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| Willy Taveras went 3-for-5 and stole his 32nd base in Thursday's 6-3 victory over the Cleveland Indians. |
Our View: Taveras registered a bunt single, a swinging bunt single and a Texas Leaguer in the Roks win. Considering what he did on Thursday night is it any surprise his slugging percentage is .304 on the season?
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| Brian Fuentes pitched a scoreless ninth inning to secure Jorge De La Rosa's second victory, and earn his 13th save of the season. |
Our View: Fuentes might be the most painful closer in the league to watch. He rarely looks to be in control and often finds himself behind in the count with runners on base.
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| Jorge De La Rosa struck out a career-high 10 to lead the Colorado Rockies to a 6-3 victory Thursday night over the Cleveland Indians. The Rockies executed a sweep of the three-game series and prepare to host the New York Mets for a three-game weekend set. |
Our View: The former Royal allowed three runs on four hits and walked only one in his second victory against three losses. The 10 K performance gives him 44 strike outs in 38.2 innings of work this year. As impressive as that is, his 6.52 ERA is ugly.
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| Casey Blake hit his seventh home run of the season in a Thursday night 6-3 loss to the Colorado Rockies. Blake also committed his ninth error of the season. |
Our View: Blake could have been charged with an additional error. His field presence was horrible, but it didn't carry over into the batters box as the third baseman went 3-for-4 and raised his batting average (.263) eight points with the performance.
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| Barry Zito is on pace for 24 losses this season, and with 17 or 18 more starts, if he's permitted to stay in the rotation, he a lock to exceed his career high for defeats in a season (13). |
Our View: This news isn't a revelation. The real surprise will be if the Giants allow him to remain in the rotation with his current form. Zito has zero value in all fantasy formats and it's time for the lefty to head to the minor leagues and try to reinvent himself.
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| Miguel Tejada, hitting just .150 in the month of June, homered in Thursday's loss to his ex-mates. Houston has lost a franchise-record six straight interleague games and is 1-8 against American League teams this year. |
Our View: The home run was Tejada's fourth in June and his 10th of the season.
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| Carlos Marmol relieved Sean Gallagher in the bottom of the seventh inning with the Cubs leading 3-1 in Thursday's finale at Tampa Bay. Marmol, facing the bottom of the Rays order proceeded to walk Willy Aybar to lead off the inning, then walked Dioner Navarro followed by hitting Gabe Gross to load the bases. Leadoff hitter Akinori came to the batters box with the bases loaded, and nobody out, and Marmol plunked him too. Skipper Lou Piniella had seen enough and yanked the Cubs reliever in favor of Scott Eyre, who took the ball and gave up a home run to Carl Crawford. |
Our View: It was the ugliest five plate appearances of the year for the Cubs, and with no one out, Gallagher no longer in line for a win and the score in favor of the Rays 6-3, it appears that the team with the best record in baseball will be swept by the upstarts from the American League.
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| Shawn Chacon pitched to form on Thursday night at Camden Yards. The right-handed veteran allowed six runs on eight hits, walked four and didn't strike out a Oriole batter. |
Our View: Chacon worked five innings with 95 pitches and left the game down 6-3. After a strong start in the Astros rotation his ERA is approaching five runs per game and his WHIP is closing in on a buck and a half. There is nothing fantasy attractive about the Houston starter.
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| Jeff Baker is in the starting lineup for the final game of the Rockies interleague series with the Cleveland Indians. Baker is starting at first base for Todd Helton and is hitting fifth in the batting order. |
Our View: Helton isn't injured, so the lineup change is nothing more than a day of rest of the veteran, this against the Indians left-handed starter Jeremy Sowers.
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| Doug Davis allowed one run on three hits, walked two and struck out eight in Thursday's no decision versus the Athletics. |
Our View: Davis had arguably his best start of the season but didn't get the run support to earn a win. The performance lowered the lefty's 3.99 ERA to 3.65 and helped his horrific 1.72 WHIP. Davis has now struck out 38 in 44.1 innings.
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| Greg Smith allowed one run on three hits, walking three and striking out four over five innings of work. The former Diamondback threw only 87 pitches and was pulled in favor of Brad Ziegler to start the sixth inning. |
Our View: Rajai Davis hit for Smith to lead off the top of the sixth innings. Had the pitchers order not come up -- it's likely that Smith would have still been in the game to pitch the bottom of the sixth.
