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| Omar Vizquel continues his season long struggles after going 0-for-3 with two strikeouts in the Giants 9-1 loss to the Brewers on Friday. |
Our View: Vizquel is now hitting .156 on the season. Obviously, he doesn't need to be anywhere near a fantasy team, and it is tough to see such a great player likely end his career this way.
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| Darin Erstad has claimed the starting job in center field from Michael Bourn, according to the Houston Chronicle. "We're just going to play Darin for the most part," Houston manager Cecil Cooper said. |
Our View: Bourn simply was not getting on base enough to justify him being out there on a daily basis. Erstad is having a decent year, though he does not do anything well enough to warrant giving him a spot on fantasy rosters.
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| The Red Sox and Angels battled late into the night with XXXX emerging victorious, 11-3. For the Sox, it was the great Manny Ramirez leading the effort (despite his troubles with team management over recent days). Manny went 2-for-3 at the plate with one walk, hitting his 19th homer of the season to total one RBI and two runs scored. |
Our View: Ramirez is set to meet with agent Scott Boras to discuss his future this week. The hope is to find another long-term deal, believing Manny can play at a top level until he is 40-years of age. The Sox have an option year to consider but the general thought suggests they will move on and take the money. Games like this make you wonder if the investment is worth the cost.
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| Phil Dumatrait has not begun to throw as he continues to be bothered by his sore left shoulder, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. |
Our View: It is unknown when Dumatrait will start throwing again, and he will need minor league starts before being called back up to the big leagues. Dumatrait has no value in fantasy baseball.
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| Noah Lowry has begun throwing after having surgery on his arm to reduce pressure on his nerves which was causing a tingling sensation, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. |
Our View: Lowry probably will not return this season, though he was optimistic that he might be able to do so. When healthy, Lowry is an effective pitcher who gained 14 wins last season.
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| Eric Byrnes may not return to the Diamondbacks this season after tearing his left hamstring, according to DBacks.com. "I'd like to think that there's a possibility that I could come back this year. It's too hard to tell. It's been a rough ride," he said. |
Our View: This is not a surprise, as Byrnes suffered a complete tear of the hamstring. He was not playing well when he went on the DL, and fantasy owners should probably just forget about using him this year and monitor his progress in the offseason.
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| San Diego hurler Randy Wolf is certainly available in a trade, but there is little action on him right now, according to Padres.com. |
Our View: Wolf would likely be more valuable to fantasy players if he can get out of San Diego. Though almost any ballpark he would go to would not be the pitchers park that Petco is, his chance to earn victories would go up by going to a contending team.
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| Chase Headley saw his seven-game hitting streak come to an end with an 0-for-4 in San Diego's loss to the Cardinals. |
Our View: Headley was hitting .318 in July before tonight's performance. He is still someone you should consider for your fantasy team, especially in NL-only leagues.
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| Rick Ankiel went 3-for-5, hit his twenty-second home run of the season and drove in three runs in St. Louis' 11-7 win over San Diego. |
Our View: Ankiel is having a monster July, and hit his seventh home run of the month. Keep him in the lineup while he is on this hot streak.
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| Greg Maddux allowed six earned runs in four innings, and though he avoided the loss, his ERA went from 3.90 to 4.21. |
Our View: Maddux has only three wins on the season and with his low strikeout totals, it would be tough to justify putting him on a fantasy roster.
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| It was a tough night for Braden Looper, who only went three innings, allowing six earned runs on eight hits, though the Cardinals eventually pulled out an 11-7 victory over San Diego. |
Our View: Looper's ERA skyrocketed from 4.25 to 4.60. He had lost he previous two starts and has given up 12 earned runs in his last 16 inning pitched. His lack of strikeouts and uneven performances make him a dangerous option for fantasy players.
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| Ian Snell pitched a quality game for Pittsburgh but suffered the loss as the Pirates were taken down 5-2 by the Rockies. Snell went six innings, allowing three earned runs and striking out five. |
Our View: Snell's record dropped to 3-8 on the year, and though he has tantalized fantasy owners before, he cannot be trusted to make consistent quality starts.
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| The Colorado Rockies were concerned over the All-Star break that they might have to put Willy Taveras on the disabled list due to a sore quad, but he came back healthy on Friday and wound up stealing two bases on the night. Taveras went 1-for-3 with a walk for the game. |
Our View: Taveras has now stolen 41 bases on the year and fantasy owners needing steals should use him, but with the understanding that he brings little else to the table.
