Chris Young was sent to the 15-day DL today as a result of the broken nose he received by way of an Albert Pujols line drive. He should be good to return to game action following the initial DL stint. As always, you simply must start everyone against the Padres, especially now that their best assets (Peavy/Young) are on the shelf.
Austin Kearns was placed on the 15-day DL and is expected to miss 3-4 weeks after having surgery to remove loose bodies from his right elbow. Loose bodies are tiny pieces of bone and/or cartilage fragments that become dislodged and end up floating in the joint - creating painful movement. Given the surgery, I would expect him to miss at least one additional week than what they’re reporting. Now that the loose bodies are removed from the elbow, it should allow for more quantity and quality of movement, so his production may improve in the second half. Not that he should be on your roster, anyway (unless NL-only).
Moises Alou is scheduled for an MRI on his strained left calf. Feel free to drop him for someone who is on a hot streak. The inevitable DL designation is on its way.
Clearly, something was wrong with Eric Gagne, as he had been simply awful in four of his last five appearances - allowing 2 ER in three outings, and 1 ER in another. He now has been diagnosed with rotator cuff tendonitis, and the Brewers are hoping that he can avoid time on the disabled list. They have yet to place him on the 15-day DL, but if the Torres/Mota combo can pin down a couple of saves, it would make their decision that much easier. That Gagne received a Cortisone injection indicates that his shoulder was quite inflamed. Gagne’s 6.98 ERA and 2.02 WHIP will not be missed. Add Salomon Torres or Guillermo Mota - in that order - if you need help with saves.
Let’s face it, when you have to revamp your entire delivery in a matter of a week in order to pitch without pain, can you really be expected to contribute much? 41-year old John Smoltz needs to slow things down and rest for a while - especially now that Soriano and Gonzalez are on their way back. I am getting an eerily similar feeling here as I did with the whole Curt Schilling shoulder issue. Expect more of the same from Smoltz from here on out - one day he will feel "very good" , while 2-3 days later he will be questioning the status of his shoulder.
If you can trade Smoltz to someone who needs a closer, do it - especially if you have a surplus.
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