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Today's News

The First Pitchby Fantistics' Lou Blasi

This morning I’m going to take a look at a pitcher who has significantly underachieved this season in relation to what we thought he was going to do. As we enter the second month of the season let’s see if this guy’s indicators can tell us anything about what’s going on.

Pirates’ starter Oliver Perez had a breakout season last year at 22-years old. He went 12-10 with the Bucs and posted a 2.99 ERA with a 1.15 WHIP in 196 IP. His K/BB rose to 2.95 which was significantly better than his current career K/BB of 2.19 and his OBA was a paltry .207. His opponents batting line last season was .207/.295/.359.

That’s pretty heady stuff.

This year Oliver is 1-3 with a 7.11 ERA over 31.2 IP and 6 starts. He gave up 19 runs in 19 IP over his first four starts and then had a flashback to 2004 against the Astros on April 25th when he tossed 7.2 shutout innings allowing just 4 hits and two walks while striking out 9. He couldn’t continue that success into Sunday’s start however as the Giants got to him for 6 runs, all earned, in 5 IP, on 7 hits, 5 walks and just one strikeout. One.

Ok, command and dominance are first two places you go with pitchers. Oliver posted a 1.95 K/BB in 2002, 1.83 in 2003, 2.95 last year and so far this year he’s posted a 1.22 K/BB.

His K/9 has taken a similar path. He struck out 9.40 in 2002, 10.02 in 2003, 10.97 last year and so far his K rate has taken a dip to 7.96.

Oliver’s control has suffered as well. In 2002 he walked 4.7/ 9IP. In 2003 it was a scary 5.4/9. Last year he got his walks down to 3.6/9, but this season he’s back up to … you may want to sit down … 6.0/9.  

How about one of my favorites, GB/FB ratio? Well, Oliver isn’t much a ground ball pitcher anyway, but the path of his GB/FB split is a little different. He posted an 0.80 GB/FB in 2002, 0.93 in 2003, and in his outstanding 2004, his GB/FB dipped to 0.74. This year that rate has dropped further to a scary 0.44.

Surprisingly his HR rate has fluctuated independently of that GB/FB rate. In 2002 he served at the pleasure of the gopher to the tune of 1.29/ 9IP. In 2003 his HR rate jumped to 1.56. In his breakout year that rate took a dip to a reasonable 1.01/9. This year he’s serving again, this time at a rate of 2.2/9.

Anything adding up yet? Not for me either.

Your first tendency in a case like this is to think Oliver overachieved in 2004 and if he reverted more closely to his pre-2004 indicators, you’d have a pretty good case. Unfortunately, while you might reasonably expect a rebound from his 2004 high, he’s done more than that, he’s regressed.

There might be some answers in our Player Production Charts. Two features of our PPCs, for pitchers, are Stranded Percentage and BHIP% (which we talked about last week). Stranded percentage indicates the percentage of runners that reach base against a pitcher who don’t score. Like Ball Hit in Play % (BHIP% - the percentage of ball hit in play that fall for hits), Stranded percentage is one of those stats that seems to be pretty level among all starters. Some pitchers demonstrate a repeatable ability to post elevated Strand Percentage, but for the most part, pitchers will fall in a very narrow range between .70, and .74.

Perez’s Stranded Percentage history is 0.79 in 2002, 0.70 in 2003, 0.79 in 2004 and 0.68 this season.

His BHIP% history reads as follows: .250 in 2002, .316 in 2003, .266 in .2004 and .315 so far this year.

So what have we got?

In 2004 Oliver conjured up the perfect storm. He was dominant (10.9K/9) and that kept hitters from putting the ball in play. When they did put the ball in play he has some good luck going too (his .266 BHIP% was .022 lower than the MLB average). That led to a .207 OBA and .295 OOBP which combined with some good fortune in his strand rate (0.79, 0.08 better than average) to mean that fewer guys were getting on, and fewer of those guys were getting home.

Don’t let guys put the ball in play, get lucky when they do and allow fewer hits, and have the good fortune to keep more of those guys from scoring. That’ll work every time.

This year all of that is working against him. He’s walking more hitters, allowing more balls in play. The balls he’s allowing in play are dropping at a rate that’s .049 worse than last year and those baserunners are scoring at a rate that’s 0.11 higher than last year. Add in the rise in his HR rate and you start to understand why his numbers look the way they do.

Here’s what we can look for. First forget 2004 for now. That’s an aberration until he proves otherwise. Still we can look for his command to rebound upward a bit as he approaches his pre-2004 levels. That’s a reasonable expectation. We can also look for him to start to get a little luckier in terms of BHIP% and Strand Percentage. That’s reasonable too.

The things that concern me most are:

1)     The drop in his K rate. It’s early, but his rate is low enough for me to have suspicions about his health and/or mechanics. I’m basing that speculation solely on that K rate, but right now, it’s enough off his graph to make me wonder.

2)     The homers. He’s susceptible to the long ball. He has a documented history of this issue, and the elevation of this rate begs the same mechanics/health concerns. In fact that’s also backed up by …

3)     His GB/FB ratio. Again, his split this year is worse than even his history would indicate. The reversion is enough to make me wonder if he’s toying with his motion or if there’s something else going on. In any event, he throws too many flyballs to be successful if he can’t strikeout 10+/9IP. Even then, with the HRs he allows, it’s an open question whether he can be effective unless he gets very fortunate in his BHIP% and his strand rate as he did in 2004. And there’s nothing in his history that even hints he can improve this aspect of his game significantly.

The bottom line, as it almost always is, is that he’s not as good as he was in 2004 and Oliver isn’t as bad as he is right now. He’s going to get better, but a return to 2004 form this season would surprise me … a lot. Chances are that he ends up some where between 4.00 and 4.50 in ERA and with the Bucs he may repeat his 12 wins, but he’ll likely lose double figures as well.

He’s only 22 so Oliver is still a work in progress. If he can return to a K rate of 10+/9 he’ll be an effective pitcher. If he can keep the ball in the park he’ll be even better. But 2004 was the result of a lot of things going well for him at the right time.

Long term he really needs to start getting the ball down in the zone and he needs to throw more GBs. That may happen but it won’t for a while. In the short term keep an eye on his K rate. If it stays sub-9.0/9 he’s going to have a long summer.


Players Included in todays Daily News Report

Catchers -   NL  Santiago,B.  AL  Wilson,D. , Molina,B.
1st Base -   NL  Thome,J. , Helton,T. , Casey,S. , Pujols, A. , Choi, H. , Wilson, Ca.  AL  Martinez,T. , Spiezio,S. , Lee,T. , Millar,K. , Pena, C.
2nd Base -   NL  Biggio,C. , Counsell,C. , Castillo,L. , Utley,C. , Perez,A.  AL  Womack,T. , Belliard,R. , Bellhorn, M. , Kennedy,A. , Roberts, B. , Harris,W. , Figgins,C. , Cano,R.
Shortstop -   NL  Reyes,J. , Barmes,C.  AL  Renteria,E. , Reese,P. , Vazquez,R.
Thirdbase -   NL  Bell,D. , Rolen,S. , Blum,G.  AL  Rodriguez,A. , Koskie,C. , Teahen,M.
Outfield -   NL  Edmonds,J. , Floyd,C. , Cameron,M. , Cruz,J. , Wilson,P. , Berkman,L. , Pena,W. , Nady, X. , Sledge,T. , Taveras,W. , Hawpe,B. , Scott,L.  AL  Finley,S. , Williams,B. , White,R. , Damon,J. , Nixon,T. , Dellucci,D. , Hidalgo,R. , Matos, L. , Sanchez, A. , Crawford,C. , Mench,K. , Swisher,N.
DH -     AL  McCarty,D. , Giambi,Ja. , Young,D.
Starters -   NL  Erickson,S. , Martinez,P. , Lieber,J. , Pettitte,A. , Schmidt,J. , Loaiza,E. , Carpenter,C. , Morris,M. , Milton,E. , Ortiz,R. , Wood,K. , Benson,K. , Eaton,A. , Oswalt,R. , Ishii, K. , Williams,J. , Perez,Ol. , Hudson, L. , Hancock, J. , Willis,D. , Francis,J. , Hennessey,B.  AL  Rogers,K. , Johnson,Ra. , Mussina,M. , Anderson,B. , Colon,B. , Wright,Jar. , Halama,J. , Arroyo, B. , Lohse,K. , Bonderman,J. , Kazmir,S. , Madritsch,B. , Chacin,G.
Relievers -   NL  Cormier,R. , Torres,S. , Graves,D. , Brower,J. , Gagne,E. , Valverde,J. , Gonzalez,M.  AL  Hermanson,D. , Mantei,M. , Bradford,C. , Baez,D. , Colome, J. , Prinz, B. , Rincon, J.


Daily Insider Injury

Player Type Report
Rolen,Scott (3B)

StL (05-03)

Player Injury Just as Rolen started to heat up, his back is acting up again. Rolen was out of the lineup yesterday, and he'll be out again today at a minimum, allowing yesterday's hero John Mabry another start at the hot corner. Rolen doesn't seem to think it's very serious this time, so probably just the two days off will be all he'll need. If you have daily transactions, rest him today but play him tomorrow unless you hear otherwise. - sdombroske
Wood,Kerry (P)

ChN (05-03)

Player Injury Kerry Wood was diagnosed with a muscle strain in his shoulder yesterday, and he will be sidelined for a minimum of three weeks. Glendon Rusch will likely slot in for him for the month of May. Expect Wood back close to that timetable if at all possible, as the Cubbie hopes hinge on the big three in the rotation. - sdombroske
Wilson,Preston (OF)

Col (05-03)

Player Injury The brittle Wilson left last night's game with a fairly mild groin strain. He's listed as day-to-day, which for Wilson can sometimes linger for up to a week. I would reserve him for tonight if you have a viable bench option, particularly since they're not at home. - sdombroske
Blum,Geoff (3B)

SD (05-03)

Player Injury Blum was sent to the 15-day DL with a chest contusion following an outfield collision over the weekend, and it isn't too often you can say this, but the Padres are going to sorely miss Blum's brand of mediocrity. Jesse Garcia is about the only guy left on the roster that can play short, so that's where the ABs will go for now. Khalil Greene is still hoping to be back for the start of next week, so hopefully this will be a short-lived problem for the Pads. - sdombroske
Sledge,Terrmel (OF)

Was (05-03)

Player Injury Sledge went down in a heap chasing a double last night, and the resultant hamstring strain will send him to the DL for 2-3 weeks. The Nationals have no shortage of interesting outfielders, so in steps former starter Ryan Church to take the PT. He's a decent option in deeper leagues, although Sledge has more potential to produce right now. Unless Church is red-hot, expect Sledge to reclaim the job by June 1st. - sdombroske
Johnson,Randy (P)

NYA (05-03)

Player Injury Wow. This one came out of nowhere. The Big Unit will miss his next start due to a groin injury, which may even land him on the DL. We’ll have to wait and see how this pans out. Bad news for Unit owners. - jackerman

Player Status Reports

Player Type Report
Biggio,Craig (2B)

