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| George Sherrill faced two batters to get his 28th save on Friday. First, he walked Dustin Pedroia to laod the bases. Then he promptly struck out Kevin Youkilis for the final out of the game. |
Our View: Sherrill's made it a bit too interesting lately (he blew his sixth save on Thursday), but it does not look like the Orioles have anyone to spell him of save opportunities.
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| Jon Garland, 4-10 in his career against Oakland, was pulled out of the game in the bottom of the third after allowing seven runs on 10 hits and two walks. |
Our View: After allowing just one run in nine innings five days ago, this is a disappointment. This has to be viewed as an anommally. He was 8-5 with a 3.76 entering Friday's game.
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| David Murphy hit his third home run in five games on Friday off Chicago LHP Gavin Floyd. |
Our View: Murphy has not hit lefties well this year but made solid contact tonight. He now has an impressive 60 RBI this season.
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| After a horrendous start last time out, Luis Mendoza recorded eight strikeouts in six innings on Friday, He gave up just three hits and one run to the White Sox to earn his second victory of the season. |
Our View: Mendoza has looked good at times this season, but he is too inconsistent at this point to warrant a pickup.
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| Josh Hamilton just won't slow down. On Friday he went 3-for-5 with two RBI and a run. |
Our View: The Natural keeps at itas he is nearinf 100 RBI at the break.
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| Gavin Floyd gave up six runs, seven walks and five hits in just 2.2 innings to the Rangers on Friday. |
Our View: This was Floyd's worst start of the season and he continues to struggle away from Chicago.
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| Felix Hernandez retired the first 10 batters he faced and struck out six of the first 13, but the Royals finally got to Hernandez with three two-out runs in the fifth. |
Our View: The King threw 83 pitches in five innings before coming out of the game. He probably could have gone longer but the Mariners don't want to push their luck.
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| Five days ago Luke Hochevar was rocked for his worst start of the season. On Friday, he gave up just one run in seven innings at home. |
Our View: Hochevar lowered his home ERA to 3.48 but it stands at an abyssmal 6.49 on the road.
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| Clay Buchholz suffered another loss during his return to the majors on Friday. The Orioles, who fielded a lineup that was 0-for-19 in their careers against Buchholz, drew five walks on their way to scoring four runs in five innings against the young Red Sock. |
Our View: Buchholz needed 107 pitches to get through five innings. The walks were just another sign that no matter how much hope The Nation puts in him, he is destined to be inconsistent.
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| Brian Roberts fell a homer short of the cycle on Friday. He finished the game 3-for-5 with a RBI, two runs scored and two stolen bases. |
Our View: The stolen bases bring him to 27 on the season.
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| Armando Galarraga just can't beat the Twins! Friday marks the third time this season the Tigers' rookie fell to the Twins, the only team to beat him in 2008. He only gave up two runs in the loss. |
Our View: Armando carries a 67/32 K/BB ratio in 93 2/3 innings so it's a wonder he hasn't avoided more losses. If the Tigers continue to amp up the offense, he should keep winning. If they slack off like they did Friday, he is due for a down second half.
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| Jhonny Peralta hit his third home run in five games on Friday of of Rays pitcher Scott Shields. His two out, opposite field blast came in the third inning with a runner on second. He was 2-for-4 with three RBI in the game. |
Our View: What can we say? Jhonny loves to bat cleanup. In 18 starts batting fourth in the order, he is hitting .315 with four HRs and 15 RBI.
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| Carl Crawford was 0-for-4 with two strike outs on Friday. During the Rays five game losing streak he is just 1-for-21. |
Our View: This shouldn't last long. The break is coming around at just the right time.
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| The AP reports that Fausto Carmona is scheduled to start a rehab assignment Monday at Class A Lake County. |
Our View: It's about time! He will see multiple starts in the minors before his 3.10 ERA returns to the Cleveland rotation.
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| The AP reports that Rays manager Joe Maddon said RHP Troy Percival will test his strained left hamstring by throwing off the mound Saturday. |
Our View: The Rays closer has yet to pitch this month, but all indications are that he will be available following the All-Star break.
