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| Ben Zobrist socked another home run on Thursday, his 27th of the season, but couldn't lead the Rays to victory, as they lost 3-2 to the Orioles at home. |
Our View: Zobrist was one of the biggest breakout players of 2009, and will be valuable in fantasy leagues in 2010 not just because of his solid production, but also his position versatility.
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| Ben Zobrist yanked his 26th home run of the season on Wednesday, driving in three, as the Rays beat the Orioles 5-3 at home. |
Our View: Zobrist now has 88 RBI on the season. Not bad for a guy who had 57 in his career entering 2009.
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| Ben Zobrist had a big day at the plate on Sunday, going 2-for-5 with four RBI in a 7-6 win over the Rangers. |
Our View: Zorilla has slowed considerably the last two months and has hit just one homer in the month of September. He's managed 12 RBI, but the power shortage is puzzling for the player who hit 23 through the first five months.
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| Ben Zobrist went 1-for-4 with a solo homer off Jim Johnson in Wednesday's 4-2 loss at Baltimore. |
Our View: Zobrist snapped a 19-game drought without a homer, and has 24 for 2009. He has a hit in five straight games, but hopefully fantasy owners won't have to wait long for his next round-tripper.
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| According to Marc Topkin on Twitter, Ben Zobrist is not in the lineup for Friday's game due to a death in the family. |
Our View: Zobrist headed home for the memorial service and is expected to be back in time for Saturday's game. Our thought s go out to him and his family.
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| Ben Zobrist cracked his 22nd homer and stole his 15th base in the Rays' 5-3 win over the Rangers on Friday. |
Our View: Zorilla finished the day 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI and continues to be one of the more pleasant fantasy surprises this season. He's now homered in his last three straight games.
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| Ben Zobrist was productive in tonight's 8-7 loss to the Orioles at Tropicana Field, as he went 2-for-4 with four RBI. He hit a double and a three-run homer off Brian Matusz. |
Our View: Zobrist has a five-game hitting streak, and homered in each of his last two. He raised his batting average to .289 and has 21 homers and 65 RBI.
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| Ben Zobrist hit his 19th home run of the season on Sunday. |
Our View: Zobrist had went his previous 11 games without leaving the ballpark but got back to his power-swinging ways on Sunday. He remains a clear must-start going forward this season.
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| Ben Zobrist hit his 18th home run of the season on Monday. |
Our View: Zobrist's 18 homers have come in just 263 at-bats. It was the first time in six games that Zobrist failed to post a multi-hit performance, but you won't hear his owners complaining. He continues to be one of the best, if not the best, out-of-nowhere performers this season.
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| Ben Zobrist went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored in tonight's 7-2 loss to Oakland at Tropicana Field. Both of his hits were singles. |
Our View: Zobrist has a hit in five straight games, with six RBI over the span. He should remain a solid option among fantasy second basemen.
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| Ben Zobrist went 3-for-5 with a homer, three runs scored and four RBI, including the game winner in the ninth inning, in the Rays' 10-9 walk-off win over the Blue Jays. |
Our View: Zorilla has been fantasy gold this season for anyone who was lucky enough to snatch him up. He now has 17 homers and 50 RBI to go with his .289 average. He also plays six positions. What's not to love?
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| Ben Zobrist went 2-for-2 with a pair of singles in Wednesday's 5-0 loss at Toronto. |
Our View: The Rays only mustered four hits in the game, and stranded 13 men on base. Zobrist raised his season average to .297, and is off to a good start in July after only hitting .271 last month.
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| Ben Zobrist went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer off Antonio Bastardo in tonight's 10-4 win over the Phillies at Tropicana Field. His other hit was a single. |
Our View: Zobrist swatted his 16th homer of the season, with eight coming in June. He is doing a solid job of filling in at second base, and should remain a good source for power while Akinori Iwamura is on the shelf.
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| Ben Zobrist went 1-for-5 with a single and two RBI in Thursday's 4-3 loss at Colorado. |
Our View: Zobrist now has 15 RBI so far in June, and 41 for the season. He is hitting .314 (17-for-54) this month as well, and shall remain active in fantasy leagues.
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| Ben Zobrist was 2-for-3 with three runs scored, a stolen base, and a walk as the Rays defeated the Angels 9-5 on Wednesday. |
Our View: Zobrist continues to dominate fantasy leagues in the month of June. Through eight games, he has 11 runs scored, nine RBI, four home runs, and two stolen bases.
