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| Yunel Escobar, in his second game back in the lineup, had two hits and three RBI for the Braves. |
Our View: This was the first sign of life we have seen from Esobar's bat in a while as he is hitting just .200 over his last 50 AB to drop his average to .284. Now that he is healthy, it stands to reason that the average could pick up a bit.
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| Gregor Blanco had a big day at the plate on Wednesday as he went 4-for-5 with three runs and three RBI for the Braves. |
Our View: Blanco has a hit in four of his last five starts. Though he has only one home run on the year, he does have 10 stolen bases giving him some value in NL only scenarios.
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| Ricky Nolasco fell to 10-6 after allowing the Braves to score five runs in five innings on Wednesday. |
Our View: Nolasco had a streak of 7-straight quality starts that ended after his last start, so he is now 0-2 with a 6.75 ERA in his last two trips to the hill. He has been a spectacular waiver-wire pick up so far, but he has also been outperforming his career marks by a substantial margin.
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| Dan Uggla went 0-for-4 on Wednesday and is now just 1-for-22 since his terrible All-Star appearance. |
Our View: As if Uggla's struggles weren't enough, Hanley Ramirez is also 2-for-21 since the break. Both are too talented to keep up this level of ineptitude for long.
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| Tim Hudson shutout the Marlins for six innings on Wednesday to pick up his 11th victory but he was forced to leave after six innings because of tightness in his pitching elbow, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: We have no further information to report at this time, but we are holding our fingers crossed that the Braves just removed him to be on the safe side.
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| Steve Holm was recalled to join the Giants on Wednesday to be Bengie Molina's backup, according to the Associated Press. Eliezer Alfonso was optioned back to Triple-A after hitting .091 in 11 AB. |
Our View: Holm, who will start on Thursday for the Giants to give Molina a day off, was hitting .324 with nine RBI in 11 games since being demoted. He is nothing more than a depth play in NL only leagues that start two catchers.
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| Jim Edmonds aggravated an old injury to his left knee and as a result he was unavailable to play on Wednesday, according to MLB.com. He will have an MRI on Thursday to make sure the injury isn't serious. |
Our View: Edmonds has been pretty healthy since joining the Cubs, but we all know that he is more than accustomed to spending some time on the shelf. The good news for the Cubs is that Alfonso Soriano was back in action on Wednesday to help fill the loss of Edmonds' bat.
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| Kerry Wood's blister is not healing as quickly as hoped, so he will visit a hand specialist on Thursday, according to MLB.com. "He's not capable of throwing a full bullpen where he throws his fastball, throws his slider," manager Lou Piniella said. "I think that would send him totally backwards." |
Our View: Wood hasn't appeared in a game since July 11th, but given that he hasn't even been able to throw a complete bullpen since, there is obviously a growing likelihood that he will end up on the DL. Carlos Marmol will continue to fill in until Wood is healthy enough to return.
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| In a surprise move, Mike Hampton could be called upon to start for the Braves this Saturday, according to MLB.com. "I told [the Braves] that I'm ready," Hampton said. |
Our View: If Hampton goes on Saturday, he hasn't pitched in the majors since August of 2005, he would replace Jo-Jo Reyes who has been awful of late going 0-5 with a 7.65 ERA. We put the odds of Hampton making the start and not leaving with an injury at about four to one.
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| Derrick Turnbow has been placed on the Triple-A disabled list due to issues with his right arm, according to MLB.com. Turnbow will have a full set of tests run, including an MRI, to find out if there are any structural issues in his throwing arm. |
Our View: Turnbow has walked an amazing 41 batters in 18 minor league appearances in the minors and has completely lost "it." Whenever he is deemed to be healthy, he will be sent to Arizona to play with the team's Arizona League ballclub in yet another demotion.
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| Updating an earlier report, Colby Rasmus's injured knee has been determined to be a sprained knee ligament, a Grade 1 sprain of his MCL, that will force him out of action for at least a month, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: This injury obviously makes it doubtful that Rasums will see any time with the Cardinals this year. Another side bar is that Rasmus was obviously removed from the US Olympic squad as he will be replaced by Nate Schierholtz of the Giants.
