One of the last members of the opening day roster to have survived the Mets season relatively intact, David Wright, got hit in the head by a Matt Cain fastball and suffered a concussion.  Wright is day to day but will be monitored for post-concussion symptons.  A CT scan showed no other injuries to his skull.  [ESPN]

Another player was even more lucky to have been hit in the head and survived – and that’s Dodger starter Hideki Kuroda.  Kuroda was struck in the head by a line drive off the bat of D-Back Rusty Ryal – the ball bouncing all the way back behind the catcher and one hopping into the stands.  Kuroda never lost consciousness and a CT scan says no damage, but he was kept overnight as a precaution.  [MLB/ESPN]

Scott Boros inspired greed is interfering with the Nationals’ efforts to sign Stephen Strasburg.  Nationals President Stan Kasten says he has offered a record contract to Strasburg – more than the amount offered to Mark Teixeira and Mark Prior – but Boros is trying to index the number based on the amount of revenue collected by MLB (which, by the way, has doubled since the Cubs signed Prior).  The Nationals have until Monday to sign him, else lose that pick and Strasburg will go into the draft again next  year.  By the way, the top three picks haven’t signed and they are all Scott Boros clients.  [ESPN]

If you hadn’t noticed – most of the problems with just about anything starts with greed.  Greed in the oil industry, greed in the medical and drug industry, greed in sports.  How else to explain $7 beers and $2000 seats, much less bankers and mortgage brokers giving out billions in loans to people who didn’t deserve them (and couldn’t pay them back) and the invention of the derivitives markets because people with too much money to invest and not enough tricks needed something else, and Lord knows what created the ponzi schemes that destroyed our trust in those managing our investments.  Scott Boros embraces that greed and shares it with others, further removing whatever sense of normalcy or decency might remain in the game.

Is Strasburg the most interesting prospect in baseball?  Maybe.  But he still hasn’t done diddly yet as a major leaguer, and Mark Prior’s elbow and shoulder didn’t survive the rigors of the majors (sadly).  The Nationals need all the help they can get – and couldn’t sign Aaron Crow last year.  So Boros is holding the Nationals hostage.  The Nationals can’t even trade the rights to Strasburg to someone else to try and get SOMETHING out of this pick.

How about some good news?  For the Angels, that is…  Torii Hunter will come off the DL today (Sunday) and make his first appearance against the Baltimore Orioles.  Hunter has been out over a month with a strained groin.  [MLB]

The White Sox desperately need a start this weekend, and will be giving a shot to former Sox pitcher Freddy Garcia.  Garcia has been fighting injuries which killed his run in Philadelphia.  Poor results in AAA caused the Mets to release him earlier this season, and it’s not like Garcia has been tearing it up for Charlotte (AAA).  Fortunately, Garcia faces the punchless Kansas City Royals.  On the other hand, I guess Adam Eaton wasn’t available…  [MLB]

It could be that the White Sox aren’t yet ready to give a first MLB start to prospect Daniel Hudson, a fifth round pick in 2008 out of Old Dominion, who has been TEARING up four minor league levels.  [SI]

I like my minor leaguers to have had success in the minors – winning records, great K/9 rates (at least 1:1), fewer than three walks per nine, and preferably low H/9 rates)…  To me, good stuff isn’t enough, he has to win with that good stuff.  Anyway – Hudson has done that.  In 37 minor league starts, he’s 18 – 9, with 240Ks in 204 innings, just 50 walks, and 146 hits allowed.  Now – being tossed through four levels in a season isn’t my favorite thing – and he didn’t DOMINATE AAA in his two starts, but he can’t be that far off.  I’d let him finish August in AAA and maybe give him a cup of coffee in September.  Or, give Hudson that start against KC – just to see what he can do.  Still – the White Sox have Peavy coming back and still have three solid starters on the current roster.  Right now, I’d pick them to blow away the AL Central next year.

Hurry Back!  A sore throwing arm has Ranger catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia on the DL…

Welcome Back!  Tampa recalled Reid Brignac, an infielder who frequently lands on the top prospects lists.  He’s blocked by others – namely Evan Longoria and Jason Bartlett – and another prospect (Tim Beckham) is a few years away, so I would imagine that Brignac will likely be traded away one day.  His positives include power – his negatives include a free swinging attitude, including strikeouts and few walks.  If he turns into Dan Uggla, nobody would complain…  If he turns into Russell Branyan, begging for a job over the next decade, that would be sad.  I could be wrong, but to me he looks a little like Dallas McPherson or Brandon Wood, and neither one has stuck on a big league roster.