Empty the Bench

ETB has a special treat for Detroit Tigers fans as we celebrate the team’s season-opener this afternoon against the visiting Kansas City Royals.

Curtis Granderson is the starting center fielder and leadoff hitter for the Tigers, who’ll sport an offense that should challenge a few all-time scoring records this season. He’s also one of the nicest guys in baseball. The son of two educators, he’s one of only a handful of major league players with a college degree. Curtis does indeed take academic achievement seriously: his Grand Kids Foundation charity is dedicated to spearheading educational initiatives for youths as well as bringing baseball back to inner cities across the country.

On the field, he’s one of the American League’s brightest rising stars. As the leadoff hitter in a revamped lineup that has added the potent bats of Miguel Cabrera and Edgar Renteria, he figures to score a ton of runs this season in addition to his typically stellar production across the board. He’s also one of the best defensive outfielders in the game, and last season joined Willie Mays, Frank Schulte and Jimmy Rollins as the only players in MLB history to record at least 20 home runs, 20 steals, 20 triples and 20 doubles in a single season.

Granderson will start the season on the DL because of a broken finger suffered in spring training, but should be back on the field by mid-April. He recently took the time to sit down with ETB and answer question ranging from his desire to steal more bases, his blogging and future broadcast career, his entrance music, and more.

Empty the Bench: Everybody knows you’ve got some wheels—you stole 26 bases last year and only got caught once. Do you want to run more on the basepaths? Think you could be a 40 steal guy in the near future?

Curtis Granderson: I would love to run, and feel that the potential to steal 40 plus bases is a possibility. I’m still learning when to run, and how to run from our first base coach Andy Van Slyke, and have already learned a lot, but still have room to learn.

ETB: You struggled versus lefties last year, but I know you’ve been working on hitting left-handed pitching this offseason. What kinds of things can you do to prepare for lefties, and what can you change in your approach at the plate?

Curtis Granderson: I need to continue to face more lefties and continue to get repetitions against them and for the most part that’s the main thing I can do to get better hitting them. In the past, I have been able to hit lefties, but this past year, they figured me out. My approach has to be to go the other way against them like I have done in the past when I had success and continue to stay positive.

ETB: You had some of the best entrance music in baseball last year. You putting together a new set of tunes for 2008? Got anything in mind? What albums have you been listening to lately?

Curtis Granderson: As for my entrance music I’m going to most likely stay old school again. Old school never really can get old. New music I still need to grab the new Lupe Fiasco CD and add it to the collection, and see what new is coming out this spring.

ETB: You did some work with TBS covering the 2007 MLB Playoffs this year. Do you see yourself getting into broadcasting sometime down the road? What about it appeals to you?

Curtis Granderson: The broadcasting was a lot of fun and a great learning experience. I would like to get into it after baseball is done (hopefully a long time from now). The things I really liked about it are that I was talking about guys I’ve either played with or against, and able to remember what happened which made it a little bit easier to be able to commentate along side with Frank Thomas and Cal Ripken. Remember, I also got to commentate next to John Kruk and Dusty Baker over at ESPN.

ETB: You weren’t on the All Star Game ballot in 2007 because of Sheff, but you will be this year. How important is to you to make the All-Star Game? Is that a big goal of yours?

Curtis Granderson: It never has been a goal of mine to make an All-Star team. I think that the All-Star vote is a great accomplishment, but when you look at it, you are really only rewarding a player for what they have done for just over a half of a season. My goals are the end of the year awards which cover the entire season (gold glove, silver slugger, players association all-outfield team, etc…) If I do happen to make an All-Star team, I will be extremely happy and I hear it’s a great experience, but I’ll have to leave and get right back to finishing up that second half.

Much more from Mr. Curtis Granderson after the jump…

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We’re still about 21 hours from Major League Baseball’s 2007 Trade Deadline, but the moves are already pouring in. This afternoon saw a few significant trades that will have an impact in fantasy baseball, this year’s pennant chases and the near future of several franchises. In the early going, Atlanta has to be considered a major winner so far, making moves to shore up their bullpen and offensive lineup. A couple of closer situations have also been shaken up in the last few hours, so let’s get to it.

