|
|
| The Nationals activated Ronnie Belliard from the DL after Monday's game. He has been out with a strained left calf. |
Our View: Belliard should get significant playing time at second with Felipe Lopez struggling.
|
|
|
|
| Josh Fogg is scheduled to make a rehab start on Tuesday at Single-A Sarasota, according to MLB.com. He is recovering from lower back spasms. |
Our View: Fogg should be back by the end of the month, and he's likely to pitch out of the bullpen.
|
|
|
|
| Tyler Clippard allowed three runs on five hits and four walks while striking out six in 4 1/3 innings in his Nationals debut Monday. Clippard came to Washington from New York in an offseason trade. |
Our View: Clippard was filling in for John Lannan, who would've had to pitch on short rest with last Thursday's doubleheader. He was sent back to Triple-A Columbus after the game.
|
|
|
|
| Edinson Volquez allowed three runs for the first time all year Monday but still won his ninth game of the season. The righty gave up three hits and five walks while striking out five. |
Our View: Well, we guess Volquez was due for a "bad" start. In all seriousness, the 24-year-old is probably due for a rough patch shortly, so selling high on him might not be a bad idea.
|
|
|
|
| Brad Thompson didn't fare well in his first rehab outing Monday for Triple-A Memphis, allowing four runs on five hits over 3 2/3 innings. Thompson is coming back from inflammation in his pitching elbow. |
Our View: Thompson will likely need at least a couple more starts before he's ready to join the Cards. He was clearly not sharp in this outing.
|
|
|
|
| Matt Cain picked up his third win of the year Monday, allowing just one run on eight hits and a walk while striking out six over 6 1/3 innings. |
Our View: Cain has been hurt by walks this year, but he was stingy with the free passes tonight.
|
|
|
|
| Paul Bako hit a two-run and a three-run homer in Monday's 9-4 win over Florida. The veteran backstop now has six dingers and 20 RBI on the year. |
Our View: Bako has done nothing since his surprising April, so this came out of nowhere. Do yourself a favor and don't pick him up based on this game.
|
|
|
|
| Burke Badenhop has been bumped to the bullpen, according to the Palm Beach Post. He will be replaced by Ryan Tucker, who made his major league debut Sunday. "They were looking for a shot in the arm in the starting rotation and (Tucker) absolutely earned a shot," Badenhop said. "I'm lucky enough that I can go out there and relieve. If I couldn't relieve I wouldn't be here." |
Our View: Badenhop holds a 6.38 ERA in 11 games (eight starts) this year. He can be dropped in all formats.
|
|
|
|
| Josh Johnson five innings in a minor-league game Monday, his first game action since undergoing elbow surgery last August, according to the Palm Beach Post. Johnson is expected to join Marlins rotation sometime after the All-Star break, though the team is not setting any target dates. "He may be a little ahead of schedule, but let's wait and see," manager Fredi Gonzalez said. |
Our View: Those in NL-only leagues may want to think about adding Johnson now in anticipation of his return.
|
|
|
|
| Norris Hopper is starting in the outfield for Single-A Sarasota Monday. He is coming back from right elbow inflammation. |
Our View: Hopper should be back in a week or so if he doesn't suffer any setbacks.
|
|
|
|
| Jeff Keppinger is serving as the DH for Single-A Sarasota Monday, according to MLB.com. The shortstop is coming back from a fractured kneecap. |
Our View: Assuming all goes well during the rehab, Keppinger could be back in a week or so.
|
|
|
|
| Joel Pineiro will be activated from the DL sometime this week, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The right-hander has been out with a right groin strain. |
Our View: Pineiro will likely start on Thursday in place of Adam Wainwright.
|
|
|
|
| Todd Wellemeyer will rejoin the Cardinals rotation when the team returns home to face Philadelphia this weekend, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The righty, who was supposed to pitch Tuesday but is resting a sore elbow, will likely take the ball on Saturday. |
Our View: The injury sounded minor, but it's good to know for sure that Wellemeyer won't need to go on the DL.
