| Recent Player News |
| Date |
Player |
News |
| 5/17/2008 |
Julio Lugo, SS (Bos) |
Lugo was in Friday's lineup, but the Red Sox's game against Milwaukee was rained out. He hasn't played since May 9 due to a mild concussion.
Analysis: Lugo was hitting .285 with no homers and nine RBIs before the injury. |
| 5/17/2008 |
Orlando Hernandez, SP (NYM) |
Hernandez still hasn't thrown off a mound, the New York Daily News reported. He's been battling a foot problem since spring training.
Analysis: He's not close to returning to the Mets' rotation. |
| 5/17/2008 |
Chipper Jones, 3B (Atl) |
Jones returned to Atlanta's lineup Friday against Oakland after a one-game absence due to a sore groin.
Analysis: He didn't miss a beat, going 2-for-3 and raising his average to a league-leading .423. He's 7-for-11 in his last three games. |
| 5/17/2008 |
Matt Tolbert, SS (Min) |
Tolbert was placed on the DL Friday with a torn ligament in his left thumb, his team's official Web site reported.
Analysis: Tolbert was hurt diving into first base on the last play of Minnesota's loss to Toronto on Thursday. He's hitting .265. |
| 5/17/2008 |
Kevin Mench, LF (Tor) |
Mench left Friday's game in the fourth inning because of a bruised right knee. He is day to day.
Analysis: Mench is just 3-for-17 since joining the Blue Jays. He was traded from Texas earlier this month after starting the season at Triple-A Oklahoma. |
| 5/16/2008 |
Shawn Chacon, RP (Hou) |
Chacon set a major league record by making his ninth consecutive start without a decision to begin the season. Chacon lasted just 3 1-3 innings against the Texas Rangers on Friday night. He left with the Astros trailing 8-2 after giving up a three-run homer to Josh Hamilton in the fourth. But Houston rallied with five runs in the fifth and another run in the sixth to tie it and get Chacon off the hook.
Analysis: There have been three streaks of 10 consecutive no-decisions for pitchers since 1956, but none were at the start of a season. The 10-game streaks belong John D'Acquisto and Randy Lerch in 1977 and Dick Stigman from 1965-66. |
| 5/16/2008 |
Mark Prior, SP (SD) |
Prior has another shoulder problem that will delay his debut with the San Diego Padres. Prior's agent, John Boggs, confirmed Friday that the pitcher has a tear in his right shoulder capsule. Prior, who had surgery on the shoulder last year, will be kept from throwing for at least two weeks and then be re-evaluated.
Analysis: Prior, who is 42-29 with a 3.51 ERA in his injury-plagued career, last pitched in 2006 when he went 1-6 with a 7.21 ERA in nine games for the Chicago Cubs. He was the second overall pick in the 2001 amateur draft and went 18-6 with a 2.43 ERA in his first full year in the big leagues, finishing third in NL Cy Young Award balloting. San Diego signed Prior in the offseason with the hope he'd be ready to pitch by June 1. |
| 5/16/2008 |
Matt Holliday, LF (Col) |
Holliday was removed from the Colorado Rockies' starting lineup Friday night because of tightness in his lower back. He was originally in the lineup against the Minnesota Twins, but his back didn't loosen up sufficiently after treatment and he was replaced in left field by Ryan Spilborghs.
Analysis: Rockies trainer Keith Dugger said Holliday is day to day and he could pinch hit Friday night if his back responds to treatment. Holliday, the 2007 National League batting and RBI champion, is hitting .316 with six home runs and 22 RBIs this season. He had hit safely in 10 of his past 11 games. |
| 5/16/2008 |
Geoff Geary, RP (Hou) |
The Houston Astros put Geary on the 15-day disabled list Friday because of a strained right groin.
Analysis: Geary, who has not allowed a run in 10 consecutive appearances since April 26, left Thursday's game at San Francisco because of the injury. Geary is 1-1 with a 1.47 ERA in 19 appearances. |
| 5/16/2008 |
Rafael Betancourt, RP (Cle) |
Betancourt has lost his job as interim closer for the Cleveland Indians, who plan to use several relievers at the end of games until Joe Borowski returns from an arm injury. Manager Eric Wedge made the decision Friday, a day after Betancourt had to be replaced in the ninth inning of a 4-2 win over Oakland.
