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| Tom Gorzelanny showed improvement on Sunday, thanks to a better approach. "He was more aggressive in the strike zone," manager John Russell tells the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. "The quality of his pitches was better. He got ahead of guys and put them away. His command and his stuff was more consistent than it had been." Gorzelanny was roughed up in his April 7 but held the Reds to one run over 6.1 innings on Sunday. |
Our View: We still believe the southpaw will be able to produce a sub-4.00 ERA before the season is out, but we are worried about the shoulder soreness that has been popping up. You should start him in NL-only leagues, but mixed league owners may want to continue to wait and see if he is indeed back.
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| Eric Young Jr. went 1-for-2 with three steals and three runs scored for Double-A Tulsa on Sunday. |
Our View: The son of the former major league second baseman is now batting .350 with five steals on the season. He hit .291 with 73 steals at High-A last season and could have a future in Colorado if Jayson Nix does not work out. If he does ever get a starting role, he clearly has the speed to be a fantasy stud.
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| The A's think there's a chance Rich Harden could be back in the rotation by the end of the month, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Harden is out due to a muscle strain under his right arm. He did not play catch on Sunday due to the cold weather. |
Our View: We won't really have a good feel for Harden until he advances beyond things like playing catch.
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| Carlos Carrasco, arguably the Phillies’ best prospect, picked up his first win of the season at Double-A on Sunday. He allowed two runs on five hits in six innings and fanned seven batters. |
Our View: The 21-year-old Carrasco has now made two solid starts at Double-A this season, and he has shown far superior control to what he showed at the same level last season. With the Phillies’ struggles to fill the back of their rotation adequately, Carrasco has a chance to make an impact in the majors late this year.
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| Chris Perez converted his third save of the season at Triple-A on Sunday by pitching a perfect ninth inning. |
Our View: Perez has struggled somewhat in the early going, but he does only have one walk in 4.2 innings. Potentially the Cardinals’ closer of the future, Perez had serious problems with walks last season, allowing 41 in 54.2 innings.
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| Mark Redman will be able to start on Wednesday against the Padres, MLB.com confirms. The southpaw tested his bruised left foot in a bullpen session on Sunday. |
Our View: It might be a good time to start your Padres hitters.
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| Tom Glavine is not sure of the severity of his hamstring injury, and the team will wait until Monday or Tuesday to decide his potential DL status. "I'm not concerned that it's going to be a long time, but I really don't have anything to go on to know whether I'm going to be throwing in five days either," Glavine tells the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "Tomorrow, if it's really sore, obviously that'd be an indication I might be in some trouble." |
Our View: All we can do is wait, just like the Braves and Glavine. The club is thin on good options to help fill out the rotation, and we're a number of different names will pop up within the next day or two.
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| Paul Lo Duca was hit on the right hand by a pitch on Sunday and sustained a bruise. The veteran tells the AP that he hopes to play on Tuesday. |
Our View: If Lo Duca were out, Johnny Estrada would get the call. Neither backstop is a great option for fantasy leagues.
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| Cha Seung Baek failed to fill in ably for an injured Erik Bedard on Sunday. The right-hander allowed seven hits and four runs over 4.1 innings. His line actually looked good compared to his replacement, Eric O'Flaherty. The reliever served up six runs over 2.2 frames. |
Our View: Baek is better than this, but he once again proved that long relief may ultimately be his best role.
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| Aaron Cook picked up his first win of the season on Sunday, a bit of redemption following his previous outing. Cook allowed eight hits and three runs over six innings against the Diamondbacks, and the offense had his back, putting up 13. In his prior start, Cook held the Braves to two hits and one run but left with a no-decision. |
Our View: It's nice when things sometimes even out. Cook is far from being a fantasy stud, but he has good enough stuff to post a 4.20 ERA and potentially win 13-16 games.
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| Chris Snyder shook off his slow start and went 3-for-4 with a double, two runs, and one RBI against the Rockies on Sunday. He entered the game only 3-for-27 on the season. |
Our View: Snyder was a pretty good fantasy catcher late last season, and his bad start was disappointing to some. He remains a decent No. 2 option in mixed leagues.
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| Stephen Drew went 3-for-4 with a double, two runs, and an RBI on Sunday against the Rockies. His average bumped up to .317, thanks in large part to three multi-hit games out of his last four. |
Our View: Drew was a disappointment in 2007, but the 25-year-old shortstop is loaded with talent. It wouldn't be surprising if his numbers took a sizable leap this year.
