Hache Man
"Seven Days Without Gambling Makes One Weak"
Re: Fantasy Baseball News 2008
NL Team-by-Team Notes
May rankings next week.
Chad Cordero actually had a fastball clocked at 76 mph last week. For the most part, he's been throwing 82-84 mph, topping out at 86 mph. Whether or not he's pain-free, his arm probably isn't sound. The Nats are sticking with Jon Rauch in the closer's role until Cordero earns is back, which will probably happen if he can get his fastball up to 86-88 mph. However, I think it's at least 50/50 that he'll return to the DL by the middle of next month. GM Jim Bowden should already regret not trading him while there was still considerable demand for him in the offseason. On the plus side, if Rauch spends three or four months in the closer's role, his trade value could be higher than ever before. The possibility that the Nats won't have either Cordero or Rauch available come August makes Jesus Colome a sleeper.
National League Notes
Arizona - The results haven't been great, but Randy Johnson didn't look bad at all in his first two starts back from the DL. His fastball has regularly been 90-92 mph, and his slider is breaking well. He gave up just one hit on the slider in Sunday's loss to San Diego. I see that as a very encouraging sign. Johnson won't make 30 starts, but he should be an asset in shallow mixed leagues when healthy. ? Not that he wouldn't have been useful as a true bench player, but Tony Clark did Arizona a favor when he failed to accept their contract offer. No longer shoved to the bench every second or third day, Conor Jackson has opened the season at .377/.469/.717 with 18 runs scored and 17 RBI in 16 games. Obviously, he can't maintain that kind of pace. However, he should be an asset in mixed leagues all season long. With both he and Mark Reynolds off to outstanding starts, it's going to be tough for Arizona to find starts for [URL="http://fantasyfootball.usatoday.com/content/playerpages/player_main.asp?sport=MLB&id=3586"]Chad Tracy[/URL], who could be back from knee surgery around the first of the month. ? Micah Owings gets the Giants on Monday and the Padres on Saturday, making him a fine one-week option in shallow mixed leagues.
Atlanta - Off to a brutal start against right-handers, Matt Diaz was benched in favor of Gregor Blanco for three straight games over the weekend. Diaz's spot as an everyday player was always tentative, so he's very much in danger of returning to a platoon role. Blanco, though, is more of a fourth or fifth outfielder and wouldn't be an ideal choice to replace him. There isn't an NL team that would make more sense for Barry Bonds than the Braves, and if they were to sign him, they'd be the favorites to win the East. Still, it seems highly, highly unlikely. Brandon Jones is off to a slow start in Triple-A, so there are no quality internal options to replace Diaz. The Giants should be trying to interest them in Randy Winn. Until the team looks elsewhere, Blanco could have some value in NL-only leagues. Unfortunately, he has no power and he's a poor percentage basestealer despite very good speed. ? I want to see what happens Monday before getting concerned about Tim Hudson's velocity drop. The Braves are hoping it was just a tired arm. ? Rafael Soriano (elbow) appears doubtful to return this week, and there's always good reason for extra concern when he has arm problems. Since Peter Moylan joined Soriano on the DL, Manny Acosta has taken over as the Braves' closer. Those with open DL spots should be thinking about picking up Mike Gonzalez, who is due back from Tommy John surgery in 4-6 weeks. atlantabraves.com
Chicago - Counting Reed Johnson, the Cubs have six regulars with OBPs over .400 and a seventh (Aramis Ramirez) at .393. That just leaves left field, and that's where they can stick Matt Murton, who was at .462 in Triple-A before being called up. Of course, there are some flukes. Reed Johnson, who has supplanted Felix Pie in center, has a .344 career mark. Ryan Theriot finished at .326 last year. Geovany Soto will probably continue to show good power, but there's no way he's hitting .328 all season long. The two guys with the best chance of staying there are Derrek Lee and Kosuke Fukudome. Fukudome hasn't homered since his memorable three-run shot off Eric Gagne on Opening Day. However, it's easy to see him finishing the year with a .300 average. ? At 23, Felix Pie is still too young to be a bench player. It's ridiculous how quick manager Lou Piniella was to pull the plug on him, but there's no reason to compound the mistake by letting him play once a week in the majors. Besides stunting his development, they're also hurting his trade value. ? I'm still more optimistic than not after watching Ted Lilly pitch Thursday. Dropping him would be a bad idea.
