Fantasy Baseball Fanhouse

Desert Diaries: Injuries Take Their Toll

Knox Bardeen — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:49:00 EST

Filed under: MLB Injury Report, MLB Kids Are Alright

The Arizona Fall League is chock-full of young prospects looking to make their mark. Desert Diaries is your twice-weekly look at which of these up-and-comers could make a fantasy baseball splash in 2010.

It's an inevitable side effect of playing extra baseball in an instructional fall league -- injuries will crop up. As much as these prospects, and their parent major league team, want to prove that they can make it at the next level, it's also important to avoid injury. Unfortunately that's been proven impossible for a few Arizona Fall League participants.

Scott Sizemore, who is projected to take over at second base next season for the Detroit Tigers, fractured his left ankle as the result of a collision at second base trying to turn a double play. He just underwent surgery on Tuesday to repair the damage and Steve Kornacki of Michigan Live says that Sizemore should be ready for Spring Training and is still on track to play second base.

Dombrowski was asked if the surgery impacted his thinking on Sizemore's starter possibilities.

"Nothing has changed with that thought process," Dombrowski said. "He should come back just fine. We're fortunate."

Team orthopedist Stephen Lemos performed the procedures on the fractured fibula. Screws were inserted to stabilize Sizemore's ankle joint, and he will be in a splint for two weeks. Sizemore will wear a cam boot once the splint is removed.

The Atlanta Braves chose to play is safe this week when their best prospect complained of a lower-back strain. Jason Heyward had only played in four games in Arizona where he hit .286 with three doubles in 14 at-bats. But his back issues forced the Braves to pull him from the AFL as a precautionary measure. Dave O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution believes that Heyward will be ready to fight for a roster spot next spring.

Heyward, 20, was examined Tuesday by Dr. Marvin Royster, who diagnosed back inflammation that was radiating to Heyward's gluteus. He will undergo treatment, rest for a few weeks and not return to the fall league, which runs through mid-November.

The Braves don't believe it will affect the former Henry County High School star in his preparations for spring training and the 2010 season.

Other Fantasy News From the Arizona Fall League

o. Also dealing with a sore back, Mike Stanton has been shut down for the rest of the Arizona Fall League by the Florida Marlins, according to Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post. Stanton was leading all AFL hitters with a .478 batting average and is expected after rest and recovery to be ready for spring workouts.

o. Dayan Viciedo has come down with right elbow inflammation and Scot Gregor of the Arlington Heights Daily Herald says the Chicago White Sox have shut down their hitting prospect for the rest of the AFL. Viciedo had driven in six runs in only four games before the injury put an end to fall league play.

o. Grant Desme has never played ball above the Advanced-A level but is absolutely tearing up Arizona Fall League pitching. He's blasted ten home runs in 12 games and is on pace to crush Brandon Wood's AFL home run record. The 23-year-old Desme hit 31 home runs this past season in 486 minor league at-bats.

Desert Diaries: Injuries Take Their Toll originally appeared on Fantasy Baseball Fanhouse on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:49:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Roto Rush: My Apology to Derrek Lee

Matt Snyder — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 14:37:00 EST

Filed under: MLB Injury Report, MLB Locking Your Lineup, MLB Waiver Wire

Poppin' out of the box scores and right into your cubicle, the Roto Rush is your double espresso shot of fantasy baseball advice every weekday.

Before the season started, I was rough on Derrek Lee. I named him the biggest bust on the Cubs for this coming season and included him on the list of "five guys to lose" your fantasy league. I even predicted Mike Fontenot would hit more home runs than Mr. Lee. Obviously, it sounds outlandish now, in hindsight, as Lee clubbed his 35th home run Tuesday night. In the process, he established a new career high in RBI with 109. His OPS is the second-highest it's ever been -- trailing only his insane 2005 season when he did an Albert Pujols impersonation.

It's not like I hated Derrek Lee before the season started. It was nothing of the sort. He plays for my favorite team. He's a good leader in the clubhouse and a great guy off the field.

It's just that he was coming off a season where he had a .462 slugging percentage. In the second half of 2008, he hit .266 with a dismal .390 slugging percentage. Those are rate stats of a light-hitting middle infielder, not the three-hole of a team who won 97 games. Plus, he was 32 years old and had already begun to trend downward during the 2007 season.

Yes, I'm aware he broke his wrist in 2006, following his career year, but I've never heard of a player losing power for three freaking years after a wrist injury.

Whatever it was, though, Derrek Lee is back and I felt it necessary to call myself out for being so incorrect about him.

Oh, and get this, he's hit 24 bombs since July 1. That would be a full-season pace of 50-plus jacks and he leads the majors since that date. He appears to have plenty of gas left in the tank.

Bits From the Box Scores
- Big outing for Joe Blanton and he's now worked in 13 consecutive scoreless innings. He's struck out 16 batters in those two starts as well. In fact, he's got a 9-4 record with a 2.78 ERA since May 26, and that's including a 4 2/3 inning, 8 earned run outing against the Nationals. He's a great option for his final two starts.

- Edwin Jackson also had a good outing, and his was big news for a different reason. Amidst reports that he was tipping pitches, Jackson had a 6.12 ERA in his first four September starts. It was nice to see him work seven shutout frames, though we shouldn't get ahead of ourselves. He was facing the dreadful Indians and he only struck out 2 while walking 3.

- Adam Dunn hit his 38th home run of the season, which means he's about to hit 40 again. There are few certainties as each baseball season begins, but one of them is Adam Dunn hitting at least 40 bombs. This season will mark the sixth consecutive time he's done it. If he ends up exactly on 40, it will be for the fifth straight time (which is an amazing coincidence).

- Not sure if anyone has noticed, but Lastings Milledge is hitting the hell out of the ball, and has been for the past five weeks or so. Since August 17, Milledge is hitting .357. Keep an eye on him for next year. The Pirates figure to give him an everyday job.

- Matt Wieters is picking up the pace as the season's end grows closer. In his last nine games, he's hitting .471 with 2 home runs, 11 RBI and a 1.235 OPS. I wouldn't be surprised if he gets drafted lower next year than he did this past year when he was a hype machine. Thus, he'll be a great value pick as he emerges as a stud.

- Rafael Soriano is probably going to make a decent chunk of dough as a free agent closer. Don't fall in love with him due to his new home, though. Since becoming the closer, Soriano is 19-for-22 on save chances, sure, but his ERA in that time is 5.23 and his WHIP is 1.29. He's allowing nearly a hit per inning. If he signs in the AL, beware.

- Zack Greinke should be the number one pitcher drafted next season. Period.

- John Danks had been in a pretty good groove. His ERA in his previous eight starts was 2.14. Tuesday night, though, he was destroyed by the Twins (6 innings, 8 hits, 7 earned runs, 3 home runs). Just remember, he's only 24 and the Twins are playing as well as anyone right now. Danks will still be a quality option next season.

- Dexter Fowler is going to be a star and his break-through is going to come next year. Since August 2, the speedy center-fielder is hitting .341 with a .962 OPS. He hasn't hit a home run during that period and has only stolen 3 bases, but those features of his game will come when he fully reaches a comfort level. That's coming.

The Afflicted: White Sox closer Bobby Jenks will miss the rest of the season because of a strained calf muscle. Octavio Dotel and Matt Thornton will split closing duties in his absence. Rockies outfielder Carlos Gonzalez is day-to-day after being pulled from Tuesday's game with a tight left hamstring. Add back tightness on top of Kevin Kouzmanoff's already existing calf injury. It looks like he will miss the rest of the season. Josh Hamilton took batting practice and shagged fly balls. He should be back in action this weekend. Brett Myers was diagnosed with a Grade 1 strain of his right lat muscle and won't pick up a baseball for another week.

Lineup Lock Time: 3:35 PM ET

Roto Rush: My Apology to Derrek Lee originally appeared on Fantasy Baseball Fanhouse on Wed, 23 Sep 2009 14:37:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mark DeRosa Rubs Salt in Cubs' Wound

Matt Snyder — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: MLB Injury Report, MLB Locking Your Lineup, MLB Sleepers, MLB Waiver Wire

Poppin' out of the box scores and right into your cubicle, the Roto Rush is your double espresso shot of fantasy baseball advice every weekday.

On the day Milton Bradley began serving a team-mandated, season-ending suspension, former Cubs fan favorite Mark DeRosa suited up for the Cubs rival. He's been doing so since coming over in a trade from Cleveland. This past offseason, the Cubs moved DeRosa to the Indians as part of a concerted effort to free up payroll. The target: Bradley.

Thus, it was only fitting the chain of decisions were further cemented as awful when DeRosa hit two home runs and drove in four runs Monday night.

At the time of the move, it could have been argued the Cubs were moving DeRosa after his career year. After all, he'd never hit more than 13 home runs in a season, and he knocked 21 out of the park in 2008. Being 33, it's not like he was just entering his prime.

Well, he entered Monday night with 21 bombs, meaning his first homer of the night marked his career high. At age 34. His rate stats are down, but with his positional versatility and power, you could do much worse than DeRosa in fantasy baseball or in real life.

Bradley, on the other hand ... I just don't have the energy anymore. What a waste. Of everything. I'm embarrassed that I even bothered to give him a chance. It won't be happening again.

Bits From the Box Scores
- Chase Headley is quietly putting together a nice extended stretch. He went 5-for-6 with 3 doubles and a home run last night, which is hardly quiet, but look at his numbers for the last few months. Since July 29, Headley is hitting .328 with a .406 on-base percentage and .884 OPS. He's only hit 3 home runs during that time, but you aren't going to get power in San Diego from anyone other than the huge power threats. Headley is definitely someone to keep an eye on for 2010.

- David Purcey has now strung together two good starts. He's thrown 13 1/3 innings and allowed just 3 earned runs in those outings. Still, the Jays look to have a crowded rotation for next season and he's walked 8 batters in those innings.

- Tim Wakefield is having a rough September. In two starts, he's lasted just 9 innings. Not only that, he's given up 11 hits, 10 walks and 8 earned runs in those outings (6.55 ERA and 2.33 WHIP). He's not worth running out there again this season.

- Josh Anderson stole his 22nd base of the season Monday night. He won't help anywhere else, but he's a good source of cheap speed in large AL-Only leagues.

- Nick Blackburn threw 7 shutout innings, striking out 6 and walking no one. He's a good spot-start down the stretch as the Twins look to take down Detroit.

- Kenshin Kawakami will be an interesting option next season. The Braves will likely trade him if they don't plan to have him in the rotation, which means he'll be a starting pitcher somewhere. He was dominant in 4 innings of relief work Monday night, and he had a 3.30 ERA in his last 10 starts.

- Julio Borbon has been pretty impressive in his time this year. Expect the Rangers to hand him the leadoff spot next year, which is a prime place to accrue runs. He's also stolen 16 bases and hit .321. The 4 homers aren't too shabby either. The 23-year-old prospect appears to be headed for stardom and he'll be a hot late-round commodity in fantasy leagues, too.

