Sunday, April 19
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04/19/09 - 3:07PM ETB.J. Upton
: Quad Injury Not Serious
- Upton (quad) is considered day-to-day, according to the St. Pete's Times.
- Upton owners can breathe a sigh of relief. Apparently, he felt some tightness in his quad and the Rays erred on the side of caution by pulling him from the game. Manager Joe Maddon said after the game he expects Upton to be ready for their next game on Tuesday when they take on the Mariners.
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- Prado went 2-for-4 with a home run, a double and a walk in Sunday's win over Pittsburgh.
- Prado started the last three games with Yunel Escobar out. With Chipper Jones back in the lineup and Escobar due back shortly, he'll go back to a bench role. However, his performance the last three days (4-for-10) shows he's got significant potential when Chipper Jones gets hurt.
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- Branyan (back) was not in the Mariners' lineup for a second straight day, the Mariners' official site reports.
- Manager Don Wakamatsu hopes Branyan can return Tuesday, with the team off on Monday. Branyan injured his back while sliding into home on Friday night against the Tigers.
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04/19/09 - 1:42PM ETBrandon Webb
: Flat Ground Bullpen Session
- Webb (shoulder stiffness) threw a bullpen session on flat ground Sunday morning, the Diamondbacks' official site reports.
- The next step will be for him to throw a bullpen session off the mound Tuesday, after which D-backs manager Bob Melvin said, "(we'll) see what course of action we take." It hasn't been decided if Webb will need to face hitters before being activated, but even if he does, it would probably be a one-time thing, either in a simulated game or a minor league rehab start.
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- Manage Ken Macha expects Hoffman (oblique) to be available to pitch next Sunday against the Astros, the Brewers' official site reports.
- "Hoffman will be starting a game for [Triple-A] Nashville in Memphis on Tuesday, then pitch for them again in the middle of a game on Thursday," Macha said Sunday. "He should be ready to be activated next Sunday in Houston." Hoffman should improve a Brewers bullpen that is giving up a 4.91 ERA and .298 opponent batting average.
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04/19/09 - 11:22AM ETB.J. Upton
: Tight Right Quadriceps
- Upton left Sunday's game in the second inning with a tight right quadriceps.
- Upton was active on the basepaths in the first inning, stealing a base. If the quad remains tight it could hurt his running game for the short term.
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- McCann (eye) is not in Sunday's starting lineup, but normally would get the day off after a night game. However, he'll visit an eye specialist on Monday, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. "It's going to be a day-to-day thing," McCann said Sunday. "It could clear up tomorrow. But at the same time, it might not...It could be as early as tomorrow and could be as late as...I don't know."
- McCann used new medication for his eye on Sunday, so he may not be able to pinch hit. There's some talk he could be placed on the DL this week if he needs further treatment, so look for news after he meets with doctors on Monday. He was replaced in the lineup Sunday by David Ross.
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04/19/09 - 10:59AM ETAdam Jones
: Sore Right Hamstring
- Jones left Sunday's game against the Red Sox in the second inning with a sore right hamstring.
- Jones was replaced by Felix Pie in center field.
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04/19/09 - 10:57AM ETJoe Mauer
: Making Progress
- Mauer (back) will play in an intrasquad game at Fort Myers on Monday and will join Low-A Fort Myers for a rehab assignment by the end of the week, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.
- The Star Tribune adds that the Twins want him to get about 50 plate appearances in the minors before he's activated off the DL. As a result, May 1 seems like a realistic date for his return.
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04/19/09 - 10:10AM ETJay Bruce
: Will Probably Play Tuesday
- Bruce (hand/wrist) probably will return on Tuesday in Chicago, the Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
- Laynce Nix is replacing Bruce in the lineup on Sunday. "It's much better," Bruce said. "I'll be fine in no time. I'll definitely be ready for Chicago, barring something unforeseen. I'm hoping for tomorrow. But it's Dusty's call. It's early in the season. I don't want to rush it."
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04/19/09 - 10:05AM ETRyan Garko
: Gets Start in RF
- Garko will get his first start in right field on Sunday, the team's official site reports.
- Garko first worked on playing the outfield this spring. Getting him to be a suitable alternative in the outfield will help ease the Indians' first base/DH logjam.
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04/19/09 - 9:50AM ETStephen Drew
: Iffy With Hamstring Issue
- Drew (hamstring) is likely to sit out Sunday's game against the Giants as well, the Arizona Republic reports.
- Augie Ojeda started in place of Drew on Saturday and hit in the leadoff spot.
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- Morales will be called up on Monday to pitch on Tuesday, Tracy Ringolsby of insidetherockies.com reports.
- Morales has been one of the only bright spots in the Rockies' rotation this year, but he will have to prove that he's got a handle on his control before he gets of the merry-go-round of pitchers that go back and forth from the majors to the minors.
