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| Banks impressive against Giants | Friday 8/1, 11:20 PM CT |
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Josh Banks twirled seven effective innings against the Giants on Friday night allowing two runs, one earned, over seven innings on the hill in a no-decision.
Our View: One of the runs scored on a passed ball, or he would have been in line for a win. He walked only one batter on the night with two strike outs as he lowered his ERA to 3.65. |
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| Lincecum piles up 24 K in two starts | Friday 8/1, 11:17 PM CT |
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Tim Lincecum completley dominated the Padres for seven innings piling up 11 K while allowing only three hits and just one earned run on Friday night. He ended up with a no-decision when Jack Taschner blew the game by allowing a home run to Adrian Gonzalez.
Our View: Lincecum was blowing cheese by the Padres all night and now has at least eight K in 4-straight starts highlighted by 24 over his last two outings covering 14 innings. Its truly amazing that he has 11 wins for such an inept squad. |
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| Rollins stealing bases but has no pop | Friday 8/1, 10:57 PM CT |
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Jimmy Rollins may have no power this season, but he continues to steal bases at a high rate as he swiped his 27th base of the season on Friday night.
Our View: Rollins is only batting .270 with just eight home runs in 346 AB, but his OBP is actually only .002 points behind the mark he posted in his MVP season last year (.334). |
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| Hamels fails to win 10th game | Friday 8/1, 10:55 PM CT |
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Cole Hamels permitted five runners to cross home plate, four were earned, as he fell to 9-7 for the Phillies.
Our View: Hamels was bit twice by the long ball tonight, and has given up 23 long balls on the season, which just so happens to be the reason that his ERA is as high as it is at 3.37 given his overall level of dominance. |
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| Lohse has 13 victories | Friday 8/1, 10:53 PM CT |
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Kyle Lohse wasn't at his best on Friday night as he lasted just 5.1 innings, but he was good enough to pick up his 13th win of the season for the Cardinals.
Our View: Lohse allowed eight base runners while striking out six as he rebounded from his worst outing in almost two months. Given his track record we are skeptical that he can keep this up moving forward, but he has been pretty darn good this season. |
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| Ludwick goes deep twice | Friday 8/1, 10:51 PM CT |
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Ryan Ludwick had a big night with two homes, both solo shots, as he went 4-for-4 for the Cardinals.
Our View: Ludwick's night pushed his average back over .300 to .303 as he also reached the 25 home run plateau for the first time. He continues to be one of the better finds of the fantasy season. |
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| Backe keeps team in game. | Friday 8/1, 10:48 PM CT |
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Brandon Backe allowed 10 hits and two walks, but he limited the damage to three runs in six innings for the Astros. He also hit a home run.
Our View: Backe upped his K total to 100 on the night, though his ratios still mark him as nothing that you want to run out there on a regular basis so look elsewhere for rotation help. |
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| Pedro returns to hill | Friday 8/1, 10:45 PM CT |
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Pedro Martinez, making his first start since July 12th, allowed three runs over five innings against the Astros. All three runs scored on solo home runs.
Our View: Pedro struck out five while walking two as he threw 87 pitches and generally looked solid. The Mets desperately need a healthy Martinez to be successful, and anything remotely resembling his former glory days would be a benefit to his fantasy owners. |
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| Loretta hits grand slam | Friday 8/1, 10:43 PM CT |
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Mark Loretta hit a pinch hit grand slam off of Aaron Heilman in the eighth inning of the Astros 7-3 win over the Mets. Carlos Lee, Kaz Matsui and Brandon Backe also went deep.
Our View: Loretta continues to be a servicable spare part who will likely have a long career, though his value in the fantasy game is limited to deep NL-only leagues only. |
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| Kotchman picks up first base hit | Friday 8/1, 10:29 PM CT |
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Casey Kotchman picked up his first hit since joining the Braves as he went 1-for-3 from the cleanup spot for the club.
