Category: MLB (Page 209 of 448)

      Padres to call up top prospect Kyle Blanks

      June 19, 2009 /

      According to a report by Baseball America, the Padres have promoted top hitting prospect Kyle Blanks to the big leagues and should join the club soon. The 22-year old was hitting .283 in Triple-A Portland in the Pacific Coast league with 12 dingers, nine doubles and 38 RBIs.

      While he’s not considered a Grade-A prospect, Blanks can hit and the Padres wouldn’t be calling to ride the pine. San Diego is desperate for offense, even more so now that top pitchers Jake Peavy and Chris Young are on the disabled list and the club expected to be trailing in most ballgames.

      There’s also a good chance that this call could just be temporary. San Diego is set to host Oakland for a three game series and the A’s are expected to throw three left-handers (Josh Outman, Brett Anderson and Dallas Braden), so maybe the Pads look at this weekend has a great chance to see what Blanks has while giving Adrian Gonzalez a day or two off at first base. Not that Gonzo can’t hit left-handed pitching, but if San Diego wanted to give him a breather, now would be the time.

      Another possibility is that the Padres could be set to make a move soon. It’s quite possible that San Diego is getting ready to deal one of its outfielders (Chase Headley?) and will employ Blanks in left field. Or, if the Padres feel confident enough that Blanks can play third base, maybe the club has a deal in place to trade Kevin Kouzmanoff.

      If I’m thinking too out of the box in terms of trades, maybe Blanks will help in the outfield until Scott Hairston comes off the DL and then subsequently be sent back down to Triple-A.

      Fantasy Baseball, MLB

      Manny to begin rehab assignment soon

      June 19, 2009 /

      The Los Angeles Times writes that Manny Ramirez is scheduled to join the Dodgers’ Triple-A squad on Tuesday and begin his rehab assignment.

      Ramirez, who will be eligible to play again for the Dodgers on July 3, can play in as many as 10 minor league games at the end of his 50-game suspension for violating baseball’s drug policy.

      According to preliminary plans Ramirez and the Dodgers made Thursday morning, he will be in Albuquerque for a four-game series against Nashville.

      Ramirez will be off June 27 and report to Class-A Inland Empire the next day. He will play in as many as three games for Inland Empire from June 28-30.

      He will work out with the Dodgers on July 1, travel with them July 2 and play in the first game of a three-game series in San Diego on July 3.

      It’s amazing that the end of Manny’s 50-game suspension is already near. At the start of it, everyone wondered how the Dodgers would fare without him and the results are in: GREAT.

      The Dodgers currently have the best record in baseball and remain a whopping nine games above the Giants in the NL West. They’re essentially doing their best Angels impersonation, because they’re going to wrap up their division by late July or early August.

      That said, it’ll be interesting to see what kind of effect Manny has on the clubhouse. Considering they’re winning, I assume that the effect will be minimum to positive. I can’t see how adding his bat to their lineup will be a bad thing.

      MLB

      Cubs eyeing Pedro Martinez?

      June 18, 2009 /

      According to a report by the Chicago Tribune, the Cubs sent a scout to watch Pedro Martinez work out in the Dominican Republic and are considering signing the veteran right-hander to add to their rotation. Apparently the Rays are another team that has shown interest in Martinez.

      Unless Martinez can hit with runners in scoring position, I don’t see how he could have an immediate impact for the Cubs. Starting pitching isn’t the problem right now for Chicago – offense is. And while adding another arm to a rotation that features the oft-injured Rich Harden isn’t a bad idea, I’m a little surprised the Cubs aren’t popping up in more trade rumors involving bats.

      Right now the Cubs are either in denial about their offensive woes or they’re just being extremely patient. Aramis Ramirez (shoulder) should come off the DL soon, which will certainly help, but if the club is simply holding out for players like Alfonso Soriano and Geovany Soto to catch fire, then they could be waiting awhile. (It would be nice if Milton Bradley resembled a baseball player once in awhile, too.)

      There are worse ideas than the Cubs adding a healthy Martinez to their starting rotation. But I wonder if this is just the club’s way of trying to appease the fans after failing to trade for Jake Peavy and not an attempt to turn things around. Because if the Cubs were really trying to address needs, then they’d be concentrating on adding bats right now – not arms.

      MLB

      Raul Ibanez placed on DL

      June 18, 2009 /

      In a rather surprising move, the Phillies have placed outfielder Raul Ibanez on the disabled list with a strained left groin. Though Ibanez missed a start last weekend with a sore Achilles tendon, there had been no mention of a groin injury.

      Ibanez is hitting .312 with 22 homers and 59 RBIs. He is second in the National League in both home runs and RBIs. His RBI total ranks fourth in the Major Leagues.

      He has struggled recently, though, and seemed to have a little trouble running at times in Wednesday’s 7-1 loss to the Blue Jays.

      Ibanez said on Sunday that he has had a sore left Achilles because of some bad shoes, but insisted it was not serious.

      Ibanez has hit .194 (6-for-31) in his past seven games, although he also has three home runs and five RBIs in that span.

      Fantasy owners had been waiting for Ibanez’s production to come down and it looks like it’s starting to happen, although maybe that’s more due to his injuries. Maybe the time off will do the 37-year old some good and he’ll come back slugging again in a week or two.

      MLB

      Sports controversies caught on tape

      June 17, 2009 /

      SI.com put a collection of videos together of sports controversies that we’re painfully awkward to watch on film.

      Here are a couple of my faves:

      The only one of these I saw live was the Broadway Joe one, which was incredibly hilarious. Poor guy had to go to rehab after that, when anyone one of us would have wanted to kiss Suzy Kolber after having a few pops at a football game, too. Sad.

      You know what else is sad? Jim Rome got popular after being a sniveling little punk. Loved the table flip from Everett, although one punch to the Rome’s jugular was certainly in order, so it’s a shame he stopped himself.

      College Basketball, College Football, MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL, Video

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