[BigSpoon]

What's going on with King Felix lately? He has been really bad in June.

That start against Houston was shocking earlier this month.

[Chi_archie]

shelf life of dominant starting pitchers gets shorter and shorter these days

[MexicanStallion]

Finally a step into the right direction for Strasburg.


Stephen Strasburg returned in style Tuesday, striking out six over five scoreless innings in a 3-1 win over the Braves.

Strasburg showed no ill effects of the trapezius injury that sidelined him for over three weeks, allowing just four hits and a walk in the game. Just as importantly, his velocity was good throughout the start. It certainly hasn't been the year many had hoped for from the 26-year-old, but perhaps this can be the start of a new chapter. Strasburg has another attractive matchup on deck, meeting the Phillies in Philly on Sunday.

[EmpireMaker]

Finally a step into the right direction for Strasburg.


Stephen Strasburg returned in style Tuesday, striking out six over five scoreless innings in a 3-1 win over the Braves.

Strasburg showed no ill effects of the trapezius injury that sidelined him for over three weeks, allowing just four hits and a walk in the game. Just as importantly, his velocity was good throughout the start. It certainly hasn't been the year many had hoped for from the 26-year-old, but perhaps this can be the start of a new chapter. Strasburg has another attractive matchup on deck, meeting the Phillies in Philly on Sunday.

I'm a big Strasburg fan but he hasn't been right all year, I didn't see him play last night but he threw 94 pitches in just 5 innings, so I am not convinced he is right. Along the same lines Verlander threw 1 decent game and then one bad one after returning and now he won't make his start this week (bad sign) he might be finished as a top pitcher.

[EmpireMaker]

Trade discussions with the intent of trading Phillies veteran starter Cole Hamels to the Rangers are ongoing, according to Fox Sports, which is further reporting that Texas is not one of the teams for which he has a no-trade clause. There are 20 teams in that group, per CBSSports.com Baseball Insider Jon Heyman, who has stated that Toronto is one of them and that Hamels would not allow a trade to that team.
Texas will eventually have Martin Perez, Derek Holland and Matt Harrison off the disabled list and in the rotation, but the surprising contender would like to land a potential ace such as Hamels.
The 31-year-old Hamels has been as effective as ever this season with 2.96 ERA and 74 hits allowed in 94 1/3 innings. He has fanned 103, putting him at the best strikeout-to-innings pitched pace since his rookie season.

[Chi_archie]

That Texas team always seems to be dealing with so many injuries

[koz-man]

Cubs are walking off as winners

The Cubs' 1-0 walk-off win Tuesday vs. the Dodgers was their 9th walk-off this season -- 3 more than any other team. That's quite an improvement from the previous two seasons, when they had 10 walk-off victories combined.

[BigSpoon]

Trade discussions with the intent of trading Phillies veteran starter Cole Hamels to the Rangers are ongoing, according to Fox Sports, which is further reporting that Texas is not one of the teams for which he has a no-trade clause. There are 20 teams in that group, per CBSSports.com Baseball Insider Jon Heyman, who has stated that Toronto is one of them and that Hamels would not allow a trade to that team.

If not Hamels, the Blue Jays need someone to shore up the rotation and a closer.

[Shortstop]

Trade discussions with the intent of trading Phillies veteran starter Cole Hamels to the Rangers are ongoing, according to Fox Sports, which is further reporting that Texas is not one of the teams for which he has a no-trade clause. There are 20 teams in that group, per CBSSports.com Baseball Insider Jon Heyman, who has stated that Toronto is one of them and that Hamels would not allow a trade to that team.
Texas will eventually have Martin Perez, Derek Holland and Matt Harrison off the disabled list and in the rotation, but the surprising contender would like to land a potential ace such as Hamels.
The 31-year-old Hamels has been as effective as ever this season with 2.96 ERA and 74 hits allowed in 94 1/3 innings. He has fanned 103, putting him at the best strikeout-to-innings pitched pace since his rookie season.

Right on cue, EM!

Hamels with one of his worst starts of the year this afternoon at Yankee Stadium...

