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| Andrew Miller was roughed up for four runs in the first inning by the punchless Padres on Tuesday. On the night, he lasted five innings, walked four, struck out five, and gave up six hits. He did not allow a run after the first. |
Our View: Miller hasn't been able to figure it out in 2007. His ERA is 5.09 after 19 starts. Here's hoping it's just an adjustment period and not foreshadowing the rest of his promising career.
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| With Bobby Jenks on the DL, the White Sox turned to Scott Linebrink to get the save in the 11th inning on Tuesday. However, he gave up two runs on three hits allowing the Royals to tie the score. |
Our View: Ozzie Guillen has a deep bullpen to pick a replacement closer out of, but he made the wrong choice on Tuesday. Expect him to experiment with other relievers in the role until Jenks returns.
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| Mike Aviles appears to be busting out of his slump. He is 7-for-12 in his last two games. |
Our View: Aviles almost appears to be an all or nothing player. He is an intriguing player to watch because of the power he has shown at his position. We would like to see some more consistency from him.
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| Alexei Ramirez continues to hit for the White Sox. On Tuesday he scored the winning run in the 13th to cap off a 4-for-6 night. |
Our View: Following a June that saw him hit .355, Ramirez is hitting .435 so far in June.
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| Nick Evans was recalled from Double-A Binghamton on Tuesdat. He will replace Ryan Church on the 25-man roster. |
Our View: Evans will not figure to start ahead of the veterans and Moises Alou also appears to be coming back.
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| After throwing 4.1 innings in Jupiter's 5-4 win, Sanchez said he's on track to rejoin the Marlins' rotation by July 28, according to the Palm Beach Post. He allowed two runs on four hits, throwing 49 of his 70 pitches for strikes. He struck out three and walked two. His velocity ranged from 88 to 93. Sanchez, whose rehab stint started last Thursday when he allowed two runs in five innings in a Gulf Coast League game, said he will start again for the Hammerheads on Sunday in Fort Myers. He said that will be followed by at least two starts for Class AA Carolina. |
Our View: Sanchez is recovering rotator cuff surgery. His rehab was delayed sue to the tragic death of his son.
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| Justin Duchscherer faced a mere 30 batters in a complete game, two-hit shutout against the Mariners on Sunday. He struck out four and walked none. |
Our View: When it comes to surprises, there are none bigger the Duchscherer. His ERA is a mind-boggling 1.78 after 101 innings and his WHIP is down to 0.86. He's making a strong run at Waiver-Wire Pickup of the Year.
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| B.J. Ryan worked a perfect ninth to record his second win of the season. |
Our View: Ryan has not seen many save opportunities this season and has just five saves going back 14 appearances to May 28. This seems like a bit of a fluke and his numbers should be better in the second half.
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| Josh Hamilton's major league leading 87th RBI was the game winner on Tuesday. He finished 1-for-2 with two RBI and a sac fly. |
Our View: Not much more can be said about this miracle. Hamilton continues to blow away the rest of the AL when he's at the dish.
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| Jarrod Saltalamacchia started for the first time since leaving Saturday's game at Baltimore with a right groin strain. |
Our View: Salty has been a disappointment for fantasy owners that hoped to see similar power numbers on pace with his previous seasons. There's no reason he should have only three home runs playing in Texas.
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| C.J. Wilson gave up a hit and two walks but no runs in the ninth to earn his 22nd save of the season on Tuesday. |
Our View: It's a bit amazing that Wilson only has endured two losses this season. He carries a heavy 1.43 WHIP and 4.58 ERA, yet seems to get three outs before the winning run nearly every time. He may be a good sell high candidate to an owner desperate for saves.
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| Matt Harrison won his first major league start on Tuesday. He went seven strong innings and gave up two runs on five hits and a walk. He managed only one strikeout. |
Our View: Congrats to Harrison, who was just called up on Monday. We don't expect him to be a fantasy contributor any time soon, but his first appearance makes him worth monitoring.
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| Chris Davis went yard again - the fifth time in his first 25 major league at-bats. His solo shot was his only hit of the night. |
Our View: The young first baseman has certainly shown the power stroke, but he is hitting just .216 with 10 Ks in 37 at-bats. We'll chalk up the production as a fluke for now, but he may end up being this season's Jack Cust. He will be helped by playing in a hitter's park.
