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| Daisuke Matsuzaka can thank his teammates for his 3-0 record. The right-hander picked up a win on Sunday despite walking six batters and allowing five hits and four runs over five innings. His ERA rose to 2.70. |
Our View: That's the third time Daisuke has walked four or more batters in a game this season, which isn't a good sign. He was wild in his rookie season, too, but he has taken it to another level early in this campaign. Hopefully these walks are a temporary glitch.
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| Apparently the Red Sox are the only team that can't figure out Jason Giambi. He went 1-for-3 with a solo homer and two runs on Sunday. Coming into this weekend, Giambi had only one hit, but he managed to smack two long balls in the series against the Red Sox. |
Our View: Way to push that average over .100, Jason.
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| Kevin Youkilis went 2-for-3 with one run and two RBI in Sunday's win over the Yankees. He owns seven RBI over the last six games. |
Our View: Youkilis is currently 5-for-9 with runners in scoring position this season. He obviously won't keep up that pace, and fantasy owners should get over-excited about his early production.
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| Phil Hughes put forth the worst effort of his young career on Sunday. He lasted only two innings and allowed six hits and seven runs (six earned) against the Red Sox. Hughes walked three, struck out three, and needed 65 pitches to work just two frames. |
Our View: Hughes is off to a rocky start, as is fellow youngster Ian Kennedy. It's a bit of a nightmare scenario for a team counting on these right-handers. Fantasy owners may want to bench Hughes until he shows us something better.
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| Jacoby Ellsbury went 1-for-3 with one run, two RBI, a walk, and a stolen base on Sunday. It was his second straight game with a pilfered pillow. |
Our View: We were hoping that Ellsbury would be more active on the basepaths than he's been thus far. Hopefully this is the start of something good.
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| Johnny Damon broke out his running shoes on Sunday. The outfielder walked three times and stole two bases. He chipped in one run and one RBI on a night in which he went 0-for-1 at the plate. |
Our View: What's going on? We thought the Yankees stopped trying to steal bases. Damon's two swipes were the first for the team all season.
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| Jonathan Papelbon won't be available to pitch on Sunday night, MLB.com confirms. He had to wait through a long rain delay to close the game on Saturday and is simply getting the day off. |
Our View: Fantasy owners shouldn't panic if they see someone else work the ninth (if necessary) on Sunday.
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| The Rays are offering up more optimistic news on Matt Garza. The right-hander is recovering well from radial nerve irritation in his right arm and could be back in 2-4 weeks, MLB.com reports. |
Our View: This injury put a big damper in what we hoped would be a breakout season for the promising young right-hander. If he heals properly and is back around May 1, though, it would be excellent news.
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| Rod Barajas injured his groin on Sunday and left the game in the sixth inning, according to the AP. He was 2-for-3 with two RBI at the time. |
Our View: We're not doctors, but we figure a groin injury makes it awful tough for a guy to catch. Gregg Zaun is the starter, but the Jays may need to find a new backup. Curtis Thigpen is the likely choice to get the call should Barajas end up on the DL.
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| Jorge Posada will throw on Monday to test his sore right shoulder, MLB.com reports. He hasn't been behind the plate since Tuesday, but he has stayed in the lineup at DH. |
Our View: Posada's bat hasn't suffered, so fantasy owners shouldn't be terribly concerned.
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| Mike Morse suffered a left shoulder subluxation on Sunday. He will undergo an MRI on Sunday night, the Seattle Times reports. |
Our View: The Mariners picked up a rash of injuries over the weekend, and Morse may need to go on the DL simply to help cover depth at other spots. We'll update his status when more is known.
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| B.J. Ryan came off the DL and quickly picked up a save. He worked the 10th inning in Sunday's win over the Rangers. Ryan allowed one hit and kept the Rangers off the board. It was his first save since April 11, 2007. |
Our View: The Blue Jays will still take it easy with Ryan and keep Jeremy Accardo in the closer mix, at least for a little while.
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| Adrian Beltre did not play on Sunday due to tightness in his right hamstring. The injury is not believed to be serious, the Seattle Times notes. Miguel Cairo started in his place, and Beltre will be re-assessed on Monday. |
Our View: We'll update Beltre's status when more is known. Hopefully this is as minor as suggested.
