MLB Fantasy News 2010

[HacheMan]

Hillman Fired After Zack Wins
It looked like Zack Greinke was headed for an 0-5 record when the Royals fell behind 3-0 early Thursday afternoon, but they stormed back to take a 6-3 lead and for once the bullpen avoided imploding (although they gave it their best shot). Greinke won his first game, improving to 1-4 with a 2.73 ERA, but literally minutes after Joakim Soria recorded the final out the Royals fired manager Trey Hillman.

Hillman showed an amazing level of poise and class in the press conference afterward, revealing that general manager Dayton Moore actually fired him Thursday morning while giving him the option to remain on the job for one final game. He left on a high note, but with a 152-207 overall record and 59-109 mark since last year's surprising start Hillman deserved to be let go even if Moore should shoulder far more of the blame in general.

Interim manager Ned Yost's six-season track record with the Brewers suggests he'll be more willing to turn the team over to young guys, although how much of the misguided reliance on veteran mediocrity is traced to Hillman rather than Moore is up for debate. Either way it'll be hard for the Royals to be any worse and if Yost finds a way to support Greinke, better utilize Soria, and reassimilate Alex Gordon the switch will be a success.

While the Royals' hugely disappointing GM fires the one guy keeping all the pressure off his shoulders, here are some other notes from around baseball ...

* Jonathan Sanchez tossed eight innings of one-run ball Thursday, handing out just one walk for the second straight start, yet still took a loss thanks to Mat Latos' near-perfect game. Latos was flawless aside from an Eli Whiteside infield single in the sixth inning that he almost made a play on, striking out six and walking none in the 106-pitch gem. Better yet, Latos drove in the only run of the game with a single in the fifth frame.

While not a particularly well-known prospect, Latos' top-notch velocity and great minor league numbers combined with the Padres' pitcher-friendly ballpark made him one of my favorite sleeper picks heading into the season. In other words, this isn't a fluke. As a fly-ball pitcher Petco Park is the perfect home for Latos, who had a 2.49 ERA and 216 strikeouts over 185 innings in the minors despite reaching San Diego at age 21.

* Brad Lidge received some positive news Thursday, as an MRI exam on his sore and surgically repaired elbow revealed inflammation rather than structural damage. He's officially day-to-day and could be available this weekend, with Jose Contreras closing until Lidge returns. Obviously that all but shuts Contreras' window for fantasy value, but with Ryan Madson out for two months and Lidge shaky he may be called on again.

* Your mission, should you choose to accept it: Follow me on Twitter.

AL Quick Hits: Still struggling to return from Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, Jarrod Saltalamacchia is now having trouble simply throwing the ball back to the pitcher at Triple-A ... Felix Hernandez rebounded from back-to-back poor outings with seven innings of one-run ball Thursday, but the bullpen blew a four-run lead ... Nelson Cruz (hamstring) is due back from the disabled list Friday, with the Rangers clearing room by waving Ryan Garko ... Alfredo Simon picked up his fifth save Thursday when Corey Patterson threw the tying run out at the plate to end the game ... Grady Sizemore went 0-for-5 with two strikeouts Thursday, giving him a 34/9 K/BB ratio and zero homers in 30 games ... CC Sabathia gave up back-to-back homers Thursday and has now allowed seven homers in the past five starts ... Jim Johnson has been advised to rest for 8-10 weeks with an elbow tear that may require surgery ... Ben Sheets allowed one run in six innings Thursday, striking out eight for the second straight start ... If the whole NFL thing doesn't work out, Tim Tebow might have a future in baseball.

NL Quick Hits: Huston Street (shoulder) tossed a scoreless inning Thursday in his first rehab appearance at Double-A and said afterward he's "dangerously close" to returning ... Johan Santana and Josh Johnson both got no-decisions Thursday for matching each other with seven innings of one-run ball ... Out since last June following shoulder surgery, Chien-Ming Wang is targeting July 1 for his return ... Roy Oswalt joined Lance Berkman in saying Thursday that he'd be open to a trade from the struggling Astros ... Mark DeRosa (wrist) will be placed on the disabled list if he's not ready to rejoin the lineup by Sunday ... Bud Norris came into Thursday's game with a 7.52 ERA, but continued to own the Cardinals with eight innings of one-run ball ... Carlos Beltran (knee) has reported no problems after finally beginning a running program this week ... Troy Tulowitzki (quadriceps) had two hits in his return to the lineup Thursday ... Modern players just don't try to break each others' arms nearly as much as the old days.

 

[HacheMan]

Game On

This week is one of those sweet ones for fantasy owners where every major-league team is scheduled for seven games. That's right, no off days. Not only does that mean that nobody will have to suffer through a baseball-less day for their favorite team -- it also means that we've got an enormous slate of two-start pitchers on tap. Among them are plenty of recommendable options, so scroll on down and check out this week's list, along with streamers and more.

Going Twice...



American League

Strong Plays

Kevin Millwood: KC (Greinke), @WAS (Lannan)
John Danks: @DET (Porcello), FLA (Johnson)
Fausto Carmona: @TB (Niemann), CIN (Cueto)
Zack Greinke: @BAL (Bonderman), COL (Hammel)
Jered Weaver: @TEX (Wilson), @STL (Carpenter)
Carl Pavano: @TOR (Marcum), MIL (Gallardo)
Phil Hughes: BOS (Matsuzaka), @NYM (Pelfrey)
Gio Gonzalez: SEA (Rowland-Smith), SF (Cain)
Felix Hernandez: @OAK (Sheets), SD (Latos)
Jeff Niemann: CLE (Carmona), @HOU (Rodriguez)
David Price: CLE (Huff), @HOU (Norris)
CJ Wilson: LAA (Weaver), CHC (Silva)
Shaun Marcum: MIN (Pavano), @ARI (Valdez)

Decent Plays

Tim Wakefield: NYY (Vazquez), @PHI (Moyer)
Freddy Garcia: @DET (Bonderman), FLA (Volstad)
David Huff: @TB (Price), CIN (Bailey)
Kevin Slowey: @TOR (Eveland), MIL (Bush)
Ben Sheets: SEA (Hernandez), SF (Sanchez)
Derek Holland: LAA (Kazmir), CHC (Wells)
Dana Eveland: MIN (Slowey), @ARI (Jackson)
Javier Vazquez: BOS (Wakefield), @NYM (Santana)

At Your Own Risk

Brad Bergesen: KC (Davies), @WAS (Bergesen)
Daisuke Matsuzaka: @NYY (Hughes), @PHI (Halladay)
Jeremy Bonderman: CWS (Garcia), @LAD (Kuroda)
Scott Kazmir: @TEX (Holland), @STL (Lohse)
Kyle Davies: @BAL (Bergesen), COL (Cook)
Ryan Rowland-Smith: @OAK (Gonzalez), SD (Richard)
Rick Porcello: CWS (Danks), @LAD (Ely)

National League

Strong Plays

Roy Halladay: PIT (Morton), BOS (Matsuzaka)
Chris Volstad: ARI (Jackson), @CWS (Garcia)
Josh Johnson: ARI (Valdez), @CWS (Danks)
Yovani Gallardo: @CIN (Bailey), @MIN (Pavano)
Mike Pelfrey: @ATL (Lowe), NYY (Hughes)
Johan Santana: @ATL (Jurrjens), NYY (Sabathia)
Clayton Richard: SF (Cain), @SEA (Rowland-Smith)
Mat Latos: SF (Sanchez), @SEA (Hernandez)
Matt Cain: @SD (Richard), @OAK (Gonzalez)
Jonathan Sanchez: @SD (Latos), @OAK (Sheets)
Chris Carpenter: WAS (Lannan), LAA (Weaver)
Hiroki Kuroda: HOU (Norris), DET (Bonderman)

Decent Plays

Derek Lowe: NYM (Pelfrey), @PIT (Morton)
Kris Medlen: NYM (Santana), @PIT (Duke)
Randy Wells: COL (Cook), @TEX (Holland)
Carlos Silva: COL (Hammel), @TEX (Wilson)
Johnny Cueto: MIL (Bush), @CLE (Carmona)
Jason Hammel: @CHC (Silva), @KC (Greinke)
Wandy Rodriguez: @LAD (Ely), TB (Niemann)
Dave Bush: @CIN (Cueto), @MIN (Slowey)
Jamie Moyer: PIT (Duke), BOS (Wakefield)
Kyle Lohse: WAS (Stammen), LAA (Kazmir)
Aaron Cook: @CHC (Wells), @KC (Davies)
John Ely: HOU (Rodriguez), DET (Porcello)

At Your Own Risk

Edwin Jackson: @FLA (Volstad), TOR (Eveland)
Cesar Valdez: @FLA (Johnson), TOR (Marcum)
Homer Bailey: MIL (Gallardo), @CLE (Huff)
Bud Norris: @LAD (Kuroda), TB (Price)
Charlie Morton: @PHI (Halladay), ATL (Lowe)
Zach Duke: @PHI (Moyer), ATL (Medlen)
Craig Stammen: @STL (Lohse), BAL (Bergesen)
John Lannan: @STL (Carpenter), BAL (Millwood)


Streamer City



The following pitchers are generally available in over 50 percent of fantasy leagues and have favorable match-ups this week:

American League

Wednesday, 5/19: Brett Cecil @ SEA
Cecil has been exceptional over his first four starts. He definitely warrants consideration in this match-up against a weak Mariners lineup.

Wednesday, 5/19: Justin Masterson vs. KC
The talented young right-hander has been pretty hit-or-miss this year, making him a match-up based play. A home turn against KC definitely qualifies as one you'll want him in your lineup for.

Thursday, 5/20: Jason Vargas vs. TOR
The surprising Vargas continues to roll along this season, and should have no trouble keeping it going against Toronto's bottom-heavy offense.

National League

Wednesday, 5/19: Ian Kennedy vs. SF
Kennedy has displayed great control while holding opponents to a .230 batting average and notching strikeouts at a solid rate. He's a great option against the Giants.

Thursday, 5/20: Mike Leake @ ATL
The young righty hasn't made believers out of everyone yet, but he's well on his way, pitching deep into games and putting up adequate strikeout totals while going 3-0 over his first six starts.

Thursday, 5/20: Luis Atilano vs. NYM
Another rookie achieving surprising early results, Atilano blanked the Mets the last time he faced them and will seek to do so again this week.

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Total Games



American League

7: BAL, BOS, CWS, CLE, DET, KC, MIN, LAA, NYY, OAK, SEA, TB, TEX, TOR

National League

7: ARI, ATL, CHC, CIN, COL, FLA, HOU, LAD, MIL, NYM, PHI, PIT, SD, SF, STL, WAS


Lefty/Righty Breakdown



American League

BAL: 5 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
BOS: 4 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP
CWS: 6 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
CLE: 6 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
DET: 5 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
KC: 7 vs. RHP, 0 vs. LHP
LAA: 4 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP
MIN: 4 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP
NYY: 5 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
OAK: 3 vs. RHP, 4 vs. LHP
SEA: 2 vs. RHP, 5 vs. LHP
TB: 4 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP
TEX: 4 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP
TOR: 6 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP

National League

ARI: 6 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
ATL: 5 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
CHC: 4 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP
CIN: 6 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
COL: 7 vs. RHP, 0 vs. LHP
FLA: 5 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
HOU: 5 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
LAD: 6 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
MIL: 5 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
NYM: 6 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
PHI: 5 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
PIT: 4 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP
SD: 3 vs. RHP, 4 vs. LHP
SF: 5 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
STL: 4 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP
WAS: 6 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP

 

[HacheMan]

3 Hole -- No Way Jose
The absurdity of hitting Jose Reyes third, the recovery of 2009 WBC victims and a lot more appears just below in this week's Week That Was.


Jose Reyes: Jose Reyes took the collar last night in a loss to the Fish. So far this year, Reyes is precariously close to dreaded Mendoza line while hitting out of the three hole. Warning – rant coming. Why on earth would Jerry Manuel take arguably baseball's best leadoff hitter over the last 5 years and hit him third? So he can swing for the fences rather than try and drive the ball to get on base? Nah, that would be dumb. To make way for the all-world leadoff options of Angel Pagan, Luis Castillo and Gary Matthews? Not possible. I just refuse to believe that one. Frankly, I am mystified. When people kept talking about what a great 3 hitter Rickey Henderson would be, his managers did not listen. Now, he will be forever enshrined in Cooperstown. Too bad Jerry Manuel has not taken the same approach. From a roto standpoint, look for Reyes to return to the leadoff spot, and as the season progresses, act more and more like Jose Reyes. Don't spend too much, but look for a buy low opportunity.


Jeremy Guthrie: Jeremy Guthrie was great Friday night, tossing eight innings of one-run ball against Schultz's Tribe. Thus far this year, Guthrie has a solid 4.13 ERA and a very strong 1.07 WHIP. Take away the 10 runs in 11 innings against the Yankees and you can see how truly effective Guthrie has been. Why the revival? Warning – another rant coming. Guthrie was great in 07 and 08 with an ERA under 3.70 in 366 innings. So what happened in 2009? The WBC happened. That injury producing, season killing, risk to Major League Baseball and the health of its players happened. Guthrie pitched for team USA, was worked too hard too fast in March and never recovered. Ask Jose Reyes, Matt Lindstrom, Dice K and others what kind of years they had at their real jobs after the dangerous frolic and detour of the WBC. See a trend? Now, without having to be abused in the WBC, Guthrie is back on track for 2010. Buy now while you still can. [Hint – watch for players like Guthrie and Matt Lindstrom who underproduce in WBC years and you will find values the next year].


Mark Buehrle: Mark Buehrle was smacked around again last night – this time by the lowly Royals. In a phrase – not good. I have never been a big fan of Buehrle as he never put up K numbers that would help your roto squad. However, I was convinced by a number of pundits I respect to buy into the consistent ratios and wins. However, this year with just 20K in 50+ innings and an ERA over 5.00, Mark is off the mark. If you have a team with big time K pitchers and are looking to buy low, Buehrle could help you. He is likely to right the ship and be Mark Buehrle again – just remember, he is, at best, a number 4 or 5 roto pitcher with a low ceiling.


Alex Rodriguez: Alex Rodriguez seems to be breaking out. Last night, he continued his rampage against the Twins, hitting a huge grand slam to lead the Yankees to a win. He needs only 13 jacks to reach the magical 600 club. Look for him to get there before July 4. Tex and ARod are heating up. They will feed on each other all summer long. If there is any opportunity to get on that magical ride, buy the ticket. Even in his worst year, last year's injury-plagued campaign, ARod went 30-100 with 14 SB to boot.


Carlos Pena: Carlos Pena continues to struggle. Last night, he went 0-4 with two strikeouts. So far this year, Carlos is riding the middle lane of the interstate, hitting a paltry .177. Ouch. To make matters worse, he has fanned in over 1 out of every three Abs. When you consider that he hit just .227 last year, there is no reason to expect any type of serious recovery. He may hit a bunch of homers later in the season, but unless you have two or three Ichiros on your team, Pena is an average killer. My advice is to sell while you still can. Roto lesson – we often see players who suffer hand or wrist injuries have trouble in their first season back. Pena is following that pattern.


Josh Beckett: In the good news, bad news category, Josh Beckett is scheduled to return to the mound Tuesday – but at Yankee Stadium against the Yankees. I firmly believe that from June 1- September 30, Josh Becket will be a top 10 major league and roto pitcher. However, I would sit him against the Yankees if you own him. If you don't, reach out now and make a deal that could vault you to the top of your roto standings. Over the last three years, pitching in the AL east, Beckett has averaged 187 Ks, a 3.76 ERA and a WHIP of 1.18. Look for more of the same in the last four months of the year.


Ryan Zimmerman: Ryan Zimmerman had a huge night in the rain at Coors Thursday, launching two homers and collecting six RBI. Simply put, Zimmerman arrived last year and is now proving he is here to stay. Despite missing almost two weeks early on, he has hit 8 dingers, knocked in 22 and is raking at a .319 pace. At just 25, with a 33 dinger campaign already in the bag, the sky is the limit for the Nats' 3B. Feel free to pay top dollar.


Josh Johnson: Josh Johnson was the victim of no support Thursday, getting a no decision despite limiting the Mets to three hits and one run over seven innings. So far this year, Josh has gaudy ratios -- a 3.06 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP. Add that to 54 K and only 16 walks in 50 innings and you have a second straight great season on the way. Like Zimmerman, feel free to pay full price if you can find an owner willing to sell.


Grady Sizemore: Grady Sizemore had a very rough night Thursday, going 0-5 against the Royals. Thus far this year, Grady, has as many homers as former teammate CC Sabathia – none. To make mattes worse, he plays for a bad team and is sinking to their level. In addition to the total power outage, Sizemore is barely above the Mendoza line at .208 and has struck out more than once every four AB. Will things get better? Yes. Is Sizemore going to be worth what people paid? No. There were some warning signs here. First, his average had fallen three straight years. Second, he was coming off multiple injuries. Look for him to normalize around the .250 range with some power, but nowhere near the 33 dinger level of a couple of years ago.


Brad Lidge: Reports out of Philly indicate that the MRI on Brad Lidge's elbow showed no serious damage. Of course, that is good news. However, until he takes the mound a few times in a week and shows that he is throwing hard, has command and is comfortable, he is a very dangerous play indeed. Look for the Philly pen to be a mess all year with various players popping in and out of the closer role. It would not surprise me to see Philly add a proven closer on July 31. Bottom line – don't invest too much in any member of Charlie Manuel's pen.


