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| Pat Burrell is having a rough August which continued Thursday in the Phillies 3-1 loss to the Dodgers. Burrell went 0-for-3 in the game with a strikeout. |
Our View: Burrell is hitting just .125 (5-for-40) with one home run and four RBI in August. His batting average has dropped 16 points since August 1, from .280 to it's current .264. Fantasy owners may want to think about sitting him for a while until he can straighten out a bit.
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| Matt Kemp went 1-for-4 with a home run to help lead his Dodgers squad to a 3-1 win over the Philadelphia Phillies. |
Our View: Kemp has turned it on lately, and in his last five games is 10-for-22, an average of .455. He is clearly a great fantasy asset.
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| Brett Myers picked up his tenth loss of the season, but he made an effective start, throwing seven innings and giving up just three earned runs with eight strikeouts in the Phillies 3-1 loss to Los Angeles. |
Our View: Myers has been effective lately, and has not allowed more than three earned runs since his last start in June, before he went on the disabled list. Myers has seen his ERA drop from 5.84 to 5.02 in that time.
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| Hiroki Kuroda had everything working as he earned his seventh victory of the season in the Dodgers 3-1 win over Philadelphia. Kuroda went seven innings, giving up just one run on two hits while striking out seven. |
Our View: Kuroda has been great lately, and this is his third consecutive game allowing just a single earned run. This follows three bad performances, so it is tough to trust him for fantasy purposes.
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| Andruw Jones will begin his rehab assignment on Saturday, according to the Los Angeles Daily News. |
Our View: Jones has been out with a sore knee and, presumably, a bruised ego. He will try to rehab both while spending some time in the minor leagues.
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| Rockies catcher Yorvit Torrealba has a small meniscus tear, located in his left knee, according to the Rocky Mountain News. |
Our View: Torrealba was scratched from the lineup and received a cortisone shot. It is unknown how long he will be out.
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| Greg Dobbs was taken out of Thursday's lineup with a quad injury, according to Phillies.com. "I came to the honest realization that I was, at best, 60 or 70 percent," he said. |
Our View: The injury does not appear to be serious, as Dobbs said he was available to pinch-hit. His fantasy value is minimal because of his lack of regular playing time.
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| Jimmy Rollins is getting a little tired of the constant booing by Philadelphia fans, and he would like the crowd to give his squad some support, according to Phillies.com. Rollins cited a number of examples, including one about when he got hurt earlier this year. "I went down and Eric Bruntlett came in and played. He got booed his first time out there, because he made two errors in New York. Then they're on his side after he comes through with some big hits. You should be there from Day 1, because he's going to be the guy out there for 25 games." |
Our View: Here's betting Rollins gets roundly booed the next time he steps to the plate in Philly.
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| Braves outfielder Mark Kotsay went 5-for-5 while hitting for the cycle in the Braves 11-6 loss to the Cubs. He also scored a run and drove two in. |
Our View: Kotsay saw his August batting average rise to .366. He doesn't hit for enough power or drive in enough runs for fantasy owners, but this was an impressive evening nonetheless.
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| Kelly Shoppach got two hits in five at-bats, scored two runs and knocked one home, but it wasn't enough as Cleveland was downed by the Orioles, 11-6. |
Our View: Shoppach's fantasy value has gone by the wayside as he slumped in August, but he clearly has one or two good nights in him every once in a while.
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| Lou Montanez continues his scorching run of offense, as he went 3-for-5 with a run and two RBI in the Orioles win over the Indians. Both of his RBI came in the eighth inning, in separate at-bats, as the team batted around. |
Our View: Montanez is hitting .474 in his 19 at-bats on the season. We've sung his praises before, but just to remind you, he was a top pick in the draft in 2002 and he was obliterating minor league pitching. It may have taken him a while longer than some others, but he shouldn't be ignored in AL-only leagues.
