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| Mark Redman improved to 2-1 on the season thanks to limiting the Padres to two runs over five innings. Redman only struck out two batters, but he also allowed only three hits. |
Our View: Redman is nothing more than a staff filler in an NL Only league, and a merely average one of those as a matter of fact. He doesn't miss enough bats to be considered a safe start in almost any situation, even with his solid outing tonight.
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| Brian Giles had two hits and two RBI for the Padres on Wednesday to raise his average to .333. |
Our View: Giles has a more than respectable 10 RBI while batting exclusively from the leadoff spot though he has only four extra base hits on the season (one HR, three doubles).
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| Garrett Atkins had a big night against the Padres with four hits, two runs scored and two RBI on the night. |
Our View: Atkins still has only seven RBI through 14 games, but the four hits bump his average up to .321, and we all know the RBI will come for the Rockies number five hitter.
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| Joe Blanton lasted eight innings on Wednesday night against the Mariners allowing 12 hits and four walks to fall to 1-3 on the year. |
Our View: Blanton didn't walk a batter on the night, but he also had only two K giving him just 11 in 34 innings on the year, a pathetic 2.91 K/9 mark that would lead one to think that there could be a whole bunch of nights like this in his future.
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| Brandon Waring went 3-for-5 with two home runs on Wednesday, giving him five for the season for Low-A Dayton. He is hitting .373-5-15 this season. |
Our View: The 22-year-old Waring clobbered the ball after being drafted in the seventh round last year, hitting .311-20-61 in only 267 at-bats. He is far too advanced to be facing Low-A pitching, so hopefully the Reds promote him soon.
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| Dan Meyer threw six no-hit innings for his first win of the season at Triple-A Sacramento. He walked two batters and struck out four. |
Our View: With the emergence of Greg Smith in the majors and the presence of top prospect Gio Gonzalez at Triple-A, it is easy to forget about Meyer. Still, Meyer made a strong rebound in the minors last season (3.39 ERA in 22 starts) after suffering through injuries in recent seasons, and he continues to show that he is worth watching for the future. The lefty may not have the upside that made him the centerpiece of the Tim Hudson trade, but he could still have a future as a back of the rotation starter.
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| Bruce was a double away from hitting for a cycle on Wednesday for Triple-A Louisville. He went 3-for-3 during the game. |
Our View: It was not the fastest start to the season for Bruce, but he is now hitting .333-3-9 with three steals, waiting patiently for his chance in the majors.
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| Livan Hernandez lasted eight innings on Wednesday night allowing five runs, three earned, to the Rays. Livan allowed eight hits and three BB, but the big news was that he allowed three home runs. |
Our View: Hernandez ERA sits at 3.00 after four starts, so anyone who complains about this outing from Livan should have their head examined.
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| Prince Fielder had one hit and one RBI on Monday night as he extended his streak to 49 AB without a home run to start the season. |
Our View: So much for a 50-HR season follow-up. It's certainly early, but 49 AB without a home run marks Fielder as a hitter who will really have to get going to push even 40-HR this season. He could still go nuts and we could be laughing about this in four months, but no one is laughing right now.
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| Carlos Villanueva had problems on the night as he allowed eight hits and two BB in just 4.2 innings in his second loss of the year. |
Our View: Villanueva had no punchouts on the night and he gave up two home runs including one to Adam Wainwright, and you don't need us to tell you that allowing home runs to pitchers isn't part of a successful formula.
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| Jason Isringhausen allowed two runs on three hits on Wednesday night though he was able to hang on for his six save of the season. |
Our View: Don't look now but the Cardinals are 11-4 thanks to six saves and a win by their closer.
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| Adam Wainwright twirled a five hitter for 7.2 innings to pick up his second victory of the season against the Brewers. Wainwright allowed just one earned run and five hits on the night as he struck out six. |
Our View: Wainwright has some issues considering the massive increase he had last year in IP, but there is no concern about his ability as he continues to show why he is the team's new ace.
