Los Angeles Dodger Shortstop Rafael Furcal was activated from the DL

LOS ANGELES DODGERS

NOTES: The Dodgers sit atop the NL West at 9-4, carried by excellent pitching by Brad Penny, Derek Lowe, Randy Wolf and Mark Hendrickson.  Notably absent from that list is prized offseason addition, Jason Schmidt, who recently underwent an MRI on both his shoulder and elbow in an effort to discover the reason behind his significant loss of velocity.  On offense, the team has been carried by the hot bats of LF Luis Gonzalez and C Russell Martin.  Once SS Rafael Furcal who was just activated from the DL and slow starting Juan Pierre get going at the top of the order, the Dodgers should score runs in bunches.

INJURIES: OF Matt Kemp was placed on the 15 Day DL, securing Andre Ethier’s starting job for the time being.  Ethier had been slumping prior to Sunday night’s outburst against the Padres where he went 3-5, with a double, a homerun and four RBI’s.

Player Watch: SS Rafael Furcal comes off of the DL and steps immediately into the leadoff spot, bumping Juan Pierre to the second spot.  Furcal started in a horrible slump last season, before rebounding to finish the season with a .300 batting average and 37 stolen bases.  Don’t sleep on him this year.


MILWAUKEE BREWERS

NOTES: Milwaukee’s rotation has been taking turns getting smoked, and last week it was ace Ben Sheets who was lit up by the Cardinals, starting with a three-run homer in the first courtesy of Albert Pujols. Nonetheless, Milwaukee has been able to mitigate the inconsistent pitching thanks to a strong pen, anchored by closer Francisco Cordero and the rejuvenated Derek Turnbow, who has established himself early on as one of the top setup men in the league.  At the plate, the Brewers have been fairly strong in the early going, led by the hot bat of Geoff Jenkins, who’s leading the team with a .351 batting average, three homeruns and eight RBI’s.

INJURIES: None.

Player Watch: Rickie Weeks is riding a four game hitting streak, during which he’s hit three homeruns while driving in five runs. Once he gets his legs going, he’s going to be one of the elite second basemen in the NL.  The key for Weeks will be staying healthy.

Prospect Watch: 3B prospect Ryan Braun has been crushing the ball at AAA, highlighted by three homeruns in three straight at-bats on Saturday off of Chan Ho Park.  He’s got the bat for the big leagues, but there are concerns about his glove work.  After a rough first start, top pitching prospect Yovani Gallardo bounced back by throwing six shutout innings with twelve strikeouts.  Of the top pitchers waiting for the call, Gallardo very well could be the first to come up.


NEW YORK METS

NOTES: The Mets sit one game behind the Braves, powered by arguably the leagues most potent offense.  With the possible exception of Carlos Delgado, every bat in the lineup is hitting as if it were mid-season. The power bats have yet to come alive, as Carlos Beltran’s two homeruns lead the team.  But they’re generating runs and tearing up the base paths, led by Jose Reyes’ six stolen bases.  The pitching for the Mets has been the real surprise.  The starters are walking too many batters across the board, but they’ve been able to limit the damage, and no pitcher has an ERA above 4.00. El Duque has been roughed up quite a bit and he’s already given up five homeruns on the season.

INJURIES: Nothing new to add to Duaner Sanchez and Pedro Martinez, who both look to be back in the second half.

Player Watch: Top young hurler Mike Pelfrey only gave up two runs in his first start, but he only lasted five innings, giving up four walks. He has yet to master his breaking ball, and if that doesn’t get ironed out quickly, hitters in the East are going to catch up to him quickly.

Prospect Watch: Lastings Milledge was sent back down to AAA New Orleans, due in part to Shawn Green’s hot start, but primarily because he hasn’t been able to hit himself out of a paper bag. He hasn’t helped himself in the minors either, starting off 2-16 with seven strikeouts through four games.


PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES

NOTES: The headline for this week’s mailbag at the Phillies website

Rollins leads the NL with six homeruns.

says it all, “Is there a franchise curse?”. At 3-9, the Phillies currently sit a half game behind the AAAA Washington Nationals in last place.  Unfazed by the slow start, Jimmy Rollins continues to personally back his preseason talk of taking the division by leading the National League in homeruns with six, while knocking in eleven RBI’s (tied for third). Ryan Howard has been getting the Barry Bonds treatment and was intentionally walked three times on Saturday by the Astros.  The pitching staff has been hampered by inconsistency and injury, most notably seen in demonstrated by staff ace Brett Myers 9.39 ERA.  The club has activated Freddy Garcia from the DL, and he will make his first start Tuesday.

INJURIES: None outstanding.  As noted above, Freddy Garcia has been activated by the team and will make his debut on Tuesday.

Player Watch: Centerfielder Aaron Rowand has been making the most of the trade talk that has surrounded him since the offseason, and is treating potential suitors to an offensive show. The scrappy veteran is hitting .342 with a .458 OBP and two stolen bases through eleven games. 

Prospect Watch: Rowand’s eventual replacement, the speedy Michael Bourn has started off cold, managing just one hit in six at-bats. If Rowand does indeed get dealt for pitching, Bourn is one to watch for cheap steals.  According to teammate Jimmy Rollins, some guys are fast, but Bourn “flies”.


PITTSBURGH PIRATES

NOTES: The Pirates were swept at home by the Cardinals and Giants last week, effectively undoing what was an impressive 4-2 start to the season.  But there is a lot to be excited about in Pittsburgh this season, most notably the arrival of pitchers Tom Gorzelanny and Ian Snell.  Combined the two young hurlers are 2-1 with a sub 2.00 ERA and a 25/9 K/BB ratio.  Gorzelanny will go against the Cards on Tuesday trying to build off of Snell’s impressive one run, three hit win on Monday night. The bats have yet to provide the young hurlers with anything resembling run support, as the team waits for slumping Jason Bay and Adam LaRoche to heat up.

