Poppin' out the box scores and right into your cubicle, the Roto Rush is your double espresso shot of fantasy baseball advice every weekday.
There I am. Bottom of the 10th inning. Promenade section of Citi Field.
With my hands swollen from furious applause throughout the night and my legs bobbing to stay warm, Fernando Martinez laced a hit to right field. We came alive once more, while the old man sitting next to me grumbled: "Another friggin single? Pelfrey's the only one who drove somethin'."
Sixteen hits and pitcher Mike Pelfrey was the Met with pop.
In our fantasy cram session podcast last week, we discussed the startling differences between Yankee Stadium and the cavernous Citi Field, as well as the notion of trading David Wright. None of us expected that Derek Jeter would have twice as many home runs as Wright at this point.
It's not that Wright and Carlos Beltran aren't having great fantasy seasons. Wright is on his way to top 30 stolen bases, and they're both hitting above .340 with over 30 RBI and runs. But I'd be very surprised if either star came close to the 30-homer plateau. And chances are you drafted Wright to hit jacks as well as burn up the base paths.
If you can make do without the power production, by all means keep Wright. But consider Mark Reynolds is actually having a better year across the board aside from batting average, and I'm sure you can envision a deal where you'd get back both Reynolds and another top-notch player.
The Afflicted: We're going swap orders for this edition because the Carlos Quentin update is pretty significant. Quentin, who's been on the DL with plantar fasciitis, is not expected back until after the All-Star break. It's actually a torn tendon. And whenever he comes back, there's no guarantee we're going to see the same slugger. It's time to consider a long-term solution if you've just been using a fill-in. Buying low on an outfielder like Magglio Ordonez or Corey Hart is an option.
In other injury news, Rich Harden (back strain) returns from the DL this weekend to face the Twins. Paul Konerko aggravated a thumb injury but it looks like he'll play Friday. Jacoby Ellsbury (bruised shoulder) is likely out Thursday for a series finale with the Yankees. Anthony Reyes will undergo an ulnar nerve transposition and is out for the season. Brandon Webb (shoulder strain) is hoping to throw a bullpen session next week. Buy low on Webb.
Bits from the Box Scores:
• Jose Guillen has three home runs already this month. He's not going to give you a high RBI count, but you could do much worse if you're looking for a Quentin replacement from the wire. Don't sleep on Angels outfielder Juan Rivera either. In his past 32 games, Rivera's driven in 21 runs with five homers and an average over .310.
• Mark Teixeira continues to be flat-out ridiculous. Yep, it sure is sweet hitting in front of A-Rod. He should come close to numbers from his stellar 2005 season.
• If Garrett Atkins isn't the ultimate buy-low, I don't know who is. He's ridden the bench two straight games while Ian Stewart starts at third base. A trade is an inevitability and Atkins will bounce back, whether it's in Colorado or elsewhere.
• I think a big second half is coming for Colby Rasmus. He's just starting to find his power stroke, batting .452 this month with six doubles and two homers. Rick Ankiel is on the rise as well, now that he's settled in following injury.
• Ryan Madson, replacing injured closer Brad Lidge, nailed down his third save of the season. He's still available in over half of mixed leagues.
• Jose Lopez has hit three out of the park over his last three games, and he's sporting a .333 average for June. Expect the surge to continue. He's out there on a lot of waiver wires.
• Jay Bruce blasted his 15th home run for the Reds, yet he only has 32 RBI. Bruce is batting a woeful .176 with runners in scoring position.
• If someone is snoozing while Geovany Soto's bat awakens, time to make a move. Two homers for him in June and more to come. Stephen Drew is also on the rebound this month: .389 average with four multi-hit games.• Don't worry about Francisco Cordero's blown save. It's his first since July 21 of last season. One-game hiccup.
• Carl Pavano gave up nine earned runs for the second time this season. Unfortunately, I was one of the owners who took a chance on a spot start, then I broke up with him like Alyssa Milano did. Prior to getting obliterated by the Royals, he had won six of his last eight starts with an ERA under 4.00 in that span.
• Ben Zobrist is the truth. Another multi-hit game with three runs and a stolen base. I can't fathom why a potential 25-15 infielder who qualifies at three positions isn't owned in every single league.
• Go to whoever owns John Lackey in your league -- likely a very scared owner after his nine-run disaster -- and try to rob him/her blind. Interleague is coming up and he's been streaky in the past. Recall that he had two months of ugly ERAs last season -- a 6.06 in July and an 8.14 in September.
• Very rough debut for Pirates pitcher Charlie Morton, but it's no fault of his own. Morton threw a scoreless first inning before tightness in his right hamstring knocked him out. I still like him in NL-only leagues if his hamstring is OK. His teammate Jason Jaramillo keeps driving in runs -- nine RBI in June.
Down on the Farm: Things are going so well for Giants catching prospect Buster Posey it's only a matter of time before he makes the jump to Double-A. He blasted 10 homers with 44 RBI, and the sharp plate discipline to match. It should be fun to see who hits the majors first between Posey and Cleveland's Carlos Santana.
Friday's Ace in the Hole: I really like Oakland rookie Vin Mazzaro (2-0. 0.00 ERA) in interleague play vs. San Francisco. Click here to read Knox's take for more on Mazzaro's fantasy prospects. Randy Wells (0-2, 1.86 ERA) gets the Twins at home and should stick in the rotation despite Harden's return.
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