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| Clint Barmes started at shortstop on Sunday and went 3-for-6 with a homer, two runs, and four RBI. He gave Troy Tulowitzki the day off. |
Our View: Tulo is struggling a bit at the moment, but there is no controversy to worry about here. If anything, Barmes could earn himself more looks at second base.
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| Jeff Salazar got a rare start on Sunday and went 2-for-4 with a triple and three RBI against the Rockies. He gave center fielder Chris Young a day to rest, at least until the starter was called upon to pinch-hit. |
Our View: Salazar is decent with the stick and can play all three outfield positions, which mean he's likely to get 100 or so at-bats throughout the year. There's not much fantasy value here.
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| Garrett Atkins hit his first homer of the season on Sunday. He also added a double and went 3-for-6 with two runs and three RBI. |
Our View: Atkins has a short history of starting a bit slow (especially in May) and turning it up over the second half of the season. It's good to see him finally get in a big outing, but fantasy owners may need to continue to show patience.
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| Trevor Hoffman served up a double, but he held the Dodgers scoreless and picked up his fourth save on Sunday. The veteran closer had allowed a run in each of his previous two outings. |
Our View: Hoffman just needed to get that ERA under 10. It'll be smooth sailing from here on out, right? We're still a little worried about his ancient arm, but it wouldn't surprise anyone if Hoffman turned back into a steady stud.
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| Chad Billingsley bounced back from a rough opening start and pitched well on Sunday. He held the Padres to one run and four hits over five innings. Billingsley walked two and struck out eight. He unfortunately earned a loss, as the Dodgers were unable to score. |
Our View: We really like that Billingsley pounded the strike zone more this time out, as that was a huge problem for him in his last outing.
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| Brian Wilson provided a little excitement on Sunday. He came on in the ninth inning and allowed two singles before striking out two hitters and ending the game on a fly ball. Wilson earned his third save. |
Our View: Wilson has been shaky early in the season, but the Giants have no reason not to stick through any tough times with the young closer.
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| Greg Maddux and the Padres were brilliant on Sunday. They pitched a shutout against the Dodgers. Maddux took care of the first five innings and allowed only two hits. Four reliever combined to serve up three hits over the final four frames. Maddux is now 2-0 with a 2.00 ERA on the season. |
Our View: We hear this Maddux guy is pretty good. The kid has a bright future. Oh, and happy 42nd birthday, Greg.
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| Watch out, Earl Webb. Fred Lewis is coming after you. The Giants outfielder went 2-for-4 with a double and a run on Sunday. Lewis has ripped six doubles over the last four games. |
Our View: We're joking, of course. Lewis is not going to threaten Webb's record of 67 doubles in a single season, but Fred could help a lot of NL-only league fantasy teams while Dave Roberts remains out.
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| Ryan Ludwick continues to quietly produce. The outfielder hit fourth on Sunday and went 2-for-5 with a homer and two RBI against the Giants. Ludwick is hitting .343 with three long balls, 10 RBI, and seven runs through 10 games. |
Our View: The Cardinals have every reason to continue giving Ludwick regular at-bats. History suggests his bat will cool off soon, but NL-only owners should play him while he's hot.
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| Tim Lincecum struck out 11 Cardinals on Sunday en route to his second win of the season. The young right-hander allowed six hits and two runs over six innings. His ERA rose a little, to 2.25, and he now owns 22 strikeouts over 16 frames. |
Our View: What else can we say? Lincecum is a stud stuck on a pretty bad club. The Giants are 3-0 in games he's pitched this season.
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| The Cardinals had one of the league's best rotations, until Sunday. Joel Pineiro made his return from shoulder inflammation and proceeded to serve up 10 hits and six runs over 3.2 innings against the Giants. |
Our View: On the bright side, Pineiro didn't walk anyone. The club may want to re-think that Brad Thompson demotion.
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| John Bowker entered the weekend as an unknown, but he'll undoubtedly generate some Google searches on Sunday night and Monday morning. The rookie outfielder went 2-for-4 with a homer and four RBI against the Cardinals on Sunday. He is 4-for-7 with two long balls and seven RBI in his first two major league games. |
Our View: Who does this guy think he is, Shane Spencer? Bowker hit .307-22-90 with a .523 slugging percentage at Double-A in 2007, so maybe the power is legit. The Giants have a lot of old and some younger outfielders hanging out in front of Bowker, but the rookie may be worth a one-buck flier in NL-only leagues.