The Mark Teixeira Deal: This is a major coup for the Braves this season, but a bittersweet deal for some Atlanta faithful as they’re giving up a big chunk of their future. The folks over at Start Salty, who have spearheaded the ‘Be American !!! Join The KeepSalty Campaign’, are likely crying tears as big as horse turds in their domestic beers tonight. That’s because the biggest piece in this deal after Teixeira is Jarrod Saltalamacchia, a catcher/first baseman and one of the game’s most promising offensive prospects who should be a 30 HR/100 RBI hitter sooner than later. As they put it, “Saltalamacchia is currently in a slump, but is still the future of Major League Baseball.” However, nobody should be more upset right now than Philadelphia Phillies fans who have seen their team’s best player injured and their closest rival in the standings make immediate improvements. From my perspective, it’s still going to be a hard fought battle, but the Braves have overtaken the Phils for the Wild Card berth despite still being one game back.

The full deal has Texas sending Teixeira and Ron Mahay to Atlanta in exchange for Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Elvis Andrus, Neftali Feliz and a player to be named later (likely injured 22-year-old top pitching prospect Matt Harrison). Salty will likely start at first base in Texas for the balance of the season and makes an interesting fantasy addition, one who should certainly be picked up in all AL-Only leagues with his Catcher eligibility. Meanwhile, in addition to gaining Salty the Rangers got two legitimate top prospects in Andrus and the injured Harrison. Elvis Andrus is an 18-year-old shortstop with a very promising future.

Even though Teixeira is just 27 years of age, this is a move for the present. Atlanta wasn’t going anywhere with their glaring need of offensive production from first base (Their 1Bs have combined for a .211 BA, .270 OBP and .363 SLG- ranking last in MLB in all three categories). Tex is in the midst of a down year, but he has averaged 38 home runs over the last three seasons, is coming off of consecutive Gold Glove campaigns and is now in line for a monster finish to his season batting in a lineup that can give him more RBI opportunities and protection. Mahay is a mediocre middle reliever, but he will fill some of the void left by the Mike Gonzales injury.

The Octavio Dotel Deal: That Dotel was on the trading block and that Atlanta was a possible destination wasn’t news, but that the Braves were able to pull off trades for two of the more high-profile names available within a matter of hours was a bit surprising. It’s not confirmed who will be heading to Kansas City yet, but no matter what the fallout from the Royal’s perspective isn’t going to be too bad because there’s no way they were going to become competitive while Dotel was still effective and they already had two solid options for their closer of the future (Zack Greinke and Joakim Soria). Right now it looks like it will be AAA RHP Kyle Davies. The other possible names involved would be Yunel Escobar (unlikely), shortstop Brent Lillibridge, RHP Tommy Hanson or outfielder Jordan Schafer.

The move means that Joakim Soria will inherit closing duties for the Royals, and he needs to be added in all leagues. He’s posted tremendous numbers this season (2.44 ERA, 1.04 WHIP .194 BAA, 51 Ks and 10 SVs in 44.1 innings), has been on fire over the last month (2.31 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 15 Ks, 2 BBs in 11.2 innings) and he’s in line for around 10 SVs over the final two months.

On the other side of the ledger, Dotel loses most of his fantasy value. He’ll be a setup man for the Braves. Even if behemoth Bob Wickman were to be injured again or suffer a bad spell, Rafael Soriano would likely be the next in line to close out games. He’s been in a slump recently, but Soriano is their closer of the future, he’s had a solid season and he filled in admirably for Wickman earlier this season.

Atlanta may not be done yet, either. While Reports are trickling in that they are currently in negotiations for Bronson Arroyo of the Reds, looking to bolster the middle of their starting rotation.

The Ty Wigginton Deal: There were a number of teams in the market for the versatile Wigginton, including the Twins and Yankees, but the Astros won the auction on Saturday. They shipped extremely valuable middle reliever Dan Wheeler to Tampa Bay after watching Morgan Ensberg flounder for the last year and a half. Ensberg has been designated for assignment, but it’s a curious move despite Morgan’s struggles. He boasts a career OPS 70 points better than Wiggy, gets on base more, strikes out less and has a better glove in the field. Still, Ensberg has fallen a long way since his 2005 season in which he knocked 35 home runs and was one of the best 3Bs in baseball. Wigginton should post solid fantasy numbers for the rest of the season in HRs, RBIs and Runs with an offense that can better protect him and knock him in.