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| Jeremy Hermida was one of the majors best hitters last year after the All-Star break hitting .340-10-36, and he hopes that a similar hot streak is in store for this season, according to MLB.com. "Last year was a great second half, and I'm trying to get something close to that." |
Our View: Hermida has a long way to go if he hopes to even resemble the hitter he was in the second half last year as he is hitting just .190 over his last 16 games. Still, the talent is obviously there.
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| Chipper Jones injured his hamstring on Wednesday and was forced to leave the Braves game in the fourth inning, according to the Associated Press. |
Our View: Ugh. Jones is a walking injury report, yet more times than not he is able to drag his weary body out onto the field and perform at a high level. Given that he continues to have troubles with his legs, we wouldn't be shocked if this latest setback leads to some DL time.
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| Billy Wagner has declared himself ready to go after dealing with a sore shoulder the past few days, according to MLB.com. "I'm going tonight," Wagner said. |
Our View: Wagner has been dissed a bit this season, but the numbers suggest there is little support for having a negative opinion of Wagner given his 2.20 ERA, 0.90 WHIP and 10.54 K/9 mark.
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| Though recently demoted to the minors due to the return of Troy Tulowitzki, Jayson Nix does have some good news in his life now that he was named to the USA Olympic baseball team, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: Nix struggled along hitting just .125 in 56 AB with the Rockies, but he is hitting .300-15-46 at Triple-A this season.
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| Carlos Delgado has been moved into the cleanup spot with the Mets due to a hot bat that has produced a .403 average and a .731 SLG in July, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: Delgado has turned around what was an awful start to his season and has now gone deep 19 times while producing a .260 average. Delgado should push 30 home runs and 100 RBI, though expecting his average to climb much above his current mark is likely wishful thinking at this point of his career.
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| Scott Eyre was activated from the DL on Wednesday, according to the Associated Press. The team also optioned Micah Hoffpauir and Kevin Hart to make room for Eyre and Alfonso Soriano. |
Our View: Eyre has been on the DL since June 28th due to a strained left groin. With Kerry Wood ailing, Eyre could be a nice addition the Cubs pen, though he certainly isn't a fantasy worthy option at this point.
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| Matt Holliday had two hits which led to a run scored and three RBI for the Rockies. |
Our View: That's 4-straight games with at least two hits for Halladay who is hitting .667 (10-for-15) with seven RBI in that time.
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| Matt Kemp extended his hitting streak to 13-games on Wednesday with two hits in four trips to the plate. |
Our View: Kemp hit leadoff on Wednesday and is now batting .316 in 79 AB out of that spot filling in for the injured Rafael Furcal and Juan Pierre.
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| Brian Fuentes earned his 17th save of the season with a scoreless ninth inning. |
Our View: Though the team has said that Manny Corpas will likely be the pitcher they turn to in the ninth inning if Fuentes is traded, Taylor Buccholz worked the eighth inning today and continues to be the more effective hurler.
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| Hiroki Kuroda fell to 5-7 on the year after allowing five runs to the Rockies in six innings on Wednesday. |
Our View: Kuroda continues to be extremely inconsistent despite solid overall ratios (3.98 ERA, 1.29 WHIP). After two straight scoreless outings, Kuroda has allowed 13 runs in his last 13.2 innings covering three starts leading to a 8.56 ERA. He remains a solid hurler, though his propensity to blow up is frustrating.
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| Glendon Rusch earned his third straight victory on Wednesday despite a less than impressive effort that included seven hits, two walks, three runs and just two K in five innings. |
Our View: Rusch may have some value in NL only leagues, though we find it difficult to recommend a guy with an ERA that is pushing six and a WHIP of over 1.60 to anyone no matter what type of league they are in.
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| Kazuo Matsui had a hit, knocked in a run, and scored three times for the Astros. Matsui also stole his 17th base while walking three times. |
Our View: Matsui was in the leadoff spot today with Michael Bourn hitting second (he had two hits and stole a run). Bourn still isn't suited to hit at the top of the order at this time, but Matsui is a fine top of the order replacement for the Astros.
