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| Josh Barfield hit a pair of home runs for Triple-A Buffalo on Saturday, his first two home runs of the season. |
Our View: Barfield is only hitting .273-2-6 thus far, hardly showing that he deserves to be back in the majors. He has been a streaky hitter in the past and will surely find his way back at some point, but whether the Indians actually plan on giving him a real opportunity remains to be seen.
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| Jarrod Washburn had his worst game of the year as he allowed four runs in six innings to pick up his third loss. Washburn didn't walk a single Angel on the night, but he did allow 10 hits with only one K. |
Our View: Washburn continues to be a middling starting pitcher who is barely above replacement average in his performance. Honestly, he has no place on a mixed league staff at this point of his career.
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| Vladimir Guerrero had two hits on Saturday night though he failed to produce a run in the loss to the Mariners. |
Our View: Vlad has really started slow hitting just .282 and it certainly doesn't help that he has been bothered by a few bumps and bruises. All along Vlad has said that he doesn't like the DH role, and the numbers back him up as he is hitting just .143 as the DH and .316 as the right fielder.
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| Adrian Beltre hit his third home run of the season on Saturday to provide the Mariners with their only run off Ervin Santana. |
Our View: Beltre is hitting .314 with 10 extra base hits in the early going to help put behind him the thought that his injured wrist would slow him down. It hasn't.
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| Ervin Santana continues to show why he should be a part of the Angels rotation all season as he limited the Mariners to three hits and one run over eight innings to improve to 3-0. |
Our View: Santana walked none and struck out eight on the night as he lowered his ERA to 2.67. Always the possessor of a dynamic arm, Santana has avoided beating himself so far and the results have been spectacular.
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| Mike Lowell continues to progress well without any setbacks with his injured thumb, this according to MLB.com. "Barring setbacks -- and we're still kind of early into this -- we might be getting into a place where maybe we're a week away from him playing in a game," Red Sox manager Terry Francona said. "At least we're looking at some timetables." |
Our View: Lowell has been limited to swinging off a tee, but at least it sounds like things are progressing to the point where it's realistic to think that he could return to action by the start of May.
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| Erik Bedard threw a 38-pitch bullpen session on Saturday and reported no issues with his injured hip, this according to MLB.com. "Bedard threw the ball well," manager John McLaren said. "He had good breaking stuff." |
Our View: Bedard will throw another bullpen session on Tuesday and if that also goes well he could be activated to start on Thursday against his former team the Orioles.
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| J.J. Putz threw 41 pitches in a simulated game on Saturday and things went so well that he now hopes to return to the lineup on Tuesday, this according to MLB.com. "I felt good, felt strong and my command was good," he said. "I was able to throw everything for strikes. Now, we'll wait and see how I feel tomorrow and probably make a decision on what to do." |
Our View: This is great news since it was initially feared that he could miss anywhere up to six weeks with the injury. Stay tuned for confirmation of his activation this Tuesday.
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| Mike Jacobs continued his hot start with another three hits and two RBI on Saturday night. |
Our View: Jacobs is now batting .323 with 14 RBI as he has been one of the best #5 hitters in the NL in the early going.
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| Johnny Damon went 0-for-2 on Saturday night and he is now hitting a putrid .197 in 61 AB on the year. |
Our View: Damon does have three SB and nine runs scored which aren't awful totals considering how horrible he has been at the plate, but he needs to get going at the top of the Yankees lineup to help spark the team to some offense.
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| Ramon Hernandez had two hits, two RBI and a run scored from the eight hole on Saturday night. |
Our View: Hernandez has looked lost at the plate in the early going, and even with the hits tonight he is still hitting only .192. He has only four K in 52 AB, so at least he is making contact.
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| Joba Chamberlain returned to the Yankees on Saturday and he needed 19 pitches to strike out two batters in a scoreless inning of work. |
Our View: Chamberlain has eight K and two BB in 6.1 innings on the year, but he hasn't allowed a run as he continues to dominate hitters.
