Around the NL: Wickman's return, Penny's streak
Editor's Note: What's been going on around the National League in the past week? Tristan H. Cockcroft takes a quick-hitting look at the news and notes for each of the 16 NL teams:
Atlanta Braves: Closer Bob Wickman, who has been sidelined since April 30 with tendinitis in his back, completed a pain-free bullpen session on Sunday morning and is expected to be activated from the disabled list on Tuesday. He'll immediately reclaim his closer's role, though his brief absence was plenty of help in determining who would be the stand-in should he miss further time later in the year. Left-hander Mike Gonzalez and right-hander Rafael Soriano combined for a perfect 6-for-6 performance in the closer role, though Soriano had four of those, including on three consecutive days May 8-10 against the Padres. Manager Bobby Cox apparently prefers to use Gonzalez in late-inning situations when facing tough left-handed hitters, with his most recent save -- on May 11 -- merely a result of Soriano being unavailable. As has been the case with many managers over the years, Cox likes a right-hander finishing games, making Soriano the best handcuff for Wickman owners looking forward. Keep him on hand in NL-only formats.
Florida Marlins: Speaking of closers, Henry Owens surprisingly landed on the DL on Friday with tendinitis in his rotator cuff. Preliminary reports indicate he should be ready to return once eligible on May 24, but shoulder problems aren't a good thing for a young pitcher. Owens had done a fine job closing for the Marlins thus far, but with him gone, expect the team to go with a committee unless one reliever gets hot. Though manager Fredi Gonzalez had said Jorge Julio would eventually reclaim the role, that won't happen now; he surrendered a game-ending grand slam on Saturday and was subsequently traded to the Rockies a day later. Meanwhile, the next most logical bet, Taylor Tankersley, was the man responsible for loading the bases ahead of Julio in that game on Saturday. One poor outing, especially one coming off a lengthy rain delay, shouldn't ruin Tankersley's chances at getting further save opportunities, but the Marlins do have plenty of other candidates: Matt Lindstrom (2.35 ERA), Kevin Gregg (2.86) and Lee Gardner (3.54) could each get a shot in the next few days. I'd rank them in that order in terms of fantasy appeal, but a healthy Owens should be the best bet of the bunch long term.
New York Mets: Moises Alou has hardly been one of the healthier players in baseball the past half-decade, so it's no shock that he could be DL-bound with the strained left quadriceps he suffered Sunday. Though he has batted .312 with 43 home runs since the start of the 2005 season, he has missed 108 games in that time, and he's now 40 years old, meaning he's not going to get any more durable. It's the second injury he has battled this year, the first a knee problem that cost him three games in early May, so be prepared for the possibility he might miss more than the minimum 15 days. Sadly, Lastings Milledge was unavailable to stand in due to a foot injury of his own at Triple-A New Orleans, as he's on the DL until at least month's end. It's bad timing for him, which is why Carlos Gomez, the team's No. 3 prospect as ranked by Baseball America in the preseason, got the call instead. The right-handed hitting speedster will likely comprise a straight platoon with Endy Chavez, a .310 hitter in his Mets career, though the hotter hand could easily take over with time. Keep in mind Gomez batted .299 against right-handed pitching while at Double-A Binghamton in 2006, so a platoon role doesn't exactly suit him. He's a bit too free-swinging to expect a breakout just yet, but he and Chavez are both NL-only worthy.
Philadelphia Phillies: Who was the first top 10 overall draft pick to land on the DL this season? Your trivia answer is Ryan Howard, one of the most appealing power hitters in baseball, after he hit an MLB-best 58 home runs in 2006. He's now a long shot to reach that number again in 2007, as the Phillies finally decided they couldn't afford to wait on his strained left quadriceps any longer, placing him on the DL on Saturday. It's a curious move; he had appeared as a pinch hitter on both May 7 and 9, costing him an additional three days' DL status, which made it seem he wasn't as far from returning to action as he may be. Sadly, he'll now be out until at least Memorial Day weekend, significantly thinning out the Phillies' lineup. Greg Dobbs, a .263 career hitter (.307 for his minor league career), should receive the bulk of the at-bats in Howard's absence, starting mostly against right-handers. He's no power hitter or speedster, but his decent batting average should make him a useful spot corner infielder in NL-only formats. Meanwhile, it appears Jimmy Rollins won't be dropped to the No. 3 lineup spot in Howard's absence. That role has gone to Aaron Rowand the past four games, which should result in better production in runs and RBIs.