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| Doug Mientkiewicz had a big day at the plate on Wednesday with a single and three doubles on his way to a 4-for-4 performance for the Pirates. |
Our View: Mientkiewicz is hitting only .274 with a single home run in 164 AB, but he qualifies at first base and third base giving him value as a depth play in NL only leagues.
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| Brian Moehler let in six runs, five earned, in just 2.1 innings against the Pirates on Wednesday. |
Our View: Moehler has a 6.33 ERA over his last five outings during which time he has eight walks and 12 K in 21.1 IP. Numbers like that are best left on waivers.
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| Ian Snell had another brutal outing on Wednesday as he allowed six hits, three walks and five runs over just three innings. |
Our View: About the only good news here is that he escaped without picking up a loss. This was the fourth time in six starts that Snell has failed to pitch five innings, and it was the eighth straight outing of at least three walks. He belongs nowhere near a starting lineup.
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| Xavier Nady extended his hitting streak to 12-games on Wednesday thanks to two hits. He also scored twice. |
Our View: Nady is hitting a robust .328 with 56 RBI on the year, and with each passing day his cost in a trade seems to grow in proportion to his work on the diamond. If he is moved he shouldn't lose much value if any as he will certainly continue to operate as a starter wherever he ends up.
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| Joe Thatcher has been optioned to Triple-A Portland, according to the AP. |
Our View: Thatcher struggled with the Padres this season, and was optioned after giving up a grand slam to Adam Dunn in a loss to the Reds today.
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| Jody Gerut went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI in Wednesday's 9-5 loss to the Reds. He hit a single and a solo home run. |
Our View: Gerut picked his average back up a few points to .278 and snapped a three-game hitless streak. He should remain active in larger NL-only leagues.
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| Adam Dunn went 2-for-4 with five RBI in Wednesday's 9-5 win over San Diego at the Great American Ballpark. He hit a single and a grand slam. |
Our View: Dunn hit his 29th homer of the year, and his third over his last seven games. His average will always be low, but he should remain a great source of power for fantasy owners.
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| Kevin Kouzmanoff went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer in Wednesday's 9-5 loss to the Reds at the Great American Ballpark. |
Our View: He collected his 13th homer of the season, which is only his second in the month of July.
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| Bronson Arroyo allowed three earned runs on six hits over seven innings in Wednesday's 9-5 win over the Padres, with no walks and seven strikeouts. |
Our View: He improves to 9-7, and has now won in five straight starts. He struggled at times this season, but should remain active in your lineups while he is hot.
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| Roy Oswalt, who is recovering from a left hip adductor strain, threw between 40-50 pitches during a bullpen session Wednesday, and felt fine with no issues, according to MLB.com. He felt good as he threw fastballs and changeups and he said, "I didn't throw 100 percent. I threw about 75 to 80 percent, and it feels pretty good. I'll know a lot more Friday, when I throw 100 percent and see how I feel."
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Our View: Oswalt is expected to pitch on July 28 against the Reds, which will be his first start since a one-inning, 17-pitch outing on July 11. Astros' manager Cecil Cooper said Friday's scheduled bullpen session will be the determining factor in deciding if Oswalt is ready, and Oswalt said there is no reason to rush his return.
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| Andrew Miller is going to try shock wave therapy on his ailing right knee, hoping to speed up the healing process, according to the Miami Herald.
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Our View: Miller said he could resume throwing off a mound by the weekend but won't make the trip to Chicago and doesn't expect to be ready when he is first eligible to come off the DL July 29. The team will know within four weeks if the shock therapy works.
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| Fox Sports indicates that Jason Bay is on the Athletics' radar and they are talking to the Pirates about acquiring him. |
Our View: A trade between the two clubs is said to be unlikely however, as the Pirates are asking for more than the Athletics are willing to give.
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| The Brewers have added free agent Jay Gibbons, according to the AP. The Brewers have purchased his contract from the Atlantic League’s Long Island Ducks and will assign him to their Double-A affiliate in Huntsville, Alabama.
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Our View: Gibbons was released by the Orioles in March after he batted .189 with no home runs and four RBI in 16 games in spring training. If he gets called up to the Brewers, he won't likely get enough at-bats to garner fantasy consideration.