Hou

Hot Player Biggio is an interesting case. His plate discipline has, unlike many older players, declined substantially over the past few seasons to the point that it is no longer a strength of his. He also had stopped running almost completely as of last year. He did, however, set a career high in homers last year, so he isn't completely devoid of value. Now, with his fourth steal last night, he appears to be running again, which of course adds some more value back. Biggio will be 40 after this season, so whatever value he has isn't going to last very long, but at 2B the kinds of things that he's doing now have definite value. Earlier in the year I'd called for the Astros to play Chris Burke over him, but the way he's hitting now that can't really be an option for Houston. He's a different player now than he was five years ago, and he is a little less valuable, but he still can help. - sdombroske
According to the Houston Chronicle, "Craig Biggio's 400 career stolen-base total after his first-inning steal on Monday. He is the second Astro to reach the milestone; Cesar Cedeño (1970-81) had 487 steals."
2005: 93 AB/ 0.290 BA/ 3 HR/ 12 RBI/ 14 R/ 4 SB  
2005 Proj: 601 AB/ 0.262 BA/ 21 HR/ 56 RBI/ 88 R/ 6 SB 
Erickson,Scott (P)

LAN

Old Player Well, that's the only way that Erickson will be effective, if he gets 15 GB for every flyout. Erickson is striking out one batter per start and has allowed six homers already. He cannot be recommended under any circumstances, and the Dodgers will replace him by the end of the month if they're serious about competing. - sdombroske
2005: 26 IP/ 1.600 WHIP/ 6.15 ERA/ 1 W/ 5 K/ 0 S  
2005 Proj: 111 IP/ 1.470 WHIP/ 4.80 ERA/ 9 W/ 48 K/ 0 S 
Martinez,Pedro (P)

NYN

Hot Player Pedro picked up his fifth quality start in six outings last night, allowing one run on four hits and two walks over seven innings, striking out six. He's being used properly (99.8 pitches per start), and the results show it. At this rate, he will be a clear contender for the NL Cy Young award. This move to Shea Stadium and its pitcher-friendly environs is going to add a nice late-career boost to his overall numbers. - sdombroske
2005: 43 IP/ 0.700 WHIP/ 2.51 ERA/ 3 W/ 52 K/ 0 S  
2005 Proj: 191 IP/ 1.150 WHIP/ 3.43 ERA/ 15 W/ 210 K/ 0 S 
Edmonds,Jim (OF)

StL

Hot Player Jim Edmonds just keeps getting better with age. He did strike out three times last night, but he also hit his sixth homer of the year in that improbable seven-run ninth inning comeback against the Reds. Edmonds is another of those rare players that seem to be able to defy the normal age-related declines, at least to this point, and he's actually gotten healthier since he turned 27 (he'll be 35 in June). Sooner or later that trend will reverse itself, but no player is a sure thing, and Edmonds has gone from a Cliff Floyd/Rondell White type to a constant in the last eight years. There is likely no better CF in baseball as far as a total package, and that includes 2004's big free-agent prize. - sdombroske
2005: 75 AB/ 0.280 BA/ 6 HR/ 18 RBI/ 12 R/ 0 SB  
2005 Proj: 544 AB/ 0.286 BA/ 37 HR/ 96 RBI/ 103 R/ 7 SB 
Floyd,Cliff (OF)

NYN

Hot Player A single, double, and steal last night for Floyd bring his line to 375/433/638 for the year, making him the most productive Met by a sizable margin to this point. Floyd has always hit when healthy and generally speaking, when he's running, he's healthy. Floyd is never going to give you 150 games, but at 120-140 games he's still a very productive player. Make sure you have a viable backup for him and let him rip. - sdombroske
According to the New York Daily News, "Floyd made a sliding belly-flop catch of Pat Burrell's looping fly to end the sixth inning, and Martinez did a little shimmy with his arms raised in the middle of the infield as the Mets left the field with their 1-0 lead intact in what ended up a 5-1 win."
2005: 80 AB/ 0.375 BA/ 6 HR/ 22 RBI/ 15 R/ 3 SB  
2005 Proj: 523 AB/ 0.273 BA/ 25 HR/ 87 RBI/ 76 R/ 15 SB 
Lieber,Jon (P)

Phi

Hot Player Lieber is one of those guys that really doesn't need his A, or sometimes even his B stuff to get through a game with a positive result, and last night was no different. He kept the Mets off balance for six innings with an 85 mph fastball, allowing six hits and one run with two walks and four K's. He's been the most solid pitcher for the Phils to date, and as gently as he is being used (only 79 pitches last night, which was surprising given the close game) he can keep this up all year long. I wouldn't expect quite this level of effectiveness from him, but he may very well be able to maintain an ERA of under 4.00, with a decent WHIP due to his outstanding control. He's a very solid #2 starter for most leagues. - sdombroske
2005: 41 IP/ 1.150 WHIP/ 2.81 ERA/ 4 W/ 16 K/ 0 S  
2005 Proj: 203 IP/ 1.260 WHIP/ 4.13 ERA/ 17 W/ 123 K/ 0 S 
Pettitte,Andy (P)

Hou

Rise Value I've got a permanent soft spot for Andy Pettitte, but he deserved much better last night. He only allowed one solidly hit ball before tiring in the 8th, but then instead of taking him out as his control was finally wavering, the 'Stros left him in to pitch to Tike Redman. Pettitte promptly allowed a two-run homer, so thus the final line: 7 2/3 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K. His velocity was back to normal (89-90) for the first time this year, and his control was excellent right up until the 8th inning. He looks healthy, if not up to 100% stamina just yet, and he should be back to being one of the top pitchers in the NL. - sdombroske
2005: 39 IP/ 1.230 WHIP/ 3.23 ERA/ 2 W/ 24 K/ 0 S  
2005 Proj: 191 IP/ 1.330 WHIP/ 3.91 ERA/ 13 W/ 166 K/ 0 S 
Schmidt,Jason (P)

SF

Caution When you take a look at pitchers that seem to make sudden leaps forward or backward, there is usually one consistent coincident indicator: BB/9. Jason Schmidt's mind-boggling 2003 was accompanied by a career-low 1.99 BB/9...historically he had been around 3.0. This season, Schmidt is up around 4.5, and his ERA is up about 1.4 runs from two years ago. Part of that could certainly be due to his usage. The complete failure of the Giants to surround the best pitcher and best hitter in the game (for the past few years, anyway) with any sort of assistance is one of the ongoing themes of the decade, and if you look at the Giant bullpen right now, it's no wonder that Alou feels that he has to leave Jason Schmidt out there as long as possible. However, on a night that he was clearly struggling with his control, where you have a four run lead, when your ace is coming off a 131-pitch outing last start.....you've got to have some awareness of the long-term situation, and guys like Dusty Baker and Felipe Alou, as talented as they are at certain aspects of managing, have little to no ability in this regard.- sdombroske
2005: 38 IP/ 1.410 WHIP/ 3.76 ERA/ 2 W/ 37 K/ 0 S  
2005 Proj: 227 IP/ 1.050 WHIP/ 3.33 ERA/ 19 W/ 244 K/ 0 S 
Loaiza,Esteban (P)

Was

Rise Value Loaiza finally got his first win despite pitching well in the predominant portion of his starts thus far. He went six innings and allowed three hits and one run, walking three and striking out seven. That's 18 K's in his last two outings, which is a great sign for him. Things are definitely looking up again for Loaiza...I would have little hesitation in grabbing him if he were available. - sdombroske
2005: 38 IP/ 1.220 WHIP/ 3.72 ERA/ 1 W/ 36 K/ 0 S  
2005 Proj: 192 IP/ 1.370 WHIP/ 4.96 ERA/ 12 W/ 141 K/ 0 S 
Counsell,Craig (2B)

Ari

Hot Player Counsell reached base three times again last night, pushing his OBP up to .431. With eight steals already, he's well on his way to establishing a career high in SB for the fifth consecutive season, which is no small feat. For those of you who miss Scott Podsednik in NL leagues, I offer you your potential replacement. Counsell is already 34, so don't expect the world, but a .350+ OBP and 20 SB has its value. - sdombroske
2005: 84 AB/ 0.274 BA/ 0 HR/ 7 RBI/ 12 R/ 8 SB  
2005 Proj: 497 AB/ 0.236 BA/ 2 HR/ 24 RBI/ 61 R/ 17 SB 
Graves,Danny (RP)

Cin

Drop Value How Graves only has one blown save is beyond me, since he's allowed 24 baserunners in 10 2/3 IP thus far. Graves is a gas can waiting for a match between his propensity to allow homers, his terrible control, and his inability to miss bats. He is one of the worst closers in baseball, and really should be avoided like the plague. Ryan Wagner has been the only positive relief option for the Reds thus far, and knowing how that organization's thought processes work, Graves has as much job security as Cal Ripken would if he returned. The only reason you should ever own him is to deal him for something better. - sdombroske
2005: 10 IP/ 2.250 WHIP/ 5.07 ERA/ 1 W/ 3 K/ 8 S  
2005 Proj: 72 IP/ 1.330 WHIP/ 3.27 ERA/ 5 W/ 41 K/ 36 S 
Rolen,Scott (3B)

StL

Player Injury
According to the St Louis Post-Dispatch, "Limited by a painful upper back strain suffered Sunday against Atlanta, Rolen did not participate in pregame activities or play in the game. Rolen's season-long struggles with runners in scoring position continued Sunday as he stranded six runners in a one-for-four day in which he left the bases loaded in the third inning and barely missed a homer on a towering drive with runners at first and second in the fifth. Rolen ended the game by grounding to shortstop with the tying run at first base. He is batting .172 with nine RBIs in a team-high 29 at-bats with runners in scoring position."
2005: 86 AB/ 0.267 BA/ 3 HR/ 12 RBI/ 12 R/ 0 SB  
2005 Proj: 551 AB/ 0.292 BA/ 35 HR/ 115 RBI/ 108 R/ 4 SB 
Carpenter,Chris (P)

StL

Hot Player Carpenter wasn't able to continue his string of striking out more batters each time out this season, but he did fan eight over six innings, and of the five runs he allowed only two were earned. Carpenter has been very effective outside of one start this season, and the key behind his shocking, phoenix-like rebirth has been his impeccable control. Carpenter was fairly shaky in the early portion of his career, walking under 3.0 men per nine innings once in six years, but last year's 1.88 figure allowed him to make his strong comeback, and this year he is even better than that thus far (1.61). As long as he can keep that number down, he'll be an excellent option in all leagues. - sdombroske
2005: 39 IP/ 1.210 WHIP/ 3.86 ERA/ 4 W/ 35 K/ 0 S  
2005 Proj: 173 IP/ 1.200 WHIP/ 3.64 ERA/ 13 W/ 137 K/ 0 S 
Cruz,Jose (OF)

