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| David Ortiz had two hits on Thursday night to raise his average to, gulp, .196. |
Our View: Ortiz has hits in nine of his last 11 games to boost his average up from .111, but it's shocking to see a sub .200 mark this far into the season. Still, Ortiz has produced 17 runs and 21 RBI, including 17 RBI in his last 11 games, so it's clear that he has fixed what was ailing him.
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| Tim Wakefield didn't pick up a single K on the night but he still allowed only three runs over seven innings, though the result was his first loss of the year. |
Our View: Seemingly 412 years old, the ageless Wakefield just keeps giving his team a chance to win, and often they do considering the offense he has behind him. If you have a kid and want him to play pro baseball, find someone to teach him how to throw a knuckleball.
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| A.J. Burnett was dealing on Thursday night as he held the potent Red Sox lineup to just three hits over 7.2 innings. Burnett struck out five though he also issues five free passes. |
Our View: Burnett was pitching to the corners all night baffling the Sox hitters, but as is often the case with him the good came with some bad. Tonight the bad was five walks, though overall this was his best outing of the season.
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| Mike Lowell went 1-for-4 on Thursday night and he continues to work on his stroke after missing time due to a sore left thumb. |
Our View: Lowell is just 2-for-11 without a single run produced in three games since returning to the lineup. With Sean Casey on the DL and Kevin Youkilis back at first base, Lowell will need to pick things up to help the offense from third base.
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| Alex Rios had three hits including a long home run off of Tim Wakefield on Thursday night. |
Our View: Rios has only three home runs over 103 AB, a pace for less than 20 after hitting 24 last year. Of course there is plenty of time for him to turn that around, and he has helped to offset the lack of power with his work on the bases (seven steals).
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| Miguel Batista struck out six Indians while allowing just one run over seven innings to pick up a no-decision. |
Our View: After allowing four earned runs in three straight starts, Bautista has now allowed four runs in his last three appearances (2.30 ERA). A versatile hurler, Batista is nothing more than a backend rotation option.
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| J.J. Putz suffered his second blown save of the season on Thursday night as he allowed two hits, two walks and one run to the Indians. |
Our View: Putz must have been ticked off that he allowed the run as he picked up all three outs on strikeouts. Through five innings Putz has allowed five runs and 14 baserunners, so it's clear that he is not quite yet back to his dominating form. You might consider leaving him on your bench until he proves his control has returned.
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| Paul Byrd lowered his ERA to 3.74 after holding the Mariners without a run over seven innings. Byrd allowed four hits and only one walk on the night. |
Our View: Unfortunately for Byrd the bullpen blew the game thanks to some spotty defense, but Byrd continues to be a solid option in AL Only leagues, provided that you planned ahead and have your strikeouts from other sources.
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| Ichiro Suzuki had three hits in five trips to the plate on Thursday night. |
Our View: No one was happier to see the calendar flip to May that Ichiro who owns the highest batting average in the month of any active player (.371). You can only keep a good man down for so long, so it wouldn't be a shock to see him rip off one of his patented hot streaks really soon.
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| Richie Sexson hit his sixth home run of the season on on Thursday night though his average is still languishing at .230. |
Our View: Sexson has 17 RBI in the early going, though again, that average is a real drain. Still he does have hits in six straight games, so hope for Sexson to return to a more usable .260 average versus the pathetic .205 that he posted last season.
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| Travis Hafner went 2-for-4 with an RBI in his first game from the sixth hole in the lineup. Also joining him in the hit parade was Ryan Garko who had two hits to snap an 0-for-24 spell. |
Our View: Both Hafner and Garko are being counted on to provide the pop in the middle of the Indians lineup, so it's great to see both have some success after a tough start to the year.
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| Asdrubal Cabrera snapped an 0-for-14 slump by connecting for a game-winning bases loaded single in the 11th inning for the Indians. |
Our View: Cabrera, dropped to the ninth hole, is hitting only .202 on the year without a home run and 19 K on the early season. Perhaps this will be the springboard he needs to find his stroke, but the team could always turn to Josh Barfield who is currently in the minors.
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| Nate Robertson struggled to his first victory of the season on Thursday night as he allowed nine base runners and four runs in 5.2 innings of work. |
Our View: Robertson has made six starts on the year, and not once has he allowed less than four earned runs. That's the definition of below average, which is how your fantasy staff will likely turn out if you run Robertson out there every week.
