Lee, who was leading the National League with 100 RBIs, got hit by a pitch from Cincinnati Reds starter Bronson Arroyo. After immediately leaving the game, Lee had an X-Ray that revealed his left pinky is broken and that the injury will require surgery.

At 58-59, the Astros are a long shot to see postseason play. Coming into the season, some prognosticators said the Astros would make the playoffs. Now with Lee out for the season, those hopes seem all but closed.

On the season, Lee was batting .314 and had 28 home runs to go with his NL leading 100 RBIs.

Post from: Knuckle Curve

Last season, Sabathia was lights out. He was 19-7 with a 3.21 ERA as he dominated in his best season to date. He was particularly dominant after the All-Star Game, posting a 2.76 ERA in 15 starts.

Is it time to worry about Sabathia?

Well, first before we worry, we should try to figure out what is wrong with him. The first thing everyone thinks of is his contract situation. Sabathia can become a free agent at the end of the season. If he has a good season, Sabathia can become a very, very rich man. Is the pressure getting to him? It’s certainly possible.

Another possibility could be wear and tear. Last season, Sabathia pitched a baseball high of 241 innings, plus 15 more in the postseason. That’s a whole lot of innings, especially for someone who had pitched more than 200 innings only once in his career. Could the extra innings be the cause of his problems?

Again, it’s possible. In 2006, Bronson Arroyo led the majors in innings pitched and had an off season last year. Livan Hernandez led the majors in innings pitched in 2005 and played worse in 2006. In 2004, Randy Johnson pitched 245 innings and struggled the next season. While obviously this is a small sample size to look at, Sabathia carrying the load last season may be catching up to him this year.

So, should we worry about Sabathia? If it’s contract related, that’s something he should be able to get over once he relaxes (or signs an extension). However, if it’s wear and tear, this could very well be an off year for Cleveland’s ace. Not 13.50 ERA bad, however.

His next couple starts will be key. If Sabathia can’t show signs of turning it around, the Indians should consider putting him on the DL while they delve more into this issue.

Image details: Cleveland Indians Media Day served by picapp.com

Post from: Knuckle Curve

• Phillies at Reds, 9:35 a.m. PT — Fire up a pot of coffee and sidle on up to the Internet (really, I’d like to see that). Cole Hamels and Bronson Arroyo square off in Monday’s first game. Plus you get a chance to watch Jeff “Offensive Beast” Keppinger in action. Honestly, I always thought that guy could be useful if given the chance, but .435/.480/.826 through the first week? Man, I love small samples. They’ll show you just about anything you want to see.
• Mariners at Orioles, 12:05 p.m. PT — I don’t know that this will be a good game to watch, but it could be interesting. First off, you’ve got Carlos Silva hooking up against Daniel Cabrera on the mound. Are there two more different pitchers in the game today? Bob Tewksbury and Steve Dalkowski have retired, right? The other story line, of course, is Adam Jones facing his former team. I still can’t believe Baltimore had the smarts to make that deal.
• Braves at Rockies, 5:35 p.m. PT — Colorado has stumbled to a 1-5 start in ‘08. Maybe facing 42-year-old Tom Glavine in their home park will help. You know what else would help? Not hitting .209/.281/.333 as a team. You think?

Happy Monday, folks, and happy watching!

Post from: Knuckle Curve