MLB Player Notes
Thursday, April 12, 2007 - MLB Player Notes
National League
Josh Bard - C - Padres
Padres placed catcher Josh Bard on the 15-day disabled list with a groin strain. He was injured during Wednesday's game. Rob Bowen will get most of the starts behind the plate while Bard is sidelined, and Khalil Greene and Kevin Kouzmanoff figure to move up in the order. Pete Laforest was recalled to serve as a backup.
Taylor Tankersley - RP - Marlins
Marlins activated LHP Taylor Tankersley from the 15-day disabled list. Tankersley probably won't be put in save situations right away, but he's as good of a bet as anyone to be the Marlins' most effective reliever this year. He's well worth owning in NL-only leagues at least, he may be a potential candidate for the closer role.
Jason Schmidt - SP - Dodgers
Jason Schmidt's next start has been moved up to Saturday, with Randy Wolf getting pushed back to Sunday. Manager Grady Little says it's because he wanted to separate Schmidt and Brad Penny in the rotation. Of course, he had plenty of opportunity to do that during spring training, but he settled on the odd course of using his No. 4 starter in the second game of the season.
Source: Dodgers.mlb.com
Rafael Furcal - SS - Dodgers
Rafael Furcal isn't assured of returned to the starting lineup Friday as scheduled after feeling tightness in his injured ankle Wednesday. "It's tight when I push off," Furcal said. "There's no pain and no swelling, but it's like when you feel tight and you want to move and it feels heavy. I don't want to take a chance." Furcal was scheduled to rejoin the Dodgers today. If he's feeling better, he still could be activated on Friday. If not, his return could be pushed back three or four days.
Source: Dodgers.mlb.com
Cristian Guzman - SS - Nationals
Christian Guzman (hamstring) isn't expected to participate in baseball activities until Monday. Guzman has remained in Washington rehabbing the sore hamstring. He will likely head to Florida next week for some extended spring training at-bats.
Source: Associated Press
Adam Kennedy - 2B - Cardinals
Even though Adam Kennedy sat back-to-back games in favor of Aaron Miles he remains the Cardinals' starting second baseman. "Adam Kennedy is our starting second baseman. That's not a question," La Russa said. "This isn't a platoon situation. He's been fighting it a little and [Aaron] Miles had four hits. With another left-hander going today, it makes sense. There's nothing beyond that." Kennedy is in the middle of an 0-for-10 slump.
Source: St Louis Post-Dispatch
Chase Utley - 2B - Phillies
X-rays on Chase Utley's hand were negative and he shouldn't miss any games. Utley was hit in the left hand by Pedro Feliciano during Wednesday's game. The X-rays were for precautionary reasons.
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer
Jorge Julio - RP - Marlins
The South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports that Jorge Julio has been told he is no longer the Marlins' closer. Julio, who blew two saves in the past week, was told by manager Fredi Gonzalez on Wednesday that he will now work in the sixth or seventh innings. "It is best for me right now," said Julio. "I need to work on my game, especially my command. I like this team, and I want to help it, not hurt it." Gonzalez says he hasn't decided on a replacement, but Henry Owens, Lee Gardner and Matt Lindstrom are candidates.
Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Lance Cormier - RP - Braves
Lance Cormier (shoulder) is pain-free after lifting weights and throwing in the outfield the past few days. The Braves won't need a fifth starter until April 19, at the very earliest, so they are not in a hurry to bring him back.
Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Carlos Quentin - OF - Diamondbacks
Carlos Quentin (shoulder) went 0-for-3 during an extended spring training game on Wednesday. Quentin will play in the next four or five games for Triple-A Tucson and then should be activated from the disabled list early next week.
Source: Arizona Republic
Randy Johnson - SP - Diamondbacks
Randy Johnson (back) said his projected return to the rotation on April 19 is not a sure thing. "I've had probably the most makeshift spring training you could possibly have," Johnson said. "Everybody says that I'm targeted to come back on the 19th. Don't put that in stone." Johnson, who has thrown just 15 innings so far this spring, will have a better idea when he will return following Friday's start for Triple-A Tucson.
Source: Arizona Republic
Edwin Encarnacion - 3B - Reds
Edwin Encarnacion was removed from Wednesday's game because he didn't run out his popup in the first inning. The lesson, as always, is that you got to have a 30- or 40-homer season under your belt before you decide to stop running out flyballs. Somehow, we don't think Ken Griffey Jr. would have gotten the same treatment from manager Jerry Narron. Still, Encarnacion figures to get the memo and at least jog to first base next time.
Rickie Weeks - 2B - Brewers
Rickie Weeks had a two-run homer, a triple and three runs scored against the Marlins on Wednesday. Unfortunately, Weeks' power won't result in a lot of RBI from the leadoff spot. Still, he'll be a top-five fantasy second baseman for however long he's healthy. He has two homers and nine runs scored.
Orlando Hudson - 2B - Diamondbacks
Orlando Hudson went 1-for-3 with an RBI in Wednesday night's loss to the Reds. The D-backs' second baseman has hit safely in nine of 10 games and sports a robust .390 batting average.
Oliver Perez - SP - Mets
Oliver Perez was all over the place on Wednesday night, issuing seven walks to the Phillies in just 2 2/3 innings en route to his first loss. One start after walking nobody, Perez returned to his wild ways, throwing just 32 of his 73 pitches for strikes. Look for the inconsistency to continue until Mets pitching coach Rick Peterson tames his left arm.
