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| Pedro Martinez looks to lead the Mets to their third straight victory for the first time in more than a month Monday when they close a four-game series with the Phillies.
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Our View: Martinez has a 3.27 ERA in 118.1 innings against the Phillies in his career. However, this season he has an 8.37 ERA on the road and the Phillies lineup is looking for revenge after a 12-inning loss on Sunday.
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| Franquelis Osoria will begin a rehab assignment today with Triple-A Indianapolis. |
Our View: Osoria has been on the disabled list since June 27 with bursitis in his right ankle.
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| Matt Capps flew to Florida on Sunday to start his rehab on his sore shoulder according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. |
Our View: Capps remains hopeful that he will pitch again this season but that won't happen before September.
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| Luis Mendoza hopes to fair better tomorrow than his last start when he gave up six runs, but only one of which was earned. He'll face the Los Angeles Angels and Ervin Santana at home. |
Our View: Mendoza has a 1.50 ERA in six innings at home this season.
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| Ricky Nolasco will get the start on Friday at pitcher friendly PetCo Field. He is 7-1 with a 3.10 ERA in his last nine outings, including 4-0 with a 1.96 ERA in his last five.
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Our View: Look for Nolasco to keep up his dominant stretch against a struggling Padres offense.
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| Ryan Ludwick hit his 17th home run of the season on Sunday against the Cubs. |
Our View: It was Ludwick's first home run since June 11th. During the drought, his average fell 30 points.
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| Bobby Jenks may be headed to the 15-day disabled list with a sore back. He threw long toss on Sunday but has yet to throw a side session since reporting the pain a week ago. |
Our View: The White Sox will be very careful with Jenks' return. Their bullpen is solid and they may try to play until the All-Star break without their closer.
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| Miguel Batista is expected to start in place of Erik Bedard on Wednesday. |
Our View: Bedard is day-to-day with a sore shoulder. Batista has started 14 games this season but has been mostly unsuccessful. He will be looking for redemption in this start that summons him from the bullpen.
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| Ryan Sweeney was held out of the lineup on Sunday with a swollen ankle. |
Our View: This is truly unfortunate timing for Sweeney. He had multi-hit games in four of his last five games. He is day-to-day.
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| Carlos Gonzalez missed his second straight game with a tight hamstring on Sunday. |
Our View: He is day-to-day at this point but we have seen a lot of players hit the disabled lists with strained hamstrings lately.
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| Jayson Werth played all three outfield positions on Sunday but his biggest contribution was a bottom of the ninth two-run home run off Mets closer Billy Wagner to send the game into extra innings. |
Our View: It was Werth's 12th home run of the year. He doesn't play every day but he contributes enough to warrant consideration. If a Philadelphia outfielder goes down, Werth's value increases considerably.
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| Mariano Rivera pitched two innings of one-hit ball to earn his third win of the season. He threw just 16 pitches, 13 for strikes, to get six Boston batters out. |
Our View: The Sandman still has it a night after nearly blowing a save against his rivals.
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| Chad Paronto had his contract purchased from Triple-A Round Rock and will likely pitch middle relief for the Astros. |
Our View: In 42.2 innings he has recorded 45 strikeouts and just nine walks.
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| The AP reports that top-prospect Matt LaPorta was sent to the Cleveland Indians, along with other prospects, for Cleveland ace, C.C. Sabathia. |
Our View: LaPorta was hitting .288 with 20 home runs and 66 RBI in 84 games at Double-A Huntsville.
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| Robinson Cano scored the game-winning run against the Red Sox on Sunday. He was 2-for-4 with a two run triple. |
Our View: Cano has raised his average 25 points since June 24th. He is 19-for-48 (.396) since that date. Expect a big second half from Cano. He hit .306 and .342 in the previous two seasons.
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| Manny Ramirez got scratched from the start on Sunday, but merely for rest purposes. He made a pinch-hit appearance in the ninth but looked at three Mariano Rivera strikes before returning to the dugout. |
Our View: Terry Francona was hoping the scratch would give Manny the time he needed to get his swing back. He has just one home run and five RBI since June 10 and he has not looked as aggressive in his at-bats over the past month.
