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| Kiko Calero pitched off the mound for the first time this spring on Friday, this according to the team website. The right-handed reliever has been nursing a non-surgically repaired rotator cuff injury in his right shoulder and has been brought along slowly this spring. |
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| According to the A's team website, Daric Barton's injured left hand was examined by a local orthopedic specialist on Thursday and the ailment was believed to be serious. A day later Oakland manager Bob Geren reported Barton's hand is probably not as serious as first thought.
"He went to a doctor yesterday, and he's day-to-day," Geren said. "He's not hitting today, but hopefully he'll be hitting in a couple of days. If he's day-to-day, he's all right. I'm not concerned."
Barton missed his sixth consecutive game on Friday and is not projected to be back in the lineup again this weekend. |
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| Randy Winn, RF, San Francisco Giants | Friday 3/7, 11:23 PM CT |
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| Randy Winn fouled a pitch off his left knee in the third inning of Friday's win over the Oakland A's, this according to the team website. The foul ball caused a contusion that probably will sideline him for at least two days.
Winn was concerned that the injury could be just as bad as the one he suffered in 2006, and after the game talked to the media. "I'm hoping it's not the same (2006 injury)," Winn said. San Fran fantasy personnel are drawing little attention this March. Winn's value rests in NL-only formats. |
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| Recovered from his strained left quadriceps, according to the Giants team website, catcher Bengie Molina played four innings in his first Cactus League game. The report noted that the Giants' starting lineup on Friday resembled what might be the team's Opening Day contingent. Molina continues to get little support from the fantasy community. After playing in 134 games in '07, registering the second most home runs among catchers behind only John Buck of KC, the San Fran backstop is currently the 11th catcher list according to Mock Draft Centrals mixed league ADP chart. |
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| Mark Prior, P, San Diego Padres | Friday 3/7, 10:44 PM CT |
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| Mark Prior threw again on Friday, picking up the intensity on his pitch speed and count, which has now grown to about 50. "He's passing every test," skipper Bud Black told the team website. Prior is not expected to be on the active roster before May. What role he fills at that point is a complete mystery. |
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| Brian Giles, RF, San Diego Padres | Friday 3/7, 10:41 PM CT |
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| Brian Giles is expected to test his surgically repaired knee in a Minor League game on March 14, this according to the team website. Giles could be used as a pinch-hitter when the Padres face the Rockies in Tucson on March 16, and slowly be worked into the outfield rotation in the final week of spring training. |
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| Cubs rookie outfielder Kosuke Fukudome was 1-for-3 with a double and scored a run for the Cubs in a 6-4 win Friday over Ichiro's Seattle Mariners. Ichiro Suzuki would love to see a line of 1-for-3 at this point in the exhibition schedule, as the two time batting champ is 0-for-10 so far this spring. It's only spring, but those using a late first or second round pick on Ichiro, and others spending $30-$40 dollars for his services, would like to see him break out of his current funk. |
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| Chris Capuano 's performance against the Rangers on Friday make skipper Ned Yost lift his arm and pinched his nose between his fingers, this according to the team website.
Yost told the media on Friday it's getting to the time when Capuano and right-hander Dave Bush need to act like they are in a fight for a starting spot in the rotation.
Bush surrendered five runs, only three of them earned, in three innings of work against the Rangers on Wednesday in an outing that included a four-run inning. Capuano surrendered six runs in third inning alone on Friday vs. the Rangers. At one point six straight batters reached safely including Texas outfielder Josh Hamilton, who hit a grand slam.
"Their next outings are going to be important," Yost said. "We need to see them starting to get back into what they naturally do best." At this point neither pitcher is worthy of anything more than reserve status in NL-only formats. |
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| The strained calf Jim Edmonds sustained during Thursday's game will result in the Padres' center fielder missing at least two to three weeks, if not longer, this according to MLB.com. Scott Hairston figures to get plenty of looks in center field while Edmonds is sidelined. |
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| Chad Billingsley gave up five hits on Friday in Vero Beach including a third homer to D'Angelo Jimenez in the third inning. The Dodgers right-hander struck out four and walked one in the loss.
