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| Mark Ellis went 2-for-4 with a solo homer in Tuesday's 5-3 loss to the Angels. He also chipped in a stolen base, his 10th of the season. |
Our View: That was his second multi-hit game in a row, and his first homer since June 17, when he clubbed two against the Diamondbacks.
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| Troy Percival has landed on the 15-day DL due to a left hamstring strain, according to the St. Petersburg Times. The Rays recalled right-hander Mitch Talbot from Triple-A Durham, as a corresponding move. |
Our View: The Rays will most likely use a closer-by-committee while Percival is on the shelf, with righties Dan Wheeler and Grant Balfour, and lefty J.P. Howell among the top candidates.
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| The Rockies didn't light up the sky with the offense in getting the 4-0 victory over the Padres, but outfielder Matt Holliday was up to his usual tricks. Holliday went 2-for-2 with two walks, his 21st double and his 10th stolen base of the season. |
Our View: Holliday has been a terror since returning from injury, finishing with a .360 average for June with 13 RBIs despite missing nearly two weeks of business. If he stays healthy through July, watch out.
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| Chicago LHP John Danks was a force on the mound in support of the extra-innings win over Cleveland tonight, but walked off with no decision. Danks pitched eight innings to allow just one run on four hits with one walk and eight strikeouts. |
Our View: Danks may not have factored in the decision but he has lowered his season ERA to 2.50. This was his fifth no-decision over his last six starts.
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| The White Sox and Indians battled through ten innings this evening with the Sox finding a way to win, 3-2. The offense lacked but second baseman Alexei Ramirez got the job done, going 1-for-3 with his sixth double of the season to total two RBIs and one run scored. |
Our View: Ramirez hit a surprising .355 with thee homers and 17 RBIs las month, and now he's getting off to a strong start in July.
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| Minnesota RHP Scott Baker showed well in support of the 6-4 win over the Tigers, pitching six innings to allow three runs on seven hits with no walks and five strikeouts. |
Our View: Baker came out of June with consecutive wins and keeps the tide rolling this evening. He has allowed just seven total earned runs over 18 innings of work during that span, touting three walks versus 15 strikeouts.
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| The Minnesota Twins had more than enought offense flowing tonight, but the Tigers gave chase and made it interesting with the Twins emerging 6-4. The charge was led by designated hitter Craig Monroe , going 2-for-3 with one walk and his eighth homer of the season to total three RBIs and one run scored. |
Our View: Monroe suffered through an injury-plagued and frustrating month of June, hitting just .125 with two home runs and five RBIs. The hope is to get back on track and tonight gets him moving in the right direction.
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| Cliff Lee only allowed one earned run on six hits over eight innings in Tuesday's close 3-2 loss to the division rival White Sox, with one walk and three strikeouts. |
Our View: He had another strong outing, but was dealt a no decision due to a lack of run support. Lee is 5-0 over his last seven starts, and has only surrendered one earned run in three straight.
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| Marcus Thames went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer in Tuesday's 6-4 loss to Minnesota. He started the game at first base. |
Our View: Thames has homered in back-to-back games, and has eight hits over his last four outings. Keep him active in your lineups while he is hot.
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| Nate Robertson was rocked for six earned runs on 11 hits over a mere four innings of work in Tuesday's 6-4 loss to the Twins, with two walks and three strikeouts. |
Our View: Robertson drops to 6-7, with a 5.56 ERA. That ended a nice string of luck for him, as he was 3-0 over his previous four starts. He remains an erratic fantasy option.
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| Texas sent veteran RHP Kevin Millwood to the mound against the hated New York Yankees this evening, and while he failed to get a decision, he served his team well, going five innings to allow one run on five hits with one walk and six strikeouts. |
Our View: Millwood totaled 84 pitches over that short span but made it count, though the relief pitching nearly blew it. This is his third no-decision in his last five stars.
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| Robinson Cano went 2-for-4 with an RBI in Tuesday's tough 3-2 loss to the Rangers. The Yankees have now dropped three straight games. |
Our View: He has racked up multiple hits in four of his last seven outings, with eight RBI over the span.
