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| Adam LaRoche will play a couple more rehabilitation games in the minor leagues and should return to the Pirates on Wednesday, and not Tuesday when he is eligible to return, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. |
Our View: LaRoche said he felt great, so it seems likely he will be back Wednesday. Be sure to adjust your fantasy rosters accordingly.
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| It was speculated that Andre Ethier would be the one to get less playing time when the Dodgers acquired Manny Ramirez, but Juan Pierre is the one who has played less, and it will likely remain that way, according to Dodgers.com. "He's seeing the ball really well right now and he has a little more pop [than Pierre]," L.A. manager Joe Torre said. |
Our View: Either is hitting .273 with 11 home runs and 46 RBI. Though his numbers are a little light to use in mixed leagues, he is a solid NL-only player.
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| The Dodgers are saying that Andruw Jones is day-to-day because of a tender right knee, according to Dodgers.com. |
Our View: It could be his right knee that is keeping him out, or possibly his .161 average and .261 on-base percentage. Injured knee or not, his fantasy value disappeared many moons ago.
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| Dodgers closer Jonathan Broxton was held out of Sunday's game after throwing three days in a row, but he will be available on Monday, according to Dodgers.com. |
Our View: The Dodgers lost back-to-back games to the Giants on Saturday and Sunday as Broxton and Hong-Chih Kuo each blew late leads. However, with Takashi Saito still sidelined, Broxton will be the closer.
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| Brewers slugger Ryan Braun is day-to-day with a strained ribcage, according to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. “It hurts on both sides. We think it’s spasms,” he said. |
Our View: There is no timetable for Braun's return, but the injury does not sound serious right now. We'll keep you updated when any new information becomes available.
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| Mark DeRosa went 1-for-2 with two RBI and a run scored in the Cubs 6-2 win over division rival St. Louis. |
Our View: DeRosa is hitting .360 so far in August, and has quality totals, including 64 RBI. Despite his tough July, he should be active in all fantasy formats.
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| A day after pummeling the Cubs with two home runs and five RBI, Troy Glaus returned to his previous struggles against the Cubs, with an 0-for-3 night featuring two strikeouts. |
Our View: Glaus still has just three hits all year against the Cubs in 37 at-bats. He is a streaky hitter but will provide fantasy owners with plenty of pop, making it easier to deal with his ups and downs.
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| Cubs All-Star pitcher Ryan Dempster won his 13th game of the season with a 6.2 inning performance in which he gave up two earned runs and struck out six. |
Our View: Dempster has now given up two earned runs or less in seven of his last eight starts, and has been a valuable resource for fantasy owners.
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| Tigers reliever Fernando Rodney has been easing back his velocity in an attempt to gain better control of his pitches, according to MLive.com. "To just go out there and rev back and throw it at 98 and not be close to the strike zone, that's counterproductive," said Detroit manager Jim Leyland. |
Our View: Rodney's biggest problem has been his control, but in his last 4.1 innings, he has walked just one batter, an obvious improvement. His fantasy value is much higher if he can stay as the closer and keep from putting men on base via bases on balls.
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| Marcus Thames could be out for a while with a sore shoulder, according to MLive.com. "This could be a dangerous one, as far as time, because this time of year I can't have guys sitting around," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. |
Our View: That sounds an awful lot like, "He's headed for the DL." Nothing is official, of course, but keep an eye on his status for now.
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| Arizona second baseman Orlando Hudson will miss the rest of the season after undergoing surgery to to repair a dislocated bone in his wrist, according to the AP. He will undergo additional surgery to repair ligament damage at a future date. |
Our View: Tough loss for the Diamondbacks and fantasy owners. Hudson was a solid contributor at second base, hitting .305 with eight home run and 41 RBI. He also played outstanding defense. In his place will be Augie Ojeda, who does not belong in fantasy leagues, as he is hitting just .257 with 0 home runs and 16 RBI.
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| St. Louis hurler Chris Carpenter left the team's game against the Chicago Cubs in the sixth inning with a right triceps strain, according to the AP. He had thrown 66 pitches on the night, allowing one unearned run in 5.1 innings. |
Our View: Losing Carpenter for any period of time will be a blow to the Cardinals and fantasy owners, who were just beginning to reap the rewards he was bringing, including an ERA that was down to 0.63 before leaving.
