Jimenez Improves to 6-0, 0.87
Rotoworld's award-winning Season Pass product is being offered for free all this week, so you can test drive the subscriber-only columns, daily waiver wire and starting pitcher advice, extensive prospect coverage, detailed bullpen and rotation databases, regularly updated projections and rankings, and much, much more at no cost.
While you check that out, here are some notes from around baseball ...
* Monday afternoon Ubaldo Jimenez received NL Pitcher of the Month honors for April and then immediately started building his case for May with a career-high 13 strikeouts in seven innings of one-run ball against the Padres. He also threw 120 or more pitches for the third time in four starts and 115 or more pitches for the fourth time in five starts, so hopefully the big workloads won't catch up to Jimenez as the season wears on.
* Charlie Manuel said Monday afternoon that Brad Lidge wasn't ready to resume closing yet, but apparently changed his mind following a scoreless inning just a few hours later. After the game Manuel said: "Tonight he looked ready. His slider was better. His fastball was better. Everything about it was better." Ryan Madson is set to undergo toe surgery Tuesday, so the path has definitely been cleared for Lidge to reclaim ninth-inning duties.
* Apparently all he needed was a matchup against his former team (or maybe it was the punchless lineup), because Rich Harden turned in his first impressive start of the season Monday. He shut out the A's for seven innings, allowing just two hits while striking out nine and walking zero. In his previous five starts Harden had a ghastly 22/23 K/BB ratio in 23.2 innings, so favorable matchup or not it was a huge step in the right direction.
* Kerry Wood was initially slated to rejoin the Indians after two rehab appearances, but those plans may change after he was rocked for six runs in two-thirds of an inning in his first outing Monday at Double-A. If nothing else Chris Perez's closer gig is probably safe for a while longer, although the Indians haven't given him a save opportunity since way back on April 18. Perez has converted 4-of-5 chances, albeit with an ugly K/BB ratio.
* Sidelined since April 27 with a hamstring injury, Rafael Furcal reportedly will be placed on the disabled list before Tuesday's game. He'll be eligible to return May 14 and rather than call up a prospect like Chin-lung Hu to replace Furcal on the roster the Dodgers are expected to go with Nick Green and have him split time with fellow veteran utility man Jamey Carroll. Neither has any real fantasy upside, but Carroll is the better option.
* Pitching coach Don Cooper's expletive-filled rant about how White Sox starters need to do more "fighting and clawing" paid off Monday, as Jake Peavy tossed seven shutout innings to slice his ERA from 7.85 to 6.31. Facing the Royals' lineup probably helped as much as anything Cooper could have done, but nine strikeouts versus one walk is a very encouraging sign for Peavy after he issued 12 walks in his previous two starts.
AL Quick Hits: Mariano Rivera was unavailable Monday with a sore left side, so Joba Chamberlain closed out a CC Sabathia gem for his second career save ... Wilson Ramos made more history Monday by following his four-hit debut with a three-hit second game ... Brett Cecil took a perfect game into the seventh inning Monday, striking out a career-high 10 in eight frames of one-run ball ... Javier Vazquez will miss the Red Sox after his next start was pushed back ... Alex Gordon will play first base and left field following his demotion to Triple-A ... Justin Duscherer (hip) has avoided the disabled list so far, but will get a cortisone shot Tuesday ... Francisco Cervelli will likely get a few starts after Jorge Posada left Monday's game with a strained calf ... Edwin Encarnacion hasn't been cleared for extended spring training games because he continues to have shoulder pain ... Mitch Talbot tossed eight innings Monday, but had his first clunker with five runs on three homers ... Randy Winn homered Monday for the first time in 491 at-bats.
NL Quick Hits: Joe Blanton came off the disabled list Monday and allowed four runs in 6.2 innings for a loss ... David Freese had multiple hits Monday for the fifth time in six games ... Kelvim Escobar will undergo season-ending shoulder surgery, meaning the Mets flushed away $1.25 million on the oft-injured reliever ... Huston Street (shoulder) is slated to throw batting practice Tuesday ... Mike Pelfrey has been cleared for his Friday start undergoing an MRI exam for "general shoulder soreness" ... Jaime Garcia turned in another gem Monday, holding the Phillies to one run in six innings, and is now 3-1 with a 1.00 ERA ... There's speculation that Yunel Escobar is headed for the DL with a groin injury ... Mike Leake had another strong game Monday and has just four walks in three starts since a dozen free passes in his first two outings ... Oliver Perez allowed just two runs in six innings Monday, but still had as many walks as strikeouts ... Chris Dickerson is expected to miss 4-6 weeks following hand surgery Monday ... Houston's amazing offensive struggles continued Monday with one run versus a 25-year-old making his MLB debut.
