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| Bobby Crosby missed his first game of the season, a 3-2 win over the White Sox, with a strained left hamstring. Crosby told reporters after the game "It's better today. It's a little sore but it's definitely better." |
Our View: Crosby is considered day-to-day, but the shortstops relationship with the disabled list is legendary. Any injury is a concern when Crosby is involved.
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| Justin Duchscherer continues to shine. On Thursday night at hitter-friendly US Cingular Field, the A's right-hander pitched seven solid innings helping Oakland to a 3-2 win over the Chicago White Sox. Duchscherer allowed two runs on five hits, walked two and struck out four in the win. |
Our View: Duchscherer scored his ninth win of the season and continues to amaze with his transformation from reliever to starter. The two runs allowed raised his ERA from 1.91 to 1.96.
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| Andy Pettitte didn't have much to offer his teammates in the 7-0 loss to the Red Sox on Thursday night in the Bronx. The left-hander allowed six runs (five earned), walked three and struck out two. Pettitte had been 6-0 since May 17 with a 3.54 ERA. |
Our View: Pettitte had a pitcher-friendly home plate umpire, and a slumping Boston lineup, and still struggled.
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| Jon Lester performed like an ace on Thursday night pitching a complete game 7-0 victory over division rival New York. The left allowed five hits, walked two and struck out eight in his seventh win of the year. |
Our View: The winning performance was easily his best since the no-hitter against the Royals in May.
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| Joakim Soria was lights out again on Thursday night in Baltimore. The right-hander threw a perfect ninth inning recording two strikeouts in his 23rd save of the season. |
Our View: It's hard to pick out a player that has not only surprised, but also performed better in the process. George Sherrill comes to mind, but he recently blew saves in consecutive appearances. Soria's ERA is at 1.22, his WHIP at .073, and only his 23 saves trump his 41 strike outs in 37 innings.
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| Garrett Olson allowed six runs (five earned) on eight hits, walked two and struck out two in Thursday's 10-7 loss to the Royals. The southpaw was not involved in the decision. |
Our View: Olson had lost two straight decisions coming into tonight's game, and while he was in line to win the game upon his departure, he didn't pitch well enough to deserve a cheap victory.
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| Kyle Davies was hit hard for the third straight start against Baltimore on Thursday night. The right-hander allowed seven runs on eight hits, walked one and struck out four in the Royals win. |
Our View: Davies started strong after being recalled from Omaha, but has quickly returned to his career peripherals. After Thursday's performance, his ERA went from 3.34 to 4.71.
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| David DeJesus matched his career-high hitting streak of 15 games by singling in a run in the sixth inning. |
Our View: DeJesus, who returned to the starting lineup for the second straight night after missing time to a bruised rib, has raised his average to .321 during the hitting streak.
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| Jose Guillen went 2-for-4 with three RBI and one run scored in the Royals 10-7 victory over the Orioles on Thursday night. |
Our View: Guillen has 14 multi-hit games in his last 26 starts and has his average up to .280 on the season.
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| Aubrey Huff had a big night at the plate in the Orioles 10-7 loss to the Royals. Huff hit a solo home run in the fourth and a two-run shot in the fifth, both off starter Kyle Davies. The designated hitter also doubled giving him a 3-for-4 performance. |
Our View: Huff now has three homers in his last two games and 17 for the season, two more than in 2007.
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| Mark Grudzielanek went 4-for-5 helping the Kansas City Royals defeat the Baltimore Orioles 10-7 on Thursday night. Grudz drove in and scored a run in the win. This is the second four-hit performance for the Royals second baseman in the last week. On June 29, Gruzielanek went 4-for-5 against the Cardinals.
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Our View: As bad as this Royals team can be at times, they rarely lie down for their opponents. KC overcame a four-run deficit, and a two home run performance by Aubrey Huff, to earn a split of the four-game series against the O's. Grudz is a large part of the big-hearted team.
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| Sean Gallagher allowed three runs on only four hits, walked two and struck out two -- extending his winless stretch to five starts in an 8-3 loss to the Giants on Thursday night.
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Our View: The rookie didn't pitch poorly, he just couldn't match the Giants Tim Lincecum. The loss was Gallagher's third straight. He hasn't won since June 1 against Colorado.