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| Michael Bourn flexed his muscles a bit on Sunday. The speedy outfielder hit his first home run (a solo shot) of the year off rookie hurler Burke Badenhop. Bourn added a single and a second run over five at-bats. |
Our View: Bourn now owns two homers over 174 career major league at-bats. That pace sounds about right.
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| Burke Badenhop first career start didn't go as hoped. He allowed seven hits and four runs over five innings against the Astros. The rookie served up two homers and two doubles, walked one, hit a batter, and struck out three. He took the loss. |
Our View: We didn't expect Badenhop to light up the world upon his move to the majors, and we're not reading too much into his first outing. There's some reason to think he can be a back-end addition in NL-only leagues.
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| J.R. Towles did in the Marlins with his bat and his patience on Sunday. The catcher socked a two-run homer and drove in a third run via a bases-loaded walk. He then left the game after getting hit on the left hand with a pitch in the eighth inning. |
Our View: We'll update his status when more is known. Towles has shown more pop than expected in his brief time in the majors. His batting average should increase once he gets over some nagging injuries and settles in a little more.
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| Josh Willingham provided the Marlins only offense on Sunday, as his solo homer was the only run the club scored against the Astros. Willingham was 1-for-4 on the day. |
Our View: The outfielder is off to a decent start with three long balls on the year. Fantasy owners can be fairly certain he'll settle in for a something like .270-23-80 before all is said and done.
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| Wandy Rodriguez started at home on Sunday and once again looked like an ace. He held the Marlins to five hits and one run over seven innings. Rodriguez added seven strikeouts versus only one walk. |
Our View: What's new, right? It's too bad Wandy stinks to bad on the road. He remains arguably the most split pitcher in fantasy baseball leagues.
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| With Shane Victorino on the DL, Jayson Werth will have a chance for a lot more action. He took advantage on Sunday by starting in center and going 2-for-4 with a homer, two runs, two RBI, and two steals against the Cubs. |
Our View: Wrist injuries robbed Werth of much of his prime hitting years, but he's a guy with pretty good pop and the chance to swipe an occasional bag. He's worth employing in NL-only leagues while Victorino is out.
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| Jason Marquis recovered from his illness well enough to hold the Phillies to two runs over 5.0 innings on Sunday. The right-hander made Cubs fans a little sick by adding in five walks (two intentional), hitting a batter, tossing a wild pitch, and throwing only 46 of his 86 pitches for strikes. |
Our View: Outings are rarely clean when Marquis is involved, but he managed to limit the damage this time around. Luckily, Marquis may be flying a bit under the radar because Rich Hill is having even worse troubles.
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| Eric Bruntlett hit a homer on Sunday. Yes, you read that right. Eric Bruntlett sent a ball over the wall and it wasn't foul. The infielder, who is filling in for Jimmy Rollins, hadn't gone yard since April 18, 2005. |
Our View: We can only assume the league tested Bruntlett immediately after the game.
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| Chad Cordero failed to close the door in his first outing since coming off the DL. He entered a one-run game against the Braves and immediately recorded two outs. Cordero then walked a batter, served up a double, and intentionally walked another hitter before turning the ball over to Jon Rauch. Only eight of Cordero's 21 pitches were strikes. |
Our View: Don't read too much into this, folks. The Nats stuck with Cordero through a rough April in 2007, and there's no reason to think his job is in serious jeopardy.
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| Derrek Lee had another productive day on Sunday, going 3-for-5 with a double and two RBI against the Phillies. The first baseman has eight extra-base hits and eight RBI over the last eight games. |
Our View: Lee is in the midst of a streak that makes one believe he can get back to his 2005, MVP-like level. It's too early to make such claims, but fantasy owners have to love the start.
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| Wily Mo Pena wasted no time in recording his first hat trick of the season. The outfielder came off the DL on Sunday and went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts against the Braves. |
Our View: Pena is rarely cheated at the plate. He'll whiff a lot, but he also has a ton of power. We can only hope the Nats didn't rush him back too quickly.
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| Kerry Wood picked up a win on Sunday, but the bigger news may be that he worked two innings for the first time all season. Wood worked the eighth and ninth innings in a tie game against the Phillies. Bob Howry came on after the Cubs scored in the 10th and earned the save. |
Our View: Fantasy owners shouldn't read anything into Howry getting the save, as Wood worked through a critical period of the game. We thought they might protect Kerry by only asking him to work one inning per outing, but we suppose it's good news if his arm can take on more.
