MLB Heads Up News

The Rays don't expect B.J. Upton to be ready to play in time for the first spring training games following November shoulder surgery.

Upton probably wouldn't have been on the team anyway, but there's no chance of him participating in the WBC now. The Rays do expect him to be at full strength for the beginning of the regular season.
Source: Tampa Tribune


Mark Worrell-R-Cardinals Dec. 4 - 2:27 pm et

The Padres will get Mark Worrell and a player to be named from the Cardinals for Khalil Greene, according to MLB.com.

Worrell deserves a chance to make it as a middle reliever or setup man and will probably have some success at Petco. Still, unless the second player is better than he is, this will go down as quite a deal for the Cardinals.
Source: Hot Stove Blog


Edgar Renteria-SS-Giants Dec. 4 - 1:50 pm et

Giants signed shortstop Edgar Renteria, who had been with the Tigers, to a two-year, $18.5 million contract.

Renteria will probably resume hitting back in the National League -- he finished at .332/.390/.470 for the Braves in 2007 -- but whether he'll be an adequate shortstop remains to be seen. He's clearly lost some range the last couple of years, and he absolutely has to get into better shape if he hopes to stick around long enough to reach 3,000 hits (he's at 2,070 through his age-32 season). Frankly, we'd like him better at third base at this point of his career. The Giants, though, figure to drop out of the Rafael Furcal chase and keep Renteria at short. That makes Emmanuel Burriss part of the competition at second base with Kevin Frandsen and Eugenio Velez.

Mike Lincoln-R-RedsDec. 4 - 1:42 pm et

The Reds have re-signed free agent Mike Lincoln to a two-year, $4 million contract, according to the Denver Post.

Bob Howry gets $2.75 million for one year and Lincoln gets two?
The 33-year-old Lincoln was an adequate reliever for the Reds in his comeback season, finishing with a 4.48 ERA in 70 1/3 innings. Of course, it was his first major league action since 2004. Just once in his career has he thrown at least 50 innings and posted an ERA under 4.00. There's simply no reason to be giving such a pitcher a two-year guarantee.
Source: Denver Post


Randy Johnson-S-Athletics Dec. 4 - 1:29 pm et

The A's are targeting free agent Randy Johnson to be their fifth starter, sources told FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal.

Oakland is used to dealing with injury-prone pitchers and does need the depth after trading both Rich Harden and Joe Blanton. Johnson, though, may prefer to stay in the NL.
Source: FOXSports.com


Andy Pettitte-S-Yankees Dec. 4 - 1:27 pm et

Free agent Andy Pettitte remains focused on the Yankees, but is holding out for a better off than the one the team has on the table.

The Yanks are believed to be offering $10 million, which is down from $16 million last year. "I mean, to tell you the truth, like I’ve told you all a hundred times, I’ve made it loud and clear where I’d like to play at," Pettitte said. "I’m just basically sitting here letting my agents do their job really." $13 million would be a reasonable compromise.
Source: New York Times

Read more...