- Alex Rodriguez has had a down year in terms of batting average, but he's hitting .371 since September 2. In fact, his rate stats are looking like they'll be quite similar to those of Mark Teixeira before it's all said and done.

- Take note: Brian Fuentes did get the save Monday night -- against the Yankees. The Angels still obviously have some trust in him.

The Afflicted: Denard Span left Monday's game after getting beaned with an apparent head injury. The guess here is he'll be day-to-day.

Called Up: Tyler Colvin, a 24-year-old Cubs outfielding prospect, has gotten the call -- in a corresponding move with the suspension of Bradley. It didn't take long for him to make an impact, as he garnered his first major league hit and RBI Monday night. Looking at Colvin's minor league stats, he's not an entirely appealing fantasy prospect. Just a solid all-around player who hit .286 with 15 home runs, 60 RBI and 8 stolen bases in the minors this past season. He can play center, but he's more suited for the corners. It will be interesting to see if the Cubs can move Bradley in the offseason. If they can, Colvin has a real shot of playing for the 2010 Cubs.

Lineup Lock Time: 7:05 PM ET

Mark DeRosa Rubs Salt in Cubs' Wound originally appeared on Fantasy Baseball Fanhouse on Tue, 22 Sep 2009 13:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Roto Rush: A Prince Among Men

R.J. White — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 16:25:00 EST

Filed under: MLB Injury Report, MLB Locking Your Lineup, MLB Waiver Wire

Poppin' out of the box scores and right into your cubicle, the Roto Rush is your double espresso shot of fantasy baseball advice every weekday.

What a fantasy season it has been for Prince Fielder. Of course, we must thrown the "fantasy" before season, as I'm sure Fielder pictured himself squarely in the middle of a playoff race when looking ahead to September 21st earlier in the season, but his owners must be pleased by their second-round pick's production. Fielder launched his 40th homer of the season Sunday, making this year the second (2007) in which he's reached the 40-HR mark. His average is still trucking along near .300 (currently at .299), which is a pleasant surprise, and his 128 RBIs tie with Albert Pujols' total as the best mark in baseball.

Heading into 2010, you have to love Fielder as a first-round pick. With his walk total now above 100, he's making strides in his plate discipline, which is leading to better pitches to hit. What this says to me is that a .300 average might be the norm for Fielder heading forward, not the anomaly.

Sunday's game against the Astros was the last start of the season for Yovani Gallardo, and he made it count for his owners. Even though he was lifted after 77 pitches, the 23-year-old righty went five innings to get the win, striking out seven while allowing no runs. He finishes the year with a 13-12 record, 3.73 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 204 strikeouts and 94 walks in his 185.2 innings pitched. As the Brewers let his leash out a little longer, expect that innings total to be above 200 next year, provided Gallardo keeps his health.

Bits From the Box Scores
o. Atypical for him, but Tim Lincecum was knocked around in his Sunday start against the Dodgers, pitching just four innings and striking out three batters while allowing five runs and four walks. Being in the thick of the H2H playoffs, this comes at a most inopportune time for his owners. If you think Lincecum just ruined your fantasy season with that line, be sure to remember who got you there in the first place. Andre Ethier went deep for the 31st time this season in the Dodger win.

o. If you need to make a pickup or two to help out some categories, you may want to take a look at some of the key Royals from Sunday's win against the White Sox. Josh Anderson stole his 20th base of the season, and since it looks like he's locked into playing time for the Royals, the opportunity should be there for a few more steals before season's end. Willie Bloomquist is leading off for Kansas City, has multi-position eligibility in your league, and is hitting over .400 in September. And finally, Robinson Tejeda continues to soar, striking out five while allowing a run in 6 innings, pushing his record to 4-1.

o. Daisuke Matsuzaka picked up his second win in as many starts since coming off the DL, striking out five and walking one in 5.1 innings while allowing three runs. He's a great add for anyone that needs a couple more wins. Jason Bay smacked his 35th HR in the win, while Jacoby Ellsbury contributed both a homer (his eighth) and a stolen base (his 63rd) while scoring three hits and a walk in the win over Baltimore.

o. I had been wondering where the speed of Jayson Werth went, but he finally stole a bag on Sunday for the first time since July. Other Sunday speed freaks: Julio Borbon (15th), Elvis Andrus (28th), Luis Castillo (17th), Hanley Ramirez (26th), Aaron Hill (fifth), B.J. Upton (38th), Scott Podsednik (28th), Rafael Furcal (ninth), Yadier Molina (ninth). Yes friends, Yadier Molina and Rafael Furcal have stolen the same number of bases.

o. Howie Kendrick put together a nice 3 for 5 game that featured his 10th homer and five RBIs. Though it took him half a year to get going, he's turning on the burners in a way that will win over many owners' hearts and heads in the draft room next year. Other power surges on Sunday: Joey Votto (22nd), Juan Rivera (23rd), Chone Figgins (fourth), Luke Scott (24th), Carl Crawford (14th), Adam Kennedy (11th), Ken Griffey Jr. (16th), Jake Fox (11th, which came in the 11th inning).

o. Dan Haren faced off against the Rockies in Arizona, and it was clear that he was the second-best starting pitcher on the mound at Chase Field on Sunday. While Haren allowed five runs in eight innings, Ubaldo Jimenez stifled the Diamondbacks, striking out eight batters in seven innings while allowing one run in the win. Jimenez has done a wonderful job at cutting down his walk rate from 2008 and deserves to be drafted higher that you would expect from a Rockies pitcher. Despite the 34 earned runs since the start of August, Haren still has a sub-3.00 ERA. Yeah, he's that good.

o. 2010 Prospect Watch: Aroldis Chapman, one of the world's best young pitchers, has defected from Cuba and turned up in the European country of Andorra. He'll likely sign with a major-league team soon, and I expect him to dominate the lower minor leagues, and possibly the high minors as well. He could debut in the majors at some point in 2010 and deserves to be atop your prospect wish list this offseason.

The Afflicted: Zack Grienke looks ready to roll for Tuesday's start, in which he's a must start for your team. While he's been magic when on the mound, Pedro Martinez left his last start early with pain in his neck. He could very well miss his next start, so don't be afraid to drop him -- time's running out. Say goodbye to Marco Scutaro, who's been very valuable at several positions in 2009. The Blue Jays infielder is having an MRI on his heel, and there's no need for the Jays to bring him back this season. Ross Ohlendorf is done for the season, but kudos for wringing some value out of him while you did. Michael Young had a very successful season as a third baseman, but his hamstring injury isn't allowing him to return.

Lineup Lock Time: 7:05 ET tonight. This is it, ladies and gentlemen, so make it count!

Roto Rush: A Prince Among Men originally appeared on Fantasy Baseball Fanhouse on Mon, 21 Sep 2009 16:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Roto Rush: Wade Davis Hurls a Gem

Tom Herrera — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 13:20:00 EST

Filed under: MLB Injury Report, MLB Kids Are Alright, MLB Locking Your Lineup, MLB Waiver Wire

Poppin' out of the box scores and right into your cubicle, the Roto Rush is your double espresso shot of fantasy baseball advice every weekday.

All season long, we've been waiting for David Price to deliver on the hype. But Price's year has been up and down, with counting stats that resemble waiver-wire fodder outside of his strikeout total. Well, there's another Rays starter that may be on track to finish 2009 stronger than Price, and is well worth a spot in all keeper leagues.

Wade Davis, you now have our unbridled attention.

In just his third major-league start, the 24-year-old Davis pitched a complete-game shutout against the Orioles with 10 strikeouts to boot. "I am a firm believer that a young guy like that, if he has a chance to throw a complete game and a shutout, it can really catapult him," manager Joe Maddon said. Take a look at how Davis finished out the game:

- F. Pie struck out swinging.
- N. Reimold struck out looking.
- N. Markakis stuck out swinging.

Davis was shellacked by the Red Sox in his previous start for eight runs, but Baltimore only managed four hits against him. We know rookies will have ups and downs, so the stinker against Boston wasn't a surprise. The important thing to remember is this: he's got a promising future and should be on everyone's radar.

With a .194 batting average against and 22 strikeouts in 18 2/3 innings, Davis is worth adding in very deep mixed leagues, and might even make an appearance on R.J. White's Stream Team next time.

Bits From The Box Scores
o. Sick of your under-performing catcher during a run for the money? Check out Miguel Olivo, who quietly smacked his fourth homer over his last nine games. He has eight homers and 23 RBI since the All-Star break. Geovany Soto has just 16 RBI since the break, yet is owned in over 30% more leagues.

o. Speaking of cheap catchers, Kurt Suzuki has been a consistent RBI machine over the past few months. With a three-RBI showing against Cleveland, Suzuki reached the 15-RBI plateau for his third straight month.

o. Edwin Jackson's fantasy value continues to plummet. Honestly, I've cut him in a 10-team league and advise you do the same. Jackson was rocked against the Royals, as he gave up five earned runs in five innings of work. Since the All-Star break, he has an unsightly 4.79 ERA. It's been even uglier over his last four starts (6.12 ERA).

o. Mariners second baseman Jose Lopez was part of Knox Bardeen's draft kit edition of New Studs on the Block. As the season comes to a close, Lopez is showing exactly why he was included. After hitting his 24th HR of the season Thursday, it's only a matter of time before Lopez reaches 25 for the first time in his career.

o. Andrew Bailey, who quietly picked up his 25th save of the year, might be undervalued in 2010 fantasy drafts. But with 85 strikeouts, 1.95 ERA, and a .176 batting average against, there's no reason why you shouldn't consider Bailey a top-10 option next season. He's Joe Nathan Lite.

o. Chris Coghlan is like a 2009 version of Freddy Sanchez. Awesome batting average and runs, but not enough power or steals to play him as anything other than a middle infielder in shallow leagues. Coghlan laced four hits at Cincinnati and his post-break batting average sits at .363. Still underrated.

o. John Danks is once again closing out the season on a strong note. The wins aren't there, but Danks hasn't given up over three earned runs in his past eight starts.

Welcome Back: Rookie of the Year candidate J.A. Happ is ready to return from an oblique injury. He tossed a successful bullpen session Wednesday and will make his start Friday against the Braves. Happ, who has been a must-start with a 2.77 ERA and 10 wins, should be activated in most leagues, though he may be rusty after not pitching since September 2. He's posted a 2.70 ERA over 16 2/3 innings vs. Atlanta this season.

The Afflicted: According to ESPN Chicago, the Cubs are not shutting Rich Harden down for the rest of the season. Tom Gorzelanny will pitch in Harden's spot Monday. However, it does look like the Brewers are getting closer to shutting down Yovani Gallardo because the club wants to limit his workload. Shane Victorino is hoping to return to the lineup Friday after leaving Thursday's game with a stomach problem.

Lineup Lock Time: It's a packed Friday night, with games beginning at 7:05 PM ET.