And last, but not least, Schultz says: "In honor of Ken Griffey Jr. and Keith Hernandez, I came up with the idea of sleeping through Schultz Says this week. Unfortunately, without a blogger "accidentally" hitting publish or a live television broadcast capturing the moment, that falls more into the high-concept performance art category than responsible roto-journalism. If a joke fails but there's no one there to hear it, does it make a sound? Trippy, I know.

Equally head scratching is the conundrum of whether a power hitter who doesn't hit home runs can still be called a power hitter. While Paul Konerko forgets that it's not the early oughts, Alex Rodriguez gets headlines for hitting only his fourth homer of the season, Prince Fielder just hit his fifth and Grady Sizemore is still looking for his first. (Seriously, if someone told you that on May 15th, Konerko would have more homers than A-Rod, Prince and Grady combined, you would've immediately tried to trade him Randy Winn for Tim Lincecum). The only one of that group that should give you some pause for concern is Sizemore. He's reportedly healthy but something's clearly wrong with him. Oddly, he looked better last year when he was battling elbow and back problems.

Last puzzler for the week: what happens to a strikeout pitcher that doesn't strike anybody out? If you need an answer to that question, just follow the 2010 season of Max Scherzer. It's seems like decades since he rattled off 4 1/3 perfect innings in his debut with the D'Backs. A key piece to the Edwin Jackson deal, Scherzer has shown flashes of brilliance with the Tigers but more often than not, he's looked like the resurrection of Oliver Perez, well, that's if Perez had the good sense to stop embarrassing himself over at CitiField. He's got too much talent to give up on but an impatient owner in your league might. If that happens, pounce and stash him away."


Response: The last two paragraphs are really strong. The first, still has me scratching my head. Well, Schultzie, as your former little league coach would say, Two out of Three Ain't Bad. (true story – Schultz does exist and was coached by the immortal Mr. Loaf).

 

[HacheMan]

Mixed Notes
Looking to get a little time off for my birthday Sunday, so I'm combining the notes columns this week. Both the AL and NL notes are below. I'm not going team-by-team this week.

American League Notes

- With Pat Burrell suddenly out of the picture, the Rays will turn to a Hank Blalock-Willy Aybar platoon at DH. Blalock was hitting .349/.405/.505 in 109 at-bats for Triple-A Durham prior to his callup Sunday. Encouraging was that three of his four homers came in his last nine games. Since he'll only play about 70 percent of the time, Blalock will have to show ample power to be of any use in mixed leagues. He's not worth picking up right away. Of course, he is worth playing in AL-only leagues.

- It looked like crisis averted for Andy Pettitte when he returned to throw 6 1/3 scoreless innings Saturday against the Twins. However, he's an odd case, in that he never seems to be pitching hurt, even when he is. I think the elbow will be a factor again this year, and my guess is that he'll spend some time on the DL at some point. He's off to a tremendous start, though.

- He'll have to get off to a fast start in order to establish himself, but Juan Miranda can be an effective DH against right-handers if the Yankees stick with him in place of Nick Johnson. The 27-year-old hit .290/.385/.497 versus righties in his minor league career. He's worth trying in AL-only leagues, though he may not last if he doesn't hit during his first couple of weeks with the club.

- Josh Beckett's side session Saturday went well, so he'll fact the Yankees on Tuesday after missing a turn with back spasms. Given the opponent, mixed leaguers will probably want to reserve him.

- Mike Cameron is set to return Monday, even though he thinks he'll eventually need surgery for a sports hernia. He hopes to put it off until after the season. Jonathan Van Every will probably be demoted to make room for Cameron, who should slot right back in as the everyday center fielder. Jacoby Ellsbury (ribs) appears to be about a week behind him.

- Maicer Izturis (shoulder) is eligible to be activated Friday and should be ready then. With Brandon Wood looking even worse of late, Izturis should be in line for plenty of playing time. Kevin Frandsen figures to be sent down to make room for him.

- Carlos Guillen's hamstring gave Brennan Boesch plenty of time to secure his job, and now the plan is for Guillen to play second base when he returns in a couple of weeks. Boesch isn't nearly this good, but he has a chance to remain a starter for the rest of the season. The average should fall, but his power is legit. As for Guillen, I can't imagine he'll stay healthy for any length of time while playing such a demanding position. He hasn't even made an appearance at second base since 1999. The Tigers should have stuck with Scott Sizemore.

- The other big news out of Detroit was the decision to demote Max Scherzer and stick with Armando Galaraga in the rotation. I think that was a better call. Scherzer's velocity is down, and his slider wasn't notching any strikeouts. It'd be nice to think that it's just a mechanical issue, but Detroit's coaching staff obviously couldn't find any quick fixes. Galarraga is worth trying in AL-only leagues. He was terribly inconsistent last year, but apart from one start, he was exceptional for Toledo.

- Oakland could activate Kurt Suzuki (ribs) from the DL on Sunday, and Mark Ellis (hamstring) might return before the end of the week, though not soon enough to make him worth activating in AL-only leagues. Coco Crisp (finger) is due to begin a rehab assignment Monday, but he should need at least 7-10 days in the minors.

- The assumption is that Justin Duchscherer will land back on the DL with a recurrence of his hip problem. The A's will probably give Vin Mazzaro another chance to fill the rotation spot, but he's not recommended in AL-only leagues.

- The move should have happened two weeks earlier, but the A's did bring Jack Cust back on Saturday. He'll play mostly left field for now, but he should eventually supplant Eric Chavez as Oakland's DH. Maybe the team will go that route once Crisp returns. Either way, he's worth playing in AL-only leagues.

- The Twins are saying that J.J. Hardy (wrist) should be back on Thursday. Bizarrely, they've been using Brendan Harris at shortstop and Nick Punto at third in his absence. They can't risk messing with Punto's rhythm when he's cruising along at .250/.292/.328 this season.

- Jack Wilson (hamstring) is eligible to come off the DL on Friday and will be ready then.

- Rick Ankiel (quad) is aiming to return Tuesday, so barring some bad news on Sunday, he should be OK to use in AL-only leagues. Mitch Maier will head to the bench.

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National League Notes

- Andre Ethier's uncertain status has to weigh heavily on the minds of fantasy owners at the moment. He might be day-to-day or he might miss a few weeks; it all depends on how comfortable he feels swinging a bat while the small fracture in his pinkie finger heals. If Ethier lands on the DL, the Dodgers figure to go right back to Xavier Paul. He's in Triple-A at the moment, but he looked like a far superior alternative to Garret Anderson and Reed Johnson while Manny Ramirez was out.

- While relying more than usual on his slider seemed to be working for Brad Lidge from a performance standpoint, there's a good chance it's the cause of his recent elbow soreness. He hoped to be ready to pitch this weekend, but he went on the DL instead Saturday. Jose Contreras has looked flat-out awesome as a short reliever and now appears to be the No. 1 candidate for saves in Philadelphia. He needs to be owned in all formats.

- Things appear pretty close to hopeless for Oliver Perez right now. The Mets sent him to the bullpen Saturday, but if they had their choice, they probably would have picked Triple-A instead. Perez's fastball has abandoned him, and he's never going to demonstrate the kind of command necessary to succeed as a finesse pitcher. Frankly, the Mets should be hoping he's hurt. If he doesn't start throwing 90 mph consistently again, he'll remain useless for the duration of his contract. Of course, he's owed $12 million both this year and next.

- Pat Burrell didn't have a bad April for the Rays -- his OPS stood at 769, but he drove in 13 runs in 17 games -- yet a 2-for-25 slump to start May doomed him. One wonders if he may be done at age 33. He posted OPSs of 892, 890, 902 and 875 in his final four seasona in Philadelphia. However, he never adapted to facing AL pitching and it might be that no NL club will put up with his defense in left field. San Francisco, if Mark DeRosa requires wrist surgery, would seem to be the best destination for him. Atlanta also has an opening for him with Matt Diaz (thumb) on the disabled list. Florida no longer looks like a possibility with Chris Coghlan starting to turn things around. If neither the Giants nor Braves want him, then he might find himself out of luck.

- Even if DeRosa is "well enough" to play, why would the Giants want him to? The 35-year-old has been abysmal while trying to gut it out, hitting .194/.279/.258 in 93 at-bats. He's even been thrown out on both of his steal attempts. And he's mostly done it while playing a mediocre defensive left field, making him one of the game's biggest liabilities so far. Whether another surgery or simply an extended rest is the answer, the Giants need him at 100 percent if he's going to be useful. It looks like Sunday will determine whether he goes on the DL on not. Andres Torres is playing regularly in his place. John Bowker simply can't catch a break.

- Freddy Sanchez (shoulder) seems likely to return on Monday or Tuesday, so he can be used in NL-only leagues this week. He'll get at least a week of regular playing time before Edgar Renteria (groin) returns and the San Francisco infield gets crowded again. Matt Downs should be released in NL-only leagues.

- Jimmy Rollins (calf) can be activated in all formats. Barring a setback Sunday, he's expected to come off the DL on Monday.

- Felipe Lopez (elbow) seems ready to return, and neither Skip Schumaker nor Brendan Ryan has capitalized on his absence. The Cardinals would benefit from playing him regularly, preferably over Schumaker. Schumaker, though, remains a favorite of the organization and will probably continue to start against most righties, with Lopez moving over to short on occasion.

- Rafael Furcal's hamstring didn't react as hoped, so he wasn't activated on Friday and he's no lock to return Monday. Mixed leaguers will want to sit him for another week. NL-only leaguers should probably take the chance that he'll rejoin the lineup by Wednesday or Thursday.

- John Baker's hip strain will make Ronny Paulino the Marlins' starting catcher for the next two weeks. Brett Hayes will back him up.

- Huston Street's setback in his rehab appearance Saturday suggests that he won't be back as scheduled on May 25. With Franklin Morales (shoulder) also on the DL, Manuel Corpas will close for the foreseeable future.

- As expected, Greg Smith and Esmil Rogers were sent to Colorado's pen to make room for the returning Jason Hammel and Jeff Francis. That means there's still going to be room for Jhoulys Chacin for a few more weeks, Jorge De La Rosa (finger) isn't close to being activated. Neither Hammel nor Francis is worth using in NL-only leagues right now, though Hammel figures to have some value again later.

 

[HacheMan]

Welcome Back, Francis
Jeff Francis rejoined Colorado's rotation Sunday nearly 15 months after shoulder surgery and started for the first time since September of 2008, holding Washington to one run over seven innings in a no-decision. Francis allowed six singles and one double, striking out six and walking one while tossing 67 of 106 pitches for strikes in a very encouraging outing that ended in a standing ovation from the Coors Field crowd.

Francis was a big part of the Rockies' run to the World Series in 2007, going 17-9 with a 4.22 ERA in the regular season and 2-1 in the postseason, but logged 232 innings after previously never topping 200 and went 4-10 with a 5.01 ERA in 2008 before shutting things down. However, in addition to Sunday's impressive performance he hurled seven shutout innings in his final rehab start at Double-A, so the early results are promising.

While the Rockies welcome back one of just four pitchers in franchise history with more than 50 wins, here are some other notes from around baseball ...

* Stephen Strasburg remains at Triple-A for a bit longer, but the Nationals' other 2009 first-round pick is on his way to the majors. Drew Storen was selected 10th overall and the right-handed reliever from Stanford has long-term closer potential, although clearly with an MLB-high 14 saves Matt Capps' grip on ninth-inning duties is secure for now. Washington designated Brian Bruney for assignment to make room on the roster.

Storen figures to work in middle relief initially, but could quickly slide into a primary setup role once Tyler Clippard stops vulturing victories. Armed with a fastball that can reach the mid-90s and an assortment of quality off-speed stuff, Storen posted a 1.70 ERA and 64/11 K/BB ratio in 53 innings while blitzing through the minors and also dominated in the Arizona Fall League. He's among the truly elite reliever prospects in baseball.

* Huston Street was slated to come off the disabled list this week, but those plans are out the window after straining his groin while rehabbing a shoulder injury at Double-A. No word yet on how much time the setback will cost him, but Street now seems unlikely to resume closing for the Rockies until next month. Fill-in closer Franklin Morales is also on the DL, so Manny Corpas picked up his second straight save Sunday.

* Andre Ethier's assault on the NL is on hold after the king of walk-off hits fractured the tip of his pinkie finger while taking batting practice prior to Saturday's game. Ethier has not been put on the disabled list yet and some players have been able to play through the same injury, so the Dodgers will give him a couple more days to rest before making a decision. Reed Johnson and Garret Anderson each got a fill-in start over the weekend.

AL Quick Hits: Jason Kubel delivered a game-winning grand slam Sunday as Mariano Rivera blew his first home save in 52 tries and the Twins finally beat the Yankees ... Joel Pineiro tossed his sixth career shutout Sunday, holding the A's to four hits ... As expected, Justin Duchscherer (hip) was placed on the disabled list Sunday and is out indefinitely ... Jake Westbrook scattered nine hits in a complete-game win Sunday, striking out eight in his best outing since Tommy John surgery ... Jacoby Ellsbury (ribs) is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment Monday at Triple-A ... Carlos Quentin missed his third straight game Sunday because of stomach problems ... Kurt Suzuki finally rejoined the A's lineup Sunday and went 0-for-4 in the cleanup spot ... Cliff Lee took a complete-game loss Sunday, striking out 10 and allowing two runs ... Grady Sizemore left Sunday's game with a bruised knee ... Kansas City shipped Kila Ka'aihue back to the minors Sunday after predictably barely playing him for two weeks ... Hank Blalock made his Rays debut Sunday, going 0-for-3 with two strikeouts at first base ... With the White Sox fading, A.J. Pierzynski has reportedly drawn interest from the Rangers.

NL Quick Hits: Jimmy Rollins (calf) is slated to come off the disabled list Monday following a brief rehab assignment ... Jon Niese flew back to New York after aggravating his hamstring injury Sunday ... Tim Hudson completed eight innings Sunday for the first time since Tommy John surgery, improving to 4-1 with a 2.41 ERA ... Doug Davis was scratched from Sunday's start with a heart condition called pericarditis, but general manager Doug Melvin said he could return "in a couple weeks" ... Chad Billingsley tossed 7.1 shutout innings Sunday to out-duel Wade LeBlanc in a 1-0 game ... Starlin Castro went hitless Sunday and has zero extra-base hits or RBIs since his monstrous May 7 debut ... Dan Haren had his second straight ugly outing Sunday, but a 62/15 K/BB ratio leaves little reason to be concerned for now ... Brad Penny was knocked around for seven runs Sunday after giving up a total of eight earned runs in his first seven starts ... Bronson Arroyo allowed two runs in a complete game win Sunday, bringing his ERA below 5.00.

 

[HacheMan]

Papelbombed
Monday night added the latest four hours of craziness to the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry, as Daisuke Matsuzaka allowed five first-inning runs and Boston stormed back to take a 9-7 lead before Jonathan Papelbon imploded by serving up a pair of two-run homers to Alex Rodriguez and Marcus Thames in the ninth inning. Thames was only in the lineup because of Nick Swisher's biceps injury and it was just his fourth start versus a righty.

Papelbon is often criticized for relying too heavily on his fastball and sure enough 17 of 19 pitches were heaters, including both homers. His disastrous outing gave the unlikely win to Javier Vazquez, who struck out Kevin Youkilis with two runners on after being temporarily demoted to the bullpen and forced into action with Joba Chamberlain and David Robertson unavailable. Vazquez remains on track to start Friday against the Mets.

While the Yankees beat the Red Sox for the eighth straight game, here are some other notes from around baseball ...

* Asdrubal Cabrera suffered a broken forearm Monday in a collision with Jhonny Peralta and will meet with doctors later this week to determine whether surgery is neeeded. Luis Valbuena started three straight games at shortstop when Cabrera was sidelined by a quadriceps injury two weeks ago, but looked beyond stretched there defensively and the Indians would no doubt like to keep him at second base anyway.

Peralta sliding back to his old position likely isn't an option either, so the Indians could give 25-year-old prospect Jason Donald first crack at the job. Acquired from the Phillies in the Cliff Lee trade, Donald is a career .285 hitter in the minors with good on-base skills and some speed. However, he'll likely top out at 15-homer power, may not have the range to stick at shortstop long term, and has struggled to stay healthy himself.

* Out since mid-April with a shoulder injury, Edwin Encarnacion is finally expected to come off the disabled list Tuesday. Unfortunately for the Blue Jays he'll be taking the roster spot of Travis Snider, who was placed on the DL with a sprained wrist Monday just when the 22-year-old was starting to put up some big numbers. Snider hit .378 with three homers and six doubles in 12 games this month after batting .155 in April.

Encarnacion will resume starting at third base, with Jose Bautista remaining in the lineup every day by shifting to the outfield. Bautista ranks third in the AL with 11 homers after averaging just 17 long balls per 500 at-bats coming into the year. Encarnacion struggled before the DL stint and his star has faded considerably, but he's very capable of being an AL-only asset and fantasy owners don't have to worry about his awful glove.

* Edwin Jackson came into Monday's game with a 7.43 ERA, so naturally he shut out the Marlins for eight innings and racked up a career-high 12 strikeouts. He also tossed six scoreless innings against the Padres on April 16, but in his other seven starts Jackson is 1-5 with an 8.55 ERA while coughing up 38 runs on 57 hits in 40 innings. Jackson will try to keep Dr. Jekyll from turning back into Mr. Hyde this weekend against the Blue Jays.

