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| Snell to have MRI on elbow | Sunday 6/22, 11:48 PM CT |
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Ian Snell's elbow has been bothering him for while, and after suffering through four innings on Sunday he has been scheduled to undergo an MRI on Monday, according to the Times On Line. “It hurt on every pitch,” he said. “I’ve never had an injury before, never messed up any bones or had surgery. This is all new to me.”
Our View: Snell has been awful virtually all year, so an injury certainly seems possible. Many of Snell's fastballs on Sunday where in the 89-90 mph range, four to five miles below where he normally resides with the heat. Stay tuned for further updates, but even the best case scenario will likely have him missing his next scheduled start on Friday. |
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| Fireballing rookie promoted to Triple-A | Sunday 6/22, 11:44 PM CT |
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Jeff Samardzija has been called up to Triple-A to take the rotation spot of Sean Marshall, according to the Chicago Tribune. "His last five outings have been real good," said Oneri Fleita, Cubs vice president of player personnel after watching Samardzija produce a 2.63 ERA in that time.
Our View: The question of whether or not Jeff would be pitching in Wrigley also came up and the answer was that his production would dictate where he does his work for the remainder of the 2008 season. |
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| Counsell headed back to bench | Sunday 6/22, 11:40 PM CT |
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Craig Counsell will be returning to the bench now that second baseman Rickie Weeks has been activated from the DL, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Our View: Counsell did quite well hitting .308 during the loss of Weeks, but he has nowhere near the upside of Weeks and is best used as a spare part at this point of his career. |
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| Duffy transferred to 60-day DL | Sunday 6/22, 11:37 PM CT |
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Chris Duffy (shoulder surgery) was transfered from the 15-day DL to the 60-day DL on Sunday, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. This move was made so the club could place T.J. Beam on the 40-man roster.
Our View: Duffy has already been on the DL for more than 60 days, so this is just a house keeping matter. He should be activated from the DL at some point this week at which time he will be sent to Triple-A Indianapolis to work on regaining his timing. |
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| Aramis Ramirez swinging power bat | Sunday 6/22, 10:55 PM CT |
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Aramis Ramirez continued to hit the ball hard on Sunday night as he went 2-for-4 with three RBI against the White Sox. One of his hits was his 14th home run of the season and the other was his 20th double.
Our View: Aramis has two hits in three straight games, and in each game he has also gone yard for a total of four home runs and eight RBI in three games against cross town rivals the White Sox. |
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| Dempster 9-0 at home | Sunday 6/22, 10:45 PM CT |
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Ryan Dempster dominated the White Sox for eight innings holding them to just one run on his way to his ninth victory of the season. Dempster is 9-0 at home, the first pitcher to accomplish that since 1976.
Our View: Dempster is without a win on the road in six starts, though he owns a 2.48 ERA and 1.05 WHIP in those outings so it's not like he has been an albatross when away from Wrigley. |
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| Amezega could miss a few days | Sunday 6/22, 10:22 PM CT |
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Alfredo Amezaga injured his groin on Saturday and he is far from certain to be ready to go on Tuesday for the Marlins next game, according to the Palm Beach Post. "It's kind of bad," said Amezaga. "I've just got to find a way to play with pain and we'll see how it feels on Tuesday."
Our View: If Amezega is out, look for Cody Ross to pick up all the at-bats in center field for the Fish. |
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| Isringhausen rounding into shape | Sunday 6/22, 10:19 PM CT |
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Jason Isringhausen ended up loading the bases before wiggling out of the jam on Sunday against the Red Sox, according to MLB.com. "I put myself in that pressure situation, but...I was able to make good pitches when I needed to. I walked a couple guys, but I got behind them, so I'm not going to give in to them."
Our View: With Ryan Franklin far from dominating since taking over the closers role, it might just be a matter of time before Izzy is once again put into the closers role as today was a big step toward reclaiming the role. |
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| Brynes to be activated | Sunday 6/22, 10:07 PM CT |
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Eric Byrnes appears exceedingly likely to return from his dual hamstring injuries on Monday when the D'backs face the Red Sox, according to the Arizona Republic. "As I understand, he's running hard and feels good," GM Doug Melvin said.
