[Hache Man]

NL Team-by-Team Notes
Now that they no longer have to worry about him being a super-two player, the Padres are promoting Chase Headley to take over in left field. It likely would have happened weeks ago, or maybe on Opening Day, if money wasn't a factor. The team hasn't ruled out giving Headley the occasional start at third base, but he'll mostly play the outfield. A strict platoon of Jody Gerut and Scott Hairston could be set up in the outfield, costing Hairston most of his value. Headley should be an asset in NL-only leagues the rest of the way, but with Petco working against him, he's a long shot to be of much use in mixed leagues. Think .270 with 8-10 homers and about 45 RBI.

National League Notes

Arizona - Randy Johnson's velocity readings were down in a poor outing against the Royals, but the Diamondbacks said that was a radar gun problem. No one is making the same excuse for Brandon Webb, though the hope is that he's just going through a dead-arm phase. Even with his sinker lacking as much as action as usual, he's been terrific in two of his last three starts and it took some bad play behind him to get him charged with three earned runs over five innings in the other. I'm not particularly concerned yet. Johnson is a tougher call. He seems to be causing his own problems of late, but he hasn't been anywhere near as sharp as he was at the end of last month. The Diamondbacks may need to look for ways to give him an extra day or two off in between starts. … Eric Byrnes (hamstrings) won't be activated Tuesday as hoped, but Friday is realistic. With six games in AL parks still coming up, the Diamondbacks could keep Chad Tracy in the lineup for an extra week even if Byrnes returns on Friday and forces Conor Jackson back to first base.

Atlanta - Charlie Morton didn't seem phased by much of anything in his major league debut Saturday against the Angels. Showing good command of a 91-94 mph fastball and an improved changeup, he was able to hold the Angels to two runs in six innings and pick up a win. Morton didn't make the cut for my Braves' top 15 prospects over the winter -- he wasn't even particularly close to making Baseball America's top 30 -- but he did get a writeup in the draft guide based on a strong AFL season that suggested a breakthrough was possible. I'm not yet convinced he won't eventually end up in the bullpen, but he has a rotation spot for now and he's well worth picking up in NL-only leagues. … Rafael Soriano (elbow) went back on the DL on Saturday, but the Braves still haven't been in any hurry to activate Mike Gonzalez. If they were going strictly by his minor league numbers, which have been great, he would have been back a week ago. His velocity isn't where it once was, but that's no surprise, and with the way he's throwing strikes lately, he could succeed in the majors in the high-80s. The opportunity should be there for him to seize the closer's role before the end of the month. Blaine Boyer looks like the favorite for saves in the meantime. … Brandon Jones' surprising hot start since being called up has given him some short-term value in NL-only leagues. Greg Norton will lose at-bats. atlantabraves.com

Chicago - There doesn't appear to be any set plan for left field with Alfonso Soriano (finger) out for at least another four or five weeks, but early indications are that manager Lou Piniella isn't willing to live with Micah Hoffpauir's limited range there. That leaves Reed Johnson, Eric Patterson and Mark DeRosa to share time, with Ronny Cedeno likely playing second when DeRosa moves to the outfield. Johnson would likely win the job if he could get hot, and he's worth playing in NL-only leagues regardless. Patterson probably isn't, at least not yet. Matt Murton is unlikely to get the call unless he starts showing more power in Triple-A. … Kosuke Fukudome's value would get a mild boost if he was left in the second spot in the order on a full-time basis. It's where he's belonged all along. Jim Edmonds would also have additional value, since the Cubs aren't ready to bat Geovany Soto fifth behind Aramis Ramirez (too many righties in a row, apparently). Ryan Theriot would lose out. He'd likely lead off when Johnson sits, but he and his .388 OBP might spend considerable time in the eighth spot.

Cincinnati - It's far too soon to deem Homer Bailey a lost cause, but the Reds did him no favors in streamlining his delivery this spring. His fastball is down about three mph, and his curveball also doesn't seem to have its usual break. I'd say he's right where Gavin Floyd was three years ago, and like Floyd in Philly, he may be in need of a change of scenery if things don't turn around soon. First, he needs to go back to his old windup, and for that kind of change, a return to Triple-A will be required. Josh Fogg could be activated to replace him in the rotation. … While it ended up being a moot point after Jerry Hairston Jr. suffered a broken thumb, the Reds reportedly wanted Jeff Keppinger (knee) to focus on playing third base on his rehab assignment. They could be open to trading Edwin Encarnacion next month after Alex Gonzalez (knee) comes off the DL. Keppinger would take over at third base if it happens. Encarnacion remains a big-time talent, but he hasn't put it together under Dusty Baker as hoped. I still think he could break through at any time, and he has been hot of late. Since he's 25 and he's under control for three more years, he won't be given away. If the Rangers wanted to commit to Jarrod Saltalamacchia, a trade of top catching prospect Taylor Teagarden for Encarnacion would make some sense for both teams.

