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| King Felix strong for seven | Monday 5/26, 11:56 PM CT |
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Felix Hernandez allowed five runs on seven hits, walked five and struck out five in 7.2 innings of work. Hernandez shut down the Red Sox for seven innings before blowing up in the top of the eighth inning allowing Boston to score four times.
Our View: Hernandez, who was supposed to start on Sunday in New York but had his start pushed back a day because of a sore calf, has lost his last five decisions after starting the season 2-0. |
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| Ortiz hits home run No. 12 | Monday 5/26, 11:53 PM CT |
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David Ortiz hit his 12th home run of the season and the Red Sox beat the Seattle Mariners 5-3 on Monday night. Ortiz was 1-for-4 on the night with two runs scored.
Our View: Ortiz now has 40 RBI and 33 runs scored on the season. Big Papi's batting average is lagging behind the rest of stellar stat lines -- at a puny .247 in 194 at-bats. |
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| Colon shuts down Mariners | Monday 5/26, 11:50 PM CT |
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Bartolo Colon shut down Seattle for seven innings helping the Red Sox to a 5-3 win over the Mariners on Monday night. Colon allowed one run on five hits, walked one and struck out four.
Our View: The win was Colon's second in two starts since being called up, and at least for now he's a fixture in the Red Sox rotation. Expect Clay Buchholz to remain in Pawtucket until the team needs a spot starter or injury replacement. |
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| Everidge hits three bombs, drives in 10 | Monday 5/26, 11:36 PM CT |
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Tommy Everidge had an unbelievable game for Double-A Midland on Monday, going 4-for-6 with three home runs and 10 RBI.
Our View: Everidge is not much of a prospect at age 25 in Double-A, but this performance should at least get him noticed. He is now hitting .250-12-42 this season. |
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| Eldred hits 18th homer for Charlotte | Monday 5/26, 11:30 PM CT |
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Brad Eldred hit his 18th home run of the season for Triple-A Charlotte on Monday.
Our View: We have known for a long time that Eldred had this type of power, but his all-or-nothing approach is tough to trust at first base. Even with Paul Konerko’s struggles, there is almost no chance that Eldred will get a real opportunity in the majors this unless someone gets hurt. |
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| Kinsler hits seventh home run | Monday 5/26, 9:49 PM CT |
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Ian Kinsler was 1-for-3 in Monday's loss to the Tampa Bay Rays. The second baseman's only hit was a three-run home run.
Our View: Kinsler continues to swing a hot bat and now has 31 RBI and seven home runs on the season. |
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| Ponson suffers first loss | Monday 5/26, 9:47 PM CT |
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Texas right-hander Sidney Ponson surrendered five runs on 12 hits in five innings in Monday's loss to Tampa Bay. Ponson walked three and struck out only one.
Our View: No one expected Ponson to continue the numbers he produced in his first six starts for the Rangers (3-0/2.95 ERA /1.31 WHIP), and outings like Monday will be more the norm in the future than that of his April and early May performances. |
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| Hinske hits ninth home run | Monday 5/26, 9:43 PM CT |
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Eric Hinske hit a three-run home run on Monday night and the Rays held onto first place in the AL East with a 7-3 victory over the Rangers. The long ball was Hinske's ninth of the season.
Our View: Tampa Bay has won 16 of their last 17 home games and get this, at 31-20 have the best record in the major leagues. Tampa Bay is just the second team to have the best mark on Memorial Day after finishing with the worst record in the big leagues the previous season (66-96). The other team? The New York Giants in 1903. |
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| Kazmir strikes out 10 | Monday 5/26, 9:40 PM CT |
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Scott Kazmir won his fourth straight start, striking out 10 in seven innings and the AL East-leading Tampa Bay Rays beat the Texas Rangers 7-3 on Monday night.
