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| Jake Westbrook went the distance for the Indians Tuesday, allowing three runs on seven hits while striking out four over nine innings. Travis Hafner gave the Tribe the lead in the top of the inning with a two-run jack, and Westbrook shut the door in the bottom of the frame. He needed just 94 pitches in the complete game effort. Westbrook had a phenomenal spring, and that's carried over into the regular season, as he has a 2.76 ERA after two starts. |
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| The Angels are missing K-Rod already. With their closer sidelined for the next few days with an ankle injury, the Halos turned to Justin Speier, who served up a two-run homer to Travis Hafner in the ninth inning of a 4-3 loss. We're betting Scot Shields will get the next save opportunity. |
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| The Rays are likely to recall Jeff Niemann from Triple-A Durham Sunday to start in place of the injured Matt Garza, according to the Tampa Tribune. Niemann holds a 3.27 ERA in two starts for Durham this year. He would be worth a gamble in AL-only leagues. |
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| The Rays recalled Jae Kuk Ryu from Triple-A Durham Tuesday to replace the injured Matt Garza on the roster. He will be used out of the bullpen the rest of this week but is likely to be sent back down on Sunday, at which point the Rays are expected to recall Jeff Niemann to make a start. |
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| Matt Garza, P, Tampa Bay Rays | Tuesday 4/8, 11:34 PM CT |
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| The Rays placed Matt Garza on the DL after Tuesday's game with a radial nerve irritation, which is a problem near the triceps, according to the Tampa Tribune. Garza has had the ailment before but has always been able to pitch through it. “I’ve usually been able to get through it, just kind of pitch through it and wear the pain and get it right after the game and get my work in,” he said. “This time it was just real bad – I knew something was up.” The Rays recalled Jae Kuk Ryu from Triple-A Durham. Ryu will be used out of the bullpen the next few days, and Jeff Niemann is expected to be recalled to make the start on Sunday in Garza's place. |
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| The velocity on Joe Borowski's fastball was clocked around 85 MPH Monday when he gave up a grand slam to Torii Hunter. The Indians aren't worried yet, but they are exploring the possibility that Borowski may be hurt. "We'll see how he feels [Tuesday] and go from there," manager Eric Wedge said on MLB.com. "There's nothing that says he isn't [healthy]. We'll see after he plays catch." Borowski is probably unavailable tonight after pitching two straight days, and Rafael Betancourt is definitely unavailable after pitching three straight days, so if the Indians need someone to close they'll likely turn to Jensen Lewis or Rafael Perez. We'll keep you posted on how Borowski is feeling. |
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| Howie Kendrick didn't start Wednesday, but X-rays on his injured right thumb were negative, and the second baseman expects to be back in the lineup soon, according to MLB.com. He was hit by a Fausto Carmona pitch Monday and was removed from the game. "I didn't think anything was broken when it happened," Kendrick said. "I could still move it. There's a tendon or nerve that runs across the hand there at the thumb, and it started to swell up. Maybe I popped a blood vessel. I'll see how it feels and try to get back out there when I can. I don't want to miss much time the way things are going." Kendrick missed five weeks last year after getting hit by a pitch on the left hand, so his owners probably automatically assumed the worst in this instance. It's good to know he'll be OK, though. |
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| Ryan Rowland-Smith picked up his first career save Tuesday night, pitching 1 2/3 spotless innings while registering two strikeouts. The Mariners are using a committee to replace the injured J.J. Putz, and Rowland-Smith was the beneficiary tonight. Mark Lowe, Sean Green and Eric O'Flaherty could get an opportunity, as well. |
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| Travis Buck, RF, Oakland Athletics | Tuesday 4/8, 9:30 PM CT |
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| Travis Buck finally picked up his first hit of the year Tuesday, doubling in a run in the second while also adding a single later on. He finished with a 2-for-6 night at the plate, and while Buck is still batting just .074 on the year, that's certainly better than .000. |
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| Ryan Sweeney is staking claim on the center field job for the A's. He had an RBI double as well as an RBI triple that proved to be the game-winner. Sweeney is batting a robust .438 on the year in 16 at-bats, while Chris Denorfia, who is competing with him for playing time, is hitting just .143. Sweeney should definitely receive the bulk of the playing time against righties, while Denorfia will still probably play most of the time against lefties. |
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| A.J. Burnett was shelled by the Blue Jays Tuesday, allowing six runs on 10 hits and two walks while striking out just one over 4 2/3 frames. The righty won his first outing, but obviously he wasn't as sharp this time around. He'll have a chance to redeem himself Sunday, but his matchup at Texas isn't exactly favorable. |
