Tuesday, August 18
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08/18/09 - 9:23AM ETBrandon Inge
: (Knee) Struggling Since All-Star Break
- Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski said that Inge (knee) will not be placed on the disabled list to clear a roster spot for Aubrey Huff, the Detroit Free Press reports.
- If that plans holds up, Clete Thomas or Ryan Raburn will be shipped out to make space on the Tigers' roster. Inge's troublesome knee kept him out of the lineup on Monday, but he's still considered day-to-day at this time. One has to think that Inge's knee woes may have something to do with his .183/.274/.269 line over 93 at-bats after the All-Star break.
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08/18/09 - 8:37AM ETKyle Lohse
: Persistently Fatigued Forearm
- Lohse will receive a different type of treatment to try to correct a "persistently fatigued" pitching forearm, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
- This is related to the condition that put Lohse on the DL earlier in the season and could explain his mediocre results this year. "It's not pain or discomfort," Lohse said. "I don't know. I just lose feel as the game progresses."
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08/18/09 - 8:36AM ETJacob Turner
: Gets Big League Deal From Tigers
- The Tigers agreed to a four year, $5.5 million deal with Turner before Monday night's deadline, the Detroit Free Press reports.
- Turner received a major-league contract and will immediately be placed on the team's 40-man roster. The big-league contract should expedite Turner's ascension through the minors, but the 18-year-old righty is unlikely to pitch with the team this season.
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08/18/09 - 8:28AM ETChris Young
: (Shoulder) Should Be Healthy for 2010
- Young (shoulder) is expected to be 100 percent healthy by the start of spring training next year, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
- Surgeons shaved the frayed part of Young's labrum Monday, which should relieve the constant soreness he had been dealing with. He'll begin a rehab course soon and should be throwing again before the end of 2009. He should be at full-go by the time pitchers and catchers report in 2010.
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08/18/09 - 8:27AM ETEric Byrnes
: (Hand) Progressing in Rehab Assignment
- Byrnes (hand) is 3-for-8 with a pair of runs scored in his first two rehab games at Triple-A Reno.
- He may only need a few more games to get ready for a return to the Arizona lineup. With Justin Upton on the DL (oblique), there are plenty of at-bats for the taking upon Byrnes' return to the team.
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- Holliday fouled a pitch off his leg in the ninth inning of Monday's win over the Dodgers, the Associated Press reports. Colby Rasmus pinch-ran for Holliday after Holliday later beat out an infield hit.
- The Cards probably won't know until Tuesday afternoon whether Holliday will be able to play on Tuesday night.
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08/18/09 - 8:14AM ETChuck Haeger
: Pitches Well in Loss Monday
- Haeger pitched reasonably well in Monday's loss to the Cardinals, giving up a late homer to Rick Ankiel to lose in a 3-2 game.
- Haeger allowed three runs over seven innings, giving up five hits and no walks while striking out two. The lack of walks from a knuckleball pitcher stand out. Haeger might get a chance for a few more turns as the fifth starter before season's end.
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- With Kevin Gregg likely losing the closer job, Guzman or Carlos Marmol is likely to get some opportunities going forward.
- If the Cubs go with one closer, we'd say it's 65/35 Marmol, mostly because of his prior experience in the role. But Marmol's had severe control problems, and Guzman has been by far the more reliable pitcher all year, so he's in the running as well.
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- Marmol or Angel Guzman could get a chance to close now that Kevin Gregg has likely lost the job, the Chicago Tribune reports.
- While Marmol pitched a perfect two thirds of an inning Monday, he's issued a whopping 52 free passes in 55.2 innings and has a 1.49 WHIP. Unlike Gregg, Marmol has allowed just one homer all season, and unlike Guzman he has experience closing. At this point we'd say it's 65/35 the Cubs turn to Marmol first.
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- Manager Lou Piniella plans to remove Gregg from the closer role after Monday's four-run blown save, the Chicago Tribune reports. "I think we're going to make some changes as far as what we're going to do in late innings," Piniella said. "We'll have some more tomorrow."
- Gregg surrendered his 12th home run of the season, the cause of most of his six blown saves. Look for Carlos Marmol or Angel Guzman to take his place.
Monday, August 17
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- Padilla has been released by the Rangers, Fox Sports reports.
- Once he clears unconditional release waivers -- likely on Wednesday -- Padilla will be free to sign with any team. The Dodgers are among the potential suitors for his services.
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- Huff has been traded to the Tigers for minor-league pitcher Brett Jacobson, according to Jason Beck of MLB.com.
- The Tigers knew they needed another middle-of-the-lineup bat, albeit Huff is in the middle of an ordinary season. It will be interesting to see where Jim Leyland plans to slot Huff; the first-base and DH slots are tied up (though Carlos Guillen might be ready for left field now), and Huff hasn't played the outfield since 2006.
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- The Red Sox officially released Smoltz on Monday, FOXSports.com reports.
- Smoltz is expected to clear unconditional release waivers on Wednesday, at which time he'll be able to sign with any team. He hasn't come out and said that he wants to keep pitching, but with the Dodgers, Marlins, Cardinals and Rangers all expressing interest, we wouldn't be surprised to see him in action again this season.