Fantasy Baseball 7 Day DL Watch List

Fantsy Basball News
7 day DL List
By Scorbe
June/21/2008

6/21/08 Crisp, Coco CF BOS 7-game suspension. Appeal to be heard June 23
6/16/08 Casey, Sean 1B BOS 3-game suspension. Appeal to be heard June 23
6/15/08 Jackson, Edwin SP TB 5-game suspension. Playing amid appeal
6/8/08 Iwamura, Akinori 3B TB 3-game suspension. Playing amid appeal
6/21/08 Jones, Chipper 3B ATL Quadriceps Out until at least June 23-25 series vs. Milwaukee
6/21/08 Cameron, Mike CF MIL Toe Questionable for June 21-22 vs. Baltimore
6/21/08 Laird, Gerald C TEX Hamstring 15-day DL. Out until at least early July
6/21/08 Inge, Brandon 3B DET Questionable for June 21-22 at San Diego
6/21/08 Kouzmanoff,Kevin 3B SD Back Doubtful for June 21-22 vs. Detroit
6/21/08 Durham, Ray 2B SF Ankle Questionable for June 21-22 at Kansas City
6/21/08 Barmes, Clint SS COL DL On Triple-A rehab assignment. Might return for June 21-22 vs. N.Y. Mets
6/21/08 Boone, Aaron 1B WAS Questionable for June 21-22 vs. Texas
6/21/08 Izturis, Cesar SS STL Doubtful for June 21-22 at Boston
6/21/08 Escobar, Yunel SS ATL Questionable Hip Questionable for June 21-22 vs. Seattle
6/21/08 Clement, Matt SP STL 15-day DL. On Triple-A rehab assignment
6/20/08 Doumit, Ryan C PIT Concussion Questionable for June 21-22 vs. Toronto
6/20/08 Byrnes, Eric CF ARI Hamstrings 15-day DL. On Class A rehab assignment. Expected to return for June 23-25 series at Boston
6/20/08 Bradley, Milton OF TEX Questionable for June 21-22 at Washington
6/20/08 Mulder, Mark SP STL 15-day DL. On Triple-A rehab assignment
6/20/08 Macri, Matt 3B MIN Calf Questionable for June 21-22 vs. Arizona
6/20/08 Hairston, Jerry LF CIN 15-day DL. Out until at least late June
6/20/08 Bedard, Erik SP SEA Questionable for June 25 start at N.Y. Mets
6/20/08 Schilling, Curt SP BOS DL Shoulder Out for season
6/20/08 Nady, Xavier RF PIT Doubtful for June 21-22 series vs. Toronto
6/20/08 Mathis, Doug P TEX Shoulder 15-day DL. Out until at least early July
6/20/08 Blalock, Hank 3B TEX Wrist 15-day DL. On Triple-A rehab assignment. Might return for June 24-26 series at Houston
6/20/08 Cuddyer, Michael RF MIN Personal Probable for June 21-22 vs. Arizona
6/20/08 Edmonds, Jim CF CHC Foot Questionable for June 21-22 series vs. Chicago White Sox
6/20/08 Punto, Nick 3B MIN Hamstring 15-day DL. On Class A rehab assignment. Might return for June 23-25 series at San Diego
6/20/08 Pena, Carlos 1B TB Finger 15-day DL. Might return for June 24-25 series at Florida
6/20/08 Johnson, Reed LF CHC Back Available to pinch hit. Questionable for June 21-22 series vs. Chicago White Sox
6/19/08 Kuroda, Hiroki SP LA Shoulder 15-day DL. Out until at least late June
6/19/08 Zambrano, Carlos SP CHC Shoulder Out until at least June 29 start at Chicago White Sox
6/18/08 Duchscherer,Justin RP OAK Hip Probable for June 22 start vs. Florida
6/18/08 Abreu, Tony 3B LA Groin, hip 60-day DL. Out for the season
6/18/08 Blackburn, Nick SP MIN Elbow Probable for June 21 start vs. Arizona
6/18/08 Konerko, Paul 1B CHW Oblique 15-day DL. Out until at least early July
6/18/08 Wang, Chien-Ming SP NYY Foot 15-day DL. Out until at least early September
6/18/08 Hafner, Travis DH CLE Shoulder 15-day DL. Out until at least early July
6/18/08 Wellemeyer, Todd SP STL Elbow Out until at least June 25 start at Detroit
6/18/08 Stauffer, Tim SP SD Shoulder 60-day DL. Out for the season
6/18/08 Choate, Randy RP MIL Finger 15-day DL. On Class A rehab assignment
6/18/08 Johnson, Josh SP FLA Elbow 60-day DL. On Class A rehab assignment
6/18/08 Bard, Josh C SD Free DL Out until at least early July
6/18/08 Young, Chris R. SP SD Nose 15-day DL. Out until at least late July
6/18/08 Bennett, Gary C LA 15-day DL. Out until at least early July
6/18/08 Pujols, Albert 1B STL Calf 15-day DL. Eligible to return June 26 at Detroit
6/18/08 Estes, Shawn SP SD Thumb 15-day DL. Out until at least late July
6/18/08 Jones, Andruw CF LA Knee 15-day DL. Out until at least early July
6/18/08 Albaladejo, Jonathan RP NYY Elbow 60-day DL. Out for the season
6/18/08 Furcal, Rafael SS LA Back 15-day DL. Out until at least late July
6/18/08 Wells, Kip SP COL Hand 15-day DL. Out until at least late July
6/18/08 Garciaparra, Nomar 1B LA Calf 60-day DL. On Triple-A rehab assignment
6/18/08 Loewen, Adam SP BAL Elbow 15-day DL. On Double-A rehab assignment
6/18/08 Bowie, Micah SP COL Forearm 60-day DL. Out until at least late July
6/18/08 Wainwright, Adam SP STL Finger 15-day DL. Out until at least early July
6/18/08 Bonderman, Jeremy SP DET Shoulder 15-day DL. Might be out for the season
6/18/08 Roberts, Dave LF SF Knee 15-day DL. Out until at least late July
6/18/08 De Aza, Alejandro OF FLA Ankle 60-day DL. Out until at least early July
