Welcome Two New Writers

I'd like to welcome my two new writers at Behind the Plate Fantasy, Wes Granger and Paul Singman. Wes knows his fantasy and is currently kicking everbody's asses in our auction draft league. Paul has his own blog, The Baseball Aspect, and is a very talented writer that brings a lot to the table. I'm looking forward to good stuff from both of these guys and you guys should too. I'm also still looking for two more writers, get your emails in if you want to be a part of the team.

Catch Me on FBM Live Tomorrow!

Hey guys, I'm going to be appearing as a guest on Fantasy Baseball Mafia Live tomorrow at 4:30 ET. It should be good fun as always with my boys Tony Cincotta and Darryl Houston Smith. If you miss the show you can download it any time at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/fantasybaseballmafia or just go to the FBM homepage and follow the link. Also writers spots are filling up quick so get your emails in if you want to be a part of Behind the Plate Fantasy.

Looking for New Writers

I'm once again on the hunt for a few new writers. If you're interested, send me an email with a sample of your writing for consideration. I'm looking for winners who know what they're talking about. If you've got any further questions, email me. Let's see what you guys got!

Saunders Looking Hard to Beat

As I write this article Joe Saunders has completed 8 innings and has allowed 0 runs while giving up only 4 hits and 1 walk while striking out 5 against the Oakland A's. That has brought his ERA down to 2.13 and his WHIP down to 0.94 and his K total up to 20. If he ends up winning the game he will be 5-0 on the season. These are remarkable numbers for a guy who went largely undrafted this preseason. Saunders has been the glue that has held the pitching staff together in the absence of both John Lackey and Kelvim Escobar. Saunders has been clutch in the last two seasons for the Angels. He showed he can be a big game pitcher in clutch situations late in the season the last two years. He doesn't overpower anybody but he knows how to get outs and he has been extremely proficient at it early this season. Owners of Saunders are thanking their lucky stars for picking him up and for people like myself who did, it has been the best pickup of the season so far.

I always though Saunders would be a better pitcher than most others thought. I never knew he could put together a five game stretch like he has to start this season but I saw good talent in him. The way the Angels play just breeds winners. I don't think Saunders can keep up this pace sadly enough. However, don't be surprised if at the end of the season you see Saunders sitting there with 15 wins. He should be starting for you every time he goes out there until you see a bad outing. I may have missed out on my share of hot starting free agent pickups but I'm glad I got my hands on this guy.

Triple Crown Contenders?

Nearly a month into the season it looks as if two possible Triple Crown contenders have emerged in the National League. Derrek Lee and Chase Utley could be the ones to do it. Both players are off to a red hot start and have all of the tools to compete for the Crown.

Derrek Lee is back to his '05 form by reattaining his power stroke. He's also learned how to hit for average in the last couple of seasons. Put it all together and you got the makings for a Triple Crown. D-Lee is currently hitting .362 with 7 HR and 18 RBI. He's also leading the Cubs with 63 total bases. Right now he's 3rd in BA, 3rd in HR, and 5th in RBI in the NL. The Cubs are tearing the cover off the ball and it looks like it's not going to stop anytime soon. D-Lee is going to have plenty of RBI chances all season long and if he can keep up his HR pace, he'll be right near the top of the league leaders. I believe that he can hit .340 this year and lead the league if his teammate Kosuke Fukudome doesn't deprive him of it. Everyone blames his lack of power for the last year or so on his previously injured wrist. Lee's reasoning for it was that he was hitting too many ground balls and the numbers from last year support that. He was hitting 2 to 1 ground balls to fly balls. It's definitely going to be interesting to watch his output in the next month or so to see if he keep up his current pace.

Chase Utley is one of the best young hitters in the league and he'll be one of the best hitters in the league for a long time. Like Lee, Utley is shredding NL pitching at a torrid pace right now. Utley is hitting .367 with 10 HR and 21 RBI. His BA puts him in 3rd place in the league, he's 1st in HR and 2nd in RBI behind his teammate Pat Burrell. Like the Cubs, the Phillies are not going to stop hitting and Utley will be driving in runs in bunches. I'm thinking he ends up at about .335 at the end of the year which could be the best in the league. He also has a good chance of leading the league in RBI. There's no doubt that he should have at least 125. The question is if he can lead the league in homers. He just lost his 5 game HR streak but he's off to a real nice start so far. Utley has all the tools and resources to contend for the Crown. He's in a great offense and he can't be pitched around like Lee can. Whether he gets the Crown or just contends if watching Utley play doesn't excite you then not much will.

Lee and Utley may be the most serious threats to contend for the Crown in a long time. I'm not predicting anything, just talking about possibilities here.

10 Most Surprising Hitters So Far

1. Mark Reynolds- Who would have thought that he had it in him to start the season off the way he has. I don't know if it's a hot/lucky streak, if it's a product of all around good hitting by the D Backs, or if he is that talented. I have a feeling that his hot start is compiled of all three factors. I'm not sure he can keep up the kind of power numbers he's putting up but I believe he can keep that BA over .300 all year.

2. Nate McLouth- A lot of guys had targeted him as a sleeper going into the draft but I don't think many expected him to produce this well, this fast. He had a 19 game hitting streak that was finally snapped yesterday and he's sitting at .365 on the season with 3 HR and 16 RBI and 2 SB. He's a nice little hitter for sure but to ask this young kid to keep this up is asking too much. I think he still finishes with very nice numbers and will confirm his sleeper status.

