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| J.J. Putz earned his 11th save of the season on Friday night. With Jason Giambi at the plate and representing the tieing run, he got the slugger to pop out to thrid base. Putz allowed half of the Yankees two hits on the night. |
Our View: Putz was dominant last season but has been very average in 39 games this year. He has had various arm problems but it appears his job as closer remains safe as his primary competition, Brandon Morrow, appears to have successfully converted to a starter.
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| Brandon Morrow threw 7.2 innings of no-hit ball in his major debut as a starter. The converted reliever gave up an RBI double to Wilson Betemit with two outs in the eighth and was removed promptly afterwards. He did walk three while striking out eight. |
Our View: The converted reliever entered the game with 10 saves and a 1.47 ERA this season. Remarkably, he managed to lower that mark to 1.42. He threw 106 pitches, which was probably more than the coaches would have liked him to throw. It will interesting to see how his arm recovers for his next start. Regardless, the 24-year-old right-hander is talented and worth taking a shot on.
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| Victor Martinez finally got the nod behind the plate against the Royals. He had not caught since June because of elbow surgery. Martinez was sharp at the plate with two singles, driving in a run in the fifth inning. He finished 2-for-3 with two walks and two runs scored. |
Our View: This was by far his best performance since returning from the DL six games ago. It's still too early to tell how effective he will be going forward.
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| Juan Uribe hit a pair of two-run home runs off of Darren Oliver on Friday. The shots came in the second and third innings. |
Our View: It was a memorable night in a forgettable season for Uribe. Prior to Friday he had just five home runs and was hitting just .237.
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| Mark Buehrle reeled off six shutout innings against the Angels on Friday night. He struck out seven while earning his 12th win of the season. |
Our View: This win was big for Buerhle as he had been tagged for too many hits and runs in several of his last starts. With Carlos Quentin going down because of a broken wrist, the White Sox will need their pitching to be more effective down the stretch.
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| Coco Crisp went 3-for-5 with three RBIs for Boston while hitting out of the nine-hole. He is hitting .323 in the spot in the batting order. |
Our View: Crisp is 21-for-46 his last 13 games and continues to start more often than not. His value continues to inch up.
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| Mike Lowell came off the disabled list to go 3-for-5 with a homer and four RBIs, helping Boston beat the Texas Rangers 8-1 on Friday night. He had been suffering from a strained oblique muscle. He homered in his first at-bat since Aug. 12. The third baseman added a two-run single in the fourth and an RBI double in the ninth. |
Our View: Lowell, like so many other Red Sox players, seems to get hot at the right times and look for him to havea good September. If he was dropped in your league because of his injury, hurry up and grab him.
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| Josh Beckett struck out seven over five scoreless innings in his first start in nearly three weeks. It was his 12th win of the season. |
Our View: He struck out four of the first eight batters he faced. The right-hander was on a limited pitch count, throwing 49 of his 80 pitches for strikes without walking a batter and allowing four singles. He looks like he should return to the big-game ace form that he has come to be known for.
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| Justin Morneau connected for his second grand slam of the season on Friday night off of Armando Galarraga to blow open a 2-1 game with the Tigers. |
Our View: Clutch. Morneau is hitting an uncanny .438 with the bases loaded this season (16 at bats) with 25 RBI. With RISP (149 at bats) he is hitting nearly .380.
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| Armando Galarraga yielded six runs in six innings to the Twins on Friday. He only gave up three hits while walking a season-high six batters and striking out four. |
Our View: Galarraga's ERA remains an impressive 3.39. He has been the best pitcher on a weak Detroit staff this season.
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| Francisco Liriano had a season-high nine strikeouts in seven innings while improving to 5-0 since returning to the Twins lineup last month. He did give up two homers, though, both to Marcus Thames before leaving in the eighth with no outs. |
Our View: In his seven starts since being called back up, Liriano has surrendered only eight runs. It appears he is back to form and may be becoming one of the most dominant fantasy players in the game for a long time.