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- Johnson is starting at second base and leading off in Monday's game against Arizona, the team's official web site reports.
- With Martin Prado out with an illness and Nate McLouth on the DL with a hamstring injury, Johnson could get regular time at second base and lead off this week.
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08/17/09 - 11:12AM ETNate McLouth
: Placed On DL With Hamstring Injury
- McLouth has been placed on the 15-day DL, the team's official web site. reports.
- McLouth aggravated a hamstring injury on Saturday. The Braves were going to wait a few days, but probably were forced into the move with Martin Prado sick. Ryan Church will move to center field with Matt Diaz getting every day playing time in right field.
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- Upton (oblique) will begin a rehab assignment during the D-Backs' 10-game road trip, the Arizona Republic reports.
- He's just beginning to do baseball activities again, so don't be surprised if Upton is held back until later this week. The D-Backs have nothing to gain by pushing back into the fold before he's 100 percent healthy again.
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- The Royals are still holding out hope that Guillen (knee) will return this season, the Kansas City Star reports.
- He's been working with a physical therapist in Kansas City during the team's current road trip. It's believed that he'll resume baseball activities when the Royals return for a homestand this weekend. Guillen hasn't played since July 23 when he tore a ligament in his right knee against the Angels.
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08/17/09 - 8:43AM ETKevin Hart
: Gets Monday Start
- Hart will start Monday night, as scheduled, despite Sunday's rainout in Chicago.
- Sunday's scheduled starter, Ross Ohlendorf, will have his start moved back to Tuesday.
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08/17/09 - 7:19AM ETJim Thome
: (Heel) Day-to-Day
- The White Sox are calling Thome "day-to-day" with his sore left heel, the Chicago Tribune reports.
- Paul Konerko, Carlos Quentin and Jermaine Dye are all options to start at DH white Thome sits.
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- Some sources are reporting that the A's may release Garciaparra on Monday, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
- The A's want to keep an extra pitcher around with Brett Tomko pitching on Monday, and Garciaparra doesn't fit into the A's long-term plans, particularly with Daric Barton expected back from the DL soon. The A's deny the report, but those with Garciaparra rostered in deep leagues may want to start looking for a replacement.
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- Red Sox manager Terry Francona said Wakefield (back, calf) pitched well in his rehab start, but was limping while coming off the mound, the Providence Journal reports.
- "It sounds like he threw the ball pretty well," Francona said of Wakefield (back, calf). "There was a noticeable limp, especially after the second inning coming off. It sounds like everybody thinks he can pitch. We don't know if he can field his position. We'll continue to try to figure out how he's doing." Wakefield returned to Boston after his start to discuss the next step in his rehab with Red Sox medical staff. He is next scheduled to pitch Thursday, so if it's decided he doesn't need another rehab start, he could be activated to start against Toronto that night.
Sunday, August 16
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08/16/09 - 5:56PM ETDerek Jeter
: Most Hits Ever for a SS
- Jeter passed Hall of Famer Luis Aparicio for most hits by a shortstop in the third inning, when he fought off a pitch near his fists for an opposite-field double. His 2,674th hit as a shortstop came two innings after he led off the game with a single, the Associated Press reports.
- Jeter was 8-for-16 in the four-game series, which came after X-rays were negative on his bruised right foot. He also has 13 hits as a designated hitter in his career. His 2,688 hits are second in Yankees history, 33 behind Lou Gehrig.
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- Gonzalez capped off a huge week on Sunday by going 4-for-5 with a solo homer in the Padres' loss to the Cardinals.
- Just imagine what Gonzalez's numbers might be like if he played in a different home park. Twenty-two of his 32 homers have come on the road, and he entered Sunday hitting over .060 higher on the road.
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08/16/09 - 5:19PM ETDoug Fister
: Earns First Career Win
- Fister pitched seven strong innings for his first major league win as Seattle beat the Yankees 10-3 on Sunday.
- Fister (1-0) making only his second major league start held the Yankees to eight hits and three runs while striking out four on Sunday. Fister had 84:12 K:BB ratio in 112 innings between Double-A and Triple-A this season. If you need a starter in AL-only leagues Fister should be considered.
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08/16/09 - 4:23PM ETJim Thome
: Leaves wtih Sore Foot
- Thome left Sunday's game with a sore left foot, the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
- Thome has dealt with foot problems all season, so it's hard to tell whether this is just a one-day thing or something that could keep him out for a while. Manager Ozzie Guillen said Thome will not play Monday.
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- In his first game back from an oblique injury, Hunter went 2-for-6 and drove in the go-ahead run in Sunday's extra-innings victory over the Orioles.
- Hunter's RBI was the first of the 13th inning, but the Angels went on to pile up nine runs and turned a 13-inning game into a 17-8 blowout. He'll get Monday off but should be back in the lineup on Tuesday.
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08/16/09 - 3:45PM ETRoy Oswalt
: (Back) Another Bad Start
- Oswalt (back) was shaky again on Sunday, allowing five runs in six innings against the Brewers.
