Top Pickups On the Mound: Week 5

SP- Jonathan O. Sanchez- 36Ks in 28 innings will catch anyone's attention. Add to that a 1.18WHIP, and an ERA in the mid threes and people really will start buying in. The most impressive stat of all perhaps goes well beyond that. It's his 2-1 record on the putrid San Francisco Giants team, that has scored the 3rd least amount of runs in the majors this season, that is really the most telling, eye catching statistic Sanchez has this season. The numbers thus far are very good, and his ERA comes in as a bit inflated because of a 4inning 7run outing he had in his first outing.

His minor league numbers show similar dominance, and K rate as he is showing in the majors, so it is not like he is a fluke call up, who has had a few lucky starts. This guy is legit, and if he's still available in your league, go out and grab him.

A few draw backs I see are that since he strikes a lot of guys out, he throws a lot of pitches, and doesn't last very long into ball games, which could cost him wins. Of his 5 starts this year, 3 have been of 5 or less innings. I can also see the occasional rough outing, as he is still a young pitcher learning how to be a starting pitcher in the major leagues. And of course, the Giants awful offense could also cost him a few wins with their terrible run support.

All of that being said, I really do like Sanchez to continue his success. I think he can put up numbers similar to what Oliver Perez did for the Pirates in 2004. 12-10, with 200+Ks, 2.98ERA and a WHIP of 1.15.

SP- Chad Gaudin- Gaudin started off hot last season for Oakland, but tailed off as the season went along and ended up post rather mediocre stats. Well, this season he has started off similar to last season, with Gaudin pitching very well and becoming a hot fantasy add. Last season however, Gaudin was apparently pitching with a bad hip which required off season surgery that he had in December. Some would point to that as an explanation for why he pitched so poorly as the season wore on.

I recently added Gaudin to one of my fantasy teams, because my pitching isn't great and I feel he is the type of guy who could be lightning in a bottle. I remember ESPN's Buster Olney talking about how much his ball moves naturally, and when he struggles its because he can't a feel for where the movement is taking the pitch. If he struggles for 3-4 starts in a row I'll dump him fast, as it would show he is regressing like he was last season and isn't worth a roster spot.

If you are in need of pitching, Guadin is a fine, serviceable addition to your fantasy team, at least for the short term. For the long term I would be more skeptical, because he showed last season the wear and tear of a long major league season gets to him.

SP- John Lannan- In limited experience last season for the Nationals Lannan pitched with mediocre results that are typical of that of a rookie pitcher. This season the results have been much different. Lannan has posted a quality start in 4 of the 5 games he has thrown this year. The highlight being a 6inning, 11strikeout performance Lannan tossed against the Mets.

Lannan is posting numbers like he did in the minor leagues and generally that is the best indicator in being able to predict if a player is for real or not at the major league level. Similar to the aforementioned Jonathan Sanchez, I expect him have the occasional rough outing, and lose some close games because of his team's poor offense. Unlike Sanchez, I don't think he has the potential for many more huge strikeout games, or the same potential to dominate a game.

If your team needs the pitching, go out and grab Lannan. If he is still pitching well in August, sell high trade him before your league's trade deadline. Young pitchers will often be shut down when they reach a certain innings limit, and since it's doubtful the Nats will have nothing to play for, there will be no reason for them to keep trotting him out to the mound where he cna over tax his young arm.

SP- Daniel Cabrera- This old gag. Easy to fall in love with his stuff and strikeout rate. Easy to hate, with his WHIP and ERA make. Easy to hate the high WHIP, ERA and walk rate. Cabrera has been a guy who has been on the fantasy brink for a few years now, and every season he has a 3-4 start stretch that makes fantasy owners salivate and grab him before anyone else does. He has had that stretch this season, and while he has been very effective his last 4 starts, his last start raises those classic Daniel Cabrera Red Flags.

He had cut down on his walk ratefrom his first start when he walked one and progressively lowered the rate till his 4/23 start against Seattle when he walked none. In his next start however, we saw the old Daniel Cabrera. He walked 7 and allowed 4 hits in 6 1/3 innings, as he walked the tight rope and managed to avoid the big one for one night at least, while sporting a game WHIP of close to 2.oo. It may have been a fluke and perhaps Cabrera really has found himself and established a firm grip on his mechanics and what it takes to get hitters out. Or maybe he is back to his wild, walking ways, and the improvement he has shown this season was the real fluke.

Cabrera is a very good short term add. Grab him and stash him on your bench for a start or two, to see what he can do. He will have to dominate some games to earn wins because the Orioles offense will be inconsistent and struggle to score runs at times. His next start will come Saturday against Anahiem, a pesky team that can beat you with many different approaches, so if Cabrera can show something there it will be a very good indicator of the direction his season is going in. Personally I would hold off and let someone else take a flier on him, he has just shown so many flashes of brilliance, only to disappoint in the past, to get overly excited about what he has done on the season so far.

SP- Max Scherzer- Young pitcher for the D-backs was so impressive in his debut out of the bullpen that the team has already scheduled him for his first start on Monday against the Phillies. His line from that game, 4.1IP, 7K, 0R, 0.00WHIP. He has dazzling stuff and a fastball that routinely hits 98MPH on the radar gun. He is a great short term add, but with barely over a season at the minor league level, I worry about the D-backs shutting him down later in the season so they can save his arm.

A good idea here is to grab him QUICK, soak up some of his nasty stats for a few months then sell high in July and get what you can for him. He won't be of much use to you if he is shut down or sent to the bullpen to limit his innings. I am not saying that is definitely going to happen, but it's a strong hunch and is often done with young pitchers.

RP- Santiago Casilla- Has 17Ks in 13.1IP for Oakland this season, and if that wasn't good enough take a look at his 0.00ERA and .80WHIP. Cassila might be worth a good add in your league to help keep your ERA and WHIP down a bit, and will even gather up a decent amount of Ks for a set up man. If Oakland winds up trading Houston Street some where you can rest assured Casilla will probably get first crack at closing.

Fantasy Baseball Happy Recap - 4/29/08

Bat Of The Night: Scott Hairston – 3/4, 2 R, 1 2B, 2 HR, 3 RBI

Big night for the San Diego outfielder putting up 3 extra base hits, including 2 homeruns, on his way to 3 RBIs. Hairston was struggling entering last night’s game but broke out in a big way against the Phillies. Hairston still has a ways to go before proving to be a viable fantasy option.

Arm Of The Night: Joe Saunders – 8 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K (W)

Outside of Cliff Lee, Joe Saunders has been the biggest April surprise as he capped off a brilliant month by tossing eight innings of scoreless ball to move his record to 5-0. Saunders now has a 2.08 ERA and 0.95 WHIP and has only allowed 10 walks in 43.1 innings of work. He will never be a big strikeout pitcher but has proven to be very effective thus far in 2008. His next start is a favorable one against Baltimore on Sunday. Let’s see if he can carry his April momentum into May. Also keep in mind that Saunders trade value is at its peak right now, so if you are looking to deal pitching, there may not be a better time to move Angels lefty.

Bottom Line: Johnny Cueto – 1.2 IP, 8 H, 6 ER, 1 BB, 2 K (L)

The Reds’ phenom who came out of the gates smoking this year has fallen back down to Earth now allowing 5 or more runs in 3 of his last 4 outings; going 0-3 over that stretch. Cueto still has a ton of fantasy upside given his ability to rack up strikeouts and the fact he’s pitching for a fairly underrated Reds team who should contend this year. However, owners need to temper their expectations in the short-term as the youngster makes the necessary adjustments.

Honorable Mentions

Top Five

Much needed breakout performance for the struggling Jose Guillen who racked up 5 RBI on the night. Ryan Zimmerman is also starting to heat up while Rick Ankiel makes his second appearance in as many night in the Top Five. On the pitching side, Boof Bonser was dominant last night, allowing one run and striking out eight over seven innings of work. Another tough luck loss for Roy Halladay who went the distance yet again.

Bats

Jose Guillen – 2/4, 2 R, 1 HR, 5 RBI
Ryan Zimmerman - 3/4, 2 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI
Adrian Beltre – 2/2, 1 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 3 BB
Rick Ankiel – 3/5, 2 R, 2 2B, 3 RBI
Jose Reyes – 3/3, 1 R, 1 3B, 1 RBI, 1 SB, 3 BB

Arms

Boof Bonser – 7 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K (W)
Aaron Cook – 7 IP, 10 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K (W)
Cole Hamels – 7.2 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K (W)
Jon Lester – 8 IP, 6 H, 0 ER, 4 BB, 6 K (ND)
Roy Halladay – 8.2 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K (CG,L)

Bottom Five

Some tough nights on the mound last night headlined by Jason Jennings putting up another poor outing and then leaving the game in the third inning with nerve irritation. He just doesn’t look major league ready right now. In other news, Phil Hughes has been comped a room at the Bottom Five hotel for being such a loyal patron.

Bats

Tony Pena – 0/5, 2 K
Edgar Renteria – 0/4, 2 K
Alex Rios – 0/4, 2 K
Mark Reynolds – 0/4, 2 K
Jermaine Dye – 0/4, 2 K

Arms

Jason Marquis – 5 IP, 10 H, 5 ER, 1 BB, 2 K (L)
Jason Jennings – 2 IP, 8 H, 5 ER, 1 BB, 0 K (L)
Edgar Gonzalez – 2.2 IP, 8 H, 6 ER, 2 BB, 2 K (L)
Phil Hughes – 3.2 IP, 8 H, 6 ER, 3 BB, 2 K (L)
Blaine Boyer – 1 IP, 3 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 0 K (L)

Making A Case...

Mike Cameron – 3/5, 2 R, 1 2B, 2 RBI

Cameron got right after it in his 2008 debut piling up three hits and driving in two runs. The veteran outfielder looked good after missing the season’s first 25 games due to a suspension for stimulants and will hit second in a powerful Milwaukee lineup adding to his fantasy appeal. Despite missing 25 games, Cameron is still a legit 15 HR-15 SB candidate with a good chance to even put up a 20-20 season hitting in the friendly confines of Miller Park.

Joel Pineiro – 7 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 4 BB, 3 K (W)

Pineiro finished the 2007 season strong, making him a decent sleeper candidate entering 2008. After his season debut was delayed by injury, Pineiro struggled in his first outings getting rocked by the Giants. Looking back, we can chalk this up to a pitchers simply shaking off the rust as Pineiro has continued to improve over his last 3 starts allowing only 4 earned runs in his last 20.1 innings of work. The 29 year old righty put together his best performance of the young season last night pitching 1 hit, shutout ball of 7 innings. Pineiro is quietly becoming a nice fantasy option but faces a tough matchup at Colorado in his next start Monday.

Max Scherzer – 4.1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 7 K

Talk about good first impressions! Max Scherzer threw 4 1/3 innings of no-hit ball in relief of D’Backs starter Edgar Gonzalez while striking out 7 batters. Gonzalez has been struggling and it’s possible that Scherzer could take his job. However, don’t count on Arizona to rush their phenom into the rotation. More than likely he will start out in the bullpen giving the Diamondbacks yet another great arm to bridge the gap to Brandon Lyon.

Closer Corner

- After talking up him up in this week’s Closer Report, Rafael Betancourt went out of his way to make us look bad allowing 3 runs in only 0.1 of an inning to earn his first loss. Regardless of the poor outing, Betancourt has all the makings of a solid closer and we still don’t think Joe Borowski will be getting his old job back upon returning from the DL.

