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| Andruw Jones scored three runs on Saturday night though he also went 0-for-3 to drop his season average to a sickly .105. |
Our View: With all the energy being pushed in the direction of the Matt Kemp/Juan Pierre battle for playing time maybe it's time to question whether or not it such a great idea to just pencil in Jones name to the lineup each night.
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| Chris Young had a terrible outing on Saturday as he allowed two HR and six earned runs over just three IP to pick up his first loss of the season. Young was unable to control the strike zone tonight as he walked four batters and permitted seven hits. |
Our View: Last season Young allowed only 10 HR and he has already allowed three this season as his HR/F ratio is likely to regress closer to the league average this season.
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| Derek Lowe shut down the Padres for eight innings allowing only four hits, no walks and one earned run while striking out six. |
Our View: Lowe's sinker has been diving early in the year as he now owns a 1.80 ERA over 20 innings for the Dodgers. Lowe still doesn't strike out enough batters to join the elite pitchers, but he always seems to post an ERA below 4.00 with about 14 wins, and there is a lot of value in that.
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| Casey Kotchman came up big on Saturday as he went 3-for-4 with a home run, two RBI, and three hits overall. |
Our View: Kotchman is now hitting a robust .333 with a somewhat surprising total of three home runs. He won't morph into a 30 HR hitter, but he likely was drafted far too late in most leagues this year given what figures to be a very fine offensive season that is in the works.
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| Ian Snell picked up his second win of the season despite striking out only two batters and allowing nine hits in 6.1 innings on Saturday night. |
Our View: Snell limited the Reds to three runs on the night and continues to offer reasons to believe that he could end up as one of the top-20 starters in the NL this season.
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| Jeff Keppinger had three hits and an RBI on Saturday night to boost his average to .340. |
Our View: Dating back to the start of his Reds career last season, Keppinger is hitting .333 in 288 AB as he continues to try and dissuade the club from inserting Alex Gonzalez back into the lineup when he is healthy.
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| Nate McLouth extended hit hitting streak to 11-games on Saturday as he is now hitting .396 with a league leading 21 hits. |
Our View: Wow. A breakout seemed like a possibility with this guy, but even the most optimistic of backers didn't think he had this kind of start in him.
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| Hanley Ramirez extended his hitting streak to 10-games with two hits on Saturday night for the Marlins. |
Our View: Hanley has now gotten two hits in five at-bats in three straight games, though his average has actually fallen slightly in each game down to its current .409 mark.
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| Hunter Pence was moved up to the leadoff spot on Saturday, but the change did little to spark anything in his bat as he went 0-for-4 to drop his average to .180. |
Our View: Pence has looked lost most of the season as he now has 13 K and just two BB on the year, not to mention that he has a measly single RBI in 12 games. It's way to early to call last seasons performance a mirage, but unless he starts hitting soon there are going to be a whole lot of owners wishing they had their pick back on draft day.
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| Andrew Miller had his third straight nightmarish outing on Saturday night as he allowed eight hits, four BB and five runs in just five innings to pick up his second loss of the year. |
Our View: The team keeps saying all the right things, but at a certain point they are going to have to send Miller down to the minors as they just can't keep running him out there to get his brains beat out every night.
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| Brandon Backe held the Marlins scoreless over five innings to pick up his first win of the season for the Astros. |
Our View: While he was ultimately successful in that he didn't allow a run, Backe allowed five hits and five BB as he was able to wiggle out of jam after jam on the night. He has 12 K and 11 BB on the year, and a ratio that poor limits any pitchers ability to sustain success long-term.
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| Ryan Howard hit his third home run of the season on Saturday, he also had two RBI, though he is still hitting just .205 through 44 AB. |
Our View: Howard continues to strike out more often than the sun comes up as he now has 17 in just 12 games. As long as he continues to swing and miss so frequently, his average will continue to languish well below the .300 mark.
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| Cole Hamels totally dominated the Cubs allowing just one hit and no runs over seven innings on Saturday night. |
Our View: Hamels, who posses some of the filthiest stuff in baseball, has been on his game and then some early on with a 0.82 ERA and 0.82 WHIP through three starts. If he can stay healthy, always a huge if, he will likely challenge for the NL Cy Young.
