This NL Weekend Series Matchup column previews five three-game series which run Friday through Sunday, and three four-game sets that go Friday through Monday.

White-hot Chicago pitching will square off against Boston in a four-game series starting on Thursday.

Tim Hudson (RHP, ATL) was solid in his final rehab start at AAA Gwinnett on Tuesday, and he is scheduled to join the Atlanta rotation on Sunday versus the light-hitting Pirates. And in San Francisco, Nate Schierholtz has started 11 of the past 13 games, with the promise of continued playing time on the immediate horizon.

Expectations were high for Jose Tabata (OF, PIT) in 2010 and the highly touted rookie didn't disappoint, hitting .299 with 19 steals in 405 ABs. A string of injuries stifled his production in 2011. But Tabata is healthy again, and fanalytic owners are looking to the 23-year-old to regain his form.

Batters with very large sample sizes show the variation inherent in what we think of as "normal" production.

Call-ups from the minors for April 26, 2012: Miller and Hottovy.

Welcome to Ron Shandler’s weekly chats on USA Today. He’ll be answering your questions every Wednesday from 11:00 AM EDT until noon.

[FREE] After leaving the April 23 game following a collision with the outfield wall, Jason Bay (OF, NYM) has landed on the disabled list with a non-displaced rib fracture. Also, after a fourth straight rough start, Jair Jurrjens (RHP, ATL) was demoted to Triple-A, which means Randall Delgado (RHP, ATL) will remain in the rotation when Tim Hudson returns.

In spring training, it looked like Nolan Reimold (OF, BAL) would be platooned with Endy Chavez (OF, BAL). While neck spasms have cost him a few games, a hot start has allowed Reimold to stay in the leadoff spot and see most of the playing time in left field.

Using the Red Sox, this column illustrates the information provided in the various pen charts on BaseballHQ.com.

This article explores how recency biases may impact the over-reliance on small sample sizes in early season roster management.