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| Padres LHP Randy Wolf was about as reliable and strong as any starting pitcher on the plate today, leading the Padres to a dominating 0-6 win over the Colorado Rockies. Wolf held the Rockies to just ONE hit over seven innings of work. |
Our View: Wolf threw 112 pitches, including 68 for strikes, walked four and struck out nine. That brings his ERA to a lowly 1.42 and give Wolf his first win of the season.
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| David Eckstein had three hits and scored three runs in the Jays 11-3 win over the Orioles. |
Our View: Steady Eckstein won't have too many days at the plate like he had in the Jays Tuesday win, and isn't likely in too many starting lineups, save AL-only formats.
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| Milwaukee RF Corey Hart was one of few offensive high points for the Brewers in a 1-6 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals. Hart went 2-for-3 with a double (the only extra-base hit of the night for the Brewers) and the only RBI for Milwaukee in the game. |
Our View: Hart is also the only player on tonight's starting lineup hitting .300 or better (.319).
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| Cardinals starter Braden Looper is now one of few in the MLB carrying a 3-0 record, holding the Brewers to three hits over five innings, surrendering one run. |
Our View: Looper wasn't especially dominating by any means, giving up five walks versus just four strike outs, but he worked ground balls and got took full advantage of the offensive bounty laid by the offense.
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| Prince Fielder failed to gain a single at-bat in tonight's 1-6 loss for the Brewers against the Cardinals. |
Our View: He played the entire game, but he walked in each of his four visits to the plate. That doubles Fielder's TOTAL walks this season coming into this game.
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| The Cardinals watched 2B Adam Kennedy carry the bulk of the offensive load this evening, going 3-for-4 at the plate (all singles) with one RBI and two runs scored. |
Our View: He was one of three players with multiple hits this evening, a list including CF Rick Ankiel (2-for-4) and Skip Schumaker (2-for-4).
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| Chicago 1B Derrek Lee put up some quality numbers in the Cubs' 5-9 win over the Cincinnati Reds. Lee went 3-for-5 at the plate, hitting his fifth home run of the season. |
Our View: Lee gathered three RBIs on the day and has five total RBIs over his last two games.
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| Chicago SS Ryan Theriot was an absolute stud for the Cubbies today, earning a bit 5-9 win over the Cincinnati Reds. Theriot went 2-for-4 at the plate with one walk, one strike out, a double, and a homer. |
Our View: That's four hits in the last two games for Theriot.
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| Aaron Harang pitched reasonably well, but as is often the case in Cincy, the offensive support was nowhere to be found and Harang suffered the loss, 5-9, to the Chicago Cubs. Harang pitched six innings, throwing 110 pitches with 72 counting for strikes, allowing five runs (all earned) on eight hits. |
Our View: Harang allowed two walks, collected six strike outs, and allowed two homers that accounted for all earned runs.
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| Florida left fielder Josh Willingham put his best foot forward against the Braves this evening as the Marlins put the wood to Atlanta, taking a 0-4 win. Willingham, hitting in the fourth hole, went 2-for-3 with one walk, including a triple. Willingham picked up one RBI (seven on the year) and a run scored, also adding his first TWO stolen bases of the season. |
Our View: Willingham has failed to get a hit in just one of his last seven games (going 0-for-1 against the Astros) and seems to be working in a positive mode thus far.
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| Young LHP Scott Olsen pitched a gem of a game in leading his Florida Marlins against the Atlanta Braves, pulling a 0-4 win. Olsen pitched seven full innings, giving up no runs on five hits with no walks surrendered and three strike outs on the evening. |
Our View: Even more impressive, Olsen threw just 83 total pitches and made 61 count for strikes.
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| It looks like Mets 3B David Wright should go on David Letterman every night. He was a guest on the late-night talk show yesterday and today he hit the field, going 3-for-4 at the plate with one walk, no strike outs, a total of FIVE RBIs, and two runs scored. |
Our View: Wright recorded a double and his fourth homer of the season.
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| Mets SS Jose Reyes is working into top form once again, swinging a hot bat in New York's 0-6 win over the Washington Nationals this evening. Reyes went 4-for-5 at the plate with his third double, his first triple, and one run scored and one strike out. |
Our View: The young gem of the Mets organization has started a bit slow, but this game shows he's headed in the right direction.