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| Billy Wagner will begin throwing next weekend in Class A as he rehabs his forearm strain, according to the AP. |
Our View: Wagner is eligible to come off the DL on Monday, August 18, at which time he will resume his duties as the Mets closer.
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| Rockies first baseman Todd Helton was moved from the 15-day DL to the 60-day DL after continuing to experience back problems, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: Helton is having disc problems in his back, and the chances of him returning this season are slim. In fact, the condition in his back has been deemed degenerative, so his timetable for return is completely up in the air.
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| Bartolo Colon threw well in his rehab start for Triple-A Pawtucket, going three innings and allowing no runs while throwing 27 of his 34 pitches for strikes, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: Colon was awful in his first rehab start, so this was a marked improvement. He should be able to give fantasy owners, at least in AL-only leagues, a boost to their squad.
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| Brad Lidge was not available to pitch today due to a shoulder that was deemed "sluggish," according to MLB.com. |
Our View: Lidge believes the malady is mechanical, and that he felt better Sunday and should be able to pitch on Monday.
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| Third baseman Scott Rolen was placed on the 15-day disabled list with continued soreness in his left shoulder, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: Think the Blue Jays might want Troy Glaus back? Rolen's shoulder has been a problem for four seasons now, as he has undergone surgery on it three times since 2005. He'll clearly never be the same player he once was, and isn't someone who needs to be on fantasy rosters.
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| Randy Winn went 3-for-4 for the Giants in their victory over the Dodgers, scoring a run driving in three. |
Our View: Winn is hitting an absurd .432 in August, and though he won't provide much power, he'll knock in the occasional run and he also has 22 stolen bases on the year, making him an asset in all fantasy formats.
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| Manny Ramirez went 1-for-4, but his lone hit was a double that drove in two runners in the Dodgers 5-4 loss to San Francisco. |
Our View: Ramirez continues to punish NL pitching, and he now has 11 RBI in nine games with the Dodgers.
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| Matt Cain wasn't spectacular, but he gave his squad a chance to win by throwing seven innings, allowing four runs on six hits while walking four and striking out four. |
Our View: Cain does not have a big win total, but he strikes people out and has a good ERA and WHIP, making him a nice contributor to fantasy teams.
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| Hong-Chih Kuo was handed a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the ninth inning but gave up two runs to the San Francisco Giants and suffered the loss. It was the second day in a row the Giants won the game in the final inning, as they did the same on Saturday against Jonathan Broxton. |
Our View: Broxton had thrown three days in a row, so he was getting the day off. Kuo has been spectacular this year, but he failed to get the job done today.
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| Chris Young went 1-for-4 with a stolen base and RBI as the Diamondbacks beat the Braves 6-1. |
Our View: Young is a popular fantasy player because he can steal a base and has 15 home runs and 56 RBI. But that average and OBP is just brutal, and it is only getting worse in August, where his OBP is .231.
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| Chipper Jones kept his batting average at .370 and scored his team's only run with a 1-for-3 performance against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the Braves 6-1 loss. |
Our View: Chipper now has a hit in each of his three games back from the DL. He continues to march toward the batting title.
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| Brandon Webb earned yet another victory, his 17th, in pitching Arizona to a 6-1 win over Atlanta. Webb only threw six innings, but he struck out five and gave up only one run. |
Our View: Webb is making a strong bid for the Cy Young Award, and in his last two outings, he has given up just two runs in 15 innings.
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| Brian Giles led the way in San Diego's 16 run outburst by going 4-for-6 with four runs scored and four RBI against the Rockies. |
Our View: The four RBI were just two less than he had in all of July, so this is exactly the thing fantasy owners wanted to see.
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| Rockies outfielder Brad Hawpe went 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBI's to lead the way for Colorado, though they lost to San Diego 16-7. |
Our View: This was Hawpe's first home run since July 25, but he had still been hitting the ball well in August, with an average over .320.
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| In a game that was no beauty contest, Chris Young survived just four innings while surrendering seven runs, although the Padres did manage to beat Colorado by a score of 16-7. |
Our View: Young looked solid in his previous two starts since coming off the DL. Funny things happen at Coors, though, so chalk this one up to that.
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| It was not a good debut for Livan Hernandez in a Rockies uniform. He pitched just 2.2 innings, allowed seven hits and nine earned runs while walking four in his team's loss to the Padres. |
Our View: Hernandez's NL ERA now stands at 30.37. Just say no to putting him on a fantasy team.
