Trouble in the Reds outfield, the Blue Jays rotation could have a new look, an interesting catcher option in Colorado and injuries to Davis, Kipnis, Cain and more. Air Max 270 Cheap Australia . INJURIES - Reds RF Jay Bruce is facing knee surgery for a torn meniscus and it could cost him a month of playing time. Chris Heisey, who has shown some pop (43 home runs, .736 OPS in 1218 career plate appearances) takes over in right for the Reds. - The Reds are also missing LHP Tony Cingrani, who has shoulder tendinitis, but Cincinnati can get away with a four-man rotation for the time being. - A torn tendon in his right hand leaves RHP Brandon Morrow on the 60-day DL, giving J.A. Happ a chance to return to the rotation. Happ has been rocked in three relief appearances this year, so it may not be long before Marcus Stroman gets his turn. Stroman, a 2012 first-round pick, has been recalled from Triple-A Buffalo, where he was 2-2 with a 1.69 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 36 strikeouts in 26 2/3 innings. Stroman starts in the bullpen but figures to be next in line for a rotation opening. - With 1B Chris Davis on the DL due to a strained oblique, Steve Pearce is getting regular playing time for the Orioles. Pearce has done little (.222 AVG, .556 OPS) in 27 plate appearances this year, but since joining the Orioles in 2012, he has seven home runs, 29 RBI, a .253 average and .748 OPS in 248 plate appearances. - A strained hamstring has put White Sox CF Adam Eaton on the DL, giving Jordan Danks a shot at some regular playign time. In 300 career plate appearances, Danks is hitting .207 with a .606 OPS and a dozen stolen bases, so he hasnt clicked in the bigs yet, but had a respectable .772 OPS in four seasons (1566 plate appearances) at Triple-A. - Indians 2B Jason Kipnis is out with a strained oblique, and the Tribe has turned to 21-year-old Jose Ramirez. Ramirez doesnt have any power to speak of, but hit .308 with a .765 OPS and 75 stolen bases, in 1172 minor-league plate appearances. - Need a catcher? While Rockies C Wilin Rosario deals with a viral infection, consider Jordan Pacheco, who is the primary backup in Colorado. Pacheco had played primarily first and third base with the rockies, but, prior to this season, had seen action at catcher in 22 of 213 career games. This year, Pacheco has caught in 10 games, and is hitting .278 with a .769 OPS. He hasnt hit enough to have value as a corner infielder, but as a catcher? Thats a different story. - Tigers RHP Anibal Sanchez is on the DL due to a laceration on his finger, giving LHP Robbie Ray (3-2, 1.53 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 21 K, 29 1/3 IP at Triple-A) a turn in the Detroit rotation. Ray was acquired from Washington as part of the Doug Fister trade in the offseason. - A run-in with a kitchen knife has sent Giants RHP Matt Cain to the DL, opening up a spot in the rotation for Yusmerio Petit, the 29-year-old who has a 3.31 ERA in 73 1/3 innings with the Giants since 2012. - Angels 3B David Freese suffered a broken finger on the weekend, leaving the hot corner in the hands of Ian Stewart, the one-time top prospect who has power (hit 25 HR in 2009), but is hitting .186 with seven home runs in 396 plate appearances since the start of 2011. - Twins RHP Mike Pelfrey is sidelined with a groin problem, giving Samuel Deduno a chance to return to the starting rotation. Dedunos strikeout rate has improved, working out of the bullpen this year, though hes also giving up more base-runners than he did last season, when he was 8-8 with a 3.83 ERA and 1.35 WHIP in 18 starts for the Twins. GOOD ADDS (Available in at least 40% of TSN leagues) Jhonny Peralta, SS, St. Louis - 7 HR, 15 RBI, .222 AVG, 13 R, 108 AB (Available: 48.6%) Omar Infante, 2B, Kansas City - 2 HR, 19 RBI, .282 AVG, 13 R, 110 AB (Available: 49.5%) Todd Frazier, 3B, Cincinnati - 5 HR, 18 RBI, .269 AVG, 17 R, 3 SB, 97 AB (Available: 40.6%) Chris Young, CF, N.Y. Mets - 2 HR, 9 RBI, .273 AVG, 10 R, 3 SB, 55 AB (Available: 95.8%) Juan Francisco, 