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| The Astros have claimed Jose Castillo off waivers from the Giants, according to the AP. |
Our View: He will report to the Astros Friday. Castillo only hit .244, but 38 of his 96 hits went for extra bases (28 doubles, four triples, and six homers). His power numbers could incease at home while leaving San Francisco for Houston, but may not see enough at-bats to make him worth consideration. |
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| Miguel Tejada was displeased to ride the pine Tuesday, according to the Houston Chronicle. Manager Cecil Cooper gave him an unwanted day off and Tejada said, "What can I say? I can say I don’t feel like I need a day off. That’s what I can say. If I feel like I need a day off, then I’ll feel like I need a day off."
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Our View: Tejada is only hitting .217 (5-for-23) over his last six games, with no RBI over the span. He only has one home run in the month of August as well. |
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| Houston RHP Brian Moehler wasn't especially dominant tonight, but he put the Brewers in a loss with an efficient outing off the mounth. Moehler pitched 5 1/3 innings, allowing two runs (only one earned) on nine hits with one walk and four strikeouts. |
Our View: Moehler has been strong, now standing at 3-0 in four starts through August. The one walk surrendered tonight is his first since July 29th, also giving up just one homer along that same span. |
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| The Astros pulled the 5-2 win over Ben Sheets and the Milwaukee Brewers this evening, an effort led by shortstop Geoff Blum. Blum went 1-for-3 at the dish, hitting his 12th home run of the season to total three RBIs and one runs scored on the night. |
Our View: Blum hit just .196 last month but totaled four homers with 11 RBIs. Thus far in August he touts an improved average, .263, with three homers and 11 RBIs, and we still have a couple of weeks to go. |
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| Astros right-hander Felipe Paulino was diagnosed with bursitis in his throwing shoulder after being examined by team medical director David Lintner on Tuesday, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: Paulino, who made only one rehab appearance before coming down with shoulder soreness, will begin a throwing program on flat ground, and his timetable for a return to the mound will be determined by how quickly he progresses. The club hasn't ruled out Paulino pitching in September, but winter ball appears to be a more realistic goal. |
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| Astros manager Cecil Cooper went heavy on the left-handed hitters to face Brewers co-ace Ben Sheets and found that to be a perfect opportunity to give his shortstop Miguel Tejada a rest, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: Cooper played Darin Erstad in left, Michael Bourn in center and Geoff Blum at shortstop. David Newhan started at second, while the red-hot Ty Wigginton moved back to his normal position at third after playing more than a week in left field. |
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| Ty Wigginton has had a superb August, and he could continue that Tuesday when he and the Astros go up against Milwaukee hurler Ben Sheets. In 28 career at-bats against Sheets, Wigginton is hitting .429 with two home runs and seven RBI. |
Our View: Wigginton has been on fire in August, and won the NL Player of the Week award last week. He is hitting .473 with six home runs and an absurd .927 slugging percentage. Needless to say, he's someone that should be on fantasy teams in all formats. |
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| Ty Wigginton has been named the NL co-Player of the Week (with hurler Johan Santana of the Mets), according to the AP. Wigginton led the NL with a .571 (16-for-28) batting average, 11 RBI, 16 hits, 32 total bases, and tied for the league-lead with four home runs and nine runs scored. He registered multiple hits in six of seven games.