AL Quick Hits: Nick Johnson is expected to be sidelined until at least July following wrist surgery Tuesday, with Joe Girardi saying he'll cycle various players through the designated hitter spot ... Justin Morneau homered twice Monday and is now leading the league with a .374 batting average and 1.201 OPS ... Mike Gonzalez (shoulder) threw batting practice Monday, facing live hitters for the first time ... Justin Duchscherer (hip) will see a specialist later this week in the hopes of avoiding surgery ... Nolan Reimold is playing first base at Triple-A, setting him up to potentially replace Garrett Atkins ... Bobby Abreu was scratched from Monday's lineup with back soreness ... J.P. Howell (shoulder) suffered a setback during a simulated game Monday ... Ozzie Guillen is giving the slumping Gordon Beckham a couple games off "to see if he can regroup" ... Jason Bartlett executed a safety squeeze in the 11th inning for a walk-off win Monday ... For any frustrated Grady Sizemore owners, Matthew Pouliot wrote an interesting analysis of his struggles over at Hardball Talk.

NL Quick Hits: Mark DeRosa (wrist) finally landed on the disabled list Monday eight days after his last game and surgery remains an option ... Rafael Furcal estimated Monday that his hamstring is "85 percent" healthy ... Hanley Ramirez was removed from Monday's game after one of the worst instances of dogging it you'll ever see, although in fairness he was nursing an ankle injury ... Albert Pujols batted cleanup Monday for the first time since 2003 and went 3-for-3 after Bronson Arroyo tugged on his cape ... Jimmy Rollins came off the DL by going 2-for-4 with a double Monday ... Franklin Morales (shoulder) threw from 180 feet Monday and is slated for a bullpen session Tuesday ... Jon Niese will miss at least one start but could avoid the DL after being diagnosed with a mild hamstring strain ... Carlos Gomez (shoulder) is slated to begin a brief rehab assignment Wednesday at Single-A ... Felipe Lopez came off the shelf Monday and got the start at shortstop over Brendan Ryan ... Ryan Howard went 3-for-5 with a grand slam and knocked in six runs Monday ... Aramis Ramirez delivered a walk-off homer Monday for his first long ball since April 15 ... J.A. Happ (forearm) reported no problems after a side session Monday.

 

[HacheMan]

Chasing saves?

In this week's edition of Saves and Steals, your vatic correspondent predicts that Mariano Rivera just gave up his last grand slam of 2010, foresees the end of Joakim Soria's struggles and prophesies that Chad Qualls and Alfredo Simon will soon lose their respective closing jobs.

In honor of Robin Hood, which opened over the weekend, this week's tiers are brought to you by the five levels of star Russell Crowe's career.


Tier 1: Elite (3) (AKA: The "L.A. Confidential" Tier.)


Mariano Rivera, New York Yankees
Jonathan Papelbon, Boston Red Sox
Jonathan Broxton, Los Angeles Dodgers

Comment:
Mariano Rivera walked Jim Thome with the bases loaded and surrendered a grand slam to Jason Kubel in the eighth inning of Sunday's 6-3 loss to the Twins. Rivera hadn't allowed a run prior to Sunday's stunning implosion and it cost him a streak of 51 consecutive saves at home.

Jonathan Papelbon gave up a career-high four runs -- on a pair of two-run homers -- Monday against the Yankees in the ninth inning to blow the save and take the loss. Paps' lust for his heater was in full force, as 17 of his 19 pitches were fastballs, including the offerings on both gopher balls. His ERA ballooned to 3.32 in the outing.

Prior to Wednesday, the Dodgers had given Jonathan Broxton only four save opportunities. He earned saves in four out of five days from Wednesday to Sunday, however, to raise his season total to seven to go with a spectacular 1.15 ERA and 23/2 K/BB rate.


Tier 2: Rock Steady (8) (AKA: The "Gladiator" Tier.)


Joakim Soria, Kansas City Royals
Francisco Rodriguez, New York Mets
Heath Bell, San Diego Padres
Francisco Cordero, Cincinnati Reds
Brian Wilson, San Francisco Giants
Andrew Bailey, Oakland Athletics
Carlos Marmol, Chicago Cubs
Jose Valverde, Detroit Tigers

Comment:
Between April 25 and May 11, Joakim Soria was battered to the tune of a 9.00 ERA and three home runs allowed in six appearances. The Mexecutioner has since turned it around to earn saves in all three of his subsequent appearances. In those outings, he allowed no runs, although he had to dance around the self-inflicted wound of a bases-loaded jam with only one out on Monday against the Orioles.


Tier 3: OK options (8) (AKA: The "American Gangster" Tier.)


David Aardsma, Seattle Mariners
Matt Capps, Washington Nationals
Rafael Soriano, Tampa Bay Rays
Billy Wagner, Atlanta Braves
Jon Rauch, Minnesota Twins
Leo Nunez, Florida Marlins
Ryan Franklin, St. Louis Cardinals
Neftali Feliz, Texas Rangers

Comment:
The Nationals promoted touted prospect Drew Storen to the majors on Sunday, but he poses zero imminent threat to Matt Capps, who has been superb this season in posting a 0.93 ERA and 1.03 WHIP over 18 appearances.

Storen isn't even the second option for fantasy ownership in Washington's bullpen. That would be Tyler Clippard, who is tied for the league lead with seven wins. Storen is the closer of the future, and a valuable member of dynasty-league teams, but he doesn't possess any mixed league potential at this time.


Tier 4: Question marks (6) (AKA: The "Proof of Life" Tier.)


Trevor Hoffman, Milwaukee Brewers
Brian Fuentes, Los Angeles Angels
Kevin Gregg, Toronto Blue Jay
Matt Lindstrom, Houston Astros
Kerry Wood, Cleveland Indians

Bobby Jenks, Chicago White Sox

Comment:
White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen called on Matt Thornton -- and not Bobby Jenks -- to extricate Jake Peavy from a ninth-inning jam on Saturday and the left-hander responded by notching his first save of the season. Thornton retired switch-hitter Alberto Callaspo (who is more effective against right-handers) and left-handed swinging Mitch Maier to finish the game. Guillen said last week that future save opportunities could be matchup-based and Saturday's decision was just that.

Jenks is still the man in Chicago, but Thornton will likely steal a handful of saves from him as the situation dictates. For those looking for trade value, Jenks is a decent buy-low option right now if you can get him at a bargain price, while a savvy owner may be able to con someone into buying high on Thornton.


Tier 5: Rollercoaster rides (5) (AKA: The "Virtuosity" Tier.)


Chad Qualls, Arizona Diamondbacks
Octavio Dotel, Pittsburgh Pirates
Alfredo Simon, Baltimore Orioles
Manny Corpas, Colorado Rockies

Jose Contreras, Philadelphia Phillies

Comment:
Another blown save -- his third of the season -- has Chad Qualls back on the hot seat. On Friday, he allowed a walk-off bases loaded single to Martin Prado that scored two runs. The embattled closer has produced a 7.62 ERA and 2.08 WHIP this season.

Although some in the Arizona media believe that Diamondbacks manager A.J. Hinch will stand by Qualls (he's given him several votes of confidence this season), the skipper may be losing patience. If Qualls keeps pitching this way, it's only a matter of time before a change is made. One problem that Hinch has faced is that Juan Gutierrez, who reeled off eight consecutive chances last season after Qualls went down with a season-ending injury, has been even worse than Arizona's scuffling closer in 2010. Gutierrez has been rocked to the tune of a 9.20 ERA.

There is only one reliever in Arizona's bullpen with an ERA lower than 5.55, in fact. That man is Aaron Heilman (3.78 ERA), who needs to be owned in NL-only and deep mixed leagues for speculative save purposes. Heilman has leapfrogged Gutierrez and is the pitcher next in line for saves. At this point, in Arizona, that's a valuable fantasy position to be in.

Alfredo Simon punted his first save of the season Saturday against the Indians by allowing four runs in the ninth inning. Prior to that appearance, he hadn't given up a run all season. He still owns the interim closer gig, but manager Dave Trembley has no allegiance to him and won't hesitate to make a change.

In fact, Trembley recently declined to shoot down the idea of using Koji Uehara in save situations should Simon continue to struggle. At this point, Uehara is a must-own in AL-only leagues and is worth a look in deep mixed formats. A change could be made at any time.

Manny Corpas will remain Colorado's closer until Huston Street returns from the 15-day disabled list. He's simply a better option at this point than Rafael Betancourt.

Much like Corpas, who ascended to the closer's job after what transpired above him on the depth chart, Jose Contreras has slid into the role temporarily in Philadelhpia with Brad Lidge and Ryan Madson on the disabled list. Contreras earned his first save of the season -- and career -- on Saturday when he inherited two runners, walked another and then escaped the jam by striking out Rickie Weeks and Craig Counsell to close a victory over the Brewers.

Contreras' velocity is up and he has produced a 0.68 ERA and 18/2 K/BB rate in 15 relief appearances, giving hope to the idea that he can be effective, at least temporarily, in the closer's role.

Because Contreras had pitched on Friday and Saturday, J.C. Romero collected the save on Sunday by working a scoreless ninth against Milwaukee. Contreras is the man to own, but Romero has value in deep mixed leagues and NL-only formats for the occasional save he could steal with Lidge and Madson out.

<CENTER>* * * * * * * * * *</CENTER>


Injured

Joe Nathan, Minnesota Twins (Out for the season with a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow)
Mike Gonzalez, Baltimore Orioles (15-day disabled list with a strained left shoulder)
Huston Street, Colorado Rockies (15-day disabled list with shoulder stiffness)
Franklin Morales, Colorado Rockies (15-day disabled list with left shoulder weakness)
Ryan Madson, Philadelphia Phillies (15-day disabled list with a broken toe)
Brad Lidge, Philadelphia Phillies (15-day disabled list with right elbow inflammation)

Comment:
Mike Gonzalez threw live batting practice on Monday and is nearing a minor league rehab assignment. He could potentially return in early-to-mid June. Because no one has seized the closer's job in his absence -- Jim Johnson is on the Triple-A disabled list and Simon is proving his mediocrity -- Gonzalez should reclaim the gig upon his return.

Huston Street -- who hasn't pitched all season because of shoulder stiffness -- was pulled after five pitches of a rehab outing for Double-A Tulsa on Saturday after straining his right groin. Originally expected to be activated on May 25, Colorado will now re-start the clock on Street's rehab assignment, which pushes the ETA of his season debut to some point in June.

Morales, meanwhile, threw from 180 feet on Monday and is scheduled to throw a bullpen session on Tuesday.

In the week's least surprising turn of events, Brad Lidge returned to the disabled list after making only four appearances since being activated from the DL in late April. Health or on-field performance have both been problems of his since 2008, so it's difficult to know when he will return or how effective he will be when he does.

Lidge consulted Dr. James Andrews before receiving a cortisone shot on Monday and a throwing program has been scheduled in approximately 7-10 days. If you need the roster space, Lidge is certainly droppable in mixed leagues.

The Graveyard:
Frank Francisco, Texas Rangers
Jason Frasor, Toronto Blue Jay
Jim Johnson, Baltimore Orioles

<CENTER>* * * * * * * * * *</CENTER>

The Steals Department

Have the Nationals finally found their solution in right field?

Roger Bernandina has started 14 games since April 28, elbowing his way into a regular role with a .306/.358/.469 line in 53 plate appearances. While the hot offensive start made it difficult to remove him from the lineup, his defense -- you'll recall Wednesday's ridiculous diving catch in a victory over the Mets -- should help him stick through any rough patch he may suffer in the near future.

One aspect of his performance to this point that won't sustain is his power. Bernandina has already socked two home runs and a pair of doubles after failing to hit a round tripper in 91 major league plate appearances prior to this season. His minor league history, in addition, was devoid of power. But while fantasy owners can count on a regression in that category, it's almost a lock that Bernandina will begin to produce in another.

His game-changing wheels haven't been utilized in the majors to this point, but the stolen bases will come. He swiped 188 bases in 759 minor league games, but the 25-year-old born in Curacao has stolen only seven bases and been picked off four times in 45 career major league games, including only three attempts -- and two steals -- thus far in 2010.

As long as Washington isn't a serious playoff contender at the trade deadline, and therefore motivated to bring in an upgrade, I expect Bernandina to remain a regular in D.C. His speed is a fantasy asset and he should be owned in all NL-only leagues.

 

[HacheMan]

Hoffman Blows Another Save
Tuesday afternoon Trevor Hoffman was called into a 4-2 game for his first save chance since May 7 and promptly blew the lead while failing to retire any of the five batters he faced. Hoffman allowed three runs to take the loss as his ERA ballooned to 13.15, and his 19 earned runs in 13 innings are as many as he's given up in a season since 2002. He's also blown five saves in 10 chances after going 37-for-41 with a 1.83 ERA last year.

Reports of Hoffman's demise have been greatly exaggerated in the past because people tend to assume someone with a mid-80s fastball is toast whenever they struggle, but what he's going through now certainly seems different. He's allowed seven homers and seven doubles in 13 innings and arguably the best fastball-changeup combo in baseball history finally seems to have stopped fooling hitters at age 42.

After the game Ken Macha dodged questions about whether he'd remove Hoffman from the closer role and with LaTroy Hawkins on the disabled list Carlos Villanueva would be the obvious replacement if the Brewers make a switch. Much like Ken Griffey Jr. flailing away in Seattle, it's sad to see one of the greatest relievers of all time being knocked around like he's throwing batting practice.

While the 999th appearance of Hoffman's career perhaps signals the end of the line, here are some other notes from around baseball ...

* Benched for kicking a ball away and then halfheartedly jogging after it Monday night, Hanley Ramirez dug himself an even deeper hole Tuesday by saying manager Fredi Gonzalez "doesn't understand" because "he never played in the big leagues." Ramirez added he "lost some respect" for Gonzalez and threw his teammates under the bus, saying: "We got a lot of people dogging it after ground balls, but they don't apologize."

Ramirez also said "that was the hardest I could go after the ball" because of his tender ankle, but that potentially valid excuse rings hollow alongside his ridiculous statements. Gonzalez benched Ramirez for Tuesday's game (which the Marlins won) and said the All-Star shortstop won't rejoin the lineup until apologizing to the team. Hopefully he gets his head out of his rear soon, or at least swallows his pride and says sorry.

* Lou Piniella and the Cubs admitted Tuesday the decision to move Carlos Zambrano to the bullpen last month was a mistake, so he'll be "stretched out" to rejoin the rotation after giving up six runs on 15 hits in 8.2 relief innings. Piniella guessed that it would take several long relief outings before Zambrano is ready to start again, so he may be in the bullpen until next month and the Cubs have some time to decide who gets bumped.

* Andre Ethier initially hoped to play through a broken finger, but the Dodgers placed him on the disabled list Tuesday and recalled Xavier Paul from Triple-A. Paul played well subbing for Manny Ramirez earlier this season and was crushing the ball at Triple-A, so hopefully Joe Torre resists the urge to go with washed-up veteran Garret Anderson as Reed Johnson's platoon partner. Paul has modest power, but 20-steal speed.

* All the cool kids are following me on Twitter.

AL Quick Hits: Zack Greinke once again left with a lead only to be stuck with a no-decision Tuesday ... Edwin Encarnacion returned from the disabled list in style Tuesday, homering in his first at-bat ... Josh Beckett left Tuesday's start with tightness in his lower back ... Jason Donald went 2-for-3 with a walk in his MLB debut Tuesday after being called up to replace the injured Asdrubal Cabrera ... J.P. Howell looks headed for season-ending shoulder surgery following a setback earlier this week ... Grady Sizemore (knee) missed his second straight game Tuesday and is slated to undergo an MRI exam ... Mike Cameron (abdomen) will resume a rehab assignment Wednesday at Double-A ... Ryan Rowland-Smith has been bumped from Seattle's rotation in favor of Ian Snell after going 0-4 with a 7.62 ERA in eight starts ... Over the illness that kept him out for six days, Carlos Quentin collected three hits Tuesday ... Unhappy about his lack of playing time, Mike Lowell said he's thought about asking the Red Sox to release him ... Jorge Posada missed his second straight game Tuesday with a bruised foot.

NL Quick Hits: Already demoted to the bullpen, the Mets will reportedly try to talk Oliver Perez into accepting a minor league assignment ... Freddy Sanchez (shoulder) is scheduled to come off the disabled list for his long-awaited season debut Wednesday ... Homer Bailey followed up last week's complete-game shutout with seven innings of two-run ball Tuesday ... Jim Edmonds (oblique) landed on the shelf Tuesday, but the Brewers should get Carlos Gomez (shoulder) back this weekend ... Huston Street (shoulder) played catch from flat ground Tuesday, making 65 throws after a groin injury pushed back his return timetable ... Adam Dunn missed his third straight game Tuesday after returning to Washington for what the Nationals called "a minor procedure" ... Josh Johnson racked up nine strikeouts in seven shutout innings Tuesday, improving to 4-0 with a 1.91 ERA in his last seven starts ... Kyle Blanks was scratched from Tuesday's lineup with elbow soreness ... Franklin Morales (shoulder) threw batting practice Tuesday, facing live hitters for the first time ... After speaking to him last month, David Ortiz expects Pedro Martinez to pitch somewhere this season.