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| Ryan Doumit nailed a double and went 2-for-4 in the Pirates 5-2 loss to the Rockies. He now has a seven-game hitting streak. |
Our View: Doumit's average rose to .332, and he is one of the more pleasantly surprising players in fantasy baseball. Continue to ride his offense as long as possible.
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| Reliever Brian Fuentes picked up the save for the Colorado Rockies in their 5-2 victory over Pittsburgh. It was his sixteenth save of the year, and teams looking to acquire his services were likely impressed by his efficient 10 pitch inning that saw him throw seven strikes. |
Our View: Fuentes struck out one hitter, lowered his ERA to 3.23 and remains the most coveted reliever on the market. Fantasy owners should enjoy the saves while he is getting them, because it is possible he will become a set-up man should he be traded.
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| Outfielder Justin Upton was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a left oblique strain, according to TSN.com. |
Our View: Upton has struggled after his scorching start, and has just four RBI after June 1. He isn't someone who should be on fantasy rosters right now.
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| Astros outfielder Hunter Pence went 3-for-4 and drove in the game-winning run in the bottom of the ninth in Houston's 2-1 victory over Chicago. |
Our View: Pence has struggled since the end of May, and his batting average had dropped 40 points from .303 to .263 before tonight's game. He is now at .269, and fantasy owners who had him last year know is is capable of delivering even more.
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| San Francisco outfielder Dave Roberts could return to the team as soon as Wednesday, according to SFGiants.com. |
Our View: Roberts will likely come back as a bench player as Fred Lewis, nine years Roberts' junior, has played relatively well in his absence. So while Roberts has the potential to give fantasy owners a few steals, monitor his playing time before rushing out there to pick him up.
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| Catcher J.R. Towles went 0-for-2 and struck out twice on Friday as Houston defeated the Cubs. He was lifted for pinch-hitter Mark Loretta in the seventh inning |
Our View: Towles has been terrible, with an on-base percentage creeping towards .250.
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| Ted Lilly did not get a decision, but he pitched very well for Chicago in their loss to Houston. Lilly went seven innings, allowing only a solo home run to Carlos Lee and striking out six batters. |
Our View: After a horrendous performance his last time out, Lilly re-established himself here. He has nine wins and racks up a good amount of strikeouts, and has gotten better every month of the season, so he is a useful fantasy hurler.
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| Shortstop Miguel Tejada went 3-for-4 with a double while scoring a run in the Astros 2-1 victory over the Cubs on Friday. |
Our View: Tejada's night is good news for fantasy owners who were undoubtedly becoming impatient with his falling average. He was hitting just .159 in July, so these three hits may ignite him for the season's second half.
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| Ryan Theriot extended his hitting streak to 11 games on Friday, going 1-for-3 with his thirteenth double of the season in Chicago's 2-1 loss to the Astros. |
Our View: Theriot is now hitting .320 on the season with 15 stolen bases. He can certainly provide value to your fantasy team if you can spare the home runs and RBI.
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| Tim Redding was hit hard in his four innings of work on Friday, allowing six runs on six hits and walking three while picking up his fourth loss of the season. |
Our View: This was a bad night for Redding, who saw his ERA jump to over 4.00. He had only allowed one earned run in 12 innings in July after a poor June, but that success eluded him against Atlanta. He still has value as a fantasy player, but these type of performances should be expected from time-to-time.
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| Braves catcher Brian McCann went 1-for-4 with a double and three RBI in the Braves 7-6 victory over Washington. He is 9-for-19 in his last six games. |
Our View: McCann remains one of the best fantasy players at any position. The fact that he is putting up the numbers he is at catcher is an added bonus.
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| Paul Lo Duca picked up two RBI and went 1-for-5 in the Nationals loss to Atlanta on Friday. Lo Duca played first base as Johnny Estrada went behind the plate. |
Our View: Lo Duca's average went down to .225, and his two RBI represent one-quarter of his season total of eight. He is an antidote to winning fantasy baseball teams.
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| Mike Gonzalez earned his fourth save of the season in Atlanta's 7-6 win over Washington. Gonzalez made it interesting by allowing a run but managed to maintain the victory. |
Our View: Gonzalez has now allowed runs in consecutive games, but he still has not walked a batter this season and can be a good source of saves for those in need.
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| After playing arguably the worst All-Star Game in history, Dan Uggla continued his struggles Friday. He went 0-for-4 with a strikeout and is now 2-for-16 over his last five games. |
Our View: Hopefully that performance at the All-Star Game doesn't get into his head. This is probably just a small glitch on the radar and Uggla will likely pull through it soon enough.