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| Cliff Lee added his 12th victory to go with six more shutout innings on Friday against the Rays. He struck out seven in the effort. |
Our View: Lee is 5-0 with a 1.62 ERA in seven home starts.
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| Glen Perkins brought his A game to Detroit on Friday. He allowed just two runs in 6.2 innings to move to 6-2 on the year. |
Our View: Perkins has not given up more than three runs since June 4. His WHIP is unimpressive but he manages to scatter the runners around enough to keep the Twins in games. He'a risky fantasy bet, but worth considering in very deep leagues.
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| Brett Gardner struggled at the plate once again on Friday. The rookie went 0-for-3 but somehow managed his fifth stolen base of the season. |
Our View: Gardner looks like a Michael Bourn clone. Despite an OBP hovering around .150 through eight games, he has managed five stolen bases.
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| Joba Chamberlain lost for the first time in eight starts on Friday. He lasted 6.2 innings and struck out nine. However, he gave up seven hits and three runs to a Blue Jays lineup without Alex Rios or Vernon Wells. |
Our View: Although he lost, it was not a bad start for the converted reliever. The nine Ks have to make owners happy.
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| Roy Halladay continued another Cy Young-worthy season by holding a banged up Yankees lineup to just two hits. He struck out eight in the process. |
Our View: Halladay's ERA is down to 2.71. More impressively, he has 121 strikeouts in 136.1 innings. He had 139 Ks in 225.1 IP last season.
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| Bobby Jenks is scheduled to throw a bullpen session on Saturday according to MLB.com. |
Our View: Jenks will not return prior to the All-Star break.
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| The Orange County Register reports that Kelvim Escobar has opted to have surgery on the torn labrum in his right shoulder.
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Our View: The team, as well as Escobar, delayed this decision for a while and it may come back to haunt them. He will miss nine to 12 months.
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| Jose Guillen was scratched from Friday's lineup due to stiffness in his neck, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: This should not be long term and Guillen should still see another start before the All-Star break.
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| MLB.com reports that Alex Rios has returned to Puerto Rico to be with his girlfriend who is expected to give birth on Friday. It appears he will not return to the team until after the All-Star break. |
Our View: Rios has been having a good July and should continue in the second half. However, with Vernon Wells due for an extended trip to the DL, the entire Blue Jays offense may slightly suffer.
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| MLB.com reports that Jim Leyland will be keeping an eye on his closer, Todd Jones. "I'm going to back him off a little bit," Leyland said. "I'm going to watch him a little closer." |
Our View: This was seemingly inevitable since the returns of Joel Aumaya and Fernando Rodney. Both those pitchers should see a slight increase in their values with this news.
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| Felix Hernandez was activated from the DL earlier today in time to make the start tonight in Kansas City, according to the Miami Herald. |
Our View: Hernandez is coming back from a sore ankle he suffered while covering home plate back on June 23. He has 93 strikeouts in 107 IP.
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| A.J. Burnett will throw on short rest on Sunday against the Yankees, according to SLAM!. |
Our View: The Blue Jays may be hoping for a last minute showcase of their starter heading into the All-Star break. A number of contenders, including possibly the Yankees, could be eyeing the hard-throwing righty.
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| To make room for recently acquired Matt Murton, the A’s optioned infielder Wes Bankston to Triple-A Sacramento. Bankston hit .294 with one home run and nine RBI in nine games with Oakland.
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Our View: Ironically, he hit his first major league home run the same night that the A's acquired his replacement.
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| Matt Murton will join the Athletics on Friday. He was traded to Oakland in the Rich Harden deal. To make room for Murton, the A’s optioned infielder Wes Bankston to Sacramento. Bankston hit .294 with one home run and nine RBI in nine games with Oakland. |
Our View: Murton should see plenty of at-bats while playing the corner outfield spots for the Athletics. He could see at-bats immediately.
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| Johnny Damon's shoulder is still too swollen to take part in hitting drills this weekend according to the Houston Chronicle. He hopes that he will start swinging on Monday. |
Our View: Don't count on Damon to be back before the All-Star break.
