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| Jeremy Hermida hit his second homer in four games, this one a two run shot in LA. |
Our View: Hermida hasn't been able to put together any consistency, but it looks like he's heating up. When he's hot, he can help out any fantasy team.
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| In his first career start with the Marlins, Chris Volstad nearly went the distance on Friday in Los Angeles. The lone run scored came in the bottom of the ninth when Russell Martin singled to center with two outs, scoring Delwyn Young. He struck out six, walked one and allowed four hits. Kevin Gregg came on for the save as the Marlins won 3-1. |
Our View: Not bad for a 21-year-old. This kind of start might signal that he's the real deal. The Marlins feel he is one of the best pitchers to come thru the organization in a long time, and that should not be taken lightly.
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| Trevor Hoffman struck out the only batter he faced on Friday, Brad Lillibridge, to record his 17th save of the season. |
Our View: Interestingly, Mike Adams was called upon to do the dirty work. With Mark Teixeira, Brian McCann and Jeff Francoeur due up in the ninth, Adams came in. With two outs he gave up an infield single to Kotsay and then Hoffman came in for the final out.
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| Scott Hairston finished 2-for-4 tonight with two runs scored. He hit his third triple of the season to go with his 15th double. Hairston is 13-for-24 over his last seven games. |
Our View: Admit it. You weren't even sure Scott Hairston still had a regular gig in the majors. Playing in San Diego can make you pretty forgettable, I guess. He's likely on your waiver wire. Pick him up at your own risk.
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| Jake Peavy threw seven shutout innings on Friday against the run-thirsty Atlanta Braves. He allowed four hits and struck out seven. |
Our View: Peavy's ERA is down to a ridiculous 2.47 after not allowing a run in the past 14 innings.
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| Yoslan Herrera has been called up from Double-A Altoona to replace Phil Dumatrait in Saturday's start against the St. Louis Cardinals, according to the AP. |
Our View: At Double-A this year, Yoslan 5-8 with a 3.11 ERA.
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| The AP reports that the Pirates put scheduled Saturday starter Phil Dumatrait on the 15-day disabled list and recalled RHP Yoslan Herrera from Double-A Altoona to start against the Cardinals. |
Our View: Dumatrait came off the disabled list Monday but gave up seven runs in 3 1/3 innings against Houston.
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| Billy Wagner pitched a perfect ninth against Colorado for his 21st save in 27 chances. |
Our View: He whiffed two of three while working past the unimposing trio of Scott Podsednik, Wily Taveras, and Clint Barmes.
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| Shane Victorino missed the cycle by a mere home run. He finished Firday's game 3-for-6, but his biggest hit was a two-run triple off of Tony Pena in the ninth. |
Our View: The game marked the Flyin Hawaiian's fifth multi-hit effort of the month.
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| Jayson Werth's 12th inning single beat the Diamondbacks on Friday night. |
Our View: If all Werth did was hit in the clutch, he would be a phenomenal fantasy commodity. Regardless, he is still a factor in deep leagues, but does not see enough regular duty to be a must own.
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| MLB.com reports that Chris Young threw around 50 pitches in three innings and said he felt good, both physically and when it came to his stuff. |
Our View: Next for Young will be two to four rehab starts with the Padres' Class A affiliate in Lake Elsinore, Calif., starting Wednesday.
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| Bill Hall filled in as a pinch-hitter on Friday and finished the game 1-for-2 with two RBI and a run scored. |
Our View: Hall and Russell Branyan seem to be in an unofficial platoon at this point. Hall's terrible June won't be repeated if he only sees lefties.
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| Jay Bruce scored three times including the go ahead run when he crossed the plate on a wild pitch in the eigth. |
Our View: Bruce was only 1-for-4 but any signs of life from him at this point are a good thing.
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| Ryan Howard took Diamondbacks' starter Doug Davis yard in the second inning on Friday. |
Our View: Howard now has eight home runs in his past 10 games. He has 16 RBI in that stretch bringing his total to 84 on the season.
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| Ryan Braun hit his 23rd HR of the season on Friday. |
Our View: With 23 HRs and 66 RBI, Braun continues to be a force in the middle of a stacked lineup.
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| MLB.com tells us that Yunel Escobar was scratched from Fiday night's lineup after reaggravating his left shoulder. |
Our View: Yunel is hitting a meager .212 since returning from the injury and it is now clear that he never fully recovered. The Braves won't make the same mistake twice so another DL stint is quite possible.