Rotoworld's award-winning Season Pass product is being offered for free all this week, so you can test drive the subscriber-only columns, daily waiver wire and starting pitcher advice, extensive prospect coverage, detailed bullpen and rotation databases, regularly updated projections and rankings, and much, much more at no cost.
While you check that out, here are some notes from around baseball ...
* Monday afternoon Ubaldo Jimenez received NL Pitcher of the Month honors for April and then immediately started building his case for May with a career-high 13 strikeouts in seven innings of one-run ball against the Padres. He also threw 120 or more pitches for the third time in four starts and 115 or more pitches for the fourth time in five starts, so hopefully the big workloads won't catch up to Jimenez as the season wears on.
* Charlie Manuel said Monday afternoon that Brad Lidge wasn't ready to resume closing yet, but apparently changed his mind following a scoreless inning just a few hours later. After the game Manuel said: "Tonight he looked ready. His slider was better. His fastball was better. Everything about it was better." Ryan Madson is set to undergo toe surgery Tuesday, so the path has definitely been cleared for Lidge to reclaim ninth-inning duties.
* Apparently all he needed was a matchup against his former team (or maybe it was the punchless lineup), because Rich Harden turned in his first impressive start of the season Monday. He shut out the A's for seven innings, allowing just two hits while striking out nine and walking zero. In his previous five starts Harden had a ghastly 22/23 K/BB ratio in 23.2 innings, so favorable matchup or not it was a huge step in the right direction.
* Kerry Wood was initially slated to rejoin the Indians after two rehab appearances, but those plans may change after he was rocked for six runs in two-thirds of an inning in his first outing Monday at Double-A. If nothing else Chris Perez's closer gig is probably safe for a while longer, although the Indians haven't given him a save opportunity since way back on April 18. Perez has converted 4-of-5 chances, albeit with an ugly K/BB ratio.
* Sidelined since April 27 with a hamstring injury, Rafael Furcal reportedly will be placed on the disabled list before Tuesday's game. He'll be eligible to return May 14 and rather than call up a prospect like Chin-lung Hu to replace Furcal on the roster the Dodgers are expected to go with Nick Green and have him split time with fellow veteran utility man Jamey Carroll. Neither has any real fantasy upside, but Carroll is the better option.
* Pitching coach Don Cooper's expletive-filled rant about how White Sox starters need to do more "fighting and clawing" paid off Monday, as Jake Peavy tossed seven shutout innings to slice his ERA from 7.85 to 6.31. Facing the Royals' lineup probably helped as much as anything Cooper could have done, but nine strikeouts versus one walk is a very encouraging sign for Peavy after he issued 12 walks in his previous two starts.
AL Quick Hits: Mariano Rivera was unavailable Monday with a sore left side, so Joba Chamberlain closed out a CC Sabathia gem for his second career save ... Wilson Ramos made more history Monday by following his four-hit debut with a three-hit second game ... Brett Cecil took a perfect game into the seventh inning Monday, striking out a career-high 10 in eight frames of one-run ball ... Javier Vazquez will miss the Red Sox after his next start was pushed back ... Alex Gordon will play first base and left field following his demotion to Triple-A ... Justin Duscherer (hip) has avoided the disabled list so far, but will get a cortisone shot Tuesday ... Francisco Cervelli will likely get a few starts after Jorge Posada left Monday's game with a strained calf ... Edwin Encarnacion hasn't been cleared for extended spring training games because he continues to have shoulder pain ... Mitch Talbot tossed eight innings Monday, but had his first clunker with five runs on three homers ... Randy Winn homered Monday for the first time in 491 at-bats.
NL Quick Hits: Joe Blanton came off the disabled list Monday and allowed four runs in 6.2 innings for a loss ... David Freese had multiple hits Monday for the fifth time in six games ... Kelvim Escobar will undergo season-ending shoulder surgery, meaning the Mets flushed away $1.25 million on the oft-injured reliever ... Huston Street (shoulder) is slated to throw batting practice Tuesday ... Mike Pelfrey has been cleared for his Friday start undergoing an MRI exam for "general shoulder soreness" ... Jaime Garcia turned in another gem Monday, holding the Phillies to one run in six innings, and is now 3-1 with a 1.00 ERA ... There's speculation that Yunel Escobar is headed for the DL with a groin injury ... Mike Leake had another strong game Monday and has just four walks in three starts since a dozen free passes in his first two outings ... Oliver Perez allowed just two runs in six innings Monday, but still had as many walks as strikeouts ... Chris Dickerson is expected to miss 4-6 weeks following hand surgery Monday ... Houston's amazing offensive struggles continued Monday with one run versus a 25-year-old making his MLB debut.
