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| Jeff Francis got hit hard once again on Friday as he allowed seven hits, three of which for home runs, and seven runs over five innings for the Rockies. Francis has been awful thus far with a 9.53 ERA, and don't forget the fact that he was lit up in the game that got rained out as well. Bench him for now and wait for the inevitable comeback. |
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| Brandon Webb improved to 3-0 on the young season as he scattered four hits over eight innings against the Rockies. Webb continues to dominate the competition with a 2.14 ERA and 0.86 WHIP, and there is no reason to think he will be anything less than a top-10 starting pitcher at the end of the season. |
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| Justin Upton continued his strong start to the season on Friday night as he hit his fourth home run of the season for the D'Backs. Upton is hitting .368 at the moment, but given the fact that he has 11 K in only 38 AB, it's almost impossible to predict that he will be able to sustain this level of success throughout the course of the season. |
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| Livan Hernandez has turned back the clock as he continues a marvelous start to the '08 campaign as he picked up his third victory of the season for the Twins. Livan allowed only seven hits and one walk over seven scoreless innings, and he now boasts a 2.57 ERA and 1.05 WHIP thanks to only a single walk over 21 innings. It might be wise to explore trade opportunities quickly before things turn south with the portly hurler. |
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| Roy Oswalt was beaten around the park for eight runs in just four inning on Friday night as he fell to 0-3 on the year. Oswalt has now allowed 16 runs in 16 innings in quite possibly his worst three game stretch of his career. Oswalt has allowed 30 hits in those 16 innings and we have to think that he is hiding some injury, it's the only explanation for this poor of a performance. |
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| Hanley Ramirez went 2-for-5 with a HR and two RBI and saw his average drop to .410 on Friday night. It's pretty crazy when you have two hits and your average goes down, but that just shows you how amazing Hanley has been on the young season, though he still has just two SB attempts through 10 games. |
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| Jeremy Hermida had his first big game of the young season on Friday night with two hits, both of them long balls, for the Marlins. There is little doubt that Hermida will hit, the question is will he be able to stay healthy long enough for it to matter? |
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| Matt Chico picked up his second loss of the season on Friday night despite allowing just one run in eight innings for the Nationals. Chico was in total control all night needing just 91 pitches to get through eight, but his offense let him down as they failed to score a run. Chico still projects as nothing more than an NL Only play this season. |
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| Tim Hudson dominated the Nationals on his way to his second victory of the season as he allowed no runs and just three hits over eight innings for the Braves. Hudson now owns a 2.14 ERA over 21 innings to open the year, and with the uncertain health of John Smoltz, the Braves will need to rely heavily on Hudson this year if they hope to challenge for the division title. |
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| Joe Blanton wasn't at his best on Friday night but he still picked up his first victory of the season as he allowed five runs in 7.2 innings against the Indians. After three starts Blanton has a 4.15 ERA, but with only nine K in 26 innings, he will need to miss more bats or his performance will likely suffer over the course of the year |
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| C.C. Sabathia was torched on Friday as the A's batter the reigning Cy Young winner for 12 hits and nine runs in 3.1 innings. Yes, it's time to be worried. Perhaps all those innings have taken their toll on his arm, but even if they haven't C.C. has allowed 18 ER in 14 innings for a 11.57 ERA marking him as perhaps the biggest flop on the hill in the early going. |
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| Adam Dunn had one hit on Friday night to raise his average to .194 in what has been a terribly slow start to his season. The good news is that he has still been getting on base as he has 13 BB and just eight K on the year, so look for the power numbers to show up shortly. |
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| Paul Maholm rebounded from a poor first start to hold the Reds scoreless for 5.1 innings on Friday night. Maholm allowed six hits and two walks on the night as he trimmed his ERA to 4.35 over 10.1 innings. After a nine K outing the first time out, Maholm had only two on this night, though he isn't a pitcher to count on for strikeouts anyway. |
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| Edinson Volquez had another solid outing for the Reds on Friday as he allowed just three hits and no runs over five innings against the Pirates. Volquez now has a 0.87 ERA over 10.1 innings, and though he has nine K overall he had just one punchout on this night. |
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| Jason Kendall had just his third hitless game of the season on Friday as his average fell to .483. Kendall, the only Brewer starter currently hitting over .300, has been on an amazing tear to open up the year. His power is all but gone, and he hardly runs anymore, but he still has a good shot at producing quality numbers in the average and runs scored categories, and this hot start will go a long way to making that prediction a reality. |
