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| Milton Bradley is fine after a left quad cramp caused him to leave Tuesday night's game with two outs in the ninth inning, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports. He is expected to play on Wednesday. |
Our View: Anytime Milton starts limping, it's cause for serious concern. Thankfully, this one was minor.
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| Vladimir Guerrero went 2-for-4 with a homer, two runs, and two RBI in Tuesday's win over the Rays. The veteran outfielder is 9-for-19 with two homers and six RBI over the last five games. |
Our View: Fantasy owners continue to wait for Vlad to go on a major tear. We're hoping this recent work is the start of something great.
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| Jered Weaver improved to 6-6 with an excellent outing on Tuesday night. He held the Rays to four hits and one run over eight innings. Weaver walked two and struck out five. He is 3-1 over his last four starts. |
Our View: Weaver remains a frustrating hurler. He has been outstanding in three of his last six starts, but he'll also mix in outings where he's easily hittable. If you're in weekly head-to-head leagues, it's tough to deal with Jered.
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| James Shields pitched a complete game on Tuesday night despite spotting the Angels four runs in the first inning. The right-hander ended up allowing 10 hits and six runs over eight frames. Shields walked none and struck out nine. Six of hits came in the first inning. |
Our View: Hey, at least Shields didn't throw at or hit anyone this time out.
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| Alex Gordon went 2-for-4 with a solo homer on Tuesday night. It was his first long ball since May 9. |
Our View: We're still waiting for the superstar to emerge. This 24-year-old third baseman has the tools, but he is still trying to find his groove. Hopefully he can heat up over the second half like he did in 2006.
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| C.J. Wilson made it interesting on Tuesday night, but he was able to nail down his 12th save. The southpaw got out the first two hitters before allowing a single and watching Jose Guillen reach on an error. Wilson struck out Mark Teahen to end the proceedings. |
Our View: Wilson had allowed a run in each of his two previous outings, and it's good to see him keep the Royals off the board despite the error. He remains near the bottom of the closer rankings, but he is still useful.
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| Gil Meche earned a no-decision on Tuesday night, but his effort was solid. The right-hander held the Rangers to four hits and one run over six innings. Meche walked two and struck out four. |
Our View: Meche had a very nice May (3.65 ERA, 1.14 WHIP), and he bounced back after a back outing on June 5. His overall numbers continue to look bad, but we view Gil as a useful back-end, mix-and-match hurler in mixed leagues.
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| Michael Young singled in the sixth inning on Tuesday night and extended his hitting streak to 23 games. |
Our View: Young's average actually hasn't improved a great deal during this streak. He entered this period at .286 and is hitting .306 as we write. Still, fantasy owners should be enjoying the quality average and a ton of runs.
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| Erick Aybar took soft toss on Tuesday and could engage in batting practice soon, MLB.com reports. The middle infielder dislocated his right pinkie on May 21. |
Our View: It sounds like Aybar is at least one week away from thinking about a return to the Angels lineup. His timetable should become more clear as this week continues, though.
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| The Angels believe Kelvim Escobar could be back with the club before the All-Star break, albeit not in his usual role. "I think if he's going to pitch in our bullpen, he could be back by then," manager Mike Scioscia explains to MLB.com. "If he's going to be a starter, you're talking about a longer process, like the end of July." Escobar has twice thrown off a mound, and the club is pleased with how his right shoulder has held up. Escobar has a tear in his labrum. |
Our View: We remain skeptical about Escobar helping fantasy owners much this year. One need only look at John Smoltz for a cautionary tale. Still, this is excellent news for teams holding Escobar in a DL spot.
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| Francisco Liriano tossed six innings of one-run ball on Tuesday night. He allowed six hits, walked one, and struck out seven for Triple-A Rochester. Liriano owns a 3.35 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, and 41 strikeouts over his last eight outings (51.0 innings). |
Our View: Liriano has struggled with his location and consistency, but he's still managed to post six quality starts over his last seven outings. We're sure the Twins management will be asked about him again on Tuesday night and Wednesday.