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| Brian Burres held the Yankees scoreless over 5.2 innings to pick up his second victory of the season. Buress permitted five hits and four walks, but he was able to minimize the damage. |
Our View: Buress has acquitted himself fairly well in the early going as he has a 3.63 ERA through four appearances.
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| Ian Kennedy earned his second loss of the season as he allowed five hits, five walks and four runs in just 2.2 innings. |
Our View: Through an eighth of the season, the Yankees don't have a win from either Kennedy or Phil Hughes. Kennedy has thrown 14 innings and allowed 32 baserunners, and that my friends works out to a 2.29 WHIP.
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| Hank Blalock had another three hits on Saturday night to push his average to .339. |
Our View: It's great to see Blalock fight back from his injured back to produce five hits in two nights. Not only will Blalock avoid the DL, he looks to be in mid-season form as well.
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| Jason Jennings pitched a solid game on Saturday as he allowed just two runs over six innings for the Rangers. Jennings earned a no-decision thanks to a blown save by Joaquin Benoit, but he allowed only three hits and two walks on the night. |
Our View: Jennings has just eight K through 20.1 innings, and he has already allowed a massive five home runs on the year. Even with this solid outing, his ERA still sits at 7.08.
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| Joaquin Benoit picked up the loss and his second blown save of the season by allowing three runs in an inning of work on Saturday. |
Our View: Things have not gone as planned in the Rangers pen in the early going as Benoit has posted a 1.97 WHIP over his first 6.1 innings. Benoit's status is slipping in the bullpen hierarchy, and it could fall further with the impending return of Eddie Guardado.
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| Jon Lester lasted 6.1 innings on Saturday allowing 10 hits, two walks and three runs in a no-decision. Lester also had five K and allowed one home run. |
Our View: Lester owns a 5.06 ERA over five starts, and he just hasn't been the pitcher that anyone hoped he would be in the early going thanks to a boatload of walks (17) in 26.2 innings.
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| Paul Konerko went 0-for-3 on Saturday night to drop his average to just .172 on the year. DH Jim Thome is also hitting .172. |
Our View: Konerko is coming off a down season last year of .259-30-90, but he has still hit at least 30 HR with 90 RBI in 4-straight seasons so one would figure that a rebound is in the cards for the Sox first baseman.
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| B.J. Upton had three more hits on Saturday night as he also knocked in a run for the Rays. |
Our View: Upton now has 15 hits in his last nine games after a slow start and is poised to challenge the 30/30 ranks this season.
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| Mark Buehrle was pounded for five runs and 12 hits over seven innings by the Rays as he fell to 1-2 on the year. |
Our View: Buehrle entered the game with a 6-1 record in his career against the Rays, but he just doesn't have the stuff to be successful when his control is off. So far this season, it's been mostly off as he has allowed a whopping 35 hits in 22.2 innings.
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| Andy Sonnanstine threw the first complete game of his career on Saturday night against the White Sox as he also hurled his first shutout by limiting the Sox to just three hits and a walk in a 5-0 victory. |
Our View: Sonnanstine lowered his ERA to 5.55 with this outing and will have a hard time being remotely this good next time out when he is schedule to face the Blue Jays.
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| John Lackey through a 40-pitch, simulated game on Saturday and the reports were very positive, this according to MLB.com. "John, the way he threw the ball in the sim game, he's ready stuff-wise to go compete in a game," manager Mike Scioscia said. "We've got him penciled in for two innings, 40 pitches, at [Class A] Rancho Cucamonga on Thursday." |
Our View: The team wants him back up to the 80-85 pitch area before they activate him, so look for Lackey to make about four appearances with Rancho Cucamonga a Single-A squad, as the team doesn't want him pitching in Triple-A Salt Lake City where the weather could be an issue.
