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| Lucas May went 3-for-4 with his second home run of the season for Double-A Jacksonville on Monday. He is now hitting .364-2-6 for the season. |
Our View: May was drafted as an infielder out of high school, but he has made a nice conversion to catcher. He hit 25 homers last season at High-A, and if his hitting continues to develop, he could be a future starting catcher in the majors and on fantasy squads. Of course, that is unlikely to happen as long as he stays with the Dodgers due to the presence of Russell Martin.
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| Sean Burnett, a former top starting pitching prospect for Pittsburgh, is Triple-A Indianapolis’ closer and now has three saves after pitching a scoreless inning Monday night. |
Our View: The left-handed groundball pitcher hardly profiles as a closer, but he has shown the control to be a serviceable major league pitcher in the past. Don’t be surprised if the Pirates bring him up for relief innings after eight scoreless innings at Indy, but he seems unlikely to help fantasy owners anytime soon, if ever.
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| Greg Smith was excellent on Monday night. He held the White Sox to six hits and one run over seven innings and picked up his first major league win. The rookie walked one and struck out four. |
Our View: Smith had a wildly effective showing in his first major league start, and he was better this time around. He is worth a look in AL-only leagues.
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| Matt Kemp is back in the starting lineup on Monday night against the Pirates. He hadn't been penciled in since April 9, a span of three games. |
Our View: The Dodgers logjam continues. Fantasy owners have to be patient with Kemp, who has the skills to produce excellent numbers if the Dodgers play him every day.
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| John Bowker is not in the lineup on Monday, despite hitting homers in each of his first two major league games. Dan Ortmeier is starting in left field. |
Our View: Bowker is presumably being benched because he's a left-handed hitter and the Giants are facing Randy Johnson. We'd expect the rookie to see some more action on Tuesday or possibly as a pinch-hitter later on Monday night.
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| Adam LaRoche is not listed in Monday's lineup against the Dodgers. He is presumably still dealing with the illness that kept him out on Sunday. Doug Mientkiewicz will start at first. |
Our View: LaRoche is a career .172 hitter in April, and this illness just gives fantasy owners an even better excuse to bench him.
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| Freddy Sanchez is listed as the starter at second base and the second hitter for Monday's game against the Dodgers. He has been dealing with right shoulder pain and been in and out of the lineup. |
Our View: Fantasy owners will need to continue to be patient with Sanchez, who also endured an awful April in 2007.
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| Alex Gonzalez received bad news on Monday when an MRI revealed that he still has a compression fracture in his left knee, MLB.com reports. He has been out since early in spring training and won't be cleared to run for another two-to-four weeks. |
Our View: On the flip side of the coin, this news bodes well for fantasy owners employing Jeff Keppinger. The backup, utility infielder should continue to start at shortstop while Gonzalez remains out.
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| Hong-Chih Kuo will start against the Pirates on Tuesday, the Los Angeles Times confirms. He will replace Esteban Loaiza in the rotation. Kuo started one other game this season due to weather conditions, but he was previously looked at as a long reliever. |
Our View: Kuo has yet to allow a run over 6.2 innings this year, but his career 5.03 ERA speaks louder than his limited work this season. Proceed with much caution.
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| Arthur Rhodes is back in the majors. The veteran reliever missed all of 2007 following Tommy John surgery, but the Mariners called him up on Monday, the AP reports. |
Our View: Rhodes is a journeyman southpaw who had his best seasons with the Mariners in 2001 and 2002. We don't expect him to be worth owning in any fantasy leagues, including AL-only formats.
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| The Mariners optioned Eric O'Flaherty to Double-A West Tenn on Monday, the AP reports. The reliever owned a 20.25 ERA over seven outings. |
Our View: If this news affects your fantasy baseball team, you have some serious roster issues.
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| Joe Savery, Philadelphia’s top pick in the 2007 draft, threw eight scoreless innings on Sunday for his first win of the season at High-A. He now has a 0.90 ERA after two starts. |
Our View: The Phillies’ decision to make Savery a full-time pitcher was controversial after he performed so well as a hitter at Rice, but he has made the Phillies look smart thus far.