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| Ted Lilly struggled again on Saturday night as he allowed seven hits (two HR), two walks and five runs in just 4.1 innings in his second loss of the season. |
Our View: Lilly seems completely lost on the hill as he has now failed to pitch even five innings in any of his three starts. Lilly didn't figure to be able to better last years numbers, but if he doesn't turn things around pretty quickly, he may not even have the chance to match them.
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| Brett Tomko allowed only two runs in six innings to the Twins on Saturday night but that was enough for him to pick up his first loss of the season. |
Our View: Tomko has pitched about as well as anyone could have hoped this early in the year and he now appears entrenched in the Royals starting rotation.
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| Shane Victorino was forced from the Phillies game on Saturday night in the 7th inning because of a right calf strain, this according to the AP. |
Our View: Victorino was 2-for-4 before being removed, and there is no clear cut explanation as to when he suffered the injury.
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| Manny Ramirez was the hitting star on Saturday for the Red Sox as he had two hits, including his second home run of the season, on his way to three RBI. |
Our View: Manny now has 11 RBI in 12 games in his quest to return to the 100-RBI level this season. Once David Ortiz starts hitting, watch out.
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| Doug Mientkiewicz made his first career start at third base on Saturday replacing the struggling Jose Bautista, this according to MLB.com. |
Our View: Doug can pick it, there is no doubt there, and given the fact that Batista is hitting just .179 on the year, why the heck not allow the Gold Glove first baseman to start at third base?
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| Wesley Wright, the Astros only left-handed bullpen pitcher, is unavailable to pitch on Saturday due to a strained right finger on his pitching hand, this according to MLB.com. "It's a little strain of my middle finger," Wright said. "I don't think it's anything serous." |
Our View: Wright should be back in action soon, that is unless subsequent medical tests reveal some major issue that is as of now unknown.
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| Updating an earlier report on the status of Jimmy Rollins, it now appears that he will also be given Sunday off as well because of his injured ankle, this according to MLB.com. |
Our View: The Phillies have a travel day on Monday, so it only makes sense that the Phillies would give him another couple of days with the hope that he will be ready to go on Tuesday.
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| Joey Votto is batting only .238 with nary a single RBI in 21 AB, so he has been spending extra time in the batting cage trying to fix his stroke, this according to MLB.com. |
Our View: Votto also hit barely .200 this spring (.206), so it's really a minor miracle that he is still with the big league club. If he doesn't start hitting soon, he might just find himself riding buses in the minors instead of planes in the majors.
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| Fred Lewis, batting leadoff, produced three hits, one RBI and one run scored on Saturday. |
Our View: Lewis should continue to see the majority of AB in LF with Dave Roberts on the DL, but it should be noted that Rajai Davis did enter the game late for John Bowker to steal his fourth base of the season, so he could steal some of Lewis' at-bats.
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| John Bowker made the first start of his major league career on Saturday and he ended up with two hits, including a home run, and three RBI. |
Our View: The Giants could use a spark, and with Aaron Rowand still dealing with some rib soreness, Bowker could see a few more AB in the coming week making him a FAAB candiate in NL Only leagues.
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| Jason Isringhausen entered Saturday with five saves before blowing his first one of the year against the Giants as he allowed two runs in an inning of work. |
Our View: As often happens in such situations, Isringhausen was still the pitcher of record when the Cardinals came back to take the lead which led to his first victory of the season.
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| Chris Duncan hit his first home run of the season on Saturday as he went 3-for-5 with one run scored and two RBI for the Cardinals. |
Our View: Duncan is a key component of what the Cardinals are tying to do on offense, and if he can stay healthy and productive in front of Albert Pujols, team's may not be as easily able to pitch around Pujols.
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| Albert Pujols went 2-for-4 with two runs scored on Saturday to up his average to .390 for the Cardinals. However, it appears that Pujols will receive his first off day of the season on Sunday, this according to MLB.com. |
Our View: Pujols is just getting a day of rest as the team will continue to be very careful with their most valuable part.
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| Wily Mo Pena (oblique) will have his rehab assignment cut short as the plan is for him to play in the Nationals outfield on Sunday, this according to the Washington Post. |
Our View: Pena has a power bat, there is no disputing thatfact, and with the way the Nationals have been hitting of late, it's obvious they felt they could use in injection of offense.
