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| Chris Davis hit his fourth home run of the season off Angels starter Ervin Santana in Texas' five-run fifth inning. |
Our View: Davis continues to make a case to remain with the team for the remainder of the season. The rookie is scuffling with his average (.206) but his four home runs, nine RBI and six runs scored in 11 games makes him a valuable fantasy option in all formats.
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| Ervin Santana allowed six runs on 10 hits, walked two and struck out six, and the Angels scored a 9-6 victory over the Texas Rangers on Monday night. |
Our View: Santana wasn't at his best for the second straight outing and concerns remain that his split nail is affecting his command. He was, however, good enough to earn his 10th win of the season against three losses.
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| David Murphy hit his 12th home run of the season in Texas' five-run fifth inning, but it wasn't enough as the Rangers fell 9-6 to the LA Angels on Monday night. |
Our View: Murphy continues to be a solid supporting cast member for the highest scoring team in the majors. His .269 average, impressive 58 RBI and 47 runs scored in 85 games makes him arguably the biggest surprise in the first half of the season.
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| Ian Kinsler went 4-for-5 to extend his hitting streak to a career-high 19 games, but the Rangers fell to the LA Angels 9-6 on Monday night. |
Our View: Kinsler leads the majors with 125 hits in 87 games.
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| Torii Hunter homered twice, and the Los Angeles Angels scored a 9-6 victory over the Texas Rangers on Monday night. |
Our View: Hunter hit is 11th and 12th home runs of the season and raised his RBI total to 41 on the season.
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| Matt Holliday hit his 14th home run - and fourth in as many games - and Colorado scored a 4-3 victory over Milwaukee on Monday night. |
Our View: Holliday hasn't hit for as much power this year, as he did last season, but his batting average (.345) and stolen bases (11) still make him a top-tiered fantasy option in all formats.
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| Xavier Nady went 2-for-5 with two RBI and the Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the Houston Astros 10-7 on Monday night. |
Our View: Nady is hitting .323 and has 55 RBI and 43 runs scored in 76 games.
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| Damaso Marte recorded three outs in the ninth inning, allowing one walk, and earned his second save in a 10-7 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday night. |
Our View: Marte will receive the majority of the ninth inning work while Matt Capps is out the next 4-6 weeks.
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| Jonathan Papelbon recorded the final three outs in Monday's 1-0 win over Minnesota for his 26th save of the season. |
Our View: Papelbon pitched a perfect ninth striking out one. Paps has a 2.33 ERA and a 0.92 WHIP just past the midway point of the season.
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| Alexi Casilla extended his hitting streak to a career-best 14 games with an eighth-inning bunt single. |
Our View: Casilla's .320 batting average dropped a couple points (.318) in his one-hit effort of a one-run loss to the Red Sox on Monday night.
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| Daisuke Matsuzaka pitched 7.1 shutout innings, allowing six hits, walking three and striking out five and the Red Sox defeated the Minnesota Twins 1-0 on Monday night. Hideki Okajima escaped a bases-loaded jam in the eighth to receive his second win of the season. |
Our View: Dice-K has now strung two strong performances together in his third start since returning from the disabled list.
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| Dustin Pedroia extended his hitting streak to 15 games with a double in the eighth inning of Monday's 1-0 win over the Minnesota Twins. |
Our View: Pedroia is second in the American League in hits to Ian Kinsler. The second baseman has 116 hits in 90 games after Monday's double.
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| Jhonny Peralta is never going to win the Silver Bat, but his home run on Sunday gave him two last week and 13 on the season. |
Our View: Peralta is hitting .250 on the season, an average that will likely stay steady for most of the second half.
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| Luis Mendoza exited Monday night's game against the Angels after allowing eight runs on nine hits, walking two and striking out none over 1.1 innings of work. |
Our View: Call this Mendoza's last start. Even with all of the injuries the Rangers rotation is currently suffering from the team cannot let the right-hander take the mound after his last two performances.
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| Joe Saunders could miss his Tuesday start against the Rangers due to the upcoming birth of he and his wife Shanel's first child, this according to MLB.com. |
Our View: It's obvious by the report that Saunders is distracted by the pregnancy. The lefty is anticipating boarding a plane back to Orange County at any time. The baby was due today [Monday].
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| The Star Telegram reports that Matt Harrison, one of the players that came to Texas in the Mark Teixeira trade, will make his major-league debut against the Angels in place of the injured Eric Hurley on Tuesday.