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| Brandon Lyon got three outs for his 15th save in 17 chances, and his 14th straight as the Diamondbacks their second straight and two-of-three over the Athletics, 2-1 on Thursday afternoon. |
Our View: Lyon hasn't had many save opportunities over the last month. Since mid-May the closer has appeared in only 10 games and had five save opps.
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| Justin Upton hit a tiebreaking home run in the eighth inning, and the Arizona Diamondbacks defeated the Oakland Athletics 2-1 on Thursday afternoon. |
Our View: With the return of veteran Eric Byrnes from the disabled list soon, Upton's roster spot is in question. The word on the street is that the D'Backs are considering optioning their rookie back to the minors to work on his swing, and his suspect defense. He was out of the lineup on Wednesday and his stock had hit a season low. Upton was hitting .244 with a .783 OPS heading into Thursday's action, and the young outfielder had 84 strikeouts in 225 at-bats (a strikeout every 3.1 AB). The game winning home run came just in time. If he can gain some momentum in Minnesota this weekend he might stave off the demotion.
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| Chipper Jones went 0-for-4 and his major league-leading batting average fell below .400 for the first time since April 12. He's hitting .394 after today's bagel. |
Our View: It was inevitable. Jones' owners should be thrilled if the future Hall of Famer can hit .350-plus this season. More important than hitting for a high average: keeping the Braves in the postseason race so he's still playing in September and keeping the oft-injured third baseman upright.
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| Kosuke Fukudome is leading off for the second straight game as the Cubs are trying to find a frontman to fill the role of the injured Alfonso Soriano. |
Our View: Skipper Lou Piniella said Wednesday that Kosuke Fukudome will be the Cubs' primary leadoff hitter while Alfonso Soriano is sidelined.
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| Josh Willingham's return to active duty continues to draw attention. The Florida outfielder is currently on a rehab assignment in Double-A and is near a return from a back injury that's kept him out of the Marlins lineup since May 2nd. Willingham hit .341 with a 406 OBP and had six home runs and 16 RBI in 91 at-bats before being he was disabled. There is a chance he could return to the 25-man roster tomorrow, but the more feasible ETA is next week. |
Our View: In shallow mixed formats Willingham might be available. If so, make room on the bench for the slugger and play the "wait and see" game.
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| Chris Duncan, who went hitless in Thursday's 4-1 loss to the Royals, is hitting .234 on the season. His power numbers have taken a huge hit from a year ago. The Cardinals outfielder/first baseman has only nine extra base hits in 158 at-bats. His slugging percentage was .348 coming into Thursday's action. |
Our View: Chris Duncan is 5-for-31 with one RBI since being recalled from the minors to play first base for the injured Albert Pujols.
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| Phil Dumatrait got roughed up by the White Sox hitters on Thursday afternoon allowing nine runs on 11 hits, walking none and striking out two in five-plus innings of work. The rookie lefty isn't alone, Comerica Park isn't a pitcher-friendly venue. |
Our View: Dumatrait lost more than a run to his 3.84 ERA. When exiting today's loss his earned run average stood at 4.66 and his record dropped to 3-4 on the season.
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| Rick Ankiel hit his 11th home run, but it wasn't enough as the Cardinals dropped their third straight to Kansas City 4-1 on Thursday afternoon. |
Our View: Ankiel has been slumping as of late and it's affected the Cardinals ability to score. St. Louis has scored three or fewer runs in six of eight games since Albert Pujols went on the 15-day disabled list with a left calf strain.
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| Brad Thompson was activated from the disabled list on Thursday to make an emergency start for Anthony Reyes. Thompson was scheduled to throw rehab in Memphis tonight, but instead took the mound Thursday afternoon against the Royals. The right-hander allowed two runs on five hits, walked none and struck out one in the 4-1 loss. |
Our View: The sinker-baller was better than expected and kept the Cards in the game. While Thompson didn't walk a batter, he also didn't fool any of the Royals hitters striking out one. His fantasy value rests in deep NL-only formats.
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| Prince Fielder hit the second inside-the-park homer of his career as the Brewers scored an 8-7 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Thursday afternoon. |
Our View: Watching Fielder run the bases during an inside-the-park home run should be a pay-per-view event. It's that good.
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| Dave Bush bounced back from a two rocky starts and flirted with a no-hitter against the Blue Jays on Thursday afternoon. The Milwaukee right-hander took the no-hit bid into the eighth inning before giving up a triple to Lyle Overbay. Bush completed eight innnings allowing one run on two hits, walking one and striking out two. |
Our View: Bush began the afternoon with a team-high 5.73 ERA. Off to the worst start in his five-year career, he retired the first 15 Blue Jays before walking Gregg Zaun.
