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| Cincinnati RHP Matt Belisle is desperate for a win, and he put a good foot forward on the mound against the Dodgers this evening, but the offense failed to support the cause as the Reds fall 4-1. Belisle went six innings, allowing three runs (all earned) on seven hits with no walks and three strikeouts to boot. |
Our View: Belisle is now 0-3 for May and 1-4 overall, giving up a total of 19 earned runs over five starts.
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| Veteran RHP Greg Maddux wasn't around long enough to get the win, but he did pitch well as the Padres put the 3-2 win over St. Louis on the board. Maddux went five innings, surrendering two runs on five hits with one walk and two strikeouts. |
Our View: Maddux left with no decision and now has just one win over his last seven starts, but now has allowed just nine walks versus 28 strikeouts this season.
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| San Diego third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff enjoyed a strong evening at the plate as the Padres put the 3-2 win on St. Louis this evening. Kouz went 2-for-4 with his fourth home run of the season, a gem winner off Joel Pineiro in the sixth inning totaling three RBIs. |
Our View: Kouzmanoff hasn't been a beacon of offense for the Padres each and every time he hits the field, but he now sits at 21-for-72 for the month of May.
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| St. Louis third baseman Troy Glaus continues to work as the voice of offense for th Cardinals, but his efforts were not enough to overcome the 3-2 loss to the San Diego Padres. Glaus went 2-for-4 on the night with his 15th double on the season to drive in his 29th RBI of the season, also adding a run scored. |
Our View: Glaus has gone 17-for-38 since May 11th with eight walks versus just three strikeouts over that span.
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| St. Louis RHP Joel Pineiro pitched well, but a costly home run led to his third loss of the season as the Cardinals failed to overcome the San Diego Padres, 3-2. Pineiro went 5 2/3 innings, allowing three runs (all earned) on six hits with three walks and seven strikeouts. |
Our View: Those three runs came of the bat of 3B Kevin Kouzmanoff, going deep with two on in the sixth inning.
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| Colorado outfielder Scott Podsednik continues to make his case for regular starts, taking advantage of the time as the Rockies' leadoff man tonight to go 2-for-4 at the plate with one walk, one stolen base (his seventh of the season), and one run scored. |
Our View: To be fair, four of those stolen bases came last month in spot action, but the Rockies are desperate to get the offense going and Podsednik could prove capable of providing that spark.
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| Colorado first baseman Todd Helton continues to swing a steady bat for the Rockies but it was San Francisco that emerged victorious 6-5 this evening. Helton went 2-for-2 with three walks on the evening. |
Our View: Helton's batting average is holding steady at .276, and while his power numbers continue to disappoint, his 11 walks versus just five strikeouts in the month of May are providing some semblance of balance for a team that is struggling to find wins.
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| There was plenty of offense for those seeking to watch hitters hit, but it was the Giants prevailing 6-5 over the Colorado Rockies this evening in a game that saw two Giant hitters (infielder Rich Aurilia and catcher Benji Molina) go 3-for-4 at the plate while a third, outfielder Aaron Rowand , produced the runs. Rowand went 2-for-5 with two singles, but he managed to gather two RBIs on the evening. |
Our View: Rowand enjoyed a hot April but has cooled a bit in May, going 21-for-65 with just three home runs and eight RBIs.
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| Giants RHP Tim Lincecum picked up his sixth win of the season as San Fran managed to hang on for an exciting 6-5 win over the Colorado Rockies. Lincecum pitched six innings, surrendering three runs (all earned) on five hits with four walks and six strikeouts. |
Our View: Lincecum is now 2-0 over four starts this month with 10 walks versus 29 strikeouts.
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| The San Francisco Giants scored two in the ninth to take the lead, but had to tie down the 6-5 win after allowing two runs to the Colorado Rockies in the bottom of that same final inning. Reliever Brian Wilson found his groove just in time to secure the 13th save of his season. Wilson went one inning and surrendered those two runs (both earned) on a Clint Barmes home run. |
Our View: Wilson also posted a walk to put that runner onboard, but he found his composure and managed to secure the win despite his best effort to let it slip away.