Cincinnati - Adam Dunn, Jeff Keppinger, Ken Griffey Jr., Brandon Phillips, Joey Votto, Edwin Encarnacion, Corey Patterson, Catcher, Pitcher. Just try it, Dusty. ? Not that I'm complaining about the job Baker has done so far. The one big test was whether he'd give Votto a chance to beat out Scott Hatteberg, and he's passed with flying colors. Perhaps Votto will slump and Hatteberg will eventually find his way back into the starting lineup, but Votto is a legitimate corner option in mixed leagues while he's hot. ? Unfortunately, Homer Bailey's outstanding start in Triple-A didn't make him the choice to replace the struggling Josh Fogg in the rotation on Monday. Matt Belisle (forearm) will get the call after performing at the very top level of his ability during his rehab assignment. He and Fogg might as well be the same pitcher, but it'll have to be a short-term upgrade with the way each has thrown recently. Belisle isn't recommended in NL-only leagues.
Colorado - The Rockies are already coming to regret handing Jayson Nix a starting job based far too much of a strong performance in the World Cup last fall and the fact that he was out of options. He's struggling as much as his minor league numbers suggested he would, and it looks like he'll be a backup to Clint Barmes for the foreseeable future. Barmes is another well below average hitter, but he's hot at the moment and has value in NL-only leagues. A trade for additional help may come later. The Rockies certainly have the prospects to make a run at Brian Roberts, with the Orioles likely to be particularly interested in infielders Ian Stewart, Chris Nelson and Hector Gomez. ? Chris Iannetta is also picking up time at Yorvit Torrealba's expense. It's unlikely that the two will switch roles this year -- the Rockies' still prefer Torrealba's defense -- but Iannetta should get more time than most backups. Unfortunately, the power isn't there to make him more than a $1 player in NL-only leagues.
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Florida - It's only a matter of time until Chris Volstad debuts. It just remains to be seen whether the Marlins will be able to delay the move until late May, guaranteeing that he wouldn't be a super-two player after 2010. The Marlins are only getting decent starts from Scott Olsen and Mark Hendrickson at the moment. Andrew Miller's velocity seems to have come back, but he's still not hitting his spots. Ricky Nolasco has given up six homers in 15 1/3 innings. Burke Badenhop wasn't a very good prospect in the first place and barely has any experience above A-ball. Volstad should replace one pitcher from that group within the next four or five weeks. Once it happens, he could be the Marlins' No. 1 or No. 2 starter for fantasy purposes, depending on whether Olsen can keep this up. ? Hanley Ramirez did steal three bases over the weekend, bringing his season total to five and causing those who turned over a pile of money to land him to sigh in relief. Manager Fredi Gonzalez spoke publically this spring about preferring that his shortstop do less running to save wear and tear on his body. I think it's having some effect. All three of Ramirez's steals on Friday and Saturday came off a sore-armed Johnny Estrada, and it seems like he's been quite a bit pickier in choosing when to run this year. He'll get 40 anyway, but a third-straight 50-steal season might not materialize.
Houston - Jose Valverde was able to pitch a clean inning Sunday for his second save in four tries, but it wasn't a particularly impressive outing. He allowed one hit and walked one. Just one of his 23 pitches resulted in a swing and a miss, and as spotty as his control is, he needs to miss bats to succeed. He's not hurt, so it's possible he'll reemerge as a shutdown closer as quickly as he lost it. However, it wouldn't be the first time in his career that he's been a pretty terrible pitcher for a month or two. He'll probably keep his job, but it may be a long time before he resumes helping owners in ERA and WHIP. ? Doug Brocail is the closest thing the Astros have to a fallback if Valverde continues to struggle, making him worth picking up in NL-only leagues. Rule-5 pick Wesley Wright has impressed at times, but he lacks any consistency when it comes to throwing strikes. ? Swingman Jack Cassel will be brought up Thursday to replace the ailing Wandy Rodriguez (groin) on the DL. It looked like Rodriguez was going to make his next couple of starts on the road anyway, so the DL trip might be good news for his owners. Wandy has a 6.41 ERA away from Minute Maid since the beginning of last year. Cassel shouldn't be used in NL-only leagues. ? Kaz Matsui is back, but Ty Wigginton (thumb) is set to miss at least the first half of the week. Hold off on activating him.
