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| Casey Kotchman went 0-for-3 with an RBI as the Braves took down the Arizona Diamondbacks 6-4. He is hitting just .152 since he was traded to the Braves. |
Our View: Kotchman has really had a tough time so far in Atlanta, with just five hits in nine games. He's too talented to stay down for long, and maybe having catcher Brian McCann hit behind him will help.
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| Chris Young went 0-for-4 in the Diamondbacks 6-4 loss to Atlanta on Thursday. He ran his August batting average to .185. |
Our View: Young has been a disappointment to fantasy owners this season, and has not improved like many thought he would. There is still time, but it's tough to put a guy with a sub-.300 on-base percentage on fantasy rosters.
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| In the best start of his young career, Braves pitcher Charlie Morton earned his third victory by throwing seven innings and allowing just five hits and no earned runs against Arizona. |
Our View: This is Morton's second consecutive solid performance, but he still hasn't shown enough to be considered for fantasy squads.
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| Yusmeiro Petit saw his record fall to 1-3 with the Diamondbacks loss to Atlanta. Petit threw well once again, hurling five innings and giving up just two earned runs, but it wasn't quite good enough as the Braves won 6-4. |
Our View: Petit has been a starter and reliever this season, and he has fared well in both roles. He could be a solid fantasy performer in NL-only leagues.
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| Raul Ibanez hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth inning against Dan Wheeler of the Rays to send Seattle home victoriously. The Rays chose to pitch to Ibanez even though hitting behind him was Adrian Beltre, who was 0-for-3 with two strikeouts on the evening. |
Our View: Ibanez has had quite the August, and in seven games, he has hit three home runs and drove in 16 RBI. Which should put quite the smile on the faces of fantasy owners who have Ibanez in their lineup.
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| After being benched Wednesday for not hustling, B.J. Upton returned to the lineup and went 0-for-4 in the Rays loss to Seattle. |
Our View: Upton may have gotten the message, but it certainly did not help his performance tonight. Despite his disappointing power numbers, Upton has 34 steals and a quality on-base percentage and should be used in all leagues.
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| Felix Hernandez held the Tampa Bay Rays to one run on four hits in eight innings as the Mariners beat the Rays 2-1. |
Our View: Hernandez did not get the decision, but he certainly deserved it. Obviously, he is an asset to fantasy owners, and he has not given up more than three earned runs in an outing since May 26.
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| Andy Sonnanstine threw a great game, going 7.1 innings, allowing one run on five hits and striking out four in the Rays loss to Seattle. |
Our View: Sonnanstine has a good win total and decent WHIP, but his ERA is a bit high to be utilized in mixed leagues. He is certainly a good option in AL-only leagues, however.
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| Roger Clemens wants his defamation suit against Brian McNamee to remain in Texas instead of New York, according to the Houston Chronicle. |
Our View: Clemens has been awful quiet lately, but apparently he plans to go forward with this lawsuit. Surely the theatrics will resume when the thing finally makes it's way to a judge.
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| Dodgers closer Takashi Saito had a day of throwing scheduled for Thursday in Los Angeles, according to the Los Angeles Times. He will begin pitching off a mound in the last week of August. |
Our View: Saito could be back early in September, but it is unknown if he would immediately go back to closing.
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| White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski went 0-for-5 in his team's loss to the Tigers, dropping his batting average to .288. |
Our View: Pierzynski is still a valuable fantasy player, especially at catcher. He was hitting well in August, and that should resume in time.
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| Miguel Cabrera had been two for his last fifteen, but he broke through in the Tigers win over Chicago, going 3-for-3 with two walks, a home run, and three RBI. |
Our View: Cabrera was the AL Player of the Month in July, and though he frustrated fantasy players for a while, he is finally getting back to his old self.
