There have been a incredible number of top prospects who have made their debuts this season in the last week. While you can’t go out and grab them all, it is vital to a winning team to get some sort of spark from a prospect or two, even if it is just as a trade chip or an injury fill in.

The Mariners decided it was time for both of their top hitting prospects, Jeff Clement and Wladimir Balentien. While Balentien opened with a bang and a three run homer in his first game, things haven’t exactly continued that way. Since his first game Wladdy has just one hit to go with seven strikeouts. Balentien does have thr reputation as a free swinger, but he also packs a good punch in that bat. Clement’s beginning was a little different. He has yet to hit his first homer, but has collected a hit in his last two games. Jeff is also striking out at a high rate, as he has six in his first five games. Both of these guys are serious prospects with Clement having the higher value due to the fact that he is either catcher eligible, or on the way to getting that eligibility.

Perhaps the most hype, however, surrounds Diamondbacks pitcher Max Scherzer. Scherzer burst on the scene with an incredible relief outing last Tuesday. Max faced 13 Astros’ batters, retired them all and struck out seven of them. Scherzer didn't have the debut in the starting rotation he was hoping for as he only lasted four innings. He gave up five runs (two were earned), and struck out five. He will most likely stick in the rotation until Doug Davis is able to return. Fantasy players went running to the waiver wire shortly after. He is a highly touted prospect on a good team, and a load of strikeout potential, a great addition to any fantasy rotation.

Royals pitcher Luke Hochevar was called up with similar fanfare to Scherzer, although he didn’t live up to his press clippings in his first start, and many left him alone. Luke was the number one overall pick in 2006, and has a world of talent. He has a great sinker, but doesn’t strikeout hitters at the rate of say Cueto or Scherzer. After a rough first outing Hochevar has put two good ones together, and could be a solid pitcher for you going forward.

With the injuries to their rotation, the Braves thought it was time to give Jo-Jo Reyes another crack at the majors. Reyes came up in 2007 and was horrendous. In 10 starts he had an ERA over 6.00, and walked more guys than he struck out. So far, it looks like 2008 will be better to Jo-Jo. In his first start Reyes went 5.1 innings, gave up just one run and fanned five. The Braves will need him to contribute if they are going to hang around in the NL East, and if you have had some bad luck with your pitching, he is worth a look.

If it wasn’t for bad luck, Aaron Laffey would have no luck at all. In his first start, he was mowing down the Yankees for five innings, and then the wheels came off in the sixth. In his second start, Laffey went seven innings, giving up just an unearned run and striking out five. Sound like two decent starts? Yeah, well Laffey is 0-2 and is laying under the radar. If you missed out on some of the guys above, see how Laffey does his next time out.

The Angels made a tough thing like your first major league start even tougher for top prospect Nick Adenhart, as they threw him on three days rest and it showed. Adenhart only last two innings, gave up five runs and walked five. Another guy with great control that doesn’t have a huge strikeout total, if Adenhart can stay in the rotation, he could make a fantasy impact. He starts again Tuesday against the Royals, so watch the boxscore to see how he does.

I couldn’t figure out why the Texas Rangers demoted Jarrod Saltalamacchia at the end of the spring, but he is back in the majors now and looks to stay there this time. Salty hasn’t been starting everyday, but he has collected a hit in each game that he has played, and I believe the longer that he is in the majors the more playing time he will get. If you have Posada, or just a crappy catcher, get Salty on your roster, he should be able to help you the rest of the season.

Much like the “Joba Rules” of 2007, the Dodgers have implemented the “Kershaw Decree” for their top pitcher, Clayton Kershaw. This decree states that Clayton will not pitch any more than 25 innings in any month. Kershaw will have a major impact when he is called up, as predicted by his 1.11 ERA in the minors right now.

Injury News

It was initially thought that Yankee pitcher Phil Hughes was going to be sent to the minors due to his ineffectiveness. 24 hours later he was on the Disabled List with an rib injury. Hughes will be out until July. Unless you are very patient, or a Yankee fan, I couldn’t blame you for cutting ties with Hughes at this point.

A crushing blow to the Brewers chances, hot shot second year starter Yovani Gallardo tore his ACL in his knee and will miss the rest of the season. Gallardo has some nasty stuff, but it will have to wait until ’09 to see if he can take that step to stardom. Keeper league players, I would try to find a way to stash him if it is at all possible in your league.

Phillies SS Jimmy Rollins finally started his rehab assignment as he tries to return from an injured ankle. His first game was a rousing success as Jimmy went 4-4. He is expected to be back on Thursday, and his fantasy owners will most likely be throwing parties across the country at his return, they have probably been forced to play some pretty pitiful options in Rollins’ absence.

Nats’ closer Chad Cordero is expected to miss another 4-6 weeks with a torn lat muscle. In his place Jon Rauch will continue to save gaems, something he has done quite well in Cordero’s absence. Continue to play Rauch, who could potentially take the job if he performs well enough.

Speaking of six weeks, that is the expected time that Yankees’ catcher Jorge Posada is expected to miss. This is a huge blow to the Yankees, but an even bigger one to those who own Posada. The quality at the catcher position is very thin, and when you have to replace yours five weeks into the season, you could be playing a pretty unhelpful guy. Look for Chris Snyder (ARI) or Ryan Doumit (PIT) on your free agent wire as hopeful replacements.