Ari

Player Injury Update Cruz is progressing nicely, and upon his return should resume his status as a worthwhile option in most leagues. Luis Terrero stands to lose the most value upon Cruz's return, since unlike Quinton McCracken he has a bit of value to lose. I doubt Cruz will be back this week, but possibly next. - sdombroske
According to the Arizona Republic, "Jose Cruz Jr. probably slept like a log Monday night. Cruz worked out with teammates for the first time since going on the disabled list April 10 because of a strained lower back, and by the time he was done taking his swings in the batting cage, the center fielder was "pooped." Cruz faced live pitching, but what really took a toll were the running drills he did - forward, backward and sideways - to help strengthen his legs."
2005: 17 AB/ 0.294 BA/ 2 HR/ 7 RBI/ 2 R/ 0 SB  
2005 Proj: 534 AB/ 0.254 BA/ 24 HR/ 84 RBI/ 78 R/ 8 SB 
Helton,Todd (1B)

Col

Great Player Helton's five for his last eleven, and ihs double and homer last night likely pushed his SLG over .400 to stay. If there's any way to pick him up at a discount still, you've got to try....he's still one of the best hitters in baseball. - sdombroske
2005: 83 AB/ 0.289 BA/ 2 HR/ 11 RBI/ 13 R/ 1 SB  
2005 Proj: 536 AB/ 0.340 BA/ 34 HR/ 106 RBI/ 110 R/ 5 SB 
Casey,Sean (1B)

Cin

FYI Casey had four singles last night against the Cards, but whatever mysterious power-sapping disease affected him a few years back is showing signs of returning. Casey is a .300 hitter, but without being able to reach the 20 HR mark is really not a very productive 1B, so to see him sliding back toward Erstad-dom this early on is worrisome. Right now Casey is the least of their worries, but you should always be on the lookout for someone that values him a little too highly. As quotable as he is, and since he's always hitting around .300, he has a tendency to be a bit overrated. - sdombroske
According to the Cincinnati Enquirer, "Reds first baseman Sean Casey extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a season-high four hits Monday."
2005: 95 AB/ 0.316 BA/ 1 HR/ 9 RBI/ 12 R/ 0 SB  
2005 Proj: 560 AB/ 0.308 BA/ 22 HR/ 92 RBI/ 94 R/ 2 SB 
Milton,Eric (P)

Cin

FYI Milton has only his second effective start of the season last night, but the Reds' bullpen couldn't hold the lead so he's stuck with two wins. Milton's HR rates have been a problem perpetually, but this season his K rates are also way down (under 6.0, which is new territory for him). Consequently he's allowing a lot more hits, and thus a lot more runs. This contract is not going to work out well for the Reds...at best Milton is a #3 or #4 starter being paid like a #1 or #2, but after years of playing around with Jimmy Haynes and the like it's easy to see how Milton might look like Koufax by comparison. He shouldn't be used in most formats, and he's likely to be overrated in the others, so see what you can get for him if you're stuck with him. - sdombroske
2005: 32 IP/ 1.440 WHIP/ 5.79 ERA/ 2 W/ 19 K/ 0 S  
2005 Proj: 211 IP/ 1.260 WHIP/ 4.22 ERA/ 16 W/ 174 K/ 0 S 
Ortiz,Russ (P)

Ari

Caution Ortiz finally had the start that his peripherals would suggest was likely yesterday, as he allowed seven runs on seven hits and five walks in 3 2/3 innings. Ortiz's K rates are average to slightly below, his control is poor, and moving to the BOB is going to push his HR rates above average. In short, he is a terrible risk as a starter. Being that this is his first truly awful start of the year, you might be able to still get something of value for him if you're stuck with him. I would make that effort, as I don't think things will get better for him. - sdombroske
2005: 33 IP/ 1.460 WHIP/ 5.08 ERA/ 2 W/ 14 K/ 0 S  
2005 Proj: 214 IP/ 1.440 WHIP/ 3.95 ERA/ 16 W/ 154 K/ 0 S 
Berkman,Lance (OF)

Hou

Player Injury Update Berkman went to New Orleans for stage two of his rehab assignment yesterday, and he's scheduled to play three games down there this week. If all goes well, he should be back with Houston by the weekend. With the demotion of Luke Scott and the recent exploits of Willy Taveras, Chris Burke is now the only player likely to be negatively affected by Berkman's return. - sdombroske
According to the Houston Chronicle, "After taking Monday off, outfielder Lance Berkman will return to the lineup tonight for Class AAA Round Rock to continue his rehabilitation from offseason knee surgery. The Express play the second of a four-game series tonight in New Orleans. Berkman played nine innings Saturday and seven innings Sunday in Round Rock, going 3-for-6 with a double. He left Sunday's game earlier than expected because of soreness in the knee, but general manager Tim Purpura isn't concerned."
 
2005 Proj: 486 AB/ 0.313 BA/ 26 HR/ 91 RBI/ 88 R/ 5 SB 
Blum,Geoff (3B)

SD

Player Injury
According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, "The Padres summoned Triple-A utilityman Robert Fick and put utility infielder Geoff Blum on the 15-day disabled list. Blum hadn't played since he suffered a bruised left chest when he collided with left fielder Ryan Klesko in Friday's game. Tests showed no fracture, but Blum said he wasn't improving."
2005: 59 AB/ 0.271 BA/ 3 HR/ 7 RBI/ 7 R/ 0 SB  
2005 Proj: 332 AB/ 0.226 BA/ 8 HR/ 36 RBI/ 39 R/ 2 SB 
Brower,Jim (RP)

SF

FYI Jim Brower's stint as closer might not last too long, as he barely escaped the ninth inning last night with merely a blown save. Tyler Walker came on and was able to shakily close the game out in the tenth, but both pitchers have had fairly severe control problems this season. Since Felipe Alou has said that walks from the closer's role are the one thing he won't tolerate, it seems to be that Matt Herges might actually be a viable candidate for saves again. Brower may still get the next few opportunities, but I don't know anyone that expects him rattle off ten saves in a row. That bullpen situation is as ugly as any you'll find, so the saves are likely to bounce around a bit this year barring an acquisition. - sdombroske
According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, "Appearing in the ninth inning for the third consecutive game, Jim Brower remained the leading candidate to inherit the role of injured closer Armando Benitez. But Brower's failure to hold an 8-7 lead Monday night when Luis Gonzalez lined a leadoff home run could complicate matters. So could Tyler Walker's performance in the 10th inning, when he wiggled out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam. Brower explained Gonzalez's homer on a 3-2 sinker, saying: ``It was the pitch I wanted to make. He reached out and flipped it. I don't think there's a handful of guys who can do that. Another hitter would hit a weak popup to right field. He's some kind of strong."
2005: 13 IP/ 1.500 WHIP/ 5.40 ERA/ 1 W/ 7 K/ 1 S  
2005 Proj: 88 IP/ 1.430 WHIP/ 3.46 ERA/ 6 W/ 57 K/ 1 S 
Gagne,Eric (RP)

LAN

Player Injury Update Gagne is still 7-10 days away, so he's getting closer, which is bad news for Brazoban owners. Wilson Alvarez is also coming back, but he's back today. The Dodger pen is shaping up nicely now, and since they're already in first place, the rest of the NL West has to be concerned. I would be very surprised if they didn't have a sizable lead by the end of the month. - sdombroske
According to the Los Angeles Times, "Eric Gagne has appealed his two-game suspension for being on the Dodger bench in uniform while on the disabled list. Gagne was ejected from an April 6 game for arguing a call and Major League Baseball determined that he was banned from the dugout for the remainder of his time on the disabled list. However, the Dodgers said they never were notified of the ruling."
 
2005 Proj: 69 IP/ 1.030 WHIP/ 2.61 ERA/ 6 W/ 94 K/ 32 S 
Eaton,Adam (P)

SD

FYI Eaton was his typically barely-efficient self last night, getting through six innings in 108 pitches while allowing six hits and four runs with four walks and four strikeouts. Eaton's stuff is fantastic, but the results just haven't been there on any sort of a consistent basis to this point in his career. He definitely seems like the kind of pitcher that, with his BB:K ratios, will suddenly improve his control a seemingly small amount and start dominating. I think he's an excellent keeper league choice (although he is already 27), and a fair option for this season. He could put it together at any time, as none of his statistics bode poorly for his future. - sdombroske
2005: 33 IP/ 1.430 WHIP/ 3.47 ERA/ 3 W/ 25 K/ 0 S  
2005 Proj: 209 IP/ 1.240 WHIP/ 4.18 ERA/ 14 W/ 169 K/ 0 S 
Pena, Wily Mo (OF)

Cin

Player Injury Update Wily Mo was back in the starting lineup for the first time in over a week yesterday, and although he looked terrible, Austin Kearns hasn't done enough to earn himself any more than the fourth OF spot right now. Expect Pena to play mostly every day again now that he's feeling better, and he's most definitely a worthwhile addition in all leagues, although he should be downgraded slightly in leagues that value OBP. - sdombroske
According to the Cincinnati Enquirer, "Right fielder Wily Mo Pena and second baseman D'Angelo Jimenez returned to the starting lineup Monday. Jimenez batted leadoff for the 14th time this season. It was Pena's first start since experiencing stiffness in his left quadriceps muscle April 23."
2005: 48 AB/ 0.313 BA/ 6 HR/ 12 RBI/ 10 R/ 0 SB  
2005 Proj: 403 AB/ 0.251 BA/ 27 HR/ 67 RBI/ 52 R/ 6 SB 
Nady,Xavier (OF)

SD

Hot Player Nady reached base all four times yesterday against the Rockies, and he's leading the Paadres in OPS so far. With most of the regulars struggling to one extent or another, expect Nady to continue to get regular playing time, despite the lack of a regular position. He's a worthwhile option in most leagues. - sdombroske
2005: 71 AB/ 0.254 BA/ 4 HR/ 12 RBI/ 12 R/ 2 SB  
2005 Proj: 484 AB/ 0.262 BA/ 19 HR/ 61 RBI/ 68 R/ 0 SB 
Choi, Hee Seop (1B)

LAN

Hot Player Choi is 7-16 with 3 BB's and 2 K's over his last five games, and has been moved to second in the order. I'm sure I sound like a broken record, but he is primed for a breakout either this year or next....I'd be willing to bet on now. - sdombroske
2005: 61 AB/ 0.262 BA/ 3 HR/ 7 RBI/ 8 R/ 0 SB  
2005 Proj: 494 AB/ 0.247 BA/ 21 HR/ 63 RBI/ 73 R/ 1 SB 
Wilson, Craig A. (1B)

Pit

Cold Player Craig Wilson was given a gift double on a dropped fly ball by Willy Taveras last night, and it was only his second extra-base hit of the season. Wilson is only hitting .250 and slugging .279, but the 13 walks he's drawn have allowed him to maintain a .400 OBP to this point. It's safe to say that he isn't going to slug under .300 this year, but he also isn't likely to repeat his 2004 campaign either. If you still can get that kind of value for him I'd pursue it, but more likely you're going to be stuck waiting for him to heat up now. He's a decent OF in NL-only leagues and a fair one in mixed leagues, but he isn't quite as valuable as he appeared at times last season. - sdombroske
2005: 68 AB/ 0.250 BA/ 0 HR/ 4 RBI/ 4 R/ 2 SB  
2005 Proj: 572 AB/ 0.272 BA/ 30 HR/ 92 RBI/ 98 R/ 2 SB 
Oswalt, Roy (P)