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| Austin Kearns is heating up. On Friday he went 2-for-2 with a home run, three RBI and two runs scored. He also drew two walks. |
Our View: That makes six RBI over his last two games. If he could bring that average up, he could merit fantasy consideration in the second half.
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| Tim Redding threw six shutout innings at home against the Astros on Friday. He gave up seven hits, no walks and struck out six. |
Our View: For teams looking for cheaper options to pickup for the stretch run, Redding has been impressive as of late. The Nationals are likely listening to offers.
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| Damion Easley came thru in a big way on Friday when he cranked a solo shot in the eighth that would be enough for the Mets win. He was 2-for-3 on the night |
Our View: The ageless one is hitting .407 with nine RBI in July, following up a June that saw him hit .340. Dare we say that the 38 year-old is a quality pickup? Maybe he was four weeks ago, but we can't bring ourselves to believe that the 16-year vet with a career .253 average will keep this up.
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| Ronnie Belliard went 3-for-4 with two homers and five RBI Friday. |
Our View: This makes nine HRs in 54 games for Belli. Not a bad pace at all for a second baseman. Don't get too excited though. He is hitting .226 on the season. His career numbers suggest that should come quite a bit in the second half, but don't bank on it.
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| Aaron Cook rebounded from his roughest outing of the season by giving up just one run in six innings on Friday in New York. He did not factor in the decision. |
Our View: Nothing spectacular from Cook, except that he knows how to pitch himself out of jams.
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| Al Reyes pitched one scoreless rehab inning for Class A Vero Beach on Thursday. |
Our View: Reyes should be ready to go following the All-Star break.
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| Oliver Perez worked his third straight impressive start on Friday against the Rockies. Although he didn't factor in the decision, he allowed just two hits and one run over six innings while striking out seven. However, Oliver gave up an alarming six walks. |
Our View: Walks have been an issue with Perez all season. The good news is that it appears he has found some new consistency under his new pitching coach. His runs are down and his strikeouts are up.
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| Yadier Molina continues to dominate lefties. He entered Friday nights game batting .373 against southpaws and manager Tony La Russa batted him fifth. He went 2-for-5 with a run and two RBI. |
Our View: Molina is quietly becoming a viable starting option at the position. He is hitting .303 with just 13 whiffs this season. However, he is still suffering in the power categories. A batting spot fifth in the order against lefties should help his RBI totals.
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| With Alex Rios on vacation and Vernon Wells on the DL, Matt Stairs will be called upon to hit in the middle of the Blue Jays lineup. He crushed a three-run homer on Friday against the Yankees. |
Our View: Keep an eye on stairs. For owners in need of power, he should provide plenty of it until Wells comes back a month or so from now.
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| Kyle Lohse threw seven shutout innings against the Pirates on Friday to improve to 11-2 on the season. |
Our View: Incredibly, Lohse has not lost since May 8, a span of 12 starts. He has given up just two earned runs in his last 21 innings. Lohse is playing for a contract, and could be on his way to a gargantuan one.
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| Rick Ankiel went 3-for-3 with a walk on Friday. He hit his 20th home run of the year and picked up three RBI in the process. |
Our View: Ankiel has hit 10 home runs in his last 21 games and becomes a stronger fantasy player by the game.
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| Jaime Garcia made his Major League debut on Friday. He tossed two scoreless innings in relief against the Pirates. |
Our View: Garcia allowed one hit and one walk while striking out two. He will likely become a starter for the Cards in the future but he will spend some time working out of the bullpen first.
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| The AP reports that Dmitri Young left Friday night's game with soreness in his lower back. He walked off the field under his own power, with an 0-1 count. |
Our View: Da Meat Hook missed more than a month earlier in this season with lower back pain. He may rest through the break.
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| MLB.com tells us that Nationals outfielder Wily Mo Pena has been playing with a sore left shoulder for more than a month. |
Our View: This could explain the horrid numbers he has produced thus far. Entering Friday's action, Pena was hitting .209 with two home runs and 10 RBIs.
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| Zach Duke was hit all over the yard on Friday by the St. Louis Cardinals. He gave up 10 hits and five earned runs in six innings pitched. |
Our View: He also gave up two home runs, making it four in his 8.1 innings pitched.
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| Roy Oswalt, returning from a hip injury, left after one inning on Friday night with a with a left hip abductor strain, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: This is not a good sign for Houston or fantasy owners. Don't be surprised if an extended trip to the DL is in the talented righties' future.