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| John Lackey threw 47 pitches in a bullpen session prior to Sunday's game. He mixed in some breaking balls for the first time during his recovery from a strained right triceps. "It was another positive step," pitching coach Mike Butcher tells the Orange County Register. "We don’t want to get too far ahead of ourselves but right now he looks good." |
Our View: We're still looking at a May return date, even though this is obviously good news.
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| J.J. Putz threw off the mound for six minutes (27 pitches) on Sunday. "I felt real good," he tells MLB.com. Putz is out due to inflammation in his right torso, and he was able to throw all his pitches at about 80-to-85 percent during the session. He could throw a simulated game late next week. |
Our View: The Mariners are still working on an exact timetable, but it sounds like Putz is at least one more week away.
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| Torii Hunter was given the day off on Sunday to rest his big left toe. He banged the digit into a wall on Friday and was the DH on Saturday. "He feels all right today," manager Mike Scioscia tells MLB.com. "He was limping a little yesterday. I want to get this behind him. Today's a good day to get him a rest." Hunter is day-to-day. |
Our View: We expect Torii to be back on Monday, but he might not be stealing many bases in the near future.
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| Chone Figgins went 2-for-5 with one run, one RBI, and two stolen bases on Sunday. He has already attempted nine steals through 13 games. |
Our View: Figgins is hitting .404 and has an OBP of over .530, so he has created ample opportunity for a green light. He won't be able to keep up this pace, of course, but he's looking like a threat for over 50 steals.
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| Raul Ibanez continues to try and carry the middle of the Mariners offense by himself. He went 2-for-5 with a double and three RBI on Sunday. Ibanez has driven in 13 runs thus far. |
Our View: Raul is showing no signs of slowing down, and there is no reason he can't drive in over 100 runs for the third straight year.
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| Howie Kendrick's injured thumb clearly isn't a problem. After a 3-for-4 outing on Saturday, he went 3-for-4 with two doubles and an RBI on Sunday. Unfortunately, Kendrick injured his hamstring on his second double and had to leave the game, the AP reports. |
Our View: Kendrick is an excellent hitter, but injuries continue to mar his record. We don't know how bad this current ailment is and we'll update you when more info is available.
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| Matt Holliday went 3-for-5 with a double, homer, two runs, three RBI, and a stolen base on Sunday. He is 12-for-33 (.364) with three long balls and 11 RBI over his last eight games. |
Our View: There's a good reason Holliday was a top-five pick in many fantasy leagues.
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| A.J. Burnett continues to struggle. He allowed seven hits and four runs over 5.2 innings against the Rangers on Sunday. The Rangers scored in the first, fourth, fifth, and sixth innings off of Burnett, who also walked two and struck out three. Burnett threw 114 pitches. |
Our View: Burnett was okay in his opener, but his last two starts have been pretty ugly. What's really worrisome is the lack of strikeouts thus far (seven in 16.1 innings), as A.J. has always been able to make batters miss.
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| Scott Feldman gave the Rangers a chance to win on Sunday, which is all the team could have asked. The right-hander held the Blue Jays to three runs over six full innings. Feldman served up eight hits and two walk but kept the Blue Jays from having a big inning. The former reliever took a no-decision. |
Our View: Feldman was only up for a one-start outing, but his decent showing may mean he'll get a call the next time the Rangers need a starter.
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| Vernon Wells continued his hot start by going 2-for-4 with one run on Sunday against the Rangers. He added in a walk. |
Our View: Wells has thus far bounced back even more than we would have expected.
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| Billy Butler extended his hitting streak to 12 games with an RBI single on Sunday. He finished the contest against the Twins at 1-for-1 with three walks. |
Our View: The streak and the batting average are nice, but Butler has yet to go deep this season and has driven in only four runs.
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| Josh Hamilton went 1-for-5 with a solo homer and an RBI sac fly against the Blue Jays on Sunday. He owns 13 RBI through 12 games. |
Our View: Many people think Hamilton is on the verge of becoming a superstar, and he's currently driving in runs like a stud. It remains to be seen if he can stay healthy for a full campaign, though.