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- Garciaparra was held out of Saturday's game due to continued soreness in his calf, the team's web site reports.
- Garciaparra noticed the problem resurface in the later innings of Friday's game, in which he went 0-for-5.
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- Saltalamacchia, hitting just .176 on the season, isn't in danger of losing his job as Texas' starting catcher despite his offensive struggles according to the team's web site.
- Salty will sit in favor of Taylor Teagarden on Sunday but will continue getting the vast majority of starts behind the plate for Texas.
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04/19/09 - 7:53AM ETAaron Cook
: Another Rocky Outing
- Cook had another rocky outing in Saturday's loss to the Dodgers, giving up five runs on eight hits over four innings.
- "The ball looks flat coming out of my hand," Cook said. "It doesn't mean velocity, it means rotation and explosiveness aren't there." Cook was once again unable to put any drop on his sinker, and the Dodgers made him pay, hammering three home runs and six of his 12 outs were flyouts, which is concerning for fantasy owners.
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- Matsuzaka will receive treatment and refrain from throwing for the next three or four days to get some of the inflammation out of his right shoulder, the Boston Herald reports.
- Following this period of inactivity, Matsuzaka will begin a program designed to rebuild strength in the shoulder. "The time frame is to get him back healthy, strong and productive," Francona said. "I think the medical staff is still kind of sifting through that."
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- Smoltz (shoulder) threw 20 pitches in a live batting practice session on Saturday, the Boston Herald reports.
- Smoltz was "pretty upbeat" following the session, according to Red Sox manager Terry Francona. The Red Sox will determine Smoltz' next step on Monday. It's likely he'll throw another batting practice session before appearing in an extended spring training game.
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- Hernandez went 1-for-4 with a walk and a run scored as the leadoff hitter Saturday, stealing his first base of the year.
- With Cristian Guzman now on the DL Hernandez will probably stick in the leadoff spot for a couple of weeks, and maybe longer if he proves to be effective in the role.
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- Bonifacio returned to the starting lineup and leadoff spot Saturday but went 0-for-4 with another strikeout.
- He even got pinch-hit for by Wes Helms in the ninth inning. The bloom has come off the rose for the young speedster, as pitchers have been pounding him with high heat he can't get on top of and he's been unable to adjust so far.
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04/19/09 - 5:16AM ETBrad Lidge
: Not Feeling Sharp
- Lidge, who blew a save on Saturday night, said neither his fastball nor his slider has been sharp this season, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
- "My fastball command is pretty poor right now," Lidge said. "I'm trying to hit my spots, its just not getting there. . . . That being said, I've left a couple of sliders up as well." Lidge said that he feels fine mechanically, and does not need to make major adjustments.
Saturday, April 18
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04/18/09 - 7:47PM ETZach Greinke
: Complete Game Shutout Against Texas
- Greinke did not allow the Rangers to score over nine innings of work in the Royals' win Saturday. He struck out 10, allowed seven hits and walked none.
- Greinke's last complete game came almost a year ago, on April 14, 2008. Greinke has not allowed a run through 20 innings this season, and has a 26:5 K:BB ratio. Keep in mind Saturday's game was played in Arlington, where runs are generally scored by the dozen.
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- X-Rays on Bruce's hand have come back negative, but manager Dusty Baker doesn't think he will play Sunday, the Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
- Laynce Nix and Chris Dickerson split time in right with Bruce out, and one of them should get the start on Sunday.
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04/18/09 - 11:29AM ETElijah Dukes
: Benched for Violating Team Rules
- Dukes was removed from Saturday's starting lineup due to a violation of team rules, according to the Washington Times.
- Dukes was apparently late to the ballpark and not on time for pregame batting practice. Manager Manny Acta appears to be making a quick statement with Dukes. It will be interesting to see how Dukes handles this punishment.
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- Major League Baseball suspended Bradley (groin) for two games on Friday.
- If Bradley chooses not to appeal the ruling, he will miss the remaining two games of the weekend series against the Cardinals. It should give him a chance to rest the groin injury that's been bothering him over the last few days.
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- Hoffman (oblique) threw 37 pitches in a bullpen session on Saturday and experienced no discomfort, the Associated Press reports.
- The next step for Hoffman is a rehab appearance for Triple-A Nashville on Tuesday. If that goes well, Hoffman will likely play in one more minor league game and could join the Brewers next weekend.
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- When pressed in post-game interviews, Valverde admitted that his back is still bothering him, despite being able to pitch on Friday night, the Houston Chronicle reports. "I have the same problem with my back," Valverde conceded. "You know what I mean? Not too much, a little bit. It's not bothering me too much."
