Back injury puts Angels' Fuentes on DL

We’re getting back toward our regular schedule for our five weekly Emails, including the Wednesday evening Injury Updates.
NOTE: We have extended the free period for these Emails again -- through Sunday, April 25. After that date, the Emails would go only to those who subscribe.
Before then, we’ll tell you how you can subscribe to receive these Emails five or more times per week, along with timely Articles and other information that will be added to the fantasybaseballscout.com web site.
Subscriptions will include Articles such as our “Pitchers (and Hitters) to Keep and Avoid.” Last year, our recommendation of Rockies LHP Jorge De La Rosa in itself was worth the cost of what you’d pay, and he was only one of our picks that were on the money. Choosing him was inspired; he was 0-6 when we recommended him, and 16-3 thereafter.
You also would have access to whatever content we’re able to get on to the fantasybaseballscout.com web site.
Let us know of your interest and what you’d like to see by Emailing lary@fantasybaseballscout.com.
Subscribers will be able to ask questions specific to their fantasy teams and leagues, and receive answers through these Emails, the web site or personal Emails.

Berkman could begin rehab this weekend
LHP Brian Fuentes saved the Angels’ opening game April 5, but the struggling team didn’t need a closer for the next week. At that time, he wasn’t available because he had suffered a strained muscle in the middle of his back while lifting weights a day after the opener. He’s eligible to return from the disabled list Tuesday, but in the meantime RHP Fernando Rodney will be LA/Anaheim’s closer and RHP Kevin Jepsen the setup man. Rodney pitched a perfect inning for his first save in a 5-3 victory at Yankee Stadium. RHP Francisco Rodriguez – not THE Francisco Rodriguez – was recalled from Triple-A Salt Lake City to take Fuentes’ place on the active roster.
LHP Scott Kazmir came off the disabled list to return to the Angels’ rotation. LA/Anaheim also took OF Reggie Willits off the DL and outrighted OF Terry Evans to Salt Lake.
OOO Phillies SS Jimmy Rollins went on the disabled list because of a strained right calf muscle suffered during pregame warm-ups Tuesday. To take his roster spot, Philadelphia recalled from Triple-A Lehigh Valley SS Wilson Valdez, whom we told you Tuesday was off to a fast start. SS/2B Juan Castro, a 16th-year veteran, started in the Phils’ 14-7 victory over the Nationals. Neither replacement is likely to have much fantasy value.
OOO Astros 1B Lance Berkman, recovering from arthroscopic knee surgery, could begin an injury-rehab assignment this weekend at Triple-A Round Rock. He would like to return to play in the majors Tuesday.
OOO Marlins RHP Brian Sanchez (strained right knee) threw 40 pitches in the bullpen, but isn’t likely to come off the DL before Monday, April 26.
OOO Diamondbacks C Miguel Montero was scheduled for surgery to repair partially torn meniscus in his right knee, and is expected to be out 4-6 weeks. C Chris Snyder would have most of the playing time while Montero is out, with rookie C John Hester as the backup. Snyder could be a reasonable No. 2 fantasy catcher with some power, though he could hurt a team’s batting average.
OOO Red Sox LF Jacoby Ellsbury missed his second game because of bruised left ribs suffered when he collided with 3B Adrian Beltre’s right knee.
OOO Phillies RHP Brad Lidge, recovering from elbow surgery, pitched a scoreless inning in his third injury-rehab appearance, lowering his ERA to 16.87. He’s not expected back with Philadelphia until the end of April. LHP J.C. Romero pitched two scoreless innings in his rehab at high Class A Clearwater, and could move his rehab up to Lehigh Valley or Double-A Reading.

Noteworthy
RHP Jenrry Mejia, the 20-or-so-year-old Mets rookie, gave up the winning run without retiring a batter in the 10th inning of their 6-5 loss at Colorado.

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.
Mariners RHP David Aardsma struggled during spring training, but picked up his fourth regular-season save in their 4-2 victory over the Athletics. Uneventful third saves went to Cubs RHP Carlos Marmol, 7-6 against the Brewers; Red Sox RHP Jonathan Papelbon, 6-3 at Minnesota, and Cardinals RHP Ryan Franklin, 2-1 vs. the Astros in Houston’s eighth consecutive loss.
The Marlins had RHP Burke Badenhop go two innings (pitching line: 200003) for his first save in a 5-3 victory over the Reds. He pitched because Florida’s closer, RHP Leo Nunez, had pitched in each of the three previous games.
The Rangers’ new closer, RHP Neftali Feliz, had his second save with a line of 1 1/3 00011 in a 6-2 win at Cleveland. He entered the game with two runners on base and two out in the eighth inning. Perhaps Texas should have kept Feliz in the most recent blown save by the former closer, RHP Frank Francisco. Feliz struck out all three batters he faced in the eighth inning, but then Francisco entered and gave up three ninth-inning runs. Against the Indians, RHP Colby Lewis continued his surprising return from Japan by striking out 10 in 5 1/3 innings.
Royals RHP Joakim Soria had a slightly easier second save than Feliz did. Soria entered a 6-3 game with a runner on base and two out in the eighth, and finished the game with a line of 1 1/3 00012 as Kansas City won in Detroit 7-3.