3. Justin Upton- The hype was there. The comparisons were made. Now it was time to see what this kid can do. What can he do? He can mash the ball. As much potential as the baseball world knew resided in the body of Justin Upton, to see a 20 year old put up these good of numbers this early in the season is a shocker. He's currently hitting .368 with 5 HR and 13 RBI. He's shown that he can hit situationally as well as hit for power. Fantasy owners would like to see more SB from him though.

4. Kosuke Fukudome- I told you he could hit. I thought he would hit for a little more power but it's still early. But watching this guy hit makes my day. What's the key to his success? His patience at the plate. He has seen more pitches/AB than anyone in baseball. He has the eyes of an eagle and the hand speed of Floyd Mayweather. He's hitting .357 in 70 AB with 1 HR and 9 RBI to go along with 16 BB and 3 SB. His patience at the plate is spreading to the rest of the Cubs' lineup as well. It just goes to show, it doesn't matter where you come from...if you can hit, you can hit.

5. Rafael Furcal- Most fantasy experts had written the guy off as a shell of his former self, including me. However, Furcal is back with a vengeance and is one of the only guys producing for the Dodgers currently. In 78 AB Furcal has gotten his BA up to .397 and has 3 HR and 9 RBI to go along with 13 BB and 4 SB. It looks for now like the man is back and truthfully, I can't believe. But good for him and for those who own him.

6. Joe Crede- The White Sox third baseman has defied the naysayers and has been hitting the cover off of the ball. The best gloveman at third brought his bat back with him too this year. He has just fallen under .300 in the last game now at .299. Oh yeah he also has 5 HR and 19 RBI. Not bad for a guy that people didn't think would even be starting for the White Sox this year. I think Crede keeps it up all year and gets his 30/100.

7. Casey Kotchman- We all knew he could hit for average but Casey is showing some pop early on this season. He now has 5 HR and 13 RBI to go along with his .317 BA. I'm not sure how long he can keep up this power surge but it sure is a nice sign of potential in that category. He has really solidified himself at 1B for the Angels and it could be that way for years to come.

8. Geovany Soto- Some people raved about him, some people thought he was overrated. Soto is proving he was worth the hype. A year removed from winning the Minor League MVP and getting big hits for the Cubs' down the stretch last year, Soto is picking up right where he left off. In 63 AB this season, Soto has a .317 BA with 2 HR and 13 RBI. Don't be surprised if that BA is still over .300 when the season ends and the 2 HR turn into 20. By next year he will most likely be a top 5 catcher in fantasy baseball.

9. Jorge Cantu- I really do love this guy here. Everyone but a few like myself thought he was washed up already. I knew the guy could still hit. Now that he's playing everyday again he is showing the world that it's the damn truth. In 74 AB he has gotten his BA up to .338 with 3 HR and 8 RBI with 2 SB. It looks like Mr. Cantu is back and people need to start realizing it. Never count a good hitter out.

10. Ryan Ludwick- Thought to be the least talented of the young Cardinals outfielders, Ludwick is hitting better than any. The stocky hitter is on a torrid pace to start '08 and could end up the everyday LF next year for the Cardinals or for just about any other team in baseball. How's a .365 BA with 4 HR and 12 RBI sound to you? Pretty damn sweet. Watch the K rate for him if you're in leagues that count them, he's got 15 in 52 AB.

Injury Update 4/23

-Josh Beckett will make his next start on Sunday after missing his last due to a stiff neck.

-Alex Rodriguez wants to return to the Yankees' lineup on Friday after missing almost a week with a quad injury.

-Alfonso Soriano thinks he can return to the Cubs' lineup on the 1st of May after missing over a week with a calf injury.

-Pedro Martinez will be cleared to resume throwing in a couple of weeks and will likely make at least two rehab starts before returning to the Mets' rotation.

-In a Class A rehab start, Scott Kazmir allowed 7 hits and 4 ER in 4 2/3 IP. However, this is the first time he has pitched against live hitting since last season.

-Mike Lowell took batting practice on Tuesday for the first time since spraining his thumb and said everything felt fine.

-Mike Hampton threw a 50 pitch bullpen session yesterday and he should be ready to make a couple of rehab starts.

-Michael Cuddyer should play in an extended Spring game today and and could return to the Twins' lineup this weekend.

-Gary Sheffield was given cortizone shots in both his shoulders yesterday and will need more time to recover.

-Kelvim Escobar is scheduled to throw for the first time this season today.

-Scott Rolen went 0-3 in a rehab assignment yesterday. He could return by Sunday or Monday.

-Curtis Granderson went 1-3 in what looks to be his final rehab assignment yesterday. He could return to the team as soon as tomorrow.

-Michael Bourn could miss 2-3 days with a groin injury. Hopefully it's not a nagging injury.

-The Cardinals have pushed back the timetable for Mark Mulder's return. It now looks like it will be in late May.

Old Man Still Kickin' and Kickin' Hard

First off, let me congratulate one of the most dominating pitchers of this era for recording his 3,000 K and ensuring his date in Cooperstown. He pitched a hell of a game last night too. John Smoltz allowed only 5 hits and 1 ER in 7 IP while striking out 10 Nationals and walking none. He ended up taking a loss as the Braves offense was unable to score a single run against the woeful Nats. That is the only blemish on his stats so far this season. Smoltz was carving up the Nationals striking out 10 for the second straight game and for the 45th time in his career. He has been with out a doubt the best pitcher so far on the young season. His stats read like Bob Gibson stats. In 4 starts and 23 IP Smoltz has an ERA of 0.78 and a WHIP of 0.91 while striking out 31 and walking only 6. Not shabby for a guy who turns 41 in a couple of weeks.

