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| Joe Blanton allowed six runs on six hits, walked none and struck out two in a 6-4 loss to the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday night. |
Our View: Blanton suffered his 12th loss of the season against five wins. Coming into the game Blanton was 2-1 over his last three starts, alloweding only one earned run in each of his two wins.
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| Javier Vazquez allowed six runs on 11 hits, walked one and struck out three in a no-decision against Kansas City on Wednesday night. |
Our View: Vazquez was actually the pitcher of record until late in the game when the White Sox offense pounded Royals' starter Brian Bannister and later the bullpen to take Vazquez off the hook. The White Sox starter hasn't been very good away from home this season, and that trend continued despite the 7-6 win over the Royals.
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| The Dodgers needed a strong effort off the mound to insure a tight 2-1 win over the Braves this evening, and that's what ace Derek Lowe provided. Lowe pitched 7 2/3 innings, allowing just one run on two hits with one walk and four strikeouts. |
Our View: This is the Derek Lowe the Dodger fans have been hoping to see, now sitting at 7-8 on the season with an ERA of 3.85. He had suffered three losses over his last four outings in June but is now 2-0 in July with just one combined walk allowed.
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| Veteran hurler Tim Hudson suffered his seventh loss of the season as his Braves struggled to get the bats warm at the plate, falling 2-1 against the Dodgers. Hudson pitched seven innings, allowing just two runs (both earned) on four hits with two walks and four strikeouts. |
Our View: Hudson went just 1-3 through six June starts, allowing a total of 17 earned runs along the way. The hope was to find offensive support and get back on track in July, but tonight's loss shows that the hits are still an issue.
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| The Dodgers and Braves battled through a pitcher's duel this evening, but in the end it was the bat of Matt Kemp that pushed LA to the 2-1 win. Kemp went 2-for-4 with the game-tying, 2-out home run in the sixth. |
Our View: Kemp has been a reasonable source of power, hitting four homers with 14 RBIs through June. This is his first dinger this month making his .235 batting average a little more concerning.
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| Colorado LHP Glendon Rusch pitched a gem of a game this evening, leading his Rockies to an 8-3 win over Milwaukee. Rusch pitched six innings, allowing just one earned run on five hits with no walks and four strikeouts. |
Our View: Rusch needed the win, having gone since April 26th without one. His use has been sporadic along the way but the Rockies need help in the rotation and feel Rusch can provide that arm. Tonight's showing gives a strong indication he might be up to the challenge.
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| The Rockies brought plenty of offense to the park this evening, pulling the 8-3 win over the Brewers. It was third baseman Garrett Atkins carrying the load, going 3-for-4 with two homers on the night, good for three RBIs and two runs scored. |
Our View: Atkins is lighting the world on fire thus far in July, going 17-for-37 at the dish (.459) with four homers and 12 RBIs through nine games.
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| Milwaukee RHP Ben Sheets suffered just his third loss of the season as the Brewers fell 8-3 to Colorado. Sheets pitched six innings, allowing three runs (all earned) on five hits with just two walks and 11 strikeouts. |
Our View: Sheets now carries a record of 10-3 with an ERA of 2.85. He's pitching well and keeping mistakes to a minimum, boasting 28 walks versus 108 strikeouts.
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| The Brewers suffered the the 8-3 loss this evening against Colorado, though third baseman Bill Hall tried his best to reverse their fortunes. Hall went 2-for-4 at the dish with his 16th double and 12th homer of the season, totaling one RBI and two runs scored on the night. |
Our View: Hall hit just .164 through 55 June at-bats, though his six homers with 15 RBIs was of great benefit for fantasy owners and the Brewers alike. Through 24 July at-bats, he's hitting .417 with two homers and nine RBIs, well on pace to exceed those numbers last month.
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| Chicago ace Carlos Zambrano made the job of working as the catalyst for success look easy this evening, putting the Cincinnati reds to bed with ease. Zambrano pitched eight innings of dominating baseball, allowing just one run on one hit with no walks and five strikeouts. |
Our View: The win is Zambrano's 10th on the season, touting an ERA of 2.84. His only mistake: a 2nd-inning homer to Adam Dunn. After going 1-2 through four starts in June, Zambrano is now 2-0 in July with one earned run allowed through 14 innings of work.