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| Mets RHP Mike Pelfrey continued to impress in picking up his second win of the season tonight, putting the Washington Nationals down 0-6. Pelfrey worked seven solid innings, failing to give up a single run on just five hits. He walked two, struck out four, and dropped his ERA to 1.50. |
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| Brooks Brown lost his second game of the season on Monday after allowing one run on two hits in five innings at Double-A. He fanned seven batters and walked two. |
Our View: Fellow farmhand Max Scherzer receives more press, but Brown is not far behind him on the organizational depth chart for Arizona. The Georgia alum and 34th overall pick in the 2006 draft had a solid season between High-A and Double-A in 2007, and he now has a 2.81 ERA in 16 innings this season. Brown could be a solid major league contributor by this time next season.
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| Odalis Perez picked up his third loss of the season this evening, falling to the New York Mets 0-6. However, that's not to say Perez wasn't throwing well. He completed six innings of work, allowing just two runs on six hits. |
Our View: Perez did allow four walks and picked up three strike outs, struggling to throw strikes (103 total pitches, only 59 for strikes). However, it was the total lack of offensive support and the failures of the relief pitching that did the Nats in this evening.
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| Arthur Rhodes , who had ligament replacement surgery last May, made his first appearance since Sept. 9, 2006, when he was with Philadelphia. The Mariners' 38-year-old left-hander recorded an out but gave up two hits in the stint. |
Our View: Rhodes has no fantasy worth outside of deep AL-only formats that start middle relievers, and even then his value is low.
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| Struggles continue for Phillies 1B Ryan Ryan Howard , going 0-for-3 with two strikeouts in tonight's 3-4 win over the Houston Astros. |
Our View: Howard has three homers on the season but has struggled to get his batting average to .200.
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| Left fielder Pat Burrell provided the fireworks for the Phillies in their 3-4 9th-inning win over the Houston Astros. Burrell belted his fifth homer of the season in that 9th inning with one man on to give his team a shot to win, the win completed on 3B Pedro Feliz's RBI double. |
Our View: Burrell went 1-for-4 at the plate with two strikeouts, a bit of a slip for a man that enjoyed a surprising resurgence early this season.
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| Starter Shawn Chacon watched as his brilliant performance, well worth a win, was flushed down the toilet as the Astros blew a late-game lead to fall 3-4 to the Philadelphia Phillies. Chacon threw eight full innings, throwing 109 pitches with 68 counting for strikes, failing to surrender a single run on four hits allowed. Chacon surrendered just two walks and struck out five, lowering his ERA to 2.25. |
Our View: Unfortunately, reliever Jose Valverde entered the game and allowed four runs (three earned) on just three hits, surrendering two home runs and the win.
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| Lance Berkman brought the big stick to the yard this evening, providing a bit of offense in the Astros' devastating 3-4 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies. Berkman went 2-for-4 with one walk and two runs scored. |
Our View: It is early but Berkman's .327 batting average leads the starting lineup as the always powerful first bagger continues to work as the team leader.
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| Pitcher Tom Glavine reports his aching hamstring feels much better and the veteran lefty reported to practice with the team, did a small bit of running, and played catch, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: A hamstring strain forced Glavine to leave Sunday’s game against the Nationals in the first inning and the fear of a prolonged recovery is unavoidable for pitcher at his age, yet Glavine appears to be fine and will be evaluated on a day-to-day basis.
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| Outfielder Gabe Kapler has been scratched from tonight's lineup for Milwaukee Brewers, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: Kapler ran into an outfield wall while shagging fly balls in batting practice at Busch Stadium, and while his status is not considered serious, the Brewers played it safe and kept him on the bench for the evening.
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| Left fielder Alfonso Soriano has suffered an undisclosed leg injury while fielding a fly ball against the Cincinnati Reds this evening, according to ChicagoSports.com. Soriano was making his traditional hop while catching a fly off the bat of Ken Griffey Jr. and came up limping after an awkward landing. |
Our View: Soriano missed five games last May with hamstring problems and was on the 15-day DL earlier this year with a quad strain. Now it appears he will miss more time with additional leg issues. The extent of the injury is not known at this time and we will update when more news become available.
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| Conor Jackson enjoyed a strong day at the park in Arizona's 8-2 win over the San Francisco Giants. Jackson went 2-for-4 with a walk, hitting a double and his second home run of the year with thee total RBIs earned. |
Our View: Jackson is being counted on to provide a lift for this young but highly-talented lineup, carrying the big stick at first base for a team in need of power and strength. Thus far he’s making good much more often than not.