Our View: Kazmir allowed one run on three hits and didn't walk a batter in the impressive outing. |
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| Chamberlain's next goal; 55 pitches | Monday 5/26, 9:27 PM CT |
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Before Joba Chamberlain joins the Yankees starting rotation his pitch count needs to increase. His next appearance is scheduled to target 55 pitches, and could come as early as Tuesday.
Our View: Expect him to reach his 55 pitch target on Tuesday when Ian Kennedy takes the mound. Don't, however, expect Chamberlain to join the rotation for another couple of weeks. He will need to reach 70-80 pitches in an outing, and when that opportunity will present itself is unpredictable at best. |
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| Pena expectations were high | Monday 5/26, 9:13 PM CT |
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Carlos Pena hit his 10th home run of the season on Sunday night. While this should be considered an accomplishment, especially with home runs down this season, his production has significantly slipped from a year ago.
Our View: His 1.033 OPS and 10.7 HR/AB in 2007 is Hall of Fame like compared to this season's .755 OPS and 17.7 HR Rate. Consider 2007 a career year and accept Pena's current peripherals. |
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| Johjima breaks out of slump | Monday 5/26, 9:08 PM CT |
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Kenji Johjima finally quit looking over his shoulder and broke out of his 1-for-19 slump on Sunday. The starting catcher had two huge hits against the Yankees.
Our View: Expect Johjima to return to his career mean, and soon. His current .219/.258/.301 line is ugly, but it should be explained off as a slow start -- more than a digression of his skill set. |
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| Youkilis scratched from lineup | Monday 5/26, 8:31 PM CT |
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Kevin Youkilis was scratched from tonight's lineup because of a pain in the top of his right hand, this according to the Boston Globe.
Our View: The report mentions that Youkilis said he doesn't remember how he hurt the hand, but he decided he couldn't play after taking batting practice. Youkilis has a successful, albeit small, history against King Felix and is one of the Red Sox to have homered off the Seattle ace. |
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| Wood to start for Figgins | Monday 5/26, 8:05 PM CT |
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Brandon Wood was called up last week to to fill in for the injured Erick Aybar and receive a spot start at third base when needed. That time is tonight as the young prospect will start for of Chone Figgins.
Our View: Wood is hitting eighth and will face the Tigers veteran lefty Kenny Rogers. |
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| Jeter slumping with hand injury | Monday 5/26, 7:35 PM CT |
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It's gone mostly unnoticed, but since Derek Jeter was hit on the hand in last Tuesday's game against the Orioles, he is 1-for-20 at the plate.
Our View: Jeter was 0-for-3 on Monday and his [last Tuesday] .300 plus batting average is now down to .282. It's unlikely that Jeter has lost his typical aggressive nature at the plate. It is, however, suspected he isn't 100 percent and the injury is affecting his hand strength. |
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| Hill held out with sore groin | Monday 5/26, 7:29 PM CT |
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Aaron Hill, who was held out of the staring lineup with a sore groin on Monday, ended up playing an inning in place of the injured Joe Inglett.
Our View: Inglett exited in the eighth inning with a tight quad. No word on the severity of the injury. Hill is expected to return to the starting lineup on Tuesday when the team starts a west coast road trip. |
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| Inglett exits to quad tightness | Monday 5/26, 7:24 PM CT |
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Joe Inglett exited Monday's win over the Royals in the eighth inning with a tight quadriceps.
Our View: The utility infielder was replaced by Aaron Hill, who was held out of the staring lineup with a sore groin. |
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| McDonald sent to rehab in Florida | Monday 5/26, 7:22 PM CT |
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The AP reports that shortstop John McDonald (ankle) and OF Vernon Wells (broken wrist) flew to Florida on Monday to begin rehab assignments.
Our View: Neither player has a timetable for their return, but McDonald is expected to rejoin the team well before Wells. |
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| Teahen breaks 0-for19 slump | Monday 5/26, 7:16 PM CT |
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Mark Teahen broke his 0-for-19 slump with a single in the fourth inning on Monday. The Royals outfielder is hitting .243 on the season with two home runs, 12 RBI and 18 runs scored.