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| Alex Gordon spent his Sunday hurting the Twins with both his power and his speed. The third baseman went 2-for-3 with a solo homer, double, walk, three runs, and a stolen base. Gordon owns a eight-game hitting streak and is batting .333 through 12 games. |
Our View: Gordon looks fairly locked-in at the moment, and fantasy owners should enjoy the ride.
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| Francisco Liriano failed to impress in his first major league start since September 13, 2006. The southpaw allowed six hits and four runs over 4.2 innings against the Royals. Liriano struck out four batters, but he doomed himself with five walks. "I couldn't establish the fastball. I couldn't throw my fastball," Liriano tells the Minneapolis Star Tribune. "If I can establish my fastball, I can do better. I was kind of nervous the first couple of innings, but then I got loose." |
Our View: You can't expect anyone to dominate in their first major league game coming off Tommy John surgery. Liriano also didn't look sharp in his minor league outings, and we imagine it will simply take time for him to find his groove again.
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| Brian Bannister improved to 3-0 after tossing a complete game against the Twins on Sunday. He held the AL Central rival to three hits and one unearned run. Bannister walked one, struck out three, hit a batter, and saw his ERA fall to 0.86. |
Our View: Wow. Bannister flew under the radar a bit during his solid rookie campaign, but people are definitely noticing Floyd's kid now. He's a smart pitcher who clearly knows how to get guys out.
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| After a couple so-so outings, Javier Vazquez delivered a gem on Sunday. He struck out nine batters over seven scoreless innings against the Tigers. Vazquez allowed five hits and walked none. |
Our View: Vazquez is coming off an excellent 2007 season and once again looks like a high-end No. 2 fantasy hurler.
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| Clete Thomas has been doing a solid job as a fill-in for the Tigers, but he looked overmatched on Sunday. The 24-year-old outfielder went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts against the White Sox. |
Our View: Thomas will likely head back to the minors once Curtis Granderson is healthy.
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| Joe Crede owns two grand slams in less than a week. The third baseman took Tigers pitcher Zach Miner deep in the fifth inning on Sunday and ended the day 1-for-2 with four RBI. He also launched a grand slam against the Twins on Monday. Crede is up to .341 with four homers and 15 RBI on the season. |
Our View: That sure was some back surgery, huh? Crede is swatting the ball around better than he ever did in the past, albeit only in a very short period to begin the season. We're sure he'll come back to Earth before too long.
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| David Ortiz will get the night off on Sunday. "I just think it's the right thing to do," manager Terry Francona explains to the Boston Globe. "I don't know if you guys were in the room when he came in, but he came in kind of with a little bounce to his step, a little more light-hearted than he's been. He needed a break, that's the best way to put it." Ortiz adds that he needed a little mental break after his 3-for-43 start to the season. |
Our View: If a one-day break turns Ortiz back into the Big Papi of recent history, we're all for it. Heck, take two days, David. We remain relatively unworried about his slow start.
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| The Detroit Tigers posted a goose egg for the second straight day on Sunday. It's the fourth time they've been shutout through 13 games. |
Our View: Brandon Inge and Carlos Guillen are the only two regulars who've hit somewhat consistently thus far. We figure it's only a matter of time before Magglio Ordonez, Miguel Cabrera, and Gary Sheffield catch fire together, though.
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| Paul Konerko provided all the early offense for the White Sox on Sunday. He hit an RBI single in the first inning and added a grand slam in the third frame. Konerko finished the day 2-for-4 with five RBI. |
Our View: Konerko had a rough 2007, but there's no reason to think he's on the way down quite yet. He should be a lock for 30 homers, 100 RBI, and 85 runs if he stays healthy.
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| Carl Crawford showed a bit of life today, putting recent struggles in the peripheral to go 1-for-4 at the plate. |
Our View: Crawford drove in two RBIs, posted one run scored, and stole his fourth base of the season. His average, now sitting at .208, serves as a reminder of the struggles thus far, but today might mark a change in fortune for this talented left fielder.
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| Young slugger B.J. Upton drove his first homer of the season over the fence today in support of Tampa Bay’s 2-6 win over the Orioles. Upton went 1-for-3 with one walk and one strike out, leaving two men on base but driving in three RBIs. |
Our View: The performance brings Upton to an average of .302 on the season.