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| MLB.com reports that LHP Jaime Garcia will initially be used out of the bullpen during his stint with the Cardinals. |
Our View: Garcia is a projected starter and was called up to replace Mark Mulder. However, he will start in the bullpen, where the Cards are in desperate need of a leftie. However, La Russa said on Friday, "I don't think we're going to make him a left-handed reliever. I think he's a starter, so if at some point we get Randy Flores back and Garcia benefits more from pitching every five days, we'll do it. But right now, we're keeping ourselves alive and in contention, and we've got to do everything we can to make it work for us."
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| MLB.com reports that Jeff Francis , whose endured left shoulder inflammation before the Rockies placed him on the disabled list July 3, threw from 120 feet without pain on Friday. |
Our View: He is hoping to return after the All-Star break but will likely see a minor league rehab assignment of at least one game. Shoulders are iffy. Don't expect consistent big things from Francis when he returns.
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| Mark Reynolds was held out of the lineup on Friday. He made three (3) errors on Thursday. |
Our View: Reynolds has committed a Major League-leading 19 errors this season. He has also struggled at the plate lately, hitting .143 (3-for-21) in his last seven games.
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| Kerry Wood picked up his 24th save of the season, despite walking a batter and giving up two hits. The Giants scored their only run of the game in the inning. |
Our View: Wood has given up four earned runs in his last three innings pitched.
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| Chris Aguila did not last long with the Mets. He managed just 12 at-bats during his brief stay in New York. |
Our View: Aguila has managed to find a way to become even less relevant to fantasy owners.
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| Robinson Cancel was called up prior to Friday night's game to be a third catcher. Chris Aguila was designated for assignment. |
Our View: He won't likely see much playing time and only has one at-bat in the majors this season.
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| Edgar Renteria is not in tonight's starting lineup. He is nursing a sore hammy. |
Our View: Renteria remains day-to-day and Jim Leyland remains confident he will play this weekend.
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| Kosuke Fukudome did not start against the San Francisco Giants Friday, July 11, after fouling a pitch off his leg Thursday, July 10.
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Our View: No word yet how serious the injury is but we will keep you posted.
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| Mike Fontenot has as an impressive July going for him thru his first seven games. He is hitting .389 with three home runs, five RBI, seven runs and six walks to go with just one strike out. |
Our View: Fontenot's playing time will likely take a sharp turn south after Alfonso Soriano returns, so don't get too excited over this recent surge.
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| Cedrick Bowers made just two appearances for the Rockies before being sent back down to Colorado Springs. |
Our View: Bowers gave up four runs in his three innings in the majors. It will likely be a while before he is given another shot.
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| After 10 days in the minors, the Colorado Rockies recalled Ryan Speier on Friday from Triple-A Colorado Springs after sending left-hander Cedrick Bowers to the Sky Sox. |
Our View: Speier was a little better than average in his 25 games with the Rockies earlier this season. He struck out 19 in 28.1 innings, but more impressively he allowed just two home runs while pitching in Colorado.
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| In his first start in 10 days, Jason Marquis looked very good. He allowed no runs over seven innings, walked two and scattered four hits. |
Our View: He did not factor into the decision today, but he is 4-2 over his last seven starts. With the recent Harden acquisition, it is still uncertain as to what the Cubs rotation will be following the All-Star break. Today's performance bodes well for Marquis to have a second half impact.
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| Tyler Walker returned from a sore right knee on Friday and gave up a three-run shot to the Cubs' Aramis Ramirez at Wrigley. The hit allowed Walker to take his fifth loss of the season. |
Our View: Although he is a decent source of holds, Walker's home run rate causes him to be ineffective even in deep league formats that count the stat. His ERA has now ballooned to an even 5.00.
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| Aramis Ramirez hit his third home run in the last six games to power the Cubs past the Giants on Friday. His blast accounted for all three of the Cubs' RBI in the game. |
Our View: Ramirez, somewhat quietly, is having as good a season as any Cub. He now leads the team in HRs (17) and RBI (66).
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| Matt Cain, who threw eight shutout innings against the Cubs as recently as July 1, was stellar again on Friday in Wrigley. He gave up no runs over seven innings while striking out nine. Unfortunately, he left with no decision. |
Our View: Cain has had an up and down year. In between his two shutout appearances with the Cubs, he gave up five runs to the Dodgers. He remains a great source of strikeouts, though, and he is positioning himself to have a very good fantasy career because of that.