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| Tim Redding picked up his second win of the season on Sunday, and he needs to thank his bullpen. The starter allowed six hits and three runs over 5.0 innings, and the bullpen held the Braves to one unearned run over the final four frames. Redding is 2-1 with a 2.25 ERA. |
Our View: Redding has had a strange string of starts thus far. He walks too many guys and doesn't miss many bats, but he's somehow come out looking good. Don't count on the good numbers to last.
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| Chipper Jones went 3-for-5 with a homer, double, one run, and two RBI in a loss to the Nationals on Sunday. He has a six-game hitting streak and is batting .408 on the young season. |
Our View: On a per-game basis, few hitters produce as well as Larry. It's just too bad Chipper is almost certain to miss 25 or 30 games before the season is over.
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| Chipper Jones went 3-for-5 with a homer, double, one run, and two RBI in a loss to the Nationals on Sunday. He has a six-game hitting streak and is batting .408 on the young season. |
Our View: On a per-game basis, few hitters produce as well as Larry. It's just too bad Chipper is almost certain to miss 25 or 30 games before the season is over.
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| After a couple 0-fer days against the Braves, Lastings Milledge went 3-for-3 with a double and his first stolen base of the season on Sunday. He chipped in a run and a walk. |
Our View: Many people predicted a breakout year for Milledge, who just turned 23 on April 5. He's off to a pretty good start, but we need to see some sustained success before we'll give him a high-five or listen to his rap songs.
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| Corey Hart has been in a small rut, but he broke out with a 4-for-5 day against the Mets on Sunday. All four hits were singles, and Hart added a run and an RBI. |
Our View: We're still waiting for Hart's first homer of the season, but we're generally fine with him at this point. The power should come soon.
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| Yunel Escobar keeps on producing. He went 2-for-3 with a run on Sunday and extended his hitting streak to seven games. Escobar owns multiple hits in three of the last four contests. |
Our View: If you thought last year's .328 average was a mirage, Escobar may be out to prove you wrong. We have a long, long way to go, but the second-year infielder looks every bit the .300 hitter thus far.
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| Rickie Weeks did a little bit of everything on Sunday against the Mets. He hit a solo homer, walked once, stole a base, and scored three runs. All in all, not too shabby for a 1-for-4 day. |
Our View: You know the story by now. Weeks has the talent to be a serious fantasy baseball contributor, but it's all about steering clear of injuries and figuring out how to hit for a decent average.
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| Oliver Perez wasted little time in washing away his 0.00 ERA on Sunday. The southpaw served a two-run homer in the first inning and allowed eight hits and six runs over 4.1 frames against the Brewers. Perez ended up with a no-decision and now stands at 1-0 with a 3.38 ERA. |
Our View: It obviously wasn't Oli's day, but he earned himself a lot of leeway with two scoreless outings to open the year. We're not concerned.
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| Eric Gagne has made it two straight. The closer shut the door on the Mets with a scoreless, hitless ninth inning on Sunday. Gagne earned his second save in as many days and his third overall. |
Our View: Gagne blew two out of his first three chances, and it's good to see him instill a little stability into his value. He remains on somewhat shaky ground.
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| Brian Schneider collected three singles and drove in three runs in Sunday's loss to the Brewers. He is up to six RBI on the season. |
Our View: It was a nice day for a very boring fantasy baseball option. Schneider will end up at .255 with 6-8 homers and 55 RBI by the time the season is over.
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| Gabe Kapler went 3-for-4 with a homer, two doubles, three runs, and three RBI in Sunday's win over the Mets. He is hitting .423 with four homers and 11 RBI on the young season. |
Our View: It took two injuries (Mike Cameron, Tony Gwynn) for Kapler to see regular playing time, and no matter how well he hits, it's tough to foresee Kapler getting many at-bats past the end of this month.
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| Johnny Cueto battled through a rough outing today, taking the loss in a 1-9 rout by the Pittsburgh Pirates. Cueto pitched through six innings, giving up five runs (all earned) on five hits, and while the end result was a loss, Cueto posted just one walk and earned six strikeouts on the day. |
Our View: Giving up two homers hurts, but you can see the potential that arm carries.
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| Catcher Paul Bako continues to swing a hot bat, going 2-for-4 with a triple in today’s 1-9 loss for the Cincinnati Reds. |
Our View: Bako is now hitting .367 on the season and carries the top batting average in the Cincinnati starting lineup.
