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| Chris Dickerson went 1-for-5 with a solo home run as the Reds lost to Pittsburgh 6-5 on Wednesday. |
Our View: During Dickerson's current six-game hitting streak he has three home runs and eight runs scored. Dickerson should be a starting candidate in NL-only leagues as he shows no signs of slowing down.
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| Hunter Pence continues to heat up as he went 2-for-4 Wednesday with a run scored in the Astros' victory. |
Our View: Although the season as a whole has been a disappointment, if Pence continues his hot-hitting, he could be a fantasy playoff surprise.
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| Placido Polanco went 3-for-4 with three RBI as the Tigers defeated the Angels 9-6 on Wednesday night.
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Our View: Polanco has been terrific after a slow start to the season. He hit well over .333 in August and has started September on a tear.
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| Ty Wigginton went 1-for-5 hitting his 22nd home run of the season in Wednesday's victory over the Cubs. |
Our View: Wigginton has caught fire and now has six homers in his last eight games. Until he cools off, Wigginton is a must-start.
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| Randy Wolf pitched a six-hitter for his eighth career shutout Wednesday night. Wolf led the Astros to victory as they defeated the first place Cubs 4-0. |
Our View: Wolf is capable of pitching very well, like tonight, but has been too inconsistent to consider for fantasy lineups in anything but NL-only leagues.
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| A.J. Burnett continues to throw quality efforts, and although he didn't get the win in the Jays 6-5 victory over the Twins on Wednesday night he deserved it. The right-hander allowed three runs on six hits, walked four and struck out eight. |
Our View: Burnett's 2008 season will once again garner him a huge free agent contract.
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| Nick Blackburn tossed a quality start on Wednesday night but wasn't involved in the decision of the Twins 6-5 loss to the Blue Jays. The right-hander allowed three runs on six hits, walked none and struck out six. |
Our View: Blackburn, who pitches to contact, was good on Wednesday. Striking out six and walking none is a good fit with his 4.42 K rate and 1.66 BB ratio.
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| Edwin Jackson lost his ninth game of the season after struggling on Wednesday night against the red-hot Yankee offense. Jackson lasted only 3.1 innings after allowing six runs on 10 hits. |
Our View: Jackson had a strong track record against the Yanks during his career, but currently the Bombers are playing with a purpose.
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| Carl Pavano ran into trouble in the fifth inning and only worked an official four innings in Wednesday night's win over the Rays. Pavano allowed three runs on six hits, walked two and struck out one. |
Our View: The Yankees are determined to make a run in September, and with that comes little patience from a pitcher in a jam.
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| Ryan Zimmerman was 2-for-4 with a home run Wednesday night against Philadelphia. |
Our View: Zimmerman now has a nine-game hitting streak. During his streak he has shown plenty of power with three home runs and four doubles.
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| Alex Rodriguez has two homers and nine RBI in his last three games and it's only fitting that he was the first player involved in the use of MLB homer run instant replay.
Rodriguez, who went 3-for-4 and drove in four runs, hit the replay shot off Troy Percival. |
Our View: Third base umpire Brian Runge goes down in history as being the first umpire involved with instant replay and disappointingly, the home run was clearly fair and the drama was fleeting.
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| Cristian Guzman was 3-for-5 with three RBI and two runs scored in Wednesday night's victory over the Phillies. |
Our View: Guzman now has eight consecutive multi-hit games making him one of the hottest hitters in all of baseball.
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| Ryan Howard hit his 38th and 39th home runs of the season Wednesday night against the Nationals. Howard finished the night 2-for-4 with four RBI as the Phillies fell to the Nationals 9-7. |
Our View: Howard is streaky and could make a late run at 50 home runs.
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| Ryan Doumit went 2-for-3 with 2 RBI helping the Pirates top the Reds 6-5. |
Our View: Doumit continues to be one of the Pirates only bright spots in yet another long season.
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| Joey Votto was 2-for-4 with a triple and a home run in Wednesday's loss to Pittsburgh. |
Our View: Votto seems to be making the most of his opportunity to hit clean-up for the Reds. Votto should be a solid contributor to all categories except stolen bases.
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| Edinson Volquez had 13 strikeouts in Wednesday no-decision against the Pirates. Despite the strong performance the Reds fell to the Pirates 6-5. |
Our View: Volquez's monster season continues as he shows no signs of slowing down. Look for this youngster to be a force for years to come.