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| After being concerned with the nearly 100 pitches Brad Lidge threw while warming up in the All-Star Game, the Phillies had to be pleased when their closer threw just 11 while picking up his twenty-first save of the season tonight. |
Our View: Lidge also got a strike out, so it was an economical yet effective inning for the dynamic closer. He continues to dominate with his electric stuff.
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| Ricky Nolasco took the loss for the Marlins in their defeat at the hands of division rival Philadelphia. Nolasco threw seven innings, allowing four runs and striking out five. He also allowed two solo home runs. |
Our View: Nolaso struck out five on the night, and though this performance was just average, it should do nothing to discourage fantasy owners from putting him in their lineup when his turn in the rotation comes up again.
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| Ryan Howard hit his twenty-ninth home run of the season in the Phillies 4-2 victory over the Marlins. He now has nine home runs in the month of July. He also walked once and struck out once. |
Our View: Pretty typical game for the big guy with a home run and a strike out. Needless to say, his bat has officially come alive in July.
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| John Maine failed to pitch five innings for the third time in his last four starts and he took the loss as New York fell 5-2 to the Reds. Maine did account for five in many other statistical categories in this game, however. He allowed five runs on five hits and five walks while striking out five. |
Our View: Maine's ERA has been rising as the season has progressed, so fantasy owners may want to try another option until he gets this corrected.
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| Jay Bruce reached base three teims with two hits and a walk in five plate appearances in the Reds 5-2 victory over the Mets on Friday. He hit his seventh home run of the year and scored twice. |
Our View: Bruce raised his batting average five points in the game, and also added another strikeout. He will have his ups and downs, but remains a solid option in fantasy leagues.
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| Jose Reyes went hitless in four at-bats on Friday against the Reds, and he has gone 2-for-16 over his last four games. He does not have a stolen base since July 7. |
Our View: It's likely nothing to be concerned about, and Reyes will continue to rack up stolen bases once he starts getting on base with more frequency.
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| Bronson Arroyo pitched a great game against the New York Mets, picking up the victory as the Reds won 5-2. Arroyo threw eight innings, allowing just two runs on four hits while striking out four. |
Our View: This is Arroyo's fourth win in as many starts. After struggling mightily at the beginning of the season, his ERA has now dropped from 6.52 on June 24 to 5.71.
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| Chan Ho Park will head to the bullpen and be the closer on days when Jonathan Broxton needs a day off, according to Dodgers.com. "Chan Ho may take a more prominent role," Dodgers manager Joe Torre said. |
Our View: This is somewhat surprising news, but Park has certainly pitched well enough this season to get the opportunity. Fantasy owners in NL-only leagues that desperately need saves may want to consider picking him up.
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| Alfonso Soriano took batting practice before tonight's game and reaffirmed his earlier prognostication that he will return next week, according to Cubs.com. "I think I'm looking to come back next Thursday. My hand feels great, like nothing happened before," he said. |
Our View: Soriano will begin an abbreviated rehab assignment soon and fantasy owners can expect to put him right back in their lineup Thursday when the Cubs take on the Marlins.
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| Ryan Freel will undergo surgery to repair a torn hamstring, according to Reds.com. It is not known how long he will be out. |
Our View: It's possible Freel may not see the field the rest of the year, so fantasy owners hoping to get some stolen bases out of him come August and September may be end up being disappointed.
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| Justin Miller started his minor league rehabilitation and threw one inning allowing one run, according to the Palm Beach Post. |
Our View: Miller works in middle relief and has little value in fantasy leagues.
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| Marlins hurler Andrew Miller may have to undergo season-ending surgery to repair chronic right knee tendinitis, according to the Palm Beach Post. |
Our View: Miller is uber-talented, and despite his struggles this season, he will eventually become someone to covet in fantasy leagues; just not this season.
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| Runelvys Hernandez will be recalled from Triple-A Round Rock in order to make the start on Monday against Pittsburgh, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: Hernandez has an unseemly 10.29 ERA in three starts this season and should not be considered for fantasy play.
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| The chances of Astros pitcher Roy Oswalt to make his next start are "50-50", according to MLB.com. "[I'm] still sore, kind of, actually. It's 50-50. Maybe 51 [percent] not good," he said. |
Our View: Oswalt is going to throw a bullpen session on Saturday to see where he is at, but it does not sound very promising. The disappointing season for Oswalt continues.
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| Pitcher Clay Hensley has been called up to the big leagues by the Padres, according to the Associated Press. |
Our View: Hensley will work in long relief and has little to no value in fantasy play.