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| Young hurler Micah Owings picked up his third win of the season today, throwing a gem of a game to lead his Arizona Diamondbacks to an 8-2 victory over the San Francisco Giants. Owings completed six full innings of work, throwing 96 pitches with 63 counting for strikes, allowing just one run on three hits with two walks surrendered and six strikeouts gathered. |
Our View: Through three starts, Owings has picked up 19 total strike outs with just five walks allowed. He's gone at least six innings in each outing, he's allowed just five runs on 12 hits, and seems to be in a groove any fantasy owner would be gifted to own.
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| RHP Kevin Correia pitched well today, but the offensive support failed to come through as Correia suffered the loss, 8-2, to the Arizona Diamondbacks. Correia pitched six innings, throwing 83 pitches with 54 counting for strikes. He allowed five runs on five hits, walking three and striking out six. The righty also allowed two home runs where the bulk of the damage was done. |
Our View: This brings Correia to a record of 1-2, and while he’s gone respectfully deep into all three starts and kept his pitch counts down, he has surrendered multiple walks in each (eight total) and now carries an ERA of 4.12.
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| Veteran Ray Durham continues to struggle at the plate for the San Francisco Giants, coming up short in today’s 8-2 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks. Durham went 0-for-3 leaving four runners on base, including a foul out in the 6th inning to first base. |
Our View: It appeared Durham might have been dumping the funk with three hits against the St. Louis Cardinals over the final three days of a four-game set, but the veteran has once again gone cold and has not enjoyed a multi-hit performance since April 5th.
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| Despite Angel Pagan's .385 batting average, the Mets are insisting he will not retain his starting role when Moises Alou returns from the disabled list. |
Our View: Alou has yet to begin his minor league rehab assignment but is expected to sometime next week.
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| Dave Bush appears to be taking his final turn in the rotation tonight, or pitching for a rotation spot, depending on your outlook. Yovani Gallardo returns this weekend and one of the current five Brewer starters have to go. |
Our View: If it's Bush, the likelihood is he'll end up in the bullpen. Bush had some closing experience and has seemed to be better going short stints, two, three or four innings. In his two starts, he has gone 5 1/3 innings in each one. In the final inning of both appearances, Bush has allowed six runs.
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| Jimmy Rollins is not in Tuesday's starting lineup.
The reigning National League Most Valuable Player will miss his sixth game with a sprained left ankle. |
Our View: The Phillies shortstop worked out with the team in pre-game drills, but still isn't able to run from first to third without issue.
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| Mike Cameron traveled for the three game series in St Louis, and is working out with his teammates, this according to JS Online. |
Our View: Cameron, who is serving his 25-game suspension for testing positive for a banned stimulant last season, cannot be in the ballpark when the gates open, so he has to go back to the team hotel.
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| Ned Yost told JS Online that Ryan Braun is out of the lineup today against St. Louis because he needs to "relax."
"He's stepping in the (batter's) box and wanting to get into a real big hurry," said Yost. "He's too good a hitter for that to happen."
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Our View: Braun has only three hits in his last 25 at-bats. During this slump he has struck out 11 times and drawn zero walks. The sophomore (jinx) slump is so difficult to shake, even for the most talented.
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| The Mets activated right-handed reliever Duaner Sanchez from the 15-day disabled list and optioned Carlos Muniz to Triple-A New Orleans. |
Our View: Muniz pitched four scoreless innings in his work with the parent club. The team decided to keep right-hander Joe Smith up on the 25-man roster over Muniz. Sanchez becomes a viable fantasy option in leagues that start middle relievers.
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| Contrary to an earlier report by the NY Post, Mets' manager Willie Randolph announced that Jose Reyes will play tonight, this according to Newsday.com. |
Our View: According to the report, Randolph will drop Luis Castillo to the eighth slot in the lineup and move Ryan Church behind leadoff hitter Reyes. Don't expect Reyes to come flying out of the blocks. Owners who believed the speedster would steal 70 bases this year might have to temper their expectations. The Mets shortstop currently has but one stolen base.