Chris Young - OF - Diamondbacks
Center fielder Chris Young (strained groin) ran at "about 95 percent" on Wednesday. If all goes well, Young will likely be back in action during the April 13-15 weekend series with Colorado. "We're just being on the cautious side," said Diamondbacks manager Bob Melvin. "We'll get him through the off-day [on Thursday], and he'll be out there on Friday."
Source: MLB.com
American League
Travis Hafner - DH - Indians
Travis Hafner hit a three-run homer off Scot Shields in the bottom of the eighth inning to lead the Indians to a 4-2 win over the Angels on Thursday. Grady Sizemore, who homered for the Indians' first run, and Trot Nixon opened the eighth with walks before Hafner's blast put the Indians on top. It was the first homer of the year for Hafner, who entered with one RBI in six games.
Tim Wakefield - SP - Red Sox
Thursday's game between the Mariners and Red Sox was postponed due to rain and will be made up on May 3. Jarrod Washburn and Tim Wakefield, today's scheduled starters, both figure to go on Friday. The Red Sox can send Julian Tavarez to the back of the rotation if they'd want, though the better bet is that they'll push him back two days and slow him in between Curt Schilling and Josh Beckett, ensuring the Beckett and Daisuke Matsuzaka each get an extra day off.
Shea Hillenbrand - DH - Angels
Shea Hillenbrand, still not fully recovered from a groin strain, sat out Thurday's game. Hillenbrand was healthy enough to DH, but manager Mike Scioscia wanted to stick Vladimir Guerrero in that spot today. Hillenbrand will probably be in the lineup on Friday.
Carl Crawford - OF - Devil Rays
Manager Joe Maddon said that wet dirt around first base in Texas led to Carl Crawford being thrown out twice Tuesday. He stopped just short of accusing the Rangers of anything. "I don't know if they had a sprinkler problem or whatever it may have been, but it was a little bit damp on the first-base side," Maddon said. It was the first time in Crawford's career that he's been gunned down twice in the same game.
Source: Dallas Morning News
Milton Bradley - OF - Athletics
Milton Bradley sat out Wednesday's game because of a sore hamstring. Manager Bob Geren indicated that Bradley likely could have played if needed, but the A's decided to give him two straight days off with an off day Thursday.
Source: San Francisco Chronicle
Gary Sheffield - DH - Tigers
In an effort to get him going at the plate, manager Jim Leyland is expected to start Gary Sheffield in right field Thursday. Magglio Ordonez will take over as the designated hitter while Sheffield tries to break a slump that has him batting .103 through eight games. "We'll change the scenery a little bit for him," Leyland said.
Source: Detroit News
Victor Martinez - C - Indians
Manager Eric Wedge said Wednesday that the Indians should know by this weekend if Victor Martinez (quadriceps) needs to go on the disabled list. By that point, we should hope so. Martinez is reportedly in Cleveland rehabbing the injury, with Kelly Shoppach serving as the everyday catcher until he returns.
Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer
Jon Lester - SP - Red Sox
After throwing four scoreless innings at Single-A Tuesday, manager Terry Francona said Jon Lester is "begging for more innings." "He's the best text messager in the game," Francona said. "He text messaged me this morning, said he felt good. He's begging for more innings. He'll go five in his next start."
Source: Boston Globe
Jered Weaver - SP - Angels
Jered Weaver (biceps) threw seven scoreless innings and struck out seven Wednesday in his second rehab start for Single-A Rancho Cucamonga. This should end talk of him requiring a third start in the minors. He's likely to come off the DL to face the Red Sox on Monday.
Mike Mussina - SP - Yankees
Mike Mussina said he believes he'll miss his next start but avoid the disabled list after suffering a strained left hamstring on Wednesday. That's what he says, but it's better than 50-50 that he lands on the DL. Darrell Rasner can fill in for him next week.
Source: The Journal News
Darrell Rasner - SP - Yankees
Darrell Rasner will start on April 17 against the Indians in place of the ailing Mike Mussina (hamstring). Avoid Rasner, who got battered around by the Orioles in his last outing.
Jaret Wright - SP - Orioles
The Orioles placed starter Jaret Wright on the disabled list Thursday due to right shoulder soreness. Wright’s absence seemingly would have provided a perfect opportunity for top Baltimore pitching prospect Hayden Penn to step into the rotation. However, Penn has health problems of his own, having been scratched from his second start for Triple-A Norfolk for elbow and forearm soreness. Jeremy Guthrie is considered the favorite to take Wright’s rotation slot.
Source: MLB.com
Ramon Ortiz - SP - Twins
Ramon Ortiz limited the Yankees to only one earned run on three hits in eight innings Wednesday to notch his second win. Ortiz -- who from 2005-06 had ERAs over 5.00 in the National League -- lowered his 2007 ERA to 1.80. Don't get your hopes up too high, though, as the 33-year-old right-hander has proven to be little more than an innings eater throughout his career.
Felix Hernandez - SP - Mariners
Felix Hernandez flirted with a no-hitter in a complete-game shutout of the Red Sox at Fenway Park Wednesday. The 21-year-old issued two walks and struck out six to improve to 2-0. Hernandez’s no-no bid was broken up by a J.D. Drew single to lead off the eighth inning. The right-hander, who has yet to allow an earned run in 17 innings and sports a 0.47 WHIP, will face the Twins at home in his next start on April 17.