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| Adam Dunn hit his second home run of the season on Wednesday night as he went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and a steal on the night. |
Our View: Dunn has been cold hitting just .200 in the early going, but it is very encouraging to see that he has 17 BB and just 12 K leading us to believe that a breakout will occur, and soon.
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| Derrek Lee hit his sixth HR of the early season for the Cubs as he went 3-for-4 with two runs scored on the night. |
Our View: Lee backers hoped the power would return this season, and it certainly has in the early going. We remain slightly concerned that he hasn't attempted a steal so far, but that's quibbling with a guy who is hitting .393.
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| Carlos Zambrano went seven strong innings on Wednesday night to pick up his second victory of the season. Zambrano gave up eight hits, one walk and two runs while striking out five Reds. |
Our View: Seemingly over his early season health concerns, Zambrano is back to being the dominating starter that he should be as he has allowed only three walks in four starts after years of walking everyone in the ballpark.
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| Josh Fogg fell to 1-2 on the year after he was torched for nine runs, all earned, in just two innings against the Cubs on Wednesday night. |
Our View: Fogg hasn't been able to get anyone out this season and unless he does something pretty impressive pretty soon, the team may be forced to call up Homer Bailey to give him a look.
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| C.C. Sabathia was lit up yet again as he allowed nine runs to the Tigers to pick up his third loss of the year. Sabathia permitted eight hits, five walks and had only one K in four innings on the hill. |
Our View: We don't advocate panicking at any time, but if you own C.C., it would be OK to do so right now. His ERA sits at 13.50 through four starts with a WHIP of 2.00, and he is simply destroying all pitching staffs that he resides on. They say he isn't hurt, but this is just downright disturbing.
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| Yunel Escobar went 2-for-4 with a run and two RBI in the Braves loss to the Marlins on Wednesday. |
Our View: Escobar is hitting a spectacular .345 with three HR and 11 RBI in the early going seemingly proving that the success he enjoyed last year with the Braves was legit.
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| Tim Hudson had his first poor outing of the season on Wednesday as he allowed six hits and four runs in just three innings to pick up his first loss against the Marlins. |
Our View: Hudson had been money before this outing, and even with it, his ERA sits at 3.38 while his WHIP is 0.88, so he is still well on his way to a very solid month of April.
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| Hanley Ramirez responded from his first hitless game since opening day by picking up two hits with two RBI on Wednesday. |
Our View: Hitting .386, Ramirez still has only two SB attempts in 14 games and his owners have to be getting a bit nervous that the team has asked him to curtail his running a bit this season.
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| Matt Chico picked up his third loss of the season on Wednesday as he allowed five runs in five innings to the Mets. |
Our View: Chico allowed 10 base runners on the night, but the real issue was the three home runs he allowed on the night. Chico has now allowed five HR in four starts, and that is not a trend he would like to see continue.
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| Austin Kearns hit his first home run of the season on Wednesday night, though it was his only hit as his average sits at just .220. |
Our View: Kearns has had a terribly slow start to the season with only six RBI and just three extra base hits in 15 games, but there is still plenty of time for him to turn things around.
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| Ryan Church was moved into the second spot in the Mets order, and on Wednesday night he had two hits, two runs scored and one RBI. One of the hits was a HR, and he is now hitting .340 on the year. |
Our View: Church has been exactly as advertised in the early going providing a solid bat in the Mets lineup amidst all the star power.
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| John Maine allowed the Nationals two runs in 6.2 innings as he held them to five hits in his first win of the year. |
Our View: Maine continued a disturbing early trend of walking far too many hitters with four on the night, he now has 12 in 16.2 IP, but he continues to limit the damage as his ERA sits at 3.78.
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| Kyle Kendrick limited the Astros to two runs on four hits and one walk over seven innings, though he was saddled with his second loss of the year. |
Our View: This was a great bounceback performance for Kendrick who couldn't throw strikes and was lit up last time out for seven runs (though only one was earned). Kendrick should continue to be a serviceable starter in NL Only leagues, though one prone to a bad outing here and there.