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| Angel Pagan continued his amazing start to the season as he picked up two hits and an RBI on Friday night. Pagan, playing for an injured Moises Alou, is now hitting .387 with 10 RBI in nine games, much greater production than anyone would have thought possible two weeks ago. Still, he will lose AB once Alou returns, so ride him while he is hot but be ready to go in another direction when the time comes. |
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| Manny Parra who dominated the Giants last time out picked up his first loss of the season on Friday as he allowed three runs in four innings for the Brewers. Parra struck out four Mets on the night, but he allowed six hits and a walk, far too many base runners for a four inning outing. |
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| Nelson Figueroa picked up his first victory of the season as he retired 14-straight Brewers at one point in the Mets 4-2 win. Figueroa limited the Brew Crew to just two hits, two walks and two runs over six innings, while he picked up six K. With Orlando Hernandez and Pedro Martinez on the DL, the Mets really need one of their pitchers to step up to fill the void, and this was a great first step for Figueroa in that attempt. |
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| Derrek Lee went 2-for-4 with a home run, his fourth of the year, on Friday night for the Cubs. Lee scored a run and knocked in one as he continues to display the power bat that he lost a bit last year with four doubles and four home runs through 10 games. |
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| Carlos Zambrano needed 107 pitches to make it through six innings on Friday night as he allowed five runs to pick up his first loss of the season against the Phillies. Zambrano allowed nine hits but only one walk on the night, though five of those 10 runners crossed the plate as his ERA rose to 3.20. |
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| Brett Myers allowed three runs over eight innings to pick up his first victory of the season for the Phillies. Myers punched out five Cubs on the night, but he continues to be dogged by home runs, he allowed three solo shots on the night, which conspires to hold him back from joining the elite. |
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| Pat Burrell had two hits, including his fourth home run of the season, and three RBI for the Phillies on Friday night. Burrell is now hitting an amazing .400 through 35 AB, but even more impressive may be his 12 RBI in 11 games. |
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| Jose Reyes was forced from the Mets game on Friday after five innings because of a sore left hamstring, this according to the AP. Something has obviously been bothering Reyes as he has only attempted two steals in nine games this season, and given that he is hitting .195 through 41 AB perhaps a day or two off may be beneficial. |
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| Matt Belisle, in the minors because of a strained right forearm, tossed a complete game for Double-A Chattanooga on Thursday as he allowed two runs on seven hits in the game. Belisle, who has now allowed just two runs in 17.2 innings, will have one more start next Tuesday before the team determines whether or not he is ready to be recalled to the big league club. |
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| David Ross, in the minors on a rehab assignment because of back spasms, suffered a setback recently with a sore left groin, and as a result he likely won't be activated from the DL on on Tuesday as previously hoped, this according to MLB.com. Javier Valentin and Paul Bako have been holding down the fort with the Reds so there is no urgency to get Ross back in the lineup until he is 100% healthy. |
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| The Braves will employ a closer by committee approach until Rafael Soriano returns, and one of those hurlers in line for saves is Manny Acosta, this according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Acosta doesn't have a major league save but he does have 29 saves the past two seasons at Triple-A, and he figures to be in the mix with Peter Moylan for the majority of the save chances. |
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| Reversing their previous position, the Houston Astros have decided to place Ty Wigginton on the DL retroactive to April 6th with his fractured left thumb, this according to the Houston Chronicle. Wigginton's spot on the roster will be filled by David Newhan. Wigginton was thought to be a good source of cheap power this season, but so far it has been one setback after another for the Astros third basemen. |
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| Ryan Braun continues to work on his approach at the plate but he has a long way to go as he has yet to draw a BB in 40 AB this season, according to MLB.com. "There's some anxiousness there," manager Ned Yost said. "It doesn't really 'bother' me, it concerns me a little bit. It's not something that can continue, [but] I'm not apt to change it this early. I'll give it its due course." As we have previously stated, unless Braun becomes more selective at the plate there is virtually no way he will be able to hit over .320 again though he also isn't the .250 hitter he has currently shown himself to be. |
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| Matt Kemp will not be in the staring lineup for the Dodgers on Friday night as the Dodgers will go with an outfield of Juan Pierre, Andruw Jones and Andre Ethier, this according to the Los Angeles Daily News. And so it continues. It really serves no purpose to have Kemp on the bench, but the Dodgers have painted themselves into this corner by signing Jones and holding on to Pierre. Of course, Kemp hasn't exactly played well this season with only one RBI and nine K in eight games. |
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| Jimmy Rollins will not be in the starting lineup on Friday due to his injured ankle, the third straight day he has been on the bench, this according to the AP. Eric Bruntlett will continue to start at shortstop for the Phillies. Rollins is hitting .306 with eight runs in his nine games, and he hopes to return to the starting lineup this weekend for the fighting Phils. |