|
|
|
|
| The Cardinals will place Adam Wainwright on the DL Tuesday with a sprained right middle finger, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Wainwright on Monday met with team doctors, who prescribed rest for the injury. The righty will be re-evaluated later this week to see if rest and ongoing treatment will permit him to begin throwing again. |
Our View: Joel Pineiro will be activated from the DL and will presumably make Wainwright's start on Thursday.
|
|
|
|
| Jerry Hairston Jr. left Mondays game in the first inning with a farctured left thumb, according to SportsTicker. He was replaced at shortstop by Paul Janish. |
Our View: This is too bad for Hairston, who was really playing well. Janish will likely take over at short until Jeff Keppinger is ready to return.
|
|
|
|
| Ryan Wagner, who is recovering from shoulder surgery, pitched a simulated game Monday. Manager Manny Acta said the session was "rough" because of a blister that developed on Wagner's finger, according to the AP. Wagner will throw a few more sim games before the team decides when he's ready for a rehab assignment. |
Our View: Wagner had virtually no fantasy value before he was hurt, and that's not going to change after major surgery.
|
|
|
|
| Ronnie Belliard will play for Single-A Potomac on Monday night after a brief rehab stint at Double-A Harrisburg, according to the AP. Belliard, who is recovering from a strained left calf, will join the Nats during the three-game series in Pittsburgh, which begins Tuesday. |
Our View: Felipe Lopez has really struggled at the dish lately, so Belliard should get significant playing time at second.
|
|
|
|
| Ryan Zimmerman began rehab exercises for his injured left shoulder Monday, according to the AP. The third baseman was set to have the shoulder re-examined later in the day. "I'm not going to go out there and not swing at a 2-0 fastball if I want to swing at a 2-0 fastball," Zimmerman said. "That's embarrassing to me and not good for the team. That's the biggest thing. I don't mind the pain. I can play through the pain. It's only going to hurt three or four times a game, but I have to be productive and I'm not going to take somebody out of the lineup who can hit a home run when I can barely hit the ball out of the infield." |
Our View: Zimmerman thinks he can avoid surgery, but it will still be a long time before he'll return to the lineup. We'll continue to track his progress.
|
|
|
|
| Josh Willingham ran the bases, fielded fly balls and took live batting practice Monday, according to MLB.com. The outfielder is progressing well from his back injury and could possibly start a rehab assignment by the end of the week. |
Our View: Since he's been out so long, Willingham will need multiple rehab games to get ready. He set June 24 as a possible return date but admitted that that was just a guess. However, it sounds like he will definitely be back by the end of the month if he doesn't have any setbacks.
|
|
|
|
| Dmitri Young is back in the lineup Monday after missing three games with the flu. He is playing first base and batting cleanup. |
Our View: It's good to see Meathook recover from the sniffles. Insert him into your lineup if you normally would.
|
|
|
|
| The Mets have placed Ryan Church on the DL, according to the Journal News. Church came back briefly from a concussion that he suffered nearly three weeks ago but was recently shut down because he was still experiencing post-concussion symptoms. |
Our View: The Mets are off today, so they'll likely just replace Church with Moises Alou, who is expected to be activated from the DL tomorrow.
|
|
|
|
| Brad Thompson will throw roughly 45 pitches in his rehab start with Triple-A Memphis Monday, according to MLB.com. The righty is coming back from inflammation in his pitching elbow. "I want to go out there and make quality pitches," Thompson said. "I want to go out there and feel comfortable, pound the strike zone and get back used to what I've been doing." |
Our View: With the rash of injuries that have suddenly hit the Cards' pitching staff, they could use Thompson to make a start or two. We'll let you know how his start tonight goes. He'll likely need at least one more start after Monday's outing before being activated.