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| The Rangers put the 3-2 win over the Yankees tonight led by the offensive gifts of second baseman Ian Kinsler . As the leadoff man, Kinsler went 2-for-3 at the dish with two walks, also posting three stolen bases on the night, posting one run scored. |
Our View: Kinsler now carries 23 stolen bases on the season but posted just five of 'em through June. He nearly matched that number in one day.
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| Joba Chamberlain allowed two earned runs on five hits over four innings in Tuesday's close 3-2 loss to Texas, with four walks and six strikeouts. He ended the night with a no decision. |
Our View: He still hasn't taken a loss over his last five starts, and he has allowed two or less earned runs in each outing over the span.
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| Mark Kotsay went 0-for-4 with a strikeout, while leaving four men on base, in Tuesday's 8-3 loss to the Phillies. |
Our View: This was his first game back from the DL, and he started in center field. Fantasy owners should wait until he gets back on track before considering him for starting duty again.
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| J.D. Drew went 0-for-3 but recorded Boston's lone RBI on a sacrifice fly in Tuesday's 3-1 loss to the upstart Rays. Jacoby Ellsbury stole his 35th base tonight as well. |
Our View: That was Drew's 50th RBI of the season, with six coming over his last seven contests.
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| Tim Wakefield only allowed two runs (one earned) on five hits over seven innings in Tuesday's 3-1 loss to the Rays, with three walks and four strikeouts. |
Our View: He pitched well enough to win, but his team-mates could not muster enough run support. He has allowed three or less earned runs in seven straight starts, yet he is 2-3 over the span.
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| Tampa RHP Matt Garza was the strength of the effort in the Rays 3-1 victory over Boston this evening, pitching seven innings to allow just one unearned run on five hits with no walks and three strikeouts. |
Our View: Garza is now touting a record of 7-4 on the season with an ERA of 3.47, collecting his third win in four starts.
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| The Rays continue to stay hot, tonight pushing through a pitcher's duel to emerge 3-1 over the Boston Red Sox. Catcher Dioner Navarro led the way, going 2-for-4 at the dish with two RBIs on the night. |
Our View: Navarro is now hitting .316 on the season but has fallen over the last month, hitting just .253 through June after hitting .333 in May. However, he's showcasing power along the way, hitting three homers with 13 RBIs through June.
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| Alex Gordon went 2-for-5 with a solo homer in Tuesday's 7-5 loss to the Orioles. |
Our View: That was his third homer over his last seven games, while collecting nine RBI over the span. He is worth penciling into your fantasy lineups while he is hot.
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| Luke Hochevar was rocked for six earned runs on six hits over six innings in Tuesday's 7-5 loss to Baltimore, with three walks and two strikeouts. |
Our View: He falls to 5-6 for the season, with a 4.91 ERA. This ended a fairly solid run for Hochevar, as he was 2-0 over his previous five starts, while only allowing two earned runs in three of those outings.
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| Baltimore second baseman Brian Roberts continues to swing a hot bat for the Orioles, serving his team well in a 7-5 win over the Royals this evening. Roberts went 1-for-3 with a walk and his sixth home run of the season, also adding his 22nd stolen base of the year to total one RBI and two runs scored. |
Our View: Roberts hit a whopping .342 through June with seven stolen bases and 12 RBIs. He's starting July with a bang as well and could be on track to another strong month.
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| The Orioles failed to match their opponent, the Kansas City Royals, in the hits column, yet the few hits they earned were good enough to earn the 7-5 win over the Royals. The charge was led by Ramon Hernandez , going 2-for-4 with two RBIs and one run scored on the night. |
Our View: Hernandez improved to a batting average of .273 through June with three home runs and nine RBIs. He hopes to keep the upswing going and got off to a good star tonight.