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| Zach Jackson hurled a pretty good game in his team's 11-6 loss to the Orioles. Jackson went five innings and allowed three runs on eight hits. |
Our View: Jackson wasn't bad, but he certainly was not great. Fantasy owners should probably let him be, barring a sudden hot streak.
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| Daniel Cabrera threw a solid game, though he did not factor into the decision as Baltimore beat Cleveland 11-6. Cabrera went 5.2 innings, surrendering three runs on eight hits. |
Our View: Cabrera is far too inconsistent to be trusted in most fantasy leagues, as he simply walks far too many people.
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| Kosuke Fukudome must be heeding Lou Piniella's warning to swing the bat or else, because he contributed to the Cubs 11-7 win over Atlanta with a 2-for-5 night, scoring two runs and getting on base another time with a walk. |
Our View: This is Fukudome's second consecutive 2-for-5 night, so just days after Piniella's challenge, the Japanese import has responded.
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| Tom Glavine was hit hard by the Chicago Cubs in Glavine's first game back after being activated from the DL. Glavine went four uneven innings, allowing seven earned runs on seven hits and four walks in the Braves 11-7 loss. He also allowed two home runs. |
Our View: Glavine's time as a fantasy stalwart is over, and unless he improves drastically in a short amount of time, it's best to keep him on the waiver wire.
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| He's alive! Just when many fantasy owners had given up all hope, Jeff Francoeur puts in a great night with a 3-for-5 performance, featuring a home run, two runs scored and three RBI in the Braves 11-7 loss to Chicago. |
Our View: Francoeur's season has been beyond awful, and his August was even worse, as he was hitting just .108 for the month before tonight.
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| In one of the only decent efforts for the team, Rangers shortstop Michael Young went 2-for-3, though his squad was downed by the Red Sox 10-0. |
Our View: Young is a solid though unspectacular fantasy performer. He has a .291 average on the year, with 10 home runs, 8 stolen bases and 65 RBI.
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| The Texas Rangers will be happy when they do not have to face Red Sox DH David Ortiz any more. He homered against them again on Thursday, his third in three games, and for the night went 1-for-2 with three RBI in Botson's 10-0 win. |
Our View: Ortiz has gone 5-for-10 with three home runs and five runs scored against Texas in his last three games, restoring faith in the hearts of fantasy owners concerned about his creaky wrist.
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| Tommy Hunter has not pitched well in the big leagues, to say the least. In his start tonight, he failed to get out of the second inning and allowed nine earned runs on seven hits as the Rangers fell to Boston 10-0. His ERA is now 16.36 on the year. |
Our View: Hunter has three starts in the majors this year, and he has given up six, five and nine earned runs, respectively. If you have him on your fantasy team, you clearly don't understand how the rules work.
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| Daisuke Matsuzaka won his 14th game of the year, leading the Red Sox to a 10-0 stomping of the Rangers. The righty threw seven shutout innings while both walking and striking out five hitters. |
Our View: Matsuzaka now has a microscopic 1.29 ERA in August, and though he still walks too many people, he's won five of his last six starts.
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| One night after being deemed a platoon player who will only play right-handed hitters, Reds outfielder Chris Dickerson faced one in Pirates hurler Ian Snell and went 3-for-5 with a run scored and RBI in his team's 3-2 win. |
Our View: Dickerson probably won't get consistent enough at-bats to be an impact bat in fantasy play, but the kid is off to a good start in just his second big league game.
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| Adam LaRoche returned from the disabled list for the Pirates on Thursday, and responded by going 0-for-3 with two strikeouts in his team's 3-2 loss to Cincinnati. |
Our View: LaRoche had not played since July 27, so some rust may have been expected. Don't hesitate to use him in your fantasy lineup.
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| Johnny Cueto threw five innings, striking out seven and allowing one run on four hits in the Reds 3-1 win over Pittsburgh. |
Our View: Cueto has given up three earned runs or less in each of his three August starts. His ERA is too high and win total too low to be recommended for mixed leagues, but he does have something to offer those in NL-only leagues, particularly because of his strikeout total.