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| Aubrey Huff was atrocious for the Baltimore Orioles in today’s 2-6 loss against the Tampa Bay Rays. Huff went 0-for-4 at the plate, striking out twice and leaving a whopping seven runners on base. |
Our View: Huff’s seasonal average drops to .244 on the season as the Orioles, who started hot, may be starting to see a drop in production (a drop many were predicting from Day 1).
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| Young Jeff Niemann enjoyed a strong performance in his first ever major league start, earning the win as the Tampa Bay Rays put six runs on Baltimore SP Brian Burres, winning 2-6. Niemann threw six full innings, giving up just one run on six hits (the one run earned on a Nick Markakis HR). |
Our View: Niemann walked just one batter while striking out 5, an outstanding performance for this young prospective ace.
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| Travis Hafner put forth strong numbers in support of the Indians’ 1-7 win over Oakland today, but there remains concern moving forward. Hafner went 2-for-5 at the plate, posting two RBIs on the day. |
Our View: However, Hafner, hitting .261 on the season, left three runners on base today, all missed opportunities from a power hitter that, in season’s past, has rarely let such gifts be robbed.
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| Grady Sizemore continues to build his status as a top MLB player, helping the Indians to a big 1-7 win over the Oakland Athletics. Sizemore batted 2-for-4 with one walk, gathering three RBIs and two runs scored on the day. |
Our View: Sizemore now carries a seasonal batting average of .313 and is well on his way to the potent campaign we all expected.
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| Cliff Lee was brilliant off the mound for the Cleveland Indians today, earning the win as the Tribe beat up on the A’s, 1-7. Lee pitched through 8 innings of work, allowing just one run on two hits. |
Our View: Lee failed to surrender a single walk but garnered EIGHT strikeouts on the day, bringing his ERA to a lowly 0.61 on the season. With just 102 pitches thrown, Lee totaled 67 strikes and ruled the day in a big win for the Indians, bringing Lee to 2-0 on the season.
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| Jason Bay hit his third home run of the season in support of Pittsburgh’s 1-9 victory over the Cincinnati Reds. |
Our View: Bay went 2-for-4 at the plate, hitting his homer in the 7th with two runners on base, ending the day with three RBIs and two runs scored.
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| The Pittsburgh Pirates lambasted the Cincinnati Reds today, winning 1-9 in a game that allowed the bulk of the Pittsburgh order to post hits. The star of the day goes to RF Xavier Nady , going 2-for-4 with is fourth home run of the year. Nady posted two RBIs on the day and now carries a batting average of .333 for the season. |
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| Matt Wieters, Baltimore’s top pick in the 2007 draft, continued his hot start at High-A on Saturday by going 2-for-4 with his third homer of the year and a steal. He is now hitting .524 for the season with a terrific 7/2 BB/K ratio. The switch-hitter certainly has not disappointed in his pro debut. |
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| Kevin Mulvey, part of the return in the Johan Santana trade, had his second solid start of the season on Saturday at Triple-A. Despite taking the loss, he allowed only one run on four hits in five innings and fanned six. Mulvey profiles as a middle to back of the rotation starter, and his strong start means that he is picking up right where he left off last season with a 3.32 ERA in 26 starts at Double-A. He could see some starts with the Twins at some point this season. |
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| Oakland CF Ryan Sweeney was pulled from today’s starting lineup due to a strained right quadriceps, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: Sweeney was injured running to first base on a double-play ball in the 3rd inning on Saturday. He completed the inning and was then replaced by Chris Denorfia. Manager Bob Geren does not believe the injury is serious and withheld Sweeney today due to chilly conditions.
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| LHP Erik Bedard has been officially scratched from his scheduled start against Los Angeles today due to inflammation in his left hip, according to the Sports Network. Bedard missed his scheduled start against Baltimore on April 6th for similar reasons, but he has since hit the mound, earning his first win of the season on Tuesday after allowing five runs (three earned) on five hits over six innings at Tampa Bay. |
Our View: Today, RHP Cha Seung Baek will get the call in place of Bedard. The team has given no indication of long-term fear or prognosis, though the injury is considered minor.
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| The Texas Rangers have optioned pitcher Kazuo Fukumori to Triple-A Oklahoma, according to the Dallas Morning News. |
Our View: Fukumori has struggled, earning an ERA of 32.40 through three appearances this season, and thus the decision to send Fukumori down to make room for pitcher Scott Feldman was easy.
