Aces high on list of recommendations

Our Emails previewing the following week’s games take the form primarily of a pitching chart listing the starting pitchers for each team each day Monday-Sunday.
Our target is to get the previews out Saturday morning, but that’s not often easy to do. The reason you don’t see a lot of these pitching charts is that it’s very difficult to project up to a week in advance who will be making something like 180 starts.
Remember, these are pitchers we’re dealing with: probably the most volatile group, with the most physical concerns, of any athletes in any sport. We often get on Friday night what appears to be a pretty good handle for the coming week, only to discover by morning that a pitcher has strained an oblique or slammed his hand in a car door, or that his wife is going into labor.
We’ll stack our pitching charts up against anyone’s, but if it takes us until Saturday evening or even Sunday morning, please forgive us. We’d rather give you the most up-to-date information than come out first with a chart that will be full of holes by Tuesday.
Later in the week, we’ll give you information on how you can subscribe for five (or more)-times-a-week themed Emails during the regular season. Let us know of your interest and what you’d like to see by Emailing lary@fantasybaseballscout.com.
Thanks for your patience and continuing interest and support of Fantasy Baseball Scout.
Projected starting pitchers, April 4-11
AL Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
Bal --- --- @TB-Millwod @TB-Guthrie @TB-Matusz Tor-Bergesn Tor-Hrnandz Tor-Mlwod2
Bost NYY-Beckett --- NYY-Lester NYY-Lackey --- @KC-Wakefld @KC-Becktt2 @KC-Bchhlz*
CWS --- Cle-Buehrle --- Cle-Peavy Cle-Floyd Min-Danks Min-Garcia Min-Buhrle2
Cleve --- @CWS-Westbrk --- @CWS-Crmona @CWS-Mastrsn @Det-Huff @Det-Talbot @Det-Wstbrk2
Det --- @KC-Verlandr --- @KC-Scherzer @KC-Willis Cle-Porcello Cle-Bndrmn Cle-Vrlndr2
KC --- Det-Greinke --- Det-Hochevr Det-Bannistr Bos-Davies Bos-Grinke2 Bos-Mdza**
LAA --- Min-Weaver Min-Saundrs Min-Santana Min-Pineiro Oak-Palmr3* Oak-Weavr2 Oak-Sundrs2
Min --- @LAA-Baker @LAA-Blakbrn @LAA-Pavano @LAA-Slowey @CWS-Lrano4* @CWS-Baker2 @CWS-Blkbrn2
NYY @Bos-Sabathia --- @Bos-Burnett @Bos-Pettitte --- @TB-Vazquez @TB-Sbathia2 @TB-Bnt2-5*
Oak --- Sea-Sheets Sea-Braden Sea-Dchschr Sea-Andersn @LAA-Cahill @LAA-Sheets2 @LAA-Braden2
Sea --- @Oak-Hrnandz @Oak-Snell @Oak-Rd-Smh @Oak-Fister @Tex-Vargs6* @Tex-Hrnndz2 @Tex-Snell2
TB --- --- Bal-Shields Bal-Garza Bal-Niemnn NYY-Price NYY-Davis NYY-Shields2
Tex --- Tor-Feldman --- Tor-Harden Tor-Wilson Sea-Lewis Sea-Harrison Sea-Fldmn2
Tor --- @Tex-Marcum --- @Tex-Tallet @Tex-Romero @Bal-Morrow @Bal-Rcpnski @Bal-Marcm2