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| Chad Gaudin, P, Oakland Athletics | Tuesday 4/8, 9:19 PM CT |
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| Chad Gaudin struggled in his first start of the year Tuesday, giving up six runs (five earned) on eight hits and a walk while striking out three in four innings. Gaudin had been on the DL while recovering from offseason surgeries on his hip and foot. He had some fantasy value last year, but you should exercise caution with him at this point. |
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| The Angels will use a closer-by-committee until K-Rod is able to return, which should only be a few days, according to MLB.com. "We've got a couple of arms at the back end of the bullpen to close it out," manager Mike Scioscia said. "We'll do it by matchups. When it goes three, four days, we can absorb that with a 10-man staff. But we can't absorb that for too long." The best bet for saves is Scot Shields, but it appears Scioscia will mix and match. |
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| Matt Garza, P, Tampa Bay Rays | Tuesday 4/8, 9:04 PM CT |
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| The injury that forced Matt Garza out of Tuesday's game is being called radial nerve irritation, according to the Tampa Tribune. It seems likely that Garza will end up on the DL, but we'll pass along more info as it comes. Jeff Niemann is an option to replace Garza in the rotation. |
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| Jorge Posada's right shoulder injury may force him to the DL, according to MLB.com. The catcher was removed from Tuesday's game in the sixth inning after feeling a recurrence of the stiffness in the shoulder that has plagued him recently. He'll have an MRI Wednesday. When asked how the shoulder feels, Posada responded: "Dead. It's like I've got no strength." The Royals stole four bases Tuesday off Posada, and manager Joe Girardi acknowledged that having Posada behind the plate would now be a weakness. Journeyman Chad Moeller is at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and would likely get called up should Posada need a DL stint. It sounds pretty likely that may be the route the Yankees take. We'll keep you posted. |
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| J.J. Putz, P, Seattle Mariners | Tuesday 4/8, 8:02 PM CT |
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| J.J. Putz will play catch on Wednesday, his first baseball-related activity since suffering a rib injury, according to MLB.com. "We'll start his throwing program tomorrow and, hopefully, progress on a daily basis," Seattle trainer Rick Griffin said. "We'll see how he feels the next day based on what he did. If he comes in and feels great, we'll progress the work. If doesn't feel great, then we'll have to back it off." It's too soon to say when the closer will return to game action, but this is a significant step in Putz's recovery regardless. |
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| Francisco Liriano struggled again in his second rehab start Tuesday, giving up three runs on five hits, with three walks and three strikeouts for Triple-A Rochester. The lefty needed 88 pitches to get through four innings, according to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. A spot in the Twins rotation could be opened Sunday if Kevin Slowey is unable to pitch, but Liriano didn't exactly inspire confidence with his two rehab starts. We'll let you know what the Twins plan on doing with the prized southpaw. |
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| Matt Garza, P, Tampa Bay Rays | Tuesday 4/8, 7:39 PM CT |
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| Matt Garza exited Tuesday's game in the third inning with an undisclosed injury, according to the Tampa Tribune. The righty had not fared well before exiting, permitting three runs on six hits and three walks in 2 2/3 frames. The Tribune also notes that Jeff Niemann is on the same schedule as Garza at Triple-A, and he could get the call should Garza be sidelined for a while. We'll update you on Garza's status when more is known. |
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| Greg Smith, P, Oakland Athletics | Tuesday 4/8, 6:30 PM CT |
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| Greg Smith will be recalled from Triple-A Sacramento to make his major-league debut Wednesday. Smith, who came over from Arizona this offseason in the Dan Haren deal, gave up two runs in six innings in his first start of the year for Sacramento. He will be taking the place of Justin Duchscherer, who was placed on the DL. Smith is a decent prospect, but you should take a wait-and-see approach with him in fantasy. |
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| Chad Gaudin, P, Oakland Athletics | Tuesday 4/8, 6:20 PM CT |
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| The A's activated Chad Gaudin from the DL Tuesday. He has been recovering from offseason surgeries on his hip and foot. Gaudin will get the ball tonight against the Blue Jays. |
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| The A's placed Justin Duchscherer on the DL Tuesday with a strained right biceps. The right, who is making the move from the bullpen to the rotation this year, suffered the injured in his first start of the year last Friday. He was replaced on the roster by Chad Gaudin, who was activated from the DL and will start tonight in place of Rich Harden. It's not clear at this point how much time Duchscherer will miss. |