Philadelphia Phillies
Pitchers	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	PC-ST	ERA
Hamels (L, 5-6)	5.0	8	5	5	3	3	0	102-63	3.26

[Shortstop]

Trade discussions with the intent of trading Phillies veteran starter Cole Hamels to the Rangers are ongoing, according to Fox Sports, which is further reporting that Texas is not one of the teams for which he has a no-trade clause. There are 20 teams in that group, per CBSSports.com Baseball Insider Jon Heyman, who has stated that Toronto is one of them and that Hamels would not allow a trade to that team.
Texas will eventually have Martin Perez, Derek Holland and Matt Harrison off the disabled list and in the rotation, but the surprising contender would like to land a potential ace such as Hamels.
The 31-year-old Hamels has been as effective as ever this season with 2.96 ERA and 74 hits allowed in 94 1/3 innings. He has fanned 103, putting him at the best strikeout-to-innings pitched pace since his rookie season.

I didn't realize how much Texas has been over-achieving so far this season.

Imagine if they had Darvish, Perez, Holland and Harrison all healthy!

This staff could be one of the best in MLB...

[Andy117]

Anyone playing daily leagues who isn't starting the pitcher going against the Mets is giving money away. They really can't hit.

[Shortstop]

MLB RBI Leaders:

1.		Stanton, G	MIA	67
2.		Arenado, N	COL	58
2.		Harper, B	WSH	58
4.		Goldschmidt, P	ARI	57
5.		Vogt, S	OAK	53

[BarkingToad]

De La Rosa day pitching at Coors field Thursday.

[EmpireMaker]

Anyone playing daily leagues who isn't starting the pitcher going against the Mets is giving money away. They really can't hit.

I am a Mets fan, and I couldn't agree more, the Mets are one of the worst hitting teams in baseball.

[Chi_archie]

Stanton on pace for 60 HRs

[koz-man]

With hamstring strain, even Dustin Pedroia can't dodge DL

Dustin Pedroia strained his right hamstring Wednesday night, landing him on the disabled list with no timetable for his return.

[EmpireMaker]

Stanton on pace for 60 HRs

If he can stay healthy my money is on him making it, he is that good IMO.

[Shortstop]

De La Rosa day pitching at Coors field Thursday.

Haha! Nice catch!

Wonder when was the last time two pitchers with the same last name started against each other?

[Chi_archie]

If he can stay healthy my money is on him making it, he is that good IMO.

yeah health is the big thing for him

[MexicanStallion]

Such a shame, Buxton is already injured and missing a chunk of time.

Twins manager Paul Molitor told Dana Wessel of 96.3 FM in Minneapolis that Byron Buxton (thumb) will be sidelined for "probably at least a month."

Buxton suffered a left thumb sprain Tuesday on a stolen base attempt. He played the next day, which obviously wasn't a good idea and he wound up going 0-for-4 with four strikeouts. The Twins could put Danny Santana back in center field while Buxton is out, with Shane Robinson and Aaron Hicks (when he returns from the disabled list) also representing options.

[koz-man]

Nationals place Rendon (quad) on disabled list

The Nationals have placed infielder Anthony Rendon on the 15-day disabled list and selected the contract of infielder Emmanuel Burriss from Triple-A Syracuse on Friday.

[Andy117]

I am a Mets fan, and I couldn't agree more, the Mets are one of the worst hitting teams in baseball.

Big breakout offensively tonight, 2 hits and 2 runs.

[Shortstop]

Big breakout offensively tonight, 2 hits and 2 runs.

Very fortunate to get the W with only 2 hits...

Scoring Summary

			CIN	NYM
	1st	Granderson homered to right.	0	1
	2nd	Dominguez grounded out to shortstop, Bruce scored, Suárez to second.	1	1
	5th	Duda walked, Herrera scored, Granderson to third, Campbell to second.	1	2

[EmpireMaker]

yeah health is the big thing for him

We jinxed him didn't we.




