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| MLB.com reports that J.A. Happ struck out 12 hitters in seven innings on Thursday for Triple-A Lehigh Valley. |
Our View: Happ just got back to the minors after some solid work for the Phillies. Unfortunately, his big league club just acquired another starter, Joe Blanton, so he may not get another chance in the majors anytime soon.
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| The Mets scored 10 runs on Thursday but Reyes accounted for none of them. He was 0-for-5 with two strikouts. |
Our View: Don't count on this becoming a trend. Reyes will continue to be one of the best players in fantasy leagues throughout the second half.
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| Paul Maholm struck out seven in six innings for the Pirates but gabe up five runs in the loss on Thursday. |
Our View: Maholm is 5-1 with a 3.33 ERA at home but is just 1-4 with a 4.81 ERA on the road.
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| Jayson Nix had three more strikeouts in three at-bats on Thursday, raising his total to 17 in 56 at-bats. |
Our View: Nix will likely be sent back to Triple-A once Troy Tulowitzki returns from the DL.
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| Adam LaRoche started off the second half in usual fashion. He went 2-for-4 with two RBI in Colorado on Thursday. |
Our View: It might be a good time to pick up Laroche if you are needing a first baseman in a deep league. He tends to hit very well in the second half...and now he's in a contract season.
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| Chris Iannetta was a force against the Pirates on Thursday. He recorded three RBI and his tenth home run of the season. |
Our View: You never know who's starting in Colorado which makes owning Iannetta a bit frustrating. However, his hot streaks this season rival any other catcher in baseball's. He may be on the cusp of another one.
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| Brian Fuentes pitched a perfect ninth inning and recorded three strikeouts on Thursday against the Pirates. It was his 15th save of the season and 100th of his career. |
Our View: Furntes is simply driving up his asking price which is getting steep.
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| Ubaldo Jimenez managed his fourth straight qulity start on Thursday against the Pirates for his third win of the month. He gave up three runs in seven innings. |
Our View: Jimenez may be regaining the form that made him a force down the stretch last season. His strikeout rate still hovers around 7.5 per nine.
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| The AP reports that Mike Pelfrey will start in Pedro Martinez's place on Sunday. Pelfrey hasn't allowed a run in his last 16 innings. |
Our View: Pelfrey will go for his seventh straight start with a winning decision. He is clearly a fantasy factor in the second half.
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| The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports that Xavier Nady did not play on Thursday and won't play on Friday after his wife gave birth on Thursday.
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Our View: Nady should be back in action by Saturday.
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| Francisco Cordero had his worst outing of the season on Thursday against the never-say-never Mets. He managed just one out among six hits and four earned runs. |
Our View: This was just Cordero's second loss but it was his fifth blown save. Needless to say, he just didn't have much tonight.
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| Edwin Encarnacion continued his hot hitting by going 3-for-5 with a solo shot on Thursday. He is now 11 for his last 20. |
Our View: Encarnacion is as streaky as they come and its good to see him pick up where he left off before the All-Star break. His homer was his 16th of the season.
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| Adam Dunn hit his 27th home run of the season off of fellow lefty Johan Santana on Thursday. |
Our View: Dunn also ripped off his 101st strikeout. Still its good to see him tag a quality lefty.
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| Is Fernando Tatis behind the Mets 10-game winning streak? In July he is hitting .432 with four home runs and 12 RBI in just 36 at-bats. |
Our View: It's impossible for Tatis to keep this up, but he may be solidifying himself as an everyday player in the outfield.
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| Carlos Delgado continues a red hot July. He was 3-for-4 with a home run, three RBI, a walk and two runs in Thursday night's 10-8 win over the Reds. |
Our View: Delgado is now hitting .396 with four home runs, 10 RBI and 14 runs scored in 13 games.
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| David Wright hit a two-run home run in the ninth to give the Mets their 10th straight win on Thursday over the Reds. Wright finished the game 2-for-5 with four RBI. |
Our View: Wright's numbers will increase with the continued improvement of the rest of the team.
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| Adam Jones has reached base safely in 17 straight games. He had two hits on Thursday against Detroit. |
Our View: If Jones is on your waiver wire he may be worth picking up. His batting average is at the highest point it has been all season and it appears that he is getting more comfortable with major league pitching.