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| Adam Loewen worked one inning for High-A Frederick on Tuesday night. He retired the side in order and threw 11 of his 14 pitches for strikes and was clocked at 90-92 mph, the Baltimore Sun reports. Loewen is on the DL due to a sore left elbow. |
Our View: The Orioles will use Loewen in relief for the rest of this season, as they just want him to stay healthy after missing most of 2007 due to a fracture in his left elbow. The 24-year-old southpaw probably won't have any fantasy value until he competes for a rotation spot next spring.
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| Josh Barfield left in the sixth inning on Tuesday night after straining his left middle finger, the AP reports. Jamey Carroll took his place. |
Our View: We'll update Barfield's status when more is known, but "strain" makes it sound relatively minor.
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| Placido Polanco's pursuit of the .300 mark is nearly complete. The second baseman went 3-for-4 with a pair of runs on Tuesday and is up to .297. Polanco was sitting at .140 on April 24, but he has hit .354 over his last 40 games. |
Our View: Polanco's fantasy value rests almost entirely on his batting average, and he's quietly been great since his atrocious start.
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| Jose Contreras served up 13 hits and six runs to the Tigers on Tuesday night. Only two of the 13 hits were for extra bases, but the effort was enough to drop the right-hander to 6-4 with a 3.18 ERA. |
Our View: After nearly two months of quality work, Contreras had gained a lot of believers. We'll chalk this up as an off-night.
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| Nate Robertson improved to 4-6 with a win over the White Sox on Tuesday night. He held the Sox to three runs over 6.1 innings despite giving up eight hits, including a homer. Robertson has won three of his past four starts. |
Our View: The southpaw has still allowed fewer than three runs in only one of his 13 outings, and we have no reason to trust him in fantasy leagues.
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| J.D. Drew is in a zone. The outfielder went 1-for-2 with a homer, two walks, two runs, and two RBI on Tuesday. Drew is 15-for-28 with five homers, 12 RBI, and 12 runs over nine games this month. |
Our View: Who needs David Ortiz when you have Drew? J.D. has long had the talent to go on runs like this, but he rarely sustains such hot streaks, often thanks to injuries.
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| Jim Thome went 3-for-4 with a homer, one RBI, and two runs on Tuesday. It was, sadly, just his second game of the year with more than two hits. However, Thome does now have six extra-base knocks in nine games this June. |
Our View: Thome is showing a few signs of coming around, but we really need to see Jim go on about a two-week tear before we will buy into a turnaround.
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| Nick Markakis continues to swing a hot bat. He went 3-for-5 with a double and two runs against the Red Sox on Tuesday. Markakis was also caught stealing. He is 18-for-37 this June. |
Our View: Markakis had a rough May, but we knew he was too talented to keep down. We can only dream of the day when the Orioles surround him with more talent.
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| The Orioles got to Hideki Okajima again. The reliever allowed two hits and three runs over 0.1 innings on Tuesday night. He hurt himself by walking two batters. Okajima allowed four runs to the O's on June 2. |
Our View: Okajima has allowed only nine runs all year, and the Orioles are responsible for eight of them. We have no way of explaining that.
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| Aubrey Huff went 4-for-5 with four singles, one run, and two RBI in Tuesday's win over the Red Sox. The DH also had a four-hit game back on April 8. |
Our View: Huff has not hit very well over the past month, but he's still useful in AL-only formats and maybe as an injury fill-in for mixed leaguers.
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| Carlos Silva swallowed his seventh straight loss on Tuesday night. The right-hander held the Blue Jays to three runs over seven innings but only received one run of support. Two of the nine hits that Silva allowed were homers. He hasn't picked up a win since April 17. |
Our View: For once, you can't fully blame this one on Silva. He has been awful more often than not, but this was a decent showing. We'd still avoid him at all costs in fantasy leagues.
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| Vernon Wells is feeling just fine. The outfielder went 2-for-4 with a solo homer on Tuesday night. He is 7-for-16 with a pair of long balls and a double in four games since coming off the DL. |
Our View: Wells missed a month after breaking his left wrist, and we had some doubts about how he would swing after such a quick return. Fantasy owners should be very pleased.