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Our View: Wigginton raised his season average to .308 with 15 homers and 42 RBI. |
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| Brad Ausmus snapped an 0-for-11 hitting drought with a single against Arizona Sunday, according to the Houston Chronicle. |
Our View: Ausmus should continue to be ignored as a fantasy back-stop. |
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| While the pitching ruled the day, outfielder/corner infielder Ty Wigginton provided the offense needed for Houston to get the 3-0 win over Arizona. Wigginton went 3-for-4 at the dish, hitting his 15th home run of the season to post three RBIs and one run scored. |
Our View: Wigginton uses the day to push his average to .308, hitting a whopping .473 through August with six homers and 16 RBIs. |
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| The story for the Houston Astros today was pitching as ace Roy Oswalt dominated the Arizona Diamondbacks, pitching eight innings of shutout baseball, allowing just one hit with two walks and 10 strikeouts. |
Our View: Oswalt improves to 11-8 on the season with a 4.28 ERA, and while the beginning of the season was full of struggle, he has been as dominating as hoped since, going 5-0 over his last seven starts. He has given up just 13 combined earned runs during that stretch with three homers surrendered over the same span. |
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| The Houston Chronicle states that Mark Loretta will likely get most of the starts at second base while Kazuo Matsui is on the DL. Geoff Blum and Dave Newhan will also see some action at second. |
Our View: Loretta is hitting .269 with four homers and 33 RBI over 208 at-bats this season, and is worth consideration in larger NL-only leagues while Matsui is on the shelf. |
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| The Astros called up J.R. House from Triple-A Round Rock on Saturday, the Sports Network reports. House, 28, was hitting .303-17-55-61 over 119 games. |
Our View: House was once a decent catcher prospect, and he now also plays at first. He has no fantasy value despite the pop in his bat. |
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| The Astros have placed second baseman Kazuo Matsui on the 15-day DL due to an irritated disc in his back, the Sports Network reports. |
Our View: The Astros have many of options at second, beginning with Mark Loretta and David Newhan. Those two could platoon while Matsui is out. |
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| There is a chance that Astros second baseman Kazuo Matsui will be placed on the disabled list if the soreness in his back does not improve soon, according to the Houston Chronicle. |
Our View: Matsui has missed three straight games, and should his pain persist over the weekend, he'd likely be put on the DL. David Newhan has started in Matsui's place twice, but has no fantasy value. |
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| Ty Wigginton was the only Astro to solve Brandon Webb Friday, picking up three hits, including his 14th homer, in loss to Arizona. |
Our View: Wigginton might not get to 20 homers again this year, but you can't argue with 14 dingers from a guy with second base eligibility. Too bad he won't be eligible there next year. |
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| Kazuo Matsui was out of the Astros' lineup for his second straight game Thursday due to a sore lower back, according to the Houston Chronicle. |
Our View: An MRI revealed no structural damage, and manager Cecil Cooper expects him to play as early as today. Cooper noted that he planned on giving Matsui the day off Thursday even before he got hurt. |
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| Lance Berkman hit a double and a home run to help lead the Astros to a 7-4 win over San Francisco. He wound up going 2-for-4 on the day with three RBI. |
Our View: Berkman now has three home runs in his last six games, and though he is hitting below .250 in August, he still provides fantasy owners with numbers. |
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| Jose Valverde picked up his thirtieth save of the season as the Astros beat the Giants 7-4. |
Our View: Valverde has an ERA and WHIP that fantasy owners would like to see shrink a little, but he has otherwise been solid. |
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| The Astros are going to retire uniform No. 7 to honor Craig Biggio, according to the AP. Biggio becomes the ninth Astro to have his uniform number retired, joining Jim Umbricht (32), Don Wilson (40), Jose Cruz (25), Mike Scott (30), Nolan Ryan (34), Larry Dierker (49), Jimmy Wynn (24) and Jeff Bagwell (5). |
Our View: Biggio is the Astros’ all-time leader in hits (3,060), games, runs scored and at-bats. He retired at the end of the 2007 season following a 20-year career, all in Houston. Biggio is the only player in major league history to surpass 600 doubles, 250 home runs, 3,000 hits and 400 stolen bases.
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| Kazuo Matsui was out of the starting lineup Wednesday due to a stiff back, according to the Houston Chronicle. |
Our View: Matsui likely won’t return to the Astros' lineup until Friday against the Diamondbacks, at the earliest.