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| The Cubbies earned the 5-1 win this evening against the Reds on pitching, but third baseman Aramis Ramirez made the offense work to insure the job got done. Ramirez went 2-for-3 with one walk, his 22nd double and 16th home run on the season to total two RBIs and one runs scored on the night. |
Our View: Ramirez hit just .265 through June and thus far is on track for similar numbers in July, though he has already earned eight RBIs and is well on pace to eclipse the 17 he posted last month.
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| The Cincinnati Reds managed to find just two hits in their 5-1 loss to the Cubs, leaving RHP Johnny Cueto out to dry despite a strong overall performance on the mound. Cueto pitched 6 2/3 innings to allowed five runs (four earned) on eight hits with two walks and six strikeouts. |
Our View: The only big mistake was to third baseman Aramis Ramirez, hitting a homer in the sixth with no runners on base. Unfortunately the Reds failed to get the offensive support in line, giving him his first loss in three starts.
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| Philadelphia LHP J.A. Happ put forth a strong effort on the mound this evening but left with no decision despite his team's 4-2 win over St. Louis. Happ pitched 6 1/3 innings, allowing two runs (both earned) on five hits with four walks and five strikeouts. |
Our View: This was an impressive outing in just his second start of the season. He's allowed just two earned runs in both, though the Phillies hope he can get the walks under control.
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| Philadelphia first baseman Ryan Howard continues to get back on track, leading his Phillies to a 4-2 win over the Cardinals this evening. Howard went 2-for-3 at the dish with one walk and his 25th homer of the season, totaling two RBIs and one run scored on the night. |
Our View: Howard appears to be ready to reward those fantasy owners that held steady, hitting .333 through the early games of July heading into tonight's strong outing. He now has five homers with 12 RBIs and six runs scored through nine games this month.
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| The teams had to fight through rain delays to reach the end, but the Cardinals found a loss at the end, falling 4-2 to the Phillies. The Cards posted just six total hits on the evening with outfielder Rick Ankiel suffering the worst, going 0-for-4 with one walk and three strikeouts on the night. |
Our View: Fantasy owners hope this is a minor bump in an otherwise successful road through July, hitting .333 on the month coming into this evening with four homers and eight RBIs through seven July games.
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| Mets LHP Johan Santana enjoyed a strong evening on the mound, earning his eighth win of the season by pitching five innings to surrender no runs on just three hits with three walks and five strikeouts. |
Our View: Santana is hoping to bounce back from a worrisome June, going 1-4 despite posting a 2.27 ERA. Thus far it's going well, allowing just two total earned runs over two starts with three walks and 11 strikeouts.
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| The Mets put the 5-0 whooping on the Giants this evening, though the top of the batting order failed to support the cause as hitters one through five posted a combined total of two hits. Instead, it was first baseman Carlos Delgado getting the job done, going 3-for-4 with two doubles to total two runs scored on the evening. |
Our View: Delgado is on fire, going 15-for-35 thus far through July with two homers, five RBIs, and 10 runs scored.
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| The Giants failed to wake up for tonight's game against the Mets, falling 5-0 with a total of three hits as a team on the evening. As a result, LHP Jonathan Sanchez suffered his fifth loss of the season, pitching four innings to allow three runs (all earned) on three hits with three walks and six strikeouts. |
Our View: Sanchez was a stud through June, going 5-1 with 14 total earned runs allowed through six starts (a total of 40.2 innings). July has not started as nicely, suffering a no-decision after five innings in his first start followed by tonight's performance, tainted by a total lack of offensive support.
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| Pittsburgh RHP John Van Benschoten suffered through a volatile evening on the mound as his Pirates fell 64 versus Houston. Van Benschoten pitched just 4 2/3 innings, allowing four runs (all earned) on seven hits with six walks and six strikeouts. |
Our View: Van Benschoten walked off with no decision and now touts a troublesome ERA of 9.77. Unfortunately, this also ranks as his longest start of the season thus far.
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| Pittsburgh outfielder Nate McLouth continues to enjoy strong performances at the plate despite suffering the 6-4 loss versus Houston. McLouth went 3-for-4 at the plate with three doubles, failing to get a single RBI but posting two runs scored on the night. |
Our View: McLouth now touts 32 doubles on the season and is well on his way to improving on the .214 batting average posted last month, going 11-for-32 thus far in July with two homers and eight RBIs.
