Poppin' out the box scores and right into your cubicle, the Roto Rush is your double espresso shot of fantasy baseball advice every weekday.At least we know Alex Rodriguez will have plenty of help from Yankee Stadium as he makes his way back from hip surgery.
Just ask Johnny Damon, who's suddenly turned into one of the hottest power hitters in baseball after hitting only 17 home runs all of last year. Damon has already knocked seven out this season, including three this month. The Rays joined in on the ball-smashing fun Thursday, launching six homers as a team. So is a trip to Yankee Stadium the same as visiting Arlington now?
There's no doubt right field has been especially friendly to hitters of all shapes and sizes. Six out of the eight homers that were hit in Thursday's Rays-Yanks game went to right field. When Buster Olney took a closer look at the problem in late April, one official said: "With the way the wind has been the last couple of days, right field is a joke." Some of the latest theories include skewed architectural construction, seating angles and blaming the old Yankee Stadium's presence for causing the wind current to shift.
Whatever the case may be, this home run onslaught could continue all season long. That means you have to strongly consider playing all your hitters there. It's currently right below Rangers Ballpark in Park Factors. Heck, it even helped Carl Crawford hit his first one out. I wouldn't be surprised to see over 20 jacks from Damon this season and over 30 from Nick Swisher.
Bits From the Box Scores:
• Ichiro is just starting to get warmed up. He collected three hits Thursday and stole his fifth base of the season. You know who also stole his fifth? Coco Crisp. That gives him three over his last two games, and he comes at a rock-bottom price compared to Ichiro if you need swipes and runs.
• Brian Bannister's ratio isn't pretty, but you can't ignore a 1.48 ERA and 1.19 WHIP through his first four games. If he can keep his walks and home runs allowed down he's got a pretty good shot to repeat his strong 2007 season, where he finished with a 3.87 ERA. More of an option in deep and AL-only leagues.
• Bengie Molina hasn't drawn a walk yet. He's also hit three homers in his last three games and seven total -- on pace to shatter his career high.
• I discussed a bunch of players who can help you fill in for Manny Ramirez, but another cheap alternative I didn't mention is Brad Hawpe. He's starting to turn it on and you shouldn't have to pay a ransom to acquire him.
• Remember when Emilio Bonifacio was a king amongst infielders? Yeah, now he's basically Craig Counsell. Another lowly performance against the Braves dropped his batting average to .194 for May. He'll still retain value because of his speed, but the honeymoon is over and Fredi Gonzalez can't keep trotting him out at leadoff much longer.• Always nice to see Chris Davis hit one out of the park, especially since I have about four teams counting on him as a corner infielder. Maybe the mechanical tinkering I mentioned is already starting to pay off. Don't sleep on Justin Smoak, though. He's tearing it up in the minors.
• Asdrubal Cabrera has a hit in 12 of his last 13 games. With 21 runs, five steals and a .330 average, there's really no reason he should be on the waiver wire in so many leagues. He's an ideal fill-in for Alexei Ramirez, who shouldn't be abandoned.
• Two hitters that are quietly heating up: Jayson Werth and Jay Bruce. The Phillies outfielder has three home runs and eight RBI over his last four games, while the Reds' 22-year-old has three HR this month as well.
• It's quickly starting to get shaky for Armando Galarraga -- eleven runs over his last two starts. I think it's time to be selective play the matchups with both him and Edwin Jackson.
• Aaron Hill is up to eight homers, 28 RBI and 25 runs for Toronto. Safe to say the power is back.
The Afflicted: Alex Rodriguez and Brian McCann are back in the lineup for the Yankees and Braves. Mariano Rivera is experiencing shoulder discomfort. Nothing to be alarmed about yet. Anibal Sanchez will be out two months with a shoulder injury. It looks like Chris Carpenter is on track for a late May return.
Weekend Aces in the Hole: On Saturday, Paul Maholm (3-0, 2.97 ERA) faces the Mets at Citi Field. He holds a 2.25 career ERA vs. New York. Joe Saunders (4-1, 3.29 ERA) against the Royals at home is another solid option. Jeff Weaver (1-0, 1.00 ERA), impressive over his first two outings, will get an easy matchup on Sunday vs. the Giants. Max Scherzer (0-3, 3.38 ERA) is somehow sitting on the waiver wire in about 30 percent of mixed leagues. He'll take on the Nationals at home and should pitch his third consecutive quality start.
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