The ability that Smoltz has shown to be able to pitch like a 25 year old 15 years after he was 25 is what will make him a legend in this game. Aside from being one of the best human beings in baseball, Smoltz defines what a baseball player should be: hardworking, competitive, tenacious, strong willed, intelligent, and durable. The last adjective is what amazes me about the man. He's only had one significant injury in his career which kept him out of the game for a year and forced him to become a relief pitcher. When he became the Braves' closer, I thought okay he'll never start again but he could be a nightmare of a ninth inning guy. After two years of being the best closer in the game he wanted to start again. I thought, okay maybe he'll be a number three starter type with an ERA just under 4.00, maybe 5 K/9 IP. Instead the guy went right back into the rotation and didn't miss a beat.

With the way Smoltz is pitching it seems as if he can go five more years. He was probably about a 8th round pick in most drafts and people are getting first round value from him. His hot start surprised me again because of the talk coming out of Spring Training of trapezoid muscle problems and back/shoulder problems in general. We have seen no sign of these injuries as being a hindrance for Smoltzy. I think he can keep up a similar pace to the one he's on for another month and a half. Then he may go through a stretch where he is tired or hurting a bit and then finish up with a strong finish. In any case, Smoltz's name should be mentioned along with the other handful of pitchers that people call the best of the era which to this point it rarely has been.

Injury Update 4/21

-Chipper Jones is in the lineup for tonight's game after suffering a quad injury.

-Kosuke Fukudome is expected to start tonight for the Cubs against at home against the Mets.

-Dontrelle Willis threw off a mound today and felt no pain in his knee. He should be ready to go within a week.

-Mark Mulder threw 6 innings of scoreless ball in his second rehab start but will need 2-3 more before returning to the Cardinals.

-Scott Rolen could return to the Blue Jays lineup as soon as Wednesday coming off a broken finger.

-Mike Lowell should begin a 3 game rehab assignment starting next week trying to recover from a spained thumb.

-Mike Hampton threw 50 pitches in a bullpen session and he is said to be about 2 weeks away from returning.

-Curtis Granderson will start his rehab assignment today and could return to the Tigers by the end of the week.

-Ty Wigginton's sprained thumb will need a little more time to heal while he is eligible to come off of the DL today.

-Kevin Slowey is on his rehab assignment and could return in a week coming off of a bicep injury.

-John Lackey will make his first rehab start in Class A on Thursday which could make his return late next week.

-Matt Garza may start later this week against the Red Sox returning from elbow soreness.

-Rich Harden thew long toss yesterday as he tries to come back from back and shoulder muscle problems.

-Scott Kazmir will make a Class A rehab start on Wednesday and could return next week against the Red Sox.

Top 10 Most Disappointing Hitters So Far

1. David Ortiz- Papi has been picking it up as of late and looks like he may be busting out of his 3 week slump but he has to be the most disappointing hitter up to this date. Last week he dropped to a pathetic .079 BA and he probably would have committed a homicide to get a hit. As of now he has 12 hits in 75 AB with only 2 HR but he has managed to drive in 12.

2. Alfonso Soriano- Yet another leg injury has landed him on DL for the third time in just over a year. Fantasy owners have expected some disappointment out of him this year but what we are seeing is close to failure. Most who drafted him spent a 2nd or 3rd round pick on him which as of right now is going to waste. Soriano has managed only 10 hits in 57 AB while only walking four times. He also has only 2 HR and a measly 5 RBI.

3. Prince Fielder- Yeaaaaah you got a home run. Thanks a pantload Prince. I may not own him on any teams and I am a Cubs fan but as a fantasy player I am very disappointed with Prince. He is hitting nowhere near .300 at only a .222 clip and finally deposited his first HR a few days ago. He has drawn 10 BB which is a good sign but can he hit .300 this year? We'll have to wait and see.

4. Russell Martin- The over-hype looks like it could live up to the over-hype. It certainly will if Martin keeps up the pace he's on. He has just 12 H in 61 AB giving him a whopping .197 BA. The who Dodgers team has basically...uh...sucked. Martin has managed only 6 RBI and 1 SB thus far and has been basically a waste of AB's for your team. Let's hope he and the Dodgers starting swinging the bats like grown men.

5. Troy Tulowitski- Now this is a guy who some owners wouldn't mind swinging a fist at right now. Tulo has done absolutely nothing for fantasy owners at this point but looks like he could be busting out of it too. In 74 AB he only has 13 hits amounting to a .175 BA, to go along with 0 HR and a staggering 7 R and 7 RBI.

6. Paul Konerko- Fantasy owners are used to slow starts from Paulie but are flat out tired of it. He does have 3 HR and 13 RBI so far but he's also killing your BA, going just 10-58 in the first three weeks for a .172 BA. He's swinging at bad pitches and turning over on the ball often which is leading to his horrible average. You still got to play him though because the power is there. Pick it up Paulie!

7. Andruw Jones- They say he's kinda fat. They are correct. The tubby center fielder is hitting .169 with 1 HR and 3 RBI as is resembling a shell of his former self. He could turn out to be one of the most wasted picks of this year's draft. He's also struck out 21 times in 59 AB. That makes his average HR/AB .016 and his average K/AB .355. That is the definition of hurtin' for certain.

8. Rickie Weeks- I called him overrated before the draft. It's still very early but Weeks may prove me right yet. The good things he's done: 3 HR and 4 SB. The bad things he's done: .174 BA and 4 RBI. So far the bad is outweighing the good as some people were expecting him to be a five tool hitter. Keep it up Rickie.

9. Hunter Pence- He's basically done nothing in the first three weeks. He's hitting .222 with 0 HR and 3 RBI with only 1 SB. He's also struck out 19 times in 66 AB. People expected a cheaper five tool player out of Pence but he hasn't even been worth starting up to this point. While most of the other Astros are killing the ball, Pence is killing gnats.