Hurley is suffering from a hamstring injury. |
Our View: The Rangers still have to make a roster move before Tuesday's game to clear a spot for Harrison, and that move could be the placement of Hurley on the disabled list.
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| John Danks threw his fifth consecutive quality start on Sunday against Rich Harden and the A's. In 15 of Danks's 18 starts this year the left-hander has given up two earned runs or less. |
Our View: He improved to 6-4 with his win over Oakland and at the midway point in the season Danks has a 2.52 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, he's struck out 86 in 1007 innings and walked 31.
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| Robinson Cano is warming with the weather. Since June 22, Cano has raised his average from .227 to .252. The Yankees second baseman has back-to-back .300 seasons so there is little reason to believe that Cano won't continue to progress during the second half. |
Our View: Cano remains a buy low candidate.
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| The Baltimore Sun suggests that Adam Loewen is a "slam dunk" to go on the disabled list. The left-hander underwent a CT scan on Monday but no information is yet available.
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Our View: Roch Kubatko reports he believes that left-hander Alberto Castillo, signed as a free agent in February, will replace Loewen on the active roster. Kubatko is 3-1 with a 2.05 ERA and 0.84 WHIP in 19 games, with 16 hits allowed, six walks and 26 strikeouts in 26 1/3 innings.
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| AL-only owners might want to take a flier on Angels catcher Jeff Mathis. With Mike Napoli heading to the disabled list Mathis figures to see the majority of the work behind the plate. |
Our View: Mathis recorded three RBI on Sunday against the Blue Jays and only has to compete with recently promoted Ryan Budde for at-bats.
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| Tightness in Erik Bedard's throwing shoulder will result in the southpaw missing his next start. Originally scheduled to take the hill on Wednesday, it now looks like the Mariners will hold him out until after the All Star break. |
Our View: Don't count on Bedard simply being pushed back; expect the left-hander to miss the next two weeks offering his shoulder some much needed rest and relaxation.
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| David Ortiz was taking batting practice on the field for the first time since being placed on the disabled list with a torn tendon sheath in his left wrist, this according to the Providence Journal.
The report noted that on his fifth swing Big Papi crushed a home run just over the Red Sox bullpen.
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Our View: Ortiz reportedly left the cage after his seven swings in the first round with a smile on his face. Ortiz has progressed from swinging off a tee -- to soft tossing and a BP session in a cage -- when in New York on Sunday. Ortiz hopes to return to active duty sometime after the All Star break.
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| The Providence Journal reports that the Red Sox will recall pitcher Clay Buchholz to start Friday against the Orioles at Fenway Park. When Buchholz was sent to Pawtucket earlier this season with a blister, the team decided to give him extended time on the farm to work on his fastball. |
Our View: The club started the transaction process by optioning pitcher Justin Masterson to Pawtucket on Monday. Until Friday the team will utilize infielder/outfielder Jeff Bailey, who was promoted to take the roster spot of Masterson.
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| The Providence Journal reports that the Red Sox have optioned pitcher Justin Masterson to Pawtucket and have recalled utilityman Jeff Bailey. The transaction will allow the Red Sox to recall pitcher Clay Buchholz to take the mound on Friday against the Orioles. |
Our View: Masterson wasn't demoted on the basis of his performance, but rather the team was concerned about the number of innings he would accumulate with the parent club. Skipper Terry Francona told Projo that Masterson will be moved to the bullpen for the PawSox in order to eventually help Boston as a reliever very soon.
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| John Buck went 2-for-5 with a three-run homer in Monday's exciting 7-4 victory over the Rays in Tampa Bay. The game was tied 3-3 at the end of regulation, until Buck blasted his homer in the top of the 10th inning (off Dan Wheeler) to lead the Royals' rally. |
Our View: That was his first home run since June 14, snapping a 13-game drought.
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| Carlos Pena went 1-for-5 with a solo home run in Monday's wild 7-4 loss to the Royals at Tropicana Field. His ninth inning shot tied the contest at 3-3, until the Royals rallied with four runs in the 10th inning to win 7-4, hence snapping the Rays seven-game winning streak. |
Our View: That was Pena's 13th homer of the season, and his second over his last four games. He has 10 RBI over his last seven outings as well.
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| Gil Meche pitched well despite being handed a no decision in Monday's 7-4 win over the Rays. He only allowed two earned runs on seven hits over 5.1 innings, with four walks and five strikeouts. |
Our View: Meche is 3-2 over his last seven starts, and has allowed two or less earned runs four times over the span.
