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| Ludwick collects another homer | Saturday 8/2, 11:41 PM CT |
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Ryan Ludwick went 1-for-4 with a home run in Saturday's 2-1 loss to the Phillies.
Our View: He hit his 26 homer of the season, with three coming over his last two games against the Phillies. He should remain a solid source of power down the stretch for fantasy owners. |
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| Howard crushes 31st homer | Saturday 8/2, 11:37 PM CT |
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Ryan Howard went 1-for-1 and crushed a solo home run in Saturday's close 2-1 victory over the Cardinals. He drew three walks in the game.
Our View: Howard's homer was his 31st of the season, but only his second over his last 13 games. |
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| Blanton shuts down Cardinals | Saturday 8/2, 11:32 PM CT |
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Joe Blanton shut down the Cardinals in Saturday's 2-1 win, as he only issued one earned run on four hits over seven innings, with two walks and five strikeouts. The only score came on a Ryan Ludwick home run.
Our View: He earned his first win as a member of the Phillies, and could be headed for a solid stretch run of the season as he tries to do his part to claim the NL East division title. |
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| Willingham goes 2-for-3 | Saturday 8/2, 10:56 PM CT |
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Josh Willingham went 2-for-3 with an RBI in Saturday's 5-3 win over the Rockies at home. He hit a double and a triple, and scored two runs.
Our View: Willingham is hitting .473 (9-for-19) over his last six games. He has also registered an RBI in three straight contests, and should remain active in fantasy lineups while he is hot. |
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| Nolasco fires 13 strikeouts | Saturday 8/2, 10:50 PM CT |
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Ricky Nolasco allowed three earned runs on four hits over eight innings in Saturday's 5-3 victory over the Rockies, with no walks and 13 strikeouts.
Our View: He improves to 11-6 for the season, and reached double digits in strikeouts for the second time (registered 12 against the Rays on June 15). He also snapped a four-game skid without a win. |
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| Matsui racks up seven total bases | Saturday 8/2, 10:23 PM CT |
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Kazuo Matsui went 2-for-5 with an RBI in Saturday's 5-4 win over the Mets. He hit a triple and a solo home run.
Our View: Matsui is hot as he homered in back-to-back games, and extended his hitting streak to nine games. He is worth starting in NL-only leagues for the upcoming fantasy week. |
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| Oswalt handed no decision | Saturday 8/2, 10:18 PM CT |
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Roy Oswalt issued four earned runs on six hits over six innings in Saturday's 5-4 win over the Mets, with three walks and seven strikeouts. The Astros were down 4-1 when he exited the game, but rallied to score four runs and pulled out a win in the 10th inning.
Our View: Oswalt remains at 8-8 and has allowed four runs in each of his last two starts. Hopefully he can get on track and pitch up to his billing as the Astros' "ace" down the stretch. |
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| Easley homers in tough loss | Saturday 8/2, 10:12 PM CT |
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Damion Easley went 2-for-3 with a two-run homer in Saturday's tough 5-4 loss to Houston. His other hit was a single.
Our View: Easley has homered in two of his last three games, and has six RBI over the span. Keep him active in your lineups while he is hot. |
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| Santana strong in no decision | Saturday 8/2, 10:08 PM CT |
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Johan Santana only surrendered one earned run on three hits over 6.1 innings in Saturday's 5-4 loss to the Astros, with two walks and three strikeouts. He pitched great but was dealt a no decision as he left the game with a 4-1 lead, before Houston rallied back to win it in the 10th inning.
Our View: Santana allowed two or less earned runs in three straight starts, yet he only has one win over the span. His record remains at 9-7, and he trimmed his ERA to 2.86. |
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| Votto collects three RBI | Saturday 8/2, 9:50 PM CT |
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Joey Votto went 1-for-4 and collected three RBI in Saturday's 10-6 loss to Washington.
Our View: That was his highest RBI output since July 19, when he also registered three against the Mets. He should remain a decent corner infielder in mixed-leagues. |
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| Bruce blasts two-run homer | Saturday 8/2, 9:47 PM CT |
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Jay Bruce went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer in Saturday's 10-6 loss to the Nationals. His other hit went for a single.
Our View: Bruce has registered a hit in six straight games, and has homered in each of his last two. The rookie should return to starting lineups in NL-only leagues for the new fantasy week. |
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| Milledge homers in win | Saturday 8/2, 9:42 PM CT |
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Lastings Milledge went 1-for-3 with a solo homer in Saturday's 10-6 win over the Reds.
