Mike Trout, OF, Angels: When a player reaches the majors at age 20, the general assumption is he'll struggle for a couple weeks before inevitably returning to the minors for more seasoning. In Trout's case, it was especially true since that's basically what happened to him as a 19-year-old last year. But that little bit of time he spent getting his feet wet has apparently made all the difference. So far in 2012, his numbers have translated from Triple-A Salt Lake. He was hitting .403 there. He's hitting .355 now, with just as much speed and, as is often the case for a high-ceiling player getting an opportunity to see more strikes, more power. Over the last two weeks, Trout has performed like a top-30 Fantasy outfielder, and given his talent, you have no reason to believe it'll end anytime soon.

Matt Carpenter 3B/1B/OF, Cardinals: With Allen Craig (hamstring) and Lance Berkman (knee) both forced to the DL over the weekend, the Cardinals went from having too many corner infield-outfield types to not enough. Or perhaps just enough if you count Carpenter among the list of viable starting options, and he has given you no reason why you shouldn't, compiling an .845 OPS in part-time duty. Of course, Matt Adams is also in the mix, but the Cardinals have enough holes in their lineup that Carpenter should still get to play more often than not against right-handed pitchers. Though he struggled in a similar role when Craig and Berkman were both sidelined earlier this season, he has since come around with a .348 (8 for 23) batting average and two home runs over his last nine games. With his extra-base pop and on-base ability, the rookie should be a serviceable corner infielder in mixed leagues.

Bartolo Colon, SP, Athletics: Colon was the talk of the baseball world at the start of 2011, submitting to an unorthodox procedure to help him recapture his lost form. But if he ran out of steam then, at age 38, you had to expect he would again this year, at age 39. Apparently this time, it took only six starts. Now the hot waiver pickup who was going eight innings with ease in March and April has given up 36 hits in 19 innings over his last four starts. Considering his average fastball velocity has dropped a mile per hour or two during that stretch, it's probably not just a matter of him needing to locate his pitches better. He was worth a shot early, but you should feel comfortable letting him go in standard mixed leagues.

A.J. Ellis, C, Dodgers: Ellis was never considered a top catching prospect. He didn't have the all-around offensive ability of a Devin Mesoraco or the raw power of a Wilin Rosario. But one thing he could always do is walk. Boy, could he walk, compiling a .406 on-base percentage over nine minor-league seasons. So what, then, is so unsustainable about his numbers now -- numbers that have made him the ninth-ranked catcher in standard Head-to-Head leagues? It's not like he's homering every other day. No, it's the .446 on-base percentage that's carrying him. Maybe if he was doing something he'd never done before, you could dismiss a player with his lack of pedigree, but because walks are as natural to him as they are to Jonathan Sanchez, you should feel pretty good about starting him in a standard mixed league.

Cut loose by Royals, White joins independent team - MLB - CBSSports.com News, Rumors, Scores, Stats, Fantasy Advice

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Cut loose by Royals, White joins independent team

The Sports Xchange

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--Frank White, who is in the Royals Hall of Fame but was axed by the club as a television commentator in December, has been hired by the Kansas City T-Bones, an independent minor league club in Wyandotte County, Kansas. White, who has a statue outside of Kauffman Stadium, will be a first base coach and serve in a variety of other roles with the T-Bones. White coached and managed in the minors and majors from 1992-2006.

--RHP Roman Colon, who had a 5.33 ERA in 48 relief appearances in 2009-10 with Kansas City, has signed a minor league contract with the Royals. Colon, 32, was released by the Royals last year so he could play in Korea.

--LHP Francisley Bueno, who has been added to the Royals' non-roster spring training invitees, went 4-2 with a 1.90 ERA in 11 games, including seven starts, in the Dominican Winter League. Bueno, 30, held opposing hitters to a .179 average, allowing only 28 hits in 42 2/3 innings. He was 7-5 with a 4.15 ERA last season for Monterrey in the Class AAA Mexican League.

--RHP Jake Odorizzi, who was 10-7 with a 3.73 ERA while splitting time between high Class A Wilmington (Del.) and Class AA Northwest Arkansas, was invited to his first spring training as a non-roster player. Odorizzi was acquired from the Brewers in the Zack Greinke trade.

--OF Wil Myers, who is considered the Royals' top hitting prospect, received an invitation to his first spring training. Myers battled a knee injury last season and hit only .253 with eight home runs in 99 games with Northwest Arkansas in the Texas League, but had a productive Arizona Fall League.

BY THE NUMBERS
8-17 -- Royals' record on Wednesdays in 2011, by far their worst record of any day.

QUOTE TO NOTE
"He dominated the Carolina League the half he was there and he went to Double-A, and there's a little bit of a learning curve, but he adjusted really quick. For me, that's a pretty good sign." -- Scott Sharp, the Royals' minor league director, on RHP Jake Odorizzi, who will come to spring training as a non-roster invitee.

Copyright (C) 2012 The Sports Xchange. All Rights Reserved.

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