10. Kenji Johjima- He's one of the top 5 or 6 catchers but he doesn't remember what an HR feels like. He has 0 HR at this point with only 3 RBI and a .196 BA. He's only struck out 3 times in 56 AB which is good but the hits just aren't falling. He also has the M's young stud catcher, Jeff Clement, breathing down his neck. I wouldn't want to be in this guy's shoes right now.

Just Missed the Cut

Adam Dunn- He's hitting .189 with only 2 HR and 7 RBI in 53 AB. Here's a usual stat for him: 21 BB and 15 K.

Gary Sheffield- Off to a torrid start with a .192 BA with 0 HR and 2 RBI.

Adam Laroche- He's hitting .132 with 1 HR and 3 RBI. Not good for people who were counting on him as their starting 1B.

Dan Uggla- Hitting only .209 is killing fantasy owners BA.

Ryan Zimmerman- A guy who was once thought to be a .300 hitter is hitting just .215 with only 7 RBI at a power position.

Jack Cust- .157 BA with 1 HR and 6 RBI. He has also drawn 16 BB but get this...22 K in 51 AB.

Brief Notes from 4-17-08

>Melky Cabrera, who only hit 8 HR’s in 545 AB’s last year, already has 3 in 47 AB’s.

>Jacob Ellsbury stole 2 bases, his 3^rd and 4^th of the season. He has yet to be caught in 13 career attempts.

>Brett Myers struck out 8 in 7 innings, allowing just one earned run.

>Pat Burrell is on fire, hitting .373 with 17 RBI and 6 HR.

>Prince Fielder hit his first homerun against the Cardinals.

>Skip Schumaker has 15 hits in his last 34 AB’s after starting the year 0-15.

>Edinson Volquez threw 112 pitches in 5 innings, walking four and giving up four hits. He had 7 K’s and allowed just one run though.

>Ryan Theriot was caught stealing for the 3^rd time.

>Carlos Quentin hit 2 HR (3 and 4) and has 15 RBI.

>Justin Verlander got smacked around again dropping his record to 0-3 with a 7.03 ERA. (5.0 IP, 7 H, 5 ER, 4 BB, 1 K)

>Ian Kinsler went 3-4 raising his BA to .297 and stole his fifth base.

>Chipper Jones hit 2 HR, went 4-4 and is hitting .443 on the year.

>John Smoltz struck out 10 in 5 shutout innings.

>Nelson Figueroa had a nice start for the Mets (7.0 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 K’s) Proceed with caution as it was against Washington.

>Boof Bonser will have no value if he doesn’t strike anyone out. He pitched 4 innings and surrendered 7 hits, 6 ER, and 2 BB with 0 K’s. Through 23 innings he has just 12 strikeouts.

>The Rockies and Padres played 22 innings. Peavy and Francis were dynamite combining for 18 K’s, 7 hits, and no runs in 15 innings. Matt Holliday stole 2 bases. Manny Corpas blew his second save. Brian Fuentes is looking good and you may want to pick him up if he’s available.

>The Royals’ Billy Butler and Alex Gordon are hitting .339 and .333 respectively.

>Carlos Silva improved to 3-0 with a 2.79 ERA after a nice performance against the A’s. (7.0 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K) He has pitched at least seven innings in all four starts.

Brief Notes from 4-16-08

>Setting up for Joakim Soria, Royals’ pitcher Leo Nunez makes a nice middle reliever sleeper option. He has 7 K’s and no ER in 6.2 IP and has allowed just 2 walks and 2 hits.

>The only way Barry Zito should be on your roster is if you are in a 20 team NL-only league. He fell to 0-4, walking 5 and allowing 5 hits in 6 innings.

>The Yankees and Red Sox combined for 30 hits and 24 runs. Every starter had a hit except for Jacob Ellsbury who went 0-5.

>Miguel Cabrera had a breakout game going 4-6 with 5 RBI.

>C.C. Sabathia has been atrocious. He lasted 4 innings giving up 8 hits, 9 runs and 5 walks.

>The White Sox’ 3-4 hitters, Jim Thome and Paul Konerko are still hovering under .200, yet they are 9-5.

>Go out and get Doug Brocail if he’s available. He got the save, not Jose Valverde, against the Phillies.

>The Rangers and Blue Jays played nearly five hours and left a combined 33 runners on base before A.J. Burnett gave up 2 runs in the 14^th inning.

>Hanley Ramirez had his seventh multi-hit game in 14 games played.

>After starting the season 3-0, the Nationals are 1-10 in their last eleven.

>The real Corey Patterson is back and in a 1-19 slump.

>Carlos Gomez stole 2 bases bringing his total to 9.

>Jason Isringhausen got his 6^th save, but gave up 3 hits and 2 runs. He has an injury history so just keep an eye on Anthony Reyes if he struggles more.

>Garrett Atkins was 4-5 raising his average to .321.

>The Padres managed just 3 hits off Rockies’ pitching, 2 by Brian Giles.

>Maybe Chone Figgins really can hit. Dubbed a “one dimensional player” he is currently hitting .393.

>This is the second year in a row Felix Hernandez has started hot. Sell high while you can before he takes a dip.

>Rafael Furcal went 4-4 with a HR raising his BA to .407. Adam LaRoche went 1-3 raising his BA to .143.