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| Scott Kazmir threw 42 pitches during his first batting practice session on Tuesday since going on the DL with a left elbow strain, according to the AP. “Kaz threw the ball well,” Rays manager Joe Maddon said. “The velocity was in the low 90’s pretty consistently. See what he looks like tomorrow.” He could rejoin the team before the end of the month. |
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| Aubrey Huff, DH, Baltimore Orioles | Tuesday 4/8, 5:03 PM CT |
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| Aubrey Huff led the Orioles offense Tuesday, going a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate, with four RBI and a run scored in a 8-1 win over Texas. Huff is now batting .333 with a league-leading 11 ribbies on the year. He's been in a steady decline the past five year, so perhaps this nice start will propel Huff to a vintage season. |
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| Brian Burres dazzled in his first start of the year Tuesday, giving up just one run on seven hits and two walks while striking out three over six innings. The left-hander has struggled in his time at the big leagues but has a good minor league track record. He's at least worth keeping an eye on. |
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| Bartolo Colon's exam for an oblique injury has been pushed back a day to Wednesday, according to MLB.com. The Red Sox feel that the injury is nothing more than a minor setback. "I do know that they're not going to let him do anything until he's completely pain-free," manager Terry Francona said. "We've seen these two-day things stretched to five-day things stretched to seven-day things. He's had it twice before in his career. We're going to just make sure he's pain-free before he's allowed to continue doing his stuff." Colon had been doing well in his rehab before this. Hopefully it's just a minor bump in the road. |
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| Jason Giambi was back in the lineup Tuesday after missing two games with a sore left groin, according to the AP. The veteran is off to a horrible start this year, with just one hit in his first 12 at-bats, so perhaps a little time off will do him some good. |
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| Derek Jeter, SS, New York Yankees | Tuesday 4/8, 3:45 PM CT |
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| Derek Jeter is reportedly going to be out of action until at least Friday due to his left quad injury, according to MLB.com. Manager Girardi stated that the Yankees do not expect to have to place Jeter on the 15-day DL, but he is not likely to play in the current series against the Royals. The earliest he could possibly return is Friday, when the Yankees battle rival Boston. Girardi added, "It's hard to say when he can return. He probably won't play in this series, and we'll shoot for the Red Sox series. We'll see where he's at after a couple of days and try to make a real evaluation. We feel that it's not going to be two weeks. We're hoping sometime in the Boston series he'll be ready, but we'll have to see how he progresses." Wilson Betemit notably started at shortstop today against the Royals.
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| Robinson Cano has moved up from sixth to second in the Yankees' batting order today, due primarily to the absence of Derek Jeter, who is out nursing his quad injury. Cano will have a great chance to score a lot of runs from the number two spot, with Bobby Abreau and A-Rod hitting behind him in the order. |
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| Wilson Betemit got the start at shortstop today in place of the injured Derek Jeter, according to the SportsNetwork. The Yankees' utility man only has one hit over nine at-bats so far this season. |
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| Carl Crawford looks to bounce back in his home opener against Seattle today, according to MLB.com. Crawford went a mere 1-for-18 in his three-game series against the Yankees, and commented on his home opener by saying, "It's a good time for the fans at home to see us the first time during the regular season. You know the energy level is going to be high. We'll be back at the Trop, so you know it will be warm." Hopefully he can get on track and rebound from his cold start.
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| Erik Bedard, P, Seattle Mariners | Tuesday 4/8, 1:21 PM CT |
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| Erik Bedard is set to return to the hill against the Rays on Tuesday, after being previously scratched with a sore hip, according to MLB.com. Bedard will be looking to extend his five-game winning streak against Tampa Bay, in which he has surrendered an average of 2.33 runs per game during the streak. He has a 6-2 career record at Tropicana Field, and holds the upper hand against rival starter Matt Garza, who currently holds a 8.44 ERA.
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| Nick Swisher will remain Chicago's leadoff hitter for the foreseeable future, according to the Chicago Tribune. He is hitting 6-for-23 with an eye opening nine walks so far, and Manager Guillen stated, "You have a leadoff hitter who can run, that's a plus. But to be a leadoff hitter, you've got to get on base. You can't steal first.
