How can you not pay special attention to Mike Trout right now? The Angels are visiting Florida this week, first with a series in St. Petersburg against the Rays, then on to Miami to face the Marlins. But it doesn't matter who the Angels are playing.
Of all Trout's great traits, consistency might be his best. But he gets hot, too, and right now he's searing. Since May 12, one game after he returned from his leg issues, Trout has six homers, 13 RBIs and a 1.686 OPS. It almost came to this: Mets manager Terry Collins admitted that he was thinking of walking Trout with the bases loaded this past weekend. The Trout is headed to Florida, and neither the Rays nor the Marlins have a Hemingway to reel him in. -- Bradford Doolittle
We'll see how far the Dodgers will take their rotation shenanigans. Clayton Kershaw starts Tuesday night against the Cardinals, and you might think that would mean he'll also get to face the Cubs on Sunday on normal rest, something that might put a smile on the face of every Brewers fan.
The other thing about this that makes you wonder: Kershaw missed the Cubs during the Dodgers' trip to Wrigley in April. If he doesn't face the Cubs on Sunday, when is he ever going to face the team he lost to in Game 6 of the National League Championship Series last year? If not this coming weekend, his only potential rematch would be in October, because the two teams don't face each other again during the regular season. -- Christina Kahrl
Wait and see with the Astros' disabled ace: The Astros are saying the right things about Dallas Keuchel doing the right thing ... but no one can say it will definitively minimize his downtime. Unlike last year, when Keuchel kept mum about shoulder soreness -- a factor that might have contributed to the premature end to his season -- this time Keuchel immediately alerted the medical staff to neck soreness he attributed to having "slept wrong." A diagnosis of a pinched nerve led to his 10-day DL assignment.
Although Keuchel is projected to miss only one start, there is no way to know how his neck will respond to treatment. More important, "pinched nerves" represent a spectrum of injuries, the range of which can include pain and/or weakness affecting the neck, shoulder or entire arm. Keuchel's diagnosis also raises questions as to whether last year's shoulder issue could potentially be related to his neck. One only has to look at the injury paths of fellow pitchers Yu Darvish and Jordan Zimmermann to see how the neck and arm interrelate. If Keuchel is fortunate enough to return after just one missed start, the next hurdle will be preventing recurrence. -- Stephania Bell
You get to see more of Ian Happ: The Cubs remain on the outside looking in of the top 10 run-scoring teams in baseball, and Happ is likely to stick around as long as he hits, if not longer. Not only was Happ not sent back to Triple-A Iowa this weekend when Jason Heyward came off the disabled list, but he continued to protect Anthony Rizzo in the lineup, ahead of Heyward.
In seven games, Happ has two home runs, five walks and an 1.183 OPS, and it sure looks like the switch-hitter who played only a month at Triple-A could be the Cubs' regular center fielder for good. Meanwhile, Kyle Schwarber is hitting .185, and he's not exactly a Gold Glover in left field. With the Cubs scheduled to face four left-handers this week, Schwarber might see more bench time than normal -- while Happ keeps on playing. -- Eric Karabell
V-Mart could keep sizzling at the plate: After a sluggish start, Victor Martinez has been on a tear in May, batting .360/.431/.580. Now he and the Tigers get the advantage of an additional game this week, including the advantage of four games apiece against the Houston Astros and Chicago White Sox while avoiding both of those team's top lefties, Keuchel (who will miss his scheduled turn against them with his trip to the DL) and Jose Quintana.
It's a good opportunity for the Tigers, who have rarely had their entire lineup healthy at a given time, to catch fire offensively and perhaps take command in the currently tight American League Central race. And fantasy owners, you might also want to take a look at Alex Avila as your No. 2 catcher (if your league requires one), as the Tigers are scheduled to face seven right-handed starters during the week. -- Tristan Cockcroft