Hou

Player Injury Update From everything I'm hearing about Oswalt's injury, I can't imagine that he will make his start as scheduled on Friday. First, the injury was initially compared to David Wells' injury, which is expected to be more than a month in duration. Secondly, Oswalt is already planning on moving his side session back from today to Wednesday, since he's still feeling pain. Finally, Oswalt himself says that it feels like a sprained ankle and that it's affecting his delivery. He may very well just push his start back to this weekend, but I think it's also possible that he will need to hit the DL retroactively. I would continue to pay attention to reports for the rest of the week to determine his status for you this weekend. - sdombroske
According to the Houston Chronicle, "Righthander Roy Oswalt was still walking with a slight limp Monday, one day after having to leave his start against the Cubs in the sixth inning because of a sprained right foot. Oswalt, who could postpone his bullpen session one day to Wednesday, said he was still feeling some pain, which he described as being near his arch."
2005: 41 IP/ 1.200 WHIP/ 3.29 ERA/ 4 W/ 28 K/ 0 S  
2005 Proj: 232 IP/ 1.190 WHIP/ 3.33 ERA/ 19 W/ 212 K/ 0 S 
Williams, Jerome (P)

SF

FYI Williams is expected to be back in a Giant uniform next week, and should be starting next Tuesday. He still owns the second best BB:K ratio on the staff, which pretty much illustrates where he stands in the pecking order for the Giants on the whole. I still believe that he has as much potential as any starter in the game today, and I'd keep him hanging around on reserves if possible. - sdombroske
2005: 16 IP/ 1.500 WHIP/ 6.48 ERA/ 0 W/ 11 K/ 0 S  
2005 Proj: 194 IP/ 1.280 WHIP/ 4.21 ERA/ 15 W/ 121 K/ 0 S 
Reyes,Jose (SS)

NYN

FYI Jose Reyes' plate discipline has worsened in each of his major league stints, and it's now to the point where he is literally incapable of walking. Reyes did pick up four singles, two runs, and two steals last night, but it is virtually impossible to be a productive player without drawing a single walk. Reyes will become expendable the first time he and the Mets cohabitate the slumping world, and the fact that Miguel Cairo has been productive in very limited time (and that Willie Randolph is familiar with him) makes that fact even more likely. Fortunately he's only 21, and has time to straighten things out. I wouldn't bail on him in keeper leagues just yet, but I'd explore the trade market for him in single season leagues. - sdombroske
2005: 114 AB/ 0.281 BA/ 3 HR/ 10 RBI/ 18 R/ 6 SB  
2005 Proj: 550 AB/ 0.285 BA/ 9 HR/ 63 RBI/ 94 R/ 42 SB 
Utley,Chase (2B)

Phi

Hot Player Injuries are forcing Charlie Manuel away from his best lineup in some ways, but they're also making him play Chase Utley a bit more than he was early in the year. Utley has been second only to Pat Burrell in effectiveness for Philly in the early going, hitting 327/387/545 thus far. With Lofton and Thome banged up, he's going to keep playing for now, and I can't imagine as much as the Phils are struggling that they would continue to play Bell and Polanco (specifically Bell) over him once everyone is healthy. Utley should be picked up in just about every league at this point, and you've just got to rely on the Phils to play the right nine, which desperation should allow to happen. - sdombroske
2005: 55 AB/ 0.327 BA/ 3 HR/ 9 RBI/ 11 R/ 1 SB  
2005 Proj: 495 AB/ 0.277 BA/ 20 HR/ 72 RBI/ 74 R/ 11 SB 
Valverde,Jose (RP)

Ari

Player Injury Update Valverde returned from the D and pitched a scoreless inning with a strikeout last night. Brandon Lyon has put a decent stranglehold on the closer's job down there, but Valverde is still the second best option (perhaps the first, in reality), so remember that he's back. He might be worth a reserve slot, depending on your situation. - sdombroske
According to the Arizona Republic, "Jose Valverde's delight was Scott Hairston's frustration as the Diamondbacks activated Valverde from the disabled list and optioned Hairston to Triple-A Tucson. Valverde has been on the disabled list since spring training because of biceps tendinitis in his pitching arm."
2005: 1 IP/ 1.000 WHIP/ 0.00 ERA/ 0 W/ 1 K/ 0 S  
2005 Proj: 58 IP/ 1.400 WHIP/ 3.54 ERA/ 4 W/ 77 K/ 5 S 
Barmes, Clint (SS)

Col

Hot Player Barmes is taking this Colorado thing a little too seriously, hitting 416/469/640 so far. He singled, doubled, and stole a base last night at sea level, which brings his road line to 316/350/421. That's much more indicative of his actual talent level, and should be about your expectation for the rest of the year. If you can sell him high, do it and don't look back. - sdombroske
2005: 89 AB/ 0.416 BA/ 4 HR/ 14 RBI/ 21 R/ 3 SB  
2005 Proj: 515 AB/ 0.276 BA/ 14 HR/ 71 RBI/ 84 R/ 12 SB 
Francis, Jeff (P)

Col

Cold Player So far in the battle between pitching prospect and homer haven, the environment is winning. Jeff Francis had an opportunity to pitch in San Diego last night, but he certainly did not make the most of it, allowing seven hits and five runs over six innings, walking four and fanning five. Francis has had very little control through his first five starts, walking 18 men in 28 2/3 innings. Until he improves that aspect of things, expect him to struggle more often than not. What bodes well for him are the zero homers allowed in his last four outings, two of which came at home. If he can harness his stuff a bit, he still could be great despite the ballpark. He isn't ready to be a regular rotation member for any of you, but as far as potential for the future: it's clearly there. - sdombroske
2005: 28 IP/ 1.600 WHIP/ 5.02 ERA/ 1 W/ 14 K/ 0 S  
2005 Proj: 187 IP/ 1.350 WHIP/ 4.57 ERA/ 11 W/ 162 K/ 0 S 
Benson,Kris (P)

NYN

Player Injury Update
According to the New York Daily News, "Willie Randolph said starter Kris Benson, on the DL with a strained pectoral muscle, came through a side session "very well" yesterday, and the manager left open the possibility that the $22.5 million hurler might make his 2005 debut in Thursday's series finale. Benson threw 30 pitches over three perfect innings (four strikeouts) in his first rehab start Friday for Single-A St. Lucie against Jupiter."
 
2005 Proj: 208 IP/ 1.250 WHIP/ 3.98 ERA/ 14 W/ 146 K/ 0 S 
Pujols, Albert (1B)

StL

FYI
According to the St Louis Post-Dispatch, "Pujols ran his hitting streak to 13 games Monday night with a third-inning single off Milton. He had entered the game hitting .417 with runners in scoring position and .342 against righthanders. Pujols batted .379 against lefthanders last season and was at .338 for his career before this season but was at .278 before Monday. "
2005: 99 AB/ 0.333 BA/ 6 HR/ 20 RBI/ 15 R/ 1 SB  
2005 Proj: 622 AB/ 0.339 BA/ 49 HR/ 132 RBI/ 131 R/ 5 SB 
Willis,Dontrelle (P)

Fla

Hot Player
According to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, "Marlins left-hander Dontrelle Willis was selected the National League Pitcher of the Month for the second time in his career."
2005: 35 IP/ 0.830 WHIP/ 1.29 ERA/ 5 W/ 25 K/ 0 S  
2005 Proj: 200 IP/ 1.320 WHIP/ 3.87 ERA/ 14 W/ 152 K/ 0 S 
Hawpe, Brad (OF)

Col

Hot Player
According to the Denver Post, "Outfielder Brad Hawpe wasn't worried about his future when he arrived in spring training. With Dustan Mohr the club's top offseason signing, Hawpe's roster spot was potentially threatened. He was moved to the fifth spot, displacing Matt Holliday, after quietly establishing himself as the club's second most productive hitter."
2005: 57 AB/ 0.386 BA/ 4 HR/ 14 RBI/ 9 R/ 0 SB  
2005 Proj: 435 AB/ 0.269 BA/ 14 HR/ 52 RBI/ 55 R/ 5 SB 
Morris,Matt (P)

StL

FYI
According to the St Louis Post-Dispatch, "Three starts after returning from offseason shoulder surgery, Matt Morris threw a brief bullpen session Monday, the first time he has thrown off a mound between starts since late last season."
2005: 17 IP/ 0.940 WHIP/ 2.12 ERA/ 2 W/ 19 K/ 0 S  
2005 Proj: 182 IP/ 1.320 WHIP/ 4.31 ERA/ 14 W/ 127 K/ 0 S 
Castillo,Luis (2B)

Fla

Player Injury
According to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, "Because of the cold, damp conditions in Philadelphia, second baseman Luis Castillo didn't play because of a hip flexor. He is expected to return to the lineup in Atlanta, although he was clearly laboring as he walked from the ballpark Sunday."
2005: 64 AB/ 0.281 BA/ 0 HR/ 4 RBI/ 16 R/ 3 SB  
2005 Proj: 536 AB/ 0.291 BA/ 6 HR/ 56 RBI/ 87 R/ 22 SB 
Giants (T)

SF

FYI
According to the San Jose Mercury News, "Right-hander Jeremy Accardo's contract was purchased from Double-A Norwich. ``Unbelievable. I had no idea. This came out of the blue,'' said Accardo, 23, who was 1-0 with four saves and a 0.93 ERA in eight games for Norwich. Accardo, signed as an undrafted free agent last year, has attracted plenty of attention. The Giants thought enough of him to send him briefly to Norwich in the midst of his stint with Class A San Jose last year. He was a non-roster invitee to spring training, where coaches advised him to keep refining his best pitch, his slider."
Rockies (T)

Col

FYI
According to the Denver Post, "The Rockies recently scouted the New York Yankees, knowing they are prepared to trade or cut a veteran reliever when Tanyon Sturtze comes off the disabled list this week. Either right-hander Steve Karsay or Felix Rodriguez is expected to be released, with left-hander Paul Quantrill a longshot as a roster casualty."
Perez, Oliver (P)

Pit

Rise Value
According to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, "McClendon reiterated that left-hander Oliver Perez's problems are mechanical and not health-related. Sunday, Perez (1-3, 7.11 ERA) gave up six runs on seven hits, including a pair of homers. At times, Perez seems to lose his focus after putting a man on base with two outs -- something McClendon said all young pitchers must battle through."
2005: 31 IP/ 1.860 WHIP/ 7.10 ERA/ 1 W/ 28 K/ 0 S  
2005 Proj: 199 IP/ 1.280 WHIP/ 3.26 ERA/ 14 W/ 198 K/ 0 S 
Scott,Luke (OF)

Hou

Player Injury
According to the Houston Chronicle, "To clear a roster spot for tonight's starting pitcher, Ezequiel Astacio, the Astros optioned rookie outfielder Luke Scott to Class AAA Round Rock late Monday. "A young player like that who had a great spring and struggled a little bit here early and hasn't gotten playing time here lately, he needs to go play," general manager Tim Purpura said."
2005: 39 AB/ 0.154 BA/ 0 HR/ 1 RBI/ 4 R/ 1 SB 
Ishii, Kazuhisa (P)

NYN

Drop Value
According to the New York Daily News, "Randolph said he also was "encouraged" by reports of a throwing session by injured lefty Kaz Ishii (strained lat muscle) yesterday in Port St. Lucie, although no further schedule for him was announced."
2005: 18 IP/ 1.230 WHIP/ 4.82 ERA/ 0 W/ 14 K/ 0 S  
2005 Proj: 174 IP/ 1.490 WHIP/ 4.66 ERA/ 11 W/ 102 K/ 0 S 
Taveras, Willy (OF)

Hou

Hot Player
According to the Houston Chronicle, "Though Willy Taveras threw out a runner at the plate in each game of the weekend series against the Cubs, manager Phil Garner expects teams to continue to test the rookie's arm. "Some people just don't believe until a guy is established that he'll keep throwing like that," Garner said. "If he keeps throwing like that by the time he's been around the league once, they'll stop doing it."
2005: 85 AB/ 0.259 BA/ 1 HR/ 8 RBI/ 14 R/ 8 SB  
2005 Proj: 432 AB/ 0.282 BA/ 3 HR/ 58 RBI/ 67 R/ 36 SB 
Cameron,Mike (OF)

NYN

Player Injury Update
According to the New York Daily News, "Mike Cameron (wrist) also is slated to shift his rehab from St. Lucie to Triple-A Norfolk today; he might rejoin the Mets by this weekend."
 