 

[HacheMan]

Cleveland Rocked
Wednesday couldn't have gone much worse for the Indians, who announced Asdrubal Cabrera will miss 8-10 weeks following surgery to repair a broken forearm, placed Grady Sizemore on the disabled list with a bone bruise in his left knee, and then watched Kerry Wood turn a 4-3 lead into an 8-4 loss to the equally lowly Royals in his disastrous first save chance of the season.

Wood has now allowed seven runs while recording 10 outs since coming off the disabled list, so whatever slim chance the Indians had of getting any kind of value for him at the trading deadline is rapidly vanishing. He was booed off the field and chucked his glove into the stands for good measure after retiring just one of the seven batters he faced. Chris Perez might be in line to replace Wood if he hadn't struggled at closer already.

Jason Donald will continue to fill in for Cabrera at shortstop while Trevor Crowe started in center field and led off in place of Sizemore, who was hitting just .211/.271/.289 with zero homers and a ghastly 35/9 K/BB ratio before injuring his knee in an awkward slide Sunday. Sizemore is out indefinitely and surgery may be needed, but even with 20-steal speed Crowe doesn't have enough offensive upside to be an asset in mixed leagues.

While the good people of Cleveland get more rough news to temporarily distract them from LeBron James, here are some other notes from around baseball ...

* Unavailable for the past few games because of a sore foot, Jorge Posada underwent an MRI exam Wednesday that revealed a hairline fracture. He reportedly could miss up to a month, forcing Francisco Cervelli into the starting lineup after thriving in a backup role. Cervelli should hit for a solid average with good on-base skills, but has almost zero power and won't come close to matching Posada's overall production.

* Back spasms forced Josh Beckett to miss one turn in the rotation earlier this month and knocked him out of Tuesday's start against the Yankees, so the Red Sox placed him on the disabled list Wednesday. Joe Nelson replaced Beckett on the roster, but he'll work out of the bullpen while Tim Wakefield slides back into the rotation. Beckett had just one win and a 7.29 ERA in eight starts, so the Red Sox may not rush him back.

* After alternating Kaz Matsui and Jeff Keppinger at second base all season the Astros finally released Matsui and his .141 average Wednesday. Signed to a three-year, $16.5 million deal in December of 2007, he ended up hitting just .259/.315/.370 while missing 108 of a possible 363 games. Keppinger celebrated the move by going 3-for-5 with four RBIs and the career .278/.333/.386 hitter should get a chance to play every day.

AL Quick Hits: Jonathan Papelbon was unavailable Wednesday, so Daniel Bard closed out Clay Buchholz's gem for his first save ... Milton Bradley returned from the restricted list Wednesday with two hits ... Pat Burrell cleared waivers Wednesday and was released by the Rays ... Jarrod Saltalamacchia is now seeing a sports psychologist for his throwing issues at Triple-A ... Maicer Izturis (shoulder) won't be ready to come off the disabled list when eligible Friday ... David Ortiz homered Wednesday for the seventh time in 14 games this month ... Brian Fuentes notched a save Wednesday despite serving up Paul Konerko's league-leading 14th homer ... Magglio Ordonez was scratched from Wednesday's lineup with a sore heel ... Marco Scutaro (elbow) will miss several games after getting a cortisone shot, with Bill Hall filling in Wednesday ... Joe Saunders followed last week's complete-game shutout with 7.2 innings of one-run ball Wednesday ... Marcus Thames left Wednesday's game with a sprained ankle after slipping on his own bat while running to first base.

NL Quick Hits: Trevor Hoffman has been shut down for at least a few days to work on his mechanics, leaving Carlos Villanueva as the likely fill-in closer ... Hanley Ramirez apologized to teammates Wednesday and rejoined the Marlins' lineup ... As expected, Freddy Sanchez returned from the disabled list Wednesday and started at second base while batting third ... Anibal Sanchez shut out the Cardinals for seven innings Wednesday, out-lasting Jaime Garcia ... Jason Heyward went 3-for-5 and delivered a walk-off double in the ninth inning Wednesday ... Tom Gorzelanny left Wednesday's start after taking a line drive off his pitching hand, but X-rays came back negative ... Matt Diaz is out indefinitely following thumb surgery Wednesday ... Miguel Montero did some throwing Wednesday for the first time since April knee surgery ... Kenshin Kawakami shut out the Reds for six innings Wednesday, but remains stuck at 0-6 ... Carlos Zambrano is slated to throw a 70-pitch simulated game Monday to prepare for a move back into the rotation ... Kyle Blanks is day-to-day after an MRI exam revealed a strained elbow.

 

[HacheMan]

Great Scott!
I typically like presenting information in a symmetrical fashion, but this approach often works against the rather fickle and rapidly-evolving nature of fantasy baseball. So, starting this week, I'm throwing out my old rules. You'll notice each category won't necessarily be even and that's by design. I'm aiming to present the most relevant and recent information, so if there's an extra player here or there, all the better, right?

With that in mind, I included Francisco Cervelli in my AL-only recommendations last week. I'm sticking with that, even though Jorge Posada will miss at least three weeks with a hairline fracture in his right foot. I believe Cervelli is perfectly capable of hitting for a high batting average while getting on base at a good clip, but he has just nine home runs in 1015 career at-bats between the major leagues and the minors. Most mixed leaguers can probably do better than that at the catcher position.

MIXED LEAGUES

Carlos Villanueva RP, Brewers (Yahoo: 15 percent owned, ESPN: 1.8 percent)

Brewers manager Ken Macha is giving Trevor Hoffman a few days to figure out his mechanics, leaving the ninth inning role wide open in Milwaukee. Macha hasn't named a temporary replacement, but with LaTroy Hawkins on the disabled list, Villanueva seems like the most obvious fit. The 26-year-old right-hander has a 3.05 ERA and 1.06 WHIP over his first 19 appearances, averaging an impressive 11.7 K/9. His 4.24 career ERA in the big leagues breeds skepticism, but break that down and you'll see that he has managed a 3.88 ERA out of the bullpen compared to a 4.81 ERA in 27 career starts. Grab him with the short-term in mind, but don't be surprised if he becomes a long-term solution.

Luke Scott OF/1B, Orioles (Yahoo: 19 percent owned, ESPN: 17 percent)

Scott won't last the entire year on your roster. Yep, it's true. But anybody who watched him go 19-for-44 (.432) with eight home runs and 18 RBI last May understands exactly what he is capable of when he's hot. Scott has seven home runs in 49 at-bats so far this month and is batting an even .500 (15-for-30) over his last eight games. With Nolan Reimold figuring things out in the minors, Felix Pie on the disabled list and Dave Trembley looking to keep his job, draft day questions about his playing time have been rendered irrelevant. His eligibility at first base provides some extra incentive to plug and play as needed.

Brennan Boesch OF, Tigers (Yahoo: 28 percent owned, ESPN: 65.5 percent)

Boesch makes the jump from my AL-only recommendations on account of the news that Carlos Guillen will be shifted to second base once he returns from the disabled list. The 25-year-old is off to an unbelievable start in the majors, batting .372/.383/.654 with three homers, two triples, nine doubles and 19 RBI over his first 78 at-bats. His ridiculous .406 batting average on balls in play and .273/.319/.434 batting line in the minor leagues should be enough to tell you that he's playing over his head a bit, but he should hit for enough power to keep an everyday job. 20 homers and 10 stolen bases are possible.

Mike Cameron OF, Red Sox (Yahoo: 14 percent owned, ESPN: 4.5 percent)

Cam isn't exactly an ironman himself, but the veteran outfielder should help soften the blow for those who lost Grady Sizemore to the disabled list this week. Remember, Cameron has finished with at least 20 home runs in each of the last four seasons. While I expect the power to stay pretty consistent, he's at an age (37) where the potential for stolen bases is a bonus, not a guarantee. Even though Cameron doesn't hit for a high batting average (.250 career), he should get on base enough (.340 career OBP) to score plenty of runs with the help of this lineup.

Mat Latos SP, Padres (Yahoo: 48 percent owned, ESPN: 90.7 percent)

The Giants snapped his scoreless streak on Tuesday night, but that shouldn't distract from the fact that Latos has a 1.24 ERA, 0.66 WHIP and 24/4 K/BB ratio over his last four starts. We're still working on a small sample size here, but his career xFIP of 3.96 away from Petco indicates that he's a fine play just about anywhere. We're still a few months away from a potential innings-cap, so feel free to ride the wave, especially with a favorable matchup against the light-hitting Mariners on Sunday.

Kris Medlen RP/SP, Braves (Yahoo: 5 percent owned, ESPN: 1.3 percent)

A fast-riser from last week's NL-only rankings, Medlen has allowed three runs over his first two starts in place of Jair Jurrjens, good enough for a 2.53 ERA and 9/2 K/BB ratio over 10 2/3 innings. Impressive numbers through the scope of a small sample size, but I'm more focused on his 3.71 ERA and 98/35 K/BB ratio over his first 97 big league innings. The 24-year-old right-hander is bound to get a long look in the rotation eventually, but he'll at least continue to fill in for Jurrjens through the end of the month. With consecutive starts against the woeful Pirates coming up, he's worth a short-term investment in mixed formats.

Corey Hart OF, Brewers (Yahoo: 35 percent owned, ESPN: 43.4 percent)

There's a lot to like about Hart right now. Pressed into everyday duty with injuries to Jim Edmonds and Carlos Gomez, the much-maligned outfielder collected four homers and seven RBI over a recent three-game span. It doesn't mean his career is back on track, but a .269/.350/.528 batting line to go along with seven homers, 19 RBI and three stolen bases doesn't look so bad right now. Add in the fact that he's a career .291/.343/.593 hitter in Interleague Play and you can bet I'm buying. I'd prefer playing him against lefties, but there's still 20-20 potential here.

Ian Desmond SS/2B, Nationals (Yahoo: 17 percent owned, ESPN: 11.3 percent)

Those fishing for a MI replacement for the injured Asdrubal Cabrera should look no further. This 24-year-old rookie is batting .272/.324/.432 with three homers, 18 RBI, three stolen bases and 16 runs scored over his first 40 games, placing him inside the top 10 performers at the rather scarce shortstop position. Desmond doesn't project to own one elite skill in the major leagues, but his minor league track record suggests that he should easily surpass double-digit homers and steals. He could get the occasional day off with Cristian Guzman still in the fold, but Desmond should prove to be a pretty stable option.

Miguel Montero C, Diamondbacks (Yahoo: 44 percent owned, ESPN: 44.7 percent)

Good news has been hard to come by he tore the meniscus in his right knee in mid-April, but Montero threw to bases for the first time since surgery on Wednesday and could be headed out on a minor league rehab assignment as soon as next week. The Diamondbacks won't push him him too quickly here, but don't sleep on the fact that Montero mashed 11 homers to go along with a 900 OPS after the All-Star break last season. If you have the luxury of an open DL spot, now is the time to stash.

Ted Lilly SP, Cubs (Yahoo: 49 percent owned, ESPN: 62 percent)

I can't wrap my head around how Livan Hernandez is currently owned in more leagues than Lilly. It's positively baffling. Granted, the veteran left-hander has dropped three straight decisions and we're still waiting on his velocity and strikeouts to resurface after offseason shoulder surgery, but remember that Lilly has amassed a 3.70 ERA and 7.8 K/9 since joining the Cubs in 2007. Some patience may be required, but Lilly makes for a prime buy-low candidate.

Chris Perez RP, Indians (Yahoo: 31 percent owned, ESPN: 25.6 percent)

Anybody who watched Kerry Wood's epic meltdown against the Royals on Wednesday should have promptly plucked Perez from the waiver wire. Just don't expect them to make a change just yet. The Indians would love to find a taker for the remainder of Wood's contract, so it benefits them to stay the course in hopes of better results. Still, now is the time to speculate. The 24-year-old Perez hasn't allowed an earned run over his last 12 appearances, dating back to April 11. If you're jonesin' for saves, especially with the second half in mind, you know what to do.



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AL ONLY

Jason Donald SS, Indians (Yahoo: 1 percent owned, ESPN: 0.4 percent)

Some more fallout from the Asdrubal Cabrera injury, Donald should get a chance at significant playing time over the next two to three months. The 25-year-old infielder was part of the haul from Philadelphia in last year's Cliff Lee trade. At the time of his promotion on Tuesday, Donald was batting .277/.396/.423 with two homers, 17 RBI through his first 137 at-bats with Triple-A Columbus, a nice rebound from an injury-plagued '09. He doesn't project to be a star in the major leagues, but he should get on base at a proficient clip and steal a few bases, to boot.

Coco Crisp OF, Athletics (Yahoo: 1 percent owned, ESPN: 1.8 percent)

Here's one that has slipped under the radar for many. Crisp, who was forced to begin the season on the disabled list with a fractured left pinkie finger, has gone 5-for-6 with a triple and a home run over the first two games of a minor league rehab assignment with Class A Stockton. The Athletics signed Crisp to a one-year, $5.25 million contract in December, and while I still think it's an odd fit, the 30-year-old outfielder should be assured of an everyday gig. His bum shoulder limited him to a meager .228/.336/.378 batting line last season, but remember that he is a .277 career hitter and can steal bases in bunches.

Armando Galarraga SP, Detroit (Yahoo: 1 percent owned, ESPN: 0.6 percent)

It's easy to shy away after his rotten 2009 campaign, but Galarraga held the Red Sox to one run over 5 2/3 innings on Sunday and posted a 3.92 ERA and 1.21 WHIP over his first seven starts with Triple-A Toledo this season. It's progress. Of course, Galarraga was never as good as his 3.73 ERA in 2008, but aside from natural regression, a large part of his undoing last season was that he jumped from 3.2 BB/9 to 4.8 BB/9. It's a small sample size, to be sure, but if he can maintain the improved command he has shown in the minors, he'll be well worth using in AL-only formats.

Marc Rzepczynski SP, Blue Jays (Yahoo: 1 percent owned, ESPN: 0.1 percent)

Rzepczynski was a popular sleeper candidate leading up to draft day, but he suffered a fractured middle finger on a comebacker during spring training. Now he's on the comeback trail. Keep in mind that he was torched for nine runs over 2 1/3 innings in his first minor league rehab start for Triple-A Las Vegas on Tuesday, but he could easily threaten Dana Eveland for a rotation spot should he begin to resemble the wormburner who averaged 8.8 K/9 in a brief sneak preview last season. He'll have to fight off Jesse Litsch and Brian Tallet in order to get back, but he possesses the most fantasy upside of the lot.

NL ONLY

Hisanori Takahashi RP, Mets (Yahoo: 4 percent owned, ESPN: 0.8 percent)

I'm a bit concerned about whether Takahashi's success as a reliever will translate to the starting rotation. The Japanese left-hander has obviously posted eye-popping strikeout numbers (11.4 K/9), but his command has been another story (4.8 BB/9). We simply don't have enough to go on yet. One thing I am confident of, however, is that he automatically gives the Mets a better chance to win than Oliver Perez. And that should be worth something, even though his first major league start will be against the Yankees.

Andres Torres OF, Giants (Yahoo: 3 percent owned, ESPN: 0.6 percent)

Giants manager Bruce Bochy has handed out some high praise for the play of Torres in recent days. And why not? The 32-year-old outfielder is batting .304 with two homers, seven RBI and three stolen bases this month, jumping John Bowker in the San Francisco pecking order. We'll see if he can sustain it, but Torres has already walked 15 times in 89 at-bats this season after drawing only 16 free passes in 152 at-bats last year. He probably won't hit for much power, but Torres could surprise if Mark DeRosa continues to have issues with his left wrist.

Aaron Heilman RP, Diamondbacks (Yahoo: 2 percent owned, ESPN: 0.7 percent)

It's hard to find anything good to say about a bullpen that has managed a major league worst 7.98 ERA entering Wednesday's action, but Heilman has been a bit of a bright spot for the club, posting a 3.78 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 14/5 K/BB ratio over 16 2/3 innings. Manager A.J. Hinch hasn't given up on closer Chad Qualls (7.07 ERA and three blown saves in nine chances) yet, but with Juan Gutierrez also struggling, Heilman could be next in line for save chances in the desert. He's worth a speculative grab.

Eric Hinske 1B/3B/OF, Braves (Yahoo: 5 percent owned, ESPN: 2.9 percent)

Hinske finally took an 0-fer against the Reds on Wednesday night, ending a six-game stretch where he went 12-for-21 (.571) with two homers, five doubles and nine RBI. Melky Cabrera could still grab some at-bats against left-handers, as he did against Johan Santana on Tuesday, but Hinske has made a legitimate case for playing time while Matt Diaz recovers from surgery on his right thumb. Add in that Hinske is eligible at multiple positions and he should be a must-own in NL-only and even some deeper mixed formats.

Jeff Keppinger 2B/SS/3B, Astros (Yahoo: 3 percent owned, ESPN: 1.6 percent)

Wednesday's release of Kaz Matsui means that Keppinger should get to play everyday at second base moving forward. The 30-year-old infielder is batting .283/.338/.375 over his 120 at-bats this season, nearly matching his career batting line of .279/.334/.388. Basically, what you see is what you get here. Keppinger isn't going to provide much clout or add any speed to the equation, but with multi-position eligibility, he should hit enough to be relevant.