Our View: The Royals have very little power in their lineup. Teahen hasn't progressed since his double-digit home run season in 2006, and the young bats of Alex Gordon and Billy Butler have combined for six home runs in 51 games this year. |
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| Kinsler challenging Utley | Monday 5/26, 5:58 PM CT |
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Ian Kinsler is challenging Philadelphia's Chase Utley as the top fantasy second baseman over the first two months of the season. Kinsler's numbers make him a hot commodity among fantasy owners and a prime candidate to sell high. The Rangers second baseman has 41 runs, 28 RBI, 14 stolen bases, six home runs and is hitting .292 on the season.
Our View: Kinsler is stealing bases and hitting for power. Five of his six home runs have come in May, suggesting that as the weather warms, he could stay hot. While he's a strong sell high candidate, it should be noted he has the potential to join the 25/25 club this year. |
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| V-Mart returns to the lineup | Monday 5/26, 5:05 PM CT |
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Victor Martinez was back in the Indian's starting lineup on Sunday after sitting out back-to-back days with injured fingernail. The catcher is in the starting lineup tonight against the White Sox.
Our View: The understatement of May would be to state that V-Mart has been disappointing from a fantasy perspective. He has suffered some nagging injuries in the first two months of the season, but that doesn't explain his serious digression in power. After 145 at-bats, Martinez has yet to hit a home run, and has only eight extra-base hits on the year. |
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| Upton's lack of power a mystery | Monday 5/26, 4:59 PM CT |
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B.J. Upton is hitting .316 in May with a .409 on base percentage, and the young center fielder stole two bases on Sunday to raise his total to 13 on the year. Of his 13 steals, nine have come in May. Upton has done everything the team has asked of him, however, he has not been the power outlet that many fantasy owners were hoping for.
Our View: Upton has only three home runs in 178 at-bats. Which is far behind his 2007 pace. In fact, Upton has yet to hit a May home run. What goes up, must come down. In Upton's case, what has yet to go up, will eventually. Expect Upton's power numbers to rise as the weather warms. |
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| Olson hurls seven scoreless | Monday 5/26, 3:56 PM CT |
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Garrett Olson hurled seven scoreless innings in Monday's 6-1 win over the Yankees, with only three hits allowed. He issued four walks, but had seven strikeouts.
Our View: Olson improves to 4-1 for the season over six starts, and lowered his ERA to 4.09. That was the first time he didn't allow a run in a start, and he tied a season high in strikeouts. He surrendered a season worst six runs in his last outing (also against the Yankees) and bounced back great. |
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| Markakis goes 3-for-4 with two RBI | Monday 5/26, 3:51 PM CT |
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Nick Markakis went 3-for-4 with two RBI in Monday's 6-1 win over the Yankees. One of his hits went for a home run, his ninth of the season.
Our View: Markakis has five home runs and 13 RBI over 23 games in May, but is still only hitting .226 in the month. |
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| Moeller records lone RBI for Yankees | Monday 5/26, 3:46 PM CT |
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Chad Moeller was awarded the start at catcher on Monday, and recorded the Yankees' lone RBI in a 6-1 loss to Baltimore. He went 1-for-2 with a walk.
Our View: Moeller was a sole source of production for New York today, but he is still only hitting .207 over 29 at-bats in May. |
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| Rasner suffers first loss | Monday 5/26, 3:41 PM CT |
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Darrell Rasner suffered his first loss of the season on Monday, as the Yankees fell to the Orioles 6-1. Rasner still had a quality start as he only allowed one run on five hits over six innings, with one walk and three strikeouts. The lone run surrendered came on a Nick Markakis homer.
Our View: Heading into today's game, Rasner was 3-0 over three starts, with a 1.89 ERA and 0.84 WHIP. He has been the Yankees' best starter in May, and could have won today if not for poor run support. |
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| Teixeira generates four RBI | Monday 5/26, 3:35 PM CT |
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Mark Teixeira went 2-for-4 and generated four RBI in Monday's 7-3 victory over the Diamondbacks.