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| Nate Robertson is still in line to start on Sunday for the Tigers against the Blue Jays despite persistent issues with his left lat, this according to MLB.com. |
Our View: When throwing fastballs he seems to be fine, but he is still experiencing some issues when throwing his slider. Robertson says it won't be a factor on Sunday, though we are less certain and would recommend going in another direction if you have the option.
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| Carlos Pena returned from his sore hamstring on Saturday as the DH, this according to MLB.com. "I don't see anything standing in my way of coming back and playing like I always do," Pena said. "I feel pretty good. So I'm kind of excited that I feel this good." |
Our View: Count on Pena to continue to provide the long ball, though he certainly has some work to do at the plate with just a .179 average.
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| Zack Greinke allowed eight hits and four walks in just five innings on Saturday, but he limited the A's to three runs (two earned) in a no decision. |
Our View: Greinke battled all day and was able to wiggle out of a couple of jams on his way to six strikeouts. The guy owns a 1.24 ERA after four starts, so we can certainly overlook today's bout of wildness.
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| It only took Jose Guillen 18 games to hit his first home run as he went deep in a 2-for-4 effort on Saturday. Guillen also scored two runs and knocked in three. |
Our View: Guillen has really struggled to get going so hopefully today's effort can be used as a spring board to the type of production we have grown accustomed to with Guillen.
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| David DeJesus had two hits on Saturday and is now batting .429 in 14 AB on the year. |
Our View: DeJesus keeps hurting himself, but he has been hitting when he has been in the lineup. Even with the SB speed of Joey Gathright, it is clear that the Royals would prefer DeJesus to be in the lineup every day as the leadoff hitter.
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| Ryan Sweeney had two hits and two RBI for the A's on Saturday and now has five hits, two runs and two RBI in his last two games. |
Our View: Sweeney is hitting .325 and is starting to establish himself as a force on offense. Now all he has to do is to stay healthy to keep himself in the lineup to give himself a lot of value in AL Only leagues.
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| Daric Barton had three hits with two runs scored and an RBI on Saturday for the A's. |
Our View: Barton struck out twice on the day and now has 19 K in 19 games on the year. He is still working the count with 15 BB, but he has struggled to put the bat on the ball more than most assumed he would. Still, he's hitting .271 with an OBP of around .400 so he is doing fine.
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| Mark Teixeira had two hits and two RBI on Saturday for the Braves. |
Our View: Teixeira now has hits in four straight games to raise his average from .204 to .221 which only means that a whole lot of big-time hitting is coming down the pipe for this big-time slugger.
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| Curtis Granderson will not join the Tigers on Monday for their final game in Toronto, this according to the Detroit News. "I would expect to see him playing for the Tigers next week at some point. How early in the week? I don't know," manager Jim Leyland said. |
Our View: Granderson is clearly closing in on a return to the top of the Tigers order, but the team wants to give him a few more games to allow him to regain his timing.
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| Ryan Garko went 2-for-3 on Saturday to lift his average to .317. |
Our View: Garko has 11 RBI on the year and has a hit in 10 of his last 11 games this season for the Tribe.
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| Justin Morneau hit his fifth home run of the season on Saturday as he had two hits and two RBI for the Twins. |
Our View: Morneau upped his average to .258 on the year and he has done a solid job of controlling the strike zone with 10 K and nine BB on the year, so there is a solid reason to hope for continued growth in the batting average category.
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| Joe Nathan just keeps right on keeping on as he picked up his sixth save of the season on Saturday thanks to a perfect ninth inning. |
Our View: Nathan has five K and zero BB in seven innings this season during which time he has allowed no runs for the Twins. Still a top-5 option at the closers spot, Nathan is off to another hot start.
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| Jake Westbrook had another solid outing on Saturday allowing three runs in seven innings, but he fell to 1-2 thanks to continued poor offensive support. |
Our View: Through four starts Westbrook has four quality starts with a 2.73 ERA, yet he has only one win to show for it thanks to less than timely hitting by his mates when he is on the hill.