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| The Cubbies suffered the 4-2 loss to Houston this evening despite the efforts of third baseman Aramis Ramirez . Ramirez went 2-for-4 at the plate with his eighth homer of the season, good for two RBIs on the evening. |
Our View: Ramirez had been on a cold streak in terms of power hitting, this being his first home run since April 23rd in Colorado
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| Tonight was an opportunity for the Houston Astros to shine, and outfielder Hunter Pence led them along their way to a 4-2 win over the Chicago Cubs. Pence went 3-for-4 at the dish with his fifth home run of the year good for a grand slam, gathering four total RBIs on the grand slam. |
Our View: Pence has been swinging a strong stick this month, going 24-for-67 with 17 RBIs over 17 games.
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| There was one inning of offense for both teams, shared in the same moment, but the Houston Astros managed to prevail over the Chicago Cubs 4-2, a victory built mostly on the arm of RHP Chris Sampson . Sampson went 6 2/3 innings to give up two runs (both earned) on seven hits, sporting just one walk allowed versus four strikeouts. |
Our View: This is Sampson's second win this month in four starts, the others resulting in no decisions.
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| Atlanta third baseman Chipper Jones posted his 33rd RBI of the season as the Braves put the 6-2 loss on the Mets in the second game of their Tuesday double-header. Jones went 2-for-4 at the dish with his 10th double of the season with one RBI and one run scored. |
Our View: This was Chipper's first RBI since May 14th, and while it is a small run of just five games (6-for-18), Jones is starting to slow just a bit.
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| The Mets struggled to get the offense going this evening as they suffered a loss in the second game of a double-header against Atlanta, falling 6-2. However, New York shortstop Jose Reyes is starting to show a small glimmer of life in what has been a disappointing campaign thus far. Reyes went 2-for-4 with an RBI, raising his batting average to .272. |
Our View: Unfortunately, Reyes was caught stealing for the fifth time this season, but he has gone 8-for-22 over his last four, including two home runs and five RBIs.
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| C.C. Sabathia, who was on a two game winning streak, took a tough loss on Tuesday night, 4-1, to the red-hot Chicgo White Sox. The 2007 AL Cy Young winner allowed seven hits and two runs while striking out eight and walking one in seven innings. |
Our View: It was another strong start for the lefty, and this after pitching a five-hit shutout against Oakland on Wednesday.
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| Atlanta RHP Jorge Campillo made his first start since August of the 2005 season and managed to emerge victorious as the Braves put a 6-2 beating on the New York Mets, the second game of a double-header. Campillo lasted six innings, failing to surrender a single run on just three hits allowed. |
Our View: Campillo also failed to surrender a single walk and struck out seven, an outstanding performance for the reliever-turned-starter attempting to help the cause as the Braves fight injuries and pitching staff woes.
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| Florida LHP Mark Hendrickson got the win, his sixth of the season, and reliever Kevin Gregg got the save, his eighth of the season, as the Marlins took a dramatic 3-2 win against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Hendrickson went five inning, allowing one run on four hits with one walk and seven strikeouts. Solid middle relief brought on Gregg, going 1 2/3 innings without allowing a single hit with one walk and three strikeouts. |
Our View: The first four starts of May have not been kind to Hendrickson, going 1-1 over three starts with eight walks versus seven strikeouts. Now he may be back on track and ready to contribute to a strong Florida season.
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| The Marlins had to fight to squeak out the 3-2 win, finding the drive from the bat of emerging team leader, second baseman Dan Uggla . Uggla smacked his 14th homer of the season, taking a 6th-inning offering from Arizona RHP Micah Owings deep for what proved to be a game-winning dinger. |
Our View: Uggla also added his second stolen base of the season, now touting 10 home runs for the month of May with a .429 batting average for the same span.