- Brian Fuentes is now two for two in save opportunities since taking Manny Corpas’ job earlier in the month. It doesn’t look like he’ll be giving it up anytime soon.

- Jonathon Papelbon got his second win of the season, pitching a scoreless ninth inning.

- Jose Valverde locked down save number five last night against his former mates. Valverde now has now put together five straight scoreless outings over the past 10 days and locked down four saves in that time. Hopefully his early season struggles are behind him for good.

- That is now 11 saves for league leader K-Rod and 10 for George Sherrill who like his overachieving Orioles squad, refuses to go away.

- Billy Wagner and Joe Nathan maintained their perfect ERAs in different ways. Nathan notched his 8th save while Wagner blew a save but the run he allowed was unearned.

- Kevin Gregg took his first loss of the season, unable to keep the game tied in ninth against the Dodgers. He now has 3 Wins and 4 Saves to go along with his 1 loss.

- Other Saves From Last Night: Jon Rauch (5), Todd Jones (5) and Eric Gagne (8), Takashi Saito (3).

Fantasy Observations & Thoughts

- Tim Lincecum took his first loss of the season last night in a 3-2 San Francisco defeat against Colorado. Lincecum continues to pitch well however and is looking like a sure fire future ace.

- Joe Crede and Nate McLouth both hit their 7th homers and continue to be pleasant early season surprises.

- Derrek Lee and Chipper Jones hit their 8th homers and are two potential MVP candidates looking forward.

- Ben Sheets moved to 4-0 but didn’t look overly impressive in 5 innings of work. He doesn’t appear 100% just yet, coming off an injury to his triceps.


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A-Rod To The DL: Posada Update: FANTASY IMPACT

As if the news in Yankeeland couldn't get any worse the Evil Empire placed Alex Rodriguez on the 15 day DL on Tuesday with a strained quadricep in his right leg. Rodriguez had initially hurt the quad a couple of weeks ago, and missed some time that coincided with the birth of his second daughter, so it was time he would have missed anyway. The injury was aggravated on Monday night when Rodriguez said he felt a "pull" in the leg. He was immediately replaced in the game and sent for an MRI on Tuesday where the strain was revealed

The news comes on the heels of the Yankees getting initial word back from Dr. James Andrews that All-Star catcher Jorge Posada will not need potentially season ending surgery. However the Posada saga does not end there. Posada is still plans to get his shoulder's MRI examined by 3 more doctors including Reds team physician Dr. Timothy Kremchek who is a shoulder specialist,

Yankees team physician Stewart Hershon and finally the MRI World Tour will come to an end Thursday when New York Met medical director Dr. David Altchek has a chance to look at the MRI as well. Posada said he won't speculate on the MRI findings until all the parties involved have had a chance to give him their diagnosis and reveal if they feel surgery will be necessary.

FANTASY IMPACT

This is a complete disaster for A-Rod owners. He was probably the first pick in most drafts following his success last season, and is if his underachieving numbers this season weren't bad enough, now he won't be putting up any numbers for at least the next two weeks. The injury might actually help A-Rod long term as it will give the quad a good amount of time to heal, and perhaps some time off surrounding the birth of his child and early seasons struggles will give him a chance to clear his head and get himself right. It is widely accepted that most of A-Rods struggles in New York stem from him putting too much pressure on himself to perform, so the time off might do some good.

Look for Morgan Ensberg to fill in for A-Rod for the time being, but don't expect to see the Ensberg from the seasons of yesteryear, he is a different player now, without the power he once owned. Other good fill in options might be guys like, Jorge Cantu, Pedro Feliz, Andy Marte, or the recently recalled Angel's minor league slugger Brandon Wood.

We gave good fill in options for Posada when word officially broke that he would be going on the DL with the shoulder injury.

While none of these players can actually "replace" the production you'll get from A-Rod or Posada, they can give you some decent, productive numbers to help you stay afloat until they get healthy.

Fantasy Baseball Happy Recap - 4/28/08

Slow night in the majors on Monday with only 5 of the scheduled 7 games able to be completed.

Bat Of The Night: Daric Barton – 2/6, 2 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI

The A’s put up 14 runs Monday so you knew one of their players would be taking home top bat honors. Barton hit his first homer of the season and drove in 3 runs in the Oakland romp. Barton is the unquestioned starter at first in Oakland and has a knack for getting on base drawing 19 walks already on the season and scoring 17 runs. Barton has the ability to hit around .300 but the biggest question mark with him is whether he will ever hit for any power.

Arm Of The Night: Matt Cain – 5.1 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 5 BB, 3 K (W)

An underwhelming line based on the past recipients of Arm Of The Night honors. Cain finally notched his first win of the season pitching 5 1/3 scoreless innings leaving Barry Zito as the only winless Giants starter or former starter I should say. It’s well-documented that the Giants can’t hit but keep in mind that this team can certainly pitch. We are seeing the makings of a dominant young staff in San Francisco.

Bottom Line: Ryan Ludwick – 0/5, 4 K

Golden sombrero for Ryan Ludwick due in large part to the efforts of Bronson Arroyo who entered the game 0-3. Ouch.

Honorable Mentions

Top Five

Rick Ankiel broke his homerless drought while Carlos Quentin slugged homerun number seven for the White Sox. Good to see Frank Thomas making an immediate impact in his return to Oakland. He could be a nice sleeper capable of providing cheap pop throughout the year if healthy. Another strong outing for Javy Vasquez in a no decision.

Bats

Carlos Quentin – 2/6, 2 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI
Frank Thomas - 3/3, 1 2B, 1 3B, 2 RBI
Rick Ankiel – 2/5, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 1 RBI
Ray Durham – 2/4, 2 R, 1 RBI, 2 SB
Aaron Rowand – 2/3, 2 R, 1 RBI

Arms

Chad Gaudin – 6 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K (W)
Mike Mussina – 5 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K (W)
Dan Haren – 7.2 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 5 K (W)
Javier Vasquez – 8 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K (ND)
Brandon Lyon & Mariano Rivera – 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, 1 Save

Bottom Five

Just because there weren’t many games scheduled Monday doesn’t mean we couldn’t fill out our Bottom Five with ease! Travis Hafner is really struggling…

Bats

Travis Hafner – 0/3, 2 K
Jim Thome – 0/3, 2 K
Todd Helton – 0/4, 2 K
AJ Pierzynski – 0/6
Orlando Cabrera – 0/5

Arms

Jon Garland – 6 IP, 5 H, 7 ER, 3 BB, 5 K (L)
Franklin Morales – 4.1 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 5 BB, 1 K (L)
Chris Sampson – 4.1 IP, 7 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 0 K (L)
Chris Bootchek – 0.2 IP, 6 H, 7 ER, 3 BB, 1 K (L)
George Sherrill & Bobby Jenks – 1 IP, 1 ER (Both blew saves)

Making A Case...

Emil Brown – 1/4, 1 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI

My deep sleeper pick entering 2008, Brown has lived up to the minimal hype I created in the FSE sleeper picks article. Brown has been an RBI machine in April driving in 25 batters on the month to go along with 15 runs scored and a .293 batting average. In his last 15 games, Brown has at least 1 RBI in 12 of them while hitting safely in 13. Brown is only owned in 20% of CBS leagues of now and will be given every opportunity to prosper in Oakland.

Closer Corner

- The saves by Mariano Rivera and Brandon Lyon was the 8th of the season for both closers. In addition, Rivera still hasn’t allowed a run in 2008.

- Francisco Cordero finally got a save opportunity and made the most of it, closing out Cincy’s 4-3 win over the Cardinals to notch save number four on the young season.

Fantasy Observations & Thoughts

- Indians youngster Aaron Laffey had a no hitter for 5 innings before imploding in the 6th against the mighty Yankees lineup. He should see a few more starts with Jake Westbrook on the DL and could be a good play against weaker offenses such as the Royals on Saturday.

- The Mets-Pirates game was rained out and will be replayed on August 11. Both team pushed their starting pitchers back a day thus, yesterday’s starters Johan Santana and Ian Snell will throw tonight.

- The Orioles and White Sox were tied at 3 at the end of the 11th inning when their game was postponed due to rain. The teams will finish the game starting in the 12th inning at a later date.

- What do the Baltimore Orioles, Oakland A’s and Florida Marlins possibly have in common? They all currently sit atop their divisions while the Detroit Tigers and Colorado Rockies occupy the cellar! Gotta love April…


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Top Pickups Around the Diamond- Week 5

C- Jarrod Saltalmacchia- The young slugging catcher came up last season for the Braves and saw some good results. Following his trade to Texas for Mark Teixeira, Salty struggled a bit, but picked it up late and put up some respectable fantasy numbers. Salty can hit for power and draw a walk and once he gets enough at bats at the major league level the batting average will come around also. He is a 25-30HR bat waiting to happen, he just needs the chance. Many were surprised he didn't get that chance in 2008, but Gerald Laird won the catcher's job out of spring training outright and Salty was sent down the AAA for seasoning and to work on his defense.

Salty has been brought back to the majors and is going to be splitting time with Laird behind the plate in a bit of a surprise move. By many scouts accounts Salty's best place to play on the diamond would be 1B, because at 6'4" they feel his hight hurts him defensively. Another reason why 1B would be best for Salty to play is because with Laird behind the dish Texas already has a serviceable offensive and defensive catcher, and in reality on the days when Salty plays there it hurts the team defensively.

Right now, while it would be great to add such an offensive threat behind the plate, Salty isn't playing everyday and no matter how good he is or will be it's not worth it to add him, unless Texas trades Laird. Of course with Ben Broussard manning 1B for the Rangers I think a move to first makes a bit more sense. Broussard isn't the type of bat a team can build around, and he has proved himself over the course of his career to not be an everyday player, but rather a journeyman with some pop. Keep your eye on Salty, but right now, he isn't worth adding unless Texas does something to get him more playing time.

C-Dioner Navarro- After a good second half to his 2007 season Navarro was a hot sleeper at catcher going into most 2008 fantasy drafts. That blew up pretty quickly when Navarro wound up on the 15 day DL after needing stitches in his right middle and ring finger following a fluke fall at Yankee Stadium. Navarro is back and hitting like the player most think he can become.

On the season Navarro is hitting .416 in 24 at bats, with 5R and 4RBI and only 2strikeouts. There are still many things to like about Dioner. First off he is a switch hitter who knows how to draw a walk. Though he has struggled to get the bat going in previous years, his OBP was always at least 50-70 points higher than his batting average. The ability to draw a walk means a player can stay out of prolonged slumps and still do some damage on the base paths. Another thing to like about him is that he is only 24, so is still developing as a hitter and has room to grow in that part of the game.

If given the choice between the two, I would definitely take Dioner. He is playing everyday, and is in a better, more energetic line up in Tampa. This might change a bit if Salty can get everyday at bats somehow, but until then go get Dioner if you are hard up for a catcher.

1B- Eric Hinske- You can try and sell Hinske to me, but I am not buying it. Hinske has offered Tampa some vercitility this season and has seen time at 3B, 1B and OF. He is hitting .292 with 5HR, 12R and 13RBI, and is off to his best start since his rookie season when he hit 24HR with 13SB. His numbers since his rookie season have done nothing, but steadily regress as a hitter. I do not understand how a player can get worse and worse over the course of 5 years and then all of a sudden refine himself at the age of 30 and become an impact player again. Hinske is hot, but he won't keep this pace up all season. Expect a max of 15HR with 50RBI, Hinske is a fine role player now, but thats all. Don't get caught up in the early season numbers and a hot streak and confuse that with a player who is ready to produce for the long haul of a major league season.