The Luis Castillo Deal: Ladies and gentlemen: let the Alexi Casilla era begin! Ok, maybe I’m the only one excited about the youngster whose skill set is eerily similar to a young Castillo. Hell, Ron Gardenhire will probably end up starting Nick Punto the rest of the season anyways. Castillo is a nice upgrade for the Mets defensively. He’s still rangy and has only committed 9 total errors over the last two seasons with the Twins. An extreme ground-ball hitter (He’s led MLB in ground ball percentage for the last four seasons), Luis pounds the ball into the dirt and excels at getting on base with infield hits. He should continue to do so for the Mets, and will score a bunch of runs if they hit him anywhere in the top of that order (Right now he looks like he’ll be plugged into the two hole . . . get your mind out of the gutter). He’ll also likely steal some bases if Rickey Henderson, Joe Reyes & Co rub off- he does have 315 career SBs, though a bulk of those coming with the Marlins. The Twins acquired outfielder Dustin Martin and catcher Drew Butera. Um, I don’t have much to say about those two.

Other moves and potential moves: The Phillies nabbed perennial disappointment RHP Kyle Lohse from the Reds (for LHP Matt Maloney), who doesn’t warrant much consideration in fantasy leagues but could be a capable 5th starter . . . The Red Sox are making a run for Eric Gagne, which would all but ruin his fantasy value, but would make probable closer Akinori Otsuke a valuable commodity again once he’s fully healthy . . . The Red Sox also want Jermaine Dye, but will not part with either Manny Delcarmen or Justin Masterson along with Wily Mo Pena in any deal . . . Felix Pie will not be on the move, and that’s a good thing for Cub fans. This kid is going to be a player in then ext few years . . . Dan Wheeler could already be on the move again . . . The Dan Wheeler trade means Chad Qualls will be the primary setup man in Houston and the backup for Brad Lidge as closer should he, you know, spontaneously combust again . . .

With th All-Star break approaching it’s a great opportunity to take the few minutes you would have put into lineup decisions and evaluate the state of your fantasy baseball squad. The most important thing you can do it to look at the overall standings and see where teams are clustered in a certain category. You’ll also want to take a look at where potential trading partners stand so you can make an offer that will get their attention. For example, if there’s only one other team ahead of you in steals and the next guy is 20 back, it might be time to sell off some of those coveted SBs to a team in the middle of the pack who’s desperate for a boost and will value them more than you. And that one guy in front of you? He’s probably not willing to pay a fair price for Brian Roberts. If there are three of four teams within 15 or fewer home runs, then buying low on a power hitter like Paul Konerko, Ryan Howard, Lance Berkman, Troy Glaus, Jim Thome, Nick Swisher, Mark Teixeira or Travis Hafner will serve you well. Given their talent and track records, we know the best part of their season is yet to come.

For today though, we’re going to take a look at pitching. Specifically, buy-low players who may even be on the waiver wire or in your free agent pool that can give your team a boost down the stretch. As the season gets further along WHIP, ERA, K/BB and the other ratio stats you may use for pitching will become more and more difficult to make up ground in so the time to take action is now. Those are also categories where most leagues tend to have logjams in the rankings as well. Here’s a short list of the guys ETB recommends looking at to right your pitching ship, starting with a strategy that can pay immediate dividends: grabbing middle relievers. Obviously, your league size and format greatly impact the value of these hurlers so take that into consideration before doing anything drastic.

Pat Neshek, RP, MN: There’s nothing wrong with stud closer Joe Nathan, but that didn’t stop Twins Manager Ron Gardenhire from saying Wednesday that Mr. Neshek has the mentality to be a closer. Nathan will be the man in Minnesota as long as he’s under contract (through next season), but this could be Gardy’s way of getting us used to the idea of Neshek taking the job in 2009. And of course, if Nathan ever went down for any reason this year Pat would instantly become one of the top five relief pitchers in fantasy baseball. After a stellar rookie season a year ago, it’s more of the same in 2007: a 1.74 ERA, a 0.73 WHIP and a 51/13 K/BB ratio in 41.1 innings pitched. On top of that, he has 4 wins in those 41 innings, making him a must-own in all formats.