Los Angeles - Nomar Garciaparra came off the DL last week, and the Dodgers will try to both keep him happy and still find playing time for Blake DeWitt at third base. Garciaparra could very well prove to be a liability, but the Dodgers should go ahead and give him a look now before Andy LaRoche (thumb) returns in 2-3 weeks. DeWitt did OK as a stopgap, but since he'll likely be sent down when LaRoche returns, NL-only leaguers with alternatives shouldn't stress about holding on to him. ? Hong-Chih Kuo, who was effective for four innings against the Pirates last Tuesday, will make his second start against the Reds this Tuesday. He should also get a home start versus the Rockies. Kuo is an awful bet to stay healthy, but NL-only leaguers will want him active this week.
Milwaukee - Let me get this straight: the Brewers are carrying 14 pitches, yet still used Eric Gagne for a fourth straight day on Sunday. The same Eric Gagne who hadn't worked on four straight days since 2004. Ned Yost got exactly what he deserved in that one. Brewers fans, on the other hand, deserve a lot better. ? Ben Sheets appears doubtful for Wednesday due to what's being called triceps tightness. The Brewers genuinely don't believe this is any sort of long-term issue, but they have to be cautious for now. My guess is that he won't pitch this week. ? If Sheets is scratched, then Dave Bush will start Wednesday. If not, it looks like Bush will be the odd man out in the rotation. Carlos Villanueva and Manny Parra have also been disappointments, but they do have more upside than Bush, and the Brewers can use Bush in middle relief, something they don't want to do with either youngster. ? I still can't muster much concern about Prince Fielder's slow start. Too many people are making a big deal about the diet, but no one would have known anything about him becoming a vegetarian if he didn't go public with it. He doesn't look any different, and it's not like he's sending balls to the warning track that were going out last year. He's just in a slump. See about buying low.
New York - Moises Alou appears set to return from hernia surgery on Friday. Brady Clark is the obvious choice to go to make room for him, and Angel Pagan figures to join Endy Chavez on the bench most of the time. The Mets could play Pagan over Ryan Church against lefties, but Pagan, a switch-hitter, has hit righties considerably better in limited major league experience and Church is actually handling lefties quite well in 30 at-bats this season. In fact, both of Church's homers have come off southpaws. ? Nelson Figueroa fits into the Jason Simontacchi mold: finesse right-hander comes from seemingly nowhere to have a good month or two, creating some believers in the process, before eventually showing everyone why the quad-A label was created in the first place. Of course, that success can easily last just a week or two, rather than multiple months. Figueroa is actually pretty good as far as stopgaps go, but he's still a sixth starter, and it'd be too risky to use him in NL-only leagues with the Cubs and Braves on the schedule for this week. newyorkmets.com
Philadelphia - Although the fact that they used him Saturday meant they'd have to go a full 15 days without his services, the Phillies placed Jimmy Rollins on the disabled list Sunday with a sprained ankle. It was a surprising move, especially in light of the decision to replace him with a Double-A player (Brad Harman) they won't want to use at all. Eric Bruntlett will probably get all of the starts at shortstop for the next two weeks, making him a fine play in NL-only leagues. Pedro Feliz owners in one-game eligibility leagues should be hoping he sees an inning or two there as part of some late-game maneuvering. ? If the Phillies had it to do over again, they surely would have placed Rollins on the DL when he first got hurt and kept Shane Victorino (calf) on the active roster. Victorino appears ready to play now, but he'll be ineligible to return until next Monday.