1B, 3B, Toronto - 3 HR, 6 RBI, .277 AVG, 8 R, 47 AB (Available: 98.7%) Corey Kluber, RHP, Cleveland - 2-3, 3.60 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 48 K, 45 IP (Available: 82.4%) Travis Wood, LHP, Chicago Cubs - 2-3, 3.35 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 37 K, 37 2/3 IP (Available: 86.1%) Jonathon Niese, LHP, N.Y. Mets - 2-2, 2.20 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 24 K, 32 2/3 IP (Available: 77.0%) CLOSER NOTES - Sergio Santos has lost the Blue Jays closer gig after blowing back-to-back save appearances. Aaron Loup is the short-term option there, while Casey Janssen is due back from injury soon. - After being removed from the closers role, Angels RHP Ernesto Frieri may be about to reclaim the job from sidearmer Joe Smith. Frieri ha worked four perfect relief outings since he was bumped from the job. - The lonely Houston Astros closer job is being split, by Anthony Bass and Chad Qualls. As if one couldnt handle all those opportunities. - Oaklands Jim Johnson has pitched 10 1/3 IP since he was knocked out of the closers job, but that stretch has put him at the head of the committee which includes Luke Gregerson and Sean Doolittle. Scott Cullen can be reached at Scott.Cullen@bellmedia.ca and followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tsnscottcullen. For more, check out TSN Fantasy on Facebook. Balenciaga Triple s Australia .com Tour title, closing with a 6-under 64 for a four-stroke victory. The 22-year-old former North Texas player finished at 12-under 268 at Panama Golf Club and earned $112,500 to jump from seventh to second on the money list with $171,500. Adidas NMD Australia Cheap . Mauer struck out to end the inning, with a runner on third base in the seventh on Wednesday and the Twins trailing 1-0. Everybody does this, of course, in a sport with a 30 per cent success rate at the plate long proven to be a benchmark of excellence.The Vancouver Whitecaps got back to winning ways last weekend, defeating the league-leading Seattle Sounders 1-0 on Saturday at BC Place. While the Sounders fielded a depleted lineup - they were missing five players who would otherwise be named in their starting lineup - Vancouver did what was needed to win the game. Defensively, the partnership of Johnny Leveron and Carlyle Mitchell comfortably dealt with everything the Sounders threw their way, while David Ousted turned in another strong performance in goal. The central midfield duo of Matias Laba and Gershon Koffie controlled the area in front of the back four, while attacking midfielder Pedro Morales returned to his customary role as the Whitecaps maestro. Had Erik Hurtado managed to convert a second-half breakaway, Vancouvers victory would have been more emphatic. With Vancouvers victory, many will believe that normal service has been restored. Led by players like Morales, Laba and Koffie, the Whitecaps have played entertaining football at BC Place this season. A 2-1 loss to the Colorado Rapids – where Laba was sent off for two yellow cards with the Caps leading 1-0 – is the only home defeat of the season for Vancouver. However, it can also be argued that Vancouver has perhaps punched above their weight this season. Just look at the Sounders. If the roles had been reversed and Vancouver – minus its top five players – played a full-strength Sounders lineup in Seattle, it is reasonable to expect the margin of victory for Seattle to be much more comfortable than 1-0. The Sounders have a much deeper squad than Vancouver – deeper than virtually every other team in MLS, in fact. Vancouvers reality is this: they do not yet have the depth to challenge the top sides in MLS over the course of an entire season. ‘Yet being the key word. Vancouvers head coach, Carl Robinson, knows that he needs to address this shortcoming. However, his hands are tied – or at least his salary cap space is - to three players. Injured skipper Jay Demerit, central defender Andy OBrien and midfielder Niggel Reo-Coker have all played a role in Vancouvers solid start to the season. Vapormax Plus Australia. But it is difficult to see a future in Vancouver for any of the three beyond this season. In the case of Demerit and OBrien, age is simply not on their sides. 