STLtoday.com - Sports

Sports

Stats Inc.

MLB Baseball
Scoreboard	\|	Stats	\|	Standings	\|	Teams	\|	Players	\|	Player News	\|	Injuries	\|	Transactions	\|	Home

Recent Player News
Date	Player	News
5/12/2008	Pedro Martinez, SP (NYM)	Martinez plans to throw a simulated game against minor leaguers Wednesday, another step toward returning to the New York Mets' rotation from a frustrating leg injury. Analysis: Martinez, who strained his left hamstring April 1 during his season debut, threw a bullpen session Monday. The injury has been difficult for the three-time Cy Young Award winner to handle, especially because he missed most of 2007 following right rotator cuff surgery. Martinez is expected to rejoin the Mets next month, but neither he nor Mets minor league rehabilitation coordinator Randy Niemann would speculate on a date for Martinez's return.
5/12/2008	Alex Rodriguez, 3B (NYY)	Rodriguez's strained right quadriceps will keep him from playing this week, causing him to miss this weekend's series against the crosstown rival New York Mets. Analysis: "It's still not where it needs to be. I don't see him playing this week," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "You can't afford to have him come back for two days and lose him again for six weeks." Rodriguez, eligible to come off the 15-day disabled list on Thursday, had an MRI exam Monday, then worked out the Yankees' minor league complex in Tampa for an hour. He took batting practice, fielded ground balls and ran for about eight minutes in the outfield.
5/12/2008	John Smoltz, SP (Atl)	Smoltz is throwing again and hopes his injured rotator cuff heals enough to let him move into the Braves bullpen later this month. He threw 45 pitches from 60 feet at PNC Park on Monday. Analysis: Smoltz expects to be evaluated by the Braves medical staff later this week to determine if he can resume throwing off a mound. He hopes to be ready to pitch again in two weeks. Until this weekend, Smoltz had not thrown since lasting only four innings against the Mets in a 6-3 loss on April 27. Smoltz was diagnosed with inflammation in his rotator cuff and a biceps tendon and told to rest while on the disabled list.
5/12/2008	James Loney, 1B (LAD)	Loney homered and drove in two runs in the host Dodgers' 8-5 loss to Houston on Sunday. Analysis: Loney has hit .345 (10-for-29) with two homers and eight RBIs in his last eight games, and is batting .286 with four homers and 27 RBIs this season.
5/12/2008	Hiroki Kuroda, SP (LAD)	Kuroda took a no-hitter into the seventh inning before Houston broke through for seven hits and six runs in the eighth inning and pulled out an 8-5 victory Sunday. The right-hander hasn't received a decision in his last four starts, and is 1-2 with a 3.59 ERA. Analysis: Kuroda allowed a run and a hit over 6 2-3 innings. He also struck out five, walked three and hit a batter in his eighth big league start. He remained winless in his last seven starts since his Dodgers debut on April 4. Kuroda was bidding to become the second Japanese-born pitcher to throw a no-hitter in the majors. Hideo Nomo had one for Los Angeles on Sept. 17, 1996. No Dodger has thrown a no-hitter since.
5/12/2008	Hunter Pence, CF (Hou)	Pence went 3-for-4 with two RBIs in the visiting Astros' 8-5 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday. Analysis: Pence has hit .351 (13-for-37) with three homers and 12 RBIs during a nine-game hitting streak. Overall, he is batting .273 with four homers and 21 RBIs this season.
5/12/2008	Jimmy Rollins, SS (Phi)	Rollins went 0-for-5 in the visiting Phillies' 4-3 loss to San Francisco on Saturday. Analysis: Rollins was playing in his third game since returning from a disabled list stint with a sprained left ankle. He went 0-for-4 on Saturday after totaling three hits Friday in his return, missing the cycle by a triple. He is batting .283 (15-for-53) with three homers and nine RBIs in 15 games this season.
5/12/2008	Steve Holm, C (SF)	Holm hit a go-ahead, two-run shot in the seventh inning for his first major league homer, and the host Giants held on for a 4-3 victory in the rubber game against the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday. Analysis: Holm, who entered the game as a defensive replacement at catcher, homered in his first at-bat on the first pitch he saw from J.C. Romero. Holm, meanwhile, is hitting .306 with a homer and four RBIs in 15 games this season. He emerged as San Francisco's backup catcher after Eliezer Alfonzo and Guillermo Rodriguez both struggled during spring training.
