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| Mark Reynolds had one RBI on a night in which he made three errors in the field for the Diamondbacks. |
Our View: Reynolds has committed 19 errors, and with 106 K in just 300 AB, there has to be some concern that his deficiencies are rendering his talents (18 HR, 54 RBI) somewhat moot. With Chad Tracy back and healthy, the team could make a move to add an outfielder which would force Conor Jackson back to first base and potentially send Tracy back to the position of filling in at both corners which could eat into Reynolds playing time.
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| Chad Tracy had three hits, two runs, and two RBI for the D'backs on Thursday night. Conor Jackson, playing in left field, also had three hits. |
Our View: Tracy hasn't gone deep in 13 games, but he has lifted his average over .040 points since his last bomb up to .287. The team has committed to finding ways to get Tracy into the lineup nightly, so his value is rising to the point where he might be worthy of consideration in deep mixed leagues.
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| Austin Kearns had three RBI on Thursday night for the Nationals giving him 21 RBI in 49 games. |
Our View: Kearns hasn't improved his swing much in July as he is batting .269 with only a single extra base hit in 26 AB. With Elijah Dukes out of the lineup, he should get plenty of time to find that groove once again.
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| Jason Bergmann hurled seven innings in which he allowed two runs to the D'backs in an 11 inning, 7-5 loss to the Nationals. |
Our View: Bergmann is but 1-6 on the year despite solid ratios (4.02 ERA and 1.29 WHIP), but that happens when you don't get a lot of run support. Bergmann has only walked 19 batters in 13 appearances, and with control like that, he will continue to have a chance at success.
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| Dan Haren dominated the Nationals for eight innings allowing only two runs, one earned, in a no-decision. Haren walked two on the night with nine K. |
Our View: Haren left without allowing a run, but you can thank Brandon Lyon (and Mark Reynolds) for blowing Haren's outing by allowing two inherited runners to score. Haren enters the All-Star break at 8-5 with a 2.72 ERA and a 0.95 WHIP in a spectacular first half season in the NL.
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| Pittsburgh lefty Paul Maholm earned his sixth win of the season tonight, helping his Pirates to a 4-2 win over the Yankees. Maholm pitched eight innings, allowing two runs (both earned) on seven hits with one walk and four strikeouts. |
Our View: Maholm had suffered no-decision results in four of his last five outings but now boasts four consecutive wins in games resulting in decisions.
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| Casey Blake had two hits, including his ninth home run, on his way to three RBI for the Indians. |
Our View: Blake is one of the least sexy picks in the fantasy game, but year after year he does enough to be worth having at the end of your bench. Blake is currently hitting .282 with 51 RBI, numbers that are better than a whole lot of players that were drafted in front of this guy.
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| The offense came late but the Pittsburgh Pirates found the hits needed to pull the 4-2 win over the New York Yankees this evening, led by hot hand of leadoff outfielder Nate McLouth . McLouth went 1-for-4 on the night hitting his 18th home run of the season, totaling two RBIs and two runs scored on the night. |
Our View: McLouth, the Pirates' lone rep at this year's All Star Game, also added his 10th stolen base on the season. He was hitting .344 for the month of July coming in and now touts three home runs over his last four games.
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| Jason Marquis, who hasn't started since July 1st, will get the ball on Friday to face the Giants, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: Marquis isn't scheduled to start his next game until July 22nd, so he will try and keep himself in shape by throwing extra bullpen sessions. He is nothing more than a middling starter anyway, so you shouldn't lose too much sleep over having him start just a couple of times over the course of three weeks.
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| Jay Bruce's batting average is all the way down to .265 as he has managed to bat only .219 over his last 132 AB, according to MLB.com. "This is probably the most difficult it's been so far," Bruce said. "It's to be expected. It's the big leagues. I don't have any doubt I will be successful. It's just about making adjustments and how quick I can make them." |
Our View: Well up until this point, any changes he has made have been completely ineffective. Bruce's average continues to fall as his strikeouts continue to rise with 43 in just 151 AB. Bruce will eventually figure things out, he is too talented not to, but it may not happen this season.