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| J.R. Towles was examined on Monday by team doctor David Mehlhoff, who confirmed Sunday’s diagnosis that no bones were broken in his injured hand, according to the Houston Chronicle. Ed Wade added, "There is a good chance he’s going to be pretty sore and may be limited for the Philadelphia series." Wade is hopeful Towles can play this week and noted, "He may be limited in what he can do. He may be able to do certain things for us, that’s why we’re not disabling him. Obviously, we want our best nine on the field every night, and so far we’ve had a difficult time getting to that point."
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Our View: This is good news for the Astros' young catcher.
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| Humberto Quintero has been recalled from Triple-A Round Rock due to the injury sustained by JR Towles, according to the Houston Chronicle. Towles was examined on Monday by team doctor David Mehlhoff, who confirmed Sunday’s diagnosis that no bones were broken. But Ed Wade stated, "There is a good chance he’s going to be pretty sore and may be limited for the Philadelphia series." The team is hopeful Towles can play this week.
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Our View: He notably enjoyed a solid spring training as he hit .341 over 22 games, and he will serve as the Astros backup at catcher to Brad Ausmus.
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| Rafael Furcal is currently on a nine-game hitting streak, according to MLB.com. He will look to keep it going tonight against lefty Zach Duke and the Pirates. He is hitting 18-for-46 overall, with nine extra base hits, and one stolen base. |
Our View: He remains a strong fantasy option at shortstop if you missed out on the elite prospects.
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| James Loney is riding a career-best 12-game hit streak, and will look to extend it tonight against lefty Zach Duke and the Pirates, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: He is hitting 17-for-44 overall, and Duke holds a solid 2.13 ERA. This should be a good match-up to follow.
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| Tom Glavine's injured hamstring is no worse on Monday, according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution. He is reportedly going to play some catch tomorrow, and if that goes favorably, he plans to get on the bullpen mound on Wednesday. In his estimation, he’s still on track to make his next start next weekend. His turn comes up Friday against the Dodgers, but the Braves could insert a fifth starter there and give him an extra day if he needs it. Glavine stated, "I’m not going to push to stay off the DL for my own personal reasons and put our team in jeopardy. When you do what I did today and come out of the game in the first inning, it’s taxing on the bullpen. Thank God we’ve got an off day tomorrow and everybody can recover."
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Our View: This is favorable news, but it remains to be seen if he will be placed on the DL.
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| Chris Duffy will have his shoulder ailment re-examined on Monday, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. GM Neal Huntington said, "It's taken longer than we anticipated to get Chris' shoulder back healthy. We want to make sure everything is fine structurally." Duffy has been in extended spring training in Brandenton, Fla.
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Our View: 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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| Adam LaRoche was a late scratch on Sunday due to flu-like symptoms, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. |
Our View: The severity of his illness is unknown, and hopefully he will be back in action soon.
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| Freddy Sanchez was given Sunday off, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. He is still bothered by shoulder pain and Manager Russell noted, "We're not going to continue to just run him out there every day. It's a cold day, and it's a day game after a night game. Every day he's feeling a little better. Some days are better than others."
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Our View: Sanchez has been limited to seven hits over 35 at-bats so far, but his average should climb as he continues to progress from his shoulder ailment.
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| Moises Alou's recovery from hernia surgery has gone great, and he is expected to play in a rehab game for Port St. Lucie by this weekend, according to the NY Daily News. Alou notably hit .341 over 87 games in 2007, and this is favorable news. |
Our View: It appears that Alou remains on target to return before the end of April.
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| Matt Wise is expected to return to the Mets this week, according to the NY Post. He missed the last nine games with a bruised right forearm. |
Our View: He will fight for playing time out of the Mets' bullpen when he returns.
