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| Adam Jones may be put on the disabled list soon with his injured left foot, according to the Baltimore Sun. |
Our View: Jones hit a foul ball off his foot a couple of days ago, and he has been hobbled ever since. Jones has had a nice rookie season, hitting .279 with 50 RBI. He belongs in AL-only leagues, but doesn't do quite enough (yet) to be a good fit in mixed leagues.
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| Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia has a hit in 25 consecutive road games, reports the Boston Globe. That is the most by a Red Sox player since Tris Speaker in 1913. |
Our View: Speaker is pretty nice company to keep. Pedroia does a little bit of everything for fantasy owners, and even has a surprising nine home runs, which is one more than he had all of last season.
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| Marlon Byrd went 2-for-4 and hit a walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the ninth as the Rangers beat the Yankees 9-5. |
Our View: Byrd now has three home runs in his last nine games, but he still has little fantasy value.
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| Damaso Marte got the loss for the Yankees as he gave up a grand slam to Marlon Byrd of Texas in the bottom of the ninth. |
Our View: Marte has value in leagues that use holds, or in AL-only leagues for owners needing a boost in strikeouts.
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| Rangers pitcher Vicente Padilla gave up four earned runs in six innings while striking out five in Texas' win over the Yankees. |
Our View: Padilla was not great in July, and this is not a very good start for August. He's still a decent fantasy option, but watch our for his rising ERA.
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| Jason Giambi went 3-for-4 and hit his 21st home run of the season in New York's 9-5 loss to Texas. |
Our View: Giambi shaved his mustache, and promptly got three hits. After saying he was going to re-grow it, maybe this game will change his mind.
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| Updating an earlier report, Yankees.com says that New York pitcher Joba Chamberlain is suffering from a stiff right shoulder. |
Our View: It is not known whether or not Chamberlain will have to go on the DL or not. When word comes, we will pass it along to you.
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| J.D. Drew hit leadoff for the Red Sox, but he wound up going 0-for-4 with two strikeouts in the team's loss to Kansas City. |
Our View: Drew has really cooled down lately, and hit just .221 in July. He remains a solid fantasy option, even at a lesser pace than he had been on.
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| Jose Guillen went 2-for-3 with two doubles in the Royals 4-3 victory over Boston. In bigger news, Guillen took a walk for the third game in a row. This is half the total he accumulated in May, June and July. |
Our View: Guillen has shown better plate discipline of late, and he has a very modest four game hitting streak to show for it.
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| Clay Buchholz lost his seventh game of the year to the Kansas City Royals, going six innings and allowing four earned runs. |
Our View: Buchholz has undoubtedly been a disappointment to fantasy owners who expected so much after his sizzling debut last year.
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| Kansas City hurler Gil Meche threw a solid six innings, giving up just two earned runs in the Royals 4-2 victory over Boston. Although Meche walked five batters, he also struck out nine. |
Our View: Meche won his tenth game of the season, and has put together a nice run of games. In his last four contests, Meche has thrown 26.1 innings and allowed just five earned runs.
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| Evan Longoria went 0-for-4 in Tampa's loss to Cleveland and pitcher Cliff Lee. Despite his failure to get a base knock tonight, Longoria has hits in 14 of his last 17 games. |
Our View: Longoria is having a fabulous rookie season, and besides power, he even offers a little bit of speed, with seven stolen bases on the year.
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| Andy Marte went 0-for-4 with a strikeout in Cleveland's victory over Tampa Bay, and is now 3-for-32 since July 27. |
Our View: Marte keeps getting regular playing time, but he has yet to do anything with it. Once a top-flight prospect, he needs to show that he can play at this level if he wants to stick around.
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| Matt Garza threw an ineffective game for Tampa Bay, pitching five innings and giving up four earned runs on seven hits and two walks. |
Our View: Garza threw a complete game shutout his last time out, and this was likely just a hiccup. Garza threw 102 pitches tonight, and has thrown at least that many pitches in nine of his last ten starts.
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| Cleveland hurler Cliff Lee won his 15th game of the season, downing the Rays 5-2. Lee threw seven innings, allowing just two earned runs. |
Our View: Lee's Cy Young season continues. Lee gave up eight hits and walked just two with a bounce back effort after he gave up six earned runs in his last start.
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| Yankees pitcher Joba Chamberlain had to leave the game against the Texas Rangers in the middle of the fifth inning with an apparent injury to his right shoulder, according to the AP. |
Our View: There is no word on exactly what the malady is, but we will keep you updated when word comes.
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| Jason Giambi shaved his mustache after being lifted for a defensive replacement in the game on Sunday, according to the AP. He says he will grow it back as long as the team keeps winning. |
Our View: Before today's game, Giambi was hitting .205 since July 1, so the lucky mustache was anything but lucky. Maybe shaving it will begin a new streak of luck.
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| Bobby Crosby went 2-for-3, and hit a home run to score the A's only run in the team's 6-1 loss to Toronto. |
Our View: Crosby was hitting under .194 since July 1, so this little breakout should help fantasy owners who were lacking confidence in him.