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| Tony Clark went 1-for-3 and recorded the Padres' lone RBI in a 2-1 loss to the Yankees. |
Our View: Clark is hitting .243 over 74 at-bats, with one homer and eight RBI.
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| Cristian Guzman went 2-for-4 with an RBI in Thursday's 9-3 loss to the Twins. Both of his hits were singles. |
Our View: He continues to swing a hot bat in June, as he raised his average to .359 (28-for-78).
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| Shawn Hill was lit up for seven runs (six earned) on 10 hits over a mere 3.2 innings of work in Thursday's 9-3 loss to Minnesota, with three walks and three strikeouts. |
Our View: Hill falls to 1-4 over 11 starts, with a 5.22 ERA. He has allowed at least four earned runs in three of his last four starts.
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| Brandon Phillips went 2-for-5 with a pair of RBI in Thursday's 7-4 loss to the Dodgers. Both of his hits were singles. He also chipped in a stolen base. |
Our View: He is only hitting .268, but has 41 RBI and 41 runs scored over 71 games, with 13 stolen bases.
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| Aaron Harang was rocked for five earned runs on 10 hits over five innings in Thursday's 7-4 loss to the Dodgers, with three walks and two strikeouts. |
Our View: He is now 3-10 for the season, and tied his season-low with two strikeouts. He has also allowed at least five earned runs in three of his last five starts.
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| Matt Kemp went 2-for-5 and led the Dodgers with three RBI in Thursday's 7-4 win over the Reds. He hit a double and a homer, his sixth of the season. |
Our View: Kemp now has 13 RBI so far in June, and raised his season average to .293.
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| Eric Stults allowed three runs (only one earned) on six hits over six innings in Thursday's 7-4 win over the Reds, with one walk and five strikeouts. |
Our View: This was a strong first outing of the season for him, but he will only work in the rotation while Brad Penny is out of action, and isn't worth acquiring as a fantasy prospect.
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| Eric Gagne, who is recovering from right rotator cuff tendinitis, threw another solid bullpen session on Thursday, according to MLB.com. Gagne pitched at about 90% of full strength on Thursday morning and is scheduled to throw a simulated game to hitters on Saturday at Miller Park. If that goes favorably, Gagne said he would travel Monday to Nashville for a Triple-A rehab appearance on Tuesday at home and Thursday at Round Rock, Texas. He could then travel on June 27 to Minnesota, where the Brewers begin a series against the Twins.
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Our View: Gagne stated that he will return June 27, but will not unseat Salomon Torres from the closer's role. He was struggling as a closer prior to landing on the DL, and will hold little to no fantasy value while serving as a setup man.
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| Yadier Molina will travel with the team for their set against Boston on Friday, according to MLB.com. Manager Tony LaRussa said, "He's feeling better, but Molina has not been cleared yet to play." |
Our View: Jason LaRue will continue to serve as the starting catcher until Molina is ready to resume his role. LaRussa is yet to set a timetable for his return, but it is a good sign that he is making the trip to Boston.
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| Jim Edmonds is listed as day-to-day with a case of plantar fascitis in his left foot, according to the AP. Edmonds said, "It’s been bothering me a couple days on the turf. My arch is sore."
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Our View: He was starting to see more action with Alfonso Soriano on the shelf, but the aging Edmonds is having a hard time staying intact.
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| Reliever Justin Orenduff could get called up from Triple-A Las Vegas, according to the MLB.com. The team is yet to make a corresponding move after placing Hiroki Kuroda on the 15-day DL, and Orenduff is believed to be a strong possibility to fill the open roster spot. |
Our View: Orenduff could add some depth to the Dodgers' pen, but won't hold much fantasy value. Chan Ho Park is expected to come out of the bullpen to make a spot start for Kiroda on Saturday.
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| Manager Bobby Cox tweaked the Braves' lineup for today against the Rangers, and decided to drop struggling slugger Jeff Francoeur to seventh in the batting order, according to MLB.com. Cox said, "Just changing it around a little bit. With the DH, you can do this. It's just for today." Gregor Blanco is also batting leadoff today.
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Our View: Francoeur is only hitting .221 over his last 31 games. He is also hitting .226 (19-for-84) with runners in scoring position this season, and has just two hits in 18 at-bats with the bases loaded.