Roto Rush: Wade Davis Hurls a Gem originally appeared on Fantasy Baseball Fanhouse on Fri, 18 Sep 2009 13:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Roto Rush: Cahill Nearly Untouchable

R.J. White — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 07:55:00 EST

Filed under: MLB Injury Report, MLB Locking Your Lineup

Poppin' out of the box scores and right into your cubicle, the Roto Rush is your double espresso shot of fantasy baseball advice every weekday.

Don't blame yourself if you didn't see a big line coming from Trevor Cahill. Coming off a three-inning, three-run game in Chicago, Cahill had to travel to Texas to take on a pretty good offense. On Wednesday, this offense was without Michael Young and Josh Hamilton, but that still left the hot Julio Borbon (.323 BA coming into the game) and Elvis Andrus (coming off a 16-game hitting streak), stars Ian Kinsler and Nelson Cruz, and other players that have been hot over the course of September.

Cahill was able to beat the odds, pitching seven innings while allowing just one hit (to Marlon Byrd) and two walks (both to Kinsler). He struck out seven batters while picking up his ninth win of the season and lowered his ERA to 4.54. Despite the great start, I wouldn't trust Cahill moving forward, at least not this year. Put this in the back of your mind and bring it back out when your looking for a last-round sleeper in 2010.

Bits From The Box Scores
o. Drew Stubbs is taking over your fantasy playoffs. The former Longhorn hit another homer and stole another base, putting him at 7 HRs and 6 SBs through 123 ABs. While I doubt you can extrapolate the power, the speed is real. If he opens 2010 as a starting outfielder for Cincinnati, he could provide you with a cheap 10-15 HRs and 30+ SBs.

o. Huge night from Justin Upton -- although he didn't hit a homer, he went 5 for 5 to bring his average up to .308 on the season. At 24 HRs and 19 SBs, Upton has been one of the best mid-round breakout players of 2009. If someone falls in love with Upton taking another step forward next year, we could see him drafted in the top 20.

o. After slipping just a bit in August, Josh Johnson is back to dominating in September. He went six innings against a very good Cardinals team in St. Louis, allowing just one run and striking out five. The win took his record to 15-4 on the season, and even more impressive is his 22-5 record since the start of 2008. At 25 years old, the righty with a career 34-15 record should be considered one of the best young pitchers in the league.

o. Mike Scioscia hinted that Kevin Jepsen might see some closing work down the stretch, much to the chagrin of Brian Fuentes. Yesterday, Scioscia turned to Jespen in the seventh inning, where he did very well. After being sent back out for the eighth, Jespen allowed a couple runs. So things are looking up for Fuentes, right? Wrong. The incumbent Angels closer blew another save, allowing two runs and taking the loss. Yeesh.

o. Homers of note: rookies Matt LaPorta and Matt Wieters both homered for the second consecutive game and make great grabs in 2010; Adrian Gonzalez (38), Troy Tulowitzki (27), Carlos Lee (26), Matt Kemp (28), Torii Hunter (22), Aramis Ramirez (13), Hideki Matsui (25), and Michael Cuddyer (26) all hit a HR on Wednesday. Jayson Werth knocked a grand slam for his 34th HR of the season.

o. Steals of note: Mark Reynolds continues to slump, going 0-5 in Wednesday's game, but he did steal his 24th base of the year; Chase Utley stole two bags to run his season count to 21 -- and by the way, one was home plate on a double steal; Michael Bourn (57), Bobby Abreu (29), Jason Bay (13), Miguel Cabrera (6), and Ryan Howard (7) all stole a base for your team.

o. Two more pitching performances to mention: Hiroki Kuroda, a player available in many a league, threw another gem on Wednesday, pitching six innings while allowing a run and striking out seven, picking up a win in the process; Joe Blanton came off an eight-run implosion and shut out the Nations in six innings while striking out seven.

The Afflicted: Roy Oswalt is done for the year, finally succumbing to the back pain he's been dealing with for quite a while. His second-half numbers show he wasn't the same pitcher we've come to expect. Let's hope he's 100% for 2010. Gavin Floyd came out of his game with hip soreness after just three innings. Jonathan Papelbon is dealing with back issues, although his owners were lucky enough to not see Boston get a save opportunity. Derek Lowe left his start early with a blister.

Lineup Lock Time: Kansas City and Detroit start the day off at 1:05 ET, followed 75 minutes later by the Brewers-Cubs game.

Roto Rush: Cahill Nearly Untouchable originally appeared on Fantasy Baseball Fanhouse on Thu, 17 Sep 2009 07:55:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Roto Rush: Cliff Lee Back on Track

Matt Snyder — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 12:05:00 EST

Filed under: MLB Injury Report, MLB Locking Your Lineup, MLB Value Machine, MLB Waiver Wire

Poppin' out of the box scores and right into your cubicle, the Roto Rush is your double espresso shot of fantasy baseball advice every weekday.

There was reason for concern with Cliff Lee. After storming out of the proverbial gates upon his entrance to the so-called Senior Circuit, he stumbled. Lee's first five outings yielded a 5-0 record with a 0.68 ERA and a 39:6 K:BB in 40 innings. His next three? Ugly. He got a win (going 1-2), but his ERA in 15 innings was 9.60, after allowing 29 hits, 16 earned runs and 4 home runs.

Tuesday night, Lee re-announced his presence with authority.

More Fantasy Baseball: Need Big Help in Stolen Bases?

Sure, Lee was facing the Nats, but they have some good hitters. In fact, they roughed him up in his last start. This time around, he was in control. The lanky lefty hurled a shutty -- his 2nd of the year to go with his 6 complete games. He struck out 9 and allowed one baserunner per inning.

This is all he needed. He's back. You should have already been starting him in all leagues, but now you can do so with confidence.

Bits From the Box Scores:
- Yovani Gallardo may be cooked for the season. After being skipped due to concerns over his increasingly large workload this season, he got lit up by the Cubs ... to the tune of 7 earned runs in 5 1/3 innings. His arm didn't get a rest, either, because he threw 107 pitches (after walking 5). He hasn't worked more than 6 innings since August 9 and his ERA has risen an entire run since June 5.

- Yesterday, I said 2009 was a lost cause for Edwin Encarnacion. Maybe I spoke too soon? He's hitting .333 with a 1.030 OPS and 2 home runs in his past five games. Still, it would have to be a deep league for me to consider him just yet.

- Big day for Pat Burrell, unfortunately he can't do enough right now to salvage the disappointing season. He's like a microcosm for the Rays.

- Jarrod Washburn's knee may be his undoing for the rest of 2009. He skipped his first September start in order to get it healthy. He came back with a decent out, though he only worked 5 innings. Tuesday night, Washburn didn't make it more than 1 inning, allowing 3 hits, 2 walks and 4 earned runs in his only inning. I'd look elsewhere is most all fantasy leagues.

- Well looky who decided to join the party late? Daisuke Matsuzaka made his first start in three months, and he was sharp. Six shutout innings with 5 strikeouts and just 3 hits. He did walk 3, but we expect that from Dice. Take the bad with the good, as he won his 2nd game of the season.

- Seriously, what more can we say about Rajai Davis? Please add him immediately. I'm begging you. We've been hyping him for the past three weeks (if not more) in Rush and he's still owned in less than half the fantasy leagues out there. Since June 6 -- hardly a small sample -- Davis is hitting .338 with 31 stolen bases. Unless you need power, there aren't many guys who have been more valuable during that time.

- I just can't say enough about Tommy Hanson. Tim Lincecum wasn't near this good his rookie campaign. Of course, we'll see if Hanson can match Tiny Tim's sophomore effort in 2010.

- Gotta give props to Paul Janish for a 3 double night, but he's still not ownable in the overwhelming majority of fantasy leagues.

- Sean West put together a strong effort against the Cardinals. He struck out a career-high 9, while only allowing 1 earned run in 6 innings. It's been an up-and-down year for the 23-year-old rookie, but he's got lots of promise. Keep an eye on him in 2010.

- Mark Reynolds has dipped his power a bit, but you can't complain about his 42nd home run -- which he hit last night.

- Ubaldo Jimenez has been sufficiently praised by me for the past couple months. He hadn't had a bad outing in two months, so I guess he was due. He stunk it up against the surging Giants -- 2 2/3 innings, 6 hits, 6 earned runs. Still, I'd run him back out there again next time his turn comes up. He's too good for this to mean anything more than an off-night.

- Ian Snell's last six starts? 4-1, 3.27. The problem is he has 18 walks and 16 strikeouts in 33 innings, but he's showing an ability to keep guys from scoring. This is a good omen the 27 year-old can get things going for next season.

The Afflicted: Andy Pettitte missed a start with shoulder fatigue. He suffered through the same malady last season in the second half and was awful. Lance Berkman is banged up (back, hip) and will be out for the next few games.

He's Back: Jake Peavy appears set to start for the White Sox this coming Saturday. If you held him all this time, you have to start him.

Lineup Lock Time: We're saddled with a 1:10 PM ET kickoff today, so hopefully your lineups are set.

Roto Rush: Cliff Lee Back on Track originally appeared on Fantasy Baseball Fanhouse on Wed, 16 Sep 2009 12:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Roto Rush: Tiny Tim Apparently Healthy

Matt Snyder — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 13:25:00 EST

Filed under: MLB Injury Report, MLB Locking Your Lineup, MLB Waiver Wire

Poppin' out of the box scores and right into your cubicle, the Roto Rush is your double espresso shot of fantasy baseball advice every weekday.

After Tim Lincecum missed a start, fantasy owners still in the championship race had to have been holding their collective breath. Now is not the time to lose your staff ace. His next start would be a test of his health. Last year's NL Cy Young winner took the hill Monday night against the wild card-leading Rockies, and he passed the test with flying colors. While the 4 free passes were a bit disappointing, Lincecum more than made up for that with a win, 11 strikeouts and just 1 earned run in 7 innings of work. He's back, and he'll be a force the rest of the way (now if only someone could convince him to get a freaking haircut).

Bits From the Box Scores:
- I'm actually going to disagree with the premise of Knox Bardeen's ABC from earlier today. He opined that Carlos Marmol winning the 2010 closer job was more a product of Kevin Gregg losing it than Marmol taking it. Let's not focus on the entire season and look at what Marmol's done in the closer role. Since being named the Cubs' closer, Marmol has compiled a 2.92 ERA and struck out 18 guys in 12 1/3 innings. Let's look closer, though. In that time, he's appeared in nine games with a save opportunity. Not only has he successfully closed all nine of those, but he's allowed zero earned runs in 9 1/3 innings, striking out 15 and walking 5. Control has been a big problem this season, but his BB/9 has nearly doubled from where it was last year. I'm betting it's a fluke. It's also entirely possible Marmol mentally whipped himself after not winning the job out of camp -- and openly complaining about it -- after believing the job was rightfully his. He should be more professional than that, but the lack of professionalism doesn't hurt his chances to become an elite closer in 2010. And I believe he will be. We know no one can hit him (.236 slugging percentage allowed all season), so once he gets the command under control, the sky is the limit.