Our View: Kotchman is just 1-for-12 in three games, but he will eventually hit. However, he is certainly completely miscast as a cleanup hitter. |
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| Fielder goes yard | Friday 8/1, 10:27 PM CT |
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Prince Fielder struck out three times and left four men on base on Friday night, but he also hit his 23rd home run of the season for the Brewers.
Our View: This was the third straight game in which Fielder has belted a solo bomb, this after a stretch of 10 games without a home run. He continues to be a bit too streaky for our liking, but he is still on pace for well over 30 home runs. |
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| James ripped by Brewers | Friday 8/1, 10:25 PM CT |
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Chuck James faced the Brewers on Friday night and the results where predictably awful as he fell to 2-4 on the season. James allowed six hits and four walks leading to six earned runs in just 2.2 innings.
Our View: James allowed two more home runs on the night for a total of nine in just 25.2 innings this season, an alarming rate a year after he allowed 32 in just 161.1 innings last season. Toss him back on waivers if you took an ill advised chance on him tonight. |
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| Suppan holds down Braves | Friday 8/1, 10:23 PM CT |
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Jeff Suppan hurled seven shutout innings against the Braves on Friday night to improve his record to 6-7 on the season.
Our View: Suppan walked three and struck out only one on the night, though he baffled the Braves with a series of off-speed pitches. He remains nothing more than a bottom tier fantasy option. |
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| Taveras reaches 50 steals | Friday 8/1, 9:47 PM CT |
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Willy Taveras swiped two bags on Friday night to reach 50 for the first time in his four year career.
Our View: Taveras may only be hitting .257 with but one home run and 21 RBI, but those steals give him huge value in fantasy leagues. His favorite movie might be Forrest Gump, remember "...run Forrest, run." |
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| Willingham hits cleanup for Marlins | Friday 8/1, 9:44 PM CT |
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Josh Willingham had a hit and an RBI out of the cleanup spot for the Marlins on Friday night.
Our View: Well, at least he can relax now as it appears that he will be a Marlin for the rest of the year. Willingham is hitting .276 though his total of 29 RBI in 199 AB isn't quite the pace that the club, or his owners, had hoped for. |
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| Volsted loses second game | Friday 8/1, 9:41 PM CT |
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Chris Volstad was all over the map on Friday as he allowed eight hits, walked three, struck out six and allowed five runs (four earned) in five innings against the Rockies.
Our View: Volsted just didn't have it on this night, though he still sports a 3.25 ERA through 27.2 innings this season. Youngster often struggle with control, so don't go throwing in the towel quite yet with this young phenom. |
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| Jimenez dominates Marlins with 10 K | Friday 8/1, 9:37 PM CT |
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Ubaldo Jimenez won his fourth straight start allowing just two hits while striking out 10 in seven shutout innings against the Marlins.
Our View: This was the first game of nine or more strikeouts for Jimenez since May 10th, but over his last four starts he has been special with a 1.24 ERA and 0.83 WHIP. He is a risk given his lack of control (4.37 BB/9), but he is hot right now if you are looking to play with fire. |
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| Bruce goes deep | Friday 8/1, 9:33 PM CT |
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Jay Bruce hit his eighth home run of the year for the Reds though he only went 1-for-4 to drop his average to .267.
Our View: After going 11-for-19 to start his career, Bruce is hitting just .238 over 206 AB, and that simply isn't going to get it done. He also has just 16 BB against 60 K, and that ratio isn't that of a polished hitter at the plate. |
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| Dukes returns in style | Friday 8/1, 9:30 PM CT |
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Elijah Dukes had a successful return to the lineup as he had two hits and two RBI hitting out of the third hole.
Our View: With all the movement with the Nationals, Dukes figures to be in the lineup everyday for the rest of the season as he attempts to prove that his time has arrived. If you need help in the outfield, he certainly is worth a look. |
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| Bailey falls to 0-5 | Friday 8/1, 9:28 PM CT |
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Homer Bailey allowed five runs on seven hits and a walk as he was only able to record six outings on Friday night in his fifth loss of the season.
