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| Alex Rios went 2-for-4 with an RBI in Friday's 8-2 loss to the Angels. Both hits were singles. He also racked up a pair of stolen bases. |
Our View: Rios had nine multi-hit games in June, and is off to a good start in July.
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| Garret Anderson went 3-for-4 with a two-run homer in Friday's 8-2 win over the Jays. His other two hits went for singles. |
Our View: Anderson has racked up eight homers and 39 RBI over 77 games, and raised his average a few more points to .265.
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| A.J. Burnett was rocked for eight runs (six earned) on 12 hits over seven innings in Friday's 8-2 loss to the Angels, with no walks and three strikeouts. |
Our View: Burnett can only be solid for so long, and tonight's punishing loss snapped a two-game winning streak. He has given up six or more earned runs in three of his last seven starts.
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| Jered Weaver was strong in Friday's 8-2 win over Toronto, as he only gave up two earned runs on six hits over 7.1 innings, with one walk and six strikeouts. |
Our View: He evened his record to 8-8, and lowered his ERA to 4.17. He has allowed two or less earned runs in three-straight starts, with 18 strikeouts over the span. He should remain active in your roto-rotation.
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| Kelly Shoppach went 3-for-3 with two RBI in Friday's 12-3 loss to Minnesota. He hit two singles and a two-run homer. |
Our View: That was his second homer over his last three games. He also has registered multiple hits in two of his three outings in July. He is worth starting in AL-only leagues while he is hot.
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| Delmon Young went 3-for-5 with four RBI in Friday's 12-3 bashing of the Indians. Most of his damage came on a three-run homer, his third of the season. |
Our View: Young is hot as he has recorded three hits in back-to-back games, and has homered in two of his last five outings. He raised his average a few more points to .289.
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| Paul Byrd was rocked for six earned runs on eight hits over 5.1 innings in Friday's disheartening 12-3 loss to the Twins in Minnesota, with three walks and four strikeouts. He gave up two homers, one to Nick Punto and the other to Delmon Young. |
Our View: Byrd drops to 3-10, and has lost five-straight decisions. He has also given up 23 homers over 17 starts.
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| Jim Thome went 2-for-4 and notched Chicago's lone RBI in Friday's tough 7-1 loss to Oakland at US Cellular Field. His hit went for a double, which was also the club's only extra base hit of the game. |
Our View: That was his 44th RBI of the season, with six coming over his last six games.
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| Jack Cust led the Athletics in Friday's 7-1 win over the White Sox, as he went 2-for-5 with a two-run homer. |
Our View: He is only hitting .236 but has 15 homers and 43 RBI. He has homered in back-to-back games against Chicago, and it was his third over his last six outings.
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| Mark Buehrle surrendered four earned runs on 10 hits over 5.2 innings in Friday's disappointing 7-1 loss to the Athletics at home, with three walks and five strikeouts. Half of the damage came on a two-run homer by Jack Cust. |
Our View: Buehrle falls to 6-7, with a 3.91 ERA. Tonight's loss snaps a three-game winning streak, in which he only allowed a total of three earned runs.
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| Alexi Casilla was scratched from Friday's lineup due to soreness in his left middle finger, according to the Star Tribune. |
Our View: Casilla iced the ailing finger five or six times on Thursday's off day. But he woke up Friday to more swelling and had trouble getting the finger loose prior to the game. Nick Punto covered second base tonight, and Brendan Harris roamed shortstop.
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| Chris Bootcheck has been activated from the 15-day DL, and optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake, according to the Sports Network. He been on the shelf since June 9 due to a strained right forearm. |
Our View: Bootcheck is not worth waiting for as a fantasy reliever, ad he surrendered 18 earned runs, 30 hits, and 12 walks over 16 innings this season.
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| Carlos Gonzalez left tonight's game against the White Sox, apparently due to tightness in his right hamstring, according to the AP. |
Our View: We will keep you posted when more is known regarding the injury. He was replaced in center field by Rajai Davis.
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| Mark Grudzielanek went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Friday's 11-2 loss to the Rays. The Royals only mustered four hits in the game. |
Our View: Grudzielanek extended his hitting streak to six games, and is hitting .461 (12-for-26) over the span.
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| Carlos Pena carried the Rays in Friday's 11-2 win over the Royals at Tropicana Field, as he went 2-for-5 with five RBI. He hit a single and a three-run homer, his 12th of the season. |
Our View: He reached his highest RBI total since April 11, when he recorded six against the Orioles. He also hit his first homer since June 3.
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| Brian Bannister was rocked for seven runs (six earned) on eight hits over five innings in Friday's 11-2 loss to the upstart Rays at Tropicana Field, with one walk and six strikeouts. |
Our View: Bannister slips to 7-8, with a 5.15 ERA. He is 2-2 over his last four starts, and has given up 13 earned runs over his last two.
