Burke Badenhop (SP-FLA) – With the acquisition of Nick Johnson this week, the Marlins certainly consider themselves contenders, so letting guys “learn” at the major league level isn’t going to happen. Badenhop on Saturday surrendered six runs (five earned) in just 1.2 innings, walking four and striking out one. As a result, his ERA skyrocketed from 3.46 to 4.19. All but two of Badenhop’s 26 appearances this year have been in the bullpen, and perhaps that’s where he belongs. Look for the Marlins to consider Sean West or Ryan Tucker (recently moved back to the rotation in Triple-A) should Badenhop’s struggles continue.
Matt Holliday (OF-STL) – With every hit, Holliday’s paycheck for the next several years continues to trend upwards. Saturday, Holliday was 3-for-4 with a pair of solo shots and is now batting a nifty .603 with three homers in 33 at-bats for his new team. Overall, Holliday is at .314/.404/.507. It’s going to be tough to beat that Cardinals’ lineup in the playoffs, and Holliday’s recent success suggests that he really isn’t solely a product of Coors Field. Holliday already seems right at home among the great St. Louis fans, who are seemingly willing to dole out standing ovations his way on a nightly basis, and being in the same lineup as Albert Pujols has to help a guy’s comfort level and confidence. No reason to expect him to be anything other than a beast the rest of the way.
Andrew McCutcheon (OF-PIT) – The Nate McLouth trade was far from popular in Pittsburgh and I still don’t think the Pirates got enough in return, but not dealing McLouth may have meant having McCutcheon stay in Triple-A longer than needed. Saturday, McCutcheon blasted three home runs, going 4-for-5 with four RBI and raising his batting line to .293/.349/.488 He’s now homered six times in 215 at-bats and hasn’t been caught in nine stolen base opportunities. McCutcheon is an exciting player to watch, and though a 42:17 K:BB isn’t ideal for a leadoff guy, keep in mind he’s still just 22 and learning the game. Just 4.7% of McCutcheon’s flyballs prior to Saturday had cleared the fence, so the correction was good to see. He’s a great athlete who is only going to get better.
Lastings Milledge (OF-PIT) – A day after making his Pirates debut (2-for-4, 2 RBI), Milledge was 1-for-4 with two more RBI on Saturday. He’s getting slotted second between Andrew McCutcheon and Garrett Jones, and the way those guys are hitting, that’s a nice spot for Milledge to be in. For the year, Milledge is batting just .219 in 32 at-bats with an ugly 10:1 K:BB, so there’s clearly work to do on his game. Still, considering his spot in the lineup and the fact he’ll be playing every day for a team with no delusions of the playoffs, perhaps that will help him relax and mature his game. Someday, the Mets and Nationals are going to regret dealing this kid for Ryan Church and Nyjer Morgan. There’s 20/20 ability here no doubt.
Tim Lincecum (SP-SF) – I’m ready to finally declare that Lincecum has a rubber arm and that trivial details like pitch counts and pitcher abuse points are irrelevant when it comes to the guy dubbed “The Freak”. Saturday, Lincecum threw 117 pitches in shutting out the Phillies over eight innings. He walked one and struck out eight in improving to 12-3 with a 2.18 ERA. It’s safe to say he’s the frontrunner for the NL Cy Young right now, though perhaps Arizona fans could have a legitimate beef there. Lincecum averaged 114 pitches in his May starts and then followed that up with a 1.48 ERA in June. So much for his being tired. With 191 strikeouts, Linceum has a legitimate chance at 30 and he’s cut his BB/9 rate from 3.3 to 2.4 over last year. I still can’t fathom why his hometown Mariners tapped Brandon Morrow over him in the draft.
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? <a href="http://www.fantistics.com/join/join.php3"> Join today.