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| Roy Halladay won game number 13 as Toronto defeated Oakland 6-1. He pitched eight innings, allowed just four hits, gave up one earned run and struck out eight. |
Our View: In Halladay's last 29 innings pitched, he has allowed just five earned runs, and he continues to provide fantasy owners with solid production.
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| Rays shortstop Jason Bartlett is day-to-day with an injury to his right index finger after he was hit with a pitch, according to MLB.com. He is available to pinch-run, but that is all he will likely be able to do for a few days. |
Our View: Bartlett has limited use in AL-only fantasy leagues, and none in mixed leagues. His on-base percentage is under .300, though he has stolen 18 bases on the year.
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| Rangers designated hitter Milton Bradley is available to pinch hit in tonight's game against the Yankees, according to MLB.com. He had been suffering from a strained left quad. |
Our View: Bradley is having a stellar season, so fantasy players can only hope he gets back as soon as possible.
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| MLB.com reports that Rangers pitcher Kevin Millwood threw 30 pitches on flat ground today, and if he feels good Wednesday, he will throw again that day. A rehab assignment would follow if that throwing session goes well. |
Our View: Millwood has little fantasy value, even in AL-only leagues. He has an ERA of 5.40, and a surprisingly high WHIP of 1.74, mainly because he gives up a whopping 12.3 hits per nine innings pitched.
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| Darren O'Day was sent to Triple-A Salt Lake by the Angels, according to the Orange County Register. |
Our View: O'Day was a serviceable reliever with no value in fantasy leagues.
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| Anthony Reyes will likely join the Indians starting rotation at some point this season, and it could be fairly soon, according to Indians.com. He threw well in his last outing, throwing eight innings and giving up one run. "His fastball was consistently at 92-94 [mph]. The thing he's done in both outings is maintain his fastball velocity throughout," Indians pitching coach Carl Willis said. |
Our View: Reyes has a great deal of talent, and he was never quite as bad as his record last season in St. Louis would indicate, as he got little run support. Reyes has won a World Series game, and it is entirely possible he could turn his career around in Cleveland. Think about picking him up, at least in AL-only leagues, when he gets recalled.
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| Clayton Richard was sent to the minor leagues today, according to the Associated Press. |
Our View: Richard had no fantasy value, not with a 2.23 WHIP and 10.38 ERA.
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| C.J. Wilson will remain the Texas Rangers closer, despite his recent struggles and the fact he may not be completely healthy, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. |
Our View: Wilson has been erratic as the Rangers closer, and sports a 5.28 ERA and 1.59 WHIP. The situation could change at anytime should Wilson continue to falter.
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| Toronto third baseman Scott Rolen will not play tonight as he rests his ailing left shoulder, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: Rolen has not been good this season, hitting just .254 with seven home runs and 36 RBI, and he hit a horrid .163 in July. His glory days in fantasy baseball are over, and should you have him in an AL-only league, remember that Rolen will be rested a lot unless his shoulder health improves.
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| Victor Martinez will begin his rehab assignment later this week, and it's possible he could see some time at first base, according to Indians.com. |
Our View: Kelly Shoppach has hit .325 since July 1, and keeping him at catcher when Martinez comes back is probably the smart thing to do. It would be nice for Martinez to start hitting for some power when he returns, as he has been an enormous disappointment in fantasy leagues. Not only has he been hurt, but he has not hit a single home run this season in nearly 200 at-bats.
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| Nick Markakis has been a boon to fantasy teams this season, but his match-up tonight means that could be discontinued, for one game at least. The Orioles take on the Angels and pitcher Joe Saunders, and Markakis goes into the game hitting an unseemly .083 against him. Unfortunately, that is also his on-base percentage and slugging percentage against Saunders. |
Our View: Markakis has given fantasy owners a little bit of everything, with 15 home runs and 10 stolen bases, but sitting him tonight may not be the worst idea in the world.
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| Eric Chavez will have surgery on his right shoulder to repair his labrum and will miss the rest of the season, according to the AP. |
Our View: Chavez only played 90 games a year ago and just 23 this season. He has played in under 140 games four out of the past five seasons, and he hasn't hit better than .247 since 2005. His best days are seemingly behind him.
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| It might be a good idea to go ahead and double check to make sure that David Ortiz is in your fantasy lineup. The Red Sox take on Kansas City tonight, and against the Royals starting pitcher, Gil Meche, Ortiz is 9-for-20 (.450) with a 1.100 slugging percentage and four home runs. |
Our View: Ortiz has just one hit in his last 10 at-bats, but history says that will change this evening.
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| Jon Lester has been named the AL Pitcher of the Month for July, according to the AP. Lester went 3-0 with a 2.05 ERA over four starts in the month. |
Our View: Lester hasn't lost a start since May 25, and is 10-3 with a 3.14 ERA and 1.31 WHIP for the season. Other nominees for the July honor were Cliff Lee, Roy Halladay, and closer Francisco Rodriguez.
