Jay Gibbons- BAL- Inj- Gibbons has finally admitted that his poor performance this season is a result of injury. He was not precise as to what exactly the injury is, but it involves inflammation of the shoulder and may require surgery at some point. It will not clear up on its own, so if you have been hoping for Gibbons to rebound, forget about it and dump him now.
Eric Gagne- BOS- Cold- Gagne has been pretty hideous since coming over from the Rangers at the trade deadline. In 4 appearances covering 3-1/2 IP as a Red Sox (or is it Red Sock?) he has allowed 6 runs, all earned, on 9 hits and 2 walks while striking out 4. He seems lost and manager Terry Francona is saying that the move from Texas to Boston may have left Gagne uncomfortable. His fantasy value has certainly plummeted. Without the save opportunities and with infrequent, ineffective appearances, Gagne's worth is negligible.
Josh Fields- CHA- Hot- A couple of days ago, we pointed out that Fields could provide good production in 2008, after a nagging hamstring injury has time to heal in the offseason. Last night he ended up providing immediate help by having his first multi-homer game as a big leaguer.
Scott Podsednik- CHA- FYI- Yes, Podsednik was put on waivers by the White Sox. Yes, the Cubs claimed him. However, this is far from being the same as saying that Podsednik is heading to the other side of town. This is the time of year when lots of players are placed on waivers, claims are made, and nothing eventually comes of it. The clubs have until Monday to complete a deal to move Podsednik, but don't be surprised if this ends up fading away like most of these situations. The main things driving this story are the crosstown nature of it and the Cubs' need for an outfielder to fill in until Alfonso Soriano is ready to return.
Brandon McCarthy- TEX- FYI- McCarthy came into last night's game having thrown consecutive quality starts. This one was not at that level, but it was not terrible. He couldn't get out of the 5th inning and he allowed 3 runs, but none were earned. McCarthy's main problem was control. He ran up a lot of counts, needing 102 pitches (59 strikes) to get through his 4-2/3 innings. McCarthy gave up 3 walks and 6 hits while striking out 3. He is still a work in progress and inconsistency is to be expected.
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