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| Marcus Thames hit his 23rd and 24th home runs of the season on Friday against the Twins. Both shots came off of Francisco Liriano and were the only two runs the Tigers scored all night. |
Our View: Thames has 24 home runs in 277 at bats. He is your typical all-or-nothing hitter. He has just 64 hits on the season to go with a .287 OBP and 84 strikeouts.
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| Aubrey Huff missed Friday night's game against Oakland due to the birth of his daughter. He should return to the lineup on Saturday. |
Our View: Huff is the reigning AL Player of the Week. He has been a pleasant surprise for fantasy owners in 2008 as he is hitting .313 with 30 homers and 98 RBI.
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| After being acquired earlier in the day, Brian Bass pitched 1.2 innings for the Orioles on Friday. He surrendered two runs on two hits and two walks. |
Our View: There's nothing special about Bass. He's your typical middle reliever on a below average ball team who holds no fantasy value.
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| After three Baltimore pitchers combined to issue six walks and hit a batter, the fourth pitcher of the inning, Randor Bierd, yielded Rajai Davis' first career grand slam. He had entered earlier in the eighth as a pinch runner for Jack Cust. |
Our View: It was Davis' third home run in 173 at-bats this season. Like most of Oakland's offense, Davis does not provide much fantasy value aside from his 25 stolen bases.
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| Anthony Reyes left tonight's game after three innings with a sore right elbow according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Reyes, working with a 2-0 lead, seemed to be cruising, but didn't come out for the fourth inning on a cool night at Kauffman Stadium. |
Our View: Its unclear if he will miss his next start. He had been doing excellent with his new team prior to this injury.
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| The AP reports that Evan Longoria will take 20 to 40 swings on Saturday. Longoria has been out since Aug. 11 with a fractured wrist and the Rays want him to take two or three days of regular batting practice before activating him off the DL. |
Our View: Manager Joe Maddon has said that he will not be rushed back, but the Rays cannot allow the Red Sox to make up any more ground. Don't be surprised if Longoria is in the lineup after this weekend.
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| Andy Sonnanstine lost for the first time in seven starts, allowing four runs and five hits in six innings against the Blue Jays on Friday. |
Our View: Sonnanstine had been enjoying a nice run but ran into a red hot Roy Halladay on Friday.
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| Roy Halladay picked up his 18th win of the season on Friday against the Rays. He threw seven innings, struck out seven and surrendered one earned run. He had been 1-3 with a 4.82 ERA in four starts against the Rays this season. Halladay, who is 10-3 in his past 13 starts, has never lost to the same team four times in one season. |
Our View: Yet another excellent performance from Halladay who will be in the Cy Young conversation at the end of the season. He lowered his ERA to 2.64.
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| Alex Rios was 2-for-4 with two home runs and three RBI on Friday night against the Rays. |
Our View: Rios is having an excellent week and is beginning to flash his power again. In his past four games, he has 10 hits, three homers and a triple.
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| In his first start since being recalled from the minors, Dustin Moseley was knocked out of the game in the second inning by the White Sox. He retired just four of the 12 batters he faced, allowing four runs on six hits including a two-run home run by Juan Uribe. |
Our View: Don't expect him to stick around for another start. He was filling Jared Weaver's spot in the rotation as Weaver cut his fingers in his last appearance. Weaver should be back in time to make his next start.
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| MLB.com reports that Jake Westbrook had successful arthroscopic surgery on his right hip in Nashville, Tenn., on Friday. He is still recovering from Tommy John surgery that he underwent earlier in the summer.
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Our View: You won't be hearing much from Westbrook any time soon. He won't pitch again until midseason of 2009 at the earliest.