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| Drew Stubbs, Cincinnati’s top pick in 2006 out of Texas, went 4-for-5 with two steals and four runs scored Saturday at High-A. He had a disappointing 2007 season at Low-A after hitting only .270-12-43 with 142 strikeouts, so his strong start is encouraging. He still has a long way to go before the Reds consider him a definitive starting outfielder of the future, however. |
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| Fernando Tatis hit his fourth home run of the season at Triple-A on Saturday. The former Cardinals 30 home run hitter is now 33-years-old and hitting just .189, but he is showing versatility in the minors by playing at shortstop and could get himself a call-up or two at some point this season. At the very least, it looks like he still has pop. |
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| Washington OF Elijah Dukes has been taking part in team batting practice and appears to be near a return to the field, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: Dukes, recovering from a right hamstring strain, was seen taking batting practice with the team on Saturday and is scheduled to take part in running activities on Tuesday when the team is in New York to play the Mets. Dukes’ return is greatly anticipated as one of the top bats and defensive talents on the Nationals roster. When he is cleared to play, Dukes is likely to be listed as the top reserve in the outfield and could see significant playing time in the not-so-distant future.
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| 2006 first-round draft choice Max Scherzer had his second outstanding start of the season at Triple-A on Saturday, allowing one unearned run on three hits in seven innings and striking out 11 batters without allowing a walk. His low walk rate (2 walks in 12 innings) is notable since he has struggled with his control in the past, walking 40 batters in 73.2 innings at Double-A last season. If Scherzer’s performance continues, he could force the Diamondbacks to call him up. |
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| Updating an earlier report, the Braves have reported Tom Glavine left today’s start in the midst of the 1st inning with a strained right hamstring, according to the Associated Press. Glavine had faced four batters, giving up three hits and one walk, before walking off the mound in obvious pain. Glavine is listed as day-to-day. |
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| San Francisco OF Aaron Rowand is expected to return to the field of play on Monday, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: Hampered by sore ribs bruised while diving for a ball on April 2nd, Rowand has attempted to play through the pain but found it too painful to endure. Manager Bruce Bochy believes Rowand is dying to get back to action and suggests he’ll be back on the prowl tomorrow. “He would go out there. He wants to play,” said Bochy. “We’re going to give him an extra day. With that way [John] Bowker swung the bat, it allows you to do that. There’s no point in pushing it with Aaron.” Bowker started in relief of Rowand on Saturday and, in his first major league start ever, singled and homered. However, Rowand is all but set to return on Monday and reclaim his spot in center field.
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| With the top two leadoff candidates out of action due to injury, the Phillies placed RF Geoff Jenkins in the 1st spot of today’s batting order, according to MLB.com. In 11 years of MLB experience, Jenkins has never batted leadoff and had just four at-bats over the course of his career in such a spot. |
Our View: Manager Charlie Manuel explained the desire to keep Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, and Pat Burrell intact in the 3rd, 4th, and 5th spots in the lineup were the critical factor in this decision, also adding that Jayson Werth was a consideration but was pushed into the 2nd hole to avoid having three left-handed hitters in a row. Jimmy Rollins is expected to return to the field on Tuesday, so the change will be short lived but intriguing.
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| RHP Yovani Gallardo has been sent back to Triple-A Nashville for continued rehabilitation, but the Brewers do not believe his trip south will last long, according to MLB.com. “He’ll pitch a rehab start [on Monday], and then he’ll move into our rotation,” said Milwaukee manager Ned Yost. |
Our View: According to the tentative pitching schedule for the Brewers, Gallardo could be on the mound as early as Sunday, April 20. Ben Sheets and Jeff Suppan are penciled into starts that open a series in Cincinnati next weekend and Gallardo could be available for that third game. However, the team may elect to hold Gallardo for the following series against the Cardinals, taking Carlos Villanueva or Manny Parra out of their scheduled spots.
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| Atlanta starter Tom Glavine has left today’s game against the Washington Nationals with an apparent injury, failing to gain a single out in the 1st inning, according to CBSSports.com. |
Our View: Glavine faced four batters, each reaching base with three hits and one walk, giving Washington a 1-0 lead. After 16 pitches, Glavine walked off the mound and doubled over in pain. He was escorted off the field by team trainers. We will update with his condition when news becomes available.