2005 Proj: 467 AB/ 0.260 BA/ 24 HR/ 71 RBI/ 71 R/ 18 SB 
Bell,David (3B)

Phi

Caution
According to the Philadelphia Inquirer & Daily News, "Contrary to reports elsewhere, third baseman David Bell isn't day-to-day because of back spasms. His back is fine."
2005: 87 AB/ 0.207 BA/ 1 HR/ 9 RBI/ 7 R/ 0 SB  
2005 Proj: 464 AB/ 0.276 BA/ 14 HR/ 64 RBI/ 55 R/ 1 SB 
Hancock, Josh (P)

Cin

Player Injury
According to the Cincinnati Enquirer, "Josh Hancock threw off the mound Monday for the first time since re-aggravating a right groin strain March 31. The right-hander long-tossed and threw 20 pitches in the bullpen under the supervision of pitching coach Don Gullett and assistant athletic trainer Tim Elser."
 
2005 Proj: 76 IP/ 1.570 WHIP/ 5.03 ERA/ 6 W/ 44 K/ 0 S 
Gonzalez, Mike (RP)

Pit

Player Injury
According to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, "Lefty reliever Mike Gonzalez (knee) is pain-free and back in action."
2005: 9 IP/ 1.240 WHIP/ 3.72 ERA/ 0 W/ 10 K/ 0 S  
2005 Proj: 69 IP/ 1.060 WHIP/ 2.48 ERA/ 4 W/ 86 K/ 4 S 
Hudson, Luke (P)

Cin

Idea
According to the Cincinnati Enquirer, "Luke Hudson (right shoulder strain) remains in Florida, and reported no problems from an eight-minute bullpen session Sunday. He is scheduled to throw a simulated game Thursday, Reds head trainer Mark Mann said."
 
2005 Proj: 135 IP/ 1.350 WHIP/ 3.88 ERA/ 10 W/ 109 K/ 0 S 
Torres, Salomon (RP)

Pit

Player Injury
According to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, "Reliever Salomon Torres, who has been bothered by back spasms, underwent an MRI exam Monday morning in Pittsburgh. The results were negative. Torres flew to Houston in time for last night's game, but manager Lloyd McClendon said he would think twice before asking Torres to pitch right away."
2005: 11 IP/ 1.550 WHIP/ 4.09 ERA/ 1 W/ 3 K/ 0 S  
2005 Proj: 83 IP/ 1.320 WHIP/ 3.15 ERA/ 6 W/ 50 K/ 0 S 
Hennessey, Brad (P)

SF

FYI
According to the San Jose Mercury News, "Right-hander Brad Hennessey was optioned to Triple-A Fresno. The Giants won't need a fifth starter until May 10."
2005: 7 IP/ 1.000 WHIP/ 3.86 ERA/ 1 W/ 6 K/ 0 S  
2005 Proj: 113 IP/ 1.520 WHIP/ 4.56 ERA/ 4 W/ 91 K/ 0 S 
Santiago,Benito (C)

Pit

Drop Value
According to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, "Catcher Benito Santiago (viral infection) ran on the basepaths and took batting practice yesterday. Although Santiago was eligible to come off the disabled list three days ago, McClendon said he won't be rushed back into action."
2005: 23 AB/ 0.261 BA/ 0 HR/ 0 RBI/ 1 R/ 0 SB  
2005 Proj: 403 AB/ 0.261 BA/ 13 HR/ 50 RBI/ 49 R/ 2 SB 
Perez,Antonio (2B)

LAN

MLB Trade
According to the Los Angeles Times, "Officially, Antonio Perez is on a rehabilitation assignment, but it more accurately could be called a get-acquainted session with third base. Perez is spending three weeks at triple-A Las Vegas after coming off the disabled list for a hamstring injury. He is getting his share of at-bats, but the Dodgers already know he can hit. He is getting opportunities to steal bases, but the Dodgers already know he can run. He will play some second base, but the Dodgers already know he is proficient there."
2005: 5 AB/ 0.400 BA/ 0 HR/ 0 RBI/ 1 R/ 1 SB 
Cormier,Rheal (RP)

Phi

Rise Value
According to the Philadelphia Inquirer & Daily News, "Lefthander Rheal Cormier said his injured right hip felt better, and said he could pitch."
2005: 7 IP/ 1.570 WHIP/ 5.14 ERA/ 1 W/ 5 K/ 0 S  
2005 Proj: 73 IP/ 1.250 WHIP/ 3.74 ERA/ 3 W/ 39 K/ 0 S 
Rogers,Kenny (P)

Tex

FYI The Gambler pitched his best game of the season so far last night (8 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 K), and lowered his ERA to 2.11. There are mixed messages in Rogers’ stats in 2005. On the one hand, he has 5 quality starts in 6 tries, which is very good. On the other hand, he has very poor K/9 (3.8) and K/BB (1.1) ratios. If you have him, probably ok to keep playing him while he is doing well, just be aware that at some point he will be due for an adjustment. Keep in mind the fact that he has only had an ERA under 4.50 once since 2000 (he did it in 2002). - jackerman
2005: 38 IP/ 1.280 WHIP/ 2.11 ERA/ 2 W/ 16 K/ 0 S  
2005 Proj: 201 IP/ 1.560 WHIP/ 5.02 ERA/ 14 W/ 114 K/ 0 S 
Finley,Steve (OF)

LAA

Stats Finley finally had another multi-hit game last night, going 2-for-3 with a homer, two runs, and two RBIs. Our exclusive Strategy Plus for April rates him a strong BUY based on his terrible luck so far this season (BHIP% of just .118, well below the norm of .250), and his strong track record. A player with such an established statistical profile (.275/.336/.449 career vs. .167/.248/.378 in 2005) is always one to target when they are not playing up to expectations. Finley is such a player. - jackerman
2005: 90 AB/ 0.167 BA/ 5 HR/ 14 RBI/ 10 R/ 4 SB  
2005 Proj: 565 AB/ 0.262 BA/ 30 HR/ 86 RBI/ 84 R/ 8 SB 
Williams,Bernie (OF)

NYA

Danger Williams will be forced to DH for the foreseeable future. Don’t expect the Yankees to just leave him in there, though, if he continues to hit .247/.324/.312. - jackerman
2005: 93 AB/ 0.247 BA/ 1 HR/ 9 RBI/ 8 R/ 1 SB  
2005 Proj: 533 AB/ 0.257 BA/ 20 HR/ 65 RBI/ 98 R/ 1 SB 
Mussina,Mike (P)

NYA

FYI Moose finally got it together last night, throwing his first Quality Start in his last five tries (7 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K). It was dominating, but he got the job done. With his age, there has to be some concern any time there is a downtick in performance, but for right now I still consider him a good ‘buy low’ candidate. - jackerman
According to the New York Daily News, "Mike Mussina had his best outing of the season, allowing two runs and five hits over seven innings. Mussina's only mistake came in the fifth when he allowed a two-out, two-run homer to Alex Sanchez that cut the Yanks' edge to 3-2, but the Bombers scored three insurance runs in the eighth (with the help of a bad throwing error from reliever Travis Harper) to give Tom Gordon and Mariano Rivera plenty of cushion."
2005: 36 IP/ 1.670 WHIP/ 4.50 ERA/ 2 W/ 20 K/ 0 S  
2005 Proj: 205 IP/ 1.220 WHIP/ 4.19 ERA/ 16 W/ 182 K/ 0 S 
Womack,Tony (2B)

NYA

FYI The shift to left field will certainly do nothing to help Womack’s value. He is more valuable as a 2B. - jackerman
2005: 85 AB/ 0.282 BA/ 0 HR/ 4 RBI/ 8 R/ 2 SB  
2005 Proj: 525 AB/ 0.292 BA/ 5 HR/ 34 RBI/ 82 R/ 23 SB 
Giambi,Jason (DH)

NYA

Cold Player The story hasn’t been good in 2005 for Jason Giambi. His production is a de-juiced .224/.395/.373 (AVG/OBP/SLG). He has just 4 extra-base hits (three of them homers) in 67 AB. I guess the positive news would be the near-.400 OBP, but that will only get you so far. - jackerman
According to the New York Daily News, "Jason Giambi was on the bench again yesterday with a right forearm cramp, but the first baseman could return to the lineup today."
2005: 67 AB/ 0.224 BA/ 3 HR/ 6 RBI/ 9 R/ 0 SB  
2005 Proj: 475 AB/ 0.278 BA/ 26 HR/ 86 RBI/ 75 R/ 0 SB 
Hermanson,Dustin (RP)

ChA

FYI In addition to the spotless ERA, Hermanson has posted excellent supporting numbers as well: 6.4 K/9, 4.0 K/BB. It’s unfortunate that Damaso Marte is throwing the ball well also, or Hermanson would be the obvious choice to replace the struggling Shingo Takatsu. If I am making the call on who to go with in the White Sox bullpen, I go with Hermanson. - jackerman
According to the Chicago Sun-Times, "Relief pitcher Dustin Hermanson hasn't allowed a run in 10 appearances through 11-1/3 innings. He is one of only four relievers in the league not to allow a run through his first 10 innings of work. He has three saves in three opportunities. But manager Ozzie Guillen isn't ready to name Hermanson as his closer."
2005: 11 IP/ 1.060 WHIP/ 0.00 ERA/ 0 W/ 8 K/ 3 S  
2005 Proj: 63 IP/ 1.320 WHIP/ 3.86 ERA/ 3 W/ 50 K/ 8 S 
Renteria,Edgar (SS)