Our View: Bailey simply cannot put it together at this level, and whispers of him being a potential AAAA player are growing (too good for minors, not good enough for the majors). Still, he is only 22 years old, so he has plenty of time to figure things out. |
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| Perez defeats Reds | Friday 8/1, 9:26 PM CT |
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Odalis Perez earned his first home victory of the season as he allowed just one earned run over 7.1 innings in his longest outing since August 11th, 2005.
Our View: Perez lowered his ERA to 4.16 with this effort as he struggles to return to relevance in the fantasy game, something that has eluded him since 2004. |
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| Pierre to play CF | Friday 8/1, 8:57 PM CT |
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Juan Pierre will take over in center field for the Dodgers for Andrew Jones, according to the Los Angeles Daily News. Manny Ramirez will take over in left field with Matt Kemp moving to right.
Our View: This means that Andre Ethier and Andrew Jones will serve as possibly the two most talented backup outfielders in the National League. Well, Maybe just Ethier. |
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| Manny has new number, look | Friday 8/1, 8:53 PM CT |
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Manny Ramirez will join the Dodgers wearing number 99 and sporting a haircut sans the dreadlocks, according to the Los Angeles Daily News.
Our View: Apparently he said he just wants to fit in, and since manager Joe Torre has a rule about hair length, Manny will cut his to be just like everyone else. Like short hair will make that happen. |
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| El Dugue still a ways off | Friday 8/1, 8:18 PM CT |
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Orlando Hernandez's foot is still bothering him which means he shouldn't be expected back anytime soon, according to the New York Daily News.
Our View: El Duque is still waiting on a specially designed shoe that will hopefully allow him to return to the hill, but counting on anything at all at this point from a guy who has missed the entire season is a stretch. |
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| Nomar sent to DL again | Friday 8/1, 8:09 PM CT |
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Nomar Garciaparra was finally placed on the DL on Friday because of a mild sprain to his MCL in his left knee, according to the Associated Press.
Our View: Nomar's move to the DL will open up a roster spot for Manny Ramirez. Angel Berroa will be the regular at short. |
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| Mets prized prospect promoted | Friday 8/1, 7:52 PM CT |
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Dan Murphy, one of the Mets best young players, was promoted to Triple-A New Orleans after hitting .308-13-67 at Double-A, according to the New York Post.
Our View: Murphy should find himself called up to the big league club in September unless he fails to adjust to Triple-A pitching. |
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| Hart returns to starting lineup | Friday 8/1, 7:50 PM CT |
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Corey Hart returned to the lineup on Friday after sitting out the Brewers last game to ponder why he was in such a slump at the plate, according to MLB.com. "A day is good. I feel fine. Sometimes a day helps."
Our View: Hart was originally scheduled to sit out two games, but with the Braves starting left hander Chuck James, Hart found himself back in the lineup despite the fact that he is hitting just .240 with only three RBI in 12 games since the All-Star break. |
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| Hairston activated by Reds | Friday 8/1, 7:38 PM CT |
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Jerry Hairston Jr. has been activated from the DL on Friday after missing time due to an injured hamstring, according to the Associated Press.
Our View: Hairston is hitting .351 with 15 stolen bases this season in just 188 AB, and he figures to find himself inserted back into the starting lineup, possibly at the expense of Jeff Keppinger at short, though the smart money is on him picking up playing time in the outfield now that Ken Griffey Jr. is in Chicago. |
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| Bourn held out of lineup | Friday 8/1, 7:28 PM CT |
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Michael Bourn is still dealing with a sore ankle and as a result he was a late scratch from the Astros lineup on Friday, according to MLB.com.
Our View: Bourn is experiencing pain when he runs which is forcing him to run more on toes. The Astros will likely be careful with him this weekend as they certainly don't want to blow him out and lose him for an extended period of time. Darrin Erstad will likely continue to start in his place. |
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| Coffey sent to minors | Friday 8/1, 7:25 PM CT |
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Todd Coffey was sent to Triple-A Louisville on Firday in order to make room for Jerry Hairston Jr., according to the Associated Press.