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| New York Post reports that the Yankees have interest in Richie Sexson. "I don't know yet, we will take a look,'' Cashman said Friday about Sexson. "We will study it and see if it's something we will pursue. I think we have to look at it. I can't tell you we will (sign him) or won't. I can tell you we are interested.'' |
Our View: Not too long ago, Sexson was a fantasy monster. A move to a team in contention and playing in front of sold out stadiums might be what Sexson needs to re-ignite his career. We will keep close tabs on his situation.
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| Milton Bradley is out of the Friday lineup for the Rangers. He left Sunday's game with tendinitis and is considered day-to-day. |
Our View: Bradley has been a fantasy force when healthy this season, but he has traditionally been a very inconsistent player. It might be wishful thinking to say his second half will be as good as his first half.
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| Jorge Posada got his wish for Friday night, as he will return to catching according to the pre-game lineup cards. He has not caught since July 3. |
Our View: A return to catching means Posada will probably see more off days than he would see as a DH or first baseman.
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| The New York Yankees signed former Red, Eric Milton to a minor league contract. He will start his comeback at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre |
Our View: Milton underwent Tommy John elbow surgery last June, so he'll be on the disabled list initially. Milton has been ineffective since 2004. At 33, he is little more than wishful thinking for Yankee fans.
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| SI.com reports that the St. Louis Cardinals are among one of the leaders in the pursuit of Pirates OF Jason Bay. Bay has rebounded from a bad 2007 to post averages of .291/.393/.526. |
Our View: Tony La Russa's club is visiting Pittsburgh this weekend so it is possible we could see another big trade go down in the NL Central. The Cardinals have scored just 13 runs over the past seven games so Bay would be a giant boost to the team's success and to the fantasy success of the St. Louis hitters. The Cardinals are also said to be aggressively pursuing left-handed relievers. The Diamondbacks, Mets and Rays were also mentioned in the article as potential Pittsburgh trading partners.
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| Sean Casey is getting a rare start at DH tonight. He is batting .371 in 116 at-bats this season. |
Our View: Casey has been an excellent spot-starter/pinch-hitter for the world champs. With David Ortiz on the mend, he has been a savior.
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| As previously reported, the Red Sox have recalled Clay Buchholz has been recalled from Triple-A Pawtucket to make Friday's start against the Orioles. |
Our View: Buchholz worked on a number of things while down on the farm and had some impressive starts. Tonight should be a good barometer to see just how much improvement he made. He is 2-3 with a 5.53 ERA this season with Boston.
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| Evan Longoria was added to the Home Run Derby less than a day after being named to the All-Star team. |
Our View: This has been quite the rookie season for Longoris and now he is already entering his first Derby. He has 16 home runs in 295 at-bats.
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| The Boston Herald reports that Coco Crisp is out of Friday's lineup due to a sore forearm. |
Our View: Crisp has not played since Monday, and owners should not count on him until he is back in the lineup.
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| J.D. Drew has not played since leaving Tuesday's game with a sore back. He is not into Friday's starting lineup, according to the Boston Herald. |
Our View: Those of you who have ever owned J.D. Drew new this time was coming. It may be nothing more than a mosquito bite, but don't be surprised if Drew sits until the All-Star break.
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| Armando Galarraga faces his nemesis, the Twins, tonight. Both of his losses on the season have come against the division rivals. In 21 innings against them he has a 4.71 ERA and a 1.71 WHIP. |
Our View: Galarraga has not garnered a decision over his last three starts but did look good his last time out against Seattle. He continues to be among the most impressive rookies in the AL.
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| Scott Feldman was sent down to Frisco by the Rangers on Friday, according to the Star-Telegram. |
Our View: Feldman had piled up an impressive 87.2 innings on the season but still carries a 5.03 ERA. The Rangers will give Kam Low and newly acquired Jose Diaz a chance to show if they can do any better.
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| The Star-Telegram reports that the Rangers have purchased the contract of reliever Joselo Diaz from Frisco. |
Our View: Diaz, formerly of the Mets, does not figure to have much more impact with the Rangers.
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| The Star-Telegram reports that the Rangers have recalled Kameron Loe from Oklahoma to give them another fresh arm for their series against the White Sox. Wes Littleton was sent down. |
Our View: Loe gave up one run over 8.1 innings with the Rangers earlier this season. That kind of performance this time around may mean he sticks with the club for the second half.