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| Lance Berkman is currently in a slump, as he is only 4-for-26 (.154) over his last nine games. |
Our View: Berkman has been battling eye irritation, which could be partly to blame for his slump. Fantasy owners shouldn't be concerned, and he will have the upcoming All-Star break to straighten himself out.
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| Hanley Ramirez is on fire so far in July, as he has generated 20 hits over his last 10 games, consisting of six doubles and four homers, to go along with nine RBI and nine runs scored. |
Our View: Ramirez continues to live up to expecations as a high first-round fantasy pick.
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| Rickie Weeks has been struggling, but will remain in the leadoff spot in the order, according to Brewers.com. Manager Ned Yost said, "I've seen Rickie when he's good. He's a guy that can be a real igniter at the top of that lineup. He caught fire late last year and did a nice job. There could be a lot of offensive production at the top of that lineup when Rickie gets going."
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Our View: Weeks is only hitting .218, but scored 57 runs, and should continue to be productive in that category while hitting at the top of the Brewers' potent lineup that features Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder. Seven of his runs were scored over his last four games.
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| Randy Winn apparently injured his knee when he fouled a ball off of it during Friday action. |
Our View: As of now, consider him day-to-day. We will keep you posted when more details are known.
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| Roger Bernadina has been optioned to Triple-A Columbus, according to the AP. The team recalled outfielder Ryan Langerhans, and demoted Bernadina to make room on the roster. |
Our View: Bernadina only hit .125 over 40 at-bats with no homers or RBI, and held no fantasy value.
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| Outfielder Ryan Langerhans has been recalled from Triple-A Columbus, according to the AP. The team sent down outfielder Roger Bernadina to Columbus, as a corresponding move. |
Our View: Langerhans hit .200 with nine strikeouts over 30 at-bats with Washington during his previous stint this season, and does not merit fantasy consideration.
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| The Cincinnati Enquirer indicates that Aaron Harang should be back in about two weeks. His MRI confirmed that he has a right forearm strain, and he will be re-examined this weekend. GM Walt Jocketty commented, "We want to make sure he's 100 percent. But he should be ready at the end of the two weeks."
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Our View: Since his upcoming move to the DL probably will be retroactive to July 8, Harang will be eligible to come off July 23, which is seven days after the All-Star Break. So if all goes favorably without a setback, he'll miss only two starts.
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| Double-A outfielder Justin Maxwell will be out another month with a right wrist injury that has shelved him since May 29, according to the Washington Times. Nationals' GM Jim Bowden said, "Like so many of our injured players, he's another month away." |
Our View: Maxwell is a top prospect and could have earned a role with the team this season if he wasn't injured, when you consider the state of their outfield, which most recently lost Elijah Dukes for up to six weeks.
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| Scott Hairston is hot right now as he is 11-for-20 (.550) with three doubles, five homers, and eight RBI over his last six games, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. |
Our View: All other Padres have a combined total of four homers and 16 RBI for the entire month of July so far. Keep Hairston active in your lineups.
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| David Wright will replace Alfonso Soriano on the NL All-Star roster, according to the AP. Soriano will not be able to participate due to his left hand injury, but will still attend the All-Star festivities. |
Our View: Wright was a candidate for the All-Star final vote, as he belted 17 homers with 70 RBI over 91 games.
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| As was previously reported, Edgar Renteria's hamstring injury is not believed to be serious and he could return to the Tigers' lineup tonight, according to the Detroit Free Press. |
Our View: Manager Jim Leyland believes he will be fine, but you may want to leave him on the bench if you have a better option at the position. He only has two hits over his last six outings, and hasn't registered multiple hits in his last eight outings.
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| Outfielder Travis Denker has been optioned to Triple-A Fresno, according to the AP. The team called up infielder Ivan Ochoa as an adjoining move. |
Our View: Denker was viewed as expendable, as he only hit .243 with one homer over 37 at-bats with the Giants this season.
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| The Cubs called up reliever Kevin Hart on Friday. Hart struggled with the club earlier this season, but the 25-year-old right-hander has posted a 3.35 ERA over 10 starts at Triple-A Iowa. |
Our View: Hart will head back to the bullpen and likely work long relief. He has no fantasy value.
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| The Cubs have optioned reliever Michael Wuertz to Triple-A Iowa. He is 1-1 with a 3.55 ERA but has allowed nine runs (six earned) over his last six appearances. |
Our View: We don't imagine that this news affects too many fantasy teams.