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| Duaner Sanchez is set to return to the Mets this week, according to the NY Post. He notably pitched one scoreless inning in consecutive games for Triple-A New Orleans over the weekend. His return from the DL will likely send Carlos Muniz back to the minors, to free up a roster spot.
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Our View: Sanchez, who hasn't pitched since 2006 due to a shoulder injury sustained in a taxi accident, will fight for playing time out of the Mets' pen.
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| Jose Reyes will be re-evaluated today, according to the NY Post. He is suffering from a hamstring strain, but noted that the ailment is feeling a little bit better. He remains unsure about rejoining the lineup tomorrow for a three-game home series with the Nationals, however. |
Our View: Damion Easley will man shortstop until Reyes is ready to return.
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| As dismal as the San Francisco Giants appear to be this season, their pitching staff (starters) has a 1.40 ERA over the past six games. Late spring addition, third baseman Jose Castillo, has eight doubles in April which leads the National League. |
Our View: Surprisingly, the eight doubles have produced but two RBI on the season. This tells one that despite the starters solid ERA, and Castillo's propensity to plug the gap, bunching hits has been a problem for the rebuilding Giants.
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| Vinnie Chulk (shoulder) might be activated from the disabled list on Tuesday, this according to the Contra Costa Times. |
Our View: Chulk has been on the disabled list since the beginning of the season, and even upon his return his fantasy value rests in formats that use middle relievers.
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| Omar Vizquel, who is recovering from knee surgery, took simulated batting practice and fielded groundballs during Sunday's pre-game activities, this according to the Contra Costa Times. Skipper Bruce Bochy was uncertain about when the veteran shortstop would be ready for a rehabilitation trip to Triple-A Fresno. |
Our View: Vizquel, who has been on the disabled list since the beginning of the season, is expected to return to his starting shortstop role upon his return to the 25-man roster.
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| Nomar Garciaparra went 0-for-4 in his rebab assignment for Triple-A Las Vegas on Sunday, according to the LA Times. He is notably 0- for-7 in his two minor league games.
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Our View: Manager Torre commented that he could be with the Dodgers on their upcoming five-game trip, which starts in Atlanta on Friday.
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| Andy LaRoche is advising the team to send him to extended spring training in Vero Beach, Fla., when the Dodgers travel to Atlanta, according to the LA Times. He has been throwing a baseball for the last three days and will attempt to throw across the diamond today. But he noted that he feels a lack of strength in his hand when hitting.
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Our View: His rehab from thumb surgery was previously said to be about two weeks ahead of schedule. He will battle Blake DeWitt for playing time when he returns.
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| Wesley Wright is expected to be ready to pitch on Tuesday, according to the Houston Chronicle. He is nursing a strained middle finger on his left hand, but should be ready to go. He has been doing exercises to aid the finger, including using clay to strengthen the tissue in the joint. He stated, "I've been working on some stuff, and I guess I overused the finger, and it worked down the tissue around the joint. The swelling is down from Saturday, and I'll be excited when I get a chance to throw again. Hopefully, I'll be as pain-free as possible."
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Our View: The lefty reliever has racked up two strikeouts over 2.1 innings this season, and this is good news regarding his return.
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| Shane Victorino is ready for rehab on his strained calf, according to the Philadelphia Daily News. He is confident that his injury won't keep him out any longer than his 15 days on the DL. The team is going to take a wait-and-see approach with him, and Trainer Scott Sheridan noted that if everything goes well, he could make a minor league rehab start in about 10 days. But a lot depends on how he responds to treatment. Sheridan stated, "Certainly, you don't know. We'd like to hope that in two weeks he is doing well. If he continues to improve like he did today, that's what you are going to find." Victorino added that his MRI exam revealed a small tear in his meniscus, but Sheridan noted that it was likely a pre-existing condition and not the cause for his current pain. He was placed on the DL Saturday, and won't be eligible until April 28.
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Our View: Jason Werth notably started in his place on Sunday against the Cubs.