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Pittsburgh - The poor command exhibited by Tom Gorzelanny to date suggests that he might not be completely healthy. He's had elbow problems before, and he dealt with some shoulder tightness during spring training. There's a lot to like about Gorzelanny when he's on, but I've always been worried about his arm. It's possible he'll be making a trip to see Dr. James Andrews within the next month. ? With Nate McLouth still tearing it up, perhaps we'll see Nyjer Morgan and Kevin Thompson switch places. The Pirates still think Morgan has promise, but they can't afford to give him any at-bats right now. Thompson, who would be at least as effective off the bench, is hitting .346/.404/.500 in 52 at-bats in Triple-A. ? Jack Wilson (calf) is still at least a week away. The Pirates will keep using Brian Bixler and Luis Rivas.
St. Louis - Mark Mulder (shoulder) has been effective in his two rehab starts to date and seems set to rejoin the rotation early next month. It's going to leave the Cards with a tough decision on which starter to bump. Todd Wellemeyer was the low man on the totem pole initially, but he's impressed while starting off 2-0. Management needs to strongly consider moving Braden Looper back to the pen. He's been the weak link in the rotation so far, and he's likely to be more helpful in relief than the other possibilities for demotion (Wellemeyer and Joel Pineiro). ? As for Mulder, I see him as a long shot to contribute in NL-only leagues. There are certainly worse pitchers to have stashed away, but I'll take the possibility of two months from Chris Carpenter over five months of Mulder. ? Some guys have to homer every day to stay in the lineup. For Ryan Ludwick, even that isn't sufficient. At least Skip Schumaker is also playing quite well at the moment. Still, it's hard to believe a guy slugging .800 was penciled into the lineup just twice last week.
San Diego - Add the Padres to the list of teams that have to be concerned about their situations at second base. Tadahito Iguchi is hitting .213/.298/.253 and has generally looked pretty awful in the process. If Matt Antonelli starts tearing up the PCL, San Diego might not wait too long to make a switch. The 23-year-old Antonelli is currently batting .231/.385/.461 in 52 at-bats. He wouldn't have big-time fantasy upside in Petco Park, but he might offer a better OBP and more speed on the basepaths than Iguchi. ? The Padres could also reenter the market for an outfielder. Scott Hairston is hitting .203, while Jim Edmonds is at .204 with a .245 slugging percentage. They do have Chase Headley in Triple-A, but he's also off to a poor start. They'll be on the lookout for any veterans that become available. Gabe Gross is one possibility.
San Francisco - Besides maybe Tim Lincecum, John "Babe" Bowker was the Giant most responsible for the team winning the season series against the Cardinals 4-3. He homered in three of his four starts versus St. Louis and drove in nine runs in those games. Ideally, the Giants would just make him their everyday first baseman right now. He's still a novice at the position, but he'll get better. Of course, he's not nearly this good of a hitter. However, he does have legitimate promise, separating him from many of the guys the Giants have tried the last few years. If it means Dan Ortemeier joins Rajai Davis on waivers, well, that's not much of a loss. If Rich Aurilia (still no extra-base hits or runs scored in 55 at-bats) is kicked to the curb where he belongs, then Brian Sabean will have done something right for once. ? I'll withhold further comment about the Manny Burriss callup, except to say that it's doubtful he'll have any fantasy value. Brian Bocock will continue seeing most of the starts at shortstop, and second base is crowded enough with Eugenio Velez and Ray Durham sharing time.
Washington - John Lannan's 11-strikeout game against the Mets might have been the surprise of last week. It wasn't his first nice outing as a major leaguer, but he entered the game with 16 strikeouts in 45 1/3 innings since debuting last year. Lannan throws 86-89 mph and has good movement on his changeup. The combination would seem to make him a bottom-of-the-rotation guy, but hitters unfamiliar with his change could keep having trouble against him. Still, with the Braves and the right-handed-heavy Cubs on the schedule, this doesn't seem like the right week to use him in NL-only leagues. ? Paul Lo Duca went on the DL with his hand injury, but the Nats declined to promote Jesus Flores this time, suggesting they're not particularly pleased with his glovework. Lo Duca won't be missed on offense, but since Johnny Estrada still isn't throwing at close to 100 percent, the Nats are hurting defensively behind the plate. Wil Nieves will get more time if Estrada continues to struggle to get the ball down to second base. ? Felipe Lopez had a couple of nice games on Friday and Saturday, so he could keep taking starts away from Ronnie Belliard. For this week at least, Belliard doesn't look like a very good play in NL-only leagues.