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| Derek Jeter hit a go-ahead double in the eighth and finished the night 2-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored. |
Our View: Jeter remains as steady as ever and we could see his average climb over .300 before long. Unfortunately, his days of stealing 20-plus bases seem to be over. He has just five this season.
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| Jhonny Peralta hit a two-run home run in his second consecutive game, this one coming off of Justin Verlander. |
Our View: Peralta will likely set career highs for home runs and RBI this season, but if he doesn't get his average up, he does not warrant consistent play.
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| The AP reports that Magglio Ordonez said his pulled oblique is improving and expects to be OK to play when eligible to be activated from the DL next week. |
Our View: If Pudge, Cabrera and Granderson maintain their recent improvements, the Tigers offense should explode in the second half.
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| Fausto Carmona threw a side session on Tuesday but the Indians will not bring him back prior to the All-Star break according to the AP. |
Our View: No reason to rush this. Carmona had a disturbing 38 walks to just 23 strikeouts before going on the DL.
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| Dustin Pedroia went 2-for-4 to extend his hitting streak to 16 games. |
Our View: Few have been hotter than Dustin and he looks more and more deserving of All-Star status every game.
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| Ryan Braun hit his 22nd HR of the year on Tuesday. It was a three-run blast in the first inning. |
Our View: Braun has been steady this month and should continue to pace a devastating Brewers lineup in the second half.
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| Eric Gagne made his third appearance on Tuesday since coming off the DL with shoulder tendinitis. He allowed just one hit in his only inning of work. |
Our View: Gagne is 3-for-3 in successful bullpen appearances since his return.
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| CC Sabathia picked up the W in his first outing in a Brewers' uniform. He lasted six innings, striking out five, walking five and surrendering five hits to go with two earned runs. |
Our View: Not a bad start for CC, but not dominant either. It was the most walks he had issued since April 16. Look for that number to calm down with his nerves in future starts.
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| Aaron Harang picked up his 11th loss of the season on Tuesday against the Cubs. He gave up six runs in just 4.1 innings while walking seven batters. |
Our View: This was just his first start of less than five innings since May 29, but he hasn't looked very good in between. He did manage to record six Ks in the brief outing.
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| In his first start since appearing on the Sports Illustrated cover, Lincecum gave up nine hits and two walks in six innings. He gave up four earned runs while striking out four. |
Our View: Lincecum was pushed up in the rotation for this start and it did not pay off. This is probably just a bump in the road for the prodigy.
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| Geovany Soto hit his 16th home run on the year and contributed three RBI in the Cubs' 7-3 victory over the Reds on Tuesday. |
Our View: The rookie has shown no signs of slowing down and has cemented his All-Star status.
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| Jay Bruce was 0-for-4 with four whiffs Tuesday against Chicago. |
Our View: Astonishingly, his batting average is nearly 200 points lower than it was a month ago when he was enjoying an incredible start to his major league career.
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| Ryan Dempster became the first Cubs pitcher in 31 years to start a season 10-0 at home according to the AP. He allowed just one run on two hits to go with five strikeouts against the Reds on Tuesday. |
Our View: Dempster's ERA is down to 3.13. He is 0-3 on the road with a 4.03 ERA.
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| The AP reports that Odalis Perez was ejected in the third inning for arguing the second balk called against him. After the call, he charged toward the umpire, and was quickly ejected. The left-hander had to be restrained by umpires and coaches, including manager Manny Acta. |
Our View: In 2.2 innings Perez gave up an unearned run, walked four and was called for two balks. Perez has won only two of his 16 starts this season.
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| Brandon Webb threw six shutout innings on Tuesday against the lowly Washington Nationals. He scattered six hits and two walks while striking out six. |
Our View: Webb had been looking sorta shaky, given his standards, and the Nats came along at just the right time.
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| Jonathan Papelbon earned his second save in as many nights against the Twins on Tuesday. He gave up one hit and struck out one in a three-out appearance. |
Our View: It looks like Papelbon has no recollection of the loss he suffered in Yankee Stadium on Sunday. Another good sign that he will be a dominant closer for years.
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| Nick Blackburn was solid for his second consecutive start on Tuesday, but watched his bullpen blow his win. He allowed just two runs on six hits in 6.2 innings against the Boston Red Sox. |
Our View: Blackburn has been somewhat inconsistent and it seems just as he's getting it together, he gets shelled his next start. Be wary of picking him up.