Analysis: He moved into the closer's role when Borowski got hurt, and converted four of five save chances even though he struggled. On Monday, he gave up three runs in the 10th inning of a scoreless game. Betancourt was 1-2 with a 7.31 earned run average after he failed to close out Thursday's game. He loaded the bases with one out in the ninth on a pair of hits and a walk. |
| 5/16/2008 |
Jason Isringhausen, RP (StL) |
The St. Louis Cardinals put Isringhausen, who has an 8.00 ERA and six blown saves, on the 15-day disabled list on Friday because of a cut on his pitching hand.
Analysis: The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported last weekend that Isringhausen hurt his right hand striking a television set in frustration in manager Tony La Russa's office. |
| 5/16/2008 |
John Buck, C (KC) |
Buck was granted three days of bereavement leave because of health concerns for his wife, Brooke, after she gave birth to twins.
Analysis: Cooper and Brody were born 12 weeks prematurely Thursday evening, and Buck did not accompany the Royals to Miami for their weekend series against the Florida Marlins. |
| 5/16/2008 |
Ramon Hernandez, C (Bal) |
Hernandez was back in Baltimore's lineup Friday after he experienced no pain in his tender left wrist while swinging during batting practice.
Analysis: Hernandez, who has experienced left wrist soreness, last played a week ago. He still had the wrist taped but felt no discomfort during batting practice. |
| 5/16/2008 |
Melvin Mora, 3B (Bal) |
Mora's sore right shoulder responded well enough to throwing drills, putting the third baseman back in the Baltimore Orioles' lineup for Friday's opener of a three-game series against the Washington Nationals.
Analysis: Mora, who had missed two games after taking a grounder off his shoulder during infield practice Tuesday, wanted to test the joint during infield practice before pronouncing himself fit enough to play - even though manager Dave Trembley had already penciled him into the lineup. |
| 5/16/2008 |
Jason Bay, LF (Pit) |
Bay went 1-for-2 with a solo homer and a run in a 7-4 loss to the Cubs on Friday.
Analysis: Bay, who also homered Thursday, has hit three of his nine homers in his last seven games. He is batting .271 with 18 RBIs and a .401 OBP in 41 games this season. |
| 5/16/2008 |
Mark DeRosa, 2B (ChC) |
DeRosa went 2-for-4 with a solo homer, double and two runs in the Cubs' 7-4 win over the Pirates Friday.
Analysis: After going through a bit of a funk, DeRosa has been red-hot lately. He's batting .458 (11-for-24) with eight runs during a seven-game hitting streak after going 1-for-18 (.056) in his previous six. He has raised his batting average from .257 to .293 during his hitting streak. |
| 5/16/2008 |
Dmitri Young, 1B (Was) |
Young was activated from the disabled list by the Nationals on Friday, and will be used as the designated hitter in the first of three interleague games against Baltimore.
Analysis: Young, who has not played since April 2 because of a lower back sprain, should see most of the action at first base with Nick Johnson on the DL with a tear in the tendon sheath in his right wrist. Subbing for Johnson last year while Johnson recovered from a broken right leg, Young hit .320 with 13 homers and 74 RBIs. |
| 5/16/2008 |
Geovany Soto, C (ChC) |
Soto went 2-for-3 with a solo homer and a walk in the Cubs' 7-4 win over the Pirates Friday.
Analysis: Soto, who also homered Thursday, is 6-for-13 with six RBIs in his last four games. He is also strong candidate for NL catcher at the All-Star game. He leads NL catchers in batting (.328), home runs (eight), RBIs (30) and is second in OBP (.431) and doubles (14). |
| 5/16/2008 |
Alfonso Soriano, LF (ChC) |
Soriano led off Friday's win over the Pirates with a homer, and hit a three-run homer in the second inning.
Analysis: After getting off to a slow start and being booed at Wrigley Field, Soriano has been red-hot lately. He is batting .435 (10-for-23) with five home runs, 10 RBIs and seven runs in his last five games. |
| 5/16/2008 |
Ryan Braun, LF (Mil) |
Braun hit is 10th homer of the year in the Brewers' loss to the Dodgers Thursday.
Analysis: Braun, who is batting .286 with 30 RBIs on the season, is 12-for-28 (.429) with five home runs and seven RBIs in his last seven games. |
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