INJURIES: None.
 
Player Watch: Speedy CF Chris Duffy needs to break out of his slump if he hopes to avoid losing his job to Nate McClouth, or five-tool OF prospect, Andrew McCutchen.  Duffy finished 2006 strong, and looked to be picking up right where he left off with a five game hit streak to start the season.  But has since cooled off somewhat, and to date has only one stolen base in eleven games.

Prospect Watch: Andrew McCutchen has started the season with a  whimper, managing only three hits in 23 at-bats.  As inconsistent as Duffy has been for the Pirates, McCutchen will have to show much more than that to warrant skipping over AAA.


ST. LOUIS CARDINALS

NOTES: “Randy Keisler will continue to replace Carpenter in the rotation while he’s out”.  While Keiser did pitch relatively well in his debut against the Pirates, those are not the kind of headlines that inspire the confidence necessary for St. Louis to defend their title…or so you’d think.  While the teams ace, Chris Carpenter, has been on the DL with elbow problems, the group of journeymen brought in to fill in the spaces around him have pitched extremely well. Of the five starters pitching in Carpenter’s absence, only Anthony Reyes (5.40) has an ERA above 3.00.  But just as it is in Pittsburgh, the bats have yet to offer any real support for the staff, as OF Chris Duncan has been the only solid source of production.  Albert Pujols showed signs of breaking out of his early season slump by knocking out two homeruns good for five RBI’s against the Brewers on the weekend, but he followed that up with a goose egg against the Pirates the next day.

INJURIES: The Cardinals are hoping that taking some time off will be enough to get Carpenter back into the rotation in the next few weeks.  If he doesn’t heal up, however, surgery may become an option.  Right fielder Juan Encarnacion is now playing pain free, and could begin his minor league rehab assignment in the next week.

Player Watch: Reliever turned starter, Braden Looper, has been tremendous for the Cards thus far.  Through three games he’s 2-1 with a 2.37 ERA.  Eventually he will regress a bit, but if he can keep from imploding against lefties (.313 AVG against), he could prove to be an excellent value play in NL only leagues.


SAN DIEGO PADRES

NOTES: The Padres will send Greg Maddux to the mound on Tuesday to face his former team, the Chicago Cubs, in an effort to reverse a two game skid. Outside of Maddux and Padres ace Jake Peavy, who is 2-0 with an absurd 0.90 ERA, the pitching staff has been abused over the last week. Clay Hensley was bombed for 10 runs against the Cubs on Monday night, Chris Young gave up five in a loss to the Dodges on Sunday, and veteran David Wells couldn’t get out of the second inning on Friday night.  Offensively the team has been led by newcomers Marcus Giles and Jose Cruz.  Adrian Gonzalez and Brian Giles will need to get their bats going again if the Padres hope to stay with the surging Cubs and Diamondbacks this week.

INJURIES: Catcher Josh Bard was placed on the 15 Day DL with a groin strain.
 
Player Watch: The Padres desperately need third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff to get his bat going as backup Russell Branyan is clearly not the answer.  He’s a proven masher in the minor leagues, so the Padres – and fantasy owners – will want to wait out this slump with patience.  If he can get his bat going along with the Giles brothers, slumping Mike Cameron and Gonzalez, the Padres should contend all year.

Prospect Watch: Lefty reliever, Royce Ring, has eight strikeouts and a 1.35 ERA in six innings pitched for AAA Portland.


SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS

NOTES: Barry Zito finally had a solid outing Monday night, picking

Bonds is now 19 homeruns away from Aaron.

up his first win of the season in six shutout innings against the Rockies at Coors.  The Giants couldn’t have hoped for better following his eight run loss to the Dodgers on the 8th.  Aside from the laughably marginal Russ Ortiz, the rest of the Giants starters have been very solid, with each carrying an ERA under 3.00.  But hot starts by Rich Aurilia, Ray Durham and Barry Bonds, haven’t been enough to supply their pitchers with enough runs to win games. 

INJURIES: OF Mark Sweeney was activated from the 15 Day DL on the 13th.

Player Watch: No one wants to admit it, but watching Bonds hit one out is still a thing of beauty.  He hit two more on Friday night against the Pirates, and is now just 19 away from catching Hank Aaron.

Prospect Watch: Top pitching prospect Tim Lincecum has 17 strikeouts in 12 scoreless innings for AAA Fresno. It’s only a matter of time, a very short matter of time, before Lincecum joins the Giants for good.


WASHINGTON NATIONALS

NOTES: The surging Nationals have soared past the Phillies, claiming sole possession of 4th place in the NL East! OK, so a team who’s best starter is currently Shawn Hill may not exactly be surging, but after six straight losses, they have won three of their last four.  The early season performance by Ryan Church is astounding. The fourth year outfielder is hitting .341with three homeruns and six RBI’s in 44 at-bats.  Combine that with the respective reincarnations of Dmitri Young and Ronnie Belliard, who are both hitting better than .300, and you can see how this hodge-podge groups of youngsters and castoffs has won three of four.

INJURIES: Ray King (shoulder tendonitis) joins Nook Logan, Christian Guzman, Alex Escobar, Luis Ayala, and Nick Johnson on the 15 Day DL.  Logan is eligible to return to the team on Tuesday, but doesn’t appear ready to go just yet.
 
Player Watch: OF Chris Snelling has started in leftfield for the last three games and has gone .300 with a homerun and five RBI’s over that time span. Snelling was regarded as one of Seattle’s top hitting prospects before injuries ended up getting him dealt to the Nats in the offseason.  If he can sustain that kind of production, he could be a sleeper in deeper leagues this season.