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Hache Man · 06-16-08, 06:47 PM

Headley Set to Join Padres
Lots of good stuff from the weekend to catch up on, so let's get right to the notes from around baseball …

* Chase Headley joined the Padres over the weekend and will be officially be added to the roster in time for Tuesday's game. Formerly a top third-base prospect, Headley shifted to left field this season because of Kevin Kouzmanoff's presence at the hot corner in San Diego. His bat hasn't suffered any due to the defensive switch, as Headley has hit .305/.383/.556 with 13 homers, 38 total extra-base hits, and 31 walks in 65 games at Triple-A.

He's MLB-ready and has a strong all-around offensive game, but doesn't project as a fantasy star thanks to a high strikeout rate and Petco Park. Headley has 65 strikeouts in 65 games this year and struck out 114 times in 121 games at Double-A last season. Beyond that, his 20-homer pop will be muted by a home ballpark that depresses power more than any other spot in the majors. Toss in zero potential for steals and Headley's upside likely falls under "good" more than "great."

* Chien-Ming Wang was cruising through the Astros' lineup Sunday with five scoreless innings when he bunted into a seemingly innocuous fielder's choice in the top of the sixth frame. He then advanced to second base and scored on a Derek Jeter single that opened the floodgates to an eight-run inning, but injured his foot in the process and had to exit the game. Wang still picked up his eighth win, but the Yankees announced afterward that he has a sprained right foot.

Wang is scheduled to undergo an MRI exam Monday, at which point the Yankees should have a clearer picture about his status. Immediately calling it a sprain probably isn't a great sign and neither was Wang telling reporters after the game that "it hurts a lot" before being driven out of the clubhouse on a golf cart. For now, count on him missing at least one turn in the rotation and don't be surprised if a stint on the disabled list is needed.

* Desperate for an MLB-quality outfielder with both Ryan Church and Moises Alou sidelined, the Mets acquired Trot Nixon from the Diamondbacks over the weekend. Nixon failed to win a spot on Arizona's roster this spring, but the 34-year-old veteran accepted an assignment to Triple-A and earned his way back to the majors by hitting .309/.437/.558 with 10 homers in 58 games. His Mets debut came Sunday and Nixon went 2-for-3 with two walks starting in right field.

Nixon posted a career-best .974 OPS in 2003, but that dropped to .887 in 2004, .803 in 2005, .767 in 2006, and .678 last season. Even with the strong showing at Triple-A he's obviously no longer the player that he once was, but Nixon remains a solid option against right-handed pitching and should get a chance for regular playing time in the Mets' outfield for at least the next couple weeks. For now, count on Nixon emerging with decent value in NL-only leagues.

* Matt Capps blew a save Sunday for the third time in four appearances, but recovered to pitch a scoreless 10th inning while picking up his first win of the season. Capps is still sporting a solid 2.88 ERA and it's unlikely that his job is in any kind of serious danger. Since taking over as the Pirates' closer midway through last season, he's converted 34-of-39 (87.2 percent) save chances while quietly posting a 2.25 ERA, 64-to-15 strikeout-to-walk ratio, and 1.00 WHIP in 84 innings.

* Reds fans weren't pleased with my advice to avoid Homer Bailey when he was called up from Triple-A earlier this month, but so far at least it looks like the right move. Bailey has struggled in all three starts, including an ugly outing Sunday against the Red Sox that saw him serve up three homers. His lack of velocity has been cause for concern, especially because his control remains iffy at best. Bailey has handed out 10 walks compared to just three strikeouts over 12.1 innings.

* On the other hand, my advice to keep expectations in check for Bailey's teammate Jay Bruce looked silly when he hit .457/.554/.739 with three homers and nine walks through his first dozen games. Bruce has come back down to earth since, going hitless in four at-bats Sunday to make him just 5-for-30 (.167) with an 8-to-2 strikeout-to-walk ratio over the past eight games. He's still sporting 1.000 OPS, but expect that to settle into the .800-.850 range eventually.

* As driver of the Jason Kubel bandwagon that was stalled for much of the season, it pleases me to see him living up to my hype. Kubel tied Justin Morneau for the team lead with his 10th homer Sunday and continues to receive playing time at the expense of Delmon Young. He's 13-for-40 (.325) with four homers in a dozen games this month, giving him 23 homers and 101 RBIs in 695 plate appearances dating back to last season.