"He was fine," Torre said. "The wind blew a couple of them out of the ballpark. There's not a lot you can do about that. He got the ball down. I thought he used all his pitches, got his work in, which is the most important thing." Billingsly's current ADP is the late 11th or early 12th round in mixed formats. |
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| Albert Pujols hit his second home run in as many days Friday as the Cardinals defeated the Dodgers 6-4 in Vera Beach, Florida. Pujols' spring totals shouldn't influence owners debating his fantasy value, but it will, and his consecutive home run outings on Thursday and Friday will assist owners still trying to justify his fantasy worth. |
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| Nomar Garciaparra homered for Los Angeles on Friday, the same day he learned he was no longer in a positional battle. Andy LaRoche and Garciaparra were fighting for playing time at third base but LaRoche tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his right thumb during action on Friday and will miss 8-10 weeks. Garciaparra's fantasy value spikes in NL-only formats with the injury to LaRoche. |
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| Andruw Jones took advantage of the strong winds in Vero Beach, Fla on Friday to hit his first homer for the Dodgers. Jones has begun taking off some of the extra weight he reported with in his first season with the Los Angeles and is down 10 pounds from the 240 he reported with in late February.
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| Brandon McCarthy won't be ready for the start of the Rangers regular season, at least it's looking that way, according to MLB.com. The possibility of Luis Mendoza being called up to replace McCarthy is becoming likely.
McCarthy, who was making his first Cactus League appearance of the spring, had to cut short his outing against the Brewers on Friday with more pain in his right elbow/forearm area. McCarthy was supposed to go two innings and 30 pitches, but was pulled after one inning and 19 pitches. The coaching staff pulled the right-hander when McCarthy experienced pain in his elbow.
"It happened on the third curve ball I tried to throw," McCarthy said. "I felt good out there. My fastball was alive and my curve ball was good. Everything felt good mechanically and it just flared up on me."
McCarthy has been bothered by pain and inflammation in the elbow/forearm area for the past three weeks and will be shut down and likely placed on the disabled list to begin the season. |
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| With the wind gusting up to 25 mph out to left field Friday in Sarasota, the Pirates banged out 14 hits and beat the Cincinnati Reds, 13-8. According to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, in the first inning of the Reds loss, Brandon Phillips rode the strong breeze for a three-run homer. "It was 3-2 (count), so I might as well have told him what was coming," Van Benschoten said. "The wind helped." Phillips is one of the Big Three when fantasy owners speak of the best second baseman in mixed formats.
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| John Van Benschoten took the pill to the hill on Friday and didn't have successful lines. The right-hander gave up four runs on five hits over three innings of work. Van Benschoten walked three and struck out two and outside of deep NL-only formats has little fantasy value. |
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| Hank Conger, C, Los Angeles Angels | Friday 3/7, 8:13 PM CT |
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| The Angels reassigned catcher Hank Conger to their Minor League camp on Friday, this according to the team website. Conger will spend the season on the farm and has no current long-term fantasy value. |
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| Lance Broadway had a headache inducing outing on Friday as he surrendered six hits and six runs (five earned) on only two innings of work. Broadway is clearly not ready to challenge for a spot in the White Sox rotation. |
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| Jermaine Dye blasted his second home run of the spring on Friday, off former team-mate Jon Garland. The reliable Dye is off to a favorable start. |
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| Glen Perkins bounced back from a slow start nicely as he only surrendered two hits over three innings of work on Friday, with three strikeouts. Perkins had a 3.14 ERA over 28.2 innings of work in 2007. |
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| Carlos Gomez put his speed on display on Friday as he registered a single and a run scoring triple, while also picking up his third stolen base of the spring. He was part of the Santana deal, and is paying off well for the Twins early on. |
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| A.J. Burnett stumbled out of the gate for the Blue Jays but finished up strong as he allowed only one run on four hits over three innings. He is still dealing with a right index fingernail issue which limits his curveball but his changeup was still strong as his featured pitch. |