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| Ryan Freel underwent surgery Tuesday to repair a torn hamstring tendon behind his right knee, according to the AP.
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Our View: The 50-minute procedure was performed by Reds' medical director Dr. Timothy Kremchek and will keep him sidelined for four to six weeks.
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| Wilfredo Ledezma has been called up from Triple-A Portland, according to the AP. |
Our View: Ledezma allowed 25 earned runs, 30 walks, and 43 hits over 44.2 innings in his previous stint with the Padres this season, and is not expected to make an impact this time around.
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| Josh Fogg is expected to miss his next start due to the split lip he sustained Tuesday during batting practice, according to the AP. The wound required 30 stitches. |
Our View: Fogg was scheduled to take the hill Friday, but Edinson Volquez will cover his spot instead. With Thursday off, Volquez will still be pitching on his usual four days rest.
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| Tom Gordon, who is recovering from right elbow inflammation, could begin to throw off a mound within seven to ten days, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. |
Our View: The team is yet to set a timetable as to when he may be able to return.
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| Phillies' GM Pat Gillick commented that Kris Benson is doubtful to pitch for the Phillies this season, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. |
Our View: The Phillies signed him to a minor league deal in February with hopes of him working in the starting rotation in May, but he did not bounce back favorably in his recovery to repair a torn right rotator cuff.
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| As expected, Joel Hanrahan has been tabbed as the Nationals' closer following the departure of Jon Rauch to Arizona, according to the Washington Post. Skipper Manny Acta said, "He's been our most dominant guy out of our bullpen and has the best numbers, so he'll get the crack at it."
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Our View: Hanrahan was nothing special as a starting pitcher last season, but has excelled as a reliever in 2008, as Acta stated, and he is worth targeting in mixed-leagues.
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| Chris Carpenter, coming back from Tommy John surgery, is slated to make his second rehab start on Friday, this time for Triple-A Memphis, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Carpenter tossed four scoreless innings Sunday for Double-A Springfield, throwing 61 pitches. He said he expects his target to be at least 70 on Friday. |
Our View: Not surprisingly, Carp's command was off Sunday, as he walked four. Hopefully he'll be able to improve on Friday. The Cards still hope he can be ready in early August.
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| Joey Votto was out of the Reds' lineup Tuesday, but wasn't injured in his collision with Francisco Cordero in the ninth inning of Monday's game, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer. Manager Dusty Baker just wanted to get Javier Valentin some at-bats at first base. |
Our View: So fantasy owners should not be concerned with Votto's absence Tuesday. He should remain a serviceable corner infielder in mixed-leagues.
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| Cesar Izturis has decided to ditch pinch-hitting and hit exclusively from the right side, at least for the time being, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The shortstop is batting .294 from the right side and .192 from the left side this year. "I'm more comfortable there," Izturis said. "Look at the numbers." |
Our View: If Izturis can get his average up to a respectable number just hitting from the right side (he's currently batting .226 overall), he steals enough bases that he would be usable in NL-only leagues.
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| Jerry Hairston Jr. has been cleared and is running again as he continues to recover from a strained right hamstring, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer. |
Our View: Hairston is eligible to come off the DL July 29, and hopes to get in some at-bats in the minors and return to the Reds at that time.
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| The San Diego Union-Tribune indicates that Clay Hensley will start in the Padres' rotation Thursday in place of Randy Wolf, who was traded to the Astros Tuesday. |
Our View: Hensley worked as a reliever over five brief innings, but had three strikeouts and only surrendered one hit, and is worth a look in NL-only leagues if you need help.
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| Manager Bud Black indicated that the club may activate Chris Young from the DL rather than ask him to make a third rehab start, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. |
Our View: Black deems Young ready, and he may be brought back to start Tuesday's game against the Diamondbacks.
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| Aaron Harang, who is recovering from a strained right forearm, has been cleared to resume throwing by medical director Dr. Tim Kremchek, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer. Harang pitched from 70 feet on Tuesday, with no issues. |
Our View: Harang is now eligible to come off the DL, but that won't happen as he went 10 days without throwing, and it is going to take time for him to rebuild arm strength. He will be re-evaluated today.
