Arizona Diamondbacks

I pulled Stephen Drew off waivers in one league, dropping Peralta. If you need SS help, it would be a good time to buy low, but that window is closing quickly.

Diamondbacks shortstop Stephen Drew has hit in eight consecutive games, and the past seven have come as the Diamondbacks' leadoff hitter. Since moving to the No.1 spot in the order following the trade of Felipe Lopez to the Brewers, Drew is hitting .500 (15 for 30) with five doubles, 10 runs scored and five RBIs. "He's feeling comfortable at the top of the order and self-consciously changed his approach, his touch and is a little more patient," Manager A.J. Hinch said. "Whether that's a placebo effect or real, it's noticeable. . . . Whatever the reasons are for it, I like it."

AZ Central.com

D-Backs reliever Jon Rauch's career with the Diamondbacks got off to a rocky start, with his late-season collapse in 2008 followed by a bad six weeks to open this season. But Rauch has turned things around recently, allowing just five runs in his past 24 appearances for a 1.90 ERA. He began the season with a 7.25 ERA in his first 22 games.

"His weapons have gotten better, his confidence has improved and he's settled into that late-inning role," Hinch said. "He likes to pitch important innings. "What comes first the mentality or the success? I'd say a little bit of both. His approach changed and his mentality has shifted positively with it."

AZ Central

Justin Upton admits to being frustrated, but the Diamondbacks' All-Star right fielder doesn't expect his struggles to last much longer. "I'm not far from getting back on track," he said Tuesday. "Once I do, hopefully I can get back to producing."

After a slow couple of weeks to the season, Upton went on a blistering tear for five weeks, hitting .397 for 126 at-bats. But he has returned to Earth since, especially cooling off recently, going 11 for 63 (.175) in his past 16 games entering Tuesday. For a player who has such high expectations of himself, Upton's frustrations aren't surprising.

"You want to produce every day, and it's virtually impossible to do it," he said. "It's just one of those rough patches, and being a player, you're out there grinding every day, and you're going to get frustrated. That's the nature of the game, the nature of being a competitor."

Nick Piecoro

Drew back in leadoff spot

Hear Hear!

The NL Worst. The NL Weak Division. We've heard it all. After a 2007 NLCS matchup pitting two West teams, we hoped that would change, but a brutal 2008 revitalized that reputation. With San Diego set to field an epicly bad team coming into the 2009, the division's reputation didn't get better in the eyes of many. Times have changed. Don't believe what your TV says. The Mets and Phillies can eat my shorts. Outside of the AL East and their monstrous payrolls, the best baseball is being played in the West. Here's some fun factoids for you:

* 9 teams have 50 wins. 3 are in the AL East, 3 in in the NL West, and one each in the AL West, NL East, and NL Central.
* 7 teams have a run differential of +40 or more. 3 are in the AL East, 3 in in the NL West, and one in the NL East.
* 4 teams have 30 home wins. 2 are in the AL East, 2 in the NL West.
* 3 teams have at least 27 road victories. 2 are in the NL West, one in the NL East, and NONE in the AL East.
* 6 NL teams were .500 or better in interleague. 3 of those are in the NL West.
* T3 of the top 4 teams in the NL by win percentage are in the West.
* The best team in MLB is in the NL West.

Purple Row

Ryan Roberts has a little pop in his bat, very little, and a little bit of speed, but you'll never confuse him with Chase Utley. In deeper leagues, at the minimum, he should be on your watch list.

Sunday's trade of Felipe Lopez to Milwaukee opens up second base, and Roberts got the first crack, starting there Monday night. He said he has spent too much time recently thinking about things he can't control. Instead of worrying about playing time, he said he will take it day by day.

"I'm pretty sure it's going to be based on performance," he said. "If you go out there and you're hot and get a lot of knocks, then you'll play. That's not up to me to decide. I'm just going to go out there and do what I can tonight and see what happens tomorrow."

After breaking camp with the club, Roberts started hot but went just 3 for his last 40 before being sent down. He recovered in Reno, going 13 for 42 (.310).

AZ Central

Solid deal for the Brewers. I guess this means that McGehee is going back to the minors?

The Diamondbacks traded second baseman Felipe Lopez to the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for two minor leaguers. The Diamondbacks will receive High-A right-hander Roque Mercedes and Triple-A outfielder Cole Gillespie.

Mercedes, 22, had a 1.08 ERA in 29 games for Brevard County of the Florida State League with 45 strikeouts in 41 2/3 innings. He has a 4.50 ERA in 382 1/3 innings in his minor league career.

Gillespie was hitting .242 with a .332 on-base and .424 slugging for Nashville of the Pacific Coast League. He had 12 doubles, five triples and seven home runs. A third-round pick in 2006 out of Oregon State, Gillespie is a career .281 hitter in parts of four minor league seasons.

azcentral.com blogs

If you haven't already, you can pretty much write Conor Jackson off for this fantasy season.

"This is the best run I've had in the past two months," Jackson said Saturday, referring to the previous four days, when he participated in baseball activities. "There's definitely room for optimism."

Jackson has been on the disabled list since May 12 after contracting valley fever, which led to a bad case of pneumonia and could help explain his .182 batting average in 99 at-bats. Ever since, he has struggled to maintain his energy level from day to day. Still, after four good days of work, Jackson looked exhausted after taking early batting practice Saturday and later admitted he didn't feel as strong.

Once he is able to begin playing in games, manager A.J. Hinch said Jackson likely would need between two to four weeks on a minor-league rehab assignment.

azcentral.com

I am still casting my vote for Timmay! I do get a vote, right?

tonight proved beyond all doubt who is the master and who is the pupil. Dan Haren must start the All-Star Game for the National League, not Tim Lincecum. The Giants' ace may have taken a no-hitter into the seventh inning last night, but he was chased from the mound before getting the next three outs. And, besides, that was against the Padres [who came one error from getting perfectoed tonight], so it hardly counts.

In contrast, Dan Haren pitched a complete-game shutout against a much better team, the Florida Marlins, allowing four hits and one walk while striking out ten, in a masterful performance that was a joy to watch, and lowered his ERA to 2.01, the best in the major-leagues. All-Star game aside, what it also did was wash away the dreadful after-taste left by last night's abomination. While our relief corps may suck, with Haren on the mound, who needs them? Bullpens. They're vastly over-rated...

AZ Snakepit