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| Brett Gardner hit a 10th-inning RBI single off Jonathan Papelbon, to help the Yankees beat the Red Sox on Sunday. He finished the night 2-for-5 with a run, RBI, and stolen base. |
Our View: Gardner looks like he'll be an exceptional source of stolen bases but his batting average and on-base percentages are a concern at this point. He may be worth a flier if you got a roster spot to waste. In keeper leagues, he is far more valuable.
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| Joba Chamberlain allowed three runs in six innings against the Red Sox on Sunday against the Red Sox. He gave up four hits, walked four, hit a batter and struck out five. |
Our View: It wasn't his best start, but it is becoming more apparent that he can certainly handle his new role. It did take him 101 pitches to get 18 outs.
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| Reggie Abercrombie has been designated for assignment. |
Our View: There's a chance that Abercrombie could be pick up off waivers, but it does not seem likely. He was just 3-for-15 in 13 games with the Astros.
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| Mike Jacobs scored three times and recorded two RBI at Coors Field on Sunday. He was 2-for-4 on the day.
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Our View: Jacobs is 8-for-13 playing in Colorado this season.
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| Ryan Braun earned a starting spot on the All-Star team on Sunday. To celebrate, he hit a solo shot in the first inning. He finished the day 3-for-5 with a RBI and two runs scored. |
Our View: Just when it seems that he might be cooling off, Braun goes yard again. Congratulations on the nomination.
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| Adam LaRoche hit his ninth homer of the season on Sunday. He recorded two RBI and scored two runs. |
Our View: LaRoche is notorious for being a second half player. Expect this season to be no different.
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| Jeff Bennett, Omar Infante and Manny Acosta were all placed on the 15-day disabled list after Sunday's 17 inning game with the Mets. |
Our View: Bennett injured his shoulder on a throw to first. Afterwards he had it popped in and out of place.
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| Manny Acosta has been placed on the disabled list with a strained hamstring, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. |
Our View: Acosta had been one of few relievers pitching well for the Braves lately. Hopefully he can recover quickly.
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| Nate McLouth recorded three RBI on Sunday. He was 2-for-5 in the 11-6 loss to the Pirates. |
Our View: It was his first multi-RBI game since June 19. His batting average had dropped nearly 20 points in that stretch.
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| On Sunday, Jimmy Rollins stole his 35th straight base, going back to last August. He was 2-for-5 with a walk. |
Our View: Rollins is 21-for-21 this season and owners no doubt he will become even more aggressive on the base paths.
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| Tom Gordon was placed on the 15-day disabled list with right elbow inflammation. |
Our View: LHP R.J. Swindle was recalled from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to take his spot.
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| Brian Horwitz has been optioned to Triple-A Fresno. |
Our View: Horwitz was serviceable in his time with the Giants (8-for-36), but his only opportunity for everyday at-bats is in the minors.
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| Peter Gammons reports that the Red Sox have had discussions about bringing Barry Bonds to Boston. |
Our View: The Sox maintain that a workout would be unlikely. They are still uncertain of David Ortiz' wrist injury and would want another bat in case he cannot get back to 100% this season.
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| Kyle Kendrick allowed just one run through six innings against the Mets on Sunday. However, he did give up eight hits and walked three. |
Our View: Kendrick has given up just four runs over his last 20 innings of work. He has been inconsistent most of this season but has managed eight wins.
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| Joe Smith picked up his second win of the year on Sunday by throwing 2.1 innings starting in the 10th. He gave up just one hit. |
Our View: The Mets have been looking for consistent relif pitching all season and Joe Smith may get the nod more often after this pressure packed performance on the road against a division rival. His ERA is now 3.22.
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| Billy Wagner blew his sixth save of the season on Sunday. He gave up a two-run shot to Jayson Werth in the bottom of the ninth. The Mets won the game in the 12th. |
Our View: This was his first blown save since June 12. He gave up three hits and recorded one strikeout in the game.
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| Manny Acosta was effective from the 14th thru the 16th innings on Sunday. He allowed no runs, two hits and no walks. However, he left the game with a strained hamstring. |
Our View: A bad way to end a good night. No word on how long Acosta expects to be out.
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| Jose Reyes went 3-for-6 with a run and two stolen bases on Sunday. |
Our View: It was his first multi-steal game since June 8 and his fifth of the season. He had 13 such games last season. Let's hope he increases his stolen base frequency going forward.
