Saturday, April 24, 2010

Red Sox have turnaround despite injuries

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Willis, Blackburn expected to make next start
The Red Sox have been struggling at or below .500 in part because of injuries to starting OFs Mike Cameron (strained lower abdominal muscle) and Jacoby Ellsbury. That hasn’t mattered the last two nights as prospect Josh Reddick and especially journeyman Darnell McDonald have been producing at bat. McDonald arrived from Triple-A Pawtucket Tuesday in time to hit a game-tying home run and a game-winning single. Against the Rangers He homered again in a game Boston won in 12 innings. Don’t run out and pick up McDonald figuring he’s some phenom. His total major league experience before this year was fewer than 150 at-bats and just two homers.
OOO Diamondbacks 3B Mark Reynolds (quadriceps) is questionable for this weekend’s series against the Phillies. OF/1B Conor Jackson (knee) is eligible to come off the disabled list May 4.
OOO Also questionable for the weekend is Marlins C Ronny Paulino (quad). RHP Brian Sanches (hamstring) could go on an injury-rehab assignment Monday.
OOO Despite a finger injury, Tigers LHP Dontrelle Willis is expected to be able to start Saturday’s game at Texas.
OOO Also likely to start Saturday is Twins RHP Nick Blackburn (back). 2B/3B Nick Punto (groin) is questionable for the weekend series in Kansas City.
OOO Phillies RHP Joe Blanton (strained oblique muscle) is scheduled to make a rehab start for Double-A Reading Friday.
OOO Mariners LHP Cliff Lee could make a rehab start Sunday at Tacoma. If that goes well, he could start at home Friday, April 30, against the Rangers.
OOO The Rangers are hoping 2B Ian Kinsler (high ankle sprain) could be back “next week.” But then, they’ve been saying that every week since he was hurt during spring training.

Due dates
This is a rough idea of when teams expect to have some injured players back.
Thursday – Blue Jays 2B Aaron Hill (hamstring).
Friday – Cubs LHP Ted Lilly (shoulder, knee, back).
Late April – Phillies SS Jimmy Rollins (calf), Pirates RHP Ross Ohlendorf (back), Orioles RHP Koji Uehara (hamstring).
Early May – Orioles 2B Brian Roberts (abdominal muscle), Indians RHP Kerry Wood (back), Rockies LHP Jeff Francis (shoulder), Royals 3B Josh Fields (hip) and 2B Chris Getz (oblique), Athletics OF Coco Crisp (finger) and 2B Mark Ellis (hamstring), Phillies LHP J.A. Happ (elbow), Padres RHP Chris R. Young (shoulder), Blue Jays 3B Edwin Encarnacion (shoulder) and LHP Brian Tallet (forearm) and Twins C Jose Morales (wrist) and LHP Jose Mijares (elbow).
Mid-May – Mets CF Carlos Beltran (knee), 1B/OF Daniel Murphy (knee) and RHPs Sean Green (rib) and Ryota Igarishi (hamstring); Giants CF Aaron Rowand (head) and 2B Freddy Sanchez (shoulder, knee); Braves OF Jordan Schafer (hand) and LHP Jo-Jo Reyes (knee); Orioles LHP Mike Gonzalez (shoulder); Red Sox CF Mike Cameron (abdomen); Rockies RHP Huston Street (shoulder); Rays LHP J.P. Howell (shoulder) and OF Matt Joyce (elbow); Rangers RHP Tommy Hunter (a very large oblique muscle); Blue Jays LHP Marc Rzepczynski (finger); Nationals RHPs Garrett Mock (neck) and Jason Marquis (elbow); Astros 3B Chris Johnson (side); Angels RHP Anthony Ortega (triceps), and Brewers 3B/2B Mat Gamel (shoulder).
Late May – Diamondbacks C Miguel Montero (knee surgery), Angels C Jeff Mathis (wrist), Mariners LHP Erik Bedard (shoulder) and Nationals LHP Ross Detwiler (hip).
Early June – Diamondbacks RHP Brandon Webb (shoulder), Blue Jays RHP Dustin McGowan (shoulder, knee), Nationals RHP Chien-ming Wang (shoulder), Tigers LHP Bobby Seay (arm), Twins RHP Clay Condrey (elbow), Mets RHP Kelvim Escobar (shoulder) and Rays C Kelly Shoppach (knee).
Mid-June – Red Sox SS/3B Jed Lowrie (mononucleosis), Giants SS/2B Emmanuel Burriss (foot), Blue Jays RHP Scott Richmond (shoulder), Nationals C Jesus Flores (shoulder), Rockies RHP Taylor Buchholz (elbow) and Pirates RHP Jose Ascanio (shoulder).
Late June – Dodgers RHP Cory Wade (shoulder) and Rangers RHP Eric Hurley (shoulder).
Early July – Brewers RHP David Riske (elbow) and Blue Jays RHP Jesse Litsch (forearm).
Late July – Orioles LF Felix Pie (shoulder), Indians RHP Anthony Reyes (elbow), Reds RHP Edinson Volquez (serving a suspension while rehabbing his elbow) and Athletics LHP Josh Outman (elbow).
Early August – Dodgers C Brad Ausmus (back).
Mid-August – Nationals RHP Jordan Zimmerman (elbow).