6/18/08 Iguchi, Tadahito 2B SD Shoulder 15-day DL. Out until at least late July
6/17/08 Colon, Bartolo SP BOS Back 15-day DL. Out until at least late July
6/17/08 Penny, Brad SP LA Shoulder 15-day DL. Out until at least early July
6/17/08 Barfield, Josh 2B CLE Finger 15-day DL. Out until at least early August
6/17/08 Matsuzaka, Daisuke SP BOS Shoulder 15-day DL. Expected to return for June 21 start vs. St. Louis
6/17/08 Soriano, Alfonso LF CHC Hand 15-day DL. Out until at least mid-July
6/17/08 Martinez, Victor C CLE Elbow 15-day DL. Out until at least early August
6/17/08 Baldelli, Rocco CF TB Illness 60-day DL. On Class A rehab assignment
6/17/08 Sheffield, Gary DH DET Oblique, shoulder 15-day DL. On Class A rehab assignment
6/16/08 Bierd, Randor RP BAL Shoulder 15-day DL. Out until at least late July
6/16/08 Duffy, Chris CF PIT Shoulder 15-day DL. On Double-A rehab assignment
6/16/08 Alou, Moises RF NYM Calf 15-day DL. Out until at least early July
6/16/08 Kotsay, Mark CF ATL Back 15-day DL. Out until at least early July
6/16/08 Escobar, Kelvim SP ANA Shoulder 60-day DL. Out until at least early July
6/16/08 Pagan, Angel LF NYM Shoulder 15-day DL. Out until at least early July
6/16/08 Vargas, Jason M. SP NYM Hip 15-day DL. Out until at least early August
6/16/08 Glavine, Tom SP ATL Elbow 15-day DL. Out until at least late July
6/16/08 Bootcheck, Chris RP ANA Forearm 15-day DL. Out until at least early July
6/15/08 Carpenter, Chris SP STL Elbow 15-day DL. Out until at least early August
6/15/08 Fox, Chad RP CHC Hand 15-day DL. Out until at least late June
6/15/08 Putz, J.J. RP SEA Elbow 15-day DL. Out until at least early July
6/15/08 Cameron, Kevin RP SD Elbow 15-day DL. Out until at least early July
6/15/08 Zimmerman, Ryan 3B WAS Shoulder 15-day DL. Out until at least late July
6/15/08 Schmidt, Jason SP LA Shoulder 60-day DL. Out until at least late July
6/15/08 Soriano, Rafael RP ATL Elbow 15-day DL. Out until at least late June
6/15/08 Kearns, Austin RF WAS Elbow 15-day DL. Out until at least early July
6/15/08 Cordero, Chad RP WAS Shoulder 15-day DL. Out until at least early July
6/15/08 Everett, Adam SS MIN Shoulder 15-day DL. Out until at least late June
6/15/08 Perez, Odalis SP WAS Shoulder 15-day DL. Out until at least late June
6/15/08 Valdez, Merkin RP SF Elbow 15-day DL. Out until at least early July
6/15/08 Gardner, Lee RP FLA Elbow 15-day DL. Out until at least late June
6/15/08 Ward, Daryle 1B CHC Back 15-day DL. Out until at least late June
6/15/08 Bale, John RP KC Shoulder, hand 15-day DL. Out until at least early July
6/15/08 Westbrook, Jake SP CLE Elbow 60-day DL. Out for the season
6/15/08 Johnson, Nick 1B WAS Wrist 15-day DL. Out until at least early July
6/15/08 Brackman, Andrew SP NYY Elbow 60-day DL. Out for the season
6/15/08 Gagne, Eric RP MIL Shoulder 15-day DL. Out until at least late June
6/15/08 Mitre, Sergio SP FLA Forearm 60-day DL. Out until at least late July
6/15/08 Devine, Joey RP OAK Elbow 15-day DL. Out until at least early July
6/15/08 McCarthy, Brandon SP TEX Elbow 15-day DL. Out until at least late July
6/15/08 Nunez, Leo SP KC Latisimus 15-day DL. Out until at least early July
6/15/08 Denorfia, Chris LF OAK Back 15-day DL. Out until at least early July
6/15/08 Carroll, Brett OF FLA Shoulder 15-day DL. Out until at least late June
6/15/08 Estrada, Johnny C WAS Elbow 15-day DL. Out until at least early July
6/15/08 Kennedy, Ian SP NYY Ribcage, shoulder 15-day DL. Out until at least early July
6/15/08 Wagner, Ryan RP WAS Shoulder 60-day DL. Out until at least late July
6/14/08 Willingham, Josh LF FLA Back 15-day DL. On Double-A rehab assignment
6/13/08 Loaiza, Esteban SP CHW Shoulder 15-day DL. Out until at least late June
6/13/08 Hughes, Phil SP NYY Rib 15-day DL. Out until at least late August
6/13/08 Thomas, Frank DH OAK Quadriceps 15-day DL. Out until at least early July
6/13/08 Reyes, Al RP TB Shoulder 15-day DL. Out until at least late June
6/12/08 Fogg, Josh SP CIN Back 15-day DL. On Class A rehab assignment
6/12/08 Wilson, Vance C DET Elbow 15-day DL. Out for the season
6/11/08 Hernandez, Orlando SP NYM Foot 15-day DL. Out until at least late July
6/11/08 Keppinger, Jeff SS CIN Knee 15-day DL. On Class A rehab assignment
6/11/08 Prado, Martin 2B ATL Thumb 15-day DL. Out until at least late June
6/11/08 Wise, Matt RP NYM Shoulder 15-day DL. Out until at least late July
6/11/08 Accardo, Jeremy RP TOR Forearm 15-day DL. On Class A rehab assignment
6/11/08 Stewart, Shannon LF TOR Ankle 15-day DL. Out until at least early July
6/11/08 Kinney, Josh RP STL Elbow 60-day DL. Out until at least late July
6/10/08 Church, Ryan CF NYM Concussion 15-day DL. Out until at least late June