NL Team-by-Team Notes
May rankings next week.
Chad Cordero actually had a fastball clocked at 76 mph last week. For the most part, he's been throwing 82-84 mph, topping out at 86 mph. Whether or not he's pain-free, his arm probably isn't sound. The Nats are sticking with Jon Rauch in the closer's role until Cordero earns is back, which will probably happen if he can get his fastball up to 86-88 mph. However, I think it's at least 50/50 that he'll return to the DL by the middle of next month. GM Jim Bowden should already regret not trading him while there was still considerable demand for him in the offseason. On the plus side, if Rauch spends three or four months in the closer's role, his trade value could be higher than ever before. The possibility that the Nats won't have either Cordero or Rauch available come August makes Jesus Colome a sleeper.
National League Notes
Arizona - The results haven't been great, but Randy Johnson didn't look bad at all in his first two starts back from the DL. His fastball has regularly been 90-92 mph, and his slider is breaking well. He gave up just one hit on the slider in Sunday's loss to San Diego. I see that as a very encouraging sign. Johnson won't make 30 starts, but he should be an asset in shallow mixed leagues when healthy. ? Not that he wouldn't have been useful as a true bench player, but Tony Clark did Arizona a favor when he failed to accept their contract offer. No longer shoved to the bench every second or third day, Conor Jackson has opened the season at .377/.469/.717 with 18 runs scored and 17 RBI in 16 games. Obviously, he can't maintain that kind of pace. However, he should be an asset in mixed leagues all season long. With both he and Mark Reynolds off to outstanding starts, it's going to be tough for Arizona to find starts for [URL="http://fantasyfootball.usatoday.com/content/playerpages/player_main.asp?sport=MLB&id=3586"]Chad Tracy[/URL], who could be back from knee surgery around the first of the month. ? Micah Owings gets the Giants on Monday and the Padres on Saturday, making him a fine one-week option in shallow mixed leagues.
Atlanta - Off to a brutal start against right-handers, Matt Diaz was benched in favor of Gregor Blanco for three straight games over the weekend. Diaz's spot as an everyday player was always tentative, so he's very much in danger of returning to a platoon role. Blanco, though, is more of a fourth or fifth outfielder and wouldn't be an ideal choice to replace him. There isn't an NL team that would make more sense for Barry Bonds than the Braves, and if they were to sign him, they'd be the favorites to win the East. Still, it seems highly, highly unlikely. Brandon Jones is off to a slow start in Triple-A, so there are no quality internal options to replace Diaz. The Giants should be trying to interest them in Randy Winn. Until the team looks elsewhere, Blanco could have some value in NL-only leagues. Unfortunately, he has no power and he's a poor percentage basestealer despite very good speed. ? I want to see what happens Monday before getting concerned about Tim Hudson's velocity drop. The Braves are hoping it was just a tired arm. ? Rafael Soriano (elbow) appears doubtful to return this week, and there's always good reason for extra concern when he has arm problems. Since Peter Moylan joined Soriano on the DL, Manny Acosta has taken over as the Braves' closer. Those with open DL spots should be thinking about picking up Mike Gonzalez, who is due back from Tommy John surgery in 4-6 weeks. atlantabraves.com
Chicago - Counting Reed Johnson, the Cubs have six regulars with OBPs over .400 and a seventh (Aramis Ramirez) at .393. That just leaves left field, and that's where they can stick Matt Murton, who was at .462 in Triple-A before being called up. Of course, there are some flukes. Reed Johnson, who has supplanted Felix Pie in center, has a .344 career mark. Ryan Theriot finished at .326 last year. Geovany Soto will probably continue to show good power, but there's no way he's hitting .328 all season long. The two guys with the best chance of staying there are Derrek Lee and Kosuke Fukudome. Fukudome hasn't homered since his memorable three-run shot off Eric Gagne on Opening Day. However, it's easy to see him finishing the year with a .300 average. ? At 23, Felix Pie is still too young to be a bench player. It's ridiculous how quick manager Lou Piniella was to pull the plug on him, but there's no reason to compound the mistake by letting him play once a week in the majors. Besides stunting his development, they're also hurting his trade value. ? I'm still more optimistic than not after watching Ted Lilly pitch Thursday. Dropping him would be a bad idea.