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| The Astros used the bat to get the 6-4 win against the Pirates this evening with shortstop Geoff Blum serving as the leader of the cause. Blum went just 1-for-5 at the dish, but the one hit was his sixth homer of the season, good for three RBIs. |
Our View: Blum is being used in spot action, though his offensive numbers have failed to impress. Tonight is one of few blips on his fantasy resume this season.
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| The Cubs have announced newly-acquired ace Rich Harden will make his first start as a Cub this weekend, though they have not specified if it will be on Friday or Saturday, according to CBSSports.com. |
Our View: Chicago manager Lou Piniella said Wednesday that since the Cubs do have six starters they have the luxury of giving someone an extra day of rest, and at this point, it is believed that Harden will be the lucky recipient of the day off. We will update when the Cubs specify which day he'll hit the mound, but for now, we know his NL debut will come against the Giants.
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| Washington LHP John Lannan enjoyed a strong evening on the mound tonight, bringing his Nationals to a 5-0 win over Arizona. Lannan pitched six innings of shutout baseball, allowing just two hits with three walks and no strikeouts. |
Our View: Lannan now sits at 5-9 on the season with an ERA of 3.40. This is Lannan's first win since May 18th, going 0-5 through eight starts before tonight, though he allowed just 20 combined earned runs through those starts.
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| Washington wasn't an offensive juggernaut tonight, but they found the hits needed to get the 5-0 win over Arizona with first outfielder Kory Castro leading the way. Castro went 2-for-3 at the plate with one walk and his fourth double of the season to total two RBIs and one run scored on the night. |
Our View: There's no reason to launch Castro into your starting lineup, boasting this as just his second multi-hit game this season.
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| Arizona RHP Micah Owings did what he could to get his team on track for a better night at the park, but the Diamondbacks failed to produce any semblence of offensive support, falling 5-0 to the Washington Nationals. Owings pitched 5 2/3 innings, allowing three runs (all earned) on just one hit with five walks and two strikeouts. |
Our View: The runs came of a homer in the 5th by pinch hitter Jesus Flores, his fifth homer of the season and the 12th homer allowed this season by Owings. He had struggled with surrendering the long ball over the first two months of the season but had allowed just three homers through five starts in June. Owings hasn't recorded a win since May 25th, going 0-6 over eight starts since.
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| Edgar Renteria left Wednesday night's game against the Indians with a mild left hamstring strain. Renteria pulled up after crossing first base and was replaced by Placido Polanco who came into play second base and Roman Santiago moved from second base to shortstop. |
Our View: More on Renteria when the information becomes available.
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| The Rockies have recalled outfielder Seth Smith from Triple-A Colorado Springs, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: Smith will be in uniform for Wednesday night's game against the Brewers, originally sent down when the Rockies called up infielder Jayson Nix on Tuesday, but he didn't even board a plane before Colorado called on him again due to the injury suffered by Ryan Spilborghs.
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| Following Wednesday's 5-2 win over the Padres, the Marlins announced that the RHP Logan Kensing has been optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: The Marlins needed to make a roster move so that Josh Johnson can be reinstated from the 60-day disabled list on Thursday. The right-handed Johnson is recovered from Tommy John ligament replacement surgery and will start against Los Angeles at Dodger Stadium. In 34 relief appearances, Kensing is 3-1 with a 4.19 ERA. He's thrown 43 innings in roles ranging from long relief to eighth-inning setup duties.
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| According to the Cubs team website manager Lou Piniella said Alfonso Soriano will not be ready in time for next week's game at Yankee Stadium. |
Our View: Soriano and teammate Kosuke Fukudome were named to the National League All-Star outfield, and while Fukudome will play, Soriano will be a spectator.
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| The Nationas watched injured third baseman Ryan Zimmerman take batting practice with the team this evening, his second consecutive day doing so, and he reports there is no pain or discomfort, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: Zimmerman has been on the disabled list since early June because of a small tear in his left labrum. The Nationals are hoping that he returns to action by late July or sometime in August. The team also reports Zimmerman will most likely will get the day off on Thursday and have another batting practice session on Friday. During the Friday session, Zimmerman is expected to hit breaking balls for the first time.
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| Edgar Renteria hit a run scoring single in the bottom of the sixth inning on Wednesday night. The RBI was his first since June 15th. |
Our View: Renteria started the season on fire, but his home (.307) and road (.208) splits and his lack of production the last month have turned him from pleasant surprise to fantasy reserve.
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| Mark Mulder left his return start against the Philadelphia Phillies due to pain in his left shoulder. The southpaw exited after throwing only 16 pitches and recording one out.