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| Carlos Beltran had an RBI in every game of the Mets sweep of the Nationals, including a sacrifice fly in Thursday's 9-3 win. |
Our View: Beltran is hitting .340 for the month, nearly 100 points higher than his .248 mark of July. He has been solid overall this year, but has not put up extraordinary numbers in any category.
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| Lastings Milledge saw his 14-game hitting streak come to an end on Thursday with an 0-for-3 performance in Washington's loss to the Mets. |
Our View: Milledge saw his average rise over 20 points, from .237 to .258, during the streak. He clearly has a lot of talent and should be used in NL-only leagues, and deeper mixed leagues because he can offer power along with stolen bases.
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| Oliver Perez struck out eight batters in 6.2 innings while allowing just three runs to pick up his ninth win of the season in the Mets 9-3 win over the Nationals. |
Our View: Perez June 24, Perez has given up more than three earned runs just one time. He has been throwing extremely well and has a place in all fantasy formats.
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| Dan Uggla went 1-for-3 in the Marlins loss to St. Louis, but was thrown out at second base when he did not hustle around the bases. He also struck out in his two other at-bats and committed his ninth error of the season. |
Our View: Not a good night for Uggla, and August has not been a good month for him. The second sacker is now hitting .213 on the month, and his on-base percentage in the same time period is .302.
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| Cardinals outfielder Ryan Ludwick went 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBI, driving in all the runs for St. Louis as they topped the Marlins 3-0. |
Our View: Ludwick's home run was his 30th, and his RBI total is now 90. His continued surge has put his name into any conversation concerning the National League MVP.
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| Scott Olsen threw a solid game for the Marlins, going seven innings and allowing just three runs on 10 hits while striking out six, but he took the loss as his offense failed to get him any runs. The Marlins were downed by St. Louis 3-0. |
Our View: Olsen should not be someone fantasy owners can count on in mixed leagues, as he does not have enough wins or strike out enough people, but he remains a decent enough option for NL-only league players to run out there.
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| Todd Wellemeyer earned his tenth victory of the season with a solid outing as the Cardinals downed the Marlins 3-0. Wellemeyer went 7.2 innings and did not allow a run while allowing three hits and striking out three. |
Our View: Wellemeyer's ERA drops to 3.79, and he has won his last two decisions. Consider him someone that can be useful in mixed leagues.
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| Third baseman Aramis Ramirez had to leave Thursday's game against the Braves with a contusion to his left hip, according to The Sports Network. He apparently suffered the injury while sliding into home plate. |
Our View: The full extent of the injury is unknown, and it came after Ramirez had gone 2-for-2 with a home run.
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| Braves hurler Francisley Bueno was suspended three games for throwing at Cubs outfielder Alfonso Soriano, according to MLB.com. Problem is, Bueno is currently in Triple-A, so the suspension cannot be enforced until he comes back up. |
Our View: Bueno has pitched 2.1 innings during the season and is of no value to fantasy players.
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| Travis Hafner took a round of batting practice on Thursday, and ended it by knocking a pitch into the seats, according to Indians.com. "It was nice to get back out there and start feeling like a baseball player again," Hafner said. |
Our View: Hafner will begin a rehab assignment soon, but it is still not known when he will make his return to the big league club. To say fantasy players have been disappointed with Hafner's season is an enormous understatement.
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| Brad Penny made his way to the disabled list with right shoulder inflammation, two starts after coming off the DL with right shoulder tendinitis, according to Dodgers.com. |
Our View: Penny has not been anything like the pitcher fantasy owners had come to know. He was just 6-9 with a 6.05 ERA on the season.
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| Jorge De La Rosa will get back to being a starting pitcher after having been demoted to the bullpen when the Rockies acquired Livan Hernandez, according to ColoradoRockies.com. |
Our View: De La Rosa gets back into the rotation because Aaron Cook has to miss a start due to a stiff back. He is of no consequence in fantasy baseball.