2B/SS-Felipe Lopez- A few seasons ago with the Reds Lopez looked like a prime breakout candidate, who looked like he was ready to become a solid fantasy option for years. He could steal a base, hit a HR here and there and score runs. Then Lopez was traded to Washington and his numbers began to steadily decrease, bottoming out when he was taken out of the lineup in favor of a Christian Guzman, Ronnie Belliard combo. The door was opened for Lopez this season when Belliard slumped early and the struggling National's lineup could not afford to have his weak bat in the lineup any longer.

On the season Lopez has 1HR, 3SB, 8R, 8RBI and 8 walks while hitting .268. The average is a bit low, but since becoming the everyday 2B Lopez is hitting .357 and seems to be enjoying playing baseball again. It looks like it took a benching for him to realize what he wold be missing, and he has really efforted to keep his starting role for the rest of the season this time. Lopez is a solid addition in most formats. His versatility makes him useful, because he can play both of the middle infield spots and in some formats he might even have outfield eligibility. He could hit as many as 15HR with 25SB a lock, if he can continue to remain focused on the game and continue his phoenix impression.

3B- Edwin Encarnacion- The classic criticism of Encarnacion is that he is streaky, makes a lot of errors and hasn't been able to keep a firm hold of the starting 3B job in Cincy despite their attempts to hand it to him. It looks like all of that is changing this season, as Encarnacion already has 6HR, with 14R, 12RBI and 13walks to go along with a .282 average. I am very high him and think he is ready to show what he can do on an everyday basis.

The biggest positive for me is the walks, he already has 13walks in 2008, as compared to the 39 he had in all of the 2007 season. The power is legit and Encarnacion even adds another unique stat that most 3B don't because he can steal a bag, and might finish with about 10 or so for the season.

Go out and get him if someone in your league hasn't taken him yet. He will be a bit streaky, which will hurt his value in head-to-head leagues, but in rotisserie, the numbers all even out by the end of the season, so his value will be even greater.

2B/SS- Ryan Theriot- I have never been sold on Theriot, but he is scrappy player who can hit a little, steal a base and really adds a spark to the Cubs' line up. Lou Piniella really likes what he can do, so he will have no problem staying in the lineup on a daily basis. He offers little in the power department, and is prone to hot and cold streaks. He does have that 2B/SS eligibility like Lopez does which is really helpful in fantasy, incase you need to plug him into of those spots because of injury or trade.

If you need 2B Theriot offers a solid speed and run scoring combination. There is a decent chance he is already taken in your league, but if he is available go out a grab him. If you want to compare him to Felipe Lopez, I like Lopez's upside more, as he can hit for more power, but Theriot might be the safer bet as far as speed and playing time goes.

OF- Jayson Werth- Been around for a while now, and while he's never been a spectacular addition before, it's time to see if he is really Werth adding. He has been getting everyday play while Shane Victorino has been on the shelf with a bad calf. In a five game span from the 21st through the 25th Werth hit 4HR, 6RBI and 8R, making him easily the hottest player in the game, for both reality and fantasy. It was one of those streaks that can single handedly ruin an opponent's week, of course if your team actually owned Jayson Werth at the time, chances are it wasn't that good before hand the hot streak was really needed.

Don't go crazy for Werth, he is a decent player, he is not a good fantasy player. He is really a utility outfielder who went on a hot streak, and will come back down to Earth sooner and not later. Don't go out of your way to add him, he won't be Werth it in a week.

OF- Adam Lind- Toronto's top hitting prospect struggled a bit in his 2007 time in the majors and started the 2008 season in the minors. He was called up to more or less replace Frank Thomas's bat in the lineup, so no pressure there. Lind is going to be handed an everyday spot in the Toronto lineup and has been hitting the cover off of the ball in AAA, so I like his chances to succeed on the major league level in 2008. Generally when a young player has some time in the minor leagues to start the season they develop good habits at the plate and bring that with them when they are called up to the major leagues.

Week 4 Closer Report - Top 10 Closers, Injury Updates & Next In Line

Every 2 weeks, FSE takes a look at the closers around the majors breaking down the top 10 as well as guys that are struggling, injured and next in line to close. Note: Stats are up to date through the games of 4/27. 

Top 10 Closers

#1 Jonathon Papelbon - 0-0, 8 S/0 BS, 18 K, 1 BB, 2.45 ERA, 0.82 WHIP

Week Two Rank: 4

Papelbon stands atop our closer rankings after week 4 after a sizzling start to the season. Paps is third in the league in saves but leads all closers in strikeouts and will get a ton of save chances pitching for the defending World Series champs.

#2 Francisco Rodriguez - 0-0, 10 S/1 BS, 9 K, 7 BB, 4.22 ERA, 1.50 WHIP 

Week Two Rank: unranked

K-Rod has really come on fast over the last two weeks to take the major league lead in saves with 10. Since returning from injury on April 13, Rodriguez has 7 saves and has allowed only 2 earned runs in 7.1 innings of work. The Angels are a contender and play a lot of close games so another 40 save season looks like a distinct probability for Rodriguez as long as he can stay on the field.

#3 George Sherrill - 1-0, 9 S/0 BS, 8 K, 5 BB, 4.66 ERA, 1.14 WHIP

Week Two Rank: 1

Sherrill continues to pile up the saves as the Orioles continue to beat the odds and play good baseball. Sherrill has shown he is a legitimate major league closer, however, the Orioles are destined to come down to Earth soon which will hurt their closer's value. We said week 2 and we'll say it again here in week 4 - time to sell high.

#4 Joe Nathan - 0-0, 7 S/0 BS, 8 K, 0 BB, 0.00 ERA, 0.88 WHIP

Week Two Rank: 3

Nathan has yet to allow a run or a walk in 8 innings of work this season and has notched 7 saves in the process. Nathan's success comes as the Twins are playing poor baseball and clearly better time are ahead in Minny this season. Nathan may end up 2008's finest closer when all is said and done.

#5 Brian Wilson - 0-0, 8 S/1 BS, 8 K, 6 BB, 3.48 ERA, 1.55 WHIP

Week Two Rank: unranked

Wilson leads the NL in saves with 8 and has pitched very well of late locking down 6 saves over the past two weeks. Like George Sherrill, he pitches for a team that is playing well now but should finish among worst in baseball. Thus, save opportunities may become scarce at certain stretches in the season. Wilson is another sell high candidate. 

#6 Joakim Soria - 0-0, 6 S/0 BS, 11 K, 0 BB, 0.00, 0.33 WHIP

Week Two Rank: 7

Soria has been about as dominant as you can be possibly be thus far. In 10 innings he has yet to allow a run or walk and has struck out 11 on his way to notching 6 saves. The Royals are definately a team on the rise, but they will struggle for extended periods this season playing in the tough AL Central. Regardless, Soria is quickly establishing himself as an elite closer.

#7 Mariano Rivera - 0-0, 7 S/0 BS, 8 K, 0 BB, 0.00 ERA, 0.40 WHIP

Week Two Rank: 7

Rivera has quietly been dominating American League batters. He has pitched 9 scoreless innings to open the season and has allowed only 4 batters to reach base; none of those coming on walks. With a new contract in hand, Rivera seems poised for a throwback dominant season.

#8 Brad Lidge - 0-0, 6 S/0 BS, 12 K, 6 BB 0.00 ERA, 1.00 WHIP

Week Two Rank: unranked

Lidge looks right at home in Philly, opening the season by throwing 11 scoreless innings and notching 6 saves. The former Astro is also putting up nice strikeout totals, an added bonus for fantasy owners.

#9 Billy Wagner - 0-0, 6 S/ 0 BS, 9 K, 2 BB 0.00 ERA, 0.30 WHIP

Week Two Rank: unranked

Wagner has yet to allow a run or a hit this season in 9 innings of work. The Mets play a lot of close games and Willie Randolph is not shy about using his bullpen so Wagner should get plenty of save chances before all is said and done.

#10 Matt Capps - 0-0, 6 S/0 BS,  8 K, 2 BB, 2.31 ERA, 0.86 WHIP

Week Two Rank: 10

Capps remains in the 10 spot and has been solid the last two weeks, pitching 5 scoreless innings and locking down 3 saves. Capps has now gone 11 innings without allowing a run dating back to his first outing of the season where he was touched up for 3 earned runs in only 2/3 of an inning. The fact he plays for a poor Pittsburgh team hurts his value, but make no mistake, Capps has elite stuff and is a solid fantasy closer.

On The Rise

Brandon Lyon - After a rough start and rumors that Lyon was going to lose his closing job in Arizona, Lyon has come on strong over the past two weeks. Since April 15th, Lyon has thrown 8 straight scoreless innings notching 5 saves over that span. Lyon remains an injury risk with more than capable closing options in Tony Pena and Chad Qualls lurking behind him. However, as of right now, his job is safe. 

Rafael Betancourt - After not seeing a save chance in his first week as the Indians' closer, Betancourt closed out two games last week. Betancourt has now pitched 4 scoreless innings, allowing only 1 hit and 1 walk while striking out 5 since being named closer following an injury to the ineffective Joe Borowski. It's becoming clear that Joe Borowski's days of closing in Cleveland are over and Betancourt will be the man in ninth inning going forward.

Shaky Closers & Next In Line

#1 Jason Isringhausen - Rough week for Izzy as he blew two saves to division foes Houston and Milwaukee. Izzy has been used a ton early in the season and it may be catching up with him a bit. He just didn't have his best stuff Friday night, giving up 3 ER in one inning of work. On the bright side, Izzy did also save two games so it was not a lost week for his owners. Kyle McClellan worked 3 perfect innings Sunday to close out the game against Houston giving Izzy a rest. He or Ryan Franklin would most likely be the next in line should Izzy go down.

Next In Line - Kyle McClellan or Ryan Franklin

#2 Eric Gagne - Gagne has now blown 4 saves in Milwaukee but at the same time he has 7 saves and has looked good in his last 3 outings. The Brewers bullpen has been a bit of a disaster thus far and there aren't any other great closing options available to Ned Yost right now. He will ride or die with Gagne at this juncture.

Next In Line - Derrick Turnbow

#3 Jose Valverde - After a poor week 3, Valverde has begun to turn the corner putting together four scoreless outings with 3 saves and a win over that time. You certainly can't trust Valverde yet, but Valverde owners have to be feeling a lot better about their closer. Doug Brocail remains the top fallback option, but he too has struggled a bit lately. 

Next In Line - Doug Brocail 

#4 Takashi Saito - The ageless wonder hasn't been his usual dominant self thus far in 2008. He has only blown 1 save but his WHIP of 1.35 is high compared to the numbers we've seen over the past two years from the Dodgers closer. Saito should get it together but if he doesn't, future stud closer Jonathon Broxton is ready to work the ninth in LA.

Next In Line - Jonathon Broxton

Closer News

Brian Fuentes Replaces Manny Corpas As The Closer In Colorado

Click here for our full analysis.

JJ Putz Returns

Putz returned on April 22nd and has posted mixed results since. In his first outing he pitched a scoreless ninth to lock down his second save of the season. However, in his second outing Saturday, Putz allowed 2 earned runs and walked 3 in an inning of work. Putz is one of the elite closers in baseball and is just shaking off some rust after missing nearly 3 weeks with a ribcage injury. He will be fine.

Injury Updates

Rafael Soriano - Soriano experienced soreness in his elbow after a bullpen session on Sunday, pushing his return back another week at least. Bobby Cox said that he wants two pain free bullpen sessions from Soriano before he will return to the closer role.   

