Who says that the days of colorful athletes are dead? We still have Sidney Ponson! Sure, he may not be a "good" pitcher, or a "valuable" asset. He may not even be a "nice guy." But he certainly is colorful. On Thursday morning, he was arrested for tailgating and was then hit with a DUI when the officer actually got a good look at him. He already has one driving while under the influence count from January, and spent 11 days in jail for beach fighting. (No, that isn't slang for surfing.) The good news (if there is any) is that Ponson is currently on the DL with a calf strain and a torn thumb ligament. It is probably safe to say his season is over.
Poor Milton Bradley. First he attacked a teammate in a bizarre rant, and now it seems he will likely need season-ending surgery on his left knee. Apparently the tear is more extensive than first thought, and barring a contradictory second opinion, the days of riding Bradley to victory are over. (His 13 homers and 38 RBI sure were comforting...) Maybe while he's under the knife, doctors can do something about this guy's anger management issues too.
In related news, after Bradley recently attacked Jeff Kent for "not knowing how to deal with my people" it turned out that Bradley himself is only half black. His mother, Mrs. Buttersworth, ended her 27-year silence to admit that yes, she did have relations with a white man. Rumors immediately started swirling that he was none other than The Monopoly Man.
Mike Hampton is back on the DL with more back issues, but frankly I couldn't be happier. Sure, he has a great first name, but Jorge Sosa had been demoted to the bullpen to clear room, and we all know he didn't deserve that. With Hampton down and out, Sosa got the nod on Wednesday, and yielded only one run on four hits and two walks. This brought his record to a fantastic 9-2 mark, and his ERA has leveled out at 2.56 (1.36 WHIP). The 28-year-old has been fantastic this season and should continue to see starts with Hampton on the DL. With the number of injuries the Braves starters have endured, Sosa looks to be a good bet for more quality starts for the duration of the season.
This might shock Cubs fans, but the Cubbies are not in a good spot. At 19 games back, they don't have a chance of winning the division. And even the wild card deficit (7.5 games) seems insurmountable for this rag-tag band of underachievers. They already gave Kerry Wood the boot to the bullpen, where he's been fairly consistent but mostly useless from a fantasy perspective. Now, however, even their hitting is falling apart.
OK, so Nomar Garciaparra's injury wasn't really a surprise; regardless, that doesn't make this situation any more enjoyable. Nomar may end up returning to the DL (or home to Mia) with back spasms. Anybody who wants to vent uncontrollably about the Nancy-boy routine here is free to do so. The TA wire washes its hands of the entire affair.
More of a surprise was the injury to Aramis Ramirez's right quad. Ramirez has been a monster this season: 31 homers, 92 RBI, 72 R, 263 TB, .302 BA. Odds are Ramirez will be back in the lineup sooner than later – at least let us hope.
The Red Sox activated Trot Nixon from the DL this week, but with 11 homers and 51 RBI, he's almost not even worth noting. That lineup scores so often, even Tony Graffanino has manage 47 runs and nearly 30 RBI already. Tony who? Tony I-talian, that's who!
The division rival Orioles (cough) placed Daniel Cabrera on the 15-day DL, bringing more bad news to the Tito of the East Coast. For the year, Cabrera is 8-11, with an ERA of 5.00 and a 1.45 WHIP. It only has gotten worse, however: over the last month, his record is 0-4 with a 7.47 ERA and a WHIP closing in on 2.00. Leave this guy to the birds.
On Tuesday, the New York Mets activated Steve Trachsel, adding another SP to their rotation. Trachsel won't wow anyone this year, but he could add some depth to the back-end of fantasy squads pushing for that extra edge. He has a very admirable 1.37 WHIP over his career, and even his ERA is only 4.23. Consider him for depth.
Owners who might find the above information useful include those burdened with Odalis Perez. This guy is back on the 15-day DL, retroactive to Thursday, with a strained right oblique muscle. Despite this, it is likely Perez could be out up to a month, recovering from what management has dubbed "sour grapes" syndrome. This year, Perez is a banal 7-7 with a 4.73 ERA and has only pitched 100 innings. Tough break, but at this point it is doubtful he'll have any fantasy value through season's end.
If there were frequent flyer miles for days on the DL, Mike Piazza wouldn't even need to take the team plane to games. But because he's a worrier, he's arranged for more time off, just in case. This time a hairline fracture in his left hand has sent him to the 15-day DL. Piazza is a perennial injury risk, so owners already know this. But what may not be as obvious, is his love for poetry.
In more DL news, Ryan Drese has decided he needs more time off, so the Nationals have placed him on the DL retroactive to August 19. Over the last month, Drese has zero wins, and an ERA of nearly 7.00. He's a good guy to avoid.
Hmm...Tyler Walker is on the 15-day DL with an inflamed shoulder, just after Armando Benitez made his triumphant return from what was first deemed season-ending surgery. Anybody else find this curious? Could this be a cleverly orchestrated diversion to help Walker save face? Even if you don't agree, his days were numbered and that number is now zero. Though he was quite streaky this season, and often blew games just to help owners remember his name, Walker did have three wins and 22 saves. Nonetheless, owning him was a gamble all season so there shouldn't be any real sense of loss here. Benitez is obviously preferable to Walker, but both play in San Fran, so the value is minimal either way.
Carlos Delgado is quickly making people forget he was ever injured. In the 10 days or so he's been back, he has four homers, 12 RBI, and is hitting well over .300. Get him back in lineups immediately.
Scott Rolen is out for the year. Anybody who didn't know this probably mistakes rotisserie for chicken.
Jeremy Bonderman is listed as day-to-day with a bruised right wrist, and could miss a start or two. He has been good this year, but he was rocked for 10 earned runs in his last two starts. Hopefully, the wrist is to blame for this because it would be a shame to see him end the season on a down note. He does have 135 K's in 173 IP, and his 14 wins is also solid (though he does have 10 losses). Patience is in order.
Chien-Ming Wang had a pitching session and managed to throw all 30 pitches with no pain, which is great news for the streaky Yankees. Wang was the wonder-child earlier this year, and his 6-3 record in 13 starts is nothing to overlook. He has maintained a solid ERA and WHIP throughout, despite pitching on baseball's hot seat, so his nerves must be steely. Scoop him up if you have a bench spot to wager.
Finally, Curt Schilling returned to the starting rotation last night against the Royals, after his closer experiment. He struggled over the last week, blowing a save against the Tigers and giving up eight runs in his last five games. Nonetheless, it's tough to bet against a guy who has the grapes to call out Rafael Palmiero when almost everyone else is cowering in the periphery. Maybe the Nationals should look at buying out Schilling for next season, to really add some fire to the Baltimore-Washington area.