Macier Izturis: Izturis was placed on the DL with back spasms. Even if he didn’t go on the DL, with Howie Kendrick coming back very soon, he would have been heading for the bench. Izturis’ poor start, 0/10/.197, is due more to bad luck, .153 BHIP%, than skills, 10.1% BB% and a 93% Ct%, but at the age of 27, being injury prone, and playing in a very crowded infield, Izturis is running out of chances to prove that he can be a regular.
Garrett Olson: In his 2008 debut on Tuesday, Olson tossed a nice game against the Rays, 2 ER in 6.2 innings. Prior to his recall, Olson was overpowering Triple-A hitters, 9.3 K/9 in 24.1 innings, but his high BB/9, 4.1, is going to lead to trouble against more discerning major-league batters.
Jason Bartlett: It has been a rough start of the season for Bartlett, 0/6/.213 in 89 AB. A slightly unlucky .239 BHIP% is not helping, but Bartlett is showing a drop-off in his skills, 2007/2008 Ct%’s of 84%/82% and BB%’s of 8.9%/2.2%. Whether he is pressing or pitchers have found holes in his approach at the plate remains to be seen. His speed skills make him worth holding onto, but those in mixed leagues may want to keep him reserved until he shows signs of snapping out of this slump.
Asdrubal Cabrera: After showing promise in his first taste of major league action last year, 3/22/.283 in 159 AB, Cabrera has taken a step back in the early stages of 2008, 0/8/.200 in 80 AB. His is maintaining the same plate patience, 2007/2008 BB%’s of 9.7%/10.1%, but is swinging and missing more often, Ct%’s of 82%/76%. For a player with his skills set, little power but good speed, his 2007 Ct% was right at the borderline, but his 2008 Ct% is unacceptable. His .196 BHIP% means that there will be some batting average upside, but he will not approach last year’s success unless he makes better contact.
Darrell Rasner: The Yankees called up Darrel Rasner to take the injured Phil Hughes’ place in the rotation. Rasner was dominating for Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre; 4-0, 0.87 ERA, 7.9 K/9, and a 1.7 BB/9, but in his previous major league trials, he has not come close to those strikeout totals, 4.5 K/9 in 52.1 career innings. He is already 27 years old, so to chalk up that big of a jump in his K/9 to growth is a stretch, meaning that he could be one of those classic Quadruple-A players.
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