To put that in perspective, if a starting pitcher totals 20 wins and over 200 Ks in his 200 innings pitched he’s on the short list of Cy Young candidates. If he does it with a 0.73 WHIP he’s had one of the best seasons in the history of fantasy baseball. There isn’t a fantasy squad in existence that couldn’t use a Pat Neshek. Now he probably won’t go over 85 innings this season, but that just means you need to have two of three of these types to make up for it instead of one stud starter and one or two mediocre ones.

Neshek is representative of a whole class of middle relievers who may have dominant numbers and a low ranking and trade value simply because their limited innings lead to low W and K totals relative to starters. Don’t let the rank throw you, these are quality players who can make a major contribution in your ratios. Target guys like Hideki Okajima (0.88 ERA, 0.78 WHIP, 2 Ws, 4 SVs, 37 Ks in 41 innings), Heath Bell (1.45 ERA, 0.85 WHIP, 51 Ks in 49.2 innings), Rafael Betancourt (1.19 ERA, 0.66 WHIP, 34 Ks and a K/BB of 11.33 in 37.2 innings), Scot Shields (1.81 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, 2 Ws, 2 SVs, 42 Ks in 44.2 innings), Carlos Villanueva (2.75 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 6 Ws, 54 Ks in 59 innings) and Jonathan Broxton (2.86 ERA, 1.20WHIP, 3 Ws, 54 Ks in 50 innings).

If they aren’t available as free agents, trade for them. They’re often easy guys to convince another manager to ‘throw in’ as part of a package because the manager doesn’t think he’ll miss them too much. Three other super subs in this category that also have a good shot at taking over closer duties this season are Zack Greinke, Carlos Mármol and Rafael Soriano . . .

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The second blitz of young prospects getting a shot in the majors is upon us. Tim Lincecum, Hunter Pence and Phil Hughes made some big waves in a short span of time last month, and this week Kevin Slowey, Yovani Gallardo and Ryan Braun jumped into the fantasy player pool. Here’s the Lincecum analysis: he’s really good. With that out of the way, ETB checks in with Pence and and Hughes and takes a look at Braun, Gallardo and Slowey with an eye toward their fantasy futures.

Ryan Braun, 3B, Milwaukee Brewers

THE add of the week has to be Ryan Braun, the new Milwaukee Brewers starting third baseman. He has some serious potential and versatility to go along with an everyday job and should be picked up in nearly every league. Braun is a player who could eventually hit 30+ home runs and steal 20+ bags, and it’s pretty hard to find that kind of production anywhere- let alone on the waiver wire. He was he 5th overall pick in the 2005 draft, and he should be able to hit for average and power right away.

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There isn’t a fantasy baseball player out there who couldn’t use a few more saves at this point in the season. It’s always a good feeling waking up in the morning and seeing a few ‘1’s in that ‘S’ column. Like the ever-elusive steal, we’ll use multiple positions on our roster just for the chance at a handful more. A month and a half into the season, several closers have already been injured or lost their jobs outright, generating new sources of saves. No doubt, those have already been scooped up in your league. ETB takes a look at nine situations that could keep you a step ahead in the chase for saves.

Chicago Cubs

The big news out of Chicago today is Lou Pinella’s announcement that current closer Ryan Dempster will become a starter in the coming weeks in a move to bolster the rotation. In the mean time, he has been asked to mentor 24-year-old Angel Guzman who will then take over the job. While Dempster has a mediocre 4.43 ERA, he has converted 9 of 10 save opportunities this year while posting a 1.03 WHIP and 21 Ks in 20.1 innings. That makes the timing of this seem a little bizarre, especially when you consider that Ryan hasn’t had an ERA under 4.00 as a starter since 2000.

Whatever, fantasy owners just want to own the guy who finishes games for the Cubs. Anybody who owns Dempster should be handcuffing Guzman to him immediately. Guzman had a 7.39 ERA in 56 innings last season, but he does have the stuff to finish games. The only question is, does he have the mental makeup?

