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| Adam Wainwright really struggled on Wednesday, a day after he agreed to terms with the Cardinals. Wainwright allowed five hits, three walks and three runs against the Marlins. “It’s one thing to go out there and do well every time out, but it’s another to go out and struggle and learn from it," Wainwright said to the AP. Wainwright will be fine, or at least he better be as the Cardinals are counting on him to be their number one hurler this season. |
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| Kerry Wood, P, Chicago Cubs | Wednesday 3/5, 9:36 PM CT |
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| Kerry Wood looked really strong on Tuesday as his slider was sharp and his fastball was clocked at 98 MPH, this according to a report on MLB.com. "[The ball] was coming out of his hand really well and really alive," manager Lou Piniella said. Wood is still in the mix at closer for the Cubs, so continue to monitor the situation closely as your draft aproaches. |
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| Alfonso Soriano, out with a non-displaced fracture in his right hand, was able to throw on Wednesday and hopes to be able to hit at some point this weekend, this according to MLB.com. Progress is progress, and it seems like that is what is occurring here, but until he returns to the plate we will withhold pronouncing him fit. |
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| Jay Bruce, OF, Cincinnati Reds | Wednesday 3/5, 9:27 PM CT |
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| Jay Bruce, dealing with an injured left quadriceps, hopes to be able to return to the field on Friday, this according to MLB.com. "Bruce asked to pinch-hit [on Tuesday]. I said, 'No,'" manager Dusty Baker said. "From my experience, if they say, 'I'm ready today,' I wait until tomorrow." Bruce figures to be a long shot to stick given the recent signing of Corey Patterson, but he still makes one of the best keeper league targets this year as he will almost certainly begin his major league career at some point this season. |
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| Max Scherzer, P, Arizona Diamondbacks | Wednesday 3/5, 9:23 PM CT |
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| Max Scherzer had a rough outing on Wednesday as he allowed he allowed three runs, including two solo HR. "It seems like every hit he's given up this year has been a home run," manager Bob Melvin said on MLB.com. "... But Max was pretty impressive out there. A lot of good fastball hitters and fastball talents aren't getting good swings off him." The former number one draft pick doesn't figure to stick out of camp, but he could be called up at some point during the season if he can learn to harness his dominating stuff. |
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| Micah Owings, P, Arizona Diamondbacks | Wednesday 3/5, 9:18 PM CT |
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| Micah Owings threw around 35 pitches in the bullpen on Wednesday and hopes to return from the soreness in his throwing shoulder on Saturday, this according to MLB.com. If healthy, Owings figures to be one of the better 4/5 starters in the NL after a solid season last year that included a 1.28 WHIP and only 2.95 BB/9. |
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| Noah Lowry, P, San Francisco Giants | Wednesday 3/5, 8:46 PM CT |
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| Following an earlier story, Noah Lowry underwent a MRI exam today on his tendinitis-plagued wrist and is expected to undergo further testing, according to MLB.com. The team hopes to release results on Thursday. |
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| Barry Zito, P, San Francisco Giants | Wednesday 3/5, 8:43 PM CT |
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| Barry Zito worked three innings and allowed just one run in hurling for the Giants on Wednesday, though his team lost 3-1 to the Royals, according to MLB.com. Zito threw 39 pitches, allowing one homer to Ryan Shealy in the third inning. This was a significant improvement over Zito's last outing (giving up eight runs in 2/3 of an inning last Saturday), a good sign for fans and fantasy owners alike. |
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| Billy Wagner had the cyst on his neck removed on Wednesday and reported no ill effects, this according to MLB.com. "It didn't bother me when it was there. It didn't bother me when they cut it out," Wagner said. "But now [hours after the procedure], it feels like they took out an organ. I can pitch. But if I stink, I've got the built-in excuse." Wagner should be fine and post his usual 35 saves this season for the Mets. |
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| The Giants released Scott Williamson on Wednesday, while they sent Randy Messenger to Triple-A, this according to the AP. Williamson had allowed three runs and three hits over two innings this spring, and his stuff just hasn't returned since undergoing TJ surgery for the second time. |