Fantasy Impact: With Soriano out, Manny Acosta will continue to close games in Atlanta. Also, keep an eye out for Mike Gonzalez who should return from the DL in mid-may and could vulture some saves.

Fantasy Baseball Weekend Happy Recap - Week 4

Bat Of The Weekend: Brandon Phillips – 6/12, 4 R, 1 2B, 3 HR, 7 RBI, 1 SB

Phillips went 30-30 in a breakout 2007 campaign and entered 2008 as the top rated second baseman in some preseason rankings. Phillips got off to a slow start from a power perspective but is really beginning to turn it on as we head into May. The Reds’ 2B is a legitimate 30-30 threat and one of the elite players in fantasy baseball give his position.

Arm Of The Weekend: James Shields – 9 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 7 K (CG, W)

James Shields was nasty Sunday afternoon in Tampa, throwing a complete game 2 hitter and in the process giving the Rays their first series sweep of the rival Red Sox. Shields becomes the second straight Rays starter to take home top weekend honors, following Andy Sonnanstine. Don’t look now but the Rays starting pitching ranks among the best in baseball and will only improve once Scott Kazmir returns in early May.

Bottom Line: Geovany Soto – 0/8, 8 K

Eight strikeouts in eight at-bats, yikes. Someone send this man 2 golden sombreros courtesy of the FSE Bottom Line.

Honorable Mentions

Top Five

The youth movement dominates the weekend Top Five headlined by Josh Hamilton and Nate McLouth at the dish and strikeout machine Jonathon Sanchez on the mound.

Bats

Josh Hamilton - 8/13, 4 R, 2 2B, 1 HR, 6 RBI
Nate McLouth – 4/12, 4 R, 3 HR, 5 RBI
David Murphy – 6/13, 2 R, 1 2B, 1 3B, 5 RBI
Matt Kemp – 5/12, 2 R, 1 HR, 5 RBI
Alex Rios – 7/13, 4 R, 1 2B, 1 3B, 1 RBI, 1 SB

Arms

Pat Maholm – 9 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 4 BB, 2 K (CG, W)
Vicente Padilla – 9 IP, 7 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K (CG, W)
Jonathon Sanchez – 8 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 10 K (W)
Brian Burres – 8 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K (W)
Chien-Ming Wang – 7 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 9 K (W)

Relief Stud

Billy Wagner – 2 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, 2 Saves

Back to back Relief Stud honors for he has now tossed 10 scoreless innings to start the season while locking down 6 saves. The hit allowed by Wagner this weekend was the first he’s let up this season.

Bottom Five

Struggling veteran pitchers are found early and often in this weekend’s Bottom Five. Barry Zito’s latest debacle moved him to 0-6 and possibly the bullpen while Matt Morris finds himself out of a job.

Bats

Alex Gordon - 1/11, 6 K
Casey Blake – 0/9, 5 K
Jim Thome – 1/9, 6 K
Gary Matthew Jr. – 0/10, 3 K
Kevin Youklis – 0/10, 3 K

Arms

Barry Zito – 3 IP, 7 H, 8 ER, 3 BB, 1 K (L)
Livan Hernandez – 2.2 IP, 9 H, 7 ER, 1 BB, 2 K (L)
Matt Morris – 1.2 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 1 K (L)
Miguel Batista – 1 IP, 2 H, 3 ER, 5 BB, 2 K (L)
Ubaldo Jimenez – 2.1 IP, 7 H, 6 ER, 3 BB, 1 K (ND)

Relief Dud

Bob Howry – 0.1 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 K (L)

Once favored to be the closer in Chicago, Howry has struggled mightily thus far in 2008. He is now 0-2 with a 7.30 ERA and finds himself in Sweet Lou’s doghouse. If something should happen to Wood, it appears that at this point Carlos Marmol would most likely fill-in at closer.

Making A Case...

Scott Rolen – 4/11, 1 R, 2 2B, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 1 SB

Rolen was a difference maker in his first weekend of play this season. The Blue Jays’ 3B did a little bit of everything cranking 2 doubles, a homer and even stealing a base. If he can stay healthy, Rolen will get every opportunity to succeed in Toronto and hit in the middle of an underrated lineup. He looks to be a decent option at a thin fantasy position.

John Lannan – 7 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 4 K (W)

That makes 2 straight outings in which Lannan has tossed 7 innings of shutout ball. The Nats’ lefty exploded on the fantasy scene following an 11 strikeout performance against the Mets April 17th and hasn’t looked back allowing only a single run over his last three starts spanning 20 innings. Lannan will probably never put up double digit strikeout totals again this season, its not really his game, but he is proving to be a reliable fantasy starter capable of shutting down good offenses.

Fantasy Observations & Thoughts

- Josh Beckett struck out 13 but was outdueled by James Shields and those pesky Rays.

- Brandon Webb became the majors first pitcher to 6 wins (6-0) while Chien Ming-Wang moved to 5-0 throwing 7 shutout innings against the Indians.

- Edinson Volquez is now 4-0 after striking out 10 batters in Cincinnati’s win Sunday. The preseason trade of Josh Hamilton for Volquez is working out well for both teams.

- Strong outing for Clay Buchholz allowing 2 ER in 8 innings of work against the Rays. Despite being the tough luck loser, Buchholz is beginning to establish himself as a legit fantasy starter with big upside. The buy low window on the Red Sox phenom might be officially closed.

- Two homers yesterday for Carlos Delgado as he tries to work past a ridiculous 6/58 slump (.103 BA for those scoring at home). Delgado isn’t this bad, but he also doesn’t appear to have a ton of upside as age is catching up with the 35 year old slugger.

- John Smoltz struggled on Sunday at New York giving up homers to Delgado and Raul Casanova of all people. Smoltz is clearly bothered by pain in his throwing shoulder but has stated he will pitch through it. While we don’t doubt the toughness of the future Hall Of Famer, he seems destined for a DL stint at some point this season.

- Michael Cuddyer hit his first homer of the season after coming off the DL Friday. He is a nice buy low candidate right now.

- Kyle McClellan pitched three perfect innings to earn his first save of the season in the Cards 5-1 win over Houston. It looks like McClellan may be the team’s fallback option to closer Jason Isringhausen who struggled mightily last week.

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Posada Season in Jeopardy?

Acoording to a report in the New York Times, Yankees catcher Jorge Posada's season might be in jeopardy after the pain in his right shoulder flared up again before Sunday's game against the Cleveland Indians. Posada will leave the team following the game on Sunday and see Dr. James Andrews to have the shoulder evaluated by the esteemed orthopedist. Posada has already seen Andrews once this season and at that time the Doctor told him that while he does have a tear in his subscapularis muscle, that surgery was not necessary. However, the shoulder still is not getting better and is becoming more of a concern for the Yankee catcher. The Yankees went ahead and placed Posada on the 15 day DL folling their game on Sunday.

Following Sunday's game against Cleveland, Yankee manager Joe Girardi played down the Times report that Posada was going to see Andrews and that there was a tear in the shoulder. Girardi followed that up by saying that they did have an MRI done earlier in the season and it showed that there was nothing structurally wrong with the shoulder, a contradiction to the Times report.

No matter which account is true, at the very least Posada is headed for the 15 day DL so the Yankees can try to get this injury healed and taken care of, so it does not linger throughout the season. At worst this could mean shoulder surgery for Jorge and more or less end his season. Aside from a pitcher, the catcher's role is the position where having a strong throwing arm is necessary to be successful and useful to a team.

There are still a lot of questions, contradictions and speculation, but you can be sure we will update you as we know more. According to our source, the injury is serious the fact he is seeing Andrews only perpetuates that belief.

FANTASY IMPACT

Not good for Posada owners, you better go out and get a replacement for him quickly, as there is no telling how long he'll be out for. Obviously if he is complaining of pain again, it will be a while before he is behind the plate again. Look at players like Dioner Navarro, Ryan Doumit, JR Towles, and Greg Zaun, as possible replacements in your lineup. Yankee back up Jose Molina has also played very well when he filled in for Posada when he missed time earlier this season. Jarrod Saltalamacchia might be the popular name right now, but he is splitting time behind he plate with Gerald Laird, so won't see a whole lot of at bats.

With Posada on the DL, you should stash him there on your roster and see what comes out of this situation. He might only miss a little time, but if it is anything major you want to make sure you have a serviceable guy in there to put up numbers.

Francisco Liriano Sent To The Minors - Great Buy Low Candidate Or Bust

Following a disastrous outing against Oakland Thursday in which he allowed 6 earned runs and walked 3 batters in only 2/3 of an inning, the Twins have sent Francisco Liriano to the minors to get his act together. The lefty phenom has been awful since making his return to the majors April 13th following Tommy John Surgery, going 0-3 with a 11.32 ERA and 2.71 WHIP over 3 starts. In 10 1/3 innings, Liriano has allowed 13 earned runs and 13 walks while only striking out 7. 

Fantasy Impact

This is a tough pill to swallow for Liriano owners, many of whom rolled the dice on the lefty stud fairly early in the draft hoping he would return to his dominant 2006 form. While Liriano has indeed been awful in his first 3 outings, fantasy owners must realize that he has not pitched at the Major League level in nearly a year and a half and these struggles are to be expected. 

Command has been Liriano's biggest issue. In his first three 2008 outings, he has walked more than a batter an inning and failed to put up significant strikeout totals. Liriano is having trouble locating his fastball and has been unable to put his best pitch, a Santana-esque changeup, where he wants it. Further, the velocity on his fastball has been down around 90-91 MPH as opposed to the mid-90's heat he threw consistently before TJ surgery. This lack of juice on his fastball also serves to hurt the effectiveness of his change up. 

No one knows for sure how much time Liriano will spend in the minors; could be a month or even longer. A loss of command is a common and correctable problem amongst pitchers returning from TJ surgery as is loss of velocity. These issues can normally be fixed with repetition and Liriano will get ample time to work on his mechanics and build up strength in a low pressure atmosphere in the minors. 

Barring injury, Liriano will certainly be back in the majors at some point in the season and thus it is in the best interest of his owners to try to work out a way to stash him until he returns. The difficulty in this is that unless your league offers minor league roster spots, Liriano would have to be placed on the bench in your active roster as he is ineligible to fill a DL spot.

Remember Liriano owners, it is only April and while having an unavailable pitcher on your roster may limit you a bit in the short-term, he could be a big difference maker come the second half of the season. Two words: Stash Him.

As for the rest of you, this demotion to the minors has made Liriano the top buy low candidate out there right now. Savvy owners should be looking to make a deal for the 24 year old for 40 cents on the dollar while you still have the chance. 

Fantasy Baseball Happy Recap - 4/24/08

We have added a new Closer Corner section to the Happy Recap which will take a look at all of the important news regarding closers from the previous day’s play and document all saves.

Bat Of The Night: Magglio Ordonez – 3/4, 2 R, 2 HR, 4 RBI

That’s 37 runs for the Tigers in the last 3 games! Magglio has been hot this week going 6/15 with 3 homers, 7 RBI and 4 runs scored. Mags should emerge as a legitimate MVP candidate this summer and is a must-start outfielder.