Cincinnati - Adam Dunn, Jeff Keppinger, Ken Griffey Jr., Brandon Phillips, Joey Votto, Edwin Encarnacion, Corey Patterson, Catcher, Pitcher. Just try it, Dusty. ? Not that I'm complaining about the job Baker has done so far. The one big test was whether he'd give Votto a chance to beat out Scott Hatteberg, and he's passed with flying colors. Perhaps Votto will slump and Hatteberg will eventually find his way back into the starting lineup, but Votto is a legitimate corner option in mixed leagues while he's hot. ? Unfortunately, Homer Bailey's outstanding start in Triple-A didn't make him the choice to replace the struggling Josh Fogg in the rotation on Monday. Matt Belisle (forearm) will get the call after performing at the very top level of his ability during his rehab assignment. He and Fogg might as well be the same pitcher, but it'll have to be a short-term upgrade with the way each has thrown recently. Belisle isn't recommended in NL-only leagues.
Colorado - The Rockies are already coming to regret handing Jayson Nix a starting job based far too much of a strong performance in the World Cup last fall and the fact that he was out of options. He's struggling as much as his minor league numbers suggested he would, and it looks like he'll be a backup to Clint Barmes for the foreseeable future. Barmes is another well below average hitter, but he's hot at the moment and has value in NL-only leagues. A trade for additional help may come later. The Rockies certainly have the prospects to make a run at Brian Roberts, with the Orioles likely to be particularly interested in infielders Ian Stewart, Chris Nelson and Hector Gomez. ? Chris Iannetta is also picking up time at Yorvit Torrealba's expense. It's unlikely that the two will switch roles this year -- the Rockies' still prefer Torrealba's defense -- but Iannetta should get more time than most backups. Unfortunately, the power isn't there to make him more than a $1 player in NL-only leagues.
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Florida - It's only a matter of time until Chris Volstad debuts. It just remains to be seen whether the Marlins will be able to delay the move until late May, guaranteeing that he wouldn't be a super-two player after 2010. The Marlins are only getting decent starts from Scott Olsen and Mark Hendrickson at the moment. Andrew Miller's velocity seems to have come back, but he's still not hitting his spots. Ricky Nolasco has given up six homers in 15 1/3 innings. Burke Badenhop wasn't a very good prospect in the first place and barely has any experience above A-ball. Volstad should replace one pitcher from that group within the next four or five weeks. Once it happens, he could be the Marlins' No. 1 or No. 2 starter for fantasy purposes, depending on whether Olsen can keep this up. ? Hanley Ramirez did steal three bases over the weekend, bringing his season total to five and causing those who turned over a pile of money to land him to sigh in relief. Manager Fredi Gonzalez spoke publically this spring about preferring that his shortstop do less running to save wear and tear on his body. I think it's having some effect. All three of Ramirez's steals on Friday and Saturday came off a sore-armed Johnny Estrada, and it seems like he's been quite a bit pickier in choosing when to run this year. He'll get 40 anyway, but a third-straight 50-steal season might not materialize.
Houston - Jose Valverde was able to pitch a clean inning Sunday for his second save in four tries, but it wasn't a particularly impressive outing. He allowed one hit and walked one. Just one of his 23 pitches resulted in a swing and a miss, and as spotty as his control is, he needs to miss bats to succeed. He's not hurt, so it's possible he'll reemerge as a shutdown closer as quickly as he lost it. However, it wouldn't be the first time in his career that he's been a pretty terrible pitcher for a month or two. He'll probably keep his job, but it may be a long time before he resumes helping owners in ERA and WHIP. ? Doug Brocail is the closest thing the Astros have to a fallback if Valverde continues to struggle, making him worth picking up in NL-only leagues. Rule-5 pick Wesley Wright has impressed at times, but he lacks any consistency when it comes to throwing strikes. ? Swingman Jack Cassel will be brought up Thursday to replace the ailing Wandy Rodriguez (groin) on the DL. It looked like Rodriguez was going to make his next couple of starts on the road anyway, so the DL trip might be good news for his owners. Wandy has a 6.41 ERA away from Minute Maid since the beginning of last year. Cassel shouldn't be used in NL-only leagues. ? Kaz Matsui is back, but Ty Wigginton (thumb) is set to miss at least the first half of the week. Hold off on activating him.
