This article is part of our The Lineup Card series.
Thursday's Starters
Reds (Mat Latos – R) at Nationals (Gio Gonzalez – L), 1:05
Rays (Jeff Niemann – R) at Tigers (Drew Smyly – L), 1:05
Angels (Dan Haren – R) at Twins (Francisco Liriano – L), 1:10
Mariners (Jason Vargas – L) at Rangers (Derek Holland – L), 2:05
Brewers (Zack Greinke – R) at Cubs (Matt Garza – R), 2:20
Giants (Madison Bumgarner – L) at Rockies (Jamie Moyer – L), 3:10
Marlins (Mark Buehrle – L) at Phillies (Joe Blanton – R), 7:05
Diamondbacks (Ian Kennedy – R) at Padres (Anthony Bass – R), 10:05
Pirates (Jeff Karstens – R) at Dodgers (Chris Capuano – L), 10:10
Day Game After Night Game: LAA/MIN, SEA/TEX, SF/COL
Injuries
Day-to-Day
Buster Posey, C, SF – Sat out Wednesday due to Shingles
David Wright, 3B, NYM - (Finger) Decision on playing status set for Friday
Jonathan Lucroy, C, MIL – (Chest) Sat out Wednesday due to minor tightness
Ryan Braun, OF, MIL – (Chest) Sat out Wednesday due to minor tightness
Brandon Phillips, 2B, CIN – (Hamstring) Expected to miss three or four days
Ubaldo Jimenez, SP, CLE – (Suspension) Set to return from suspension Sunday following Tuesday's rainout
Josh Reddick, OF, OAK - (Head) Removed from Wednesday's game after being hit in the head
Justin Upton, OF, AZ – (Thumb) Returned to starting lineup Wednesday
Giancarlo Stanton, OF, MIA – (Knee) Returned to lineup Wednesday
Lorenzo Cain, OF, KC – (Groin) Expected to return to lineup Friday
Jeremy Hellickson, P, TB – (Head) Was struck by batted ball Wednesday and taken to hospital as precaution
Ramon Santiago, 2B, DET – (Illness) Started Wednesday against the Rays
Alex Avila, C, DET – (Illness) Returned to starting lineup Wednesday
Max Scherzer, P, DET – (Illness) Sent home Tuesday due to cold-like symptoms
Lance Berkman, 1B, STL – (Calf) Sat out Wednesday; injury not considered serious
Luke Scott, DH, TB – (Hamstring) Missed Wednesday's game against Detroit
Mike Aviles, 2B, BOS - (Ankle) Returned to lineup Wednesday
Rafael Soriano, P, NYY – (Finger) Tore fingernail warming up before Tuesday's game
Dustin Pedroia, 2B, BOS – (Shoulder) Appeared to jam shoulder Tuesday, but started Wednesday
Disabled List
Scott Baker, P, MIN (Elbow) – Will have surgery on right elbow and likely miss rest of season
Drew Storen, P, WSH (Elbow) – Underwent surgery Wednesday to remove bone fragment, expected to return before All-Star break but no timetable set
Stephen Drew, SS, AZ (Ankle) – Could receive at-bats in an extended spring training game Thursday
Victor Martinez, C, DET (Knee) – Could resume baseball activities in late August after bypassing ACL reconstruction in January
Ryan Howard, 1B, PHI (Achilles)– No longer requires antibiotics, but must wait for wound to heal before increasing activity
Mike Morse, OF, WAS – (Lat) Evaluated by team doctors Wednesday with results sent to Dr. James Andrews
Jed Lowrie, SS, HOU – (Thumb) Recorded a hit and two RBI in first minor league rehab assignment Tuesday
Dustin Moseley, P, SD – Shoulder) Attempting to receive treatment to avoid surgery, but appears likely to miss rest of season
Ryan Vogelsong, P, SF – (Back) Pitched six innings and allowed two runs in Triple-A start Tuesday; set to come off DL and start Sunday
Rick Ankiel, OF, WAS – (Leg) Set to be activated Saturday
Michael Pineda, P, NYY – (Shoulder) Resumed long-toss program Tuesday, but no date set for throwing off mound
Transactions
Sent Down
Adam Moore, C, SEA
Closer Watch
Kansas City -- Jonathan Broxton blew his first save of the season Wednesday, exhibiting his trademark wildness. Broxton completely unraveled after Alcides Escobar's error with one out and nobody on, walking two and hitting another batter. He then hit Jonny Gomes to allow the go-ahead run and give the A's the win. Broxton will remain the closer for the time being, but continued poor performance could cause him to cede the closer's role to the electric Greg Holland.
Cincinnati – Sean Marshall remains the Reds' closer for now, but Aroldis Chapman has been the team's most impressive reliever this season. Cincinnati has used Chapman effectively as a multiple inning-reliever in two games, with Chapman recording wins in each game. With ten strikeouts and no walks in five innings, and the ability to pitch multiple innings, Chapman is worthy of owning in most leagues right now. Don't be surprised if he forces the Reds to maximize his dominance by finally settling on using him as a starter or closer by year's end – wherever the need is greater.
Toronto – After blowing his first two save opportunities as a Blue Jay, Sergio Santos nailed down a high-pressure save Wednesday. Relieving Ricky Romero with one out in the ninth and runners on second and third, Santos mastered the heart of Boston's order, striking out Kevin Youkilis and inducing a groundout from David Ortiz. Though he is expected to miss Friday's game against the Orioles for the birth of his child, Santos certainly solidified his position as Toronto's closer Wednesday.