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| Edwin Jackson was in top form on the mound in Friday's 11-2 win over the Royals at home, as he only allowed one earned run on four hits over eight innings, with one walk and two strikeouts. |
Our View: Jackson improves to 5-6, and trimmed his ERA to 4.08. This was his first win since June 9.
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| An MRI revealed that Johnny Damon suffered a contusion and sprain of his left shoulder during Friday's battle against the Red Sox, according to the AP. Manager Joe Girardi said, "I think the big thing is tomorrow to see how sore he is, to see what type of range of motion he has." |
Our View: He is considered day-to-day and will be re-evaluated on Saturday.
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| Ian Kinsler went 2-for-4 with an RBI in Friday's 10-4 loss to the Orioles in Baltimore. |
Our View: Kinsler extended his hitting streak to 16 games, with eight multi-hit efforts over the span.
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| Adam Jones helped lead the Orioles to a 10-4 win over the Rangers on Friday, as he went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI. Both of his hits went for singles. |
Our View: He extended his hitting streak to eight games, and recorded two RBI in three of his last four outings. He is worth targeting if still available on the waiver wire.
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| Milton Bradley went 2-for-4 with three RBI in Friday's 10-4 loss to the Orioles at Camden Yards. He hit a single and a double. |
Our View: He raised his average to .323 and has 54 RBI, with five coming over his last two games.
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| Jeremy Guthrie allowed four earned runs on eight hits over 6.1 innings in Friday's 10-4 win over Texas at Camden Yards, with two walks and six strikeouts. |
Our View: Guthrie improves to 5-7, and is 2-0 over his last four starts.
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| Miguel Cabrera went 2-for-4 with a solo home run, and accounted for the Tigers' lone RBI in Friday's 4-1 loss to the Mariners. |
Our View: That was his 12th homer of the season, and his first since June 24.
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| Raul Ibanez went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Friday's 4-1 victory over the Tigers at home. |
Our View: That was his 10th homer of the season, and his second against the Tigers.
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| Kenny Rogers allowed four earned runs on six hits over 7.2 innings in Friday's 4-1 loss to the Mariners in Seattle, with two walks and three strikeouts. |
Our View: Rogers drops to 6-6, and his ERA climbs to 4.60. He is 2-2 over his last four starts.
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| Erik Bedard was in solid form in Friday's 4-1 win over the Tigers at home, as he only surrendered one earned run on five hits over five innings, with three walks and six strikeouts. The only run came on a Miguel Cabrera home run. |
Our View: Bedard has pitched well when healthy this season, and he now has a two-game winning streak, and has only allowed one run in both outings. He is 6-4 and trimmed his ERA to 3.67. Keep him active in your lineups.
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| Brandon Inge hit a round of soft-toss, did some jogging, and fielded ground balls on Friday, according to MLB.com.
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Our View: He is making favorable progress in his recovery from a pulled left oblique, but skipper Jim Leyland does not expect him back before the All-Star break, and he will not be rushed back into action.
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| Vicente Padilla has sustained a bruised right thumb, which forced him to leave Friday's game against the Orioles in the third inning, according to the AP. He was struck in the hand by a hard single from Freddie Bynum. |
Our View: His X-rays came back negative, but his status for his next start on Wedneday is to be determined.
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| Alex Rodriguez went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI in Friday's tough 6-4 loss to the Red Sox at home. He hit a single and a double, his 18th of the season. |
Our View: A-Rod raised his average to .319 over 67 games, with 49 RBI.
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| Mike Lowell helped lead the Red Sox to a 6-4 win on Friday against the rival Yankees in the Bronx, as he went 2-for-4 with four RBI. He hit a double and a three-run homer. |
Our View: He has 53 RBI for the season, with six coming over his last two battles against New York.
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| Vicente Padilla was forced out of action tonight due to an apparent leg injury, after allowing eight earned runs over 2.2 innings against the Orioles. |
Our View: We will keep you posted when more details regarding his injury are revealed.
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| Darrell Rasner was lit up for six earned runs on 10 hits over five innings in Friday's 6-4 loss to the rival Red Sox, with three walks and two strikeouts. Mike Lowell took him deep for a three-run homer. |
Our View: Rasner is 4-7, and has lost three-straight decisions. He is best left on your bench.
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| Josh Beckett was in control on the mound in Friday's 6-4 win over the Yankees in the Bronx, as he allowed three earned runs on four hits over six innings, with two walks and four strikeouts. |
Our View: Beckett improves to 8-5, with a 3.70 ERA. That was his second win at hostile Yankee Stadium this season.