Our View: Byrnes went 1-for-12 at Single-A Visalia during his rehab work, but apparently the team believes he is ready to go as is. |
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| Marmol looking for answers | Sunday 6/22, 9:59 PM CT |
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Carlos Marmol has allowed eight runs in June, more than the seven he allowed in 34.2 innings in April and May, according to MLB.com. "I think it's just a question of release points," Cubs manager Lou Piniella said. "Plus, I think he was too crouched spinning out of his delivery, so I think you'll see him a little taller so he can drive down as opposed to coming up.
Our View: Forgive us if we cut Marmol some slack. Marmol has averaged 13.1 K/9 IP with a WHIP of 0.86 even with his late run of bad luck, but don't look for his struggles to continue given his dominating stuff. |
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| Pierre steals base, has three hits | Sunday 6/22, 8:37 PM CT |
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Juan Pierre continued his solid work at the plate for the Dodgers with three hits and a run scored, and he used his legs to score a run and steal his 29th base of the season on Sunday.
Our View: When Rafael Furcal returns to the lineup Pierre could find himself hitting second or at the bottom of the order, but either way he should continue to pile up the strikeouts as he has once again established himself as worthy of being a full time starter just as he has been since the 2001 season. |
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| Loney has 10-game hitting streak | Sunday 6/22, 8:27 PM CT |
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James Loney had two hits on Sunday to extend his hitting streak to 10-games. He is now hitting .310 with 39 RBI on the year.
Our View: Loney still hasn't developed the power which is looked for in most first basemen, but that doesn't mean he can't be an effective hitter worthy of consideration in mixed leagues. |
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| Billingsley Dodgers best starter | Sunday 6/22, 8:21 PM CT |
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Chad Billingsley only last five innings on Saturday, but it was enough as he was able to win his sixth game of the season for the Dodgers.
Our View: Billingsley only struck out four batters, but he limited the free passes, issuing only one, which helped him to the victory on this day. |
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| Padres 1B continues homer binge | Sunday 6/22, 8:14 PM CT |
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Adrian Gonzalez went deep for the 21st time on Sunday as he took Justin Verlander deep in his first at-bat.
Our View: Gonzalez has hit at least five home runs each month this season, and over his last 49 games he has been a run producing machine with 34 runs and 46 RBI in what is shaping up to be one of the biggest offensive seasons in Padres history. |
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| Wolf strikes out 10 | Sunday 6/22, 8:10 PM CT |
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Randy Wolf struck out 10 Tigers on Sunday while allowing three runs, two of which were earned, as he fell to 5-6 with the loss to Detroit.
Our View: Wolf has been a strikeout machine this season with 87 in 94.2 IP, and his ERA of 4.09 is certainly quite serviceable for use in mixed leagues. |
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| Hermida has 10-game hitting streak | Sunday 6/22, 7:59 PM CT |
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Jeremy Hermida had two hits, including his eighth home run of the season, on Sunday for the Marlins.
Our View: Finally. Perhaps this is the streak that will propel the sweat swinging Hermida back to where he belongs, that is as a starting outfielder in mixed leagues. During the streak, Hermida has also driven in six runs in his last six games. |
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| Miller falls to Athletics | Sunday 6/22, 7:51 PM CT |
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Andrew Miller lasted only four innings on Sunday allowing five runs, four were earned, against the A's as his record fell to 5-6. Miller only had one K on the day, but he also walked only two batters.
Our View: Miller didn't pitch terribly on Sunday, he actually ran into a bit of bad luck, but the overall line didn't show that. Don't be overly concerned with this outing, though Miller still has a ways to go to be considered worthy of starting every week in mixed leagues. |
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| Winn has four hits, hitting .311 | Sunday 6/22, 7:41 PM CT |
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Randy Winn had four hits, two runs scored and three RBI for the Giants on Sunday. Winn also stole his 11th base of the season and is hitting .311 overall.