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| Matt Capps collected his 19th save of the season Wednesday as the Pirates beat the Reds 6-5. |
Our View: This is Capps second save in as many nights. Look for him to remain the closer for the remainder of the season.
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| The Phillies confirmed that Cole Hamels will start on four days' rest against the Mets on Sunday, according to Phillies.mlb.com. |
Our View: With the division possibly on the line, this will be a great duel between each club's best pitcher, Johan Santana vs. Cole Hamels.
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| Clint Barmes collected his seventh homer of the season Wednesday against the Giants. |
Our View: Don't expect Barmes to be a great source of power, but he should continue hitting for average and have plenty of opportunities to score runs.
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| Nate Schierholtz was 4-for-5 with three runs scored in the Giants 9-2 win over the Rockies on Wednesday. |
Our View: Back-to-back multi-hit games just might earn Nate more playing time in the outfield down the stretch.
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| Scott McClain went 3-for-5 and hit his first major league home run Wednesday against the Rockies. |
Our View: The 36-year-old infielder displayed solid power in the minors, and is worth a look in the deepest of NL-only leagues.
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| Barry Zito pitched eight strong innings of two-run ball Wednesday to help the Giants beat the Rockies 9-2. |
Our View: Zito rebounded nicely from his last start as he only gave up two earned runs on four hits Wednesday against the Rockies.
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| Chris Perez surrendered the Cardinals lead in the bottom of the ninth, as the Diamond Backs rallied and scored twice winning 4-3 Wednesday. |
Our View: Perez should remain the closer as the Cardinals lack bullpen depth.
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| Troy Glaus hit his 300th career home run Wednesday off of Arizona's Doug Davis. |
Our View: Glaus' promotion to the 2 spot in front of Albert Pujols has woken this giant. He now has home runs in back-to-back games.
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| The Royals' and Oakland Athletics game on Wednesday night was postponed because of rain.
A doubleheader was scheduled for Thursday at Kauffman Stadium. |
Our View: Brian Bannister will start the first game and Kyle Davies the second game. The A's rotation will remain the same. Dana Eveland in the first game and Dan Meyer in the second.
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| Adam Dunn doubled in Conor Jackson in the bottom of the ninth giving the Diamondbacks a dramatic 4-3 win over the Cardinals on Wednesday. |
Our View: Dunn has always been a great source of home runs and RBIs, the knock against him will continue to be his lack-luster average.
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| CC Sabathia will not be credited with a no-hitter after MLB upheld the official scorer's ruling from Sunday's game, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: Although he wont be granted a no-hitter, Sabathia is 9-0 with a 1.43 ERA with six complete games since joining Milwaukee and just collected his second NL-pitcher of the month award.
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| J.J. Hardy went 2-for-3 Wednesday, hitting his 21st home run of the season. However, the rest of the Milwaukee lineup didn't produce and the Brewers fell to the Mets 9-2. |
Our View: Hardy should continue to see plenty of pitches as he hits in front of sluggers Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun.
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| Ryan Braun was 0-for-4 with two strikeouts Wednesday as the Brewers fell to the Mets 9-2. |
Our View: Look for Braun to rebound as he is one of the best sluggers in the league.
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| Oliver Perez collected his tenth win of the season as the Mets defeated the Brewers 9-2 Wednesday. Perez scattered two runs off five hits and five walks in 6.2 innings of work. |
Our View: Perez continues to be a solid option for the Mets. He now has posted a quality start in 11 of his last 13 starts.
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| Ryan Church was 1-for-4 with a grand slam in the Mets 9-2 win over the Brewers on Wednesday. |
Our View: Look for Church to continue to see plenty of RBI opportunities hitting in the middle of the potent Mets lineup.
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| Baltimore pitcher Jim Miller threw away a bunt for a game-ending error, allowing Alex Cora to score the winning run in the bottom of the ninth Wednesday, as Boston beat Baltimore 5-4. |
Our View: This was only Miller's second appearance of the season for the Orioles. Look for Miller to rebound, as his minor league numbers were solid. He posted an ERA of 3.15 with 96 strikeouts in 80 innings while in the minors.
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| Mark Kotsay hit a two-run triple in the eighth inning Wednesday, helping Boston squeak by the Orioles 5-4. |
Our View: As long as he receives consistent playing time, Kotsay should be fairly productive in the middle of Boston's lineup.