Los Angeles - Nomar Garciaparra came off the DL last week, and the Dodgers will try to both keep him happy and still find playing time for Blake DeWitt at third base. Garciaparra could very well prove to be a liability, but the Dodgers should go ahead and give him a look now before Andy LaRoche (thumb) returns in 2-3 weeks. DeWitt did OK as a stopgap, but since he'll likely be sent down when LaRoche returns, NL-only leaguers with alternatives shouldn't stress about holding on to him. ? Hong-Chih Kuo, who was effective for four innings against the Pirates last Tuesday, will make his second start against the Reds this Tuesday. He should also get a home start versus the Rockies. Kuo is an awful bet to stay healthy, but NL-only leaguers will want him active this week.
Milwaukee - Let me get this straight: the Brewers are carrying 14 pitches, yet still used Eric Gagne for a fourth straight day on Sunday. The same Eric Gagne who hadn't worked on four straight days since 2004. Ned Yost got exactly what he deserved in that one. Brewers fans, on the other hand, deserve a lot better. ? Ben Sheets appears doubtful for Wednesday due to what's being called triceps tightness. The Brewers genuinely don't believe this is any sort of long-term issue, but they have to be cautious for now. My guess is that he won't pitch this week. ? If Sheets is scratched, then Dave Bush will start Wednesday. If not, it looks like Bush will be the odd man out in the rotation. Carlos Villanueva and Manny Parra have also been disappointments, but they do have more upside than Bush, and the Brewers can use Bush in middle relief, something they don't want to do with either youngster. ? I still can't muster much concern about Prince Fielder's slow start. Too many people are making a big deal about the diet, but no one would have known anything about him becoming a vegetarian if he didn't go public with it. He doesn't look any different, and it's not like he's sending balls to the warning track that were going out last year. He's just in a slump. See about buying low.
New York - Moises Alou appears set to return from hernia surgery on Friday. Brady Clark is the obvious choice to go to make room for him, and Angel Pagan figures to join Endy Chavez on the bench most of the time. The Mets could play Pagan over Ryan Church against lefties, but Pagan, a switch-hitter, has hit righties considerably better in limited major league experience and Church is actually handling lefties quite well in 30 at-bats this season. In fact, both of Church's homers have come off southpaws. ? Nelson Figueroa fits into the Jason Simontacchi mold: finesse right-hander comes from seemingly nowhere to have a good month or two, creating some believers in the process, before eventually showing everyone why the quad-A label was created in the first place. Of course, that success can easily last just a week or two, rather than multiple months. Figueroa is actually pretty good as far as stopgaps go, but he's still a sixth starter, and it'd be too risky to use him in NL-only leagues with the Cubs and Braves on the schedule for this week. newyorkmets.com
Philadelphia - Although the fact that they used him Saturday meant they'd have to go a full 15 days without his services, the Phillies placed Jimmy Rollins on the disabled list Sunday with a sprained ankle. It was a surprising move, especially in light of the decision to replace him with a Double-A player (Brad Harman) they won't want to use at all. Eric Bruntlett will probably get all of the starts at shortstop for the next two weeks, making him a fine play in NL-only leagues. Pedro Feliz owners in one-game eligibility leagues should be hoping he sees an inning or two there as part of some late-game maneuvering. ? If the Phillies had it to do over again, they surely would have placed Rollins on the DL when he first got hurt and kept Shane Victorino (calf) on the active roster. Victorino appears ready to play now, but he'll be ineligible to return until next Monday.
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Pittsburgh - The poor command exhibited by Tom Gorzelanny to date suggests that he might not be completely healthy. He's had elbow problems before, and he dealt with some shoulder tightness during spring training. There's a lot to like about Gorzelanny when he's on, but I've always been worried about his arm. It's possible he'll be making a trip to see Dr. James Andrews within the next month. ? With Nate McLouth still tearing it up, perhaps we'll see Nyjer Morgan and Kevin Thompson switch places. The Pirates still think Morgan has promise, but they can't afford to give him any at-bats right now. Thompson, who would be at least as effective off the bench, is hitting .346/.404/.500 in 52 at-bats in Triple-A. ? Jack Wilson (calf) is still at least a week away. The Pirates will keep using Brian Bixler and Luis Rivas.