*- The Red Sox could give a Sunday, April 11, start to their fifth starter, RHP Clay Buchholz, or they could come back with LHP Jon Lester on his usual four days’ rest.
**- With RHP Gil Meche on the disabled list, the Royals will have to come up with a fifth starter. That could be RHP Robinson Tejeda out of Kansas City’s bullpen or RHP Luis Mendoza, just acquired from the Rangers. KC 3B Alex Gordon also is beginning the season on the disabled list because of a displaced fracture of his right thumb.
3*- The Angels put LHP Scott Kazmir on the DL because of a strained right hamstring. Taking his place in the rotation will be RHP Matt Palmer.
4*- The Twins have abandoned an idea to have LHP Francisco Liriano replace their injured closer, RHP Joe Nathan. As a result, Liriano will be Minnesota’s fifth starter and RHP Jon Rauch will be its closer.
5*- The Yankees’ choice Sunday, April 11, will be between RHP A.J. Burnett on four days’ rest or their fifth starter, RHP Phil Hughes.
6*- With LHP Cliff Lee unable physically to start the season, LHP Jason Vargas is expected to be in the Mariners’ rotation as their fifth starter.
NL Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
Ari SD-Haren SD-Jackson SD-Kennedy --- Pit-Lopez* Pit-Buckner Pit-Haren2
Atl ChC-Lowe --- ChC-Jurrjens ChC-Hanson @SF-Hudson @SF-Kawakmi @SF-Lowe2
ChC @Atl-Zmbrano --- @Atl-Dempster @Atl-Wells @Cin-Silva @Cin-Gorzlnny @Cin-Zmbrno2
Cin StL-Harang --- StL-Cueto StL-Arroyo ChC-Bailey ChC-Leake** ChC-Harang2
Col @Mil-Jimenez @Mil-Smith3* @Mil-Cook --- SD-DeLaRsa SD-Hammel SD-Jimenez2
Fla @NYM-Johnson --- @NYM-Nolasco @NYM-Sanchez LAD-Volstad LAD-Robrtson LAD-Johnson2
Ho SF-Oswalt SF-Rdriguez SF-Myers --- Phi-Norris Phi-Paulino Phi-Oswalt2
LAD @Pit-Padilla --- @Pit-Kershaw @Pit-Billngsley @Fla-Kuroda @Fla-Haeger @Fla-Padilla2
Mil Col-Gallardo Col-Wolf Col-Davis --- StL-Bush StL-Gallardo2 StL-Suppan4*
NYM Fla-Santana --- Fla-Maine Fla-Niese Was-Pelfrey Was-Perez Was-Santana2
Phi @Was-Halladay --- @Was-Hamels @Was-Kndrck5* @Ho-Happ @Ho-Moyer @Ho-Hlladay2
Pit LAD-Duke --- LAD-Ohlendrf LAD-Maholm @Ari-Morton @Ari-McCtchn @Ari-Duke2
StL @Cin-Carpenter --- @Cin-Wanwrigt @Cin-Penny @Mil-Lohse @Mil-Garcia @Mil-Carpentr2
SD @Ari-Garland @Ari-Young @Ari-Correia --- @Col-Richard @Col-Latos @Col-Garland2
SF @Ho-Lincecum @Ho-Zito @Ho-Cain --- Atl-Sanchez Atl-Wlemeyr Atl-Lncecm2
Was Phi-Lannan --- Phi-Marquis Phi-Stammen @NYM-Olsen @NYM-Detwiler @NYM-Lannan2