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| Jeremy Reed socked a solo homer on Tuesday night, but his teammates didn't help him out. The Mariners lost 3-1 to the Blue Jays. |
Our View: Reed is one heckuva Triple-A hitter, but he's never been able to get it done in the majors. This solo shot was just his second extra-base hit over 46 at-bats this year.
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| Dustin McGowan loves pitching at home, and he showed it again on Tuesday. The right-hander went the distance in a 3-1 win over the Mariners. McGowan allowed five hits, walked two, and struck out seven. He is 4-1 with a 1.73 ERA and 1.15 WHIP over six starts at the Rogers Centre this year. |
Our View: If Dustin could do something about his 6.02 ERA on the road, we'd be looking at a darn good fantasy pitcher. McGowan has the stuff to be a top-30 hurler in mixed leagues, but he needs to even things out.
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| Ryan Garko provided all the offense the Indians needed on Tuesday night. He singled home Ben Francisco in the first inning of a 1-0 win over the Twins. Garko went 2-for-4 and is 17-for-39 (.436) over his last 10 games. |
Our View: After two dismal months, Garko has finally woken up. Now if the Indians could get the pop back into Victor Martinez's bat and welcome back Travis Hafner, they might have a decent lineup.
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| Don't blame Scott Baker for the Twins' loss on Tuesday night. The right-hander held the Indians to eight hits and one run over seven full innings. Baker walked one and struck out one. |
Our View: Baker has allowed only three runs over 12 innings since coming off the DL. He's not the most exciting arm, but he can fill out the back of a fantasy rotation in mixed leagues.
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| Fernando Rodney threw in front of Tigers pitching coach Chuck Hernandez on Tuesday afternoon. The reliever is on his way back from right shoulder tendinitis and is trying to work out any mechanical issues, MLB.com reports. Rodney will make a two-inning outing at Triple-A Toledo on Friday and is likely still a week away from returning to the majors. |
Our View: It wasn't too long ago that Rodney was a potential option to replace the sometimes-shaky Todd Jones, but the Tigers have to simply hope Fernando can come back and stay healthy. We don't view him as a closer candidate at this point.
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| Troy Percival threw a simulated inning on Tuesday and remains on schedule to come off the DL on Friday, the Tampa Tribune reports. He is out due to a sore left hamstring. |
Our View: Fantasy owners can plan to activate Troy this weekend.
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| Cliff Floyd is out of the lineup again on Tuesday, as the Rays continue to use Willy Aybar. "They’re going with the hot bat, and I don’t blame them – we’re winning," Floyd tells the Tampa Tribune. "I’m a realist. I like to win, too. At the end of the day, whoever gives you the best chance to win the game, you play." Floyd hasn't been in a game since June 6. |
Our View: This situation is likely temporary, unless Aybar keeps his hitting streak (at five games) going.
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| Chone Figgins will play seven innings in a Triple-A rehab game on Tuesday night, the Orange County Register notes. The third baseman is on his way back from a sore right hamstring and could be back on Friday. |
Our View: It's a good start. We won't exhale until Figgins actually makes it through three games unharmed. Keep in mind that Chone already came back once from this injury.
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| Gary Matthews Jr. is not in the lineup on Tuesday due to an upset stomach, the Orange County Register reports. He may be available to pinch-hit. |
Our View: What bad timing. Matthews has been on a roll (finally) over the past week or so. It doesn't sound like the outfielder expects to be out too long.
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| Jeremy Accardo is slated to begin a minor league rehab stint with High-A Dunedin on Tuesday, MLB.com reports. The reliever has been out since May 10 due to a strained right forearm. He is expected to need at least one week before rejoining the Blue Jays. |
Our View: Between this injury and B.J. Ryan's excellent month of May, Accardo has lost pretty much all of his fantasy stock.