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| Nick Blackburn dominated the Twins for 7.2 innings on Sunday as he allowed eight hits and no runs to pickup his first major league victory. |
Our View: Blackburn now has a 2.49 ERA through four starts for the Twins in a simply superb start to the season. How has he been succeeding? He is throwing strikes as he has only three walks in 25.1 IP on the year.
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| Travis Hafner went 0-for-4 on Saturday, and due to his sore shoulder he will likely be out of the lineup on Sunday, this according to the AP. |
Our View: The Indians also have Monday off, so sitting out Sunday will give him two days to rest his ailing wing, something he could use considering he is hitting only .227 in the early going.
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| Shawn Camp is expected to join the Blue Jays bullpen on Saturday after being recalled to the majors from Triple-A Syracuse, this according to MLB.com. |
Our View: Camp has ridden his new changeup to solid success with a 3.00 ERA in 12 innings in training camp. In the minors he went 10 innings without allowing a run, and now he will call Toronto his home, though his value will be limited as he won't be in the mix to pick up saves when B.J. Ryan is unavailable.
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| Milton Bradley will not be in the Rangers lineup on Saturday as he is being given the day off as they will face the Red Sox tough lefty Jon Lester, this according to the Star Telegram. |
Our View: Bradley is hitting .352 in the early going, but we can't argue with given him some time off as he has played in 15 games on the season. In his place, Gerald Laird will DH, Jason Botts will play first base and German Duran will play left field.
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| Travis Buck is once again dealing with shin splints and as a result he will not be in the A's lineup on Saturday, this according to MLB.com. "It's something that has been on and off for him since Spring Training," manager Bob Geren said. |
Our View: It was Travis Buck bobblhead day at the park, so you know he must have been in pain to miss the outing. This is the fourth time he has been forced to the bench with the issue, though since he is hitting just .154 on the year perhaps he should take a couple of days off to get right.
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| Eddie Guardado threw a bullpen session on Saturday before the Rangers game with the Red Sox, but his arm still doesn't feel 100% so he won't come off the DL on Sunday, this according to the Star Telegram. |
Our View: Guardado will throw another bullpen session on Monday, and if he feels good when he wakes up on Tuesday he might be activated then, though he still holds little fantasy value at the moment since he is well down the list of pitchers who could pick up saves in the Rangers pen.
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| Luke Hochevar, the first overall pick in the 2006 amateur draft, has been recalled and will start for the Royals on Sunday, this according to MLB.com. |
Our View: Hochevar was 1-1 with a 2.60 ERA in three starts at Triple-A, will look to keep going the role that the team's starters are on. He has immediate value in AL Only leagues as the Royals are concerned about the injured shoulder of John Bale.
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| Rajai Davis was designated for assignment on Saturday, this according to the AP. To fill his roster spot, infielder Emmanuel Burriss was recalled. |
Our View: The Giants appear to be in flux, what an understatement, and the decision has been made to go with Fred Lewis in the outfield which basically left Davis without any playing time. Davis could have some value in the right spot, he does have four SB in very limited playing time, but it doesn't appear that his future is in San Francisco.
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| Toronto RF Alex Rios enjoyed a great day at the park in Toronto's 2-3 win, hitting 2-of-4 at the plate with is second home run of the season for his 11th RBI of the season. |
Our View: Rios now carries a batting average of .324 and has been especially hot of late, touting 10 hits in his last 24 at-bats.
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| Jeremy Bonderman struggled with control once again today, picking up his second loss of the season, 2-3, to the Toronto Blue Jays. Bonderman lasted just five innings, throwing a whopping 108 pitches (60 for strikes) and allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits. |
Our View: More than anything, Bonderman's six walks allowed (versus just two strike outs) is the major worry.