I'd rather be a guy who gets on base, and all of a sudden he gets on base six times in a row by walks." Swisher should score a lot of runs in the potent White Sox offense with Orlando Cabrera, Jim Thome, and Paul Konerko hitting behind him. |
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| A.J. Burnett looks to improve his record to 2-0 when he takes the hill against Oakland on Tuesday, according to MLB.com. Burnett is 1-1 with a solid 2.18 ERA over three career starts against Oakland and will square off against Chad Gaudin, who is starting in place of the injured Rich Harden. Burnett is among the most solid hurlers in the league when healthy, and has the advantage in this match-up. |
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| Curtis Granderson is swinging and throwing for the first time since injuring his hand, according to the Detroit News. Granderson was satisfied Tuesday with his first session of baseball activity since he went on the DL, but called his progress "baby steps". Prior to the the Tigers' game against Boston, Granderson gripped a bat for the first time in more than two weeks, also swung for the first time, though not against live pitching. He commented that his hand felt better toward the end of the session. He added, "Swinging-wise, I was still kind of babying it. Throwing with my hand taped felt better than without. Swinging and actually hitting a ball off a tee felt better than dry swings. I'm happy with today. Hopefully it won't swell up and will feel better again Wednesday." This is positive news but he remains about 10-14 days away from returning.
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| Morgan Ensberg could be an option at third base if Alex Rodriguez moves over to cover shortstop for the injured Derek Jeter (quad), according to the NY Post. Ensberg was solid at third base in Houston and is more than capable of starting for the Yankees, but it remains to be seen if Jeter will need to go on the DL or not. Wilson Betemit would also be a candidate for third base if A-Rod moves. |
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| Alex Rodriguez could play shortstop if Derek Jeter ultimately needs to go on the DL with his quad injury, according to the NY Post. Yankees' GM Brian Casman stated (when asked about A-Rod potentially playing shortstop), "Oh, yeah. We talked about that this winter, if time Jeter would miss would be extensive. It wouldn't be a short-term thing. Derek has a light quad strain, but it's a quad strain nonetheless. We are in no man's land. We aren't sure it's a (disabled list situation) or a three-, four- or five-day thing. Will it be better in five to seven days? Could it be three or four? Or is it seven or eight? We are taking it one day at a time. We could option somebody and bring Alberto Gonzalez. Or go with what we've got. We haven't decided one way or another yet." Wilson Betemit replaced Jeter at shortstop on Monday, and Morgan Ensberg could fill in at third base, if A-Rod is used at shortstop, which he played during his days in Seattle.
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| Brian Bannister looks to build upon his impressive first start of the season today against the Yankees, as he threw seven scoreless innings against the Tigers at Comerica Park, according to MLB.com. He could move to 2-0 with the home crowd behind him, but his ERA won't likely remain untouched against the Yankees, especially since he surrendered two homers in both career at-bats against Alex Rodriguez. |
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| Alex Rodriguez has owned Brian Bannister, today's starting pitcher for the Royals, according to MLB.com. A-Rod has blasted a home run in both of his career at-bats against Bannister. He only has one homer over the first seven games of 2008, and he has a good chance to add to his total today. |
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| Manny Ramirez has a solid track record against Kenny Rogers, today's starter for Detroit, according to MLB.com. Ramirez holds a .328 lifetime average (19-for-58) with two home runs and 13 RBI against Rogers. He is only hitting .250 over 28 at-bats so far, and this would be a good day for him to break out. |
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| Kenny Rogers is set to take the hill for the winless Tigers today, according to MLB.com. Rogers notably pitched well in his first start, as he only allowed two earned runs on five hits over six innings. He holds a 11-7 career record against Boston with a 4.81 ERA. The Tigers really need to end their losing streak and Rogers seems up to the challenge. |
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| Marlon Byrd will start in left field today against Baltimore, according to MLB.com. David Murphy will handle the DH role. Byrd is yet to register a hit (or walk) over 13 at-bats this season. |
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| David Murphy is set to serve as the Rangers' DH today against Baltimore, according to MLB.com. Marlon Byrd will man left field. Murphy is off to a solid start, as he is hitting 9-for-22, with one homer and three RBI. |
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| Milton Bradley is expected to start in right field in today's home opener against Baltimore, according to MLB.com. He is only hitting 3-for-17 this season, and needs to bounce back in front of the home crowd. |
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| Jason Jennings is set to start the Rangers' home opener against Baltimore today, according to MLB.com. Jennings joins Nolan Ryan as the only Texas-born natives to start a home opener for the Rangers and he commented, "Obviously it means a lot. Going through what I did last year, I never imagined being in the spot, pitching the home opener for the home team. Everything happens for a reason, and everything I've gone through has brought me to this point. Obviously, it will be a special day to get back home after a long spring and seven days on the road. The fans are anxious to see a game, and we're anxious to play before the home fans. It will be fun." Jennings is off to a 0-1 start (with a 7.20 ERA) and he will be looking to bounce back, as he squares off against Brian Burres of Baltimore.