 

[HacheMan]

Hoffman Steps Aside... For Now
Trevor Hoffman hasn't officially been stripped of closer duties yet, but is expected to be unavailable for several days while working on his mechanics. Carlos Villanueva got the nod as the fill-in closer Thursday and protected a 4-3 lead with a perfect ninth inning for his first save. Villanueva absolutely needs to be owned in all leagues whether Hoffman has already lost ninth-inning duties or gets one final chance to show he's not toast.

Villanueva's overall career numbers aren't particularly impressive thanks to his mediocre performances as a spot starter, but he has a 3.87 ERA and 242 strikeouts in 244 innings as a reliever, including a 2.91 ERA, .182 opponents' average, and 27/8 K/BB ratio in 22 innings this season. He lacks typical closer velocity, but so has Hoffman for the past two decades and at 26 years old Villanueva is certainly capable of holding down the job.

While the Brewers keep their plans for Hoffman close to the vest for now, here are some other notes from around baseball ...

* John Maine lasted all of five pitches Thursday night versus the Nationals, as the Mets yanked him for "precautionary reasons" one batter into his start because of decreased velocity that began during his pregame bullpen session. Maine walked the leadoff man while failing to top 85 miles per hour, but afterward said he wasn't injured and vented his frustration about the quick hook.

Pitching coach Dan Warthen took things several steps further by telling reporters that Maine "is a habitual liar in a lot of ways as far as his own health." Seriously. Warthen went on to call Maine "a competitor and a warrior" but added that "there's got to be something incorrect in that arm." For now the impending free agent is scheduled to be examined by doctors Friday in New York. Only the Mets.

* Ubaldo Jimenez was brilliant again Thursday, improving to 8-1 by holding the lowly Astros to one hit over seven shutout innings. He exited after just 92 pitches because of a hamstring injury, but the Rockies said afterward that it was merely cramping and the lesser workload might be the best thing for him anyway. Prior to Thursday's abbreviated start, Jimenez had thrown 115 or more pitches in five of the past seven outings.

* Mike Leake was headed for a 6-0 record Thursday when the Reds' bullpen imploded, giving up seven runs in the ninth inning to turn a 9-3 lead into a 10-9 loss. Bobby Cox had already removed Chipper Jones and Brian McCann from the blowout, so 30-year-old journeyman Brooks Conrad played the hero with a walk-off grand slam against Francisco Cordero that actually bounced out of left fielder Laynce Nix's glove. It was pretty insane.

AL Quick Hits: As expected, the Yankees placed Jorge Posada on the disabled list Thursday with a hairline fracture in his foot ... Jon Lester held the Twins to two runs in a complete-game victory Thursday ... Brian Matusz had the worst start of his career Thursday, allowing seven runs in 2.1 innings ... Nelson Cruz finished a triple shy of the cycle Thursday, knocking in four runs ... After hitting 27 homers last year, Ben Zobrist finally hit his first long ball of the season Thursday ... Jacoby Ellsbury (ribs) went 3-for-4 in a rehab game Thursday at Double-A and is now slated to come off the DL this weekend ... Ken Griffey Jr. boosted his batting average to .191 with a walk-off single as a pinch-hitter Thursday ... Max Scherzer tossed eight shutout innings Thursday in his first start since a demotion to Triple-A ... Francisco Liriano took his third straight loss Thursday, serving up a pair of homers ... Don Wakamatsu said Thursday that Erik Bedard (shoulder) won't make his season debut before late June ... Mitch Talbot continued to crash back down to earth Thursday, allowing six runs while his K/BB ratio declined to 20/24.

NL Quick Hits: Tommy Hanson revealed afterward that he felt "light headed" and "really dizzy" while getting rocked for eight runs in 1.2 innings Thursday ... Kyle Blanks was placed on the disabled list Thursday after an MRI exam revealed a strained elbow ... Dr. James Andrews has advised Brandon Webb to change his arm slot following shoulder surgery ... Brewers general manager Doug Melvin said Thursday that he has no plans to fire manager Ken Macha ... Tim Lincecum allowed a season-high five runs and handed out five walks in five innings Thursday, but got a no-decision ... Clayton Kershaw won his third straight start with 7.1 innings of one-run ball Thursday ... Roy Oswalt turned in another Quality Start, but fell to 2-6 thanks to zero run support Thursday ... Jose Contreras closed out a one-run lead Thursday for his second save ... Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun flip-flopped in the lineup Thursday, with Fielder batting third for the first time since 2008 ... If you're not following me on Twitter, you're missing out on one of life's great pleasures.

 

[HacheMan]

Rest for the Weary

Following a week in which no team had a day off, we have just five teams with a full seven-game slate this week. That means a significant reduction in two-start pitchers, although there are still plenty of strong plays on deck, as you'll see below. Take a good look also at the mid-tier two-start picks, as there are some intriguing plays to be found here this week even though I couldn't bring myself to fully recommend them.

Going Twice...



American League

Strong Plays

Clay Buchholz: @TB (Davis), KC (Greinke)
Jon Lester: @TB (Shields), KC (Meche)
A.J. Burnett: @MIN (Baker), CLE (Masterson)
Dallas Braden: @BAL (Guthrie), @DET (Verlander)
James Shields: BOS (Lester), CWS (Peavy)
John Danks: @CLE (Masterson), @TB (Davis)

Decent Plays

Jeremy Guthrie: OAK (Braden), @TOR (Cecil)
Mark Buehrle: @CLE (Talbot), @TB (Shields)
Justin Masterson: CWS (Danks), @NYY (Burnett)
Joe Saunders: TOR (Cecil), SEA (Hernandez)
Scott Baker: NYY (Burnett), TEX (Wilson)
Wade Davis: BOS (Buchholz), CWS (Danks)
Brett Cecil: @LAA (Saunders), BAL (Guthrie)

At Your Own Risk

Gil Meche: TEX (Harden), @BOS (Lester)

National League

Strong Plays

Ian Kennedy: @COL (Smith), @SF (Wellemeyer)
Tom Gorzelanny: LAD (Ortiz), STL (Garcia)
Mike Leake: PIT (Maholm), HOU (Paulino)
Jon Garland: STL (Garcia), WAS (Hernandez)
Jaime Garcia: @SD (Garland), @CHC (Gorzelanny)

Decent Plays

Kenshin Kawakami: @FLA (Sanchez), PIT (Maholm)
Anibal Sanchez: ATL (Kawakami), PHI (Moyer)
Felipe Paulino: @MIL (Wolf), @CIN (Leake)
Randy Wolf: HOU (Paulino), NYM (Dickey)
Jamie Moyer: @NYM (Dickey), @FLA (Sanchez)
Paul Maholm: @CIN (Leake), @ATL (Kawakami)
Todd Wellemeyer: WAS (Hernandez), ARI (Kennedy)
Livan Hernandez: @SF (Wellemeyer), @SD (Garland)
Greg Smith: ARI (Kennedy), LAD (Ortiz)

At Your Own Risk

Aaron Harang: PIT (Burres), HOU (Norris)
Ramon Ortiz: @CHC (Gorzelanny), @COL (Smith)
R.A. Dickey: PHI (Moyer), @MIL (Wolf)
Brian Burres: @CIN (Harang), @ATL (Medlen)


Streamer City



The following pitchers are generally available in over 50 percent of fantasy leagues and have favorable match-ups this week:

American League

Thursday, 5/27: Trevor Cahill @ BAL
Cahill has been sharp over his past three starts, though he's only come away with one win during that span. He'll look to pick up another against the last-place Orioles.

Saturday, 5/29: Armando Galarraga vs. OAK
Struggles in the back end of the Tigers rotation have opened another opportunity for Galarraga, who'd been pitching pretty well in Triple-A. He performed well in his season debut for Detroit and merits another look at home against the A's.

National League

Wednesday, 5/26: Joe Blanton @ NYM
Starting Blanton can always be a risky proposition, but he's bound to settle in at some point and should receive plenty of run support against John Maine and the Mets.

Thursday, 5/27: Johnny Cueto vs. PIT
After stumbling out of the gates, Cueto officially seems to be back on track, having put together a pair of consecutive excellent outings. He's a great bet for success against the Pirates.

Saturday, 5/29: Kris Medlen vs. PIT
Freshly added to the Atlanta rotation, Medlen has been pitching very well this year and always has the potential to chip in some strikeouts.

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Total Games



American League

5: DET, SEA, TEX
6: BAL, CLE, KC, LAA, MIN, NYY, OAK, TOR
7: BOS, CWS, TB

National League

6: ARI, ATL, CHC, COL, FLA, HOU, LAD, MIL, NYM, PHI, SD, SF, STL, WAS
7: CIN, PIT


Lefty/Righty Breakdown



American League

BAL: 3 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP
BOS: 7 vs. RHP, 0 vs. LHP
CWS: 6 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
CLE: 4 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
DET: 2 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP
KC: 5 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
LAA: 2 vs. RHP, 4 vs. LHP
MIN: 3 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP
NYY: 4 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
OAK: 5 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
SEA: 2 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP
TB: 4 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP
TEX: 5 vs. RHP, 0 vs. LHP
TOR: 5 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP

National League

ARI: 5 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
ATL: 2 vs. RHP, 4 vs. LHP
CHC: 4 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
CIN: 4 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP
COL: 6 vs. RHP, 0 vs. LHP
FLA: 5 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
HOU: 4 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
LAD: 3 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP
MIL: 5 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
NYM: 3 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP
PHI: 5 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
PIT: 7 vs. RHP, 0 vs. LHP
SD: 4 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
SF: 5 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
STL: 4 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
WAS: 4 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP

 

[HacheMan]

Don't Fix What Ain't Broke
Ellsbury returns, Hoffman goes back to the drawing board and Kaz Matsui searches for a new home. All that and more in this week's Week That Was.


Jacoby Ellsbury: In good news for the Sox and Ellsbury owners everywhere, Jacoby Ellsbury came off the DL and is set to play this weekend. You don't need me to tell you to get him in your lineup right away. Without question, he can be a game changer. Ellsbury has posted 130 SB over the last two years to go along with a solid batting average. Add in the fact that before getting hurt in April, he was already off to a .333 start, and you have a star's star. Warning – rant coming. Do you ever wonder why teams can be so manifestly stupid and continue to mess with their young superstar players? Why they continue to move said young stars out of position in favor of older retreads or unproven players? Well, they do and it continues to have horrific consequences. LF is different that CF. LF in Boston is very, very different. You have to learn to play the monster and you are also on top of the infielders. So, it makes one wonder – who in their right mind would force Ellsbury (the young star) to learn a new position so Mike Cameron – he of the sub .250 batting average and single digit steals – could be comfortable? [Answer to the rhetorical question is NO ONE!]. Is it a coincidence that Ellsbury, playing his new position, got hurt when he collided with Adrian Beltre? Maybe. Was it a risk worth taking? Heck no. [Note – if you are wondering what the roto lesson is, I will tell you. Players learning new positions tend to either get hurt or underproduce for a while. Bid cautiously on same].



Kaz Matsui: The Houston Astros finally cut bait and released Kaz Matsui. You can hardly blame them. Matsui was hitting a dreadful .141. Yes, that is right, .141. There are rumors that Matsui could land back with the Rockies. Maybe, but this writer advises that you look elsewhere for potential steals or a potential resurgence. Players in their mid thirties rarely experience a speed revival. Final Matsui note -- in the interests of full disclosure, I have to admit that I have never liked him as a player. He came into the major leagues and before even playing in one game, demanded that the Mets move Jose Reyes from SS to 2B. Who wants a guy like that on your team? You would have thought that Theo Epstein would have looked at how dumb it was to mess with Jose Reyes in favor of Matsui and not mess with Ellsbury in favor of Mike Cameron. You would have thought.



Trevor Hoffman: Trevor Hoffman was removed from the closer role after yet another disastrous performance. With LaTroy Hawkins on the shelf and Hoffman heading back to the drawing board, Carlos Villanueva stepped up and posted the save Thursday. Wow, what a mess. Hoffman has had a great career is surely headed to Cooperstown five years after he hangs up his spikes. However, the 2010 version of Hoffman has been downright awful. If you only throw in the 80's, you have to be pinpoint perfect or major league hitters will tee off. Hoffman hasn't and they have. Villanueva, on the other hand, has been great, blowing down 27 hitters in just 21 innings, to go with a 1.02 WHIP. I was not a big fan of Hoffman coming into this year, but I cannot say I predicted this. Villanueva's success, on the other hand, was predictable. If you look at his numbers over the last couple of years, you see mediocrity at best. However, his numbers as a reliever have been far better. Lesson – when you know a pitcher has finally landed a role (in this case, reliever), dig deeper into the stats to see how they have done in that role. Buy Villanueva while you still can. Hoffman will get some more chances to win his job back but Villanueva will save a bunch of games even if Hoffman regains some form.



Francisco Cervelli: Francisco Cervelli's value shot through the roof with the latest injury to Jorge Posada. Will Cervelli hit .340? No. Will he continue to put up good counting numbers while maintaining a decent average? Yes. Why you ask. Good question. Well, first, he has 9BB and 9 K this year. That shows maturity, patience and a good eye – all things that will serve him well. Second, he has that knack for hitting in the clutch – you just cannot put a price on that. Third, he plays hard every single day. Hustle creates results and this guy hustles. Fourth, he plays for a team that will score a ton of runs. Fifth, even when Posada returns, he will do a lot of DH'ing creating continued opportunities for Cervelli. Final note – has anyone else noticed that his oddly-shaped protective batting helmet is strangely reminiscent of the one worn by Fred and Barney's little alien friend Kazoo? Look it up, it will make you chuckle.


Jeremy Bonderman: Jeremy Bonderman looked strong again this week, mowing down 8 A's in Thursday's win. So far this year, Bonderman boasts a 4.43 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP. However, if you eliminate one bad outing, the numbers get much prettier. For example, without that one bad game, his ERA is 3.33. After two years of battling arm problems and Thoracic Outlet Syndrome (basically, impingement of blood vessels and nerves as they exit the area under the armpit), Bonderman is pain-free, throwing harder and returning to form. It is often dangerous business betting on returns from injury (especially for pitchers). However, this is not a pitcher that is having a lucky start. This is a pitcher who has finally overcome the bad luck to recapture the success we all predicted just a couple of years ago. Buy.


Jhonny Peralta: Jhonny Peralta extended his hitting streak to 10 games with a dinger on Thursday (the streak ended Friday for those worrying about Dimaggio's record). With that 10 game spurt, Peralta put the Mendoza line in the rear view mirror and upped his average close to .250. Peralta, who was switched to 3b midway through the year last year, is far better than he has played the last 18 months. Now, fully entrenched at 3b and still only 27 (he turns 28 next week), Peralta should return to the form he showed when he hit 44 HR in the 07-08 time frame. Will Peralta be Ryan Zimmerman? No. Will he outperform his recent track record and return a nice profit (and keep his SS eligibility this year)? Yes. Buy if you can.



B.J. Upton: B.J. Upton showed signs of life Wednesday, going 2-5 with a run and two swipes against the Yankees on Wednesday. There is no doubt that Upton is one of the most frustrating players to own. Yes, he has 13 SB on the season (on pace for about 50). However, he also sports a sorry .224 average after hitting .241 last year. What is a fantasy owner to do? Well, remember that big brother Upton is still just 25 years old. In other words, he has not even reached the age where players hit their peak. His rise will come. He will steal 40-50 easy and can only get better. If you can buy low now, do it. He will explode. The question is just when.


Anibal Sanchez: Anibal Sanchez was great this week, holding Albert Pujols and the Redbirds scoreless over seven innings while striking out eight and allowing only four hits. Of course, I had him on the bench in fear of the Cardinals. Lesson to learn here – sometimes one can overmanage one's team. Look for Sanchez to be solid the rest of the way. Sanchez, who already owns a major league no-no, has 15 K over the last two games, is just 26 and pitches in a pitcher's park. All this and more provide reason to buy while you still can.


Trevor Crowe: Trevor Crowe is making the most of his opportunity to replace Grady Sizemore. On Wednesday, Crowe went 2-5, knocked in a run and stole a base. Buy now while you still can. Yes, the Indians are bad and Crowe failed in his first big league try in 2009, but Crowe is an exciting young player with an interesting track record. Specifically, Crowe has shown that once he gets accustomed to a level, he hits around .300 with speed. He is off to exactly that kind of start in his second shot at the show. Will he hit .300 in 2010? No. Will he hit .275 with good speed numbers at a cheap price? Yup.


Paul Konerko: Paul Konerko smacked his 14th dinger on Wednesday. If you own him, enjoy it, it has been great. For those of you who buy into contract year success, pat yourself on the back for buying Paul. The real issue now is what happens over the last 120 games. Answer – Konerko hits .270ish with solid RBI and HR numbers. Will he hit 50+ HR? No. Will he hit another 20-25 making him quite valuable? Yup.


And last, but not least, Schultz says: "I know that you've all become acclimated to lengthy dissertations at the end of the Week That Was. I can't lie to you. I've become accustomed to speaking to you all at length. But then again, if you really are reading this far . . . and depending on this for your roto-success, I'm not sure if I should thank you or pity you. I'll break character and go with the former cause that's how I'm feeling this week.