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| Alex Rios, RF, Toronto Blue Jays | Friday 3/7, 7:05 PM CT |
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| Alex Rios had another tough outing at the plate on Friday as he struck out once in two at-bats. He now only has two hits on 15 at-bats this spring. |
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| Adam Lind, LF, Toronto Blue Jays | Friday 3/7, 6:59 PM CT |
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| Adam Lind went 3-for-4 on Friday. He will need to continue to perform well as he fights for playing time in a solid Blue Jays outfield. |
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| Chris Young tossed three scoreless innings on Friday, with three strikeouts and one walk. Young is seemingly on his way to a solid season. |
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| Andy LaRoche has torn the ulnar collateral ligament in his right thumb during action on Friday and will miss 8-10 weeks, according to the LA Daily News. Nomar Garciaparra will likely move up on fantasy draft boards for now. |
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| Scott Hairston had a strong day at the plate on Friday as he notched two hits and three RBI, while registering his first home run of the season on the first pitch of the game. He notably broke a 2-for-10 skid to start the spring. |
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| Yunel Escobar led the Braves with two hits on Friday, and continues to perform well at the plate. He now has 12 hits in 22 at-bats. |
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| Brian McCann went hitless on two at-bats on Friday, with one strikeout. He headed into the game with only one hit on 13 at-bats. |
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| Ivan Rodriguez went a perfect 3-for-3 on Friday, with two RBI. He should remain a steady performer for the Tigers this season. |
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| Edgar Gonzalez had another strong showing on Friday as he pitched three scoreless innings with a pair of strikeouts against the White Sox. Gonzalez has not allowed a run in five innings of work this spring. |
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| Jesus Merchan went 3-for-4 at the plate on Friday and knocked in four of the Diamondbacks' 10 runs against the White Sox. He now has six RBI on the spring. |
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| Brian Anderson had his streak snapped of reaching base safely in eight straight games in a blowout loss (10-0) to the Diamondbacks on Friday. Anderson has been performing well and taking advantage of injuries to outfielders Jerry Owens and Carlos Quentin. |
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| Young pro Brandon Moss went 3-for-4 and picked up his third RBI of the spring on Friday in a 12-2 loss to Baltimore. Moss should continue to push for at bats and many anticipate him having a bright future in Boston. |
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| Aubrey Huff, DH, Baltimore Orioles | Friday 3/7, 4:44 PM CT |
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| Aubrey Huff had a good outing on Friday as he blasted a two run homer as the Orioles hammered the Red Sox 12-2. Huff notably hit .280 during his first season with Baltimore in 2007 and is recovering from off-season surgery. |
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| Mariano Rivera returned to action on Friday and pitched very well as he went one inning and retired the side on a mere eight pitches, according to MLB.com. |
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| Red Sox manager Terry Francona said this morning that Daisuke Matsuzaka is expected to travel to Japan for their opening games, assuming his wife has no complications with her pregnancy, according to the Boston Globe. It's not clear if she will be induced, but the Sox had been concerned that he might not be able to make the trip, so this is great news. |
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| As expected, the O's sent Matt Wieters to their minor league camp on Friday, according to the Baltimore Sun. "Tools, good work ethic, demeanor. Like I said, and I told him today, he looked like he'd been here before," manager Dave Trembley said. "He's receptive. Looked like a baseball player." The fifth overall pick in last year's draft is slated to begin the season with Single-A Frederick. |
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| Adam Jones, CF, Baltimore Orioles | Friday 3/7, 3:09 PM CT |
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| Adam Jones sat out of Friday's preseason game due to his stiff back, according to the Baltimore Sun. "They told me he could play today but I'm going to hold him," manager Dave Trembley said. Jones left Thursday's game due to the ailment, but it sounds like he could be back in the mix over the weekend. |