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| Mike Hampton threw 40-50 pitches on the side on Friday in his attempt to return from a strained pectoral muscle, this according to the AP. “It’s not 100 percent. We’ll see how it progresses,” Hampton said. “I’ll probably try that again on Sunday. If that goes well, I’ll probably increase it and see how it goes.” Hampton hasn't pitched in a game since 2005, so as much as we are rooting for the guy, there isn't one single fantasy team he should currently be on even in a DL spot. |
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| Rich Hill will be available to pitch out of the bullpen this weekend, but the team hasn't ruled him out of the starting rotation just yet, this according to the Chicago Tribune. "We’re going to put him in the bullpen here through Sunday," Manager Lou Pinella said. "We’ve been short of pitchers. He only pitched three innings (Thursday) night. Obviously we won't use him tonight, but maybe by Sunday we can get him a little work out of the bullpen and look to get him back in the rotation, either against Cincinnati [Thursday] or against Pittsburgh [on Friday]." Hill was thought by many to be a breakout candidate this season due to his 183 K and 1.19 WHIP 2007 season, but until he starts throwing strikes he will not have a chance to reach his potential, though the good news is that he appears to in line to stay in the starting rotation. |
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| Miguel Tejada will not be punished by major league baseball for his inclusion in the Mitchell Report, this according to the AP. The new agreement worked out says that no players mentioned in the report will be punished, but that doesn't speak to the possibility that Tejada could still face an FBI investigation. Tejada has eight RBI and two home runs in his first 10 games as an Astros and he should continue to be one of the best power-hitting shortstops in baseball. |
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| Prince Fielder has gone 33 AB without a home run this season, and he is not happy about it, this according to MLB.com. "I just want to hit the ball hard first," Fielder said. "You can't worry about hitting home runs when you can't make solid contact. I'll just try to hit the ball hard and see what happens." Fielder will be fine, everyone knows that, it's just that slumps early in the year are magnified because of the small sample size available to review. If he goes 33 AB with a HR in July, would anyone even notice? |
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| Jay Bruce went 4-for-5 with his second stolen base of the season on Thursday at Triple-A. He is now hitting .333 for the year and is likely still the team’s top option in the outfield should a current Reds starting outfielder get injured. |
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| Collin Balester threw six scoreless innings and allowed only one hit Thursday at Triple-A for his first win of the season. The former fourth-round pick is one of Washington’s best pitching prospects, and he definitely has a chance to make an impact in the majors later this season for a team that is unlikely to compete. |
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| Jeff Samardzija threw seven scoreless innings on Thursday at Double-A, allowing four hits, one walk and fanning five. It was been a good start to the season for the former Notre Dame wide receiver, though he really needs to raise his professional strikeout rate (65 strikeouts in 141.2 innings last season) in order to truly raise his stock. |
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| Clay Hensley, who is working his way back from offseason shoulder surgery, will hurl one inning in a game in extended spring training in Arizona on Friday, which will mark his first inning against live hitters so far, according to MLB.com. Hensley could ultimately hold a spot in the Padres' pen, but he will have to prove he's healthy, and will still have to go out on a Minor League rehab stint before returning to the team, which will take several weeks. |
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| On Wednesday, Jonathan Sanchez became the first Giants lefty to rack up 10 strikeouts in a game since Noah Lowry did it on Aug. 20, 2004, according to MLB.com. He is only 0-1 with a 6.30 ERA so far, but has 18 strikeouts over a mere 10 innings. |
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| Vinnie Chulk's injury rehab stint with Triple-A Fresno will begin on Friday, according to MLB.com. He is trying to bounce back from a right shoulder strain, and could serve as a solid reliever when he returns to the Giants. |
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| Brian Barton will likely start (over Skip Schumaker) in the Cardinals' outfield tonight against Giants' lefty Barry Zito, according to MLB.com. Barton is hitting well right now as he holds a .417 average over 12 at-bats, but he is yet to notch an RBI. |
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| Alberto Gonzalez is expected to make his third straight start at shortstop tonight against rival Boston, according to the AP. Derek Jeter isn't likely to play, and Gonzalez has filled in admirably, as he holds a .333 average over six at-bats. |
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| Jeff Francis will take the hill on the road against Arizona tonight, and he is notably 4-0 at Chase Field over seven starts, according to MLB.com. He had his scheduled start against Atlanta postponed yesterday due to snow, and will be looking for his first win of the season against Arizona instead. |
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| Roy Oswalt will be looking for his first win of the season tonight, as he takes the hill against Florida, according to MLB.com. Oswalt battled the Marlins twice last year, and allowed just two runs over 12.1 innings.