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| Jamie Walker, who has been on the disabled list since Monday, June 30, with inflammation in his left elbow, received a cortisone shot and is scheduled to begin throwing as soon as Thursday afternoon, this according to the team website.
"I feel like Superman right now," Walker said. "I'll know more when I start throwing."
Walker went on the disabled list after pitching with what he referred to as bone spurs in his elbow for about a month.
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Our View: The hope is that Walker will be able to return to the 25-man roster by Saturday, July 12, in Boston.
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| The Texas Rangers will skip Scott Feldman in the rotation and send Kevin Millwood to the mound on Sunday versus the Orioles, this according to MLB.com. |
Our View: Millwood, who last started on Tuesday, July 1, will be working on regular (4-days) rest.
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| Milton Bradley has missed 14 of the Rangers' first 85 games. But he still leads the league in on-base percentage and slugging percentage despite nagging injuries, this according to MLB.com. |
Our View: Bradley, apparently healthy again, hit a two-run home run on Wednesday night supporting his claims he feels as good as he has all year. The outfielder claims his ailments have been the result of his offseason knee surgery and the normal bumps and bruises that occur during a long MLB season.
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| Josh Hamilton, who has led the American League in runs batted in for nearly the entire firs half of the season, is expected to be a popular choice for the All Star Game Home Run Derby, this according to MLB.com. |
Our View: Hamilton isn't considered a raw power player, but neither was Bobby Abreu when he won the contest a few years back. As well as Hamilton is swinging the bat, one has to be concerned what the derby has done to other players who have made it to the finals of the event.
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| Tony Pena Jr., who hasn't played in nearly a week, started at shortstop in Baltimore on Thursday replacing Mike Aviles. |
Our View: Pena hasn't played in the teams' last six games. He lost his starting shortstop job to Aviles after hitting .154 in 169 at-bats in April and May.
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| Mike Aviles was out of the lineup for the first time in 24 games as Kansas City was playing the fourth and final game of a road series in Baltimore. Tony Pena started at shortstop. |
Our View: The ookie shortstop was hitless in his last two games and made some costly mistakes defensively on Tuesday night. Ultimately costing the team a win.
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| Joey Gathright, who suffered a left shoulder separation, didn't start in center field tonight against the Orioles.
Gathright suffered the injury when he attempted an over-the-fence catch during a 5-2 loss to Baltimore on Wednesday night.
David DeJesus was moved from left to center field. Jose Guillen went from designated hitter to left field and Billy Butler served as the teams designated hitter. |
Our View: The Royals television network reported that the Royals center fielder could have played, but manager Trey Hillman opted to give him the day off.
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| According to the Chicago Tribune the Cubs sent Eric Patterson to Triple-A Iowa on Thursday to make room for Reed Johnson. |
Our View: Reed Johnson is starting in left field and leading off for the Cubs tonight in the series finale against the Giants.
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| Billy Butler is serving as the Royals designated hitter in the final tilt of a four-game series in Baltimore. |
Our View: Butler, who was recently recalled from Omaha, is hitting fifth against Orioles' lefty Garrett Olson.
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| Nick Blackburn did something on Wednesday night that he wasn't able to do in his previous start, keep the ball in the park. The right-handed Twins starter pitches to contact. He allowed but three hits, walking one and striking out four in earning his seven win of the year. |
Our View: However, Blackburn still didn't induce enough ground balls to sustain productive starts. He allowed eight fly balls and forced the Tigers to the ground on another eight. Any improvement in his GB percentage will make Blackburn successful and attractive in most formats.
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| Joel Zumaya is progressing as he works his way back to being the dominant set-up man he had been, as he hit 99 miles-per-hour on the radar gun on Monday against Minnesota, according to the Associated Press. |
Our View: Zumaya has had control problems in his five games since coming back, walking five batters in 5.1 innings while striking out only three. If he can regain his 2006 form, he is an asset in fantasy leagues.
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| Ben Zobrist has been called up to the big leagues today from Triple-A Durham, according to the Tampa Tribune. |
Our View: Zobrist has hit well in his nine games with the Rays, but he is just 3-for-19 in his last five games since the last time he was sent down.
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| Reid Brignac has been recalled from Triple-A Durham to take the roster spot of Jason Bartlett, who was placed on the 15-day DL, according to the Tampa Tribune. |
Our View: Brignac was not tearing it up offensively in the minors, with just a .265 average and .312 on-base percentage. He has decent pop with the bat, as 32 of his 75 hits went for extra bases, but he does not have fantasy value right now.
