Opening Time: Hooray for Hollywood
For better or for worse, the blog rules are a little different when we convene for our bi-annual meetings in Santa Monica. Your loyal roto correspondent had every intention of bringing some love to this space Tuesday, but between a crazy emergency landing in Iowa, a few too many margaritas at El Cholo, and liquid shuffleboard with Hollywood B-Listers, the Tuesday game stories got lost in the surf somewhere. Here are some morning bullets for the faithful, which we're washing down with our plop-and-fizz staff breakfast.
• A snappy showing for Philadelphia's Antonio Bastardo(notes), who went down to San Diego and impressed in his MLB debut (6 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 5 K). Jake Peavy(notes) didn't hang around long on the other side, battling an upper respiratory infection. It's not hard to see the potential red flags with Bastardo – he's jumped two levels this year, he'll be working in a bandbox for his home turns – but nonetheless he's earned the right to be tested in any NL-only league or very deep mixer until we see something negative from him.
• It's not every night you see someone outpitch Johan Santana(notes), but that's what Zach Duke(notes) did in Pittsburgh Tuesday, spinning his pitch-to-contact goodness (7 IP, 8 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 0 K). I'd say it's time to sell that unsupported 2.62 ERA, but I can't imagine you're lucky enough to find a buyer in any sort of competitive league. I contacted my wisest Steel City scout on Duke (okay, it's Matt Romig) and he admitted he's not buying into this run, either.
• Randy Wells(notes) still can't buy a win but you have to be impressed with what he's done with five starts; he flirted with a no-hitter Tuesday and eventually settled for this gem of a line (7 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K). There's been no overt statement yet on what the Cubs will do when everyone is healthy in the rotation, but context clues point to Sean Marshall(notes) going to the bullpen and Wells sticking in the five-man group.
• Is it time to take Daisuke Matsuzaka(notes) off the restricted list and welcome him back into regular rotation? He piled up the pitches quickly in Detroit and went just five innings Tuesday, but you can't complain with the final result (win, 5 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 6 K). I'll give him a make-good start back in Boston against Texas this weekend. Jacoby Ellsbury(notes) stayed in the eighth spot in the order and went 2-for-3 with a steal; Terry Francona seems resigned to keeping Ellsbury at the bottom of the order for a while.
Injury Blog : Evan Longoria(notes) left Tuesday's game with a hamstring injury and will have an MRI Wednesday, though he's optimistic that a DL trip won't be necessary. … Call it an abdominal strain, call it a sports hernia, but either way, Josh Hamilton(notes) is headed back to the disabled list and we're not sure when he'll be back . . . We're wearing black this morning after seeing Scott Hairston(notes) suffer a biceps injury Tuesday night. He's day-to-day. … The unstoppable train known as Asdrubal Cabrera(notes) might be slowed for a while; it's feared he has a separated shoulder and might need a DL trip. We'll see what we learn with Wednesday's MRI. … Troy Tulowitzki(notes) is probably out for a few more games, though X-rays on his hand came back negative. … Garry Sheffield is hoping to play through his knee discomfort. … Coco Crisp(notes) (shoulder) is back with the Royals and has a shot to play Wednesday. … Elijah Dukes(notes) came back to the Washington lineup with an RBI double in four trips. … Chad Qualls(notes) (forearm) was available to pitch Tuesday but the Snakes didn't have a save situation. … Jose Valverde(notes) (calf) will try to throw in the bullpen Wednesday and is targeting a June 12 return. … Ryan Dempster(notes) (finger) is cleared for his Friday turn at Cincinnati. … Alfonso Soriano(notes) will continue to play through his sore left knee.
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Photo via AP Images