Colorado - The Brian Fuentes rumors have started up and won't go away unless the Rockies make a big run before the All-Star break. He's a free agent at season's end, so it would make sense to move him if the Rockies aren't going to contend. If the Rockies do pull of a trade, they'll have to decide whether to go back to Manny Corpas in the closer's role or if they should turn to their best reliever so far this year, Taylor Buchholz. Corpas has pitched better over the last month, but he still has a lot of work to do if hopes to overtake the former Astro. Buchholz has proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that he's best suited for a short-relief role, and he'd probably do just fine as a closer. He's worth considering in shallow mixed leagues. … Troy Tulowitzki (quad) and Clint Barmes (knee) are both candidates to return from the disabled list on Friday. Jonathan Herrera has already been sent down, and either Omar Quintanilla or Ian Stewart will also head back to Triple-A. It will likely be Stewart if the Rockies intend to use Barmes as their primary second baseman. Stewart is too young to be kept as a reserve.



Florida - The Marlins have three starting pitchers on the disabled list with serious arm problems, and they watched Dontrelle Willis lose his best stuff and become one of the NL's worst starters last year. What could Fredi Gonzalez possibly have been thinking when he let Ricky Nolasco, a 25-year-old who battled elbow woes himself last year, throw 132 pitches -- the most by any pitcher in either league since 2006 -- in his start Sunday? It was the most irresponsible act committed by any manager this season. … Josh Johnson started a rehab assignment on Saturday and could return in a month. He's worth grabbing in NL-only leagues, though there's at least a 50/50 shot he'll suffer some sort of setback in his return from Tommy John surgery. … The Marlins are saying Josh Willingham (shoulder) probably won't be activated until next Tuesday, but there's still a pretty good chance that he'll be back Friday if his rehab in the minors goes well. Luis Gonzalez will lose most of his playing time after Willingham makes it back.

Houston - There was a time when Roy Oswalt had the NL's best fastball, but that's in the past. He's lost a couple of MPH, and his curveball isn't the strikeout pitch it was. What Oswalt is in 2008 is a reliable six- or seven-inning starter who will have trouble with the elite offenses. He still has some value in shallow mixed leagues, but no one should be looking to trade for him. … Ty Wigginton has actually been better than usual, but the Astros are talking about sitting him against more right-handers. That wouldn't be a bad idea if there was a legitimate alternative around, but the choice to replace him would be Geoff Blum, who is currently rocking a .233/.256/.362 line in 116 at-bats. Wigginton might as well play unless the Astros can trade for a capable left-handed hitter, and as few minor league resources as they have, it's not worth it go give up talent for a short-term upgrade in a year in which they remain unlikely to make the playoffs.

Los Angeles - Baseball teams never cease to amaze me. Brad Penny is making $8.5 million this year. It's been known for a full month that he's having shoulder issues, and to hear him talk now, it's clear he was having problems well before he had the start pushed back in May. However, it's only now that he's undergoing an MRI. It's likely that he'll land on the disabled list, and lefty Eric Stults appears to be the favorite to replace him in the rotation. Stults has made seven starts for the Dodgers since debuting in 2006, going 2-3 with a 4.71 ERA in the process. He's adequate as far as fifth starters go, but he's not much of a fantasy sleeper. … Since Blake DeWitt is hitting .196 with no RBI in 46 at-bats this month, it might not be long before Adam LaRoche gets a real look at third base. LaRoche's power still isn't all the way back after he suffered ligament damage in his right thumb on a freak play this spring, but it's not like DeWitt stands out there, either, and LaRoche should prove to be the better of the two at getting on base. He's also arguably the superior defender. Even with the threat of Nomar Garciaparra getting another chance next month, LaRoche should be picked up in any NL-only leagues in which he's available. … Before he's a candidate to play third, Garciaparra will take over at shortstop upon returning from his calf injury. Expect awful defense and nowhere near enough offense to make up for it.

Milwaukee - The hope is that J.J. Hardy (shoulder) will be back on Tuesday, but it's not a given. If he's forced to the DL, the team could call up defensive whiz Alcides Escobar to play shortstop. Still, NL-only leaguers should take the chance on leaving him active. … Bill Hall has looked even worse at second filling in for Rickie Weeks (knee) than he did at third. The Brewers might as well go with Craig Counsell's reliable glove or Joe Dillon's more consistent bat there until Weeks comes back in a week or two. … Eric Gagne (shoulder) resumed throwing off a mound Sunday, but he would seem to be at least a week away from rejoining the Brewers and hopefully considerably further away from getting another chance to close.