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| Kerry Wood is scheduled to throw on the side today as he tries to bounce back from a finger blister, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. |
Our View: Following the session, the Cubs hope to have a better idea as to when he may return. He could still be facing a short stint on the DL if his ailment looks like it will persist into the four-game set with Florida that starts Thursday.
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| Alfonso Soriano is scheduled to come off the DL Wednesday following his recovery from a broken left ring finger, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. |
Our View: He is expected to return to the Cubs' lineup tonight against Arizona, and Lou Piniella is hoping he can spark the offense. He may need a game or two to shake off the rust, but is too talented to leave on your bench while he is active.
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| Juan Pierre has made rapid progress in his recovery from a sprained ligament in his left knee, and manager Joe Torre mentioned that he could be back with the Dodgers as soon as Saturday, according to the LA Times. |
Our View: Joe Torre noted that he will have some decisions to make regarding the Dodgers' outfield when Pierre returns, as Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier have made great strides, and he doesn't want to make Andruw Jones a part-time player (due namely to his lucrative contract).
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| Ronny Paulino's sprained right ankle was believed to be minor, but he is still not playing, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. He is progressing in his rehab, but there remains no timetable for his return to the Pirates. |
Our View: Paulino wouldn't be play much behind Ryan Doumit (holds a .323 average) if he was with the Pirates right now anyway.
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| The Phillies have joined the list of interested teams for Xavier Nady, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The Phillies are also interested in reliever Damaso Marte. |
Our View: Nady is hitting .327 with 56 RBI, and his rate of home runs would increase by playing his home games at Citizen's Bank Ballpark.
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| Freddy Sanchez battled through injuries this season but is seemingly finally on track as he has registered three hits in three of his last four games, and has homered in each of his last two, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Sanchez said, "I just feel better up there. I'm looking for the pitch I can hit, and I'm getting a good swing on it. It's obviously taken a lot longer than I wanted, but I really can't look back at the first half."
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Our View: Sanchez should be penciled into your lineups again, and it looks like fantasy owners may be rewarded for their patience over the second half of the season.
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| Brian Barton, who is recovering from a fracture in his right wrist, will report to Triple-A Memphis Wednesday to begin a rehab assignment, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. |
Our View: As a Rule 5 draft pick, Barton must remain on the Cardinals' major-league roster all season for them to gain control of his rights. As with other major league players, the rules allow for Barton to go on a 20-day rehab assignment without passing through waivers or using an option. He will be back in a part-time role when his wrist allows, but will not merit fantasy attention, as he only hit .246 over 122 at-bats this season before getting hurt.
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| Colby Rasmus was forced to leave Tuesday's game with Triple-A Memphis due to a knee injury, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. He is scheduled for an MRI today. |
Our View: He just returned to the team following time off due to a groin injury. Rasmus is the Cardinals' top prospect, but has had trouble staying healthy this season in the minors, which slowed his development.
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| Adam Wainwright has been cleared to throw off a mound and had a 40-pitch workout in the Cardinals' bullpen Tuesday as he recovers from a sprained right middle finger, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. He threw fastballs and changeups during the session, and will move up to his curveball next. "It felt like I wanted to feel, it felt natural," Wainwright said. "I've got some joint stiffness that has to break down, but otherwise it's about building my pitch count up... "Best case?" he said earlier. "Two and a half weeks, maybe." |
Our View: Wainwright is still dealing with some stiffness but noted that his throws felt natural during the session. He expects to return to the Cardinals' rotation within three weeks.
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| Aramis Ramirez went 0-for-3 on Tuesday against the Diamondbacks. He is 0-for-20 since the All-Star break. |
Our View: Ramirez is hitting just .213 on the road this season compared to .338 at home.
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| Conor Jackson went 3-for-5 with his 10th home run, three RBI and two runs scored on Tuesday. |
Our View: Jackson continues to be one of the more reliable hitters in the NL West. His average stands at .308 and could be on its way up.
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| Yusmeiro Petit pitched well enough for the win on Tuesday night against the Cubs. In five innings he allowed just one run but walked three and gave up five hits. |
Our View: Will Petit take Micah Owings' spot in the rotation? His ERA is down to 2.78 and he has given up just two runs in two starts.
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