Monday was not a good day for middle infielders. Brian Roberts and Aaron Hill were both placed on the 15 day-DL and Jimmy Rollins missed the Phillies game due to a calf strain. There were some positive developments however. The Padres offensive outburst showed that there is life besides Adrian Gonzalez.
Without further delay lets get into each game from a fantasy perspective.
Monday’s best: Kyle Blanks (SD) – 3-for 6, 3 R, 5 RBI, 1 HR
Monday’s worse: Jair Jurrjens (ATL) – 3.1 IP, 8 H, 8 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
Royals 10, Tigers 5
- Scott Podsednik went 4-for-5 raising his average to .444 and stole his fifth base of the season. He should be able to steal around 40-50 bases this year. Although he is viewed as somewhat of a batting average killer, he did hit over .300 last year.
- Luke Hochevar fanned five batters in as many innings but didn’t pitch all that well otherwise. It was his second start against the Tigers in six days so I‘m sure they felt pretty comfortable in the batting box against him. He remains someone to watch in his next few starts.
- Another multi-hit game for Austin Jackson. That makes four on the year.
Cubs 9, Brewers 5
- Xavier Nady got the start in right field for the Cubs and responded with two hits, including a three run-homer. With five outfielders capable of swinging the bat, the Cubs outfield situation remains murky at best.
- Doug Davis got roughed up again for the second straight time. The Brewers signed him to solidify their rotation. You on the other hand should do no such thing.
Phillies 7, Nationals 4
- Jimmy Rollins was a late scratch for this game due to a calf muscle that he strained in pre-game stretches. It sounds like J-Roll could miss some time
- Placido Polanco continued his hot hitting and should be virtually a lock for a .300 average and 100 runs
- Ryan Zimmerman sat out this game with a hamstring injury. However, it doesn’t sound serious and he hopes to be back on Wednesday.
Rangers 4, Indians 2
- Nelson Cruz continues to murder the ball, belting his fifth home run and knocking in his 11th run.
- One has to wonder if Ron Washington will flip-flop Julio Borbon and Elvis Andrus in the order. Borbon’s average dropped to .040 and he was eventually pinch hit for by Ryan Garko. Meanwhile, Andrus reached base safely in all four at bats.
- Neftali Feliz had no problem closing out the Indians for his first save of the season. However, Frank Francisco, who picked up the win, should not be dropped just yet in competitive leagues.
- Chris Perez came in for the top of the 9th in a tie game but failed to record an out. Stay tuned.
Twins 5, Red Sox 2
- Target Field saw its first action yesterday. It’s too early to tell how this field will play but it does appear to be a hitter’s park. When asked about the right field wall, Red Sox right fielder J.D. Drew referred to it as a “mini Green Monster.”
- Jon Rauch saved his major league-leading fifth game of the season. I think it’s safe to say that the Twins won’t be using a committee anytime soon.
- Jacoby Ellsbury sat this game out with bruised ribs but hopes to be back for Wednesday’s game.
Cardinals 5, Astros 0
- Adam Wainwright pitched another gem and seems poised to make another Cy Young run.
- Albert Pujols hit another home run and the MVP award is his to lose
- Wandy Rodriquez had another tough outing. Nothing to worry about yet considering this game was away, and Wandy does have a history struggling on the road.
Padres 17, Braves 2
- Who says nobody besides Adrian Gonzalez on the Padres is worth owning? Kyle Blanks had three hits, including a home run, and drove in five runs. He’s batting fourth in the lineup and has the potential to hit upwards of 30 home runs this year. A lot of upside here.
- Will Venable added three hits of his own, scored four runs, drove in two runs, and stole a base. He’s a sneaky 20/20 candidate.
- Chase Headley had two more hits and upped his average to .448. If you have guys like Casey Blake on your bench, drop them for Headley.
Athletics 4, Mariners 0
- Justin Duchscherer pitched well, tossing 7.2 scoreless innings. Before trusting him I’d like to see him pitch against somebody other than the lowly Mariners offense.
- Rajai Davis stole his fifth base of the season. He’s another example of how plentiful steals are this year
Rays 5, Orioles 1
- Reid Brignac got the start over Sean Rodriquez and picked up two hits, including a home run, to raise his average to .556. This is not good news if you’re a Rodriquez owner and were expecting a Zobrist-like break out year.
- Matt Garza pitched eight innings, allowing only one run. Expect him to make the jump toward the upper echelon of starting pitchers.
White Sox 8, Blue Jays 7
- Two home runs and four RBI for Andruw Jones. He’s someone to consider in deep leagues for some dirt cheap power. He won’t play everyday but he’ll always be in the lineup against lefties
- Jake Peavy, meet the American League. While no longer an ace, better days are ahead for Peavy as he should remain a top-30 starter.
- Just when you thought Jason Frasor was over his opening day meltdown he goes and blows another save. With Kevin Gregg breathing down his neck he cannot afford anymore slip ups.
- Vernon Wells hit his fifth home run and his wrist injury seems to be a thing of the past.
Reds 6, Marlins 5
- Scott Rolen hit two more home runs and is off to a strong start this season. He should see plenty of RBI opportunities batting fifth in that lineup.
- Jorge Cantu now has 12 RBI on the season. He should easily surpass 100 this year with the quality of hitters in front of him.
No mention of my dominant start yesterday… 5 hits over 8 innings, two of which were infield hits… if not for mistakes by my middle infield I might have only given up one run and I would have saved myself 20 pitches to get out of a tough jam.