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| Ryan Church, RF, New York Mets | Wednesday 3/5, 8:28 PM CT |
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| Ryan Church experienced a set back in his return from a concussion after experiencing dizziness on Wednesday, this according to MLB.com. "Not a good day," Church said. "Yesterday, I felt fine. Today, not so much." With Moises Alou out 4-6 weeks due to a hernia operation, the Mets will need to bring someone in to fill in for the two, that is unless they believe Endy Chavez will be healthy enough to start by opening day. |
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| Chad Tracy, 3B, Arizona Diamondbacks | Wednesday 3/5, 8:11 PM CT |
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| Arizona's Chad Tracy continues to rehab following microfracture surgery on his right knee. According to MLB.com, Tracy ran for the first time on Tuesday and experienced no pain or stiffness. Tracy hopes to make the starting lineup on Opening Day, but the team wants to proceed with caution. |
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| Scott Olsen, P, Florida Marlins | Wednesday 3/5, 8:03 PM CT |
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| Scott Olsen has a case of shoulder tendinitis that will keep him from making his scheduled start on Wednesday, this according to the Sun-Sentinel. Olsen will likely sit out for 2-3 days before he resumes his throwing. This is believed to be a minor case of tendinitis that just needs a couple of days to calm down, so the prognosis is good for Olsen who is looking to make his way back from a hideous 2007 campaign (5.81 ERA, 1.76 WHIP). |
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| Craig Counsell went 2-for-3 with three RBIs in the Brewers' 12-6 win over Texas in spring training today, according to the Associated Press. Counsell has the starting gig locked, but it's always good to see the veteran leading the way for a young squad in spring training. |
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| Gabe Kapler, CF, Milwaukee Brewers | Wednesday 3/5, 7:20 PM CT |
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| Gabe Kapler , battling against three quality options (Tony Gwynn Jr, Laynce Nix, Gabe Gross) for a backup role in the Rangers' outfield, doubled and drove in a pair of runs in his second straight spring training performance today, according to the Associated Press. In a tough battle for employment, Kapler is starting to look like a favoritef for the job. |
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| Dave Bush, P, Milwaukee Brewers | Wednesday 3/5, 7:19 PM CT |
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| Dave Bush failed to impress today in the Brewers' 12-6 win over Texas in spring training action today, according to the Associated Press. Bush entered the game in the fourth and immediately took a line shot off the bat of Michael Young in the rear. He held the Rangers scoreless in that inning, but surrendered a two-out solo homerun to Travis Metcalf in the fifth. By the end of the sixth inning, Bush had surrendered four runs (two unearned). Bush now sports an ERA of 12.60 after two spring outings, allowing nine runs (seven earned) and 10 hits. This is not a good way to start for a pitcher hoping to crach the MLB starting rotation this season. |
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| Manny Parra, P, Milwaukee Brewers | Wednesday 3/5, 7:18 PM CT |
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| Manny Parra earned the start for Milwaukee today and allowed just two singles with four strikeouts in three innings of scoreless work as the Brewers cruised to a 12-6 win over Texas in spring training today, according to the Associated Press. Parra is fighting for a spot in the stating rotation and today's performance shows he could be their man. |
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| Michael Bourn went 0-for-3 with a walk leading off for the Astros on Wednesday. Bourn is now 5-for-18 (.278) so far this spring with two runs scored in six games as he tries to prove to the team that he is capable of filling the team's leadoff role on an everyday basis. Capable of 50 steals, Bourn figures to offer little in terms of fantasy production other than his wheels as his power is almost non-existent. |
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| Felix Pie, CF, Chicago Cubs | Wednesday 3/5, 6:54 PM CT |
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| Centerfield hopeful Felix Pie was a depressing 0-for-4 with two strikeouts against Arizona in the Cubs' 4-5 loss in Cactus League action today, according to the Associated Press. Pie is battling with Sam Fuld for the starting job in center. Today's performance did little to help his cause. |
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| Cristian Guzman went 2-for-4 with a run scored on Wednesday as he attempts to recapture a starting spot with the Nationals a year after being limited to just 174 AB due to injury. With Ronnie Belliard at second and Felipe Lopez at SS it appears that Guzman will be the team's backup middle infielder, though they are paying him an awful lot of money to fill that role. |