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| AL batting leader Dustin Pedroia was 3-for-4 with a home run in the seventh inning Wednesday. His long ball triggered Boston’s comeback from a four-run deficit, as the Red Sox beat the Baltimore Orioles 5-4. |
Our View: Pedroia is scorching hot as he now 8-for-13 in his last three games, including two home runs and eight RBI.
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| Felix Hernandez only allowed one earned run on seven hits over 7.1 innings in Wednesday's 1-0 loss to the Rangers, with one walk and three strikeouts. |
Our View: Hernandez pitched very well, but was ultimately dealt his ninth loss of the season due to no run support from Seattle's hitters. Hernandez has allowed two or less earned runs in four of his last seven starts, yet he only has one win over the span.
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| Milton Bradley went 0-for-2 but registered the only RBI on a sacrifice fly in Wednesday's 1-0 win over Seattle. |
Our View: The RBI, which proved to be the game winner, came in the bottom of the first inning.
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| Dustin Nippert hurled seven scoreless innings, with seven hits allowed, in Wednesday's 1-0 victory over the Mariners, with no walks and four strikeouts. |
Our View: He previously didn't garner much fantasy interest, but he is now worth a flier in deeper AL-only leagues in case he is headed for a favorable final month of the season.
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| CC Sabathia has been named the NL Pitcher of the Month for August, according to the AP. Sabathia posted a 5-0 record with a 1.12 ERA during the month. |
Our View: He has won the monthly pitching honor in the NL for July as well, and is impressively 9-0 with a 1.43 ERA with six complete games since joining Milwaukee this season.
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| Brian McCann had a tough day at the plate in Wednesday's 5-3 loss to the Marlins, as he went 0-for-4 while stranding three men on base. |
Our View: He was on the verge of cracking .300, but his average falls down to .295 following today's peformance. He has now gone hitless in two straight games.
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| Kelly Johnson went 2-for-3 with two RBI in Wednesday's 5-3 loss to the Marlins. He hit a single and a triple, his fourth of the season. |
Our View: Johnson has been quiet for most of the season, but perhaps he is going to make some noise in the closing weeks of the regular season, as he racked up six hits over his last two games, and registered multiple hits in three of his last five outings.
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| Jeremy Hermida went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored in Wednesday's 5-3 win over Atlanta. Both of his hits were singles. |
Our View: That was his first multi-hit performance since August 10 (against the Mets), snapping an 18-game drought.
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| Hanley Ramirez went 2-for-4 with a solo homer in Wednesday's 5-3 win over the Braves. He scored two runs, pushing his season total to 107. |
Our View: He has scored a run in five straight games, and has registered multiple hits in four of his last eight contests.
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| Jhonny Peralta was the Indians' lone source of scoring in Wednesday's 4-2 loss to the White Sox at Progressive Field, as he went 1-for-4 with a pair of RBI. |
Our View: Peralta has collected an RBI in four of his last seven games, and has 77 for the season.
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| Jeremy Sowers surrendered four earned runs on six hits over 5.1 innings in Wednesday's 4-2 loss to the White Sox, with one walk and five strikeouts. He gave up two homers in the game, a solo shot to Nick Swisher and a two-run bomb to Alexei Ramirez. |
Our View: Sowers falls to 2-8 for the season and his ERA climbs to 5.97. He only won once over six starts in August, and could not get off to a good start in September.
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| Alexei Ramirez carried the White Sox in Wednesday's 4-2 win over the Indians as he went 1-for-4 with a two-run homer. |
Our View: Ramirez collected his 16th homer of the season, and looks to post solid numbers in September.
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| Javier Vazquez was strong in Wednesday's 4-2 win over the Indians at Progressive Field, as he only allowed two earned runs on five hits over six innings, with one walk and five strikeouts. |
Our View: Vazquez snapped a personal two-game losing streak and is off to good start in September. He should remain active in lineups down the stretch.
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| Fox Sports reports that the Red Sox will target A.J. Burnett this winter. |
Our View: The 31-year-old hurler is almost certain to opt out of his contract and become a free agent at the end of the 2008 campaign. Since joining the Jays in 2006, he is 4-0 with a 2.70 ERA over six starts against Boston. The rival Yankees are also interested in Burnett, as well as CC Sabathia.
