http://www.yardbarker.com/content/player/299 Recent articles about Orlando Hernandez en-us Oft-injured Pedro Martinez is up to his old tricks again, forcing the New York Mets to make changes to their upcoming rotation. The 36-year old pitcher received a cortisone injection in his right hip to help with the pain in his groin. The good news is his shoulder pain wasn't anything to worry about. The soreness was from altering his pitching motion due to the groin. So what does this mean for the team and pitcher? Fri, 18 Jul 2008 22:11:16 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/292442 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/292442 It's time to put Luis Castillo, Orlando Hernandez, and Moises Alou in an air conditioned bus, send them down the coast, and have them placed into Del Boca Vista Retirement Facility. Maybe the Mets could even buy them a Cadillac, a tip calculator, and one of those fancy pens that can write upside down. And when they get there, each would have a card on the kitchen table of his new condo, signed "Love, Jerry...Manuel." Fri, 18 Jul 2008 06:02:16 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/292078 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/292078 -That's right...Orlando Hernandez is on the comeback trail. -Is Pedro cooked? I don't think so. -The Continuing Story of Ryan Church...continues. Mon, 07 Jul 2008 05:39:59 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/286421 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/286421 If you like funny commercials, especially ones that involve MLB players, check out this post. You won't see Fred McGriff supporting Tom Emanski in these videos, but you will see some commercials that will make you laugh. Thu, 26 Jun 2008 08:35:15 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/282534 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/282534 Last night's game was an 11-0 shellacking. Where have we seen that before? Oh yeah, against Washington (10-5), Pittsburgh (13-1), Atlanta (11-4), San Francisco (10-2) and so on. These types of games happen, but if you want to be a playoff contender, you can't get blown out that many times. The Mets had won three series in a row?not with any big winning streak but just by methodically winning two out of three. And now they've already lost the series to Seattle. They just don't play well with any kind of consistency. Whenever they seem like they're about to get on a roll they turn around and have games like the last two. Their longest winning streak of the season is only five, and that was back in April. All aspects of the team have been up and down all year. The bullpen was great for a couple of months then turned into a disaster, and lately it's been doing its job again (not counting last night's performance by Claudio Vargas, who was sent back down to the minors after the game). Billy Wagner epitomizes the roller coaster ride of the pen. He had only let in one run all season, then completely fell apart, and now is back to racking up saves. As for the rotation, nobody is having a great year. Johan Santana and John Maine have been good but certainly could be better. Mike Pelfrey's been terrible and then great. Oliver Perez is a disaster. And Pedro Martinez has been injured and inconsistent. The Mets offense is just plain offensive. They don't hit with runners in scoring position (11th in the NL with a .250 average). Their situational hitting isn't good. And they don't hit in the clutch (in the seventh inning and on, they are 12th in the NL with a .235 average). David Wright and Carlos Beltran are both on pace to drive in 100 runs but you couldn't really say they're having great years. Jose Reyes isn't having a bad year but could be better. And at this point they're stuck with Carlos Delgado. Jerry Manuel said after last night's game he may start making changes to the lineup and the rotation. Of course, that's a good thing. But what exactly can he do? If he benches Delgado, who plays first? Damion Easley? Marlon Anderson? Who replaces Perez in the rotation? Tony Armas Jr.? Not a lot of great choices there, but the team really can't keep going with the same old, same old. They changed the manager, and Manuel seems more dynamic and has more ideas than Willie Randolph, but unfortunately, they have the same old players. The Mets have had a lot of injuries to key players?Ryan Church, Moises Alou, Martinez, El Duque?which plays a big role in the inconsistency of the team. But the bottom line is, the players who are in the lineup are not producing. When they play well in brief spurts, they can't ever sustain it. The Mets are two games under .500, can't beat up on the bad teams and don't have a consistent focus. Until they hit, pitch and field at a consistently high level, they're just going to hover around .500. Right now they're the definition of a .500 team?great one game, terrible the next. Wed, 25 Jun 2008 15:06:57 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/282329 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/282329 Don't know why I am wasting time on these two pitchers, but here are some injury updates for the New York Mets Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez and St. Louis Cardinals Mark Mulder. Mulder has had a setback in his rehab assignments, while Hernandez has finally taken the boot off. Wed, 07 May 2008 20:45:59 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/264560 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/264560 