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| Kevin Mench has been recalled from Triple-A Syracuse, according to the Globe and Mail. |
Our View: Vernon Wells is expected to miss at least a month of action due to his Grade 2 strain of his left hamstring, and Mench was added for depth in the outfield. He will likely see some starts against left-handed pitching, but only hit .210 over 62 at-bats this season, and is not worth targeting in anything but larger AL-only leagues.
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| Reliever Josh Newman has been claimed off waivers from the Rockies on Friday, according to the AP. The Royals made room for the lefty on its 40-man roster by recalling right-hander Ryan Braun and placing him on the 60-day DL. Braun is recovering from an April 22 elbow surgery.
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Our View: Newman will report to Triple-A Omaha, and will hold no fantasy value, especially as he allowed 15 hits, six walks, and nine earned runs over 8.2 innings of work this season in the majors.
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| Hideki Matsui, who is recovering from a swollen left knee, may take batting practice on Saturday, according to the AP. He could also start a running program soon, and said (through a translator), "I think if everything goes well, then probably sometime the beginning of next week. As of right now, I’ve had no problems at all."
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Our View: He is also hopeful he won't need surgery this season for the ailing knee. We will keep you posted on his status.
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| The Yankees' Hank Steinbrenner warned the Rays' fans and even called them arrogant, according to the St. Petersburg Times. Steinbrenner said, "There's a lot of excitement around here from the Rays fans, but almost to a point of arrogance. They better be careful. They'll learn this can change real quick. People in baseball know it, whether they want to admit it or not. It helps everyone when the Yankees are good. The Red Sox, whether they're good or not, doesn't necessarily matter, nationally. Let's face it: The Yankees are baseball history. You're talking about 26 championships."
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Our View: Steinbrenner decided to rain on the Rays' fans parade with his comments, but their team does currently hold the best record in the AL at 55-36, and have a 1.5 game lead over Boston in the East, and a 6.5 game lead over the Yankees.
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| The Detroit Free Press reports that the Tigers are not likely to make a trade for a pitcher before the deadline. The club will need a fifth starter for the rotation 10 days from now, and while it is uncertain who they will pencil into the slot, it looks like Eddie Bonine is the top candidate. GM Dave Dombrowski feels good about where the team is right now, and skipper Jim Leyland said, "I think Bonine will probably be the starter. Is it 100%? No. But is it likely? I would say yes."
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Our View: The team may opt to upgrade the bullpen instead, with Pirates' left-handers John Grabow and Damaso Marte mentioned as possible targets. Rookie Bonine has been the fifth starter the past month, but he was optioned to Double-A Erie after lasting only 3.2 innings Wednesday night.
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| Miguel Batista was feeling better on Thursday after being forced out of Wednesday's start after only 23 pitches due to a strained right groin, according to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. |
Our View: Batista is not likely to pitch before the All-Star break, but the Mariners expect him to be ready to return to the rotation after the break.
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| Felix Hernandez isn't expected to go deep in his next start (which is scheduled about two weeks from now against the Royals), and will be on a pitch count, according to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Manager Jim Riggleman said, "I don't know what kind of pitch count limit we'll have him on. But he hasn't pitched in a while."
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Our View: His next outing will also be cut short if they notice him experiencing any degree of discomfort.
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| Ichiro Suzuki was scratched from Thursday's lineup but is expected back Friday, according to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. He was dealing with a tight hamstring, but is believed to be fine. |
Our View: Suzuki is seemingly safe to keep in your lineup for Friday. The hamstring ailment could explain why he only registered one stolen base over his last six games.
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| The Phillies covet a pitcher to upgrade their rotation, and A.J. Burnett's name is coming up, according to the Philadelphia Daily News. Toronto is known to have interest in acquiring a shortstop, and Phillies' prospect Jason Donald has garndered some interest from a few teams around the league. Catcher Lou Marson and outfielder Greg Golson are two other players who interest the Blue Jays, although the Phillies are not likely to part with Marson, who could fill a need for the club sometime in the near future.