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| Jason Bartlett has been placed on the disabled list with a right knee sprain, according to the Tampa Tribune. |
Our View: Bartlett is not hitting well enough to be on fantasy rosters, as he has no home runs on the year and his on-base percentage is now below .300
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| Coco Crisp has completed his suspension and returned to the Boston Red Sox lineup for tonight's game against the Yankees, according to the Boston Globe. Crisp will hit seventh and play center field. |
Our View: Crisp retains some value in fantasy play because he can steal a base, but his other numbers leave something to be desired, especially his .313 on-base percentage. He has only walked 12 times in 196 at-bats.
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| Bryan Bullington was designated for assignment by the Pirates, in order to clear room on their 40-man roster for Chris Duffy, according to TSN.com. |
Our View: The former first overall pick has not been very good this season, and he has a 5.29 ERA and 1.71 WHIP. The team has 10 days to decide what to do with him. He shouldn't be on fantasy rosters anywhere.
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| Ryan Sweeney is expecting to play tonight after battling a sore left ankle, according to OaklandAthletics.com. |
Our View: The 23-year-old Sweeney has played pretty well for Oakland, hitting .296 and stealing six bases despite the Athletics well-known disdain for the practice. He won't provide much power but is worth taking a peek at in AL-only leagues.
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| Francisco Rodriguez tied a record in getting save number 34 for the Angels last night. That tied John Smoltz for the most saves recorded before the All-Star break, according to AngelsBaseball.com. |
Our View: K-Rod has been a force in the bullpen, striking out 35 and recording a 1.15 WHIP this season to go with his saves. He has been one of the top closers in fantasy baseball, and should only get more save opportunities for the first-place Angels.
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| Adam Lind will stay the Blue Jays' regular left fielder, according to MLB.com. "He's pretty much going to be playing. I haven't really come out and said that to him, but I think I'm trying to show it to him," said Toronto manager Cito Gaston. |
Our View: The 24-year-old Lind has not had a great season, hitting just .217 with a .260 on-base percentage, but he does provide some power, with three home runs among his ten hits. Fantasy owners will probably want to stay away from him unless he can start to provide a little more at the plate.
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| The DNA of Roger Clemens will be found on syringes and other paraphernalia linked to steroid use, according to ESPN.com. The information comes from a brief filed in court by the lawyers for Clemens' former trainer, Brian McNamee. |
Our View: If you were hoping Clemens would come back in a bid to help your fantasy team, this information surely won't be of much help.
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| Kurt Suzuki finished the month of June with an impressive row of averages: .370/.432/.543. He is a regular at the top of the order for the Oakland A's. |
Our View: Suzuki is wothy of a look if you are in need of a catcher. We have our doubts that he can keep up his hot streak, but there were only a handful of catchers more productive than he was last month.
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| Adrian Beltre faces the Detroit Tigers and hurler Justin Verlander tonight. Beltre has picked his game up a bit as of late, but this is not a good match-up for him. In his career against Verlander, Beltre is 3-for-18, a .167 average, with five strikeouts. |
Our View: In his last six games, Beltre has gotten two or more hits in four of them. Still, with his poor track record against Verlander, it may be best to stick somebody else at the hot corner on your fantasy squad.
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| Carlos Guillen is likely salivating over his match-up against Seattle starter Carlos Silva tonight. Guillen demolishes Silva to the tune of a .531 average over 32 at-bats. Eight of Guillen's 17 hits off the righty are for extra bases, and he has only struck out one time against him. |
Our View: If you have Guillen out of your fantasy lineup, you couldn't ask for a better night to put him back in.
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| MLB.com reports that Freddy Garcia is expected to be 100 percent healthy in two weeks and will pitch a showcase session for interested teams, most likely between July 20-24. The Astros, Cardinals, Dodgers, Rays, Red Sox, Tigers, Twins and Yankees are among the teams that are expected to monitor Garcia's session. He would wait until signing with a team before deciding on a timetable for when he would make his first Major League appearance since June 8 of last year. |
Our View: Garcia was very ineffective in his 11 starts last season (1-5, 5.90 ERA), but did win a combined 31 games in the two seasons prior to that. Garcia won't make a fantasy impact until the stretch run, if he makes one at all.