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| Arizona RHP Juan Gutierrez made the start today for the Diamonbacks, throwing two perfect innings with three strikeouts, according to the Associated Press. Added as one of three players gained from Houston via trade in exchange for Jose Valverde, Gutierrez is viewed as a work in progress and is not expected to make the MLB roster, but today's outing is worthy of note. |
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| Brian Barton, LF, St. Louis Cardinals | Wednesday 3/5, 6:44 PM CT |
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| Brian Barton, hoping to force his way onto the roster with a big spring, had a huge game on Wednesday as he went 4-for-5 with a HR. Ryan Ludwick, battling Barton for a reserve role, also had a nice day with three hits and a HR. The Cardinals will go with Rick Ankiel and Chris Duncan in the OF, but after that it's a battle between Barton, Ludwick and Colby Rasmus for the third starting spot. |
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| Carlos Zambrano threw three innings of scoreless ball for the Cubs in a 4-5 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks, according to the Associated Press. Zambrano allowed just one hit, struck out three, and hit a homer of his own to cap an impressive spring training performance. |
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| John Lannan, P, Washington Nationals | Wednesday 3/5, 6:40 PM CT |
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| John Lannan had his second straight strong start on Wednesday as he hurled three scoreless innings for the Nationals. Lannan, who was the Nationals Minor League Pitcher of the Year in 2007, went 2-2 last season with a 4.15 ERA in six starts for the big league club. With the uncertainty in the team's starting rotation, especially with the health of Shawn Hill, there is an outside chance that Lannan could grab a starting gig. |
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| Moises Alou, LF, New York Mets | Wednesday 3/5, 6:35 PM CT |
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| Moises Alou will miss the start of the season for the Mets after it was learned he will need to have surgery on his groin, this according to the AP. Alou will have the surgery on Thursday and likely be sidelined for 4-6 weeks. Still a tremendous hitter, Alou usually waits until the start of the year before getting hurt, so even for him this is a bit early to be out of the lineup. With Ryan Church also dealing with the effects of a concussion, the Mets OF is suddenly very thin with Angel Pagan, Endy Chavez and Marlon Anderson now being in a position to possibly have to cover some substantial at-bats. |
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| Runelvys Hernandez allowed one run and four hits in 2.1 innings of work on Wednesday for the Astros. Hernandez is trying to prove he belongs at the major league level a year after he was one of the worst pitchers in baseball (6.48 ERA, 1.76 WHIP). With a solid spring he could make the bullpen, but even then, he is best left on waivers. |
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| Edinson Volquez was the winning pitcher for the Reds on Wednesday as he allowed four hits and one walk in 2.1 innings. Though he allowed too many baserunners, he didn't allow the Red Sox to push any runs across the plate. Volquez is in a heated battle for the Reds fifth rotation spot, so the fact that he was able to work around the baserunners he allowed today has to be seen in a very positive light with the Reds brass. |
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| Homer Bailey, trying to prove he belongs in the team's rotation this year, allowed two runs and five hits in three innings on Wednesday. “He had a good breaking ball,” Reds manager Dusty Baker said in a report on the AP. “He had good mound presence. He gets better every time out. That’s what you want to see, the progression.” Bailey, who has one of the top arms in baseball, will more than likely start the year in the team's rotation. The hope is that Dusty Baker won't overwork Bailey as he did with Mark Prior however. |
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| Dmitri Young, 1B, Washington Nationals | Wednesday 3/5, 4:21 PM CT |
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| Dmitri Young has overcome many issues in the past with the most recent speed bump being diabetes, this according to ESPN. Because of the illness, Young came to camp tipping the scales at a whale-like 298 pounds, but at least there seems to be a medical explanation for it. Young will have to monitor the condition for the rest of his life, but since he was diagnosed in 2006 he has gone out and proven that he can overcome it and hit the heck out of the ball (.320-13-74 last year). |
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| Jeff Kent, 2B, Los Angeles Dodgers | Wednesday 3/5, 4:05 PM CT |
