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| Carlos Silva impressed in his first start of the '08 campaign,leading the Mariners to a 4-1 victory over the Texas Rangers. Silva threw 116 pitches (68 for strikes) over seven innings, allowing just one run on three hits with three walks and five strike outs on the night. Silva did give up a homer to Ben Broussard in the sixth, but the bulk of the game was nothing short of positive. |
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| Josh Hamilton is struggling to translate that amazing spring-training success at the plate into the regular season, going 0-for-2 with two walks in the Rangers' 1-4 loss to the Seattle Mariners. Hamilton has a homer on the books, but he has just three hits in 11 at-bats for a .273 batting average. Of course, it is early, so stay tuned. |
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| Jose Lopez enjoyed a nice evening at the ballpark in support of Seattle's 4-1 win over the Texas Rangers. Lopez went 1-for-4 at the plate, hitting his first home run of the season in the 5th inning off Jason Jennings with two on and two out. |
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| Nick Blackburn put forth a strong effort for the Twins, but it was not enough as the Twins fell 0-2 to the Angels. Blackburn threw 86 pitches over seven innings, allowing just one run on five hits with just one walk surrendered versus six strike outs. No offensive support killed the effort as the Twins posted just four hits on the evening. |
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| Francisco Rodriguez picked up his first save of the season, closing the 9th on Joe Saunders outstanding eight innings of work. K-Rod needed ten pitches to throw one walk, one strikeout, and two ground outs to pick up the save. |
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| LHP Joe Saunders was a guiding light in his first start of the season, throwing just 80 pitches in eight full innnings of work to lead the Angels to a 2-0 win over Minnesota. Saunders threw 52 strikes to make quick work of the game, allowing no runs on just four hits with one walk and four strike outs on the evening. This is a great start for the Angels, getting a strong contribution from a pitcher that could be huge for them this season. |
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| Brad Hawpe launched his first long ball of the season on Wednesday night for the Rockies as he platted two runners on the night. Hawpe, who quietly put up 29 HR and 116 RBI last season, is likely the best number six hitter in the National League and he should continue to drive in runs in a potent Colorado attack. |
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| Todd Wellemeyer struck out six batters in five innings for the Cardinals on his way to his first victory of the season. Wellemeyer allowed only one run on the night though he did allow seven baserunners. The Cardinals are in desperate need of arms in the starting rotation, and this is exactly the type of performance they were hoping to get from Todd. |
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| Ryan Ludwick had three hits and three RBI from the second spot in the Cardinals order on Wednesday in his first start of the season. Ludwick is a hard nosed player who figures to find at-bats in a Tony LaRussa lineup, though it remains to be seen whether he will accrue enough to be anything more than an outfielder in deep NL Only leagues. |
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| Rick Ankiel homered, had two singles, and made a diving catch in the Cardinals victory over the Rockies. Ankiel will certainly have his share of ups and downs this season, but he would still appear to be a hitter with the potential to offer a whole lot of offense from the fifth spot in the Cardinals lineup. |
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| Carlos Beltran knocked three doubles on Wednesday giving him a whopping total of five two-baggers in just three games. Beltran scored twice in the game and it appears that the concerns surrounding his knees may have been slightly overblown as he has looked solid at the plate, and in the field, so far. |
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| Ryan Church lined a home run into the right field seats and picked up two other hits on Wednesday for the Mets. Church also had two other hits and knocked in three runs on the day. Given 500 AB, there is no reason to think that Church will fail to turn in a 20 HR, 80 RBI season, and if he is able to reach those levels he would seem to be a fine depth outfielder. |
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| David Wright, in what will likely be the first of many huge games this season, went 3-for-5 with two runs scored and three RBI on Wednesday. Wright, who totaled just six RBI all of last April, already has six RBI this season. |
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| Oliver Perez limited the Marlins to just five hits and one walk in six innings on Wednesday to pick up his first victory of the season for the Mets. Perez was dominating on the night with eight punchouts as he channeled his inner Johan Santana. Perez will have to step up to fill the void with the loss of Pedro Martinez, but he will do just fine if he continues to pitch like this. |