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| Justin Duchscherer has been shut down for the season according to MLB.com. Duchscherer has been on the disabled list with a strained right hip since Aug. 19 -- the same hip the 30-year-old had surgery on last July. "He's not," Geren said matter-of-factly when asked when Duchscherer would throw again. "He's shut down. He's going to go to see [Dr. Byrd, who] did his surgery last year, to get reevaluated." |
Our View: Duchscherer had been enjoying an All-Star season prior to the injury. He had a 2.54 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP in 2008. Hopefully he will not require another surgery.
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| The Boston Globe reports that Marlon Byrd was apparently hurt in the first inning of Friday night's game while diving for Dustin Pedroia's eventual double. Brandon Boggs replaced him in the lineup. |
Our View: Its unclear how severe the injury is at this time but we will update as more information becomes available. Byrd had been hot recently and was named the August player of the month for the Rangers.
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| MLB.com reports that Alex Gordon participated in infield drills on Friday as he continues to recover from a torn hip flexor. He has been out since August 23. "The MRI update from yesterday shows there is healing going on," manager Trey Hillman said. "To what degree, it's tough to tell, but there is healing, and he was froggy to get out and do something. So we just had controlled ground balls. No hitting yet, though." |
Our View: When and if he'll return this season is uncertain. 2008 has been disappointing for Gordon and the Royals.
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| David Murphy, sidelined with a sprained ligament in his knee, may be in danger of being shut down for the remainder of the season. Although he has participated in batting practice, doctors have not cleared him to do any running. |
Our View: Murphy was a pleasant surprise in the fantasy world this season, but it appears the end may be near. Earlier in the day Ian Kinsler opted for season-ending surgery. Murphy is not in need of surgery, only rest.
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| The Boston Herald reports that Kevin Youkilis' back is ok, but that he will miss Friday's game due to a personal matter. All indications are that he will rejoin the club tomorrow. |
Our View: This is good news for Youkilis owners. Hopefully he will be ready to start again tomorrow night.
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| The AP reports that the Oakland Athletics recalled right-hander Jeff Gray from Triple-A Sacramento on Friday to provide help to an overworked bullpen.
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Our View: Gray has served as a closer in the minors but will be used in middle relief with the A's. His numbers are not exceptional and they don't figure to get any better in the pros.
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| Sean Casey was activated from the 15-day DL on Friday according to the Providence Journal. However, despite first baseman Kevin Youkilis' unavailability, Casey is not starting. He will be available to pinch hit. He was on the disabled list due to a bad neck. |
Our View: If Youkilis' injury (back) is serious, Casey would be the likely choice to start at first base. He is hitting .345 in 59 games this season. Mark Kotsay has started at the position recently.
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| J.D. Drew will take batting practice and shag flyballs on Friday. He has not played since August 17th due to a herniated disc. The Providence Journal reports that he hopes to be back in three to four days. |
Our View: Not so fast. Drew has been known to drag out his recovery time and there's no reason to expect him back so soon. However, we expect his standard production once he does return to the lineup. It's unlikely he would ever play at anything less than 100%.
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| The AP reports that Josh Beckett has been activated from the DL and will start Friday's game at Texas. He is only expected to throw 60-75 pitches. He has been sidelined since August 17 with right shoulder inflammation. |
Our View: 2008 has been very average for the Boston ace, however we all know he tends to pitch better the bigger the games. With the Red Sox breathing down Tampa Bay's collective neck, expect Becket to start lowering his 4.34 ERA soon.
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| Doug Mathis will undergo right shoulder surgery to have his bursa sac removed according to the Star-Telegram. He should begin throwing again in two months. |
Our View: Mathis had made four starts for the big league club, but was very ineffective. He ends his season with a 6.85 ERA nad a 2.28 WHIP.
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| Kevin Youkilis is not in the Red Sox lineup on Friday for the third straight game. He has a sore back but is not expected to land the disabled list. |
Our View: Mark Kotsay is starting in his place. Youk has been a fantasy force this season hitting .315 with 94 RBI.