34 and 35 respectively, they are coming to the end of their outstanding careers. Reo-Coker, on the other hand, has seen his playing time decrease considerably this season, due in large part to the impressive form of both Laba and Koffie. Collectively, the salaries of Demerit, OBrien and Reo-Coker tally over $1 million – a third of Vancouvers salary cap space. The club simply cannot afford to have so much cap space tied up in three players whose roles are diminishing with time. This is the harsh reality of professional soccer; players are commodities to be bought, sold, bartered for and traded. Teams that are successful know that they have to constantly be searching for additions and upgrades to make their squad stronger. It is what Seattle did in the offseason, and they are reaping the rewards this year; the Sounders sit atop the MLS standings with 35 points from 17 games. If the Whitecaps are going to continue to move forward and build on their impressive start to their campaign, they need to add quality signings to their squad of promising young players. A central defender, a wide midfielder and a proven goal scorer are all on the shopping list, but unless Vancouver can create cap space, those signings might have to wait until the offseason. For now, Vancouver goes into Saturdays home game against Chivas USA (TSN2, 10pm ET, 7pm PT) in buoyant mood. With just one loss in their last 10 games, the Whitecaps have every right to be confident taking on the visitors. However, Erick ‘Cubo Torres is one of the hottest strikers in MLS right now – his fantastic stoppage-time goal sealed a 1-0 win for Chivas over the Montreal Impact last weekend – so Carlyle Mitchell and Johnny Leveron will need to keep a watchful eye on the Mexican front man if the Whitecaps are to keep another clean sheet. ' ' '
Trouble in the Reds outfield, the Blue Jays rotation could have a new look, an interesting catcher option in Colorado and injuries to Davis, Kipnis, Cain and more. Air Max 270 Cheap Australia . INJURIES - Reds RF Jay Bruce is facing knee surgery for a torn meniscus and it could cost him a month of playing time. Chris Heisey, who has shown some pop (43 home runs, .736 OPS in 1218 career plate appearances) takes over in right for the Reds. - The Reds are also missing LHP Tony Cingrani, who has shoulder tendinitis, but Cincinnati can get away with a four-man rotation for the time being. - A torn tendon in his right hand leaves RHP Brandon Morrow on the 60-day DL, giving J.A. Happ a chance to return to the rotation. Happ has been rocked in three relief appearances this year, so it may not be long before Marcus Stroman gets his turn. Stroman, a 2012 first-round pick, has been recalled from Triple-A Buffalo, where he was 2-2 with a 1.69 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 36 strikeouts in 26 2/3 innings. Stroman starts in the bullpen but figures to be next in line for a rotation opening. - With 1B Chris Davis on the DL due to a strained oblique, Steve Pearce is getting regular playing time for the Orioles. Pearce has done little (.222 AVG, .556 OPS) in 27 plate appearances this year, but since joining the Orioles in 2012, he has seven home runs, 29 RBI, a .253 average and .748 OPS in 248 plate appearances. - A strained hamstring has put White Sox CF Adam Eaton on the DL, giving Jordan Danks a shot at some regular playign time. In 300 career plate appearances, Danks is hitting .207 with a .606 OPS and a dozen stolen bases, so he hasnt clicked in the bigs yet, but had a respectable .772 OPS in four seasons (1566 plate appearances) at Triple-A. - Indians 2B Jason Kipnis is out with a strained oblique, and the Tribe has turned to 21-year-old Jose Ramirez. Ramirez doesnt have any power to speak of, but hit .308 with a .765 OPS and 75 stolen bases, in 1172 minor-league plate appearances. - Need