Our View: Milledge is starting to post better numbers, but still isn't worthy of starting lineups in anything but deeper NL-only leagues. |
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| Kearns goes 3-for-5 | Saturday 8/2, 9:38 PM CT |
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Austin Kearns went 3-for-5 with an RBI in Saturday's 10-6 win over the Reds. All three of his knocks were singles.
Our View: He has a hit in four straight games, and snapped a 10-game skid without an RBI. |
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| Ankiel close to returning | Saturday 8/2, 8:46 PM CT |
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Rick Ankiel, who is recovering from a sore abdomen, could return to the Cardinals' lineup as early as Tuesday, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Our View: Ankiel has been a solid source of power with 22 homers over 93 games, and fantasy owners should be able to pencil him back into lineups next week. |
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| Hill to begin rehab | Saturday 8/2, 8:21 PM CT |
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Shawn Hill is expected to begin a throwing program as part of his rehab from a right forearm strain, according to MLB.com.
Our View: He has a full throwing program laid out, and his goal is to return to the Nationals in early September. This is good news for him, but Hill is not worth stashing as a fantasy hurler, as he holds a 1-5 record with a 5.83 ERA and 1.75 WHIP over 12 starts this season. |
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| Carrasco promoted to Triple-A | Saturday 8/2, 8:09 PM CT |
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Carlos Carrasco has been promoted to Triple-A Lehigh Valley, according to MLB.com.
Our View: Carrasco is a top pitching prospect, and the Phillies want him to be challenged by more advanced hitters on the Triple-A level. If he fares well, he could push for a spot in the Phillies' rotation in 2009. |
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| Hairston out for a few days | Saturday 8/2, 7:41 PM CT |
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Jerry Hairston Jr. was unable to run at full speed Friday and won't play over the next few days, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer.
Our View: It appears that the team may have activated him from the DL (hamstring) too soon. We will keep you posted when more details are released regarding his status. |
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| Wainwright close to return | Saturday 8/2, 7:33 PM CT |
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Adam Wainwright threw a bullpen session on Saturday, and the AP reports he is close to returning from a sprained middle finger that has kept him on the DL for nearly two months. He said, "I’m very shocked right now. I can’t believe how good I threw. I told the training staff before I threw today, I said the last two days I’ve felt a 200 percent difference in my hand, just holding stuff, grabbing things, even grabbing a remote or something. It just felt good all of a sudden. Today I went at it 100 percent and tested it completely."
Our View: The next step for Wainwright is a simulated game on Tuesday. If all goes favorably without a setback, Wainwright will likely make one or two rehab starts before rejoining the team.
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| Hudson will have surgery | Saturday 8/2, 7:13 PM CT |
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Tim Hudson will undergo ligament-transplant elbow surgery to repair his torn ulnar collateral ligament late next week, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Dr. James Andrews will perform the surgery.
Our View: Hudson has already spoken with Braves' hurlers John Smoltz, Mike Gonzalez and Peter Moylan about what to expect after "Tommy John" surgery. All three have had the procedure.
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| Dukes scratched | Saturday 8/2, 6:19 PM CT |
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Elijah Dukes was scratched for Saturday's game after reporting late to the ballpark, according to the Washington Post.
Our View: He was replaced in left field by Ryan Langerhans. |
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| Helton suffers another setback | Saturday 8/2, 6:05 PM CT |
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The Denver Post states that Todd Helton has suffered another setback in his recovery from a back ailment. Helton hit off a tee and did soft-toss in the batting cage on consecutive days this week, after which his back problems flared up. The team is classifying his ailment as back spasms, though they believe it is related to his lower disk injury.
Our View: There is now more uncertainty as to when he may return to the Rockies. He will rest for the remainder of this weekend and be re-evaluated Monday when the Rockies return to Coors Field.
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| Spilborghs playing catch | Saturday 8/2, 6:02 PM CT |
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Ryan Spilborghs, who is recovering from a left oblique strain, played catch this week, according to the Denver Post.
Our View: He is making steady progress, and is just feeling normal soreness. He could return to Colorado in mid-August. |
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| Johnson goes 2-for-4 | Saturday 8/2, 5:51 PM CT |
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Kelly Johnson went 2-for-4 with an RBI in Saturday's 4-2 loss to the Brewers.
Our View: He registered two hits in three of his last four games, and is worth starting while he is hot. |
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| Morton pitches well in loss | Saturday 8/2, 5:47 PM CT |
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Charlie Morton only allowed two earned runs on four hits over seven innings in Saturday's 4-2 loss to Milwaukee, with one walk and four strikeouts.