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| Fernando Tatis wins another game for the Mets, this time with a two-run shot in the top of the 12th. |
Our View: Tatis entered the game as a pinch-hitter but didn't get a hit until his third at-bat. He does not figure to get enough at-bats to be a factor in fantasy leagues.
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| Charlie Morton made his fifth start of the season on Sunday and did not do well. He surrendered six runs in six innings on eight hits and two walks. Six Braves pitchers combined to shut out the Astros over the next 11 innings. |
Our View: Morton may be on thin ice. His ERA has ballooned to 6.84, mostly due to the 11 earned runs in his last eight innings.
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| Ty Wigginton hit a grand slam in the top of the third on Sunday. He finished the night 3-for-8. |
Our View: A good night for Wigginton but his at-bats come too sporadically to rely on him as an everyday contributor to your fantasy squad. Still, the Astros could try a lot of things throughout the remainder of the year, given their standing behind the Cubs, Cardinals and Brewers. One of those experiments might be a regular starting job for Ty. If that's the case, he has shown the ability to produce in the past.
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| Yunel Escobar went 4-for-9 in a 17 inning marathon against the Astros on Sunday. He added two RBI in the test of endurance. |
Our View: Prior to the game, Escobar's average was at its lowest point of the season. After Sunday, it is up to .294. Expect his number to climb above .300 and finish the season there.
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| Chipper Jones sharp batting eye was on display on Sunday. He walked four times and hit 3-for-5 over 17 innings. He did not strike out, scored three runs, and drove in three more, one on a first inning solo blast. |
Our View: Oh yeah, he also added his first triple of the season. This was Chipper's best game since his return from the disabled list. Let's hope he can maintain his grove and flirt with .400 for the remainder of the season.
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| Mark Teixeira drove in the game winning run in the top of the 17th off of Astros reliever Tim Byrdak. He was 3-for-7 on the night and collected three RBI to give him a total of 66 on the season. |
Our View: The Braves have struggled at the plate lately, but Teixeira has been pretty consistant. If the rest of the team can get healthy and hot, his value will increase. He remains a possible trade piece, due to his pending free agency.
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| Ryan Howard picked up four more whiffs on Sunday to bring his sickening total to 123 on the season. The Phillies lost 4-2 in 12 innings. |
Our View: It continues to be all or nothing with the former MVP who is on a record-setting pace for strikeouts. One would speculate that, barring injury, he will soon be the new strikeout king, almost destroying his fantasy value in leagues where strikeouts count against you.
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| Carlos Beltran went 3-for-6 with a home run and two RBI on Sunday. The center fielder added two stolen bases in the winning effort. |
Our View: Beltran was just two for his last 27. Fantasy owners beg for more performances like this in the second half.
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| Ryan Rowland-Smith allowed just one run in five innings of work against the Tigers on Sunday. He had runners on most of the night, though, giving up five hits and walking three. |
Our View: The five innings and 87 pitches thrown were both career highs. The Mariners want to turn him into a rotation guy but seem determined not to risk his arm deep into games.
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| Marcus Thames hit a game winning sacrafice fly in the 15th inning of Sunday's 2-1 victory. |
Our View: What should have been a memorable night for Thames was very forgettable. He went 0-for-6 with three whiffs.
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| Ivan Rodriguez continues to up his batting average. On Sunday, he went 4-for-7 bringing it to a season high .290. |
Our View: Pudge is hitting .304 at home and continues to hit his best the day after not starting. His three HRs, 28 RBI, and 28 runs are a bit disappointing, but he is still a decent fantasy commodity.
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| Nate Robertson threw nine innings but did not figure in the decision against the Seattle Mariners on Sunday. He allowed just one run while scattering four hits and walking two batters. |
Our View: This was good news for Robertson who had given up a total of 22 hits in his previous two appearances. Assuming the Tigers' bats heat up in the second half, this performance shows that Robertson could be a quality source of wins.
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| Carl Crawford went 2-for-3 on Sunday against the Royals and is now hitting 10-for-17 in July. He added an RBI and scored two runs, giving him 61 on the year. |
Our View: Crawford is heating up and may have a big second half ahead. If you don't already have him, you still may be able to snag him for below value.