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| Manny Ramirez came up big again on Tuesday. He hit a game-tying two-run homer in the eighth to spark a rally that saw the Red Sox come out on top of a 6-5 decision over the Twins. |
Our View: It was Ramirez's only hit of the night, but it appears he may have finally busted out of his slump.
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| Already with a three RBI triple on the night, Alex Rios used his legs and his instinct to get Toronto the victory on Tuesday. He drew a walk in the ninth, stole second (his 22nd of the year), went to third on a throwing error by the catcher and finally scored when Freddie Bynum couldn't handle a hard hit grounder by Scott Rolen. |
Our View: If nothing else, Rios is playing his heart out. He has six stolen bases in six games this month.
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| Dustin McGowan left his Tuesday night start with stiffness in his shoulder. He will undergo an MRI on Wednesday morning according to the Toronto Globe and Mail. |
Our View: McGowan lasted four innings and gave up just two earned runs. We will keep you updated on his status.
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| Scott Kazmir had electric stuff on Tuesday but failed to get run support against the Yankees. He whiffed nine batters in just five innings while allowing two runs on five hits. |
Our View: Kazmir has 84 strikeouts in 77 innings this season.
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| Andy Pettitte rebounded from a rough start against Boston by shutting out the Rays over eight innings of work on Tuesday. He allowed just four hits and no walks while striking out five. |
Our View: When Pettitte is on, he is still one of the game's best. In his 10 wins, he has a 0.91 ERA.
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| Carlos Delgado hit his 16th home run of the year on Tuesday off of Giants starter Tim Lincecum. He was 2-for-3 on the night. |
Our View: Delgado is hitting .357 in seven July games. He appears to have rediscovered his swing along with most of the Mets.
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| Carlos Beltran put together another good game at the plate. He belted his 14th home run of the season on a 3-for-4 night. He added four RBI. |
Our View: Fantasy owners are no doubt excited to see his offense pickup ever since having been threaten to bat second in the order.
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| Mike Pelfrey outpitched Tim Lincecum and shutout the visiting Giants on Tuesday. He allowed three hits and no walks in seven innings of work. |
Our View: It appears Pelfrey is the real deal after a disastrous May. He should continue to get good run support and is worth picking up if he is still available.
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| The Seattle Times reports that Erik Bedard will not make another start prior to the All-Star break. |
Our View: This is not good news for fantasy owners. Bedard has tightness in his pitching shoulder which is among the worst injuries for a starter to come up with.
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| Justin Verlander settled down after a first inning home run to earn his sixth victory of the season. He lasted seven innings, gave up two hits, one walk, and just two runs while striking out seven. His once bloated ERA is down to 4.24. |
Our View: He is now 4-0 in his last six starts with a 2.54 ERA and a 36:14 K:BB ratio. Look for a dominant second half from the former AL Rookie of the Year.
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| Curtis Granderson led off again on Tuesday, despite a southpaw on the mound. He went 2-for-5 with a run scored and two RBI. |
Our View: Granderson's average is up to .300, more than 60 points higher than it was a month ago. Granderson was awesome in the second half of last season and he may still meet the high expectations that were on him prior to the season.
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| Marcus Thames got another start and hit another home run on Tuesday for the Tigers. He added a double, three RBI and two runs scored. |
Our View: Thames is a good play while Magglio Ordonez is on the DL. He is hitting one home run every 10 at-bats, a pace that would be nearly impossible to sustain.
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| Miguel Cabrera was 4-for-4 with two home runs, and three RBI on Tuesday. |
Our View: He has picked up the slack since Magglio Ordonez landed on the DL. In his last five games he is 10-for-23 with four home runs.
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| Kyle McClellan continues his impressive work in the Cardinals bullpen. He picked up his 19th hold of the season while shutting out the Phillies in the eighth inning on Tuesday night. |
Our View: If your league is counting holds and McClellan is available, he has earned a roster spot in deep leagues and NL-only formats.
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| Cole Hamels picked up his sixth loss of the year despite giving up just three hits in seven innings. Ryan Ludwick and Rick Ankiel both hit solo home runs off of him. |
Our View: Otherwise, Hamels looked sharp. He recorded eight strikeouts and walked none. Despite the 9-6 record, there are not many better young lefties in the game.