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| Houston 2B Kazuo Matsui will not be able to join his team on the field of play until next Friday, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: GM Ed Wade spoke with reporters on Sunday morning and noted Matsui, listed on the team’s disabled list since spring training as he recovers from surgery to correct an anal fissure, was unable to complete his scheduled four-game rehab assignment and thus is not expected back for at least two more weeks. The Astros had hoped to have their second bagger back on the field for the start of a three-game set at Philadelphia on Tuesday, but now Matsui will be aiming his efforts towards stints with Triple-A Round Rock until he can round into form.
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| Tom Glavine ,who started Sunday's game in Washington, was removed from the contest in the first inning after being visited by the team trainer. The veteran left-hander appeared to be complaining of stiffness in his back or hamstring. Glavine, who left the game and headed directly to the clubhouse, struggled early on leaving the bases loaded with no outs for his replacement, Jeff Bennett. |
Our View: There is no definitive word on what the injury is yet. More on Tom Terrific when the news becomes available.
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| Mike Cameron and Tony Gwynn Jr. are both expected to join their teammates and fellow Brewers on Monday for an optional workout held during that team’s day off, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: Mike Cameron was suspended for a second positive drug test last season and is nearing the half-way point of that suspension. He is allowed to spend time with the team and take batting practice, so long as he is not in attendance at the stadium when the gates open for spectators. He is also allowed to play for a minor league affiliate during the final five games of his suspension to help him prepare for his return, and the team expects Cameron to play with Triple-A Nashville to take advantage of that opportunity. Cameron is eligible to return to the majors on April 29th. Gwynn did not travel with the team on their current trip to New York due to injury and is hoping to simply gain much-needed practice to regain form for his eventual return.
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| The Cincinnati Reds have given LF Adam Dunn a day of rest, holding him from today’s battle with the Pirates in Pittsburgh, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: Dunn has just one homer on the season, has gone just 6-for-63 overall (.167), and was 0-for-5 with two strikeouts in Saturday’s 4-3 loss to the Pirates. Manager Dusty Baker felt, with Monday offering a scheduled day off for the team, the time was right to offer Dunn a break in hopes of giving him some confidence and rest.
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| David Wright has hit the 100th home run of his career today, taking an offering from Milwaukee’s Jeff Suppan to deep left-center field in the bottom of the 1st inning. |
Our View: Wright’s third homer of the season got the Mets back in bright hopes after giving up two runs in the top half of the inning and gave Wright his 10th RBI of the season.
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| Pittsburgh 2B Freddy Sanchez is not on the field for the Pirates today, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: Sanchez has been bothered by a sore right shoulder since spring training and was held out today simply to give him a rest. He is expected to return to the starting lineup on Monday.
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| The Milwaukee Brewers will carry the same roster to the field against the Mets today, but the batting order will change, according to MLB.com. Manager Ned Yost has reportedly heeded the request of his players and will move LF Ryan Braun to the spot in the order while 1B Prince Fielder will be put back in the hole. |
Our View: Both players have been struggling, Bran hitting just .229 coming into Sunday and Fielder with a fat zero in the homer column on the stat sheet thus far. This order reflects the status quo from 2007, a lineup in which both players shined, and now the team hopes it yields results once more. If the fortunes of these players are not reversed, Yost suggests the lineup will be changed back.
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| Following a story from yesterday, Philadelphia OF Shane Victorino has been placed on the 15-day disabled list after leaving Saturday’s game in the 7th inning with a right calf strain, according to the BeerLeaguer.com. This same injury plagued the young outfielder last season, well respected as one of the top up-and-coming fielding gems in the major leagues. |
Our View: Manager Charlie Manuel has admitted worry about Victorino’s struggles to maintain health after last season and had stated he would give the kid just 125 starts this season, but the injury to Jimmy Rollins may have forced his hand as Victorino has made every start this season. Now he’s hampered again and the team has not released a timeline for his return.
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| OF Justin Upton has reached base in 10 consecutive games for the Arizona Diamondbacks. During that stretch, the surging young fielder has hit .459 (17-for-37) with five home runs and 11 RBIs. |
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| Veteran hurler and potential Hall of Fame candidate Randy Johnson will make his first start of the season Monday as the Arizona Diamondbacks trip to San Francisco to face Jonathan Sanchez and the Giants. |
Our View: Johnson is hoping to re-discover prevalence as a viable threat to batters and could, as the third or fourth option for the rotation, become an important member of an Arizona starting rotation t | |