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| Updating an earlier report, Aaron Harang will in fact end up being placed on the DL due to a strained muscle in his right forearm, according to MLB.com. "He won't be able to throw for at least a week, and then we'll build it back up," Reds general manager Walt Jocketty said. |
Our View: Harang should be back when first eligible, and in reality the timing couldn't be much better with the All-Star game to break up the stint on the sidelines.
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| Dan Uggla will return from his sprained ankle on Thursday night and be reinserted into the starting lineup, according to the Florida Sun-Sentinel. |
Our View: Uggla has been out of action since June 28th though he wasn't placed on the DL because of the injury. Get him back in your lineup immediately if you have the option.
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| Updating a previous report, Jaime Garcia will indeed be called up to take the roster spot of injured pitcher Mark Mulder, according to MLB.com. "He's had some good periods and he's made progress," manager Tony La Russa said. "I think he can be used in a Brad Thompson-like way, versatile." |
Our View: Garcia is a top flight prospect who the team has high hopes for, but he has struggled this season and has been called up because of need and not performance. As a result of this move, he will not be eligible to play in the Futures Game this weekend.
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| Oscar Villarreal turned down the Astros assignment that would have sent him to Triple-A, and as as result he will be placed on waivers and become a free agent on Monday, according to MLB.com. "I'm disappointed about the decision," general manager Ed Wade said. "We thought there was an opportunity for him to be productive here. By going to Round Rock, he had a chance to get straightened out. |
Our View: Villarreal has been a mess this year with a 5.02 ERA and 1.57 WHIP while allowing 12 home runs in 37.2 innings. He will certainly be claimed and could have value depending on what his role is with his new club, though he could still end up having to work on his game in the minors given his poor work this season.
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| Aaron Harang received the results of his MRI on Thursday and they were positive as it was learned that he doesn't have any serious issues in his pitching forearm, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: Harang could still end up being place on the DL if the Reds want to play things extremely safe, but with the All-Star break ahead, they will likely let him rest a bit before making that decision.
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| It is not yet known if Justin Upton will end up on the DL due to a strained oblique, but he will at least be sidelined through the D'backs weekend series prior to the All-Star break, according to the East Valley Tribune. "We'll re-evaluate during the All-Star break," GM Bob Melvin said. |
Our View: It sure seems like Upton will end up on the DL, but there is no reason for the team to rush into that call as they have about a week before they will have to make that call. Look for Alex Romero and/or Emillio Bonifacio to fill in for now.
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| Corey Hart won the fan vote in the National Legue and was named to the All-Star team on Thursday, according to MLB.com. "The fans have always been great here," Hart said. "It means a lot to me and my teammates." |
Our View: Hart is the third Brewer on the squad joining Ryan Braun and Ben Sheets. Hart, who beat out David Wright for the last spot on the NL roster, could produce a 30/30 season with a strong finish this year.
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| Adam Dunn blasted his 24th home run of the season on Thursday, one that went well out of Wrigley Field. |
Our View: Dunn is struggling along at .226, but his OBP is still above .380 and he has gone deep six times in his last 11 games. If the Reds chose to move him to an AL club, get ready to spend those FAAB dollars.
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| Mike Fontenot picked up three at-bats on Thursday and he took great advantage of them by producing two hits, two RBI and three runs scored. |
Our View: Fontenot will likely see his playing time curtailed a bit when Alfonso Soriano returns to the lineup, but he has managed to hit .271 with six home runs making him a nice middle infield option in NL only leagues.
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| Ryan Theriot had two hits and two RBI for the Cubs on Thursday from the leadoff spot. |
Our View: Theriot continues to be a solid find for those who wagered on him this year providing speed (15 SB) and a surprising .314 batting average.
