Daily ArchiveFriday, May 5th, 2006
Posted on May 5, 2006 by Andrew Flynn
Two Transactions of Note
BP’s Christina Karhl has the impact of two sets of roster moves in Transaction Analysis:
Diamondbacks: Placed RHP Russ Ortiz on the 15-day DL (strained calf, suckitis); recalled RHP Casey Daigle from Tucson (Triple-A). [5/2]
So the Melvin legacy gets to funk about on the Disabled List, a spot where he at least provides his team with some addition by self-subtraction, and possibly cash if there’s insurance involved. But even simple deletion understates how positive this development might be, because in Ortiz’s absence, Juan Cruz had a nifty start, encouraging those of us who think last summer’s stint in Sacramento’s rotation is indicative of his still-extant potential for goodness. Optimist that I am, I think his shot at putting up rates similar to those in 60th or 75th-percentile forecasts are pretty reasonable. Additionally, Daigle’s progress as a reliever makes him a nice enough replacement for Cruz in the pen, so this is a win-win situation twice over.
Reds: Placed OF-R Cody Ross on the 15-day DL (bruised finger), retroactive to 4/29; [5/2] Placed INF-R Rich Aurilia on the 15-day DL (strained groin); recalled 2B/SS-B Ray Olmedo from Louisville. [5/4]
Losing Aurilia is actually a little strange in its effect, since he was in something of a platoon with Scott Hatteberg at first base. I suppose it’s possible that the Reds could avoid a third more Hatteberg at the exact same price by moving Adam Dunn to first against lefties and starting Denorfia in left in those games, but I wouldn’t bet on it–there’s probably a sentiment that there’s no need to get too demanding with the big guy as far as defensive assignments go.
Posted on May 5, 2006 by Andrew Flynn
Plenty Under the Knife
Will Carroll types a lot of pixels on Roadrunners in today’s Under the Knife:
When you hear reports that Mark Mulder had gone back to St. Louis for an exam, that’s not good. This isn’t as bad as if it had been Albert Pujols doing it, but it’s still not good. Mulder got a quick check-up on his muscular problem and was cleared to return. Knowing that it’s not a structural problem is a plus, yet leaves Dave Duncan to do the hard part. Does Mulder miss a start to try and heal up, maybe even head to the DL to make sure, or does he go out and pitch through it, hoping that the training staff has a good enough handle on him to not let it get back into the pain/spasm cycle? There’s no depth to work from if Mulder’s lost for any significant period. Cards fans want to believe.
I’ll skip talking about Jerry Narron’s decision to leave Aaron Harang in for the ninth despite a high pitch count and a six run lead. The only thing worse than beating a dead horse is trying to reason with it. The Reds put Rich Aurilia on the DL after he strained his groin on Wednesday. His 782 OPS plus positional flexibility have made him a valuable part of the Reds’ early run, but they have other, better options that can be just as flexible. The team will survive this injury without worry and Aurilia should be able to come back near the minimum.
Mike Lieberthal has been injury-prone during his Phillies career. He’s also been very effective when he’s been on the field. In a walk year, Lieberthal’s health is even more significant. The Phils and new GM Pat Gillick are trying to figure out if this team is a contender, and Lieberthal is a part that might return something in a thin trade market. His health is key whether he’s staying or going, so leaving Thursday night’s game with an undisclosed knee injury is no good for anyone. The Phillies have been discussing some trades, including one with the Pirates, though Dave Littlefield has been focused on a deal with Jim Bowden for much of the last week.
Todd Greene was trying to play the part of immovable object. Prince Fielder? He’s an irresistible force–a big, strong man who’s faster than you’d expect, but just as heavy. I’d love to know what Greene was thinking in the split second between catching the ball and catching Fielder’s shoulder in his face. Greene went down, eventually lost the ball in a controversial call, and has a nice black eye to show for his effort. Greene, who knows Prince from his days playing with Cecil Fielder, said it was a clean play. He shouldn’t miss significant time.
Posted on May 5, 2006 by Andrew Flynn
Two Promising Starters
Tim Dierkes has updates on two Roadrunners that were picked up WAY before it was trendy:
Tom Gorzelanny, SP: Another Pirates southpaw. If Brandon Duckworth isn’t chosen first, Gorzelanny could get the call when a spot opens up with the big club. Oliver Perez has pitched terribly, and it’s can’t be tolerated forever. Gorzelanny has pitched much better than rotation-mate Sean Burnett. Like Bonser, he needs to keep his walks down to be effective for NL-only players. NL: $4, Mixed: No. Acquired: 7th Round Draft Pick.
Juan Cruz, SP: After 22 innings of work, Cruz has a 2.05 ERA and 9.8 K/9. I think walks are going to remain his Achilles heel, however. Cruz’s next two starts are against the Padres and Braves, so he should pitch decently in the short term. Worth a look if you’re desperate for strikeouts. NL: $12, Mixed: $2. Acquired: $5 FAAB - April 4th
Posted on May 5, 2006 by Andrew Flynn
Overnight Dispatches
From Rotoworld:
Mike Lieberthal left Thursday game with a bruised left knee after he was hit by a pitch in the sixth inning, according to the AP. The severity of the injury is not yet known. He went 0-for-2 prior to his departure
Despite taking a broken bat to the back of the head in the second inning, Clay Hensley threw six shutout frames against the Dodgers on Thursday night. Hensley pitched with a bandage on the back of his head after the barrel of Andre Ethier’s bat knocked him down and put him on the ground for five minutes. He ended up allowing just two hits in his six innings before being removed for a pinch-hitter. Clay Hensley could have a CAT scan on Friday, but since he pitched well after the injury, the CAT scan is likely precautionary. Hensley will face the Brewers and Cubs next week. Those in deeper mixed leaguers should consider grabbing him.
