The Day in Review

I just finished watching the Braves Nationals game and let me say... wow. As a Ryan Zimmerman owner and overrater, I'm glad that my faith for now rests firm. It was just a great game to open the season here in the U.S. (As a side note, the crowd didn't seem to pleased when good ole' G.W. threw out that opening pitch. Imagine all the Sandlot-derived humor if Hillary had the honor)

Injury Watch

• Chad Cordero wasn't in there to witness poor defensive play by Paul Lo Duca, as he was out with arm stiffness. If you have a roster spot, grab Jon Rauch. I expect Cordero to be back quickly but Rauch is a decent pitcher with a speck of upside now.
• Good news on Smoltz, Beckett, and Kazmir today. Expect Smoltz back in the first week, Beckett optimistically by the second, and Kazmir optimistically in the late third. Either way, they have all progressed accordingly.
• Andy Pettitte and Randy Johnson both found themselves officially on the DL today. If you have the spot for them, throw them on it (I didn't so dropped Pettitte). If you have an open DL spot, what are you thinking? Pick someone up, with Johnson being a prime candidate.

Demotions/Promotions

• Juan Pierre is riding the pine, so I can like the Dodgers again. Andre Ethier is worth grabbing in deeper leagues or 5 OF leagues, as he's been hot this Spring. Also, this sets Furcal up to lead off, just another reason to love the SS.
• Kershaw is back to the minors, but he's only 20 so this is reasonable. His LA counterpart Nick Adenhart also went back to the minors, though this decision was easier due to his performance. Dustin Moseley isn't really worth grabbing, but Joe Saunders doesn't get any hype despite a great spring.
  

For those of you who watched the game, you'll agree that Tim Hudson looked dominant. I don't care who you're playing, that sort of sinking action is going to be effective. I had Hudson pegged as unlikely to repeat last season but he does have a good degree of upside. That's what you need to know about the day.