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It’s still early in the 2007 fantasy campaign, but there are already trends worth taking note of. There are also some to ignore. Nobody likes to check the standings in the morning and see they’re in the middle of the pack or lower, and now is about the time when impatient and inexperienced owners are starting to buy into this season’s rankings and numbers.

The fact is, three and a half weeks simply isn’t a large enough sample size to draw significant statistical conclusions. Sure, pitchers may be showing decreased velocity, position players may have earned everyday jobs, and closers may have lost them. You can react to that kind of information. But with players who have hundreds or thousands (or 8,109 in the case of one guy on the list) of at-bats, any stretch of 70-80 plate appearances is meaningless. For a proven player who has terrible 2007 numbers, just keep this in mind: if this slump happened mid-season nobody would even notice.

ETB takes a look at some prime early-season candidates to buy low, sell high and stick with:
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Two of baseball’s best starting pitchers appear to be progressing well and both should be back in early May according to today’s reports. Chris Caprenter was a preseason candidate for the NL’s Cy Young award before being derailed after his first start of the season with arthiritis and a ‘mild impingement’ in his throwing elbow. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that after starting a throwing program this week, Carpenter’s arm felt good and he didn’t experience any swelling according to trainer Barry Weinberg.

After Felix Hernandez’s first two starts, he was looking like a legitimate threat to Johan Santana for the AL’s Cy Young. King Felix had given up no runs, struck out 12 in the opener and then pitched a complete-game shutout in Boston. Then Minnesota came to town and Felix removed himself after just two outs in the first inning with tightness in his throwing elbow. Since then, the baseball world has been waiting with baited breath, hoping one of the best prospects in the last decade would be OK. According to John Hickey at the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Hernandez threw on the side before Wednesday’s game and came out of it fine. Hernandez will throw a bullpen session this weekend and is scheduled to start in Yankee Stadium on May 4, the first day he’s eligible to come off the disabled list.

We saw the likes of Francisco Liriano, Jared Weaver, Jonathan Papelbon, Takashi Saito (He counts) and Justin Verlander make huge impacts as rookies in every fantasy league around the country in 2006. Daisuke Matsuzaka was drafted among the top 20 pitchers in your league, but who are the undrafted fantasy rookies that will help teams bring home the trophy in 2007? The first may be arriving this week. Wunderkind Phil Hughes will get the starting nod for the Yankees tomorrow, and just three weeks into the season he represents the first call up who could have the type of impact the aforementioned pitchers did last season. None of the guys featured below have had a chance to contribute at the Major League level yet, but given the opportunity I expect each of these four to be ownable in all fantasy formats.

Of course, with such unproven products these suggestions come with a caveat of caution- don’t go dropping Erik Bedard for them just yet. If you haven’t done so, you may want to pause now, put in a waiver claim for Hughes (He was entered into the Yahoo! system last night), before checking out the rest of ETB’s top pitching prospects:

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It wasn’t much–two singles in four at bats with an RBI–but for new Detroit Tigers DH Gary Sheffield, his performance last night in Los Angeles against the Angels left him hopeful that his dreadful start to the season could soon be a thing of the past.

After the Yankees sent him to Detroit for a package of minor-league prospects (headlined by pitcher Humberto Sanchez, who is now out for the year and will require Tommy John surgery), Sheffield was cited as the power hitter that would make Jim Leyland’s dangerous lineup even deadlier. Like proven sluggers around the league, however, the vet hasn’t gotten off to the kind of start fans were hoping for; going into tonight’s game, he’s batting a paltry .143 with 1 HR, 6 RBI, and a .206 SLG. In a word, ugh.

He’s repeatedly insisted that his slow start has nothing to do with the injured wrist that kept him on the sideline for most of the 2006 season in New York, and that it’s “all between the ears.” Leyland, Sheffield, and his teammates think he’s about to turn a corner:

“I felt like myself,” he announced, after his 2-for-4 night. “When I feel like this, I feel like there are big things to come.”

If this was the game that turned Sheffield from ice-cold into about-to-get-red-hot, there’s nothing that could be more important for the Tigers. “He’s one of those guys that when he gets going, watch out,” said Sean Casey. “He’ll get 20 hits in 25 at-bats, and they’ll all be scud rockets.”