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| Detroit catcher Ivan Rodriguez may have seen his best days as a baseball player move along several seasons ago, but he still carries a bat to fear and can get the job done in the lower part of the batting order. Pudge went 3-of-3 at the plate today with a sacrifice fly, picking up one run scored and one RBI for his efforts. |
Our View: In two games versus the Blue Jays, Pudge has hit rather well, a nice break from the frustrations of the early going that have not offered as many rewards (batting .213 coming into the series).
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| Carlos Guillen may have been struggling to deal with the pain, working on a shin that took not one but two foul balls last night, but it didn't affect his performance at the plate. Guillen went 3-for-4, including his seventh double of the season, bringing his seasonal average to .379. |
Our View: Guillen now has a hit in nine consecutive games and serves as the hottest bat in the Detroit order.
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| The Yankees report catcher Jorge Posada will play some at first base, according to the New York Post. |
Our View: Regular first bagger Jason Giambi has been struggling to hit and manager Joe Girardi felt a change was needed versus LHP Brian Burres. Posada has struggled with a strained right shoulder and thus hasn't lined up behind the plate as a catcher since April 8th. Today, it will be Jose Molina at first base for the Yanks.
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| The Yankees expect reliever J Joba Chamberlain to return for tonight's game against the Baltimore Orioles, according to the New York Post. |
Our View: Chamberlain is currently gone on bereavement, having left on Monday to be with his ailing father in Lincoln, Nebraska. He hasn't pitched since April 10.
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| The Minnesota Twins are going to send SS Adam Everett to the disabled list, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune. |
Our View: Everett has tendinitis in his right shoulder. The Twins will be promoting a player from Triple-A Rochester to take his place but have not announced who that player will be yet.
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| Reds manager Dusty Baker has made a change in the team's batting order, taking a page from the Phillies' playbook (finding great success with putting two left-handed batters, Chase Utley and Ryan Howard, back-to-back) and putting Brandon Phillips and Ken Griffey Jr. next to each other in the 3rd and 4th spots in the order, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: This move will allow Griffey to bat next to Adam Dunn, hoping to see Dunn earn better looks. "It came to me during the game last night," said Baker. "Brandon, with his young legs and his speed, we'll see. Usually how people pitch to Griffey is how they pitch to Dunn. We'll see what happens back-to-back." Phillips stole 32 bases last season, making the move to get him more at bats all too easy. For the batting of Griffey and Dunn, only time will tell.
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| It wasn't too long ago when the fantasy owner could look at Pittsburgh's Jason Bay and see a world of potential, but knee injuries in recent seasons have all but ended those hopes, stealing just four bases last season and falling well short of offensive expectation. However, it now appears Bay is fully healthy and back on track to excel in 2008, according to MLB.com. Bay stole his second base of the season in the Pirates' 2-3 loss to the Cubs on Friday night and tells reporters he's going to put his full effort into improving those numbers throughout the season. "I don't think I can lead the league in stolen bases, but I think I can get an extra base here or there," said Bay in speaking to reporters on Saturday morning. "I'm not going to steal 50, but I think I can steal 15 or 20." |
Our View: As a result of his returned health and past success, MLB.com reports manager John Russell is giving Bay the green light to steal at will. Of course, there are going to be times when Bay is told to stay put, but this is great news for fantasy owners with Bay on the roster. His skills with the bat are reason to covet him, but his return to status as a premier base runner makes him a top commodity. We'll see how he progresses, but the future looks good.
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| Seattle pitcher Erik Bedard , working to return from an ailing hip, will continue his work towards return when he throws off a mound today, according to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. |
Our View: The team is hoping to get him back in the starting rotation later this week, targeting Thursday as a potential start date. "We want to see how he's able to drive off the mound with his hip," said manager John McLaren. Bedard is eligible to come off the DL on April 24th, but we will have to track his progress in the coming days.
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| Detroit 2B Placido Polanco returned from injury and helped his Tigers to an 8-4 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday night, but the hampered infielder is expected to be out of the lineup when the teams meet up again on Saturday, according to CBSSports.com. |
Our View: Polanco has been hampered by sore left hip flexor and manager Jim Leyland wants to keep him off the artificial turn in the dome up north.