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| White Sox pitcher Javier Vazquez lost his tenth game of the season by surrendering five runs in seven innings in a loss to Detroit. |
Our View: Vazquez has given up at least three earned runs in every start except one since June. Despite that, his high strikeout totals and passable WHIP make him a solid option for AL-only leagues.
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| Tigers reliever Fernando Rodney picked up his second save of the year, going 1.1 innings while striking out two and walking none. |
Our View: After four outings in a row giving up at least one run, Rodney has now gone two outings and 4.1 innings allowing no runs, and more importantly, only walking one batter. If he has good control, he can be a solid closer, and useful fantasy asset.
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| Robinson Cano got three hits and raised his average to .266 in the Yankees win over Texas. |
Our View: Cano has seen his average climb steadily since he was under .200 as late as the middle of May. But he has returned to provide solid fantasy punch.
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| Scott Feldman pitched well, but picked up his fifth loss of the season as the Yankees downed the Rangers 3-0. Feldman went seven innings, giving up two earned runs while striking out four. |
Our View: Feldman has a decent WHIP, but his ERA is too high and he doesn't strike out nearly enough people to warrant fantasy consideration.
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| Mike Mussina won his 15th game of the season by allowing no earned runs in seven innings while striking out six in New York's 3-0 win over Texas. |
Our View: Mussina continues his surprising season, and he has given up just one earned run in his last 14 innings.
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| Corey Patterson went 1-for-5 in the Reds loss to Houston, and in his last four games he is 2-for-14. |
Our View: Patterson has been playing as of late, but he has struggled lately, as his numbers would indicate. Fantasy owners looking for stolen bases should look elsewhere. He has just one since June 26.
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| Carlos Lee has knocked in at least one run in each of his last four games, and he has accumulated eight RBI in those games. Lee went 3-for-3 with two RBI and two walks in Houston's win over the Reds. |
Our View: Lee continues to mash for fantasy owners, even as he does it relative anonymity. He doesn't get nearly the attention he deserves for the numbers he puts up.
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| Josh Fogg was hit hard, getting the loss in Cincinnati's 7-4 loss to Houston. Fogg gave up six earned runs in four innings, and his ERA rose to a hideous 7.98. |
Our View: His ERA is 7.98. So no, he should not be used on anybody's fantasy roster.
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| Roy Oswalt was solid, throwing seven innings, allowing nine hits but just one run while striking out six to pick up his ninth win of the year. |
Our View: This is more like the Oswalt that fantasy owners are used to seeing. Maybe this will trigger a turnaround for him.
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| Batting in the eight hole, Toronto third baseman Scott Rolen went 1-for-3, scored two runs and drove in two as the Jays beat the A's 6-4. |
Our View: Rolen is a shell of what he used to be offensively, and he has nearly no value in fantasy leagues anymore.
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| Daric Barton hit his fifth home run of the season, and second if five days in Oakland's loss to Toronto. He wound up going 1-for-3 in the contest. |
Our View: Barton has been a great disappointment for fantasy players this year in every way, and despite tonight's hit, he is only batting .120 in the month of August.
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| B.J. Ryan picked up his 22nd save of the year in the Blue Jays win over Oakland. |
Our View: A bad performance a week ago blew up Ryan's ERA, and he isn't as dominant as he once was, but he is certainly an asset in fantasy baseball.
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| Justin Duchscherer got a no decision, but allowed four runs in five innings on seven hits and two walks in the A's 6-4 loss to Toronto. |
Our View: Duchscherer has now given up 13 runs in his last 18 innings, and his performances have started to wane. He may be undergoing some fatigue and fantasy owners should watch him closely to see if he can rebound.
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| Diamondbacks outfielder Justin Upton will begin his minor league rehab assignment as soon as Monday, and has been taking live batting practice on the field, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: Diamondbacks manager Bob Melvin has said that Upton will need more than a few at-bats in the minors, so don't expect him up until mid to late August.