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| Aaron Hill could begin a minor league rehab assignment next week. The second baseman has been out since May 29 due to a concussion. "He feels a lot better. He's not dizzy. He's not nauseous," general manager J.P. Ricciardi tells MLB.com. "He's on the field moving around. After exercise, he's not dizzy. They consider that asymptomatic." |
Our View: The Blue Jays obviously aren't going to take any chances when it comes to handling a concussion. Fantasy owners should be prepared to work without Hill next week.
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| Gregg Zaun won't be back in the majors on Wednesday, as previously hoped. The backstop will head to Syracuse for Triple-A rehab work and could rejoin the Blue Jays on Friday, MLB.com reports. Zaun is on the DL due to a strained right elbow. |
Our View: Either way, fantasy owners are best off waiting until the end of the weekend to think about using Zaun.
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| Just one day after hitting career home run , Cincinnati Ken Griffey Jr. was asked about rumors stating the team would look to trade the power-hitting veteran after reaching the milestone, according to the Associated Press. |
Our View: The Reds are in last place and may seek to add youth from a contender by shopping Griffey's bat to those in the mix for something better. Griffey claims he knows nothing and is not thinking about a potential move at all, but he acknowledges that he is in the last year of his contract and the desire to move him could also be influenced by finances. The Reds own an option on Griffey for next season at the cost of $16.5 million or may buy him out of the deal for $4 million. Getting out from under that cost would be beneficial, but the thought of getting prospects is the key to their trade discussions.
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| Hank Blalock has begun to make some throws to second base and could hit on Friday, the Dallas Morning News reports. The third baseman-turned-first baseman underwent surgery on May 30 to relieve carpal tunnel syndrome in his right wrist. Blalock was previously out due to a torn left hamstring. He could go on a minor league rehab assignment next week. |
Our View: We won't feel too confident until Blalock is working in the minors and gets through a couple games without hurting his wrist (or any other body part). He will attempt to hold down the every-day job at first when he's healthy.
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| Travis Hafner remains at least a week away from beginning a minor league rehab assignment. "We still need him to strengthen that shoulder," manager Eric Wedge explains to MLB.com. Hafner began swinging a bat over the weekend, but he is not ready for live pitching. He is on the DL due to a sore right shoulder. |
Our View: It sounds like Pronk is a minimum of 10 days away from returning, and that's far from a set timetable. The DH has badly burned fantasy owners this year, but the hope is that he can return and make up for his awful two months of work.
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| Michael Young is back in the lineup on Tuesday, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports. The shortstop is playing with a broken finger and dealing with a sore groin. |
Our View: Fantasy owners can feel free to use Young despite the nagging ailments.
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| Josh Hamilton has been cleared to play and is in tonight's line-up for the Rangers. |
Our View: Hamilton missed Texas' last game due to a viral infection. He claims to be at 90 percent for tonight's game.
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| Radhames Liz will get an extra day of rest before he takes the mound on Saturday against the Pirates according to MLB.com. |
Our View: The timing and match-up bode well for the young prospect. Liz has a 3.48 ERA in his only two starts of the season.
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| The Orioles have shifted around their rotation for the coming week. Jeremy Guthrie will start on Thursday, followed by Brian Burres, Radhames Liz, and Daniel Cabrera the next three nights, MLB.com reports. The move comes after Monday's off-day. |
Our View: This news shouldn't affect too many fantasy owners' plans.
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| The Rockies have activated Matt Holliday from the 15-day DL, MLB.com notes. He was out due to a strained left hamstring. |
Our View: Holliday had been aiming at June 10 ever since he went on the DL, so this news shouldn't be surprising to anyone.
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| Clay Buchholz is working to improve his arm slot and the consistency with his fastball. The right-hander worked three innings (73 pitches) on Monday night and focused on throwing his heater. "He can be special," manager Terry Francona informs The Providence Journal. "He's healthy. He has a few things we would like him to work on. He can get frustrated, but we're not frustrated." |
Our View: It's always interesting to see how young pitchers react when they run into major league trouble after cruising through the minors. This is a tough period for Buchholz and his fantasy owners, but we continue to have some faith in the talented youngster.