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| Ben Zobrist went 2-for-4 with two RBI in Tuesday's 4-3 loss to the Angels at Tropicana Field. He hit a solo homer and a single. |
Our View: He raised his season average to .304, and already has nine RBI in June. He continues to hit well after holding a .313 batting average in May.
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| Ben Zobrist led the way for the Rays' offense on Saturday as they beat the Yankees 9-7. Zobrist went 2-for-3 with a home run, a triple, two runs, and an RBI in the win. |
Our View: Zobrist has been excellent since he started playing everyday, and he just continues to hit every day he is in the lineup. As long as Zobrist continues to hit, he should be in the lineup. He could be worth a look at this point, but you shouldn't expect him to stay incredibly hot all year.
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| Ben Zobrist hit a grand slam with his only hit in four at bats in Tampa Bay's 9-0 win over the Royals on Wednesday. He started at second base and hit fifth in the lineup. |
Our View: With Carlos Pena the only regular infielder who is currently healthy, Zobrist finally has an everyday job. Granted, he could be in any of five positions, but you can at least count him in the lineup. He has an incredible 1.073 OPS through 132 at bats and is currently riding a nine-game hitting streak.
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| Ben Zobrist hit a game-tying, pinch-hit two-run homer in the ninth inning of Thursday's 6-5 win over the A's. |
Our View: Zobrist is quietly having a nice season hitting .281 with eight homers and 22 RBI. He's a good outfield option in AL-only leagues and may even creep into consideration in deep mixed leagues.
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| Ben Zobrist will start at third base in Sunday's game against the Indians at Tropicana Field, according to the Tampa Tribune. |
Our View: Evan Longoria will work in the DH role today. Zobrist has a hit in each of his last four appearances, with two homers over the span. He is worth consideration if you have him on your roster.
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| Ben Zobrist bombed his sixth home run of the season on Thursday in the Rays' 11-7 loss to the Indians. Zobrist was 1-for-2 with two runs scored and three RBI in the game. |
Our View: Zobrist was playing in place of the injured Carl Crawford in left tonight, but he made his presence known with his homer and the three RBI. His fantasy value is maybe higher than it should be at this point since he doesn't play every day, but he has gone deep six times.
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| Ben Zobrist went 2-for-4 with a home run, an RBI, a run scored, and a stolen base as the Rays beat the Yankees 8-6 on Thursday. |
Our View: Zobrist has developed into a decent fantasy option as he already has five home runs on the season. The odds are against him keeping up this early season power surge, but as long as he is in the Rays lineup, he should find himself in plenty of run producing opportunities.
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| Ben Zobrist cranked out his third home run of the season in Sunday's 12-2 win over the White Sox. He finished 2-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored. |
Our View: The shortstop has built up some solid fantasy value to start the year and is likely on waiver wires in a lot of leagues still. He is hitting .308 with nine RBI through nine games this season but it is unlikely his power surge remains consistent all season.
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| Ben Zobrist didn't start on Friday night, but he replaced Gabe Gross and socked a grand slam in the sixth inning. Zobrist added a single in the eighth. |
Our View: The backup infielder and outfielder flexed his muscles with 12 homers over only 198 at-bats last year, and he has two long balls already this season. The lack of regular playing time continues to limit him to AL-only leagues, though.
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| According to the St. Petersburg Times, Ben Zobrist will be starting in right field for the Rays in Tuesday's game against the Yankees. He will be hitting seventh in the order. |
Our View: Zobrist has been decent so far this season, but now that B.J. Upton is back it looks as if Zobrist's playing time is going to decrease.
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| Ben Zobrist went 2-for-5 with two runs scored, three RBI, and his first home run of the season as the Rays beat the Orioles 11-3 on Sunday. |
Our View: Zobrist started the day in center field and was later moved to right. His versatility is a huge asset to the Rays, but his playing time figures to take a steep hit once B.J. Upton returns.
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| Ben Zobrist was 1-for-2 with two walks, two stolen bases, and two runs scored as the Rays beat the Yankees 5-4 on Sunday. |
Our View: Zobrist has not done much this spring as his .237 batting average would indicate. He does have four steals though, after compiling just three in 62 games last season. He can play six positions, and will serve as the Rays super-sub in 2009.
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| Ben Zobrist will start in right field instead of Gabe Gross in Sunday's Game 4 of the World Series, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: Zobrist primarily plays at shortstop but is known as a bit of a super-utility man. He has played all outfield positions this season but has started only once in right. He is 1-for-7 in the playoffs.