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| On a night of lackluster offense, Arizona struggled to make good on a strong performance from the pitching and suffered the 3-2 loss to Florida. However, second baseman Orlando Hudson did what he could to get the positive vibes flowing, going 2-for-3 with a walk. |
Our View: Hudson's bat failed to produce runs, but he was on base as his teammates failed to bring him home.
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| Arizona RHP Micah Owings has suffered his second loss of the season as his Diamondbacks have fallen 3-2 to the Florida Marlins. Owings went seven innings to surrender three runs (all earned) on seven hits with just two walks and an impressive 10 strikeouts. |
Our View: In the end, the offense failed to produce the support needed for the win. Owings is now 1-2 in four starts in the month of May, but he touts nine walks versus 24 strikeouts.
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| Milwaukee LHP Manny Parra took the Brewers to a 7-2 win versus Pittsburgh this evening, and though he failed to go deep in the outing, he was strong and led Milwaukee to the victory. Parra went 5 2/3 innings, failing to surrender a single run on four hits with just one walk and six strikeouts. |
Our View: This is Parra's first win since April 5th, his first start of the season. It is also the first outing out of four pitched his month in which he failed to surrender a home run.
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| The Brewers enjoyed a flurry of offense in taking the 7-2 whooping stick to Pittsburgh this evening a outfielder Mike Cameron led the way. Cameron went 3-for-4 at the dish with is fifth home run of the season, totaling two RBIs with one walk and two men left on base. |
Our View: Cameron was caught stealing as well, but he gathered six total bases on the night and set the pace for an evening in which the Brewers posted 14 total hits.
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| Pittsburgh LHP Paul Maholm suffered his fifth loss of the season this evening as the Pirates suffered the 7-2 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers. Maholm lasted 6 1/3 innings, surrendering four runs (all earned) on nine hits with two walks and five strikeouts. |
Our View: This is Maholm's third loss in his last four outings with a no-decision in the mix, a span with 19 total earned runs allowed.
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| Casey Kotchman remains arguably the Angels most consistent contributor. The first baseman doubled home Torii Hunter with the go-ahead run in the third inning, and the Angels snapped a four-game road losing streak in Toronto. |
Our View: Kotchman has 27 RBI, 21 runs, one stolen base and six home runs while hitting .316 on the season.
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| Philadelphia pulled the hard-fought 1-0 win over Washington this evening, but first baseman Ryan Howard continues to struggle for comfort. Howard went 0-for-3 at the dish with strikeouts in all but one of his plate appearances. |
Our View: This brings Howard to eight walks versus an astounding 30 strikeouts for the month of May, and while the home run touch has been a bit more prevalent this month, the inability to approach .200 in the batting average column is growing increasingly worrisome for the man once viewed as the game's top power hitter.
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| It was the Phillies emerging with the 1-0 win over Washington this evening, but LHP Cole Hamels failed to garner the win. Hamels pitched seven innings of shutout baseball, allowing just four hits with two walks and an amazing 11 strikeouts. |
Our View: Hamels entered tonight going 3-0 over his last four starts, going seven or more inning in each with 44 strikeouts versus 19 walks. He may not have gotten the win, but Hamels now sits as one of the most dominating arms of the moment in professional baseball.
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| It was a pitcher's duel as the Phillies traveled to Washington to face the Nationals, and it was the home-town team taking the loss, 1-0, despite a valiant effort from RHP Jason Bergmann . Bergmann pitched seven innings of shutout baseball, allowing just five hits (just one for extra bases) with three walks and five strikeouts. |
Our View: Bergmann walked away with no decision and lowered his ERA to 5.47, posting his second consecutive seven-inning outing on the mound.
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| Yankees reliever LaTroy Hawkins was ejected in the sixth inning of Tuesday's game against the Orioles after throwing at Luke Scott on consecutive pitches. After the second pitch nearly miss Scott's head both benches emptied. |
Our View: The Yankee right-hander was retaliating from a Jeter hit-by-pitch earlier in the game. Expect a find and suspension for Hawkins.