Uh oh: Giancarlo Stanton heading for X-rays on injured left hand

By Mike Axisa | Baseball Writer

June 27, 2015 12:06 am ET

The Dodgers beat the Marlins on Friday night (LAD 7, MIA 1), and Miami may have lost more than just the game. Franchise cornerstone Giancarlo Stanton suffered a hand injury on a swing-and-miss in the sixth inning and is heading for X-rays.
"My bat dug into my hand a little bit. It didn't feel the greatest. Just get checked out and then know for sure what's going on," said Stanton to reporters after the game. He initially suffered the injury in the sixth but remained in the game. Stanton grimaced in pain during an at-bat in the ninth:


"They want to take a look at his hand or wrist. We'll see. I don't know anything right now ... Hopefully, it's something he just tweaked a little bit in one of his swings," added manager Dan Jennings. Stanton will have the X-rays Saturday morning.
Obviously any kind of hand or wrist injury is a big concern for a hitter, especially one as big and strong as Stanton. Simply put, if you can't grip the bat properly, you won't be able to swing properly. Hand and wrist injury can linger for a while too, sapping strength even after doctors clear the player to return to the field. Stanton, 25, leads baseball with 27 home runs and 67 RBI. He went 0 for 4 on Friday and is hitting .265/.346/.606 on the season.

[MexicanStallion]

Arenado has been a beast in Colorado.

Nolan Arenado hit two homers and drove in four runs as the Rockies beat the Giants 8-6 on Friday.

That's 22 homers in 71 games for Arenado, who finished last year with 18 in 111 games. He's hit six in his last five games, and his average is up to .290. We thought he'd be good -- we thought he'd be very good -- but we never imagined a 40-homer season might be in play.

[mpaschal34]

Nationals place Rendon (quad) on disabled list

The Nationals have placed infielder Anthony Rendon on the 15-day disabled list and selected the contract of infielder Emmanuel Burriss from Triple-A Syracuse on Friday.

Rendon was a big part of some of my winning teams last year. Too bad the injury bug bit him this year. Luckily I stayed away from him this year.

[Chi_archie]

Arenado has been a beast in Colorado.

Nolan Arenado hit two homers and drove in four runs as the Rockies beat the Giants 8-6 on Friday.

That's 22 homers in 71 games for Arenado, who finished last year with 18 in 111 games. He's hit six in his last five games, and his average is up to .290. We thought he'd be good -- we thought he'd be very good -- but we never imagined a 40-homer season might be in play.

Very very good

[koz-man]

update on Stanton

Stanton out 4-6 weeks

Giancarlo Stanton broke the hamate bone in his left hand, an injury that will force him out 4-6 weeks and require a small surgical procedure, according to ESPN & media reports. Tim Kurkjian on SportsCenter, "No matter how you look at this, this is a really bad injury for the Marlins."

[koz-man]

Reds Johnny Vander Meer record safe for the time being...

No repeat no-hitter for red-hot Max Scherzer

Nats ace Max Scherzer didn't get his second straight no-hitter, and he didn't get the shutout, but he did get a victory -- his landmark 100th -- against the Phillies.

[EmpireMaker]

Stanton broke the hamate bone in his left hand during the Marlins' 7-1 loss to the Dodgers on Friday night. He is expected to have surgery and be out at least a month.
Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal earlier reported the injury.
The 25-year-old outfielder initially hurt the hand on a swing and miss in the sixth inning of Friday night's game. Stanton's hand appeared swollen, and he said it hurt where he grips the bat. Stanton indicated the pain grew worse as the game progressed. He grimaced in pain with his final swing in the ninth inning and said that at-bat was "the icing on the cake."
Stanton, who finished 0-for-4 with three strikeouts in the game, leads the major leagues with 27 home runs and 67 RBIs.

[BigSpoon]

Very harsh for Stanton fantasy owners. Does not really matter for the Marlins this season, they are already done.

[Andy117]

If he can stay healthy my money is on him making it, he is that good IMO.

You guys jinxed him.

[Robber]

Cubs claim roach off waivers and then start him after a little in the minors

[EmpireMaker]

You guys jinxed him.

That was my first thought, and it is going to hurt 2 of my first place teams.

[mpaschal34]

I jinxed Kershaw this year. Never owned him in a league until this year. In fact got him in two. Now he's just a little above average pitcher.