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| Esteban Loaiza has been recalled from his rehab assignment at Triple-A Charlotte, according to the AP. The 36-year-old vet landed on the DL on June 13 due to right shoulder inflammation.
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Our View: Loaiza isn't worth adding to your roster, as he will fight for innings as a middle-reliever, and allowed 16 earned runs over 27 innings of action this season.
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| Paul Konerko has been sent to Triple-A Charlotte to begin his rehab assignment, according to the AP. He is recovering from a left oblique strain. Konerko said, "It’s good we’re winning. My focus is solely on this team getting to the playoffs. I have no other motives, nothing else. It’s about this team getting to the playoffs." The team also recalled veteran hurler Esteban Loaiza from his injury rehab assignment at Charlotte.
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Our View: Konerko isn't expected back until after the All-Star break. Hopefully he will have a stronger second half of the season, as he currently holds a .215 batting average.
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| Ken Griffey Jr. carried the Reds in Friday's 3-0 victory over the Nationals at the Great American Ballpark, as he went 1-for-2 with a two-run homer. |
Our View: That was his 11th homer of the season, and the 604th of his career.
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| Xavier Nady went 2-for-4 and registered the Pirates' lone RBI in Friday's 9-1 loss to the Brewers. His hit went for a double, his 23rd of the season. |
Our View: Nady extended his hitting streak to six games, with 10 hits over the span.
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| Mark Ellis does not have a good matchup tonight when the A's face off against the Chicago White Sox and Mark Buehrle. He hits .176 off him, with just six hits in 34 at-bats against the Chicago lefty. |
Our View: Ellis is 6-for-17 in his last four games, but has a terrible time against Buehrle. If you normally deploy him on your fantasy team, look for other options.
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| Jerry Blevins has been recalled from Triple-A in order to take the roster space which opened when Keith Foulke went on the disabled list, according to The Sports Network. |
Our View: Blevins did not have great numbers last season, but he has been very good in the minors this year, with a 2.78 ERA and 10 saves for the Triple-A Sacramento. He may hold value in fantasy leagues that utilize holds.
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| Keith Foulke has been placed on the disabled list with right shoulder inflammation, according to The Sports Network. |
Our View: Foulke had decent numbers, but little impact in fantasy leagues.
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| Richie Sexson has a good matchup tonight against Kenny Rogers. For his career, Sexson has punished Rogers for a .435 batting average and OPS of 1.349. |
Our View: Amazingly, Sexson has hit .348 in his last seven games, while scoring five runs. If you have Sexson stashed on your bench in a deep AL-only league, give him a shot at first base tonight.
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| Johnny Damon has left today's Red Sox - Yankees contest after slamming into a fence attempting to make a catch, according to the Hartford Courant. |
Our View: The extent of Damon's injuries are not known at this time. We will keep you updated.
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| Reid Brignac will be in the Rays lineup hitting ninth, according to the Tampa Tribune. |
Our View: He did not have wonderful offensive numbers in Triple-A, so it would be wise to hold off on putting him in any fantasy lineup.
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| Brian Bruney went two innings, giving up two hits and one run in a rehab appearance, according to the Associated Press. "My arm felt great, so I'm excited," he said. |
Our View: Bruney was good in relief this year, and though he doesn't hold much value in traditional fantasy formats, he may accumulate some holds when he comes back.
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| Masa Kobayashi may get the first opportunity to earn some saves, but the Indians will likely use a closer-by-committee, according to Indians.com. |
Our View: Kobayashi has been relatively good, at least compared to Joe Borowski, so if you are in need of saves, pick him up, but be warned: the situation could change at any minute.
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| Yankees starter Phil Hughes threw 90 feet from flat ground today, according to the Associated Press. He will attempt to throw off a mound in the coming weeks. |
Our View: Hughes has tantalized fantasy owners with his talent but has yet to really put it all together. He needs to stay healthy and put a few quality starts together in order to prove he is worthy of a spot on fantasy teams.
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| Billy Traber has been recalled by the Yankees from Triple-A, according to the Associated Press. "We felt we just needed another arm," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. |
Our View: Traber has not been good for the Yankees in his limited work this year. Do not consider him an option in fantasy leagues.
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| Jonathan Papelbon has not stepped on the mound in exactly one week, according to RedSox.com. "It's good, because you know there will be that period where I throw a bunch of days in a row," said Papelbon. |
Our View: Fantasy players with Papelbon on their squad would sure like to see the streak end at some point, but it should be nothing to worry about. These things happen with closers from time to time.
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| Brian Slocum has been recalled from Triple-A, according to The Sports Network. Like Jensen Lewis, he is taking over one of the roster spots vacated when Joe Borowski and Rick Bauer were designated for assignment. |
Our View: Slocum was with the Indians in 2006, but was not very good and holds no value in fantasy baseball.