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| Mike Redmond will start at DH for the Twins on Tuesday night. The backup catcher is 12-for-23 over his career against Indians starter C.C. Sabathia, the Minneapolis Star Tribune notes. |
Our View: You'd never guess that Redmond is a tough out for an ace like Sabathia, but baseball is a funny game sometimes.
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| Dontrelle Willis has been optioned to Single-A Lakeland on Tuesday, according to the AP. Willis has proven to be one of the biggest disappointments among off-season signings in the league, as he has allowed 13 runs and 21 walks over 11.1 innings this season. |
Our View: Willis was lit up for eight runs on three hits and five walks over a mere 1.1 innings of work on Monday against Cleveland, and this move is not surprising.
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| Jacoby Ellsbury is expected to start tonight against Baltimore, according to the Providence Journal. |
Our View: He has been bothered by a sprained right wrist, and missed the three-game set against the Mariners, but Manager Terry Francona noted that Ellsbury is confident he is ready to return to the outfield. Francona also mentioned that if Ellsbury displays any hesitancy during batting practice, he would sit him out in favor of Brandon Moss, however. Pencil him into your lineups with caution for Tuesday.
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| Curt Schilling threw 40 pitches off a mound on Tuesday and didn't report any issues following the session, according to the Providence Journal. He didn't experience any pain, but wasn't pleased with his command. Manager Terry Francona said, "The good news is he's ramping it up." He is recovering from right biceps degeneration. |
Our View: He will throw off a mound again on Friday in Cincinnati. He would then pitch live batting practice, followed by a rehab assignment, barring any setbacks along the way. He is progressing favorably, but still has a long way to go before he returns to the Red Sox.
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| The Orioles have purchased infielder Oscar Salazar's contract from Triple-A Norfolk, according to the Baltimore Sun. As an adjoining move, pitcher Steve Trachsel has been designated for assignment. |
Our View: The 29-year old was batting .311 with 23 doubles, seven homers and 44 RBI at Norfolk. His only major league experience consists of eight games with the Detroit Tigers in 2002. He holds no fantasy value.
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| Steve Trachsel has been designated for assignment by the Orioles, according to the Baltimore Sun. The team purchased the contract of infielder Oscar Salazar from Triple-A Norfolk to cover the open spot on the roster. |
Our View: Trachsel struggled as a starter and wasn't effective in relief, and this move was to be expected. He held a 2-5 record over 39.2 innings, with a dismal 8.39 ERA and 2.02 WHIP.
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| Closer B.J. Ryan has been named the DHL Delivery Man for May, according to MLB.com. Ryan earned the honor by going a perfect 10-for-10 in save opportunities in the month, while posting a 0.75 ERA, with just one run surrendered over 12 innings. He also fired 14 strikeouts. |
Our View: This is quite impressive, considering Ryan is less than a year removed from his Tommy John ligament replacement surgery.
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| Jermaine Dye will bring his seven-game hitting streak to Detroit tonight, according to MLB.com. He is hitting .393 over the span. |
Our View: Dye got off to a slow start this season, but has found his rhythm, and is hitting .333 over eight games in June.
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| Jose Contreras will challenge the rival Tigers when he takes the hill at Comerica Park tonight, according to MLB.com. Contreras is 6-3 with a strong 2.76 ERA and 1.04 WHIP this season. |
Our View: Contreras has hurled six-straight quality starts, and is 4-0 over the span. He is 0-1 against the Tigers over two starts this season though, and allowed eight earned runs over 11.2 innings. This will be a tough game for him, but should remain in your fantasy rotation.
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| Brian Roberts is riding a hot streak as he has hit safely in seven straight games and has registered multiple hits in his last three, according to MLB.com. He will look to keep it going tonight against Josh Beckett and the Red Sox. |
Our View: He is hitting .382 over eight games in June, with five doubles and four RBI.
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| MLB.com reports that manager Jim Leyland made the trip to Toledo on Sunday to observe Zumaya's recovery in person. Zumaya need just 11 pitches to retire three batters. His fastball topped out at 98 mph. "He's in the best shape I've ever seen him," Leyland said. "He looks absolutely tremendous. He looks great. He worked his tail off." |
Our View: Zumaya appears very close to returning for the Tigers. It is likely he returns to his set-up role but closing is not out of the question.
