El Duque went on the DL retroactive to April 25.
- Does this mean the guys who had April 25 and April 30 in the 'When El Duque Goes On the DL' pool have to split the money?
- Chan Ho Park was recalled from AAA to take his place in the rotation and - to quote Pepper Brooks: I feel shocked - got rocked. He's not to be considered unless you are in an NL East only league with at least 37 teams.
Tim Hudson looked good again.
- He scattered four hits and two walks over eight innings, but got the no decision. The outing actually raised his ERA to 1.40. A 32/12 KBB in 45 IP looks nice too. If he is available in your league based on his performance last year, give him a look.
Brett Myers pitched the eighth before Antonio Alfonseca gave up a three-run homer in the ninth.
- Maybe Myers should have pitched the ninth too. He threw 19 pitches in the inning. Charlie Manual seems uncomfortable handing him the ball in the ninth, even in non-save situations. With the way Adam Eaton has pitched so far, he may be as likely to go back into the rotation as become the closer.
Speaking of closers, Bob Wickman went on the DL with an upper back injury.
- Mike Gonzalez pitched the ninth inning and picked up the win. Rafael Soriano would appear to be the other option for saves, but Gonzalez has the closer experience, so he would be a better bet, especially after tossing a perfect inning tonight.
Speaking of the Braves, is Willie Harris going to get shot in left field?
- He, not Matt Diaz, got the start in left tonight on the heels of Ryan Langerhans being dealt to Oakland.
- Diaz seems to be cursed. He almost always hits when given the chance. It would be nice to see what he could do if given a shot at a full time job. He's still someone to monitor in all leagues, however. With Harris' track record at the plate, he's not likely to steal a lot of playing time.
- Langerhans should be watched closely in AL only leagues. The A's are having a lot of injury problems in the outfield, so much so that Shannon Stewart has been playing a lot of center field. He's not an All-Star at the plate, but he's much better than his 3-for-44 start. He should be able to hit .260-.270 with modest pop if given regular at bats.
Abraham Nunez got his third straight start at third base for the Phillies.
- Why? Wes Helms owners should be slightly worried, but Nunez really isn't capable of hitting enough to play everyday. He's done a great job of turning a two-month tear in 2005 into semi-regular playing time since.
- Right about now, I have a sneaking suspicion that Charlie Manual and Bobby Cox had a side bet on who could put the worst player in their lineup. "I'll see your Abe Nunez, and raise you a Willie Harris."
Adam Lind hit his third homer in his last four games.
- More attention has been paid to the recall of Hunter Pence, but Lind should not be overlooked. He is a top hitting prospect who should be owned - and starting - in all AL only leagues, and should probably be owned in most mixed leagues, as well.
Salomon Torres picked up his eighth save in 11 tries
- He's still skating on somewhat thin ice, but his owners should breathe a litte easier. He still, however, has not struck out a batter in four straight appearances. Matt Capps picked up the win.
In the same game, Zach Duke allowed just two runs in 6.2 innings
- He has four quality starts in six outing, but his other two starts were just brutal. While he hasn't walked more than two batters in a start, he's also had three starts in which he didn't strike out a batter - and only struck out one in one other game. That being said, he struck out four tonight. He's solid in NL only leagues, and there are worse options at the end of mixed league rotations. Just hope you have some power pitchers, since he's struck out only 10 in 32.2 innings.
David Wright went 0-for-5 to drop his average to .244.
- What's more troubling is the fact that he hasn't homered in 90 at bats this season. He's too good not to break out soon. Buy low and buy often.
Michael Young extended his hitting streak to seven games.
- He's got four multi-hit games in that span, so he's broken out of his slump. If you haven't stolen him away from his owner, you're running out of time to do so.
Gary Sheffield homered, walked twice, scored three times and stole a base.
- Another player who looks like he's coming around.
According to ESPN, Cliff Lee will be activated Thursday, at the expense of Fausto Carmona.
- Carmona has been pretty good his last three starts. He was a disaster in a trial as closer last year, but should be back in the rotation as soon as the Indians need someone in the rotation.
Nick Markakis busted out of 2-for-24 slump with a pair of hits.
- The slump should just be a blip on the radar as it came on the heels of a 10-game hitting streak.
Chone Figgins was activated from the DL
- Get him back in your lineups accordingly. He should be good for a decent batting average and some steals. He could be batting ninth, hurting his runs and RBI totals.
Rich Hill pitched another good game.
- There should be no way he's still out there in your league. It looks like he's finally put it together after finishing last year on a high note as well.