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| Doug Brocail picked up his first save of the season on Monday night as the team decided to give closer Jose Valverde the night off. Brocail allowed one hit while striking out two in the ninth. |
Our View: Brocail is a solid middle reliever who posted a 3.05 ERA and 1.17 WHIP last season, and he could pick up the odd save this season when Valverde is unavailable.
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| Roy Oswalt found his lost mojo on Wednesday night as he was able to limit the Phillies to just one run over seven inning to pick up his first victory of the season for the Astros. |
Our View: Oswalt limited the best offense in the NL to only five hits and two walks on the night as he finally looked like the perrenial all-star he is and not the batting practice pitcher he had been in his first three starts.
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| Nomar Garciaparra was activated on Wednesday from the DL, two days ahead of schedule, this according to the AP. “We were going to activate him on Friday, anyway. But with a left-handed pitcher going tonight, there was really nothing to prevent him from playing," manager Joe Torre said. |
Our View: To make room for Nomar they team sent down Ramon Troncos. Look for Nomar to get right in there tonight to face Paul Maholm of the Pirates.
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| Jimmy Rollins pinch hit in the ninth inning for the Phillies and was able to pick up a single before being lifted in favor of pinch-runner So Taguchi. |
Our View: Well, at least he made it on the field for an AB, but this ankle injury has already taken far too long to heal if you ask Rollins owners. Just because he pinch hit tonight does not mean he will be in the starting lineup for the Phils next game; that decision still has not yet been made.
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| Brendan Ryan (rib cage muscle strain) finished his rehab assignment at Single-A, he went 3-for-12, and now he is on his way to Double-A Springfield to continue his rehab, this according to MLB.com. "I think now, at a higher level, with colder weather, that will be the test. Right now it's going very well," GM John Mozeliak said. "We just want to make sure that he's game-ready." |
Our View: Ryan hit .289 with a .347 OBP in 180 AB, and he will likely take over for Rico Washington as the Cards super utility player.
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| Mark Mulder was solid on Tuesday night in his rehab and the team believes he will be able to make his next scheduled start on Sunday for Springfield, this according to MLB.com. "From a baseball perspective, he was making pitches [on Tuesday]," GM John Mozeliak said. "He mentioned that he didn't have the same velocity that he hoped for, but overall it sounded very encouraging." |
Our View: Reports are that Mulder was throwing 85-97, which is a goof five mph below what we are used to seeing from a healthy Mulder as he tries to work his way back into the Cardinals rotation.
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| Albert Pujols is fine after suffering a bruised left wrist from a collision with Bill Hall on a swipe tag on Tuesday night, this according to MLB.com. "I feel all right," Pujols said. "I feel good, man." |
Our View: Pujols is already 1-for-1 with two RBI on Wednesday night, so he appears to be just fine.
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| Kazuo Matsui is closing in on a return to the Astros from his anal fissure issue, this according to MLB.com. Matsui is targeting a possible return this weekend as he returned to playing on Tuesday night. "We'll see him in Houston on Friday," manager Cecil Cooper said. "If everything is a go on Friday, he'll play. He could also be a go on Saturday. It's about time for him to tee it up." |
Our View: Matusi will bring speed and the ability to get on base to the top of the Astros lineup and should be in a great spot to score a bunch of runs with some pretty big bats in the middle of that lineup.
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| Wil Nieves was recalled to the majors because of the injury to the hand of Paul Lo Duca, this according to the AP. To make room for Nieves, Chris Schroder was sent to Columbus. |
Our View: The weather will likely be cold for the Nationals the rest of the week, and they want to make sure they have a solid option to back up Johnny Estrada if Lo Duca isn't able to play.
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| Mike Hampton had a successful session of throwing batting practice on Wednesday as he threw 40 pitches without incident, this according to the AP. “I felt pretty good,” Hampton said. “I didn’t let anything go very hard, but it was a good step.” |
Our View: Hampton hasn't thrown in a game in about three years, and given that just about every body part of his has broken the past couple of seasons, there is no reason to pay him any attention until he at least throws a pitch that counts.