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| Manny Acosta could assume the closer's role in Atlanta, according to MLB.com. Acting closer Peter Moylan has landed on the DL due to his elbow ailment, and Rafael Soriano is already on the shelf with an elbow ailment of his own, meaning Acosta should get the first crack to challenge for the unsettled closer's job. |
Our View: His fantasy value goes up, but it will likely only be for the short term.
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| Buddy Carlyle has been called up from Triple-A Richmond, according to MLB.com. Peter Moylan has been placed on the DL due to his elbow ailment, and Carlyle will fill his spot on the roster. |
Our View: He will provide relief from the pen, but if Tom Glavine's right hamstring isn't healthy enough, Carlyle could potentially start Saturday's game against the Dodgers, according to the team.
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| Peter Moylan has been placed on the 15-day DL, according to MLB.com. He was brought down due to his elbow ailment, and the team called up Buddy Carlyle from Triple-A to fill his spot on the roster. |
Our View: The closer's role in Atlanta is unsettled now, but Manny Acosta should get the first crack at it.
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| Chipper Jones has fared well over his career against Scott Olsen, tonight's opposing pitcher for Florida, according to MLB.com. Jones is hitting 8-for-13 with two homers, two doubles, and a triple versus Olsen. |
Our View: Jones is hitting 20-for-49 with two homers this season, and remains a strong fantasy option for tonight.
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| Hanley Ramirez has hit safely in 11 straight games, which is two shy of his career high, according to MLB.com. He will look to continue his streak tonight against righty Jair Jurrjens and the Braves. |
Our View: Ramirez is hitting 19-for-48 overall, with six extra base hits, eight RBI, and two stolen bases.
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| Scott Olsen is set to take the hill against Atlanta tonight, a team he has a poor track record against, according to MLB.com. Olsen is 1-4 with a 8.54 ERA over eight career outings against Atlanta. |
Our View: He has allowed seven runs over 13.2 innings this season, and ranks as an unfavorable fantasy option for tonight.
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| Miguel Montero is up to seven innings behind the plate in his injury rehab stint with Triple-A Tucson, according to MLB.com. Manager Bob Melvin commented that he would like to see Montero get between 30 and 40 plate appearances before being activated from the DL. He is recovering from a fractured right index finger.
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Our View: He will compete for a backup catcher role when he returns.
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| Edgar Gonzalez underwent oral surgery to take care of a tooth infection that altered his performance Sunday when he lasted a mere three innings against the Rockies, according to MLB.com. He will rejoin the team today, throw a bullpen session on Wednesday, and the team expects him to make his next start, but when he will start remains to be seen. |
Our View: His fantasy stock remains limited.
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| Jose Reyes is expected to sit tonight against Washington, according to the NY Post. He will miss his third straight game due to his hamstring ailment, and GM Omar Minaya noted that Reyes tested his hamstring on the field this morning, and added that the team wants to give him one more day of rest before putting him back in the lineup. |
Our View: Damion Easley will continue to man shortstop until he is ready to return.
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| Mark Mulder is expected to make a rehab start for Class-A Palm Beach tonight, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. |
Our View: He is trying to rebound from left rotator cuff surgery, and remains a risk as a fantasy prospect.
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| Catcher Ramon Castro, who is on the DL with a hamstring injury, is not expected to begin playing in rehab games until at least next week, according to the NY Daily News. |
Our View: He would serve as the backup catcher, when he ultimately returns.
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| Jose Valentin is still about two to four weeks away from participating in a minor league game, according to the NY Daily News. The 38-year continues to nurse his neck ailment. He remains hopeful he can return without surgery however, and an agent stated, "We're hopeful it's a couple of weeks. It could be a month. Hopefully not more. He's been a good healer throughout his career." |
Our View: Valentin would provide veteran leadership to the Mets, but his fantasy value remains limited.
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| Matt Wise was previously expected to return to the Mets this week, but he still hasn't begun to throw, and could be out longer, according to the NY Post. He is nursing a bruised right forearm, and the team doesn't think he will be available until the end of the month. |
Our View: He will fight for playing time out of the Mets' bullpen when he returns.
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| Carlos Muniz is likely to get sent down today as the team is expected to activate Duaner Sanchez from the DL, according to the NY Post. |
Our View: Muniz fared well in limited action as he threw four scoreless innings, with two strikeouts and no walks, but he will have to wait for his chance to succeed if he ultimately gets sent down.