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| Ryan Franklin earned save number 12 on Tuesday in Philadelphia. |
Our View: Despite a healthy Jason Isringhausen and some rough outings lately, it appears Tony La Russa will stay with Ryan Franklin in the closer's role...for now.
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| Ryan Ludwick hit his 18th home run of the season on Tuesday. |
Our View: It was the All-Star's second in as many games and his third consecutive game with an RBI. He has not accomplished such a feat since May 19.
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| Rick Ankiel hit his 19th home run of the season on Tuesday, a solo shot of Phillies LHP Cole Hamels. It was just his fifth off a lefty this season and already his fourth of July. |
Our View: Since being called up last August, Ankiel has 30 HR, 85 RBI, 81 R, and a .273 AVG. in just 124 games. Despite inconsistencies, the former pitcher is becoming a stud fantasy league outfielder.
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| Joel Pineiro recorded his first win since April 29th against the Phillies on Tuesday. He went 6.1 shoutout innings, allowing five hits and three walks. He struck out three. |
Our View: Again, he didn't get much run support but he didn't need it. Anytime a starter shuts out the Phillies in Philly, it is impressive. With a number of Cardinal starters eyeing returns, look for the current rotation to step up its focus once again.
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| The Washington Times reports that Ryan Zimmerman took batting practice on the field Tuesday for the first time since late May. |
Our View: The good news is that Zim (who has a partially torn labrum in his left shoulder) was hitting the ball pretty solid, driving it to the gaps. The not-as-great news is that he didn't say he wasn't in any pain, only that his shoulder felt better than it did back before he went on the DL.
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| MLB.com reports that Roy Oswalt had a relatively successful mound session on Tuesday, as he tested his left hip one last time before making his Friday start. |
Our View: "I was a little worried at first," Oswalt said. "I was probably throwing 70-80 percent when I first got out there. The last 20 pitches, I threw as hard as I could throw. I didn't feel anything. I wasn't as crisp as my last start, but hopefully it comes back Friday." If it were any other opponent besides Washington, we might caution you against using him, but he should be ok.
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| Alou told the Norwich (Conn.) Bulletin, "There's a pretty good chance I might be (playing for the Mets) Friday. There's a chance I may wait until after the All-Star break, but my goal is to be back in New York this weekend."
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Our View: With Ryan Church headed to the DL, the Mets could certainly use him. However, given Alou's recent history, the brontosaurus has a better chance of returning from extinction than Moises does of lasting a month with the Mets.
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| Francisco Liriano is 6-0 with a 3.37 ERA and a 45:9 K:BB ratio over 42.2 innings since June 1. "It's a great feeling now because everything is working," Liriano told the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle. "I think I'm close to where I need to be. I just need to continue doing what I'm doing right now." |
Our View: Liriano would be pitching for other teams, but the Twins have little use for him right now. Their starters have been lights out and the team is on a roll. Still expect to see him in majors before the end of the season. If he's on your waiver wire at the All-Star break, you should pick him up.
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| According to MLB.com, Michael Cuddyer is eligible to return to action on Sunday but a return then seems highly unlikely. He isn't even close to being sent down on a rehab assignment, so a target date for his return is not yet available.
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Our View: Tendons can be a tricky thing, so don't count on Cuddyer to return before the All-Star break. When he does return, let's hope his production increases.
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| Joe Thatcher will take Brett Tomko's place in the Padres bullpen. This is the fourth time this season he has been called up. |
Our View: Although he has been horrific in the majors (7.40 ERA, 2.03 WHIP) he has a 4-0 record and a 1.21 ERA with Portland this season.
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| Chip Ambres was quickly recalled from Triple-A Portland and got the start in right field for Brian Giles on Tuesday night. |
Our View: Ambres' playing time will depend on the health of Brian Giles' hamstring. The Padres are getting desperate for offense so the youngsters will see their share of action.
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| Paul McAnulty cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Portland. |
Our View: McAnulty was even less anemic than the other Padres and likely won't be back up any time soon.
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| Carlos Guevara was sent to Triple-A Portland. |
Our View: The Rule-5 pickup from Cincinnati has been mostly ineffective this season. The Reds waived his rights for cash or a player to be named later.