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| Bronson Arroyo hung on for his seventh win of the season though it wasn't pretty as he allowed seven hits and three walks leading to five runs over five innings. |
Our View: Arroyo is 7-7 on the year but his ERA is just a shade under six at 5.97. Given that he has 93 K in 104 IP his stuff seems strong, though he has now been victimized for 19 long balls in 20 starts, a main culprit for his struggles.
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| Ted Lilly fell to 9-6 on Thursday as he was lit up for six hits, two walks and four runs in just 2.2 innings against the Reds. |
Our View: Lilly needed 63 pitches to get all of eight outs on this day. Lilly is a nice source of victories and strikeouts, but his ERA and WHIP will likely settle in at just better than the NL average as last years performance (3.83 ERA, 1.14 WHIP) is likely as good as it's gonna get for this lefty.
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| Corey Hart had just a single hit on Thursday but it was a big fly, his 15th of the year, his first in 12 games. |
Our View: Hart has 15 homers and 13 steals putting him on an almost identical pace to last season when he hit 24 bombs with 23 steals. He has more than justified the faith that people put in him this year with his performance up to this point.
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| Clint Barmes had two hits and the Rockies lone RBI in their 11-1 loss to the Brewers on Thursday. |
Our View: Barmes was hitless in his last two games (eight AB), and he was just 1-for-18 before today. Barmes should continue to have value, though it is fairly limited to basically just the batting average category.
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| J.J. Hardy continued his great work at the plate on Thursday with two more hits, including his 13th home run of the season. |
Our View: Over his last 10 games the slugging shortstop has seven home runs and 13 RBI as he has erased his early season struggles to lift himself to 13 home runs and 40 RBI, putting him withing range of matching last years totals of 26 homers and 80 RBI. He sure seems to like hitting in the #2 hole where he is batting a robust .352.
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| Rickie Weeks had two hits, scored two runs, knocked in his 24th run of the year and stole his 12th base. |
Our View: Weeks continues to struggle in with his batting average (.218), but he has seven hits in his last four games, so perhaps he is finally ready to raise his average to a respectable level.
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| Jorge De La Rosa was bombed by the Brewers to the tune of seven runs over 3.2 innings on Thursday. De La Rosa was beat around the yard for nine hits while walking two in the outing, his fifth loss of the year. |
Our View: Uh, is anyone home in the Rockies front office? De La Rosa has made 11 starts, and given an ERA of 7.26 it is clear that he just hasn't been getting the job done on a consistent basis. De La Rosa has been roughed up to the tune of 27 hits over his last 13.2 innings and could find himself in the minors pretty soon.
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| Dave Bush had a game for the ages on Thursday as he struck out 13 Rockies batters in the Brewers 11-1 thrashing of the club. Bush allowed just one run over eight innings as he permitted just four hits and not a single walk. |
Our View: Bush has allowed a single earned run in four of his last five starts as he has appeared to solidify his position in the Brewers starting rotation with an ERA that is now 4.47, this after sitting at 5.73 just five starts ago.
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| Angel Pagan's shoulder continues to improve with his rehab work at Port St. Lucie and he is hopeful of returning to the Mets shortly after the All-Star break, according to the New York Post. |
Our View: With Moises Alou likely done for the year with a torn hamstring, Pagan could pick up some at-bats in the outfield, though the club would be fooling itself if it was counting on Pagan being anything more than a depth player.
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| Moises Alou will likely miss the rest of the season with a torn hamstring, according to the New York Post. |
Our View: Alou just can't catch a break, that is unless it is to his body. This could signal the end of Alou's career, too bad since the man can still hit. With Ryan Church's status also in doubt, the Mets seemingly will have to make a major move to replace the lost offense in the outfield.
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| A few contending teams have been looking into acquiring the services of Astros outfielder and first baseman Darin Erstad, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: Erstad is surprisingly having a nice year, hitting over .300. He isn't much of a fantasy option, however, with only two home runs and 15 RBI in part-time duty.