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| Andrew Miller lost his first start of the season by allowing five runs in 4.1 innings on eight hits and two walks. Miller also showed flashes of his dominating stuff with six strikeouts on the night, but he needed 90 pitches to make it through less than five innings. Until he learns to throw more quality strikes, Miller will likely struggle to be a productive fantasy hurler though there is no disputing the fact that he certainly possesses the stuff to be a dominating starter. |
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| A.J. Pierzynski was the lone bright spot for the White Sox in a 2-7 loss to the Cleveland Indians this evening. Pierzynski hit 3-for-4 at the plate, taking a Jorge Julio pitch deep in the 9th for his first homer of the season. Pierzynski has raised his average to .625 on the young season. |
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| Asdrubal Cabrera went 3-for-5 at the plate this evening in Cleveland's 7-2 win over the Chicago White Sox. Cabrera raked a double and posted two RBIs on the night, bringing him to a .333 average on the season, but he left three men on base. |
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| As expected, CF Grady Sizemore is working as the weapon of choice for the Indians, swinging big lumber in tonight's 7-2 win over the Chicago White Sox. Sizemore went 3-for-4 at the plate, hitting a triple with three RBIs and two runs scored on the evening. Sizemore is now hitting .500 and appears to be starting a season that could be as exciting as any. |
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| Fausto Carmona enjoyed a solid outing in his first start of the season, pitching seven full innings in the Indians' 7-2 win over the Chicago White Sox. Carmona allowed just one run on four hits, surrendering four walks balanced with four strike outs, giving him a 1.29 ERA to start the campaign. More impressively, Carmona enticed 16 ground balls versus just one fly ball on the evening, a great sign movin forward. |
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| Brandon Phillips went deep on Wednesday night as he was able to record two hits, two RBI and two runs scored for the Reds. Phillips, universally regarded as the second best option at second base this season, will once again target another 30/30 season from second base this year from while batting in the cleanup spot. |
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| Jeff Keppinger went 3-for-3 at the plate and stole a base from the second spot in the order for the Reds. Keppinger surely will give way to Alex Gonzalez once his knee is healthy, but that doesn't mean that Keppinger won't continue to hold his value in NL Only leagues as Dusty Baker is famous for playing the hot hand. |
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| Aubrey Huff had a huge night for the Orioles in a 9-6 win over the Tampa Bay Rays. Huff hit 2-for-4, collecting his first double and home run on the year, totaling four RBIs and two runs scored on the evening. |
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| Adam Jones went 2-for-4 tonight in the orioles' 9-6 win over the Tampa Bay Rays. Jones was a monster on offense, picking up his first RBI of the year as well as his first stolen base and run scored. |
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| Nick Markakis continues to swing it in the early games of the season, going 2-for-4 with one RBI and one run scored as the Orioles prevailed over the Tampa Bay Rays 9-6. Markakis is now hitting .429 on the season and appears to have a good thing going. |
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| Chris Young was 1-for-2 on Wednesday while he scored twice, walked three times and stole a base. About the only part of Young's offensive game that is a real negative is his ability to control the strike zone, so if he can coax a few more walks, while cutting down on his strikeouts, he would certainly have a great shot at going 30/30 this season. |
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| B.J. Upton went 1-for-3 in the Rays 6-9 loss to Baltimore this evening, hitting a double with two runs scored and two walks. Upton is expected to step his game up to high marks this season and this early success gives us hope that all that talent and potential might finally come to fruition in '08. |
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| Cliff Floyd did damage at the plate this evening, but his work fell a bit short as the Rays fell to the Baltimore Orioles 6-9. Floyd went 1-for-3 on the evening, hitting his first home run of the season to pick up three RBIs. |
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| Though it was just one pitch, it was hit an awfully long way and the result was that Brandon Lyon picked up his first loss and blown save of the season on Wednesday night. Edwin Encarnacion hit the game-winning home run in the bottom of the ninth, and the whispers of Tony Pena taking over the closing duties in Arizona are already starting to grow. |
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| Carl Crawford is up to his usual tricks, going 2-for-4 at the plate with second stolen base of the year as the Rays suffer the 6-9 loss to Baltimore. Crawford also picked up two runs scored and a walk in the loss. |