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| Tom Glavine was able to throw batting practice on Wednesday as he hopes to avoid going to the DL for the first time because of a strained right hamstring, this according to the AP. “I felt good, good enough that I plan on pitching Saturday unless I have any setbacks,” he said. |
Our View: Glavine may be no the hill this weekend, but it would probably be best if you left him on your bench until he proves that the injury won't effect his effectiveness on the mound.
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| Chris Duffy still has no timeline established for his return from an injured shoulder, but in order to speed up the healing process he received a cortisone shot on Tuesday, this according to MLB.com. |
Our View: Duffy has been able to throw under 100 feet without incident, but when he tries to extend his tosses the pain begins. The hope is that this shot will help him to get over the hump and back out on the field by early next week, though his return to the majors is far less known.
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| Luis Castillo is still dealing with some soreness in his right knee, and he believes he would benefit from some periodic rest, this according to a report on MLB.com. "Sometimes, I do [need a rest]," Castillo said. "When I play three or four games in a row, maybe I can get a day off. I'm going to ask Willie [Randolph] about it." |
Our View: Castillo was dropped to 8th in the order on Tuesday night thanks in part to his .194 average in the early going, and he might be slowed for a while thanks to that knee, though he hasn't been a big SB for years anyway.
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| Al Reyes has been placed on the 15-day DL with a right shoulder impingement, this according to the St. Petersberg Times. LH Kurt Birkins was activated to take the open roster spot. |
Our View: Dan Wheeler now becomes the main setup man and the obvious choice to step into the closers role if something were to happen to Troy Percival.
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| John Bowker went 1-for-3 with a BB on Wednesday in his fourth major league game of the season. Bowker also saw some time at first base. |
Our View: Bwoker has seven hits (including two HR) and seven RBI through four games, and if he continues to see time at first base, his value would improve substantially in NL Only leagues.
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| Eric Byrnes may be hitting "only" .302 on the young season, but on Wednesday he went 1-for-4 with an RBI to extend his hitting streak to 12-games. |
Our View: Brynes has two HR and two SB on the young year, and he continues to hustle at all times like his hair is on fire.
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| Brandon Webb dominated the Giants eight innings to begin a season 4-0 for the first time. Webb allowed three hits, two walks and just one run while striking out five. |
Our View: Webb also lowered his ERA to 1.86 as he pounded the strike zone all game with that nasty sinker. Webb has been about as consistent as any NL pitcher the past few years, and he is at the top of his game right now.
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| Pedro Martinez doesn't share the Mets view that he will be out for another month because of his injured hamstring, he thinks he will be back by the end of April, this according to ESPN. "We will give everyone the surprise of the month, I think, if things keep going well and there are no further delays," Martinez said. |
Our View: Players often say outlandish things that are refuted by doctors, and the Mets realize they need Pedro when it counts and not in April. Will Pedro return by the end of April? Possibly. Do we expect him to return in April? No.
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| Todd Frazier, the 34th overall pick in the 2007 draft, hit his fifth home run of the season at Low-A on Tuesday. |
Our View: The Rutgers alum had a strong pro debut last season after hitting 22 homers and swiping 25 bases during the college season. He could quickly become an elite fantasy prospect because of his power, but he is clearly too far advanced for his current minor league level.
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| Alfonso Soriano was placed on the DL on Wednesday with a right calf strain, and to take his spot on the roster the Cubs recalled Eric Patterson, this according to MLB.com. |
Our View: The club doesn't seem overly concerned that his is a long term issue, but Soriano has been suffering injuries to his legs for a while now, so even when he returns the team might limit his SB opportunities to ensure he his healthy. Patterson was hitting .222 in 11 games this season at Iowa and figures to have minimal value as the club will likely go with Mark DeRosa and Reed Johnson to help to pick up the slack.