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| Nelson Figueroa is going to remain in the Mets' rotation longer, as the team is going to push Pedro Martinez back, according to the NY Post. The team wants to be careful with Pedro's hamstring strain and GM Omar Minaya added, "We're definitely going to be more conservative with him. With hamstrings, you just never know. We've got to be careful." Martinez could be out until possibly June.
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Our View: Figueroa has held his own on the mound this season, and his fantasy stock has gone up with this news. He is expected to start, even with the recent addition of Claudio Vargas.
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| The Mets have pushed back the return of Pedro Martinez, according to the NY Post. GM Omar Minaya stated that he expects a strained left hamstring to sideline Martinez until at least the middle of May, and possibly into June. The team originally said Martinez would miss 4-to-6 weeks after hearing a pop in the hamstring on April 1, just four innings into his season debut, the Mets' second game. Minaya added, " We're definitely going to be more conservative with him. With hamstrings, you just never know. We've got to be careful."
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Our View: Nelson Figueroa is expected to continue to fill in for Martinez in the rotation, even with the recent addition of Claudio Vargas.
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| Randy Johnson wasn't terribly sharp in his season debut on Monday, but he finished with decent numbers. The Big Unit allowed three hits and three unearned runs over five innings. He walked four, struck out seven, and threw 49 of his 90 pitches for strikes. Johnson received a no-decision. |
Our View: We expect Randy to sharpen up as he gets more work in. He typically pounds the strike zone much better than he did last night.
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| Randy Winn went 1-for-3 with a walk, two runs, two RBI, and two steals in Monday's win over the Diamondbacks. He hit leadoff for the second time this season. |
Our View: It's pretty rare to see Winn swipe two bags. In fact, he hadn't pulled off that feat since July 24, 2004. We don't believe it's the start of something new for the veteran.
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| Conor Jackson went 2-for-4 with two runs, three RBI, and his first homer of the season on Monday. He is batting .312 and has driven in 10 runs over 11 games. |
Our View: Jackson still has a lot to prove after a pair of boring seasons, but he was once very highly regarded by scouts. If he can steer clear of the DL, maybe a breakout year is in order.
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| Duaner Sanchez will be activated by the Mets on Tuesday, the New York Post reports. He hasn't pitched in the majors since July 28, 2006. The reliever injured his right shoulder in a taxi accident and has had to undergo multiple surgeries. |
Our View: Sanchez was a very solid setup man prior to his injuries, and he's at least worth exploring in NL-only formats.
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| Freddy Sanchez went 3-for-5 with three singles in Monday's win over the Dodgers. He managed to avoid scoring or contributing an RBI. |
Our View: Sanchez has been dealing with shoulder soreness and came into the game with only two hits over his last 24 at-bats. So, we can't be too picky, right?
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| Hiroki Kuroda allowed seven hits and three runs over six innings against the Pirates on Monday. He walked none and struck out two. The rookie also contributed an RBI double. Kuroda took a no-decision, as the bullpen blew the lead in the ninth. |
Our View: Kuroda has generally been pretty good over his three outings. Fantasy owners can complain about the lack of strikeouts, but his 2.89 ERA looks solid right now.
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| Nate McLouth provided the heroics on Monday night. He jacked a three-run homer off Dodgers closer Takashi Saito to put the Pirates up 6-4 and lead them to a win. It was McLouth's only hit over five at-bats, and he extended his streak to 13 games. |
Our View: The center fielder's star continues to rise. We wonder if even the Pirates remember why he entered spring training without a job.
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| Omar Vizquel tried to job on Monday, but he felt more soreness in his left knee. The veteran doesn't know when he'll be able to return. "It wasn't right," Vizquel tells MLB.com. "Taking grounders is fine. The sideways movement is fine. But I can't do anything else. I can't even go to a movie theater. I've been home watching a lot of television." |
Our View: Rookie Brian Bocock continues to plug away until Vizquel can return. This spot should really only affect NL-only leagues.
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| Tommie Hanson has not allowed an earned run in 16 innings this season after throwing five innings without allowing an earned run on Monday. One of Atlanta’s top pitching prospects coming into the season, Hanson has allowed only four hits and four walks at High-A and has 26 strikeouts. |
Our View: At this pace, Hanson will be considered a consensus top five prospect before we know it. His stock in keeper leagues is as high as any minor leaguer in the game right now.
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