- What a game for Reid Brignac. The 23-year-old shortstop went 4-for-4 with 2 doubles, a home run, 3 RBI and a stolen base. Wow. Still, ignore Brignac for now. He's blocked by Jason Bartlett (it was merely a spot-start for Brignac) and hasn't been a great hitter in the minors (.744 OPS in Triple-A this season).

- Edwin Encarnacion has had a modest little streak. In his last four games, he's had two hits twice, and added a home run Monday night. Still, 2009 seems like a lost cause for him. It's time to look ahead to 2010 for the 27-year-old-to-be.

- Don't look now, but Nick Swisher's current .880 OPS would be a career high. He even decided to hit a home run at home (just his 6th, compared to 21 on the road), giving him a robust 27 on the season. Swisher is actually hitting .306 in September, too, so it's not like he's hurting you in that category. He should be owned in all leagues right now.

- Since the beginning of August, Bronson Arroyo has been flat-out dealing. He's hurled nine consecutive quality starts. His ERA in those nine starts is a sparkling 1.90 and his WHIP is just 1.01. Unfortunately, he's only won 3 games in that span, but he needs to be owned in nearly all leagues while he's going this well. It doesn't appear to be a fluke at all. He's just in a zone.

- Brett Tomko shut out the Rangers. Wait. I want to type that out again and see if it looks any less ridiculous. Brett Tomko shut out the Rangers. Nope, still looks made up. Actually, though, Tomko was 3-1 with a 3.90 ERA in five starts since moving to Oakland prior to the outlandish aforementioned outing Monday night. I can't see the 36-year-old journeyman maintaining any level of success, especially with an incredibly low .226 BABIP allowed in Oaktown.

- Jeremy Sowers doesn't strike anyone out, but he's now put together consecutive quality starts -- allowing just 2 earned runs in his past 13 innings (1.38 ERA).

- Chris Coghlan just keeps hitting. The rookie sensation is hitting .307 and appears to be staving off any slump that comes his way.

- Kevin Correia has a 3.63 ERA and 1.26 WHIP at home. On the road, those numbers jump to 5.09 and 1.48. Streamers, take note.

- Juan Gutierrez wants the Arizona closer job for next season. He's 3-for-3 in save chances since August 31, with a 1.35 ERA during that span.

The Afflicted: Justin Morneau is out for the season, which is a huge blow to fantasy lineups. Hopefully he provided enough offense for your fantasy team to ride out the final few weeks without him. Jeremy Hermida is out until next week. Kevin Millwood is sitting until Sunday at the earliest, and it may be even later. Monitor his progress.

Lineup Lock Time: 7:05 PM ET tonight.

Roto Rush: Tiny Tim Apparently Healthy originally appeared on Fantasy Baseball Fanhouse on Tue, 15 Sep 2009 13:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Roto Rush: Philly Rally is Not Enough

R.J. White — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: MLB Injury Report, MLB Locking Your Lineup

Poppin' out of the box scores and right into your cubicle, the Roto Rush is your double espresso shot of fantasy baseball advice every weekday.

While the main drama happened on Heinz Field last night, there was plenty of drama to be found in Washington D.C. No, President Obama didn't sign a health plan into law. But the Phillies entered the ninth inning down six and ended up losing by one after having the tying run on third base with only one out. Let's see how we got there.

Joe Blanton has been fantastic this year, and he entered the game with a 3.80 ERA and a 136/43 K/BB ratio in 166 innings. That's why it was surprising to see him perform so terribly in Thursday's game, where he gave up eight runs in less than five innings of work. The big blow came in the fifth inning, when Blanton gave up two homers to hitters at very different points in their careers.

One came off the bat of Ian Desmond, who was the starting shortstop in what was his first major-league game. The 2004 third-round draft pick had just 43 HRs in over 2,00 career minor-league at-bats before being called to the majors. If he eventually sticks with the big club, he's more likely to help you in the steals department, if at all. He also added an RBI double to finish the day 2 for 4 with 4 RBIs.

The other fifth-inning homer came thanks to Adam Dunn, which gives him 313 more than Desmond in his career. The 36 HRs this year are to be expected, and anyone that's followed his career hopes he gets exactly four more dingers this season, which would make this his fifth straight season with exactly 40 HRs. What's been a surprise is the average, which sits at .281 after this game. I know many people that refuse to draft Dunn due to his normally-low average, so congrats if you drafted him at a great value in March.

So that left the game at 8-2. After Charlie Manuel effectively removed Brad Lidge from the closer role, vowing to use him in low-pressure situations, Lidge pitched a solid eighth inning by striking out two batters while allowing one walk. Then came the drama.

Raul Ibanez popped out. Jayson Werth reached on an error. Pedro Feliz singled off the pitcher. Carlos Ruiz walked. Manuel brought Matt Stairs in to pinch hit, and Stairs launched a grand slam to right-center. Now within two, Washington called upon closer Mike MacDougal to shut the door.

But he allowed a single and a double, plating another run to bring the game within one. Out went MacDougal, in came Ron Villone. After a Chase Utley single that sent Shane Victorino to third, Ryan Howard grounded into a double play. After all the drama, Howard's failure meant the Phillies came up just short.

Since there wasn't much baseball on the docket, I wanted to give you an extended look at one game. I wouldn't want you to feel like you didn't get your money's worth. Let's see what else happened around baseball on Thursday.

Bits From the Box Scores
o. If it wasn't embarrassing enough to let the Marlins come to town and sweep you, the Mets have to be doubly embarrassed by the fashion it happened. An 8 for 16 game by the Florida 1-2-3 hitters led the Marlins to a 13-4 win. Chris Coghlan threw up his seventh multi-hit effort in nine September games, while Hanley Ramirez matched Coghlan's 3 for 6 day. Dan Uggla contributed his 27th homer of the season, which is his fourth already in September.

o. Another outstanding start from John Lackey, this time against Seattle. The Angels pitcher need 115 pitches to go the distance in the 3-0 shutout, striking out seven guys while walking one. This came on the heels of a complete-game, one-run no-decision on September 5th and an eight-inning, no-run win on August 30th; Lackey owners are sure getting their money's worth lately. Torii Hunter smacked his 20th homer, and he's been awesome for a guy you likely drafted as your OF3.

o. Great job by the Rockies bullpen, as Jhoulys Chacin, Juan Rincon and Matt Belisle combined for six scoreless innings and eight strikeouts. Amazing considering all three guys have ERAs over 5.00. Two days after hitting the first homer and first double of his career, Eric Young Jr stole his first two bases, and I'm sure many will follow in 2010 and beyond. On the Cincinnati side of the 5-1 loss, Brandon Phillips went 3 for 4 with a steal. He's not getting back to 30/30, but he shown improvement from 2007's disappointing season.

o. The Houston-Atlanta game featured 16 runs and 29 hits, so there was a lot of offensive fantasy production to be had in the game. Nate McLouth homered, Brian McCann went 4 for 5, and Yunel Escobar went 3 for 5 with a steal to highlight the Braves win. Roy Oswalt gave up six runs and ten hits in two innings, and I wouldn't be surprised to see the Astros shut him down. If he's still dealing with injury, there's nothing to be gained from running him out there every five days.

o. In Brett Cecil's last start of the season, the Blue Jay rookie threw six innings of two-run ball against Minnesota, landing a win and moving to 7-4 on the season. He'll be in the mix for a rotation spot in 2010. Five relievers combined for three hitless innings, with Jason Frasor slamming the door in the ninth for his eighth save. On the Minnesota side, Scott Baker put up a quality start by going 6.2 innings and allowing three earned runs. Owners had to love his seven strikeouts and hate his four walks.

o. Since I hit every other game, I'd be remiss to not say something the Detroit-Kansas City game. Alex Gordon had a homer and a steal, but I wouldn't add him. Oh, and Jarrod Washburn struggled again, and the Tigers likely have buyer's remorse as far as he's concerned.

The Afflicted: Ian Stewart and Troy Tulowitzki both missed another game with back pain. Tulo should be good to go this weekend, but the Rockies might just keep him out until they suffer another loss. Stewart probably won't be back till next week.

Lineup Lock Time: The Reds take on the Cubs at 2:20 ET, and the rest of the games will be played at night.

Roto Rush: Philly Rally is Not Enough originally appeared on Fantasy Baseball Fanhouse on Fri, 11 Sep 2009 13:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chris Young Finally Decides to Wake Up

Tom Herrera — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: MLB Injury Report, MLB Locking Your Lineup, MLB Waiver Wire

Poppin' out of the box scores and right into your cubicle, the Roto Rush is your double espresso shot of fantasy baseball advice every weekday.

For about five months of the season, Diamondbacks outfielder Chris Young was a draft disaster. Those who picked him in fantasy leagues suffered through the nausea of a sub-.200 batting average and anemic power numbers. Where was the dude who hit 32 homers in 2007 and 22 in 2008? Absolutely nonexistent ... at least until the last four games.

Nice of you to show up Chris, where have ya been?

Young's three-homer outburst against Colorado last weekend must've reminded him what a power stroke feels like. Since that game, he's hit two more out of the park, including one against Los Angeles on Wednesday night. For the season, he only has a measly 12 bombs and a .198 average, but hey, better late than never.

If you're looking for an outfielder with four-category upside and missed out on the booming Garrett Jones bandwagon, give one of this season's flameouts another shot. It's not like there are tons of secrets hiding on the waiver wire at this point and Young seems motivated to prove to manager A.J. Hinch that he's not an albatross.

Bits From the Box Scores
o. He's no Joe Mauer, but Arizona's Miguel Montero has been one of the best fantasy catchers since the All-Star break. We're talking about a .347 average, 9 homers, 34 RBI and 28 runs. Believe it or not, he's still available in 50 percent of standard mixed leagues.

o. Julio Borbon scored another couple of runs as the Rangers' leadoff hitter. He's going to be one of the most valuable waiver-wire pickups over these final weeks if you're chasing stolen bases and runs.

o. Fantastic season for Adam Wainwright, who picked up his 18th victory -- a career-high. With 175 strikeouts to go along with a 2.59 ERA, he's proven to be one of the biggest draft-day steals. After shutting down the Brewers for seven innings, his post-break ERA is 1.81. Money.

o. Money, Part Deux: Wandy Rodriguez, who gave the Braves fits in a 2-1 Astros victory. Kudos if you waited on pitchers then drafted the likes of both Rodriguez and Wainwright this year. Rodriguez doesn't get as many wins, but has a sparkling 2.76 ERA and 168 strikeouts.

o. Also going seven strong innings was Jeff Niemann -- the third straight time he has pitched a quality start of at least seven innings. He struck out eight and only walked one against the Yankees. He's emerged as a must-start in 12-team leagues and shouldn't be left on any waiver wires.

o. Once again, incumbent closer Ryan Madson picks up a save for the Phillies against Washington. Adios, Brad Lidge. It's Madson Time.

o. You should consider picking up Angel Pagan. Please, stop laughing. Did you know Pagan had six homers, five steals, 19 RBI and 19 runs in August? Oh, and he's hitting .378 over his last eight games. That's major multicategoricalicity, folks.