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| Twins manager Ron Gardenhire told MLB.com that he is not happy with Francisco Liriano's grievance with the team. "I'm a little bit tired of that stuff," Gardenhire said. "We have a good team here. We are a game-and-a-half out, I come back into town, and we want to talk about the guy in Triple-A...I just back into town and I hear all this stuff, and Buster Olney is making my team up now and [Liriano's agent Genske] wants to tell me who is going to pitch here. No one is going to tell us who to put on our team and no one on ESPN is going to tell us who should pitch for my team." |
Our View: It's never a good idea to tick off the guy that decides your role. It's a very real possibility that the Twins have kept Liriano in the minors in order that he does not qualify for arbitration or as a Super Two player, but that's business and it shouldn't be a violation for the Twins. Liriano may have just bought himself some more time in the minors.
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| Rick Ankiel hit his 13th home run since June 10th on Thursday. He was 2-for-4 in the game. |
Our View: Ankiel has solidified himself as one of the top outfield producers in the National League.
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| Kyle Lohse has won nine consecutive decisions now. He overcame the San Diego Padres tonight in a 4-3 win. He scattered seven hits and two walks over seven innings while allowing just two earned runs. |
Our View: Lohse is making a strong case to become a $15 million per season pitcher after 2008. The Cardinals will continue to need his strong performances this season if they want to make the playoffs.
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| For the first time since July 9, 2003 Jake Peavy surrendered four home runs in a game. The Cardinals managed four solo shots off of him in seven innings. |
Our View: They were the only runs he gave up on Thursday, and he struck out seven. Peavy should return to his Cy Young-like form by his next start.
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| Troy Glaus was 2-for-4 with two solo home runs off of Jake Peavy on Thursday. He now has four home runs in his last three games. |
Our View: Glaus' power numbers have come around and he should end up with 100 RBI and 30 HRs barring injury.
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| Gary Sheffield hit his first homer on Thursday since June 26th. |
Our View: Sheff is hitting just .219 with five home runs on the season. He endured a terrible second half last season when he hit just .203.
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| Garrett Olson continued a terrible July. Coming into Thursday night's start against the Tigers, he had given up 12 earned runs in nine innings for the month. This start was no much better. He lasted six innings and gave up five runs and 11 baserunners. |
Our View: Olson has no business on a fantasy outfit at this point.
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| Johnny Cueto did not fair well against the Mets on Thursday. In 5.1 innings he gave up six runs on six hits and three walks. He did strike out six. |
Our View: Cueto is among the most inconsistent pitchers going. Hopefully, that consistency will come with more experience for the rookie.
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| Johan Santana continued his struggles against the Reds on Thursday. He lasted just four innings and gave up five earned runs, including two homers. On the night he surrendered six hits and three walks. |
Our View: No idea why Johan can't get past the Reds. Don't expect these struggles to carry over into his next start.
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| Melvin Mora hit a home run and a double while recording a run and two RBI on Thursday against the Tigers. |
Our View: Mora continues to have his best month in what has been a very difficult year. You have to think he'll continue to heat up in the second half to restore his numbers nearer his career averages.
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| Todd Jones earned his 18th save of the year despite giving up a walk, a hit and a run in the ninth inning against the Orioles on Thursday. |
Our View: Jones' ERA continues to hover around five and you have to wonder if Joel Zumaya or Fernando Rodney will take over closing duties soon.
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| Marcus Thames hit his 18th home run tonight off of Orioles starter Garrett Olson. Thames finished 2-for-3 with a walk and two RBI. |
Our View: Thames is hitting bombs at a pretty incredible rate. However, he only starts against lefties and is only occasionally used against righties. If your roster is large enough, he is worth carrying for the damage he does against southpaws.
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| Kenny Rogers got the win tonight despite giving up four runs, 11 hits and two walks in six innings. |
Our View: Rogers will get wins as long as the Tigers score. His WHIP and ERA continue to keep him out of fantasy leagues.
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| Chris Carpenter will make his first appearance Sunday with Double-A Springfield, according to MLB.com. With strong reports on Carpenter out of Florida, the Cardinals are not hesitating to get him some tougher action immediately. |
Our View: For the past two weeks, Carpenter has participated in simulated games in Jupiter, Fla., with his most recent on Monday. "It's a good spot to start, and he wants to face a higher level," Mozeliak said.