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| Mark Kotsay is starting at first base for the injured Kevin Youkilis (back) against the Rangers on Friday. He is also hitting clean up. He has played first just one other time this season. |
Our View: Kotsay certainly does not have the pop to hit fourth, but he has done well thus far in six appearances for the Red Sox. He is hitting .333 since moving to Boston.
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| Mike Lowell is making his first appearance since August 12th on Friday against the Rangers. He had been out with a strained oblique. |
Our View: If Lowell was dropped in your league because of his injury, he is a good pickup for September. He is penciled in to hit sixth for the Sox which should give him plenty of RBI opportunities.
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| Dewayne Wise has been activated from the DL, according to the AP. The 30-year-old hurler had been sidelined since August 21 with a strained left adductor. |
Our View: Wise fared well with a .288 average (and two homers) over 66 at-bats with the Sox this season and should see action with Carlos Quentin potentially lost for the rest of the season due to a broken wrist. Wise also notced six stolen bases, and is worth a look in deeper AL-only leagues.
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| The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel believes that the signing of Mike Lamb could be an indication that Russell Branyan isn't expected back due to his right oblique strain. |
Our View: It could also signal that Mat Gamel is not in the plans to see significant playing time at third base, with Craig Counsell and Lamb likely to see most of the action.
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| Updating a previous report, Carlos Quentin is going to undergo surgery on his broken wrist Monday and could miss the remainder of the season, according to the AP. |
Our View: A screw will be inserted into the wrist, and he will be re-evaluated in two to three weeks. This is a critical blow to the AL Central contending Sox, as well as fantasy owners, as Quentin leads the AL with 36 homers.
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| Carlos Quentin's season could be in jeopardy after the team received MRI results on his left forearm and wrist Friday, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. |
Our View: It's not clear yet exactly what is wrong with Quentin, but obviously this would be a massive blow to the White Sox and fantasy owners alike. We'll keep you updated on his status.
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| Carlos Guillen will miss the trip to Minnesota this weekend while dealing with a pinched nerve, according to the Detroit Free Press. |
Our View: He won't play this weekend, and will instead continue baseball activities in Detroit. It is also uncertain if he will be ready to return for the start of the new week on Monday.
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| Brian Bass has been dealt from the Twins to the Orioles in exchange for a player to be named later, according to the Star Tribune. |
Our View: Bass spent most of the season with the Twins, but held a 4.87 ERA and 1.55 WHIP over 44 innings of relief, and was demoted to the minors in August. He didn't figure into Minnesota's plans for 2009, and Baltimore feels he will hold some value in their organization.
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| Melky Cabrera has been recalled from Triple-A Scranton, according to the Sports Network. |
Our View: He was recalled due to the injury concerns of outfielder Bobby Abreu (left wrist). Abreu's status for the Yankees' weekend series against Seattle remains in question. Cabrera could see some action, but does not merit fantasy consideration in anything but deeper AL-only leagues, as he struggled with New York this season.
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| Mitch Maier, who is recovering from facial fractures, participated in on-field activities prior to Thursday's game against Cleveland, according to the Kansas City Star. |
Our View: He has a good shot to return to the Royals' lineup as soon as next weekend. Maier is worth waiting for, as he holds a .339 average over 56 at-bats.
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| Delmon Young returned to the Twins' lineup Thursday after missing Wednesday due to a sore right ankle, according to the Star Tribune. |
Our View: He will be able to continue playing, but will have to favor his ankle for a while. That decreases his fantasy value as he has actually been more productive in the speed department (14 steals) than the power department (only eight homers) this season.
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| Carlos Gomez's playing time has been decreasing as manager Ron Gardenhire wants to keep his best bats in the lineup during a tight AL Central race against the White Sox, according to the Star Tribune. |
Our View: Gomez didn't start Thursday and only started one of the last four games. Denard Span started in center field in place of him. Gomez started Tuesday, but went 0-for-2 with a pair of strikeouts against AJ Burnett of Toronto, and is hitless in his last three games. He will continue to be phased out of the lineup until he gets back on track.
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