What's the Buzz? 8/13/06
Well, the Dodgers saga of who plays and who doesn't is starting to unfold a little bit more. Starting in right field tonight was Julio Lugo and not J.D. Drew. It was Lugo's first start in the outfield. Whether it's because of Drew's current quad strain or if it's just about getting a more consistent bat in the lineup, Lugo playing regularly does good things for the Dodgers. Obviously if you're a Drew owner, you're bumming. He's just too inconsistent and Lugo and Wilson Betemit are hitting too well to keep on the bench. Watch how it ends up, but something tells me tonight's starters will remain as such for most of the rest of the season.
So now the news...
Looks like Khalil Greene is back to day to day status due to an injury to his...wait...sit down....you might not believe this....his hand. That's right. Just days after returning from a sprained middle finger, Greene was his on the hand by a pitch this afternoon. The x-rays were negative, but it looks like he'll still miss a game or two.
Consider Blue Jays 3B Troy Glaus day to day after he left today's game in the 4th inning with a knee injury he got swinging at a pitch. There's no word on the results of his x-rays or MRI, so assume that Eric Hinske should get a few games at third this week.
Cardinals 3B Scott Rolen returned to the lineup today and went 1 for 3 with a double and a walk. Since reports came out that he was expected to miss today with back spasms, this is obviously a good sign. Rolen is having a great year in his return from last season's shoulder injury and should be active in all formats.
If Carlos Quentin is still available in your league, you might consider picking him up. Manager Bob Melvin said he was ready to play him regularly which means one of two things. Either Shawn Green is going to be traded soon or Shawn Green should be cut from your fantasy roster immediately. If Quentin really is going to be a regular, then Green's minimal value, unless traded, is gone.
Congratulations to Alfonso Soriano for hitting his 200th career HR today. Now I'm not sure...and no one else seems to be either...but maybe, just maybe the Nationals front office didn't hold on to Soriano out of stupidity. Could they really be investing some money in payroll to keep him and build the team around him and Ryan Zimmerman and Nick Johnson? Maybe not, but it would be sensational if they did.
More congratulations, this time for Indians DH Travis Hafner for tying the major league record held by Don Mattingly, with his 6th grand slam of the season. See...this is the type of guy you can get away with calling a "professional hitter". That's his only job and he does it very well. ::bows head and shakes with disgust:: "Professional Hitter", pfffffft!!! What a stupid expression.
Rookie pitching has just been eye-popping this year as both Jered Weaver and Jeremy Sowers were outstanding once again. Weaver was sharp in beating the Yankees and Sowers shut down the hapless Royals. The 2006 rookie class of pitchers has been beautiful to watch in the wake of the disastrous not-so-super studs like Mark Prior, Rich Harden, and Ben Sheets.
And finally, how about a little more out of B.J. Upton? After hitting a whopping .214 with a killer .250 OBP in 42 at bats, Upton is moving up to the leadoff spot. Well, he was there tonight (went 0-4) and manager Joe Maddon says that's where he will hit in the lineup for the foreseeable future. If he can go on a little bit of a hot streak you could see that burst of stolen bases we've all been waiting for.
Catch you next time...
So now the news...
Looks like Khalil Greene is back to day to day status due to an injury to his...wait...sit down....you might not believe this....his hand. That's right. Just days after returning from a sprained middle finger, Greene was his on the hand by a pitch this afternoon. The x-rays were negative, but it looks like he'll still miss a game or two.
Consider Blue Jays 3B Troy Glaus day to day after he left today's game in the 4th inning with a knee injury he got swinging at a pitch. There's no word on the results of his x-rays or MRI, so assume that Eric Hinske should get a few games at third this week.
Cardinals 3B Scott Rolen returned to the lineup today and went 1 for 3 with a double and a walk. Since reports came out that he was expected to miss today with back spasms, this is obviously a good sign. Rolen is having a great year in his return from last season's shoulder injury and should be active in all formats.
If Carlos Quentin is still available in your league, you might consider picking him up. Manager Bob Melvin said he was ready to play him regularly which means one of two things. Either Shawn Green is going to be traded soon or Shawn Green should be cut from your fantasy roster immediately. If Quentin really is going to be a regular, then Green's minimal value, unless traded, is gone.
Congratulations to Alfonso Soriano for hitting his 200th career HR today. Now I'm not sure...and no one else seems to be either...but maybe, just maybe the Nationals front office didn't hold on to Soriano out of stupidity. Could they really be investing some money in payroll to keep him and build the team around him and Ryan Zimmerman and Nick Johnson? Maybe not, but it would be sensational if they did.
More congratulations, this time for Indians DH Travis Hafner for tying the major league record held by Don Mattingly, with his 6th grand slam of the season. See...this is the type of guy you can get away with calling a "professional hitter". That's his only job and he does it very well. ::bows head and shakes with disgust:: "Professional Hitter", pfffffft!!! What a stupid expression.
Rookie pitching has just been eye-popping this year as both Jered Weaver and Jeremy Sowers were outstanding once again. Weaver was sharp in beating the Yankees and Sowers shut down the hapless Royals. The 2006 rookie class of pitchers has been beautiful to watch in the wake of the disastrous not-so-super studs like Mark Prior, Rich Harden, and Ben Sheets.
And finally, how about a little more out of B.J. Upton? After hitting a whopping .214 with a killer .250 OBP in 42 at bats, Upton is moving up to the leadoff spot. Well, he was there tonight (went 0-4) and manager Joe Maddon says that's where he will hit in the lineup for the foreseeable future. If he can go on a little bit of a hot streak you could see that burst of stolen bases we've all been waiting for.
Catch you next time...
posted by Howard Bender at
10:52 PM