Our View: That was his seventh multi-hit game in May, and today's RBI total was his highest of the season. |
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| Miller placed on Triple-A DL | Monday 5/26, 3:12 PM CT |
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Pitcher Adam Miller has been placed on the DL at Triple-A Buffalo, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer. He has been brought down by an open callous on a finger of his pitching hand.
Our View: Miller, who is a top pitching prospect for Cleveland, went 0-1 with a 1.88 ERA over six starts in Triple-A prior to landing on the DL.
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| Rios chips in pair of RBI | Monday 5/26, 2:44 PM CT |
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Alex Rios went 2-for-4 and chipped in a pair of RBI in Monday's 7-2 win over the Royals.
Our View: That was his seventh multi-hit game of May, and he has registered an RBI in four of his last six outings. He still hasn't hit a home run since May 1, however. |
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| Marcum claims fifth win | Monday 5/26, 2:39 PM CT |
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Shaun Marcum allowed two runs on five hits over 7.1 innings of work in Monday's 7-2 win over the Royals, with one walk and six strikeouts.
Our View: Marcum improves to 5-3 for the season, with a 2.64 ERA. Marcum has allowed two or less runs in eight of his 11 starts, and his fantasy stock remains on the rise. |
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| Olivo collects 20th RBI | Monday 5/26, 2:33 PM CT |
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Miguel Olivo went 1-for-3 and collected his 20th RBI of the season in Monday's 7-2 loss to Toronto. Olivo also registered his second stolen base of the season. He started the game at catcher.
Our View: That was his 12th RBI in May, and he is hitting .339 (18-for-53) in the month as well. He should continue to see more playing time while he is hot. |
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| Granderson hitting well again | Monday 5/26, 2:21 PM CT |
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Curtis Granderson is hitting well again, according to MLB.com. He is hitting .333 (9-for-27) over his last eight games, after batting .097 over his previous eight.
Our View: Granderson scored six runs over his last eight games as well, with one homer and four RBI. He should remain active in your lineups. |
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| Garland targeting sixth win | Monday 5/26, 2:14 PM CT |
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Jon Garland will be targeting his sixth win of the season when the Angels host the Tigers tonight, according to MLB.com. Garland is 13-6 over 24 career outings against the Tigers, with a 4.08 ERA
Our View: Garland is 5-3 this season, but has a 4.34 ERA and a weak 1.48 WHIP over 64.1 innings, with a mere 14 strikeouts. He has been erratic from start to start, and remains a risky fantasy option, despite a favorable history against Detroit. |
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| Rogers aiming to improve 4-4 record | Monday 5/26, 2:10 PM CT |
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Kenny Rogers will aim to improve his 4-4 mark when the Tigers battle the Angels tonight, according to MLB.com.
Our View: Rogers holds a poor 6.66 ERA and 1.88 WHIP, and has allowed 11 earned runs over his last two starts. He could end the night with a winning record, but should not be considered for your lineups. |
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| Posada caught five innings | Monday 5/26, 1:44 PM CT |
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Jorge Posada caught five innings and went 0-for-5 with a walk in his first extended spring training game on Monday, according to the AP. Posada said, "I got a lot of innings behind the plate, that’s all I wanted. I wanted just to get ready to catch again." Posada played catch before entering the game, and threw the ball back to the pitcher, but is not expected to start throwing to the bases until later this week. He added, "Probably Thursday or so I’ll start throwing again. I feel good enough to throw right now, but I’m taking one step at a time. First of all, get my legs underneath me and then get ready to catch, throw and doing all that."
Our View: Posada will play in another extended spring training game Tuesday. He is expected to be activated from the DL a week from Tuesday, barring any setbacks.