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| In the first official start of his D'backs career, Dan Haren allowed three runs on four hits and a walk on Wednesday. Haren was solid throughout but two mistakes were hit for home runs ruining his outing. Still, he was able to make it through six innings on just 90 pitches and showed flashes of being the dominant pitcher that he is. |
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| Edwin Encarnacion rebounded from an early error to hit a game-winning home run for the Reds in the bottom of the ninth inning on Wednesday night. Encarnacion struck out twice on the night and will have to manage the strike zone better to reach the heights that some are predicting for him this season. With health, Encarnacion has a solid chance to be a top-15 third basemen this season. |
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| Jeremy Accardo earned his first save of the season this evening, closing the 5-2 win for Toronto over the New York Yankees. Accardo faced three batters in the ninth, allowing two hits while striking out one, getting the remaining outs on fly balls. |
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| Alex Rios continues to swing a hot stick for the Toronto Blue Jays, hitting 2-for-3 in the Jays' 5-2 win over the Yankees. Rios posted two RBIs and a run scored with a walk along the way. Rios is showcasing a strong eye thus far, earning three walks in two games versus the Yanks while hitting the ball when it's in the zone. |
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| Vernon Wells gave fans and fantasy owners plenty to cheer about in Toronto's 5-2 win over the New York Yankees this evening, going 3-for-4 at the plate with a home run off Mike Mussina. Wells racked up two RBIs and two runs scored on the night, bringing his batting average to .375 on the season. |
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| A.J. Burnett struggled a bit on the mound but prevailed in a 5-2 Toronto win over the New York Yankees. Burnett allowed two runs on five hits over six innings of work, surrendering just one walk versus three strike outs. |
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| Alex Rodriguez went 1-for-4 in New York's 2-5 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays this evening, hitting his first home run of the year off A.J. Burnett. A-Rod finished with two RBIs, two strike outs, and two men left on base, bringing his batting average to .429 on the season. |
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| Mike Mussina suffered through a rough evening on the mound, using 5 2/3 innings to surrender 4 runs (3 earned) on 8 hits, including a home run for Vernon Wells, as the Yanks lost 2-5 at home to the Blue Jays. The Yanks are in need of much more from their starting pitching if they hope to keep pace with the always-competitive AL East, and while it is very early and this struggle should not weigh on the minds of fans and fantasy owners, it is a bit frustrating to see the Yanks start so poorly. |
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| Mark Teixeira started the year 0-for-13 before blasting a home run that helped the Braves to break open a close game in the eighth inning. Teixeira, a top-20 pick in almost all leagues this season, is being counted on to provide at least 30 HR and 100 RBI this season, numbers he has reached in each of the last four years, though the Braves and his owners are certainly hoping for more. |
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| Xavier Nady continued his hot start by knocking in two runs to up his total to six RBI though two games this season. Nady will likely end up wearing another team's uniform at some point this season, but if he keeps hitting like this perhaps the Pirates will consider holding on to him. |
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| Freddy Sanchez went 2-for-4 on Wednesday to increase his season average to .556 (5-for-9). So much for his shoulder bothering him huh? Sanchez will hit .300 and hopefully provide enough pop to make him a standout at the second base position this year. |
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| Yunel Escobar upped his average to .455 with a 2-for-3 outing on Wednesday night. Escobar also had a run scored and three RBI from the number two hole in the Braves lineup. Atlanta is counting on Escobar being able to replace the numbers that Edgar Renteria provided, and Escobar is certainly off to a good start toward accomplishing that goal through the first couple of days of the season. |
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| Martin Prado, starting in place of an injured Kelly Johnson, went 2-for-4 with three runs scored and an RBI on Wednesday. Though Johnson appears to be close to returning from his injured knee, Braves manager Bobby Cox has a long memory and outings like this will certainly lead to Prado picking up at-bats even when Johnson is back in the lineup. |
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| Tom Gorzelanny picked up a loss on Wednesday night as he allowed three runs on six hits and three walks over six innings. Gorzelanny lead the Pirates with 14 victories last season, and there is no disputing that his future is bright if he can avoid the injury concerns that have been present with him the past few years. |
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| Jair Jurrjens picked up his first victory in a Braves uniform as he limited the Pirates to just two runs in 5.1 innings. Jurrjens allowed seven hits and a walk on the night in a solid, but brief, first outing. With each solid outing, the prospects of Jurrjens remaining in the starting rotation will continue to grow. |
