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| Jonathan Sanchez is challenging Kevin Correia for the teams fifth slot in the starting rotation, according to the official team website. Sanchez will be "stretched out" this spring but what his role will be come April is still not definitive. The report noted that Sanchez looked sharp in his second throwing session off a bullpen mound, just as he did on Friday. The right-hander has talent, and if tapped, he will be a fantasy asset in all formats.
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| Rafael Soriano .192 opponents' average over the past two seasons ranks fifth among major-league relievers, and his .232 opponents' on-base percentage in 2007 ranked second among NL relievers.
The ex-Mariner has dynamite movement, superior command and is the prototypical closer.
Soriano did have a valley to work through last year when he allowed nine homers in 24 innings from mid-June to mid-August, but closed out the season allowing one run in his last 17 appearances, while piling up 24 strikeouts with three walks.
Soriano reported to camp stronger after an offseason of strength training, according to AJC.com, and has a chance to be one of the top-tiered closers in the league for the next 10-years.
Soriano is the fourth different pitcher, in four years, to begin the season as the Braves closer. Dan Kolb, Chris Reitsma and Bob Wickman were the others. None have the stuff that Soriano possesses. |
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| Dmitri Young, 1B, Washington Nationals | Saturday 2/16, 5:18 PM CT |
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| Manager Manny Acta met with the media on Saturday afternoon and told the Washington Post he considers Dmitri Young his starting first baseman. The skipper listed veteran Ronnie Belliard his starting second baseman, Cristian Guzman his shortstop and said that Guzman would lead off. But -- and Acta stressed this several times -- "this could change." There is the possibility, with a healthy Nick Johnson (but for how long), Young is a candidate to be moved. |
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| Carlos Beltran told LoHud.com that he would miss the first few exhibition games due to soreness in his scoped knees. “I’m not where I want to be,’’ Beltran said. “The test won’t come until I run the bases.’’
Beltran will take full swings for the next two weeks but won't run full speed or turn on the bases until he's closer to 100 percent. |
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| Mark Prior, P, San Diego Padres | Saturday 2/16, 3:15 PM CT |
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| Mark Prior threw 31 pitches off a mound on Saturday and tells MLB.com he "felt pretty comfortable and was able to focus on spots instead of mechanics and arm." Prior says he threw at anywhere between 60 and 75 percent. He missed the entire 2007 season due to April shoulder surgery and hopes to be ready in May. |
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| Brian McCann is feeling strong following a season hindered by left thumb and left ankle ailments. "This is the best I've ever felt going into the season," McCann tells MLB.com. "I feel confident. I feel ready." He spent the winter adding strength to his upper body and increasing his flexibility by performing yoga. |
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| Cardinals manager Tony La Russa tells the AP the club will keep a close eye on Albert Pujols' sore right elbow this year. Pujols has a strained ligament, but he doesn't plan to hold back. "If it blows out it's going to blow out," Pujols says. "You can't control that." The ailment has bothered the slugger since 2003. "We'll definitely monitor it," La Russa explains. "Talking to the trainers this morning one of the biggest issues will be throwing so we'll be on the careful side of really firing it. He could make a swing that could tweak it, too. It's one of those deals." |
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| Jason Schmidt made his first bullpen outing on Saturday and came out smiling. "Knock on wood, I hate to even say anything. I was pain-free," he tells the AP. "I'm feeling free and easy. Stamina up, arm strength, too. (But) we're not out of the woods." Schmidt underwent surgery on June 20 to repair a torn labrum, frayed biceps tendon, and inflamed bursa in his right shoulder. He says he used all of his pitches during the 30-pitch outing. |
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| Hanley Ramirez (shortstop) will be ready to take part in drills when they begin on Thursday, MLB.com reports. There were some questions about Ramirez's availability following offseason surgery on his left shoulder, but it sounds like it's safe to continue viewing him as an elite fantasy player. |
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| Tim Hudson, P, Atlanta Braves | Saturday 2/16, 11:47 AM CT |
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| Braves pitcher John Smoltz believes teammate Tim Hudson should be the Opening Day starter. "You can pretty much pencil Huddy in first — in my opinion that's a no-brainer," Smoltz tells the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "But it does not matter to me." Hudson responds, "He just doesn't want to pitch against the Nationals." The Braves face the Nats on March 30 and then have a three-game series against the Pirates. |
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| Mausmi Kuwata had ankle surgery in this offseason, and he tells the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that he is currently "about 80 to 90 percent." He will need to earn a roster spot with a strong spring. |
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| The Astros want Wandy Rodriguez to focus on his craft this season, rather than be distracted by things he can't control, the Houston Chronicle reports. "Look, Wandy," manager Cecil Cooper told the hurler, "this year I don't want you to argue with the umpire or make any faces at them. I want you to focus and concentrate." Fellow pitchers Roy Oswalt and Woody Williams chided Rodriguez for his mound presence and temperament in the past. |
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| Ryan Braun, LF, Milwaukee Brewers | Saturday 2/16, 11:22 AM CT |
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| Brewers general manager Doug Melvin is excited about the year ahead, and he knows one of the tougher changes will be Ryan Braun's move from third base to left field. "That will be a big challenge for him," Melvin tells the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. "He's very athletic, which helps. It'll be important for him to play (in Milwaukee) in the two (exhibition) games when we break camp, to get comfortable there." |
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| The Cardinals kept pitchers Cliff Politte and Dewon Brazelton out of workouts on Friday because the club is worried about injuries. Politte underwent a right shoulder exam later in the day, and Brazelton had his arm checked out, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. |