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| Rocco Baldelli played in a game for the first time this season, and went 1-for-4 while batting cleanup in the Rays 11-3 win over the Mariners. |
Our View: Baldelli was taken out of the game for a defensive replacement, and it is unknown how much regular playing time he'll get, but he has loads of talent and placing him on your fantasy roster if you need a spark could pay significant dividends.
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| Ichiro Suzuki now has a 16 game hitting streak with his 2-for-5 performance in Seattle's loss to Tampa Bay. He also stole his 36th base of the season in the contest. |
Our View: Suzuki is the only decent thing going for the Mariners. He isn't having quite the year fantasy owners were expecting, but he has been good enough to be an asset, especially with his stolen base total.
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| After getting the win today over Seattle, Edwin Jackson now has a victory in each of his last four starts. Jackson went seven innings and allowed just one earned run. |
Our View: Jackson has seen his ERA drop to 4.07 now, and he is a very good option in AL-only leagues, and even those in mixed leagues wouldn't be crazy for giving him an opportunity.
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| Alex Rodriguez was 2-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI, but it wasn't enough as the Yankees lost to the Angels 4-3. |
Our View: Rodriguez was undergoing a brutal month, hitting .161 in August before today's performance put his average above .200. Still, it is A-Rod, and he will continue to crush pitchers in a short while.
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| Chone Figgins singled off Mariano Rivera in the bottom of the ninth inning to win the game for the Angels, 4-3 over the Yankees. He was 2-for-5 overall on the day. |
Our View: Figgins is having a difficult August, but maybe he'll be sparked by today's heroics. He still provides fantasy owners with plenty of stolen bases and a solid OBP.
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| Francisco Rodriguez did not pick up a save, but he did get his second win of the year, as he struck out he side in the ninth to help lead L.A. to a win over N.Y. |
Our View: Rodriguez may win the Cy Young Award for the superb season he is having, and he now has 54 K's in under 50 innings.
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| Angels outfielder Garret Anderson extended his hitting streak to 16 games with a 1-for-4 performance in the Angels victory over the Yankees on Sunday. |
Our View: Anderson is still a solid contributor, hitting .290 with 65 RBI and a modest 12 home runs. He also has six stolen bases, a bonus sure to please fantasy players.
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| Lastings Milledge went 3-for-6 with a home run an two RBI in Washington's loss to the Brewers. |
Our View: Milledge is now hitting .415 in August, and five of his fifteen hits on the month have been home runs. If you need a spark on your fantasy team, it won't hurt to take a look at Milledge.
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| Gabe Kapler hit a walk-off home run to lead Milwaukee to a 5-4 victory over the Washington Nationals. |
Our View: Kapler was 0-for-6 in the extra inning affair before that at-bat, but he made his seventh count. However, he does not play regularly enough to warrant fantasy consideration.
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| John Lannan threw six innings, did not give up an earned run and allowed only one hit to Milwaukee. Unfortunately, he also walked five batters, though he did strike out six. |
Our View: Lannan is an underrated performer, and if his club was any good, his record would be much better than it is. His ERA has been 3.82 or better in every month but May.
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| One start after being shoved by Prince Fielder, Brewers hurler Manny Parra threw a great game, going seven innings, surrendering six hits and one earned run while striking out nine in Milwaukee's 5-4 win over the Nationals. |
Our View: Parra did not figure in the win, but he was still outstanding. He had hit a rough spot, but maybe this will signal a turnaround. His WHIP is a little high, but he is still a quality hurler for a fantasy squad.
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| Royals shortstop Mike Aviles had a very rough day, and despite his team getting a win over Minnesota, he went 0-for-6. |
Our View: Not a good day for Aviles, but he was hitting .455 in the month of August, so a cool down was coming one way or another. He is still an excellent resource for a fantasy team in the middle infield.
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| One night after homering and getting two hits, Delmon Young went 0-for-5 in the Twins loss to Minnesota. |
Our View: Young has 12 stolen bases and a decent batting average, but his lack of power and poor plate discipline make him an iffy fantasy outfielder. If he could just get to 15-20 homers per year, his value would up exponentially.
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| Gil Meche did not figure in the decision, but he threw 6.1 innings, giving up four runs on five hits and an absurd seven walks in the Royals 5-4 win over Minnesota. |
Our View: Meche is somewhat inconsistent, and though he has decent overall numbers, he is best left to AL-only leagues.