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| Hideki Matsui had only one hit on Thursday night but it was enough to extend his hitting streak to 11-games. |
Our View: With machine like efficiency Matsui just keeps producing solid seasons of around .300-20-100. Even though he plays for the Yankees, he sometimes is lost in the fantasy universe because of the fact that he is surrounded by so many talented players.
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| Ian Kennedy managed to pitch just 4.2 innings on Thursday as the Tigers were able to score four runs on five hits and three walks against him. |
Our View: Kennedy wasn't quite as bad as his final line showed tonight, but he still wasn't anywhere near where the Yankees need him to be, especially with the recent news about Phil Hughes. Kennedy remains someone who should not be anywhere near your starting lineup right now.
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| Magglio Ordonez extended his meager hitting streak to five games on Thursday with two hits and three RBI. |
Our View: Ordonez has seen his average climb from .281 to .315 with his mini-hot streak, and batting in front of Miguel Cabrera should ensure that he continues to see a whole bunch of good pitches to hit.
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| Miguel Cabrera went 2-for-4 with a home run, his sixth, and two RBI for the Tigers. |
Our View: Cabrera played his 14th game at first base tonight and is closing in on the magical 20 number which will give him even more flexibility this season. Still struggling a bit at the plate with a .279 average, Cabrera does have 22 RBI on the year.
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| Joel Zumaya threw a six minute session from the mound for the the Tigers on Thursday at the team's spring training complex, according to MLB.com. Zumaya was limited to fastballs and changeups in his first "intense" workout since his off-season shoulder surgery. |
Our View: No one knows just how Zumaya will be able to respond from his surgery as it isn't the type of procedure normally performed on baseball players. The team is hoping to have him back around the all-star break.
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| Fernando Rodney (shoulder) threw a six minute session off the mound on Thursday at the team's spring training facility, according to MLB.com. This was the first throwing session for Rodney since he visited Dr. James Andrews and received a positive report. "He felt this was his best bullpen session to date," Tigers head athletic trainer Kevin Rand said. |
Our View: The Tigers could certainly use a boost in the pen since they are trotting out a couple of guys most of you have likely never heard of before. This was nothing more than a first step, but it was still a very encouraging one for a guy who has had one setback after another this season.
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| With Alex Rodriguez on the DL, manager Joe Girardi wants to break up all the left-handed bats in the middle of the lineup so Shelley Duncan will bat cleanup, according to MLB.com. "Shelley has hit left-handers in his career pretty well and Shelley played pretty well down at Triple-A. We're just trying to break it up so it's not so easy for them to bring in their lefties," Girardi said. |
Our View: At Triple-A Scranton Duncan hit .309 with six home runs, so he has been swinging a solid bat. We still can't think that this arrangement will pick up any traction though, so don't go scrambling to add Shelley based on this news.
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| Travis Hafner returned to the Indians lineup on Thursday though he was dropped to sixth in the order, according to MLB.com. "We're going to give him a little bit of a break and let him see a few at-bats before he gets up there [the third hole]," manager Eric Wedge said. |
Our View: David Dellucci will move up to the third spot in the order thanks to a seven game hitting streak. Casey Blake will move up to the second spot, largely on the strength of 13 RBI in 14 games. Ryan Garko will move down to the seventh hole as well because of his 0-for-24 spell.
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| Delmon Young is finally finding his comfort zone with the Twins, according to the AP. "We’re just trying not to put too much pressure on him where he feels like he has to hit 40 home runs," manager Ron Gardenhire said. "Just play and play the game the right way. And he’s done that." |
Our View: Young has already stolen six bases after swiping only 10 all of last year, which helps to make up for the slow start in the power categories this year (zero HR, eight RBI). Young still has tremendous upside in all facets of the game, but he is still a ways away from tapping into all of that talent on a regular basis.
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| With Scott Kazmir nearing a return to the active roster, the team will have to make a decision on who to remove from the starting rotation. Edwin Jackson just might be that pitcher as several teams have shown interest in trading for him, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: Jackson has long had a golden arm, and amazingly he is still only 24 years old, so one would think he could bring a nice little package in return if he is moved.