Our View: With each outing like this, the cost of acquiring Winn in a trade continues to increase. Some team will eventually come a calling and the Giants will almost certainly oblige which could lead to increased fantasy value for Winn depending on where he ends up. |
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| Lincecum let down by teammates | Sunday 6/22, 7:30 PM CT |
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Tim Lincecum was far from his best on Sunday as he allowed five runs in five innings, but he was still disappointed to receive a no-decision given that he left the game with a 10-5 lead.
Our View: Lincecum received an extra day of rest before this start and he was humming along at 96-97 mph in the early going leading to eight strikeouts on the afternoon though he was wild as he needed 109 pitches to complete five innings. |
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| Jackson has three hits from the outfield | Sunday 6/22, 7:26 PM CT |
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Conor Jackson started in left field for the D'backs on Sunday and went 3-for-4 at the plate with a run scored.
Our View: Jackson did lose a fly ball in the Metrodome's white ceiling, but it's tough to blame a first basemen for doing that (blame the coaches for putting him out there). Jackson has now seen action in six games in the outfield which could add to his versatility in some leagues. |
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| Webb loses second straight start | Sunday 6/22, 7:17 PM CT |
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Brandon Webb lost his second straight game on Sunday as he gave up five runs, four earned, over seven innings against the Twins
Our View: Since taking a ball off his hip and suffering from a "dead arm" period, Webb is 0-2 with a 8.22 ERA, awful numbers for such an excellent pitcher. The good news is that he has walked just five batters against 10 batters in those three outings, but it is clear that something could physically be bothering the big guy. |
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| Livan improves to 8-4 | Sunday 6/22, 7:11 PM CT |
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Livan Hernandez picked up his eighth win of the season on Sunday as he limited the young Diamondbacks to three runs, one earned, over seven innings.
Our View: After being beaten around like a pinata at a seven year olds birthday party over five starts, Livan has now turned in back-to-back seven innings outings with one earned run allowed. He is currently scheduled to take on the Brewers the next time out. |
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| Hart continues to impress | Sunday 6/22, 7:02 PM CT |
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Corey Hart went deep for the 12th time this season on Sunday as he had two hits and two RBI for the Brew Crew.
Our View: Hart continues to pile up consistently solid numbers across the board with a .290 average, 12 home runs, 46 RBI and 10 SB. That is extremely useful all around production from the clubs right fielder who is fulfilling expectations of big time production. |
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| Barmes activated from DL | Sunday 6/22, 6:51 PM CT |
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Clint Barmes has officially been activated from the DL while the Rockies decided to send down Ian Stewart to make room for the infielder, according to the Associated Press.
Our View: Barmes will serve as the backup to recently activated Troy Tulowitzki at shortstop while battling with the suddenly hot Jeff Baker for playing time at second base. |
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| Parra wins fifth straight | Sunday 6/22, 6:45 PM CT |
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Manny Parra wasn't at his best on Sunday but it was good enough for him to pick up his fifth straight win for the Brewers. Parra allowed three runs and five hits, but it was the six walks that really jumped out in his pitching line.
Our View: Parra is having an amazing run of success given the fact that he has walked at least four batters in three of his five victories. With a 4.74 BB/9 mark on the year, Parra is certainly a boom or bust option from start to start despite the recent run of wins. |
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| Fielder has long ball swing working | Sunday 6/22, 6:41 PM CT |
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Prince Fielder continued to flex his muscles as he went deep twice on Sunday giving him a total of six home runs in his last 10 games.
Our View: Fielder is now hitting .292 on the year thanks to a blazing stretch of .341 with 11 home runs over his last 36 games. So much for his early season struggles. |
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| Miles has five hits | Sunday 6/22, 6:36 PM CT |
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Aaron Miles started at second base for the Cardinals before shifting over to shortstop, as he went 5-for-6 from the plate to boost his average to .313 in 162 AB.
Our View: Miles offers no power with just six extra base hits (one home run), and hasn't stolen a single base, but that batting average certainly is useful if you can overlook his deficiencies. |
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| Pineiro holds Sox in check | Sunday 6/22, 6:27 PM CT |
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Joel Pineiro held the Red Sox in check on Sunday allowing just two hits over seven innings to lower his ERA to 3.86. Pineiro didn't walk a batter though he did produce only a one K.