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| Albert Pujols has a good track record against Carlos Villanueva, tonight's opposing hurler for Milwaukee, according to MLB.com. Pujols is 6-for-15 with two homers over his career against the Brewers' righty. |
Our View: The elite first baseman should have another solid outing tonight.
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| Chad Cordero has a good track record against the Mets, according to MLB.com. He is 3-0 with a 1.82 ERA and has 14 saves over his career against New York, tonight's opposition for Washington. |
Our View: He is back in action, and should be in your lineups tonight.
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| Dan Uggla has fared well against Tim Hudson, tonight's opposing hurler for Atlanta, according to MLB.com. Uggla is hitting 9-for-25 over his career against the Braves' righty, with two doubles. |
Our View: This is good news for Uggla, as he is only hitting 10-for-52 so far, and is in need of a strong outing.
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| Mike Hampton will test his ailing left pectoral muscle when he throws a bullpen session on Wednesday, according to MLB.com. He will likely need to complete multiple side sessions before the team would possibly be comfortable enough to send him out on a rehab assignment. |
Our View: Hampton remains damaged goods as a fantasy prospect.
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| Tim Hudson is set to take the hill tonight against Florida, according to MLB.com. He is pitching very well as he is off to a 2-0 start with a 2.14 ERA over 21 innings, with 12 strikeouts and only two walks. |
Our View: He will be opposed by lefty Mark Hendrickson, who is 2-1 with a 4.15 ERA.
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| Jose Valverde is still chasing a milestone as he remains one save shy of 100 for his career, according to MLB.com. Perhaps it will come tonight against the Phillies, with ace Roy Oswalt set to take the hill. |
Our View: He has allowed eight earned runs over 6.1 innings so far.
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| At 0-3, Roy Oswalt is still looking for his first win of the season, according to MLB.com. It could come tonight as he takes the hill against Philadelphia, a team that Oswalt is 5-1 against over his career. |
Our View: He will square off with Kyle Kendrick, who is 1-1 with a 6.14 ERA. He will be favored to finally nail down a win tonight.
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| C.C. Sabathia will be looking for his first win of the season when he takes the hill against the division rival Tigers tonight, according to MLB.com. He is 0-2 this season with a 11.57 ERA, but has fared fine versus Detroit over his career as he holds a 13-8 record, with a 4.30 ERA. |
Our View: He will duel with Armando Galarraga, who will be recalled from Triple-A Toledo to make his second career start. Sabathia should have the upper hand in this match-up.
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| Andy LaRoche took another step toward returning to the Dodgers, as he made throws from the infield on Monday afternoon, according to MLB.com. He said, "I just threw it across the diamond, third to first, nothing really difficult, and it felt good. It was better than I expected. I'm three weeks ahead of schedule right now, so it's come along real well." He is on pace to return sometime in May, as he continues to recover from his thumb surgery.
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Our View: He will fight for playing time at third base when he ultimately returns.
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| Nomar Garciaparra will be activated from the DL on Friday, according to MLB.com. Manager Joe Torre stated, "I spoke with him earlier and he's fine. He had a good day." The plan is for Garciaparra to play in one more rehab assignment early Wednesday, then rejoin the Dodgers on Thursday.
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Our View: He will push Blake DeWitt for the third base gig when he returns, but DeWitt is still worth hanging on to in case he outplays Nomar or if he suffers another setback.
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| Manny Ramirez has displayed good power over his career at Yankee Stadium as he blasted 27 homers there, according to MLB.com. He also has a good record against Chien-Ming Wang, tonight's opposing pitcher, as he is hitting 13-for-25 with two homers against him. |
Our View: Keep him in your lineups tonight against the rival Yankees.
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| Barry Zito will be looking for his first win of the season tonight as he battles the Diamondbacks, according to MLB.com. Zito is currently 0-3 with a 4.50 ERA, and is 2-3 with a 2.73 ERA lifetime against Arizona. |
Our View: He will duel with ace Brandon Webb, who is currently 3-0. It is not in his favor to notch his first win tonight.