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| Shane Victorino went 2-for-4 in the Phillies 4-1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals. They were his first hits in the series. |
Our View: Victorino had been struggling in July, with a .216 average for the month. He should remain in fantasy lineups if only for his stolen base potential.
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| John Maine threw just 4.2 innings and allowed three earned runs while walking five and striking out eight in the Mets victory over San Francisco. |
Our View: Maine is not much of an innings eater, as this is the second time in his last three starts that he has gone less than five innings. He is still a pretty viable option in fantasy leagues with his eight wins and high strikeout totals.
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| Aaron Rowand struck out twice in the Giants 7-3 loss to the New York Mets. In his last four games, he has gone 2-for-14. |
Our View: Despite his mini-slump, Rowand is hitting nearly .300 with eight home runs and 47 RBI, so stick with him on your fantasy team.
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| Fernando Tatis went 3-for-5, scored a run and drove in four runs with a home run and two doubles, leading the Mets past the Giants 7-3. |
Our View: Tatis has been tearing it up in June, hitting .500 in the month of July. This likely won't continue, but if you need a boost on your fantasy team, it won't hurt to give him a look.
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| Barry Zito threw five innings, walking six batters but allowing only two earned runs in the Giants 7-3 loss to the New York Mets. |
Our View: Zito did not figure into the decision, but his lack of control continues a trend in which he has walked over fiver batters per nine innings. He remains someone to avoid in fantasy leagues.
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| Colby Rasmus will not play in the Futures Game at the All-Star break because he was put on the Triple-A DL with a strained groin, according to StLCardinals.com. |
Our View: Rasmus' injury is not thought to be serious, and he should be back soon. Eventually he will get a call up, so fantasy owners should be on the lookout when that happens.
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| Yadier Molina went 1-for-4 and drove in the only run for the Cardinals in their loss to Philadelphia. He is hitting .303 on the season. |
Our View: Molina is lauded for his defense, but he has had a nice season offensively, with four home runs and 27 RBI. He should certainly be considered in all fantasy formats.
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| Braden Looper pitched six innings, allowing four earned runs in the Cardinals 4-1 loss to the Phillies. |
Our View: Looper has been average this season, even though he has nine wins. He has given up seven home runs in his last four outings, covering 22.1 innings.
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| Jamie Moyer threw seven strong innings, allowing just one run on seven hits while striking four in the Phillies 4-1 victory over the Cardinals. |
Our View: Moyer now has a 3.95 ERA on the season, to go with eight wins. He won't put up big strikeout numbers, but fantasy owners in NL-only leagues should consider him an option.
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| Ryan Howard hit two home runs and had three RBI in the Phillies 4-1 win over the St. Louis Cardinals. He went 5-for-9 in the series, with three home runs. |
Our View: Howard's average is now above .230, and he now has a 13-game hitting streak. This is good news for fantasy owners, who are being rewarded for their patience with Howard and his low batting average.
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| Aaron Boone was placed on the 15-day DL with a left calf strain, according to Nationals.com. |
Our View: Boone is not a viable fantasy player right now, as he has just 17 RBI in over 163 at-bats and 71 games played.
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| The Washington Nationals have been attempting to sign Cristian Guzman to a contract extension, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: Guzman is having a terrific year, and is a good option for fantasy owners seeking a boost in batting average, though he will not provide much else.
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| A few teams have contacted the Houston Astros about the availability of Mark Loretta, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: Loretta is hitting .260 and is not much of a fantasy option. Even if he were to be moved, that probably would not change much.
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| Guillermo Mota will not be released by the Milwaukee Brewers as had been rumored, according to Brewers.com. "We're going to keep working with him, make him better," Milwaukee manager Ned Yost said. |
Our View: Mota has been terrible this season, and should not be considered for fantasy rosters.