Our View: Despite all the injuries, the Cardinals continue to run out a bunch of average pitchers who are producing above average numbers. Since returning from the DL, Pineiero has allowed just five runs in three starts (2.37 ERA). |
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| Berkman hits a lull | Sunday 6/22, 5:36 PM CT |
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Lance Berkman went 0-for-4 on Sunday to lower his average to .354, the lowest it has been since May 6th.
Our View: Berkman is hitless in three games (0-for-9) and only has one home run in his last 10 games. His overall numbers are spectacular, but a slowdown was inevitable. |
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| Valverde returns to save game | Sunday 6/22, 5:31 PM CT |
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Jose Valverde returned to action after being given a day off because of a heavy workload of late and he held the Rays scoreless to earn his 18th save of the season.
Our View: Valverde is often the proverbial high wire act, but the bottom line is that he has converted 18 of 22 chances this season, and his fantasy owners will take that. |
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| Torrealba produces lone run | Sunday 6/22, 5:24 PM CT |
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Yorvit Torrealba hit a home run on Sunday that produced the only run for the Rockies in their 3-1 loss to the Mets.
Our View: Torrealba has hits in 5-straight games, though Chris Ianetta continues to eat into his playing time rendering his value as suspect except in the deepest of leagues. |
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| Wagner back to dominating | Sunday 6/22, 5:20 PM CT |
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Billy Wagner picked up his 17th save of the year in 22 chances as he held the Rockies to no hits in his lone inning of work on Sunday.
Our View: Despite a run of extreme ineffectiveness, Wagner's overall ratios are still sparkling with a 2.03 ERA and 0.94 WHIP as he continues to be one of the best relievers in baseball despite his advancing age. |
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| Beltran goes deep in win | Sunday 6/22, 5:17 PM CT |
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Carlos Beltran hit his 11th home run of the year leading to his 49th and 50th RBI of the season for the Mets.
Our View: Beltran has finally woken up at the plate and is hitting well over .300 since the start of May. In 20 games in the month of June he has gone deep six times with 18 RBI and is clearly back to being the type of top-25 force that we are used to seeing. |
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| Reynolds loses fifth game | Sunday 6/22, 5:14 PM CT |
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Greg Reynolds lasted seven innings on Sunday while allowing three runs to the Mets, but the Rockies offense wasn't able to do anything leading to his fifth loss of the year.
Our View: The Rockies have stuck with their young stud and it's starting to pay off as he has gone at least six innings with three or fewer runs allowed in three of four starts. We still can't recommend a guy with 15 K and 22 BB in 50.2 IP, but he is worthy of a look in NL Only leagues if you don't mind taking on the risk. |
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| Pelfrey wins again | Sunday 6/22, 5:11 PM CT |
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Mike Pelfrey won his third straight start on Sunday as he held the Rockies scoreless over 5.2 innings. Pelfrey struck out five Rockies but balanced out that production with five walks.
Our View: This was a nice bounce back effort after Pelfrey allowed six runs last time out, and it marks the fourth time in five outings that he has allowed two of fewer runs. He hasn't established himself yet, but his current run of consistency is promising. |
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| Belliard goes deep on Sunday | Sunday 6/22, 4:55 PM CT |
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Ronnie Belliard took Vincente Padilla deep on Sunday to pick up his fourth home run and 16th and 17th RBI of the season.
Our View: Belliard continues to see an increase in his workload over the past week due to the struggles of Felipe Lopez, but unfortunately for Belliard, his average continues to languish in the .220's though he does have five extra base hits in his last 10 appearances. |
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| Lannan picks up another no-decision | Sunday 6/22, 4:53 PM CT |
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John Lannan held the Rangers to just two runs over six innings against the Rangers during which time he struck out six batters and didn't walk a sole.
Our View: The only two runs that scored were on two solo home runs by Brandon Boggs and Ian Kinsler. Lannan has only four victories despite a 3.34 ERA in 15 starts, a testament to how little the offense has done in support of his solid work on the hill. |
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| LaRoche still searching for swing | Sunday 6/22, 4:34 PM CT |
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Adam LaRoche went 1-for-4 on Sunday with a run scored though he continues to languish at the plate with a paltry .217 average and seven home runs for the Pirates.