Our View: He pitched well, but was dealt a loss due to poor run support from his Braves' team-mates. His record drops to 2-5, and should only be on rosters in deeper NL-only leagues. |
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| Fielder crushes two homers | Saturday 8/2, 5:44 PM CT |
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Prince Fielder went 2-for-3 with three RBI as he led the Brewers to a 4-2 win over the Braves on Saturday. Both of his hits were home runs.
Our View: Fielder has impressively homered in four straight games, and has 25 for the season. |
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| Sabathia claims 11th win | Saturday 8/2, 5:40 PM CT |
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CC Sabathia was in control in Saturday's 4-2 win over Atlanta, as he only issued two earned runs on six hits over 8.1 innings of work, with one walk and nine strikeouts.
Our View: He claimed his 11th win of the season, and is yet to lose a start with the Brewers. |
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| Ring designated for assignment | Saturday 8/2, 4:30 PM CT |
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Royce Ring has been designated for assignment by the Braves, according to MLB.com.
Our View: The left-handed specialist maintained a 8.46 ERA and 1.88 WHIP over 22.1 innings of relief, and his designation holds no fantasy significance. |
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| Nunez recalled | Saturday 8/2, 4:26 PM CT |
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Vladimir Nunez has been recalled from Triple-A Richmond, according to MLB.com. He will fill the roster spot for Royce Ring, who has been designated for assignment.
Our View: The 33-year-old reliever does not merit fantasy attention. |
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| Anderson placed on DL | Saturday 8/2, 4:10 PM CT |
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Marlon Anderson has been placed on the 15-day DL due to a strained left hamstring, according to the AP. Daniel Murphy has been recalled from Triple-A New Orleans as the corresponding move.
Our View: Anderson held little fantasy value prior to landing on the DL, as he maintained a .222 average over 126 at-bats. |
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| Bush named fifth starter | Saturday 8/2, 4:05 PM CT |
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Dave Bush has been named the Brewers' fifth starter in the rotation, according to MLB.com.
Our View: Seth McClung will be moved to the bullpen. Bush surrendered six earned runs in his last start, and 10 runs over his last two. He only holds fantasy value in deeper NL-only leagues. |
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| Jones will be back from DL Friday | Saturday 8/2, 3:50 PM CT |
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Chipper Jones will make his return from the disabled list on Friday, according to MLB.com. He fielded ground balls and took some batting practice on Saturday and says he is ready to go. "I feel great. Everything feels good. I'll be ready by Friday," he said.
Our View: Good news for fantasy owners, who have gotten a lot out of Chipper this season. His batting average will likely dip from the .369 it is at right now, but he should still be a valuable asset. |
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| Beltran hitting second | Saturday 8/2, 3:27 PM CT |
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Carlos Beltran is hitting second in the Mets lineup tonight against Houston and pitcher Roy Oswalt, according to the New York Daily News. Beltran has a career .471 on-base percentage against his former teammate.
Our View: As noted by his on-base percentage, Beltran has had success against Oswalt, albeit in just 16 plate appearances. He also has one home run and six RBI off of the righthander. |
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| Johnson has solid game | Saturday 8/2, 2:57 PM CT |
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Reed Johnson went 3-for-4 with a double and a stolen base while scoring two runs in the Cubs 5-1 win over Pittsburgh.
Our View: Johnson does not get enough regular playing time to have much fantasy value, but his versatility is certainly something that can help major league teams win. |
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| Doumit still hitting | Saturday 8/2, 2:53 PM CT |
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Pirates catcher Ryan Doumit just keeps on hitting. He went 3-for-4 against the Cubs, with two doubles and a run scored.
Our View: Doumit hit .317 in July and just keeps on chugging. Fantasy players looking for him to come back to earth haven't seen it yet, and he is now hitting in the number four spot in the order with Jason Bay and Xavier Nady gone. |
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| Maholm hit hard | Saturday 8/2, 2:48 PM CT |
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Paul Maholm saw his record go to 7-7 as he took the loss in the Pirates 5-1 loss to Chicago. Maholm threw six innings and surrendered five runs on eight hits.
Our View: Maholm really has had only one bad month, and that was May. Otherwise, his numbers were solid. However, with the way Pittsburgh purged their team of good players, it isn't likely he will maintain what he had been doing. |
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| Lilly wins 11th game | Saturday 8/2, 2:45 PM CT |
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Cubs hurler Ted Lilly won his eleventh decision of the season as the Cubs beat the Pirates 5-1. Lilly went 6.1 innings, allowing one run on six hits while striking out five.