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| Chad Cordero was activated from the DL on Saturday and will be available to pitch on Sunday, this according to the Washington Post. In order to make room on the roster, the Nationals sent Jason Bergmann down to Triple-A. |
Our View: Joe Rauch, who hasn't been very impressive in his own right, now moves back into the set up role in front of Cordero.
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| Jimmy Rollins will miss his fourth straight game on Saturday because of his injured ankle, this according to the AP. |
Our View: On the plus side, Rollins did take BP and did some light jogging before the game which signals his return could be close.
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| Jose Reyes hopes that he will be able to return from his hamstring strain on Tuesday, this according to the NY Daily News. |
Our View: Reyes sat out on Saturday, and plans to do so again on Sunday before the Mets off-day on Monday. We aren't overly panicked if he returns by that date, but if he doesn't, consider us extremely nervous.
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| Troy Tulowitzki continued the worst slump of his young career on Saturday as he went 0-for-4 with three K to lower his average to .159. |
Our View: Awful. Tulo has managed just two extra base hits in 44 AB (both doubles), and he continues to drain the life out of the top of the Rockies order.
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| Justin Upton hit his fifth home run of the new year amongst his three hits on Saturday. Upton also knocked in four runs and upped his average to .415. |
Our View: Upton still is very raw and has a lot to work on at the plate, but his physical gifts have clearly been on display in the early going.
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| Franklin Morales had a brutal outing on Saturday as he was hit around the yard to the tune of seven hits and seven runs in just four innings. |
Our View: This was a huge step back for Morales who looked great in his first start. After an uneven spring, it remains to be seen how Morales will fair in a starting role this season.
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| Dan Haren limited the Rockies to just one run over six innings to pick up his second victory of the season. |
Our View: Haren punched out seven batters and allowed just seven base runners in yet another fantastic outing for the streaking Diamondbacks.
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| Matt Cain had a no-hitter through six innings before being removed after 6.2 innings having allowed three hits, three walks and two runs against the Cardinals. |
Our View: Though he left with a 5-2 lead, the Giants bullpen blew yet another of Cain's outing for the Giants hard luck loser. Cain may be the unluckiest pitcher in baseball since the start of the 2007 season.
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| Ryan Spilborghs has been playing well early in the year and as a result he has found himself in the lineup taking a few AB from Wily Taveras in the early going, this according to MLB.com. |
Our View: Taveras will still end up with his 500+ AB if he can stay healthy, so don't worry about him losing a start here or there to Spilborghs who only has value in NL Only leagues unless one of the Rockies other outfielders is injured.
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| Ryan Zimmerman went 2-for-3 on Saturday with an RBI to up his average to .220 for the Nationals. |
Our View: This was Zimmerman's first RBI in nine games as he has struggled at the plate most of the past week including a 0-for-16 stretch the previous four games.
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| Jeff Francoeur hit two home runs on his way to driving in a career best seven RBI for the Braves on Saturday. |
Our View: Francoeur is now hitting .298 with 11 RBI in 11 games for the Braves though he still has trouble laying off pitches with only one walk on the season.
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| John Lannan permitted nine hits, four walks and six earned runs over four innings to pick up his second loss of the season. |
Our View: Lannan, in an eight game career, has allowed 24 BB compared to 16 K, and you know what to expect from a guy with a ratio like that.
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| John Smoltz improved to 2-0 on the year as he limited the Nationals to five hits and one run over six innings to pick up his second victory of the season. Smoltz was able to exit after just 90 pitches as he stuck out five while walking two. |
Our View: Smoltz finally appears healthy, but at his age there is always the chance that he could be limited moving forward though there is no disputing the fact that he still can pitch.
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| Corey Hart had a tough day at the plate against the Mets on Saturday, as he went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts. His average dropped to .231 over 39 at-bats, with 11 strikeouts. |
Our View: His fantasy stock will continue to fall until he gets on track.
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| Johan Santana was dealt his second loss on Saturday, as he allowed five runs (four earned) on six hits over 6.2 innings of work against Milwaukee, with two walks and seven strikeouts. He gave up three home runs in this game, and his ERA climbed to 3.05 for the season. |
Our View: He is now 1-2 and has started a bit slow on the year for the Mets with four home runs allowed in three starts. Hopefully he will fare better in his next start.
