Astros stud rookie catcher J.R. Towles got a big scare on Sunday, when a pitch from Marlins closer Kevin Gregg plunked him on the top of his hand.  Initial x-rays came back negative, a diagnosis that was confirmed today by team physician Tom Mehlhoff.  While this is a big relief to both the Astros and fantasy owners, Towles is still too sore to play.  Evidence of this was the ‘Stros decision today to recall C Humberto Quintero from Triple-A Round Rock as insurance while J.R. sits.

Brad Ausmus was the Astros’ opening day starter at catcher Monday, with J.R. Towles on the bench. Later in the game, Manager Cecil Cooper pinch hit Darin Erstad for Ausmus, then put Towles in to catch in the bottom of the inning. Patrick Sullivan of The Baseball Analysts notes that Erstad has hit .248/.310/.335 since 2005 and Towles hit a career .301/.389/.471 in the minors. Sullivan amounts this to an endorsement of Erstad’s hitting over Towles’, and a foolish managerial decision.

However, I think it’s more something to keep an eye on in the future. There no reason to keep this talented young catcher on the bench, not even, in my option, to have a more experienced catcher calling the game for the staff ace, Roy Oswalt. If Towles isn’t put in the starting catcher spot full time (and soon), it would be a waste.

Add the Astros to the list of teams with injuries plaguing their rotations.  Top pitching prospect Felipe Paulino will miss at least a month with a pinched nerve in his throwing shoulder.  The good news is that X-rays revealed no structural damage to Paulino’s arm.  Paulino will not be allowed to throw at all for a month, so it could end up being even longer that he is out depending on how his arm responds to the treatment.  This is a big blow for Paulino, who was definitely in the running for a spot in the ‘Stros rotation.

The Astros top catcher prospect J.R. Towles was injured in today’s game against the Braves while running out a grounder.  Fantasy owners shouldn’t worry however because Towles doesn’t think the injury is too serious or that he’ll be out for very long.

“I think it will be just a couple of days, no more than four or five days,” he said. “I don’t know. They might try to take it easy on me, but I want to get back out there as quick as possible, that’s for sure.”

Towles was doing a great job holding off Humberto Quintero and Brad Ausmus for the starting job, and as long as he comes back sooner than later he should have a very productive fantasy season.

In 6 games played this spring, Astros catching prospect J.R. Towles is batting .538 (7-for-13) and is sporting a .923 slugging percentage. His two doubles and one home run so far this spring were bashed in one game last Tuesday in which he went 3-for-3 and had 4 RBI. Towles said after the game:

“Things are feeling good. I feel comfortable at the plate. I’m seeing the ball well and I’m fortunate enough to put a good swing on it.”

Towles is having the same kind of breakout spring success that teammate Hunter Pence had last year, when he hit .571 with two home runs and 9 RBI as a non-roster invitee. Savvy fantasy managers who were smart enough to grab Pence for his ROY campaign last year should keep an eye on Towles to do the same. Let’s not forget that Towles also hit .375 (15-for-40) with one home run and 12 RBI when he got called up to the Majors in late September. According to Steve Campbell of the Houston Chronicle, Astros manager Cecil Cooper is on board:

“He’s even better than I actually thought. I thought he was pretty good defensively last year, but his offense has continued to surprise me. You always think that’s a they-don’t-know-him thing. But he looks like he’ll be able to hit because his swing is so short and compact.”

What more reason do you need to draft him? Draft him.