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| The Toronto Blue Jays are indicating pitcher Shaun Marcum could be activated from the disabled list as early as July 21st, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: Should Marcum experience no setbacks in his recovery from a strained right elbow, Toronto pitching coach Brad Arnsberg said the starter could be activated by July 21 at the earliest. Even then, Arnsberg added that Marcum likely would be limited to around 60-70 pitches in his first outing. The 26-year-old Marcum began a throwing program on Saturday at Toronto's complex in Dunedin, Fla., where he's playing catch on flat ground for the time being. Arnsberg noted that it will probably be at least another week before Marcum can pitch off a mound again. Marcum has been sidelined since June 19 with strained ligaments around his elbow and forearm in his throwing arm. On June 23, the pitcher was examined by renowned arm specialist Dr. James Andrews, who determined that Marcum's injury didn't require surgery.
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| Earlier today we reported Angels pitcher Kelvim Escobar was struggling with discomfort but had pitched well in three scoreless innings for Single-A Rancho Cucamonga. Now reports comes from Orange County claiming Escobar may have in fact reaggravated the torn right labrum and could be looking at an extended rehab assignment, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: The Angels report Escobar is expressing pain in the shoulder and that he could tell during warm-ups that something was wrong with his shoulder, yet he still decided to pitch and on Tuesday he admitted that it wasn't the right decision. Escobar said he is scheduled to meet with Dr. Lewis Yocum during the Angels' game against the A's on Tuesday night. He said he'll figure out his options once he meets with Yocum, but his return will definitely be delayed.
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| Danys Baez has been transferred to the 60-day DL, according to the Baltimore Sun. The team made the move to make room for infielder Freddie Bynum on the 40-man roster. |
Our View: Baez is likely out for the remainder of the 2008 season while he slowly recovers from Tommy John surgery.
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| Yankee legend Derek Jeter has been given the night off as the Yanks face the Rangers this evening, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: Nothing to stress as Jeter is doing just fine. The team wants to give him a bit of rest.
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| Cincinnati catcher David Ross normally does not sit behind the plate when Edinson Volquez is on the mound, but that will change tonight as the Reds face Pittsburgh and LHP Zach Duke, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: The right-handed-hitting Ross was favored over lefty Paul Bako, as left-handed hitters are batting just .218 against Duke this season. Righties, meanwhile, are hitting .313. Ross' bat has also come alive as of late. He's hit safely in five of his last six games, including a ninth-inning double on Monday that set up Ken Griffey Jr.'s walk-off home run. Ross has raised his average from .224 to .244 since June 17.
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| Atlanta outfielder Mark Kotsay has been activated from the 15-day disabled list and will be in the starting lineup this evening as the Braves face the Phillies, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: The veteran center fielder had been sidelined since May 25th with a lower back strain. During a five-game minor league rehab assignment with Double-A Mississippi, Kotsay recorded six hits in 18 at-bats. However, he was able to swing and field his position without any trouble or discomfort and is ready to get back into action.
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| The Rangers report pitchers Scott Feldman and Eddie Guardado are going to be given extra rest by the team, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: Feldman is fine physically but is starting to pile up innings in his first year as a starter. The Rangers are going to use Thursday's day off to give him extra rest. Feldman's turn comes up on Sunday against the Orioles, but he's being pushed back to Tuesday against the Angels. Guardado was unavailable to pitch on Tuesday night, one day after having to come out of Monday's game with inflammation in his left shoulder. Guardado came in and warmed up to pitch the eighth inning, but he had to come out when he felt the shoulder act up.
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| Detroit first baseman Miguel Cabrera has been scratched from the starting lineup for tonight’s game against the Minnesota Twins due to a left hip flexor injury, according to the Sports Ticker. |
Our View: Cabrera is listed as day-to-day after leaving Monday’s contest in the second inning. He was replaced at first base by Marcus Thames.
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| Joe Mauer will sit in favor of Mike Redmond at catcher against the Tigers tonight, according to the Star Tribune. Redmond is penciled in to bat third in the order. |
Our View: Mauer went 2-for-4 with two RBI on Monday against Detroit, but manager Ron Gardenhire felt he could use a game off. Adjust your lineups accordingly.