Our View: To think, just two years ago this guy produced 32 home runs and 90 RBI for the Braves. Even last years somewhat minor production (.272-21-88) appears out of reach for the lefty, though he has long been known as a second half performer. |
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| Snell continues to limp along | Sunday 6/22, 4:27 PM CT |
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Ian Snell suffered another brutal outing on Sunday as he allowed eight hits, four walks and four runs over just four innings for the Pirates.
Our View: Snell has been dealing with some tenderness in his throwing arm for a while, but his across the board regression this season hints that the issue may be more than some minor annoyance. With a WHIP approaching 2.00, Snell has been a ratio killer. |
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| Bruce continues slide at plate | Sunday 6/22, 4:21 PM CT |
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Jay Bruce continues to struggle at the plate after a magnificent start as he went 1-for-4 on Sunday to drop his average down to .300.
Our View: After going 11-for-19 to begin his big league career, Bruce has hit just .235 over his last 21 games with an alarming 24 K and just eight walks. The lack of plate discipline is the main concern with Bruce, and right now you are seeing just why many pundits have suggested tempered enthusiasm with the future star. |
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| Cuteo pitches well, still loses | Sunday 6/22, 4:10 PM CT |
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Johnny Cueto pitched very well on Sunday allowing the Yankees just one run in five innings but he was still handed his eighth loss of the year as his offense failed to support him.
Our View: Cueto struck out seven without allowing a single walk, but he was bested by Andy Pettitte on this day. Cueto continues to pile up nice K numbers though the rest of his pitching line has been decidedly average. |
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| Hamels pitches well but takes loss | Sunday 6/22, 3:50 PM CT |
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Philadelphia LHP Cole Hamels put forth a respectable effort on the mound this afternoon but his team failed to support his cause, falling 3-2 to the Angels. Hamels pitched seven innings, allowing three runs (all earned) on six hits with no walks and four strikeouts.
Our View: Hamels now sits at 7-5 on the season with a 3.27 ERA. He came in riding a two-game win streak with a no-decision in between, allowing just four earned runs through those efforts. He missed the win today, but his arm remains strong and a bit of support from the offense would go a long way. |
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| Rollins swipes two vs Angels | Sunday 6/22, 3:44 PM CT |
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Philadelphia shortstop Jimmy Rollins enjoyed a strong day on offense despite his team's 3-2 loss to the Angels. Rollins went 2-for-4 with a walk, his 17th double of the season, and two stolen bases to pickup one RBI on the day.
Our View: Rollins now carries 17 stolen bases on the season, seven of them coming since June 11th. |
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| Kotchman homers in win over Philly | Sunday 6/22, 3:39 PM CT |
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The Angels completed their interleague series with Philadelphia today, wrapping with a 3-2 win with the bulk of the offensive support coming from first baseman Casey Kotchman. Kotchman went 1-for-3 with a walk and his eighth home run of the season, posting two RBIs and one run scored on the day.
Our View: Kotchman has struggled a bit at the plate this month, hitting just .226 for June coming in. This is just his second home since April 23rd. |
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| Hudson gets win #8 | Sunday 6/22, 3:22 PM CT |
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Atlanta RHP Tim Hudson wasn't especially sharp on the mound this afternoon, but he picked up the win as his Braves pulled out the 8-3 win over the Mariners. Hudson pitched seven innings of shutout baseball, surrendering just four hits with four walks and two strikeouts.
Our View: This was one of Hudson's best outings this season and brings his ERA to 2.96 on the season, touting three starts with one or fewer earned runs allowed this month. |
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| Barmes to be activated on Monday | Sunday 6/22, 3:04 PM CT |
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The Rockies believe infielder Clint Barmes is nearly ready to return from the disables list, according to MLB.com.