|
|
|
|
| The Dodgers are expected to recall Andy LaRoche from Triple-A Las Vegas before Tuesday's game, according to MLB.com. LaRoche is expected to serve as a backup to Blake DeWitt at third base, James Loney at first base and even Jeff Kent at second base. |
Our View: LaRoche had never played second until the Dodgers put him there a couple weeks ago, presumably so that he could be used in a utility role in the majors. He was batting .277 with five homers and 26 RB with a .444 OBP at Triple-A. LaRoche's ceiling is higher than Blake DeWitt's but DeWitt has played well enough that he should still get the majority of starts at the hot corner.
|
|
|
|
| The Dodgers optioned Chin-lung Hu to Triple-A Las Vegas Monday. Hu hit just .159 in 107 at-bats with the club. Andy LaRoche is expected to be recalled to take his place, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: Hu hit really well in the minors last year, but he has been overmatched at the big league level.
|
|
|
|
| With Rickie Weeks out with a knee injury, Craig Counsell figures to pick up most of the starts at second base. Joe Dillon and Hernan Iribarren will also be in the mix for playing time. |
Our View: Counsell has been useless at the plate this year, but he's worth an NL-only bid simply because he'll see at-bats.
|
|
|
|
| The Brewers recalled Hernan Iribarren from Triple-A Nashville Monday to replace the injured Rickie Weeks on the roster. |
Our View: Iribarren can play second but has been playing mostly in the outfield at Nashville. He'll probably get some time at second while Weeks is out, but Craig Counsell will get the majority of the time.
|
|
|
|
| The Brewers placed Rickie Weeks on the DL Monday with a sprained left knee. Hernan Iribarren was recalled from Triple-A Nashville to replace him on the roster. |
Our View: It's not clear at this point as to the severity of the injury. The team had been saying Weeks was just day-to-day, which would lead you to believe it's not too serious, but we'll let you know for sure when more info is available.
|
|
|
|
| The Braves have purchased the contract of Brian Lawrence from the Camden Riversharks of the Independent League and assigned him to Triple-A Richmond. |
Our View: Lawrence was 2-2 with a 3.21 ERA and 32 strikeouts to nine walks for Camden. He held a 6.83 ERA in six starts for the Mets last season. He'll provide depth at Triple-A for the Braves but isn't likely to have any fantasy value.
|
|
|
|
| Zach Duke only allowed two earned runs on five hits over six innings in Monday's 5-3 victory over the Diamondbacks, with two walks and five strikeouts. One of the runs given up came on a Mark Reynolds homer. |
Our View: Duke evened his record to 4-4 with the win, and lowered his ERA to 4.10. He is now 2-0 in June, and only allowed two earned runs in his previous outing on the 4th (against Houston).
|
|
|
|
| Mark Reynolds went 3-for-4 with a solo homer in Monday's 5-3 loss to Pittsburgh. His other two hits both went for doubles. |
Our View: He has 14 homers and 40 RBI over 59 games. He now has three homers over his last two games, as he hit a pair last night in a 6-4 loss to the Pirates.
|
|
|
|
| Randy Johnson was rocked for five runs (four earned) on six hits over 5.2 innings in Monday's 5-3 loss to the Pirates, with five walks and three strikeouts. |
Our View: He falls to 4-3 for the season with a 4.10 ERA. That was his highest walk total and tied his second highest number of earned runs allowed this season.
|
|
|
|
| It has been revealed that Rickie Weeks has a sprained left knee, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. |
Our View: Weeks is listed as day-to-day and the team did not indicate whether a trip to the DL is being considered.
|
|
|
|
| Chipper Jones has been named the NL Player of the Week, according to the Sports Network. Jones led the NL with a .579 (11-for-19) batting average, a 1.105 slugging percentage and a .652 on-base percentage for the week, with his 11 hits tying for the most in the league. He also blasted three homers, with six RBI.
|
Our View: Jones is still hitting above .400 with a .420 mark, over 58 games.