Off to a Hill of a Start

The unheralded Blue Jays' 2B Aaron Hill is red hot to start the season. He is confirming the sleeper status that was applied to him by some fantasy experts including myself. Hill was a guy that you could find in rounds 15 and beyond in mixed league drafts that I thought could out-perform second basemen that were taken much earlier. Hill went 2-3 last night including a HR, 3RBI and a run scored. That brings his season totals to 18-53 giving him a .339 BA with 2 HR, 13 RBI, 7 R and 1 SB. He seems to be improving his game everyday in Toronto and the Blue Jays have taken notice by signing him to a new 4 year contract. If you are in desperate need of a 2B, you may want to trade to get him. He is probably a MI on most teams which means you still may be able to get him fairly cheap. It would be worth a shot considering if he stays healthy he will hit 20 HR easy which is hard to come by for a second baseman. Hill is showing no signs of slowing down at all either. He was hitting 9th in the Jays' order but move up to 2nd for yesterday's big day and he could stay there permanently. Hill says he enjoys hitting 2nd because of all the fire power that is behind him. He can stay patient and not try to swing at everything in order to make something happen. The move to 2nd in the order will give Hill more AB's which means more stats. There's only more good things to come from this kid.

Injury Update 4/16

-Jimmy Rollins is unsure if he will return to the lineup today coming off of a sprained ankle. He should see game action by the weekend.

-Rich Harden should soon begin throwing again after taking the last week off with back/shoulder muscle problems. It's not a serious injury and he should be back %100 very soon.

-Blue Jays' manager John Gibbons says that Scott Rolen is at least two more weeks away from returning to the club while recovering from a broken finger.

-Eric Bedard's trip to the DL with hip inflammation doesn't sound too serious and he could be back within a week to a week and a half.

-Nomar Garciaparra went 3-3 in his last rehab game and should return to the lineup on Friday.

-Braves' RP Peter Moylan's MRI results are not good. They "showed irregularities which could indicate serious injury" in the right elbow. Moylan is scheduled to meet with Dr. James Andrews for a second opinion today.

-Curtis Granderson took BP yesterday for the first time since breaking his finger and said he was pain free most of the time with minor pain here and there.

-Mike Hampton is scheduled to throw off the mound today for the first time since suffering a hamstring injury. He will need rehab starts though and could still be three weeks away.

-Yovani Gallardo should make his first start of the year on Sunday for the Brewers in Cincinatti.

-Chris Carpenter thew live BP on Monday but is still likely out until July.

-The swelling on Mike Lowell's thumb has gone down quite a bit and we should see how soon he can return shortly.

-Howie Kendrick should return to the Angels' lineup this weekend against Seattle.

-Scott Kazmir could start a class A rehab assignment in the next couple of days and the Rays are confident that he will return to the team on May 3.

-Ian Kennedy will make his next start at Baltimore on Saturday after taking a line drive off the hip in his last outing.

Soriano's Bum Legs Becoming Big Problem

The situation with Alfonso Soriano's injury prone legs is becoming a serious problem. Tuesday night Soriano managed to suffer another leg injury while doing his bizzare routine of hopping while catching a pop fly. After landing his hop he strained his lower right calf muscle. The early buzz surrounding the injury is not encouraging. An anouncement on the injury is supposed to be coming sometime today but from the way Lou Pinella sounded, the prognosis doesn't look good. It could be something as simple as a strain which would keep Fonzy out for about 2 weeks. If there is a tear in the muscle it is likely 6+ weeks. When commenting on the length of time that Soriano would miss Pinella said, "It will probably be a while". Soriano has explained his unique hop in the past. He says as a former infielder he's used to moving his feet while making a play on the ball. His hop is another way of keeping his feet moving while catching pop flys. In any event it seems that the 32 year old Soriano has not been taking care of his legs like he should be. This is the third different leg injury in the last year for him after having quad and hamstring problems last year. Eric Patterson, the younger brother of Corey, has been called up to fill the void left by Soriano's injury. Patterson is a 2B by trade but may see a little time in the outfield as well. Patterson is probably only an option in NL only leagues at this point in his young career. If anything it will most likely free up more playing time for Felix Pie and Reed Johnson. It's unsure what will happen with the leadoff spot in the Cubs' order but the most likely replacement is Ryan Theriot. However, don't be surprised if Pinella goes with the so far sensational Kosuke Fukudome who is hitting .333 with an OBP of .448.

Soriano's bum legs are becoming a big problem for fantasy owners as well. If you own Soriano, you most likely used a 2nd or 3rd round pick on him in which case you may not be receiving the same value for him as you expected. Soriano hasn't been stealing many bases this year as is and those numbers certainly won't improve after this latest injury. This may be the excuse Pinella needs to finally take Soriano out of the leadoff spot and move him down in the order. On the bright side, Soriano came back very strong after his injuries last year and could start mashing the ball again once he returns from this injury.

Brief Notes from 4-15-08

>K-Rod saved his fifth game, but still is struggling with control. He’s walked seven in 6.1 innings and his WHIP is 1.97.

>Texas OF David Murphy stole his 3^rd bag and is hitting .292. If you need a fifth OF to start for an injured player he has been playing everyday.

>John Danks followed up a disastrous start by pitching 7.2 innings of shutout ball, striking out four. Expect ups and downs like this throughout the year.

>Conor Jackson quietly has 13 RBI and is batting .333 after a 2-4 game.

>Micah Owings improved to 3-0 (6.0 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 6 K’s, 1 ER)

>Mark Grudzielanek may be a nice 2B fix for a while if all you need is average. He only has one extra base hit, but is sporting a .341 BA.

>Paul Byrd had a nice game against Boston allowing just an unearned run and striking out 6 in 6 innings. Joe Borowski is on the DL and there were no good answers to fill his role as the bullpen blew up, giving up 7 hits, 4 runs, and 4 walks in 3 innings.