Arm Of The Night: Cliff Lee – 9 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 9 K (CG, W)

It is hard for a pitcher to have a better month than Cliff Lee’s April. Seriously, take a look at what this guy has done thus far in surprisingly quiet fashion. Lee is a perfect 4-0 with a ridiculous 0.28 ERA, 0.41 WHIP, 29 K and only 2 walks. Let’s look a little deeper into these numbers shall we. In 31.1 IP Lee has allowed only 1 earned run and a total of 13 batters to reach base while striking out nearly a batter an inning. We must mention that Lee has yet to face a powerful American League offense, doing his damage against Oakland twice, Minnesota and Kansas City. Thus, a drop off is to be expected as the weather warms and competition stiffens. Lee takes the mound Wednesday at home against Seattle and is a must-start right now.

Bottom Line: Francisco Liriano – 0.2 IP, 5 H, 6 ER, 3 BB, 0 K (L)

Liriano’s rough start continues as he works his way back from Tommy John surgery. Although he is a risky start right now, Liriano still has great long-term potential especially as we head into the second half of the season. His recent poor outings make him quite possibly the best buy-low candidate in all of fantasy baseball right now. There is no way he is this bad people… remember 2006…

Honorable Mentions

Top Five

Donnie Murphy broke out yesterday slugging two homers while Josh Willingham, Chipper Jones and Lance Berkman continue to rake. Tim Lincecum quietly moved to 4-0 and has been dominant in the early season despite receiving little to no pub. He is a future elite fantasy starter, and is quickly making a name for himself.

Bats

Donnie Murphy – 3/5, 3 R, 2 HR, 4 RBI
Josh Willingham - 3/4, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 4 RBI
Lance Berkman – 3/3, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 SB
Chipper Jones – 3/3, 2 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI
Melky Cabrera – 2/3, 2 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI

Arms

Tim Lincecum – 6.1 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 5 BB, 9 K (W)
Joel Piniero – 7 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K (W)
Aaron Cook – 8 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 5 K (W)
Greg Smith – 7 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K (W)
Chris Young – 7 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 10 K (L)

Bottom Five

AL and NL west batters show up early and often in the Bottom Five today sporting some ugly lines while Dustin McGowan had his first poor outing of the season.

Bats

Mark Reynolds – 0/4, 3 K
Adrian Gonzalez – 0/4, 3 K
Ryan Ludwick – 0/5, 2 K
Josh Hamilton – 0/5, 2 K
Torii Hunter – 0/5, 2 K

Arms

Burke Badenhop – 5 IP, 8 H, 6 ER, 1 BB, 0 K (L)
Brett Tomko – 4 IP, 11 H, 6 ER, 2 BB, 2 K (L)
Adam Loewen – 2.2 IP, 4 H, 5 ER, 3 BB, 1 K (ND)
Dustin McGowan – 4 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 7 BB, 6 K (L)
David Riske – 0.2 IP, 2 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 2 K (ND)

Making A Case...

Felipe Lopez – 2/4, 1 R, 1 HR, 6 RBI

Lopez has slowly worked his way back into the Nationals’ lineup and helped his cause mightily with a grand slam and 6 RBI versus the Mets last night. Lopez was a great fantasy option in 2005 and 2006 hitting 34 homers and stealing 59 bases over those two seasons. He hasn’t been the same since a mid-2006 trade that sent him from Cincinnati to Washington and really struggled last year. Lopez is quietly emerging as a sleeper candidate especially for owners looking to add speed. He has the potential to put up .270, 80 R, 10 HR, 20+ SB which makes him a decent option in mixed leagues.

Adam Jones – 3/4, 2 2B, 3 RBI

The centerpiece of the Erik Bedard deal, the highly touted rookie outfielder struggled out of the gate in Baltimore but he has come on a bit of late. He is now up to .270 and has hit safely in 8 of his last 10 games. The power production hasn’t come around yet as he has hit only 1 homerun, scored 2 runs and drove in 6 in those 10 games. However, the fact that he is hitting on a consistent basis indicates that the still only 22 year old outfielder might be turning the corner at the Major League level. He is a risky start right now, but keep an eye on Jones going forward as he will get every opportunity to succeed for a rebuilding Baltimore franchise.

Closer Corner

- Newly minted Colorado closer Brian Fuentes, who just regained his closing job from Manny Corpas, locked down his first save of the season yesterday in a 4-2 win against the Cubs. Fuentes should be added in all leagues.

- 2 inning save for Manny Acosta last night in the Braves 7-4 win against Florida. Acosta has a great arm and should serve as the primary setup man once Rafael Soriano returns from the DL on May 1st.

- Jason Isringhausen and George Sherrill locked down save number 8 while K-Rod grabbed the league lead with his 9th save of the season.

- Jose Valverde continues to work his way back from an awful start, locking down his 3rd save of the season.

- Other Saves Yesterday – Brian Wilson (7), Brandon Lyon (6), Brad Lidge (5), Troy Percival (4).

Fantasy Observations & Thoughts

- Coco Crisp got the start yesterday and stole 2 bases. If Crisp is dealt to a place where he can play everyday, he could become a very viable fantasy option. He simply does not fit in Boston.

- Chad Billingsley allowed 5 earned runs and took the loss last night but not before striking out 12 D’Backs. This guy has a ton of talent and is going to put it all together sooner rather than later.

- Josh Willingham hit his 6th homer of the season last night for the Marlins joining Mike Jacobs and Hanley Ramirez (7 HR a piece) among the league leaders.

- Jayson Werth hit his 4th homerun of the season and has played well in Shane Victorino’s absence. With Victorino returning early next week, Werth will most likely be forced into a platoon with Geoff Jenkins in RF. Give the way Werth has been playing, there is a really good chance he wins the Phils’ RF job outright sooner rather than later.

- That is now 6 stolen bases for Luis Castillo for all of you counting at home!

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Batter Injury Updates and Fantasy Impact - Week 4

Each week, FSE takes a look at the key injuries affecting fantasy baseball owners and offers updates, projected return times and the impending fantasy implications. Here we focus on the hitters.

Welcome Back

Curtis Granderson (Broken Right Hand) – Granderson returned to the lineup on Wednesday going 2/4 with 3 runs scored and 2 RBI. He followed that up Thursday with a solo homerun.

Fantasy Impact: Get him in your lineup as fast as you can.

Welcome To The DL

Jimmy Rollins (Ankle) – Rollins officially hit the DL Sunday and is scheduled to take batting practice today at Florida. He may begin playing in rehab games as early as next week.

Fantasy Impact: Huge blow to fantasy owners but it could be worse people. Rollins looks to be healing well and his rehab process is moving along on schedule. Eric Bruntlett will start in his place.

Projected Return: Early May

See You This Weekend?

Michael Cuddyer (Finger) – Cuddyer is coming off the DL Friday and start that night at Texas.

Fantasy Impact: With Cuddyer back, Denard Span will return to the bench while Jason Kubel and Craig Monroe may split DH duties. Kubel had some nice potential entering the season. However, if the Twins choose to platoon him at DH it will mean he is not guaranteed at-bats on a nightly basis thus making him a risky fantasy option.

Projected Return: Friday at Texas

Michael Bourn (Groin) – Bourn sat out Thursday’s game and hopes to be ready to go on Friday. He has said repeatedly that he does not want to rush back and risk further injury, a bad sign for owners of the Astros’ speedster.

Fantasy Impact: Bourn is a terror on the basepaths, leading the league with 13 steals entering play today. Darin Erstad has started in Bourn’s absence and done an admirable job but clearly isn’t worth adding.

Projected Return: Saturday vs. St. Louis

Alex Rodriguez (Quads) – Although he will rejoin the team today, Rodriguez will not play tonight. The Yanks have said they want to be cautious with their 3B so he might even miss the weekend series at Cleveland with a quad strain.

Fantasy Impact: With Arod out, Morgan Ensberg will continue to start at 3B for the Yanks.

Projected Return: Saturday or Sunday at Cleveland

Scott Rolen (Finger) – Rolen is finished up a Class A rehab assignment and it appears he might be activated off the DL as early as today.

Fantasy Impact: Don’t expect much from Rolen early as he works his shakes off the rust. In time he could be a serviceable third base option hitting in an under the radar Blue Jays lineup.

Projected Return: Friday at KC

Gary Sheffield (Shoulder) – Sheff who has been battling shoulder problems throughout April and has missed the last 4 games could be back as soon as Friday.

Fantasy Impact: The Tigers offense is scorching right now putting up 19 runs on Wednesday then following that up with 8 more today. When healthy, Sheffield should thrive in Detroit’s potent lineup.

Projected Return: Friday vs. LA Angels

Moises Alou (Hernia) – Alou has been raking in rehab and more importantly has not experienced any setbacks. He received 7 at bats in an extended spring training game, an indication that he is very close.

Fantasy Impact: When healthy Alou is a force at the plate and should be a solid fantasy contributor hitting 5th in a strong Mets’ lineup. Alou’s return will send fantasy darling Angel Pagan back to the bench.

Projected Return: Monday vs. Pittsburgh

See You Next Week…

Alfonso Soriano (Calf) – Soriano will not rehab and instead will just needs to pass a series of physical tests. He is targeting a return the first day he is eligible to come off the DL – May 1st.

Fantasy Impact: Given the strong play of Ronny Cedeno and Ryan Theriot in the infield coupled with Soriano’s return to the outfield, Mark Derosa should return to a part-time role. Derosa has played well enough to be a viable fantasy option but will revert to being a spot starter and super utility man come May 1st.

Projected Return: May 1 vs. Milwaukee

Shane Victorino (Calf) – Victorino is currently on a class A rehab assignment and has not experienced any setbacks. The plan is for Victorino to play in a AA game on Friday and then a AAA game Saturday or Sunday before returning to the majors early next weeks.

Fantasy Impact: Jayson Werth has filled in nicely in center and has been hot over his last 4 games going 6/19 with 2 HR, 6 runs scored and 3 RBI. Once Victorino returns, Werth will platoon with Geoff Jenkins in right field and no longer receive regular at bats. If he were to win the starting role in right field outright, Werth may be an intriguing under the radar fantasy option playing in a great hitter's park and batting in a powerful Philly lineup. 

Projected Return: Tuesday vs. San Diego

Mike Lowell (Thumb) - Lowell took batting practice Tuesday and will begin a AAA rehab assignment on Friday. He is expected to return early next week. 

Fantasy Impact: Jed Lowrie and Sean Casey have seen some additional playing time in Lowell's absence. Lowrie has looked good since his call up, hitting .350 with 4 runs scored and 5 RBI in 20 ABs. The 24 year old will likely be sent back to the minors once Lowell returns; however, his minor league numbers and short stint in the majors have shown that he will eventually be a productive big leaguer. He projects to be a Dustin Pedroia-type .300 hitter with more power. 

Projected Return: Tuesday vs Toronto

Getting Closer...

Andy Laroche (Thumb) - Laroche, who has been out since March 7th with a torn ligament in his right thumb, went 1/6 in a AA game and has not experienced any setbacks in his rehab.

Fantasy Impact: The Dodgers offense has been weak in the early going, so you can bet Joe Torre is excited about getting the highly touted young third baseman back in the lineup. He should start at third base for LA immediately upon his return sending Nomar Garciaparra to the bench. 

Projected Return: Mid-May

On The Shelf

Eric Chavez (Back) – Chavez was moved to the 60 Day DL but his target return date of late May remains intact.

Fantasy Impact: Chavez hasn’t contributed much since 2005 and will most likely be a stop gap option at best this year as he fights his way back from a back injury.

Projected Return: Late May

Suspension Updates

Mike Cameron – Cameron who is currently serving a 25 game suspension for stimulant use will begin a class A rehab assignment today and is scheduled to return Tuesday. Brewers manager Ned Yost said that Cameron will start in centerfield and bat second upon his return.