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| Josh Fields has not started a game in the month of August, in part because of his poor defensive play, reports WhiteSox.com. "He is still working on it, but we need him to step it up and be better in the field," Chicago manager Ozzie Guillen said. |
Our View: His play in the field has been poor, but his offense has not been spectacular either. He has just 22 at-bats, but he is hitting just .182 with no home runs. Stay away from him for now in fantasy leagues.
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| The Colorado Rockies were swept in a doubleheader by Washington, but outfielder Matt Holliday had a nice day, going 1-for-3 with a run scored and a stolen base. |
Our View: Holliday has an eight game hitting streak going, and fantasy owners may be surprised to know he now has 16 stolen bases on the season.
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| Emilio Bonifacio went 2-for-5, stole a base, drove in a run and scored in the Nationals victory over the Rockies. |
Our View: Bonifacio now has four multiple-hit games in his last six contests. His batting average is now over .300, and though he needs to work on his plate discipline (he has yet to take a walk), Bonifacio is someone to consider picking up in fantasy leagues.
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| Ubaldo Jimenez walked six batters and gave up six earned runs on eight hits and took his tenth loss as the Rockies lost to the Nationals 6-3. |
Our View: Before tonight's start, Jimenez had not allowed an earned run in two starts covering 13 innings. He remains too wild, but his sub-4.00 ERA and decent WHIP make him a solid NL-only hurler.
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| Odalis Perez picked up his fifth victory of the season in the second game of the Washington-Colorado doubleheader. Washington won 6-3 behind Perez, who went six innings, allowing just two earned runs on six hits. |
Our View: Perez has been dynamite for two straight starts, giving up a combined three earned runs in 13.1 innings. He remains an iffy fantasy performer. He definitely should not be used in mixed leagues, but owners in NL-only leagues may take a gander at him if they are desperate.
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| Yankees outfielder Melky Cabrera was not in the starting lineup tonight, the fourth consecutive game he has been on the bench, according to Yankees.com. |
Our View: Cabrera was tabbed by many as a breakout player this season, but he is hitting only .242 and his on-base percentage is an awful .298. His fantasy value is minimal.
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| Vernon Wells will start a rehab assignment on Friday in Triple-A, reports the Toronto Star. He could be activated for the Jays weekend series in Boston. |
Our View: Wells was having a nice year, with a .287 batting average and 42 RBI. He wasn't supplying quite as much power as fantasy owners would want, hitting just nine home runs, but maybe that will come when he gets back.
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| Phil Hughes will throw 60 pitches in a rehab start tonight for Triple-A Scranton, according to the Lower Hudson Journal News. He will make a few more starts after that in order to build his arm strength. |
Our View: The injury-prone Hughes was awful in the majors this season, but with Wang out and Pettitte now hurting, he may be able to give the Yankees a lift in September.
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| Magglio Ordonez has been hitting the ball very well lately, but he does not have a very good match-up tonight against White Sox hurler Javier Vazquez. Ordonez is just 6-for-29 (.209) and has never drawn a walk against the righthander. He only has one extra base hit off Vazquez, a double, and his slugging percentage is a tiny .241. |
Our View: Ordonez probably should not come out of fantasy lineups, just don't expect too much from the slugger tonight.
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| The condition of Phillies third baseman Pedro Feliz's back has improved, and he could begin a rehab assignment next week, according to Phillies.com. |
Our View: Feliz has a measly .304 on-base percentage, though he does have 12 home runs and 46 RBI, making him a depth player in NL-only leagues.
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| The Chicago Cubs used former Notre Dame football player Jeff Samardzija as a starter in the minor leagues, but now they are re-thinking that strategy, and he may wind up being the team's closer of the future, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: You would think that title belongs to Carlos Marmol, but Samardzija may just get that opportunity whenever Kerry Wood departs. Just another potential closer for fantasy owners to keep in the back of their minds.