The Afflicted: The good news on Tim Lincecum is his back injury doesn't appear serious and he should return relatively soon. The bad news on Jake Peavy is that a return to the mound this season still looks iffy at best. Continue to roll with Franklin Morales as a solid closer, since Huston Street's biceps tendinitis will keep him out of action through the weekend. B.J. Upton will be sidelined several games due to a setback with his sprained left ankle. Rays manager Joe Maddon said they'll "have to rest him for a bit." If you needed a final reason to send Upton packing to the wire, there you go. Gerardo Parra is day-to-day with a sore leg. And for those of you who may care in keeper leagues, Mark DeRosa will undergo surgery in the offseason to repair a torn tendon sheath near his left wrist.

Welcome Back ... or Not: The Minnesota Twins activated Francisco Liriano from the 15-day disabled list. Too bad he's going right to the bullpen, where he'll further remind you why he's been completely useless in fantasy leagues this season.

Down on the Farm: Jeremy Hellickson reached double-digit strikeouts for the fourth time in his past five starts. Mighty impressive. The Tampa Bay prospect's K/9 rate in Triple-A ball is a monster 11.0.

Chris Young Finally Decides to Wake Up originally appeared on Fantasy Baseball Fanhouse on Thu, 10 Sep 2009 13:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Roto Rush: Double Trouble on Labor Day

Matt Snyder — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: MLB Injury Report, MLB Locking Your Lineup, MLB Waiver Wire

Poppin' out of the box scores and right into your cubicle, the Roto Rush is your double espresso shot of fantasy baseball advice every weekday.

While the majority of the American workforce got a day off on Labor Day, some major league hitters were getting their power stroke on in a big way. With only 11 games on the docket, four players left the yard twice in one game: Derrek Lee, Billy Butler, Mark Teixeira and Juan Uribe. The fantasy fallout isn't huge, save for one; Lee's having a resurgence, Butler a breakout campaign and Teixeira an MVP-caliber season. Uribe, though ... that's news.

If you need short-term help, especially for power categories, Uribe is a decent option. He's presently on fire. In his past six games, he's hitting .409 with 4 home runs, 8 RBI, 6 runs, a double, a triple and a whopping 1.571 OPS. A bonus? He's eligible at second, short, third, corner or middle.

Bits From the Box Scores
- CC Sabathia is in a zone. He's won six straight decisions, upping his record to 16-7. He's made seven consecutive quality starts, a span in which he's compiled a 1.75 ERA, 0.93 WHIP and 63 strikeouts in 51 1/3 innings. The Yanks are getting what they paid for, but are you? Remember the sub-par start next season and don't take him until late in the second or early in the third round in most leagues.

- Edwin Encarnacion just can't find himself at the plate. His batting average has now dipped back below the Mendoza line. He's mired in yet another slump (1 for his last 15). We know he has talent, but it's probably best, at this point, to wait until next season.

- Raul Ibanez hit a bomb. In the first half, that wouldn't have been news. It is now, though. In between homers, Ibanez had been killing his fantasy owners -- who, we might point out, enjoyed a ridiculous first four months of the season -- going 20 games with a .162 average and 1 RBI. It was pretty obvious his numbers would correct themselves, but this was an over-correction. Expect him to start hitting well in the next few weeks.

- That's stolen base number 60 for Jacoby Ellsbury. He's only going to get better as he improves at the plate, too.

- Wins, as an entire category, are relatively tough to predict due to the many variables surrounding them. Mark Buehrle doesn't strike many batters out. Combine the two, and you see why he's underrated. For him, wins are actually pretty predictable. He's won 130 games in 294 starts since 2001. That's an average of 14.4 per season, and he's got a few more chances in 2009.

- Don't look now, but Kyle Davies has won three straight starts. His ERA in those outings is a sparkling 2.12. He has walked 11 in just 17 innings, though, which isn't a good omen for the good run continuing.

- Jose Arredondo's nightmare season continues. He burst onto the scene last year with a 10-2 record and 1.62 ERA. We entered the season thinking he'd be a big help in larger fantasy leagues due to his ERA, WHIP and strikeouts, in addition to his vulture potential with wins and saves. This year? Ugh. The ERA sits at 6.13 and he can't help you in any fantasy league.

- Hunter Pence is rebounding from his August slump. He's hitting .394 with 4 jacks and 10 RBI in his last 10 games. He'll be a beast down the stretch.

- Chris Carpenter has to win the NL Cy Young. It's a muddled mess right now, but can't we consider some external sources in addition to his staggering numbers? He basically hadn't pitched since 2006 and most thought he'd never pitch back to form. There was even a little talk of moving him to the bullpen, because his arm couldn't handle starting. Instead, the 34-year-old is now 16-3 with a 2.16 ERA and 0.97 WHIP. Seems like his arm is handling it just fine. He deserves to win it. And I'm a Cubs fan -- meaning I hate the Cardinals. What does that tell you? Give him the hardware now.

- Memo to the Brewers: Corey Patterson should never bat leadoff. Ever. Not even in a little league game. Honestly, I don't think he should ever start in a game at any level, but if you must start him, do not lead him off. I know he's fast. So is Usain Bolt -- and he's a tad bit faster than nine-lives-Corey -- but you don't see smart franchises like the Cardinals or Rays slotting him in the one-hole. There's a reason for that: He sucks at baseball -- just ask his career .290 on-base percentage and 775 strikeouts compared to 169 walks.

- Homer Bailey still can't throw strikes with any sort of consistency, but he's somehow finding ways to pitch around that. In his last four starts, Bailey is 3-0 with a 1.67 ERA and 25 strikeouts in 27 innings. We're finally seeing some of the potential all the minor league scouts saw. Again, though, the 13 walks in those four starts are troublesome. If he can get that fixed, he can help you in fantasy baseball.

- I've been touting Ubaldo Jimenez as an ace in recent weeks and he just had a bad outing against the Reds. Of course, it was still a quality start. He worked 6 innings and allowed 3 earned runs. It was his worst effort since a nearly identical stat-line on July 22. If that's a bad outing, he's an ace. Wow, I knew all along I was right.

The Afflicted: As Tom Fornelli passed along Monday afternoon, Carlos Pena is out for the season. This is a devastating blow for fantasy owners who were enjoying the power numbers he provided, as he was clubbing homers at a pace which would have gotten him close to (if not at or exceeding) 50 jacks. Josh Hamilton is out until the weekend, at the absolute earliest.

Suspended: Fernando Rodney is out for the next three games, so Brandon Lyon will be the Tigers' closer in the meantime.

Lineup Lock Time: Loads of games at 7:05 PM ET, but none before.

Roto Rush: Double Trouble on Labor Day originally appeared on Fantasy Baseball Fanhouse on Tue, 08 Sep 2009 14:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Roto Rush: A Monumental Labor Day Weekend Potentially Gets Better

Knox Bardeen — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 11:35:00 EST

Filed under: MLB Always Be Closing, MLB Injury Report, MLB Locking Your Lineup, MLB Waiver Wire

Poppin' out of the box scores and right into your cubicle, the Roto Rush is your double espresso shot of fantasy baseball advice every weekday.

On Sunday, Ichiro Suzuki became the second fastest player to ever reach the 2,000 hit milestone as he doubled in the first inning and later scored.

It took Suzuki 1,402 games to reach 2,000 hits. The fastest was Al Simmons who did it in 1,390 games. Suzuki needs five more hits to reach 200 for the season, which would break the record he shares with Willie Keeler at nine consecutive seasons with 200.

As milestone talk goes, Ichiro is playing second fiddle to what's about to happen in New York.

The New York Yankees play a Labor Day, double header against the Rays on Monday and there is a reason or two outside of the fantasy baseball realm to tune into the games.

With a fat wallet like the Yankees have, it was no surprise to see the top free agent pitchers CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett land in pinstripes. For a complete look at their investment, the Yankees will trot both Sabathia and Burnett to the mound on Monday to pitch, Sabathia during the day and Burnett for the night-cap.

Sabathia is a much better pitcher at night, but manager Joe Girardi must feel his ace can handle the sunlight. Sabathia is throwing well of late. He's has five wins in his last six starts and a 1.83 ERA to boot.

As fantastically as Sabathia has been pitching, Burnett has shown signs of struggle. His ERA is 6.54 since August 1st and he's not collected a win even though he's notched four quality starts in his last seven.

As Sabathia tries to stay on course and Burnett attempts to alter his, all eyes will squarely be focused on Derek Jeter. The Yankee captain needs four hits to pass Lou Gehrig as the all-time Yankees hit leader. Girardi hasn't said if Jeter will play in both games but he'll need security to exit the building if Jeter inches closer to the record in game one and doesn't come out for the night game.

Bits From the Box Scores:
o. Seth Smith hit two home runs and drove in five on Sunday for the Rockies. Over the last month he's batting .391with six home runs and 19 RBI in only 64 at-bats. Smith is widely available in fantasy leagues (only 8% owned) and should start seeing extra at-bats since he's on such a torrid pace.

o. Scott Hairston hit a seventh inning grand slam on Sunday to steal a small portion of the spotlight from Ichiro Suzuki's 2,000th hit.

o. Mike Pelfrey earned his tenth win of the season as he struck out five and only allowed five hits in eight innings of work against the Cubs. It was Pelfrey's first quality start since August 21st.

o. Johnny Cueto struck out nine in six innings of work and only allowed three hits against the Braves on Sunday. He didn't factor into the win as the game went into extra innings. This was Cueto's second consecutive start where he's only given up one earned run.

o. Placido Polanco came into the game Sunday as a pinch hitter and got two hits and stole a base. Over the past week he's batting .458 with two home runs. He's only owned in 33% of fantasy leagues and would make a great waiver wire addition while he's hitting well.

o. Wade Davis had his incredible major league debut ruined by Grant Balfour, J.P. Howell and Russ Springer. Davis pitched seven innings striking out nine batters and walking only one. He also only allowed three hits, but watched his Rays lose due to four earned runs given up by the three aforementioned relievers.

o. Michael Bourn stole two bases on Sunday giving him 52 on the season. He's decided to throw his hat into the ring for the stolen base crown this season. He's three behind Carl Crawford and seven behind Jacoby Ellsbury.

o. Victor Martinez homered to deep right on Sunday in the ninth inning to add icing to the cake for the Red Sox. Martinez is batting .326 with six home runs since joining the Red Sox this season.

o. Jonathan Sanchez threw six innings on Sunday giving up only three hits and one earned run to the Brewers while striking out nine. Sanchez, who has a 2.03 ERA over his last five starts, received a no-decision as Prince Fielder ended the game in the 12th inning in walk-of fashion. It was Fielder's 37th home run of the season.