|
|
|
|
| Right-handed hurler Tyler Clippard has been recalled from Triple-A Columbus, according to the AP. Pitcher Garrett Mock has been optioned back to Triple-A, as an adjoining move. |
Our View: He will make a spot start tonight against the Giants in place of John Lannan, who pitched in last Thursday's double-header and would have to pitch on short rest if left in the rotation for tonight's scheduled outing. Clippard made six starts in 2007, and went 3-1, but held a poor 6.33 ERA and 1.70 WHIP. He is not worth fantasy consideration.
|
|
|
|
| Ramon Castro was pulled from the starting lineup and fined by coach Willie Randolph for arriving just 57 minutes prior to Sunday's first pitch, according to the NY Daily News. |
Our View: Castro said he confused the time zones, as the game was played on the West Coast against the Padres. He insisted he thought the game was at 4:05 p.m. local time, not 1:05 p.m.
|
|
|
|
| Moises Alou is confident he will return from the DL on Tuesday, according to the NY Daily News. He said, "When we win, it makes it easier on me. Now I want to be in there more." He has recovered from a strained left calf.
|
Our View: Alou was hitting .340 over 47 at-bats this season, with seven RBI. The 41-year old outfielder will provide a boost to the middle of the Mets' order, but it remains in question if he can stay healthy, as this will be the second time that he returned from the DL this season.
|
|
|
|
| Chad Cordero, who is recovering from a torn shoulder muscle, is scheduled to throw a bullpen session on Wednesday at the Nationals' team complex in Florida, according to the Washington Post. |
Our View: This is his first significant step in his recovery. He is expected to remain in Florida for around two weeks, and will then begin a rehab assignment, barring a setback. He hopes to return to Washington by late June, but will have a tough time pushing Jon Rauch from the closer's role.
|
|
|
|
| Michael Bourn was penciled back into the seventh spot in the Astros' lineup on Sunday, and may remain out of the leadoff spot for a while, according to the Houston Chronicle. Manager Cecil Cooper stated, "That's a young player we're talking about that hasn't played every day that much. Some guys it affects and some guys it doesn't. I'm not saying it affects Michael. We haven't had enough time to see that. It might affect him. I don't know."
|
Our View: Hunter Pence is serving as the leadoff hitter. Bourn has 24 stolen bases, but is only hitting .224 over 223 at-bats, with 52 strikeouts. He is better suited for his lower spot in the order for the time being.
|
|
|
|
| Andy LaRoche was taken out of a game on Saturday after being hit by a pitch on the middle finger of his right hand, but X-rays were negative and LaRoche returned to action on Sunday, according to the LA Times.
|
Our View: He went 2-for-3 in the game, and his ailment didn't hinder him. Manager Joe Torre previously mentioned that LaRoche was close to getting recalled from Triple-A, and as early as Monday.
|
|
|
|
| Scott Elbert returned to the diamond and made a pair of relief appearances for Double-A Jacksonville last week, according to the LA Times. |
Our View: That was his first game action since undergoing shoulder surgery last season. Elbert was the Dodgers' top pick in the 2004 draft.
|
|
|
|
| Andruw Jones is ahead of schedule in his recovery from a meniscus tear in his right knee, according to the LA Times. He has already started hitting in the batting cage, and feels like he can run, although the team doesn't want him to yet. |
Our View: He has a good shot to return before the All-Star break, barring a regression in his recovery.
|
|
|
|
| Merkin Valdez struck out the side for Single-A San Jose in a rehab inning on Saturday, according to the SF Chronicle. |
Our View: Valdez held a 1.69 ERA and 1.31 WHIP over 16 innings this season, with 13 strikeouts. He is recovering from a strained right elbow.
|
|
|
|
| Jonathan Sanchez is pitching very well as of late, and it is namely due to improved mental focus, according to the SF Chronicle. Manager Bruce Bochy said, "I think more than anything it's his focus. He's maintaining it no matter what happens with men on base. He's not losing it. He's not getting distracted. That was his biggest problem early."
|
Our View: Sanchez is 5-3 this season with a 3.70 ERA and 1.38 WHIP. He continues to hold his most fantasy value in the strikeouts department, as he fired 75 over 75.1 innings.
|
|
