A lot of interesting news is beginning to surface for those of you interested, so I took a moment to gather some of the more pertinent information and dump it all in this cozy little cyber space area for your enjoyment.
There has been a lot of news surrounding injuries—what else is new—with a even split of players returning from the DL, and players who are about to go on the DL for one reason or another.
In addition, there are a few names that are beginning to surface that you will definitly want to keep a close eye on in the coming weeks.
Let’s take a quick look at what the news wire has today.
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Jorge de la Rosa – Rockies: Well it is official; De La Rosa will miss the remainder of the 2011 season and probably all or most of the 2012 season as he prepares for Tommy John Surgery – Denver Post.
Greg Reynolds will start Saturday, but he is by no means worth a roster spot right now.
At the time of this article, it was still unclear who would step in for De La Rosa’s scheduled Sunday start but all signs are pointing towards Jhoulys Chacin.
The final tail end of this news is Aaron Cook is scheduled to be activated by Monday after he makes his final Triple-A Colorado Springs rehab start on Saturday.
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Johan Santana – Mets: Good news for all of you Mets fans; Johan Santana has finally begun throwing off the bump, and is unofficially slated for a return in mid-July.
Santana is also throwing on flat ground from 200 feet in an effort to re-strengthen his arm, so you can officially put the guy on your watch list if he’s available and follow his progress.
The Mets and Santana have been very cautious in the rehab process since his shoulder surgery, so if all goes well, Santana has a great chance of returning to dominance sooner rather than later.
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Brett Lawrie – Blue Jays: Looking for a quality third baseman to keep your eye on, and possibly add to your roster in the coming weeks? Look no further than Toronto.
Brett Lawrie was a name that was kicked around in Spring Training as he made some significant strides hitting .430, but Toronto GM Alex Anthopoulos says he is even more excited about him (Lawrie) now than he was back in ST.
"I’m very pleased with how he’s responded to us asking him to be a little more selective in his at bats," said GM Alex Anthopoulos.
"I’m more excited about him today than I was in April when he was hitting .430. When I look at a game report for Lawrie the first thing I look at is the number of pitches seen per plate appearance. When they’re not going to give him a lot to hit we need to see that he’s made the adjustment, and he’s starting to do that." - Toronto Sun
Lawrie is currently hitting .339 with 9 homers and 32 RBI, and deserves some rental space from your waiver wire.
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ROUNDING THE BASES:
- Yankees’ setup man Rafael Soriano will miss the next month or so with sever inflammation in his throwing elbow, but the good news is the injury will NOT require Tommy John surgery, just a little R&R.
- For those of you wondering about Chase Utley’s scratch from the Wednesday lineup, be assured there is nothing wrong. The Phillies are going to give him some regular rest alongside his playing time until he is fully eased back into play. So the best approach is to make sure he is a scheduled start before setting your daily lineup.
- Twins starter Kevin Slowey has been put on the DL with an abdominal strain, and is likely to be traded once he is healthy enough to pitch again. I am still confident this kid will shine once he can consistently stay healthy, but for now it would be best to find a quality replacement off of the waiver wire such as St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Kyle McClellan.
McClellan is 6-1 with a 3.11 ERA and an impressive 32 to 18 K:BB ratio, and is averaging out at around 53% ownership in most leagues.
If you have a specific player question, simply leave it below and I’ll get to it right away!
