Victor Martinez is getting ready to head out on a rehab assignment and should be back with the Indians in mid-August.

Seattle Mariners – Ichiro Suzuki is reportedly battling some kind of leg pain, though the Seattle Post-Intelligencer didn’t specify which leg or exactly what kind of pain. It could be related to the hamstring problems Ichiro had about a month ago. Anyways, it must be affecting his running because he has just one stolen base since July 5^th. Ichiro is hitting though; he currently has a nine game hitting streak going in which he has batted .385. Erik Bedard made thirty throws at sixty feet during his first throwing session in nearly a month since going on the DL with shoulder tightness. He apparently didn’t experience any pain after the session – a good sign for a change. There is still no timetable for his return to action. Raul Ibanez is hitting the ball well, no wonder several teams were inquiring about his services. Over his last 20 games, Ibanez is batting .308 with five home runs, 14 RBI and 10 runs scored. His average for the season is up to .281, the highest it has been since mid-May. He is one player who could be traded in a waiver deal. Brandon Morrow will be making the switch to starter when J.J Putz is finally ready to resume closing duties. Morrow will head to the minors to stretch out and return in September to get in 4-5 starts before the season ends. Putz could be traded during the waiver period, though a contender would likely block him by posting a claim. Other players that Seattle may post waivers on, to see if they can move them are Adrian Beltre and Jose Vidro. The Twins were interested in Beltre, but I can’t imagine anyone wanting Vidro.

Texas Rangers – Things could be changing in the bullpen soon if Sunday is any indication. Manager Ron Washington had Eddie Guardado warming up to come into the ballgame in what might have been a save situation. Guardado did pitch, but with a four run lead there was no save awarded. When asked about it, Washington indicated that he will go to whichever pitcher he feels is best for the situation. That could mean a closer committee, or at least a tandem effort with C.J. Wilson and Guardado. When Josh Hamilton had to be removed from a game last week because of dizziness and dehydration, it was because he drank several energy drinks and not enough water. The Rangers have several pitchers coming back off the DL soon; Kevin Millwood is expected to head out on a rehab assignment soon, and could be back on the field late next week. Joaquin Benoit made his final appearance Monday and could rejoin the team later this week. Doug Mathis is coming along a little slower and looks to be more like a September callup. Milton Bradley’s leg problems, which have kept him sidelined for the better part of a week, could cause him to end up on the DL. In fact, he may already be there by the time this article is published.

Oakland A’s – Travis Buck was placed on the DL in the minors. Apparently, the symptoms he was experiencing were chalked up to post-concussion syndrome but were actually caused by an inner ear infection. There is going to be a mass shuffling of the starting rotation for the A’s starting with Dana Eveland being shipped down to the minors to work on his mechanics and command. Lefty Dan Meyer, recently called up from Sacramento, will likely take Eveland’s place, although there is also talk of Gio Gonzalez being given a shot. It appears that Huston Street is going to be losing his closers job too. Manager Bob Geren informed Street that he intends to give some of the other guys in the bullpen a chance to take the role. There is no word on exactly who that might be, but I’d think it’s a pretty good bet that Brad Ziegler, who has yet to be scored upon, gets a chance. Joey Devine, once the anointed successor to Street, could also get the call but he is fresh off the DL, so Geren may want him to shake off some rust first. Keith Foulke should be back in the A’s bullpen by the end of the week. The A’s may try to move a few players during the waiver period in August, with Bobby Crosby, Mark Ellis, and Alan Embree all possibilities.

Toronto Blue Jays – Scott Rolen is going to be getting regular rest built into the schedule every week for the rest of the season. He sat Sunday and Monday and will likely get two days off in a row like that every week. That certainly lowers his already fairly low fantasy value. Jeremy Accardo made his first rehab appearance this past weekend, his first such action since June 12. The Jays will bring him along slowly with late August/early September being a realistic goal. Vernon Wells is taking batting practice daily with the team, but is still not expected back for another two weeks. He was originally expected to be out until the end of August, so a mid August return would be an acceleration of the original timetable. Shannon Stewart is 5 for 12 at the plate in his first four rehab assignment games. The Jays think he will rejoin him by the end of the week or early next week. Toronto may try to move Greg Zaun if they can squeak him through waivers.

