FanHouse Luis Ayala

September 1 always brings roster moves for big league clubs, so it's no surprise to see the Marlins shuffling things up today. Well, it's no surprise to anyone not named Luis Ayala. Ayala, the 31-year old reliever, was designated for assignment by the Marlins today after making just appearance since his call-up on August 29th and he was not pleased. This is what he told the South Florida Sun Sentinel:

"It was terrible what they did," Ayala said. "I don't know why they called me up if they were going to do this. I think it's a lack of respect. I know it's a business, but for me, it's something they've handled poorly."

In his place, the Marlins announced the call-up of Rick VandenHurk.

Every Sunday, MLB FanHouse empties out its notebook in Baseball Brunch.

The most remarkable thing about this season as we hit the not-halfway halfway point of the All-Star break isn't Albert Pujols' RBI total. Or Zack Greinke's ERA. Or the PED suspension of one of the game's biggest stars.

It's the standings. And they not only reflect the season so far, they give us a clue as to the weeks head leading up to the non-waiver trade deadline.

The Phillies and Dodgers are the only first-place team with a lead of more than 2 1/2 games. And 21 of the 30 teams are within 7 1/2 games of a playoff spot: nine of 14 in the AL and 12 of 16 in the NL.

Fantasy baseball draft season is coming, so you best be prepared by delving through every major player on each team. Fantasy FanHouse is here to help with a quick once-over.

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Absolute best team in baseball that you've never heard of. The Twins don't spend a lot of money nor do they make a lot of headlines. What they are good at, however, is winning. The Twins won the American League Central Division every year from 2002 to 2004 and again in 2006. In 2007 they finished third in the division and in 2008 they lost a one-game playoff to just miss the post season. This team wins with a small-ball, almost National League feel or approach.

FanHouse continues its 2009 MLB Preview with a look at the Minnesota Twins.

Last year was supposed to be the season in which the Minnesota Twins finally had to deal with reality. They traded Johan Santana to the Mets because they couldn't afford him any longer, and the heart and soul of the team, Torii Hunter, left for the glitz and glamor of Los Angeles. Then the Twins went out and won 88 games and were one run shy of making the playoffs after losing to the White Sox in a one-game playoff for the Central title. This is just what the Twins do. They defy everyone's expectations but their own, and odds are they're going to do it again this season.

Footprints in the Snow is FanHouse's look at the paths to be forged by MLB teams this winter as they look ahead to 2009.

See this kid? That's right -- he's crying. Do you know who caused this? That's right: you, New York Mets. You did this to him not once, but twice, losing the final game of the season at Shea Stadium with a sizable division lead in September and your destiny in your hands.

Only bad people make children cry. And if you do fail for a third season in a row, this child will wind up spending more money on extensive therapy than you did signing Luis Castillo. Heck, with this wig on, it may already be too late. But maybe not. So here's what you -- the Mets -- can do to make sure that this child grows up to lead a somewhat normal life.

The Mets were hoping to get injured closer Billy Wagner back this week. Unfortunately, he reported stiffness and pain in his elbow after throwing off the mound in Pittsburgh this weekend, pushing his return back to ... well, no one knows. All anyone knows for sure is that he's not coming off the DL today.

But relax, Mets fans! To bolster the bullpen, the front office picked up Luis Ayala from Nationals! Jerry Manuel sounds pleased. From Anthony Rieber of Newsday:

"The two innings the other day that we faced him, he threw strikes, attacked the hitters," manager Jerry Manuel said. "I kind of expect the same thing."

Umm ... Jerry? Are you really happy to pick up the Nationals' scraps? Can two good innings last week outweigh the 1-8 record and 5.77 ERA (6.97 since the All-Star break) he's posted over 57 innings the entire season?

When told of Ayala's record and ERA, Manuel said: "Oh, man."

That's right, folks The power of sample size strikes again. Sarcasm aside, no one expects Ayala to be a savior -- all he cost the Mets was the infamous Player to Be Named, whom Reiber outs as the extremely expendable Anderson Hernandez, who's currently hitting .203 for Triple-A New Orleans. If Ayala can simply eat a handful of innings and absorb his nightly beating without giving up the lead, the trade will be worth it.

Luis Ayala can't catch a break. The Nationals' reliever missed the entire '06 season after elbow surgery after he pitched in the World Baseball Classic after the Nationals tried to block him from the tournament because of elbow surgery that off-season. Ayala's latest injury, while not as devastating, is just plain weird.

Nationals right-hander Luis Ayala was hit in the left forearm by a shotgun pellet during a hunting trip but is expected to be able to participate when spring training begins next month.

Ayala has a bruised nerve in his upper forearm and is experiencing a tingling sensation, which the Nationals said Friday is improving daily. Small fragments of the pellet remain in his arm and won't be removed, as long as Ayala does not get an infection.

The reliever has no artery damage and the nerve is intact, the team said, adding that he has full use of his left arm and hand.

And to think, Bobby Knight might have thought all along that shotgun pellets were harmless. Well not always so, coach.

Previously on FanHouse:
Did Bobby Knight Pull a Dick Cheney


Sorry, No Photos

The World Baseball Classic has come and gone ... in a time long long ago (which you know as 2006). The fears of many teams that superstars were going to get hurt and miss significant time were largely unfounded.

So why are we bringing it up? Because there's an exception to every rule, as Nationals reliever Luis Ayala lost an entire season injuring himself during pitching in the WBC (and didn't come back this season until the middle of June). And although it's now 2007, the Nationals are still extremely bitter about it. How do we know? We know because Ken Davidoff of Newsday shared with us what the Nats wrote in Ayala's bio in their '07 media guide:

As a rule, these books don't feature political statement. So imagine this space's laughter when it turned to page 50 of the Nationals' 2007 media guide. The biography of reliever Luis Ayala features a mini-diatribe against last year's World Baseball Classic, during which Ayala suffered a season-ending right elbow injury.

"Pitched in 3 games for Mexico despite multiple appeals levied by the Nationals front office," the bio reads, continuing, "entered training camp with elbow soreness, but Nationals had belief that rest and elbow strengthening exercises would render eventual health." And later: "... on March 16, in a meaningless game for a Mexican team that was mathematically eliminated from advancing to the 2nd round, faced only one batter, Alex Rodriguez, in the 9th inning."

As much as I love bitterness and snarky comments like those, I wonder what the Nationals were trying to accomplish? Get Bud Selig to end the World Baseball Classic? His baby? His original Herculean effort? Good luck, especially when Ayala had a legitimate injury and the team still counted on the WBC to save Ayala from himself, when the organization that signed his checks couldn't save him from the WBC. Did the Nationals really think that the WBC was all about rest and elbow strengthening exercises?

Mike Bacsik is very close to being called up to the major leagues to pitch for the Washington Nationals. But if I was Bacsik, I wouldn't leave the house. You see, the whole reason Bacsik is on his way to the show is because practically every other Nationals starter has fallen to injury. First is was John Patterson. Then Shawn Hill. Jerome Williams came off the DL on the 15th to only last two innings before returning.

And now it's Jason Bergmann, who recently came within six outs of throwing a no-hitter, is on now the disabled list with inflammation in his throwing elbow. So that's four-fifths of his rotation, in addition to Ryan Wagner and Luis Ayala, on the DL. Your starting rotation is now Matt Chico, Jason Simontacchi, Levale Speigner, and Bacsik. Yet this team, amazingly, has won five out of six.

We wondered what was in the Wheaties of the Nationals pitching ... now we know: elbow inflammation. Don't eat those Wheaties, Mike.

Previously on The Fanhouse:
What's in the Wheaties of the Nationals Pitching