Atomic RoadRunners

Diamondbacks placed outfielder Conor Jackson on the 15-day disabled list with an undisclosed illness. Jackson must be really sick. He had missed three consecutive games heading into Tuesday, but reports were calling his illness “flu-like.” There’s obviously more to the story, so stay tuned. He’s been feeling under the weather for a couple of weeks, while the D-Backs have been running a number of tests on him to find the cause of his ailment. Jackson was used a pinch-hitter on Monday night, so this move cannot be made retroactively. Eric Byrnes will get the bulk of the playing time in left field, unless the D-Backs decide to recall top prospect Gerardo Parra in the coming weeks. (Rotoworld, Rotowire)

In a surprise C Robinzon Diaz is batting fifth for the Pirates Tuesday. Diaz has an 8-for-18 line against right-handers and has gone 6-for-15 over the last four games. Clearly, John Russell is riding the hot hand. (Rotoworld)

Madison Bumgarner won his Double-A debut on May 11th, beating New Britain, allowing seven hits and one run in six innings of work. He fanned two and didn’t walk anyone. He certainly didn’t look out of place in Double-A. Although putting a timetable on such a young pitcher seems unwise, it will be very interesting to see how fast the Giants push him if he continues to pitch like this. He’s been almost unbeatable since last June. The key thing to monitor in Double-A will be his strikeout rate. If he continues to fan hitters and throw strikes at the pace he did in A-ball, he could reach the majors sooner than anticipated. (Rotowire)

Conor Jackson was out of the lineup for a third consecutive game on Monday due to flu-like symptoms. New Diamondbacks manager A.J. Hinch said Monday night that he isn’t sure when Jackson will be ready for full-time duty. onsidering that he was used as a pinch-hitter in Monday’s loss to the Reds, Jackson would seemingly have a chance to return as early as Tuesday night. Owners in weekly leagues will likely get a handful of games out of him over the weekend even if he’s held out again. He’s off to a disappointing start, batting .182/.264/.253 with just one home run and 14 RBI in 99 at-bats. Hopefully the time off will somehow put a spark in his bat. (Rotoworld, Rotowire)

Brandon Webb (shoulder) is hoping to begin a throwing program during the Diamondbacks’ upcoming road trip, which begins on Friday. Webb will begin by playing catch from various distances. If all goes well, he’ll move on to bullpen sessions and simulated games. He’s still at least a month away from returning to action and setbacks are almost expected. ssuming that everything goes well once he’s throwing again, he is still going to need a few rehab starts to get stretched out, so don’t expect to see Webb back in the Arizona rotation until June at the earliest. (Rotoworld, Rotowire)

Chipper Jones may require a cortisone shot in his elbow, which could result in him missing up to three games. “Hopefully [Tuesday] it’ll be better and I’ll be able to get extension to make a throw,” said Jones, who couldn’t straighten his arm on Monday. “If it’s the same [on Tuesday], I might get a shot. But I want that to be a last resort.” The Braves are 1-5 this season when he’s not in the lineup. (Rotoworld)

Matt Diaz went 3-for-5 with two RBI as the Braves rallied late to crush the Mets 8-3 on Monday night. Diaz is a rare player who hits well against starter Johan Santana, as he was 8-for-15 against him before Monday. While the final results might not suggest it, this game was a pitcher’s duel early on, with Derek Lowe and Johan Santana both looking very strong over the first six innings. The Braves jumped all over the Mets bullpen in the seventh, though, when Diaz broke a 1-1 tie with a two-run single and then scored on another two-run single by Casey Kotchman in the following at-bat. Diaz is hitting .258 with 13 RBI on the season. Diaz has gotten back to playing almost exclusively against left-handers after a brief period of playing every day, and he should get his batting average back over .300 as a result. Playing less than every day, he won’t matter much in Fantasy, but he can help as a fourth or fifth outfielder in NL-only Rotisserie leagues. (Rotoworld, Rotowire, CBS Sports)

Mitchell Boggs’ next start has been pushed back to Thursday against the Pirates. Boggs turn would have come Monday. Because of the move, Todd Wellemeyer and Joel Pineiro can remain on regular rest while Kyle Lohse and Adam Wainwright get an extra rest day. Due to an off day on May 18, a fifth starter won’t be needed again until May 23. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch speculates that Chris Carpenter could potentially return to make that start against the Royals. (Rotoworld)

Giants closer Brian Wilson recorded a save Monday against the Nationals, putting out the fire after Washington had already scored three runs in the ninth inning. He struck out the only batter he faced. Wilson has struck out 19 batters in 17 innings this season and looks like a better all-around pitcher than the one who saved 41 games last year. He might get sporadic opportunities pitching for the Giants, but he’s a high-end No. 2 Fantasy closer. (CBS Sports)

Chris Duncan is a lot more comfortable now, be it swinging or sleeping. The 28-year-old Duncan appears all the way back from surgery last August for a herniated disc that sapped his power. He’s third on the team with 23 RBI and has a knack for the clutch hit, with a .370 average with runners in scoring position that more than makes up for the occasional adventure in left field. Although he’s been driving the ball, Duncan is a bit anxious about his home run count. He hit his 10th double in a three-RBI game Sunday at Cincinnati, but has only three homers thus far. Duncan broke into the majors with 22 homers in a half-season in 2006, then had 21 in 2007 before being stalled by a sports hernia.

“I wish I was hitting the ball out of the park more, but that’s not something I can force,” Duncan said. “When I get guys on base, I’m just trying to really bear down and take good at-bats.” Fantasy owners would love to see Duncan leave the ballpark with more consistency, especially if the rest of his numbers don’t dip in the process. The frequent post-surgery maintenance that’s required is a reminder that everything is not as easy as it used to be. Some days, there’s a tingling sensation in the shoulder. “I can’t be just like, ‘All right, I’m healed now and I don’t have to do anything’,” Duncan said. “I’ve just got to do all the exercises the pitchers do, and I used to never do that.” Clearly, Duncan is doing all the right things as he is now 100 percent healthy again and hitting the snot out of the ball. If the homers increase, he can begin to be used in most mixed Fantasy leagues. (CBS Sports)

FAAB Acquisitions:

• C Robinzon Diaz, Pirates ($0 bid, reserve)

Up:

• OF Matt Diaz (to DH)

Down:

• OF Conor Jackson

Move:

• DH Austin Kearns to OF

Cut:

• RP Juan Gutierrez

Notes:

• Lost on bidding for Marlins 2B/OF Chris Coghlan.  I bid $5, as did Pi Train, but Get Off Kong! bid $11
• Lost on bidding for new Cubs 3B/OF Ryan Freel.  I bid $3, as did Get Off Kong!, but Misogynistic Padres bid $5
• Conor Jackson was placed on the 15-Day DL (illness) after the transaction deadline.  I had already decided to send him down.

STANDINGS through 05.11.09