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| Today's MRI for Washington outfielder Austin Kearns' sore right elbow appears to be free of concern, but the team remains cautious in bringing him back to action, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: Manager Manny Acta is going to keep Kearns listed as day-to-day and held him out of his third consecutive game this evening. Acta believes it will be at least a couple of days before Kearns is free and clear of swelling and they would just assume wait and be safe than to push and suffer from a rushed decision.
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| Atlanta outfielder Jeff Francoeur has been held out of action in the Braves' second game of the day, finishing a double-header with the New York Mets, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: This is the first time since his rookie campaign in 2005 that Francoeur has missed a game, ending a Major League-best streak of 370 consecutive games. Francoeur has been battling soreness in his right foot and manager Bobby Cox wanted to rest him after a tough battle against the Mets earlier today (especially with wet and rainy conditions tainting the nightcap).
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| Injured Colorado shortstop Troy Tulowitzki took part in the Rockies' batting practice today, attempting to avoid media attention by jumping in with the pitchers, according to CBSSports.com. |
Our View: Tulo gave himself away with a few long shots into the left-field bleachers, taking his first on-field steps towards recovery since tearing a quad muscle in late April. The team does not expect him back on the field until the All-Star break, but today's appearance has some wondering if he is progressing at an accelerated rate.
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| Milwaukee RHP Carlos Villanueva has been tossed from the Brewers' starting rotation and sent to the bullpen following his loss to Boston on Sunday, bringing RHP Seth McClung into the starting rotation, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: Villanueva is 2-5 with an ERA of 6.43 through nine starts, but life has been especially rough in May (1-3, 9.00 ERA). Manager Ned Yost informed Villanueva of the decision today. McClung is 1-1 with an ERA of 3.79 over 10 relief appearances, going 12-20 over his career in 37 starts.
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| Toronto manager John Gibbons told the team website prior to Tuesday's game that David Eckstein is on target to rejoin the Jays for Thursday's game against the Angels.
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Our View: Eckstein is currently on a rehab assignment with Class A Dunedin. In a game on Monday, the shortstop went 1-for-3 at the plate with a double and a walk.
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| Arizona LHP Doug Davis is all set to return to the rotation and will do so on Friday, according to the Associated Press. |
Our View: Arizona manager Bob Melvin addressed the media and announced Davis will be back with the team on Friday, making his official return from surgery to remove a cancerous thyroid gland performed on April 10th. He has been declared to be fully free of cancer and has completed to rehab starts in Triple-A Tucson. While the news is positive, Melvin has yet to address how the Diamondbacks will make room on the roster for Davis, sure to be a difficult choice. Max Scherzer, a former first-round draft pick, has pitched well during his time in the majors after getting the opportunity when Davis went down. It will be difficult for Arizona to send him down to the minors, so the team may seek alternative methods to free up space. We will update as news becomes available.
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| Florida outfielder Josh Willingham seems likely to miss another month, and possibly more, as he continues to struggle with a herniated disc, according to CBSSports.com. |
Our View: Willingham has been out since April 27th in what seems to be a recurring problem, having struggled with back issues last season. Willingham underwent an MRI in Los Angeles on Monday and was examined by orthopedist Dr. Robert Watkins. Willingham has been told to spend 10 day to three weeks without any baseball activity. That means we are unlikely to see Willingham in action until mid-June.
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| Florida RHP Josh Johnson threw a 51-pitch simulated game on Monday and appears to be progressing towards return, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: Manager Fredi Gonzalez made the trip to Jupiter, Florida to catch a bit of the outing and reports Johnson looked good in taking another step in the return from Tommy John elbow ligament replacement surgery, performed on August 3, 2007. The typical rehab time lasts 12 to 18 months, but it has been just 10 months since Johnson went under the knife. The team remains cautious, but today is a great sign for the not-so-distant future.
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| In an attempt to get the offense back on track, Colorado manager Clint Hurdle has pushed outfielder Scott Podsednik into the top spot in the batting order, according to the Denver Post. |
Our View: Podsednik replaces Willie Taveras who has failed to meet offensive expectations. Podsednik has shown well at the plate and adds speed and the threat of steals to the base paths.