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| Freddie Bynum received bad news when an MRI revealed that he has a slight tear in the meniscus in his right knee, according to the Baltimore Sun. However, he was able to run, hit and throw on Friday. "I'm trying to test it right now to see where I'm at," said Bynum. "Today was my first day doing anything. I'm still clueless. I don't know how it's going to feel tomorrow, so I just have to wait and see." He's hoping to avoid surgery, which would cost him a few weeks and a shot at competing to win the starting shortstop job or a utility role. |
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| As expected, Francisco Liriano made his spring exhibition debut on Friday. He allowed a walk and two hits over 1 2/3 innings in his first action against major league opponents since September 2006. He's still expected to be ready to go at the start of the season, though he'll be on a pitch count of about 80-100 each game. |
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| Aaron Cook, P, Colorado Rockies | Friday 3/7, 2:36 PM CT |
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| Aaron Cook was scratched from his scheduled start on Friday, according to MLB.com. "He's got inflammation in his right shoulder," a team spokesman said Friday, calling Cook "day-to-day." They claim that holding him out was a precautionary move, in which case, he should be back on the mound soon. We'll have more updates as they come in. |
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| Wilkin Ramirez injured his left shoulder while diving for a line drive during Friday's exhibition game, according to MLB.com. There wasn't an immediate diagnosis regarding the severity of the injury. The prospect has had injury issues in the past, so let's hope this is minor. Ramirez wasn't going to make the Tigers roster this spring, regardless. |
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| Rafael Soriano reported minimal pain in his elbow after throwing a bullpen session on Friday, according to SportsTicker. "My elbow feels better today than yesterday," he said. "Yesterday all I did was play catch. Today it was just a little bit sore, but not the same." Soriano had rested his elbow by just playing long-toss this week, so this was an important step. Now let's see if he and his troublesome elbow can stay on the mound for a while. |
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| The Yankees scratched Jorge Posada from Friday's exhibition game due to a sore lat, according to the AP. "Everything is fine hitting," Posada said. "I threw today and didn’t feel it. I didn’t push it, obviously, so it’s just day to day." Posada will be available to DH this weekend and could be back behind the plate by Monday. |
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| A sore shoulder will limit Alex Rodriguez to DH duties until early next week, according to the AP. "Just a little bit," Rodriguez said. "I certainly wouldn’t miss a game during the regular season, or have to DH. But I think right now, it’s just being smart." No problem with being smart in early March. A-Rod was in the lineup Friday as the DH, so it really doesn't appear to be any concern. |
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| The strained calf Jim Edmonds sustained during Thursday's game is serious enough that the Padres sent him to get an MRI on Friday, according to SportsTicker. "I worry that it’s worse than it appears," Padres manager Bud Black said Friday morning. "But you don’t know. We don’t know much as of right now." This doesn't sound too promising, but we should have a better idea of his status once the MRI results are released. |
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| Mike Hampton was unable to complete his outing against the Tigers on Friday due to a strained groin, according to SportsTicker. Hampton missed all of last season following Tommy John surgery, so hopefully this ailment won't keep him off the mound for long. At this point, the Braves dubbed it a mild strain and list him as day-to-day. |
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| Richard Durrett of the Dallas Morning News thinks that Gerald Laird has the inside track in the competition for the starting job at catcher in Texas. Laird is battling young Jarrod Saltalamacchia for playing time, and if Salty loses out, he'll begin the year at Triple-A. That's not what his fantasy owners want to hear, because Salty definitely has much more upside than Laird. |
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| Troy Patton, P, Baltimore Orioles | Friday 3/7, 10:17 AM CT |
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| Troy Patton has been diagnosed with a torn labrum in his left shoulder and will require season-ending surgery, according to the Baltimore Sun. "It's kind of disappointing to miss the season, but I'm kind of anxious to get it over with and hopefully feel better and pitch better next season, have a little bit more velocity than I've been pitching with and I'm looking forward to feeling good throwing a baseball," he said. The surgery likely will be performed next week, but you can yank Patton off of your draft sheets for this season. |