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| Jon Lester has been moved back one day in the rotation, and will pitch on Thursday instead of his originally scheduled spot for Wednesday, according to MLB.com. He is serving a five-game suspension for his involvement in last Thursday's brawl with the Rays. |
Our View: Bartolo Colon will swap spots with Lester, and will take the mound Wednesday.
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| Alexei Ramirez appears to have solidified himself as the White Sox everyday second baseman by starting the last 15 games. In June he has hit .455 with nine RBI and just one strike out. He has three-hit games in four of his last eight. |
Our View: Ramirez was the hottest second baseman in the game last week. He may be a worthy pick-up if you are looking for production at the position.
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| Daniel Cabrera will battle the Red Sox at Fenway Park tonight, according to MLB.com. Cabrera is 5-2 with a 3.98 ERA and favorable 1.28 WHIP. |
Our View: Cabrera has been pitching well, but fell off track in his last outing on June 4 as he was rocked for six earned runs in a 7-5 loss to Minnesota. He only allowed five earned runs over two starts (14 innings) in May against the Red Sox, and still merits fantasy consideration for your lineup tonight.
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| Josh Beckett will make his 12th start of the season tonight against the Orioles at Fenway Park, according to MLB.com. Beckett is 6-4 with a 4.07 ERA and 1.10 WHIP this season. |
Our View: Beckett has only allowed five earned runs in his last 19 innings of work, with 24 strikeouts over the span. Keep him active in your rotation against the 31-31 Orioles.
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| Shannon Stewart will not be returning to the Jays' lineup any time soon due to a severe high ankle sprain, according to the Toronto Star. |
Our View: The team made the determination following his MRI yesterday. While he will be missed by the Jays, he won't be missed by roto-owners as he was only hitting .240 with one homer and 14 RBI over 52 games.
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| Nick Swisher was moved to seventh in the batting order on June 1st. In the eight games since he has hit .387 with four HR and accumulated 10 RBI. He belted two home runs and drew two walks in a 7-5 victory last night over the Twins. |
Our View: Fantasy owners are hoping that the new position in the batting order is precisely what Swisher needs to break out of his early season slump. The move has been beneficial for the White Sox in the win column, as well. They are 7-1 since the switch.
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| Kyle Farnsworth was unavailable Monday for the third straight game due to soreness in his right bicep, according to the NY Daily News. |
Our View: The Farns should be back out there shortly.
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| Daisuke Matsuzaka made 60 to 70 throws from 180 feet Monday, according to the Boston Herald. He is scheduled to play catch again today and then throw a bullpen session on Wednesday. Dice-K is recovering from a mild right rotator cuff strain. |
Our View: Dice-K should be back in the Sox rotation in the next week or so. We'll continue to monitor his progress.
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| Gil Meche laughed off the trade rumor that he is being shipped to the Cubs, according to the Kansas City Star. Meche has a no-trade clause in his contract and said he hasn't been asked to waive it. |
Our View: Meche is only 3-8 with a 5.54 ERA this season, but the team still believes he has a bright future with the Royals and are invested in him. He has allowed 11 homers over 13 starts this season, which really wouldn't make him favorable to the Cubs, especially on days when the wind is blowing out at Wrigley Field.
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| Brandon Morrow is nursing a sore shoulder, according to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. |
Our View: Morrow was unavailable to pitch on Monday due to the ailment, but Manager John McLaren thinks he could be available Tuesday, but the team will be careful with him. Morrow is pitching well in relief, as he only allowed two runs over 16 innings, with 23 strikeouts.
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| Bobby Crosby is listed as day-to-day due to an ankle injury sustained on Sunday, according to the SF Chronicle. |
Our View: He leads the team with 250 at-bats, and Crosby doesn't appear to be headed for the DL. He suffered the injury in the second inning on Sunday, but played six more innings before coming out.
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