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| Kazmir set for fifth start | Monday 5/26, 1:35 PM CT |
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Scott Kazmir will make his fifth start of the season today when the Rays host the Rangers, according to MLB.com. Kazmir is 1-0 with a 2.05 ERA in four games against the Rangers, and he has allowed Texas just two runs over 16 innings at home at Tropicana Field.
Our View: Kazmir is enjoying a strong campaign as he is 3-1 with a 1.57 ERA and 1.13 WHIP over 23 innings, with 22 strikeouts. He missed the first month of the season, but was surely worth the wait. |
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| Ponson looks to remain unbeaten | Monday 5/26, 1:31 PM CT |
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Sidney Ponson will be looking to remain unbeaten when he takes the hill against the Rays today, according to MLB.com. Ponson is 8-8 with a 4.14 ERA in 24 career games against the Rays, but he is 3-0 with a 2.95 ERA and 1.31 WHIP over six starts in 2008.
Our View: Ponson is coming off a complete-game win over the Twins (only allowed one run on six hits), and is worth starting today if you have him on your roster. |
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| Kotsay scratched for Monday | Monday 5/26, 1:21 PM CT |
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Mark Kotsay was scratched from Monday's lineup due to a stiff back, according to MLB.com. Kotsay said, "We knew there'd be days where I'd have to make a decision and take myself out of the lineup if I'm too sore, and today is one of those days where I don't think I should push it."
Our View: The ailment may have been caused by the near-four-hour game on Sunday. He will receive treatment on Monday and expects to be ready for Tuesday's contest against Milwaukee. Kotsay played in 47 of 51 games for Atlanta this season, and was due for a game off. Gregor Blanco started in his place in center field.
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| Betemit activated | Monday 5/26, 12:38 PM CT |
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As expected, Wilson Betemit has been activated from the DL today, according to the ChuckKnoblog.com. To make room on the roster, Alberto Gonzalez has been optioned to Triple-A Scranton.
Our View: Betemit provides the Yankees with a solid infielder off the bench, but he won't get enough at-bats to make a fantasy impact. A-Rod is back at third base, and Jason Giambi is still firmly planted at first base. |
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| Blalock update | Monday 5/26, 11:59 AM CT |
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Hank Blalock is not likely to make his debut at first base until after the Rangers return from their road trip that ends Wednesday, according to the Dallas Morning News. Blalock still had right wrist soreness and some tingling in his fingers two days after he started taking anti-inflammatory medication to battle Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. He still has not swung a bat since he joined the team Friday. He won't swing until he's pain-free, as said by skipper Ron Washington.
Our View: It remains to be seen whether Blalock will need to restart a rehab assignment if he doesn't swing the bat through the Tampa Bay series. He would then have gone nearly a full week without any swings. |
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| Catalanotto ready to rejoin Rangers | Monday 5/26, 11:56 AM CT |
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Frank Catalanotto is ready to rejoin the Rangers' lineup, according to the Dallas Morning News.
Our View: His stiff back has shown great improvement, but won't likely start until Tuesday (at first base) against Tampa Bay righty Andy Sonnanstine. |
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| Gonzalez killed | Monday 5/26, 11:51 AM CT |
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Former MLB pitcher Geremi Gonzalez was killed by a lightning strike at a beach in his native Venezuela on Sunday, according to the AP. He was 33-years old.
Our View: Gonzalez pitched for five different clubs from 1997 to 2006. The righty compiled a 30-35 record with a 4.93 ERA in 131 games, including 83 starts.
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| King Felix says he will start tonight | Monday 5/26, 11:16 AM CT |
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Felix Hernandez stated that he will make his scheduled start tonight against Boston, according to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Manager John McLaren wants to see how Hernandez's injured right calf responds when he warms up. Hernandez is wearing an elastic brace on the calf even when he's not pitching, but said simply there's no issue, and added that he is going to pitch.