Smoakin’ hot
Much more than a year ago when fans clamored for his promotion, Rangers 1B prospect Justin Smoak has been showing that he’s ready for a major league trial. With 1B Chris Davis struggling to make contact and producing very little, Smoak has presented an attractive alternative. In his first 12 games this season at Triple-A Oklahoma City, he batted .333 (13-for-39). More important, he had a whopping .509 on-base percentage, with 14 walks and just five strikeouts. The one reason keeping Davis in Texas’ lineup has been his superior defense.
OOO Rays 2B Sean Rodriguez, who had a power surge during spring training, hit his first regular-season homer in a 12-0 victory over the White Sox. If he hits more than a homer every two weeks or so, consider that a bonus.
OOO Dodgers OF Matt Kemp has been on fire. His seventh homer helped LA outscore the runs its pitching staff gave up in a 14-6 win over the Reds.
OOO There’s no pitching problem for Phillies RHP Roy Halladay. He improved to 4-0 with an 0.82 ERA by shutting out the Braves 2-0 with a pitching line of 950017.
In closing
This is a regular feature of our Emails and blog posts. It lets you know who’s getting saves. Equally important is telling you who’s blowing saves or putting his job in jeopardy by getting shaky saves. There’s also a FREE Article on the old fantasybaseballscout.com web site letting you know which pitcher or pitchers each team is using to close games. It will be updated whenever there’s a change or speculation about a change in a team’s closer.
The blowups were far more spectacular than the saves.
Angels LHP Brian Fuentes returned from the disabled list, assumed a 3-2 lead in the top of the ninth against the Tigers and left with a 4-3 loss, a blown save and a pitching line of 2/3 22221. Included was a home run by Detroit 1B Miguel Cabrera. RHP Fernando Rodney saved five games for LA/Anaheim while Fuentes was out, so his job might not be safe.
Diamondbacks RHP Chad Qualls entered with a 4-4 tie in the top of the ninth against the Cardinals. The line in his loss was 1/3 33300, including OF Colby Rasmus’ second homer of the game. RHP Bob Howry, a potential candidate to replace Qualls as closer, finished the game with a line of 2/3 22200, including a homer by 2B Skip Schumaker.
Earning saves were Nationals RHP Matt Capps, seventh, 6-4 over the Rockies; Yankees RHP Mariano Rivera, sixth, 3-1 at Oakland, and fourth saves for Royals RHP Joakim Soria, 4-3 in 10 innings at Toronto; Tigers RHP Jose Valverde in the game at LA/Anaheim, and Astros RHP Matt Lindstrom, 5-4 against the Marlins.
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