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| Jeff Ridgway will join the Braves as he has been called up from Triple-A Richmond, according to the Tampa Tribune. |
Our View: Ridgway issued three earned runs (two homers) over 4.1 innings in his previous stint with the Braves this season and the middle reliever does not merit fantasy consideration for the final month of the season.
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| Al Reyes has been promoted to the Mets from Double-A, according to the Tampa Tribune. |
Our View: The 38-year-old reliever can be used as a closer, but will likely serve as a setup man with the Mets, limiting his fantasy value.
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| Ruddy Lugo has been designated for assignment by the Mets, according to the Tampa Tribune. They recalled Al Reyes from Double-A as the corresponding move. |
Our View: Lugo did not see any action in the Mets' bullpen this season and held no fantasy value prior to his designation.
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| Yunel Escobar was forced out of Wednesday's game in the fourth inning due to an apparent left shoulder injury, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. |
Our View: We will update his status when more details are disclosed.
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| An MRI has revealed that Jesus Flores has a sprained left ankle, according to the AP. He sustained the injury during a collision with Chase Utley of the Phillies. |
Our View: The Nationals expect Flores to return this season, but exactly when is uncertain.
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| Cliff Lee has been named the AL Pitcher of the Month for August, according to the AP. |
Our View: The Indians' ace went 5-0 with a 1.86 ERA during the month, becoming the majors’ first 20-game winner with an overall record of 20-2. He also is the first Cleveland pitcher to win 20 games since Gaylord Perry did it back in 1974.
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| Sidney Ponson has struggled over his last three starts, but manager Joe Girardi indicated he will remain in the rotation, according to the NY Daily News. Girardi believes he can bounce back and said, "Sidney has done it before. He didn't have the sinker Monday that he's had, so we have to get that back. He'll go back to the bullpen and see if he can straighten things out."
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Our View: His next scheduled start is Saturday against Seattle. Girardi still has faith in him, but fantasy owners should not. He only pitched 9.2 innings over his last three starts, with 17 earned runs allowed.
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| Jim Johnson is scheduled for an MRI exam Friday after experiencing problems with his right shoulder, according to the Baltimore Sun. Johnson said, "I don't think we're exactly sure what's going on. It's just a little soreness. We'll take it from there and go day-by-day, I guess. We're in the last month. If something doesn't feel right, then I'm not going to push it."
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Our View: Johnson has pitched just once in the last eight days, but team GM Andy MacPhail does not believe his injury is a long-range issue.
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| Carlos Quentin is out of Wednesday's lineup due to a sore left forearm, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. Manager Ozzie Guillen said, "Quentin tried swinging the bat, he was not swinging the bat well and I don’t want to put him in a bad situation where he gets four at-bats and it gets worse. That’s the way he feels. When he says he’s sore, that means he’s very sore. Today we’ll make the decision."
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Our View: He is considered day-to-day, and may be out until the weekend. Ken Griffey Jr. is also dealing with a sore back, as is third baseman Joe Crede.
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| Kevin Youkilis was 50/50 to play today against Baltimore, and was scratched from the lineup, according to the AP. |
Our View: Mark Kotsay is covering first base in his absence. The Red Sox are off Thursday, so they opted to hold him out for an added day of rest.
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| Travis Hafner, who is recovering from a right shoulder strain, will try to play consecutive games Friday and Saturday in the minors, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Hafner said, "I'm in a better spot than I was two weeks ago."
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Our View: He should be activated at some point this month, but fantasy owners should not expect much from him.
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| Jake Westbrook is already out for the season following Tommy John surgery on his right elbow, and is going to undergo arthroscopic surgery on his right hip Thursday, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer. |
Our View: The hip operation is not expected to hinder his recovery from Tommy John surgery.
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| As expected, Juan Salas has been recalled by the Rays from Montgomery, according to the St. Petersburg Times. |
Our View: The reliever holds little to no fantasy value.
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| Evan Longoria, who is recovering from a fractured right wrist, could possibly return to the Rays as soon as this weekend, according to the St. Petersburg Times. Manager Joe Maddon is optimistic but admitted that he still isn't sure as Longoria is yet to take batting practice. |
Our View: We will keep you posted on the rookie's status. He should remain stashed on fantasy rosters.
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| The LA Times indicates that Jeff Kent might return this season. His surgery on Tuesday didn't reveal any unexpected damage in his left knee besides torn cartilage, hence leaving open the possibility that the 40-year-old infielder could play again this season.