a catcher? While Rockies C Wilin Rosario deals with a viral infection, consider Jordan Pacheco, who is the primary backup in Colorado. Pacheco had played primarily first and third base with the rockies, but, prior to this season, had seen action at catcher in 22 of 213 career games. This year, Pacheco has caught in 10 games, and is hitting .278 with a .769 OPS. He hasnt hit enough to have value as a corner infielder, but as a catcher? Thats a different story. - Tigers RHP Anibal Sanchez is on the DL due to a laceration on his finger, giving LHP Robbie Ray (3-2, 1.53 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 21 K, 29 1/3 IP at Triple-A) a turn in the Detroit rotation. Ray was acquired from Washington as part of the Doug Fister trade in the offseason. - A run-in with a kitchen knife has sent Giants RHP Matt Cain to the DL, opening up a spot in the rotation for Yusmerio Petit, the 29-year-old who has a 3.31 ERA in 73 1/3 innings with the Giants since 2012. - Angels 3B David Freese suffered a broken finger on the weekend, leaving the hot corner in the hands of Ian Stewart, the one-time top prospect who has power (hit 25 HR in 2009), but is hitting .186 with seven home runs in 396 plate appearances since the start of 2011. - Twins RHP Mike Pelfrey is sidelined with a groin problem, giving Samuel Deduno a chance to return to the starting rotation. Dedunos strikeout rate has improved, working out of the bullpen this year, though hes also giving up more base-runners than he did last season, when he was 8-8 with a 3.83 ERA and 1.35 WHIP in 18 starts for the Twins. GOOD ADDS (Available in at least 40% of TSN leagues) Jhonny Peralta, SS, St. Louis - 7 HR, 15 RBI, .222 AVG, 13 R, 108 AB (Available: 48.6%) Omar Infante, 2B, Kansas City - 2 HR, 19 RBI, .282 AVG, 13 R, 110 AB (Available: 49.5%) Todd Frazier, 3B, Cincinnati - 5 HR, 18 RBI, .269 AVG, 17 R, 3 SB, 97 AB (Available: 40.6%) Chris Young, CF, N.Y. Mets - 2 HR, 9 RBI, .273 AVG, 10 R, 3 SB, 55 AB (Available: 95.8%) Juan Francisco, 1B, 3B, Toronto - 3 HR, 6 RBI, .277 AVG, 8 R, 47 AB (Available: 98.7%) Corey Kluber, RHP, Cleveland - 2-3, 3.60 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 48 K, 45 IP (Available: 82.4%) Travis Wood, LHP, Chicago Cubs - 2-3, 3.35 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 37 K, 37 2/3 IP (Available: 86.1%) Jonathon Niese, LHP, N.Y. Mets - 2-2, 2.20 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 24 K, 32 2/3 IP (Available: 77.0%) CLOSER NOTES - Sergio Santos has lost the Blue Jays closer gig after blowing back-to-back save appearances. Aaron Loup is the short-term option there, while Casey Janssen is due back from injury soon. - After being removed from the closers role, Angels RHP Ernesto Frieri may be about to reclaim the job from sidearmer Joe Smith. Frieri ha worked four perfect relief outings since he was bumped from the job. - The lonely Houston Astros closer job is being split, by Anthony Bass and Chad Qualls. As if one couldnt handle all those opportunities. - Oaklands Jim Johnson has pitched 10 1/3 IP since he was knocked out of the closers job, but that stretch has put him at the head of the committee which includes Luke Gregerson and Sean Doolittle. Scott Cullen can be reached at Scott.Cullen@bellmedia.ca and followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tsnscottcullen. For more, check out TSN Fantasy on Facebook. Balenciaga Triple s Australia .com Tour title, closing with a 6-under 64 for a four-stroke victory. The 22-year-old former North Texas player finished at 12-under 268 at Panama Golf Club and earned $112,500 to jump from seventh to second on the money list with $171,500. Adidas NMD Australia Cheap . Mauer struck out to end the inning, with a runner on third base in the seventh on Wednesday and the Twins trailing 1-0. Everybody does this, of course, in a sport with a 30 per cent success rate at the plate long proven to be a benchmark of excellence.The Vancouver Whitecaps got back to winning ways last weekend, defeating the league-leading