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| Johnny Estrada received a cortisone shot in his right elbow on Thursday, according to the Washington Post. "I can't do anything, just run," Estrada said. "It stinks." He's working his way back from surgery on the elbow and his knee, which appears to be fine. Whether Estrada will be available when the season begins is entirely uncertain right now. |
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| Padres manager Bud Black said that Jim Edmonds will skip at least two games due to the calf injury that forced him out of Thursday's contest, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. With his history of injuries, it may actually be a while longer before we see Edmonds back in the mix. |
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| Lou Palmisano underwent an MRI Wednesday to determine if he has a torn meniscus in his left knee, according to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. If he requires surgery, it'll cost the prospect about three to four months of action. |
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| Adam Eaton, P, Philadelphia Phillies | Friday 3/7, 9:38 AM CT |
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| After being pulled from Thursday's game after two innings due to back pain, Adam Eaton admitted that he's had two sets of X-rays taken on his back over the past two weeks, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. "I'm still an optimist," Eaton said, "so I'd still like to go out there in the next 5 days and go out there and be healthy and ready to go. But at the same time, I'm not going to do what I did last year and go out there and pitch hurt and hurt the team." Doctors were looking for stress fractures in the vertebrae of his back but apparently didn't find any. It sounds like they may shut him down for a while to rest up. |
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| The Mets have expressed interest in acquiring Marcus Thames from the Tigers, according to the Detroit Free Press. The trouble is that manager Jim Leyland is attached to Thames, which may make a deal unlikely anytime soon. The Mets could offer up Joe Smith, Jorge Sosa or Matt Wise to help shore up the Tigers bullpen. |
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| Ryan Church hopes to return to exhibition action on Saturday, according to the New York Daily News. That may be wishful thinking, as he awoke Thursday with dizziness, though he felt fine later in the day after taking medication. Church will have to be free of concussion symptoms for two consecutive days before receiving medical clearance to play. |
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| Duaner Sanchez expects to return to game action on Saturday or Sunday, but manager Willie Randolph wouldn't commit to Sanchez being ready for opening day, according to the New York Daily News. "It's step-by-step. I don't want to say yes. I don't want to say no." He's working his way back from shoulder surgery and hasn't pitched since last Friday due to tightness in the back of the joint. We'll have to see if he can pitch this weekend without a setback before speculating on his status for the regular season. |
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| Not only was Jason Hirsh held out of Wednesday's game due to a sore right shoulder, but he won't take part in Sunday's game, either, according to the Denver Post. While the Rockies say they're being cautious, it's possible that Hirsh won't be ready for the start of the regular season. |
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| Manager Eric Wedge is concerned that Asdrubal Cabrera could get overwhelmed in his first full big league campaign, so he's considering dropping Cabrera down to the bottom of the batting order to remove some of the pressure, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer. "We've talked about moving Asdrubal to the bottom of the order to protect him," Wedge said. "I still think he'll end up being a two-hole hitter. He might be that coming out of spring training." Upon being called up in August, Cabrera took over the No. 2 spot in the order and ran with it, so it's safe to expect him to end up there sooner or later. If Wedge does bump Cabrera down in the batting order early on, David Dellucci, Jason Michaels and Franklin Gutierrez would get a look at the batting second. |
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| David Ross, C, Boston Red Sox | Friday 3/7, 8:28 AM CT |
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| David Ross is expected to miss at least another three or four days due to his back spasms, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer. "He's making progress," manager Dusty Baker said. "But it's two steps forward, one step back. They're trying to eliminate and alleviate it altogether. (Back problems) are tough when you're trying to swing and catch." While the Reds say they're just being cautious to keep this from lingering into the regular season, Ross already has missed nine days because of the ailment, so it's clearly become somewhat of a concern. |
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| Julio Lugo, SS, Boston Red Sox | Friday 3/7, 8:23 AM CT |