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| David Ortiz finished his first rehab start 1-for-3 with a walk and a solo home run, according to the Providence Journal. |
Our View: The Red Sox really could not hope for much better. Big Papi was lifted in the sixth for a pinch runner.
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| MLB.com reports that Matt Diaz believes he's ready to come off the disabled list if doctors allow him to use a less-constrictive knee brace.
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Our View: Diaz has hit .231 in seven Minor League rehab games for Double-A Mississippi. He has not played for the Braves since May 27.
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| MLB.com reports that Tom Glavine remains optimistic about his left elbow and plans to throw off the bullpen mound on Saturday. |
Our View: The 42-year-old left-handed pitcher believes he still needs to rebuild his arm strength to make sure he doesn't put any unnecessary strain on his shoulder. He is still weeks away.
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| The Rocky Mountain News tells us that Jeff Francis threw 50 pitches in a bullpen session and felt good enough that the expectation is the Rockies will send him out in the next couple of days to begin a rehab assignment. |
Our View: Francis is trying to recover from left shoulder inflammation which may explain his terrible season to date. He won nine games after the break last season.
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| The Rocky Mountain News reports that Kip Wells is expected to be activated in time to make a start on Monday. He is recovering from a blood clot in his right hand. |
Our View: In 10 games earlier this season, Wells had a 2.29 ERA and a 1-1 record.
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| Gio Gonzalez could get his chance in the majors now that Joe Blanton and Rich Harden have been dealt. |
Our View: Gio has 117 strikeouts in 110 innings at Triple-A this season. However, he is just 7-6 with a 4.34 ERA. His strikeout ability makes him worth watching in the second half.
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| MLB.com reports that starting catcher Matt Treanor will return when eligible to come off the disabled list on Wednesday. |
Our View: Treanor does not have much fantasy value but will see plenty of at-bats in the second half.
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| Fausto Carmona will go five innings or 80 pitches on Monday at Class AA Akron. He could be ready in a week, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer. |
Our View: Carmona has looked good in his rehab so far. If he throws well on Monday, look for him to make a start for the Indians next weekend.
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| Kevin Kouzmanoff has hit safely in 17 of the last 21 games. He is 28-for-82 (.341) with nine doubles, one triple, four home runs and 12 RBIs in that span. |
Our View: Kouz has traditionally been a second half player and should be able to help your team in the second half.
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| Tug Hulett was optioned by the Mariners to Triple-A Tacoma |
Our View: Hulett lasted just one game in the majors where he hit 1-for-3. Expect to see him back in the majors at some point this season.
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| Bryan LaHair has been called up to the Seattle Mariners. |
Our View: LaHair has produced on every level in the minors and he's finally getting his chance. He could earn starts over Miguel Cairo soon.
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| The Palm Beach Post reports that Andrew Miller has been placed on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to Monday, with right knee tendinitis. The right knee is his landing knee, so it affects his delivery. |
Our View: Hopefully Miller comes back strong after the time off. He has been a disappointment thus far in the season.
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| ESPN.com reports that the Athletics got second baseman Adrian Cardenas, pitcher Joshua Outman and outfielder Matthew Spencer in return for Joe Blanton. |
Our View: Outman should be happy about the transaction. The major league park in Oakland is far friendlier than Philly's and their farm system has produced a number of outstanding pitchers.
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| ESPN.com reports that the Athletics got second baseman Adrian Cardenas , pitcher Josh Outman and outfielder Matthew Spencer in return for Joe Blanton.
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Our View: The A's know as well as anyone how to stack up their minor leagues. Expect to see Cardenas in the majors within a year or two.
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| MLB.com reports that Carlos Guillen will miss Friday's game against Baltimore. He returned to Detroit after Tuesday's All-Star Game to be with his wife while she deals with complications following the birth of their daughter last week.
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Our View: It's unknown how much time Guillen will miss at this point, but it's possible he may miss the entire Baltimore series.
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| ESPN's Buster Olney is reporting the Phillies have acquired Joe Blanton for three prospects. |
Our View: Blanton has had a mediocre year in Oakland going 5-12 with a 4.96 ERA. He was 14-10 with a 3.95 ERA in 2007. His win-rate should increase but Philadelphia's smaller ballpark does not work in his favor.