AL Quick Hits: Alex Rodriguez went 2-for-4 with a homer Sunday, giving him five homers, 16 RBIs, and 15 runs in 15 games this month … C.C. Sabathia continued his impressive roll Sunday, tossing eight innings of three-run ball while racking up 10 strikeouts … Gary Sheffield (oblique) is scheduled to begin a minor-league rehab assignment Monday at Single-A … Josh Beckett shut out the Reds for seven innings Sunday, improving to 9-1 during interleague play as a member of the Red Sox … Gil Meche totaled 10 strikeouts in Sunday's victory, reaching double digits for the first time since May of 2006 … Eric Chavez collected three hits Sunday, making him 16-for-55 (.291) since coming off the disabled list … Grady Sizemore homered Sunday, giving him nine long balls over the past 16 games … David DeJesus went 3-for-5 with his first career grand slam Sunday, and is now hitting .345 with three homers this month … A pair of steals Sunday gave Jacoby Ellsbury the new Red Sox rookie record at 33 and he's half way to the AL rookie record of 66 from Kenny Lofton in 1992.

NL Quick Hits: After three straight blown saves, Billy Wagner had a perfect ninth inning Sunday to close out a two-run lead … Ryan Howard drove in four runs Sunday, giving him 46 RBIs in 43 games since May 1 … Clayton Kershaw had four shutout innings when the rain hit Sunday and didn't return following a delay … Aaron Cook held the White Sox to three runs over six innings Sunday, winning for the 10th time in 13 starts … Brett Myers coughed up six runs over six innings Sunday and now leads baseball with 20 homers allowed … Manager Lou Piniella said Saturday that Reed Johnson will be the primary leadoff man while Alfonso Soriano (hand) is out … Brad Hawpe went deep Sunday and now has four homers in nine games since coming off the disabled list … Mark Mulder (shoulder) began his second minor-league rehab assignment Saturday, tossing five scoreless innings at Double-A while being clocked around 90 miles per hour … After pinch-hitting Sunday, Andy LaRoche made his big-league debut at second base … Josh Johnson kicked off his comeback from Tommy John surgery with five solid innings Saturday at Single-A.