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| Chase Utley went 1-for-3 with two RBI, both coming on his home run in the Phillies victory over the Pirates. |
Our View: Utley is in the midst of a rough month, with a .212 average in August. He is still a top-flight fantasy second baseman.
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| Ryan Doumit went 2-for-4 and scored a run in the Pirates loss to Philadelphia. |
Our View: Doumit now hits in the cleanup spot for Pittsburgh, and he has been a great find for fantasy owners, hitting .333 on the year.
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| Ryan Madson pitched the ninth inning and picked up his first save in Philadelphia's 6-3 win over Pittsburgh. |
Our View: Lidge was unavailable with a "sluggish" shoulder, so Madson pitched a perfect ninth. Keep an eye on Lidge's situation, as it looks like Madson would take his place if he has to be disabled.
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| Jason Davis made his first start of the year and put in a solid effort, going six innings and allowing no earned runs in Pittsburgh's loss to Philadelphia. |
Our View: Nice work by Davis, who gave up two runs, but neither were earned. He did walk four batters, which needs to improve, but he could be decent option in NL-only leagues.
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| Tug Hulett was called up by Seattle from Triple-A to take the place of Willie Bloomquist, who was put on the DL, according to TSN.com. |
Our View: Hulett is 1-for-3 this season, and is of no consequence in fantasy baseball.
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| Willie Bloomquist was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right hamstring, according to The Sports Network. |
Our View: Bloomquist has 14 stolen bases, but with no home runs and just nine RBI, it would be tough to give him a roster spot in anything but deep AL-only leagues.
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| Carlos Quentin hit his 32nd home run of the season, a two-run shot, and the White Sox took down Boston. |
Our View: Quentin was always a good prospect, but Arizona soured on him, and shipped him to Chicago, who is now reaping the rewards right alongside fantasy owners.
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| David Ortiz went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts in the Red Sox loss to Chicago. |
Our View: Tough August for Ortiz. He had a nice day on Saturday, but Sunday's performance means the lefty slugger is hitting just .154 for the month. Stick with him, though. He's too good not to bounce back soon.
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| Gavin Floyd won his 12th game of the season, though it was not one of his better efforts. In 5.1 innings against Boston, Floyd surrendered five earned runs on seven hits. |
Our View: Floyd has been a solid performer for fantasy owners this season, with a nice win total, ERA and WHIP.
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| Once again, Clay Buchholz got hammered, lasting only three innings in the Red Sox 6-5 loss to the White Sox. The right-hander allowed five runs on seven hits, including three home runs. |
Our View: Buchholz picked up his eighth loss, and since May 7, he has given up less than four earned runs in a start just one time. He has no place in fantasy leagues.
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| Kazuo Matsui went 2-for-5 with a double, RBI and stolen base to help the Astros pummel the Reds 13-4. |
Our View: Matsui is hitting .333 in August, and surprisingly, he has three home runs in the month as well. He will give you a decent average and stolen base total, making him a good play in all fantasy leagues.
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| Adam Dunn went 1-for-4 with a strikeout in the Reds loss to Houston on Sunday. |
Our View: Dunn is now hitting .139 in August, and does not have a single home run or RBI. He can clearly punish the ball, but he also will have these stretches every so often. If you want his power for fantasy leagues, it comes at the expense of average.
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| Wandy Rodriguez picked up his seventh win of the year in Houston's 13-4 beat-down of the Reds. Rodriguez went 6.2 innings, allowing two earned runs while striking out seven. |
Our View: Rodriguez has been a solid though unspectacular fantasy performer. He will help in all areas, but if he could ever stop allowing so many home runs, he would be even better.
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| Aaron Harang was activated from the DL yesterday, only to give up eight runs in four innings in the Reds 13-4 loss to Houston. Harang gave up three home runs on the day. |
Our View: Harang has been one of the most disappointing players in fantasy baseball this year, and today is simply a continuation of that.
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| Luis Montanez went 3-for-4 with an RBI in Baltimore's 15-7 loss to the Rangers. |
Our View: Montanez is hitting .500 this season, albeit in just 10 at-bats. Still, he was a top-five pick in the 2002 MLB draft, he was destroying Double-A pitching, and now he's off to a good start in Baltimore. If you need a sleeper who could provide your fantasy team with some offense, take a look at Montanez.
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| MVP candidate Josh Hamilton went 3-for-6 and hit his 28th home run in Texas' victory over Baltimore. He now has 111 RBI on the season. |
Our View: His fantastic season continues. He's easily one of the top players in fantasy baseball.