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Our View: League sources say the Blue Jays view the Phillies as one of the top potential landing places for Burnett. He has a player-friendly contract that includes an opt-out after this season or two years and $24 million remaining, and he could benefit from a fresh start in Philadelphia.
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| Gary Matthews Jr. is displeased with riding the pine for the last two games, according to the OC Register. Matthews said, "I don't know if any player ever agrees with taking unwanted days off. I do know my numbers should be better than they are." He was also surprised to be called into Mike Sciosca's office on Wednesday, which is when he was told he would be sitting in favor of Juan Rivera.
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Our View: Sciosca commented that Matthews has been dealing with tendinitis in his right knee, and Matthews added that he came into the season knowing the knee pain probably would be chronic. But he doesn't want to use the ailment as an excuse for his poor production. Matthews does not know how long he will be limited to the bench, but Rivera is expected to get most of the at-bats through the All-Star break.
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| The Angels have no interest in acquiring newly released slugger Richie Sexson, according to the OC Register. Manager Mike Sciosca said, "Richie is the type of player who needs a lot of playing time. He has a powerful swing and still has the bat speed to be productive. But our feeling is that he needs to play a lot. I don't know if we have enough at-bats for him. We already have guys on the bench who need at-bats and I don't know if Richie would be a fit."
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Our View: The 33-year-old Sexson only hit 11 homers over 252 at-bats with the Mariners prior to his release, along with 76 strikeouts. His home run rate wouldn't likely improve much with a move to the Angels.
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| Adam Everett is playing minor league games with the Twins' Gulf Coast League rookie team as he recovers from his right shoulder strain, according to the Star Tribune. We went 1-for-3 on Wednesday, and is eventually expected to move up to Triple-A Rochester to battle better competition. |
Our View: There remains no definite timetable for his return to the Twins, but if he doesn't suffer any setbacks for another two weeks or so, he could be activated from the DL.
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| Michael Cuddyer, who is nursing a strained tendon in his left index finger, admitted on Thursday that he won't attempt any baseball-related activities until after he returns from the current road trip, according to the Star Tribune. Manager Ron Gardenhire hoped Cuddyer would be well enough to go to Fort Myers, Florida, for a couple of rehab games during the All-Star break, and get some swings in and be activated after the break, but that plan is not going to happen now. Cuddyer said, "It's just a stalemate right now. There's a lot of frustration."
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Our View: Cuddyer really hasn't made a lot of improvement in his recovery from the injury, and his point of return to the club is unknown. The Twins are still in good hands in right field however, as Denard Span collected four hits on Thursday, and raised his average to .361.
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| Jorge Posada is not pleased with the Yankees' plan that has kept him from catching since July 3, according to the NY Daily News. Jose Molina has started the last three games at catcher, and Posada said, "I like to catch. Okay? I'm in the lineup and I'm happy that I'm in the lineup, but I like to catch. I'm a catcher. I'm not a first baseman and I'm not a DH. I like to catch, so I'm looking forward to catching today."
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Our View: Manager Joe Girardi opted to go with Molina, as his arm is stronger than Posada's. Posada has also struggled to throw out runners since returning from his shoulder injury.
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| Fausto Carmona, who is recovering from a strained left hip, threw a 50-pitch simulated game on Thursday, according to the Akron Beacon Journal. |
Our View: If he shows no ill effects Friday, he likely will be sent on a rehab assignment. He could return soon after the All-Star break.
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| Luis Munoz, who was called up from Double-A Altoona, is not expected to stay with the Pirates long, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. GM Neal Huntington said, "I would not anticipate Luis being here for an extended period of time. It was a step short of desperation. Our pitching staff has taken a beating of late, and he was the best available option to give us 75-90 pitches if necessary."
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Our View: He was brought in to eat up innings through the All-Star break, and the reliever holds no fantasy value.
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| Ryan Sweeney's X-rays came back negative on the left pinkie finger he dislocated Thursday, according to the SF Chronicle. |
Our View: He initially appeared headed for the DL, but he is now listed as day-to-day. Travis Buck and Matt Murton could fill in while he is out of action.
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