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| Toronto pitcher David Purcey has been optioned to Triple-A Syracuse, according to the Associated Press. |
Our View: Purcey allowed just one run on two hits over 4 1/3 innings last night against the Detroit Tigers, but he surrendered seven walks in the 8-4 loss.
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| Detroit 1B Carlos Guillen left last night's game against the Toronto Blue Jays after fouling two pitches off his left shin in the ninth inning, according to the Associated Press. |
Our View: The team reports he is fine and should be on the field as these two teams revisit today.
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| Scott Kazmir completed a rehab start for the Vero Beach Rays, allowing just one run (unearned) on one hit while striking out three in an 8-5 win agaisnt the St. Lucie Mets, according to the New York Daily News. |
Our View: The Rays have refrained from laying a definitive schedule for Kazmir's return, but the obvious plan is to bring him along slowly and insure his health is optimized.
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| The Chicago Cubs have recalled OF Matt Murton from Triple-A Iowa and optioned IF Eric Patterson back to Triple-A affiliate, according to the Associated Press. |
Our View: The Cubs sent Murton to Iowa on March 30 when spring training ended despite a strong performance. Now he'll rejoin the club and make another go at sticking on the MLB roster. Patterson was originally recalled from Iowa on Wednesday after Alfonso Soriano was sent to the DL with a strained calf muscle.
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| Reports indicate Yankee pitcher Kyle Farnsworth is likely to receive notice of a league-mandated suspension after an incident against the Boston Red Sox on Thursday, according to the New York Daily News. |
Our View: It is believed Farnsworth will be suspended for three games and fined $2,000 for throwing behind Boston LF Manny Ramirez's head in the seventh inning of that game. The pitcher was not ejected from the game, but both teams were warned by home plate umpire Larry Vanover, and now the league believes further punishment is deemed necessary.
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| Toronto designated hitter Frank Thomas has been removed from the Blue Jays' starting lineup as the team prepares for the their Saturday battle with Detroit, and he will not be returned to the starting lineup any time soon, according to MLB.com. Reports indicate manager John Gibbons has decided to bench Thomas in favor of Matt Stairs at DH, a difficult decision based on a horrific slump that has seen Thomas hit .167 through 72 plate appearances. |
Our View: As has been the case throughout his career, Thomas wasted no time in stating he felt there was more to the decision than his lack of production. "Basically, I've been told that I'm not goign to be in that lineup. Gibby told me that this morning. I see it as something else is going on. We'll see how that plays out. You know what's goign on and I know what's going on. We'll see how it plays out. I'm just a little frustrated right now. There are some things going on around here this year that I haven't been happy about." Thomas may have a poing. His current contract stipulates the reward of a vested option for the 2009 season that would pay him $10 million, a salary that can be guaranteed by notching 304 more plate appearances this season.
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| The Angels have placed 2B Howie Kendrick on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to April 14, according to CBSSports.com. |
Our View: Kendrick has battled to overcome a strained left hamstring and, following Friday's contest with the Seattle Mariners, the decision was made to give him rest. The Angels have recalled SS Sean Rodriguez from Triple-A Salt Lake to fill his spot on the roster.
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| The Brewers report Gabe Gross will once again get the start in center field today, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. |
Our View: Manager Ned Yost has suggested Gabe Kapler is doing well after hurting his shoulder earlier this week, but he remains out of the lineup despite the team's support in getting him back on the field. Until then, it will be Gross in center.
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| Gustavo Chacin struggled again for High-A Dunedin on Friday, allowing six runs, three earned in five innings. He allowed two home runs and now has an 8.49 ERA in three starts. |
Our View: Chacin’s attempt at returning from a torn labrum is not going so well. We can’t say for sure that Chacin won’t make it back to the majors, but he is clearly nowhere near returning at the moment.
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