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| Lance Berkman went 1-for-3 with a run, RBI, walk and strikeout to help lead the Astros to a 6-2 win over the Giants. |
Our View: Berkman is having a rough month, and is hitting just .222 in August. The good news is he has two home runs in his last four games, but has just one multi-hit game this month. |
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| Randy Wolf saw his record go to 8-10, helping lead the Astros to a 6-2 win over San Francisco with a seven inning, six hit, two earned run performance. |
Our View: Wolf had been a solid fantasy contributor in the past, but he isn't consistent enough for owners to be able to depend on him at this point. |
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| Kazuo Matsui is still out due to a sore back, and it is unknown if he will be ready to play this weekend during the Astros series versus Arizona, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: Matsui is a decent fantasy option due to his stolen base potential, so if you have him in your lineup, be sure to monitor his situation. He has had a sore back from time to time throughout his career, so it's not likely a serious injury. |
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| Roy Oswalt went seven innings, surrendered three earned runs on 10 hits while striking out four in Houston's 12-4 win over San Francisco. |
Our View: Besides Oswalt allowing 10 hits, he did walk three, which won't help his WHIP much. However, he picked up win number 10, and his ERA has lowered in each of his August starts to it's current 4.52 mark. |
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| Hunter Pence came off the bench to hit a two-run home run and wound up going 2-for-2 with two runs scored and an RBI in the Astros 12-4 win over the Giants. |
Our View: Pence has had a rough August, sinking his average a bit. However, he has had a decent year, with 17 home runs and over 60 RBI. Still, it's not quite what fantasy owners had hoped for after his outstanding rookie campaign. |
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| Kazuo Matsui had to leave tonight's game against the Giants due to a sore back, according to Astros.com. Matsui exited the game after the second inning. |
Our View: No official word yet on how long Matsui will be out, though the injury is not thought to be very serious. |
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| Ty Wigginton had two hits, including his 12th home run, as he knocked in all three of the Astros runs in a 3-1 victory over the Giants. |
Our View: Wigginton hasn't had the year many had hoped for due to injury, but he is still hitting .282 with an OPS of over .850, so it's not like he has struggled either. With the injury to Carlos Lee, Wigginton has seen some action in left field and will likely be in the lineup every day. |
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| Brandon Backe outdueled Jonathan Sanchez on Monday night hurling seven innings of one run baseball over seven innings in his 11th victory of the year. |
Our View: Backe looked great on this night, though your average Triple-A hurler might have the same amount of success against the Giants. After an 11 run outing last time, Backe made a statement on this night that he deserves to remain in the rotation. |
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| Carlos Lee underwent successful surgery on his left pinkie and was in good spirits after the 70 minute procedure was completed, according to the Houston Chronicle. |
Our View: Lee had six fractures, not three as originally believed, but he needed only one pin to stabilize the finger and should heal just fine without any additional procedures, though he is still highly unlikely to play again this season. |
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| Carlos Lee has been named the NL Player of the Week, according to the AP. Lee led the NL with a .550 average (11-for-20), and a 1.100 slugging percentage, as well as a.640 on-base percentage. He tied for the league lead with 11 RBI.
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Our View: Lee still leads the NL with 100 RBI, and it is unfortunate that he is likely to miss the remainder of the season with a fractured left pinkie. |
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| Darin Erstad is expected to handle the bulk of the starts in left field in place of the injured Carlos Lee, according to the Houston Chronicle. Ty Wigginton will also see some time in left. |
Our View: Erstad is an option for larger NL-only leagues, as he is hitting .284 with 12 doubles, two homers, 21 RBI, and 30 runs scored over 201 at-bats. |
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| Kazuo Matsui went 2-for-5 with a double, RBI and stolen base to help the Astros pummel the Reds 13-4. |
Our View: Matsui is hitting .333 in August, and surprisingly, he has three home runs in the month as well. He will give you a decent average and stolen base total, making him a good play in all fantasy leagues. |
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| Wandy Rodriguez picked up his seventh win of the year in Houston's 13-4 beat-down of the Reds. Rodriguez went 6.2 innings, allowing two earned runs while striking out seven. |
Our View: Rodriguez has been a solid though unspectacular fantasy performer. He will help in all areas, but if he could ever stop allowing so many home runs, he would be even better. |
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| Reggie Abercrombie has been recalled from Triple-A Round Rock, according to the AP. Carlos Lee has been placed on the DL as the corresponding move. |
Our View: Abercrombie will see some action, but failed to make an impact in his previous stint with the Astros this season as he held a .188 average, and does not merit fantasy consideration. |
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| Carlos Lee has been placed on the 15-day DL due to a fractured left pinkie, according to the AP. Reggie Abercrombie has been recalled from Triple-A Round Rock as the adjoining move. |
Our View: He is expected to miss six to eight weeks, hence likely ending his 2008 season. This is a significant blow to the Astros and fantasy owners, as he had been on fire, leading the majors with a .390 batting average and 47 RBI while ranking fifth with 13 home runs since June 20.
