It didn’t take long for reigning National League Rookie of the Year Ryan Braun to turn an early season slump into an extended hot streak. And as he has, he’s skyrocketed back into the elite of third base eligible players with position-leading totals of 13 home runs and 37 RBIs. Ten of those 13 homers have come in the month of May, tying Braun with Florida’s Dan Uggla for tops in the majors.

Anyone could have looked at Braun’s breakout rookie season and projected him to be successful as a sophomore in 2008. But, when he began the year by hitting .222 over his first 18 games, one couldn’t help but wonder if Braun would have a down year as he made the switch from the hot corner to left field. He quickly put those concerns to rest with 13 RBIs in his next 11 games, in spite of the fact that his power hadn’t yet arrived. Read more »

This may not be a story come tomorrow, as Boston Red Sox right-hander Justin Masterson is likely headed to Double-A Portland following Tuesday night’s game. But, we will see his name again this season or next, so get familiar with his game and what we might see from him in a prolonged stint in the majors.

He won his first career big league start with 6.1 strong innings in a win over Kansas City. He allowed three hits, three walks and one run and struck out five Royals. Read more »