1. WHITE SOX: No Jose Contreras? No
problem with Jim Thome around. Last week (1)
2. METS: Buh-bye, Victor Zambrano.
Think Scott Kazmir's available? (2)
3. REDS: Junior's magical return from DL
could be good omen. (3)
4. RED SOX: David Wells could return
soon. Or he could retire. Flip a coin. (7)
5. YANKEES: Godzilla down! Mothra
rejoices in Boston. (6)
6. ASTROS: Brad Lidge (6.48 ERA) not the
same since '05 postseason. (5)
7. TIGERS: Ever heard of Fernando Rodney
(1.20 ERA, 14 appearances)? You will. (4)
8. CARDINALS: Keeping the pressure on
red-hot Cincinnati. (9)
9. PHILLIES: Nine-game winning streak
gets season on course. (19)
10. BLUE JAYS: Troy Glaus starting to make
his presence felt. (15)
11. DIAMONDBACKS: Where has Shawn Green's
power gone (three homers)? (12)
12. ROCKIES: Five regulars are batting
.300 or better. (10)
13. RANGERS: Pitcher John Koronka (4-1)
emerging as staff leader. (8)
14. PADRES: Jake Peavy (13 strikeouts)
seems over WBC fallout. (18)
15. ATHLETICS: Injuries keep Oakland stuck
in neutral. (11)
16. DODGERS: Five-game win streak stopped
the slide. (24)
17. GIANTS: New reality show: Pedro Feliz
on Pedro Feliz. (17)
18. BRAVES: Threatening to miss playoffs
for first time since 1990. (22)
19. BREWERS: Threatening to fall out of NL
Central race. (13)
20. INDIANS: Could be digging themselves a
hole too deep in AL Central. (14)
21. CUBS: Eight-game losing streak puts
season in jeopardy. (16)
22. ANGELS: Kelvim Escobar (4-2) trying to
fill Bartolo Colon's shoes. (20)
23. TWINS: Could Torii Hunter's days in
Minnesota be numbered? (23)
24. ORIOLES: Injuries begin to take toll,
but who's noticing? (21)
25. MARINERS: Even with bad offense,
within striking distance of AL West leaders. (25)
26. DEVIL RAYS: Mets fans gnash their
teeth over Scott Kazmir (5-2). (26)
27. NATIONALS: New owner, same bad
ballclub. (28)
28. ROYALS: Big changes on the horizon.
But will it matter? (30)
29. PIRATES: Manager Jim Tracy feeling the
heat already in Pittsburgh. (29)
30. MARLINS: Dontrelle Willis is 1-4.
It's just sad. (27)
FANTASY CORNER
HIDEKI MATSUI, Yankees: His broken wrist will
keep him out for at least three months. Unless GM
Brian Cashman makes a trade (New York papers already
are calling for the return of Alfonso Soriano), this
means many more at-bats for Bubba Crosby and much
more time in the field for Bernie Williams,
especially with Gary Sheffield (sprained wrist)
already on the DL.
BRIAN
BANNISTER, Mets: The surprising RHP, who has
been out since April 26 with a strained right
hamstring, was scheduled to make a rehab start
Saturday with Port St. Lucie and could return for a
start Friday against the Yankees. He was 2-0 with a
2.89 ERA in five starts before the injury.
JOE
RANDA, Pirates: The veteran third baseman, out
since May 2 with a right foot injury, is set to come
off the DL on Tuesday. He was batting .221 with one
HR and seven RBIs before the injury.
AL Extra Bases
After
the Royals swept the Indians this past week, Kansas
City was 5-1 against Cleveland and 5-21 against
everyone else. ... Word out of Oakland is that LHP
Barry Zito will not be traded during the
season, but that the Athletics don't expect to be
able to sign him in free agency. ... The Yankees may
have rotation issues, but the bullpen remains sound.
They are 18-1 this year when leading after six
innings. ... Twins 2B Luis Castillo, who's
batting .345 in his first season with Minnesota,
likely will require surgery to "clean out" damage in
his right knee after the season. ... White Sox RHP
Javier Vazquez carried a four-game win streak
into his start Saturday against the Twins. After
allowing seven earned runs against the Blue Jays in
his second start of the season, he allowed four
earned runs in his next four starts combined.
NL Extra Bases
Don't
expect Houston RHP Brad Lidge to be out of
the closer's role for long. Chad Qualls and
Dan Wheeler will fill that role only until
Lidge snaps out of his slump, which might have begun
with a 12-pitch, perfect seventh inning Friday
against the Rockies. ... Arizona RHP Brandon Webb
is 6-0 for the second consecutive season. The
Diamondbacks' franchise record for best start to a
season is 7-0 by Randy Johnson. ... Cubs GM
Jim Hendry has reportedly told associates that he plans to offer Manager
Dusty Baker a contract extension but is
waiting for the timing to be right. ... In his first
10 relief appearances, Rockies rookie RHP Ramon
Ramirez struck out 19 and walked two in 14
innings. He was 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA. Ramirez, 24,
was acquired from the Yankees in the Shawn Chacon
trade last year. Ramirez originally was signed
out of his native Dominican Republic as an
outfielder by Texas. ... How's this for scary?
Cardinals 1B Albert Pujols is threatening to
make a run at Barry Bonds' single-season home
run record (73), and Pujols is doing it with a back
that's so sore he says there are some pitches he
wants to hit but can't take a good swing at. What
would this guy do if he was feeling good at the
plate?