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| The Orioles have purchased Freddie Bynum's contract from Triple-A Norfolk, according to the AP. He will fill the roster spot for Alex Cintron, who landed on the 15-day DL due to a strained left hamstring. |
Our View: Bynum is back with the Orioles, but is not worth targeting as he was only hitting .192 over 99 at-bats, and will be fighting for playing time at shortstop with Brandon Fahey while Cintron is on the shelf.
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| Akinori Iwamura has returned from his three-game suspension and he will bat leadoff for the Rays in their tilt against Boston, according to the Tampa Tribune. |
Our View: If you have Iwamura on your roster, tonight is a great night to get him back in the lineup. He is hitting .421 in his career against Red Sox starter Time Wakefield.
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| The Baltimore Orioles have placed Alex Cintron on the disabled list with a strained left hamstring, according to The Sports Network. |
Our View: Cintron has 69 at-bats on the season, and is hitting .275 with a .296 on-base percentage. There is no word on how long Cintron will be out.
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| The Colorado Rockies will decide soon whether or not they would be willing to deal Matt Holliday, according to the Rocky Mountain News. The paper reported that the interested teams so far Oakland, Kansas City, Tampa Bay, both Los Angeles teams and St. Louis. |
Our View: Holliday would be the big prize among position players if he is to be moved to a contending club. However, his fantasy value could take a hit if he is traded away from Coors Field, as his average at home is 47 points higher than on the road (.356 to .309), and his slugging percentage is 135 points higher (.607 to .472).
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| Carl Crawford has an excellent match-up tonight, as the Rays take on the Boston Red Sox and pitcher Tim Wakefield. Crawford hits the knuckle ball artist to the tune of .316 over 79 at-bats. He has nine extra-base hits against Wakefield. |
Our View: Crawford has had an average season, but he brings potential speed and power to the table every game. This is obviously a good night to get him in your lineup.
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| Alex Rodriguez will not participate in the All-Star game's annual Home Run Derby, declining an invitation, according to MLB.com. Rodriguez cited his obligation to the Yankees. |
Our View: Although the Home Run Derby will not see one of the game's most prolific sluggers participate, Yankees fans and fantasy owners are probably not too upset with his decision, as he eliminates a chance of injury. He is having a fabulous June, hitting .366 with nine home runs.
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| Garret Anderson has not played in two consecutive games for the first time all seasons, according to the Los Angeles Times. Manager Mike Scioscia said he expects Anderson to play tonight. |
Our View: Anderson is hitting only .255 on the season, and has had a horrible June, batting only .188 with a .227 on-base percentage. Even in deep AL-only leagues, it would be hard to have Anderson currently active at the moment.
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| Felix Hernandez not only will not make his scheduled start on Tuesday, his injured ankle will in fact force him to the DL, according to MLB.com. "He threw a few pitches and the landing foot is still not really right, and we're not going to put him out there till it is right," manager Jim Riggleman said. |
Our View: So much for him making his next start. The hope is that Hernandez will be ready to go right before the All-Star game since the move was retroactive to June 24th. In the long run this might actually work to his benefit by allowing him some time to rest his young arm.
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| Rocco Baldelli will spend the rest of the week working out with the Rays, according to the Tampa Tribune. Baldelli will work on some things while getting some time to let his sore groin heal. |
Our View: Baldelli will basically spend the time around the clubhouse while doing some light baseball work. The upshot of this is that he will put his minor league rehab on hold at 20 days, leaving him 10 days once he returns before a decision needs to be made about his status.
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| Kip Wells will likely make two more starts at Colorado Springs before being recalled to join the Rockies, according to the Denver Post. |
Our View: It's unclear just how the Rockies plan to use Wells once he is activated, but he will probably return to the bullpen where he had minimal success in the early going (1.53 WHIP with 14 BB in 19.2 IP).
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| Paul Konerko's strained oblique basically has his recovery in a holding pattern with the team waiting for him to give OK to increase his workload, according to the Chicago Sun Times. "He's making his steps, he's going forward, but it has to come from his mouth how he feels and how many games he's going to play down there," manager Ozzie Guillen said. |
Our View: The hope is that Konerko will be back prior to the All-Star break, but the team might play it safe and give him a couple of extra days to work on things before activating him.