With the injury to Mets starter Orlando Hernandez looking worse and worse everyday, Metsblog.com is reporting that the Mets are on the brink of signing free agent pitcher Claudio Vargas. Vargas went 11-6 with a 5.09 ERA for the Brewers last season. After last night's pitching performance by Mike Pelfrey against the hated Phillies, the Mets may feel a little more comfortable with the idea of having Pelfrey and Vargas as their 4th and 5th starters until Pedro Martinez returns. As the old adage says: You can never have enough pitching. The Mets are beginning to heed that message. Thu, 10 Apr 2008 10:04:54 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/234332 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/234332 The New York Mets look like they may have begun to address the injury problems that are already striking their starting rotation. The team is on the verge of signing free-agent Claudio Vargas to a AAA minor league deal. According to Vargas agent, Bean Stringfellow, there were four teams showing interest in him and that the Mets are the favorite. I'm not sure how believable that statement actually is thou. Wed, 09 Apr 2008 18:54:30 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/233740 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/233740 In honor of both New York baseball parks bidding us farewell at the end of the season, the Post has begun compiling a list of the 25 greatest moments at Shea and Yankee Stadium with the expectation they'll be covering trivial, yawn inducing moments such as the Boone home run, Clemens attacking Piazza with a bat shard and Bill Buckner's legs. That leaves it up to us to cover the more obscure but equally lasting moments in these two welcoming New York landmarks. Enjoy the journey... (more) Wed, 09 Apr 2008 02:35:39 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/232897 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/232897 El Duque made his first minor league start in his journey back to the major leagues. Thu, 03 Apr 2008 21:59:53 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/228006 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/228006 Great Links from across the internet. 1) Some ways to keep Larry Bowa in the coaches box. 2) Branch Rickey scouting report on an amateur Don Drysdale. 3) Bill James Q&A. 4) The Boston Red Sox bring in another Japanese pitcher. 5) Some words on David Ortiz. 6) Pedro Martinez injury. 7) Matt Garza makes his Tampa Bay Rays debut. 8) Monday Night Football schedule comes out. Thu, 03 Apr 2008 16:36:38 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/227667 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/227667 Pedro will be out for 4-6 weeks. We explain why, what to do in the mean time, possible FA pitchers to grab in his absence and why this shouldn't be too much a cause of concern for Pedro owners. Wed, 02 Apr 2008 21:50:49 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/226987 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/226987 Read how a 45 year old Phillies pitcher and a Cuban pitcher who might be 45 can give your fantasy team a boost in our list of bargain National League starting pitching. Wed, 02 Apr 2008 13:34:52 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/226740 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/226740 Orlando Hernandez is slated to throw in a minor league game for the Mets class A St. Lucie team in it's opener on Thursday. Wed, 02 Apr 2008 11:50:12 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/226671 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/226671 Position Battle Winners Joe Crede will be the starting 3B for the White Sox beating out Josh Fields…..wait this just in, Crede is injured already!?!?!?! He fouled a ball off his foot and it is possible that he might miss Opening Day. Still think that Crede is only playing to increase his trade value, but knowing his injury history, maybe Fields isn't going to AAA just yet. As previously reported, it is official that Jorge Cantu will man third base for the Marlins. If he is able to continue what he did in Spring Training and regain his 2005 form, Cantu could be a major sleeper who could also still have 2B eligibility in your league. Jayson Nix was also named the starter at 2B for the Rockies. Those of you in keeper leagues were hoping for Ian Stewart to score an upset win here, but he has been sent to Colorado Springs. Nix will hit for a decent average and run some, but don't count on him to give big production. Former Mets' prospect Carlos Gomez has been named the starter in center for the Twins. Was he the best man for the job, or are the Twins just trying to show they got SOMETHING from the Santana trade? Gomez will run a lot, just don't expect too much more. After his last spring performance it is now very likely that the 5th starter for the Mets will be Orlando Hernandez. El Duque gave up just one run in 5 innings, while Mike Pelfrey blew the game in the 9th. It's just a matter of time, before Hernandez gets hurt, but it looks like to start the year he will be the Mets' last starter. After cutting Claudio Vargas, it is likely that the last three spots in the Brewers' rotation will go to Carlos Villanueva, Dave Bush, and rookie Manny Parra. Parra has the most upside of the three, with big time strikeout potential, although he did have some injury problems while in the majors. He is worth a flyer in larger leagues. Villanueva and Bush will most likely be owned in most leagues as