Fausto Carmona strained his hip while covering first base this week, and will go on the 15-day DL. This is more likely a precautionary measure than anything else, as he was first listed as day-to-day. They also optioned reliever Jensen Lewis to Triple-A to work out a few mechanical issues.
It just keeps getting worse for the Padres. Chris Young went on the 15-day DL with a broken nose after taking a line drive to the face from Albert Pujols. The Pads should just be happy he’s not dead. Now their pitching is a shambles too, just like their offense.
Jake Peavy has a strained muscle in his throwing elbow, and will go on the 15-day DL. He will miss a couple of starts and should be able to come back around June 1. There doesn’t appear to be any ligament damage, but let’s hope this doesn’t turn into a lingering issue.
Uh-oh. John Smoltz ain’t feeling so good after his last bullpen session on Saturday. It could be a while longer; that’s the price you pay for getting a 40+ year old player on your fantasy team. You should expect these kinds of frustrating stretches, and always have a plan B.
Here are some pretty good pickups I found available on the waiver wire in several of my leagues. These guys are hot, but I wouldn’t recommend dropping a star player just because he’s slumping at this point. However, if you’ve got a “breakout” guy who’s still not breaking out and hurting your team, them I would consider picking them up yesterday.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that John Smoltz should return in about 10 days. As a closer.
Pedro Martinez threw a 55-pitch simulated game, and is set to throw a 75-pitch simulation in 5-7 days. After that, he will make at least one minor league rehab start before rejoining the Mets rotation.
Jeff Keppinger fouled a ball off his left knee on Monday, breaking his kneecap. With Alex Gonzalez still far from being ready, the Reds are now scrambling for a replacement. Jerry Hairston Jr. could see a good chunk of time in the hole, and Minor leaguer Paul Janish has gotten the call from Triple-A for now. Neither are significant fantasy players at this point.
The Minnesota Twins also lost key setup man Pat Neshek for the season after he heard a pop in his elbow this week. He has a partial tear of the UCL, but there is no surgery planned.
Kevin Kouzmanoff has started out pretty well in May, with a tidy .318/.348/.455 line. If you really need another option at third base, you might consider playing him, but solely on the road. PETCO has a nasty habit of sapping the power of otherwise viable players (see: Greene, Khalil). Kouzmanoff is a lifetime .269/.314/.399 hitter in the Padres’ spacious home park, and .279/.317/.469 everywhere else since joining the Pads.
And the trauma continues. Rafael Furcal, in the midst of an awesome fantasy season, had been sidelined for almost a week with a day-to-day strained back issue, but now it appears more serious and he will be headed to the DL. His replacement, Chin-Hung Lu is a decent prospect, but has had trouble hitting Major League pitching.
John Smoltz has resumed throwing, and should return as the Braves’ closer by the end of the month. That may mean it’s finally time to drop Manny Acosta and Rafael Soriano; keep your feelers out for one more article confirming that, and drop away.
So it turns out that Vernon Wells has a broken wrist, taking him out of the picture for at least 6 weeks. The Blue Jays just can’t stay healthy, it seems. The prime beneficiary in terms of playing time looks to be the newly-signed Brad Wilkerson.
Chone Figgins has hit the DL with a strained hamstring; nothing big to worry about, just sit him for two weeks and look for opportune steals in the meantime. The Angels have called up Kendry Morales to take his roster spot; Morales could be a hot pickup, so watch how he does.
Both Nationals catchers went on the DL this week, leaving the primary catching duties to Jesus Flores and Wil Nieves. Flores is a prospect; Nieves is not. So keep your eye on Flores, who has some pop.
