat again in the Dominican Republic, according to the NY Daily News. He is recovering from hernia surgery. Manager Randolph commented that it is possible Alou can return before the end of April, which is a timetable Alou has targeted.
|
|
|
|
| Callix Crabbe could start today, according to the North County Times. Manager Black hinted that the rookie will get his first start today, which will likely be at second base over Tadahito Iguchi. Crabbe notably had a solid spring training. |
|
|
|
| Mark Prior is set to throw a bullpen session on Sunday, according to the North County Times. He notably had to cut short his Thursday session due to tighness in his right shoulder, and hopefully today's outing will be more favorable. |
|
|
|
| Jody Gerut has been sent down to Triple-A Portland, according to SlamSports. He was sent down to make room for Jim Edmonds, who was activated from the DL. |
|
|
|
| Tom Glavine has been bumped from his first start against the Mets today, according to SlamSports. The Braves have shuffled their starting rotation, moving John Smoltz to today's game against Johan Santana and the Mets. Manager Cox said the switch was made so Smoltz won't have to make his first start in the chill of Colorado. Glavine will take the hill when the Braves open a series against the Rockies Monday night.
|
|
|
|
| Chris Duncan could return to the starting lineup on Monday, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Duncan has been slowed by a sore left hamstring, but Manager LaRussa stated that he is expected to be cleared by the medical staff for full activity on Monday. Duncan has only registered three at-bats so far, with one hit. |
|
|
|
| Chad Cordero threw a pain-free bullpen session on Saturday, according to MLB.com. Cordero threw a bullpen session on Saturday and reported no pain in the ailing shoulder (tendinitis).
It was the first time that he was on the mound since the end of spring training, and notably threw all fastballs during the session. He will have another session on Monday, and noted, "Everything felt fine. From the windup, everything was good. From the stretch, it was even better." The Nationals' closer hopes to come off the DL on Friday.
|
|
|
|
| Ryan Theriot has dropped down further in the Cubs batting order, according to the Chicago Tribune. Theriot was the Cubs' leadoff hitter on opening day, and then dropped to second in the order, and he has dropped even further on Saturday as he batted eighth against the Astros. He is only hitting 4-for-21 so far this season. |
|
|
|
| Reed Johnson made his first start with the Cubs on Saturday, according to the Chicago Tribune. He started in favor of Felix Pie in center field, and played well as he went 2-for-5 with two RBI in a 9-7 win over Houston. |
|
|
|
| Felix Pie was benched in favor of Reed Johnson on Saturday, according to the Chicago Tribune. Manager Piniella wanted to experiment with the lineup so he moved Johnson up to the number two spot in the batting order, and moved Ryan Theriot down to eighth. Piniella stated, "Your bench has to help you at times win baseball games and the only way to do that is by getting a chance to play. If they sit too long, they lose their sharpness." Johnson played well as he went 2-for-5 with two RBI in a 9-7 win over Houston.
|
|