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| Matt Garza allowed three earned runs on nine hits over 6.2 innings in Monday's 7-4 loss to the Royals at Tropicana Field, with two walks and five strikeouts. He left the game down 3-2, and ended with a no decision as the Royals rallied back to score four runs in the top of the 10th inning to win the game. |
Our View: He didn't lose, but still had a two-game winning streak snapped, in which he only allowed one earned run over 16 innings.
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| Brian Buscher is penciled in to make another start for the Twins at third base tonight, and will be looking to extend his hitting streak to five games, according to the Boston Globe. |
Our View: He is hitting .333 over 66 at-bats for the season, and has also recorded an RBI in each of his last two games. He is worth starting in AL-only leagues while he is hot.
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| Aubrey Huff has been chosen as the AL Player of the Week, according to the AP. Huff claimed the honor by batting .345 with three home runs and nine RBI, with a .759 slugging percentage and .333 on-base percentage.
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Our View: This marks the second weekly honor for the 31-year-old Huff in his career. He has 17 home runs for the season, and could challenge his career-best total of 34, which he set with the Rays in 2003.
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| Dontrelle Willis will fly to Detroit within the next day or two to have his right knee examined by team doctor Stephen Lemos, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: It is the same knee he hyperextended back in April. He hasn't pitched since June 29 (with Single-A Lakeland), and it is unclear how long the knee has been bothering him. The Tigers did not place a timetable on his return. Armando Galarraga has notably posted a 7-2 record since filling Willis' spot in the rotation.
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| Carl Crawford notched the 300th stolen base of his career in the first inning against the Royals on Monday, according to the Tampa Tribune. |
Our View: Crawford is the ninth player since 1900 to reach the 300 milestone before the age of 27, joining Rickey Henderson, Ty Cobb, Tim Raines, Vince Coleman, Cesar Cedeno, Clyde Milan, Sherry Magee and Eddie Collins.
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| Infielder Brent Lillibridge has been recalled from Triple-A Richmond, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. |
Our View: This is his third stint with the club this season, and holds no fantasy value as he only hit .154 over 26 at-bats, with nine strikeouts.
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| Catcher Ryan Budde has been called up from Triple-A, according to the LA Times. He will replace Mike Napoli on the roster, who was placed on the 15-day DL with his shoulder ailment. |
Our View: Budde will serve as the backup to Jeff Mathis, and won't see enough action to consider for your fantasy roster.
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| As expected, Mike Napoli has been placed on the 15-day DL due to right shoulder inflammation, according to the LA Times. Ryan Budde has been recalled from Triple-A to fill his spot on the roster. The pain in Napoli's shoulder became unbearable and he said, "Something doesn't feel right in there. I've had good days and bad days. Some days, it hurts every time I throw back to the pitcher."
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Our View: Jeff Mathis will now be the primary catcher until Napoli returns.
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| Curt Schilling has started to rehabilitate his right shoulder after surgery, but hasn't decided whether to try to play again, according to the Star Tribune. He said on Monday it will be at least five weeks before he must decide whether to make a run at returning for 2009, and added, "the shoulder is sorer than I expected it to be."
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Our View: Hopefully he will return to the diamond and leave the game on his own terms, and not due to injury.
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| Top outfield prospect Matt LaPorta was the headliner of the Brewers' package in the CC Sabathia trade, according to the AP. |
Our View: The Indians coveted a power-hitting outfielder, and LaPorta should fill their need. He hit .288 with 20 homers and 66 RBIs over 84 games for Double-A Huntsville.
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| Ramon Santiago is expected to be activated from the DL prior to Tuesday's game against Cleveland, according to the AP. Santiago was shelved due to a separated shoulder. Infielder Michael Hollimon has already been optioned to Triple-A Toledo to make room on the roster. |
Our View: Santiano hit .361 over 36 at-bats with four doubles, one triple, and one homer with the Tigers this season, but won't see enough action to merit a spot on your fantasy roster.
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| Michael Hollimon has been optioned to Triple-A Toledo, according to the AP. The team is expected to activate Ramon Santiago from the DL prior to Tuesday's game. |
Our View: Holliman went 6-for-23 (.261) with one homer and two RBI over his brief stint with the Tigers this season, and will now have to wait for another chance to prove his worth to the club.
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| Team trainers noted that Hideki Matsui is making some progress in his recovery from a swollen left knee, but GM Brian Cashman suggested that playing the outfield would not be part of Matsui's rehab work, according to the NY Daily News. |
Our View: Although Matsui is improving, there remains no timetable for his return. When he does return, it sounds like he could be limited to DH duty.
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