Fantasy Baseball Morning Update: Nats' Rodriguez gets wild
New Reds closer Aroldis Chapman was arrested early Monday for driving 93 mph with a suspended license. I'd make a joke about Chapman's driving speed being slower than his pitching velocity, but approximately 8,794 people on Twitter have already beaten me to it.
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Erik Bedard wasn't so good for us last night, dropping the streaming starter record to 31-18. Today's pick is quality start machine R.A. Dickey (owned in 27.2 percent of FOXSports.com leagues), while Wednesday's is Carlos Zambrano (33.7 percent owned) against the Rockies.
On to the news:
- After giving up a run on a four-pitch walk, a hit and two wild pitches, Nationals closer Henry Rodriguez was yanked during the ninth inning last night. Sean Burnett finished up for the save, and after the game manager Davey Johnson said he would "look at alternatives" for Rodriguez. Two Nats beat writers tweeted that Johnson might consider a closer committee - Burnett and Craig Stammen would be in the mix - but the team's website reports that Drew Storen could be back in three weeks. Taking a flier on Burnett or Stammen isn't a bad idea right now, as long as you don't count on them as more than part-time, short-term solutions. Maybe Johnson will help us today by announcing that he's settling on one guy.
- Cardinals 1B Lance Berkman will have knee surgery later this week, but the team isn't yet sure if it will be a season-ender or one that will keep him out 6-8 weeks. Berkman seems to think he has a torn ACL that will end his season, and if you own him, don't be stubborn about keeping him unless you have bench/DL space that you're not using. We should have a verdict on Berkman's status by the weekend.
- Look for a Matt Adams/Allen Craig first-base platoon in St. Louis when Craig comes off the DL, with Craig also getting as much time in the outfield corners as Carlos Beltran's health warrants. Even though Adams hits left-handed, I suspect that Craig will hit enough to play most days, leaving Adams in danger of a demotion before too long.
- Rangers SP Neftali Feliz will miss at least six weeks due to a sprained elbow ligament. The Rangers are considering multiple candidates to replace Feliz in their rotation, but Alexi Ogando is the most intriguing. Remember how good he was for much of last season?
- Dodgers OF Matt Kemp (hamstring) is targeting a May 29 return from the DL.
- The Diamondbacks have called up 3B Josh Bell, and will give him the chance to play. I saw Bell hit two homers in a Triple-A game a couple of years ago, but that doesn't mean I'm not skeptical of his 1.047 OPS at Reno prior to his promotion. Look at Bell in NL-only leagues, and maybe some deep mixed formats if you're desperate, but remember that the Orioles thought so little of him that they traded him in April for a player to be named later. Bell's arrival in the desert means that Ryan Roberts will fill a utility role for now.
- The Arizona Republic story linked to in the previous bullet also notes that SP Daniel Hudson will probably come off the DL this weekend.
- D-backs, Part 3: Catcher Miguel Montero is day-to-day after suffering a groin injury on Monday.
- Red Sox OF Cody Ross could miss 6-8 weeks due to a fractured bone in his foot. The cavalry isn't coming anytime soon for the Sox, as the Boston Globe reports that Jacoby Ellsbury and Carl Crawford aren't expected back until July. At least they're getting Kevin Youkilis back tonight.
- Manny Ramirez is in the midst of a rehab assignment, and will be eligible to join the A's roster on May 30, which happens to be his 40th birthday. We'll have more on Manny's fantasy prospects in this space later in the week.
- Blue Jays closer Sergio Santos is still three weeks or more away from returning? Come on!
- Royals SP Felipe Paulino, who shut out the Yankees for six-and-two-thirds innings last night, is still owned in just 3.1 percent of FOXSports.com leagues. Friend of the blog Jason Collette tweeted this link last night to Paulino's stats before and after his trade to the Royals last season. The differences are pretty striking. What are you waiting for, people? Go get Paulino!
- Rays' infielder Jeff Keppinger will miss 3-4 weeks with a broken big toe. This injury made me think of Sgt. Hulka in Stripes. Please tell me that someone else gets that movie reference.
- See you next season, Cory Luebke.
- Angels OF Vernon Wells will have surgery on his thumb, and won't even resume "baseball activities" for 8-10 weeks, according to the Orange County Register. That means Wells probably won't be back until August, and since he was terrible when healthy, you don't need to hold on to him.
- Royals 2B Chris Getz left Monday's game after re-aggravating a rib injury. We should know more about his status today.
- Remember Brian Roberts? The Orioles' second baseman might begin a minor-league rehab assignment within a week.
- Braves 3B Chipper Jones has missed three straight games, and is day-to-day with a bruised ankle.
- I'll make my weekly appearance in the FOXSports.com fantasy chat room today at 2 p.m. ET. Send your questions!
See you back here tomorrow morning.
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