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| Dioner Navarro hit a single in the 12th inning that put the Rays up 7-5 over Oakland, and it wound up being the game winner as Tampa would go on to a 7-6 victory. Navarro was 2-for-4 with two RBI on the day. |
Our View: Navarro saw his average in August rise 30 points, from .179 to .209 with his performance today. Navarro had really struggled producing runs in July, but his eight RBI this month are now twice the amount he had in July.
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| Jack Cust went 0-for-5 and struck out three times as a part of the A's 7-6 loss to the Tampa Rays. |
Our View: Cust has not been good with the bat over the summer months. Since June 1, he is hitting just .206. He also has 12 home runs since that time, but is that really enough of a trade off for fantasy owners?
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| James Shields did not factor into the decision, but he was not sharp, allowing ten base runners, four of which scored, on five hits and five walks in five innings pitched as the Rays beat the A's 7-6. |
Our View: Shields has had a very good year, and this game was uncharacteristic of Shields as he was averaging just 1.42 walks per nine innings prior to today.
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| Oakland pitcher Brad Ziegler saw his scoreless inning streak hit 39.1 innings before allowing his first runs on a double by B.J. Upton which drove in Akinori Iwamura, who had singled. The A's wound up losing to the Rays 7-6. |
Our View: That was one hell of a streak by Ziegler, but it had to end sometime. Still, he has fabulous numbers for the season and should be used in fantasy leagues now that he has been getting some save opportunities.
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| White Sox outfielder Carlos Quentin was hit by a pitch on Thursday for the sixth consecutive game, and is the only player to have "accomplished" the feat since 1920, according to the AP. |
Our View: Quentin has been a target throughout his career, dating back to the minor leagues, and he currently leads the major leagues with 20 HBP this season.
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| Rays closer Troy Percival had to leave the game in the ninth inning because of an apparent leg injury, according to RaysBaseball.com. |
Our View: The extent of the injury was not known. Grant Balfour replaced Percival and promptly blew the save.
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| Raul Ibanez was pulled off waivers by the Mariners, and he will not be traded by the team, according to the Seattle Times. |
Our View: Ibanez and Ichiro are the two who give the Mariners offense their best chances to score, so losing him would have been tough. As it is, he will stay in Seattle and should continue putting up big numbers.
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| The Chicago White Sox tied a major-league record by hitting a home run in four consecutive at-bats, according to the AP. The event happened in the sixth inning, with Jim Thome, Paul Konerko, Alexei Ramirez and Juan Uribe doing the deed off of Royals pitchers Joel Peralta and Robinson Tejada. |
Our View: This all happened with two outs in the inning, and it was the first time it occurred since April of last season when Boston accomplished the feat.
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| Mike Cameron went 2-for-4 including a home run off Trevor Hoffman in the ninth inning, but it wasn't enough as the Brewers fell to San Diego 3-2. |
Our View: Cameron has had a great August, hitting .310 with five home runs, nine RBI and four stolen bases. That's the type of production fantasy owners love at this stage of the season. He was certainly on the rosters of NL-only league owners, and mixed league owners should start to take notice as well.
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| Adrian Gonzalez went 0-for-4 with a strikeout, but the Padres still managed to beat Milwaukee by a score of 3-2. |
Our View: Gonzalez has struggled to a .239 August and went just 1-for-12 against the Brewers. He has hit three home runs on the month, which should ease the pain a little bit.
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| Ben Sheets was out-dueled by San Diego hurler Jake Peavy and wound up taking the loss in Milwaukee's 3-2 defeat to the Padres. Sheets pitched 6.2 innings and gave up thee earned runs. |
Our View: Sheets is coming off a complete game shutout but wasn't up to the challenge today. A bit troubling, however, is the fact that his strikeout numbers are declining a bit, as he doesn't have more than six in a game since July 11.