The Afflicted: Carlos Beltran, who is rehabbing in Single-A currently, played his second consecutive complete game on Sunday. He hasn't cleared this notion with the Mets yet, but Beltran feels he's ready to return to major league action on Tuesday. Yankees closer Mariano Rivera was available to pitch on Sunday but wasn't needed as Toronto won big. Expect Rivera to start accumulating saves again as early as Monday. No need to worry here, but Zack Greinke will be given some extra rest between starts this week. He threw 125 pitches on Saturday and this is just precautionary. Shane Victorino was held out of Sunday's lineup with a bruised knee. He is listed as day-to-day but probably won't see action until mid-week. Micah Owings will receive four stitches near his ear after being beaned on Sunday. He'll remain in Atlanta to be monitored for post-concussion symptoms but hopes to catch up with the team and not miss a start.

Lineup Lock Time: The Cubs and Pirates play first on Labor Day. First pitch is at 12:35 PM ET.

Roto Rush: A Monumental Labor Day Weekend Potentially Gets Better originally appeared on Fantasy Baseball Fanhouse on Mon, 07 Sep 2009 11:35:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Roto Rush: Battle of the Ages (You Know, Old and New)

R.J. White — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 11:30:00 EST

Filed under: MLB Injury Report, MLB Locking Your Lineup, MLB Value Machine

Poppin' out of the box scores and right into your cubicle, the Roto Rush is your double espresso shot of fantasy baseball advice every weekday.

On Thursday in Philadelphia, one of the game's best pitchers from years past squared off against arguably the game's best pitcher of today. Who would win the battle of old versus new? It turns out fantasy owners were the big winners.

Tim Lincecum struck out 11 batters, which isn't even close to a season high for the kid, and walked one over seven innings while allowing two runs, but all that got him was a loss.

Pedro Martinez, making his fifth start with the Phillies, moved to 3-0 on the strength of a nine-strikeout, no-walk performance. He threw 62 of his 87 pitches for strikes and looked completely dominant after a first-inning homer by Eugenio Velez.

Pedro hasn't walked more than one batter in an appearance this year, leaving his K/BB ratio at a stratospheric 23/3. We might expect that sort of K/BB ratio from a reliever like Neftali Feliz, but not from a starting pitcher. Cliff Lee's impact on the Phillies has been evident, but if Pedro can continue to dominate? You'd have a playoff 1-2-3 of Cole Hamels, Lee and Pedro. Once the Phillies' bats wake up, they'll be well on their way to a repeat title.

Also noteworthy from the Giants-Phillies contest: Brad Lidge recorded a scoreless save! That makes three in a row for Lights Out Lidge, meaning another blown save is just around the corner. Jayson Werth connected for his 30th HR. His owners have no room to complain, but why has Werth stopped running? His last stolen base attempt came on August 2nd, and it was unsuccessful.

Bits From the Box Scores:
o. The Yankees' plate discipline was on display against the Blue Jays, as they recorded eight walks (six against starter Ricky Romero) in yesterday's game. Six came from the two-through-five hitters, leaving a lot of ducks on the pond for Jorge Posada, who finished the game 4 for 5 with a homer and 4 RBIs. Alex Rodriguez also homered and extended his hitting streak to 12 games.

o. Don't look now, but the Rockies may have traded for Carlos Pena to play in the middle infield. Well, you explain Clint Barmes' numbers. The Colorado second baseman homered for the 22nd time this year (he had 30 homers in about 1,350 at-bats coming into 2009), but the power has come at a steep price to fantasy owners. After hitting .314 in June, Barmes has managed a .192 average in July, a .191 average in August, and a .182 average thus far in September.

o. Jon Garland made his first start away from the Diamondbacks, and he faced off against his former team. He obviously scouted them well, throwing seven innings of two-run ball while striking out six for the win. Garland has been fantastic sine July, with a 56/16 K/BB ratio in 85.1 innings. Manny Ramirez hit his third homer of the past week, and fantasy bust Stephen Drew also homered in the game.

o. Speaking of a guy that's been very good, Ricky Nolasco recorded another quality start, this one against the Braves, while striking out seven and walking one. He earned the win, moving him to 10-8 on the season. Many owners will be scared off by the bloated ERA (currently 5.27) in next year's draft, but you'll look past that to see his 154 strikeouts and 38 walks in 152 innings.

o. Jacoby Ellsbury stole his 57th and 58th bases in Thursday's game against the Rays, while B.J. Upton recorded his 37th save. Upton, hitting ninth on Thursday, has only had one good month this year. Here are his averages per month: .177, .218, .324, .233, .216, .222. With little-to-no power, he's been one of the biggest busts of the season. His sprained ankle is really a blessing in disguise for anyone still running him out there every day.

o. John Smoltz was in the middle of another very good start, but a two-run sixth-inning homer by Casey McGehee contributed to Smoltz's four-run line against the Brewers. He still struck out six while walking none in six innings. For Milwaukee, Trevor Hoffman picked up his 30th save, marking the 14th time in 15 years that the future Hall-of-Famer has recorded 30 saves or more.

The Afflicted: Josh Hamilton has a pinched nerve in his back, and the Rangers are calling him day-to-day. Expect him out for the remainder of the week, if not a little longer. Carlos Beltran experienced no issues in a Single-A rehab game, and he could be back next week. Check your wire -- he could provide enough of a stat push in September to help win your league. Dexter Fowler begins a rehab assignment today, and the speedster should be back early next week.

Locking Your Lineup: Games don't kick off till 7:05 ET tonight, so take your time.

Roto Rush: Battle of the Ages (You Know, Old and New) originally appeared on Fantasy Baseball Fanhouse on Fri, 04 Sep 2009 11:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fantasy Baseball Cram Session: Fantasy Impact of Recent Injuries

Knox Bardeen — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 14:08:00 EST

Filed under: MLB Injury Report, Podcasts

I've already spoken about injuries to Mariano Rivera and Huston Street in Thursday's version of Roto Rush. Wednesday night, Tom Herrera and I spent a good portion of our weekly Fantasy Baseball Cram Session podcast talking about other injuries around Major League Baseball. We hit upon Michael Young and Adam Jones and did some speculating on Jake Peavy.

While injuries were the main topic, we spoke about other topics, too. We talked a little about a potential platoon situation for Lance Berkman in Houston and we threw out a handful of household names that most fantasy owners should be dumping at this point.

Give us a listen after the break.

Listen to the podcast above or click here to download mp3.

Fantasy Baseball Cram Session: Fantasy Impact of Recent Injuries originally appeared on Fantasy Baseball Fanhouse on Thu, 03 Sep 2009 14:08:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Roto Rush: Closers Aching and Sidelined

Knox Bardeen — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 12:05:00 EST

Filed under: MLB Always Be Closing, MLB Injury Report, MLB Locking Your Lineup

Poppin' out of the box scores and right into your cubicle, the Roto Rush is your double espresso shot of fantasy baseball advice every weekday.

It wasn't a good day to be a top-ten closer on Wednesday. Both Mariano Rivera and Huston Street are on the shelf for a few days.

After the game Wednesday night, the Yankees told the media that Rivera was unavailable due to tightness in his groin. The 39-year-old Rivera, who has battled this injury for a while, sat out the final game of the Baltimore series but feels that he'll be back to full duty after a few days of rest.

Street seems just as optimistic after being shut down indefinitely due to biceps tendinitis in his right arm. He hopes to test the arm this weekend. If all goes well he'll be back to action in short time.

Rivera leads the league in saves with 38. He's also struck out more then a batter per inning and has a superb 1.78 ERA and 0.90 WHIP. While he's resting, expect Phil Hughes to get the majority of the save opportunities, just like he did on Wednesday night. Damaso Marte could also get some ninth inning work if Rivera's rest period is extended.

Street has 33 saves in 34 opportunities this season and also strikes out more then a batter per inning. While he tries to recover from biceps tendinitis the Rockies will use Franklin Morales to close, like they did on Wednesday. You'll also likely see Matt Herges and Rafael Betancourt, especially against heavily right-handed lineups.

Bits From the Box Scores:
o. C.C. Sabathia, on Wednesday, became the first American League pitcher to win 16 games. He struck out nine over seven innings and only gave up one earned run.

o. Not only did Ubaldo Jimenez win his sixth game in seven starts on Wednesday, but he lowered his ERA to 3.28.

o. Chris Coghlan extended his hitting streak to ten games on Wednesday. He's batting .393 over the last month with four home runs. It's a shame most fantasy owners aren't reaping the rewards as he's only owned in 33% of fantasy leagues.

o. Brad Penny sure seems to like the climate in San Francisco. On Wednesday he only allowed five hits in eight scoreless innings of work.

o. Scott Kazmir struck out eight in 6.1 innings and only allowed three hits and an earned run. He still took the loss although he pitched very well. King Felix Hernandez just pitched better. Hernandez threw eight scoreless innings and allowed only four hits.

o. He doesn't know the difference between a bruise and a fractured wrist, but he does know how to hit and run. Brandon Phillips hit his 19th home run on the season and already has 22 stolen bases. He'll surely reach the 20/20 plateau.

o. Ted Lilly pitched a gem on Wednesday. He pitched eight scoreless innings striking out five and walking none.

o. He's not in the lineup every day and that doesn't seem to bother Seth Smith. In only 53 at-bats over the last month Smith has a .340 batting average and three home runs with ten RBI. On Wednesday he hit his 12th home run of the season and you should keep an eye on Smith. If he earns more playing time he could be a fantasy force in all leagues, not just NL-only formats.

The Afflicted: You already know about Street and Rivera, but Jarrod Washburn will also miss his next start. Washburn blames a sore left knee for his poor start to his Detroit career. On the good side of injury news, the Marlins expect Nick Johnson to play as early as Thursday night.

Lineup Lock Time: Cleveland and Detroit play at 1:05 PM ET on Thursday.

Roto Rush: Closers Aching and Sidelined originally appeared on Fantasy Baseball Fanhouse on Thu, 03 Sep 2009 12:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Roto Rush: Fasten Your Seatbelts, It's Call-Up and Shut Down Time

Matt Snyder — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 11:20:00 EST

Filed under: MLB Injury Report, MLB Locking Your Lineup, MLB Waiver Wire

Poppin' out of the box scores and right into your cubicle, the Roto Rush is your double espresso shot of fantasy baseball advice every weekday.

Before we get our heaping of box score browsing, let's look at a related subject: The fantasy baseball stretch run. With the annual ushering in of September baseball, we see roster changes galore. Not only are there call-ups with the legal expansion of rosters, but players with seemingly minor injuries are shut down on teams who have fallen out of the race. You also have younger players being given an audition for 2010, or being shut down so the team doesn't overwork them in their first season of increased workload. If you are in the thick of things in your fantasy baseball race, now is not the time to use a laissez-faire approach.