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| Adam Dunn is angered by Jays' GM JP Ricciardi's remarks, according to MLB.com. Ricciardi said he doesn't want Dunn on his team and added that he lacks passion for baseball. Dunn stated, "I know nothing about this clown. I have no idea who he is. I don't really care what one guy thinks, to be honest with you. If I'm a GM, I don't know if I would go out of my way to kind of discredit a player. It ticks me off. He doesn't even know me."
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Our View: After this weekend's three-game series with the Yankees in New York, the Reds will play three games at Toronto next week, which was really bad timing for Ricciardi to criticize Dunn.
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| Brad Thompson has been activated from the 15-day DL and will throw in the final game of a three-game set against the Royals today, according to CBSsports.com. The team placed hurler Anthony Reyes on the 15-day DL, as an adjoining move. |
Our View: Thompson was set for a rehab start today at Triple-A Memphis but he was called up to take the hill for the Cardinals instead. He has been on the DL since April 23 with an elbow injury, and should be left on your bench unril he proves to be effective.
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| Hiroki Kuroda has been placed on the 15-day DL due to left shoulder tendinitis, according to the AP. The team is yet to announce a corresponding move. |
Our View: Kuroda hasn't pitched since last Thursday at San Diego, so he is eligible to return on June 28, five days after an off day on Monday. Chan Ho Park is expected to cover Kuroda's next turn in the rotation, which would be Saturday against the Reds.
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| Manager Joe Girardi said LaTroy Hawkins will see more action in long relief, according to MLB.com. He could throw up to 50 pitches, if needed. |
Our View: It is good news for him that he is going to see more action, but not for fantasy owners, as Hawkins holds a 5.65 ERA and 1.47 WHIP over 28.2 innings, with only 18 strikeouts.
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| Josh Banks will be trying to remain unbeaten when he faces the Yankees today in inter-league play, according to MLB.com. Banks is 2-0 with a 1.29 ERA and 1.04 WHIP over 28 innings, with 17 strikeouts. |
Our View: He has proven to be a steal for the Padres, as he landed in San Diego on a $20,000 waiver claim. He allowed three earned runs in his last start (against Cleveland), but allowed one or less runs in each of his previous four outings.
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| Kevin Kouzmanoff could miss 3-5 days due to his strained back, according to CBSsports.com. Manager Bud Black said, "He'll probably be sidelined three to five days, though there's an outside chance he could wind up on the disabled list." |
Our View: He did not tear a muscle in his back, and will be re-evaluated when the team returns home (from New York) this weekend. Top prospect Chase Headley should continue to roam third base while Kouzmanoff is out of action.
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| The Brewers designated Julian Tavarez for assignment Thursday. The move was made to clear a roster spot for David Riske, who was activated from the DL. |
Our View: Tavarez failed to make an impression in Milwaukee, holding an 8.59 ERA over seven games.
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| The Brewers activated David Riske from the DL Thursday. Riske has been out with a hyperextended right elbow. |
Our View: Riske will go back into a setup role for the Brew Crew. Julian Tavarez was designated for assignment to make room on the roster.
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| Jeff Keppinger isn't quite ready to return from the DL, despite the fact that he's hitting .429 in 21 rehab at-bats. "It's tempting," manager Dusty Baker said in the Cincinnati Enquirer. "But I talked to him; his legs are still sore." Keppinger is coming back from a fractured kneecap. |
Our View: Baker said that Keppinger could be back for next weekend's series in Cleveland, but it was more likely that he'd be activated that next week when the team returns home.
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| Wily Mo Pena was benched for a second straight start Wednesday. Manager Manny Acta told the Washington Post of Pena: "things are not working for him." |
Our View: Not only is Pena batting just .205 with 38 strikeouts and nine walks, but his power, which is usually the only thing you can count on from him, hasn't been there either. He has just one homer and six doubles in 151 at-bats. Kory Casto has started in left the last two nights, though he's gone 0-for-5 at the plate.
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| Albert Pujols, who is out with a strained left calf, participated in pregame workouts on Wednesday, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. He took batting practice and fielded grounders. |
Our View: Manager Tony LaRussa viewed his participation as a good sign, as he is working out what he can tolerate. He would be eligible to return from the DL when the Cardinals battle the Royals in Kansas City next week.