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| Brian Burres is scheduled to make his first start of the season today against the Rangers, according to MLB.com. He beat out Matt Albers for the fifth spot in the Orioles' rotation, and started 17 games in 2007, with 20 appearances from the pen. He will battle Jason Jennings, who is 0-1 with a 7.20 ERA this season. |
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| Francisco Liriano could start on Sunday and replace the injured Kevin Slowey in the Twins rotation, if all goes favorably in tonight's Triple-A (Rochester) outing, according to the Star Tribune. Slowey sustained an arm injury and continues to feel slight stiffness, and will try playing catch on Wednesday. If he doesn't respond favorably on Wednesday, then Manager Gardenhire said, "The one thing we know is Liriano is right on line for Sunday, if we choose to go that way, if Slowey's not going to make it." Liriano went 12-3 with a 2.16 ERA in 2006 and his fantasy stock is back on the rise.
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| Travis Metcalf, who underwent surgery to remove a torn hamstring tendon, could be cleared to begin a rehab assignment in another week, according to the Dallas Morning News. He looked good at times in limited action in 2007, but holds no fantasy value for the time being.
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| John Patterson may join the team for the weekend to toss a bullpen session for pitching coach Mark Connor, but GM Jon Daniels said it will likely be May 1 before Patterson is ready to join a minor league club, this according to the Dallas Morning News. He can take his release if he's not back in the majors by June 15. |
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| John Lackey, P, Los Angeles Angels | Tuesday 4/8, 10:53 AM CT |
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| John Lackey, who is on the DL because of a triceps strain, has extended his long-toss program to 120 feet, according to the LA Times. Manager Scioscia commented, "Lackey has been throwing aggressively off flat ground at 60 feet." He is scheduled to begin throwing off a mound this week and, barring a negative setback, he could return to the Angels' rotation in the first half of May. This is good news for the Angels' ace. |
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| Francisco Rodriguez doesn't think he will need to go on the DL for his ankle injury, according to the LA Times. Rodriguez added, "I might just need to give it a couple of days." As previously reported, Scot Shields will likely handle the closer's role until he returns.
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| Daisuke Matsuzaka is set to take the hill against Detroit today, according to the Kansas City Star. Dice-K is 1-0 so far this season, and he went 1-1 against Detroit in 2007, with a 4.50 ERA. He will face Kenny Rogers, who will be looking to give the Tigers their first win of 2008.
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| Macay McBride has a stretched ligament in his left elbow, according to the Detroit Free Press. He will discuss treatment options this week, and is expected to be on the DL at Triple-A Toledo for an unknown length of time. He registered 30 strikeouts over 32.2 innings of work in 2007.
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| Fernando Rodney expects to throw off a mound this week, according to the Detroit Free Press. He is on the DL with right shoulder tendinitis, and is expected to throw off a mound later this week, in what could be a major test of his ability to pitch for the Tigers in the near future. He has notably felt chronic pain while pitching off the mound this spring, and Manager Leyland commented on Saturday that he doesn’t expect Rodney to pitch in the majors anytime soon. Rodney also stopped a Friday bullpen session early because of pain in the shoulder. His fantasy stock will continue to drop.
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| Chad Gaudin, P, Oakland Athletics | Tuesday 4/8, 9:43 AM CT |
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| Chad Gaudin is set to start against Toronto on Tuesday, according to the Miami Herald. Gaudin had offseason surgery on his hip and foot and will come off the DL to make the spot start in place of the injured Rich Harden. Gaudin went 11-13 in 2007, with a 4.42 ERA.
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| Rich Harden, P, Oakland Athletics | Tuesday 4/8, 9:38 AM CT |
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| Rich Harden was scratched for his Tuesday start but he is expected to return to the mound on Saturday against Cleveland, according to the Miami Herald. His actual ailment was never revealed, but it is believed to be back soreness caused from the team's long flight to Japan. This is good news, as there was initial fear that Harden may have been making a trip to the DL. |
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| Eric Hull, P, Boston Red Sox | Tuesday 4/8, 9:07 AM CT |
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| The Dodgers have dealt Eric Hull to the Red Sox, according to FoxSports.com. He was traded in exchange for minor league shortstop Christian Lara. Hull pitched 6.2 innings for Los Angeles last September, while allowing four hits and three runs for a 4.05 ERA.