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| Jeff Kent injured his left hamstring prior to Wednesday's game. He is slated to miss a week, the Los Angeles Daily News reports. |
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| Rick Vanden Hurk worked three scoreless innings against the Orioles on Wednesday. He allowed one hit, walked none, and struck out one. The right-hander then worked another inning in the bullpen. “Just to extend a little bit, try to get my arm ready for more innings,” Vanden Hurk explains to the AP. “Try to build it up so next outing I can go longer.” He is fighting for a rotation spot. |
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| Randy Wolf, P, San Diego Padres | Wednesday 3/5, 3:52 PM CT |
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| For the second time in as many starts, Randy Wolf failed to make it out of the first inning. The Padres southpaw recorded only two outs on Wednesday. He allowed three hits and four runs and walked two. "Spring training is the height of my frustration," Wolf tells the San Diego Union-Tribune. We were on board with Wolf as a minor sleeper until these two starts. He still has plenty of time to shape up for the season. |
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| Justin Upton, RF, Arizona Diamondbacks | Wednesday 3/5, 3:34 PM CT |
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| Justin Upton hit a long home run on Tuesday, and people were still talking about it on Wednesday. “That’s the hardest hit ball I’ve seen in a long time," a scout told the Arizona Republic. "It just kept rising. I saw him do the same thing last year during batting practice." |
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| Stephen Drew, SS, Arizona Diamondbacks | Wednesday 3/5, 3:31 PM CT |
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| Stephen Drew did not play on Wednesday due to the flu, the Arizona Republic reports. |
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| Jason Hirsh, P, Colorado Rockies | Wednesday 3/5, 2:18 PM CT |
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| Jason Hirsh will not make his scheduled start on Wednesday due to a sore right shoulder. "My shoulder's just a little sore, but it's not a big deal," Hirsh tells the Denver Post. "It's just a normal part of spring training. At this stage of camp, we are just erring on the side of caution." |
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| Jair Jurrjens blanked the Indians for three innings on Wednesday. He allowed no hits and no runs, walked none, and struck out two. It's a nice outing for a guy competing for the No. 5 spot in the rotation. |
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| Rafael Furcal will be back in the lineup on Thursday, the AP confirms. He left Monday's game due to hamstring soreness. |
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| Hong-Chih Kuo was scratched from his Wednesday start due to a sore left elbow. It's the same joint that required surgery to remove bone chips in July. “I just felt a little sore,” Kuo tells the AP. “I feel better. I’m just taking a couple days off and I’ll be ready to go.” He will not undergo an X-ray or MRI. |
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| Brett Myers, P, Philadelphia Phillies | Wednesday 3/5, 1:33 PM CT |
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| Brett Myers worked four scoreless innings in his spring debut on Wednesday. He held the Blue Jays to three hits, walked none, and struck out one. It's good to see him stretch it out a little after spending most of 2007 in the bullpen. |
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| Brad Lidge, P, Philadelphia Phillies | Wednesday 3/5, 1:29 PM CT |
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| Brad Lidge is hoping to throw off a mound by Monday and get into a game by March 17. He is recovering from right knee surgery. "Obviously, everything has to keep going right like it has gone so far," Lidge tells the Philadelphia Inquirer. "But if it does, I'm still assuming and being optimistic about the start of the season." |
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| Matt Capps, P, Pittsburgh Pirates | Wednesday 3/5, 1:13 PM CT |
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| The Pirates had been in discussions with Matt Capps about a long-term deal, but those talks have faded, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports. "I'm not worried about it," Capps says. "I'll just keep working hard and pitching well, and things will take care of themselves. I don't get the idea that any doors are closed." The closer will receive a standard one-year contract soon. |
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| Ian Snell, P, Pittsburgh Pirates | Wednesday 3/5, 1:11 PM CT |
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| The Pirates and Ian Snell are in talks regarding a long-term contract. "I'd love to be part of this team for a long time," Snell tells the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "I'd love to see it get done." The two sides may try to hammer out a deal before Tuesday, when the club can unilaterally sign Snell for the 2008 season. |