Our View: The Rockies are expected to activate Barmes on Monday, having hit .278 (5-for-18) with three RBIs, a walk and a strikeout in five rehab games at Triple-A Colorado Springs. Barmes said he comes back with sharpness, something he couldn't do in 2005 when he missed 78 games with a broken collarbone. Barmes' .343 batting average is still the highest on the team, and he had five home runs and 20 RBIs before the injury. After starting the year as a utility player, Barmes supplanted Jayson Nix (now at Triple-A Colorado Springs) as the regular at second base. Barmes was one of the few hot Rockies during their cold start. |
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| Matsui leaves with bad hammy | Sunday 6/22, 2:56 PM CT |
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Astros second baseman Kazuo Matsui has left today's game against Tampa Bay with a strained right hamstring, according to the Houston Chronicle.
Our View: Matsui played six innings today and went 2-for-3. He grounded out to shortstop in his final at-bat in the sixth inning, and Mark Loretta took over at second base. The team believes the injury is not serious and are tentatively listing Matsui as day-to-day. |
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| Weeks returns for Brew Crew | Sunday 6/22, 2:11 PM CT |
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Milwaukee second baseman Rickie Weeks is back in the lineup for the Brewers today, activated from the disabled list this morning after missing two weeks with a sprained left knee, according to MLB.com.
Our View: Manager Ned Yost was cautious in bringing Weeks back, having been on the DL since June 7th and spending the last 15 days rehabbing his knee through strength-building exercises and baseball-related activities. Weeks showed no ill effects fielding his position in the top of the first inning on Sunday and hit a long fly ball for an out in his first at-bat. |
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| Schneider doing well but Mets are cautious | Sunday 6/22, 2:05 PM CT |
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Mets catcher Brian Schneider spoke with reporters and states he is feeling fine the day after leaving Saturday's game with swelling in his left hand, according to MLB.com.
Our View: The Mets expect Schneider will not be out long at all as manager Jerry Manuel noted he could be back in the lineup as early as Monday (though Tuesday seems much more likely). |
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| Molina playing first for Cards | Sunday 6/22, 2:01 PM CT |
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The Cardinals have fielded Yadier Molina at first base today, giving Molina his first time on the playing field since suffering a concussion last week, according to MLB.com.
Our View: Molina served as the designated hitter in the series opener on Friday. However, the imPACT concussion screening that he receives daily showed regression in his condition on Saturday, so Molina was held out of the lineup entirely on Saturday. He still has not been cleared to catch, but the club considered first base a suitable assignment. |
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| Badenhop to DL | Sunday 6/22, 1:47 PM CT |
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The Florida Marlins have placed pitcher Burke Badenhop on the 15-day disabled list with right shoulder tendinitis, according to the Sports Network.
Our View: In 13 appearances this season (eight starts), Badenhop has gone 2-3 with a 6.08 ERA. To fill the roster spot, the Marlins have recalled outfielder Jai Miller from Triple-A Albuquerque. |
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| Castillo out for NY, may see DL | Sunday 6/22, 1:38 PM CT |
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Manager Jerry Manuel submitted today's starting lineup for the Mets and failed to list second baseman Luis Castillo on the card. Asked by reporters about the decision, Manuel stated Castillo will be out at least a couple of day due to pain in his right quedriceps muscle, according to the NY Post.
Our View: Manuel also said a DL stint is a possibility for Castillo, who has been battling a variety of ailments this season. |
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| Encarnacion leaves with back spasms | Sunday 6/22, 1:33 PM CT |
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Cincinnati third baseman Edwin Encarnacion has left today's game against the Yankees with lower back spasms, according to the Miami Herald.
Our View: Encarnacion appeared to hurt himself on a leaping catch of a Robinson Cano line drive to end the second inning. He came down awkwardly after making the stab and did not return to the field for the third inning. Jeff Keppinger, who was activated off the 15-day disabled list before the game, moved over from shortstop to third base. Paul Janish took over at short and replaced Encarnacion in the lineup. |
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| Dunn gets a day off | Sunday 6/22, 1:10 PM CT |
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Cincinnati outfielder Adam Dunn is getting the day off and will not be in the lineup as the Reds face the Blue Jays, according to MLB.com.
Our View: Manager Dusty Baker told reporters Dunn needed a mental day of rest, noting the slugger his pushing himself into frustration. He is there to pinch hit if needed and should not miss any more time. |
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| Kent out for Dodgers | Sunday 6/22, 1:07 PM CT |
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Dodger second baseman Jeff Kent is not listed in today's starting lineup against Cleveland, according to the LA Daily News.
