Poppin' out the box scores and right into your cubicle, the Roto Rush is your double espresso shot of fantasy baseball advice every weekday.Ben Zobrist has transformed from a run-of-the-mill slap hitter into one of the most powerful middle infielders in baseball. Right when you thought he might be cooling off, SMASH! -- a grand slam against Kansas City for his 10th home run of the year. He's slugging .659 with a 1.073 OPS for crying out loud. And he's somehow still available in over 35 percent of mixed leagues. So the question becomes: Is it time for you to believe in the man Joe Maddon nicknamed "Zorilla" or will his power eventually fade just like Marco Scutaro's did?
In late April, Tommy Rancel of DRaysBay uncovered some eye-opening details about Zobrist's work with "swing mechanic" Jamie Cevallos, who's also helped Reds prospect Drew Sutton. As the story goes, Zobrist trained with Cevallos and the patented MKANX training bat before the 2008 season. Cevallos studied Zobrist's swing extensively on tape and gave him methods to increase power and consistency.
On Cevallos' Web site, there's a quote from Zobrist that reads: "The numbers before I worked with Jaime compared to after speak for themselves."
Yeah, I'll say.
So how much of this do we take with a grain of salt? The stat fiend will look at Zobrist's 21.7 percent HR/F rate and become very skeptical (home runs as a percent of outfield fly balls). But Zobrist put up a 17.4 percent HR/F last season, where he hit 12 out of the park in 198 at-bats. So even though we all know he'll cool off, I don't think what we're seeing is entirely fluky. He should hit 25 if Maddon keeps slotting him somewhere in the lineup all season long.
Don't forget about his RBI potential either. Zobrist batted fifth on Wednesday with Evan Longoria out and will return to the sixth spot when he returns. If you consider that his eligibility includes second base, shortstop and outfield, there's no reason to see him available in any league. This is the middle infielder steal of the season (no offense, Aaron Hill).
Bits from the Box Scores:
• Jered Weaver is not only back to rookie form, he's got a new trick in his bag, too. With an improved hard-breaking slider, Weaver has racked up 18 strikeouts over his last two starts. He lowered his ERA to a miniscule 2.26 with a Halladay-like showing against the Blue Jays. "The slider is a lot sharper," Weaver said after the game. "I've been trying to mess around with a couple of different grips over the past couple of years. Me and (pitching coach Mike Butcher) worked on one in spring training and it's come around and I've gotten a good grasp on where to put it and where to locate it." • Andrew Bailey could make Brad Ziegler look irrelevant very quickly if he keeps pitching like this. Up against the White Sox, Bailey picked up his third save and 40th strikeout (in 34 innings). Josh Outman, one of Oakland's other pleasant surprises, won his third game and lowered his ERA to 3.02. Even though he's reeled off five straight quality starts with a healthy strikeout rate, I still wouldn't trust him all season long.
• Sticking with relievers, don't sleep on Angel Guzman, who picked up the win for Chicago with two scoreless innings at Atlanta. Afterward, Kevin Gregg stayed out of trouble for once with a no-nonsense save. Guzman has only given up two earned runs since April 22 and his 22:8 strikeout-to-walk ratio whispers "potential closer." If you recall, Guzman was considered for the gig in 2007, then an injury wiped out his 2008 season.
• Magglio Ordonez has been stuck on two home runs since April 27. You're not going to find a star outfielder much cheaper than Maggs.
• The Josh Beckett resurgence ride continued with a nine-strikeout game, his highest K total since Opening Day.
• Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus stole three bases on the Yankees over the first two games of the series. I wonder what he'll try doing in the third.
• Two interesting stat lines out of the Reds' lineup: Laynce Nix hit two homers and Brandon Phillips stole two bases after not swiping one since April 28. Nix isn't a bad pickup for those who need cheap power in deep leagues; it seems like ages ago when he was a hyped young Texas slugger. And Phillips is quickly closing the gap atop the second base ranks.
• Dan Uggla has homered in seven of his last 15 games for Florida. And to think I saw an owner drop him in a mixed league nearly a month ago.
Lineup Lock Time: Get those changes in by lunchtime since the Mets and Pirates play at 12:35 PM ET. Also, remember that Washington and San Francisco play a doubleheader due to Wednesday's rainout.
Down on the Farm: White Sox prospect Gordon Beckham is going to be called up from Triple-A Charlotte and Wilson Betemit will be designated for assignment. Regular at-bats should come easy for Beckham, whether he's playing shortstop, third base or even second base. He was hitting .435 since being promoted to Triple-A and is worth adding in all very deep mixed leagues, but shallow-leaguers can take a wait-and-see approach. Beckham's call-up will get all the hype, but don't forget about Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen, who will make his debut Thursday and should start for the rest of the season. With major speed and run-scoring skills, he could have a bigger impact in fantasy circles. But if Pittsburgh plans to play both him and Nyjer Morgan regularly, well, that's a pitiful power combo.
Cleveland catching prospect Carlos Santana -- no relation to the legendary guitarist -- smashed two homers Tuesday a day after he hit two doubles. Overall, he's got nine homers, 35 RBI and a very fine 35:25 walk-to-strikeout ratio. A great keeper prospect, for sure.
The Afflicted: Not a good day for injuries. Kevin Youkilis is day-to-day after leaving Wednesday's game in the eighth inning with an ankle injury. Evan Longoria's sore left hamstring likely won't require a DL stint, but expect him to miss 1-3 more games to rest. Jose Reyes was forced to leave an extended spring training game after experiencing discomfort in his right calf. (Uh oh ... stay tuned.) San Diego placed outfielder Scott Hairston on the 15-day disabled list due to a strained left biceps (right in the middle of a hot streak). Cleveland shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera also hit the DL with a sprained left shoulder. And finally, Cardinals starter Kyle Lohse had to come out after just two innings because of soreness in his forearm.
Friday's Ace in the Hole: He's not recommended for those with heart conditions, but Mike Hampton (3-4, 5.07 ERA) owns the Pirates this season. He's 2-0 with a 0.69 ERA in two starts against them. Pittsburgh may also feel deflated after the Nate McLouth trade. Arizona's Doug Davis (2-6, 3.65 ERA) should benefit from pitching at Petco Park while amassing strikeouts. And for deep leagues, Dallas Braden (4--5, 3.63 ERA) plays the Orioles at home.