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| Matt Garza will start Saturday's game against the Blue Jays in place of Scott Kazmir. |
Our View: Garza is 7-5 with a 3.96 ERA this season. The second half will be a good barometer for Garza's ability to be a full-time starter. He had just over 80 innings pitched in the majors prior to this season. He currently has 102.1 IP this season.
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| The Tampa Tribune reports that the Rays will activate Al Reyes from the disabled list tomorrow, as expected. |
Our View: Reyes probably won't see many save opportunities because Troy Percival will activated soon. He will take the roster spot left vacant when Reid Brignac was optioned to Durham following Sunday’s game in Cleveland.
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| The Tampa Tribune reports that Scott Kazmir will not start Saturday as originally planned. The Rays already had decided to bump him back a day or two if he was needed in the All-Star Game, so it sounds like the plan is to see how he feels tomorrow before deciding whether to start him Sunday or Monday. |
Our View: Matt Garza will move up and pitch Saturday night against the Blue Jays.
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| The Tampa Tribune reports that Troy Percival threw to hitters today and apparently felt good. He’ll get a thorough once-over from the medical staff before he’s cleared to come off the DL, but that could come this weekend. |
Our View: The Rays will place Percival back into the closer's role once he returns, which could be Saturday.
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| Johan Santana makes the start for the Mets tonight in Cincinnati. In two career starts against the Reds, Santana is 1-0 with a 5.40 ERA. |
Our View: After the All-Star break last season, Johan was just 5-7 with a 4.04 ERA.
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| Jim Moore of The Seattle Post-Intelligencer called for the trade of Ichiro Suzuki in Friday's column. |
Our View: Ichiro signed a five year $100 million contract last summer and would fetch a load of prospects in return. It is not completely impossible to envision such a deal happening.
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| Zach Miner will start on Monday against the Royals, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: Miner has been very average this season with a 3-3 record and a 4.22 ERA. But now it looks like he will be a fixture in the rotation for the second half.
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| The Dallas Morning News reports that Hank Blalock will move back to third base and allow power-hitting Chris Davis to remain at first. |
Our View: Blalock started the year hot while playing first but this move makes the Rangers lineup one of the scariest in baseball. The D and pitching leave a lot to be desired.
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| Ryan Ludwick is not in Thursday night's lineup for the Cardinals. Chris Duncan will start in his place. |
Our View: Ludwick returns from the All-Star break and is likely just getting a mental break before the Cards play 18 games in 18 days. Expect him back in the lineup Friday.
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| Updating a previous note, Jerry Hairston Jr. has officially been placed on the DL with a strained hamstring. |
Our View: Jolbert Cabrera was activated in his place.
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| Jolbert Cabrera has been activated from the 14-day disabled list after fracturing his left index finger. |
Our View: Jolbert remains another solid Reds prospect. He won't see regular duty though as he will serve as Jeff Keppinger's backup for now.
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| Updating a previous note, D.J. Carrasco has been optioned to Triple-A. |
Our View: The move was made to open up a spot for Bobby Jenks who could be activated prior to Friday's game.
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| Angel Pagan has suffered a setback during action with Single-A Brooklyn on Wednesday, according to the NY Daily News. |
Our View: The injury was not disclosed, but he was recovering from a left shoulder contusion. He was previously hoping to return from the DL shortly after the All-Star break.
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| The White Sox have optioned reliever DJ Carrasco to Triple-A Charlotte to free up a roster spot for the return of Bobby Jenks, according to the AP. |
Our View: Chicago is expected to activate Jenks from the 15-day DL Friday when it begins the second half against the Royals.
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| Jamie Walker is set to throw a bullpen session today, and he expects to go on a brief rehab assignment before being activated from the DL over the weekend, according to the Baltimore Sun. He is trying to bounce back from left elbow inflammation. |
Our View: Walker has been long-tossing, but this will be the first time that he steps on a mound. He's now able to fully extend his left arm, which he couldn't do before going on the shelf. He tried pitching through the pain and restrictions, but that didn't work out very well for him. He could pitch better over the second half, but doesn't merit fantasy attention in standard leagues as a middle reliever.