Read more...

Dreadlines: Pujols Headed to DL

Pujols Pulls up Lame 06/11/2008

BY Aaron Gleeman

Pujols to have tests on injured calf

Glavine to return to DL with elbow strain

Furcal likely to miss rest of June

Tulowtizki set to begin rehab assignment

Tigers option Willis to Single-A Lakeland

Brewers 2B Weeks lands on disabled list

Cardinals to place Wainwright on 15-day DL

Albert Pujols has remained in the Cardinals' lineup while posting his usual 1.000 OPS despite a series of nagging injuries dating back to last season, but may have finally found something that even he can't play through. Pujols had to be helped off the field Tuesday night after aggravating the calf injury that's been bothering him for some time, and is now scheduled to leave the team in Cincinnati and fly back to St. Louis for further testing."Based on what I saw-and I'm not a doctor-it was pretty bad," general manager John Mozeliak said. Pujols has certainly shown in the past that he can play through various injuries and continue to dominate, but at first glance that seems unlikely in this case. Rookie Joe Mather replaced him at first base Tuesday and sliding Troy Glaus across the diamond is another option, but recalling Chris Duncan from Triple-A would also seemingly be a good fill-in choice. Duncan was demoted last week after batting just .252/.356/.386 with his usual shaky defense in left field, but he posted an .802 OPS against right-handers and wouldn't be nearly as stretched at first base. Given their handedness a Duncan-Mather platoon would be a natural fit while allowing the Cardinals to leave Glaus at third base and thus avoid weakening the offense even further. In that scenario, Duncan would reclaim solid value in NL-only leagues.While Pujols waits to see if he's headed for the first extended absence of his career after playing in 96.3 percent of his team's 1,200 games, here are some other notes from around baseball .

Scott Baker stopped the bleeding for Minnesota's pitching staff Tuesday, holding the Indians to one run over seven innings after the Twins coughed up 40 runs while being swept in a four-game series against the White Sox. Unfortunately for Baker he was matched up against C.C. Sabathia, who tossed a complete-game shutout. Handed a first-inning run to work with, Sabathia breezed through the Twins' lineup, throwing 77 of his 106 pitches for strikes while walking none.Sabathia's overall ERA remains at a mediocre 4.34 thanks to a string of brutal April outings, but since then he's been every bit as dominant as he was while winning the AL Cy Young last year. If you set aside Sabathia's first four starts, he has a 2.09 ERA and 73-to-14 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 73.1 innings. It takes a long time for a stat line to recover from beginning the season 0-3 with a 13.50 ERA, but Sabathia is definitely back to being a fantasy stud.

After being examined by doctors over the weekend, Rafael Furcal was told that his injured back won't allow him to see game action for at least two more weeks. Furcal had been hoping to return next Tuesday, but now figures to miss the remainder of the month and is far from a sure thing to be back prior to the All-Star break. Meanwhile, Nomar Garciaparra is set to begin a minor-league rehab assignment this week and is eligible to return from the 60-day disabled list on June 25. If Garciaparra beats Furcal back from the DL, the Dodgers have indicated that he'll get a chance to start at shortstop despite not having played the position since 2005. Since then he's played 1,588 innings at first base and 416 innings at third base, so returning to his old posit ion at the age of 34 may prove to be a disaster. Of course, when the alternatives are Luis Maza or Angel Berroa suddenly taking a hit defensively doesn't sound so bad.

Dontrelle Willis started Monday versus the Indians, allowing eight runs while throwing just 27 of his 64 pitches for strikes and walking five of the 12 batters he faced. That gave him a 10.32 ERA and 21 walks in 11.1 innings overall, and the Tigers decided that they'd seen enough, demoting him all the way down to Single-A. It's been a gradual decline followed by a sudden collapse for Willis, who saw his ERA rise from 2.63 in 2005 to 3.87 in 2006 and 5.17 in 2007.Now he can't even find the plate, which perhaps isn't shocking given his odd throwing motion and 190 walks over the previous two seasons. Willis clearly needs to throw a whole bunch of innings in an effort to find some semblance of command and if they still have any notion of contending the Tigers simply couldn't afford to keep running him out there. Willis was one of my "bust" picks coming into the season, but that merely assumed that he'd pitch poorly, not completely implode.

AL Quick Hits:

Manager Jim Leyland said Tuesday that Ivan Rodriguez and Brandon Inge will alternate starts behind the plate, suggesting that Rodriguez may not be long for Detroit . Called up from Triple-A to replace Asdrubal Cabrera at second base, Josh Barfield left Tuesday's game with a sprained finger and is considered day-to-day . Jose Contreras came into Tuesday's game against the Tigers at 4-0 with a 1.50 ERA in his last six starts, but took the loss while allowing six runs on 13 hits . Dustin McGowan allowed one run in Tuesday's complete-game victory over the Mariners, matching a season-high with seven strikeouts . Rocco Baldelli went 1-for-4 in an extended spring training game Monday and could be close to beginning a minor-league rehab assignment . Curt Schilling (shoulder) threw 40 pitches off a mound Tuesday and reported no problems . Asked Monday about a rumor that the Cubs are interested in dealing for him, Gil Meche responded by asking "how's that going to happen?" while indicating that he'd block any move with his no-trade clause.

