Slow start for Teixeira creates buying opportunity?

Ten games into the 2010 season, Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira has only three hits (and ten walks) in 36 at bats (.083 average).

Despite his struggles, Teixeira is trying to maintain a positive attitude.

"The competitor in you, you never accept failure. You never like not getting hits. But at the same time, I stick with my plan and I know that it's all about the team," Teixeira said, per Mark Hale of the New York Post. "And we're 7-3 right now. The team's doing great."

It's not uncommon for Teixeira to get off to slow starts. There are three things that seem certain in the month of April: taxes, showers and a slow start for Tex.

His April (through Friday's game) career .242 average, 22 home runs and 78 runs batted in are by far his lowest totals for any month. The next lowest splits are .277 (June), 39 HRs (May) and 119 RBI (July), respectively.

That said, Teixeira was hitting only .200 at the end of April 2009 with three home runs and ten runs batted in. He finished the season with a .292 average, 39 home runs and 122 runs batted in and in second place (behind Minnesota's Joe Mauer) in AL MVP voting.

If Teixeira is on your fantasy team, it's way too early to be concerned considering his typical slow starts, enormous skills, the great lineup around him and his home ballpark.

If he's not on your team, however, consider making a buy-low offer to the owner that does and reap the benefits. Hurry up while values are deflated.

A's lock up Brett Anderson through 2015

He's one of baseball's best young pitchers.

And today the A's signed Brett Anderson to an extension that could keep the 22-year-old in Oakland through the 2015 season. The extension is through the 2013 season, but there are club options for both 2014 and 2015.

The first four years are worth $12.5 million while the total deal could reach a maximum of $31 million if Oakland exercises their option in both years.

The 2015 season would have been Anderson's first year of free agency.

"Let's face it, it's not only having him for that length of time, but also, given his talent, it provides us with some cost control," A's general manager Billy Beane said, per MLB.com. "Premium starting pitchers, guys who can pitch in that No. 1 slot, which we think Brett will be doing very shortly, become very expensive very quickly. We think Brett's a pretty unique talent. The more we saw of him and the longer we waited, the more expensive it was going to become. We jumped early."

In his final 17 starts in 2009, Anderson finished with an 8-4 record and 2.96 ERA. So far this year, Anderson has pitched 12 scoreless innings and struck out ten batters.

In the American League, the only young pitcher (under 25 years old) better than Anderson is Seattle's Felix Hernandez. This is a great move for the A's to lock up their future ace at a reasonable cost.

Jimmy Rollins lands on 15-day DL

Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins got off to a bad start in 2009 hitting .207, .238 and .167 in April, May and June, respectively.

His start in 2010 was different.

Through the first seven games, Rollins was hitting .391 and scored eight runs. He also hit one home run and stole two bases.

That said, Rollins, who suffered a calf strain during warmups on Monday, was placed on the 15-day disabled list today, retroactive to Tuesday.

“It’s unfortunate,” Rollins said before Wednesday night’s game against Washington, per the Associated Press. “From Monday to today, it’s much better. I thought it was torn.”

Juan Castro will replace him at shortstop and Shane Victorino will leadoff while Rollins is out.

Monday Night Links

Phillies closer Brad Lidge says not to worry about allowing four runs in his first Single-A rehab appearance of 2/3 of an inning.

Texas outfielder Julio Borbon was benched after starting the season 1-for-21. Returning to the lineup, Borbon went 0-for-4.

Meanwhile teammate Joaquin Arias has four straight multi-hit games filling in for injured second baseman Ian Kinsler.

The Giants won't pitch Matt Cain against the Dodgers over the weekend.

Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun is being more selective at the plate.

“I just can’t pay any attention to any of this crap going on around me,” Red Sox DH David Ortiz said, per the Boston Herald. “Just play the game. The game is hard enough for people to be talking trash about you and you paying attention to it. You can’t listen to it.”

A's reliever Tyson Ross got his first-ever save last night.

It might be a while before Orioles 'closer' Mike Gonzalez gets another save opportunity.

The Twins beat the Red Sox 5-2 in the first-ever game at Target Field.

Red Sox pitcher Jon Lester said of today's performance: “Today I just stunk. Didn’t make pitches. I don’t really know what else to say.’’

Rangers outfielder Nelson Cruz hit his fifth home run of the season.

The Royals had 15 hits against the Tigers today.

Scott Rolen homered twice as the Reds beat the Marlins today.

The Padres scored 17 runs against the Braves today.

Dodgers pitchers Clayton Kershaw and Chad Billingsley have added a slider and changeup, respectively, to their pitching repertoires, per Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times.

Texas will start Ryan Garko at first base on Thursday.

The Pirates scratched pitcher Ross Ohlendorf for tonight's start against the Giants.

Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts might need more time after he's eligible to return from the DL.

Indians outfielder Grady Sizemore misssed his second straight game.

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Aaron Hill put on the DL

The Toronto Blue Jays have placed second baseman Aaron Hill on the 15-day disabled list (DL), per Rosie DiManno of the Toronto Star.

The move is retroactive to April 8th, which means Hill will be eligible to return on April 23rd.

“It’s not the way I wanted to start off,’’ Hill said. “Like I told them, ‘I know in the back of my mind you guys are making the right decision’ – even though I fought ’em on it. Obviously, I want to be out there.’’

While Hill is out, John McDonald and Mike McCoy are splitting the second baseman duties.

In eight at bats this season, Hill has only one hit.

Sunday Night Links

Cleveland's Grady Sizemore was a scratch from Sunday's game with back stiffness. And he might miss Monday's home opener.

Indians prospect Carlos Santana hit his fourth home run for Triple-A Columbus already.

To make room for Gil Meche's return, the Royals have sent Mike Aviles down to Triple-A Omaha.

Phillies ace Roy Halladay threw his first N.L. complete game as the Astros dropped to 0-6, which is their worst start since 1983.

The Mets called up Raul Valdes to fill in for Sean Green, who was placed on the 15-day disabled list (DL).

It doesn't look like Rangers second baseman Ian Kinsler will return from the DL before the Red Sox series that begins on April 20th.

Mets manager Jerry Manuel said about today's performance, “We appeared unprepared. And I have to take responsibility for that.”

Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez says of the team's defense, "We need to tighten up."

Boston's Mike Lowell is considering retirement when his three-year contract expires at the end of the season.

"I have a really good friendship with Mark McGwire. I'm proud of him," Bonds said Sunday, per the Associated Press. "We've had a great relationship throughout our entire lives and throughout our career. I'm proud of what he did. I'm happy for him."

Pittsburgh manager John Russell moved Garrett Jones to the cleanup spot while moving Lastings Milledge to third (from fifth).

In today's fourth inning against the Diamondbacks, the Pirates tied a franchise record by allowing 13 runs.

Part of the 13-run outburst came from pitcher Edwin Jackson's first career home run.

Through two starts, Tigers ace Justin Verlander has an ERA of 9.00.

The earliest return (barring setbacks) for Cubs pitcher Ted Lilly is April 24th, per Gordon Wittenmeyer of the Chicago Sun-Times.

John Hester will back up D'Backs catcher Chris Snyder, who will replace the injured Miguel Montero.

In his pro debut for Triple-A Louisville, Reds pitcher Aroldis Chapman hit triple digits on the radar gun three times.

The Angels lead the majors in home runs allowed so far this season.

Shameless plug(s) of the day: Check out my latest post at The Daily Blitz and my latest post at FootBaltimore.com.

Brian Roberts headed to the DL?

According to Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun, it looks as though the Orioles will place second baseman Brian Roberts on the 15-day disabled list with an abdominal strain.

The Orioles have recalled second baseman Justin Turner from Nolfolk, their Triple-A affiliate.

When told about Turner, Roberts responded, "Well, I guess I am going on the DL then."

Roberts, who suffered the injury on a stolen base on Friday, has two stolen bases in four games, but he was hitting only .143 (2-for-12).

Meanwhile, Julio Lugo, who will likely fill in while Roberts is out, is 2-for-14 in his four games played including Sunday.

Miguel Montero to have knee surgery

The Arizona Diamondbacks have placed catcher Miguel Montero, who will require knee surgery, on the 15-day disabled list (DL), per Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic.

Montero has a torn meniscus and additional tests will be performed to verify whether there is any additional damage to the knee.

"I don't think it's fair to throw out too many timetables until we get the final tests on Monday," [manager A.J.] Hinch said.

In four games, Montero was batting .500 (6-for-12) with three runs batted in. While he is out, Chris Snyder will take his place.

Snyder, who is 1-for-6 this season, hit a career-high 16 home runs with 64 runs batted in during the 2008 season.

Feliz (not Francisco) to close for Texas

I can't say that I didn't see it coming.

In one of our Fantasy Baseball Weekly podcasts in late-February, we discussed relief pitchers (and catchers). Fearing a potential implosion and subsequent replacement by Neftali Feliz, I mentioned during that podcast that I would avoid Rangers closer Frank Francisco on all of my fantasy baseball teams.

That said, it's happened quicker than I thought although manager Ron Washington implied that the transition is temporary.

“That just didn’t look like Frankie,” Washington said Sunday, per the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “We haven’t seen that [closer] guy … and there’s no way we can go through this year without Frankie Francisco.”

If Feliz has more success than Francisco, who has blown two of three save opportunities, however, it's easy to imagine this move being more than just temporary for the 2010 season.