If you do need to come away from this with something useful, know this: for as great as Tommy Hanson will be in his career as a major league superstar, this year is not it. The career parabola for pitchers who come out of the gate as extreme youngsters has mixed results but for the most part, it doesn't bode well for them when they are in the early stages. Hanson, who is really just a kid, has lots of upside, just not this year. He may have won you accolades if you chose correctly and gambled on him over David Price last year as your free agent de jour. Now, the league has caught up to him, Hanson is feeling light headed and everything's just not lining up for him like it did last year. If you can get him at the right price for 2011, you're thinking smart."


Response: I like the use of the parabola. I haven't head that one in a while. I am not sure I agree on Hanson, though I do agree on the basic premise of this week's succinct Schultz-ism that baby pitchers often have serious growing pains. I just think Hanson is special. Thus far this year, Hanson has a K/BB of close to 4, has blown away more than a batter an inning, and, if you take away the one disaster this week, has an ERA around 3.00 and a WHIP well under 1.20. If I was in a league with Schultz, I would make him a deal and send him David Huff, Mitch Talbot and Fausto Carmona for Hanson!

 

[HacheMan]

AL Team-by-Team Notes
Is Brian Matusz the new Glendon Rusch?

The 23-year-old southpaw has maintained strong peripherals in 17 major league starts since debuting last August, but after giving up seven runs in 2 1/3 innings against the Rangers on Thursday, his ERA stands at 4.96.

In 94 1/3 innings as a major leaguer, Matusz has struck out 79, walked 33 and allowed 10 homers. That gives him a FIP (fielder independent) ERA of 3.90. His actual ERA is over a run higher, though. That's because his batting average on balls in play, typically around .290 for most pitchers, stands at .355. Of 111 qualified pitchers, only Gavin Floyd, Brandon Morrow and Justin Masterson have higher marks than Matusz's .365 this year.

I bring up Rusch because he almost always had worse ERAs than his peripherals suggested. His career average against on balls in play was .334, largely because he allowed more line drives than the typical pitcher. Matusz isn't there yet, but his line-drive percentage this year ranks 90th of the 111 qualified pitchers.

Hopefully, it's just some early growing pains for Matusz. The 2008 first-round pick has the stuff to make it as a top-of-the-rotation starter for the Orioles. Still, I looked at him as a mixed-league sleeper for this year and it just isn't materializing. His changeup, which drew raves in college, has yet to turn into an effective major league pitch, and he doesn't have as much confidence in his slider as he should. He needs to start throwing more breaking balls when he's ahead in the count.

American League Notes

Baltimore - Garrett Atkins started off May with five hits in two games, but he hasn't had a multihit game since and he's found himself on the bench in NL parks this weekend. One wonders if the Orioles might go so far as to release him once Brian Roberts returns, with Ty Wigginton taking over his playing time at first base. Atkins still has a couple of weeks left to show something, though. Roberts' recent bout of pneumonia certainly won't help his chances of returning from the 60-day DL when eligible on June 10.

Boston - John Lackey's peripherals definitely back up his 5.07 ERA. He's struck out 34, walked 26 and allowed seven homers in his 55 innings this season. A tough schedule has played a role, but he just hasn't been any good in his last three starts. I do expect that he'll bounce back; his velocity is fine and he's not giving up a lot of liners. He's still a definite asset in mixed leagues. However, I wouldn't want him active for his start against the Rays this week. … Jacoby Ellsbury came off the DL on Saturday and Mike Cameron (hernia) is expected back Monday, giving the Red Sox their projected starting outfield for the first time since week one. Since Cameron isn't 100 percent, Jeremy Hermida figures to stay in the lineup against some righties. The possibility of more injuries makes him worth holding on to in AL-only leagues. Darnell McDonald, on the other hand, should be dropped. He might lose his roster spot to Cameron.

Chicago - Floyd is more in the Matusz camp; his struggles are completely due to what would seem to be an awfully fluky average against on balls in play. His strikeout rate and especially his home run rate are better than his career marks. He has walked a few extra batters, but there's nothing disastrous there. I still expect his 6.31 ERA to start coming down in a hurry. He should be pursued as a buy-low candidate in AL-only leagues. … The White Sox will hope that Alexei Ramirez's five-RBI game Friday is a sign of better things to come. It was a lock that he'd improve his average, but he has been a real disappointment in the power department since debuting with 21 homers in 480 at-bats in 2008. He simply hits too many balls on the ground these days. The strength is there for him to get back to 20-25 homers, but it's not happening with his current swing.

Cleveland - An innocent knee bruise turned out to be anything but for Grady Sizemore, who is currently on the DL awaiting word on whether he'll need surgery. Trevor Crowe, who was called up when it looked like Sizemore would only miss a couple of days, has hit .310 with five RBI in seven games in his place so far. Had the Indians known initially that Sizemore would land on the DL, they probably would have called up Michael Brantley instead. Brantley is hitting .313/.387/.364 in 99 at-bats since being optioned out last month, and he offers more range than Crowe in center. If Sizemore does need surgery, then Brantley figures to get the call and take over as a regular. … The super-two "deadline" is about to pass, so the possibility exists that Carlos Santana will replace Lou Marson in a week or two. He's batting .314/.439/.571 in Triple-A, and he'll be a must-add in mixed leagues if he gets the call. … Jason Donald should provide steady value in AL-only leagues while Asdrubal Cabrera recovers from his broken arm. He was about due to replace Luis Valbuena in the Indians lineup anyway. If not for Mark Grudzielanek's solid play as a part-timer at second, it probably would have happened before Cabrera got hurt.

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Detroit - Carlos Guillen (hamstring) is due back during the second half of the week, assuming he makes it through his rehab assignment without incident. I hardly think that's a guarantee, given his lack of experience at second base and his general brittleness at this stage of his career. Danny Worth is likely to be sent down when Guillen is activated. … Ryan Raburn is back to help out against lefties after hitting .444/.483/.667 in seven games during a brief Triple-A stint. The Tigers, though, are trying Brennan Boesch as a full-time player, leaving Raburn without a platoon partner. He probably won't have any fantasy value until someone ahead of him gets hurt. And, in this case, Guillen probably doesn't count.

Kansas City - Mike Aviles may not be walking -- he finally drew one in his 66th plate appearance Friday -- but he sure is hitting and Chris Getz is taking a backseat as a result. It's the best thing for the Royals. Aviles could play short instead, but he lacks range there and Yuniesky Betancourt seems to be playing better defensively this year. Getz is in real trouble now, since he still hasn't hit enough to hold down a starting job and he lacks the versatility one expects from a utilityman. … Rick Ankiel (quad) still hasn't started his rehab assignment, though that could come within a couple of days. Maybe he'll be ready to go by Friday, but AL-only leaguers can't use him this week. Mitch Maier will continue to start.

Los Angeles - Howie Kendrick's ascent to the second spot in the order gives his value a nice boost, even if he hasn't capitalized so far. Not only will he get more at-bats and chances to score runs, but he could also steal more bases while hitting in front of Bobby Abreu, who takes about as many pitches as anyone in baseball. ... Maicer Izturis (shoulder) was expected back Friday, but the Angels decided he wasn't ready. It's given Brandon Wood a little more time to show that he should be the Angels' third baseman. Wood hasn't earned it, though. If he were hitting .220 with decent power, then, sure, he'd be worthy of more of a chance. But .157 with three extra-base hits and a 36/2 K/BB in 121 at-bats is the definition of overmatched. … Given the improved strikeout rate and the still exceptional groundball and walk rates, I'm not concerned about Joel Pineiro's recent struggles. He should be a solid AL-only starter.

Minnesota - The Twins can't seem to get a grasp on the severity of J.J. Hardy's injury. Surprised that he wasn't available over the weekend, the team turned to former first-round pick Trevor Plouffe at shortstop. They're still hoping it's a short-term arrangement, and the possibility exists that Plouffe will return to Triple-A at some point in the next few days. If Hardy, though, continues to struggle to make it back, Plouffe should have a little value in AL-only leagues.

New York - The guess is that Curtis Granderson (groin) will rejoin the Yankees in time for Friday's series opener against the Indians, but it is possible he'll be activated earlier if he impresses on his rehab. Brett Gardner should be the everyday left fielder once Granderson returns, creating a platoon of Juan Miranda and Marcus Thames at DH. I think that will work pretty well. Miranda is off to a fine start, with two homers and four walks in 21 at-bats since getting the call. Thames is a far superior option against lefties, though. … Francisco Cervelli is certainly worth using in two-catcher mixed leagues while Jorge Posada (foot) sits out the next 3-4 weeks. Probably not in one-catcher leagues. … It's still too early to tell if Javier Vazquez will miss a start with his finger injury, but barring a negative report Sunday, it's a good idea to keep him active in AL-only leagues. Mixed leaguers shouldn't need to gamble.

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Oakland - The admission Saturday that Eric Chavez just wasn't helping the A's had to be a difficult one, but the team can move on now and install Jack Cust as the primary DH. It's where he belongs anyway, but that's especially the case now that Coco Crisp has recovered from his broken finger. For those in need of steals, Crisp is worth considering in mixed leagues. Chavez shouldn't see the active roster again until September, if then. … Crisp's return meant that Cliff Pennington, who was struggling as a leadoff man, was dropped to eighth in Oakland's order. Anyone who picked him up in a mixed league should be able to do better. … The return of Mark Ellis from his hamstring injury will send Adam Rosales to the bench. … Eric Patterson is also in line for less playing time now that the A's are getting healthier. His best hope is that Rajai Davis resumes struggling, opening up more time in left field. Davis, though, has hit better of late and is the superior defender.

Seattle - The Mariners had no other choice but to send Ryan Rowland-Smith to the pen after he amassed a 7.62 ERA in eight starts. It's impressive that they showed as much patience as they did. Somewhat surprising was that Ian Snell was returned to the rotation in his place. Luke French has a 1.64 ERA in eight starts for Triple-A Tacoma, and while he's nothing special, he could get the same kind of boost from Seattle's defense that Doug Fister and Jason Vargas have. Fortunately, Snell was sharp Saturday despite little action as of late. He'll be worth considering in AL-only leagues if he does it again this week. … Josh Bard is Seattle's starting catcher of the moment, giving him a little value in AL-only leagues. Rob Johnson will work as Felix Hernandez's personal catcher and get the occasional start otherwise. Adam Moore is expected to miss a few more weeks with a knee injury. … Jack Wilson's setback from a hamstring injury figures to give Josh Wilson another week of starts.

Tampa Bay - B.J. Upton's play has picked up again of late, and while he's still been a disappointment again offensively, he's on pace to hit about 20 homers and swipe 50 bases. This would be a pretty good time to trade for him if his owner is disappointed by his .224 average. … Kelly Shoppach (knee) is getting closer, but he's still 7-10 days away from beginning his rehab assignment and then he'll probably spend 7-10 days in the minors. The Rays don't have to make a decision on John Jaso just yet.

Texas - Justin Smoak has now had about twice as long of a chance as Chris Davis did to begin the year, and he's hitting .178/.299/.344 in 90 at-bats. No change is forthcoming in the short-term, particularly since Davis is hitting a modest .309/.362/.454 in 97 at-bats since his demotion to Triple-A Oklahoma. But it is worth considering that Davis is the better defensive first baseman. That could yet play a role if he can get hot for a couple of weeks and Smoak struggles to get above the Mendoza Line. … With Derek Holland off to an impressive start, Matt Harrison will probably be sent to the bullpen upon returning from biceps tendinitis. Holland is a certain play in AL-only leagues, and he's worth looking at as a spot starter in mixed leagues.

Toronto - Even if it was in a losing cause, Edwin Encarnacion's three-homer game Friday was big, particularly since Travis Snider (wrist) appears set to become off the DL when eligible next Sunday. If Encarnacion hits, then the Jays will keep Jose Bautista in the outfield and likely make Fred Lewis their fourth outfielder. Encarnacion, though, can't afford any slumps, at least not unless he suddenly turns into a much better defensive third baseman. … The Jays decided to option Marc Rzepczynski to the minors last week after his stay on the disabled list, but they still have Jesse Litsch (elbow) and Brian Tallet (forearm) on rehab assignments. The current belief is that Lisch will replace Dana Eveland in the rotation in early June. Tallet, who had a 6.11 ERA in three starts before getting hurt last month, seems likely to head to the bullpen. Depending on how Brett Cecil and Brandon Morrow perform, Rzepczynski could get a look sometime in June.

 

[HacheMan]

Strasburg Gives Up A Run!
It took four starts, but Stephen Strasburg finally allowed a Triple-A run Monday. Two of them, in fact, although one was unearned. He was pulled from the game after just five innings and 52 pitches, as the Nationals limit Strasburg's workload in preparation for an imminent call-up. Strasburg has a 0.99 ERA and 54/10 K/BB ratio in nine starts between Double-A and Triple-A, and his 10th outing may be his final act as a minor leaguer.

At this point the assumption is that his MLB debut will come June 4 against the Reds in Washington, but the Nationals have yet to actually disclose their plans. And while much has been made about Strasburg's transition to the big leagues being eased by working with Hall of Fame catcher Ivan Rodriguez, now it looks like his first start at least will come with someone else behind the plate.

Rodriguez was placed on the disabled list Monday with a strained back suffered over the weekend and won't be eligible to return until after June 4. Rodriguez was signed largely because of worries about Jesus Flores' recovery from shoulder surgery and he's still not ready to play, so that leaves 32-year-old journeyman Wil Nieves as the Nationals' main catcher and minor-league veteran Carlos Maldonado as his new backup.

While the trivia question about who caught Strasburg's debut gets a whole lot tougher, here are some other notes from around baseball ...

* Initially the Red Sox were scheduled to active Mike Cameron from the disabled list Monday, but those plans were pushed back 24 hours and now he's slated to rejoin the lineup Tuesday. Cameron went 9-for-27 (.333) with three homers and three doubles in eight games while rehabbing at Double-A and Triple-A, so his bat certainly looks ready to return whether or not his abdominal injury proves healed.

Darnell McDonald started 22 games in center field with Cameron out, hitting .263 with a .720 OPS, but he's expected to return to Triple-A. Jacoby Ellsbury will slide back to left field after briefly playing center upon beating Cameron back from the DL, with Jeremy Hermida taking on the part-time role the Red Sox had in mind when they acquired him. And we'll finally get to see the Red Sox's planned defensive improvement in action.

* John Maine insisted his shoulder was fine when the Mets yanked him from Thursday's start after just five pitches and placed him on the disabled list, but an MRI exam Monday revealed rotator cuff tendinitis. Given all the hubbub surrounding his decreased velocity and early exit that probably qualifies as positive news, because indications are that he could be back in the rotation at some point next month. I'm skeptical, to say the least.

* This weekend Mike Scioscia told the slumping Brandon Wood to avoid even picking up a bat during his time off, and coincidentally with Maicer Izturis now healthy Wood is likely headed to the disabled list with a hip injury. Wood is out of minor-league options, but a short stint on the DL followed by a multi-week rehab assignment would be a way to get around that issue while keeping his putrid .381 OPS out of the Angels' lineup.

* If you're looking for something to fill the void of Lost coming to an end, follow me on Twitter.

AL Quick Hits: David Ortiz homered Monday for the eighth time this month, which is more than he's had in any month since May of 2008 ... Curtis Granderson (groin) went 3-for-5 in a rehab game Monday at Triple-A ... Grady Sizemore is seeking second and third opinions on his injured knee this week and surgery remains an option ... Victor Martinez exited Monday's game after fouling a ball off his left foot ... Rick Ankiel (quadriceps) is reportedly "getting closer" to beginning a rehab assignment, but remains unlikely to return this month ... Eric Chavez (neck) clarified Monday that he has no plans to retire following his latest setback ... Ozzie Guillen dismissed rumors that the White Sox may send the slumping Gordon Beckham to Triple-A ... Still just 26 years old, former top prospect Dana Eveland wore out his welcome with a fourth team Monday when Toronto designated him for assignment ... Justin Masterson allowed five runs in four innings Monday, losing his 11th straight decision dating back to last season.

NL Quick Hits: Aramis Ramirez is getting some time off for both his thumb injury and season-long slump ... Homer Bailey (shoulder) appears to have avoided a serious injury, but will spend at last 15 days on the disabled list with inflammation ... Mark DeRosa (wrist) will not come off the DL when eligible Tuesday ... Carlos Zambrano threw a 73-pitch simulated game Monday in preparation for rejoining the rotation early next month ... Vicente Padilla (forearm) is now targeting mid-June for his return from the DL ... Kyle Lohse (forearm) expects to miss his next start, but an MRI exam Monday found no structural damage ... Roy Halladay is racking up the highest pitch counts of his career through seven weeks with the Phillies ... Steve Pearce was on crutches after spraining his ankle Monday ... Daniel Murphy came off the shelf Monday, but the Mets immediately optioned him to Triple-A ... Kaz Matsui cleared waivers Monday and immediately signed a minor-league deal with the Rockies ... Andy LaRoche was out of the lineup Monday for the third straight game with back soreness.

 

[HacheMan]

Oh, Man
In this week's edition of Saves and Steals, your contumacious correspondent documents Mariano Rivera's recent struggles, updates the status on a quartet of injured closers and advises you to become acquainted with Will Ohman, Baltimore's presumed new closer.

In honor of MacGruber, which opened over the weekend, this week's tiers are brought to you by the five levels of Saturday Night Live film adaptations.


Tier 1: Elite (3) (AKA: The "The Blues Brothers" Tier.)