Our View: Coffey has struggled all year for the Reds producing an awful 6.05 ERA and equally poor 3.72 K/9 mark. He has no value of any kind at the moment. |
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| McCann cleared to hit | Friday 8/1, 6:43 PM CT |
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Brian McCann, who has been on the shelf after receiving a head injury on a play at the plate, has been given clearance to pinch hit on Friday night, according to the Associated Press. Backup catcher Corky Miller was designated for assignment.
Our View: McCann will likely only pinch hit through the weekend, though he plans on returning to the starting lineup on Monday, so keep that in mind when setting your lineup next week with the power hitting catcher. |
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| Maine to miss next start | Friday 8/1, 5:50 PM CT |
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John Maine will miss his next scheduled start because of his injured shoulder, according to the Associated Press. Its nothing serious, he said. A couple days off and it will be fine.
Our View: Maine will throw on Sunday, and if he doesn't suffer a setback there he is in line to throw next Friday against the Marlins. |
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| James to start on Friday | Friday 8/1, 5:25 PM CT |
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Chuck James will indeed be recalled to start for the Braves on Friday night against Jeff Suppan and the Milwaukee Brewers, according to the Miami Herald.
Our View: James has allowed seven home runs in just five starts on the year leading to a 8.22 ERA, so don't expect too much of anything tonight against a powerful Brewers lineup. |
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| Mock sent to Triple-A | Friday 8/1, 5:10 PM CT |
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Garrett Mock was sent to Triple-A Columbus on Friday to make room on the roster for Emilio Bonifacio, according to the Associated Press.
Our View: No, this isn't a mock draft, but an actual player we are talking about. He has been up and down three times this year, and will work as a reliever in the minor leagues. |
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| Michaels looking for playing time | Friday 8/1, 5:07 PM CT |
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Jason Michaels had two hits including his sixth home run of the season for the Pirates. Newly acquired Brandon Moss went 0-for-3.
Our View: Michaels is fighting for a full time job in the Pirates lineup with Xavier Nady now out of the picture. Michaels has two home runs and five RBI in his last five games as he makes his case for a big role down the stretch. |
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| Lee suffering major slump | Friday 8/1, 5:05 PM CT |
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Derrek Lee went 0-for-3 on Friday to drop his average down to .290 as he extended his hitless streak to 13 AB the past three games.
Our View: Lee has only one hits in his last 18 AB (.056) dropping his average to its lowest point since June 30th. Lee also has only two home runs in his last 36 games proving that he is in one major slump. |
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| Grabow picks up first save | Friday 8/1, 5:01 PM CT |
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John Grabow picked up his first save of the season on Friday by pitching a scoreless ninth inning.
Our View: The Pirates will go with a closer by committee approach until someone stands out. Grabow and Tyler Yates figure to be the front runners at the moment, though newly acquired Craig Hansen could also factor in. |
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| Karstens wins first start | Friday 8/1, 4:59 PM CT |
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Jeff Karstens won his first start of the season for the Pirates by holding the Cubs scoreless for six innings.
Our View: Karstens gave up five hits while walking four, so it's easy to see that he was a bit lucky on this day. Even with this solid outing, he doesn't provide much hope for a return unless you are in a deep NL-only league. |
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| Livan designated | Friday 8/1, 4:33 PM CT |
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Updating an earlier report, Livan Hernandez has indeed been designated for assignment to open up a roster spot for Francisco Liriano, according to the Associated Press.
Our View: Livan will certainly latch on with someone, but no matter where he ends up, his value will continue to be that of an injury replacement when the matchup is just right and nothing more. |
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| Howard crushes Cards | Friday 8/1, 2:34 PM CT |
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First baseman Ryan Howard loves to play against the Cardinals. In 23 at-bats against the team this season, Howard is hitting an absurd .478/.571/1.174. He faces off against St. Louis is a three-game series starting tonight.