5/12/2008	Tadahito Iguchi, 2B (SD)	Iguchi went 3-for-5 with an RBI in the host Padres' 6-1 win over Colorado on Sunday. Analysis: Iguchi has gone 8-for-20 (.400) with two RBIs during his five-game hitting streak. He is batting .266 with a homer and 10 RBIs overall. Iguchi signed a one-year contract with the Padres in December after spending 2007 with the Chicago White Sox and Philadelphia Phillies.
5/12/2008	Khalil Greene, SS (SD)	Greene homered and drove in two runs in the host Padres' 6-1 win over Colorado on Sunday. Analysis: Greene has two homers and six RBIs, despite hitting just .156 (5-for-32) over his last nine games. Overall, he is batting .209 with two homers and 14 RBIs.
5/12/2008	Chris Young, SP (SD)	Young limited Colorado to one run and five hits in the host Padres' 6-1 win on Sunday. Analysis: Young, who had given up five runs in his last outing, improved to 3-3 with a 3.94 ERA in eight starts this season. He also improved to 5-1 with a 2.40 ERA in 10 career starts against the Rockies.
5/12/2008	Mark Teixeira, 1B (Atl)	Teixeira left in the fourth inning of the Braves' 5-0 loss to Pittsburgh on Monday with back spasms. His status for the nightcap of the doubleheader is unclear. Analysis: Teixeira went 0-for-2 on Monday and is 3-for-8 with a homer and two RBIs in the first three games of this series. The first baseman is hitting .261 with five homers and 21 RBIs this season.
5/12/2008	Julian Tavarez, RP (Bos)	The Red Sox designated Tavarez for assignment Monday, clearing room for the return of first baseman Sean Casey. Analysis: Tavarez, who will turn 35 later this month, was 0-1 with a 6.39 ERA in nine games. The right-hander allowed 18 hits and nine walks in 12 2-3 innings. The Red Sox have 10 days to trade, release or send Tavarez to the minors. He made his major league debut in 1993, has played for eight teams and first joined the Red Sox in 2006.
5/12/2008	Oliver Perez, SP (NYM)	Perez turned in a strong outing in the host Mets' 8-3 win over Cincinnati on Sunday in which the left-hander earned his first win since April 19. Analysis: Perez, who was 0-3 with an 8.10 ERA in his last three starts, gave up three runs and three hits, while striking out a season high-tying eight in six innings. He is 3-3 with a 4.61 ERA in eight starts. Perez also had a hit and stole his third career base - all of which have come against the Reds.
5/12/2008	Carlos Beltran, CF (NYM)	Beltran went 2-for-5 with a homer and three RBIs, helping the host Mets to an 8-3 win over Cincinnati on Sunday. Analysis: Beltran, who finished 2-for-5 with two runs, has hit .357 (10-for-28) with a homer and eight RBIs in his last eight games. Overall, he is batting .240 with three homers and 21 RBIs this season.
5/12/2008	Johnny Cueto, SP (Cin)	Cueto gave up six runs and eight hits in 4 2-3 innings of the Reds' 8-3 road loss to the New York Mets on Sunday. Analysis: Cueto is 1-3 with a 9.31 ERA in his last four starts, and fell to 2-4 with a 5.91 ERA in eight starts this season.
5/12/2008	Jeff Keppinger, SS (Cin)	Keppinger went 2-for-3 with an RBI in the visiting Reds' 8-3 loss to the New York Mets on Sunday. Analysis: Keppinger, who had a career-high five hits in Saturday's win over the Mets, has hit .480 (12-for-25) with five RBIs over his last seven games. He is batting .324 with two homers and 18 RBIs this season.
5/12/2008	Aaron Boone, 1B (Was)	Boone homered and drove in two runs for the host Nationals in their 5-4 loss to Florida on Sunday. Analysis: Boone finished 3-for-4 with his first three-hit performance since doing so against Washington on April 20, 2007, while playing for Florida. Boone has hit .389 (7-for-18) with three homers and four RBIs in his last eight games, and is batting .304 with three homers and seven RBIs this season.
5/12/2008	Ronnie Belliard, 2B (Was)	Belliard homered and drove in two runs for the host Nationals in their 5-4 loss to Florida on Sunday. Analysis: Belliard had gone 0-for-7 with three walks and four strikeouts in his previous six games. However, he is batting just .197 (13-for-66) with two homers and nine RBIs in 24 games this season.
5/12/2008	Jeremy Hermida, RF (Fla)	Hermida homered and drove in two runs for the visiting Marlins in their 5-4 win over Washington on Sunday. Analysis: Hermida has hit .378 (14-for-37) with two doubles, a homer and five RBIs. Overall, he is hitting .305 with three homers and 18 RBIs this season.