Boston Red Sox – Mike Lowell has a sore hip flexor that’s been bothering him for about a week. He sat out Monday’s game to give it a rest and will get more time as needed according to manager Terry Francona. Lowell will likely get a cortisone injection to relieve the pain, but will otherwise try to play through the pain for the rest of the season. Julio Lugo has begun a light running program as he works his way back from a torn quad muscle in his left leg. He won’t be going on the Sox seven game road trip, instead remaining behind for treatment. The Red Sox have extended an offer of a minor league deal to (gulp) Joe Borowski. They were interested in him two years ago, but not for the closers job. Borowski is said to be considering the offer. Jason Bay’s first three games for the Sox were pretty good; he went four for eleven (.364) with six runs scored, helping the Red Sox to sweep the Oakland A’s. Jed Lowrie had done an admirable job filling in for the injured Lugo. He’s played 15 games since Lugo was hurt, batting .283 with a .364 OBP, and 11 RBI from the bottom third of the order. There have been reports in the Boston print media that Manny Ramirez approached the Red Sox at the eleventh hour on trade deadline day and asked to stay with the team, pledging to make every effort to play every day, especially with the team in the hunt for a playoff berth. At that point it was either too late, or GM Theo Epstein was simply unconvinced of Ramirez’ sincerity and could not take him seriously. David Aardsma pitched well in his first rehab assignment game and is on track to rejoin the Sox sometime during the current road trip. The Sox would still like to add an arm to the bullpen, with Ron Mahay of the Royals, Will Ohman of the Braves, and Scott Eyre of the Cubs rumored to be in their sights.

Detroit Tigers – When will the Tigers finally learn that Fernando Rodney is simply not cut out to be a closer? In his four outings since being named Todd Jones’ replacement, Rodney has pitched four and a third innings, giving up five runs on four hits, with eight walks, seven strikeouts, two blown saves, a loss, and an ERA of 10.38. With Joel Zumaya hurting, Jones now on the DL, and nobody else available to step up and grasp the job for themselves, the Tigers are pretty much stuck with Rodney for the time being. How long they continue to tolerate his terrible work in a tight pennant race is anybody’s guess.

Chicago White Sox - Joe Crede sat out the weekend of games on his rehab assignment because he was feeling twinges in his ailing back. This is a bad sign and could mean his return, originally targeted for Wednesday, is likely to be delayed. Scott Linebrink has increased his long tossing distance to 120 feet and is making good progress in his return from shoulder tightness. He’s been out since July 22^nd, and hopes he can return soon. The Sox play 16 of their next 19 games at home, so “the Cell” is going to be busy over the next three weeks, and players like Ken Griffey Jr., Jim Thome, Paul Konerko, and Jermaine Dye should be able to pad their home run totals a bit, as the Sox try to stay atop the standings in the AL Central division. With Griffey on board and playing center field, and Nick Swisher able to play first base, Chicago could make Konerko available during the August waiver trade period. Konerko has had an awful season, but a change of scenery could be just what the doctor ordered.

Cleveland Indians – Back on July 26^th the Indians acquired Anthony Reyes from the St. Louis Cardinals with an eye towards next season. But Reyes has been lights out in his two outings for the Triple A Buffalo Bisons. In his latest outing he scattered five hits over eight innings, giving up just one earned run without walking a batter. Overall, he is 2-0 with a 2.77 ERA since joining the Tribe, and could find himself back in the majors before too long, especially if Jeremy Sowers continues as is. Over his last ten starts, Sowers is 1-6 with a 5.93 ERA. He has 20 walks against only 33 strikeouts, and batters are hitting him at a .299 clip, making him an obvious choice for replacement. Help could be on the way for the Tribe in the form of Victor Martinez. He ran the bases for the first time post operation this past weekend, and is heading out on a rehab assignment later in the week. He will likely play a few games, perhaps at first base, and then return to the Indians, perhaps early next week. Rafael Betancourt could be placed on waivers for the purpose of a trade this month, as the Indians try to clean house and clear some payroll. If Betancourt clears waivers, there would no doubt be several  interested teams.

Minnesota Twins – They are in first place now, but their bullpen is suffering from overuse, as evidenced by the ten runs they coughed up to the lowly Mariners in the seventh inning of a game they should have won. The arrival of Francisco Liriano will help a bit, but Livan Hernandez, the pitcher they waived to make room for Liriano, was the only member of the rotation who regularly worked late into games. Speaking of Hernandez, the Rangers are thought to be interested in his services. Randy Ruiz was brought up to replace Craig Monroe. Ruiz will start at DH against lefties, but won’t play any first base. He will likely be the one to go when Mike Cuddyer finally comes back. Cuddyer is heading out on his rehab assignment Tuesday and should be back with the Twins some time next week.