Our View: Howard has five home runs and 14 RBI against St. Louis, which happens to be the city he grew up in. Only against the Braves has he hit for similar power numbers. He also has five home runs with 18 RBI against them, but in 28 more at-bats. |
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| LaRoche to start at third | Friday 8/1, 1:56 PM CT |
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As expected, Andy LaRoche will replace Jose Bautista as the Pirates starting third baseman, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
Our View: LaRoche is hitting fifth in the Bucs lineup and should provide a much higher on-base percentage than Bautista. LaRoche's OBP in the minors this year was a dazzling .445. |
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| Ethier could suffer fantasy free-fall | Friday 8/1, 12:50 PM CT |
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With Manny Ramirez officially a member of the LA Dodgers, it's only logical that one of the three rostered outfielders, or four if you choose to include Andruw Jones, will see less playing time. That player could be Andre Ethier.
Our View: It appears that LA will use Matt Kemp and Juan Pierre on an everyday basis and with Manny expected to start tonight, it is Ethier that will suffer the biggest fantasy free-fall.
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| Baker on 0-for-15 run | Friday 8/1, 12:44 PM CT |
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Since Jeff Baker went 3-for-6 on Sunday against the Reds, with a home run and two RBI, he's 0-15 with four strike outs. This is Baker's M.O. and owners who roster the Rockies starting second baseman have to be prepared for prolonged slumps.
Our View: Baker is a legitimate power threat and while his numbers had to regress to some degree, owners are warmed, he will be bad, very bad, at times. His second base eligibility and half of his at-bats coming in Coors Field make the young prospect attractive. |
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| Francis back Tuesday | Friday 8/1, 11:11 AM CT |
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Rockies pitcher Jeff Francis should make his return to the team on Thursday, when he will be activated off the disabled list, according to the Denver Post.
Our View: Francis has been a big-time disappointment after a solid season in 2007. He has just three wins and a 5.67 ERA and should not be used on fantasy squads unless he starts to turn it around. |
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| Wood could return next Friday | Friday 8/1, 11:08 AM CT |
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Cubs closer Kerry Wood could make his return to the mound next Friday when the Cubs take on the St. Louis Cardinals, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
Our View: Initially out with a blister, Wood now says it is not a blister anymore, but an "open wound." He says the skin around it is hardening, and he threw a simulated game on Thursday. |
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| Benson goes seven innings | Friday 8/1, 10:19 AM CT |
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Kris Benson threw seven innings, giving up five hits and one earned run for Triple-A Lehigh Valley, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Our View: Benson's overall performance in the minor leagues has not been good. He is 1-5 with a 6.35 ERA, and opponents are hitting .329 off of him. It's unlikely he'll be pitching in the bigs anytime soon. |
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| Utley hit on purpose? | Friday 8/1, 10:16 AM CT |
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Phillies manager Charlie Manuel made no secret that in his opinion, Washington Nationals reliever Jesus Colome intentionally hit Philly second baseman Chase Utley, according to the Philadelphia Daily News. "The catcher set right in behind him. Yeah, he threw at him. No doubt about it," Manuel said.
Our View: Manuel thinks the pitch was retaliation for Phillies hurler Kyle Kendrick hitting Ryan Zimmerman with a pitch that knocked Zimmerman out of the game. There has been no word yet on if any disciplinary action will be taken. |
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| Maddux likely staying put | Friday 8/1, 9:44 AM CT |
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It will be difficult for the San Diego Padres to trade Greg Maddux, as Padres GM Kevin Towers is not optimistic he would get through waivers, according to Padres.com.