A good example of this is the report from Baltimore that the Orioles are planning on shutting down touted rookies Brian Matusz and Chris Tillman after just a few more starts. Brad Bergesen is also done for the season -- with a leg bruise? They are obviously protecting his arm as well. We already know the Yankees are being careful (still) with Joba Chamberlain. Expect the Padres to protect their young arms, notably Mat Latos, who has already exceeded what the team wanted him to take on in workload.

In the place of those shut down, we'll see spot-starters. Remember to watch Stream Team for some good ideas on who could be used.

As far as bats go, we're seeing Drew Stubbs get his audition early, and there will be plenty more of that around the league. Look at the Pirates and what they did after all those trades -- they merely started early what we'll see others do this month. There are a good amount of teams now out of contention, but that doesn't mean they don't have a job to do. Many young guys are going to get the chance, and many times you can accrue valuable fantasy stats from them (just ask Chris Davis owners from last year).

The moral? Don't just sit on your team, even if it is one of the better ones. September is a whole different animal. Pay attention and go for that championship.

Some names to watch in the upcoming weeks: Brandon Wood, Junichi Tazawa, Dana Eveland, Josh Fields, Tony Abreu, Joey Gathright (steals help only), Matt Albers, Michael Brantley, Justin Maxwell, Brandon McCarthy, Tyler Flowers.

There are more, but we'll have to wait and see how things develop. Injuries and shut-downs will provide opportunities.

Bits From the Box Scores:
- Tim Hudson, welcome back. He wasn't as sharp as he could be, but it's been a while. He picked up the win after 5 1/3 innings where he allowed 6 hits, 3 walks and 2 earned runs. He struck out 5. He'll be a help down the stretch in fantasy.

- Frank Francisco, welcome back -- in a different way. After a scorching start to the season, he went away due to injuries and a bit of lost effectiveness. Now, in his last four outings, he's 3-3 in saves while allowing 3 baserunners and zero runs in 4 innings. He's struck out 5 in that same span. He can be dominant, so see if he's still available in your league.

- Melvin Mora is currently hot. He's 10-23 (.435) with 2 home runs and 4 RBI in his last 7 games.

- Edwin Jackson got the win, but he's still struggling. In his last five starts, he's been given a nice 3-1 record by outside circumstances, but his ERA in that stretch is 5.60. He's getting hit hard, allowing 41 hits and 5 bombs in those 27 1/3 innings.

- Jon Lester since August began? 2-0 with a 2.50 ERA and a 0.98 WHIP. He's thrown 39 2/3 innings in those 6 starts and struck out 48. Get ready for him to pitch like an ace down the stretch.

- Carlos Pena just won't slow down. He now has 13 home runs and 29 RBI in his past 79 at-bats. That's ridiculous.

- Michael Cuddyer tied his career high in home runs (24) by hitting a pair Tuesday night. He now has a 7-game hitting streak in which he's hitting .320.

- Dont look now, but Cole Hamels has rediscovered the magic. He's now thrown 17 shutout innings in his last two starts, in which he struck out 16 and walked only 3. If you stuck with him all season -- and you should have -- it's time to reap the rewards.

- Casey McGehee has 12 home runs and 44 RBI this season. J.J. Hardy has 11 homers and 46 RBI. This is the type of thing you wish you could hop in the DeLorean and place a few bets upon.

- Carlos Gonzalez is proving he belongs. Since July 22, he's hitting .372 with 8 home runs and a 1.207 OPS. That's not an incredibly small sample. He's even stolen 3 bases. Looks like good late-round potential for next season.

- Good outing for Clayton Richard, one of the pieces the Padres got back for Jake Peavy. He's had a few outings like this (6 2/3, 6 strikeouts, 6 baserunners and the win), but he's really inconsistent. The one thing we have seen -- which isn't shocking at all -- is that he throws well at home. He's a good spot start there, but do not use him on the road.

- Doug Fister is a 6-foot-8, 25-year-old rookie pitcher for the Mariners. He's now 2-1 with a 2.94 ERA and 1.04 WHIP in five starts (four of which were quality starts, statistically speaking). He did have a tendency to get knocked around from time to time in the minors, though, and has allowed a minute .216 average on balls in play thus far. Look for the numbers to take a bit of a hit, but he's not a bad spot start against bad offensive teams. Just don't expect him to lock down the Angels again.

- Matt Kemp's categories in traditional 5X5 fantasy leagues? .316, 23 homers, 87 RBI, 29 steals and 81 runs. Talk about filling them up ... and he's only 24. Can you say "superstar?"

- I just looked at the Mets' box score (this is not fantasy related, by the way). If you had shown Omar Minaya on March 1 what their lineup would be on September 1, what do you think he would have done? Resigned? Had you committed? Taken the next six months to find someone else to blame? They've been bitten by injuries, but, good God, that's a flimsy shell of a lineup.

The Afflicted: Michael Young needs and MRI on a tweaked hamstring. Hanley Ramirez left his game with cramps, so that won't be anything serious. Lester complained of groin tightness (insert childish joke here) after his start, but the team doesn't believe it is serious.

The Chris Davis Section: He's killed owners this season after being ridiculously hyped in the preseason. Can you blame us? He had 17 home runs and 55 RBI in 295 at-bats as a rookie in 2008, and figured to be a key cog of Texas' powerful offense. Instead, he hit just .202 with 15 home runs and 33 RBI before being sent down in early July. Since being recalled, he's now hitting .354 with 2 homers and 10 RBI in 31 at-bats. You know his early season fantasy owners despise him. Anyway, did you notice this? Next year's Chris Davis? Garrett Jones has hit 17 home runs in just 210 at-bats. You know what that rate averages to in a full season? 45 bombs. Buyer beware.

Lineup Lock Time: Early day today, as the puck drops at 12:35 PM ET in Cincy.

Roto Rush: Fasten Your Seatbelts, It's Call-Up and Shut Down Time originally appeared on Fantasy Baseball Fanhouse on Wed, 02 Sep 2009 11:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Roto Rush: Tigers' Jarrod Washburn Doesn't Resemble Mariners' Washburn

Matt Snyder — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 12:20:00 EST

Filed under: MLB Injury Report, MLB Locking Your Lineup, MLB Waiver Wire

Poppin' out of the box scores and right into your cubicle, the Roto Rush is your double espresso shot of fantasy baseball advice every weekday.

The ugly pitching line from Monday night shouldn't have been a huge shock to Jarrod Washburn fantasy owners. He went 5 2/3 innings, giving up 9 hits, 8 earned runs, 3 walks and 2 home runs. He struck out just 2. While it was his worst outing for the Tigers, he's been flat-out awful in Motown since he was acquired at the trade deadline. Sure, there was an 8-inning gem where he didn't allow a run. He also mixed in a quality start last time out for his first win in Detroit. Other than that, it's been horrifying.

In six total starts, Washburn now has tossed 37 innings. He's allowed 41 hits, 28 earned runs (6.81 ERA) and 11 home runs. Opponents sport a lofty .924 OPS against him since the move. He's allowed at least 5 earned runs in four of his six starts and worked more than 6 innings just one time. Somehow, the Tigers have managed to slug their way to a 4-2 record in his starts, but Washburn's record is 1-2. His ERA is more than four runs higher, and his WHIP is 0.4 higher in Detroit. He's a different pitcher -- one that should not be used down the stretch in fantasy baseball.

Bits From the Box Scores:
- Adam Lind just went bonkers, didn't he? He's going to be a very solid option next season. He's only 26, and he's now clubbed 27 homers and driven home 89, to go with a solid .303 average. Looks like a star in the making.

- Good day for Drew Stubbs. He played both ends of a double-dip and had a pair of two-hit games, including a home run in each. He now has two hits in five of his last six games (10-29 in the stretch, which includes his 0-4 game). We'd like to see him run more, but he has stolen 3 bases without having been caught yet.

- For those who like to whine about the Yankees home park and the effect on power, here's an anomaly: Nick Swisher has hit 19 bombs on the road this year and only 3 at home. The main complaints at Yankee Stadium have been about right field for left-handed hitters, and Swisher has hit 15 of his 22 jacks from the left-side. Very interesting.

- Kenshin Kawakami closed a good August. He started six times during the month and came through with five quality starts. It's too bad the Braves offense is stagnant at times (which is putting it nicely), because he only emerged with a 2-2 record. Still, the 2.87 ERA was good for fantasy owners and he seems to be getting acclimated to the majors.

- Derek Holland had a stretch from the beginning of July through August 20 where he looked like a serviceable option in bigger leagues. And then he seems to have hit a snag, to say the least. In his past two starts, he's gone only 9 innings, allowing 16 runs (I hope you can do that math, but it's a 16.00 ERA). He's walked 6 and struck out just 5. Opponents have a 1.216 OPS against him. Needless to say, do not start him anytime soon.

- Rich Harden looks poised to make the most starts since his first full season (2004, when he took the ball 31 times). The problem is, he's not pitching like he did in some of the injury-riddled campaigns. Last season, after coming over from the A's, Harden went 5-1 with a 1.77 ERA and 0.97 WHIP for the Cubs. This year? He's 8-8 with a 4.19 ERA and 1.29 WHIP. He's always been an enigma, but that was only because of his iffy health. Now, it appears we don't know if we'll get a good outing when he does step on the hill, which is a change from the past few years. He's worth a start if you crave strikeouts, but if your ERA and WHIP are in situations where someone could pass you, he's not worth it from here on out.

- The career year for Jason Kubel continues. He should easily set a career high in all three of his rate stats (.303/.374/.537), he already has a career high in home runs (now with 22) and he's 1 RBI shy of his previous career high. Keep him active in all leagues.

- It was good to see Gordon Beckham double, but he's still in a funk. He's hitting just .127 since August 17, with 14 strikeouts in 55 at-bats. Still, the kid is far too talented to ignore, so expect him to bust out in the near future and he's definitely a solid option moving forward in dyntasy leagues.

- Rajai Davis is still only owned in just over 30 percent of fantasy leagues. He hit .316 with 15 stolen bases in August and he's now playing everyday.

- Tim Stauffer has won back to back starts, allowing 4 earned runs in 11 2/3 innings in said starts. He's actually a relatively low-risk start for larger NL-Only Leagues, because he's never been crushed. He hasn't allowed more than 4 earned runs in a start yet -- and he's gone five innings or more in each of his past 7 outings.

- Welcome back, Justin Upton. Since returning from the disabled list six games ago, our favorite young outfielder has come to the plate 27 times. He's reached base 14 of those times (.519 OBP), accrued 12 hits (.480 average) and racked up 3 doubles and 3 home runs (.960 slugging percentage). He turned 22 years-old last week, too. I've said it before, but that won't stop me from saying it again: This is a future Hall of Famer.

- Vladimir Guerrero in August? .337 with 9 home runs, 17 RBI and a 1.014 OPS in just over 100 at-bats. He closed with a bang, slamming two out of the park Monday night. He's 34, but I guess he's got something left in the tank.

- Small sample size alert: Pete Orr is hitting .533 on the season ... in 15 at-bats. The career journeyman/utilityman hit .245 with a .671 OPS in Triple-A Syracuse this season, so we can expect a correction in his stat-line very soon. Do not jump on him.

