Jose Reyes' (SS, MIA) first month-plus in South Florida hasn't been overly enjoyable. At right around .500, the team is playing worse than expected, and Reyes has yet to provide the spark a the top of their lineup.

Pablo Sandoval (3B, SF) exited Wednesday's game with an injured hand after a sixth-inning AB; tests on Thursday revealed a broken left hamate bone and the Giants placed him on the 15-day DL. In case this sounds familiar, Sandoval broke the hamate bone in his right hand in 2011. He missed 41 games last season, which makes the 4-to-6 week timetable for his return seem optimistic at best.

Though nearly all the pre-season Mets talk included some form of the word "doomsday," David Wright (3B, NYM) has kept the team respectable as the season's first month draws to a close. Of course, he's not going to hit .400 the rest of the way, but now healthy, has he again become a power/speed threat?

Though he's been dogged a bit by injuries in his career, Troy Tulowitzki (SS, COL) hasn't let them slow him down. The 27-year-old just put up another fabulous season in 2011. How likely is it to continue?

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.

Just a year ago, there were questions about Pablo Sandoval's (3B, SF) commitment level and whether a .300-25 HR season might ever be possible again. In 2011, he provided a firm answer.

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.

The question about Daniel Hudson (RHP, ARI) heading into 2011 was how he would hold up over a full season in the desert after an impressive performance following his deadline deal to Arizona in July 2010. As a key component to the Diamondbacks surprise NL West championship run, the answer was "Just fine, thanks."

New manager Robin Ventura announced that his 2012 lineup would include Brent Morel (3B, CHW) batting second and A.J. Pierzynski (C, CHW) in the five-hole. While Morel showed improved contact skills (86%) in 2011, the extra plate appearances may not result in much added production.

Along with the regular season's first real game comes the regular season's first injury. Mike Carp (OF/1B, SEA) sprained his shoulder in Wednesday's opener in Japan. It was enough to send Carp to the DL. Carp 's surprising 2011 MLB production in his first extended look (290 AB) was due in part to high hit and hr/f rates (35%, 18%). Still, he had won the LF job in spring training and at 25 and with some pop (12 HR, 136 PX in 2011) he held, and still holds, some promise.

After a troubling 2010 in which leg injuries limited him to a career-low of AB, Jimmy Rollins (SS, PHI) headed into his 2011 walk season playing for a new contract. He did enough to secure at least three more seasons in Philadelphia, though his skills have decidedly flattened out in recent seasons.