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| Dan Uggla is yet to register a hit against Roy Oswalt, tonight's opposing pitcher for Houston, according to MLB.com. He is 0-for-11 lifetime versus the Astros' ace, and could remains hitless, as he is only batting .189 so far this season. |
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| Ricky Nolasco will make his first start of the season tonight against Houston, according to MLB.com. He will replace Rick VandenHurk, who has been demoted and optioned to Double-A. Nolasco has notably been solid in limited action this season, as he is yet to allow a run over 5.2 innings. |
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| Gabe Kapler is going to ride the pine tonight against Mets' righty Nelson Figueroa, according to MLB.com. He will sit in favor Gabe Gross, but will start the next two games against the Mets' lefties. Kapler is clearly the better hitter in the two-man platoon in center field, as he holds a .389 average over 18 at-bats, with two homers and six RBI. |
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| Joe Blanton could be headed for an 0-3 start, as he faces the Indians tonight, according to MLB.com. Over his career against Cleveland, Blanton is 1-4 with a 4.30 ERA over six starts. This will be another tough battle for him. |
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| Nate McLouth has hit safely in all nine games for the Pirates this season, and will look to extend his streak to 10 tonight against hurler Edinson Volquez and the Reds, according to MLB.com. He also holds the second highest batting average among National League leadoff hitters, with a .391 mark over 46 at-bats. He is proving to be a great late round fantasy pick in the early going. |
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| Brandon Phillips has fared well over his career against Paul Maholm, today's opposing pitcher for Pittsburgh, according to MLB.com. Phillips is hitting 7-for-20 against the Pirates' lefty, with three homers and seven RBI. Phillips should have continued success against him today. |
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| Jimmy Rollins is hopeful of starting against the Cubs today, but he will be a game-time decision, according to MLB.com. He has missed two straight games due to his sprained left ankle. |
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| Ryan Howard has a poor track record against Carlos Zambrano, today's opposing pitcher for Chicago, according to MLB.com. Over his career, Howard is only 2-for-10 against the Cubs' ace. This is not good, as Howard is currently only hitting .189 over 37 at-bats. |
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| Sean Marshall could make a spot start on Sunday if Jason Marquis is not recovered from his strep throat, according to MLB.com. Marshall registered a save out of the bullpen this season, but was a starter during spring training, and he could handle it if Marquis ultimately cannot go. |
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| Bryan Corey is likely to be designated for assignment, according to the Boston Herald. Mike Timlin is coming off the DL, and the team will need to free up a roster spot for him. Corey has allowed seven earned runs over a mere 4.1 innings of work this season, and is expendable. |
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| Omar Vizquel will resume baseball work today, following a setback in his rehab from left-knee surgery, according to the SF Chronicle. Manager Bochy commented that he hopes Vizquel can resume minor-league games next week. Brian Bocock should continue to man shortstop until he can return. |
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| Manager Piniella hinted that Rich Hill could be pulled from the Cubs' rotation if he doesn't settle down and ease his control issues, according to the Chicago Sun Times. Piniella said, "We've got to get his control problems straightened out." When asked if he would consider taking Hill out of the rotation, Piniella noted, "I'm going to sit down and talk to our pitching coach about that. I want what's best for Hill. We've got to get him straightened out. That's the important thing." Hill could potentially be replaced by Jon Lieber, who has fared better in the early going.
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| The team stated that Doug Davis' thyroid cancer surgery was a success, according to the East Valley Tribune. That is good news, but no other details were released as of yet. |
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| Kris Benson could pitch in a minor league game within two weeks, according to the Philadelphia Daily News. He is rehabbing his shoulder ailment, and won't be back before June. |
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| Shane Victorino's job in center field is not in jeopardy, according to the Philadelphia Daily News. He is only hitting .175 over 40 at-bats, with eight strikeouts, but Manager Manuel stated that he does plan on dropping him out of the lineup, as he plays great defense. Hopefully his bat will come around soon. |
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| Steve Kline has signed a minor league deal with the Phillies, according to the Philadelphia Daily News. The former member of the Giants will report to Class-A Clearwater for about a week, then begin pitching at Triple-A Lehigh Valley. He holds no fantasy value.