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| Randy Winn has fared well over his career against Brandon Webb, tonight's opposing hurler for Arizona, according to MLB.com. Winn is hitting 12-for-28 against the D-Backs' ace. |
Our View: His record should keep him in the Giants lineup for tonight.
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| Brandon Webb will be aiming for a 4-0 start as he takes the hill against the Giants tonight, according to MLB.com. He currently holds a strong 2.14 ERA over 21 innings, with 17 strikeouts. |
Our View: The D-Backs ace will duel with lefty Barry Zito, who remains winless at 0-3.
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| Russ Springer is scheduled to throw a bullpen session on Thursday, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. He is on the shelf due to nerve irritation in his elbow, but expects to be ready to come off the 15-day DL when he's eligible at the end of the Cardinals' home stand.
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Our View: He will fight for playing time out of the Cardinals' pen when he returns.
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| Tyler Johnson has begun a long-toss program that puts him on track to return to the mound in early May, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Johnson was unable to complete the first few weeks of spring training because of a rotator cuff strain, but barring any setbacks, Johnson is scheduled to throw off the mound for the first time on May 7. He said, "I feel strong. I feel really strong, actually. When I'm playing catch, the ball is definitely coming out good. I don't feel like I'm trying to throw the ball as hard as I can to be able to throw decent."
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Our View: He will fight for playing time out of the Cardinals' pen when he returns to action.
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| Chris Carpenter is set to throw living batting practice on Monday as he continues to recover from his elbow surgery, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Last week he introduced breaking pitches into his bullpen sessions, and should he get through two sessions this week comfortably, he can upgrade to the batting practice that pitchers usually throw in the opening weeks of spring training. Carpenter stated, "We've still got a ways to go, but so far, so good. The harder I start throwing and the more effort I'm going to be putting into these breaking balls, that will give us a sign of what's going on." The team added that they don't want to push him too fast.
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Our View: He remains on pace to return in the middle of July, or the All-Star break.
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| Elijah Dukes jogged at a vigorous pace yesterday afternoon, and is closer to returning from a strained hamstring, according to the Washington Times. He will continue to work out, then likely rejoin the team Friday in Miami.
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Our View: He will fight for a role in the outfield when he returns.
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| Scott Eyre is expected to throw a simulated game today, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. He threw a second bullpen session on Monday in his rehab schedule, and fared well. He could be scheduled to start a minor-league rehab assignment by the end of the week, as he continues to recover from elbow inflammation.
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Our View: His fantasy value remains limited, especially in a crowded Cubs' pen.
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| Ted Lilly is experiencing a "mysterious" drop in velocity on his pitches, according to The Chicago Sun-Times. He is not injured or hurting, and the team has not sent him out for even a precautionary medical test. Lilly said, "It's frustrating. You don't understand it, but guys go through it all the time. A lot of pitchers win without velocity. I'm not going to use that as an excuse." He is still scheduled to pitch on Thursday. |
Our View: He is off to a 0-2 start with a 9.95 ERA over 12.2 innings, and hopefully he can get himself on track.
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| Shawn Hill is likely to come off the DL and start on Saturday against the Marlins, according to the Washington Times. Hill pitched six innings for Triple-A Columbus on Sunday, and stated that his arm feels strong with only minor tightness, and added that he's ready to go.
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Our View: This is good news, and he could emerge as a sleeper if he bounces back favorably.
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| Peter Moylan could be out quite a while due to his elbow injury, according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution. He is going to visit Dr. James Andrews today, and he will determine if surgery is needed. |
Our View: The Braves will use a closer by committee for now, with Manny Acosta, Blaine Boyer, and Will Ohman, as Rafael Soriano is also on the shelf with an elbow injury.
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| Wesley Wright threw on the side yesterday and declared himself ready to pitch after experiencing inflammation on his left middle finger since Friday, according to the Houston Chronicle. |
Our View: The lefty will battle for playing time in the Astros' pen when he returns.
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