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It's generally believed that the pitchers are ahead of the hitters when the weather is cold in early April. How else to explain that Blutarsky-like 0.00 ERA of Kyle Lohse? Apparently major league closers didn't get the memo. Not only are a bunch of favorites getting pounded, but now another one has hit the disabled list.

The Braves will be without Rafael Soriano for at least a few weeks, after the right-hander was sent to the DL with elbow tendinitis. While this injury might seem to come from nowhere, it's not like Soriano owners should be surprised he's hurt: he barely pitched at all in 2004-05 and missed time in 2006. Soriano's long history of arm problems might be the only justification for the Horacio Ramirez trade in the first place. In terms of ability, Soriano has rarely been questioned, and he seemed poised to emerge as a top-flight closer this season. Just remember, staying healthy is also a skill -- one it seems he still hasn't mastered.

Soriano joins fellow major league closers J.J. Putz, Chad Cordero and B.J. Ryan on the DL. Meanwhile, Brad Lidge recently missed time, and Francisco Rodriguez might not be available until next week. I think I might have heard this somewhere, but this is why fantasy owners shouldn't pay for saves.

While conventional wisdom says submarine Aussie Peter Moylan is next in line for the Atlanta saves because he's been the main setup guy for Soriano, don't be surprised if hard-thrower Manny Acosta vaults past him and moves into the role. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that Acosta would have been used to close Monday's game in Colorado if there had been a save chance because Soriano had the day off. Moylan entered that game in the seventh inning, and Blaine Boyer was used to start the eighth with a 1-0 lead -- developments which give credence to Acosta being saved to close. Boyer promptly blew the lead and lost the game.

Acosta, soon to be 27, has posted strong strikeout rates in the minors and saved 29 games for Triple-A Richmond in 2006-07. Walks appear to remain a problem for him, but he does throw hard, and Moylan has generally thrived in middle relief. We don't know how long Soriano will be out, but if you're looking for the next closer and assuming Moylan is the one, you'd be wise to check out Acosta as well.

Fantasy owners who thought about selecting Hanley Ramirez with their high first-round draft pick worried about how the Miguel Cabrera trade would affect the star shortstop and the rest of the Florida Marlins lineup. If Wednesday's performance by a few left-handed middle-of-the-order hitters is any indication, it might not be a problem at all.

Jeremy Hermida and Mike Jacobs led a 12-hit assault as the Marlins -- the first-place Marlins, that is -- scored double-digit runs in Washington for the second straight game. Both Hermida and Jacobs are in their fourth seasons in the big leagues, and both have yet to reach the expectations set for them. From a fantasy sense, Hermida was supposed to be a 20/20 guy, and Jacobs had the look of a 30-homer first baseman. Instead, injuries have derailed the former, and inconsistency the latter.

Hermida made his season debut Wednesday, as he came off the DL from a hamstring problem and was inserted right into the No. 3 spot in the order. Jacobs had mainly batted in that lineup spot, but struggled there, hitting .179 in 28 at-bats. Hermida stepped in and smacked a pair of doubles and knocked in two runs. His strong second half of 2007, in which he batted .340 and hit 10 home runs, gave fantasy owners hope that he could be a No. 3 or 4 outfielder, and it also made him Florida's natural replacement for Cabrera in the third spot. Hermida is owned in 95.7 percent of ESPN standard leagues, meaning owners didn't give up on him when he began the season on the DL, which was a smart move.

Meanwhile, Jacobs is readily available. He moved to the No. 5 spot in the lineup, and it appears he could be more comfortable there, as he hit a pair of home runs and knocked in four. Jacobs remains a bit flawed, as he has struggled for consistency since the Mets traded him to the Marlins and he became an everyday player. Fantasy owners need more than 20 home runs from their first baseman, and Jacobs should be capable of that. He's 27 now, a prime age for power. Jacobs has four home runs on the year, and only three other hits (all singles), so he's going to need to work on the batting average, but there is hope he could be breaking out.

Don't give up on the Marlins who remain after the Cabrera trade. There's talent here, and fantasy owners stand to benefit.

Welcome back, Albert Pujols. Fantasy owners were wondering if the slugger's balky elbow was affecting his power, as Pujols was in the midst of the longest home run drought to start a season in his career. Then he hit two on Wednesday and raised his average to .379. His on-base percentage is .526. No worries yet. … In Minnesota, Jason Kubel hadn't hit a grand slam since last July at U.S. Cellular Field. That day, he knocked in seven runs against the White Sox. On Wednesday, Kubel hit a grand slam off Nick Masset and batted in six runs. Another encouraging sign: his base hit off John Danks, Kubel's first off a southpaw all season. … The Angels didn't have a save opportunity on Wednesday, and we knew Francisco Rodriguez wasn't going to get it anyway, but manager Mike Scioscia might have tipped his hand by the hierarchy he used late in the 9-5 win. Scot Shields threw a messy eighth inning, while Justin Speier got the ninth. Which one is available in your league? … The Dodgers' confusing outfield situation took a new turn Wednesday as sputtering Andruw Jones and his .103 batting average weren't in the starting lineup, but both Juan Pierre and Matt Kemp were. Jones entered the game later and singled. There's no telling what Joe Torre will do from game to game. … Joe Crede continues to hit and make the Josh Fields demotion look wise. Crede singled, doubled and scored twice in the 12-5 loss to the Twins and enters Thursday with a .406 batting average. … Ryan Spilborghs batted fifth for the Rockies, replacing Brad Hawpe and protecting Matt Holliday in the order, a move that might seem strange. Atlanta was starting lefty Chuck James, however. Spilborghs entered 2008 with a .338 batting average and .905 OPS against left-handed pitching. He homered and knocked in five, but Hawpe owners need not worry about a true time-share. … The bottom of the Yankees' order Wednesday featured backup catcher Jose Molina and recently called up shortstop Alberto Gonzalez, filling in for Jorge Posada and Derek Jeter, respectively. Molina and Gonzalez each hit doubles off Zack Greinke, but neither is known for offensive prowess. It is telling, however, that Wilson Betemit did not start at shortstop. … Speaking of Yankees, when did Brian Bruney become a starting pitcher and Ian Kennedy a reliever? It shouldn't be a trend, though managers protecting their young starting pitchers in rain-teased games might be. Like the Giants-Dodgers game from the first week when Tim Lincecum and Chad Billingsley were held out from starting because of potential bad weather, the Yankees didn't want to waste Kennedy's start. Kennedy came into the game later, fighting off the mist, and should remain on target for his next start. … San Francisco starting pitchers are going to have to work for wins, and Jonathan Sanchez probably deserved one. He left after six innings having fanned 10 Padres. Sanchez has 18 strikeouts in 10 innings so far. His Wednesday opponent, Justin Germano, still hasn't allowed a run in 13 innings after shutting down the Giants for seven innings, though he has no victories to show for it.