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| The Giants have purchased the contract of infielder Ivan Ochoa from Triple-A Fresno, according to the AP. The team optioned Travis Denker to Fresno to make room on the roster. |
Our View: Ochoa, who is a switch-hitter, was batting .318 with six homers, 32 RBI and 20 stolen bases in 84 games at Fresno. The 25-year-old is making his first appearance on a major league roster, and doesn't merit fantasy consideration in anything but larger NL-only leagues.
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| Manager Fredi Gonzalez indicated that John Baker is going to platoon with Brad Hoover at catcher while Matt Treanor is out of action, according to the Miami Herald. Baker was given the start on Thursday, and Gonzalez said, "He caught a heck of a game. My biggest thing is, for catchers and home-plate umpires, when you don't notice them, that's when you think they've done a good job. You didn't notice Baker back there."
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Our View: Baker went 2-for-5 with a homer and RBI in his start against Los Angeles Thursday, and could prove to be useful for the short-term in larger NL-only leagues until Treanor returns.
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| Dan Uggla commented on his first game back from a sprained ankle on Thursday, according to the Miami Herald. He went 0-for-3 against Los Angeles, but drew two walks and said, "I'm about 85 percent. There's still some pain. But it's to a point where I can actually run and tolerate it. Probably the biggest test is going to be able to run the bases."
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Our View: He should be peniled back into your fantasy lineups, if you haven't already done so.
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| Chris Volstad is set to make his first career start with the Marlins tonight against the Dodgers, according to the Miami Herald. He said, "I always thought I would make it to the majors. There was never a doubt in my mind." President of baseball operations Larry Beinfest added, "You're looking at what could be the start of maybe a very productive major-league career, and that's fun."
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Our View: Volstad hurled two scoreless innings in his Marlins' debut, and is worth taking a shot on in NL-only leagues tonight if you need help at the position.
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| Reggie Abercrombie has accepted an assigment with Triple-A Round Rock, according to the Houston Chronicle. He was designated for assignment on Sunday. Astros' GM Ed Wade said, "Reggie's got a chance to get back and help us. He's got big-league ability, so for him to go back to Round Rock is a win-win. It gives him an opportunity to play every day as promised and gives us an alternative down there if something happens at the major-league level."
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Our View: Abercrombie failed to make an impact with a .188 average over 16 at-bats with the Astros this season, and is not worth holding onto in traditional leagues even though the club still thinks he can help them.
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| Randy Choate has been activated from the DL and outrighted to Triple-A Nashville, according to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. |
Our View: He broke a finger on his pitching hand in spring training. He won't likely hold any fantasy value for the remainder of the season.
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| Jorge De La Rosa is expected to be yanked from the Rockies' rotation after the All-Star break, according to the Rocky Mountain News. Skipper Clint Hurdle said, "We need to get better and we know that. We continue to put opportunities out there and guys need to move on them." Pitching coach Bob Apodaca added, "The break gives us a chance to realign the guys we have, split up the left-handers, and it also gives us a chance to check out some alternatives."
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Our View: His demotion would not be surprising as he was rocked for seven earned runs against Milwaukee over a mere 3.2 innings on Thursday, and holds a dismal 7.26 ERA and 1.63 WHIP for the season. Kip Wells is an option to replace him.
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| John Van Benschoten, who was demoted to Triple-A following his start on Wednesday, could return to the team this season, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. GM Neal Huntington said, "He's not out of the picture. We needed someone to give us some innings right now, and John wasn't going to be able to pitch for another five days."
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Our View: The team sent him down to make room for reliever Luis Munoz on the roster, who will help ease the load for the bullpen through the All-Star break. Van Benschoten could find himself back in the rotation, but is not worth holding onto as a fantasy hurler as he allowed 17 earned runs (and five homers) over 15.2 innings of work.
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| Tony Clark is believed to be on the D-Backs' radar, according to the East Valley Tribune. The team would reportedly like to use him as a pinch-hitter, as well as a clubhouse presence. |
Our View: The addition of Brian Myrow to the Padres has made Clark expendable. Clark only has one homer over 86 at-bats with San Diego this season, but hit 30 with Arizona back in 2005.
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| Merkin Valdez might be sent to visit Dr. James Andrews in Alabama regarding the continuing soreness in his pitching elbow, according to the SF Chronicle. |
Our View: He already visited Dr. Lewis Yocum, and has been on the DL since May 15.
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