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| Jake Peavy did not pitch poorly over his last two starts, but with the San Diego offense as porous as it is, he wound up taking a loss each time. He reversed that trend today, throwing seven innings of one run ball while striking out eight in the Padres 3-2 win over Milwaukee. |
Our View: Peavy has had just one poor month back in May, but has been very good otherwise. With the offensively-challenged Padres backing him, wins will be tough to come by. Still, he does so much else for fantasy owners, that he can certainly be a valuable asset.
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| Matt Holliday hit a solo home run as part of a 1-for-3 performance in the Rockies 6-2 loss to the Diamondbacks. |
Our View: One thing Holliday, like many others, does very well is hit at Coors Field. He now has a .369 batting average at his home park, to the delight of fantasy owners.
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| Diamondbacks shortstop Stephen Drew went 2-for-5 with a run scored and extended his hitting streak to 16 games in his team's 6-2 win over Colorado. |
Our View: Drew is hitting .352 (25-for-71) during the streak, which started on July 29.
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| Rockies outfielder Willy Taveras continues to add to his career-high stolen base total as he picked up another, his 53rd, in his team's loss to Arizona. |
Our View: Taveras won't give your fantasy team much in the way of batting average. Or on-base percentage. Or home runs. Or RBI. But the stolen bases? That he's got down.
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| Diamondbacks pitcher Dan Haren threw a great game against the Rockies, going eight innings and surrendering just two runs while striking out nine and gaining his 13th victory in the team's 6-2 win. |
Our View: Haren's ERA shrunk below 3.00 for the season, and he remains one of the most unappreciated starters in fantasy.
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| Lance Berkman hit a double and a home run to help lead the Astros to a 7-4 win over San Francisco. He wound up going 2-for-4 on the day with three RBI. |
Our View: Berkman now has three home runs in his last six games, and though he is hitting below .250 in August, he still provides fantasy owners with numbers.
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| Randy Winn helped the Giants as much as he could with a 2-for-4 performance featuring a double and two RBI, but it wasn't enough as San Francisco lost 7-4 to Houston. |
Our View: Winn's August batting average is now at .404. He is one of the few effective Giants for offensive purposes in fantasy baseball.
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| Jose Valverde picked up his thirtieth save of the season as the Astros beat the Giants 7-4. |
Our View: Valverde has an ERA and WHIP that fantasy owners would like to see shrink a little, but he has otherwise been solid.
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| Jose Guillen went 1-for-3 and drove in both of his team's runs in the Royals 9-2 loss to Chicago. |
Our View: Guillen comes with good home run and RBI totals, but that on-base percentage is an eyesore. If you can live with a guy who has an OBP under .300, then he can otherwise help fantasy teams.
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| Paul Konerko had a big day at the plate for the White Sox, going 3-for-5 with a home run, run scored and RBI in Chicago's 9-2 win over the Royals. |
Our View: Konerko is struggling through a miserable year, but he is now hitting .333 in August with three home runs. Whether or not this is just a two week episode a rebound to a poor season remains to be seen.
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| Kyle Davies did not throw poorly, but he did allow the White Sox to score three runs on nine hits in his five innings of work in his squad's 9-2 loss. |
Our View: Davies has a high ERA and WHIP to go along with a low win total and strikeout rate. Not what fantasy teams are looking for.
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| White Sox pitcher Lance Broadway earned his first win of the season by throwing 5.1 innings and allowing two earned runs on nine hits in the team's 9-2 win over Kansas City. |
Our View: Broadway threw 100 pitches, 62 of them for strikes, and he will be in the starting rotation for the time being.
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| Alberto Gonzalez has been placed on the 15-day DL due to a left hamstring strain, according to the AP. Aaron Boone has been activated from the 15-day DL as the adjoining move. |
Our View: The reserve infielder only hit .231 over 65 at-bats this season (with no homers or stolen bases), and held little fantasy value.
