While the New York Mets haven’t put an exact timetable on when Martinez could return to the big league roster, his prognosis sounds more positive than it did a few weeks ago. It’s no possible that Martinez could return by the beginning of June.

Last season, Martinez battled injuries almost the entire year. He finished his 2007 campaign with a 3-1 record and a 2.57 ERA. The three-time Cy Young Award winner hasn’t been able to pitch 200 innings since the 2005 season.

The Mets could use the presence of Martinez in their starting rotation. The team sits at 20-18 and has lost six of their 11 games. The most noise the Mets’ pitchers made this year was when Billy Wagner called out Oliver Perez.

Photo: Newscom

Post from: Knuckle Curve

Cole Hamels, Philadelphia Phillies
After a solid season last year, many thought Cole Hamels would be better this season. But this better? Hamels has a 0.82 ERA and has given up only 11 hits in 22 innings. At the age of 24, Hamels is quickly becoming one of the best pitchers in the game.

Ben Sheets, Milwaukee Brewers
Ben Sheets has been good for a long time now. This year, he’s pitching even better than ever. Sheets has authored a 1.17 ERA and a record of 2-0. He’s on pace for yet another great season.

Mariano Rivera, New York Yankees
While he’s no youngster, Mariano Rivera is proving that old guys can pitch, too. At 38-years-old, Rivera has been dominant to begin the season. He has five saves, a 0.00 ERA, seven strikeout and no walks in six innings. After a relatively shaky season last year, Rivera is showing he still has some gas left in the tank.

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

I learned two things from our first attempt: First, people seemed to like it, and second, I made the questions too easy. Let’s see if I can do a better job of stumping y’all today:

• I was born in a city whose name means “High View.”
• I thoroughly dominated the Carolina League at age 22.
• I once won a Cy Young Award, although I wasn’t the best choice that year.
• My teammates have included Cecil Fielder, Andres Galarraga, Dwight Gooden, Orel Hershiser, Mark Langston, Kevin Mitchell, and Raul Mondesi.
• I’ve won more games than Bruce Hurst but fewer than Brad Radke.

Who am I?

Post from: Knuckle Curve