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| Julio Lugo is expected to return to exhibition action on Friday, according to the Boston Herald. "If this was the regular season, I’d be playing," Lugo said. He's just dealing with a minor back ailment that should have no effect on his fantasy draft or auction values. |
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| Tony Abreu, 3B, Los Angeles Dodgers | Friday 3/7, 8:04 AM CT |
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| Tony Abreu is slated to make his spring exhibition debut Friday or Saturday, according to the LA Times. He has yet to play this spring, because he's been slowed by pain in his surgically repaired abdomen. Abreu is slated to back up Jeff Kent, who is dealing with a strained hamstring, so it's good timing if Abreu can get on the field and prove to be healthy. |
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| Jeff Kent, 2B, Los Angeles Dodgers | Friday 3/7, 7:58 AM CT |
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| Jeff Kent said his strained hamstring is mild enough that he expects to take batting practice Friday and likely would play in Friday's exhibition game it were a regular-season contest, according to the LA Times. "Because I've got time, I can take time," he said. Kent turns 40 today, so any little hitch in his physical status is going to be a cause for concern. At this point, he plans to skip a week of exhibition games and play it safely. |
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| Scot Shields has been dealing with a sore shoulder this spring and is not expected to take part in an exhibition game until next week, according to the LA Times. Shields has worked more innings than any other reliever in baseball over the past four seasons, but neither Shields nor manager Mike Scioscia believe that's why Shields faded late last season. "He maintained his velocity," Scioscia said. "He maintained the crispness of his breaking ball. I don't think it was workload-related. I think it was more of a rhythm and mechanical issue. He's got a complicated delivery." Let's hope they're right and that Shields can return to form as one of the top non-closing relievers in fantasy. |
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| Javier Vazquez will miss his scheduled start on Friday due to the birth of his child, according to the Chicago Tribune. "Javy threw in Puerto Rico," manager Ozzie Guillen said. "A one-game setback is not going to affect (him)." Guillen's right, it's far too early in the spring for this to have any effect on his regular-season or fantasy value. He'll be back in the mix next week. |
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| On Wednesday, Danny Richar aggravated the back injury that bothered him while playing winter ball in the Dominican League, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. "He's got this back problem, and this was a guy that was already behind," manager Ozzie Guillen said. "We'll see. Hopefully he can bounce back and not fall too far behind." As Guillen pointed out, Richar had fallen behind in the competition for second base because he arrived late to camp due to visa promblems. At this point, Juan Uribe is the leading candidate to start at second, so Richar has his work cut out for him, even if his back injury doesn't linger. |
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| Doug Slaten, P, Arizona Diamondbacks | Friday 3/7, 7:26 AM CT |
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| Doug Slaten said he expects to toss two more bullpen sessions and another batting practice before beginning Cactus League play, according to the Arizona Republic. He'll also need to receive medical clearance before taking part in pitchers' fielding practice, but it sounds like he might be able to test his surgically repaired knee out in game action sometime next week. |
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| Dan Haren, P, Arizona Diamondbacks | Friday 3/7, 7:22 AM CT |
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| Dan Haren mostly threw sinking fastballs and splitters after joining the A's, but he's been working on elevating his fastballs this spring with the Diamondbacks, according to the Arizona Republic. "Going up in the zone, elevating, especially after throwing a few down there, can be useful," he said. "Changing their eye level . . . if they swing at it or not," he said, "just to change it and then maybe go back to the split or breaking ball from there, just change it up a bit." You have to love a 15-game winner, who carried a 3.07 ERA and 1.21 WHIP last season, who wants to keep improving his game. |
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| Peter Moylan was scratched from Thursday's exhibition game due to some soreness in his elbow, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "He's just a little tender," said manager Frank Wren. It sounds like Moylan might be able to pitch on Friday, in which case this obviously would just be a minor ailment. |
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