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| The Toronto Blue Jays have activated closer B.J. Ryan from the disabled list, according to MLB.com. The lefty reliever has not pitched since April 14, 2007, having undergone Tommy John elbow ligament reconstruction surgery on May 10th of last year and now appears to be ready to make a return to action. |
Our View: The Jays have optioned pitcher Brandon League to Triple-A Syracuse to make room for Ryan on the roster.
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| Both Carlos Guillen and Placido Polanco will be missing from action today as the Detroit Tigers visit the Chicago White Sox today, according to MichiganLive.com. Polanco has battled lower back stiffness since spring training and, with today’s forecast calling for freezing conditions in Chicago today, it seems wise to rest him rather than risk further issue. Guillen will miss his second day in a row with a right hamstring strain. |
Our View: Manager Jim Leyland has also noted Gary Sheffield as a potential worry, nursing a sore right shoulder that seems to be progressing slowly due to the cold conditions this time of year offers. Stay tuned for further information regarding the veteran outfielder.
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| Adam Everett will return to action and get the start at shortstop for the Minnesota Twins as they visit the Kansas City Royals today, according to the Star Tribune. |
Our View: Everett missed Saturday’s game due to a sore shoulder, a problem the veteran SS has struggled to overcome since spring training. He’ll be back in the lineup and batting 9th in the order today.
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| Mike Redmond will get the start at catcher for the Minnesota Twins today as Joe Mauer enjoys a rest, according to the Star Tribune. |
Our View: Redmond suffered a season-ending injury to a finger last September and today will present his first MLB action since.
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| RHP Jeff Niemann will make his major league debut today, taking the mound for the Rays as they welcome the Baltimore Orioles to Tampa. Niemann gets the start in relief of injured RHP Matt Garza, battling a radial nerve irritation. |
Our View: Many speculated Niemann might get a spot in the rotation following a strong spring training, cut Edwin Jackson and Jason Hammel got the nods over the young rising star as they were out of minor league options. Now the injury to Garza gives the hurler a chance to show his skills on the game’s main stage.
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| Carlos Pena hit a home run in his second consecutive game yesterday, taking Baltimore reliever Jamie Walker deep in the Rays’ 3-2 loss. Pena now has three home runs and seven RBIs in the first two games of this three-game series and has six homers through his last 11 games. |
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| It sounds like the Yankees will be free and clear of gloom and doom in their new stadium, thanks to loyal fans on the stadium’s construction crew, according to ESPN.com. Earlier this week a fellow construction worker well known as a fan of the Boston Red Sox was rumored to have buried a Red Sox jersey in the concrete foundation of the new stadium. Other workers loyal to the pinstripes found said jersey and spent five hours removing the jersey with a jackhammer. |
Our View: “I hope his co-workers kick the (expletive) out of him,” said Yankee co-chairperson Hal Steinbrenner.
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| Dodger manager Joe Torre has decided to push RHP Esteban Loaiza out of the starting rotation and into the bullpen, giving Loaiza’s next scheduled start (Tuesday vs. Pittsburgh) to LHP Hong-Chih Kuo, according to the Los Angeles Times. Kuo hasn’t surrendered a single run in 6 2/3 innings of relief thus far and Torre appears excited to get a lefty into the mix. “It’s nice to have a lefty in the starting rotation,” said Torre. “What I saw from him the other day, he threw a lot of strikes. Looked very determined. [I’m] just curious to see if that’s going to work as a starter.” |
Our View: That sounds like an experimental move that could bring Loaiza back to the starting lineup at some point, but the strike to Loaiza’s ego may be a bit concerning. The LA Times report indicates Loaiza was clearly disappointed and told reporters he had not been informed of the decision or given reason for the change.
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| It is believed Yankee SS Derek Jeter is likely to return on Monday night against the Tampa Bay Rays, according to the New York Post. |
Our View: Jeter has been running in pregame workouts and was spotted taking batting practice and fielding ground balls before Saturday’s matchup with the Boston Red Sox. If there are no problems moving forward with additional workouts today, Jeter should be in the lineup when the Yanks travel to St. Petersburg on Monday night.
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