Adam Dunn - Its no secret that Dunn likes hitting at Wrigley Field and he proved it last night with a long HR to deep center. That gives him 23 HR for the season at a rate of 12.1 AB per dinger. For his career in Wrigley Field (212 AB), Dunn has a 1.084 OPS, 22 HR, .288 average and a .424 OBP. He'll have to face lefty Ted Lilly in today's matinée matchup, but Dunn has had some success against him in a limited number of AB. In 7 total AB against Lilly, Dunn is 2-for-7 with a HR and a single.
Carlos Zambrano - Zambrano continues his post-DL win streak and is now 2-0 since coming off the list. Big Z has 5 K's in each of those starts, but his overall strikeout numbers are way down on the year. Looking all the way back to 2004, Zambrano posted K/9 rates of 8.1, 8.1, 8.8, and 7.4. This year, he's averaging just 5.8 and has only hit the 7 K total in one game. Diminishing K rates for any pitcher should be a concern, but I'll chalk it up to his shoulder issues in June. A monthly look at Zambrano's success this year shows consistent ERA's sub 3.00 except for the injury month of June. He's no doubt the ace of the Cubs (unless Rich Harden can stay healthy for the remainder of the season, in which case we may have an argument on our hands on the north-side).
Jason Bay - Bay has now hit safely in 18 of his last 19 games and I love that he's having a great comeback season. An accurate perspective to analyze Bay's rebound is through the FPI statistic. Flashback to his rookie season of 2004 and Bay posted a .70 FPI. Moving forward year-by-year, his FPI was .84, .77, and then his "demise" in 2007 of 0.53. This year, with a .291 average, .396 OBP, .925 OPS, 19.0 HR/AB, and 46 RBI, he has a .77 FPI. Safe to say Bay is back to his old ways minus the ability to steal.
Aaron Harang - Something has obviously been wrong with Harang for 2008. Now, he is having an MRI on his forearm to see if there is any structural damage. One thing is for sure - the injury is definitely affecting his pitching. Dating back to 2005, Harang has posted ERA's of 3.83, 3.76, and 3.73. This season, he's ballooned to 4.76. All of his major pitching metrics reveal the same trend: WHIP: 1.27, 1.27, 1.14, and today 1.40. His HR/9 is particularly shocking, climbing all the way to 1.46 from 1.08 and 1.09 the previous two seasons. Hopefully this MRI will diagnose him once and for all. I think its safe to say his next scheduled start against the Brewers on Sunday is a question mark.
Micah Owings - A steep fall for Owings who is really struggling right now. He couldn't even get a quality start against the Nationals. Owings hit 3 batters and walked 5 in 5.2 IP, bringing his record to 6-8 for the season. He's wild, had an injured gluteus muscle that made him miss his last start, and is showing no positive signs of turning his season back around to the right direction. This was his last start before the All-Star break and perhaps a long-rest will give him a little recovery time and he'll bounce back. A quick look at the D-Backs schedule would place Owings at the end of the rotation and with a scheduled start against the Cubs on July 22nd. I'd stay far away for now.
There are over 100 player news blurbs posted in the member area each morning. Members can read the rest of today's player news by clicking here. Not a member? Join today.