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| With cleanup hitter Ryan Doumit sidelined until further notice, rumors had Pirates skipper John Russell moving Nate McLouth to the middle of the lineup. Russell rebuked the notion and said he liked McLouth hitting behind leadoff man Freddy Sanchez. Tonight, McLouth is hitting third while Jose Bautista hits in the No. 2 slot. |
Our View: Nate McLouth's numbers suggest he could be a productive middle-order hitter. The outfielder has 12 homers, the most among all center fielders in baseball. His 36 RBIs trail just Houston's Lance Berkman for the National League lead. He also sports a .629 slugging percentage, and the 53 hits, the 14 doubles are all team-high totals.
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| New York second baseman Luis Castillo is getting the night off after going 1-for-4 in the first game of today's double-header against the Atlanta Braves, according to the NY Daily News. |
Our View: Castillo has been struggling with a strained left quad but muscled through in Game 1 today. The Mets want to give him a rest, and thus he will be replaced by Damion Easley, set to bat sixth in the order.
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| Mets outfielder Moises Alou hit the field for the first game of the team's double-header against Atlanta today, but he will be replaced by Marlon Anderson for the nightcap, according to the NY Daily News. |
Our View: Alou hasn't been on the field too long and is a veteran that will need rest along the way during the long baseball season. Anderson will hit second in the order tonight.
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| Veteran backup catcher Danny Ardoin, who is hitting the cover off the ball at Triple-A Las Vegas, had his contract purchased by the Dodgers today. Ardoin took the roster spot of catcher Gary Bennett, who was placed on the 15-day DL with plantar fasciitis. |
Our View: To make room for Ardoin onto the 40-man roster, the team had to move Jason Schmidt to the 60-day DL.
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| Gary Bennett was placed on the disabled list Tuesday. The Dodgers backup catcher he is now suffering from plantar fasciitis in his left foot, this according to the LA Daily News. He has been replaced on the roster by veteran backup Danny Ardoin, who has been on fire of late at Triple-A Las Vegas and had his contract purchased. To get Ardoin onto the 40-man roster, Dodgers had to move Jason Schmidt to the 60-day DL. |
Our View: For those of you still holding on to Schmidt, the move to the 60-day DL won't delay his return.
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| The Padres recalled left-hander Joe Thatcher from Class AAA Portland on Tuesday. Thatcher is taking the roster spot of Jake Peavy (elbow) who was placed on the 15-day disabled list.
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Our View: Thatcher began the season with the Padres, going 0-4 with a 6.75 ERA in 16 relief appearances before being optioned to Portland on May 11.
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| Jeff Francoeur's starting streak is over, according to the Atlanta Journal- Constitution.
The Braves right fielder is not in the lineup for the second game of today's doubleheader against the New York Mets. |
Our View: The Braves outfielder has started in 370 consecutive games dating to Oct. 1, 2005. He has the longest active games-played streak in the majors, and Francoeur could still keep that alive if he enters the 7:10 p.m. game in any capacity, be it as a pinch-hitter or defensive substitute.
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| Julian Tavarez has accepted an outright assignment to the PawSox after clearing waivers, this according to the Boston Herald. The report notes that most don’t expect the veteran pitcher to remain there long. It appears that Tavarez only did so to allow the Sox some added time to complete a trade that will land him back in the big leagues sometime in the next few days. |
Our View: The report didn't mention where Tavarez might be headed, but the Mets are a good bet according to RotoTimes sources.
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| Phil Stockman has been added to the Braves "closer by committee" and could be the sleeper among the group to grab the majority of the ninth inning work. The right-hander has impressed manager Bobby Cox since being called up last week. |
Our View: Stockman has a history with the disabled list, but he's been terrific at every stop in his minor league tenure. Stockman allowed only eight hits in 22.1 innings of work at Triple-A Richmond, striking out 19 and walking nine. Owners in NL-only formats looking to vulture saves, should consider taking a chance on Stockman.