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| Jason Varitek is slumping again. He is hitless in his last 17 at-bats and last night he went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts. According to the Boston Herald, he twice failed on hit-and-run attempts in the ninth inning, effectively snuffing out a potential game-tying rally.
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Our View: Varitek has three hits in his last 48 at-bats to go with 16 whiffs. His average is down to .216 and it may be time for the Sox to start looking for an alternative to their 36 year old catcher. Currently, he is irrelevant in most fantasy leagues.
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| Mike Timlin is due to come back off of the DL prior to Thursday's game, according to the Boston Herald. Chris Smith was optioned to the minors to create room on the roster. |
Our View: Timlin does not figure to offer much fantasy value at this point.
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| Shelley Duncan separated his shoulder on Wednesday, according to the New York Daily News. |
Our View: GM Brian Cashman says he has not ruled out the possibility that the injury could end Duncan's season.
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| Brett Gardner collected his first major league hit, RBI, walk and two runs for the Yankees on Wednesday night. |
Our View: Gardner also has two stolen bases. With Melky Cabrera slumping, Johnny Damon hurting, and Hideki Matsui on the DL, Gardner has some short term roto-value.
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| Hideki Matsui may be sidelined until after the All-Star break, according to the New York Daily News. |
Our View: It appears the Yanks will take their time with Matsui, but he should produce in the second half as they look to make a charge towards the playoffs.
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| A.J. Burnett is on the trade block, and the Blue Jays hope to get a shortstop in return for his services, according to the Toronto Sun. The Phillies, Brewers and Orioles recently had scouts watching him, says the paper. |
Our View: Burnett is one of the most frustrating players in all of fantasy baseball. He can dazzle at times, and in his last two starts, he has thrown a combined 15 innings allowing just eight hits and one earned run while striking out 18. However, in his previous two starts before that, he was hideous, giving up 12 hits and 10 earned runs in 10 innings combined. If you have Burnett on your fantasy squad, you just have to live with the ups and downs he will bring you.
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| Erik Bedard is being scouted by the Philadelphia Phillies as a potential trade acquisition in order to bolster their rotation, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. |
Our View: Bedard has been a bit of a disappointment in Seattle, with a 5-4 record and 3.79 ERA. It's difficult to say a change of scenery sill help him, because he is in his first season with the Mariners. Going to the National League could raise his fantasy value, although leaving spacious Safeco Field for the more intimate confines of Philly's Citizens Bank Park may offset that.
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| Ron Mahay is drawing interest from other teams as the trading deadline approaches, according to the Kansas City Star. The paper lists the Tigers, Yankees, Red Sox, Marlins and Rays as potential suitors. |
Our View: Mahay has been very good as a left-handed reliever, with a 2.13 ERA while allowing just two home runs in 42.1 innings of work. He doesn't possess great fantasy value, but he does have 12 holds for players using that statistic.
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| Felix Hernandez threw a side session yesterday, and Mariners manager Jim Riggleman would like to get him a start before the All-Star break, according to the Seattle Times. |
Our View: Hopefully Riggleman won't rush Hernandez back. The Mariners are out of the race, so pushing it does not seem wise. Hernandez has been great for fantasy owners this year, and they'd surely take one less start of Hernandez if it means he can come back and continue to throw like he has.
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| After a solid six inning start in which he allowed only two earned runs, Jarrod Washburn could be trade bait for teams in need of starting pitching depth, according to the Seattle Times. |
Our View: Washburn has lowered his ERA from 6.99 on May 21 to 5.08. He isn't a great option for fantasy teams at the moment, but getting traded to a team in the National League would increase his value.
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| Despite giving up seven earned runs in five innings of work, Sidney Ponson will make another start for the Yankees, according to the New York Post. "He's going to make another start," said Yankees manager Joe Girardi. |
Our View: Ponson pitched well for the Rangers before being released, but his start Wednesday was not a good sign. Nothing in his peripheral numbers point to his continued success, not with a WHIP of 1.62, or the fact that he strikes out just four batters per nine innings while walking three per nine.
