John Smoltz threw two scoreless innings in his first rehab appearance yesterday. He threw 27 pitches and struck out three batters. Of course, this is Single-A ball we are talking about, so the results are not important. What is important is that he was happy with his delivery and felt no discomfort. All signs point to him making one more rehab appearance tomorrow, and then he should be activated from the Prior List on Monday.
In related news, Mike Gonzalez made his first rehab appearance yesterday as well. He was in AA Mississippi, and threw a scoreless inning himself. Gonzo could be back in a Braves uniform as early as next week, but we’ll wait and see how his second rehab appearance goes before making any predictions.
With Soriano already back in the Braves’ bully, I fully expect some of those late inning, one run losses to start turning into wins. Games like Tuesday’s, where Hudson pitched into the eighth and gave up the tying run, will soon be handed off in the seventh.
Troy Percival was placed on the 15-day Prior List today with a minor strain in his left hammy. Those of you who took my advice and grabbed Wheeler now have a closer for two weeks. While Al Reyes may get a save chance here and there, expect Wheeler to get the bulk of them.
All of you Huntsville Stars fans out there need to get to the ballpark soon. Mat Gamel is not going to be there too long, and you do not want to miss out on seeing this kid. Not the way he is swinging the bat right now, at least. Get to know Mat Gamel after the jump. Continue reading ‘Prospect Watch – Mat Gamel (Updated)’
Troy Percival collapsed after throwing a pitch today while attempting to close out his 15th game of the season. There is nothing to lead me to believe that anyone not named Dan Wheeler will be closing out games in his absence. The only other choice is Al Reyes. Look at their game logs and stats, and you will agree that Wheeler is the way to go. This is the type of pickup that could reap great benefits if Percy is out for an extended time.
Even if you don’t need a closer, if you have someone expendable, I would take a flier on Wheeler. I just dropped Justin Upton for him in my league, despite having five closers already and sitting firmly in second place in saves. I guess it’s sort of a cock block in my situation, as I just don’t want anyone else to get any saves if I can stop them. As always, make moves at your own risk, especially when there is not any solid information on Percival’s injury as of yet.
I’ll try to keep you updated throughout the season as closers go down, but with me being the only guy writing for this blog, and with me having an actual full time job, I’ll surely miss items here and there.
Jay Bruce made his major league debut on Tuesday night, and it was one he’ll never want to forget. Hitting in the two hole, Bruce reached base all five times that he came to bat, twice by walking, and three times by swinging the wood (two singles and a double). He tacked on his first two ML RBIs, two runs and stole a base as well.
Over on Diamond Hoggers, The Natural Mevs discusses his trip to Cincy to coronate his new emperor here.
Well that didn’t take long. The Cincinnati Reds today announced their intentions to call up Jay Bruce and have him play tomorrow night against the Pirates. This may change some waiver wire priorities for those looking to snag Kershaw. If you need an outfielder, move on Bruce as soon as you can. He isn’t the number one prospect in baseball for no reason.
If you need a starting pitcher, keep your request in on Kershaw.
If you are playing in a Yahoo league, Bruce may be a free agent already. He was in my league, and is now safely rostered on my team. I also snagged Kershaw with my waiver spot, so if the experts are wrong about these two guys, my team will feel it too.
Clayton Kershaw took the mound for the first time as a major leaguer yesterday. While it’s been reported in various places that he will only be up for three starts, it is hard to imagine him being sent down if he churns out two more performances like yesterday’s. While he didn’t get the decision, he put an impressive six inning debut on the table to show us the type of pitcher he can be. He didn’t rack up a 47:15 K to walk ratio in the minors by accident. Of the 102 pitches he threw, 69 of them crossed the plate or were swung at. Kershaw fanned seven Cardinals while walking only one, but did allow two earned runs on five hits. He got the Cards to hit the ball on the ground seven times, with only 11 balls being hit into play in all.
So the question is whether or not to use that waiver spot on Kershaw. It depends on your team needs, obviously, but the Dodgers need good starting pitching, and I think if Kershaw repeats this performance he’ll certainly be left in the rotation. Of course, the Red Sox sent Buchholz down after his no-hitter last year, so anything is possible. I’ll be taking the chance in my mixed league if he falls to me at two.
The red hot Braves continue to play well, and they also continue to get good news from the ER, as John Smoltz and Rafael Soriano both seem to be on the verge of returning.
the details after the jump Continue reading ‘Braves bullpen no longer in critical condition’
Alyssa Milano can finally smile again, as the Dodgers have officially called up Clayton Kershaw, with his first start coming today in LA against the Cardinals. According to Rotoworld, the plan is for Kershaw to make at least three starts in the majors. We’ll be watching closely, as Kershaw is the top rated pitching prospect in baseball right now. We expected him to be called up this month, so this move doesn’t surprise us too much. Whether or not to use your waiver priority on Kershaw is getting complicated, with the spotlight now turning to Jay Bruce as the next player to keep your eye out for. Bruce is an outfielder, however, so your team’s needs should make this an easy decision.
In order to make room for Doug Davis, who is returning from cancer treatment, the Diamondbacks have moved Mad Max to the bullpen. According to Bob Melvin, he could take on the role of setup man, but with Tony Pena and Chad Qualls already tag teaming that role, I’m not sure that he will. Either way, Scherzer still has a load of value in fantasy baseball, especially since he’s an SP/RP that could wind up closing if something happened to Brandon Lyon. Of course, Pena and Qualls would also be considered for the 9th in that case, so don’t expect it to happen, just be thrilled if it does.
So while his trade value has officially plummeted, he does have some actual value for your squad. Look for him to increase his K/9 in his new role, as he won’t have to worry about spreading his arm out over 7+ innings. I would expect his WHIP and ERA to remain consistent, but it would also not be surprising to see those drop some as well.
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