Bos

Stats Renteria’s time in Boston sure hasn’t started with a bang. Last night he was 1-for-4, dropping his average to .228 on the year. The good news is that he has actually reached base safely in nine straight games, has a hit in six of the last seven, and at 0.67 his batting eye is decent (right about the same as his career EYE). The bad news is that over the last three seasons, May is by far his worst month (.710 OPS 2002 – 2004). Despite the caution about May, Renteria is a strong buy in all leagues. His .172% BHIP% is a measure of his poor luck so far, and things are bound to improve. - jackerman
According to the Boston Globe, "Edgar Renteria's seventh-inning steal made the Sox 8 for 8 this season. Boston is the only club in baseball yet to be thrown out stealing."
2005: 101 AB/ 0.228 BA/ 2 HR/ 9 RBI/ 14 R/ 2 SB  
2005 Proj: 615 AB/ 0.301 BA/ 13 HR/ 79 RBI/ 97 R/ 19 SB 
Dellucci,David (OF)

Tex

Idea Echoing the sentiments of our own Schuyler Dombroske from over a week ago, you really gotta sit up and take notice of David Dellucci right now. He hit his fifth homer last night, and is sitting on a 1.144 OPS. His OBP through the first 21 games is an astonishing .500. Dellucci’s career batting eye coming into this year was just ok (0.48), maybe even a little below average. This season, however, he is possessed by a demon that causes him to walk in nearly one-third of his plate appearances (with half as many strikeouts, putting his EYE at 2.00, which is elite level). He’s on pace for 144 walks. His weakness, though (like Trot Nixon), is hitting lefthanders. He has just 6 AB this season against lefties, and only 93 AB against them (and a .118 AVG) since 2002. Even with this limitation, he is too valuable now not to have on your team if you need an extra OF. Yeah, I see that Strategy Plus says he is a SELL, but notice that he has also been unlucky in terms of BHIP% so far. I am intrigued. Pick him up and see where this trail leads. - jackerman
2005: 59 AB/ 0.305 BA/ 5 HR/ 13 RBI/ 22 R/ 2 SB  
2005 Proj: 408 AB/ 0.268 BA/ 20 HR/ 71 RBI/ 69 R/ 11 SB 
Halama,John (P)

Bos

FYI Since 2002, as a starter, Halama has a 5.30 ERA and 1.57 WHIP. The only thing to really like about him is the fact that he is stingy with the walks (but he also strikes out very few). Pass. - jackerman
According to the Boston Globe, "John Halama makes his first start tonight in a Sox uniform after nine relief appearances. He will be on a pitch count of about 80 because he's thrown no more than 34 pitches in any appearance this season. Starting is not out of the ordinary for Halama -- he's made 114 of his 214 career appearances as a starter -- but his ERA as a starter is 5.06, compared to 2.86 as a reliever. The lefthander made 14 starts among 34 appearances last season with Tampa Bay. He was 5-5 with a 6.03 ERA as a starter, 2-1 with a 2.45 ERA in relief. Asked if the first start is the hardest, Halama said, "It is the hardest because you've got the pitch count. Eighty could be three innings. Hopefully, I can get some quick outs." Halama will be the seventh Boston pitcher to start a game this season. Last season the team used just eight starting pitchers."
2005: 8 IP/ 1.390 WHIP/ 5.20 ERA/ 0 W/ 7 K/ 0 S  
2005 Proj: 132 IP/ 1.300 WHIP/ 4.50 ERA/ 7 W/ 69 K/ 0 S 
Koskie,Corey (3B)

Tor

Hot Player It looks like Koskie may be starting to heat up. He’s mashing the ball over the last seven days (13-for-25), and has 3 RBIs and 6 runs scored. He is a notoriously streaky hitter, so you gotta take the good with the bad. If you don’t believe me, look at his OPS by moth from 2004, it’s all over the place: .975 - .615 - .845 - .660 – 1.005 - .813. - jackerman
2005: 102 AB/ 0.275 BA/ 5 HR/ 12 RBI/ 18 R/ 1 SB  
2005 Proj: 494 AB/ 0.256 BA/ 30 HR/ 85 RBI/ 93 R/ 11 SB 
Kennedy,Adam (2B)

LAA

FYI Adam Kennedy doesn’t bring much to the table, from a fantasy perspective. Your first instinct is to think, “Yeah, but he has speed! Everybody needs SBs!” Well, sort of. He has speed, but he’s only ever topped 20 SBs in a season twice, and his max is 22. He isn’t going to kill you with his AVG (.278 career), and will score some runs (averages 74 per 162 games played), but other than that he’s about replacement-level with potential for slightly more. - jackerman
According to the Los Angeles Times, "Kennedy was in the lineup for the first time since Sept. 20, when he suffered a complete tear of one ligament and a partial tear of another ligament in his right knee while fielding Ichiro Suzuki's grounder up the middle in Angel Stadium. Kennedy was tested early Monday night when he had to leap to snag Adrian Beltre's first-inning line drive with runners on first and second. Kennedy made the catch, but his ill-advised quick flip to Cabrera in an attempt to double off Suzuki rolled past the shortstop, allowing Suzuki to take third."
2005: 4 AB/ 0.000 BA/ 0 HR/ 0 RBI/ 0 R/ 0 SB  
2005 Proj: 393 AB/ 0.292 BA/ 9 HR/ 42 RBI/ 62 R/ 13 SB 
Matos,Luis (OF)

Bal

Stats After being moved up to sixth in the batting order just a couple of days ago; Matos was again moved up, this time to second. He hit behind Brian Roberts, and in front of RBI machines Mora, Tejada, and Sosa. (Gee...I hope Sammy doesn’t get his panties in a bunch being moved down a spot to fifth.) Matos has shown some real improvement this year, especially in terms of his batting eye. His career ratio is 0.36, but this season he is at 2.00. I wouldn’t expect this level to last, but improvement is certainly possible. Matos is difficult to judge against his past major league performance because he has been hurt so often in his career, or otherwise didn’t have consistent playing time. He is worth taking a flier on for potential, but don’t be surprised if he comes back to earth (and is dropped back down in the order again). This is underscored by our SELL recommendation in the latest Strategy Plus installment. If he remains in his current spot, however, he could score a ton of runs (especially if he maintains his current .405 OBP). - jackerman
According to the Washington Post, "Center fielder Luis Matos batted in the second spot in the lineup for the first time all year. Mazzilli said he considered Matos's .429 average entering the game against left-handed pitchers."
2005: 76 AB/ 0.303 BA/ 1 HR/ 12 RBI/ 16 R/ 7 SB  
2005 Proj: 495 AB/ 0.269 BA/ 11 HR/ 50 RBI/ 65 R/ 22 SB 
Pena, Carlos (1B)

Det

Stats Pena snapped out of his funk (for at least a game) yesterday, going 2-for-4 with 2 HRs, 2 RBIs, and 2 runs. Unfortunately, this display only raises his average to .200. Pena has been unlucky as well as bad this year. His BHIP% is just .188, well below the league average of around .250. He has also shown a nice improvement in EYE. His career ratio is 0.45, but this year so far he is at 0.65. Our Strategy Plus installment for April rates him a BUY, despite his struggles so far. Nobody is saying he should be a superstar, but he should do better than this. - jackerman
According to the Detroit News, "Pena's batting average had sunk so far beneath .200, with so many strikeouts interspersed among his at-bats, that everyone was free to wonder if he would ever stabilize. He promptly had two of the Tigers' four hits Sunday in a loss at Chicago and followed with two home runs into the right-field seats Monday night. It was his sixth multiple-homer game since he joined the Tigers three seasons ago. What Pena figured out, in part, was that his right shoulder was flying open. He has been taking extra batting practice against left-handers, trying to keep the shoulder locked in place and his head on the ball."
2005: 75 AB/ 0.200 BA/ 3 HR/ 12 RBI/ 13 R/ 0 SB  
2005 Proj: 505 AB/ 0.248 BA/ 29 HR/ 89 RBI/ 96 R/ 8 SB 
Colome, Jesus (RP)

TB

Idea Colome continues to recover from shoulder tendonitis, with the next step being a simulated game on Tuesday. He is worth keeping an eye on, because Danys Baez’ name keeps being mentioned in trade rumors. Colome showed himself to have some decent (and possibly closer-worthy) skills last season: 8.7 K/9, 2.2 K/BB, and .193 OBA. He has also showed nice improvement each of the last few seasons. He will have to compete amongst a few other guys like Lance Carter and Travis Harper, but he would be in the mix. - jackerman
2005: 4 IP/ 1.710 WHIP/ 5.78 ERA/ 0 W/ 3 K/ 0 S  
2005 Proj: 58 IP/ 1.090 WHIP/ 3.19 ERA/ 5 W/ 55 K/ 4 S 
Sanchez, Alex (OF)

TB

Stats It’s the Juice!!! It’s the Juice!!! Sanchez hit his first homer of the season yesterday (and the fourth of his career). So far this season he is tracking pretty close to his career norms in AVG/OBP/SLG: .302/.333/.465 in 2005 vs. .293/.327/.365 overall. His EYE this season (0.22) is even worse than his poor career EYE ratio of 0.36. At this level, the data shows that it will be very difficult for him to maintain a .300+ average (to say nothing of the fact that his OBP – and thus his stolen base attempts – will suffer as well because he won’t take a walk). As for SBs, the one category most of us even consider him for, he has just ONE in 14 games. At this rate he’ll have just six total on the year. We know he will probably get going at some point as long as he remains in the lineup. Speaking of being in the lineup, though...prior to last night, he only had seven at-bats all last week. - jackerman
2005: 44 AB/ 0.295 BA/ 1 HR/ 3 RBI/ 13 R/ 1 SB  
2005 Proj: 480 AB/ 0.306 BA/ 3 HR/ 46 RBI/ 70 R/ 30 SB 
Crawford, Carl (OF)

TB

Hot Player After a 16-game SB drought, Crawford owners have reason to smile again. Crawford has stolen 5 bases in his last 5 games (including one last night). This quick outburst gets him back on pace for 56. Crawford is a strong buy target we identified in the first batters Strategy Plus article this past weekend. - jackerman
According to the St Petersburg Times, "Piniella moved Carl Crawford to third in the order for the first time to try to get some pop into the middle of the lineup."
2005: 111 AB/ 0.261 BA/ 3 HR/ 18 RBI/ 14 R/ 9 SB  
2005 Proj: 657 AB/ 0.290 BA/ 19 HR/ 57 RBI/ 104 R/ 61 SB 
Kazmir, Scott (P)

TB

FYI Kazmir provided a strong effort in a losing cause yesterday against the Yankees (6 IP, 8 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 9 K). Through six starts this year, Kazmir has just two Quality Starts, but the good news is that they happened in two of his last three chances. He has also not been able to get beyond the fifth inning in half of his starts. Performances like last night aside, he is very lucky that with his 1.53 WHIP his ERA isn’t significantly higher than 3.71. If he can get himself under control for a consistent length of time, he could be dangerous, but until then he is no help to your fantasy team (merely a guy worth holding onto for potential’s sake). - jackerman
2005: 34 IP/ 1.530 WHIP/ 3.71 ERA/ 0 W/ 26 K/ 0 S  
2005 Proj: 182 IP/ 1.480 WHIP/ 4.97 ERA/ 13 W/ 178 K/ 0 S 
Teahen, Mark (3B)