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| In all likelihood, the St. Louis Cardinals are not going to re-sign Jason Isringhausen for next season, and MLB.com is reporting that no one should be surprised if the Cleveland Indians take a long, hard look at him. |
Our View: Haven't the Indians had enough of washed-up closers after Joe Borowski? Despite his decent performance today, it is abundantly clear to anyone who has watched him pitch that Isringhausen simply cannot get it done in the ninth inning any longer.
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| Brewers pitcher Ben Sheets has struggled recently, and some scouts believe he will continue to do so because of how many innings he has accumulated this year, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: This is certainly something for fantasy owners to consider down the stretch. He has yet to win a game since starting the All-Star Game, and his ERA is 4.63 during that period.
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| Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston will be returning to the team next season, according to the Associated Press. |
Our View: Gaston has Toronto playing above .500 since he took over. Unfortunately for them, it's not nearly good enough to be in the A.L. East race, though they are just 7.5 games out in the wild card race.
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| Nationals outfielder Lastings Milledge continued his torrid August with a 3-for-4, two home run day in the team's 6-3 win over Colorado. Milledge collected four RBI on the afternoon. |
Our View: Milledge is hitting .409 in August with four home runs in six games. It's doubtful he will keep this pace up much longer, but fantasy owners in search of lightning in a bottle may want to take a chance on him and see how far he can ride this thing out.
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| Troy Tulowitzki got on base twice, with a walk and a single in a 1-for-3 day in the Rockies loss to Washington. |
Our View: Tulowitzki now has an on-base percentage of .478 in August, as he has walked five times in the last three games. His overall numbers aren't grand, but they continue rising to the benefit of fantasy owners.
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| Jason Bergmann was not as bad as his 1-8 record had made him look, and he proved that tonight with a solid seven inning performance. He surrendered just one run on seven hits while striking out seven against the Rockies. |
Our View: Bergmann has been a victim of the Nats horrendous offense, as he now sports a 4.13 ERA on the year. He doesn't belong in fantasy leagues because Washington won't score for him, but it's yet another reminder of how overrated wins and losses are as a statistic for pitchers.
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| Jeff Francis lost his eighth game of the season, throwing just 5.1 innings and allowing five earned runs on eight hits, including two home runs. |
Our View: This was his first performance since coming off the DL, and the results were not favorable. Continue to ignore him in fantasy leagues.
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| Manny Ramirez keeps making the Dodgers faithful happy, as he hit another home run for L.A., his fourth, and collected two RBI to help the Dodgers take down St. Louis. |
Our View: Despite his personal quirks, Manny keeps being Manny with the bat, and is off to a terrific start in Los Angeles while fantasy owners reap the rewards.
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| Like many of his Cardinals brethren, Troy Glaus failed to get a hit in St. Louis' 4-1 loss to the Dodgers. |
Our View: After a scorching July, Glaus now has just two RBI so far in August, along with a .217 batting average. Glaus can be streaky though, so fantasy owners should bear with him unless it gets worse.
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| Clayton Kershaw went seven innings, giving up just one run on three hits and striking out seven in the Dodgers 4-1 win over St. Louis. |
Our View: Kershaw is rolling. In his last three starts, he's gone 19 innings, giving up just one run on 11 hits while striking out 15. Fantasy owners likely dropped him when he got sent to the minors, so it's possible he's available on the waiver wire. If so, pick him up.
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| Kyle Lohse threw seven innings, but allowed four earned runs on seven hits while striking out five to earn the loss in the Dodgers 4-1 victory over St. Louis. |
Our View: Lohse wasn't bad, but he allowed a home run to Manny Ramirez and the Cards were stymied by Clayton Kershaw, so Lohse suffered defeat.
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| Hank Blalock, who remains on the DL with right shoulder inflammation, hopes to be back with the Rangers when they head to Boston to battle the Red Sox next week, according to the Star-Telegram. He said, "My swing feels good, I feel strong, and my body feels good." |
Our View: He hit off a tee Wednesday, and is eligible to be activated Wednesday.