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| Cristian Guzman had two hits on Wednesday from the leadoff spot for the Nationals. Ronnie Belliard went 0-for-4 to lower his average on the early year to .083, but unless his glove fails him, it doesn't seem like he has to fear losing playing time to Felipe Lopez. Guzman owns a career .263 batting average but has somehow managed to hit .330 over his last 288 AB for the Nationals dating back to the start of the 2007 season. |
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| Ryan Zimmerman hit his second home run of the young season and posted his third RBI for the Nationals on Wednesday. Zimmerman is looking to take the next step this year to join the elite third basemen in the league, and he is well on his way to a solid start that will help him to accomplish that goal this season. |
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| Shane Victorino went 0-for-4 on Wednesday and is now 0-for-7 on the young season. A lot is expected from Victorino this year, but as long as he can find some way to get on base, hitting from the second hole, he would seem like a lock to score 100 runs with Chase Utley and Ryan Howard batting directly behind him. |
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| Cole Hamels was at times spectacular on Wednesday night as he needed only 103 pitches to make it through eight innings against the Nationals. Hamels did pick up his first loss of the season despite allowing just one run and five hits, while he punched out six National batters. If Hamels can stay healthy and pitch 200-innings for the first time in his life, he could very well threaten for the Cy Young award in the National League. |
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| Tim Redding kept the mighty Phillies lineup in check on Wednesday night as he limited the Phils to just one hit and no runs in seven innings. Redding, who walked three and struck out two, continues to live or die by his control, and there is just no way to predict long term success for a guy who has 66 K and 54 BB the past three seasons, but he was sharp on this night. |
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| Jon Rauch picked up his first save of the season with a perfect ninth inning on Wednesday night. Rauch is a useful middle reliever, but he becomes an intriguing pickup with Chad Cordero on the shelf. Plus, there are rumors circulating that when Cordero is healthy he could be traded, and if that were to occur Rauch's value would go through the roof so consider keeping him on your roster even after Cordero returns. |
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| Toronto reliever B.J. Ryan hit the mound in minor-league action today, continuing his progress back to the majors, according to MLB.com. Ryan underwent reconstructive surgery on his left elbow this offseason and is now attempting to complete his rehab and get back to action for the Blue Jays. Today he pitched a simulated game, throwing 21 pitches to several of Toronto's minor-league prospects. The team has scheduled Ryan to appear in a minor-league game on Saturday. If that goes well, he could join the major-league roster early next week. |
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| Chad Tracy is still working his way back into game shape with agility drills and running, but he is getting antsy to return to game action, this according to MLB.com. The timeline goes something like this: Tracy running the bases in 8-10 days, then getting about 30-40 AB in the minors before joining the big league club. That all means that Tracy shouldn't be expected back before the start of May. |
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| Justin Duchscherer , making his debut as a starting pitcher after Oakland has converted him from a bullpen role, is likely to be limited to 100 pitches tomorrow versus the Red Sox, according to MLB.com. While the A's want to bring Duchscherer along with caution, they are also excited to see their new late-inning reliever Santiago Casilla. Casilla submitted two perfect innings of work against the Red Sox in Tokyo last week, pitching one scoreless inning. On Wednesday, Casilla got the call with the bases loaded and nobody out in the seventh inning, but he got David Ortiz out on strikes and tempted Manny Ramirez into a rare double play. |
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| Kelly Johnson was forced to miss the Braves game on Wednesday because of a strained right knee, though feels he will miss little time and be back in the lineup soon, a sentiment echoed by manager Booby Cox, this according to MLB.com. "We'll give him a day off and see if we can get it to calm down." Martin Prado will likely start in Johnson's absence, though it sounds like he won't miss too much time. |
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| Toronot RHP Dustin McGowan is struggling with illness, apparently displaying the dreaded "flu-like symptoms" on Wednesday, and thus was sent back to the team's motel to rest, according to MLB.com. Manager John Gibbons believes McGowan will be good to go for his Thursday start against the Yankees, but the team will go with Shaun Marcum if his condition does not improve.