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| Ben Zobrist will be in tonight's starting lineup against the Phillies in Game 1 of the World Series, according to the St. Petersburg Times. He will start in right field. |
Our View: This lineup move comes as a bit of a surprise. Although Zobrist is a switch-hitter, which matches up with the left-handed starter Cole Hamels, Rocco Baldelli bats right-handed as well. Baldelli, who started the Rays last game in right field, had the game-winning RBI against Boston in Game 7. Defensively, Zobrist only has seven innings in right field this season, and just 18 total in the outfield.
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| Ben Zobrist will share the final AL Player of the Week award with Hank Blalock according to MLB.com. For the week, Zobrist hit .455 (10-22), with a double, a triple, four home runs, eight runs and ten RBIs. The 28-year-old posted four multihit games en route to a 1.136 slugging percentage along with a .500 on-base percentage. |
Our View: Zobrist finished off his great week by hitting a game-winning home run in the top of the 11th inning in an 8-7 victory over the Tigers at Comerica Park. He did not become a regular in the Rays lineup until after the All-Star break but really came on in September. For the month, he hit .321 with five home runs, 12 RBI and 12 runs scored. He will be worth watching next spring.
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| Ben Zobrist hit an 11th inning solo home run to put the Rays ahead of the Tigers for good 8-7. He was 2-for-5 with two RBI on Sunday. |
Our View: Zobrist is now 10-for-22 in his last five games and he has hit four home runs. This hot streak woulf be very valuable going forward for the playoff-bound Rays.
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| Tampa shortstop Ben Zobrist went 3-for-4 with a home run, two runs scored and an RBI in the Rays' 4-3 loss to the Tigers on Saturday. |
Our View: Zobrist has been on fire recently, and in his last five games, he has gone 8-for-17 (.471) with three home runs.
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| Ben Zobrist hit his 8th and 9th home runs of the year, but it was not enough as the Rays fell to Detroit 7-5. Zobrist was 2-for-4 with four RBI on the day. |
Our View: Zobrist started at second for the resting Akinori Iwamura, and made the best of it. He showed good pop in limited action this season, with 21 of his 45 hits going for extra-bases.
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| Ben Zobrist went 2-for-4 with four RBI in Saturday's 6-5 loss to the Yankees in the bottom half of the doubleheader. He hit a double and a grand slam, which was surrendered by Sidney Ponson. |
Our View: Zobrist registered his first homer and RBI in September, and is only hitting .238 (5-for-21) in the month.
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| Ben Zobrist went 1-for-5 with a grand slam in Friday's 14-3 win over the Orioles. |
Our View: Zobrist has two homers and seven RBI over his last five games and is worth targeting in AL-only leagues if available on the waiver wire.
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| Utility man Ben Zobrist is slated to start in center field Wednesday in place of B.J. Upton, who has been benched for failing to run out a groundout Tuesday, according to the St. Petersburg Times. |
Our View: Zobrist is hitting .234 with one homer and five RBI this season, and is only worth consideration today in the deepest of leagues.
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| The Tampa Bay Rays have recalled shortstop Ben Zobrist from Triple-A Durham, according to the AP. |
Our View: Zobrist played 23 games earlier this season with Tampa Bay, hitting .230 with five homers and eight RBIs.
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| After one of his best games of the season, Ben Zobrist was optioned to Triple-A Durham on Thursday. Jason Bartlett will take his roster spot upon his return from the disabled list. |
Our View: Zobrist showed some pop while in the majors. In 23 games he recorded five home runs to go with a triple. Still, his .288 OBP suggests that he needs to pick up some discipline during his next stint in the minors.
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| Ben Zobrist led the Rays to a 4-3 win over Oakland on Wednesday at Tropicana Field, as he went 2-for-3 with two RBI. He hit a single and a solo home run. |
Our View: Zobrist needed a solid outing, as he was only hitting .142 (3-for-21) over his previous six games. Jason Bartlett will replace him at shortstop when he returns from the DL.
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| Ben Zobrist's seventh inning two-run home run was the difference in Friday night's game against the Blue Jays and moved the Rays back into first place. |
Our View: Zobrist is simply filling in for Jason Bartlett who may come back soon.
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| Ben Zobrist hit a solo home run on Saturday night, the third straight game he has accomplished that feat for the Rays. |
Our View: Of course, games two and three in the streak were separated by nine days as he spent some time in the minors. Due to the injury to Jason Bartlett he figures to receive a fair amount of playing time the next two weeks.