Washington Nationals: How bad have things gotten for the Nationals' pitching? Opening Day starter John Patterson managed a 7.47 ERA in seven starts before landing on the DL, and now, the team's ERA leader among starters, Shawn Hill, has joined him. Like the Yankees' Phil Hughes a couple of weeks back, Hill was forced from a potential no-hitter early due to injury; he went five hitless frames before being removed due to soreness in his elbow. He was scheduled for an MRI exam after being placed on the DL on Monday, but expect the Nationals to be as patient as possible with one of their few promising young starters. Hill was actually coming off a string of six consecutive quality-start efforts, the last five of which were all on the road, at the time he got hurt, and his command ratios in his minor league career (2.12 BB/9, 0.29 HR/9) did indicate at least matchups potential despite his presence on a bad team. Now that he and Patterson are out for the foreseeable future, it's official: I wouldn't call any Nationals starters even worthy of spot-start status. Sorry, Jason Bergmann, you're just a little too wild for my tastes.
Chicago Cubs: It's about time the Cubs realized the error of their ways with rookie Felix Pie. They hadn't started him in a single one of the nine games he had been with them in May, granting him only six plate appearances during that time. Finally, last Thursday, the Cubs returned him to Triple-A Iowa, where he'll be able to earn regular playing time. Pie remains the club's top prospect, but it's going to take another DL stint or trade of one of the team's regular outfielders -- think Jacque Jones -- before he'll get another shot with the Cubs. Don't count on him contributing until next year. … Jason Marquis' hot start is nothing short of remarkable. He's now third in the NL in ERA (1.70), and is on pace to allow only nine home runs in a 33-start season, compared to his 35 of a year ago. Of course, it's worth mentioning that four of Marquis' five wins and four of his six quality-start efforts have come against the Cardinals and Padres, who rank 30th (3.14) and 28th (3.61) in runs per game in baseball, so he's certain to cool off when his schedule gets tougher. Still, it seems Marquis should be at least a useful spot-start option, even if he's a sell-high candidate today, so enjoy the hot streak for as long as it lasts.
Cincinnati Reds: I've long been amused by the advanced buzz a top pitching prospect seems to receive amidst rumors of his pending MLB debut, and Homer Bailey easily ranked as last week's most-anticipated such debut … except, of course, that he wound up not getting the call to start on Sunday, as so many fantasy owners had expected. When Eric Milton landed on the DL last Wednesday with a sprained left elbow, those owners scrambled to the waiver wire to nab Bailey, assuming he'd get the call to take Milton's rotation opening. Perhaps it was Milton's MRI results, which revealed he won't need surgery, that caused the Reds to be more patient with their top pitching prospect. One thing is for sure: It's not Bailey's performance at Triple-A Louisville, as he has a 2.27 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and .194 BAA in seven starts there. He's not nearly as far from being promoted by the Reds as it might seem, and I'd call the past week's development a bit of a wake-up call for prospective Bailey owners. He's every bit the talent Phil Hughes and Tim Lincecum were at the times of their debuts, so call this your last chance to stash him away.
Houston Astros: It was one thing for the Astros to bump Chris Burke from the starting lineup back to the bench when they promoted rookie Hunter Pence from the minors on April 28, but to demote him to the minors, as they did on Friday, was a bit of a curious move. Sure, Burke hadn't gotten off to a great start, batting .238 (19-for-80) with 18 strikeouts and a .732 OPS, but he's now 27 years old and was widely considered the team's future second baseman after Craig Biggio retires. With Mark Loretta performing well in a reserve-infielder role -- he's hitting .355 -- the Astros felt Burke wasn't useful to them in a utility role. Still, it's not like he has much more to learn in the minor leagues, meaning a quick recall could be in his future. At this stage, fantasy owners probably shouldn't expect great things from Burke, not this year or down the road, but based on his potential inheritance of the second-base role from Biggio at season's end, he could yet be an NL-only factor on the idea he could be slowly worked into it in the second half.