Seattle Sounders 1-0 on Saturday at BC Place. While the Sounders fielded a depleted lineup - they were missing five players who would otherwise be named in their starting lineup - Vancouver did what was needed to win the game. Defensively, the partnership of Johnny Leveron and Carlyle Mitchell comfortably dealt with everything the Sounders threw their way, while David Ousted turned in another strong performance in goal. The central midfield duo of Matias Laba and Gershon Koffie controlled the area in front of the back four, while attacking midfielder Pedro Morales returned to his customary role as the Whitecaps maestro. Had Erik Hurtado managed to convert a second-half breakaway, Vancouvers victory would have been more emphatic. With Vancouvers victory, many will believe that normal service has been restored. Led by players like Morales, Laba and Koffie, the Whitecaps have played entertaining football at BC Place this season. A 2-1 loss to the Colorado Rapids – where Laba was sent off for two yellow cards with the Caps leading 1-0 – is the only home defeat of the season for Vancouver. However, it can also be argued that Vancouver has perhaps punched above their weight this season. Just look at the Sounders. If the roles had been reversed and Vancouver – minus its top five players – played a full-strength Sounders lineup in Seattle, it is reasonable to expect the margin of victory for Seattle to be much more comfortable than 1-0. The Sounders have a much deeper squad than Vancouver – deeper than virtually every other team in MLS, in fact. Vancouvers reality is this: they do not yet have the depth to challenge the top sides in MLS over the course of an entire season. ‘Yet being the key word. Vancouvers head coach, Carl Robinson, knows that he needs to address this shortcoming. However, his hands are tied – or at least his salary cap space is - to three players. Injured skipper Jay Demerit, central defender Andy OBrien and midfielder Niggel Reo-Coker have all played a role in Vancouvers solid start to the season. Vapormax Plus Australia. But it is difficult to see a future in Vancouver for any of the three beyond this season. In the case of Demerit and OBrien, age is simply not on their sides. 34 and 35 respectively, they are coming to the end of their outstanding careers. Reo-Coker, on the other hand, has seen his playing time decrease considerably this season, due in large part to the impressive form of both Laba and Koffie. Collectively, the salaries of Demerit, OBrien and Reo-Coker tally over $1 million – a third of Vancouvers salary cap space. The club simply cannot afford to have so much cap space tied up in three players whose roles are diminishing with time. This is the harsh reality of professional soccer; players are commodities to be bought, sold, bartered for and traded. Teams that are successful know that they have to constantly be searching for additions and upgrades to make their squad stronger. It is what Seattle did in the offseason, and they are reaping the rewards this year; the Sounders sit atop the MLS standings with 35 points from 17 games. If the Whitecaps are going to continue to move forward and build on their impressive start to their campaign, they need to add quality signings to their squad of promising young players. A central defender, a wide midfielder and a proven goal scorer are all on the shopping list, but unless Vancouver can create cap space, those signings might have to wait until the offseason. For now, Vancouver goes into Saturdays home game against Chivas USA (TSN2, 10pm ET, 7pm PT) in buoyant mood. With just one loss in their last 10 games, the Whitecaps have every right to be confident taking on the visitors. However, Erick ‘Cubo Torres is one of the hottest strikers in MLS right now – his fantastic stoppage-time goal sealed a 1-0 win for Chivas over the Montreal Impact last weekend – so Carlyle Mitchell and Johnny Leveron will need to keep a watchful eye on the Mexican front man if the Whitecaps are to keep another clean sheet. ' ' '
