|
|
| 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.
|
|
|
|
| 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.
|
|
|
|
| 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.
|
|
|
|
| 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.
|
|
|
|
| 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.
|
|
|
|
| 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.
|
|
|
|
| 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.
|
|
|
|
| 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.
|
|
|
|
| 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.
|
|
|
|
| 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.
|
|
|
|
| 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.
|
|
|
|
| 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.
|
|
|
|
| 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.
|
|
|
|
| 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.
|
|
|
|
| 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.
|
|
|
|
| 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.
|
|
|
|
| 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.
|
|
|
|
| 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.
|
|
|
|
| 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.
|
|
|
|
| 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.
|
|
|
|
| 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.
|
|
|
|
| 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.
|
|
|
|
| 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.
|
|
|
|
| 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.
|
|
|
|
| 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.
|
|
|
|
| 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.
|
|
|
|
| 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.
|
|
|
|
| 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.
|
|
|
|
| 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.
|
|
|
|
| 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.
|
|
|
|
| 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.
|
|
|
|
| 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.
|
|
|
|
| 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.
|
|
|
|
| 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.
|
|
|
|
| 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.
|
|
|
|
| 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.
|
|
|
|
| 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.
|
|
|
|
| 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.
|
|
|
|
| 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.
|
|
|
|
| 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.
|
|
|
|
| Jeff Salazar has been recalled from Triple-A Tucson, according to the AP. |
Our View: The outfielder is not worth fantasy consideration, as he only hit .202 with two homers over 99 at-bats with Arizona this season.
|
|
|
|
| Orlando Hudson has been placed on the 15-day DL due to a dislocated left wrist, according to the AP. Hudson suffered the injury in the sixth inning of Saturday’s loss to Atlanta. Manager Bob Melvin said, "It’s not great, dislocation, fracture of a bone in his wrist, and we’re not 100 percent sure whether he has to have surgery. Probably a pretty good chance, but we will know in the morning. If he has the surgery, he’s out for the rest of the year, and if he doesn’t, there’s still a chance he could be out for the rest of the year."
|
Our View: Augie Ojeda will now get the bulk of the playing time at second base.
|
|
|
|
| Scott Olsen expects to make his next start after rolling his ankle on Saturday, according to MLB.com. He said, "It's not that big of a deal right now." |
Our View: His next scheduled start would be Thursday against St. Louis. The Marlins are taking a wait-and-see approach, but the training staff believes he will be fine.
|
|
|
|
| Livan Hernandez has been activated and will start Sunday's game against San Diego, according to the AP. Kip Wells has been designated for assignment to make room for Hernandez on the roster. |
Our View: Hernandez, who was claimed off waivers from Minnesota on Wednesday, was 10-8 with the Twins before being designated for assignment on August 1. His record is solid, but his ERA (5.48) and WHIP (1.63) are poor. He has allowed 18 homers over 23 starts, which should not bode well while playing his home games at Coors Field.
|
|
|
|
| Ryan Church, who is trying to bounce back from post-concussion syndrome, was reportedly impressive during a batting practice session on Saturday, according to the NY Daily News. |
Our View: He hit towering shots over the outfield wall, including one to dead-center, during his batting session at Shea. He then headed to Florida, where he is set to begin a minor league rehab assignment. Barring a setback, Church could return for the Mets' next home stand, which opens August 19 against Atlanta.
|
|
|
|
| Dan Uggla blames his hitting slump on weakness in his ailing ankle, according to the Miami Herald. Uggla is hitting .162 since the All-Star Game, and said, "I've been struggling ever since I came back from the ankle injury. It's just not as strong as it was before."
|
Our View: Uggla has gone hitless in four of his last six games, and hasn't homered in nine-straight contests.
|
|
|
|
| Boone Logan has been optioned to Triple-A Charlotte, according to the Chicago Tribune. The Sox recalled Chris Getz from Charlotte as the adjoining move. |
Our View: Logan failed to impress the Sox this season, as he held a 5.36 ERA and 1.59 WHIP over 40.1 innings over relief, with three losses.
|
|
|
|
| Ryan Braun is out of Sunday's lineup after leaving Saturday's contest with lower back tightness, according to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. |
Our View: The severity of his ailment is yet to be determined. Gabe Kapler will roam left field in his absence today.
|
|
|
|
| Ryan Hanigan has been recalled from Triple-A Louisville, according to the AP. The team decided to designate David Ross for assignment as the corresponding move. |
Our View: Hanigan is yet to make an appearance with the Reds this season, but fared well over a brief stint with the club in 2007. He shouldn't see much action this time around, while working behind Paul Bako and Javier Valentin on the depth chart at catcher.