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| Jason Ellison has been recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma, according to the Star-Telegram. The team placed David Murphy on the 15-day DL as the corresponding move. |
Our View: Murphy is out 2-4 weeks, and Ellison will see action in his place in right field. The team preferred him over John Mayberry, as Ellison provides more speed, which is needed with Milton Bradley also out of action. Ellison is worth a look in AL-only leagues right now.
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| Bobby Abreu, who will become a free agent following the 2008 campaign, would like to remain with the Yankees, according to MLB.com. He said, "I'm a free agent at the end of the year, so you understand how that is. Here is where I want to be, but we still have this season to play. There's still a long time before we talk about that. Things have been great here. I really like it. This is a team that's always in competition for the playoffs and it seems like you always have the opportunity to make it to the World Series. You can't find that everywhere."
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Our View: Abreu can still play at a high level, and is among the most consistent players currently on the Yankees' roster. The 34-year-old will keep his fingers crossed that he can re-sign after this season, and finish his career in pinstripes.
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| Ryan Howard went 0-for-4 with a strikeout in Thursday's 3-0 loss to the Marlins at home. He left three men on base. |
Our View: He snapped a hot streak, as he racked up six hits and two homers over his previous four outings.
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| Cole Hamels allowed three runs (two earned) on seven hits over 6.1 innings in Thursday's 3-0 loss to the Marlins, with one walk and seven strikeouts. |
Our View: Hamels pitched well enough to win, but his team-mates failed to offer any run support. He falls to 9-8, and is now winless in six straight starts, despite only allowing two earned runs four times over the span.
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| Hanley Ramirez went 1-for-3 with an RBI double in Thursday's 3-0 win at Philadelphia. He also registered two walks, and a stolen base, his 27th of the season. |
Our View: Ramirez should remain productive down the stretch for Florida, even if his batting average remains below .300.
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| Chris Volstad hurled six scoreless innings, with only three hits allowed, in Thursday's 3-0 win over the Phillies. He also registered three strikeouts and four walks. |
Our View: Volstad claimed his third win of the season, and trimmed his ERA to 2.67. He should remain active in NL-only leagues.
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| The Phillies have claimed reliever Scott Eyre, who has been designated for assignment earlier in the week by the Cubs, according to the AP. The Phillies sent right-hander Brian Schlitter to Chicago in the trade between NL division leaders.
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Our View: Eyre nailed down two wins with the Cubs, but allowed nine earned runs, four walks, and 15 hits over 11.1 innings. Eyre should only be considered in deeper NL-only leagues that use middle men.
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| Tim Redding was struck in the right leg by a fly ball while standing in the outfield during batting practice Thursday, according to the Washington Post. |
Our View: Redding fell to the ground, and remained down for about a minute. Trainer Lee Kuntz trotted to the outfield, and Redding walked gingerly off the diamond. The team says he has a right quad contusion and should be able to make his next start.
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| Adrian Gonzalez went 1-for-3 with an RBI in Thursday's 5-3 loss to the Mets. The Padres only registered six hits today. |
Our View: He ended the three-game set against the Mets with only two hits, but at least he registered two RBI and one of his knocks was a homer.
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| Kevin Kouzmanoff went 0-for-4 in Thursday's 5-3 loss to the Mets. He left a team-high five men on base. |
Our View: Kouzmanoff has gone hitless in two straight games against the Mets, but should bounce back, as the Padres head to Coors Field for a three-game set against the Rockies.
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| David Wright went 3-for-5 and hit a game-winning two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning against the Padres Thursday at Shea Stadium. |
Our View: That was Wright's 21st homer of the season, snapping an eight game drought.