Fantasy Impact: Cameron showed 20 homerun power in cavernous Petco Park and should benefit greatly from a move to the hitter friendly confines in Milwaukee. He will hit in a choice spot in the potent Brewers' lineup with Rickie Weeks in front of him and big bats in Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder hitting behind him. Cameron could be in line for a fine season in Milwaukee and looks to be a fine fantasy option given his combination of power and speed.

Projected Return: Tuesday at Chicago Cubs

Fuentes New Closer In Colorado

Colorado Rockies manager Clint Hurdle has named 3 time All Star Brian Fuentes the closer in Colorado, replacing Manny Corpas. In 2007, Corpas bailed out the Rockies when Fuentes struggled for a period and blew four straight saves. This season has seen the opposite happen as Corpas has struggled and blown 4 out of 8 saves chances he has gotten thus far. With Colorado playing bad baseball, the blown saves become even more of an issue, forcing Hurdle to shake things up a bit.

FANTASY IMPACT

Go get Fuentes in all fantasy formats. It is A bit of a luxury for Hurdle to have a 3 time All Star, who has had great success closing out games in the past as a fallback option. Corpas is probably safe to drop, I doubt Hurdle trusts him in pressure situations right now. He has probably fallen behind Matt Herges in the bullpen pecking order as of now but could regain some of his skipper's confidence with a few solid outings.

Check back with FSE later in the day for analysis and updates on this story.

Frank Thomas Signs With Oakland: FANTASY IMPACT

Ending days of speculation slugging DH Frank Thomas has officially signed on with the Oakland Athletics. There is no word on how the A's plan on splitting time between Thomas, Mike Sweeney and Jack Cust, but it seems unlikely Thomas wouldn't have signed on if he wasn't going to be starting. Ironically enough if Sweeney winds up getting dealt the team that would benefit the most from getting them would be the Toronto Blue Jays, Thomas's old team.

FANTASY IMPACT

Frank Thomas still has power left in his bat and will hit 25 or so HR on the season. Oakland needs his bat in the lineup, but his increasing all or nothing approach would blend well the all or nothing approach Cust uses. If you need the HR help on your team grab Thomas and see if he can get it going. Thomas is currently hitting .166 on the season, but his OBP is over .300, so he is seeing te ball well, its just taking the old man a bit longer than usual to get his swing down, nothing unusual for a player the size of Thomas. Generally it takes players who are taller more time to get their mechanics down, and we see this all the time with both hitters and pitchers.

Fantasy Baseball Happy Recap - 4/23/08

Bat Of The Night: Prince Fielder – 2/4, 2 R, 2 HR, 4 RBI

The Prince entered the night with only one April homerun and left with 3. The Brewers slugger also added 4 RBI, powering Milwaukee to a 5-4 win over the Phillies. Fielder remains a legitimate 45-50 homerun threat so don’t let his poor April get you down.

Arm Of The Night: Chad Gaudin – 7 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K (W)

Nice outing for Gaudin against the Twins as he tossed 7 scoreless innings of 4 hit ball. The Oakland righty displayed great control, walking no batters on the night while striking out 4. That makes 3 straight quality starts for Gaudin who has enjoyed a nice April going 2-1 with a 3.38 ERA and low 1.08 WHIP. He can be a serviceable fantasy starter when facing weaker offenses at home in Oakland where he is currently 2-0 with a miniscule 0.64 ERA in 2 starts.

Bottom Line: Chris Young – 0/5, 4 K

Chris Young makes his second appearance on the Bottom Line this season after putting on his second golden sombrero. Is there more of a feast or famine guy on a day to day basis then the young Arizona outfielder?

Honorable Mentions

Top Five

Couple of two-homer nights from Gary Matthews Jr. and Matt Stairs and a 5 RBI outburst from Carlos Guillen headline the night at the plate. Overall, it was a poor night for power production. Nothing spectacular to report on the pitching side as we saw effective outings from Johan Santana and Mike Mussina while Greg Maddux continues to prove that he’s still got it.

Bats

Gary Matthews Jr. – 2/4, 2 R, 2 HR, 2 RBI
Matt Stairs - 2/4, 2 R, 2 HR, 2 RBI
Geovany Soto – 4/5, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 1 RBI
Jorge Posada – 4/5, 3 2B, 2 RBI
Carlos Guillen – 3/4, 1 R, 1 2B, 5 RBI

Arms

Johan Santana – 7 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K (W)
Mike Mussina – 7 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K (W)
Chris Sampson – 7 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 K (W)
Greg Maddux – 7 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 K (ND)
Matt Cain – 7 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 7 K (ND)

Bottom Five

Rough nights for hitting studs Ryan Howard and Bobby Abreu and pitching aces Javy Vasquez and Dan Haren. Kenny Rogers’ poor outing was erased by the Tigers offensive explosion.

Bats

John Bowker – 0/6, 3 K
Yorvit Torrealba – 0/4, 2 K
Joey Votto – 0/4, 2 K
Bobby Abreu – 0/5, 2 K
Ryan Howard – 0/4, 2 K

Arms

Javier Vasquez – 5.1 IP, 10 H, 6 ER, 3 BB, 3 K (L)
Bronson Arroyo – 3.2 IP, 10 H, 8 ER, 1 BB, 5 K (L)
Dan Haren – 4.2 IP, 9 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 5 K (L)
Anthony Reyes – 1 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 0 K (L)
Kenny Rogers – 3.1 IP, 9 H, 6 ER, 3 BB, 0 K (ND)

Making A Case...

Daniel Cabrera – 8 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 5 K (W)

Talent has never been a question for Cabrera as his high 90’s fastball and great movement have made him a potential breakout candidate every year. Location has been the soon to be 27 year old righty’s biggest issue early in his career and what has kept him from being consistent. Cabrera has now put together three straight quality starts in which he has gone 2-0 and walked a total of 5 batters. Play the matchups with Cabrera and be prepared for the occasional awful outing.

Fantasy Observations & Thoughts

- Manny Corpas blew his second save in as many nights and his 4th on the season Wednesday and after the game Clint Hurdle hinted that his job is in serious jeopardy. I think he will get 1-2 more shots to redeem himself, after all, it is only April. If he continues to struggles, look for Brian Fuentes to regain the closing role he lost to Corpas last season.

- Speaking of struggling Rockies, Troy Tulowitzki hit his first homer of the season last night. Tulo got off to a slow start last season as well and I feel the best is still ahead for the Rockies SS. He should be fine.

- Welcome back Curtis Granderson! The Tigers spark plug returned last night and subsequently the Tigers dropped 19 runs on the Rangers. Granderson came out of the gates hot going 2/4 with 3 runs scored and 2 RBI in his 2008 debut. Big season ahead for the Tigers’ leadoff hitter…

- Those slugging Phils! Chase Utley hit his league leading 10th homer while Pat “contract year” Burrell cracked his 8th in a 5-4 loss against Milwaukee. Don’t worry Ryan Howard owners, the first baseman will join the Phillies offensive onslaught soon.

- Francisco Rodriguez has been on fire since returning from an ankle injury early last week. Krod has now registered 5 saves in the last 10 days tying him with Jonathon Papelbon for the league lead at 8. In addition, the improbable April run by George Sherrill continues as he locked down save number 7 last night while Brian Wilson, Huston Street, Matt Capps and Mo Rivera each notched their 6th saves.


Check out the Fantasy Baseball Happy Recap every weekday on Fantasy Sports Experience!

Pacman Jones Traded to the Cowboys

ESPN's Ed Werder is reporting that the Dallas Cowboys and the Tennessee Titans have agreed in principal that would move the much maligned cornerback, Adam "Pacman" Jones to Dallas. The deal has many loopholes and side agreements due to the uniqueness of the trade, that involves a player who might not even play next season.

Currently the deal calls for the Titans to get Dallas's 4th round draft pick in this Saturday's draft, but if Pacman does get "significant" playing time in 2008 the Titans will then also receive a pick from Dallas in the '09 draft.

Of course none of that matters if Pacman isn't reinstated to the NFL by commissioner Roger Goodell. If he does not play in 2008 then the Titans will send an undisclosed 2009 draft pick back to the Cowboys. One also has to wonder if there are still any legal issues that could be brought to the forefront in connection to his recent extortion case.

Pacman is an immensely talented player whose quickness and athleticism make him a threat all over the field. He is dangerous in all three major parts of the game, as a defensive player, as a dangerous kick returner and can even catch a pass or two when needed. His talent is clearly evidenced in the fact that it took the Titans so long for them to trade him. He has been in trouble in many off the field situations for years, and only following his 2007 season long suspension have the Titans finally agreed it would be better for both parties to part ways.

As if this story needed it, there is even more drama that could take place once Terrell Owens and Pacman are placed on the same team together. Credit Jerry Jones for taking another risk on a player who has had many difficulties in his past. It worked well for them with Owens, and Tank Johnson last season, so it will be interesting to see what happens in '08 with Pacman. I could really envision just disastrous media sessions with T.O. being asked about his new teammate and the ever attention seeking Owens shooting his mouth off and saying something that comes back to distract the team in the locker room.

FANTASY IMPACT

This helps the Cowboy's defense mostly, who was dangerous last season and could be even more dangerous next season if Pacman actually plays. Their special teams could also take a good step forward as Dallas really struggled to return kick effectively last season.

Fantasy Baseball Happy Recap - 4/22/08

Bat Of The Night: Casey Blake – 4/4, 2 R, 2 2B, 1 HR, 6 RBI

Plenty of Indians receiving honors today on the heels of their 15-1 beatdown of the Royals last night. Blake was perfect at the plate piling up 3 extra base hits – 2 2B and 1 HR - and 6 RBI. At third base, a thin position in fantasy this season, Blake is a serviceable option who can provide decent power production when he is going well. He is a streaky hitter who gets most of his numbers in bunches which makes him a risky proposition as an everyday starter.

Arm Of The Night: CC Sabathia – 6 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 11 K (W)

CC is back people! Just a dominant, old school outing for Sabathia who pounded the strike zone and put pitches wherever he wanted on his way to 11 strikeouts over 6 scoreless frames. Location was the biggest issue for the big lefty during his early season struggles and it appeared he has straightened out many of those problems over the last week. We expect Sabathia to return to form going forward in what is a big contract year.

Bottom Line: Carlos Gomez – 0/5, 4 K

Tough night for the youngster who edged out fellow golden sombrero donning buddies Carlos Pena and Jose Guillen for this most unwelcome distinction.

Honorable Mentions

Top Five

Some unexpected power tonight from Jacoby Ellsbury and Ronny Cedeno. Adrian Gonzalez is beginning to roll while Bobby Abreu continues to look strong at the plate in his walk year. On the pitching side, Ted Lilly and Justin Verlander took a step in the right direction as they try to put their early season struggled behind them while Edinson Volquez is coming into his own. The best line in the Top Five comes from the only pitcher to lose John Smoltz, striking out 10 over 7 innings of work and recording his 3000th strikeout in the process. First ballot hall of famer for sure…

Bats

Jacoby Ellsbury – 3/5, 3 R, 2 HR, 2 RBI
Bobby Abreu - 2/5, 1 R, 1 HR, 4 RBI
Ronny Cedeno – 2/5, 2 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 5 RBI
Adrian Gonzalez – 3/4, 2 R, 1 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 3 RBI
Johnny Damon – 3/5, 3 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI

Arms

Ted Lilly – 6 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 4 BB, 4 K (W)
Paul Maholm – 6 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K (W)
Edinson Volquez – 7 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 4 BB, 7 K (W)
Justin Verlander – 6 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K (W)
John Smoltz – 7 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 10 K (L)

Bottom Five

The golden sombreros abound as we saw some real rough nights at the plate Tuesday as well as a host of blown saves. Manny Corpas has been shaky and blew his 3rd save of the season last night while Jason Isringhausen couldn’t hold a one run lead in the 12th against the Brewers. Izzy owners really can’t complain however as the Cards’ closer already has 7 saves and this was the first game he has failed to close out.