Manager Jim Leyland saw it in batting practice, and again when Sheffield went up the middle with every swing in Monday’s game. Everyone noticed the second-inning laser Sheffield hit, the one that fortunately didn’t hit anyone on its way to center field. “He’s getting real close,” Leyland said. “You can tell. He’s almost there. He’s going to break loose. There’s no doubt in my mind.”

MLB fantasy players out there would be foolish to give up on Sheffield this early. Sure, he’s no young buck anymore, but we’re talking about a guy who hit 34 HRs, 123 RBIs, and batted .291 just two short years ago. Once he figures out his swing and settles into his role as the designated hitter, there’s going to be ample opportunities for offensive production in his three or four slot in the lineup. Remember, he’s batting behind rising-star Curtis Granderson (.307, 3 HR, 10 RBI, .342 OBP) and early AL-batting title contender Placido Polanco (.358, 1 HR, 7 RBI, .391 OBP). Now’s a great time to float some lowball trade offers while his value is the lowest it’ll be all season.

During Charlie Manuel’s tenure with the Philadelphia Phillies, slow starts have been par for the course. Maybe that was the problem. It’s happened each year he’s been there: they were 1-6 earlier, and now sit at 3-10 to open 2007 (their worst start since 1997). Well, Manuel is none too pleased about it. During postgame interviews after a particularly embarrassing loss to the Mets last night, Manuel lost it.

Howard Eskin, a radio personality from the Philadelphia area, was pressing Manuel about his inability to get angry and motivate the players. That’s when Manuel told Eskin that he would demonstrate his ability to get angry, in the privacy of his manager’s office. Manuel darted off the podium, inviting Eskin to follow. Eskin met Manuel’s challenge, and Charlie could be heard screaming, “We’re going to win!” around the locker room and beyond. Later, during Freddy Garcia’s interview cameras suddenly moved away from that night’s starter back to Manuel as he could be heard yelling more at Eskin such as, “I been growed up!”, “I grew up a long fucking time ago, you asshole!” and “What’s it to you any fucking way?” Classy.

Manuel - nicknamed “Red Devil” when he played in Japan because of his explosive temper - challenged his questioner to meet him in Manuel’s office, where, Manuel promised, he would display temper.

And, there, Manuel did, for several minutes, loudly enough to be heard from 20 yards away through closed doors. Manuel’s point: He does get mad, and he resented what he considers the radio host’s continual unfair criticism of Manuel.

After that confrontation, Manuel, on his way through the clubhouse, resumed hollering at the radio personality when they locked eyes. A Phillies coach and a media relations representative ushered Manuel, spewing profanity, out the back of the clubhouse.

Then this news came out today: Manuel is moving Brett Myers from the front of the rotation to middle relief. He’ll be the primary setup man for closer Tom Gordon. You read that right, the Phillies are moving their opening day starter and staff ace to middle relief. I’m having trouble coming up with any precedent for this kind of move. Just two weeks into the season it seems shockingly early to press the panic button, especially with a head-scratcher of this magnitude. I mean, the guy has given up some runs, granted, but he had a solid spring and he’s been their best starting pitcher for the last two seasons. Did I mention he started opening day?!

Even though his ERA is sky high, he’s only had three starts and in those has recorded 19 Ks in 15.1 innings. I really don’t know what to make of the move, I’m befuddled, but for Brett’s fantasy owners and Philly fans everywhere we just have to hope this insanity doesn’t last. Scratch that, the insanity can stay. I like that. I just want Myers back in the rotation.

The Major League Baseball season is long and filled with peaks and valleys for every player. It’s a six month marathon. I’ll be the first to advise any fantasy MLB player not to take the first few weeks seriously. There’s just too many variables and too much randomness in any given baseball game or series to accurately weight the results of a given game or series. Michael Young’s batting average is still moving up and down nearly 50 points each game. Carlos Lee quadrupled his home rune total and doubled his RBIs in Friday’s Herculean performance.

Still, it would be equally foolish to completely ignore the evidence at hand. We can learn things from limited samples, even just two weeks. With that in mind, ETB tries to assess the early returns on MLB pitchers to determine if the results are or are not indicative . It’s a very sound strategy to keep 10-15% of your roster fluid all season in order to, and a bulk of these players will be factor into the decision making you do with that portion of your roster.