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| J.D. Drew is out of the lineup on Thursday due to a sore quadriceps, and he could also miss at least part of the weekend series with the Rays, according to MLB.com. "I really don't want to miss six weeks at a time," Drew said. "I had an injury like this [in 1999], just kind of had a little twinge in my quad like that and played the next day, and ended up blowing it up and missing six weeks." |
Our View: Drew was able to jog on Thursday, but with he an Jacoby Ellsbury out injured, the team recalled Brandon Moss to help fill the void.
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| Updating an earlier report, B.J. Upton's shoulder injury does not appear to be serious, according to the Tampa Tribune. “It looks bad right away. It feels bad right away,” Upton said. “But this is the best it’s ever felt right after, so we shouldn’t think too much of it.” |
Our View: Upton will likely miss Friday's game, but what could have been a disaster appears to be simply a minor annoyance. Keep an eye on how he does once he returns.
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| Brandon Boggs has started his career with five hits in nine AB, and he will be in the starting lineup for Thursday in place of Milton Bradley who is suffering from a hamstring issue, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: Boggs will try to establish himself as the team's fifth outfielder over the next few weeks or at least prove that he should be called up the next time someone else is hurt over Nelson Cruz.
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| Maicer Izturis was placed on the DL on Thursday because of a strained lower back, this according to The Sports Network. This move is retroactive to April 28th, the last time he played. |
Our View: The team will likely go with Chone Figgins at second base until later in the week when the team hopes to have Howie Kendrick back in action.
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| Francisco Liriano is continuing to work on his comeback from TJ surgery but he remains unable to locate his pitches and is still struggling at Triple-A Rochester, according to MLB.com. "I think he was a little confused, because he really thought that he had it all," manager Ron Gardenhire said Wednesday. "He thought he could come up here and dominate some people. It was an eye-opener for him, which is good. Because you need to have a little fear in you in this game -- it's not that easy." |
Our View: Liriano allowed 13 BB in 10.1 innings over three starts with the Twins, and he followed that up with five BB in 4.1 innings in his first minor league start. Everyone comes back from surgery differently, and while Liriano should one day reclaim his previous dominating form, it really was foolish for anyone to expect him to recapture his past glory starting in April.
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| Jonny Gomes continues to try and make the best of the platoon he finds himself in with the Rays, according to MLB.com. has he changed his game because of it? "Going 1-for-3 with a walk isn't going to get you in there the next day, while going 2-for-3 or 3-for-4 is going to get you in there the next day. So you just kind of come out of your approach to try and get yourself in the lineup." |
Our View: We are still trying to figure out why the Rays won't play this guy everyday, especially with Cliff Floyd on the DL. Gomes brings passion and a power bat to the lineup, and though he has struggled against righties in the past he is batting .276 with a .883 OPS against them this season in 29 AB. It just seems like the Rays have given up on him being an everyday player no matter what the numbers say.
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| Here is an update on the injured right oblique of Yankees starter Phil Hughes. An MRI revealed that he actually has a stress fracture in one of his ribs and as a result he will be out until at least July, according to the AP. |
Our View: Uh oh. Besides the fact that Hughes is now at least a couple of months away from contributing, the Yankees are now in desperate need of a starting pitcher. They could move Joba Chamberlain into the rotation, or just hope that Darrell Rasner steps up big time. With Ian Kennedy also struggling, it might be time for the Yankees to explore the trade market.
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| Joakim Soria hansn't allowed a run in 11 innings this season and he has allowed only four baserunners in a fantastic start to his season, according to MLB.com. "It's hard for [hitters] to pick up the ball," pitching coach Bob McClure said. "You'll see a lot of guys take so many strikes with him and a lot of guys swinging through balls. It's just a gift." |
Our View: Whatever he's doing, he needs to keep it up. Over 80 innings in his career Soria has a 2.14 ERA, 0.86 WHIP and has allowed batters to hit .174. Dominance like that is money in the bank even if the guy pitches for the Royals.
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| Josh Hamilton had a tough day at the plate in a 2-1 win over the Royals on Thursday, as he went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts. He was moved to the cleanup spot today, while Milton Bradley sat out with leg cramps. |
Our View: Hamilton hit his first career grand slam last night and collected 32 RBI over 28 games, and was due for a letdown game. He should bounce back fine, and continue to generate strong fantasy numbers.
