Chicago Cubs CF Alfonso Soriano is day-to-day with a strained hamstring.

NATIONAL LEAGUE GRUMBLINGS -- WEEK 3
Contributed By: Jesse Draper


ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS

NOTES: The story in Arizona is the torrid start by second baseman Orlando Hudson.  Hudson has quietly been a very consistent producer for the last few years, and he’s due for a breakout.  He is not as good as his .412 average and .450 on-base percentage would lead you to believe, but he will absolutely provide good production all season.  Someone is going to look to sell-high on him, but don’t bite yet.  Wait until he settles down a bit and he should be available for slightly less than his true worth.

Alberto Callaspo’s hot start puts pressure on Stephen Drew and Chris Young to get their offensive games going. Callaspo is a talented player that may force his way into the lineup with regularity, at least in the role of super-sub.  He compares favorably to players like teammate Orlando Hudson and Houston’s Chris Burke.

INJURIES: There’s no definite timetable set for Randy Johnson’s return to the rotation yet, though it is expected that it will happen within the next two weeks.  At that point Micah Owings or Edgar Gonzalez is going to be sent down. Both have pitched relatively well, but Owings has started to separate himself by allowing only two runs in two starts while posting a 11/4 K/BB ratio. Gonzalez’s chances weren’t improved after we was roughed up Monday night by the Dodgers at home.

Carlos Quentin returned to the starting lineup on Monday night after a stint on the DL due to a partial labrum tear. He will split time with Scott Hairston until manager Bob Melvin feels he’s ready to play every day.
 
Player Watch: Middle reliever Brandon Lyon already has two wins to go along with a 1.29 ERA over seven appearances.  He’ll be a solid candidate to vulture wins until Arizona’s starters can regain their control. Brandon Webb, Livan Hernandez and Doug Davis have combined for a lackluster 37/33 K/BB ratio. You have to watch Lyon closely though, as he’s given up a hit per inning and has walked twice as many batters as he’s striked out.
 
Prospect Watch: Justin Upton has yet to get it together at all offensively in High-A ball, hitting .152 in nine games. There’s no rush with Arizona’s young outfield depth, but at some point it would be nice to see at least one of the Upton brothers explode.


ATLANTA BRAVES

NOTES: The Braves sit at the top of the NL East thanks in no small part to the resurgence of veteran starter Tim Hudson, who had been on the decline ever since he came to the Braves from Oakland. But observers in Spring Training noted that he seemed to have regained his form, and that an improved offseason workout routine has him feeling great and primed to make a comeback.  With the Tim Hudson of old, the Braves’ thin, beat up rotation suddenly looks much stronger.  It wasn’t more than three years ago that Hudson was considered one of the most consistent pitchers in the league.  Atlanta needs that kind of stability behind John Smoltz if they hope to stay with the Mets all season.

INJURIES: Lance Cormier’s trip to the DL with a strained triceps has given Kyle Davies new life at the end of the Braves rotation.  Davies might actually hold the job as he’s started off well putting up eight strikeouts against the Mets while limiting them to two runs.  His next start will come on Wednesday.

Player Watch: Kelly Johnson is a player to keep an eye on, and makes a very smart buy low play right now. He’s struck out only four times while walking nine in 40 at-bats, so it appears as if that .150 average is more about bad luck than bad hitting.  One area of concern is Johnson’s inability to hit the curve ball at all this season, but regardless, he projects to offer some nice power from the second base position and warrants you attention.

Prospect Watch: Joey Devine has looked solid to date as the closer for Atlanta’s AA club, sporting a 10-1 K/BB ratio.  With Mike Gonzalez, Rafael Soriano and Bob Wickman finishing games for the parent club, the Braves won’t feel any need to rush the 23 year old who was clearly in over his head last season.