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| Johan Santana allowed two earned runs on four hits over seven innings in Thursday's 5-3 win over the Padres at Shea Stadium, with three walks and seven strikeouts. He exited the game with a 3-1 lead, but the Padres scored a run in the eighth and ninth innings to tie the game, leaving Santana with a no decision instead of his 10th win with the Mets. David Wright hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth to win the game for New York. |
Our View: Santana is stuck on nine wins with the Mets, and has been handed a no decision in five of his last seven starts. He has now allowed two or less earned runs in four straight outings, but only has one win over the span.
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| Joe Torre stated before Thursday's game against the Cardinals that Jason Schmidt likely won't return this season, according to the LA Daily News. Torre said, "Yes, for this year. At this juncture, a lot would have to happen in a hurry for him to be able to pitch for us at this level. He would have to start throwing bullpens (now), and then his rehab probably would take him through the second week of September at this point. I think it would be a long shot."
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Our View: The team has a lot invested financially in Schmidt, but only received one win out of him in 2008.
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| Ramon Castro exited Thursday's game against the Padres after the fourth inning due to recurring pain in his right ankle, according to Mets.com. |
Our View: He was playing for the first time since initially injuring the ankle Saturday. He was replaced behind the plate by Robinson Cancel.
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| The Rays have claimed reliever Chad Bradford off waivers from the Orioles, according to ESPN. The Rays will send a player to be named to the Orioles at a later time. |
Our View: The 33-year-old only allowed 11 earned runs over 40.1 innings with Baltimore this season, and held a 1.19 WHIP. He will be a favorable addition to the Rays' bullpen, but only holds fantasy value in deeper leagues that use middle men.
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| Brendan Donnelly has been called up from Triple-A Buffalo, according to the Akron Beacon Journal. Matt Ginter has been placed on the 15-day DL as the adjoining move. |
Our View: Donnelly is trying to bounce back from Tommy John surgery, and is worth a look in deeper AL-only leagues that use middle men, as he racked up 15 strikeouts over 20.2 innings in 2007, with a 1.16 WHIP.
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| Brad Penny is set to be activated from the DL to start Friday against the Giants, according to the AP. He has recovered from mild tendinitis in his right shoulder. |
Our View: Penny will be a welcome addition back to the Dodgers' rotation, but fantasy owners should wait until he proves to be effective again before returning him to lineups. He held a 5-9 record with a 5.88 ERA and 1.60 WHIP over 15 starts prior to landing on the DL.
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| The Phillies are not interested in re-signing Freddy Garcia after watching him work out in front of several teams earlier in the week, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. Assistant GM Ruben Amaro Jr. said, "He's got a ways to go. For us, I don't think we believe that he's a guy that could help us this year. He threw OK. The feeling is that he's going to come back, but he probably couldn't help us in September."
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Our View: Amaro's comments are not encouraging, and Garcia should not be counted on to make a solid impact as a fantasy hurler when he joins a club later this season.
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| Garrett Mock has been recalled from Triple-A Columbus, according to the AP. He fills the roster spot for outfielder Elijah Dukes, who landed on the DL due to a strained right calf. |
Our View: The 25-year-old righty is 6-3 with a 3.01 ERA over 19 games with Columbus, but went 0-2 with a 5.27 ERA in five games during three previous stints with the Nationals. He will be used as a reliever out of the bullpen, and does not merit fantasy consideration.
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| Elijah Dukes has been placed on the 15-day DL due to a strained right calf, according to the AP. The Nationals recalled pitcher Garrett Mock from Triple-A Columbus as the adjoining move. |
Our View: Dukes, who returned from a knee injury last Friday, has been sidelined since hitting himself in the leg with his bat while appearing as a pinch hitter Saturday. Dukes could return by the end of August, and is worth holding onto in NL-only leagues, based on his speed and power potential.
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| Chris Ray who is slowly recovering from right elbow surgery, does not expect to return to the Orioles this season, according to the Baltimore Sun. |
Our View: He could be cleared to pitch in a couple of games in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League in a couple of weeks, but the team does not see the benefit of having him pitch in Baltimore for a week or two in September.
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