|
|
|
|
| Homer Bailey has been sent down to Triple-A Louisville, according to the AP. Aaron Harang has been activated from the DL as the corresponding move. |
Our View: Bailey has a future with the Reds, but the 22-year-old clearly proved he is not yet ready to make an impact as he went winless over eight starts, with a 7.93 ERA and 2.09 WHIP.
|
|
|
|
| Aaron Harang has been activated from the DL following his bout with a strained right forearm, according to the AP. The team sent Homer Bailey down to Triple-A Louisville as the adjoining move. |
Our View: He is scheduled to start Sunday's game against the Astros, meaning Edinson Volquez will be moved to Tuesday, as expected. Harang has struggled this season and has not won in his last four starts prior to landing on the DL, so fantasy owners should keep him reserved until he proves to be effective. Houston is a tough match-up, even without Carlos Lee in the lineup.
|
|
|
|
| Reggie Abercrombie has been recalled from Triple-A Round Rock, according to the AP. Carlos Lee has been placed on the DL as the corresponding move. |
Our View: Abercrombie will see some action, but failed to make an impact in his previous stint with the Astros this season as he held a .188 average, and does not merit fantasy consideration.
|
|
|
|
| Carlos Lee has been placed on the 15-day DL due to a fractured left pinkie, according to the AP. Reggie Abercrombie has been recalled from Triple-A Round Rock as the adjoining move. |
Our View: He is expected to miss six to eight weeks, hence likely ending his 2008 season. This is a significant blow to the Astros and fantasy owners, as he had been on fire, leading the majors with a .390 batting average and 47 RBI while ranking fifth with 13 home runs since June 20.
|
|
|
|
| Jerry Hairston Jr., who is recovering from a sore right hamstring, still wasn't ready to return to the Reds Saturday, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer. Manager Dusty Baker said, "We just deal with it. We're not quite there. We're hoping he'll be ready in Pittsburgh. We have these two games and an off day. The off day helps us."
|
Our View: The three-game Pittsburgh series starts Tuesday. He holds a .344 average over 58 games, with 34 runs scored, 17 doubles, and 15 stolen bases, and hopefully fantasy owners will get him back at some point in the series.
|
|
|
|
| Marcus McBeth has been designated for assignment, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer. |
Our View: McBeth held no fantasy value prior to his designation.
|
|
|
|
| Joey Votto will miss the next three to seven days while on the bereavement list, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer. The team brought in Adam Rosales, and designated pitcher Marcus McBeth for assignment. |
Our View: It remains undisclosed why Votto needs time away from the team. As previously stated, he is eligible to be reinstated from the bereavement list on Tuesday, and must be reinstated by next Saturday.
|
|
|
|
| Adam LaRoche, who is recovering from a right intercostal strain, wants to play Tuesday when he is eligible to come off the DL, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. |
Our View: While LaRoche continues to feel great and took live batting practice Saturday night, the Pirates want to be careful with him because of the nature of his injury. It is probable LaRoche will play in one or two minor league rehab games beginning Monday.
|
|
|
|
| Jack Wilson was out of Saturday's starting lineup due to tendinitis in his right shoulder, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. |
Our View: He was available to pinch-hit, but cannot throw properly. It appears the earliest Wilson will start again will be Monday against the Mets.
|
|
|
|
| Ross Ohlendorf, who was acquired from the Yankees July 26 as part of the Xavier Nady trade, could join the Pirates' rotation, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. |
Our View: Ohlendorf could be the next hurler to join the rotation, before Tom Gorzelanny. If Ohlendorf does get the call, he would not be worth fantasy consideration in anything but deeper NL-only leagues as he held a 6.52 ERA and 1.73 WHIP over 40 innings with the Yankees this season.
|
|
|
|
| Rick Ankiel could return to the Cardinals' starting lineup Monday, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. |
Our View: Ankiel has been a solid soure of power with 22 homers, and should be penciled back into fantasy lineups for the new week.
|
|
|
|
| Both pitchers put forth a strong performance, but the Giants prevailed with late scoring to secure the 3-2 win in 10 innings. For the Dodgers, it was RHP Hiroki Kuroda doing work, going eight innings to allow one run on eight hits with two walks and four strikeouts. The Giants fielded RHP Kevin Correia, going six innings to allow one run on six hits with three walks and five strikeouts. |
Our View: Correia earns his third decision in a row, two being wins, allowing seven combined runs along the way with seven walks and 13 strikeouts.
|
|