- There seems to be a disconnect here - and maybe it's a case of Valverde not telling the team about his status before the game on Friday. Check out manager Cecil Cooper's post-game comments: "He's fine. Jose's fine," Cooper said. "He told me before the game tonight (after) I said, 'Do you want me to close in the ninth inning tonight?' And he said, 'No. I got it.' He's fine. No ailments at all. Heck, he was hitting 94-95-mph. That tells me he's fine."
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04/18/09 - 9:15AM ETMike Pelfrey
: (Forearm) Will Miss Start
- Pelfrey (forearm tendinitis) will miss his scheduled Sunday start, the Mets' official website reports.
- Mets manager Jerry Manuel is being very cautious with Pelfey's arm. His replacement will not be announced until Saturday afternoon, but its looking like right-hander Nelson Figueroa will take the spot.
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- With Cristian Guzman being placed on the DL, Gonzalez will be the National's every day shortstop for the next couple of weeks.
- He's thrived at the plate so far, but expect his numbers to come down with regular playing time. Still, he's worth a look in NL-only leagues.
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04/18/09 - 5:19AM ETHuston Street
: Loses Closer Role to Manny Corpas
- Street has lost the closer's job to Manny Corpas, and will be used out of the bullpen as a middle reliever, the Denver Post reports.
- "To back him away now, I think is best served for both us and him," Manager Clint Hurdle said. "It gives him an opportunity to get more involved and work his way out of it." Street will be relegated to a bullpen role, though not necessarily as a set-up man. He makes a handcuff option for Corpas owners, and could conceivably win the job back if Corpas falters.
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- Rockies manager Clint Hurdle said before Friday night's game that Corpas will be the closer, the Associated Press reports.
- This came after a string of bad outings by Huston Street. The Rockies blew a lead in the seventh inning on Friday night before Corpas had a chance to get into the game.
Friday, April 17
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- Guerrero was diagnosed Friday with a torn pectoral muscle in his chest and was placed on the 15-day disabled list, the Los Angeles Times reports. He will miss at least a month and probably longer.
- Guerrero might not return to the field at all this season, as the Angels are considering using him solely as a designated hitter when he returns. He maintains that the injury only affects his ability to throw and play the field, but we have to question that claim somewhat, since the Angels could simply put him at DH right now if his swing was completely unaffected. The Angels will use Maicer Izturis as the DH on Friday night, but Gary Matthews Jr. figures to benefit most in the long run.
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- Marmol pitched the ninth inning in Friday's win over the Cardinals and picked up his second save.
- This didn't appear to be a case of Marmol getting picked to close instead of Kevin Gregg. The Cubs were trailing when Marmol started warming up and manager Lou Piniella elected to stick with Marmol after Alfonso Soriano hit a go-ahead homer in the eighth. For now, Gregg is still the closer.
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- Peralta (elbow) will be held out of the lineup on Friday, according to the Indians' official site.
- Asdrubal Cabrera will fill in at short, and Tony Graffanino will take over the second base duties. Peralta didn't feel too comfortable swinging the bat on Friday morning, but he doesn't expect to miss more than a game or two of action.
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04/17/09 - 10:50AM ETKazuo Matsui
: Out Until At Least Saturday
- Matsui (back) will be out until at least Saturday, the Houston Chronicle reports.
- Of course, Matsui is no stranger to back problems, having missed a number of games last year with the same ailment. Complicating matters for the Astros is that his replacement, Jeff Keppinger, suffered back problems on Thursday. If Keppinger hasn't improved in time for Friday's game, a roster move might be necessary.
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04/17/09 - 8:39AM ETHuston Street
: Rockies Evaluating Closer Role
- Street could be removed from the closer's role as early as Friday, the Denver Post reports.
- Manny Corpas was better in spring training, and he's been better in the 2009 season. The move from Oakland to Colorado has been rough so far for Street, and he has been quite susceptible to the longball, giving up three home runs in the young season. He hasn't lost the job as of yet, and even if he does get bumped down, he will still be first in line to close if Corpas does not impress. Owning the two of them isn't a bad idea; if you can afford the room on your roster.
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- Matsui's knee has filled up with fluid, and Yankees' manager Joe Girardi will likely limit him to a pinch-hitting role over the next few days, the Associated Press reports.
- Juan Miranda was called up from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to possibly fill the designated hitter role for a few days. It doesn't appear Matsui will require a trip to the disabled list, but make sure to check his status this weekend before setting weekly lineups.
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- Mets manager Jerry Manual plans to try Tatis at second base this weekend, the Daily News reports. "I want to see if I can get his bat in the lineup someplace," Manuel said.
- This would be a huge bump to Tatis's fantasy value, should the move stick long enough to result in position eligibility in your league. Tatis has played all of two innings of second base in his major league career, so it might be a bit of an adventure out there.
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