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| As expected, the San Diego Padres placed Jake Peavy on the 15-day disabled list Tuesday, one day after an MRI revealed he has a strained right elbow.
According to the (TICKER), the move is retroactive to Thursday, May 15. The reigning National League Cy Young Award winner skipped his scheduled start Monday and will miss at least two more outings before he is eligible to be activated on May 30. To take Peavy’s spot on the roster, the Padres recalled lefthander Joe Thatcher from Class AAA Portland.
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Our View: Peavy will undergo another MRI later this week to determine if the swelling has subsided.
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| Carlos Marmol continues to be the backbone of the Cubs bullpen. The right-hander picked up his 12th hold of the season on Monday. |
Our View: His 1.55 ERA and 0.66 WHIP of 0.66 are over-the-top good and if Kerry Wood were to suffer and untimely injury Marmol would go from setup to closer.
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| James Loney has now hit safely in 12 of his last fourteen games, and he is hitting .314 with one home run and three RBI during that span. |
Our View: Loney has 20 runs, 28 RBI, one stolen base and is hitting .287 on the season. Respectable numbers from a young player that will only get better.
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| After another test on his ailing right shoulder, John Smoltz declared Tuesday he will give no more injury until he's back on the mound for the Atlanta Braves, this according to the Boston Globe. "I'm not going to set a timetable," he told reporters. "You can report I'm doing everything possible to get out there as soon as I can."
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Our View: Smoltz felt some reporters misinterpreted his most recent comments by writing his comeback had run into problems and could be delayed for a lengthy period.
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| Clint Barmes has done a terrific job replacing the injured Troy Tulowitzki. After going 2-for-4 with a home run on Monday night he's raised his batting average to .361, this in 119 at-bats. |
Our View: Barmes' near .400 OBP and .600 slugging percentage are approaching a career campaign for the Roks shortstop, and if he can repeat his 2005 numbers he becomes a mixed league option. Barmes 2005 numbers were in half a season (81 games), but his .289 batting average with 55 runs, 101 hits, 10 home runs and 46 RBI where worthy in any format.
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| Luis Castillo hit his first homer of the season and scored the lone run for the Mets in Tuesday's 6-1 loss to Atlanta. He went 1-for-4 overall. |
Our View: He has eight runs scored with seven RBI over 16 games in May. His strained left quad seems to be fine now.
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| John Maine was dealt his third loss of the season on Tuesday, as the Mets fell to Atlanta 6-1. Maine surrendered four runs on eight hits over a mere four innings of work, with three walks and two strikeouts. |
Our View: Maine is now 5-3 for the season, with a 3.29 ERA. He is still enjoying a strong season, as he allowed two or less runs in each of his previous seven starts. He should bounce back fine.
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| Brian McCann went 2-for-4 with three RBI and blasted his eighth homer of the season in Tuesday's 6-1 win over the Mets. |
Our View: He now has 29 RBI over 42 games this season as well, and raised his average to .321. That was also his seventh multi-hit game in May.
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| Tom Glavine picked up his second win of the season on Tuesday against his former team, the Mets. Atlanta won 6-1, and Glavine only allowed one run on three hits over six innings, with one walk and four strikeouts. The only run came on a Luis Castillo home run. |
Our View: Glavine allowed 12 runs over his previous three starts and this was a strong effort as he got himself back on track.
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| Denny Bautista is scheduled to throw another bullpen session early this week after throwing a successful second session Sunday morning, according to MLB.com. Bautista started to mix in his breaking ball Sunday, but should throw a full session in his next one. He is recovering from right shoulder tendinitis. |
Our View: That should be the last test before he begins to face live hitters, possibly in a Minor League rehab assignment. He held a 1.88 WHIP over 13.1 innings before getting hurt, and isn't worth waiting for as a fantasy prospect.