*- The Diamondbacks have purchased the contract of RHP Rodrigo Lopez, who has used up most of his nine major league lives, from Triple-A Reno and will have him start while RHP Brandon Webb is on the disabled list.
**- Rookie RHP Mike Leake will be making his professional debut Saturday as the Reds’ fifth starter.
3*- With LHP Jeff Francis on the disabled list because of shoulder discomfort, LHP Greg Smith has moved into the Rockies’ rotation.
4*- The Brewers could have LHP Randy Wolf come back to start again on his usual four days’ rest, but they’re more likely to have RHP Jeff Suppan take his first turn Sunday.
5*- RHP Kyle Kendrick lost a battle to become the Phillies’ fifth starter to ancient LHP Jamie Moyer, but will take RHP Joe Blanton’s place in the rotation. Blanton will be on the disabled list for at least the season’s first two weeks, and possibly for more than a month, because of a strained left oblique muscle. Philadelphia’s closer, RHP Brad Lidge, and LHP J.C. Romero also are beginning the season on the DL. RHP Ryan Madson most likely will replace Lidge.
Schedule notes
All but four teams – the Angels, Twins, Athletics and Mariners, who would play seven games – are scheduled to play six times this week. LA/Anaheim would have the biggest advantage because all seven of its games would be at home.
The fantasy impact is that it’s a good week to play hitters and relief pitchers from those four teams, particularly the Angels, because they would have 17 per cent more chances to play than those in six games.
Scheduled to play six games at home are the White Sox, Royals, Rays, Rangers, Diamondbacks, Reds, Astros, Brewers and Mets. Overall, it should be a better week for hitters than for pitchers with those games on Chicago’s south side and at Texas, Arizona and Cincinnati.
Pitchers scheduled to start twice at home are RHPs Zack Greinke, Jered Weaver, James Shields, Scott Feldman, Dan Haren, Aaron Harang, Roy Oswalt and Yovani Gallardo, and LHPs Mark Buehrle, Joe Saunders and Johan Santana.
The first week of the season features good pitching because virtually every team gets two starts out of its best pitcher – the Opening Day starter. Our highest recommendations among those aces are Greinke, Haren, Gallardo and Saunders, with Shields as a live longshot.

Giants sign 2 veteran pitchers

There's still time for major league teams to sign potentially helpful free agents. The Giants have done just that, signing RHPs Todd Wellemeyer and Guillermo Mota. Wellemeyer had a good season as a starter for the Cardinals in 2008, but pretty much hurt them last season. Mota's career as a reliever has gone south during his time with the Dodgers.

So Wellemeyer seems like the better bet to help San Francisco in a starting or bullpen role. Mota has more talent, but is older and more damaged goods.

Injuries: The Athletics can't be very happy about the first day of workouts for their pitchers. First, they found out that oft-injured RHP Justin Duchscherer couldn't take part because of an irritated sacroiliac joint in his back. Then, 10 minutes into the workout they had to move inside because of rain.

In Arizona? Yes, it has rained the last two days in the desert. The Mariners also had to call off a planned series of pitchers' fielding practice drills. So if Seattle loses a game or two this year because a pitcher doesn't get over to cover first base in time, remember that the game was lost on February 21.

But hey! There was some good news for Oakland. RHP Ben Sheets actually threw today, and as far as we know without being injured again.

OOO The Blue Jays placed RHP Dirk Hayhurst on the 60-day disabled list. He underwent surgery two weeks ago to repair a frayed labrum in his shoulder, and is expected to miss 4-6 months.

OOO Cardinals 1B Albert Pujols said he won't need Tommy John surgery on his right elbow. He underwent an operation in October to remove bone chips from the joint. Expect opposing runners to take chances for an extra base against Pujols unless he shows he can throw somebody out.

OOO Another first baseman, free agent Carlos Delgado underwent surgery by Dr. Marc Phillippon, who worked on Yankees 3B Alex Rodriguez a year ago. Dr. Phillippon performed microfracture surgery on Delgado's right hip and reconstructive surgery on the labrum. It saddens me to write that one of baseball's good guys may be finished.

An Opening Day starter already:

Diamondbacks manager A.J. Hinch said RHP Dan Haren will be Arizona's Opening Day starting pitcher. The current plan is to have RHP Edwin Jackson start the second game and RHP Brandon Webb making his first appearance since the 2009 opener in game three. We expect that will change if Webb is physically able to pitch, with him moving ahead of Jackson -- way ahead of a pitcher we expect to be a major disappointment.

Lining up:

With CF Carlos Beltran expected to miss most or all of April following knee surgery, Mets manager Jerry Manuel is giving serious thought to opening the season with SS Jose Reyes batting third and OF Angel Pagan leading off. Pagan will battle Gary Matthews for the starting job in center field, and would be likely to play left field if Matthews wins that competition.

Rays manager Joe Maddon said his starting lineup will begin with SS Jason Bartlett, LF Carl Crawford, Ben Zobrist at second base or in right field, 3B Evan Longoria and 1B Carlos Pena.