NL Quick Hits:

Jake Peavy (elbow) is scheduled to come off the disabled list with a start Thursday against the Dodgers . With Rickie Weeks (knee) on the DL, Bill Hall started at second base Tuesday for the first time since May of 2006 . Meanwhile, general manager Doug Melvin denied a rumor that the Brewers are interested in Brian Roberts . Initially expected to miss most of the season, Josh Johnson is ahead of schedule in his recovery from Tommy John surgery and could return around the All-Star break . With Jerry Hairston (finger) heading to the shelf Tuesday, the Reds are hoping that Jeff Keppinger (knee) is able to return by this weekend . Manager Bob Melvin said Monday that Chad Tracy isn't ready to play the outfield yet following knee surgery, but that "it certainly could be a consideration down the road" . Ryan Ludwick came into Tuesday's game hitting just .219 this month, but went 4-for-5 with a homer, two doubles, and four RBIs . As expected, Matt Holliday (hamstring) returned to the lineup Tuesday after the minimum stay on the DL.

Read more...

News To Use, From A Fantasy View

BY Aaron Gleeman

Brewers 2B Weeks lands on disabled list

Cardinals to place Wainwright on 15-day DL

Reds' Hairston suffers fractured thumb

Griffey hits homer No. 600 versus Marlins

Mets' Church to go on disabled list

Swisher homers from both sides as Sox sweep

Indians send down Cabrera, turn to Barfield

Fewer than 15,000 people saw it thanks to the game being played in Florida, but Ken Griffey Jr. hit his 600th career homer Monday. Griffey's first-inning blast off left-hander Mark Hendrickson was his first long ball of the month, just his third homer since mid-April, and only his second homer of the year against a southpaw. He's now 10 homers away from moving past Sammy Sosa to join Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, and Willie Mays in the all-time top five.While a 38-year-old Griffey takes a long, detour-filled path to eventually reach the destination that once seemed like a given when he was "Junior," here are some other notes from around baseball .

Nothing official has been announced yet, but Eric Hurley is expected to make his major-league debut Thursday against the Royals. Considered by many to be among the elite pitching prospects in baseball heading into last season, Hurley saw his prospect stock drop somewhat after posting a 4.00 ERA between Double-A and Triple-A. He's fallen even further this year, going 2-5 with a 5.30 ERA in 13 starts at Triple-A.Lost in that ugly ERA is Hurley turning things around following a horrible start and his 72-to-29 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 74.2 innings is very strong for a 22-year-old at Triple-A. However, he's served up 15 homers in those 74.2 frames and ranks as one of the most extreme fly-ball pitchers in the minors. That's a very bad skill set to have when hoping to call the Rangers' power-boosting ballpark home, which is why Hurley is a poor bet in the short term and iffy in the long term.

Last season it was Asdrubal Cabrera who came up from the minors to take over as the Indians' starting second baseman when Josh Barfield got off to a brutal start, but this season the script has been flipped. Cabrera was sent down Monday after hitting .184 through 52 games, as the Indians called Barfield up from Triple-A. Unfortunately, while Cabrera was deserving of a call-up last year after playing well in the minors, Barfield hit just .255/.297/.382 in 55 games at Triple-A.Barfield was once considered a top prospect and batted .280 with 13 homers and 21 steals as a rookie for the Padres in 2006, but he hasn't hit since and doesn't figure to start now. He can still provide some value on the bases, which makes him a worthwhile pickup in AL-only leagues, but don't expect much of an impact offensively beyond the occasional homer. Cabrera remains the better option at second base, so bet on him reclaiming the job in the second half.

It's tough to have much fantasy value while hitting .210, but Rickie Weeks has managed to be plenty productive with a 20-homer, 25-steal, 115-run pace. Unfortunately, he was placed on the disabled list Monday and is expected to miss a significant chunk of time with a sprained left knee. Hernan Iribarren is up from Triple-A to replace Weeks and could work his way into regular playing time at second base. He has little power, but is a career .318 hitter with some speed.

Hitting coach Jeff Pentland got the ax Monday in Seattle, taking the blame for an MLB-worst record. In three seasons under Pentland's tutelage, Mariners hitters have ranked 13th, 14th, and 14th among AL teams in walks, so it's tough to defend the decision to fire him. With that said, Pentland figures to be followed out the door shortly by manager John McLaren, with general manager Bill Bavasi sticking around to turn off the office lights despite being primarily at fault. Bavasi has made a series of poor free-agent signings and misguided trades, building a horrible, veteran-laden team that has gone 23-41 despite a $115 million payroll. Firing the hitting coach or the manager won't do any good if Bavasi remains at the helm, although the Mariners did win in dramatic fashion Monday when Miguel Cairo pulled off a successful ninth-inning squeeze bunt with the bases loaded. Of course, Cairo being on the roster to begin with is part of the problem.