Milwaukee Brewers: What an incredible run J.J. Hardy is on; he's up to a .325 batting average, 11 home runs and 34 RBI through 36 games, each ranking him among the top 10 hitters in the NL. Sure, it's a surprising start for him, but remember that he did grace a good share of sleeper lists in the past, with much of his early MLB career limited due to injuries. Can Hardy keep this up? Look at his peripheral numbers and there's a lot to like. His doubles rate -- 11 of his 49 hits -- backs up his power rate, as does the fact that he's becoming much more of a fly ball hitter, with a 0.57:1 ground ball-to-fly ball ratio, compared to 1.02:1 for his career. Those are remarkable numbers, ones that do back up Hardy's improved ability to drive the ball this season. He's hardly someone you should count on to maintain his 49-homer, 152-RBI paces, but scouts did see All-Star potential in him while he was rising through the minor league ranks. It's not unthinkable he could challenge the 30-homer and 100-run plateaus by season's end, hitting second as he does.
Pittsburgh Pirates: Young pitching appears to be the Pirates' strength, not surprising considering they have spent seven of their past nine first-round picks on pitchers, which is why Tony Armas Jr. should be a little worried about his job security after beginning the year 0-3 with an 8.76 ERA in six starts. The Pirates already have veteran Shawn Chacon in their own bullpen ready to replace him, and don't overlook the hot starts of some of the team's better prospects at Triple-A Indianapolis. Bryan Bullington is 5-1 with a 1.90 ERA in seven starts for Indianapolis, John Van Benschoten is 3-2 with a 1.82 ERA in seven starts and Sean Burnett is 3-3 with a 3.63 ERA in seven starts; all three were first-round picks. Health problems have dogged each as a professional, but with all three pitching well in the minors, expect the Pirates to give them a chance before long. None is a prospect of the Phil Hughes/Homer Bailey class, not with the trio combining to average 4.72 walks and 4.72 strikeouts per nine innings so far, but each has NL-only matchups potential if given a chance. Bullington in particular should be watched; he was on the fast track to the majors before labrum surgery cost him all of the 2006 season, but he appears healthy now.
St. Louis Cardinals: It's nice to see Juan Encarnacion back with the Cardinals, but unfortunately, the team is going to need a lot more than him alone to get back to a respectable level of production on offense. His recovery from offseason surgery on his wrist cost him all of spring training and the first six weeks of the season, and in his rehabilitation stint at Double-A Springfield, he hardly looked himself. Encarnacion batted only .155 (9-for-58) with four extra-base hits, all doubles, and 11 strikeouts in 15 games, far from his usual levels. He'll presumably get the bulk of the at-bats in right field, though his owners should be patient with him, as it's clear he's still struggling with some of the aftereffects of his surgery. As for the Cardinals as a whole, it's a bit disconcerting that they currently rank last in the majors in runs per game (3.14), behind even the Nationals (3.19). With a less-than-healthy Encarnacion, the light-hitting Yadier Molina and Adam Kennedy and the pitcher's spot occupying four of the team's nine hitting spots, the Cardinals should continue to be a great matchup for opposing pitchers in the short term.
Arizona Diamondbacks: Off days have caused the Diamondbacks to skip Micah Owings' next turn in the rotation, which would have come on Tuesday. That's an unfortunate development, as it's a clear sign the team doesn't view him as a regular starter pitching every fifth game. In this case, Owings will be pushed back to Saturday at Pittsburgh, still a favorable matchup for him, in order to accommodate Randy Johnson pitching on five days' rest on Tuesday. The rookie was coming off back-to-back quality-start efforts, each coming against strong offenses -- Mets and Phillies -- making Owings an interesting NL-only starter to date. It's probable that he's merely taking advantage of opponents unfamiliar with his arsenal, though, so that old adage about the "second time around the league" probably applies. Keep riding the hot streak with Owings, but there's almost certainly going to be an adjustment period for him, especially with his inconsistent work schedule.