Mariano Rivera, New York Yankees
Jonathan Papelbon, Boston Red Sox
Jonathan Broxton, Los Angeles Dodgers

Comment:


Mariano Rivera allowed five runs -- three earned -- with a 1.275 OPS against over his last three appearances. Let that be a reminder that no one is immune to a bad week.


As his owners know, it's been a feast or famine season for Jonathan Broxton. Prior to May 7, Broxton had saved only one game all season. Since that time, he's saved nine and allowed only one run in nine innings. He was unavailable on Sunday after saving three games in a row.


Tier 2: Rock Steady (8) (AKA: The "Wayne's World" Tier.)


Joakim Soria, Kansas City Royals
Francisco Rodriguez, New York Mets
Heath Bell, San Diego Padres
Francisco Cordero, Cincinnati Reds
Brian Wilson, San Francisco Giants
Andrew Bailey, Oakland Athletics
Carlos Marmol, Chicago Cubs
Jose Valverde, Detroit Tigers

Comment:

Francisco Cordero earned his 15th save with a scoreless ninth inning Monday against the Pirates, but has still allowed six earned runs in his last 10 appearances.


Tier 3: OK options (8) (AKA: The "A Night at the Roxbury" Tier.)


David Aardsma, Seattle Mariners
Matt Capps, Washington Nationals
Rafael Soriano, Tamp a Bay Rays
Billy Wagner, Atlanta Braves
Jon Rauch, Minnesota Twins
Leo Nunez, Florida Marlins
Ryan Franklin, St. Louis Cardinals
Neftali Feliz, Texas Rangers

Comment:

Since May 5, Matt Capps has allowed six earned runs in eight appearances. He blew his first save of the season when Julio Lugo's single to right field tied Sunday's game against the Orioles 3-3. Fortunately for him, Washington won the game in 10 innings.


Tier 4: Question marks (5) (AKA: The "The Ladies' Man" Tier.)


Brian Fuentes, Los Angeles Angels
Kevin Gregg, Toronto Blue Jay
Matt Lindstrom, Houston Astros
Kerry Wood, Cleveland Indians
Bobby Jenks, Chicago White Sox

Comment:

According to an ESPN report over the weekend, the Phillies are scouting Bobby Jenks and J.J. Putz. If the White Sox continue to flounder, they should be motivated to move both. Luckily for Chicago general manager Kenny Williams, Jenks' trade stock has improved after the big right-hander worked through early-season struggles. He hasn't allowed a run in his last three appearances.

Matt Thornton would ascend to the closer's role if Jenks were dealt.


Tier 5: Rollercoaster rides (6) (AKA: The "Superstar" Tier.)


Trevor Hoffman/Carlos Villanueva, Milwaukee Brewers
Chad Qualls, Arizona Diamondbacks
Octavio Dotel, Pittsburgh Pirates
Manny Corpas, Colorado Rockies
Jose Contreras, Philadelphia Phillies
Will Ohman, Baltimore Orioles

Comment:

Trevor Hoffman took a few days off last week to work on his mechanics and returned to the mound in a setup capacity. Hoffman made his 1,000th career appearance against the Twins on Sunday and pitched a scoreless eighth inning. Milwaukee will keep him in a setup role until he works through his issues, but it appears as though manager Ken Macha's desire is to insert Hoffman back into ninth-inning duties as soon as possible.

Carlos Villanueva is the safe bet to earn saves until that point, although he blew his first opportunity on Saturday against the Twins. John Axford was given the save opportunity on Sunday -- because Villanueva wasn't available after throwing 44 pitches on Saturday -- and he stranded the bases loaded after allowing a run to help Milwaukee escape with a 4-3 victory. The 27-year-old rookie isn't a viable closing option and isn't likely to see another save opportunity any time soon.


Alfredo Simon is expected to be placed on the disabled list on Tuesday with a left hamstring strain he suffered while covering first base in Sunday's game. Baltimore's terrible bullpen can ill afford Simon's 2.92 ERA hitting the shelf, especially with Koji Uehara also likely headed to the DL because of a right forearm strain.

According to an MLB.com report, Will Ohman is likely next in line for save opportunities. Manager Dave Trembley doesn't want to move him out of his role as a situational left-handed specialist, where he hasn't allowed a run in 14 2/3 innings this season, but he no longer has much of a choice. For what it's worth, Ohman is on record as saying he wants a shot at being the closer, so perhaps he has the disposition for the move.

Ohman is the only reliever in the majors who has pitched more than 10 innings in 2010 and not allowed an earned run. He leads the American League with 24 appearances, but has accrued only 14 2/3 innings because of the ephemeral nature of his specialist role. Don't discount him because of his LOOGY title, however. Ohman has held right-handed hitters to a .222/.333/.278 line in 18 at-bats this season, while striking out seven of them.


Jose Contreras and J.C. Romero have both earned two saves in Brad Lidge's absence, but Contreras is the man to own. He has a 20/2 K/BB ratio in 14 1/3 innings this season and is Philadelphia's first choice in normal save situations. Romero's saves have both been of the cheap matchup variety. On Friday, for instance, Romero recorded the last two outs with a four-run lead to notch the save because manager Charlie Manuel went to him with the left-handed hitting J.D. Drew up. Romero is ownable in deep mixed leagues and NL-only formats for the occasional save he will pilfer, or in standard leagues as a handcuff to Contreras for those looking to lock down all saves coming out of Philadelphia.


* * * * * * * * * *



Injured

Joe Nathan, Minnesota Twins (Out for the season with a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow)
Mike Gonzalez, Baltimore Orioles (15-day disabled list with a strained left shoulder)
Huston Street, Colorado Rockies (15-day disabled list with shoulder stiffness)
Franklin Morales, Colorado Rockies (15-day disabled list with left shoulder weakness)
Ryan Madson, Philadelphia Phillies (15-day disabled list with a broken toe)
Brad Lidge, Philadelphia Phillies (15-day disabled list with right elbow inflammation)
Alfredo Simon, Baltimore Orioles (expected to be placed on the 15-day disabled list on Tuesday with a strained left hamstring)

Comment:

Mike Gonzalez -- out with a strained left shoulder -- is at extended spring training and is closing in on a rehab assignment. He could potentially return in early-to-mid June.


Huston Street could also return in early June. Franklin Morales is ahead of Street in their respective throwing programs and will likely beat him back from the disabled list.


Brad Lidge is on an aggressive rehab timetable and hopes to return in early June.

The Graveyard:
Frank Francisco, Texas Rangers
Jason Frasor, Toronto Blue Jay
Jim Johnson, Baltimore Orioles


* * * * * * * * * *


The Steals Department

Winning deep leagues is often about recognizing value on the waiver wire. Speed is a particularly easy category to gain an advantage if you are paying attention. The following are two popular current adds in AL-only leagues that are creeping onto mixed-league radars. Both are owned in less than 1% of ESPN standard leagues.


Trevor Crowe is leading off with Grady Sizemore on the disabled list. The 2005 first-round pick turned off many owners by hitting .235/.278/.333 with one home run in 183 at-bats with the Indians last season, but there is reason to believe he could become an AL-only asset this time around.

The switch-hitter has impressed manager Manny Acta and should find a role even when Sizemore works his way back. It hasn't hurt that, despite going 0-for-5 on Monday, Crowe is hitting .286 in 42 at-bats. He has the track record and tools to continue to produce at around that level.

Crowe should be an effective source of batting average and speed if he can stay in the lineup.


Anyone swinging a hot bat is going to be impossible to jettison from Baltimore's horrible lineup, so Corey Patterson went out and forced manager Dave Trembley's hand. Leading off every day in left field since May 12, Patterson has hit .286/.375/.469 in 49 at-bats. Since May 17, he's stolen four bases.

Will Patterson sustain his .844 OPS? No chance. But he swiped 45 and 37 bases for the Orioles in 2006-2007, respectively, and has obviously shown a propensity to run this season. You'll also recall that Patterson hit double-digit home runs in six out of seven season from 2002-2008 and already has a pair of big flies this year.

It only seems like Patterson was plucked from a senior citizen home to continue his career this season. Remember, he is only 30, so Patterson's speed/power skills haven't diminished just yet. He will contribute enough of both to have definite AL-only value, but Patterson also deserves consideration from mixed-league owners.

 

[HacheMan]

Bullpen Changes in Baltimore
Sent to the minors last month after slumping to a 4-for-30 start, Chris Iannetta crushed Triple-A pitching for 17 games and was called back up Tuesday. Colorado never should have demoted him in the first place, because Iannetta is a perfectly solid 27-year-old catcher with three Opening Day starts under his belt and a .799 career OPS that ranks seventh among all backstops since his debut in 2006.

That the Rockies were willing to overlook his previous 1,100 plate appearances because of a slow couple weeks makes me think they won't actually give him much playing time over Miguel Olivo now, particularly since Olivo hasn't slowed down a whole lot since his strong start. Then again they liked Iannetta enough to give him an $8.5 million deal this offseason and would have no trouble finding teams to take him off their hands.

While the Rockies stuck with Olivo as the starter Tuesday night, here are some other notes from around baseball ...

* Alfredo Simon joined Mike Gonzalez and Jim Johnson as the third Orioles closer on the disabled list Tuesday and would-be replacement Koji Uehara was also shut down. That leaves manager Dave Trembley choosing between Will Ohman and Cla Meredith in the ninth inning, although David Hernandez could also get a look soon enough after being shifted from the rotation to the bullpen in what he called a "demotion."

For now Ohman is the favorite for saves, but matchups may determine who gets the call each game because he's a lefty and Meredith is a righty. Hernandez has the raw stuff to potentially thrive in the role if he takes well to the bullpen after going 5-15 with a 5.39 ERA in 28 career starts and bumping him from the rotation also clears the way for top prospect Chris Tillman to take his second crack at the big leagues.

Tillman struggled with a 2-5 record and 5.40 ERA in 12 starts last season, but was just 21 years old and remains one of the league's most promising pitching prospects. He's posted a 2.86 ERA and 146/38 K/BB ratio in 154 innings at Triple-A, including a no-hitter last month, and has top-of-the-rotation stuff long term. Tillman is set to start Saturday against the Blue Jays, which is a tough first matchup, but he has nice AL-only upside.

* Mike Cameron returned from the disabled list Tuesday and the Red Sox announced plans to shift him to left field while leaving Jacoby Ellsbury in center field, but instead Ellsbury was scratched from the lineup with soreness in his left side. He underwent X-rays and an MRI exam while Cameron played center field against the Rays and the Red Sox kept Darnell McDonald around rather than designating him for assignment.

* Neil Walker has gone from top catching prospect to mediocre third base prospect to utility man trying to prove he's not washed up at age 24, and the Pirates called up the former 11th overall pick in the 2004 draft Tuesday after he hit .321/.392/.560 with 26 extra-base hits and 10 steals in 43 games at Triple-A. His track record is iffy, but the Pirates' many injuries mean he may get regular starts and is worth an NL-only flier.

AL Quick Hits: Brett Anderson (forearm) is slated to throw a bullpen session Wednesday and could come off the disabled list as soon as this weekend ... Jon Lester and three relievers combined Tuesday on a one-hit shutout of the Rays ... In adding a position player Tuesday the Royals called up Wilson Betemit rather than Alex Gordon, who just won Triple-A player of the week honors ... Coco Crisp is likely headed back to the DL with a strained intercostal muscle suffered in just his second game ... Jake Peavy struggled again Tuesday, serving up two homers as his ERA rose over 6.00 ... As expected, the Angels activated Maicer Izturis from the DL and placed Brandon Wood on the shelf Tuesday ... Dallas Braden left Tuesday's start with a sore ankle stemming from an off-field injury several weeks ago ... Grady Sizemore was examined Tuesday by the same doctor who performed Carlos Beltran's knee surgery ... J.J. Hardy came off the shelf Tuesday, with Trevor Plouffe heading back to Triple-A.

NL Quick Hits: Nothing official has been announced, but Stephen Strasburg is lined up to make his debut June 4 against the Reds ... Rafael Furcal (hamstring) finally returned from the disabled list Tuesday and the Dodgers made room for him by placing George Sherrill (back) on the DL ... Jose Reyes went 3-for-5 with two steals Tuesday, collecting the 1,000th hit of his career ... Kenshin Kawakami had a Quality Start in a losing effort Tuesday, falling to 0-7 despite a 4.93 ERA ... Felipe Paulino also dropped to 0-7 despite a Quality Start on Tuesday ... Kyle Lohse will see a specialist about his ongoing forearm problems ... Andre Ethier (finger) is ahead of schedule in his recovery, taking batting practice Tuesday ... Ryan Dempster shut out the Dodgers for eight innings Tuesday, out-dueling Clayton Kershaw ... R.A. Dickey tossed six shutout innings Tuesday despite needing X-rays after taking a line drive off his elbow in the second inning ... Paul Maholm got stuck with a no-decision Tuesday despite seven scoreless innings ... Mark DeRosa will be examined by a wrist specialist Thursday ... Jon Niese (hamstring) reported no problems following a bullpen session Tuesday.

 

[HacheMan]

Jimenez Improves to 9-1, 0.88
Wednesday night the Diamondbacks became the latest lineup to get shut down by Ubaldo Jimenez, who tossed eight scoreless innings to improve to 9-1 with a 0.88 ERA through 10 starts. "It's not easy to have an ERA like that young man has this late into the season," manager Jim Tracy said afterward. "I've heard the term microscopic used and I think it applies."

Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com expressed a similar sentiment, writing that "it's like Bob Gibson in 1968." I'm all for heaping praise on Jimenez, because he's been amazing, but how quickly we forget Zack Greinke was 8-1 with a 0.84 ERA through 10 starts ... last year. Greinke finished with a 2.16 ERA in 229 innings and following those footsteps would surely get Jimenez over 20 wins since he's not burdened by the Royals' lineup.

While the Rockies' ace allows zero runs for the fifth time in his last eight starts, here are some other notes from around baseball ...

* After struggling in a no-decision last week Tim Lincecum took his first loss Wednesday, giving up at least five runs in back-to-back starts for just the second time in his career. He'd gone 88 starts since those consecutive clunkers in mid-2007 and the loss was also the first of Lincecum's career in the month of May. Afterward he downplayed talk of a blister problem, but all eyes will be on Lincecum next time out against ... Jimenez.

* Roy Oswalt started Wednesday for the first time since requesting a trade last week and shut out the Brewers for eight innings while matching his season-high with nine strikeouts. Better yet the Astros actually gave him some rare run support in a 5-0 win. Oswalt's record is just 3-6 because Houston's offense is terrible, but he's pitching as well as ever with a 2.35 ERA and 69/17 K/BB ratio in 69 innings at age 32.

* Carlos Zambrano threw a 73-pitch simulated game Monday and Lou Piniella revealed Wednesday that he'll rejoin the rotation next week in Pittsburgh, leading to speculation that Tom Gorzelanny could be the odd man out. And that was before he got beat up by the Dodgers, allowing seven runs Wednesday night. Even after the ugly outing he has a 3.66 ERA and 53/20 K/BB ratio in 52 innings, but Carlos Silva at 6-0 complicates things.

* Placed on the disabled list last week, Gregg Zaun has been diagnosed with a torn labrum in his right shoulder and may need season-ending surgery. At age 39 that could also mean career-ending surgery, which would be a tough break for the switch-hitter who remained remarkably productive past the point most catchers are washed up. George Kottaras is the primary fill-in for now, with call-up Jonathan LuCroy as his caddy.

AL Quick Hits: Joe West continued a banner week for out of control umpires Wednesday by tossing both Ozzie Guillen and Mark Buehrle ... Jacoby Ellsbury (ribs) continued to feel discomfort while taking a few swings Wednesday, so another disabled list stint is possible ... Brian Matusz struggled again Wednesday, allowing at least six runs for the third time in four starts ... Alex Gonzalez went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts Wednesday and his deal with the devil may have expired ... Francisco Liriano got back on track Wednesday by holding the Yankees to two runs over seven innings ... Mike Sweeney went 2-for-4 with a homer Wednesday and has raised his OPS from .469 to .980 in just two weeks ... Jeremy Bonderman tossed seven innings of one-run ball Wednesday, but the bullpen blew a 4-1 lead ... Billy Butler had his 21st multi-hit game of the season Wednesday, including his fifth homer ... As expected, Coco Crisp (intercostal) landed back on the shelf Wednesday just two games after his season debut ... Bobby Jenks struggled in a non-save situation Wednesday before escaping with a 5-4 victory thanks in part to the Indians giving him a free out.

NL Quick Hits: Kyle Lohse (forearm) is likely headed for surgery after meeting with a specialist Wednesday ... Initial reports had Stephen Strasburg debuting on June 4, but now he's not expected in Washington before mid-June ... Trevor Hoffman may be on the verge of reclaiming closer duties after tossing a scoreless seventh inning Wednesday ... Hisanori Takahashi kept rolling Wednesday, shutting out the Phillies for six innings ... Andre Ethier (thumb) took another round of batting practice Wednesday and could be cleared to begin a rehab assignment soon ... Edgar Renteria (hamstring) was placed on the disabled list Wednesday for the second time this season, leaving Juan Uribe to play shortstop ... Miguel Montero ran the bases Wednesday for the first time since mid-April knee surgery ... J.A. Happ (forearm) is still at least one week from facing live hitters ... Andy LaRoche (back) missed his fifth straight game Wednesday, with recent call-up Neil Walker starting in his place ... Jonathan Broxton notched a five-out save Wednesday as Chad Billingsley won despite allowing 10 hits.