Our View: After a great June, Lilly had an average July, but has started out August well. With the amount of wins and strikeouts he has, Lilly can be of some use to fantasy teams. |
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| Tejada hits Santana well | Saturday 8/2, 12:29 PM CT |
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Not many hitters hold an advantage over Johan Santana, but Astros shortstop Miguel Tejada certainly does. When Houston plays the Mets tonight, Tejada will go into the game with a .333 batting average and .438 on-base percentage against the Cy Young Award winning lefty.
Our View: In 27 at-bats, Tejada has two home runs off Santana, and has walked five times. Tejada had a cool July, hitting under .260, but maybe he will begin a hot streak tonight with a few hits off Santana. |
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| Lieber will began rehab assignment | Saturday 8/2, 11:12 AM CT |
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Cubs pitcher Jon Lieber has been throwing and will begin a minor league rehab assignment soon, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
Our View: Lieber had a role in the Cubs bullpen, and threw well, with a 3.43 ERA and just five walks in 44.2 innings. His fantasy value is very small, however. |
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| Miller designated for assignment | Saturday 8/2, 11:02 AM CT |
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Catcher Corky Miller was designated for assignment by the Braves, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Our View: Brian McCann has been cleared for activity, and Miller was hitting an awful .093 in 54 at-bats. |
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| Peguero demoted | Saturday 8/2, 10:47 AM CT |
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Just days after being recalled, Arizona righthander Jailen Peguero was demoted to the minor leagues, according to the Arizona Republic.
Our View: Peguero did not pitch an inning in his brief stint. |
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| Cruz activated from DL | Saturday 8/2, 10:45 AM CT |
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Juan Cruz was activated from the disabled list on Friday, and he will join the team in his former role in the bullpen, according to the Arizona Republic.
Our View: Cruz can give fantasy teams a lift in very deep leagues if they are in desperate need of strikeouts. He has a 13.50 K/9 mark so far this year. |
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| Scherzer lights out in minors | Saturday 8/2, 10:42 AM CT |
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Coming back from the minor league disabled list with shoulder fatigue, Diamondbacks prospect Max Scherzer threw well Thursday in Triple-A, according to the Arizona Republic. Scherzer tossed three innings, allowing one hit while striking out seven.
Our View: Scherzer is a candidate to rejoin the Diamondbacks rotation later on this month. Should he not get recalled this month, surely he will be up on September 1. Even if he comes back in a relief role, he still has fantasy value because of the strikeouts he can pile up. |
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| Castillo could be back next week | Saturday 8/2, 10:11 AM CT |
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Mets second baseman Luis Castillo played the first game in his rehab stint and went 0-for-2 in rookie ball, according to the New York Daily News.
Our View: Castillo has been on the DL with a strained hip flexor, but it has been estimated he will be back in a week, after a few more rehab contests. |
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| Muphy joins Mets | Saturday 8/2, 10:08 AM CT |
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One day after being promoted from Double-A to Triple-A, Mets prospect Dan Murphy has been recalled to the big league team, according to the New York Daily News.
Our View: Murphy went 1-for-4 in his one Triple-A game, but in Double-A he was pounding the ball, hitting over .300 with 13 home runs. He can play many positions, but he'll likely see the most playing time in left field. |
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| Paulino will throw simulated game | Saturday 8/2, 9:52 AM CT |
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Houston pitcher Felipe Paulino will throw his second simulated game today as he recovers from a pinched nerve in his right arm, according to the Houston Chronicle.
Our View: Paulino will throw two innings at 20 pitches per inning and barring any setbacks, he will begin his rehab assignment. |
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| Seanez hits DL | Saturday 8/2, 9:33 AM CT |
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The Philadelphia Phillies put reliever Rudy Seanez on the 15-day disabled list with inflammation in his right shoulder, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Our View: Seanez has a respectable ERA of 3.58, but he walks far too many people and his WHIP was 1.62. He holds little fantasy value. |
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| Turnbow will start physical therapy | Saturday 8/2, 9:20 AM CT |
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Derrick Turnbow and the Brewers have decided the reliever will start physical therapy instead of surgery to try and repair his torn right rotator cuff, according to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.
