Remember when the Detroit Tigers had too many arms in their rotation? Seems like a long time ago now.
Former Cy Young winner Justin Verlander was placed on the DL Wednesday with a strained triceps, and closer Joe Nathan will join him there with a strained pitching elbow. It sure would be nice to have Max Scherzer or Rick Porcello around now, eh?
It's not all doom and gloom in Detroit, at least not yet. For the second straight game, the Tigers shut out the Twins, this time with Anibal Sanchez doing the heavy lifting. Eventually, though, the Tigers might have to play someone other than the Twins. I'll check on that.
In other news...
GONZO!: Not one, not two, not three ... OK, it was three. But three dingers! For some reason, the Padres just kept on pitching to their former first baseman, and Adrian Gonzalez kept making them pay, slugging three homers and adding an RBI single just for a slice of variety. Gonzalez's five homers in the Dodgers' first three games is also an MLB record. Not bad!
Moving On Up: Albert Pujols went yard (just once like a normal person) but it was the 521st shot of his career, tying him with some decidedly non-normal hitters in Ted Williams, Willie McCovey and Frank Thomas on the all-time home run list. Next up for Pujols? Jimmie Foxx (534) and Mickey Mantle (536).
Rare Gems: It wasn't all about the long ball on Wednesday night. Carlos Carrasco allowed just three hits and struck out 10 for the Indians, Aaron Harang gave up only two hits while fanning eight for the Phillies and Scott Kazmir gave up just one hit over seven while whiffing 10. Take that, bats.
No Less Than Jake: More gems! Jake (of the Odorizzi variety) took a two-hitter into the seventh inning for the Rays. I'll toot John Halpin's horn for him, as he picked Odorizzi in this space yesterday. Meanwhile, Jake Arrieta allowed just three hits and struck out seven for the Cubbies. Good job, Jakes.
He Shall Rise: Nationals LF Jayson Werth is scheduled to play seven innings at Class-A Potomac Thursday, and is eligible to come off the DL Saturday. It sounds like he won't be quite ready by this weekend, but keep him rostered and stay patient. He's werth it. Sorry for that.
Tough As Nails: Rays first baseman James Loney is headed to the DL with an oblique strain, marking his first DL stint in 1,240 games. If you're in a deeper league, keep former first-round pick Allan Dykstra on your radar. He had a .426 on-base percentage in AAA with the Mets last year, and drew a walk in his first start in Loney's place against the Orioles. He has no relation to Lenny, but we can just pretend that he does.
Wilin Out: Wilin Rosario broke up a tie in extra innings with a solo shot over K-Rod to give the Rockies the win. And to think, he wasn't even supposed to be here today!
Life After Kimbrel: Watching Craig Kimbrel shut down the Dodgers with nasty, stupid stuff on Tuesday night for a different team must have been hard, but the Braves moved on nicely with five pitchers combining for a six-hit shutout. Jason Grilli went 1-2-3 for his second save of the year.
Speaking Of Closers: Andrew Miller made his Yankee debut and registered the second save of his career. Sadly, only the smallest crowd in Yankee Stadium history bore witness, but such is life.
Thursday Pick: We're rolling after the Odorizzi pick, so I'll try to keep it going. Asher Wojciechowski is making his major league debut on the mound for the Astros (in a hitter's park), so let's peg Indians 2B Jason Kipnis to help our lineups at a tricky position with the small slate.
Adrian Gonzalez is going to get some well-deserved rest, but we'll be watching and back with more for Friday.