Colorado Rockies: Jeff Francis got off to quite a rocky start this season, with a 6.52 ERA and 2.00 WHIP in his first five starts, but in his past three turns he seems to have begun to turn things around. He's coming off back-to-back quality-start efforts and has a 3.22 ERA and 0.94 WHIP in his last three turns, and what's most significant about that is two of them have come against the Giants, a team that got to him for seven runs in five innings on April 16 and has seemingly had his number over the years. Francis' 2006 started off similarly slowly, with a 4.50 ERA and 1.46 WHIP in his first five starts, and it's possible that he's merely one of those pitchers who struggles with his command in the early weeks, when temperatures are colder. He actually managed a 3.47 ERA and 1.19 WHIP in 22 starts from May 1 to Aug. 31, 2006, which are impressive numbers for a Rockies pitcher. Challenging for the ERA or WHIP lead is probably never going to be in Francis' future, not as long as he's a member of the Rockies, but he should be a solid NL-only pitcher and a mixed-leagues matchup consideration from this point forward.
Los Angeles Dodgers: Brad Penny is off to yet another torrid start, and one can only wonder whether this will finally be the year he finishes strong. He's the NL leader in ERA (1.39), and has kicked off the season with eight consecutive quality-start efforts. Unfortunately, while Penny's hot streak has shown no signs of subsiding, there's little reason to believe he can maintain a Cy Young pace for a full six-month span. For one thing, he has yet to top seven innings this season, and for another, he has been comparably good through May 15 of most every year. In 2006, he had a 2.66 ERA and 1.23 WHIP through that date. In 2004, he was at 2.25/1.00 rates. In neither of those years did he manage a single Cy Young vote. In fact, combining his performance the rest of those two seasons, he was 19-16 with a 4.37 ERA and 1.39 WHIP in 42 starts, rather ordinary numbers from an NL starter. Ultimately, Penny hasn't proved durable enough to maintain this performance for more than a half-season, making him an ideal sell-high candidate.
San Diego Padres: Justin Germano has done a fine job filling in for Clay Hensley thus far, which could earn him a permanent spot on the Padres' roster even after the latter's return from the DL. Germano has back-to-back quality-start efforts, though it's worth noting that the most recent one came against the woeful Cardinals offense -- wow, "woeful" and "Cardinals offense" in the same sentence. The Padres will skip Germano's turn in the rotation this week due to Thursday's off day, after which point Hensley could be ready to reclaim his spot. Still, that Germano did an effective job as a stand-in puts him at the head of the list to rejoin the rotation once another spot opens up, whether it's from continued poor performance by Hensley or a DL stint for the aging David Wells. He's not someone worth keeping on reserve, but in NL-only leagues, it appears Germano has established himself as a matchups candidate whenever he's up with the Padres.
San Francisco Giants: Speedster Dave Roberts underwent surgery on Saturday to remove bone spurs and scar tissue in his left elbow, a decision he made because he felt he couldn't last the season without it. He'll miss about a month and perhaps more, but at least such an ailment shouldn't cause any problems for him on the basepaths, the area where he's most useful in fantasy leagues. One bright spot is that Roberts' elbow problems could help explain his .216 batting average, though it might take him a week or two to get back to full strength at bat even after he heals. In his place, the Giants promoted Fred Lewis, ranked seventh among Giants prospects by Baseball America in the preseason. Don't be fooled by his tremendous athleticism, his hitting for the cycle on Sunday or his .480 batting average (12-for-25) thus far in his big league career; Lewis is nevertheless a streaky, free-swinging player who will frustrate fantasy owners at times. With his double-digit potential in homers and stolen bases, Lewis absolutely warrants NL-only attention, but his value might be short-lived. He could be destined for a career merely as a fourth outfielder.
Tristan H. Cockcroft covers fantasy sports for ESPN.com. You can e-mail him here.