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| Pitching coach Dave Duncan and GM John Mozeliak both said that it is possible that Chris Carpenter could be back in the rotation by August 1. |
Our View: This seems a bit rushed, but Carp has been progressing without setbacks in his recent rehab sessions. This would be a big boost to the Cards, but it remains to be seen what the former Cy Young winner will have to offer fantasy owners.
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| Brett Tomko has been placed on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to July 1, with a right elbow strain.
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Our View: If there is a way for Tomko to become less relevant than he already is in fantasy, this is it.
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| Hideki Matsui took 45 swings off a tee Tuesday, and he reported nothing negative after the session. "I felt pretty good," Matsui said through a team spokesman. "No pain. I hope to keep going in a positive direction." Still, Yankees manager Joe Girardi can't rule out the possibility of surgery, according to MLB.com.
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Our View: Surgery would be a terrible blow to the Yankees and fantasy owners. The Yanks have had some luck with minor league outfielders such as Brett Gardner, who's value would increase if Hideki cannot return this season.
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| Dallas Braden was recalled from Triple-A Sacramento. |
Our View: Braden has been working as a starter in the minors, posting a 2.36 ERA with a 54/11 K/BB ratio in 53.1 innings. He will probably replace recently traded Chad Gaudin in the bullpen, but could take Rich Harden's spot in the rotation next time it comes up.
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| Eric Hurley has been placed on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to June 30. |
Our View: He is battling a sore left hamstring but figures to be back after the All-Star break. Prior to the injury, Hurley looked like a serviceable major leaguer. In four starts, he has a 3.57 ERA.
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| Mike Sweeney was transferred to the 60-day disabled list. |
Our View: The move comes after the Rich Harden trade and was likely done to open up spots on the 40-man roster for the incoming players. Sweeney should be back by August.
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| The Chicago Tribune reports that White Sox closer Bobby Jenks is headed to the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to June 30, as a precautionary measure.
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Our View: Jenks played catch without any pain Tuesday but said he felt uncomfortable after trying to throw off a mound in the a Kauffman Stadium bullpen. He expressed no qualms about going to the DL and plans to be ready for the second half on July 18.
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| The AP reports that Edgar Gonzalez has decided against surgery and could rejoin the Diamondbacks in September. |
Our View: The decision has little fantasy impact. Edgar is 1-3 with a 6.00 ERA in six starts this season.
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| Jason Giambi, trying to shore up the final spot on the All-Star team, was held out of Tuesday night's lineup in favor of Wilson Betemit. |
Our View: The opposing pitcher, Scott Kazmir, is another lefty who has been dominant against the Yankees slugger. Giambi is hitting just .125 in 16 career at-bats against Kaz, including seven strikeouts.
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| Casey Kotchman is not in tonight's starting lineup after playing 16 straight games. |
Our View: The move is purely to get the first baseman a little rest and give Robb Quinlan some neccessary at-bats.
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| The Arizona Republic reports that Diamondbacks manager Bob Melvin said he does not expect left fielder Eric Byrnes to return. He's been on the DL with a strained left hamstring since July 1.
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Our View: Certainly not good news for fantasy owners. It appears safe to move on with plans not including Byrnes in your OF.
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| Josh Donaldson was sent to Oakland from Chicago as part of the Rich Harden deal. |
Our View: Donaldson was a second round selection in 2007 but has not had a great start to his pro career. He is currently hitting .217 with six homers in 235 at-bats for Single-A Peoria this season after being selected by the Cubs in the second round of the 2007 draft.
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| The Cleveland Indians transferred Scott Elarton to the 15-day disabled list with a non-baseball medical condition. |
Our View: The right-hander was originally placed on the restricted list June 30 after informing the team he needed to leave for personal reasons.
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| To take Adam Loewen’s roster spot (DL), the Orioles recalled right-hander Alberto Castillo from Triple-A Norfolk.
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Our View: The 33-year-old Castillo is a converted catcher, having spent some time behind the plate for the O's last season. At Norfolk, he was 3-1 with a 2.05 ERA in 19 games.
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| Eric Patterson was dealt to the Oakland A's on Tuesday as part of the Rich Harden trade. |
Our View: Patterson had seen 13 games with the Cubs this season but was at Triple-A Iowa at the time of the trade. The A's current second baseman, Mark Ellis, is a free agent at the end of the season, so Patterson could see regular duty there next season. For now, he figures to see time in the A's outfield.
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| Phil Hughes, who has begun the initial steps in | |