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| Mike Rabelo, on the DL with an injured knee, will be able to play in a minor league game on Thursday, this according to MLB.com. Rabelo will catch about five innings and continue to work his way back into game shape with a target date of mid-April for his return to the big league club. Rabelo hit .256 last year with one home run in 168 AB last season, so even when he is healthy he looks like he would be best served being a catcher in NL Only leagues. |
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| Jeremy Hermida, on the DL with an injured left hamstring, will play a minor league game on Thursday, this according to MLB.com. Hermida also hopes to play on Friday, and if all goes well he could be activated as soon as Saturday. On just about every sleeper list this season after his strong finish last year, Hermida simply needs to stay healthy to prove he is worth a darn because talent without playing time is basically useless in fantasy baseball. |
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| Freddy Sanchez, troubled by his surgically repaired shoulder all spring training, reports that his shoulder is finally pain-free, this according to MLB.com. In order to ease the pain, he has adopted a new throwing motion. "Obviously, I don't feel too comfortable with it," he said. "But I am on the field and can throw the ball and it doesn't hurt. Hopefully, maybe, as time goes on and I strengthen it and it feels better, then I get to where my normal arm slot is, or closer to it." Sanchez was able to hit all spring even with the injury, so as long as he is pain free on defense he should be able to produce the .300+ average we have come to expect from him. |
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| Alex Gonzalez was able to take batting practice on Wednesday while wearing a brace on his injured left knee, this according to MLB.com. "I've come along pretty good," said Gonzalez. "I feel just a little bit of pain. It's almost gone. I'm doing a lot of stuff with my leg to get it stronger. Maybe next week I'll start jogging a little bit." Jeff Keppinger will continue to man the shortstop position until Gonzalez returns to action though there is no timetable set on that front as of this writing. |
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| Chad Cordero (shoulder) is closer to returning to action and he hopes to play catch on Thursday to test out how the cortisone shot he received worked, this according to MLB.com. "My arm feels a lot better," Cordero said. "They just want to wait one more day to throw. I'll start throwing again [Thursday]." Joe Rauch will continue to fill the closers role until Cordero can return to the lineup. |
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| Alfonso Soriano returned to his familiar leadoff role on Wednesday as the Cubs moved Ryan Theriot back into the second hole, this according to a report on MLB.com. "It's something I've been thinking about since the end of spring training, and we'll go with it," manager Lou Piniella said. "Soriano is running better. We'll put him in the leadoff hole, where he's more comfortable, and let him hit there." Soriano will hit no matter where he is in the lineup, you can be sure of that, the question is how healthy are his legs and will they allow him to run like he has in the past? |
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| Manny Ramirez missed a golden opportunity to pad the stat line today, going 0-for-4 with eight men left on base against the Oakland A's. It's early, but it's rare to see ManRam come up short like this. The RBI machine won't fail fantasy owners so poorly in the future. |
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| Kevin Youkilis continues to carry a hot stick in the early going for the Red Sox, hitting 2-for-4 in Boston's 5-0 win over Oakland. Youkilis also picked up one RBI and one run scored on the day, a performance that brings his average to .400. |
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| Catcher Jason Varitek went 2-for-4 today in Boston's 5-0 romp over the Oakland A's, hitting a homer in the ninth of Huston Street to complete the fun. Varitek finished with two runs scored, now touting a batting average of .250. |
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| David Ortiz hit his first home run of the season today, belting a 7th-inning offering from Alan Embree in the stands. Ortiz finished going 2-for-4 with one walk and two strikeouts, leaving three men on-base, to bring his seasonal batting average to .133. |
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| Huston Street continues to frustrate fans and fantasy owners, putting another lackluster performance on the field in Oakland's 0-5 loss to the Boston Red Sox. Street allowed a home run in his only inning of work with all three of his outs coming on fly balls. For Street, that's two homers surrendered in 2 2/3 innings, and you can hear the cry of fantasy owners across the globe as the search for a reliable AL closer continues. |