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| Jensen Lewis has been recalled from Triple-A Buffalo to the big leagues, according to The Sports Network. He is taking over one of the roster spots vacated when Joe Borowski and Rick Bauer were designated for assignment. |
Our View: Lewis has been okay in Buffalo, but he does not retain any fantasy value.
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| Nelson Cruz was named a Pacific Coast League All-Star for the Triple-A All-Star Game on July 16 in Louisville, this according to the Dallas News. |
Our View: Cruz, who opened the season with the Rangers in 2007, is starting to lose his prospect status. The outfielder is hitting .348 with 25 home runs and 70 RBI for Texas' top affiliate.
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| Josh Rupe has developed into the primary long reliever in the Texas bullpen, this according to the Star Telegram. Kaz Fukumori, Kameron Loe, Wes Littleton and Robinson Tejeda have all failed where Rupe has succeeded. The right-hander sports a 3.47 ERA while the bullpen as a whole is at the bottom of the league with a 5.06 ERA. |
Our View: Rupe has no traditional fantasy value. In truth, his 4.44 K rate is sub par and his 3.28 BB rate is far too high. So if Rupe is the best the Rangers bullpen has to offer, the Texas starters have little hope for "wins" unless they can pitch deep into games with a substantial lead.
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| According to the St Paul Pioneer Press, Michael Cuddyers hand injury is a sprained knuckle, and the Twins outfielder expects to return from the disabled list when he is eligible (July 12). That's two days before the Twins' four-day all-star break. |
Our View: Don't expect Cuddyer to return until after the All Star break.
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| Red Sox manager Terry Francona says that Jon Lester is a pitcher who can throw a lot of innings, according to the Boston Globe. |
Our View: Lester has already thrown 117.2 innings this season, but they have been great. Fantasy owners aren't complaining, not with his 7-3 record and 3.21 ERA. Red Sox fans may not be in love with the idea of him going so many innings, however.
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| Ichiro Suzuki set a career record on Thursday, going 80 consecutive plate appearances without getting an extra-base hit, and hitting his 24th consecutive single, according to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. |
Our View: Suzuki's slugging percentage is a poor .379, but one advantage for fantasy players is that all those singles mean more stolen base attempts. He has 33 stolen bases on the year and has been caught only twice.
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| Edgar Renteria will return to the Tigers lineup today against the Seattle Mariners after getting the day off yesterday, according to the Detroit Free Press. |
Our View: Renteria will be back at shortstop today to face Erik Bedard. Renteria is 2-for-4 for his career off the left-hander.
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| Joel Zumaya may become a starter at some point in the future, according to the Detroit Free Press. "I've been thinking about that, to be honest with you, but it's not something that I'd do right now," said Tigers manager Jim Leyland. |
Our View: Putting Zumaya in a starting role could be very interesting. It would clearly increase his value in fantasy baseball, although for the time being he should probably just be concerned with getting healthy.
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| The MRI on Eric Chavez's right shoulder showed nothing more than inflammation, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. He will rehab the shoulder for two weeks before the team decides what to do. |
Our View: It's been a long while since Chavez was a fantasy force, and this continued shoulder aggravation will do nothing to change that.
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| Rick Bauer will be designated for assignment today, according to the Cleveland Plain-Dealer. |
Our View: Bauer only appeared in four games, throwing six innings. He had a 13.50 ERA and is of no consequence to fantasy owners.
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| Joe Borowski has been designated for assignment, according to Scout.com. |
Our View: Borowski has been terrible as a closer and the Tribe simply could not afford to keep him. Fantasy players shouldn't keep him around either, as his days as a closer for any team are over.
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| The Florida Marlins are looking into acquiring David Ross from the Cincinnati Reds in a trade, according to the Miami Herald. |
Our View: Ross is of no use to fantasy players, but he would provide the Marlins depth behind the plate.
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| Bobby Abreu is in the Yankees lineup hitting third against Josh Beckett, according to the Boston Globe. However, Abreu is hitting just .193 against Beckett, and has struck out 20 times in 57 at-bats against the big right-hander. |
Our View: If you have another option on your fantasy team's bench, today might be a good day to utilize him in place of Abreu. Striking out 35% of the time against a pitcher is not a good thing.
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| Nick Swisher will move from first base to center field when Paul Konerko comes back from the disabled list, according to the Chicago Tribune. "But what decision we're going to make, my center fielder obviously has to be Swisher," manager Ozzie Guillen said. |
Our View: For what it's worth, Swisher's numbers have been better while playing center field. In 143 at-bats as a center fielder, he has hit .259 with 7 home runs and 17 RBI. In 91 at-bats as a first baseman, he has hit .242 with 3 home runs and 16 RBI.
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