KC

Rookie Teahen’s bad back really has prevented him from showing us what he can do at the major league level. His hitting .200, but in just 15 at-bats. We look to our own prospect expert, Aaron Gleeman (who gives him a long-term grade of B), for an outlook on Teahen: “I don’t think Teahen will ever big a huge power threat, but he should be a very solid everyday player for some time. He’s a capable third baseman, he hits for high averages, takes tons of walks and does a decent job controlling the strike zone.” Probably not worth picking up yet, but worth watching if you’re desperate at 3B. - jackerman
According to the Kansas City Star, "Rookie third baseman Mark Teahen rejoined the Royals' traveling party Monday and will be activated tonight unless pregame workouts reveal complications in his recovery from a strained lower back."
2005: 15 AB/ 0.200 BA/ 0 HR/ 1 RBI/ 2 R/ 0 SB  
2005 Proj: 460 AB/ 0.295 BA/ 16 HR/ 63 RBI/ 68 R/ 2 SB 
Swisher, Nick (OF)

Oak

FYI Swisher was placed on the DL yesterday with a sprained shoulder. The A’s recalled OF Jermaine Clark to take his roster spot, but he isn’t worthy of a spot on your roster, as he will likely be involved in an OF-by-committee situation. - jackerman
According to the San Jose Mercury News, "Although the injury was not as severe as initially feared, the A's placed right fielder Nick Swisher on the 15-day disabled list because of a right-shoulder strain. Swisher is expected to be out three to six weeks."
2005: 78 AB/ 0.218 BA/ 3 HR/ 8 RBI/ 10 R/ 0 SB  
2005 Proj: 532 AB/ 0.248 BA/ 23 HR/ 88 RBI/ 86 R/ 1 SB 
Chacin, Gustavo (P)

Tor

FYI Not a great performance last night by Chacin (7.1 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 5 BB, 2 K). Yeah, ok, so he only allowed two runs, but you won’t get by with just those two runs scoring in many games where you allow 12 baserunners. His K/BB and K/9 ratios on the season stand at an unimpressive 1.5 and 4.5, respectively. If it is me, I am letting someone else get swept away by the hype right now. - jackerman
2005: 40 IP/ 1.150 WHIP/ 2.48 ERA/ 4 W/ 20 K/ 0 S  
2005 Proj: 186 IP/ 1.430 WHIP/ 4.06 ERA/ 10 W/ 135 K/ 0 S 
Cano, Robinson (2B)

NYA

Rise Value 22 year-old Robinson Cano is the new starting 2B for the New York Yankees. He isn’t a very exciting prospect in terms of offense, but there is some potential. In 120 career games at the AA level he hit .294/.351/.450, but that dropped off to .259/.316/.403 in 61 games at AAA last year. SO far in 2005 he is hitting the ball very well for AAA Columbus: .333/.368/.574 with 4 HR, 24 RBI, 19 R, 6 BB / 13 K in 24 games. It is very hard to know what to expect of him at this point, given his youth, the pressure he will now face, etc. Just know that this is a guy that doesn’t necessarily have a power pedigree, and definitely has no speed (just 2 SB career above the Class A level). If you pick him up, you’re really buying a lottery ticket. Good luck. - jackerman
Rangers (T)

Tex

Player Injury Update
According to the Dallas Morning News, "Vincent Sinisi, the Rangers' 2003 second-round draft pick who broke his forearm last season and then developed a staph infection, has been cleared to play. He is scheduled to play three innings today in extended spring training."
Colon,Bartolo (P)

LAA

Player Injury
According to the Los Angeles Times, "Bartolo Colon, who left the game Sunday against the Minnesota Twins in the eighth inning because of a left ankle injury, felt better Monday, and Scioscia said Colon is in line to make his next start, Saturday against the Detroit Tigers."
2005: 38 IP/ 1.110 WHIP/ 3.03 ERA/ 4 W/ 30 K/ 0 S  
2005 Proj: 219 IP/ 1.310 WHIP/ 4.08 ERA/ 19 W/ 171 K/ 0 S 
Baez,Dany (RP)

TB

FYI
According to the St Petersburg Times, "Danys Baez has heard the rumors that teams such as the Cubs, Rangers, Giants and perhaps Cardinals are interested. The Rays closer said it is not a distraction, but with with homes in Bradenton and Miami and his parents here from Cuba, he is in no hurry to leave."
2005: 12 IP/ 1.420 WHIP/ 3.00 ERA/ 3 W/ 9 K/ 1 S  
2005 Proj: 75 IP/ 1.340 WHIP/ 3.65 ERA/ 4 W/ 56 K/ 32 S 
Rodriguez,Alex (3B)

NYA

Stats
According to the New York Daily News, "Alex Rodriguez batted .429 (9-for-21) and hit five homers last week, earning him AL co-player of the week honors with White Sox pitcher Jon Garland."
2005: 108 AB/ 0.296 BA/ 9 HR/ 27 RBI/ 21 R/ 3 SB  
2005 Proj: 625 AB/ 0.295 BA/ 39 HR/ 114 RBI/ 120 R/ 30 SB 
Damon,Johnny (OF)

Bos

Hot Player
According to the Boston Globe, "Johnny Damon's .365 average in April was his best in one month since he hit .382 in August 2000 with Kansas City."
2005: 106 AB/ 0.368 BA/ 1 HR/ 17 RBI/ 18 R/ 4 SB  
2005 Proj: 590 AB/ 0.289 BA/ 18 HR/ 85 RBI/ 103 R/ 13 SB 
Hidalgo,Richard (OF)

Tex

Player Injury Update
According to the Dallas Morning News, "Richard Hidalgo, sidelined since Thursday with a tweaked knee, did not start for the fourth consecutive game."
2005: 75 AB/ 0.173 BA/ 2 HR/ 9 RBI/ 10 R/ 0 SB  
2005 Proj: 549 AB/ 0.253 BA/ 28 HR/ 91 RBI/ 75 R/ 4 SB 
Molina,Ben (C)

LAA

Player Injury Update
According to the Los Angeles Times, "Bengie Molina went through an aggressive catching workout, squatting, throwing to second base, blocking balls in the dirt and fielding bunts, and said he experienced no pain or discomfort in his strained right thigh.Molina is eligible to come off the disabled list Wednesday but probably won't be activated until Friday or Saturday because he still hasn't tested the leg by running the bases at full speed."
2005: 31 AB/ 0.323 BA/ 2 HR/ 8 RBI/ 6 R/ 0 SB  
2005 Proj: 445 AB/ 0.290 BA/ 14 HR/ 75 RBI/ 50 R/ 1 SB 
Arroyo,Bronson (P)

Bos

Hot Player
According to the Boston Globe, "Bronson Arroyo has yet to find out when the appeal of his six-game suspension will be heard. If he loses, he'd be forced to miss one start."
2005: 31 IP/ 1.230 WHIP/ 3.69 ERA/ 3 W/ 15 K/ 0 S  
2005 Proj: 159 IP/ 1.280 WHIP/ 4.02 ERA/ 11 W/ 126 K/ 0 S 
Roberts, Brian (2B)

Bal

Hot Player
According to the Washington Post, "Brian Roberts was named the American League player of the month for April. In April, Roberts, playing second base, led the AL in slugging (.726), runs (21) and total bases (69) while batting .379 with 8 home runs and 26 RBI."
2005: 105 AB/ 0.371 BA/ 8 HR/ 27 RBI/ 23 R/ 12 SB  
2005 Proj: 654 AB/ 0.281 BA/ 4 HR/ 56 RBI/ 91 R/ 35 SB 
Harris, Willie (2B)

ChA

FYI
According to the Chicago Sun-Times, "Willie Harris left before Sunday's game because of a family emergency. Guillen said Harris told him he would wait until after the game, knowing how depleted the team's ranks are among infielders."
2005: 29 AB/ 0.310 BA/ 0 HR/ 1 RBI/ 7 R/ 2 SB  
2005 Proj: 366 AB/ 0.256 BA/ 2 HR/ 35 RBI/ 60 R/ 17 SB 
Vazquez, Ramon (SS)

Bos

Player Injury
According to the Boston Globe, "Utility infielder Ramon Vazquez missed his third straight game with a strained right quadriceps. The team opted not to put Vazquez on the disabled list after watching him work out."
2005: 29 AB/ 0.207 BA/ 0 HR/ 2 RBI/ 4 R/ 0 SB  
2005 Proj: 265 AB/ 0.272 BA/ 3 HR/ 35 RBI/ 32 R/ 3 SB 
Bellhorn,Mark (2B)

Bos

Player Injury
According to the Boston Globe, "Mark Bellhorn missed his fourth straight game because of the flu."
2005: 70 AB/ 0.229 BA/ 0 HR/ 6 RBI/ 10 R/ 1 SB  
2005 Proj: 549 AB/ 0.269 BA/ 18 HR/ 78 RBI/ 89 R/ 6 SB 
Figgins, Chone (2B)

LAA

Hot Player
According to the Los Angeles Times, "Chone Figgins and Jeff DaVanon were not in the starting lineup because Figgins was 0 for 17 and DaVanon was hitless in seven at-bats against starter Ryan Franklin."
2005: 95 AB/ 0.305 BA/ 2 HR/ 13 RBI/ 15 R/ 9 SB  
2005 Proj: 537 AB/ 0.290 BA/ 7 HR/ 55 RBI/ 83 R/ 31 SB 
Lohse, Kyle (P)

Min

Player Injury
According to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, "Lohse will throw lightly today and, if he feels good, will throw in the bullpen Wednesday and start Saturday against Tampa Bay."
2005: 21 IP/ 1.390 WHIP/ 6.65 ERA/ 1 W/ 13 K/ 0 S  
2005 Proj: 200 IP/ 1.420 WHIP/ 4.64 ERA/ 12 W/ 131 K/ 0 S 
Bonderman,Jeremy (P)

Det

Stats
According to the Detroit News, "It wasn't surprising that Tigers right-hander Jeremy Bonderman got into trouble Monday night at Comerica Park. He has had his moments during the season's first month. But neither was it news that Bonderman, whose skills have rapidly made him one of the American League's more fascinating starting pitchers, extricated himself and went on to win a game. The Tigers beat the Red Sox, 8-3, on a blustery night in Detroit."
2005: 41 IP/ 1.210 WHIP/ 3.92 ERA/ 4 W/ 33 K/ 0 S  
2005 Proj: 193 IP/ 1.250 WHIP/ 3.91 ERA/ 13 W/ 185 K/ 0 S 
Martinez,Tino (1B)