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| Adam Jones, CF, Baltimore Orioles | Tuesday 4/8, 9:00 AM CT |
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| Adam Jones is reportedly going to be brought along slowly and not overwhelmed early, according to the Washington Post. Manager Trembley noted, "The guy who needs to be protected against the better pitching in this league is Jones. He's going to have his moments when he's very good; he's going to have his moments where he's going to get anxious and chase pitches out of the strike zone. And when I see that coming, whether it's an 0-for-8 or 0-for-12 or 2-for-15, I gotta get him out. I don't worry about Adam Jones makeup-wise. I'm just thinking, let's do what's right for this guy. Let's not have him hitting .158 on May 15." He was the prized acquisition in the deal that shipped Erik Bedard to Seattle, and this explains why Jones was out of the lineup against young ace Felix Hernandez on Sunday.
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| Scot Shields will likely be the Angels' closer until Francisco Rodriguez returns from his ankle injury, according to MVN.com. The setup man's fantasy value should rise a bit for the time being. |
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| Joe Crede, 3B, Chicago White Sox | Tuesday 4/8, 8:16 AM CT |
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| Joe Crede currently leads the league in RBI with 10. He collected 11 hits over 28 at-bats, with two homers, and his fantasy stock will continue to rise as long as he can stay healthy. |
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| Bobby Jenks, P, Chicago White Sox | Tuesday 4/8, 8:12 AM CT |
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| Bobby Jenks currently co-leads the MLB with four saves, but only registered one strikeout and three walks over his four innings pitched. He has notably added a changeup to his arsenal of pitches this season, and that could be affecting his strikeout/walk totals in the early going. |
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| Franklin Gutierrez is struggling, as he is only hitting 3-for-18, with five strikeouts. If he doesn't break out of his slump soon, he could potentially be replaced in right field. |
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| Victor Martinez returned to the Indians' lineup on Monday, and performed very well as he went 2-for-4 with an RBI. He collected three total bases and he should be safe to return to your lineups now. |
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| Mike Timlin threw a scoreless inning for Triple-A Pawtuckett on Monday, according to the RedSoxwordpress.com. He threw 18 pitches, 12 of which went for strikes, and could return to the Red Sox bullpen in another week as he bounces back from his finger injury. |
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| Francisco Rodriguez could land on the DL due to his injured ankle, according to MVN.com. Rodriguez commented after the game on Monday that he wouldn’t be surprised if his sore ankles landed him on the DL, and added, "At this point, I think I need to go on the disabled list." Manager Sciosca also noted, "You could see with every pitch that he was laboring a little bit more. We might have to sit him for three or four days before we make a decision." Scot Shields should serve as the team's closer until Rodriguez returns.
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| Joe Borowski gave up a grand slam to Torii Hunter on Monday night to pick up a loss and a blown save against the Angels. And so it starts. Borowski figures to be a high-wire act all season as he attempts to hold on to the closers job in Cleveland. For those of you out there hoping Rafael Betancourt will step into the void, he too struggled on Monday night allowing one run in an inning as he has now allowed a shocking nine hits in 3.1 innings. |
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| Fausto Carmona dominated the Angels on Monday holding them to one unearned run in six innings on the hill. Though he limited the damage, runners were on all night against Carmona as he allowed four hits and five walks. Carmona has now allowed one earned run over his first 13 innings though his WHIP sits at 1.31. |
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| Torii Hunter, CF, Los Angeles Angels | Tuesday 4/8, 12:24 AM CT |
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| Torii Hunter was huge on Monday night as he hit two home runs on his way to driving in five runs against the Indians. Hunter also stole his first base of the season and he finally seems to be settling in after an emotional start to the season that included a stint facing the only team he had known prior to this season, the Twins. |
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| Howie Kendrick left the Angels game on Monday night in the fourth inning with a jammed right thumb. Kendrick is hitting .429 in the early going and his loss would be a significant blow to the team's offense. Macier Izturis came into the game to fill in at second base. |
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| Francisco Rodriguez allowed three runs while getting only one out to pick up a blown save on Monday, but the worst news of the night was that he had to be removed from the game with an ankle injury. F-Rod has been bothered by a sore ankle for a while now and if he were to miss any time it would figure that Scot Shields would become the team's closer with Justin Speier filling the setup role. |
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