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| Daryl Thompson could be called up to make a spot start on Saturday against the Yankees in place of Homer Bailey, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer. Bailey was optioned back to Triple-A Louisville so the team could activate outfielder Norris Hopper from the DL. |
Our View: Thompson has a dangerous fastball and a good curve, and the 22-year old righty was 6-2 with a 2.22 ERA in 14 starts between Double-A Chattanooga and Louisville. He would have a tough first assignment against the Yankees, but could be worth targeting if you need help at the position, namely for depth.
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| Eric Byrnes, who is recovering from a strained right hamstring, is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment Thursday at Single-A Visalia, according to the Arizona Republic. |
Our View: The plan is for Byrnes to play tonight, Friday and Saturday, then head to Boston with intention of joining the club for Monday's series opener against the Red Sox at Fenway Park.
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| Manager Lou Piniella commented that Kosuke Fukudome will bat leadoff until Alfonso Soriano is ready to return to action, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. Piniella said, "We had a nice conversation. I just wanted to make sure Fukudome felt comfortable with it. Until we get Soriano back in the lineup, I think we'll keep Fukudome in the 1-hole."
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Our View: Reed Johnson had a shot to hold the leadoff spot, but Fukudome has edged him out. Fukudome holds a .296 batting average and .403 OBP, with 46 walks. He also has good speed with 15 doubles, two triples, and six stolen bases. He has scored 47 runs over 69 games, and will have a shot to score a lot more while hitting at the top of the Cubs' potent lineup.
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| Carlos Zambrano, who is experiencing right shoulder discomfort, will undergo an MRI on Thursday, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. Zambrano left Wednesday's game after 6.2 innings of work and said, "There was a funny pitch that I felt something in my arm, and then the last pitch that I threw in the game, I dropped my arm a lot because I couldn't go back over the top with my arm." |
Our View: The Cubs' pennant hopes could hinge on the outcome of his MRI. We will keep you posted of the results when they are disclosed.
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| Adam Dunn is not on the Blue Jays' radar, according to FAN-590 radio. Jays' GM JP Ricciardi stated, "Dunn a lifetime .230-.240 hitter that strikes out a ton and hits home runs.
Did you know the guy doesn't really like baseball that much? I don't think you'd be very happy if we brought Adam Dunn here. We've done our homework on guys like Adam Dunn and there's a reason why we don't want Adam Dunn."
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Our View: Dunn wouldn't hit as many homers in Toronto as in Cincinnati either.
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| Chin-lung Hu has been cleared by an eye specialist to resume playing for Triple-A Las Vegas, but he is still experiencing blurred vision in his right eye, according to the LA Times. |
Our View: Hu suffered from poor vision in that eye back in 2006, when he batted .254 at Double-A Jacksonville.
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| Chan Ho Park is ready for his spot start on Saturday against Cincinnati, in place of the injured Hiroki Kuroda, according to the LA Times. Park said, "I'll be ready for anything. I feel bad because two guys are down, two of the best guys (referring to Kuroda and Brad Penny)." |
Our View: Park is not worth starting in your rotations on Saturday, and he was lit up for five runs on eight hits over a mere 1.1 innings of work in his last trip to the mound against the Tigers on June 15.
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| Dave Roberts, who is recovering from left knee surgery, could begin a minor league rehab assignment in about two weeks, according to the SF Chronicle. |
Our View: Manager Bruce Bochy also thinks that Roberts could be game ready by the third week of July.
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| Nomar Garciaparra fared well in his first rehab game (at Triple-A Las Vegas) on Tuesday as he hit a homer, but was forced to sit out Wednesday's game due to soreness in his strained right calf, according to the LA Times. |
Our View: Nomar is scheduled to rest on Thursday, but is expected to be able to resume practicing on Friday. He is eligible to come off the DL on June 25, but may not be ready at that time.
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| Hiroki Kuroda will likely miss one start due to shoulder tendinitis, according to the LA Daily News. Kuroda appears headed to the 15-day disabled list, but only to clear a roster spot so the club can bring up a reliever from the minor leagues to replace Chan Ho Park in the bullpen, and Kuroda probably won't miss more than that one start, which is scheduled for Saturday against Cincinnati.
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Our View: Chan Ho Park will come out of the bullpen for a spot start Saturday. Kuroda hasn't pitched since last Thursday at San Diego, so he is eligible to return on June 28, five days after an off day on Monday.
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| Chase Headley hit a leadoff shot in the eighth inning against Kyle Farnsworth for his first career home run. |
Our View: The rookie now has a two game hitting streak and is off and running in his big league career.
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