Our View: Luis Maza gets the start in place of the veteran slugger, though the News fails to mention why Kent is out. We will update if news becomes available. |
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| Chacon moved to the 'pen | Sunday 6/22, 1:02 PM CT |
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The Astros have decided to move RHP Shawn Chacon from the starting rotation to the bullpen, according to the Houston Chronicle.
Our View: Chacon signed a $2 million deal with the Astros in February after being told he could compete for a spot in the rotation, but today manager Cecil Cooper informed the hurler he will be working out of the bullpen for the immediate future. |
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| Chipper, Escobar out for Braves | Sunday 6/22, 12:58 PM CT |
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The Braves will be without third baseman Chipper Jones and shortstop Yunel Escobar today, both nursing injury and in need of rest, both missing their second consecutive game, according to MLB.com.
Our View: Jones continues to battle a strained right quad while Escobar has a strained right hip flexor, but the Braves believe both will be back soon and both are available to pinch hit today if needed. In their place, Omar Infante will start at short while Ruben Gotay gets the call at third. |
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| Manuel defines bullpen roles | Sunday 6/22, 12:41 PM CT |
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Taking the reins of a team best described as a mess has put manager Jerry Manuel on a mission for organization, and he's started that effort with the Mets bullpen, according to TheRopolitans.com.
Our View: Manuel has defined the roles of several bullpen members, naming Bill Wagner as the team's closer, Duaner Sanchez as the Mets' setup man (to pitch in the 8th inning), and tabbing Joe Smith and Pedro Feliciano as the team's lefty and righty specialists (respectively). Manuel has also castigated Aaron Heilman and will not allow the pitcher to enter "as many pressure situations." |
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| Webb takes moung versus Hernandez today | Sunday 6/22, 12:26 PM CT |
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The Diamondbacks will push ace Brandon Webb to the mound today as they face the Minnesota Twins and Livan Hernandez, according to the Sports Network.
Our View: In six starts since going 9-0, Webb as struggled to three losses, going 2-3 with an ERA of 4.54 in that span. On June 17th Webb struggled through his shortest outing in four years, giving up seven runs on nine hits over 3 1/3 innings. Overall Webb now sits at 11-3 with a 3.27 ERA. On the other hand, Hernandez is 7-4 with a 5.56 ERA, picking up his first win in six starts with his last trip to the mound. |
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| Reds activate Keppinger | Sunday 6/22, 12:14 PM CT |
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The Cincinnati Reds have activated shortstop Jeff Keppinger from the 15-day disabled list, according to MLB.com.
Our View: To make room for his return, infielder And Phillips was designated for assignment. Keppinger was battling .324 through 39 games before he fractured his left kneecap on a foul tip on May 13th. Two more shortstops went on the DL since Keppinger went down. Jerry Hairston Jr. suffered a fractured thumb on June 9, and Jolbert Cabrera dislocated his left index finger on Friday. With that in mind, his return may be a bit premature but was heavily influenced by necessity. |
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| Parra gets first career start vs Baltimore | Sunday 6/22, 11:36 AM CT |
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The Brewers are hoping LHP Manny Parra can keep the good vibes going as he takes the mound against Baltimore in their interleague series finale today, according to the Sports Network.
Our View: Parra got off to a bit of a slow start, but he comes in riding a four-game win streak with an ERA of 2.49 over that span. Parra pitched seven shutout innings against the Blue Jays on Tuesday, striking out five and walking four in his first career interleague start. Today will be his first career start against the Orioles. |
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| Hudson seeking first interleague win with Braves | Sunday 6/22, 11:28 AM CT |
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The Atlanta Braves will send RHP Tim Hudson to the hill today as they battle in their interleague finale against Seattle, according to the Sports Network.
