This NL Weekend Series Matchup column previews seven three-game series and one four-game set.

Adrian Cardenas (2B, CHC) and A.J. Griffin (RHP, OAK) have made early impressions that may lead to early promotions.

Call-ups from the minors for April 12, 2012

Ron Shandler answers your questions every Wednesday from 11:00 AM EDT until noon.

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.

It’s been an exciting week for Ubaldo Jimenez (RHP, CLE). First, the dust-up with his former Colorado teammates; then, he took a no-hitter into the seventh inning on Saturday. While he needs to serve a five-day suspension, it won’t have much effect due to days off in the early schedule.

The early action tells us some things about roles, but not as much as we might think.

Springtime in New York City—70 degrees, birds are singing, sidewalk cafes are full of hungry diners. What better way to spend the afternoon than sitting in a dark, noisy Irish bar drinking Guinness and drafting a fantasy baseball team? At least 11 other people shared this belief, so we got together in Manhattan to carry out the second annual draft in the NYC Roto500 league.

Michael Saunders has another MLB starting shot only because of Franklin Gutierrez' injury. But their recent performances suggest that questions may remain after Gutierrez returns in a few weeks ...

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."

Continuing our exercise from last week, let's finish up our predictions of 2012's top performers and award winners. This week we'll cover the MVP candidates, and the pitching leaders.