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| Ryan Church is said to be doubtful to be activated from the DL when eligible on Tuesday, according to the NY Daily News. |
Our View: Skipper Jerry Manuel noted that Church didn't suffer a setback in his recovery from post-concussion syndrome, and the team is just being cautious with him. Church is anxious to play, but the team is yet to determine when he will be return to action.
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| Pedro Martinez is expected to miss his next start scheduled for Sunday due to the tightness in his right shoulder, according to MetsBlog.com. |
Our View: Manager Jerry Manuel stated that Mike Pelfrey will start Sunday in his place.
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| Jeff Francis is targeting July 29 as his return date to the Rockies, according to the Rocky Mountain News. He is recovering from left shoulder inflammation. |
Our View: He should have a rehab start or two before he returns. He only holds a 3-7 record this season, but won 17 games in 2007 as he helped guide the Rockies to the World Series, and is worth stashing in NL-only leagues.
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| Rangers' prospect Taylor Teagarden (at Triple-A Oklahoma) has made the Team USA baseball team, according to the Star-Telegram. Team USA manager Davey Johnson said, "I’ve been looking at Teagarden for a while and he was high on our list. He’s a guy that can shut down the running game. I really liked what we saw defensively and that’s a big part of winning a game."
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Our View: Johnson was particularly impressed when Teagarden threw out his second runner in Sunday’s Futures Game at Yankee Stadium. Teagarden blocked a 3-2 breaking ball, scooped it out of the dirt and threw a dart to get Ivan DeJesus in the sixth inning.
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| The Tampa Tribune lists A's outfielder Matt Murton as a potential trade target for the Rays. |
Our View: The source states that Murton would provide the Rays with the right-handed outfield bat they covet. Murton was recently dealt to Oakland as part of the package that sent Rich Harden to Chicago.
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| Red Sox Principal owner John W. Henry was offended by the comments made by Manny Ramirez suggesting that the team's front office and ownership hasn't been straightforward with him regarding his future, according to MLB.com. Henry said, "I find remarks that we have been anything other than completely straightforward to be personally offensive. Manny has been a crucial part of two World Series championships. I do not believe we would have won either without him. He has never played a more important role than he has thus far this year." Ramirez irked Henry by saying on Wednesday, "I want to know what's my situation. I want no more times where they tell you one thing and behind your back they do another thing. I think I've earned that respect, for a team to sit down with me and tell me this is what we want, this is what we want to do."
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Our View: Manny wants to remain in Boston, but wants to sit down with team management after the season to see what his future is going to be.
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| Phillies' prospect Jason Donald (currently with Double-A Reading) has been selected to the U.S. Olympic baseball team, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. Team USA manager Davey Johnson said, "He's a great looking shortstop. He's got great hands, good arm, his offensive numbers are outstanding. I like his makeup. I got to see him play, and that kind of sealed the deal for me. He was way up on our list to begin with."
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Our View: Donald is hitting .301 with 16 doubles, three triples, 12 homers and 47 RBI over 77 games with Reading.
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| Phillies' prospect Lou Marson (currently with Double-A Reading) has made the U.S. Olympic baseball team, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. |
Our View: The catcher earned the spot by maintaining a .325 average over 74 games at Reading, with three homers and 41 RBI.
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| A deal to send Tony Clark from the Padres to the Diamondbacks has reportedly been finalized, according to Diamondbacks.com. The Padres will receive a yet to be named minor league pitcher. |
Our View: The Padres and Diamondbacks were waiting to see if the 36-year-old Clark would waive the $500,000 assignment bonus that he would have received in a trade. He did, and now he is once again a member of the Diamondbacks, but an official announcement isn't expected until later Thursday. He will serve as a pinch-hitter, and will likely get some starts against left-handed pitchers. He is worth a look in larger NL-only leagues.
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| Richie Sexson has reportedly reached a tentative agreement to play for the Yankees, according to ESPN. |
Our View: The Yankees covet a right-handed hitter to match up against left-handed pitching, and Sexson fits their need as he hit .344 against lefties while a member of the Mariners this season. Jason Giambi could serve as the DH on days that Sexson starts at first base. The Yankees will only have to pay Sexson the prorated minimum of $390,000 from his $14 million salary with the Mariners. Seattle is eating the remainder of the nearly $6 million Sexson is owed for the season.
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