Our View: Turnbow will not pitch again in the 2008 season, and even when he did, he was awful. The righty threw 6.1 innings, walked 13, gave up 12 hits, had an ERA of 15.63, a WHIP of 3.95, a H/9 of 17.05 and a BB/9 of 18.47. |
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| Gonzalez will lose time to Iguchi | Saturday 8/2, 9:04 AM CT |
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Second baseman Edgar Gonzalez will see his playing time reduced now that regular second baseman Tadahito Iguchi has returned from the DL, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Our View: After a fantastic June, Gonzalez slumped in July, and ended the month with an OBP under .300. Fantasy players should look in a different direction for second baseman now. |
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| Capps will throw simulated game | Saturday 8/2, 8:36 AM CT |
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Pirates closer Matt Capps will throw a simulated game today and if he feels well, will start a rehab assignment next weekend, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Our View: Capps has performed well as the team's closer and fantasy owners should be happy that he'll be back soon. However, with the purging of the team's roster, how many opportunities he'll receive to close out games is a question mark. |
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| Aurilia's playing time to diminish | Saturday 8/2, 8:18 AM CT |
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Rich Aurilia will no longer see much playing time, as the Giants move in a younger direction, according to the San Jose Mercury News. "He'll still get in there two or three times a week," San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy said.
Our View: Only players in NL-only leagues may have Aurilia on a fantasy roster, and if you do, it's time to cut bait and find a replacement. |
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| Vizquel wants to play next season | Saturday 8/2, 8:16 AM CT |
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Giants shortstop Omar Vizquel has confirmed that he wants to play again next year because his knee was feeling better, according to the San Jose Mercury News.
Our View: That will be yet another season fantasy players can completely ignore him. |
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| Ramirez wanted to stay in Boston | Saturday 8/2, 8:12 AM CT |
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Manny Ramirez wanted to stay in Boston after all, according to the Boston Globe. After being informed of the trade, Ramirez had his agent, Scott Boras, call Sox GM Theo Epstein and tell him if the club would drop the option year on Ramirez's contract, he would be on his best behavior the rest of the season.
Our View: So after all Ramirez did about clamoring to be traded, and saying the Red Sox did not deserve a player like him, he doesn't want to leave? As the story noted, that just confirms that Ramirez's behavior wasn't just "Manny being Manny." He was Manny being a disruption on purpose. |
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| Duncan has serious injury | Saturday 8/2, 8:00 AM CT |
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Cardinals outfielder Chris Duncan will undergo surgery to install a prosthetic disc in place of a herniated disc in his neck and is out for the regular season, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The procedure is relatively new and thought never to be done on an athlete before. It has been called something that could be career threatening.
Our View: While he is certainly not a fan favorite in St. Louis, and of little consequence in fantasy baseball, you don't want to see someone's career end so early because of injury. |
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| Manny has two hits for Dodgers | Saturday 8/2, 12:36 AM CT |
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Manny Ramirez had two hits in four AB in his first appearance for the Dodgers though he did ground into a double play in the bottom of the ninth inning.
Our View: How weird is it to see him in a Dodgers uniform? Try very. Manny will hit no matter where he is, and he started doing just that on this night with two base knocks. |
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| Lyon gains revenge | Saturday 8/2, 12:34 AM CT |
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Brandon Lyon picked up his 24th save of the year on Friday night as he pitched a scoreless ninth inning to lower his ERA to 3.50.
Our View: Lyon has run off four straight saves without allowing a run after a brutal showing on July 20th against the Dodgers (five runs in 0.2 IP). |
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| Johnson working on scoreless streak | Saturday 8/2, 12:33 AM CT |
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Randy Johnson had a great night on the hill on Friday as he allowed the Dodgers to score only one run, it was unearned, over six innings in his ninth victory of the year.
Our View: Johnson struck out six without allowing a single walk in his third straight outing without allowing an earned run. He may not be the flame thrower of old with only 12 K in his last 20 IP, but he certainly is proving he can still be highly effective. |
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| Wilson leads NL in saves | Saturday 8/2, 12:16 AM CT |
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Brian Wilson pulled a Whodini act on Friday night as he loaded the bases before inducing a game ending double play for his NL leading 29th save of the season.
Our View: The guy just can't do things the easy way. Wilson owns a poor 1.54 WHIP, and his ERA isn't great at 4.46, but he is 29 for 31 in converting saves and isn't in danger of losing his spot at the back end of the Giants bullpen. |
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| Gonzalez goes opposite field | Saturday 8/2, 12:13 AM CT |
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Adrian Gonzalez hit an opposite field home run, his 26th of the year, in the Padres extra inning loss to the Giants.
Our View: Adrian has 26 bombs and 83 RBI, staggering production for a batter who calls Petco Park home. If he played in a more offensively prone ballpark, the numbers could be huge. |
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| Kershaw shuts down D'backs | Saturday 8/2, 12:11 AM CT |
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Clayton Kershaw pitched six scoreless innings against the D'backs on Friday night allowing just four hits and one walk on the night.
Our View: The key tonight was Kershaw's control as he walked only one batter. This is the second straight top shelf outing for the rookie as he has now gone 12 innings in his last two starts with only two walks and not a single run allowed. |
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