B.J. Upton (OF, TAM) returned to action Friday, activated from the DL following a lengthy minor-league rehab assignment. Upton has been sidelined with back soreness resulting from a mid-March Grapefruit League OF collision with teammate Desmond Jennings. It is unclear whether Upton's running game, a significant component of his value, will be limited by the injury.

Juan Cruz (RHP, PIT) saved consecutive games on Tuesday and Wednesday as the Pirates took two out of three games from the Diamondbacks. With closer Joel Hanrahan (RHP, PIT) out for a second game with a tight right hamstring, Cruz stepped in and fired his sixth straight scoreless outing to begin the season.

Mark Melancon (RHP, BOS) lived a nightmare against the Texas Rangers on Tuesday night, allowing a walk, a double, and three home runs without recording an out. For the season, Melancon has now allowed 11 ER in only two innings, for a 49.50 ERA. He has taken two losses and was removed from the set-up role in the season's first week. Melancon has options remaining, and on Wednesday he was sent to AAA-Pawtucket in an effort to let him straighten out his mechanics and clear his head. How does his demotion affect the Red Sox pen?

After spending Opening Day on the bench, Juan Pierre (OF, PHI) has since started five of the six games in which the Phillies have faced a right-handed starting pitcher. Just two years ago, Pierre swiped 68 bases and had an SBO of 43%, though those numbers dipped dramatically last year. He was successful on just 27 of his 44 stolen base attempts (61%), and had a 27% SBO. It's unrealistic to expect a full rebound for Pierre, now 34 years old, but he could still be a strong speed source, and has already stolen two bases this year.

Matt Carpenter collected 7 hits and 7 RBI vs. the Cubs in three games this past weekend. He'll likely be on the bench when Lance Berkman returns Tuesday, but keep an eye on him ...

The Giants have been in this position before, but not quite for so long of a stretch: needing to find a fill-in for closer Brian Wilson, who is expected to miss the rest of the season. Late last season, Santiago Casilla answered the call, converting six of seven saves. But might the team do something different this time around?

Under-the-radar Andy Dirks (DH, DET) has taken advantage of his early opportunities in Motown. Can he continue to make an impact? We also take a look at some ailing pitchers in LAA and MIN, some scuffling OF in CIN, and a few significant injury updates.

CLE has signed free agent Johnny Damon (DH/OF, CLE) in an effort to boost its struggling offense. CLE's .176 BA and .617 OPS rank last in the AL through the season's first week. While qualifying initially only at DH in most formats, Damon is likely to become CLE's primary LF and leadoff hitter, though incumbent LF Shelley Duncan is likely to find AB vs. RHP at any of LF, 1B or DH.

Miguel Olivo (C, SEA) was back behind the plate on Thursday, a day after taking his first rest of the season on Wednesday, yielding to Jesus Montero (C/DH, SEA). The Mariners got a good night out of John Jaso (C, SEA) on Wednesday, who served as the DH and got two hits in four AB. With both Montero, 22, and Jaso, 28, one wonders if Olivo's playing time could be at risk as we get further into the season.

[FREE] Dustin Moseley's (RHP, SD) MRI on his sore shoulder came back much worse than expected, and with Tim Stauffer (RHP, SD) still on DL, the Padres have been forced to change their rotation for their final game in Arizona and their upcoming series with the Dodgers. Moseley's MRI showed "extensive damage," and while no timetable has been set for his return, it is clear that he's likely to miss far more than the minimum 15 DL days.

David Wright was initially listed in the April 10 lineup, but was later scratched due to a swollen pinkie. Results of the x-rays aren't yet known, but the swollen finger is currently making it difficult for him to swing the bat. Ronny Cedeno, who had made just three previous starts at third base in his career, took Wright's spot in the lineup, and would be among the candidates to see increased playing time should Wright miss any additional time.