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| Oliver Perez threw seven shut-out innings against the Phillies on Sunday. He struck out six and allowed just six hits against the opposition's vaunted lineup. He did not figure in the decision. |
Our View: It appears Perez's new motion is doing wonders for him. In his last two appearances, against the Yankees and the Phillies, he has given just one run, seven hits, two walks and 14 strikeouts in 13 innings.
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| The Miami Herald reports that Alex Rodriguez's wife, Cynthia, will file for divorce on Monday. |
Our View: This almost certainly has to do with his recent linking to Madonna. It will be interesting to see if the off-the-field drama will affect his numbers in the second half. His immediate response was taking Tim Wakefield deep in the second inning for his 18th home run and 50th RBI of the season.
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| Rich Aurilia collected the 1,500th hit of his career on Sunday. It came on his eighth home run of the season. He was 2-for-4 in the game. |
Our View: Congrats to Rich. He still holds some fantasy value because he is eligible at nearly every infield position. He hit .359 in June.
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| Adam Jones went 3-for-5 with an RBI on Sunday. |
Our View: He is hitting .450 in his last 10 games. He is getting more comfortable at the plate and could be valuable in the second half, especially if he can increase his stolen base production which stands at seven.
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| Kevin Millar went 4-for-4, including a solo home run, in Sunday's 11-10 loss to the Rangers. |
Our View: The home run was his 12th this season. Millar can be very streaky and this could be the start of something larger.
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| Ian Kinsler got three singles to extend his hitting streak to 18 games. He also picked up a walk and scored two runs. |
Our View: Kinsler has certainly earned his All-Star nomination with averages of .332/.391/.545.
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| Scott Hairston hit a lead off home run in the first off of Randy Johnson on Sunday. It was his third home run in two games. |
Our View: Hairston is making his case to become a regular in San Diego's outfield, but at this point there is little reason to add him to your roster.
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| Brandon Lyon gave up two hits and one run while earning his 18th save of the season. |
Our View: Lyon had picked up two losses in his previous three appearances. For the Diamondbacks to win the division, they will need more consistency from Lyon.
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| MLB.com reports that the Angels expect to place Mike Napoli on the 15-day disabled list after an MRI on Monday. |
Our View: Napoli reports that "something doesn't feel right". Catcher Ryan Bubddle will be called up Triple-A but Jeff Mathis figures to pick up the bulk of the available starts.
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| Randy Johnson earned the win on Sunday after striking out 10 Padres in 6.1 innings. |
Our View: The Big Unit had lost his previous six starts but rebounded in a big way against San Diego. He is 4-7 with a 5.18 ERA. Fantasy owners may be more concerned with his 92 Ks in 92 innings this season.
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| James Loney went 2-for-4 with three RBI on Sunday. |
Our View: Loney has remained a consistent force in fantasy and should continue throughout the second half. His seven home runs are disappointing, but his .302 average and 47 RBI provide plenty of value.
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| The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports that the Indians and Milwaukee have agreed on a deal involving C.C. Sabathia |
Our View: Brewers top prospect Matt LaPorta is reported to be on his way to Cleveland. Sabathia could make his Brew Crew debut Tuesday night at home against Colorado. Sabathia's fantasy value will increase thanks to his new offense and NL opponents.
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| Justin Upton hit a 484-foot solo shot off of Josh Banks on Sunday. He was 2-for-3 on the day. |
Our View: This might explain the 93 strikeouts and the .242 averae. Upton has a somewhat wiry frame and plus speed, but insists on hitting the long ball. However, it was just his 11th of the season.
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| After going 0-for-9 in his return from the DL, Andruw Jones finally got a hit on Sunday. |
Our View: He got a single in the eigth and even managed to get to second on a wild pitch. Jones continues to disappoint and you should not expect a turnaround any time soon.
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| Andre Ethier's three-game home run streak came to an end, but he managed to hit 3-for-four with an RBI and two runs scored. |
Our View: Ethier raised his average to .444 in July. He has three home runs, eight RBI, and nine runs in that stretch. The young outfielder had a terrible June, but seems on the verge of turning it around.