 

[HacheMan]

Mad Max: Beyond Toledo
It's hard to believe, but this is already the ninth installment of Waiver Wired. I've had plenty of hits and misses during the brief time we've spent together and I'll definitely own up to it from time to time. What can I say? We're all about accountability here.

The one recommendation that I'm really kicking myself about is way back in Week One when I bought in on Kyle Blanks against my better judgment, saying "His contact rate might be a problem, suppressing his batting average in the process, but not even PETCO can hold this kind of thump. I'm not ruling out 25 homers and eligibility at both first base and the outfield by season's end." Brutal. There's still time for him to turn it around, but I'm getting less hopeful about that one with each passing day.

As for one I'm really happy with, especially because I grabbed him in a couple leagues of my own, it would have to be in Week Three when I endorsed left-hander Jaime Garcia after just one start. I said, "Throwing Garcia out there for mixed league consideration may seem crazy, but I think he has a very good chance of being one of the better rookie hurlers in fantasy this season... Why not try him on for size against the offensively-challenged Mets on Saturday?"

Of course, Garcia went on to toss seven scoreless innings against Johan Santana in an epic contest that lasted 20 innings. I'm pretty sure that was also the day Jeff Francoeur reverted to being just plain awful.

Ah, memories. How 'bout we make some new ones?

MIXED LEAGUES

Will Ohman RP, Orioles (Yahoo: 8 percent owned, ESPN: 3.3 percent)

Imagine yourself craving a midnight snack. Digging through the empty pantry, the only edible thing you can find are some rice cakes. Expired rice cakes. Is that even possible? I'm not quite sure, but that's exactly how I feel about Ohman. Hardly a ringing endorsement, but with Alfredo Simon now on the DL, he figures to be the best choice for saves in the short-term. The 32-year-old has mostly functioned as a LOOGY-type in his career, thus he only has three career saves, but he has yet to allow a run over 15 2/3 innings this season. Nothing special here, but he's worth owning now that Mike Gonzalez has fallen behind schedule in his rehab.

Max Scherzer SP, Tigers (Yahoo: 16 percent owned, ESPN: 37.2 percent)

Scherzer was dropped en masse in most leagues, if not during his early struggles, then almost certainly after he was demoted earlier this month. It's about time to stash. The 25-year-old right-hander has found his velocity after some mechanical tweaks, allowing one run over his first two starts with Triple-A Toledo (0.60 ERA). Though he didn't show it over his first eight starts this season, remember that he averaged over a strikeout per inning over his first two major league seasons. He won't be as valuable now that he's in the American League, but there's still plenty of upside here.

Maicer Izturis 2B/3B/SS, Angels (Yahoo: 18 percent owned, ESPN: 23.1 percent)

Brandon Wood was placed on the DL with an acute case of slumpitis earlier this week, clearing the way for Maicer Izturis to get regular starts at third base. Izturis batted just .256 with zero homers and 10 RBI before going on the DL with right shoulder inflammation earlier this month, but remember that he batted .300/.359/.434 with eight home runs, 65 RBI and 13 stolen bases in '09. For someone who is also eligible at shortstop and second base, that is what I call an ideal MI option. Though he's batted eighth since returning to the lineup, Mike Scioscia discussed Izturis as a potential leadoff option this winter. It could still happen if Erick Aybar continues to struggle.

Edwin Encarnacion 3B, Blue Jays (Yahoo: 18 percent owned, ESPN: 22.1 percent)

Five homers over the course of three days? That's enough to get my attention. Sure, Encarnacion is a complete hack at third base, but it's easy to forget that he is just 27 years old and two seasons removed from hitting 26 home runs. He'll have to make some real changes in order to stay fantasy relevant -- namely, cut back on the flyballs (currently 61.2 percent) and add some line drives (currently 12.2 percent) -- but I'm willing to give him a pass since he's only had 59 at-bats. I'm not sure how Cito Gaston will fill out the lineup card once Travis Snider returns, because Jose Bautista and Fred Lewis certainly deserve playing time too, we're probably a couple of weeks away from worrying about that. Ride out the hot streak.

Carlos Santana C, Indians (Yahoo: 8 percent owned, ESPN: 0.9 percent)

It's almost time. I reminded AL-only owners to stash Santana last month, and with Memorial Day just days away -- and his Super Two status no longer a concern -- the Indians could promote the promising young catcher at any moment. Santana, 24, is currently batting .313/.447/.573 with 10 homers and 40 RBI over his first 43 games with Triple-A Columbus, an incredible start after needing surgery to repair a broken hamate bone in his right hand last December. He hasn't received Wieters-like hype, but don't be surprised if he ends up being a top-12 catcher the rest of the way.

Anibal Sanchez SP, Marlins (Yahoo: 14 percent owned, ESPN: 13.4 percent)

Sanchez has allowed two runs or less in seven straight starts, notching wins in each of his last three. Keep in mind that he has given up just one home run over his first 55 2/3 innings, so his 3.23 ERA probably won't last, but I'm encouraged that he is averaging a career-best 3.23 BB/9 to go along with an ever-improving improving 44.2 percent groundball rate. Even more, Sanchez recently told reporters that he is finally seeing the benefits of shoulder surgery in 2007. I wouldn't get too attached given his track record, but at 26 years old, there's still plenty of time for him to live up to the promise of his no-hitter in 2006.

Scott Rolen 3B, Reds (Yahoo: 45 percent owned, ESPN: 53.3 percent)

Where did this come from? The 35-year-old Rolen is flashing some vintage production at the plate this season, batting .265/.333/.537 with 10 homers and 27 RBI. In fact, Rolen is just one home run away from matching his total from each of the last two seasons. With a home ballpark that caters to right-handed hitters, it's no stretch to say that Rolen could hit 20 home runs for the first time since 2006. I still expect his health to mess things up at some point, but Rolen should be owned in the majority of mixed leagues right now.

Clayton Richard SP, Padres (Yahoo: 34 percent owned, ESPN: 14.1 percent)

I was all about Richard in NL-only leagues on account of his 2.00 ERA over six starts at PETCO in 2009, but the 26-year-old left-hander has done just fine no matter the setting this season, posting a 2.43 ERA at home and a 3.08 ERA on the road. He owes some thank you letters to the Giants and Mariners, but Richard has gone at least seven innings while allowing two runs or less in each of his last three starts. Four of out his next five starts are projected to be at home, with series against the Orioles and Mariners coming up in June, so he makes for a pretty ideal short-term pickup.

Drew Stubbs OF, Reds (Yahoo: 15 percent owned, ESPN: 10.5 percent)

Here's a potential hidden gem. Stubbs is still batting an underwhelming .222/.310/.379 with 48 strikeouts over 153 at-bats this season, but since being moved out of the leadoff spot on May 7, he's hitting .295 with three home runs, 13 RBI, four stolen bases and seven runs scored. You wouldn't know it by his well-documented struggles, but Stubbs already has five home runs and 11 stolen bases through 43 games. Assuming Dusty Baker continues to show patience with the young outfielder, Stubbs will very likely surpass the 20-20 plateau. He's not worthy of attention in shallow leagues, but he is a nice fit in five-outfielder formats.

Felipe Lopez 2B/SS, Cardinals (Yahoo: 22 percent owned, ESPN: 6.6 percent)

Move over, Brendan Ryan. Lopez has hit safely in seven of nine games since being activated from the DL on May 17 -- three of them multi-hit games -- eight of them from the leadoff spot. Interested? You should be. Don't forget that Lopez finished just outside the top 10 among fantasy shortstops and second basemen last season by batting .310/.383/.427 with nine homers, 55 RBI, six stolen bases and 88 runs scored. He could be a nice find for those who have had to endure poor starts by the likes of Yunel Escobar and Alexei Ramirez or lost a player like Asdrubal Cabrera or Jimmy Rollins to injury.

Kerry Wood RP, Indians (Yahoo: 28 percent owned, ESPN: 55.6 percent)

A quick word. I still think Chris Perez should be stashed away with the second half in mind, but there's no reason why Kerry Wood shouldn't be owned in more leagues right now. The Indians are going to do everything they can to make him successful in hopes of unloading him at the trade deadline, so it's not like save opportunities are suddenly going to disappear. Consecutive scoreless outings this week should quell some some fears.









AL ONLY

Trevor Crowe OF, Indians (Yahoo: 1 percent owned, ESPN: 0.6 percent)

I'm not quite sure what to make of Crowe just yet, but he's here because of his speed and the fact that Grady Sizemore figures to miss an extended period of time with a knee injury. Crowe, 26, has a .240/.286/.335 batting line over his first 225 major league at-bats, quite a contrast to his .275/.360/.389 batting line over six seasons in the minors. He's never hit for more than nine home runs in a season at any level, but he did manage to steal 122 bases over 455 minor league games. We'll see if he can make the most out of an opportunity.

Chris Tillman SP, Orioles (Yahoo: 2 percent owned, ESPN: 0.1 percent)

Tillman worries me a bit because he's a flyball pitcher in the American League East, but he should be on your radar with a return to the starting rotation slated for Saturday against the Blue Jays. After losing the fifth starter gig to David Hernandez during spring training, the 22-year-old Tillman was 5-4 with a 3.12 ERA over 10 starts with Triple-A Norfolk, posting an impressive 47/12 K/BB ratio over 57 2/3 innings. With the addition of a cutter than helped him throw a no-hitter in late April, Tillman should improve upon a rookie campaign where he was 2-5 with a 5.40 ERA.

Michael Saunders OF, Mariners (Yahoo: 0 percent owned, ESPN: 0 percent)

I've been silently rooting for the Mariners to make some real changes to their lineup and it finally happened this week. Saunders has started each of the last two games in left field, with Milton Bradley as the designated hitter and Mike Sweeney and Casey Kotchman sharing playing time at first base. Lets hope it stays that way, as the Mariners need to see what they have with the 23-year-old outfielder. Saunders has a meager .226/.268/.321 batting line over 159 at-bats in the major leagues thus far, but he has shown an intriguing power-speed combo in the minors.

Frank Mata RP, Orioles (Yahoo: 0 percent owned, ESPN: 1.6 percent)

I mentioned Will Ohman in the mixed league portion, but the ninth-inning has been such a revolving door in Baltimore that even a 26-year-old rookie could have a say on the matter. Mata was the primary closer at Triple-A Norfolk before his promotion to the major leagues this week, notching seven saves while posting a 1.86 ERA and 1.14 WHIP over 18 appearances. It could be enough to get him in the mix in a pinch, but don't mistake him for "future closer" material like Kam Mickolio. Mata has a 4.08 career ERA in the minors, averaging an underwhelming 6.8 K/9 to go along with 3.6 BB/9.

NL ONLY

Chris Iannetta C, Rockies (Yahoo: 3 percent owned, ESPN: 2.3 percent)

Iannetta batted .349/.447/.698 with five homers and 21 RBI during a 17-game stint with Triple-A Colorado Springs. It was enough to get him back to the majors, but he'll still likely be playing second fiddle to Miguel Olivo, at least for now. Whether Jim Tracy recognizes him as the superior player or not, I see some value here. Remember, Iannetta managed to hit 16 home runs in just 289 at-bats last season and 18 home runs in 333 at-bats in 2008. The playing time won't be guaranteed, but he'll produce enough to warrant a roster spot in NL-only and possibly deeper mixed formats.

Drew Storen RP, Nationals (Yahoo: 4 percent owned, ESPN: 2.5 percent)

Storen, otherwise known as the Nationals' other first-round pick last from 2009, has already earned a promotion to the big leagues after posting a 1.68 ERA over his first 41 professional appearances. Armed with a fastball that touches the mid 90s, the 22-year-old right-hander averaged 10.2 K/9 in the minors while showing excellent control (1.8 BB/9). Coincidentally, just as Storen has made his way from Triple-A Syracuse, current closer Matt Capps has hit a bit of rut, allowing five runs over his last four appearances. Don't look for Capps to lose his job anytime soon, but Storen is unquestionably the "closer of the future."

Jonathan Lucroy C, Brewers (Yahoo: 0 percent owned, ESPN: 0.1 percent)

Gregg Zaun is currently mulling surgery (or retirement) for a torn labrum in the front of his right shoulder, a decision that would push George Kottaras to the starting role in Milwaukee. I wouldn't be shocked if Lucroy has the job before long. Lucroy, 23, has a .298/.377/.460 batting line in the minor leagues, with excellent plate discipline and moderate power, to boot. It's easy to say that he is more appealing than Kottaras from a fantasy baseball prospective, but he isn't yet a finished product behind the plate. He's worth monitoring.

Akinori Iwamura 2B, Pirates (Yahoo: 4 percent owned, ESPN: 1.5 percent)

I know, I know. It's hard to be optimistic when someone is hitting .169/.275/.250 through 148 at-bats, but hear me out. Iwamura currently has an insanely low .195 batting average on balls in play, nearly 140 points below his career average. It's not all bad luck, since he's hitting less line drives (13.3 percent compared to 19.5 percent career) and more groundballs (56.7 percent compared to 48.7 percent career), but you'd have to think he'll eventually return to near career norms in that regard. Iwamura has hit safely in each of his last four games, so perhaps he's about to turn things around.

 

[HacheMan]

Beltran Still Months Away?
Lots of topics to touch on today, so let's skip the usual pleasantries and get right to the notes from around baseball ...

* While the Mets were shutting out the Phillies for the third straight game Thursday, general manager Omar Minaya revealed that Carlos Beltran is unlikely to return from knee surgery before the All-Star break. Beltran began running recently and indications were that he was targeting a mid-June return, but Minaya said he'll need 6-8 more weeks on the sidelines after he's cleared to resume baseball activities. Not good.

* Brad Lidge reported no problems after a 40-pitch bullpen session Thursday, likely clearing him to begin a brief rehab assignment Saturday at Single-A. Barring a setback he could come off the disabled list as soon as Monday, but Charlie Manuel has indicated that Lidge won't be handed closer duties upon his return. And rightfully so, because Jose Contreras has a 0.63 ERA and 20/2 K/BB ratio in 14.1 innings.

* Carlos Zambrano was rushed to the hospital Thursday afternoon with what the Cubs initially feared was a case of appendicitis, but tests ruled that out in favor of plain old abdominal pain. Zambrano was scheduled to rejoin the rotation early next week against the Pirates, but it's unclear whether those plans will have to be delayed. If so, it would likely give Tom Gorzelanny a stay of execution.

* Kyle Lohse has been diagnosed with extreme compartment syndrome, which is a rare condition where a muscle in the forearm isn't able to expand. He's set for surgery Friday and will miss at least two months, with a reliable timetable tough to determine because the condition is so uncommon in baseball. Lohse has struggled with forearm problems since last season, going 7-14 with a 5.07 ERA after his initial stint on the disabled list.

* Dan Haren recovered from a three-run first inning Thursday to hold Colorado scoreless for the next four frames, but then back-to-back-to-back homers by Seth Smith, Carlos Gonzalez, and Ryan Spilborghs knocked him out of the game. Haren has a great 76/15 K/BB ratio in 74 innings, including six strikeouts and no walks Thursday, but has served up 16 homers and is now 9-9 with a 5.12 ERA in 25 starts dating back to last year.

* Don't be like Mickey Rooney. Follow me on Twitter.

AL Quick Hits: Daisuke Matsuzaka took a no-hitter into the eighth inning last time out, so naturally he walked eight and didn't make it out of the fifth inning Thursday versus the Royals ... Barring a last-minute setback Curtis Granderson (hamstring) will come off the disabled list Friday ... Hitting just .154 this month, B.J. Upton was a healthy scratch Thursday for the second straight game ... Nelson Cruz will test his injured hamstring Friday to determine if another stint on the disabled list is needed ... Jason Kubel broke out of a season-long slump Thursday, going 3-for-5 with a double, two homers, and five RBIs ... White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper said Thursday that Jake Peavy has a "tired arm" ... Jeff Niemann improved to 5-0 with eight innings of one-run ball Thursday ... Jacoby Ellsbury's sore ribs showed no improvement Thursday ... Kelly Shoppach (knee) ran the bases Thursday and could begin a rehab assignment this weekend ... Joe West reportedly will be disciplined for ejecting Ozzie Guillen and Mark Buehrle earlier this week.

NL Quick Hits: Andre Ethier (thumb) is slated to begin a brief rehab assignment Friday at Triple-A ... Scott Rolen smacked his 11th homer Thursday, matching his season totals from 2008 and 2009 ... The latest on Stephen Strasburg's projected debut is now June 8 ... Ted Lilly shut out the Dodgers for seven innings Thursday, out-dueling John Ely in a 1-0 game ... Jon Niese (hamstring) threw a bullpen session Thursday and is slated to begin a rehab assignment this weekend ... Rickie Weeks drew a walk-off walk Thursday, as Matt Lindstrom blew his first save and took his first loss ... Jose Reyes had multiple hits Thursday for the fifth time in six games, raising his batting average from .210 to .249 ... Andy LaRoche rejoined the lineup Thursday after missing five games, with Neil Walker sliding over to second base ... J.A. Happ (forearm) threw a 50-pitch bullpen session Thursday and reported no problems ... Brendan Ryan broke out of a season-long slump Thursday by going 4-for-4 with a homer ... Jeff Baker will visit an eye specialist after leaving Thursday's game with vision problems ... Bud Norris will miss his scheduled Saturday start with biceps tendinitis.