Tommy Hanson (SP-ATL) - Shoulder injuries can be troublesome, so I was a little down on Hanson entering the season, but with the exception of a recent start against the Cardinals, he's been just fine recently. Sunday, Hanson did allow a pair of home runs to the Nationals (Bryce Harper, Steve Lombardozzi), but it was the only two runs he would allowing in seven solid innings. Hanson has allowed two or fewer runs in five of his last six starts (seven of nine), and now sits with a 3.71 ERA and 63:26 K:BB in 68.2 innings. It is a little concerning to see his velocity rather significantly off from his rookie year - 89.7 mph average fastball vs. 92.3. He was in the 89-91 range again on Sunday, so maybe this is the new baseline. He could be effective at that rate if the slider is working well and he's commanding the fastball, but I'd like his chances a lot more with a couple extra mph added in.
Brandon Belt (1B-SF) - One of The Smiths' seminal hits was "Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before". Well, that applies to the latest comments from manager Bruce Bochy that he plans to give Belt more consistent playing time. Entering Sunday's action, Belt had started just one of the previous four Giants games and is batting .230/.347/.340 with no homers and a 0.59 EYE in 100 at-bats this season. He's struck out in 32% of those at-bats, which is a bit high, but not totally out of line from what he put up in the minors last season. Assuming we can take Bochy at his word, look for Belt to settle in and drive that batting line up, as he has the talent to be a consistent .300/.380/.500 hitter in the big leagues. Update: Belt didn't start on Sunday. Classic Bochy.
Brett Wallace (1B-HOU) - With Carlos Lee being placed on the DL with a hamstring injury Sunday, Wallace gets another crack at the first base job in Houston. Considering Lee is likely to leave as a free agent this winter, this may very well be an audition for Wallace to be the team's starter in 2013 (though Jonathan Singleton isn't far off). Wallace was batting a pedestrian .259/.322/.470 for Triple-A Oklahoma, though the .211 OPS is solid and so are the 10 home runs in 185 at-bats. Wallace had a .248 career average in 480 big league at-bats coming into this season, so hitting for average is a definite issue. That said, it was pointed out by the Houston announcers during Sunday's telecast that Wallace was noticeably slimmer, so that can't do anything but help. Wallace ended up going 2-for-3 (singles) on the day, so he's off to a fine start for what is already his third organization.
Kris Medlen (P-ATL) - In case this one slipped under your radar, Medlen was optioned back to Triple-A in order to stretch him out to be a starter. With Mike Minor (6.98 ERA) struggling and the Braves preferring to give Julio Teheran further minor league seasoning, they are looking to Medlen to function as their proverbial "sixth starter". Unfortunately, Medlen lasted just 2.1 innings in his first start, allowing four runs on five hits. Medlen showed great promise in the minor leagues, posting a 2.55 ERA, 10.5 K/9, and 2.1 BB/9 over 229 innings. He showed further growth with the Braves at times before undergoing Tommy John surgery in August 2010. His performance will dictate his timetable, so watch for a rebound in his next outing and be ready to pounce in deeper leagues if he does end up replacing Minor.
Heath Bell (RP-FLA) - In a case of "hey, we're not perfect", our last player note on Bell recommended benching him until further notice, as Bell was coming off back-to-back poor outings. It was reasonable advice given Bell's ugly body of work this season, but since that game, Bell has reeled off five saves in allowing three hits, no runs, a walk, and six strikeouts in 4.2 innings. In his first 20 games (16 innings), Bell posted an ugly 10:14 K:BB, so the improvement in both his control and ability to miss bats is definitely encouraging. Bell now has a stranglehold on the Miami closer job, though Steve Chishek and his 1.14 ERA will be waiting in the wings should Bell falter again.
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