Through the first two weeks of the season, the biggest news to date has been the number of key players already on the disabled list plus the changing of closers so early in the season. Here is a look at both issues with the latest news.
Injuries:
Miguel Montero is only expected to miss 4-6 weeks of action which puts his return at the end of May. That makes him worth holding on to still in all fantasy baseball league formats.
Jimmy Rollins will be on the shelf for the next 2-4 weeks with a calf strain. Juan Castro will assume shortstop duties in his absence.
Closer news:
Kevin Gregg was named new closer in Toronto by manager Cito Gaston. If you own Jason Frasor, I would still hold on to him. This could be a role that flip-flops several times during the course of the season.
Mike Gonzalez of the Baltimore Orioles was placed on the disabled list with a strained shoulder. That would account for the drop in velocity we were seeing from Gonzalez this year. Jim Johnson will take over as closer until Gonzalez returns to action.
Fernando Rodney picked up his first save of the season as the fill-in closer for Brian Fuentes who was placed on the disabled list Wednesday with a strained back
Hitters:
Jose Guillen went 3-for-4 and hit his fifth home of the season giving him five home runs in his last four games.
It looks like Dustin Pedroia can talk the talk and walk the walk. After spinning tales in spring training of hitting 20 home runs in 2010, Pedroia is well on his way after banging out his 4th home run of the season Wednesday night.
B.J. Upton drove four runs on his first two home runs of the season.
Nelson Cruz hit his 6th home run of the season giving him 12 RBI on the year. If the first two hitters in the order were hitting over .200, he might have 20 RBI by now.
Chase Utley went 2-for-4 with four RBI and hit two home runs giving four overall on the season.
Carlos Quentin went 2-for-5 and drove in six runs, four of them coming on a grand slam.
Jorge Cantu hit his third home run of the season and became the first player in the history of the major leagues to chalk up at least one hit and RBI in the team’s first nine games of the season.
Pitchers:
Joel Pineiro allowed one run in seven innings with seven strikeouts to pick up his first win of the season.
David Price allowed one run in seven innings with seven strikeouts to notch his second win of the season.
Jonathan Sanchez worked eight shutout innings with 11 strikeouts to gain his first win of the season.
Colby Lewis struck out 10 in 5 1/3 innings of work while allowing two runs. The downside was it took him 117 pitches to record those outs.
John Danks allowed one run in seven innings while recording six strikeouts to get his first victory of the season.
Brad Penny tossed seven shutout innings with four strikeouts to claim his first win of the year.
Tommy Hanson evened his record at 1-1, hurling six innings of one-run ball with seven strikeouts.