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| Eric Gagne has nailed down his second save of the season on Saturday, as he hurled a hitless ninth inning (with one strikeout) in a 5-3 win over the Mets. |
Our View: He has been erratic in the early going, but should rack up a solid amount of saves if he remains the Brewers' closer this season.
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| Ben Sheets improved to 2-0 on Saturday, as he allowed three runs on five hits over 7.2 innings against the Mets in a 5-3 win, with two walks and five strikeouts. He lowered his season ERA to 1.17 as well. |
Our View: That was another great outing from the Brewers' ace, as he tries to regain his elite status.
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| Mike Lamb is nursing a foot ailment, and will sit out of action tonight, according to the Star Tribune. He should be fine, and is listed as day-to-day. |
Our View: Nick Punto will fill in at third base.
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| Jose Reyes will miss at least two games with a sore left hamstring, according to the AP. Manager Randolph commented, "We’ll let the injury calm down for a day or two." |
Our View: Damion Easley will fill in at shortstop until he can return.
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| Nate McLouth is riding a 10 game hitting streak, and will look to keep it going today against Bronson Arroyo and the Reds, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: McLouth is hitting .396 overall (nine extra base hits), with one homer and 10 RBI, with two stolen bases. Continue to start him while he's hot.
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| Chad Cordero threw a perfect inning of relief during a rehab appearance at Class-A Potomac, which was likely his final test before coming back from a right shoulder injury, according to the AP. He has been on the DL all season with shoulder tendinitis, but has made two successful rehab relief appearances this week, and GM Jim Bowden commented that Cordero is likely to be activated in time to pitch Sunday against the Braves.
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Our View: This is good news for the Nats' closer. His fantasy stock will go back up.
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| Cole Hamels is set to start against the Cubs today, a team that he has fared very well against, according to MLB.com. Hamels notably went 2-0 with a 1.80 over 15 innings against the Cubs in 2007, with only three runs allowed. |
Our View: He is off to a strong start with a 1-1 record and 1.20 ERA, and he should hold the upper hand in this match-up.
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| Rich Hill will not pitch in the rotation against the Phillies, according to MLB.com. Manager Piniella noted, "He's just not throwing the ball. The other day, in the first inning, he was aiming it. When he came back after the first inning, he looked a little confused. I said, 'The only thing you're not doing is cutting it loose. Go out there and give it your best stuff.' He made it through three innings. There's no sense keeping a pitcher out there if he's struggling that bad. He's just got to go out and throw it. He's got a ton of talent." He will be reduced to a bullpen role for the remainder of this series.
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Our View: He could possibly return to the rotation next Thursday against Cincinnati, and it is too early to drop his fantasy stock.
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| Slugger Troy Glaus is currently riding a seven game hitting streak, as he sets to extend it today against hurler Matt Cain and the Giants, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: Cain is 0-1 with a 3.60 ERA, and Glaus should have the upper hand today.
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| Albert Pujols has reached base in every Cardinals' game this season, and will look to extend his streak to 12 today against the Giants, according to MLB.com. He has also scored a run in four straight games. |
Our View: He will challenge opposing hurler Matt Cain, who is 0-1 with 3.60 ERA so far.
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| Skip Schumaker is expected to bat leadoff today against Giants' righty Matt Cain, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: His numbers are looking better now as he holds a .273 average over 33 at-bats, with five walks and only one strikeout.
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| Rookie Franklin Morales will be looking for his first win today as he challenges the Diamondbacks, according to MLB.com. He was solid in his first outing(was dealt a no decision), as he only allowed two hits over six innings, with no walks and two strikeouts. He faced Arizona in that game as well. |
Our View: His fantasy stock will continue to rise with a solid outing today.
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| Damion Easley will replace the injured Jose Reyes (hamstring) in the starting lineup today. The Mets' top utility infielder is batting seventh. |
Our View: Easley has been slow to heal from torn ankle ligaments that ended his 2007 season, but replaced Reyes on Friday and will likely start for the All Star until he is healthy enough to return.
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| Angel Pagan will be the leadoff hitter today when the Mets host the Brewers in the second contest of a three-game set. |
Our View: Jose Reyes is out with a hamstring strain, and there is no definitive timetable for his return. Pagan has a .462 OBP through the first nine games of the season.
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| Chipper Jones has hit 37 homers over his career against the Nationals/Expos, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: This is good news for him and his fantasy owners, as he has only hit one homer over the first 10 games of the season.