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| Reports from beat reporters indicate the Rockies, seeking the right deal for reliever Brian Fuentes , may have been hurt by Oakland sending starter Joe Blanton to Philadelphia for a bevy of top prospects, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: The Rockies had engaged in serious talks with the Phillies for some of those names, and it is now fair to suggest any deal is on the rocks (pun intended). The rumor mill suggests there are still interested parties, but it sounds like the Rockies aren't feeling as happy about those potential swaps as any they might have reached with Philly. We'll keep you posted as further events unfold.
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| As anticipated, the Rays have activated reliever Al Reyes from the disabled list, according to the Associated Press. |
Our View: Reyes had been out since June 10 because of right shoulder tendinitis. Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon said there no limitations on Reyes.
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| Pitcher Juan Morillo has been recalled from Triple-A to join the Rockies bullpen, according to the Rocky Mountain News. He has a live arm and his fastball has been known to hit 100 mph, according to the paper. |
Our View: Morillo had a previous stint in the majors last season, and did not fare well, registering a 9.82 ERA. In Triple-A this year, he has held opponents to a .204 batting average, while striking out 41 hitters in 39.1 innings. The problem was that he also walked 34 batters during that time. Keep him off fantasy rosters for now, but monitor his status to see if he improves his control, because all of those strikeouts could become useful.
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| Instead of joining the bullpen, pitcher Mark Redman has been removed from the Rockies roster, and will decide if he wants to accept a demotion to the minor leagues, according to the Rocky Mountain News. |
Our View: Redman has been just plain awful and should not be near anyone's fantasy squad.
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| The Milwaukee Brewers could be interested in obtaining Giants second baseman Ray Durham to use off the bench, according to Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com. |
Our View: Durham has had a decent year, but if he is traded and used off the bench, his fantasy value would obviously take a hit. For now, the Brewers seem inclined to stick with Rickie Weeks and his sub-.220 batting average.
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| Jesus Delgado has been called up from Double-A to join the Marlins bullpen, according to the Associated Press. |
Our View: Delgado has nice numbers in the minors, with 35 strikeouts and a 3.73 ERA in 41 innings. He is said to be a potential closer for Florida, but until that happens, he has minimal fantasy value.
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| Adrian Gonzalez is a .500 hitter off of tonight's starter for St. Louis, Braden Looper. Gonzalez is 5-for-10 with two home runs off the converted reliever. |
Our View: Gonzalez is really the only offensive threat on the Padres, so the fact that he gets pitches to hit is somewhat surprising. He is only hitting .209 in July, but tonight is a good night for him to possibly break out of that slump.
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| Outfielder Joe Mather was sent to Triple-A Memphis in order to make room for Randy Flores, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. |
Our View: Mather hit an important pinch-hit home run last night off of Jake Peavy, and was subsequently sent down. He has the potential to be useful in fantasy play, but will go to the minors in the meantime.
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| Phillies pitcher Adam Eaton has been moved out of the rotation and into the bullpen to make room for newly acquired Joe Blanton, according to the Associated Press. |
Our View: Eaton has been bad, with an ERA of 5.71 and only three wins in 19 starts. He should not have been on anyone's fantasy team before this, and certainly should not be now.
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| Angel Pagan is probably going to have shoulder surgery and miss the remainder of the season, according to the New York Post. He is suffering from a torn left laburm. |
Our View: Pagan was a part-time player hitting .275 with no home runs and 13 RBI, so he carried little value in fantasy terms.
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| Closer Luis Pena will not be recalled from Triple-A in order to help the Brewers leaky bullpen, according to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. |
Our View: Pena has very good strikeout numbers with 34 in 37 innings, but his 27 bases on balls are far too many. Unless he controls his wildness, he'll remain in the minors for the time being.
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| Jon Lieber has been placed on the 15-day disabled list with a right foot strain, according to The Sports Network. |
Our View: Lieber has been effective as a middle reliever, and he also has one start on the year. However, unless you play in an extremely deep NL-only league, he is unlikely to affect fantasy play.
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| Pedro Martinez is tentatively scheduled to make his next start on Tuesday against the Philadelphia Phillies, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: Martinez will throw in the bullpen on Saturday before the final determination is made. If you have him on your fantasy team in hopes he may turn things around, look for an update some time this weekend on how that session went.
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| Manny Ramirez has not been fined a six-figure amount, as had been reported, according to the Boston Herald. Instead it was a fine of $10,000 to $15,000 which will go to charity. |
Our View: Ramirez has a $20 million option he wants picked up after the season, and this incident won't help his cause any. But he won't be suspended so keep him in your fantasy lineup.