New York - Trot Nixon may not have been the ideal choice to fill one of the holes in the Mets' outfield, but at least GM Omar Minaya finally did something, anything, to address the problem. Nixon should have some short-term value while starting against right-handers. There will still be room for him even if Ryan Church returns from post-concussion syndrome this weekend as hoped. … Billy Wagner's velocity has been up and down, but that was also the case last year. He was still lights out until blowing three straight saves due in part to poor command. Judging from the way he bounced back Sunday, there's not a lot to worry about here. He still has a 34/6 K/BB ratio in 28 innings on the season. newyorkmets.com

Philadelphia - After a sluggish start, Kyle Kendrick is back pitching pretty well. In fact, throw out a game in which a rain delay caused him to leave after one inning and the Phillies have won his last 10 starts. For the season, he's 6-2 with a 4.55 ERA. He's remained solid even though his strikeout rate is just as awful as it was last year and his walk rate has gone from great to merely good. Kendrick gets more grounders than the average pitcher, controls the running game well and fields his position. Still, it's going to be hard for him to last as a starter while striking out just over two batters an outing. Even Kirk Rueter struck out more guys than Kendrick is. The 23-year-old remains a poor bet in NL-only leagues.



Pittsburgh - John Russell must be one patient man. Freddy Sanchez is up to 280 at-bats with his ugly .232/.265/.307 line, yet he continues to bat second for the Pirates day after day. Sanchez's shoulder problems have clearly played a role in the second baseman's struggles. He's been unable to drive the ball with any consistency, so he's stuck on 12 doubles after hitting 53 in 2006 and 42 last year. Since Sanchez rarely walks, he's a useless player if he's not hitting for average. He should be batting eighth right now. … The time to buy low on Ian Snell may or may not be coming to a close. He's impressed in consecutive starts. However, he does have the White Sox and Blue Jays on the schedule for this week. Once interleague play is over, he should resume being a decent choice in mixed leagues. … Xavier Nady's bruised shoulder isn't expected to keep him from playing this week.

St. Louis - Albert Pujols seems likely to be back before the three-week mark as he overcomes a calf injury, but he's not going to be an option this week. Chris Duncan will continue to play first base against right-handers. If he does well, he'll be put back into the outfield mix after Pujols returns. … Trying to return from forearm soreness after missing just one start, Wellemeyer was tattooed by the Phillies on Friday. He admits that the problem is still there, but he expects to pitch this week anyway. Mixed leaguers should reserve him. … Matt Clement (shoulder) and Mark Mulder (shoulder) both could be options for the St. Louis rotation before Adam Wainwright (finger) returns. I've been as pessimistic as anyone about Mulder's chances of contributing, but he's coming off his most encouraging rehab start. I still think both are long shots to help out in NL-only leagues, but I would gamble on Mulder first, even though Clement has the better chance of making a start for the Cardinals before the end of the month. … Assuming that Yadier Molina's head and neck injury Sunday puts him on the disabled list, the Cardinals will probably go with Jason LaRue and Mark Johnson behind the plate. Prospect Bryan Anderson isn't ready to contribute.

San Diego - The Padres are still nine games under .500, but they've been the best club in the weak NL West lately and any team viewing at them as potential sellers could come away disappointed. In fact, the Padres are likely to look into buying any center fielders or cheap second basemen that become available. Tadahito Iguchi (shoulder) will return next month, but he's been a liability. GM Kevin Towers could also pursue a veteran starter. Livan Hernandez might fit into their budget, and San Diego remains the logical destination for Kei Igawa if the Yankees are ready to give up on him. … If the Padres do decide to stay in the race, it would be bad news for Brian Giles owners. Giles was the one hitter very likely to be moved if the team decided to sell, and given his lack of success at Petco -- he's hit .313 with 13 of his 17 homers on the road since the beginning of last year -- he could have resumed being a solid mixed-league outfielder elsewhere.

San Francisco - Omar Vizquel did steal home on Friday, but his knee woes seem to be getting the better of him since he came off the disabled list five weeks ago. At this point, outfielders can play him shallower than they do most of the Giants' pitchers and he no longer has the speed to leg out many infield singles. The idea of a contender trading for him as an upgrade at shortstop seems laughable. By the time August rolls around, it's going to make sense for the Giants to move him into a backup role, especially if they insist on keeping their young infielders in the majors. … Kevin Correia's return from a strained oblique does upgrade the rotation, but Correia probably won't be of any use in NL-only leagues until after interleague play concludes.

Washington - Tyler Clippard threw well in a win over the Mariners, but he's expected to head back to the minors to make room for Paul Lo Duca on Tuesday. Garrett Mock could be brought back when a replacement for Odalis Perez (shoulder) is again needed later in the week. Lo Duca will return as a backup catcher and possible occasional first baseman and left fielder. The Nats should be open to trading him to any team willing to pick up his salary. Even as much as he's declined, he'd be an upgrade over Brad Ausmus for the Astros. … With Austin Kearns (elbow) due back around the end of the month, this is a big week for Wily Mo Pena. If he doesn't heat up soon, he could find himself on the waiver wire when Kearns gets back. He passed the 150-AB mark on Sunday, yet he still has just one homer. … Neither Ryan Zimmerman (shoulder) nor Nick Johnson (wrist) is looking like a very good bet to return before the All-Star break. Perhaps Kory Casto will have a little value in NL-only leagues after all.