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| Manager Acta commented on Ryan Zimmerman's current 9-for-47 slump, according to MLB.com. Acta stated, "I know he is struggling right now and he is probably trying to get out of it with one swing of the bat, but he'll be fine. He has been through this before."
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Our View: Hopefully he can get on track against Atlanta today, but it won't be easy with John Smoltz on the hill.
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| John Smoltz will take the hill against the Nationals today, and he has notably fared very well against them in the past, according to MLB.com. He is 20-11 with a solid 2.60 ERA in 66 career appearances against the Nationals/Expos. And in his past six starts against them, he is 4-2 with an even better 1.77 ERA.
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Our View: Looks like Smoltz will have a good chance to pick up his second win of the season today, especially if Ryan Zimmerman continues to struggle.
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| Luis Castillo, who is expected to start at second base today, has a good track record against today's opposing hurler Ben Sheets, according to MLB.com. Castillo holds a .438 average over 16 at-bats against the Brewers' ace. |
Our View: This is a good day to pencil Castillo back into your lineups.
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| Jason Marquis is ready to start on Sunday, following his stint with a strep throat, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. He has recovered enough from the illness, and is good to go. |
Our View: He will be looking for his first win of the season.
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| Duaner Sanchez pitched a scoreless eighth inning for the New Orleans Zephyrs last night against the Round Rock Express, while giving up only one walk and no hits, according to the MetsReport. He is scheduled to pitch again tonight against Round Rock. |
Our View: He continues to make favorable progress in his recovery from his shoulder ailment.
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| Kyle McClellan may not get sent down when Joel Pineiro gets activated from the DL, according to the St. Louis Dispatch. LaRussa commented, "Whatever his future is, what he’s doing right now helps him. You can’t replace the experience he’s having by going into key situations here." When asked if there might be an organizational push to return McClellan to the Triple-A Memphis rotation, La Russa stated that he had never received any such recommendation.
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Our View: If McClellan is not sent down to make room for Pineiro, then Kelvin Jimenez likely will be.
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| Andy LaRoche continues to make favorable progress in his recovery from thumb surgery, according to the LA Times. He reportedly participated in two rounds of batting practice and threw a baseball Friday, the first time he has done either since tearing a ligament in his right thumb on March 7. He commented, "No pain at all. I want to stay out here all day, but I've still got to stay patient. Nature still has to take its course." His rehab is now two weeks ahead of schedule.
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Our View: He will fight Blake DeWitt for playing time at third base when he returns. DeWitt is notably performing well as the acting starter.
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| Jimmy Rollins is going to be a game-time decision for Saturday's game, according to the Philadelphia Enquirer. He stated on Friday that his injured ankle feels about the same. |
Our View: He has missed three straight games due to the ailment, and Eric Bruntlett would make another start today at shortstop if needed.
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| Jose Reyes will not play on Saturday, due to his hamstring ailment that he sustained last night, according to NewYorkMetsNews.com. The severity of the ailment is yet to be determined. |
Our View: This is a shame, as Reyes finally broke out of his slump and registered a stolen base.
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| Jorge Campillo has been called up, according to MVN.com. The team made the move as Rafael Soriano has been placed on the DL. |
Our View: He should challenge for playing time out of the Braves' pen, but his fantasy value will likely be limited.
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| Trevor Hoffman picked up his third save of the season on Friday but he struggled yet again allowing two hits, two walks and one run to score. Hoffman, who currently has an ERA of 11.57 with a WHIP of 2.36, has been awful this season and frankly he isn't the Padres best option for saves any longer as the team would be better off with Heath Bell or Cal Meredith in the role. However, don't look for the team to pull him from the role any time soon unless this ineffectiveness continues to linger. |
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| Rafael Furcal went 3-for-3 at the plate with two walks and three runs scored as he upped his average to .432 in the early going. With all the attention paid to others at shortstop this season, Furcal seems hell bent on returning his name to the upper echelon of the shortstop ranks, something he will do very quickly if he continues to hit like he has through 10 games. |
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| Barry Zito allowed four runs, though only one was earned, as he picked up his third loss in three starts on Friday. Zito again struggled to put away hitters with only two K in six innings, but he also was able to throw the ball in the strike zone as he walked just one batter, so this is a slightly encouraging outing, though certainly not an overly exciting one. |
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