AL East update: everyone's a winner!

AL BEast Notebook - June 26 

It's exciting times in the AL East this summer as all five teams are over .500 (no other division has four). The top and the bottom are separated by just six games, teams are getting healthy, and we are getting a lot of divisional matchups lately. Here is your AL East report, notes from all five teams conveniently in one place.

Boston Red Sox

** Red Sox hoped Clay Buchholz would be ready to start Tuesday's game but he is not progressing from his injury. He is 0-2 in bullpen sessions, and is now unlikely to return before the break.

** Jon Lester was 6-0 with a 2.72 ERA after his ninth start on May 15. In 7 starts since, Lester is 1-4 with a 7.30 ERA. He is giving up lots of hits, lots of walks, and lots of home runs (eight in his last four games).

** The Red Sox sent Will Middlebrooks down to Pawtucket on Tuesday. The third baseman who broke out last year never got going in 2013 and leaves with a .192 average (.228 on-base percentage). One of the reasons the move makes sense is the offensive breakout of slick-fielding Jose Iglesias, who's AVG/OBP is .434/.484 and earns him a spot in the everyday lineup. After hitting three home runs in a game on April 7, Middlebrooks fell into a 5-for-54 slump that he never really got out of.

** One of the biggest keys of the season for the Red Sox was their "improved" bullpen, and that has been a disaster this year. Replacing ineffective and now injured Joel Hanrahan, Andrew Bailey has been removed from the closer role after throwing a gopher ball in four out of five outings (and another run in his most recent game). While Koji Uehara can take his place, all the movement makes the entire bullpen weaker.

** All that negativity being said (what do you expect; I'm a Yankees fan), Boston still has the best record in the American League, and starting pitchers not named Jon Lester are 9-3 in June with a 2.86 ERA.

New York Yankees

** If all goes right, this team could look very different in three weeks: Curtis Granderson, Derek Jeter, Francisco Cervelli, Eduardo Nunez, and Michael Pineda are all progressing and hope to join the Yankees after the All-Star break.

** As for Alex Rodriguez, he caused quite a stir Tuesday when he tweeted that his hip surgeon cleared him to play; GM Brian Cashman responded by saying "Alex should just shut the [expletive] up." A-Rod said he made the statement out of pure excitement from the positive prognosis, but it is obvious that the Yankees organization want to make the public statements and that it's the team doctors that have the authority about when he is physically ready.

On the other hand, it is also obvious that the Yankees want nothing to do with A-Rod and are hoping that the league is able to swiftly get through this Biogenesis mess and suspend him.

** One guy that won't be coming back is Mark Teixeira. His doctors say that his wrist sheath is not healing and season-ending surgery is recommended. Expect the Yankees to be in the trade market for a first baseman.
 
** The thing about this Yankees season is it is very misleading. Vernon Wells is dreadful for two months, then gets a game winning hit. What are we supposed to think, keep him in the lineup? Ichiro had only three extra-base hits since May 11 before hitting the walk-off homer on Tuesday night. Does that mean he deserves to stay in the lineup? Travis Hafner is hitting just .173 since April, but he does have six home runs; should they keep running him out there? Rookie Zoilo Almonte has had a fast start; is he one of the top three outfielders when Granderson returns? And what about Lyle Overbay?

** Hiroki Kuroda has been great, but the rest of the rotation leaves much to be desired. C.C. Sabathia has given up 4+ runs in five of his last seven games, and Andy Pettitte and Phil Hughes are not pitching well. David Phelps and Ivan Nova look great from time to time but also get bombed from time to time. Of those six, Kuroda is the only one with an ERA under 4.00, and the way the Yankees have been hitting the last two months, that's not good enough.

Baltimore Orioles

** Despite getting swept up by the streaking Blue Jays last weekend, there's lots of good news in Baltimore. Wei-Yin Chen, Brian Roberts and Nolan Reimold are all very close to returning. Chen, out since mid-May, will be a welcome sight for a team that has seen enough of Freddy Garcia.

Roberts, a two-time All-Star, has been out since the first week of the season. His replacement, Alexi Casilla, hit his first home run of the season on Tuesday, a three-run shot off Indians Justin Masterson that won the game.

** Orioles fans have come out in droves to vote for All-Stars and the numbers show. Four O's are leading the vote at last count (Chris Davis, J.J. Hardy, Adam Jones and Nick Markakis), and a fifth as a non-starter, Manny Machado, is entirely possible. However, if Markakis does get in then it is unlikely the Orioles would get a fifth, especially with Cabrera, Longoria, Donaldson and Beltre playing well at third base. (Could he still get in on the fan Final Vote?)

** Pitcher Chris Tillman has quietly been the most effective starter in Baltimore. Tillman has not allowed more than three runs in 12 of his last 13 games, and with the way the Orioles hit that's good enough for a 9-1 record since April 22.

** It's not all good news though. Dylan Bundy, who came into 2013 as the best pitching prospect in all of baseball, is scheduled to have Tommy John surgery on Thursday and will miss a whole year.


Tampa Bay Rays

** The Wil Myers Era has begun in Tampa Bay. Myers picked up his eighth RBI in his ninth career game, and is actually the fourth player to do that this season (joining Puig, Gattis and Arenado). Batting behind Evan Longoria, he has already made pitchers pay twice for intentionally walking Longoria in front of him.

** Reigning Cy-Young winner David Price will pitch his second rehab start today (Wednesday). If all goes well, he could be ready to start for the Rays next week in Houston. Price has been out since May 16, and wasn't very good before that (1-4, 5.24).

** Fellow starter Alex Cobb took a line drive off his face June 15 and received a concussion. He is still having symptoms and is not close to returning.

** Speaking of pitchers, Matt Moore had a game reminiscent to Wild Thing on Tuesday. He struck out 11 batters but walked 6, throwing a career-high 120 pitches and only got through the sixth inning.

Toronto Blue Jays

** The win on Wednesday puts the Jays back over .500 but that's not all the good news in Toronto. Jose Reyes, who hadn't played since April 12 with an injury, was back in the lineup Wednesday against the Rays. And who wouldn't be excited about getting back a switch-hitting, high-energy, leadoff man shortstop that won a batting title a couple years ago?

R.A. Dickey threw a gem on Wednesday, allowing just two hits and one walk as the Blue Jays ace shutout the Rays in Tampa Bay. Blue Jays are hoping that great performance, along with Reyes' return, can get them back on another big run with an important series at Fenway Park up next.

** Blue Jays big 11-game winning streak that took them over .500 (and briefly out of the division basement) coincides with some great pitching, especially the return of Josh Johnson from injury and the addition of veteran Chien-Ming Wang to the rotation. Esmil Rogers got pounded on Sunday, but he had pitched very well in his previous four starts (2-0, 1.71).

** Two other injury notes: third baseman Brett Lawrie is still a month away from returning and pitcher Brandon Morrow suffered a setback and has yet to resume throwing.