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| Leo Nunez, who is recovering from a strained right lat, is expected to rejoin the Royals' bullpen by Monday's game against the Tigers, according to the Kansas City Star. |
Our View: He has been solid as he only allowed four earned runs over 21 innings, but only holds fantasy value in league's that use setup men.
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| Todd Helton, who is recovering from a sore back, went through light work Thursday, according to the Rocky Mountain News. |
Our View: Helton had some soreness flare up, but trainer Keith Dugger was not surprised. He remains hopeful to return to action at some point near the end of July.
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| Mark Redman has been moved to the Rockies' bullpen, according to the Rocky Mountain News. He was moved so Kip Wells can return to the rotation, starting this Monday against the Dodgers. |
Our View: Redman has struggled as a starter, and holds no value as a reliever in standard leagues.
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| Carlos Zambrano was limited to 87 pitches in his first start since returning from the DL and 103 pitches in his second, and he wants his restriction lifted going forward, according to the Chicago Tribune. He said, "I think Lou will lift the pitch-limit. Why not? I'm not hurt. I'm ready to go 100-110 pitches, and, hopefully, I can do what I did the last time against Cincinnati and throw eight innings."
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Our View: Zambrana admitted that the two-week stint on the DL did his body some good while resting, and he thinks he will still be able to throw 200 innings this season.
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| Left-handed hurler Scott Eyre is ready to return from his minor league rehab stint following his battle with a strained left groin, according to the Chicago Tribune. |
Our View: Eyre was a decent reliever for the Cubs this season, as he went 2-0 with six earned runs allowed over 11 innings, with 14 strikeouts. He only holds fantasy value in deeper NL-only leagues.
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| Micah Hoffpauir is expected to be recalled from Triple-A Iowa soon to bolster the Cubs' bench, according to the Chicago Tribune. Kevin Hart or Neal Cotts would be the top candidates to be sent down to make room on the roster. |
Our View: He hit .400 over 35 at-bats prior to getting sent down, and he would replace Matt Murton, who was dealt to Oakland in the Rich Harden deal.
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| Updating a previous report, Mike Hampton aggravated a groin injury while pitching in a minor league rehab game with Double-A Mississippi on Wednesday, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constituion. Manager Bobby Cox said, "It's too bad. He's been throwing the ball well. The groin got him again. His next start could have been up here. That's too bad." |
Our View: The groin injury was not considered severe, but it's another setback for Hampton, who made the starting rotation out of spring training before suffering a strained left pectoral in the Turner Field bullpen before his first scheduled start. The team considers him day-to-day.
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| Yunel Escobar is still being bothered by his inflamed left rotator cuff, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. |
Our View: He is able to take infield practice, but is not able to partake in batting practice due to the ailment. He is unlikely to start when the Braves open a home series against the Nationals on Friday.
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| Manny Ramirez has reportedly been fined a six-figure amount by the Red Sox for his June scuffle with traveling secretary Jack McCormick, according to the Boston Herald. WBZ sports director Bob Lobel commented, "The thing that most people are forgetting and haven't talked about is the strikeout in Yankee Stadium. The bat on the shoulder for the three pitches from Mariano Rivera. That was a big [expletive] to the Red Sox after the fine. I'm just telling you, there are things in the front office that are perceived ... I'm saying that there is a strong feeling that that three-pitch strikeout was the message to the Red Sox and it's a strong feeling that that's unacceptable." |
Our View: It is appearing more likely that Ramirez will part ways with the Red Sox following this season, unless he and the club can work things out.
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| The Diamondbacks are aiming for Sunday to activate Chris Snyder from the DL, according to the East Valley Tribune. |
Our View: He participated in the D-Backs' workout at Chase Field on Thursday, and is reportedly feeling great. Snyder belted seven homers with 33 RBI over 64 games this season, and could be worth stashing in NL-only leagues for the second half of the season.
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| Juan Cruz, who is trying to bounce back from a left oblique strain, is expected to throw a pen session Friday, according to the East Valley Tribune. |
Our View: He will likely need one rehab assignment before rejoining the Diamondbacks.
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| Luis Castillo is not ready to be cleared to resume baseball activities, and needs a few more days as he continues to recover from his strained left hip flexor, according to the NY Daily News. |
Our View: He was eligible to be activated from the DL Friday, but shouldn't be expected back soon. The team is in no hurry to get him back, as Damion Easley has fared well in his absence at second base.
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| Jared Burton said he is feeling good as he continues to recover from an injured lateral muscle, according to the | |