KEY MATCHUPS: HOT | |||||||||||||||||||
| Hot Batter Matchups | At-Bats | AVG | HR | XBH | RBI | BB | K | SLG | OBP | OPS | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miguel Cabrera - 1B | DET vs TB 4/12 1:05 PM | Jeff Niemann | 4-10 | .400 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1.100 | .455 | 1.555 | |||||||
| Delmon Young - OF | DET vs TB 4/12 1:05 PM | Jeff Niemann | 4-10 | .400 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | .700 | .455 | 1.155 | |||||||
| Joe Mauer - C | MIN vs LAA 4/12 1:10 PM | Dan Haren | 7-18 | .389 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | .444 | .429 | .873 | |||||||
| Nelson Cruz - OF | TEX vs SEA 4/12 2:05 PM | Jason Vargas | 4-13 | .308 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | .769 | .400 | 1.169 | |||||||
| Ian Kinsler - 2B | TEX vs SEA 4/12 2:05 PM | Jason Vargas | 5-14 | .357 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | .571 | .357 | .928 | |||||||
| Mike Napoli - C | TEX vs SEA 4/12 2:05 PM | Jason Vargas | 5-17 | .294 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 5 | .588 | .400 | .988 | |||||||
| Dexter Fowler - OF | COL vs SF 4/12 3:10 PM | Madison Bumgarner | 4-10 | .400 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .600 | .400 | 1.000 | |||||||
| Carlos Gonzalez - OF | COL vs SF 4/12 3:10 PM | Madison Bumgarner | 4-11 | .364 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1.000 | .462 | 1.462 | |||||||
| Todd Helton - 1B | COL vs SF 4/12 3:10 PM | Madison Bumgarner | 4-10 | .400 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | .400 | .400 | .800 | |||||||
| Aubrey Huff - 1B | SF @ COL 4/12 3:10 PM | Jamie Moyer | 9-23 | .391 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 0 | .783 | .391 | 1.174 | |||||||
| Chris Coghlan - OF | MIA @ PHI 4/12 7:05 PM | Joe Blanton | 4-11 | .364 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | .455 | .500 | .955 | |||||||
| Placido Polanco - 3B | PHI vs MIA 4/12 7:05 PM | Mark Buehrle | 14-35 | .400 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | .457 | .405 | .862 | |||||||
| Hot Pitcher Matchups | At-Bats | Opp AVG | HR Allow | XBH Allow | RBI Allow | BB | K | Opp SLG | Opp OBP | Opp OPS | |||||||||
| None | |||||||||||||||||||
KEY MATCHUPS: COLD | |||||||||||||||||||
| Cold Batter Matchups | At-Bats | AVG | HR | XBH | RBI | BB | K | SLG | OBP | OPS | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ryan Doumit - C | MIN vs LAA 4/12 1:10 PM | Dan Haren | 2-13 | .154 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 6 | .385 | .154 | .539 | |||||||
| Elvis Andrus - SS | TEX vs SEA 4/12 2:05 PM | Jason Vargas | 2-16 | .125 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | .125 | .167 | .292 | |||||||
| Josh Hamilton - OF | TEX vs SEA 4/12 2:05 PM | Jason Vargas | 1-10 | .100 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | .100 | .182 | .282 | |||||||
| Marlon Byrd - OF | CHC vs MIL 4/12 2:20 PM | Zack Greinke | 2-16 | .125 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | .313 | .176 | .489 | |||||||
| Jose Reyes - SS | MIA @ PHI 4/12 7:05 PM | Joe Blanton | 4-21 | .190 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | .381 | .261 | .642 | |||||||
| Juan Pierre - OF | PHI vs MIA 4/12 7:05 PM | Mark Buehrle | 3-12 | .250 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .250 | .250 | .500 | |||||||
| Jimmy Rollins - SS | PHI vs MIA 4/12 7:05 PM | Mark Buehrle | 2-11 | .182 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .182 | .182 | .364 | |||||||
| Will Venable - OF | SD vs ARI 4/12 10:05 PM | Ian Kennedy | 2-10 | .200 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | .200 | .200 | .400 | |||||||
| Clint Barmes - SS | PIT @ LAD 4/12 10:10 PM | Chris Capuano | 2-10 | .200 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .400 | .273 | .673 | |||||||
| Cold Pitcher Matchups | At-Bats | Opp AVG | HR Allow | XBH Allow | RBI Allow | BB | K | Opp SLG | Opp OBP | Opp OPS | |||||||||
| Jamie Moyer | COL vs SF 4/12 3:10 PM | Giants Batters | 18-63 | .286 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 2 | .435 | .307 | .742 | |||||||
Recommended Pickup
Zack Cozart, SS, CIN – Following an impressive, albeit brief cup of coffee with the Reds toward the end of 2011, Cozart earned the full-time job at shortstop this season, along with a prominent position in the Reds' lineup nestled ahead of mashers Joey Votto and Jay Bruce. He has continued to be productive in 22 at-bats this season, batting .455 with six runs and one home run from the second spot in the order. While Cozart doesn't bring an elite skill to the table, he is capable of producing home run and stolen base totals in the mid-to-late teens, which represent respectable value for the shortstop position. In addition, Cozart's spot in the lineup should allow for many run-scoring opportunities, especially with the majority of his games coming at the hitter-friendly Great American Ballpark. Cozart has probably found a roster spot already in deep and NL-only leagues, but he may still be available in shallower formats, though his torrid start to the season is gradually shrinking his availability.
Other Recent Recommendations: Kirk Nieuwenhuis, Jonathan Broxton, Hector Santiago, J.D. Martinez and Juan Nicasio
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