AL Quick Hits:

Dontrelle Willis turned in a brutal start Monday against the Indians, coughing up eight runs while recording just four outs . Alex Rios' power has been disappointing thus far, but after going 3-for-4 with a stolen base Monday he's already within two steals of last year's career-best total of 17 . After allowing 18 runs over his previous 23.1 innings, Cliff Lee bounced back with a solid, rain-shortened start Monday to win his 10th game . Nick Swisher homered from both sides of the plate Monday as the White Sox finished off a four-game sweep of the Twins for the first time since the 1970s . Ian Kennedy (bursitis) threw a bullpen session Monday and reported no problems, but may be headed back to Triple-A once he's healthy . There was initially some concern that Joey Gathright suffered a serious shoulder injury while making a diving catch Sunday, but he started in center field Monday . Adam Loewen (elbow) threw a two-inning simulated game Saturday and is slated to begin a minor-league rehab assignment Tuesday at Single-A.

NL Quick Hits:

Matt Holliday (hamstring) is expected to return from the disabled list Tuesday after going 6-for-10 in three minor-league rehab games over the weekend . Manager Cecil Cooper said Suunday that Michael Bourn won't be moving back into the leadoff spot soon after hitting just .218/.280/.306 in 46 games atop the batting order . In what'll be the first big step in his recovery from a torn shoulder muscle, Chad Cordero is set to throw a bullpen session Wednesday . After previously losing playing time in a platoon with Doug Mientkiewicz, Jose Bautista started at third base Monday for the ninth time in 10 games . Jerry Hairston is expected to miss 2-4 weeks after suffering a fractured thumb Monday, making Paul Janish the Reds' everyday shortstop . After missing a month with a fractured hand, Paul Lo Duca began what figures to be a brief rehab stint Sunday at Single-A . Andruw Jones is ahead of schedule in his recovery from knee surgery, but remains unlikely to return this month . After sitting out with the flu, Dmitri Young returned to the lineup Monday for the first time in six days

Read more...

News To Use

* Rowand returns, gets lucky RBI Aaron Rowand's (hip) bad-hop single gave San Francisco the go-ahead run Sunday and capped a four-run fifth inning. Randy Winn hit a two-run single to tie it, and John Bowker'stwo-run homer in the seventh sealed the victory. The Giants have won the first three meetings in this four-game series. Rowand has been pretty solid in his first year after his bigfree-agent contract. Consider him a solid start in any format in Fantasy Week 11 (June 9-15) -- especially since the Giants have seven games in the week.

* RP Torres works overtime for save Brewers closer Salomon Torres recorded his seventh save and first since Monday on Sunday at Colorado, going 1 2/3 innings. He issued one walk. Torres deserves to close over former closer Eric Gagne for as long as he pitches well. Consider Torres an outstanding sleeper as a closer, especially with the Brewers in contention.

* Nady sits again Sunday with leg issue Pirates OF Xavier Nady did not start for a second successiveday with inflammation in his lower left leg as Pittsburgh defeated the Diamondbacks 6-4 on Sunday. Nady is hitting a solid .320 this season with nine homers and 45 RBI. He is a bit of a risky start for Fantasy Week 11(June 9-15), so prepare as necessary, although the fact Nadypinch hit Saturday is certainly a positive sign.

* Wood strikes out two for 18th save Cubs closer Kerry Wood pitched a perfect ninth inning Sundayat the Dodgers for his NL-leading 18th save in 22 attempts and fourth in the seven meetings with the Dodgers. He recorded two strikeouts and has not allowed a run in nine straight appearances. Wood has settled in to his new role as closer and is consistently blowing away hitters in the ninth inning. The Cubs usually offer him plenty of opportunities, so start himin all Fantasy leagues that reward saves.

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Outfield Prospect has Second 7 RBI Game

06/01/2008 6:31 PM ET

Jackson has another seven-RBI game

By Alan Friedman

Special to MLB.com

It's one thing to be highly touted. It's another to live up to the hype.
Austin Jackson of the Trenton Thunder may well be in the process of bridging that gap.
On Sunday, the 21-year-old center fielder drove in seven runs for the second time this season as the Thunder defeated the New Britain Rock Cats, 9-3, at New Britain Stadium.
Jackson, selected by the Yankees in the eighth round of the 2005 First-Year Player Draft, went 3-for-5 with two doubles as he raised his batting average to .281 and his RBI total to 33.
After striking out in the first inning, Jackson delivered a three-run double in the second, a two-run single in the fourth and a two-run double in the sixth that capped the scoring for Trenton.
Jackson, a two-sport star (baseball, basketball) in high school in Denton, Texas, also had seven RBIs against the Reading Phillies on May 21, making him the first player in Thunder history to drive in seven runs in a game on two different occasions. The seven RBIs tied the team record.
Last season, Jackson batted .304 with 13 homers and 59 RBIs in 128 games with Class A Charleston, Class A Advanced Tampa and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, where he appeared in one game and went 1-for-3.
On Sunday, Jason Jones (8-1) allowed one run on five hits and two walks with six strikeouts over six frames to pick up the win for the Thunder (36-20).
Oswaldo Sosa (2-5) surrendered six runs on five hits, fanning five and walking seven over five frames, for New Britain (27-29).