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| Astros RHP Brian Moehler was once again working as a force of reckoning for Houston this evening, supporting his team's 3-1 win over the Reds with a strong performance off the mound. Moehler pitched seven innings, allowing just one run on five hits with no walks and three strikeouts. |
Our View: Moehler moves to 8-4 on the season, touting four wins over his last six starts with three consecutive wins heading forward. In his last three starts, he's allowed a combined total of three earned runs over 20 2/3 innings. |
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| Houston slugger Carlos Lee , the National League's RBI leader, left the Astros' game at Cincinnati in the third inning Saturday night with an apparent injury to his left pinky finger after getting hit by a pitch, according to the Associated Press. |
Our View: The left fielder, who reached the 100-RBI level for the fourth consecutive season on Friday night and leads the NL in that category, was hit by a pitch from Bronson Arroyo with Lance Berkman on first base, two outs and Houston leading 1-0. What looked like blood was seen on Lee's left pinkie finger when his batting glove was pulled off. Lee will be reevaluated on Monday. |
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| Carlos Lee is having a completely dominant August, and chances are he continues that tonight. For the month, Lee is hitting .500 (15-for-30), with four home runs and 13 RBI. His slugging percentage for the month is an outrageous .967. Against tonight's starter for Cincinnati, Bronson Arroyo, Lee is hitting .357 with four extra-base hits. |
Our View: Lee has the inside track for N.L. Player of the Month, and Bronson Arroyo has a chance to contribute to that distinction this evening. |
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| Carlos Lee had another big night on Friday as he not only picked up his 28th home run of the season but he also recorded three other hits including his 27th double of the year. |
Our View: Lee has knocked in at least 99 runs in 6-straight season and is just two home runs short of his 6th straight season of 30. The three RBI on this night also give Lee 1,001 in his illustrious career. |
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| Randy Wolf wasn't at his best on Friday night but he still held the Reds to four runs in six innings as the Astros game back to win the game in extra innings. |
Our View: Wolf has made three starts for the Astros and owns one win, a 4.11 ERA and a poor 1.83 WHIP. Wolf just isn't someone to count on, though when he has the big curve working, he can rack up the strikeouts. |
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| Felipe Paulino flew to Houston on Thursday to be examined by team medical director Dr. David Lintner today, according to the Houston Chronicle. Paulino experienced tightness in his shoulder during his first minor league rehab outing Tuesday for Triple-A Round Rock, but the injury isn’t linked to the pinched nerve in his right arm that has kept him on the DL all season.
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Our View: Paulino would return to Round Rock to pitch tonight if his exam goes well.
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| Michael Bourn returned to the Astros' lineup Thursday for the first time since spraining his right ankle July 26 at Milwaukee, according to the Houston Chronicle. He said, "It’s about 80, 85 percent, but it’s going to be sore for a while so I have to go ahead and go with it."