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Our View: According to Rototimes sources Mulder couldn't pitch without pain in his throwing shoulder and decided it best to err on the side of caution. More on Mulder when information becomes available.
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| Kazuo Matsui was activated from the 15-day disabled list and was back in the starting lineup Wednesday night against the Pirates. Pitcher Chad Reineke was optioned to triple-A Round Rock to make room on the 25-man roster for Matsui. The Astros second baseman is hitting second in the batting order.
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Our View: Matsui has been out since June 22 because of a strained right hamstring.
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| Arizona outfielder Justin Upton is out of the lineup this evening, replaced by Chad Tracy. |
Our View: Upton is nursing a strained ribcage and is going to get a rest. The injury is not believed to be a concern, but the D'backs are proceeding with caution.
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| Updating an earlier report, it now appears the Arizona Diamondbacks are not considering the addition of outfielder Barry Bonds , according to MLB.com. |
Our View: According to sources for MLB.com, the D'backs had internal discussions about signing Bonds, who remains unsigned after the Giants elected not to re-sign him following the 2007 season, as it had about several potential free agents and possible trade acquisitions, but decided to move forward. GM Josh Byrnes had issued comments that led many to believe that Arizona was interested, but now he has proclaimed those talks are dead. Bonds aside, Byrnes continues to work the phones to try and get some help for his team before the trade deadline. While the team has struggled offensively, Byrnes didn't rule out also seeking a pitcher.
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| The Cardinals report Ryan Franklin will continue as the primary closer, but the team has desires to slowly reintroduce Jason Isringhausen into that mix as well, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: The entire relief strategy is a work in progress as the Cardinals attempt to solidify the best mix. Franklin entered the eighth inning of a tie game at home on Saturday, indicating that perhaps Jason Isringhausen would have been the pitcher with a lead in the ninth. Isringhausen did not appear in Tuesday night's game, however, with Kyle McClellan handling setup duties for Franklin. Isringhausen was placed on the disabled list after a lengthy and deep slump, but since his return to active duty he's pitched very well. It's still considered a matter of time before he is reinstated to his former job. La Russa said Wednesday that while Franklin is the primary ninth-inning pitcher for now, it's not quite as certain as it was a couple of weeks ago.
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| Updating an earlier report, the Rockies have in fact placed outfielder Ryan Spilborghs on the 15-day disabled list after leaving last night's game with an oblique strain, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: To take his place on the roster, outfielder Seth Smith was recalled from Triple-A Colorado Springs. Smith will be in uniform for tonight's game against the Milwaukee Brewers.
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| While Ryan Franklin is still considered the Cardinals' primary closer, skipper Tony La Russa said it is no longer automatic that Franklin will be the ninth inning option, this according to the team website.
When Franklin pitched the eighth inning of a tie game at home on Saturday, it indicated that Jason Isringhausen will begin to see some ninth inning opportunities.
"You just keep pitching [Isringhausen], and he's going to pitch in critical situations," La Russa said. "And you keep evaluating on a game-to-game basis who's available and who should pitch when. What's a timetable for? What's the need for a timetable?"
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Our View: Since returning from the disabled list, Isringhausen has been effective. The report noted that it's just a matter of time before Izzy is reinstated to his former role.
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| Michael Bourn continues to struggle so Darin Erstad and Hunter Pence have been filling the leadoff role for the Astros. In fact, Erstad has been finding the starting lineup more recently. Bourn was held out of Monday's game for the third time over the Independence Day weekend and Erstad got most of his at-bats. |
Our View: Bourn offers stolen bases, while Erstad offers more stability, including power. The veteran has 11 doubles and two home runs in 127 at-bats, while Bourn has six doubles and four home runs in 317 plate appearances.
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| Kevin Gregg, who blew two saves on the fourth of July weekend, tossed seven pitches to record two-outs in the ninth inning of Wednesday's 5-2 victory over the Padres for his 17th save. |
Our View: When Gregg has stuggled this year it's been because of his command. His Achilles has been his 5.75 BB rate.
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| Scott Hairston hit his 14 home run of the season, but it wasn't enough as the Padres fell 5-2 to the Florida Marlins on Wednesday afternoon. |
Our View: Hairston has an impressive home run in ever 17.4 at-bats.