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Update

Royals Call Up Aviles, Send Down Butler
Posted May. 30, 2008 1:35 pm
by Josh Leventhal

In desperate need of offensive punch, the Royals called up Triple-A Omaha infielder Mike Aviles on Thursday and started him at shortstop in place of the slumping Tony Pena Jr. To make room for Aviles, a 2003 seventh-round pick out of Division II Concordia (N.Y.) College, the Royals sent down designated hitter and former No. 1 prospect Billy Butler.
Aviles had been one of the hottest hitters in the minors, batting .336/.370/.631 with 10 home runs and 42 RBIs. He ranks ninth in the Pacific Coast League in average, first in extra-base hits (37) and second in hits (72), doubles (21), and triples (6). He went 0-for-3 last night in his major league debut against the Twins.
The 27-year-old Aviles’ path to the big leagues has been a slow, but steady, process. The former Division II player of the year entered his third straight season at Omaha after turning in the best performance of his pro career with the O-Royals last year, hitting .296/.332/.463. Though he may have the offensive tools for the big leagues with a short, compact swing and gap power, how Aviles fits in defensively remains a question. He profiles as an offensive-minded second baseman, though his best immediate opportunity may come at shortstop.
“It’s one of those things you work your whole life to get,” Aviles told the Kansas City Star. “You finally get the call, and it’s like everything is racing at once.”
Butler heads to Omaha after a disappointing start in which he hit just .263/.330/.339 with one home run and 18 RBIs. He was hitting just .233/.305/.302 in May, though he had hit safely in five straight games, and was emblematic of a Royals team mired in an 11-game losing streak during. The Royals, with few offensive options in the farm system, rank last in the majors in runs (193), home runs (26) and RBIs (183).