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| Jorge Posada hasn't been successful in throwing out runners trying to steal, and the team has taken notice, according to New York Newsday. "We're staying with three catchers for a reason, because we're still evaluating how he's coming through this," Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said. |
Our View: The arm issue doesn't seem to be impeding Posada's offensive capabilities, which is the primary concern for fantasy owners. The longtime backstop is still hitting .293 and though he only has three home runs, is a viable fantasy option.
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| Joe Borowski's role as closer will be the subject of talks among Indians management on today's off day, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Manager Eric Wedge would not say if Masa Kobayashi will take over that role. "I'm not going to speculate on that. It takes us down a road that doesn't do anyone any good," he said. |
Our View: Borowski blew a save on July 1, upping his ERA to 7.56, and he hasn't pitched since. Kobayashi gave up the game winning home run last night in his second inning of work, but the fact he was going two innings of a tie game says a lot about the team's confidence in him.
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| Paul Konerko is getting closer to starting his rehab assignment at Triple-A after taking a second day of intense batting practice, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. "It's [close] to getting game-ready for Triple-A soon," he said. |
Our View: Konerko likely won't be back until after the All-Star break, and when he does come back, fantasy owners can only hope he improves on his horrid .215 batting average.
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| Kelvim Escobar is probably going to miss the rest of the year, according to the Los Angeles Times. "I woke up [Tuesday] and it was like, wow, it's painful," he told the paper. |
Our View: Escobar will likely get an MRI, and may need another surgery, which would keep him out of the game until the middle of next season. Any fantasy owners hopeful of picking him up for the second half will now have to eliminate him as an option for pitching help.
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| Alex Rodriguez has split from his wife of nearly six years, according to the New York Daily News. |
Our View: It will be interesting to see if this affects A-Rod in any way, although if last night's game was any indication, it won't. Rodriguez hit his 17th home run of the season against the Rangers.
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| Brandon Morrow earned his fifth save of the season in Seattle's 4-2 victory over Toronto on Wednesday night, lowering his ERA to 0.71. |
Our View: Morrow continues to close for Seattle while J.J. Putz is on the mend. If you are in need of saves and he is on the waiver wire, he should be picked up. There is no word on when Putz will be back for the Mariners.
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| Ichiro Suzuki went 3-for-3 on Wednesday raising his average over .300 for the first time since April 9. |
Our View: Don't expect his average to get much lower. Ichiro has been the league's most consistent hitter for multiple years and should continue to get his despite the struggles of his team.
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| While pitching for Triple-A Durham, Jeff Niemann struck out 12 batters in a complete game that saw him allow just one run on Wednesday. |
Our View: The Rays farm system is loaded with explosive arms like Niemann. He has averaged nearly a strike out per inning but has battled inconsistency throughout the year. Barring significant injuries to the rotation, don't expect to see Niemann join the major's best team any time soon.
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| Anthony Reyes allowed one run in 2.1 innings during his rehab start at Triple-A Memphis. Reyes is recovering from an elbow strain. |
Our View: Reyes will likely stay in Memphis barring another injury to the Cardinals rotation.
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| Adam Lind went 1-for-3 with a two-run homer, and was the Jays' lone source of scoring in Wednesday's 4-2 loss to the Mariners. |
Our View: Lind now has three homers and 10 RBI over 14 games played this season. Six of his RBI have come over his last three games.
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| Seattle LHP Jarrod Washburn picked up his fourth win of the season, helping his Mariners earned the hard-fought 4-2 win over Toronto. Washburn pitched six innings, allowing two runs (both earned) on seven hits with two walks and four strikeouts. |
Our View: Washburn now sits at 4-7 with an ERA of 5.08. This is his second decision in his last five starts, going 1-1 through June, though he now touts consecutive wins.
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| Dustin McGowan surrendered four earned runs on six hits over six innings in Wednesday's 4-2 loss to Seattle, with one walk and five strikeouts. |
Our View: McGowan falls to 6-7 with a 4.36 ERA. He is 1-3 over his last four starts, and has allowed four earned runs in three of the four over that span.
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| The Mariners needed every bit of offense they could find this evening to pull the 4-2 win over the Toronto Blue Jays, an effort led by infielder Miguel Cairo. Cairo went 2-for-4 with two doubles, posting three RBIs and one run scored along the way. |
Our View: Cairo only gets limited action and hasn't done too much with the at-bats he does receive, but tonight might earn him another look (though the veteran is going to find tough times if the Mariners start looking towards the youth of tomorrow).
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