Bats

Carlos Pena – 0/4, 4 K
Jose Guillen – 0/4, 4 K
Jeff Kent – 0/4, 3 K
Aaron Rowand – 0/4, 3 K
Nick Johnson – 0/4, 3 K

Arms

Gil Meche – 3.1 IP, 9 H, 8 ER, 1 BB, 2 K (L)
Vincente Padilla – 3 IP, 8 H, 7 ER, 0 BB, 2 K (L)
Jason Isringhausen – 0.1 IP, 1 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 0 K (BS, L)
Manny Corpas – 1 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 1 K (BS, L)
Heath Bell – 1 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 1 K (L)

Making A Case...

Jorge Cantu – 3/4, 1 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI

We put out a sleeper alert for Cantu when he won the third base job in Florida at the end of Spring Training and he has done nothing but make us look good. Cantu pounded his third homer of the season last night and is now batting .337 with 12 runs scored and 8 RBI on the season. He is the Marlins’ unquestioned starter at third base and hits 5th or 6th in a lineup that is far better than people realize. Cantu should continue to thrive in Florida and could even be moved to the 2 hole in time if Dan Uggla struggles. He is currently only owned in around 30% of leagues so if you need a third baseman, he is your man.

Fred Lewis – 3/5, 2 R, 1 2B, 2 RBI

Lewis has enjoyed a fine April hitting .338 and scoring 11 runs at the top of the San Francisco Giants lineup. Lewis has hit safely in 11 of his last 12 games with 7 multi-hit games over this time. The centerfielder will not hit for power but he is speedy and can help you in runs scored and stolen bases while he is hot.

John Lannan – 7 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 4 K (W)

John Lannan has now put together two very impressive starts following up his 11 K effort against the Mets with 7 scoreless innings versus another NL East foe, the Atlanta Braves. Lannan is only 23 years old and does have some nice minor league numbers to provide some backing for his strong pitching of late. The lefty has shown good control through the ranks so his WHIP may actually go down but his ERA is destined to finish over 4.00 as he is pitching over his head a little right now. Right now, Lannan can be considered a good spot starter given the right matchup but it will take a few more starts for him to prove he’s for real.

Fantasy Observations & Thoughts

- JJ Putz returned last night and locked down his 2nd save of the season. You may all now mercifully drop Mark Lowe and Ryan Rowland-Smith from your rosters.

- In the D’Backs-Giants game last night, Brandon Webb notched his league leading 5th win while Barry Zito took his league leading 5th loss.

- Evan Longoria hit his 2nd homerun of the season. The rookie third basemen has been inconsistent since being called up but be a force come June. Do not drop this guy.

- Jonathon Papelbon closed out his league leading 8th save last night while Brandon Lyon notched his 5th save and second in two games.


Check out the Fantasy Baseball Happy Recap every weekday on Fantasy Sports Experience!

Miguel Cabrera, Carlos Guillen To Switch Positions: FANTASY IMPACT

In a bit of a surprise move on Tuesday, Detroit manager Jim Leyland told the press that Miguel Cabrera and Carlos Guillen will be switching positions, with Cabrera moving to first and Guillen going to third. Leyland said that the move was bing done in the best interest of the team, and we are sure that Cabrera's 5 errors have something to do with it as well. While Guillen hasn't played 3B since 2003, the former SS turned 1B, turned 3B does have better range and a better glove.

FANTASY IMPACT

The good news is that in most leagues Cabrera will have 3B eligibility and 1B eligibility, not only for this season, but next season as well. If your league counts errors, than this is good news for you Cabrera owners as he should certainly cut down on his E's a bit. I doubt long term this hurts his value, even though 1B is a deeper position that 3B is for fantasy, Cabrera is such a good, elite hitter you have to take him regardless of where he is positioned.

Carlos Guillen's position eligibility will be the one of real interest for the rest of the season. Currently he owns 1B and SS eligibility and will soon gain 3B as well. The flexibility is great to have as it allows him to fill in for injured players on your roster or in a spot of high need use for your team. Next season he should have 1B and 3B eligibility, while he is not an elite player at either position, he is better than average and will be underrated at both spots come draft time.

Fantasy Baseball Weekly All-Star Team & Awards - Week 3

Awards Ceremony

Bat Of The Week: Chipper Jones - .565, 6 R, 2 2B, 4 HR, 7 RBI, 1.773 OPS

Chipper had a monster week, making only 10 outs on the way to hitting 4 homers, driving in 7 and putting up an OPS north of 1.700. Buster Olney had an excellent piece Sunday about how Jones now meticulously breaks down pitcher film before games and the ways in which it has made him a better hitter. Additionally, Olney talks to scouts who say Chipper’s approach at the plate right now is the best it has ever been. Jones’ injury history certainly has to scare fantasy owners as naturally none of this means anything he isn’t on the field. Given the gaudy numbers he has put up over the past 3 years (in remarkably quiet fashion) he is simply a risk worth taking at this point.

Arm Of The Week: John Danks – 2 GS, 2-0, 14.2 IP, 8 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 12 K

Danks pitched 2 shutouts this week and was dominant in both outings lasting 7 or more innings in each start. Danks also showed excellent control walking only 2 batters over 14.2 inning while striking out 12. If you take out Danks’ awful outing against Minnesota on April 9th, the young lefty has allowed 1 earned run in 21.2 innings spanning 3 starts. Danks will try to build on his big week 3 on Saturday against the Orioles at home.

Pickups Of The Week: Mark DeRosa - .421, 6 R, 2 2B, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 1 SB, 1.222 OPS

John Danks - 2 GS, 2-0, 14.2 IP, 8 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 12 K

We have discussed Danks who entered the week owned in about 30% of CBS leagues so let’s focus on the Cubs’ super utility man who has filled in admirably for Alfonso Soriano. Derosa has seen his ownership rise from 43 to 73% after putting together a hot week where he hit .421 and drove in 8 runs.

Worst Week Ever: Tadahito Iguchi – 0/21, 4 K, 1 R, 1 SB

The 1 run and steal accounted for all of Iguchi’s production this week as he did literally nothing at the plate going 0/21. Thus, it is no surprise he was subsequently dropped to 8th in the lineup with the next stop being the bench.

FSE All-Week One Team

C Ivan Rodriguez - .291, 4 R, 2 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 5 RBI, .916 OPS
1B Conor Jackson - .480, 10 R, 2 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR, 10 RBI, 1 SB, 1.599 OPS
2B Chase Utley – .391, 6 R, 1 2B, 5 HR, 8 RBI, 1.548 OPS
SS Jose Reyes - .428, 7 R, 2 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 2 SB, 1.305 OPS
3B Chipper Jones - .565, 6 R, 2 2B, 4 HR, 7 RBI, 1.773 OPS
OF Manny Ramirez - .480, 7 R, 1 2B, 4 HR, 8 RBI, 1.475 OPS
OF Alex Rios - .392, 4 R, 1 2B, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 1 SB, 1.075 OPS
OF Aaron Rowand - .444, 2 R, 3 2B, 1 HR, 6 RBI 1.278 OPS
U David Wright - .521, 5 R, 6 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 9 RBI, 1 SB, 1.633 OPS
U Miguel Cabrera - .428, 7 R, 4 2B, 2 HR, 11 RBI, 1 SB, 1.204 OPS

SP John Danks – 2 GS, 2-0, 14.2 IP, 8 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 12 K
SP Scott Olsen – 2 GS, 2-0, 14 IP, 8 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
SP Andy Pettitte – 2 GS, 2-0, 14 IP, 13 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 10 K
SP Ervin Santana - 2 GS, 2-0, 15 IP, 10 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 14K
SP Randy Wolf – 2 GS, 2-0, 13.3 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 5 BB, 16 K
MR Scot Shields – 3 Holds, 1 Save, 3.2 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K
CL Billy Wagner – 3 Saves, 4 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K

Honorable Mentions – Victor Martinez, Derrek Lee, Garrett Atkins, Justin Mourneau, Dustin Pedroia, Ryan Theriot, Derek Jeter, Edgar Renteria, Bobby Crosby, Hank Blalock, Kevin Youkilis, Miguel Batista, Francisco Rodriguez, Jake Peavy, Zack Greinke, Felix Hernandez, Jair Jurrjens, Paul Byrd and Cliff Lee.

Josh Beckett, A-Rod Out 4/22

Josh Beckett has been ruled out with a sore neck due to flu like symptoms.

FANTASY IMPACT

This isn't too serious of an injury, and Beckett should be back in a few days. It however would not be surprising to see the Sox hold Beckett out until his next start. Nothing major here, unless you are in a head-to-head league and you lose his 2 start eligibilty.

A-Rod Out

Alex Rodriguez has been ruled out for Tuesday's game and is looking at a return to line up at Thursday at the earliest.

FANTASY IMPACT

A-Rod will be out for the next few days at least. Keep an eye on the injury as A-Rod could be out for the entire week, or he could be out at Thursday at the earliest. It could go either way, which is why it's important to keep an eye on something like this. We'll keep you updated as we know more.

Top Pick Ups On the Mound - Week 4

Please don't think we are avoiding guys like Brian Bannister and Micah Owings, we know they are hot and great adds. The thing is everyone else does also, so what is the point of us talking about something people already know about? That being said lets get to this week's hot adds.

Yovani Gallardo- Young, hard throwing right hander who had a great degree of success last season pitching for Milwaukee. This season he looks to continue that stretch, and he got off to a great start tossing 7 innings against Cincinnati. He realy should have been drafted in your league, bu if he wasn' and no one has him yet go out and grab him. He is certainly worth adding in all fantasy formats.

Mark Hendrickson- Is the very definition of a mediocre pitcher who can throw strikes and does enough to hang around. Let's put it this way, his best season statistically was in '06 when he went 6-15 with a 4.22ERA, a 1.43WHIP and 99Ks in 164.2IP splitting time between Tampa Bay and the Dodgers. He currently is tied for the league lead with 4 wins and is pitching for a Marlins team that has a surprising strong offense despite losing Miguel Cabrera to a trade in the off season.

Another positive for Hendrickson is that the Marlins have committed to him as a starter, while previously with the Dodgers he was used as a reliever and a spot starter. For a tall lefty like himself being used sporadically like that can cause many mechanical foul ups which could certainly have an effect on his stuff and what he can do on the mound.

Now back to a bit of reality again. Hendrickson's 4 wins have come off of Pittsburgh twice, Washington and Atlanta. Pitt currently ranks 17th in all of baseball in runs scored, while Washington is 27th, so neither of those teams are exactly offensive juggernauts. Atlanta is one of the better offensive clubs but when you look at that game Hendrickson went 5.1 innings, gave up 2 runs while allowing 6 hits to go along with 3walks, for a 1.76WHIP. He didn't as much win the game, as he did pitch well enough to survive it.