Khalil Greene hit a three-run homer off Takashi Saito to account for all of the scoring in the Padres’ victory over the Dodgers on Thursday night. The homer was his fifth. Greene is batting just .213, but at least he’s walking again. He has a 21/15 K/BB ratio in 94 at-bats. In 2005, he finished at 93/25 in 436 at-bats.
Jeff Kent was held out of the starting lineup on Thursday. He popped out as a pinch-hitter. There were no physical problems, supposedly, but it appears that Kent is still limited after offseason wrist surgery. He’s batting .181 and has three extra-base hits in 94 at-bats. Gradual improvement is likely, but it might be some time before he’s again a top fantasy second baseman.
Juan Cruz pitched five scoreless innings and struck out seven to defeat the Cubs on Thursday night. Cruz walked two and gave up four hits, but none went for extra bases. He’s allowed one run in two starts since moving into the rotation, so he’s sure to stick around for now. Cruz twisted his ankle in a pickoff move in the fifth inning, but struck out Juan Pierre to end the inning. There’s enough upside here that he can’t be left available in any NL-only leagues.
Doug Davis pitched six innings of shutout ball as the Brewers defeated the Giants 7-4 on Thursday. A second straight fine outing, though it was against a Giants lineup minus Barry Bonds, Omar Vizquel and the injured Ray Durham. Davis struck out three and walked three today, leaving him with a 25/29 K/BB ratio in 37 innings. He gets to start at San Diego next, so even though he’s not at his best, his ERA figures to keep dropping.
Posted on May 5, 2006 by Andrew Flynn
Cinco de Mayo - Standings and Statistics
Standings: Tied-6th Place - 69.5 points 10 out of first GOK 79.5 / C0 78.5 / SJ 73 / X 72 / Pi 70.5 / AARR / 10PK 69.5 HR AVG RBI R SB W ERA WHIP K'S S -- --- --- --- --- --- ---- ----- --- --- 44 .2601 188 179 28 15 3.65 1.357 167 8 4TH 8TH 1ST 3RD 2ND 7TH 3TH 6TH 9TH T-7TH BOX SCORE FOR 05.04 Atomic Roadrunners ab r h bi | bb so avg --------------------------------------------------------- Johnny Estrada Ari C 3 0 0 1 | 0 0 .286 Mike Lieberthal Phi C 2 0 0 0 | 0 0 .297 Prince Fielder Mil 1B 3 1 1 0 | 1 0 .330 Ryan Zimmerman Was 3B 3 1 1 0 | 1 0 .245 Jose Reyes NYM SS 5 0 1 0 | 0 0 .242 Adrian Gonzalez SD 1B 1 0 0 0 | 0 1 .230 Khalil Greene SD SS 3 1 1 3 | 1 0 .213 Adam Dunn Cin OF 5 1 1 1 | 0 1 .255 Moises Alou SF OF 4 0 3 0 | 1 0 .370 Dave Roberts SD OF 5 0 1 0 | 0 2 .253 Jeff DaVanon Ari OF 1 0 0 0 | 0 1 .284 J.J. Hardy Mil SS 1 0 0 0 | 0 0 .265 --------------------------------------------------------- Totals 36 4 9 5 | 4 5 .250 --------------------------------------------------------- RBI: JEstrada 1(15), KGreene 3(16), ADunn 1(19) 2B: MAlou 1(3) 3B: DRoberts 1(5) HR: KGreene 1(5), ADunn 1(11) SB: PFielder 1(3) ERRORS: MLieberthal 1(2), MAlou 1(1) PITCHING ip h r er bb ibb so bf era whip ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Doug Davis W(2-2) 6.0 4 0 0 3 0 3 26 0.00 1.17 Dan Wheeler Ho(6) 1.0 1 0 0 0 0 1 4 0.00 1.00 Matt Wise Ho(5) 1.0 1 0 0 0 0 1 4 0.00 1.00 Juan Cruz W(1-0) 5.0 4 0 0 2 0 7 20 0.00 1.20 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Totals 13.0 10 0 0 5 0 12 54 0.00 1.15 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- RESERVE HITTING ab r h bi | bb so avg --------------------------------------------------------- Jeff Kent LAD 2B 1 0 0 0 | 0 0 .181 --------------------------------------------------------- Totals 1 0 0 0 | 0 0 .000 --------------------------------------------------------- RESERVE PITCHING ip h r er bb ibb so bf era whip ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Jason Vargas 2.0 2 0 0 1 0 1 9 0.00 1.50 Clay Hensley 6.0 2 0 0 3 0 3 22 0.00 0.83 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Totals 8.0 4 0 0 4 0 4 31 0.00 1.00 ----------------------------------------------------------------------