- Something still doesn't seem quite right with Oswalt, who has now served up 11 runs in 11 innings since missing time with a back problem. We'll watch closely for news over the next couple of days to see if he mentions anything about his back still bothering him.
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- New York placed Wright (head) on the 15-day disabled list Sunday, the team's official site reports.
- No surprise here, as Wright will be out indefinitely with post-concussion symptoms resulting from the 93-mph fastball off his helmet from Matt Cain Saturday. Wright tried to talk GM Omar Minaya into letting him try and play, but the Mets finally decided to be correctly cautious and sit him down. While Wright could potentially miss the rest of the season, Minaya stressed that the move for now is for the minimum 15 days, and after rest and recuperation, Wright will be reevaluated.
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- Theriot was sent home before Sunday's game against Pittsburgh with flu-like symptoms, the Chicago Tribune reports.
- Theriot could also miss the start of Chicago's upcoming series with the Padres. Aaron Miles will start at shortstop.
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- Kuroda (head) was released from the hospital on Sunday morning, the Dodgers' official site reports.
- Luckily, Kuroda avoided serious injury on a play that looked like it could have resulted in significant damage. He is expected to rejoin the team at Chase Field on Sunday afternoon before flying back to Los Angeles. It's still not clear whether he will miss any time.
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- Hunter hit sixth on Sunday upon his activation from the DL and will also get Monday off before moving into his usual third spot in the batting order, the Associated Press reports.
- The Angels are slowly getting back to getting their full lineup. "My plan is to play him today, give him tomorrow off, then play him again on Tuesday," manager Mike Scioscia said. "For now, he'll bat sixth to get some at-bats. Ultimately, we'll get him back to third in the order."
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- Downs (toe) had a mound session and did some defensive work on Sunday but will start a rehab assignment this week before returning from the DL, the team's official site reports.
- "Downs, he can move OK, but he's still not ready to go," manager Cito Gaston said. "We're just going slow with him. Last time we went quick with him and it didn't work too well. We'll try to make sure he's close to 100 percent." He'll likely need at least a few rehab appearances so while his exact return date is unknown it should be safe to keep him on your bench for this week.
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08/16/09 - 11:36AM ETTed Lilly
: On Pitch Count Monday
- Lilly (knee) will be limited to 85-90 pitches in Monday's start against the Padres, the Associated Press reports.
- We'd recommend activating him anyhow. That's not too far off from a full start, plus it's in Petco Park. Further, he's slated for two starts this upcoming week.
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- Zambrano (back) will make a rehab start on Thursday before returning from the DL, the Associated Press reports. He'll throw about 75 pitches in his rehab start.
- Zambrano is now set to return from the DL on Aug. 25, against the Nats. "Remember he hasn't pitched more than three innings in over three weeks," manager Lou Piniella said. "He hasn't run the bases or swung the bat so we have to be a little cautious with him."
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- Guerrero was scratched from Sunday's lineup due to stiffness in his left leg, the Angels' official site reports. "He came in feeling stiff," manager Mike Scioscia said Sunday. "He felt good last night and today he feels a little bit stiff, so we're going to give him the day off."
- Guerrero had been penciled in as the Angels DH for Sunday's game and will be available to pinch hit, if necessary. Scioscia said that Guerrero will be back in the lineup for Monday's game against the Orioles.
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- Cedeno is getting Sunday off against the Cubs, with Ramon Vazquez replacing him at shortstop.
- He's hit .273/.310/.382 with a strong glove in 15 games since coming to the Pirates via the Jack Wilson trade. Cedeno has struggled recently, however, getting just one hit in his last 13 at-bats and four games.
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- The Reds will probably skip Cueto (hip) for his next start, the Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
- It's more about preserving Cueto and addressing his recent slump than it is about his hip. "I've got to talk to Walt (Jocketty) and Dickie (Pole)," manager Dusty Baker said. "We started him later in the second half. we didn't skip him. But we've kept him on rotation with days off. We've watched his pitch count. We've taken him out when he wanted to stay in. He says, 'I'm fine. I'm fine.' We're trying to preserve him."
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- Phillips was scratched from Sunday's lineup with a sore left hand, the Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
- X-rays on his hand were negative, so consider Phillips day-to-day. Drew Sutton is starting at second base in his place.
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08/16/09 - 9:03AM ETDavid Wright
: (Concussion) Discharged From Hospital
- Wright was discharged from a hospital Sunday, a day after suffering a concussion when he was beaned by a Matt Cain pitch, ESPN.com reports.
- The Mets said that Wright will be held out of games indefinitely as he recovers from his post-concussion symptoms. There's a possibility that he'll be out for the season.
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- If all goes well in Monday's bullpen session, Matsuzaka (shoulder) will start a rehab assignment with the Gulf Coast League Red Sox, the Providence Journal reports.
- Matsuzaka had an impressive 65-pitch session on Friday, when he threw his entire repertoire. "He got up on some fastballs and let it go pretty good," said Red Sox manager Terry Francona. "The changeup, his arm slot was a little inconsistent, which I imagine would be. Everything was really encouraging."
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