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| Ben Zobrist has been called up to the big leagues today from Triple-A Durham, according to the Tampa Tribune. |
Our View: Zobrist has hit well in his nine games with the Rays, but he is just 3-for-19 in his last five games since the last time he was sent down.
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| Ben Zobrist had a successful three game stint with the Tampa Bay Rays, but he was sent to Triple-A in order to make room on the roster for the return of Carlos Pena, reports the St. Petersburg Times. |
Our View: Zobrist was 3-for-9 with two home runs in his abbreviated stay with the Rays. Even with Pena having a down year, he brings far more offensive potential than Zobrist, who will likely get another shot in the majors at some point down the road.
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| Ben Zobrist, who rejoined the team Tuesday after being recalled from Durham, will start at shortstop the next two games, this according to the Herald Tribune. |
Our View: Bartlett plans to rejoin the Rays on Friday in Pittsburgh if all goes well during his maternity leave. Bartlett will leave the Rays this morning to be with his wife Kelly, who is expecting the couple's first child.
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| As expected, the Rays recalled Ben Zobrist from Triple-A Durham Tuesday. He has four hits in 15 at-bats with the Rays this year. |
Our View: Zobrist will provide insurance for the Rays on the middle infield, as Akinori Iwamura will be serving a suspension and Jason Bartlett will miss at least a game or two with his wife due to give birth.
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| Ben Zobrist is expected to be recalled to the Rays, according to the Tampa Tribune. The team optioned outfielder Justin Ruggiano to Triple-A Durham, and Zobrist is believed to be the corresponding move. |
Our View: Shortstop Jason Bartlett's wife is about to give birth, and is expected to miss a game or two. Zobrist would be added for infield depth.
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| Ben Zobrist will start in right field on Wednesday, his first major league appearance at the position. |
Our View: Zobrist is working to increase his versatility, as his future will likely be as a utility man. His near future could also include a trip to the minors.
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| Ben Zobrist had two hits, scored a run, and stole his first base of the season for the Rays from the shortstop position. |
Our View: Jason Bartlett and Akinori Iwamura seem entrenched in the lineup up the middle, but Zobrist should get enough work here and there to have some value in deep AL Only leagues.
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| Infielder Ben Zobrist will be activated from the DL for today's game against the Yankees, according to the St. Petersburg Times. He missed the entire season so far due to a fractured left thumb. To make room on the roster, Andy Cannizaro was designated for assignment.
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Our View: Zobrist could get some action soon, as manager Joe Maddon said he plans to give shortstop Jason Bartlett and second baseman Akinori Iwamura a day off at some point in the coming days.
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| Ben Zobrist could come off the DL on Monday, just hours after getting pins removed from his fractured left thumb, MLB.com reports. "The doctor told me I can play the same day," Zobrist says. "When they take the pins out, it's not going to take but an hour or two, and it won't feel any different than it did before." The shortstop has been rehabbing a High-A Vero Beach. |
Our View: Zobrist will be behind Jason Bartlett at shortstop, and he'll also be able to serve as a backup at second and this base. His fantasy value is minimal.
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| The Tampa Tribune reports that Ben Zobrist, who still has pins in the fractured left thumb he suffered March 9, might play for Vero Beach the next four days at Lakeland. If he comes through that without any problems, he would take Sunday off, get the pins removed Monday and potentially be activated Tuesday. |
Our View: The Rays are hanging tough while many of their key pieces are still recovering from injuries. Zobrist and Cliff Floyd are expected to join Scott Kazmir and Matt Garza, who both just recently returned from the disabled list.
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| Ben Zobrist played in an extended spring training game on Tuesday and could move to High-A Vero Beach soon. The shortstop is rehabbing a fractured left thumb and could return to the majors by early next week, the Tampa Tribune reports. |
Our View: Zobrist will likely take Andy Cannizaro's spot as the backup middle infielder, which suggests Ben will have almost no fantasy value.
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| Ben Zobrist is expected to get the pins removed from his injured thumb on April 28, and will be limited until then, according to The Tampa Tribune. |
Our View: The utility man would likely see action in extended spring training or the minor leagues before being activated.