Aramis Ramirez tested his sore wrist, and it wasn’t good news. Ramirez was hit on the wrist with a pitch thrown by Adam Wainwright, and hasn’t played since. It was reported that Ramirez took three of four swings, and then had to stop. This isn’t a good sign for his owners, and there is no timetable given for his return.

John Lackey is on schedule with his rehab, and as of right now is due to return to the rotation for the Angels on May 14^th. This could be a big help to those of you who have been patient. Lackey doesn’t get a lot of press, but he has been having a few good years in a row.

Ultimate utility man Chone Figgins strained his hamstring, and it has yet to be decided how long he will be out. He will be missed for however long he will be out, as he is sometimes able to singlehandedly win you the steals category.

Great Pitching Performances

If I would have asked you in February, what would be the combined record of Joe Saunders, Edinson Volquez, Cliff Lee, and Ervin Santana, what would you have said? That’s right, that’s what I thought too, 21-1, right! Yeah, we all saw this coming. All four of these pitchers spent some time in the minor league last season, and now are reaping the benefits. The only guy that I expect to keep up near his current pace is the one guy who has a loss in his record, Edinson Volquez. Now he obviously can’t keep the under 2.00 ERA, but I believe he will win 13-15 games and strike out 185 batters. Lee and Santana will most likely have good seasons, they have before, but their ERAs will most likely balloon to the 4.25 range at some point. Saunders I think will have a rude wakeup call and win only about 12 games. All of these guys are great sell high candidates for you.

Two guys have bought their way out of their teams’ rotations already. In Minnesota, they had so much hope (as did I) for the return of Francisco Liriano. Well, that hope was met with a resounding THUD!!! It took just three starts before the Twins had seen enough, and who could blame them? Liriano was 0-3 with and ERA over eleven, while he walked nearly twice the number of hitters that he struck out. General Manager Bill Smith reiterated today that this is no two week stint for Francisco, he’s going to be down there a while. And through two starts, he has done nothing to change that. Liriano’s ERA is near eight, and he is still having crazy control problems.

In Chicago, Rich Hill found himself in Triple-A after his last start only lasted 2/3 of an inning. Hill had been on a short leash all season, but after walking in a run in the first inning, that was all Lou Pinella needed to see. Hill might not be in the minors for too long, but he doesn’t have the fantasy upside that Liriano has either. I would recommend cutting him and seeing if Greg Smith is available.

Johnny Cueto looks like he might be back on track after picking up his second win on Monday. Cueto lasted six innings, gave up just three runs and whiffed eight. Cueto looks like he is going to drive his owners nuts this season. One good start, one bad start, two good starts, three bad starts, oh boy, this is going to be interesting. Overall, I think Cueto will be good, and worth the roster spot on your team.

One of the best stories of the year is the resurgence of Royals starter Zach Greinke. Now before I go any further, let me say that I don’t think that he is for real. I believe he is going to fall on his face sometime soon, and we will see the same pitcher that nearly quick with his 4.26 ERA again.

Big Hitters

True to his word, Dodgers’ Manager Joe Torre started catcher Russell Martin at third base Sunday to keep his bat in the lineup while giving him a day off from behind the plate. Torre is known for riding the guys he trusts until the end, and it appears as though Martin may have turned into one of those guys. Martin will most likely gain 3B eligibility, but it won’t be a great help to you as most fantasy teams have only one catcher, and you will need to play Martin there.

It is time for all of us to jump BACK on the Matt Kemp bandwagon! Kemp was one of the most talked about players during Spring Training, and then he couldn’t get off the bench once the season started. Well, now he can’t get off the field. In his last ten games, Kemp has 17 hits, two homers, 18 ribeyes, and six steals. It is far too late for you to pick him from free agency, and his price tag right now probably makes him too expensive to trade for, but Kemp is one of the more talented young hitters in the NL, and if he continues to get regular playing time, you can see what he is capable of.

We were all excited in April about the possibility of Josh Hamilton hitting in that small ballpark in Texas. Through five weeks, Hamilton hasn’t disappointed. Hamilton leads the majors in RBI with 33, and is hitting .300 with six roundtrippers. If Hamilton can stay healthy, we are looking at a potential .300/35/115 kind of season from him, and considering where you probably drafted him, that would be great.

Chipper Jones is playing so far out of his butt, it is unbelievable. Jones is hitting .425, yes that is not a misprint, I said .425 with nine homers and 27 ribs. I may not be in the majority opinion here, but I would be trying to trade him faster than Ricky Bobby running down the track at Talladega (Shake and Bake!). Jones always has nagging injuries and misses time, and his value will never be higher.

In 2007, Nate McLouth played 137 games, In 2007, Nate McLouth hit .258, with 13 HRs and 36 RBI. Where the hell is all of this going? Well, through 31 games in 2008, Nate McLouth is hitting .323 with seven homers and 25 RBI. He is already at more than half of his production from all of last season. I keep putting him in the sell high portion of my website, but the guy keeps producing. I still think he will come back to earth and you should see what you can get for him now.

Curtis Granderson has been annihilating the ball since he returned from the DL. In the 12 games he has been back, Granderson is hitting .311 with five HRs and nine RBI. The best part of all of this for his owners is that Granderson has kept his strikeouts under control, something that has plagued him in the past. Granderson has only fanned six times, while walking ten, this coming from a guy who has struck out over 310 times in the past two years.

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