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| Kent Mercker is feeling good and ready to compete for a bullpen role. He missed all of 2007 after having Tommy John surgery in 2006. "I wasn't surprised that my elbow felt good," Mercker tells the Cincinnati Enquirer. "But I was surprised how good my shoulder felt... If I'm throwing well and I turn my ankle or something, I'd be willing to go to the minors to get ready." |
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| Todd Coffey, P, Cincinnati Reds | Saturday 2/16, 11:12 AM CT |
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| Todd Coffey beat his weight goal this offseason. "I wanted to go from 264 to 240," he tells the Cincinnati Enquirer. "I beat that by a pound. I weigh 239." Coffey, 27, posted a robust 5.32 ERA in 2007. |
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| Mark Kotsay, CF, Atlanta Braves | Saturday 2/16, 11:09 AM CT |
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| Mark Kotsay worked out with pitchers and catchers on Friday and has no issues with his surgically repaired back. "I'm fully capable of working out and doing whatever," he tells the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. |
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| Shawn Hill, P, Washington Nationals | Saturday 2/16, 11:06 AM CT |
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| Shawn Hill underwent two operations in October, but he is at full strength and working without restrictions in camp. "I've been throwing since the middle of December," he tells the Washington Post. Hill underwent surgeries to his right forearm and left shoulder. |
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| Dmitri Young, 1B, Washington Nationals | Saturday 2/16, 11:04 AM CT |
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| The Nationals may look to trade either Nick Johnson or Dmitri Young this preseason. "If they're both healthy, logically, it may be possible one of them has to be moved to make that work. It doesn't mean we're going to, but it's something we may have to look at," general manager Jim Bowden tells the Washington Post. |
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| Jose Reyes, SS, New York Mets | Saturday 2/16, 11:00 AM CT |
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| Jose Reyes has swiped 60, 64 and 78 bases the last three years. Could he steal even more this season? "Probably I'm going to be a little faster this year," he tells the New York Daily News. Reyes did more long distance running this offseason in order to increase his endurance. |
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| Kris Benson, P, Philadelphia Phillies | Saturday 2/16, 10:55 AM CT |
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| The Phillies expect Kris Benson to arrive in camp on Saturday, and he could throw as soon as Sunday. "He's just not going to be able to jump in and do everything right now, from how I understand it," manager Charlie Manuel tells the Philadelphia Inquirer. "It's going to take a while." Benson missed the entire 2007 season due to right shoulder surgery, and he is currently throwing at only 60-to-70 percent. |
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| Hong-Chih Kuo is healthy, on schedule, and ready to fight for a roster spot. He underwent surgery last July to have bone chips removed from his left elbow. "I think I'll have to fight it out," Kuo tells the Los Angeles Daily News. "I'm just trying to make (the team). It doesn't matter whether it's as a starter or reliever." |
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| Paul Lo Duca, C, Washington Nationals | Saturday 2/16, 10:02 AM CT |
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| Paul Lo Duca addressed his inclusion in the Mitchell Report on Saturday, releasing a statement. "In regards to Senator Mitchell's Report, I apologize to my family, all of my fans and to the entire baseball community for mistakes in judgment I made in the past and for the distraction that has resulted," Lo Duca writes to the AP. |
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| The Cubs could use Kosuke Fukudome anywhere from second to sixth in the batting order, but he is tentatively slated to hit fifth, the Chicago Tribune reports. |
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| Tony Pena, P, Arizona Diamondbacks | Saturday 2/16, 8:42 AM CT |
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| Tony Pena will be delayed in coming to spring training due to visa problems. "It seems like it is more of a problem this year than in the past, not only for us but for a lot of other teams," general manager Josh Byrnes tells the East Valley Tribune. Pena has had problems ever since changing his name four years ago. |
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| Miguel Montero , who is recovering from a broken finger suffered when playing winter ball, had a second X-ray taken Thursday that confirmed the fracture has not progressed like the team would have liked. The Arizona catcher has been told not to swing a bat and limit any throwing sessions according to the official team website.
"It just hasn't quite responded to the point where they envisioned at this point of time," Melvin said. The injury figures to create more looks, swings and plate opportunities for starter Chris Snyder this spring, and that might not be "bad" thing. |
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| Joe Mather, RF, St. Louis Cardinals | Saturday 2/16, 1:45 AM CT |
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| Prospect Joe Mather is likely to start the season at Triple-A Memphis, according to the team's official website. Mather is coming off a productive 2007 minor league campaign hitting 31 home runs in 487 at-bats. |
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| Manager Tony La Russa said Jason Isringhausen would take a little extra time before pitching in Grapefruit League games, according to the team's official website. Izzy will be limited to batting practice sessions during the early portion of the spring schedule. The team's ninth inning option has plenty of wear and tear on his right arm and the skipper won't overwork his closer. With the Cardinals in rebuilding mode, Isringhausen shouldn't be counted on as one of the top fantasy options in '08. |
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| Josh Kinney, P, St. Louis Cardinals | Saturday 2/16, 1:27 AM CT |
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| Josh Kinney, who threw a light bullpen session on Friday, according to the team's official website, is in the middle of his rehab from Tommy John elbow ligament replacement surgery. Kinney, who suffered a setback in his recovery to a broken bone sustained in his elbow last November, estimated his effort level at about "60 or 70" percent. A mid-season return by Kinney is realistic. |
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