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| The team reported that they don't think Ben Zobrist will be ready to play when he is first eligible to come off the disabled list on Saturday, according to the Tampa Tribune. The team wants him to get some at-bats, either in extended spring training or with one of their minor-league affiliates, before activating him. |
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| Ben Zobrist was placed on the disabled list by the Rays on Tuesday, retroactively to March 21, according to the St. Petersburg Times. He'll be eligible to come off the DL next Saturday, but it's not clear if his fractured left thumb will be healed enough by then to allow him to take part in games. |
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| The Tampa Bay team website reports that with Scott Kazmir and Rocco Baldelli already expected to start the season on the DL, another trio of Rays players will likely join them once the official announcement is made.
The news that versatile infielder Ben Zobrist , who fractured his left thumb on March 9, will likely be on the DL hurts the depth of the opening day roster. X-rays taken on on Monday confirmed that Zobrist's injury had not healed enough to begin play. Zobrist has fantasy value as a multi-positional qualifier in AL-only formats.
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| Ben Zobrist will miss at least the next four weeks due to a hairline fracture in his left thumb, this according to the Tampa Tribune. Jason Bartlett will start at SS, and the report went on to state that a Reid Brignac promotion was highly unlikely leaving Andy Cannizaro as the most likely backup middle infielder until Zobrist is once again healthy. |
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| Ben Zobrist recorded a single and a double in three trips to the plate on Sunday and improved his spring average to .444 (8-for-18). Zobrist also stole a base and scored a run. Zobrist is fighting for a utility role for the Rays and if he can find a spot on the 25-man roster he'll have some fantasy value in AL-only formats. |
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| Scrappy pro Ben Zobrist has been very busy this spring working at multiple positions, according to The St. Petersburg Times. Zobrist has played at second base, shortstop, third base, and center field, in an attempt to etch out a role as a valued utility man for the young Rays franchise. He stated, "Whatever I have to do to be able to be out on the field, I'm willing to do it". |
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| Manager Joe Maddon said that Ben Zobrist is "likely done" for the season. He has been out since Aug. 19 because of a right oblique strain, according to the AP. |
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| The Devil Rays placed Ben Zobrist on the disabled list prior to Sunday's game. An MRI performed later in the day revealed that he has a slight tear in his right oblique muscle, according to the Tampa Tribune. An exact timetable for his return to action hasn't been set; it certainly will be more than a couple of weeks, and he could miss the rest of the season. |
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| Ben Zobrist was forced to exit Saturday's game with a strained right oblique. "When I swung I knew there was something wrong," Zobrist told the St. Petersburg Times. An MRI will be performed on Sunday to determine the severity of the injury, but it appears likely that he will be placed on the disabled list. |
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| The Devil Rays recalled Ben Zobrist from Triple-A Durham before Sunday's game. Zobrist hit just .159 with the Rays earlier this year. He hit .273 with seven homers and eight steals in 220 at-bats with Durham. |
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| Ben Zobrist was sent down to Triple-A prior to Thursday's game. He was hitting just .159 in 63 at-bats for Tampa Bay and had lost his full-time job at shortstop to Brendan Harris several weeks ago. |
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| Ben Zobrist made one error and botched two other makeable plays in Saturday's loss at Oakland, the St. Petersburg Times reports. Zobrist is already behind Brendan Harris on the team's depth chart, and outings like this won't help his cause. At the plate Zobrist, batting ninth, went 0-for-3 with an RBI.
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| Ben Zobrist returned to the lineup Sunday though he went 0-for-4. That put the wraps on a tricky opening week for Zobrist (1-for-17), who could lose more time to Brendan Harris if the hits don't start falling. |
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| Ben Zobrist was given a routine day off Saturday, with Brendan Harris starting in his spot. Zobrist is expected to be back in the lineup Sunday, though Harris did have a three-run homer in the loss to Toronto. |
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| Ben Zobrist had two hits Saturday and wrapped the spring hitting .345. He's expected to begin the year batting second in the Tampa Bay lineup, and he was one of the more-impressive players at the Arizona Fall league last year. |
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| Ben Zobrist was 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored Sunday. Zobrist, who will start at short for Tampa this year, also swiped his second bag of the spring and is hitting .345 in Grapefruit League action. |
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| The St. Petersburg Times reports that the Devil Rays have called up Ben Zobrist from Triple-A Durham to play shortstop now that Julio Lugo has been dealt to the Dodgers. Zobrist, who the D'Rays acquired in the Aubrey Huff deal, was hitting .304 in 69 at-bats with the Bulls. He batted .327 with three homers, 30 RBI and nine steals with Double-A Corpus Christi earlier in the year. |
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