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Our View: As expected, he was rusty in his first game back as he went 0-for-5 against the Reds. If he can get on track through the weekend, namely in the stolen bases department, fantasy owners should pencil him back into lineups for the next week. |
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| Carlos Lee has knocked in at least one run in each of his last four games, and he has accumulated eight RBI in those games. Lee went 3-for-3 with two RBI and two walks in Houston's win over the Reds. |
Our View: Lee continues to mash for fantasy owners, even as he does it relative anonymity. He doesn't get nearly the attention he deserves for the numbers he puts up. |
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| Roy Oswalt was solid, throwing seven innings, allowing nine hits but just one run while striking out six to pick up his ninth win of the year. |
Our View: This is more like the Oswalt that fantasy owners are used to seeing. Maybe this will trigger a turnaround for him. |
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| Michael Bourn missed his 10th straight start Wednesday due to his sprained right ankle, but may be ready to return to the lineup for the series opener against the Reds Thursday, according to the Houston Chronicle. He said, "I feel pretty good. I took fly balls two days ago, and I didn’t feel pretty bad. I move better to the left, going to the left, than going to the right. Maybe I’ll be ready."
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Our View: This is good news he may return Thursday, but hopefully his speed won't be compromised, as he holds most of his fantasy value as a base stealer (has 33 steals over 97 games). |
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| Geoff Geary, who is nursing a right groin injury, was unavailable for a second straight game Wednesday, but is almost ready to return to the hill, according to the Houston Chronicle. Manager Cecil Cooper said, "I’m going to say one more day for Geary. He felt awful good Tuesday. He threw off the mound a little bit and felt not as bad as we thought."
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Our View: Geary has fared well as a middle reliever this season, as he only allowed 13 earned runs over 50.1 innings, with a 1.13 WHIP and 40 strikeouts. He should be safe to return to lineups for the next fantasy week. |
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| Felipe Paulino has experienced elbow tightness in his first rehab appearance Wednesday, according to Astros.com. He didn't have a reoccurrence of the nerve issue that shelved him in Spring Training and later forced him to the DL, but his recent shoulder issue is cause for concern. He will be examined by team medical director David Lintner on Thursday.
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Our View: He was scheduled to make a pair of relief appearances with Triple-A Round Rock this week, but now that plan is wiped out. On a positive note, his control was good today prior to exiting after 2/3 of an inning. The team will wait to hear from Lintner before deciding the next course of action for Paulino.
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| The Houston Chronicle states that Michael Bourn is almost ready to return to the Astros' lineup following his battle with a sprained right ankle. |
Our View: He missed his ninth straight start Tuesday, but hopes to be ready to return by Thursday at the latest. He is still sore, but feels better. Hopefully his speed won't be compromised when he returns, as he holds most of his fantasy value as a base stealer (has 33 steals over 97 games). |
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| Houston reliever Geoff Geary has suffered a minor groin pull but remains on the active roster despite the injury, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: Geary didn't know if the club would place him on the DL on Tuesday morning, but after he played catch and ran briefly, the right-hander remained on the active roster. He reports the pain is manageable but remains a concern. We'll keep you posted if the Astros change their minds and send Geary to the DL. |
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| Wandy Rodriguez stumbled against the Cubs on Tuesday afternoon. The southpaw allowed nine hits and six runs over five innings. Rodriguez took a no-decision. His road ERA grew to 4.81, which is notably above his mark at home (3.31). |
Our View: Rodriguez remains maddeningly inconsistent, although he is a bit more bankable at home. He is useful in all types of leagues, but it's tough to know when he'll look like an ace and when he'll blow up. |
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| Carlos Lee struck out twice but went 2-for-4 with one RBI and one run scored to lead Houston to a 2-0 victory over the Cubs. |
Our View: Lee is an underrated fantasy performer. His RBI was the 90th of the season for him, and he also has 25 home runs and is hitting over .300. Yet he rarely gets mentioned among the game's best at the plate, though fantasy owners certainly know better. |
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| LaTroy Hawkins picked up his first save with the Astros in the team's 2-0 win over the Cubs on Monday. Hawkins threw five pitches to one batter and got the strikeout as the game was called off due to weather. |