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| Rafael Soriano is dealing with a sore elbow, but general manager Frank Wren tells the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he is not concerned. The closer could take the mound in a "couple of days," according to skipper Bobby Cox. Wren says the soreness is a typical spring injury. |
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| Kris Benson, P, Philadelphia Phillies | Wednesday 3/5, 12:48 PM CT |
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| Kris Benson is ready for his first spring outing. The right-hander will work a minor league game on Saturday, MLB.com reports. He missed the entire 2007 season due to right rotator cuff surgery. "It's going to be fun," Benson says. "It'll be one step closer to putting me in good position for March." The pitcher was later informed that it is already March. |
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| Moises Alou, LF, New York Mets | Wednesday 3/5, 12:40 PM CT |
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| Moises Alou is having issues with his right groin and has been sent back to New York for testing, Newsday reports. He began having problems during Monday's game. We'll update his status when more is known. |
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| The Nationals reassigned 16 players to minor league camp on Wednesday. The two biggest names are Ross Detwiler and Mike Bacsik, the AP reports. Detwiler will likely open the season at Double-A and try to make it to the bigs by the end of the year. |
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| Austin Kearns, RF, Washington Nationals | Wednesday 3/5, 10:39 AM CT |
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| The Nationals players and coaches are excited about their new ballpark, and the hitters are especially pleased with the fences, which are shorter than in RFK Stadium. "If it's really 10 to 20 feet closer in some places, that's a whole lot," Austin Kearns tells the Washington Post. "Only two guys hit opposite-field home runs to right field in RFK last year: Ryan Braun and (Ryan) Zimmerman... In RFK, you'd kill one to the opposite field, it'd be caught." The power alleys at the Nationals Park read 377 and 370 feet. |
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| J.R. Towles, C, Houston Astros | Wednesday 3/5, 10:34 AM CT |
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| J.R. Towles has a monster day at the plate on Tuesday. He went 3-3 with a homer, two doubles, three runs, and four RBI in a spring win over the Tigers. The rookie is slated to start most of the games for the Astros this year and is a good bet to be a solid No. 2 fantasy catcher. |
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| Noah Lowry, P, San Francisco Giants | Wednesday 3/5, 10:26 AM CT |
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| Noah Lowry is dealing with tendinitis in his left wrist and was sent back to San Francisco to see a hand specialist. "At this level you have to be right physically. Right now it’s not," Lowry tells the AP. The southpaw has been ridiculously wild through two spring outings. |
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| Doug Slaten, P, Arizona Diamondbacks | Wednesday 3/5, 10:15 AM CT |
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| Doug Slaten threw 30 pitches to live hitters on Tuesday and could get into a game next week. He is recovering from knee surgery. "As far as his arm goes, man, we're probably a couple outings away from him actually going out and pitching an inning," manager Bob Melvin tells the Arizona Republic. |
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| Randy Johnson tossed 36 pitches in a simulated batting practice session on Tuesday. "He's very encouraged," manager Bob Melvin tells the Arizona Republic. "His back, knock wood, hasn't given him any problems. It's free and easy." Johnson will throw a side session on Saturday and may get into a game next week. Both the team and Johnson agree that his starts and innings may be limited in 2008, and the paper notes 22-to-25 starts as a range. |
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| Carlos Delgado will work out with the team on Wednesday morning and could take some swings in the cage later in the day, the Newark Star-Ledger reports. Delgado has been dealing with a hip impingement. |
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| Bob Howry admitted on Tuesday that Carlos Marmol may be a bit ahead of Kerry Wood and him. "He pitched all winter and is probably a little ahead as far as a feel for everything. There hasn't been that long of a layoff for him," Howry tells the Chicago Tribune. The closer race remains an open competition, and it sounds like Howry is already coming up with excuses. |
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