>Pat Burrell has 15 RBI and 5 HR.

>Shawn Chacon pitched 8 shutout innings, but Jose Valverde blew his second save surrendering 2 HR’s in the ninth. Maybe this is the same Valverde who couldn’t keep his job in 2006 and was sent to the minors.

>Carlos Gomez is running half the time he reaches first or second base.

>OF Luke Scott has 6 multi-hit games, is playing everyday, and batting .386.

>Scott Olsen shut out the Braves over 7 innings allowing just 5 hits and no walks.

>Is there a more overpaid player in baseball than Jason Giambi? He’s making $23.4 million and hitting .094.

>Jose Reyes was 4-5 and was caught stealing, but at least he was running. Mike Pelfrey had a great outing (7.0 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 K’s)

>Derrek Lee’s power appears to have returned. He has 5 homeruns and 6 doubles.

>Pujols’ owners may not be enthused with his RBI numbers (8), but his OBP is .517 and his SLG is .667. Also, he is batting .378.

>Line of the day goes to San Diego’s Randy Wolf (7.0 IP, 1H, 0 ER, 4 BB, 9 K’s)

>Russell Martin hit his first dinger of the year and every Dodger starter had at least a hit against the Pirates pitching.

Brief Notes from 4-14-08

>Jon Lester was unimpressive against Cleveland walking five in 4.1 innings, but thanks to Joe Borowski he was spared the loss. Borowski and his 18.00 ERA will have his arm checked out so he has something to blame his pitching on. Evidently, something has been wrong with his arm for several years. Keep an eye on the Indians’ bullpen and whether or not Betancourt retains his 8^th inning role he is so comfortable with.

>Pat Neshek has been a disappointing middle reliever so far (7.50 ERA) and blew his second save.

>In AL only leagues Twins’ OF Denard Span may be worth a look as he has been filling in adequately for Michael Cuddyer. He’s currently hitting .300 with a SB.

>The Tigers’ 3-6 hitters exploded for 10 hits in 17 AB’s, finally showing what they are capable of.

>George Sherrill managed his 6^th save despite giving up a 2-run shot to Alex Rios in the 9^th.

>O’s OF Adam Jones was 3-3 with his 2^nd SB.

>Rays’ fans had to be excited seeing B.J. Upton and Evan Longoria hit back to back HR’s in the seventh inning against the Yankees.

>With Joba Chamberlain on the bereavement list, Mariano Rivera pitched more than one inning for the first time this season.

>Ervin Santana managed a W on the road, striking out six in seven innings. He allowed 7 hits, and 3 earned runs, while walking one.

>White Sox leadoff hitter Nick Swisher is getting on base at a .460 clip.

>Zack Greinke threw a complete game (5 H, 1 ER, 4 K’s) and is now 3-0. He has gone at least 7 innings in every start and has yet to give up more than one run in a game.

>Takashi Saito gave up his first 4 hits and first 3 runs of the season as the Pirates won their fourth in a row.

>In his season debut Randy Johnson struck out 7 in five innings. He gave up 3 unearned runs, walked 4 and had no decision. All 5 runs allowed by Arizona pitching were unearned.

Buerhle Looks Strong in Loss

Mark Buehrle looked very good tonight in his start against the A's in Chicago. Buerhle went 7 strong innings, giving up 9 hits (4 to Kurt Suzuki), 1 BB, 1 ER with 4 K's in a 2-1 loss. He hadn't pitched in 8 days due to a rainout and a day off. This was a good sign for fantasy owners of Buerhle who watched him struggle in his first start against Cleveland. He did give up nine hits but not a whole lot of hard hit balls. His control was there as he and Pierzynski worked very well together. I said during the preseason that Buerhle would be a good late round pick and I'm sticking to it. Tonight's game was a good sign. In other White Sox news, Paul Konerko and Carlos Quentin both went 0-4 while Jermain Dye went 2-4 to raise his BA to .348.

For MMA and UFC Fans, We Got Fantasy!

If you're a fan of MMA and the UFC and you want to get into a fantasy league check out www.mmaplayground.com. This is a great site for fantasy MMA and has a lot of different ways you can go about it. You can start your own league or join an existing league. You make picks for the upcoming fight cards: the winner, what round or judge's decision, and you pick wins by KO/TKO or submission. They also give you play money to wager on the fights. They also keep track of overall point and money leaders. I just signed up today and I can't wait for UFC 83 next Saturday. By the way I'm taking Serra over St. Pierre. Email me if you want to join a league and if I can get enough guys to join, I'll start one up. Let's get it on, come on!!!

Brief Notes from 4-13-08

>Gabe Kapler had 2 doubles and hit his fourth HR.

>Rickie Weeks hit a HR and stole his 4^th base of the year.

>Travis Buck has 8 hits in his last 25 AB’s after starting 0-21.

>Is the old Cliff Lee back? Get him on your roster quick if he’s still available. (8 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 8 K’s) He is 2-0 with a 0.61 ERA.

>Tom Glavine lasted just 16 pitches before leaving the game with a hamstring injury. Hopefully you didn’t have him on your staff except in NL only leagues.

>Lastings Milledge had his first SB of the season.

>Alfonso Soriano is hitting a cool .175 and that includes a current seven game hit streak.

>The Pirates are happy to see trade bait Jason Bay hit 3 HR’s in his last 5 games while raising his batting average to .282.

>Johnny Cueto had his first rough outing of the year surrendering 5 ER in 6 innings. He did strike out 6 however.

>Jeff Niemann had a very successful debut for the Rays (6.0 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 6 K’s, 1 BB) and picked up the W vs. the Orioles.