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Our View: Kent is expected to start a rehab program today that could be completed in two weeks, but his recovery process could actually take up to eight weeks. If he does return, he may only be able to pinch hit.
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| Takashi Saito, who is recovering from a sprained right elbow, threw 25 pitches in a pen session Tuesday and the results were encouraging, putting him on track to return from the DL next week, according to the LA Times. Saito said he threw his fastball as hard as he could and that he felt no discomfort. He was especially pleased that he was able to throw his two-seamer without any issues, saying he thought the pitch was potentially more hazardous to his elbow than his slider. He added, "The two-seamer puts stress on the inside part of the elbow, which is the part of the elbow that I hurt, so today was a big day for me."
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Our View: Saito is scheduled to pitch on the side Thursday and in a simulated game Saturday. Manager Joe Torre planned to use Saito in a low-key situation in his first outing back, but could reclaim his closer's role if he is able to effectively throw all of his pitches.
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| Freddy Garcia threw 52 pitches in a simulated game Tuesday at Comerica Park, according to the Detroit News. Garcia threw in the mid-80's and manager Jim Leyland said, "Freddy was about exactly as I expected. He's way ahead of schedule for what he had done to him. If we're going out there expecting to see him throw 90, we're wasting our time. That's not going to happen. But he went 4-0 against us two years ago throwing 85. This guy knows what he's doing. The good thing is that I saw no restrictions with his arm."
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Our View: Garcia is scheduled for another simulated game Monday, and could join the Tigers' rotation at some point before the end of the regular season, barring a setback.
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| Dontrelle Willis hurled a 72-pitch simulated game Tuesday, and is scheduled for another one Monday, according to the Detroit News. Manager Jim Leyland was pleased with his outing and said, "I was very happy with Dontrelle. I thought he was a little tentative at the beginning, but began to throw free and easy. He popped the ball very well and got better as he went on. He hit 94 on the gun, pitched around 91. His delivery was much more controlled. I also thought he looked pretty confident. Some of his pitches were exploding late, which is a good sign."
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Our View: Leyland may be pleased, but remains uncertain if the Tigers should bring him back this season, and what role to designate him with.
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| Manager Lou Piniella believes Chad Gaudin won't be available to use out of the bullpen before Friday, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. He is dealing with a lower back ailment. |
Our View: The injury isn't considered serious, even though Gaudin hasn't pitched since last Friday. The team will not rush him back with the risk of further aggravating the injury, as he is a key member of the bullpen.
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| Kevin Youkilis is considered 50/50 to play in Wednesday's series finale against Baltimore, according to the Boston Globe. Manager Terry Francona said, "I don't know, I guess there's hope he would play, but we have a day off tomorrow. We'll see. I bet it's 50-50 at best. I don't know if it's a smart thing to do or not." |
Our View: He was scratched Tuesday after experiencing back spasms during the National Anthem. Jeff Bailey could make another start at first base Wednesday, if needed.
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| J.D. Drew's back is feeling better, but still may be a ways from being activated from the DL, according to the Boston Globe. |
Our View: He is making progress and took batting practice Tuesday, and should remain stashed on fantasy rosters.
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| Josh Beckett remains on pace in his recovery from right elbow inflammation, and the Boston Globe reports he is expected to return this weekend against the Rangers. |
Our View: He worked a 58-pitch bullpen session Tuesday, and had good velocity on his throws. He will be on a short leash for his projected start Friday, around five innings or so. He doesn't need a rehab outing, but still needs to work up his endurance.
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| The Boston Globe believes Bartolo Colon is on track to start one of the two games against Toronto September 13. |
Our View: Colon will make one more rehab start in the minors, likely Saturday for Pawtucket or Portland, both of which are in the playoffs. He is feeling good and believes everything is fine, regarding his recovery from a stiff back.
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| The Boston Globe indicates that Mike Lowell remains on target in his recovery from a strained right oblique, and should return this weekend against the Rangers. |
Our View: He won't require a rehab game to get ready, and fantasy owners should be able to pencil him back into lineups for the new week. There is urgency in Boston to get him back, as the club needs to maintain their lead in the AL wildcard race.
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| Ty Taubenheim has been released by the Pirates, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Luis Cruz was added to the 40-man roster, and Taubenheim was let go to open a spot. |
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