Our View: He was originally scheduled to pitch Saturday, but the team wanted to push him back a few days to make sure his calf has completely healed. We will keep you posted on his status. |
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| Konerko could return early next week | Monday 5/26, 10:55 AM CT |
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Manager Ozzie Guillen expects Paul Konerko to return early in the week, maybe Monday or Tuesday against Cleveland, according to CBSsports.com. He is nursing a right hand ailment.
Our View: Konerko is only hitting .212 with five homers and 23 RBI, and is yet to hit a homer in May. He is best left on your bench when he returns, if you have a more favorable option at the position. |
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| Weaver deadline coming | Monday 5/26, 10:46 AM CT |
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As part of his agreement, Jeff Weaver can ask for his release from the team next Sunday if he is not called up to the majors, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Our View: In five starts at Triple-A Nashville, Weaver is 1-2 with a 6.52 ERA, with 31 hits and eight walks allowed in 29 innings. Although the Brewers rotation needs help, he is not likely to get called up before Sunday. |
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| Wang comments on calf | Monday 5/26, 10:27 AM CT |
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Chien-Ming Wang surrendered five runs over 6.1 innings (with four walks) in his last start, but he insists that his strained right calf wasn't an issue, according to the NY Post. He did not have an answer for his lack of control, and simply stated, "The ball was all over the place, I had no control." His start was pushed back a day due to the calf, and Manager Joe Girardi said, "He's not used to going on that extra rest. He had a couple of walks that hurt us, but he kept us in the game."
Our View: Wang has now allowed 12 earned runs over his last two starts. Hopefully he will bounce back in his next outing. He is still 6-2 with a solid 1.22 WHIP over 11 starts. |
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| Betemit expected to be activated | Monday 5/26, 10:21 AM CT |
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Wilson Betemit is expected to be activated from the DL before today's game against Baltimore, according to the NY Post. He played one last rehab game yesterday for Triple-A Scranton. He has recovered from a strained right hamstring.
Our View: Betemit provides the Yankees with a solid infielder off the bench, but he won't get enough at-bats to make a fantasy impact when he comes back. |
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| Posada targets return | Monday 5/26, 10:17 AM CT |
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Jorge Posada expects to be activated from the DL a week from Tuesday, according to the NY Post. Posada, who is rehabbing his right shoulder, will start extended spring training today in Tampa Bay, with directions not to make throws until later in the week. Posada said, "I think Girardi is going to be a little careful with me at the beginning. Once I start playing, if I'm not hurting or anything, obviously I'm going to keep going."
Our View: Posada does not expect to make any minor league rehab appearances for the Yankees.
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| Quinlan left with tight groin | Monday 5/26, 9:44 AM CT |
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Robb Quinlan started at third base over the first two games against the White Sox, and was forced out of action in the sixth inning on Saturday because of a tight groin, according to the LA Times. He did not play on Sunday.
Our View: Brandon Wood got the call at third on Sunday, but was ineffective as he went 0-for-3 with a strikeout. The 30-year old Quinlan is hitting .228 over 57 at-bats with one homer and four RBI, and holds no fantasy value. |
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| Decision coming for Willits | Monday 5/26, 9:37 AM CT |
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A decision is expected to be made either today or Tuesday as to whether outfielder Reggie Willits will be placed on the DL due to his finger ailment, according to the LA Times. Willits said, "I'm going to take a day off to see if I can get the swelling out of the joint. It's a little sore. My biggest concern is it's on one of my throwing fingers."
Our View: Willits provides the Angels with speed and versatility as a switch-hitter but he held little value to fantasy teams, as he is only hitting .269 with no homers or stolen bases over limited playing time (26 at-bats). |
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| Figgins expected to miss more time | Monday 5/26, 9:26 AM CT |
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Chone Figgins is expected to miss several more games due to soreness in his right leg, according to the LA Times. Manager Mike Sciosca said, "He's getting better, but he's still not where he needs to be." Figgins added, "Tests in Toronto and Chicago showed that the strength is still good, it's just tender."
Our View: He missed his fourth straight game on Sunday and did not play over the weekend, as was previously expected. |
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