Our View: Don't expect this too often. It happened by chance and likely won't happen again this season as Hawkins has really struggled. |
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| Astros outfielder Michael Bourn was held out of tonight's game against the Cubs because of continued problems with his sprained right ankle, according to Astros.com. |
Our View: Bourn is a one-trick pony in fantasy leagues, and only owners who desperately need steals should use him. His .290 on-base percentage and 15 RBI are problems in fantasy baseball. |
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| Michael Bourn was out of the Astros' starting lineup for a seventh straight game Sunday due to his sprained right ankle, according to the Houston Chronicle. He did some rehab work and said, "The swelling is going down, and it’s starting to get better, but hopefully I’ll be ready soon and I can go." |
Our View: There is no certainty he will be able to return this week, starting with Monday's series opener against the Cubs. Fantasy owners should not plan on using him, especially since his speed and base-stealing ability will be compromised due to his ankle. |
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| Randy Wolf held the Mets scoreless over five innings in his second start as an Astro to help the club to their first series sweep of the Mets since September 1993. |
Our View: Wolf walked three batters on the day with seven strikeouts, but it remains to be seen how effective he will be pitching in Houston as compared to pitcher friendly San Diego given his tendancy to allow fly balls. |
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| Mark Loretta was part of one of the Astros' biggest comebacks of the season in Saturday's 5-4 win over the Mets, but a collision at the plate late in the game has cost him a spot in the starting lineup today, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: Loretta charged into home plate just ahead of Hunter Pence to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth, and his collision with New York catcher Ramon Castro and Pence took a hard toll. He was supposed to be in the lineup against Oliver Perez, but Ty Wigginton will take his place at third base. Cooper said Loretta could still pinch-hit if needed. |
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| Kazuo Matsui went 2-for-5 with an RBI in Saturday's 5-4 win over the Mets. He hit a triple and a solo home run. |
Our View: Matsui is hot as he homered in back-to-back games, and extended his hitting streak to nine games. He is worth starting in NL-only leagues for the upcoming fantasy week. |
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| Roy Oswalt issued four earned runs on six hits over six innings in Saturday's 5-4 win over the Mets, with three walks and seven strikeouts. The Astros were down 4-1 when he exited the game, but rallied to score four runs and pulled out a win in the 10th inning. |
Our View: Oswalt remains at 8-8 and has allowed four runs in each of his last two starts. Hopefully he can get on track and pitch up to his billing as the Astros' "ace" down the stretch. |
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| Not many hitters hold an advantage over Johan Santana, but Astros shortstop Miguel Tejada certainly does. When Houston plays the Mets tonight, Tejada will go into the game with a .333 batting average and .438 on-base percentage against the Cy Young Award winning lefty. |
Our View: In 27 at-bats, Tejada has two home runs off Santana, and has walked five times. Tejada had a cool July, hitting under .260, but maybe he will begin a hot streak tonight with a few hits off Santana. |
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| Houston pitcher Felipe Paulino will throw his second simulated game today as he recovers from a pinched nerve in his right arm, according to the Houston Chronicle. |
Our View: Paulino will throw two innings at 20 pitches per inning and barring any setbacks, he will begin his rehab assignment. |
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| Brandon Backe allowed 10 hits and two walks, but he limited the damage to three runs in six innings for the Astros. He also hit a home run. |
Our View: Backe upped his K total to 100 on the night, though his ratios still mark him as nothing that you want to run out there on a regular basis so look elsewhere for rotation help. |
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| Mark Loretta hit a pinch hit grand slam off of Aaron Heilman in the eighth inning of the Astros 7-3 win over the Mets. Carlos Lee, Kaz Matsui and Brandon Backe also went deep. |
Our View: Loretta continues to be a servicable spare part who will likely have a long career, though his value in the fantasy game is limited to deep NL-only leagues only. |
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| Michael Bourn is still dealing with a sore ankle and as a result he was a late scratch from the Astros lineup on Friday, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: Bourn is experiencing pain when he runs which is forcing him to run more on toes. The Astros will likely be careful with him this weekend as they certainly don't want to blow him out and lose him for an extended period of time. Darrin Erstad will likely continue to start in his place. |
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