The Afflicted: Chad Qualls is out for the season, after being a serviceable closing option. Kyle Blanks is as well. The rookie slugger should be pleased with his .868 OPS and 10 home runs in 148 at-bats -- especially with Petco Park as his home venue. Russell Branyan may make it back in mid-September, but his chances on the season are murky.

Keep an Eye Out: Tim Hudson returns to the hill Tuesday night for the Braves for the first time since July 23, 2008. We know Hudson possesses the ability to help fantasy squads down the stretch, too, so it's a big start.

Lineup Lock Time: We're going at the somewhat odd time of 5:05 PM ET today.

Roto Rush: Tigers' Jarrod Washburn Doesn't Resemble Mariners' Washburn originally appeared on Fantasy Baseball Fanhouse on Tue, 01 Sep 2009 12:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chad Qualls Injury Forces Fantasy Owners to Scramble for Saves

Knox Bardeen — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 11:41:00 EST

Filed under: MLB Always Be Closing, MLB Injury Report

A potential season-ending injury is no way for a closer to end a game. But, Chad Qualls did just that on Sunday as he earned his 24th save but took a line drive off of his kneecap on the final play of the game.

Instead of celebrating a three-game sweep, the Diamondbacks tended to closer Chad Qualls, who suffered a dislocated left kneecap on a game-ending play.

Qualls crumpled to the dirt after deflecting a liner by Jason Michaels to shortstop Stephen Drew, who fired to first base for the final out. Qualls immediately motioned to the dugout for help, and trainers and teammates rushed to the mound. After several moments, trainers helped the 6-foot-5-inch, 220-pound Qualls to his feet and off the field.

Arizona manager A.J. Hinch said Qualls had dislocated the kneecap but had no other details about the extent of the injury. Qualls underwent X-rays after the game and did not speak to reporters.

The closer landscape is barren on the waiver wire these days. If the season is over for Qualls, the Diamondbacks may hand ninth inning duties to Juan Gutierrez.

Gutierrez has a 4.29 ERA this season and almost a strikeout per inning. He's the likely choice for the Diamondbacks but you may also see Esmerling Vazquez and Clay Zavada get thrown into the mix if the team runs with a closer by committee approach of Gutierrez comes out of the gate slowly.

You may want to avoid the Diamondbacks closer situation all together and grab either Mike MacDougal or Leo Nunez from the waiver wire. MacDougal has eight saves over the last month with a perfect 0.00 ERA. Nunez also has eight saves but a 3.48 ERA.

Both MacDougal and Nunez are available in over 50% of fantasy baseball leagues.

Chad Qualls Injury Forces Fantasy Owners to Scramble for Saves originally appeared on Fantasy Baseball Fanhouse on Mon, 31 Aug 2009 11:41:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kendry Morales Upstages John Lackey's 100th Career Win

Knox Bardeen — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: MLB Always Be Closing, MLB Injury Report

Poppin' out of the box scores and right into your cubicle, the Roto Rush is your double espresso shot of fantasy baseball advice every weekday.

John Lackey threw eight innings on Sunday, striking out six and not surrendering an earned run. It was his 100th career victory. He should have been the man of the hour, right?

That would have been the case had Kendry Morales not jacked his 30th home run of the season and stolen the show. At least among fantasy circles, anyway.

Morales had twelve career home runs entering the 2009 season and big shoes to fill as the Angels handed him the keys to the kingdom at first base as Mark Teixeira left for the Yankees. He's handled the task admirably batting .311 and is fast approaching the 100-RBI mark. He's also leading the league in RBI since the all-star break with 45.

Over the last 30 days Morales is batting .371 with ten home runs and 33 RBI. There isn't a hotter hitter in baseball at the moment.

As for Lackey, his great outing on Sunday closed the book on a hard-luck August. Lackey's ERA was 3.73 for the month but he only won two games while losing three.

Bits From the Box Scores:
o. August 21st was the last time Francisco Rodriguez entered the game in the ninth in a save situation. On Sunday, just like riding a bike, he remembered just how to close the door on hitters. K-Rod earned his 28th save of the season.

o. Adam Wainwright became the first pitcher to reach the 16-win plateau on Sunday, but it's what he's done lately that's really impressive. Over his last eight starts he's only given up seven earned runs. He has a 1.14 ERA and is 6-and-1 over that time.

o. How do you top a 15-strikeout performance earlier in the week? If you're Zack Greinke you throw a complete game one-hit shutout on Sunday.

o. Derek Jeter had two hits on Sunday bringing him within 12 of Lou Gehrig's team record of 2,721 career hits. While the career mark has no fantasy value whatsoever, know that Jeter hit .381 with six home runs in August and enters the final month of the season one of the hottest hitters in baseball.

o. Baltimore Orioles rookie pitcher Brian Matusz showed his huge upside potential on Sunday striking out eight hitters in seven innings and only allowing one earned run for his third win of the season.

o. Joba Chamberlain left Sunday's game after three innings, giving up four hits and two earned runs. The Yankees say they're limiting his innings, but it seems more likely they're limiting Yankees fans from seeing how poorly he's pitching. He's given up 21 earned runs in his last five appearances giving him a 8.22 ERA over that time.

o. Even though he struck out 11 in seven innings, Clayton Kershaw didn't earn the win in Sunday's game. This has been par for the course as Kershaw hasn't notched a victory since July 18th. In his eight appearances since his last win, Kershaw has five quality starts.

o. Michael Bourn stole two bases on Sunday and now has 48 on the season. With Nyjer Morgan done for the year, Bourn is a shoo-in to win the National League stolen base crown. He's seven behind league leaders Jacoby Ellsbury and Carl Crawford.

o. Roy Halladay continues to struggle. He lost to the Red Sox on Sunday and over his last three starts he's 0-3 with a 7.94 ERA.

o.The Afflicted: Mike Hampton, who has been on the disabled list since August 18th with a partially torn rotator cuff, has decided to have surgery on that shoulder and both of his knees. In other news, the sun rose in the east this morning. Tim Wakefield is set to have another cortisone shot in his back today. The Red Sox don't know when he'll be able to pitch again. Speaking of cortisone, Alfonso Soriano received his shot on Sunday and is expected to miss several games due to left knee inflammation. Jake Peavy left Saturday's rehab start with soreness in his right elbow. He'll be evaluated today by doctors.

Lineup Lock Time: The first pitch on Monday is at 1:05 PM ET as Tampa Bay and Detroit play.

Kendry Morales Upstages John Lackey's 100th Career Win originally appeared on Fantasy Baseball Fanhouse on Mon, 31 Aug 2009 11:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jake Peavy May Return Next Week While Nyjer Morgan's Season Is Over

Knox Bardeen — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 10:55:00 EST

Filed under: MLB Injury Report, MLB Locking Your Lineup

Poppin' out the box scores and right into your cubicle, the Roto Rush is your double espresso shot of fantasy baseball advice every weekday.

It's rare that I lead Roto Rush with news not from the field, but this saga is too good to pass up.

Jake Peavy, newly acquired by the Chicago White Sox, on Thursday declared himself ready to start. He said that pitching Saturday in New York would be fine by him.

The Sox, on the other hand, feel Peavy needs one more Triple-A rehab start before he's ready for major league action. That final rehab start will happen for the Charlotte Knights on Saturday. If all goes well...

Success on Saturday for the Knights means that Peavy could face the White Sox' cross-town rivals, the Cubs, on Thursday, September 3rd. But don't expect that to happen either. The White Sox will probably wait until September 4th and let Peavy start against the Red Sox.

The ankle injury that Peavy is recovering from occurred while he was running the bases back while he was still pitching for San Diego. Since the Cubs game would be played using National League rules, Peavy would have to hit and likely run the bases. To shield him from having to run the bases, Peavy will be skipped over and start a day later against the American League Red Sox.

That is if all goes well in Charlotte.

Bits From the Box Scores:
o. Coming back from four days away with the flu, Mark Reynolds belted his 39th home run of the season on Thursday. Can anything stop this guy? (Anything other then the flu?)

o. Nick Green was the latest fielder to take the mound for his team in a blow out. His results we're better then expected. Green was asked to pitch for the Red Sox Thursday night and surprisingly threw a scoreless inning. He did so well, he was asked to do it again in the ninth, which he did. All in all, Green threw two scoreless innings giving up no hits and walking three. He even touched 90 MPH on the radar gun.

o. Ian Kinsler drove in four and hit two home runs against the Yankees on Thursday. Kinsler had been in a nine-game RBI drought that stretched back to August 18th, the last time he hit a home run.

o. Chris Davis also hit a home run for the Rangers. It was his first since be recalled from the minor leagues. He also struck out twice reminding everyone of the great potential but obvious reasons why he was sent down in the first place.

o. Jeff Francoeur went 2-for-4 on Thursday and is hitting .305 in 42 games since joining the Mets.

o. Grady Sizemore his his 18th home run on Thursday and stole his 13th base. He's hitting .311 with four home runs and four stolen bases over the past month flashing glimpses of the kind of hitter everyone thought they were drafting in the first round this year.

o. Adam LaRoche belted his 8th home run since joining the Braves (all in 23 games) and is batting .390 with a 1.187 OPS since returning to Atlanta.

o. David DeJesus extended his hitting streak to eight games on Thursday going 1-for-5 with a home run. Over the past month he's batting .330 with four home runs and can easily be added in fantasy leagues since he's only owned in 8% of leagues.

o. Trevor Cahill pitched seven scoreless innings on Thursday allowing on two hits as he earned his seventh win of the season. This was Cahill's fourth consecutive quality start and has a 2.33 ERA over those last four starts.

o. A.J. Burnett struck out 12 Texas hitters on Thursday in only six innings but took the loss as he allowed three earned runs and the Yankees could only muster six hits against Dustin Nippert and the Rangers bullpen.

The Afflicted: The Red Sox are hopeful that Jacoby Ellsbury will be able to return to the field on Friday evening. He left Thursday's game with mild left ankle sprain. Athletics closer Andrew Bailey tweaked his left knee fielding a bunt on Thursday. It's the same knee that's been giving him trouble all season. Bailey plans to, "battle through" the injury. Carlos Gonzalez, the hottest Rockies' hitter since the all-star break, jammed his left thumb diving for a ball Thursday. He also re-aggravated puncture wound on that same hand he suffered after an accident with a steak knife last Saturday. CarGo said he didn't feel like he'd be able to play on Friday, but it would be a game-time decision. Nyjer Morgan opened the game by walking and then stealing second and third base. While sliding into third base, Morgan broke a bone in his hand and will not play again this season.

Lineup Lock Time: It looks like there's an afternoon game at Wrigley Field today. The Met and Cubs play ball at 2:20 PM ET.

Jake Peavy May Return Next Week While Nyjer Morgan's Season Is Over originally appeared on Fantasy Baseball Fanhouse on Fri, 28 Aug 2009 10:55:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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