Cliff Lee to miss all of April

Seattle Mariners pitcher Cliff Lee, on the 15-day DL retroactive to March 26th, isn't expected to pitch at all in the month of April.

Lee, who should begin a minor league rehab assignment after a simulated game on the 16th, said Friday's 25-pitch bullpen session was "normal, felt good."

"Safely, I think we're looking at, hopefully, the first week in May,'' said manager Don Wakamatsu, per Geoff Baker of The Seattle Times. "Again, anything before that, I don't think he'll be built up and we won't feel comfortable.''

Although the injury is related to abdomen -- and not his arm or shoulder, it makes sense to take a cautious approach.

Mike Gonzalez blows another one

Going one out of three is good. If you're a hitter, that is. It's not so good when you're the closer.

For the second time in three appearances, Orioles closer Mike Gonzalez has blown a save opportunity.

To make matters worse, today's 7-6 loss to the Blue Jays came during the largest home Opening Day crowd (48,891) at Camden Yards. His first blown save came on Opening Day in Tampa.

That said, Orioles manager Dave Trembley says of Gonzalez that “he’s the closer.”

If you have a glass-half-full perspective, there won't be any more Opening Days in his future until 2010.

Either way, it might be wise to add Jim Johnson to your fantasy roster as a handcuff.

Brewers, Gallardo agree to extension

The Milwaukee Brewers have signed Yovani Gallardo, who turned 24 years old in February, to a five-year contract extension, per Adam McCalvy of MLB.com.

This deal, which guarantees Gallardo $30.1 million, will keep their young ace in town through the 2014 season. There is a club option for a sixth year (2015).

Gallardo would have been eligible for arbitration after this season and eligible for free agency after the 2013 season.

"We are thrilled to sign one of our top young players to a long-term deal," said Melvin in a news release. "We view Yovani as a top of the rotation performer who has a chance to become one of the elite pitchers in the game. He is the cornerstone of our starting rotation and the ideal pitcher to build our staff around for future seasons."

Last year, Gallardo became the fourth Brewer pitcher to have struck out 200 batters in one season. He finished the year with a record of 13-12, 3.73 ERA and 204 strike outs in 185 2/3 innings.

After signing Gallardo and outfielder Ryan Braun to long-term extensions, the Brewers will continue to work on signing first baseman Prince Fielder to a long-term deal next, despite placing blame on a team like the Yankees for the economic imbalance in baseball.

Mid-May return for Huston Street?

It was confirmed, by Dr. James Andrews, that the shoulder of Colorado Rockies closer Huston Street has inflammation but no structural damage, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post.

Meanwhile, Renck's best guess for Street's return is roughly May 15th as trainer Keith Dugger will have Street work on conditioning before resuming his throwing program.

"We fear if I ramp up the throwing, I'll keep getting inflamed and it'll be a long, circular process, so Dugger has me on a program to build it up," Street said, per MLB.com.

Despite giving up one run in one inning on Monday, Franklin Morales, Street's injury substitute at closer, is one-for-one on save opportunities so far.

Note: you can follow us on Twitter @EDSBaseball.

Monday Night Links

''He said, 'Good luck. Sincerely, Ozzie.' And couple more phrases,'' said [Cubs manager Lou] Piniella [of a note left by Ozzie Guillen]. ''It wasn't twitted, and I'm appreciative of that.''

Mariners pitcher Cliff Lee had a pain-free catch for a second day in a row.

Giants ace Tim Lincecum threw seven scoreless innings in tonight's win over the Astros.

Albert Callaspo might start at third base for the Royals on Wednesday.

In his first at bat of the season, Mets third baseman David Wright homered.

And Pittsburgh's Garrett Jones homered twice.

Meanwhile, Braves rookie phenom Jason Heyward crushed a home run in his first-ever at bat in the big leagues.

Blue Jays closer Jason Frasor said of his blown save today: “Unfortunately, I have 48 hours to think about it. I’m six years older than I was when I first started blowing games, so it’s a little easier.”

The Red Sox will give Josh Beckett $68 million over four years.

Meanwhile the Pirates have the lowest payroll ($35.4 million) in baseball in 2010.

Shameless plug(s) of the day: Check out our 2010 fantasy football (quarterback) rankings or weigh in on a McNabb-versus-Kolb discussion on our football forums.

Amazing play by Mark Buehrle

White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle, who started his eighth season opener, pitched seven scoreless innings against the Cleveland Indians today.

More impressively, one of those 21 outs could "end up being the Sox' defensive play of the year," as pointed out by Kyle Koster of the Chicago Sun-Times.

"Unbelievable," said Cleveland right fielder Shin-Soo Choo. "I think that was the best play I've ever seen. I thought he had no chance."