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| George Sherrill was not pitching in a save situation, but he still allowed three runs in his one inning of work. |
Our View: Sherrill does have 31 saves, but his recent performances have been poor. In July his ERA was 6.75. So far in August it's 11.25.
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| Texas hurler Matt Harrison gave up six earned runs in five innings, but still came away with his fourth win as Texas beat Baltimore 15-7. |
Our View: His 4-2 record is very deceiving. He has an ERA over 7.00 and a WHIP near 2.00. Not a guy who should be on fantasy teams.
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| Shin-Soo Choo went 3-for-4 with a run scored in Sunday's 4-0 win over the Jays. All three of his hits were doubles. |
Our View: That was the second time in his last three games he recorded three hits. He is worth consideration in AL-only leagues while he is hot.
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| Vernon Wells went 0-for-4 in his first game back from the DL following his recovery from a left hamstring strain, in Sunday's 4-0 loss to Cleveland. |
Our View: He missed 26 games while on the shelf, and may need some time to shake off the rust and find his swing.
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| Cliff Lee hurled another gem in Sunday's 4-0 win over the Blue Jays, as he notched eight scoreless innings, with eight hits allowed, to go along with no walks and one strikeout. |
Our View: Lee improves to an American League-leading 16 wins, and lowered his ERA to 2.45.
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| Jose Reyes went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored in Sunday's 8-2 loss to Florida. He notched a single and a double, and accounted for two of the Mets' six hits in the game. |
Our View: He recorded his 30th double, snapping an eight-game skid without one. He also ended a 12-game drought without an RBI.
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| Mike Pelfrey was rocked for six earned runs on seven hits over 4.2 innings in Sunday's 8-2 loss to the Marlins at home, with three walks and three strikeouts. |
Our View: Pelfrey falls to 10-8 and his ERA climbs to 4.11. Pelfrey has been inconsistent from start to start, but should remain active in lineups. He has allowed one or less earned runs in three of his last seven outings.
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| Mike Jacobs went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Sunday's 8-2 victory over the Mets. His other hit was a double and he scored three runs in the game (drew one walk). |
Our View: Jacobs has now homered in back-to-back games, and has 25 for the season.
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| Josh Johnson remains unbeaten over six starts as he only allowed two earned runs on five hits over seven innings in Sunday's 8-2 win over the Mets at Shea Stadium, with two walks and five strikeouts. |
Our View: He is now 3-0 and trimmed his ERA to 3.19. He should remain active in roto-lineups.
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| Ian Kennedy has been sent down to Triple-A Scranton, according to the AP. Billy Traber has been recalled from Scranton as the corresponding move. |
Our View: Kennedy has proven he is not ready to make an impact with the Yankees, as he went 0-4 over nine starts, with a 8.17 ERA and 1.92 WHIP. He punched his ticket to Scranton by surrendering five earned runs on nine hits over a mere two innings in his last start Friday against the Angels.
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| Billy Traber has been recalled from Triple-A Scranton, according to the AP. Ian Kennedy was sent down to Scranton as the adjoining move. |
Our View: Traber has been brought in to help aid an overworked Yankees' bullpen. He allowed eight earned runs over 12 innings with a 1.58 WHIP this season, and does not merit fantasy attention.
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| Mark Ellis went 1-for-4 and registered Oakland's lone RBI in Sunday's 6-1 loss to Detroit. His hit was a single. |
Our View: He collected two RBI in the three-game set against Detroit, but only hit .153 (2-for-13). He is only worth holding in deeper AL-only leagues.
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| Greg Smith had control problems in Sunday's 6-1 loss to the Tigers at Comerica Park, as he issued seven walks over a mere 4.2 innings of work. Other than that, he only allowed one earned run on three hits. |
Our View: Smith is now 0-5 over his last seven starts, and should only be considered in AL-only leagues right now.
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| Magglio Ordonez led the Tigers in Sunday's 6-1 win over Oakland, as he went 2-for-5 with two RBI. Both of his hits were singles. |
Our View: He extended his hitting streak to nine games, with three multi-hit efforts over the span.
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| Nate Robertson was in control in Sunday's 6-1 win over Comerica Park, as he only issued one earned run on five hits over 7.2 innings, with one walk and five strikeouts. |
Our View: He nailed down his first win since June 21, snapping an eight-start skid.
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