06-16-08, 06:47 PM	#188
Hache Man "Seven Days Without Gambling Makes One Weak" Join Date: Aug 19, 2005 Location: Orlando, Florida Posts: 64,496	Re: Fantasy Baseball News 2008 Headley Set to Join Padres Lots of good stuff from the weekend to catch up on, so let's get right to the notes from around baseball … * Chase Headley joined the Padres over the weekend and will be officially be added to the roster in time for Tuesday's game. Formerly a top third-base prospect, Headley shifted to left field this season because of Kevin Kouzmanoff's presence at the hot corner in San Diego. His bat hasn't suffered any due to the defensive switch, as Headley has hit .305/.383/.556 with 13 homers, 38 total extra-base hits, and 31 walks in 65 games at Triple-A. He's MLB-ready and has a strong all-around offensive game, but doesn't project as a fantasy star thanks to a high strikeout rate and Petco Park. Headley has 65 strikeouts in 65 games this year and struck out 114 times in 121 games at Double-A last season. Beyond that, his 20-homer pop will be muted by a home ballpark that depresses power more than any other spot in the majors. Toss in zero potential for steals and Headley's upside likely falls under "good" more than "great." * Chien-Ming Wang was cruising through the Astros' lineup Sunday with five scoreless innings when he bunted into a seemingly innocuous fielder's choice in the top of the sixth frame. He then advanced to second base and scored on a Derek Jeter single that opened the floodgates to an eight-run inning, but injured his foot in the process and had to exit the game. Wang still picked up his eighth win, but the Yankees announced afterward that he has a sprained right foot. Wang is scheduled to undergo an MRI exam Monday, at which point the Yankees should have a clearer picture about his status. Immediately calling it a sprain probably isn't a great sign and neither was Wang telling reporters after the game that "it hurts a lot" before being driven out of the clubhouse on a golf cart. For now, count on him missing at least one turn in the rotation and don't be surprised if a stint on the disabled list is needed. * Desperate for an MLB-quality outfielder with both Ryan Church and Moises Alou sidelined, the Mets acquired Trot Nixon from the Diamondbacks over the weekend. Nixon failed to win a spot on Arizona's roster this spring, but the 34-year-old veteran accepted an assignment to Triple-A and earned his way back to the majors by hitting .309/.437/.558 with 10 homers in 58 games. His Mets debut came Sunday and Nixon went 2-for-3 with two walks starting in right field. Nixon posted a career-best .974 OPS in 2003, but that dropped to .887 in 2004, .803 in 2005, .767 in 2006, and .678 last season. Even with the strong showing at Triple-A he's obviously no longer the player that he once was, but Nixon remains a solid option against right-handed pitching and should get a chance for regular playing time in the Mets' outfield for at least the next couple weeks. For now, count on Nixon emerging with decent value in NL-only leagues. * Matt Capps blew a save Sunday for the third time in four appearances, but recovered to pitch a scoreless 10th inning while picking up his first win of the season. Capps is still sporting a solid 2.88 ERA and it's unlikely that his job is in any kind of serious danger. Since taking over as the Pirates' closer midway through last season, he's converted 34-of-39 (87.2 percent) save chances while quietly posting a 2.25 ERA, 64-to-15 strikeout-to-walk ratio, and 1.00 WHIP in 84 innings. * Reds fans weren't pleased with my advice to avoid Homer Bailey when he was called up from Triple-A earlier this month, but so far at least it looks like the right move. Bailey has struggled in all three starts, including an ugly outing Sunday against the Red Sox that saw him serve up three homers. His lack of velocity has been cause for concern, especially because his control remains iffy at best. Bailey has handed out 10 walks compared to just three strikeouts over 12.1 innings. * On the other hand, my advice to keep expectations in check for Bailey's teammate Jay Bruce looked silly when he hit .457/.554/.739 with three homers and nine walks through his first dozen games. Bruce has come back down to earth since, going hitless in four at-bats Sunday to make him just 5-for-30 (.167) with an 8-to-2 strikeout-to-walk ratio over the past eight games. He's still sporting 1.000 OPS, but expect that to settle into the .800-.850 range eventually. * As driver of the Jason Kubel bandwagon that was stalled for much of the season, it pleases me to see him living up to my hype. Kubel tied Justin Morneau for the team lead with his 10th homer Sunday and continues to receive playing time at the expense of Delmon Young. He's 13-for-40 (.325) with four homers in a dozen games this month, giving him 23 homers and 101 RBIs in 695 plate appearances dating back to last season. AL Quick Hits: Alex Rodriguez went 2-for-4 with a homer Sunday, giving him five homers, 16 RBIs, and 15 runs in 15 games this month … C.C. Sabathia continued his impressive roll Sunday, tossing eight innings of three-run ball while racking up 10 strikeouts … Gary Sheffield (oblique) is scheduled to begin a minor-league rehab assignment Monday at Single-A … Josh Beckett shut out the Reds for seven innings Sunday, improving to 9-1 during interleague play as a member of the Red Sox … Gil Meche totaled 10 strikeouts in Sunday's victory, reaching double digits for the first time since May of 2006 … Eric Chavez collected three hits Sunday, making him 16-for-55 (.291) since coming off the disabled list … Grady Sizemore homered Sunday, giving him nine long balls over the past 16 games … David DeJesus went 3-for-5 with his first career grand slam Sunday, and is now hitting .345 with three homers this month … A pair of steals Sunday gave Jacoby Ellsbury the new Red Sox rookie record at 33 and he's half way to the AL rookie record of 66 from Kenny Lofton in 1992. NL Quick Hits: After three straight blown saves, Billy Wagner had a perfect ninth inning Sunday to close out a two-run lead … Ryan Howard drove in four runs Sunday, giving him 46 RBIs in 43 games since May 1 … Clayton Kershaw had four shutout innings when the rain hit Sunday and didn't return following a delay … Aaron Cook held the White Sox to three runs over six innings Sunday, winning for the 10th time in 13 starts … Brett Myers coughed up six runs over six innings Sunday and now leads baseball with 20 homers allowed … Manager Lou Piniella said Saturday that Reed Johnson will be the primary leadoff man while Alfonso Soriano (hand) is out … Brad Hawpe went deep Sunday and now has four homers in nine games since coming off the disabled list … Mark Mulder (shoulder) began his second minor-league rehab assignment Saturday, tossing five scoreless innings at Double-A while being clocked around 90 miles per hour … After pinch-hitting Sunday, Andy LaRoche made his big-league debut at second base … Josh Johnson kicked off his comeback from Tommy John surgery with five solid innings Saturday at Single-A.