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A few big names have already been injured in the first week of the season. Obviously, Chris Carpenter headlines the list. Of the injuries sustained in the first week, he is the biggest name and has the most disconcerting prognosis. The St. Louis Cardinals originally said that his next start would be pushed back three days and he would be pitching tonight, but an elbow injury is about as precarious as they come for pitchers so fantasy owners weren’t exactly comforted. Sure enough, the right hander has been placed on the 15-day disabled list (retroactive to April 2nd) with what is being called, “moderate arthritis and a mild impingement.” That doesn’t sound good. Why Carpenter didn’t receive a the MRI that gave this diagnosis right away is beyond me, but the damage has been done.

If you are a fantasy owner and relying on his services to anchor your staff, the worst thing you can do now is panic and trade him for pennies on the dollar. The season is six months long and all baseball leagues should have a DL, so for the time being stash him away, check out or sleeper pitcher list, and grab a guy like Zack Greinke, Boof Bonser, Rich Hill, Daniel Cabrera, John Maine, Adam Loewen or the like. However, if you can find somebody to offer you slightly below market value, pull the trigger and let the whole situation be somebody else’s headache. For those of you who do not have Carpenter, other owner’s losses can always be an astute owner’s gain. Put an offer in right now with one of your good-not-great players, and see if you can’t buy Chris on the cheap. The current best case scenario is that Carpenter returns at the start of May.

In other injury news, Hanley Ramirez was pulled from Sunday’s game versus the Phillies in the first inning after straining his hamstring. I was actually watching the game, and it was a pretty minor thing. He just took a bad step running out a ground ball and limped off the field. I’m a big fan of this kid, so hopefully this won’t be a lingering issue. With a player whose fantasy value is almost entirely tied to speed and explosiveness, you never like to see their name mentioned in the same sentence with the word ‘hamstring’. Fortunately this looks minor. “It was pretty tight, like a cramp,” Ramirez said. “It’s way better. I’m OK. I’m going to try to be in there Monday.” Hanley was held out yesterday, but is expected to return for tonight’s game according to Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez.

Victor Martinez was originally scheduled to go on the 15-day DL, but since the last four Indians games have been postponed he may be able to remain on the regular roster and wait out his strained left quad. That said, V-Mart is at least a week away from returning. The postponed games were a real blessing for fantasy owners, as the games will now be made up later in the season when he should be fully recovered from this minor malady.

Around the rest of the league:
There was a Chone Figgins sighting today. He was re-examined and cleared to begin range-of-motion exercises and Figgins is expected to start throwing by the end of the week. However, it’s hitting that will be the problem with his broken fingers, and Chone is still at least two weeks from making a return. Those of you in need of speed, now is a great time to make a lowball offer. One of our Sleeper Hitters, Chris B. Young, sat out yesterdays game with a tweaked groin, but is expected to be back in the lineup for tonight’s contest versus Cincinnati. Jason Schmidt, who left yesterday’s game in the fifth inning with a hamstring injury, is reportedly feeling much better and shouldn’t miss any time. He’s currently listed as day-to-day, but is expected to make his next scheduled start. The Dodgers are also expected to welcome Rafael Furcal back this Friday. He’s going to make two more rehab starts, but his ankle is nearly 100% so feel safe inserting him into your lineups for next week.

Eric Gagne will be activated this Friday, but he is not expected to assume the closer’s role right away. He’ll make his first few appearances in non-save situations, and I sense there is some question as to whether Gagne will be able to get major league hitters out. Word out of Texas is that Gagne is the team’s closer, but do not drop Akinori Otsuka. I have a sneaking suspicion he’ll still be the closer when it’s all said and done. Royals closer Octavio Dotel is still bothered by his strained oblique according to Manager Buddy Bell. David Riske’s dramatic blown save on a 3-run homer to Pudge Rodriguez has to make Royal’s fans (yes, they exist) eagerly anticipate the return of Dotel, who pitched well early in spring training. Me, I’m avoiding this whole team with the exceptions of Alex Gordon and the aforementioned Zack Greinke. There’s still no word on a possible return date for Yankee’s left fielder Hideki Matsui, who was placed on the 15-day disabeld list with a strained left hamstring.