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| Brian Barton has a hairline fracture of his right wrist, according to StLCardinals.com. He is expected to start rehabbing after the All-Star break. |
Our View: Barton doesn't see nearly enough at-bats to warrant fantasy consideration. The Rule 5 player is hitting just .246 on the season, though he will be back in the majors in a part-time role when his wrist heals.
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| Updating an earlier story, Homer Bailey will be recalled and get the start for Cincinnati on Sunday against Milwaukee, according to Reds.com. |
Our View: Bailey has been bad this season, even in the minors where he is 4-7 with a 4.42 ERA, and fantasy owners should hold off on adding him to their squads until he proves that his work on the hill will match his level of talent.
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| Paul Maholm will get the start tonight as the Pirates take on the Yankees, making up a previously rained out game. Over his last three outings, Maholm has thrown 22 innings and given up just six earned runs. |
Our View: Maholm gave up three runs a few starts ago, then two runs, and in his last start he allowed just one run. So if he holds true to form, he should allow no runs tonight. Okay, so that may be wishful thinking, but Maholm's 4.05 ERA and 1.31 WHIP make him a decent option in fantasy leagues, especially NL-only leagues.
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| Arizona pitcher Dan Haren, who starts tonight against the Nationals, is on a roll. He has thrown seven innings in each of his last four outings, and has given up just 18 hits and three earned runs in that time. |
Our View: If you have Haren on your fantasy squad, make sure he is in your lineup, as the Washington Nationals are one of the worst offensive teams in baseball.
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| Barry Bonds only needs 10 days to get ready, and he would be able to play in the major leagues, according to ESPN.com. "Give him 10 days to hit off live pitching, and he'll be ready," said his agent, Jeff Borris. |
Our View: This does not mean he's coming back to play, as no team has expressed much interest, but if he does return, he would certainly help fantasy teams. His on-base percentage was .480 last year, and he hit 28 home runs in just 340 at-bats.
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| Second baseman Adam Kennedy has been playing through a hairline fracture in his right foot, according to StLCardinals.com. |
Our View: Kennedy has played well recently, with a .311 average in June and a .471 average so far in July. He doesn't offer fantasy owners much besides a decent batting average and a stolen base here and there, but in deep NL-only leagues, there are worse options.
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| Adam Wainwright has made good progress with his right middle finger injury and is continuing a throwing program that will see him re-evaluated after the All-Star break, according to StLCardinals.com. |
Our View: Wainwright was having a very solid year until he suffered the injury, so this is good news. Fantasy owners should expect to get him back sometime in early August.
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| Pitcher J.A. Happ was demoted to Triple-A Lehigh Valley one day after throwing 6.1 innings and allowing two earned runs against the Cardinals, according to Phillies.com. |
Our View: Happ had pitched well in his two starts this season, and the demotion is likely temporary until the Phillies need a fifth starter once again. If he continues to throw well, he could be an option for fantasy players.
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| Matt Holliday will be the starting right fielder for the National League in the All-Star Game, according to MLB.com. He will replace the injured Alfonso Soriano in the lineup. |
Our View: Holliday is having another great season, and is a better option than Soriano anyway. Holliday's .343 average is fourth in the National League.
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| Mark Mulder has been placed on the DL after lasting just 16 pitches yesterday in his attempt to come back from shoulder surgery, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. |
Our View: Sadly, after two surgeries on his throwing shoulder, you have to wonder if Mulder will ever throw another pitch in the big leagues again.
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| John Van Benschoten was demoted to Triple-A Indianapolis after his start on Wednesday, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. He gave up four runs and walked six in 4.2 innings yesterday. |
Our View: Van Benschoten's numbers are hideous, with a 9.77 ERA and 2.36 WHIP in 15.2 innings for the season. Only those attempting to lose in fantasy should have had him on their roster.
