Ian Snell- PIT- Hot- Snell owns a WHIP of 0.92, an ERA of 2.08 and has struck out 14 in 13 IP in 2 starts this season. So, what's his record? 0-1. It just goes to show you can't have everything in this world. Yesterday the Pirates offense failed to score, hanging the loss on Snell despite the fact that he only allowed 1 run in his 7 innings of work. The Fantistics' Preseason Projections predicted a significant improvement for Snell and he has exceeded even those so far this year.
Henry Owens- FLA- Rise Value- Despite having a name fit more for an accountant than a baseball player, Owens was the latest Marlin to get a save despite the fact that Jorge Julio is still their closer. Really. Truly. Honest. At any rate, getting at least the occasional save boosts Owens' value from where it would be if Julio was actually getting save opportunities as well as the title of closer. I'm not sure if Owens started going by "Hank"if that would make him sound more like a baseball player or a Nashville recording artist.
Brandon Backe- HOU- Inj Update- Remarkably, the Astros are saying that there is a 50/50 chance Backe could be back pitching in the majors this season, less than a year after his Tommy John surgery. It's too early to be considering a claim, but keep an eye on his throwing sessions over the next couple of months. If Backe gets to minor league rehab this summer he could be with Houston for the stretch run.
Doug Davis- ARI- Hot- The final line was nice, 2 runs allowed on 5 hits and 3 walks in 6 IP. The 48 balls out of 102 pitches thrown was not so pretty, but it also isn't as bad it looks at first glance. It took Davis 4 innings to figure it out, but he was bringing his arm too far back in his windup and that was causing him severe control problems. Once he corrected that, he got much more efficient and in command, needing only 16 pitches in his final two innings, of which 11 were strikes.
Matt Kemp- LAN- Inj- In an offseason renovation at Dodger Stadium, part of the outfield wall in right field was replaced with a message board that displays information about the current pitcher. A similar message board was installed in left field with batter information. The important part of this was that it was padded sections of the wall that were replaced. The new boards are covered with plexiglass. That may do a good job of protecting the boards, but isn't such a great surface to crash into, as Kemp did yesterday. X-rays did not reveal any breaks or structural damage in Kemp's shoulder, but further tests may show a separation. The DL is a distinct possibility, especially since the Dodgers will need a roster spot for Rafael Furcal later this week. Expect the future of these new message boards to be debated also.
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