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| Cha Seung Baek allowed three runs on six hits, walked one and struck out three in Wednesday's 5-2 loss to the Florida Marlins. |
Our View: Baek has been a pleasant surprise while filling in for the injured Chris Young. The right-hander has only won two games to his five losses, but he has kept the Padres in more of his eight starts than not. However, he's not a fantasy option outside of deep NL-only formats.
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| Hanley Ramirez his a solo shot to left field off of Padres starter Cha Seung Baek and the Marlins defeated the Padres 5-2 on Wednesday afternoon. |
Our View: The home run was HanRam's 22nd of the season. The shortstop was caught stealing for the seventh time this season in the win.
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| Scott Olsen allowed one run on four hits, walked two and struck out three, and the Florida Marlins defeated the San Diego Padres 5-2 on Wednesday afternoon. |
Our View: Olsen earned his fifth victory against four losses in his eight inning quality start.
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| Julian Tavarez was erratic yet again in his Braves debut on Tuesday. He managed just one out while giving up two hits, two walks, and one earned run. |
Our View: By all accounts, it looks like Julian has effectively lost it. He may not stick with the Braves once they get some of their injured relievers back.
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| Since his July 6 scratch, Manny Ramirez has come up huge for the Red Sox. Following his clutch hitting of the previous two nights, Ramirez went 3-for-5 on Wednesday with three RBI and two runs scored. |
Our View: Manny has six RBI in his last three games. Consider the slump busted.
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| Carlos Muniz has been recalled yet again from Triple-A New Orleans. This time he will replace Tony Armas, who was placed on the DL. |
Our View: Muniz has been ineffective in 11.2 innings in big leagues this year, posting a 6.17 ERA. He is 2-4 at Triple-A, with eight saves and a 3.86 ERA.
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| Tony Armas was placed on the 15-day disabled list on Wednesday according to metsblog.com. Armas has a pulled abdominal muscle. |
Our View: Carlos Muniz has been recalled and will take Armas' spot on the roster.
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| Livan Hernandez allowed six runs on eleven hits, walked none and struck out two in an 18-5 loss to the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday afternoon. |
Our View: Hernandez was typical in the loss. The right-hander gave up 11 hits in 4.1 innings of work and with 173 hits in just over 100 innings, the right-handed veteran is on pace to allow 300 hits on the season.
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| Aaron Harang is scheduled for an MRI after experiencing soreness in his right forearm Tuesday, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer. |
Our View: This would explain why he walked a season-high seven batters on Tuesday against the Cubs. We will keep you posted on his status.
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| Brian Giles was held out of the Padres' starting lineup for the fourth-straight game on Wednesday due to his ailing hamstring and the San Diego Union-Tribune believes he won't return over the weekend against the Braves, expect as possibly a pinch-hitter. |
Our View: With the All-Star break, Giles would have a total of 11 days off when the Padres resume play July 17 at St. Louis. Manager Bud Black noted on Tuesday the Padres considered placing Giles on the DL at the start of this week, but that would have kept him sidelined through July 22 or 23 in Cincinnati.
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| Carlos Beltran has registered three hits in two of his last three games and could be on the verge of a hot streak and strong second half of the season, according to the NY Post. Beltran said, "We can turn around things quickly. Right now we're in good position. We're playing teams that maybe are not in contention but that doesn't mean anything. That means we really have to go out there and approach those teams the same way we approach the Phillies and the guys in our division."
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Our View: He had four RBI on Tuesday against the Giants, and had homered twice in his last three games as well. The Mets have won four-straight games, and are only 1.5 games back in the NL East.
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| Jair Jurrjens has been named the NL Rookie of the Month for June, according to the AP. Jurrjens went 3-0 with a 1.63 ERA over four starts in the month, and didn't allow an earned run in his last three outings. |
Our View: Jurrjens is 9-4 with a 3.00 ERA and 1.32 WHIP overall. Other nominees for the monthly honor were Cardinals' righty Mitchell Boggs, Ryan Bowker of the Giants, and Padres' second baseman Edgar Gonzalez.
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| Brett Myers denied a rumor that stated he wants to be traded, according to the Philadelphia Daily News and Inquirer. Myers said, "Those are false statements. I don't want to be traded. I never asked to be traded. I don't want to go anywhere. I like it here. I have a home here. I have a family here." |
Our View: He would hold reduced value if he wanted to be traded right now anyway, as he struggled with a 3-9 record and 5.84 ERA prior to being demoted to the minors. He plans to return to the Phillies after the All-Star break.