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| The top goal for the team is to make sure that Jimmy Rollins' injury does not linger for the entire season, according to Philadelphia Daily News. Manager Manuel noted that he is hopeful that Rollins will be on the field tomorrow when the team opens a three-game series against the Astros. Rollins did some running in the pool, and will likely do some field work tomorrow that will test his ability to push off his left foot. Scott Sheridan noted, "We talked to Jimmy about returning. He seems to think he's definitely making some steps toward that. Certainly we'd like to make that our goal. But again, we have to treat the symptoms. If he comes in and feels great, we'll go with it. But we certainly aren't going to put him in a position to make this thing worse."
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Our View: We will keep you posted on his status.
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| Adam Eaton and Kyle Kendrick will swap spots in the Phillies' rotation, according to Philadelphia Daily News. The team decided they would rather keep Eaton on his normal pitching day and allow Kendrick an extra day. Pitching coach Rich Dubee noted, "It's to keep Adam on his fifth day, for one thing; he's been throwing the ball very well. Also it does give us an opportunity to pitch Adam on Sunday against the Mets."
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Our View: Eaton holds a 3.95 ERA so far, with two no decisions.
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| Mark Redman is ready for action again, according to the Denver Post. He threw a 50-pitch bullpen session on Sunday, and is set to start on Wednesday against San Diego. His bruised left foot is no longer a problem, but he is dealing with plantar fasciitis in his left heel. He noted, "I let it loose and it felt good. I look forward to pitching in Petco Park. It's a great pitcher's park."
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Our View: Redman is 1-1 with a 5.06 ERA so far this season.
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| Brad Ausmus is ready to start if JR Towles is forced to miss any time due to his hand injury, according to the Houston Chronicle. Ausmus commented, "I caught every day for 15 years. This won't be a problem at all. I think that's part of the reason the Astros were willing to bring me back as a backup plan should something happen. That being said, we have Humberto Quintero, who can come up here and catch, so I don't know if my role would change."
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Our View: The severity of Towles' injury is yet to be determined, and he will be re-evaluated today.
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| J.R. Towles will be re-evaluated today, after sustaining a hand injury on Sunday, according to the Houston Chronicle. He was forced out of action against the Marlins in the bottom of the eighth inning after being struck by a pitch from Florida reliever Kevin Gregg. X-rays of his hand were negative, and he will be examined today by team doctor Tom Mehlhoff. Towles commented, "Right now, it's just a little sore. Initially you always worry, especially on the hand, because there are so many small bones in there. After I came out and started moving it, I felt a little better. It hurts, but right now it's not broken. Let's hope it stays that way."
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Our View: Brad Ausmus would start at catcher if he is forced to miss time.
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| Roy Oswalt is feeling completely healthy and is pleased with his velocity, despite a 0-3 start, according to the Houston Chronicle. He commented, "My arm feels good. I'm just a little low on my arm. I'm not getting really good tilt on my pitches. Everything is staying flat, from the mound all the way to the plate. It felt better Sunday in the bullpen."
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Our View: This is favorable news for those who are concerned about his 0-3 start. Hopefully he will bounce back in his next start.
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| Rich Hill is back in the Cubs' rotation, as their fifth starter, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. The Cubs will keep their top four starters on fifth-day cycles and skip the fifth guy as days off dictate. Hill, who was demoted to the bullpen due to control problems, will start on Saturday, behind Jason Marquis.
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Our View: Hill is being given another chance, but could fall out of favor and lose his starting role again if he doesn't bounce back.
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| Chad Tracy is on the DL while he recovers from microfracture surgery on his right knee, but Manager Melvin noted that he hopes he will be available around May 1, according to the AP. |
Our View: He would battle Mark Reynolds for playing time at third base when he returns.
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| Jailen Peguero has been optioned back to Triple-A, according to the AP. He has been sent down to free up a roster spot for Randy Johnson, who is expected to start his first game of the season on Monday. |
Our View: He registered three strikeouts over three innings this season, but he once again holds no fantasy value.
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