St. Louis - Mark Mulder (shoulder) has been effective in his two rehab starts to date and seems set to rejoin the rotation early next month. It's going to leave the Cards with a tough decision on which starter to bump. Todd Wellemeyer was the low man on the totem pole initially, but he's impressed while starting off 2-0. Management needs to strongly consider moving Braden Looper back to the pen. He's been the weak link in the rotation so far, and he's likely to be more helpful in relief than the other possibilities for demotion (Wellemeyer and Joel Pineiro). ? As for Mulder, I see him as a long shot to contribute in NL-only leagues. There are certainly worse pitchers to have stashed away, but I'll take the possibility of two months from Chris Carpenter over five months of Mulder. ? Some guys have to homer every day to stay in the lineup. For Ryan Ludwick, even that isn't sufficient. At least Skip Schumaker is also playing quite well at the moment. Still, it's hard to believe a guy slugging .800 was penciled into the lineup just twice last week.
San Diego - Add the Padres to the list of teams that have to be concerned about their situations at second base. Tadahito Iguchi is hitting .213/.298/.253 and has generally looked pretty awful in the process. If Matt Antonelli starts tearing up the PCL, San Diego might not wait too long to make a switch. The 23-year-old Antonelli is currently batting .231/.385/.461 in 52 at-bats. He wouldn't have big-time fantasy upside in Petco Park, but he might offer a better OBP and more speed on the basepaths than Iguchi. ? The Padres could also reenter the market for an outfielder. Scott Hairston is hitting .203, while Jim Edmonds is at .204 with a .245 slugging percentage. They do have Chase Headley in Triple-A, but he's also off to a poor start. They'll be on the lookout for any veterans that become available. Gabe Gross is one possibility.
San Francisco - Besides maybe Tim Lincecum, John "Babe" Bowker was the Giant most responsible for the team winning the season series against the Cardinals 4-3. He homered in three of his four starts versus St. Louis and drove in nine runs in those games. Ideally, the Giants would just make him their everyday first baseman right now. He's still a novice at the position, but he'll get better. Of course, he's not nearly this good of a hitter. However, he does have legitimate promise, separating him from many of the guys the Giants have tried the last few years. If it means Dan Ortemeier joins Rajai Davis on waivers, well, that's not much of a loss. If Rich Aurilia (still no extra-base hits or runs scored in 55 at-bats) is kicked to the curb where he belongs, then Brian Sabean will have done something right for once. ? I'll withhold further comment about the Manny Burriss callup, except to say that it's doubtful he'll have any fantasy value. Brian Bocock will continue seeing most of the starts at shortstop, and second base is crowded enough with Eugenio Velez and Ray Durham sharing time.
Washington - John Lannan's 11-strikeout game against the Mets might have been the surprise of last week. It wasn't his first nice outing as a major leaguer, but he entered the game with 16 strikeouts in 45 1/3 innings since debuting last year. Lannan throws 86-89 mph and has good movement on his changeup. The combination would seem to make him a bottom-of-the-rotation guy, but hitters unfamiliar with his change could keep having trouble against him. Still, with the Braves and the right-handed-heavy Cubs on the schedule, this doesn't seem like the right week to use him in NL-only leagues. ? Paul Lo Duca went on the DL with his hand injury, but the Nats declined to promote Jesus Flores this time, suggesting they're not particularly pleased with his glovework. Lo Duca won't be missed on offense, but since Johnny Estrada still isn't throwing at close to 100 percent, the Nats are hurting defensively behind the plate. Wil Nieves will get more time if Estrada continues to struggle to get the ball down to second base. ? Felipe Lopez had a couple of nice games on Friday and Saturday, so he could keep taking starts away from Ronnie Belliard. For this week at least, Belliard doesn't look like a very good play in NL-only leagues.