• Great day for the Dodgers’ prospects today.  In a heated competition for 3B with Nomar, Andy LaRoche stepped things up today.  He hit a solo home run in the 2nd inning.  He finished 2-4 on the day, and is now batting .385 this spring.
• In the same game, top prospect Clayton Kershaw saw his first action with mixed results.   He allowed a HR to Luis Jimenez and loaded the bases on two cheap hits and a HBP.  But he then buckled down and proceeded to strike out the side.  No surprise with the stuff he has.  He probably won’t be up this year, but when he does look out.  Future ace on any staff.
• Rookie import Hideki Kuroda pitched two scoreless innings today as well.  He has impressed everyone in the Dodger camp with his pitching and especially his toughness, according to this great piece on Kuroda by Ken Rosenthal.
• David Price’s scheduled start was canceled today, but it wasn’t because of his shoulder.  It was because of bad weather.  We’ll definitely have to watch his start on Saturday to see how he responds to the shoulder that was bothering him.
• Royals RHP Luke Hochevar pitched another 2 scoreless innings today.  He gave up 1 H and struck out 2.  He has yet to give up a run this spring, and should definitely be on your radar as a fantasy sleeper in 2008.
• Astros backstop prospect J.R. Towles went a long way today towards putting a nail in the coffin on the starting job.  He hit a bomb, two doubles, and had 4 RBI on the day.  Definitely a sleeper at the shallow C position in fantasy drafts this year.

• Jo-Jo Reyes is making a strong case for the #5 spot in the Braves’ rotation. It appears that he has taken the lead for the rotation spot over Braves’ pitching prospect Jair Jurrjens.
• According to the ESPN Spring Training Blog, Marlins skipper Fredi Gonzalez expects to see Cameron Maybin back in the lineup sometime this week. Good news for Maybin, as he’ll need all the time he can get if he’s going to win that CF job.
• Kosuke Fukudome has been struggling at the plate so far this spring. Cubs new manager Lou Piniella is going to try moving Fukudome from 3rd to 2nd in the lineup, hoping that it will put the Japanese import at ease. Fukudome’s defense has been top notch all spring, however. As long as Fukudome remains at the top of that stacked Cubs order, he’s in line for a great rookie season.
• Very interesting article today in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette about 3B prospect Neil Walker. Apparently the Pirates organization has issued a challenge to Walker to get in better shape to be able to handle the rigors of a full season at 3B. Walker has encountered injury or late-season fatigue in each of his pro seasons. He’s only 22, though, so hopefully he can turn things around and realize the lofty projections scouts have put on him.
• The former Notre Dame two-sport standout, Jeff Samardzija, pitched two scoreless innings today and got the win. Jeff (way easier to spell) was picked up in the 5th round by the Cubs in the 2006 Draft.
• Astros’ prospect Felipe Paulino continues to impress new Houston manager Cecil Cooper as he battles for a spot on the team’s rotation. Cooper said that Paulino’s outing was the second most impressive all camp, behind only Wandy Rodriguez. If Paulino makes the rotation, he could be a major sleeper this year.
• An injury update today on Orioles’ pitching prospect, Troy Patton, and it isn’t good. Nothing conclusive has been released yet, but all indications are that Patton will miss the 2008 season because of his shoulder. This is a real bummer too, as Patton was practically a shoe-in for a roster spot.

The number two prospect in the Astros organization behind only J.R. Towles, this flamethrower has been clocked throwing triple digits.  As Karen Warren of the Houston Chronicle reports, the Astros are quite enamored with the youngster.  They think he has the stuff to settle in behind Roy Oswalt as the #2 starter on their staff.  The article speculates that Paulino will be up sometime this season, possibly as early as May.  Short of Oswalt, there isn’t much in Houston’s rotation to prevent such a move.  While he still seems rather raw, be sure to keep an eye on Paulino.  His stuff is so good, if it all clicks for him he could be a major sleeper with that offense behind him.  That said, it seems unlikely that he will be worth owning in fantasy leagues this year.

Brian McTaggart of the Houston Chronicle says that the Astros plan on starting the season with two catchers, veteran Brad Ausmus and most likely rookie J.R. Towles.

Karen Warren (also of the Chronicle) gives us a quick update on Towles progress:

Catcher J.R. Towles had a pair of throwing errors Monday. On offense, he was 2-for-2 with a home run off lefthander Mark McLemore.

“J.R. Towles put up a couple of the best swings of the day, and Erstad swung the bat good,” manager Cecil Cooper said. “That’s the stuff you want to see.”

A couple of throwing errors this early is nothing to be worried about, and its good to see that Towles is already bringing the thunder.