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| Nick Johnson will be in a cast for the next four weeks before starting rehab on his injured right wrist, according to the Wasington Post. |
Our View: Johnson is still out for the remainder of the season, but the team believes he will be ready for spring training next year.
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| Tony Clark could be traded, now that Brian Myrow has joined the team from Triple-A, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. |
Our View: Even if he is traded, Clark's fantasy value won't improve. The 36-year-old is hitting just .244 with one home run.
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| Ben Sheets may get the nod to start the All-Star game, according to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. "We like Ben Sheets. He’s got the rest, he’s got the credentials, he’s got the pedigree," said Colorado manager Clint Hurdle, who will manage the National League squad. |
Our View: Sheets is certainly deserving, with 10 wins and 2.85 ERA. Fantasy owners and Brewers fans can only hope he doesn't get hurt while throwing in the contest.
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| Guillermo Mota gave up four runs and two home runs in Wednesday's game against Colorado and may be designated for assignment today, according to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. |
Our View: Mota has been bad this season, and awful recently. He has given up nine earned runs in his last four innings and has no business being on a fantasy roster.
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| Nomar Garciaparra will get the day off and will not be in the lineup today, according to the Los Angeles Times. Manager Joe Torre said he expects him to be in the lineup the rest of the week. |
Our View: Garciaparra has played well since his return from the DL, hitting .286 with a 1.055 OPS. Nomar is a decent option in NL-only leagues. He has never hit lower than .283 in seasons when he has played at least 60 games.
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| Jason Schmidt gave up two earned runs while throwing 59 pitches for the Dodgers Triple-A affiliate in Las Vegas, according to the Los Angeles Times. |
Our View: Schmidt is on his way back to the bigs after recovering from shoulder surgery, but depending on him for fantasy purposes is not wise. Whether he can return to his previous form remains to be seen.
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| Corey Hart is in the lead in fan balloting for the National League's final spot on the All-Star team, according to the Houston Chronicle. |
Our View: Hart is having another good season, hitting .293 with 14 home runs and 56 RBI. He should remain a constant in your fantasy lineup.
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| Miguel Tejada only came into yesterday's game against Pittsburgh as a defensive replacement in the ninth inning as the team tries to get him some rest, according to the Houston Chronicle. |
Our View: After a June in which he hit just .227, Tejada was batting only .129 in July. He is too talented for fantasy owners to waive, but if possible, sitting him down until the second half of the season seems like a good idea.
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| Left-handed pitcher Jaime Garcia is expected to be recalled from Triple-A Memphis and join the Cardinals today, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. |
Our View: Garcia is one of the top pitching prospects in the Cardinals organization. He had a 4.59 ERA and 57 strikeouts in 68.2 innings in Triple-A. It is likely he will pitch in relief, as the team lacks left-handed options.
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| Homer Bailey may get the nod to start Sunday, in place of Aaron Harang, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer. The other candidate is Daryl Thompson, but he Thompson threw 103 pitches on Tuesday, compared to Bailey's 82 on Monday. |
Our View: Bailey has not yet delivered on the promise he clearly holds. In his three starts this year, he has pitched only 12.1 innings, and has an ugly 8.76 ERA, so fantasy owners should wait and see if he can turn things around before acquiring him.
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| Justin Upton may be heading to the DL with a strained oblique, according to the Arizona Republic. "It certainly could be DL. We're not sure," said manager Bob Melvin. |
Our View: After a hot start, Upton hit .216 in May, and a ghastly .123 in June. He had a hit in all six games he played this month, however, so if you noticed that and picked him up, be on the lookout for the official word. We'll keep you updated when an announcement is made.
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| Jeff Francoeur was 1-for-3 with a home run and RBI in the Braves loss to the Dodgers on Wednesday night. |
Our View: Maybe Francoeur's miniature demotion to the minor leagues helped him get off the snide. He is still having a miserable season, though fantasy players should keep an eye an him to see if he heats up.
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