CHICAGO CUBS

NOTES: The Cubs bats were just starting to warm up when superstar CF Alfonso Soriano strained his left hamstring Monday night.  Jacque Jones was the only starter who failed to cross the plate Monday night as the Cubs slaughtered San Diego’s Clay Hensley, who gave up ten runs in five innings. After the game, Cubs first baseman Derek Lee had this to say: "I've been saying all along we have a great lineup. It's just a matter of time -- hitting is contagious. Hopefully it rubs off on the rest of us."

While the hitting has been slow to get going, the surprise of April has been the pitching by Rich Hill, Ted Lilly and Jason Marquis. Hill and Lilly are proving themselves to be legitimate strikeout pitchers capable of keeping their team in games, while Marquis has pitched well enough to quiet (at least temporarily) fans who thought his signing in the offseason was a waste of money. Combined, the three pitchers are 5-2 with a sub-three ERA.

INJURIES: As noted above, the Cubs lost Soriano to a strained hamstring Monday night.  He’s currently listed as day-to-day, and his absence should give Matt Murton an opportunity to play every day again, with Jacque Jones  moving to left.  DL poster children, Kerry Wood and Mark Prior won’t be joining the club again anytime soon.  Wood has been diagnosed with shoulder tendonitis, and won’t be activated again until he is pain free.  For Prior it’s even worse, as he’s scheduled to see Dr. James Andrews for a second opinion on his hurting shoulder. At this point it’s very unlikely that he will pitch for the Cubs in 2007. 

Player Watch: Matt Murton has done all the right things since his demotion in favor of newcomer Cliff Floyd; he’s kept his mouth shut and played his tail off when given the opportunity. For the time being he’ll likely see time in right with Jones moving to center or leftfield. Murton is a hard worker who can drive the ball, and this extended opportunity might be enough to convince Lou Pinella to keep his bat in the lineup.

Prospect Watch: Top OF prospect Felix Pie was hitting .444 with an 1.127 OPS through eleven games for AAA Iowa. With Soriano out for at least a few days, Pie has been called up, and will fill replace him in center for the Cubs in coming weeks.


CINCINNATI REDS

NOTES: The Reds trail the Brewers by half a game in the Central,

Rule 5 Pick Josh Hamilton has been swinging a big stick.

thanks to hot starts by starting pitchers Aaron Harrang, Bronson Arroyo, Kyle Lohse, and Matt Belise. Harrang’s ERA is an ugly 5.40 after giving up five runs in back-to-back starts, but his control has been good, so there’s no reason to think he won’t rebound.  He leads the staff with two wins, but it’s the combined 3-0 start by Lohse and Belise that has Cincy in second place.  The Reds’ bats have been marginal, aside from the power display put on by rookie Josh Hamilton and Adam Dunn, but Dunn has been limited due to back spasms. If Junior Griffey, Ryan Freel, and Brandon Phillips can get going, this team could be dangerous as the weather warms up.

INJURIES: The back spasms that Dunn has been experiencing don’t appear to be serious as evidenced by his 3-5 performance Monday night against the Brewers. Should they return, look for Josh Hamilton to be the primary beneficiary at the plate.
 
Player Watch: There are whispers that 3B Edwin Encarnacion could be dealt, with Freel moving to third, to open up a spot for Hamilton in center. With Freel’s cold start and the fragility of the other Reds outfielders though, don’t make to much of that.  It is, however, becoming very evident that the Reds are trying to get Hamilton bat in the lineup with more frequency.

Prospect Watch: Top MLB pitching prospect, Homer Bailey, is 1-0 with a 1.74 ERA for the AAA Louisville Bats.  It’s a matter of when, not if, Bailey gets the call this season. 


COLORADO ROCKIES

NOTES: Colorado has sputtered out of the gate, despite a relatively strong start by their rotation.  Rookie catcher Chris Iannetta, shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, and centerfielder Willy Taveras have been wretched at the plate. Left fielder Matt Holliday, first baseman Todd Helton and third baseman Garrett Atkins are starting to get it going, but it hasn’t been enough to put the Rockies over .500. Second baseman Kazuo Matsui started the season on a tear, hitting .361 with five steals in as many attempts, but he was just placed on the 15 Day DL with a strained hamstring.

