MLB Briefs

• Cubs star Alfonso Soriano suffered a right quad strain yesterday while running from 1B to 3B against the Mets. He'll be out 2-4 weeks. Soriano's 99 Topps Traded Auto had already fallen from the $150's range at the beginning of July down to the $90's range at the end of the month. Now that he's on the DL, it'll probably drop a little more.
• Brewers' rookie pitcher Yovani Gallardo tossed a gem on Friday to help his team to a 2-1 victory over the Phillies. He went 6-2/3 innings, allowing just 4 hits, 1 run & 1 BB, with 7 K's, to improve to 4-1 with a 2.55 ERA for the season. His 04 Donruss Elite EE Auto RC #'d 803 has been a consistent seller this past month, ranging from $43 to $72 TAC. You can probably find it in the $60-$70 range. His 04 SP Prospects Auto #'d 400 is his best RC, averaging a TAC of $180+ in July.
• Phil Hughes, the Yankees' rookie pitcher, returned from the DL to start this past Saturday against the Royals. Hughes got roughed up for 7 hits & 6 ER in just 4-2/3 innings. He did have 5 K's though. This was Hughes' first start since 5/1 against the Rangers, when he tossed 6-1/3 no-hit innings with 3 BB & 6 K's. This subpar return hasn't seemed to affect his RC card sales much. His 04 Bowman Chrome Auto is selling for $180-$190 TAC, and his 04 SP Prospects Auto #'d 400 can be had for around $300 TAC.