Our View: The Padres were offered deals, but they deemed the prospects insufficient in order to get rid of Maddux. There is next to no chance a contending club would allow Maddux to get through waivers without being claimed, so it's a near certainty that he will stay put. |
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| Carpenter reports no issues | Friday 8/1, 9:34 AM CT |
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Former Cy Young Award winner Chris Carpenter woke up feeling no aches and pains in his surgically repaired elbow, and he will make his scheduled bullpen session Saturday, followed by a start on Tuesday against the Dodgers, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Our View: Carpenter pitched just just four innings in his first start back, but that will increase with time. He can certainly help a fantasy team in search of pitching. |
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| Duncan may need surgery | Friday 8/1, 9:31 AM CT |
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Cardinals outfielder Chris Duncan may have to undergo surgery at some point to correct a herniated disc in his neck that has been troubling him, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Our View: It's possible Duncan could miss the rest of the season, but fantasy players won't miss him much, as he has struggled to a .246 average with just six home runs and 27 RBI. |
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| Garcia will be called up | Friday 8/1, 9:28 AM CT |
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Jaime Garcia will be recalled from Triple-A Memphis to serve as left-handed relief out of the bullpen for the Cardinals, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Our View: Garcia was successful in his earlier stint in the big leagues, but does not have a great deal of fantasy value as a middle reliever. |
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| Upton takes BP | Friday 8/1, 9:19 AM CT |
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Justin Upton took 20 swings of batting practice on Thursday and will do the same today as he prepares for a minor league rehab assignment, according to the Arizona Republic.
Our View: Upton started out the season on fire but has cooled since then. He is an option in NL-only leagues, but until he can get the batting average raised and he can cut down on his strikeouts (he has struck out in 35% of his at-bats), his value in mixed leagues is marginal. |
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| Dukes to be called up | Friday 8/1, 9:15 AM CT |
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Elijah Dukes will be recalled from his rehab assignment to join the Nationals, according to the Washington Post.
Our View: Dukes played four games on his assignment, going 5-for-15. With the Nats cleaning house, it seems obvious they will be going to play the youngsters to see what they have. Dukes had performed well so far this season, with a .367 OBP, along with six home runs, 20 RBI and 10 stolen bases. He still strikes out far too much, but may be an asset, at least in NL-only leagues, if he can continue to show power and steal bases. |
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| Bonifacio to be recalled | Friday 8/1, 9:11 AM CT |
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Emilio Bonifacio has been recalled from the minor leagues by the Washington Nationals, according to the Washington Post.
Our View: Bonifacio was hitting over .300 in the minor leagues, with 21 stolen bases. He'll likely get time at second base now that the club has released Felipe Lopez. Bonifacio won't offer fantasy players any power, but those needing steal may want to take a flyer on him. |
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| Hernandez to be designated for assignment | Friday 8/1, 9:08 AM CT |
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Twins pitcher Livan Hernandez is likely to be designated for assignment as the club will call up Francisco Liriano to take his spot in the rotation, according to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.
Our View: Hernandez has not been good, and his 10 wins are an indicator of how overrated that statistic is in terms of evaluating pitchers. He has a 1.63 WHIP, a 5.48 ERA, and gives up nearly 13 hits per nine innings. He didn't have a whole lot of fantasy value before, and has even less now. |
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| Lopez released | Friday 8/1, 9:01 AM CT |
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Felipe Lopez was released by the the Washington Nationals after yesterday's game, according to the Washington Post.
Our View: Lopez was making $4.9 million this season, and he was hitting just .234 with a .305 OBP and .314 slugging percentage. Lopez never came close to repeating his breakout 2005 season, and at age 28, it's hard to envision him doing so now. |
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| Lo Duca released | Friday 8/1, 8:58 AM CT |
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Nationals outfielder/first baseman/catcher Paul Lo Duca has been released by the team, according to the Washington Post.
Our View: This is not a huge surprise given Lo Duca's recent comments that the Nationals were weren't playing him behind the plate often enough. The .582 OPS and seven extra-base hits in 139 at-bats probably didn't help matters either. |
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| Cards tried to acquire Fuentes | Friday 8/1, 8:56 AM CT |
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The St. Louis Cardinals were making an attempt to acquire Rockies reliever Brian Fuentes, but balked when the price tag was said to be not only catching prospect Bryan Anderson, but a pitching prospect as well, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Our View: Anderson is hitting a combined .336 with an OBP of .401 during his time in Double-A Springfield and Triple-A Memphis, and apparently moving him along with a pitcher was just too rich for the Cardinals blood. |
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