>Javier Vazquez was awesome in 7 innings against the Tigers. 69 of his 92 pitches were strikes and he finished with 9 K’s, 5 hits, and no walks.

>Wandy Rodriguez has turned into a must start if he is pitching at home. He struck out seven over 7 innings, with 5 hits allowed and a walk.

>Brian Bannister may be #2 fantasy starter right now. He pitched a complete game vs. the Twins allowing just three hits and one unearned run. He overshadowed the return of Francisco Liriano who was unimpressive in his 4.2 innings.

>B.J. Ryan got his first save of the year.

>Tim Lincecum struck out 11 in 6 innings.

>Howie Kendrick is 18-36 through 10 games. He was caught stealing twice Sunday and has 0 HR and just 4 RBI.

>After starting the year 1-14, Matt Holliday is now hitting .340 with 11 RBI and 3 HR.

>Everyone’s favorite Brandon Lyon replacement, Tony Pena, gave up 4 runs in the 9^th inning on 3 hits and a walk.

>Greg Maddux pitched 5 innings of 2-hit, shutout ball and the San Diego bullpen did the rest in a 1-0 victory over the Dodgers.

>Andruw Jones was 0-2 with 2 K’s and is hitting a measly .100.

>The Red Sox stole 4 bases against Jose Molina and Yankees’ pitching.

>Dice-K was off his game walking six and giving up 5 hits and 4 ER in 5 innings, but he did pick up his 3^rd win.

>Phil Hughes couldn’t find the plate again and when he did he was hit hard lasting just 2 innings and surrendering 6 ER.

Under the Tag

Week 3: April 14-April 20

These are players in 10 or 12 team mixed leagues that were either drafted very late and sit on your bench or may be found on the waiver wire. For leagues that have daily transactions you may want to consider plugging some of these guys in to grab an extra SB or two during the week. Both the opposing pitcher and catcher are taken into consideration when looking at these options, as well as the number of games played in a particular day.

Last week one notable base stealer was lost for at least 3 months, Dave Roberts. If you had him on your team it was for one reason, steals. His surgery does open the door for more playing time for Rajai Davis and Eugenio Valez. If steals are what you're looking for see if one of these two are on your waiver wire.

Monday, April 14
Erick Aybar of the Angels has stolen 3 bases already and is hitting .310. He makes a good middle infield option if you need to fill a hole today.

Jorge Posada may try to catch again today, which means you want all your Rays with any speed in your lineup. See if OF Nathan Haynes is available and plug him in today.

Chris Synder has allowed 5 of 6 attempted base stealers to reach successfully. Don't forget about the Giants Brian Bocock if you have a hole in the MI.

Tuesday, April 15
Mike Pelfrey will be making his second start of the season and looking to solidify his spot in the rotation. Last season is 13 GS he allowed 8 SB with one CS. If you have s spot for a National such as Felipe Lopez you might want to look at starting him.

Wednesday, April 16
Angels SP Jered Weaver is tied for 2nd in SB's allowed in MLB. They are playing the Royals so other than the obvious Gathright start look at 1B Ross Gload who has already attempted 3 steals this year.

Thursday, April 17
Fausto Carmona has allowed 4 SB's so far this year in his starts. Look at Clete Thomas if you need an OF. Keep in mind though that there are an unusual amount of games for a Thursday.

Friday, April 18
Phil Hughes can't keep runners off base and Yankee catchers can't stop them from running (19 SB's allowed so far between Jose Molina and Jorge Posada) The Orioles' Adam Jones may look to run if he can get on base.

Saturday, April 19
Greg Maddux is on the mound, meaning start any D-Back with legs.

Sunday, April 20
Dave Bush lets so many runners get on base that he can't help but give up a number of steals. Couple that with Jason Kendall's inability to throw runners out and all Reds look like good starts, even Ryan Freel and Jeff Keppinger.

Brief Notes from 4-10-08

-Edwin Jackson (2-0) had a great line (8.0 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 4 BB, 6 K’s)

-Edwin Encarnacion hit 2 HR.

-Aaron Harang pitched 8 innings of one-hit ball, but only had 3 K’s.

-Bill Hall has hit safely in 6 straight games and 8 of 9.

-Kevin Millwood gave up just 3 hits in 7 innings allowing one run. His ERA is 1.29 through 3 starts, while his record is 1-2. He did walk 5 batters.

-Joaquin Benoit can provide some nice middle relief innings. He has 7 K’s in 3 IP.

-C.J. Wilson saved both games of the doubleheader pitching 2 perfect innings.

-Geovany Soto went 4-5 raising his BA to .333.

-Rich Hill only lasted 3 innings giving up 3 hits, 3 ER, and 4 BB.

-Jon Lieber came in to pitch 4.1 shutout innings winning his second game in middle relief in 4 days.

-Keep riding J.D. Drew while he’s hot. He’s currently hitting .440 after a 3-3 game.

-Magglio Ordonez hit his first HR, which also accounted for his first RBI.

-Shaun Marcum had 8 K’s in 7 innings and has 16 in 14 IP this season with a 2.57 ERA.

-Ryan Zimmerman has gone seven games without an RBI.

-David Wright had his first 2 steals and Jose Reyes his first.

-John Maine allowed 5 hits and 5 BB in 6 IP.

-Every Yankee had a hit except Robinson Cano who is batting .179.

-Albert Pujols stole his second bag of the year.

What's With the Cardinals' Starters?