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| Sidney Ponson was in command as he nailed down his first win of the season in Thursday's 2-1 victory over Kansas City. Ponson only allowed one run on six hits over eight innings, with two walks and five strikeouts. |
Our View: While that was a strong outing today, he was only facing the unimposing Royals. He cannot be depended on while serving as a starter in the Rangers' rotation.
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| Zack Greinke suffered his first loss of the season on Thursday, as Kansas City was edged by Texas 2-1. It was a quality outing for Greinke, as he only allowed two runs on four hits over seven innings, with no walks and nine strikeouts. |
Our View: Greinke moves to 3-1 and still holds a strong ERA at 1.47. He reached his highest strikeout total of the season today, and would have remained unbeaten if not for poor run support.
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| Adam Jones went 1-for-3 and hit a two-run homer in Thursday's 4-2 loss to Tampa Bay. |
Our View: Jones has two homers and 10 RBI over 28 games. He has failed to make a big impact so far this season, but he still has loads of potential, and you could be rewarded for your patience if you can afford to hold him on your roster.
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| Brian Burres dropped to 3-2 in Thursday's 4-2 loss to Tampa Bay. He surrendered four runs on six hits over six innings, with three walks and six strikeouts. |
Our View: Burres has been enjoying a solid campaign as he held a 2.49 ERA and 1.22 WHIP prior to today's loss. His six strikeouts today were his highest of the season. His fantasy stock remains on the rise, and he is worth a look if you need help at the position.
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| Carl Crawford went 2-for-4 with two RBI in Thursday's 4-2 win over Baltimore. |
Our View: Crawford has 16 RBI over 28 games, and holds a .294 average. He also scored 26 runs.
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| Matt Garza claimed his first win of 2008 in Thursday's 4-2 win over Baltimore. He only allowed two runs on three hits over six innings, with two walks and three strikeouts. Both earned runs came on an Adam Jones home run. |
Our View: This was a strong outing for Garza, and he is safe to return to your lineups (following his bout with a forearm injury).
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| Matt Murton has been optioned to Triple-A Iowa, according to the AP. Alfonso Soriano has been activated from the DL today, and Murton was seen as expendable. |
Our View: Murton held no fantasy value prior to his demotion, while fighting for playing time in a crowded and talented Cubs' outfield.
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| B.J. Upton suffered an apparent shoulder injury and was forced to exit Thursday afternoon’s game against the Orioles, according to the AP. Upton suffered the injury while swinging at a 2-1 pitch with two outs in the fifth inning. The fourth-year pro fouled off a pitch before doubling over and clutching his left shoulder.
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Our View: Nathan Haynes replaced him in the lineup. We will keep you posted on Upton's status when more details are released.
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| Ryan Shealy collected his eighth home run in Triple-A Omaha's 4-1 loss at Sacramento on Wednesday, according to MLB.com. Shealy is only hitting .213, but has 13 RBI. |
Our View: Shealy is displaying good power in Triple-A, but with Billy Butler, Ross Gload, and Mark Teahen firmly set on the Royals' roster, Shealy has a limited shot to get called up, unless one of them gets hurt.
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| Zack Greinke will look to remain unbeaten in 2008 when he takes the hill against the Rangers, according to MLB.com. Greinke is 3-0 with a 1.25 ERA and 1.11 WHIP over 36 innings, with 19 strikeouts. |
Our View: Greinke is among the best pitchers in the American League in the early going, and is also proving to be among the biggest fantasy steals of 2008. He will be opposed by righty Sidney Ponson today.
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| Darrell Rasner will be called up from Triple-A Scranton, according to the NY Daily News. He is expected to take over Phil Hughes’ spot in the rotation on Sunday against the Mariners.
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Our View: Rasner is not a top pitching prospect like Hughes, Joba Chamberlain, or Ian Kennedy, but he has a good arm and will get his chance to prove his worth, starting this Sunday. He will fill in while Phil Hughes nurses his strained oblique on the DL, and is worth a look if you need help at pitcher, namely if you lost Hughes.
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| Jarrod Saltalamacchia is starting today at catcher against Zack Greinke and the Royals, according to the Star Telegram. He is batting eighth in the order. |
Our View: Start him if you have him today. He is 2-for-7 so far, with one RBI.
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| Josh Hamilton is batting cleanup today, as Milton Bradley is out of the lineup with leg cramps, according to The Star Telegram. Michael Young will cover the DH role and bat in Hamilton's usual third spot in the Rangers' order. |
Our View: Hamilton just hit his first career grand slam last night, and has 32 RBI for the season.