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| Cody Ross has an incredible four straight 3-for-5 games. On Sunday against the Colorado Rockies, he collected five RBI and his 15th home run of the season. |
Our View: Unbelievable. Ross has 15 RBI in his last four games. He has raised his average from .232 to .266 in a matter of days. It's hard to believe he can keep this up. If you started him over this stretch, you, my friend, deserve a solid gold trophy.
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| Justin Christian was called back up from Triple-A in wake of Johnny Damon landing on the DL with a bum shoulder. |
Our View: Christian played six days with the Yanks last week and hit just 3-for-15. He probably will provide little more than depth during his second stint in the pros.
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| Sunday saw Brad Hawpe hit his tenth home run since coming off of the DL a month ago. The shot came off Marlins' starter Mark Hendrickson. |
Our View: He was 2-for-4 with both hits coming off lefties. Hawpe was hitting .212 off south paws coming into the game.
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| In his major league debut, Chris Volstad picked up the win by throwing two scoreless innings at Coors Field on Sunday. |
Our View: Volstad walked two and gave up two hits. The Marlins have ran an extraordinary amount of relievers back-and-forth from the minors this season and one has to wonder how long Volstad will stick around.
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| Aaron Cook was roughed up the same day he was announced as an NL All-Star. In 7.1 innings against the Marlins he gave up seven earned runs, 11 hits and two walks. |
Our View: Cook was certianly not an All-Star on Sunday. He had been 6-0 in day games up to this point. No one expected this type of season from Cook and its not out of the question to doubt his second half success.
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| Carlos Pena stayed hot by going 3-for-5 on Sunday against the Royals. He picked up two runs and two RBI in the process. |
Our View: Pena has 10 RBI in the nine games since his return from the DL. Pena had gotten off to a relatively disappoing start but seems to be picking it up. If he continues to make contact, he will pile up RBI in the middle of Tampa Bay's speedy lineup.
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| Brett Gardner, hitting just 1-for-16 since his call-up last week, figures to start over the next two weeks after Johnny Damon was placed on the DL Sunday. |
Our View: Gardner has not hit well thus far, but if he can get on base, he offers value to fantasy teams. Despite just one hit, he has scored three times, stole two bases and managed a pait of RBI.
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| Johnny Damon could not avoid the 15-day DL after injuring his left shoulder in a collision with the wall. It is his first trip to the DL of his entire career. |
Our View: Damon had been enjoying an incredible season and hopefully he will return after 15 days. GM Brian Cashman gave that a 50-50 chance. Recent call-up Brett Gardner will start in his place.
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| Cliff Lee picked up his first loss since May 18 when he swuared off against the red-hot Twins on Sunday. He lasted seven innings and struck out six while giving up four earned runs on six hits and a pair of walks. |
Our View: This is a bump in the road for Lee, who only gave up seven earned runs in his previous 30 innings. It will be interesting to see if he can possibly keep the momentum from a dominant first half after the All-Star break.
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| Reed Johnson had his best game since returning from the DL last Friday. He started in center field and went 2-for-4 with two runs scored. |
Our View: Johnson has started three of the four games in the outfield since his return. Still he will likely come off the bench once Alfonso Soriano returns from a broken hand.
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| Jeff Mathis went 2-for-4 with three RBI in Sunday's victory over the Blue Jays. |
Our View: Mathis entered the game in a 1-for-20 slump. With Mike Napoli lurking on the roster, he does not figure to be a relevant contributor in fantasy. If one of the two were to go down, the healthy catcher may be worth considering.
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| Jon Garland threw a complete game against the Blue Jays on Sunday. He gave up just one run, a solo shot by Rod Barajas, and six hits on the day. |
Our View: This was one of few quality starts for Garland at home where he had a 4.70 ERA prior to Sunday's start. He is 5-1 with a 3.06 ERA on the road. Over his last four appearances, he has a 2.57 ERA.
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| Sean Marshall turned in an impressive six innings of work at Busch Stadium on Sunday. He gave up just one run on six hits, one walk and also recrded four strikeouts on the day. |
Our View: This was a good bounce back game for Marshall who had lost his only other two starts this season. The Cubs will need similar performances in the second half to hold off the red-hot Brewers and Cardinals in the Central.
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