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| Juan Uribe is no longer needed in Chicago with the emergence of Alexei Ramirez so it appears that the White Sox will try to move their former starting shortstop, according to the Chicago Sun Times. "The only thing I said is, 'Listen, keep doing what you're doing, and we're going to try to do the best thing for you.' We want him to have the best opportunity," manager Ozzie Guillen said. |
Our View: Uribe will be a free agent at the end of the year, and given that he is hitting only .215 with three home runs in 135 AB, the Sox likely won't get much in return.
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| Frank Catalanotto is likely to be dangled in an attempt to add another piece to the Rangers puzzle, according to the Dallas Morning News. |
Our View: With Chris Davis up and hitting well and the impending return of Hank Blalock, there will shortly be few options for Catalanotto to be in the lineup. He is still a solid major league hitter, but where he ends up will determine just how much value he will continue to hold in AL only leagues.
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| Troy Percival re injured his hamstring on Monday night while backing up third base and had to be removed from the game, according to the Tampa Tribune. "There’s been nights when I’ve gotten through my inning no problem and come in here and said there’s no way I’m going to be able to go tomorrow and then I come back the next day and it’s not as bad. So I don’t want to jump the gun on any of that, because it might be OK.” |
Our View: The decision to send him back to the DL hasn't yet been made, but it certainly appeared that it is something that they will have to seriously consider. Dan Wheeler would figure to be first in line for saves, though Grant Belfour could also sneak in there given his success this year.
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| Billy Butler started at DH for the first time in three games on Monday since being recalled from Triple-A and he went 3-for-5 at the plate, according to the Kansas City Star. |
Our View: Number one, the kid can hit. Number two, it makes no sense to call him up and have him sit on the bench. Number three, if the Royals do as they should and run him out there everyday, Butler has a chance to be a mixed league option by the end of this season.
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| David DeJesus is still suffering from a bruised right rib which could force him to remain on the bench for another couple of days, according to the Kansas City Star. |
Our View: DeJesus is showing progress but the team wants to make sure their hot hitting outfielder isn't in danger of re-injuring himself before they throw him back into the fold.
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| Scott Elarton will be leaving the Indians to deal with a personal matter, according to MILB.com. "There's not much I can say," manager Eric Wedge said. "He has some personal things he has to take care of. There's nothing I can say outside of that." |
Our View: Elarton has struggled with his control this season (5.28 BB/9) leading to a terrible WHIP (1.63), but as the mop up reliever in the Indians pen he wouldn't of had much value if he had thrown strikes. Tom Mastny was called up to take his roster spot.
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| Tom Mastny has been recalled by the Indians to take the spot of Scott Elarton who had to leave the team due to personal reasons, according to MILB.com. |
Our View: Mastny is 1-0 with a 1.71 ERA and 34 K in 26.1 IP at Triple-A Buffalo this year, but he still has to prove he isn't one of the Four-A players who can dominate in the minors but struggle in the majors. He will go into middle relief and have little value at all for now.
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| Francisco Liriano improved to 5-2 on Monday night by holding Lehigh Valley to zero runs in seven innings of work to bump his record to 5-2, according to MILB.com. Even more impressive than the seven shutout innings was the fact that he struck out nine while walking only one batter. |
Our View: Liriano has continued to struggle with his control and had given up 10 earned runs in his previous two outing (10.1 IP). This latest start might signal that he has turned the corner and put himself in a position to be recalled to join the big league club.
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| Kelvim Escobar had some trouble warming up on Monday night but he pushed through it on his way to working three scoreless innings at Single-A Rancho Cucamonga, according to the Orange County Register. ”I felt good and that’s the most important thing,” he said. ”I threw strikes and my changeup has been good." |
Our View: Escobar threw in the 90's at times, but it was clear that this was just another in a series of steps that he hopes will culminate in him pitching out of the pen for the Angels at some point toward the end of July.
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