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| Aaron Boone has been activated from the DL following his bout with a left calf strain, according to the AP. He missed 30 games since being placed on the DL July 6 with the injury. To make room for him on the roster, Washington placed shortstop Alberto Gonzalez on the 15-day DL. |
Our View: Boone could see regular at-bats the rest of the season with Dmitri Young dealing with diabetes, but will likely only perform well enough to make him usable in deeper NL-only leagues.
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| Yorvit Torrealba has been scratched from Thursday's lineup due to an undisclosed injury, according to the AP. |
Our View: Chris Ianetta replaced him in the lineup. The team recalled catcher Adam Melhuse from Colorado Springs. We will keep you posted when more details are known regarding Torrealba's status.
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| Cory Sullivan has been optioned to Triple-A Colorado Springs, according to the AP. Catcher Adam Melhuse was recalled from Colorado Springs as the corresponding move. |
Our View: Sullivan only went 5-for-23 (.217) with no homers as a backup outfielder with the Rockies this season. He held no fantasy value prior to his demotion.
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| Adam Melhuse has been recalled from Triple-A Colorado Springs, according to the AP. Cory Sullivan was optioned to Colorado Springs to make room on the roster. |
Our View: The move came after starting catcher Yorvit Torrealba was scratched with an undisclosed injury Thursday.
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| Lyle Overbay went 1-for-4 with a solo home run and registered the Jays' lone RBI in Thursday's 5-1 loss to the Tigers. |
Our View: His homer was his ninth of the season, snapping a 12-game drought. He also ended a nine-game skid without an RBI.
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| Jesse Litsch hurled seven scoreless innings, with only four hits allowed, in Thursday's 5-1 loss to the Tigers at Comerica Park, with two walks and three strikeouts. |
Our View: He pitched well but was dealt a no-decision due to poor run support. Litsch is worth using in larger leagues.
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| Miguel Cabrera went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored in Thursday's 5-1 win over the Blue Jays at home. Both of his hits were singles. |
Our View: Cabrera ended a mini-slump, as he went hitless over his previous two games, and only had one hit over his last three.
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| Armando Galarraga only issued one earned run on six hits over eight innings in Thursday's 5-1 win over Toronto at Comerica Park, with two walks and six strikeouts. |
Our View: Galarraga's strong effort earned him his 11th win of the season, and he lowered his ERA to 3.10. He has won four of his last five starts, and has only lost once in his last six. He should remain active in fantasy lineups, and has been among the season's best surprises among pitchers.
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| Aaron Rowand left Thursday's game in the second inning against the Astros due to tightness in his lower back, according to the AP. |
Our View: Rowand suffered the injury in the top of the first, when he flied out to right field. Fred Lewis replaced him in the lineup. We will keep you posted when more details are disclosed regarding Rowand's status.
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| Cody Ross is out of Thursday's lineup due to an arm injury, according to the Miami Herald. Ross took a Russ Springer fastball on the left arm in the sixth inning of Tuesday's win over St. Louis and refused to come out of the game despite being in pain. He said, "It's a little swollen and a little bruised so they decided to give me a little rest. It flared up right away. I was trying to throw in the outfield and I had a little problem doing that. But I wanted to stay in for defensive reasons. That was a big game for us. I didn't want to come out. But it was getting worse. It really tightened up on me."
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Our View: Consider him day-to-day. Ross has been a favorable source of power for NL-only leagues as he blasted 17 homers so far this season.
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| Aaron Cook, who is recovering from a sore back, threw a side session Thursday and indicated that he hopes to start as soon as Sunday against Washington, according to the Denver Post. |
Our View: Team officials expect to make a decision today. Given that he threw all his pitches pain free, the latest Cook would likely pitch is Tuesday in Los Angeles. Cook could be solid down the stretch as a fantasy hurler if he is fully healthy.
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| Miguel Olivo's suspension was reduced from five games to four, and he began serving the penalty Thursday against the White Sox, according to the | |