INJURIES: The injury to Matsui opened up a spot on the roster for Clint Barmes, though Jamey Carroll is more likely to see time at second. Byun-Hyun Kim was placed on the 15 Day DL with a right thumb contusion, opening a spot in the pen for Zach McClellan from AAA Colorado Springs, who will see time in the seventh inning of games. 
 
Player Watch: OF Jeff Baker has been filling in the outfield and at first base in relief of Todd Helton.  In 17 at-bats, he’s hitting .412 with a homerun and three RBIs.  He doesn’t have a spot in the lineup full-time, but if he keeps this up, slumping regulars will see more time on the bench in favor of Baker’s hot bat.

Prospect Watch: Rookie starter Jason Hirsh, who came over from Houston in the Jason Jennings deal has looked good in two starts, posting an 11/2 K/BB ratio and a 309 ERA. Ride him while he’s hot, but watch to see how he adjusts when batters see him the second time around.


FLORIDA MARLINS

NOTES: The Marlins sit at .500 despite a fabulous start to the season

Dontrelle Willis is off to a hot start, striking eight batters per nine with a 3-0 record.

by Dontrelle Willis, who is 3-0 with a 3.32 ERA and 17 strikeouts.  The problem is that the rest of the rotation is a mess.  Last years rookie surprise, Scott Olsen is 2-1, but he’s given up 10 runs in 13 innings, and has struck out five less batters than he’s walked.  The Jorge Julio era is officially over, and the team will now turn to either Henry Owens or Taylor Tankersley to close games.  Hanley Ramirez and Miguel Cabrera are truly amazing players. Both are hitting above .370, and both have OBP’s above .450 which has led to 22 runs scored between the two of them. 

INJURIES: Taylor Tankersley has been activated from the 15 Day DL, and is now a solid sleeper candidate for saves in the Florida pen. OF Jeremy Hermida (knee) is only hitting balls of a tee and won’t likely be back until early May. Starting pitcher Ricky Nolasco (elbow) is now playing catch for ten minutes a day, but he won’t be back until May either.

Player Watch: 1B Mike Jacobs has two homeruns, six RBI’s and a .341 batting average in 41 at-bats.  Jacobs was a popular sleeper pick last season, but never lived up to expectations due to nagging injuries.  If he can stay healthy, he offers nice power upside.

Prospect Watch: Alejandro De Aza parlayed a nice spring into a starting job in centerfield, and so far he’s making the best of it, hitting .303 to date riding an eight game hitting streak to start the season. 


HOUSTON ASTROS

NOTES: After starting the season 0-4, the Astros have won four of their last six and look to be settling in.  In the rotation, only Woody Williams has an ERA over 3.32, and now that Brad Lidge has been demoted, there seems to be stability in the bullpen.  Carlos Lee and Morgan Ensberg have each started the season fairly well, but with Jason Jennings going to the DL with elbow tendonitis, the Astros will need more production out of the bats of Lance Berkman, Craig Biggio, Chris Burke and Luke Scott. 

INJURIES: Jason Jennings has been placed on the DL with elbow tendonitis, though both he and manager Phil Gardner say that it’s nothing new for the pitcher, who claims to have pitched threw the injury in the past.  Two things in baseball are sure:  Managers lie and elbow problems for pitchers are never a trivial matter.  Watch this closely in coming weeks.

Player Watch: LHP Wandy Rodriguez has a 2.77 ERA and a 10/3 K/BB ratio through two starts. Rodriguez has a live arm, and if he can keep the ball in the park and limit his free passes, he could surprise this season.

Prospect Watch: OF prospect Hunter Pence is hitting .361 with a homerun and seven RBI’s through ten games for the Astros’ AAA affiliation.  Pence annihilated pitchers in spring training and arguably should have made the roster as the starting RF.  Pence will likely force his way onto the roster by mid-season.