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| John Smoltz still has inflammation and discomfort in his right shoulder, and he is now unsure when he will be able to pitch again, according to the AP. The 41-year-old veteran reported problems after his bullpen sessions Thursday and Saturday. He has a long history of pitching well while dealing with mild discomfort and commented that if all goes favorably Tuesday, his plans for a minor league rehab stint this month "could very easily fast-track." Smoltz has been on the DL twice this season with a sore right shoulder, and says his current three-week stint could extend much longer if his attempts to throw make the trouble worse. He added, "See, if I keep creating more inflammation there’s my answer. That’s just what I have to deal with. I have to deal with my body showing me a reaction, whether it been a day later or two days later. Until I have that answer I can’t really follow anything else. If physically I can make the adjustments, I will. If I physically can’t make the adjustments, then there’s no medicine, physical treatments that will help. I’ve still got time."
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Our View: Smoltz has been on the DL since April 29 with inflammation, and he hopes to learn more after throwing on the side Tuesday. He will work out of the bullpen if and when he returns to the Braves this season.
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| Pedro Martinez says he wants to return to the Mets' rotation by the start of next week, but Coach Willie Randolph stated to reporters that he doesn't expect Martinez back before the home series against the Dodgers that starts May 29, according to the NY Post. |
Our View: Martinez is echeduled to throw a bullpen session on Wednesday, and is expected to make at least one minor-league rehab assignment.
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| Third baseman Edwin Encarnacion was out of the starting lineup Monday night for the series opener against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Reds television network reported that skipper Dusty Baker said the third baseman needed a day off to rest, and with his current poor form some R&R would do him good. |
Our View: Encarnacion was 9-for-53 with four RBI in his last 14 games going into Monday night.
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| The LA Times reports that Dodgers' shortstop Rafael Furcal took ground balls and hit on the field for the first time since being put on the disabled list. |
Our View: Furcal is eligible to be activated from the DL on Wednesday, but skipper Joe Torre guessed that he wouldn't play until the Dodgers open a three-game series the against St. Louis Cardinals on Friday.
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| Tim Redding has thrown four quality starts in his last five, and his Monday night effort was by far the best of his previous three. The right-hander shut out the Phillies for 6.1 innings allowing seven hits, walking two and striking out two. |
Our View: Watch Redding in future starts. His BHIP percentage (.205) has been too good, carrying him to some quality innings that could have been much worse. That said, his 3.16 ERA and 1.16 WHIP don't warrant serious concerns.
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| Bronson Arroyo continued his up and down season. After two strong starts, the right-hander regressed again. Arroyo allowed five runs (three earned) on nine hits, walked three and struck out thee in five innings. |
Our View: The Cincinnati starter was coming off an outing on three days rest, so we will give him the benefit of the doubt and consider the outing had some fatigue factor.
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| Ronnie Belliard has been placed on the 15-day DL, according to MLB.com. He was brought down with a left calf strain, and the move is retroactive to Friday. The club is expected to recall reliever Chris Schroder from Triple-A Columbus on Tuesday to fill Belliard's spot on the roster. Belliard said, "It's still sore right now, but I'm working on it. I'm going to take batting practice and do a little running. I'm going to go over there and be with my teammates. Right now, I'm kind of hurt. We'll take it day-by-day." |
Our View: Belliard was only hitting .194 with two homers and nine RBI over 26 games played this season, and held little to no fantasy value prior to landing on the DL.
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| Moises Alou is going to return to his post in left field today in the first game of a double-header against Atlanta, according to the NY Daily News. He served as the Mets' DH during their inter-league series with the Yankees, to rest his aging body. He is penciled in to bat sixth in the lineup. |
Our View: Alou is yet to hit his first homer but is performing well regardless, as he holds a .341 average over 11 games, with seven RBI and one stolen base. Alou can still get the job done.
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| Brad Hawpe was not in the Rockies' lineup on Monday due to poor play, according to the Rocky Mountain News. He was only 5-for-32 over his previous 10 games. |
Our View: Hawpe is only hitting .236 over 41 games, with a mere three homers and 16 RBI. The Rockies sat him, and you should too, until he gets on trac | |