NYA

FYI
According to the New York Daily News, "Tino Martinez wasn't available last night because he picked up the virus that sidelined Mariano Rivera last week. Rivera spent several days at home because of the stomach bug, but Martinez was at Tropicana Field yesterday although he didn't take batting practice. Torre wasn't sure how long he'd be out but hoped it wouldn't be more than a day or two."
2005: 67 AB/ 0.239 BA/ 2 HR/ 7 RBI/ 9 R/ 1 SB  
2005 Proj: 476 AB/ 0.254 BA/ 23 HR/ 88 RBI/ 75 R/ 3 SB 
Mantei,Matt (RP)

Bos

Player Injury
According to the Boston Globe, "Matt Mantei threw a wild pitch to the backstop in the sixth inning. He began the night tied for the American League lead with four wild pitches."
2005: 9 IP/ 1.650 WHIP/ 3.72 ERA/ 0 W/ 10 K/ 0 S  
2005 Proj: 51 IP/ 1.500 WHIP/ 4.59 ERA/ 3 W/ 45 K/ 4 S 
Nixon,Trot (OF)

Bos

Caution
According to the Boston Globe, "The sequence has been the same the last few days. Trot Nixon arrives at the ballpark and is invited into the manager's office to discuss dropping the appeal of his suspension. As a matter of principle, Nixon wants to see this episode to its conclusion. Major League Baseball notified Nixon it will hear his appeal of a two-game suspension Monday in Boston. There's some immediacy to the issue, however, because Detroit will start lefthanders tonight (Mike Maroth) and tomorrow (Nate Robertson). Nixon, who never starts against lefties, is 2 for 8 lifetime vs. Maroth and has never faced Robertson."
2005: 66 AB/ 0.288 BA/ 3 HR/ 13 RBI/ 17 R/ 0 SB  
2005 Proj: 487 AB/ 0.309 BA/ 24 HR/ 84 RBI/ 79 R/ 2 SB 
Wright,Jaret (P)

NYA

Player Injury Update
According to the New York Daily News, "Jaret Wright was supposed to be examined by Angels team orthopedist Lewis Yocum yesterday, but his appointment was delayed because Yocum had a pressing personal matter arise. Torre said the Yanks opted to have Wright remain in California until he can see Yocum later this week."
2005: 19 IP/ 2.290 WHIP/ 9.16 ERA/ 2 W/ 13 K/ 0 S  
2005 Proj: 182 IP/ 1.350 WHIP/ 3.70 ERA/ 16 W/ 148 K/ 0 S 
Millar,Kevin (1B)

Bos

Player Injury
According to the Boston Globe, "Wade Miller makes what is expected to be his fourth and final rehab start tonight. Miller, pitching in Pawtucket for the second time -- he previously made two Single A starts -- does not need to worry about pitch count or velocity, both of which may be lower than in his previous outing, Francona said."
2005: 85 AB/ 0.259 BA/ 0 HR/ 12 RBI/ 8 R/ 0 SB  
2005 Proj: 498 AB/ 0.282 BA/ 17 HR/ 69 RBI/ 69 R/ 1 SB 
Twins (T)

Min

FYI
According to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, "The Twins have called up righthander Scott Baker from Class AAA Rochester to replace Rincon on the roster. Baker, 23, was 1-0 with a 1.33 ERA in five starts for the Red Wings. Baker was impressive in spring training and has dominated after a shaky first outing for Rochester."
Belliard,Ron (2B)

Cle

Hot Player
According to the Akron Beacon Journal, "Take one look at Ronnie Belliard and you would never guess he's the one Indians player who's been hitting this season. Belliard doesn't look like your typical second baseman at a chunky 5-foot-8, 197 pounds. The nonchalant manner with which he carries himself doesn't necessarily translate into being a ball of energy, either. Yet, through the first month of the season, Belliard leads the Tribe in three major offensive categories -- home runs (5), average (.303) and RBI (13). Playing in his second season with the Indians, Belliard's numbers really stand out on a team batting just .223 and ranked 12th in the American League in runs."
2005: 76 AB/ 0.303 BA/ 5 HR/ 13 RBI/ 11 R/ 1 SB  
2005 Proj: 569 AB/ 0.268 BA/ 11 HR/ 63 RBI/ 70 R/ 3 SB 
Mench, Kevin (OF)

Tex

Hot Player
According to the Dallas Morning News, "The pitch that hit Kevin Mench above the left elbow Friday didn't hurt so much. The one that got him in the same spot Sunday stung a bit more, and it was enough to keep him out of the starting lineup Monday."
2005: 77 AB/ 0.299 BA/ 3 HR/ 12 RBI/ 12 R/ 0 SB  
2005 Proj: 526 AB/ 0.279 BA/ 31 HR/ 89 RBI/ 87 R/ 2 SB 
Spiezio,Scott (1B)

Sea

Player Injury
According to the Seattle Times, "While Scott Spiezio spent the past two weeks in Southern California, it was not as if he went to Disneyland or even to the beach. Stricken with flu that same day he knew for certain he had messed up the oblique muscle in his left side, the Mariners' utility player did not much enjoy his time off — which is ongoing. He pulled the oblique during a pinch-hit appearance on April 18 in Anaheim, got the flu the next day and spent that game lying on a couch in the visitors' club wearing a T-shirt, a long-sleeved shirt, a sweatshirt, uniform pants and two pairs of socks, wrapped in a blanket."
2005: 12 AB/ 0.083 BA/ 0 HR/ 0 RBI/ 1 R/ 0 SB  
2005 Proj: 404 AB/ 0.245 BA/ 13 HR/ 51 RBI/ 48 R/ 5 SB 
Young,Dmitri (DH)

Det

Hot Player
According to the Detroit News, "Dmitri Young was scratched again from the lineup because of the same upper-respiratory flu that walloped Brandon Inge over the weekend in Chicago."
2005: 85 AB/ 0.306 BA/ 5 HR/ 17 RBI/ 17 R/ 1 SB  
2005 Proj: 545 AB/ 0.267 BA/ 25 HR/ 82 RBI/ 99 R/ 0 SB 
Reese,Pokey (SS)

Sea

FYI
According to the Seattle Times, "Pokey Reese's ailing right shoulder was to be examined yesterday by Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham, Ala."
 
2005 Proj: 538 AB/ 0.232 BA/ 7 HR/ 67 RBI/ 74 R/ 14 SB 
Anderson,Brian (P)

KC

Hot Player
According to the Kansas City Star, "Brian Anderson is 9-3 in his career against the White Sox, and those nine victories are the most he has against any team. Even last season, when he experienced the worst year of his career, Anderson won two of three decisions against Chicago."
2005: 22 IP/ 1.410 WHIP/ 7.54 ERA/ 1 W/ 14 K/ 0 S  
2005 Proj: 191 IP/ 1.390 WHIP/ 4.82 ERA/ 9 W/ 94 K/ 0 S 
Prinz, Bret (RP)

LAA

Player Injury
According to the Los Angeles Times, "Reliever Bret Prinz (right shoulder weakness) and utility infielder Lou Merloni (sprained right ankle) will return to Los Angeles today to be re-examined by physicians."
2005: 3 IP/ 1.670 WHIP/ 3.00 ERA/ 0 W/ 1 K/ 0 S 
Madritsch, Bobby (P)

Sea

Player Injury
According to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, "Pedegana prescribed that Madritsch's arm, which has been in a sling for three weeks, remain there for two more weeks before being examined again. Madritsch, who raised hopes with a 6-3 record and 3.27 ERA in 15 games last season, has not pitched since leaving his April 6 start in the middle of the fifth inning. He hopes to return by the All-Star break."
2005: 4 IP/ 1.150 WHIP/ 6.24 ERA/ 0 W/ 1 K/ 0 S  
2005 Proj: 185 IP/ 1.370 WHIP/ 3.99 ERA/ 13 W/ 128 K/ 0 S 
Athletics (T)

Oak

FYI
According to the San Jose Mercury News, "It appears the A's will shuffle their rotation so Zito and Rich Harden will start six of the upcoming 12 games against the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox."
Wilson,Dan (C)

Sea

FYI
According to the Seattle Times, "Mariners catcher Dan Wilson was pleased to see that friend and former teammate John Olerud landed with the Boston Red Sox, who signed him to a minor-league contract on Sunday. "I know he was anxious to find someplace to play," Wilson said. "I'm glad he was able to do that. I know he's happy about it."
2005: 24 AB/ 0.125 BA/ 0 HR/ 1 RBI/ 2 R/ 0 SB  
2005 Proj: 303 AB/ 0.238 BA/ 2 HR/ 30 RBI/ 21 R/ 0 SB 
White,Rondell (OF)

Det

Player Injury Update
According to the Detroit News, "Rondell White filled in as designated hitter and batted fourth."
2005: 85 AB/ 0.294 BA/ 4 HR/ 13 RBI/ 12 R/ 1 SB  
2005 Proj: 571 AB/ 0.265 BA/ 22 HR/ 84 RBI/ 86 R/ 1 SB 
McCarty, Dave (DH)

Bos

Player Injury
According to the Boston Globe, "As expected, the Sox purchased starter Jeremi Gonzalez's minor league contract so he could pitch last night and designated Dave McCarty for assignment. Out of respect for McCarty, the Sox will attempt to trade him to a team interested in using him in the big leagues. If he clears waivers, the smooth-fielding first baseman can opt to become a free agent. Asked how McCarty reacted to the news, Francona said, "About like I thought he would. As professional as can be and very disappointed."
2005: 4 AB/ 0.500 BA/ 0 HR/ 2 RBI/ 2 R/ 0 SB  
2005 Proj: 136 AB/ 0.253 BA/ 4 HR/ 15 RBI/ 21 R/ 1 SB 
Bradford,Chad (RP)

Oak

Player Injury
According to the San Jose Mercury News, "To clear space for Clark on the 40-man roster, the A's moved reliever Chad Bradford to the 60-day disabled list."
 
2005 Proj: 39 IP/ 1.210 WHIP/ 4.21 ERA/ 3 W/ 24 K/ 1 S 
Rincon, Juan (RP)

Min

FYI
According to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, "Twins reliever Juan Rincon has become the highest-profile player yet to receive the mandatory 10-day suspension for first-time offenders of Major League Baseball's new steroid testing policy. Rincon will appeal the suspension."
2005: 12 IP/ 1.170 WHIP/ 2.25 ERA/ 2 W/ 15 K/ 0 S  
2005 Proj: 74 IP/ 1.140 WHIP/ 2.93 ERA/ 7 W/ 86 K/ 2 S 
Lee,Travis (1B)

TB

Player Injury
According to the St Petersburg Times, "As expected, first baseman Travis Lee , who strained his right groin Sunday against the Orioles, was put on the 15-day disabled list. Lee said the groin does not feel nearly as bad as the injury he sustained in 1998, when he said he could not walk for two days and sat out for 20."
2005: 67 AB/ 0.299 BA/ 0 HR/ 9 RBI/ 10 R/ 1 SB  
2005 Proj: 531 AB/ 0.265 BA/ 19 HR/ 67 RBI/ 70 R/ 6 SB 

Today's NL report was produced by Fantistics' Schuyler Dombroske

Today's AL report was produced by Fantistics' Jeffrey Ackerman


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