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| Miguel Cabrera has been named the AL Player of the Month for July, according to the AP. He earned the honor by batting .330 (35-for-106) with eight home runs and a major league-best 31 RBI.
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Our View: Cabrera raised his season average to .298, and has 20 homers and 82 RBI over 109 games. He got off to a slow start with his new club, but looks to remain strong down the stretch.
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| Carl Crawford is out of Monday's lineup due to a sore left hamstring, according to the St. Petersburg Times. |
Our View: Crawford isn't sure if one day of rest will be enough either. Eric Hinske will roam left field in his place tonight.
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| Yankees' outfielder Xavier Nady and Royals' shortstop Mike Aviles were named American League co-Players of the Week, according to the AP. Nady batted .526 (10-for-19) with three home runs and 10 RBI, and capped the week with a career-best six RBI in Sunday’s 14-9 win over the Angels. Aviles batted .577 (15-for-26) with two homers and five RBI last week, and registered a 1.000 slugging percentage and .583 on-base percentage.
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Our View: This is Nady's second weekly honor this season, his last time coming in the NL with Pittsburgh.
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| Scott Linebrink, who is recovering from right shoulder inflammation, has increased the distance in his throwing program from 90 feet to 120, according to the Chicago Tribune. He said, "I had some zip on the ball. It's just a matter of getting through the mental side of it. Your body wants to protect things that are hurt, so I have to get through that to the point where I can get out there and let it go without thinking about it." |
Our View: The team is hopeful their top setup man can be ready to return in mid-August.
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| Mike Lowell is expected to sit out Monday's game to rest his strained right hip, according to the Boston Globe. He struggled to get to second after his fourth-inning blast to the left-center-field gap against Oakland Sunday, and he is expected to receive a shot, cortisone or some other pain reliever to aid his ailment. |
Our View: Adjust your lineups accordingly. He has hits if four straight games, but hasn't homered since the Fourth of July.
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| The Seattle Post-Intelligencer suggests that J.J. Putz is nearing his return to the closer's role. Putz is feeling like his old self again and said, "Sunday I threw the ball with real pop. The last time I did that was March 31. For me it's been two steps forward and one step back."
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Our View: When Putz returns to the closer's role, Brandon Morrow is expected to be sent down to Triple-A Tacoma to work on becoming a starter.
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| Michael Cuddyer, who is recovering from a strained tendon in his left index finger, will begin a rehab assignment Tuesday with Triple-A Rochester, according to the Pioneer Press. |
Our View: Manager Ron Gardenhire noted that Cuddyer will need 20-25 at bats at least before rejoining the Twins. He may be ready when the Yankees start a home series against the Yankees August 11.
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| The Baltimore Sun is reporting that Hayden Penn has had yet another freaky injury that will likely cost him any chance to return to the starting rotation. Two seasons ago, Penn needed an emergency appendectomy before his first start of the 2006 season. Then last year he he missed three months after having bone chips removed from his right elbow. Penn was cut in the leg by a piece of a broken bat during his start on Saturday, this after he was rumored to return to the O's rotation on Tuesday for injured Radhames Liz. |
Our View: Brad Bergesen now becomes the most likely candidate to start Tuesday against the Angels.
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| Toronto manager Cito Gaston doesn't expect Vernon Wells to return to active duty during the Blue Jays' seven-game homestand, this according to the team website. Gaston said that Wells could return to the lineup in Toronto's series at Detroit, from Aug. 11-14. |
Our View: Wells suffered a Grade 2 strain of his left hamstring and has been on the DL since early July.
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| Jason Bartlett, who sustained a bruised right index finger Sunday, noted that he does not expect to be able to throw for two days, according to the St. Petersburg Times. X-rays revealed no break, and he should avoid the DL.
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Our View: If the club does not decide to recall Ben Zobrist from the minors, they could go Evan Longoria at shortstop, and employ Willy Aybar at third base, while Bartlett is out of action.
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| Reggie Willits is expected to be fine after being clipped by Gary Matthews Jr. during action Sunday, according to the LA Times. He initially felt dizzy and had a headache. |
Our View: This is good news for Willits, but he does not play enough to consider as a fantasy performer.
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| Francisco Liriano will make his next start on Saturday against the Royals, according to the Star Tribune. Glen Perkins will start Monday, so the Twins can split up their two lefties in the rotation. |
Our View: If the Twins stick with this plan, Liriano will miss the Yankees and face the Mariners on the next homestand, which could benefit fantasy owners as the Mariners remain the worst club in the AL. Liriano looked good while shutting down Cleveland Sunday, and should be penciled into fantasy lineups.
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| Bobby Crosby came out of Sunday's game in the eighth inning because he felt dizzy during his at-bat in the seventh and when he ran the bases, according to the SF Chronicle. He said he felt like he needed water while on second base but he didn't have the energy to run to the dugout to get some when the inning concluded.
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Our View: Crosby was examined and he said he was feeling better after the game. He was believed to be dehydrated, and the doctor did not find any problems.
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