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| Jimmy Rollins is optimistic on his anticipated return to the team, according to the Philadelphia Daily News. Rollins commented on his injured ankle, "It feels better, in some ways." When asked whether he might miss the three games this weekend against the Cubs and return when the Phillies resume playing Tuesday against the visiting Houston Astros, he said, "Hopefully, I'm back tomorrow. But I'm a born optimist." Rollins is fine accelerating, but any significant lateral force is still causing him a lot of pain. Eric Bruntlett will continue to fill in at shortstop until he is ready to return.
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| Jack Wilson will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Indianapolis on Sunday or Monday, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. He is nursing a strained left calf, and is eligible to come off the DL on April 19. |
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| Chris Duffy is still uncertain when he may return from his sore shoulder ailment, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The center fielder continues to progress very slowly. He would have to battle Nate McClouth for playing time when he returns. |
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| Luis Castillo may be able to return to the Mets' lineup tonight, according to MetsBlogs.com. Castillo stated that his sore knee feels better and he hopes to be in the lineup tonight. Manager Randolph added, "I talked to him yesterday and told him, ‘Listen, make sure that you’re right and when you start to feel better and you’re good, let me know. So, I trust my bench, I have a lot of confidence in them." We will keep you posted on his status.
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| Paul Hoover has been optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque, according to MLB.com. The Marlins needed to make room on the roster for Mike Rabelo, who has been activated from the DL. Hoover was solid in limited action this season, as he held a .429 average over seven at-bats, but he no longer holds any fantasy value, unless Rabelo or Matt Treanor get hurt. |
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| Mike Rabelo has been activated from the DL, according to MLB.com. Rabelo has recovered from his knee injury, and is expected to split the catching duties with Matt Treanor.
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| Kelvin Jimenez is believed to be a likely candidate to get sent down when Joel Pineiro returns for his start against the Giants on Sunday, according to MLB.com. He was called up from Memphis when Russ Springer was placed on the DL, and he seems to be the most expendable on the Cardinals' roster.
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| Brad Thompson was solid in two starts this season, but he will be moving to the bullpen to make room for Joel Pineiro, who is coming off the DL to start against the Giants on Sunday, according to MLB.com. Manager LaRussa stated, "We won two games that Thompson started. Him and Todd Wellemeyer, since last year, they both should be in the rotation because our percentage when they pitch is good. But we like Joel as a starting pitcher, and one of the things that Brad gives us is versatility." Thompson's fantasy value is very limited as a reliever. |
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| Joel Pineiro will be activated from the DL and is expected to start for the Cardinals on Sunday, according to MLB.com. Brad Thompson will move to the bullpen to make room for him in the rotation. |
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| Bengie Molina went 2-for-4 with one RBI in Thursday's 5-1 win over St. Louis. He has now collected eight RBI (with three homers) over nine games played, and could be a serviceable fantasy option if you need help at the position. |
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| Fred Lewis fared very well in his left field start against St. Louis on Thursday, as he went 2-for-4, with a double and a triple, while scoring two runs. He is attempting to replace the injured Dave Roberts, and that was a great effort in his bid to keep the left field job. |
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| Troy Glaus went 1-for-3 against San Francisco on Thursday, and recorded the team's only RBI in a 5-1 loss. He now has seven RBI over 10 games played this season. |
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| Brian Wilson nailed down his second save of the season against St. Louis on Thursday, as he went hitless over 2/3 of the ninth inning, with one strikeout, in a 5-1 Giants win. He won't likely get a lot of save chances this season, but you can't overlook that he already has a pair. |
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| Following a strong first start, Adam Wainwright was dealt his first loss of the season against San Francisco on Thursday as he allowed four runs on eight hits over seven innings, with no walks and six strikeouts. The Cardinals' acting ace should bounce back fine, and his fantasy stock remains steady. |
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| Kevin Correia picked up his first win of the season on Thursday, as he hurled 7.2 scorless innings, with only five hits allowed against St. Louis. He had two walks and four strikeouts, and lowered his season ERA to 2.63. That was a strong outing from the Giants' number four starter. |
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