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Players to watch

by Jeff Erickson

Let's talk about 10 players (five pitchers, five hitters) who aren't owned in too many leagues and might not currently have a fantasy-viable role but could offer some value down the road. They are players are on the margins, but in deeper leagues, getting a few of these guys to pan out can make all the difference in the world. Many of these players are from either non-major-media markets, or on losing teams, but as you'll see, some of them don't fit that description. The "percent owned" figure that you'll see is for all CBS Sports leagues.
Jason Bergmann (5%): Bergmann's cover is blown following Thursday's superb effort against the Mets, but he has the skills to be a pretty successful pitcher. He got off to a terrible start in April and became the scapegoat for the Nats' early-season slide. Part of his ugly stat line includes a four-run, two-inning relief outing where he was used on just two days' rest after a start, and in his second start of the season, he had thrown four shutout innings before allowing one big inning. There's a pretty good chance that he's much better than he's shown. He's not someone you can use for all of his starts, but he could provide a profit if you spot him right. Just be aware that his next start comes against the Phillies--you'll probably want to wait until after that start to activate him.
Gregor Blanco (1%): That Blanco is owned in so few leagues is a surprise, at least to me. At worst, he's increasingly on the good side of the Braves' left field platoon, and has started four of the last five games there. Blanco isn't going to hit for power, but he will hit for decent average and draw a walk or two, and then once he gets on, he can steal a few bags. Moreover, he could have some job security; Matt Diaz has traditionally been slotted into a platoon role, and his early play as the everyday left fielder did little to dissuade manager Bobby Cox that he's anything more than a platoon outfielder. Meanwhile, Brandon Jones is doing little to distinguish himself at Triple-A Richmond (.271/.348/.386) and Jordan Schafer is still serving his 50-game suspension for using HGH. Blanco might not be an elite prospect, but he's a bit of a post-hype prospect who's cashing in on his newfound opportunity.
Jared Burton (2%): You'll see more relievers on this list, but that's because there's so much turnover in the set-up and closing roles, and there's usually more good talent available on the waiver wire. It's just a matter of finding the one you like. Burton's overall numbers don't look that special (4.58 ERA, 1.528 WHIP), but a quick look at his strikeout rate (23 strikeouts in 17 2/3 innings) and his track record from the second half last year suggests his talent. Francisco Cordero is firmly ensconced as the closer, and though he's walking a lot of batters, there's little chance of him losing the job without an injury. However, Burton is shaping up to be the top replacement option in the Reds' bullpen, ahead of David Weathers.
Freddie Bynum (4%): The four percent of owners that rostered Bynum probably did so in the last week, after Orioles manager Dave Trembley named him the starting shortstop. Bynum is the classic "better-in-roto-than-real-life" player. Last year he walked just twice in 96 at-bats with the O's, and has never been much of an on-base guy. But going along with those two walks were eight steals, and in many leagues, Bynum already qualifies at shortstop. Check your league's requirements, but he's going to get an extended run at the position. The O's have really nobody else anywhere close in their farm system or at the big league level who's a credible offensive option at the position. If you're in dire need of stolen bases, Bynum could be your guy.
Ronny Cedeno (5%): Cedeno isn't getting regular playing time now that Alfonso Soriano is back, but there's still some value here. If you look at Cedeno's minor league numbers, his walk and contact rates have been pretty good. So while a lot of his .350 batting average right now is fueled by a .417 BABIP, there's also some legit growth. Playing time will be a continuing issue, but view Cedeno as a potential starter elsewhere, if the Cubs continue to dangle him as a bargaining chip, as they were rumored to have done with Brian Roberts earlier.
Chase Headley (13%): Though the Padres have started the overhauling process by parting ways with Jim Edmonds, they haven't gone into complete rebuilding mode just yet. When they do, calling up Headley will be their first order of business. They recently announced that they're in no hurry to call him up, because they wanted to avoid him having to feel like he's a "savior" for his next start. How would calling him up in June instead of May change things? That doesn't pass the smell test. A more likely explanation is that they want to keep his service time down so that he doesn't become arbitration-eligible a year early as a "super two" player. Remember, he had a small cup of coffee with the big league club last year, so his callup has to come later than other prospects in his boat. Expect to see him in June. When he does arrive, Headley should be able to hit for average, though Petco will depress his power some; don't expect more than 10-15 homers. Many leagues will allow for minor league speculative pickups, so if you have a spot where you can stash Headley away, pick him up now while the cost is cheap.
Jensen Lewis (2%): Most bullpen speculators are going after Masahide Kobayashi right now, and with good reason after he picked up the save when Rafael Betancourt couldn't finish the job on Thursday. But don't forget about Jensen Lewis, either. His velocity was down initially this season, but has since returned to normal levels. Lewis has also been pitching well, throwing 7 1/3 scoreless innings after Thursday's game. He's not the first or even second option to pick up saves now or in the future--Joe Borowski is due back soon--but he can provide high-leverage innings at a dirt cheap acquisition cost, which can be pretty valuable in 4x4 leagues.
Ross Ohlendorf (1%): Kei Igawa flopped in his one start and was sent back down, Philip Hughes is out for a while, and Ian Kennedy's first start in his return from his one-start minor league demotion didn't go well. Darrell Rasner is holding down the fourth starter's job, but he's hardly someone we can consider "safe" for remaining in that rotation. Ohlendorf has been pitching reasonably well in relief for the Yankees this year after making their post-season roster in 2007, striking out 22 batters in 23 1/3 innings. Ohlendorf came over to the Yankees in the Randy Johnson deal and spent an early part of last year on the DL, but finished the season on a high note. He doesn't have the upside of Hughes or Kennedy, but he is learning how to get major leaguers out in his current bullpen stint, and there's some hope that he could eventually fill that rotation slot.
Glen Perkins (4%): The Twins called up Perkins as a short-term fill-in for the injured Scott Baker, but there's a reasonable hope that he can hold down a spot in their rotation, or at least stick as a long reliever once Baker comes back. Look at some of his current competition. Livan Hernandez is doing an excellent job as an innings-eater right now, mostly on the basis of cutting his walk rate in half from last year. However, I can't shake the feeling that he's this year's version of Ramon Ortiz, turning in a good six weeks before turning back into a pumpkin. If Hernandez doesn't flop, both Nick Blackburn and Kevin Slowey are candidates to lose their respective slots. Blackburn is Minnesota's answer to Brian Bannister, succeeding despite an ultra-low strikeout rate and a G/F that isn't extraordinary. The odds are that he won't be able to keep a sub-4.00 ERA while putting that many balls in play. Slowey has problems with the longball; he's already given up four homers in 14 innings, after allowing 16 in 66 2/3 innings at the major league level last year. In many ways, his development corresponds with Baker's in his first two years in the majors. Meanwhile, Perkins lost most of 2007 with a shoulder injury, and initially his command suffered this year in the minors. That's not that unusual for pitchers returning from arm injuries, and Perkins might not yet be past that. But he has more upside than Blackburn and possibly Slowey, and the fact that he's a lefty can't hurt. Temper your short-term expectations, but he's a pitcher who could be a positive force over the second half of the season.
Cody Ross (2%): I've always had a soft spot for Ross. He overcame a major knee injury suffered at the start of his major league career, he's a Three True Outcomes hitter, and he's one of those rare throw-lefty, bat-righty guys like Rickey Henderson. He's on the wrong side of a platoon with Alfredo Amezaga in center field, but he's starting to get some starts against righties and responding by hitting for power. Don't look for him to repeat last year's .335/.411/.653 line, but Ross is capable of hitting 15-20 homers with the proper amount of playing time. Amezaga is overexposed as an everyday player in center, and Ross gives them the potential to get more production from a position that they've struggled to fill for years. The big risk with Ross is that he could get buried whenever the Marlins decide to call up Cameron Maybin, but Maybin is struggling right now at Double-A Carolina (.236/.371/.400 with 55 strikeouts in 140 at-bats).

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