Our View: Hudson comes off the worst performance of his season thus far, giving up six runs (all earned) on six hits over 4 1/3 innings, falling 7-5 to Texas. In 23 career starts versus Seattle, Hudson is 12-6 with a 3.32 ERA, touting two complete games. However, the veteran hurler is an atrocious 0-10 with an ERA of 7.82 in interleague play since joining Atlanta. |
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| Dumatrait to DL | Sunday 6/22, 10:58 AM CT |
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The Pirates have put LHP Phil Dumatrait on the 15-day disabled list, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
Our View: Dumatrait has been bothered by tendinitis in his rotator cuff. He had been slated to start Wednesday against the New York Yankees, but Paul Maholm will pitch instead. The Pirates are off Monday, so Dumatrait's absence will not knock the rest of the rotation off its regular routine. To fill the vacated roster spot, the Pirates have recalled reliever T.J. Beam from Triple-A Indianapolis. |
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| Rookie Reynolds to hurl for Colorado today | Sunday 6/22, 10:48 AM CT |
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The Rockies will send rookie RHP Greg Reynolds to the mound today to battle with Mike Pelfrey and the Mets, according to the Miami Herald.
Our View: Reynolds has won two of his last three starts, recording a win over Cleveland on June 17 at Coors Field. In the 10-2 victory over the Indians, Reynolds hurled six innings of one-run ball and gave up five hits with four strikeouts and no walks. Reynolds, who is 2-1 in five trips to the home hill in 2008, posted a no- decision in a 6-5 win over the Mets on May 23 at Coors Field. The righty was reached for four runs and four hits through six innings. The Rockies took two of three games from the Mets when these clubs faced off in Denver from May 23-25. New York is just 2-7 over its last nine tilts at Coors Field. |
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| Lincecum takes the mound for SF | Sunday 6/22, 10:45 AM CT |
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The Giants will turn to RHP Tim Lincecum today as they face off against Kyle Davies and the Royals today, according to the Miami Herald.
Our View: Lincecum is 6-0 with a 1.47 earned run average in eight games (seven starts) as the visitor this season. He is 4-0 in his last eight outings overall, with the Giants going 6-2 in that span, and has posted back-to-back no decisions. In his last time out on June 16 versus Detroit, Lincecum gave up a season-high four runs on six hits in seven innings of an 8-6 victory. Davies last pitched on June 17 at St. Louis and earned the win with seven strong innings of one-run ball. He also permitted five hits in the 2-1 triumph at Busch Stadium. San Francisco and Kansas City are meeting for the first time since the Royals won two of three games by the Bay in 2005. Kansas City is 5-3 in its eight matchups with the Giants and 8-3 versus the National League this season. |
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| Stavinoha gets start at DH | Sunday 6/22, 10:26 AM CT |
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As expected, the Cardinals brought outfielder Nick Stavinoha out of Triple-A Memphis today to bolster the roster and fill the void left by injured shortstop Cesar Izturis and have announced he will serve as the team's designated hitter against the Boston Red Sox today.
Our View: The Cardinals will send Joel Pineiro to the mound in this interleague battle while Yadier Molina, despite injury concerns, will get that start at first base. |
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| Izturis to DL | Sunday 6/22, 9:52 AM CT |
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The Cardinals are sending shortstop Cesar Izturis to the disabled list, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Our View: The team still lacks the in-depth prognosis for the ailing right hamstring Izturis has been nursing since Friday and they wish to make a move quickly to target minor-league candidates to help an already depleted roster. Izturis was hoping it was a mild strain, but he awoke on Saturday to find further discomfort and pain. It is believed the Cardinals will promote outfielder Nick Stavinoha from Triple-A Memphis to fill the roster spot left vacant by the move. We will update Izturis condition as news becomes available. |
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| Pujols could return this week | Sunday 6/22, 9:44 AM CT |
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Reports indicate St. Louis first baseman Albert Pujols is progressing at an advanced rate to a return from injury, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Our View: Pujols was initially projected to miss a minimum of three weeks with a Grade I-II left calf strain. However, the Post-Dispatch reports the team believes Pujols could rejoin the effort as early as Thursday when the team is first eligible to activate him from the 15-day DL. This would be a huge boost for the Cards and fantasy owners alike. Manager Tony LaRussa remains cautious but did tell reporters he sees surprising improvement in Pujols and wouldn't be surprised if he was back much earlier than expected. We will update when more news becomes available. |
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