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| Matt Murton is expected to get sent down to Triple-A when the team activates Alfonso Soriano from the DL on Thursday, according to the Chicago Tribune. |
Our View: Murton only received 14 at-bats during his time with the Cubs this season, and is seen as expendable. He held no fantasy value for this season.
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| Justin Duchscherer will be limited to 90-95 pitches tonight in his second start after missing three weeks with a biceps strain, according to the SF Chronicle. He hopes that he will get through seven or eight innings tonight against the Angels, while on the strict pitch count.
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Our View: He is 5-0 with a 1.21 ERA against the Angels, his most wins against any team, and he should be in your lineups, regardless of his pitch limit. He holds a good 1.20 WHIP over 10 innings, with only two walks and eight strikeouts this season.
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| Jeff Clement will start at catcher while Kenji Johjima sits out the next two games to take a "mental break", according to the Seattle Times. Clement was recently called up from Triple-A Tacoma, and registered a hit in his first (and only) at-bat of the season. |
Our View: Clement will fill in for Johjima, who is struggling with a .177 average, and could see time at the DH spot as well, as Jose Vidro is hitting poorly with a .211 average. Clement will get chances to play and is worth a look if you need help, namely if you drafted Johjima to be your starter. Clement has more offensive upside than Johjima and Vidro.
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| Kenji Johjima will sit out the next two games as a "mental break", according to the Seattle Times. Johjima is hitting a dismal .177 (with only five RBI) over 24 games, and he said, "Manager McLaren told me to relax, but it's not easy to relax. Because even if I do relax, I don't know how good of a performance I can come up with. I can't be happy. Just because I'm taking two days off, that's not to say I'm going to do better on the third day. I can't allow myself to think that way." |
Our View: Jeff Clement will step in as the starting catcher while Johjima sits out. Clement was just called up from Triple-A, and he has more upside offensively than Johjima. Clement is worth a look if you need help at the position, especially if you are stuck with Johjima.
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| Milton Bradley left Wednesday's game against Kansas City with a hamstring cramp, according to FoulTerritory.com. Bradley was originally scheduled to play in the outfield again on Thursday but manager Ron Washington is now leaning towards giving him the game off to rest.
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Our View: Bradley is hitting well with a .314 average and .412 on-base percentage, and it took a hamstring cramp to slow him down. He was bound to miss a game, as he played in 24 contests so far.
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| Howie Kendrick, who has been sidelined since April 14 due to a strained left hamstring, could begin a rehab assignment for Double-A Rancho Cucamonga tonight, according to the LA Times. He is still experiencing a little soreness. |
Our View: If Kendrick, who has been running at full speed for several days, suffers no setbacks, he could be activated from the DL on Friday. It is disappointing that he wasn't activated when eligible (on Tuesday), but Kendrick is worth the wait as he went 18-for-36 before getting hurt (five doubles and one triple), with a .694 slugging percentage.
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| Maicer Izturis underwent an MRI on his injured back on Wedneday, according to the LA Times. Izturis hasn't played since Sunday due to lower-back spasms. |
Our View: The MRI could be an indication that his ailment is serious enough to send him to the DL. We will keep you posted on the results and his status.
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| Bartolo Colon has an opt-out clause in his contract that permits him to become a free agent if he wasn't on the big league roster by today, but a source indicated Colon will not exercise his right to leave Boston at this time, according to FanNation. Colon and the Red Sox reached an informal understanding that the opt-out date would be delayed until June 1.
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Our View: The 2005 Cy Young Award winner remains a fantasy risk due to his durability and uncertainty that he can still be effective in the majors. He held a poor 1.62 WHIP over 99.1 innings in 2007.
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| Josh Fields was pulled out of Wednesday's game against Triple-A Norfolk after seven innings as a precautionary measure and could be called up, according to the Chicago Tribune. Alexei Ramirez cannot travel with the team to Toronto, due to visa issues, for the upcoming series against the Jays that starts Friday, and Chicago would call up Fields for depth.
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Our View: Fields has strong upside as he hit 23 homers over 100 games in 2007, but he isn't going to push Joe Crede for his spot at third base, as Crede is healthy and generated seven home runs and 22 RBI over 25 games this season.
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