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| Derrek Lee hit his first home run of the season on Wednesday as he went 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI. Lee has a lot to prove his year after a merely solid 2007 (.317-22-82) that was a far cry from his .335-46-107 numbers in the 2005 season. Lee will be a valuable piece this season, but he really needs to return to his running ways to offer the value many drafted him for (he has only 14 SB the past two seasons). |
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| Bob Howry allowed two runs and three hits on Wednesday, and after two appearances this season his ERA stands at 11.57. With Kerry Wood also struggling in the pen to start the year, Carlos Marmol owners are starting to flash a shy smile thinking that his value could be on the upswing very soon. |
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| Yankee catcher Jorge Posada will miss tonight's game against the Toronto Blue Jays, according to Yahoo Sports. Posada is suffering from a stiff right shoulder and will be replaced by Jose Molina. |
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| Jason Kendall went 3-for-4 on Wednesday with one run scored and two RBI from the ninth hole in the Brewers lineup. Kendall also stole a base in a fantastic all-around effort, so perhaps that off-season surgery on his eyes will allow Kendall to once again be a useful fantasy option at the catchers spot. |
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| Rich Harden was limited by a strictly enforced pitch count (do not fear, he is not injured) in his second outing today, working just 5 innings in today's 5-0 shutout loss to the Boston Red Sox. Despite the short stint on the mound, Harden looked solid, allowing no runs on just four hits, walking four but striking out 6. This brings Harden to 11 innings over two starts, allowing a total of just one run on seven hits with 15 strike outs, touting an ERA of 0.82 with a .179 BAA. |
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| Pedro Martinez could be sidelined up to 4-6 weeks with his hamstring strain, this according to a report on Newsday. Pedro has been placed on the DL so we will await word of how long he will be sidelined, but it appears that you shouldn't be counting on Pedro offering anything for at least the rest of the month and possibly well into May. The Mets will now have to hope that Mike Pelfrey can come through as Orlando Hernandez is still working his way back into shape. |
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| Boston starter Jon Lester put forth a strong effort in his second start of the season, holding the Oakland A's scoreless over 6 2/3 innings of work, allowing just three hits and three walks while posting three strike outs. The results resound much better with fantasy owners than his first outing of the season, allowing four runs on eight hits in just four innings of work, bringing Lester to a seasonal ERA of 3.38 with a 1.31 WHIP. |
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| Roy Corcoran was recalled from Triple-A on Wednesday to take the roster spot of J.J. Putz who was placed on the 15-day DL, this according to the AP. Corcoran hasn't seen major league action since 2006, and with only 18.1 innings in his brief major league career not a lot should be expected of him initially. The Mariners bullpen is in transition with Putz out and Brandon Morrow in the minors, so keep an eye on Corcoran to see if he can find a spot in the Mariners bullpen. |
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| Mark Lowe may be asked to do much more than setup the team's closer. He may be forced into the role due to the injury that has resulted in the Mariners placing J.J. Putz on the DL on Wednesday. The team had hoped that Brandon Morrow could fill the setup role this season and to fill in for Putz if any troubles arose, but given that Morrow was sent down to the minors because of a lack of control, the closer role would appear to be Lowe's hands for the time being, meaning you should run to waivers and pick him up if you have space on your roster though he may not be able to pitch on Wednesday since he has thrown in each of the first two games of the season. |
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| J.J. Putz, a day after giving up a game-winning home run to Josh Hamilton, was placed on the DL on because of a rib cage injury, this according to the AP. There is no word yet on the severity of the injury, so we don't know if this is a minor hiccup or a major issue for the Mariners. Given the way their bullpen looks now, it would appear that Mark Lowe will serve as the team's closer. |
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| Corey Hart had a hit, a walk, a run scored, an RBI and two steals on Wednesday for the Brewers. A year after surprising many by going 20/20, Hart may have designs on going 30/30 this season, and given that he will hit i | |