Everyone thought going into the season the Cardinals' starting rotation would be a disaster. Well in the first week and a half of the season it has been the exact opposite. As of 4/10 they have the best rotation in baseball. The highest ERA among the starters is Braden Looper's 3.09. I'm stunned. We all know that Adam Wainwright is a good pitcher and most of us thought that was all they had. However, the rest of the guys are shutting opposing offenses down. Kyle Lohse is tied for the league lead with a 0.00 ERA after two starts. He also has 5 K and 4 BB in 12 IP. Todd Wellemeyer has been outstanding with a 2.25 ERA in 2 starts with 13 K and 4 BB. Brad Thompson has surprised a lot of people with a 2.53 ERA in 10.2 innings with 11 K and 4 BB. The previously mentioned Looper has 2 W, 7 K, 2 BB in 11.2 IP to go along with his 3.09 ERA. Wainwright has only one start due to a rainout but he looked very good going 8 strong and striking out 4 and walking only one batter. The combined ERA for the Cardinals' starting rotation = 2.02. Now how long can they keep this up? My guess is not long. Lohse can be straight up nasty at times. One game he can throw a CG shutout and the next day give up 8 ER in 2 IP. Wellemeyer has been a relief pitcher most of his career and not a very good one at that. Thompson is the youngest of the bunch and has some upside but how much is yet to be determined. Looper may be a serviceable fantasy option in deep leagues. He's shown he can keep his ERA down but he has injury concerns. Wainwright still remains the only worthy fantasy player out of the five in mixed leagues. If you're in an NL only league and have an open spot on your squad it might be worth picking up one or even two of these guys and ride them while they're hot. Basically what I'm saying is, good job so far Cards pitchers but it won't be long until you fail. I'm trying to be objective as possible here, lol. That's enough Cardinals talk for a while.

Brief Notes from 4-9-08

-Grady Sizemore hit his 2^nd homer and stole his 2^nd base.

-Scot Shields gave up a run on 2 hits in the 8^th inning for those speculating on who will fill in for K-Rod.

-Micah Owings got his second win (7.0 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 4 K’s) and Brandon Lyon pitched a perfect ninth for his second save.

-Ryan Dempster was lights-out pitching 7 innings of one hit, shutout ball. Wood and Marmol both gave up a run in relief.

-There’s been a Jason Bay sighting. He went 3-5 with his first homerun. The RBI was also his first.

-Jeremy Bonderman picked up Detroit’s first W of the season. He was far from good though (5.2 IP, 5 H, 4 BB, 2 K’s)

-Todd Jones somehow made it through the ninth without allowing a run, giving up 2 hits and a walk.

-David Ortiz went 0-4 and is hitting .091.

-Oakland’s middle infield Crosby and Ellis went 7-10 with 4 RBI and 2 SB.

-Mike Jacobs had 2 HR bring his total to 4.

-Washington’s 1-2 hitters had 4 hits; the rest of the lineup went 1-24.

-For some crazy reason Marlins’ pitcher Scott Olsen was left in the game for 120 pitches.

-Mike Pelfrey passed his first test in the Mets’ rotation getting the W while going 5 innings and surrendering 2 ER.

-Season total SB: Gregg Zaun 1, Jose Reyes 0.

-2B Jose Lopez is off to a good start with 2 HR, 2 SB, 9 RBI, and a .333 BA.

-Corey Patterson and Bill Hall both homered again giving them four apiece.

-Albert Pujols hit his first 2 HR of the year and is hitting .379. Pujols owners can only hope the Cardinals keep winning so he’s not shut down.

-Lance Berkman had his 3^rd steal.

-Zack Greinke held the Yankees to 6 hits and 0 runs in 8 innings. He is 2-0 with a 0.60 ERA.

-Joe Crede hit his 3^rd HR. He is hitting .406 with 11 RBI.

-Chuck James made an inauspicious debut, lasting just 3 innings and giving up 6 ER. He did strike out 5.

-Willie Taveras stole 2 bags.

-Giants’ pitcher Jonathan Sanchez had 10 K’s in 6 shutout innings. He has 18 K’s on the season in 10 IP.

-SS Brian Bocock stole his third base.

-The Giants have yet to score more than four runs in a game.

No Signs of "Ring Rust"

White Sox 3B Joe Crede has shown no signs of rust whatsoever to start the season. After having a disappointing Spring at the plate Crede has given the Sox offense a charge in the first few games. Many people questioned whether he could handle the starting job coming off of back surgery. Crede has shown so far that he's back with a vengeance. His return to the Sox left no room for future 3B Josh Fields as he was demoted back to the minors and the team hasn't missed him a bit. As of now, Crede is hitting .392 with 11 hits in 28 AB. He's belted a couple of HR including a grand slam to beat the Twins on Monday which boosted his RBI total to 10. Crede has been talked about in trades since the owner's meetings but it hasn't happened and it might not happen at all. Crede's super-agent Scott Boras hinted today that Crede and the Sox may soon agree to terms that would keep him in Chicago for a few more years. He's always been good with the glove and how he hasn't won a Gold Glove yet mystifies me. Now that we know he can still hit he should be owned in all leagues and start him while he's hot. I still believe that he will hit 20+ HR this season and get close to 100 RBI. It's nice having him back in the fantasy baseball world.

Injury Update 4/9

-Jimmy Rollins sprained ankle shouldn't keep him out of any games.

-Dave Roberts is on the DL and may have to have knee surgery.

-Scott Kazmir and John Lackey both pitched off of a mound yesterday and by all accounts looked good. Kazmir was getting the ball in the 93 MPH range and Lackey will throw another bullpen session on Thursday.

-Curtis Granderson took batting practice for the first time yesterday since breaking his finger. It won't be long before he's back in the lineup.

-Keep an eye on Jorge Posada's status. His dead arm could land him on the DL soon.

-Francisco Rodriguez may be out until Sunday wi