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| Reliever Rudy Seanez is dealing with back spasms that prevented him from pitching Monday, according to the Philadelphia Daily News and Inquirer. |
Our View: He felt better Tuesday, but it remained uncertain if he could have pitched.
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| The Phillies are yet to set a timetable for Tom Gordon's return, who is on the DL with right elbow inflammation, according to the Philadelphia Daily News and Inquirer. Pitching coach Rich Dubee said, "I'm talking about being optimistic as far as him coming back and being able to be a vital piece for us. I think the rest will do him good. We're not going to zip him back here. We're going to make sure he's feeling right before he gets up and running." |
Our View: His DL stints have been lengthy, as he spent more than two months on the shelf last season due to a strained rotator cuff. He is not expected to pick up a baseball for the next five to 10 days as he begins his rehab program in Clearwater.
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| The Chicago Tribune reports that Sean Marshall could be headed back to Triple-A Iowa after the recent acquisitions of Rich Harden and Chad Gaudin. |
Our View: Marshall was huge in his last start, a victory over the rival Cardinals. He lasted six innings and allowed just one run. If he does go down, he would likely be recalled in the event of an injury to any of the Cubs' starters.
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| It has been nearly 25 months since Mark Mulder's last victory, and even longer than that since the last time he registered an out in the sixth inning (June 3, 2006) or had a quality start (May 22, 2006). Tonight he will start in Philadelphia. |
Our View: The over-under for Mulder's start tonight should be around four innings. If his curveball is working, he could conceivably stick around long enough for the W.
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| Jason Perry has been optioned to Triple-A Richmond, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was sent down to make room on the roster for Julian Tavarez. |
Our View: The 27-year-old outfielder only hit .118 over 17 at-bats during his stint with the Braves. He held no fantasy value for this season prior to his demotion.
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| Elijah Dukes underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee Wednesday to repair two small tears in his meniscus, according to the AP. He will begin a rehab program immediately.
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Our View: As previously determined, Dukes is expected to miss four to six weeks of action.
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| Tom Glavine, who is trying to bounce back from a sore left elbow, threw lightly off flat ground on Tuesday and reported no issues, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. It was the first time he'd thrown in exactly four weeks since leaving a June 10 start at Wrigley Field with what was diagnosed as a partially torn flexor tendon.
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Our View: The 42-year-old lefty hurler won't know if he can avoid surgery and pitch again in 2008 until after he increases the intensity of his throwing sessions, which he hopes to do during and after the All-Star break. His goal is to be pitching from the mound within two weeks, with a timetable for a possible return to the Braves' rotation to be decided based on his progress.
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| Runelvys Hernandez has been sent down to Triple-A Round Rock, according to the Houston Chronicle. The team recalled reliever Chad Reineke as the adjoining move. |
Our View: He was actually pleased to be sent down, as he expected to be waived after allowing 13 hits and 10 runs over a mere four innings on Tuesday against the Pirates.
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| Justin Miller's MRI revealed he has nothing more than inflammation in his right elbow, according to the Miami Herald. |
Our View: Miller hopes to resume throwing before the West Coast trip ends.
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| After going through pregame drills (sprinting, hitting, fielding) on Tuesday, star second baseman Dan Uggla commented that he hopes to be available as a pinch-hitter Wednesday, according to the Miami Herald. He is recovering from a sprained left ankle, but it feels strong and he can tolerate the pain now. |
Our View: He also hopes to return to the Marlins' lineup at some point during their upcoming series with the Dodgers, which begins on July 10.
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| Yovani Gallardo, who underwent knee surgery in May, said he is still hoping to return to the Brewers in September, according to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. He said, "I would like to pitch before the end of the year. That’s what I’m shooting for. If I’m not ready, it’s not worth taking the risk. But everything’s going good."
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Our View: He has not begun to throw yet but is making nice progress in the rehabilitation program on the knee. The Brewers could have a strong trio with Ben Sheets, CC Sabathia, and Gallardo, which would help in their bid to make the postseason.
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| Yorvit Torrealba is believed to be on the Marlins' radar following the injury to Matt Treanor, but the $5.2 million remaining on his contract remains an issue, according to the Denver Post.
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Our View: The only way a deal would seemingly get done would be for the Rockies to eat part of Torralba's salary, which the club is not interested in doing. David Ross of the Reds is also on the Marlins' list of targets.
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