well, and you can expect them to produce similar to the way they did last year. Shockingly Sent to the Minors After fighting to get back after Tommy John surgery sidelined him all of 2007, Francisco Liriano will start this season in the minors. Now before you lose your mind, he is scheduled to start one game for single-A and one game for Triple-A before being reevaluated where he stands. If Friday night's performance means anything, he won't be gone long. Liriano went five innings giving up just one run and striking out seven against the Pirates. Ok, so maybe he was already pitching against AAA talent. Another shocker was the news that Gerald Laird beat out top prospect Jarrod Saltalamacchia for the starting catching job in Texas. Fantasy players all over are now searching for other options to start at catcher before Opening Day. I don't expect it to be long before the Rangers realize they made a mistake, but for now are JR Towles, Chris Snyder, or John Buck available for you? Not as much of a surprise was the news that Evan Longoria, the Rays' top prize was optioned to the minors. Most expected this after news that if Longoria spends a month in the minors the Rays can put his free agency off until 2014. If you own him, don't release him unless you really can't afford the roster spot, Evan will be back before the middle of May. Finally, superstud in waiting Cameron Maybin was sent down to AAA after struggling at the end of spring, going hitless in his last 18 at bats. Maybin is another guy that I don't expect to be in the minors for long, so if you own him and can afford to stash him, do yourself that favor he could have a major impact when recalled. Last, Reds big pitching prospect Homer Bailey was sent to the minors this week. Bailey was passed by Johnny Cueto and Edinson Volquez this spring, and now you have to wonder if all the predictions that we have been reading about for the last few years will come to fruition. Cueto and Volquez are hot pickups as young arms that have big time strikeout potential. If they are available, I would suggest grabbing one of them. Injury News B.J. Ryan threw a bullpen session on Thursday and now it seems that he is back on track for a mid April return. Ryan reported no soreness after 22 pitches, and is looking to return in the April 11-13 range. Scott Rolen now has a timetable to be on the shelf. Reports out of Toronto have him out a minimum of six weeks, meaning it will be mid May before the former Gold Glove winner is back at the hot corner for the Jays. John Smoltz also threw in the bullpen, and said that he is targeting April 6th as his return to the mound. Kelvim Escobar may have suffered a major setback in his attempt to the mound. Escobar reported discomfort in his shoulder after his latest bullpen session and he has been shut down indefinitely. After 18 wins last year, owners were expecting another big season out of him, but now I can't say that I wouldn't just cut ties with him now before worse news comes down. Perpetual Sleeper Jeremy Hermida will start 2008 on the disabled list due to a tight hamstring. He is eligible to be activated on April 5th, but given the fact that he has bought a summer home on the DL, this sends up big red flags on Hermida. Horrible Performances Newly acquired star Eric Bedard didn't exactly instill a lot of confidence in his last spring start. Bedard gave up four runs in just six innings. You can still expect big things out of Bedard this season as long as he stays healthy, don't put to much stock in his spring stats (8.63 ERA). Brewers oft-injured ace Ben Sheets didn't finish his spring off the way he would like either, as he gave up a whopping nine runs in just five innings. If he can stay healthy, Sheets has the ability to be a top 15 starter, but that is about as likely as Rocco Baldelli staying healthy. Lastly, soon to be out of the rotation Mike Mussina had another crappy outing on Friday. Mussina gave up 5 runs in 5 1/3 IP, but will still be part of the Yankee rotation anyway. Good Performances Rays number 2 starter Matt Garza completed his excellent Spring Training with five strong innings. Garza gave up two runs, while walking two and striking out two. Because of the injury to Scott Kazmir, Garza will be starting the second game of the season for Tampa Bay. After posting a 2.45 ERA this spring, you can expect good stats from him this year, just don't expect too many wins. Stephen Drew doubled and tripled in the same game on Wednesday, and 10 of his 15 hits are for extra bases. He is one of my big sleepers for the 2008 season, and the fact that he is starting to hit for more power, makes me more confident in that prediction. Florida 1B Mike Jacobs hit a pair of homers against the Yankees on Sunday as he tries to live up to his hype that is now a couple of years behind him. Other News The Milwaukee Brewers have announced that 3B Bill Hall will bat 5th, while Corey Hart will be in the 6th slot to start the season. This could have a positive effect on Hall's RBI numbers, and a slightly negative effect on the number of runs scored that Hart will have. It really shouldn't have much effect on how you draft Hart, although I think many expected him to bat higher, but this could bump Hall back to a late round selection, hoping he can duplicate his breakout season after this vote of confidence from his manager. Sat, 29 Mar 2008 14:54:42 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/223461 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/223461