Comebacks: Russ Ortiz si, Payton no

We just know some team, or maybe lots of teams, wore green hats for St. Patrick’s Day. We just didn’t care to look to see which ones they were. Nor did we go to Ebay to buy any pieces of “alternative” green uniforms.
The Braves beat the Marlins and LHP Andrew Miller 4-2. All four Atlanta runs were unearned – but don’t fret about more defense, Florida fans, whoever you are. The Marlins’ three errors were all by guys who might not play anywhere in Florida this season. Their hitters suffered at the arm of Braves RHP Tommy Hanson, whose pitching line was 561104. We thought he was the real deal last year; we’re sure of that now.
Not to be outdone, at least not by much, by a namesake to whom he has become inextricably linked, RHP Russ Ortiz made an audition for a spot in the Dodgers’ rotation but lost to the White Sox 5-1. Ortiz’s line was 462223, but his ERA still is just 2.00. For Chicago, RHP Jake Peavy pitched the way the Sox have hoped he would, with a line of 531126 (and ERA of 1.13).
Making his 2010 debut and pitching like a relief version of Athletics RHP Ben Sheets, Yankees LHP Damaso Marte entered their game against the Phillies in the bottom of the fifth inning with the score tied 2-2. Four batters later, the score was 5-2. Phillies OF Jayson Werth hit a three-run homer against Marte, whose line was 043301. In fairness to Marte, in a regular-season game he probably wouldn’t be facing the righthanded-batting Werth with two runners on base. But, come on! Isn’t his job to get someone out?
In the Mets’ 4-2 win over the suddenly slumping Red Sox, red-hot New York OF Fernando Martinez hit his third homer this spring. The three-run shot came against RHP Ramon S. Ramirez – the Ramon Ramirez who was with Boston last year and not his namesake/new teammate who pitched for the Reds in 2009. For the Mets, overly hyped RHP prospect Jenrry Mejia lowered his ERA to 1.08 with a line of 100000.
The Blue Jays may not be able to get LHP Brian Tallet out of their rotation. That’s good for him, but maybe not so for Toronto. Anyway, his line was 410003 in a 4-2 victory over the Orioles.
In the Rockies’ 6-3 win over the Indians, Speier – that’s RHP Justin Speier, most recently with the Angels – had a line of 100001. OF Jay Payton’s comeback attempt with Colorado seems ill-fated. He’s batting just .185 and he was both thrown out stealing and picked off first base, the kind of rookie mistakes a grizzled veteran shouldn’t make. The flukiest line of the day was the 400013 by Indians RHP Carlos Carrasco. We defy him to do that well even once during the regular season.
In the aftermath of manager Ron Washington’s admission that he used cocaine during last season, the Rangers’ 8-1 victory over the Mariners was an anticlimax. Texas pounded the ball as if its big hitters were auditioning for the All-Arizona team. RF Nelson Cruz was 3-for-3 with three RBI to raise his average to .448, with homers against RHPs Ian Snell and David Aardsma. 1B Chris Davis improved to .500 with a homer against RHP Brandon League, and LF Josh Hamilton (.429) returned to the lineup with a four-bagger against Snell. Closer Aardsma was hit particularly hard, with a line of 2/3 34410.
Sample Scouting Report:
Jenrry Mejia, RHP, Mets
Ht.: 6-0 Wt.: 165 T: R Age: Inj. Risk: 10 Alt. Pos.: SP, RP
{2010} Mejia has generated a lot of buzz with some early success in exhibition games. He throws a mid-90s fastball with sinking action that allows him to get plenty of ground-ball outs. That helped him strike out 91 in 94 2/3 innings last year. Mejia started the season 4-1 with a 1.97 ERA in nine starts at high Class A Port St. Lucie, and finished it 0-5 at Double-A Binghamton, where his ERA more than doubled and he averaged just 4 1/3 innings per start. That resulted in part from a strained middle finger that kept Mejia out seven weeks. He needs to develop his low-80s changeup and possibly another breaking ball to complement the cut fastball he throws at times. It seems likely that he would return to Binghamton to begin the season, but with the New York media machine having little good to say about the Mets, they might be tempted to rush him. Don’t bite on Mejia – not this year, at least. Born: Oct. 11, 1989, Dominican Republic.
Projection
IP: 15 W: 1 ERA: 4.80 WHIP: 1.53 S: 1 SO: 11 Value: $0