Bottom line, I just spent way too much time on Mark Hendrickson. He'll have his ups and downs and with a strong offense behind him could be surprisingly successful this season. However, he won't successful for fantasy. His WHIP and ERA are both higher than one would like for fantasy, and he doesn't strike many guys out. He could win 12-15 games starting everyday, but over the course of the season it really won't be worth it.

Armando Galarraga- Who leads the Detroit Tigers in wins? Verlander... No, Bonderman... No, Rogers...No. Armando Gaarraga leads the Tigers in wins with 2. He has spent 8 years in the minors and never posted a season that stood out and make you see an elite pitching prospect. he did have consistently solid K rates and he seems to have taken that part up the majors with him.
He is pitching over his head a bit tossing to the tune of a 1.50ERA and a .67 WHIP.

But with Galarraga we will consistently come back to the same point. If he is that good of a pitching prospect, why did he spend 8 seasons in the minor leagues. The Ks and BB were always good numbers, but the ERA and Win total was never anything to write home about. I think that in the end the numbers will even themselves out, look for an ERA of 4.50 and 12 wins if he can manage to stay in the rotation. The Tigers haven't gotten their offense going yet, but when they do Galarraga will get plenty of run support. At best he could turn into a Aaron Small type guy for the season, and just pitch out of his mind for the entire season, but I highly doubt that will be the case in this instance. He is still relatively young at 26, but lacks the major league experience to be truly successful for a season. Scouting reports and tendencies will catch up to him sooner rather than later. He is a fine flash in the pan add, but don't expect this in August or September.

Hong-Chih Kuo- Gotta be honest I don't know much about this guy but I studied the numbers and looked at scouting reports and here is what I found. Left hander, dynamite arm, good for Ks, elbow is suspect. In his previous few seasons with the Dodgers Kuo has struggled posted ERAs of 7.48, 4.26 and 7.06, all of which came with a limited amount of innings pitched and came in a mix as a starter and reliever. While the ERA is bad he did post great K rates of about 1 per inning.

This season he has 4 appearances, 2 as a starter and 2 as a reliever and the results have been much different. He currently boasts a .79ERA with a 1.15WHIP and 15Ks in 11.1IP, so maybe he has figured it out and turned the corner and is ready to be a major league pitcher on a consistent basis. The Dodgers have said they want him to start because they fell it will be easier on his elbow. I doubt he will ever be a 7-9 inning stud, as they will want to protect his electric arm, he is a guy who I think could turn into a 5-6 inning, 2ER and 8Ks consistently. This might be a bit premature, but think similar to what Pedro Martinez has become for the Mets. I think he will go under the radar for a few starts so keep an eye on him, I think this guy has plenty of upside and could be a real difference maker for a fantasy team.

After the writing of this article Kuo went out and tossed a stinker against the Cincinnati Reds going 3 innings and giving up 5runs with only 1K. Go figure something like to happen after I talk him up, but I still like his arm and feel like he is a guy who you should keep your eye on, just don't go and grab him too soon. Make sure he is getting hot with arm and is locked in with what he needs to be doing to be successful.

Of course, if he can't stay healthy all of this is null, but I think its worth it to take a flier on a pitcher who is injury prone over an everyday player. You have a much better idea as to when he won't pitch, and it won't come as a surprise when it happens, unlike an injury prone position player, who can sit at any time without warning.

Scott Olson- The young lefty is known more for his run in with teammates than he is for his ability to get batters out. He is 3-0 and similar to teammate Mark Hendrickson has faced Pittsburgh, Atlanta and Washington twice. Two of the three wins have come against Washington who as we previously pointed out has one of the worst offenses in baseball.

I do however like Olson more than Hendrickson for a few reasons. The first being he has better stuff and can post a decent amount of Ks. The second is that he has experienced success in the past in his 2006 season when he won 12 games, and actually managed double digit wins again last season, despite a loft ERA over 5.00. I have read some reports that are down on Olson, but his WHIP is under 1.00 and it seems like the lefty might finally have his stuff and head in order. Given the Marlins potent offense he is a good addition in all fantasy formats as a low end starter who has good upside. Go get him.

John Danks- Danks is entering his second full season as a major league starter and this is generally the year you look for a young pitcher to start getting it. This far this season Danks has gotten it right in 3 of his 4 starts, including last week where he tossed shutout baseball in each. The one start he struggled in was a bit disconcerting because it came against the Twins and wound up being a 2.1 inning, 7ER fiasco. It is the type of start that Danks owners can count on from time to time just to remind them that he is still a relatively young pitcher and still has some figuring out to do on the major league level. A fine addition in most fantasy formats, as the White Sox offense looks surprisingly formidable, just be weary of the occasional shellacking.

Nelson Figueroa- Pitched well enough in spring training to earn a roster spot, but was passed over then as he has been throughout his career. The 33-year-old has been pitching to the tune of a 3.60ERA with a .80WHIP, to go along with 14K in 15 innings. That of course was before his start Tuesday against the Cubs where he struggled to get through 5 innings, walking 5 and giving up 7 hits. He wound up giving up 3 runs in 5IP, so he was able to keep his team in the game, which is a positive, and never gave up the big hit, a sign of a guy with moxie. Figueroa isn't anything spectacular, but he will toss a few Quality Starts here and there and win his fair share of ball games, being the fifth starter on a fine offensive team, that plays in a good pitcher's park.

Renyel Pinto- Wanted to get a few holds guys in here so included these under the radar names. Pinto is a lefty reliever who had a decent enough season last year, but looks to be bringing his game to the next level this season. Both his ERA and his WHIP are under 1.00 and has answered the call for a variety of situations that the Marlins have used him in.

Kyle McClellan- I check out a lot of relievers and never heard of this guy before this season. He will post a decent K rate and plays on a team that will play plenty of close games. He has seen a good amount of work so far early in the season and is a good add if you need holds.

Top Pick Ups Around The Diamond - Week 4

C- Kurt Suzuki- Never hit for great average in the minors, but in classic Oakland A's fashion showed he know how to take a pitch and work a walk. Early on this season Suzuki has hit for average and is playing so well that the A's recently hit him lead off, a true rarity for a catcher. Suzuki is playing a bit over his head right now, but he'll be out there almost everyday, so he'll be able to accumulate decent enough stats for the rest of the season. He won't put up any elite numbers, and will probably finish in the middle of the pack for fantasy catchers.

1B- Joey Votto- We said before the season that this was a unique1 1B because he could hit a HR and steal a bag. Votto really struggled the first few weeks, but has turned it on recently and really found his hitting stroke. This is the type of 1B who we really like for the rest of the season to deliver consistent stats on a weekly basis and will be able to help your team with a variety of different stats across all 5 hitting categories. He won't have great power numbers, but will make up for it with SB and a solid AVG.

2B- Kazuo Matsui- Matsui underachieved for the Mets for a few seasons and then was dealt to the Rockies where he managed to turn a solid post season into another big money contract. It's amazing Matsui has not yet been busted for robbery as this will continue his trend of stealing money from major league teams. The Astro's offense will be decent and if Matsui is hitting he can blend right in, but he has shown in the past that he is injury prone and streaky. Those are not great characteristics of a trustworthy fantasy player.

3B- Brandon Wood- I have no idea why he is here, as he is not even in the majors yet. When he is finally allowed to hit on the major league level he will become an 80's type slugger. Look for good power, big K's and .250AVG .

SS- Bobby Crosby- He is hot and I wanted to ignore him but I can't because he is one of the top added SS in all fantasy leagues. I don't like Crosby. At some point he will get hurt, and he is mostly a production of the Oakland A's minor league hype machine, that over rates players to make them more appealing to other major league teams. For a time Oakland had a good run of fine prospects who turned into great major leaguers, but recently the trend has shifted a bit. Crosby, while he can hit, is never healthy enough to do it on a prolonged basis. Best case scenario, pick him up while he is hot and sell high.

OF- Carlos Quentin- One of the many D-Back's outfielders who had a tremendous amount of tools in the shed, but unfortunately couldn't put it together in Arizona. This season Quentin is playing everyday in the Chicago White Sox outfield and has started off hot. While batting only .24o, he does have 14R and 15RBI to go along with 4HR.

One thing I like about Quentin is that he knows how to draw a walk and get on base. Throughout his minor league career and into the majors Quentin has has gotten on base at about a .100 higher rate than his batting average alone shows. The ability to draw a walk really helps a player avoid hot and cold streaks and is paramount for putting up consistent stats throughout the season.

Another positive is that he plays on a very good offensive team in Chicago, so if he is on base there is a decent chance someone will be able to drive him in. He spends most of his time hitting in the 7hole, but could move up in the order if he keeps this production up throughout the season. While there is a lot to like with Quentin, I would add him if I were in a deep league and really needed the offensive boost for my outfield.

OF- Milton Bradley- For years Bradley has been an underachieving head case, who couldn't find a home. More recently however, Bradley has become an achieving head case, who can't find a home. I think for the most part Bradley has yet to reach his potential as a hitter because he is always battling nagging injuries that hurt him at the dish. Last season for the Padres Bradley carried the offense and really was the difference maker in the line up, which is why it hurt them so much when he went down with a bizarre knee injury.

DHing everyday will be good for Bradley. When healthy he plays a very fine outfield, but the problem is Bradley's inability to stay healthy for a prolonged time. I saw he was in left field for the Rangers the other day, and I don't care how good he says he feels, he has no business being out there if the Rangers want the best contribution they can get from him over the course of the season. He is worth a look and grab in all leagues, he is hot and looks healthy for now. Hopefully Ron Washington doesn't feel frisky any more and keeps Bradley in the DH spot where he won't have to worry about the wear and tear of playing the outfield everyday.

OF- Ryan Church- Church was becoming known as more of a platoon guy who wasn't trusted to hit against lefties in Washington, but played a good outfield and could always do enough with the bat to stay productive. With the Mets Church has been moved to the 2 hole in the order recently and has really thrived in the move. He has been walking more and has scored 17R on the season so far, but 7 of those have come in the last week since the move in the batting order.

The move to the 2hole also helps Church because it doesn't force him to try and do too much. In Washington he spend the majority of his at bats in the 4, 5, 6 spots in the line up, where there is more pressure to hit HR and drive in RBIs. In the 2hole Church can just focus on making solid contact and getting on base. The Mets are going to keep Church in the right field and it looks like he is going to play against lefties and righties, both of whom he is mashing against. Go out and get him, he looks like a solid add in all formats.

Fantasy Baseball Happy Recap - 4/21/08

Bat Of The Night: Miguel Tejada – 4/5, 3 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 SB

Miggy did everything short of hitting for the cycle Monday night piling up 4 hits, scoring and driving in 3 runs and even stealing a bag. Regardless of his age, this guy is going to hit when healthy and has the added benefit of playing in Minute Maid Park.

Arm Of The Night: Clay Buchholz – 6 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 6 K (W)

Coming off an awful outing at Yankee Stadium, Buchholz bounced back nicely on Patriot Day in Boston, pitching 6 scoreless innings and striking out 6. The kid has a ton of talent (evidenced by his no-hitter last season) and given his excellent strikeout potential and the fact he pitches for arguably the best team in baseball, Buchholz could quickly move up the fantasy pitching ranks this season. Pitching out of the 5 spot in the rotation also helps his value.

Bottom Line: Justin Germano – 3.1 IP, 10 H, 10 ER, 3 BB, 1 K (L)

Usually, Justin Germano and the word “serviceable” go hand in hand. On this night however, those unfortunate souls who started the young righty probably have some other choice words in mind to describe his horrendous performance.

Honorable Mentions

Top Five

David Ortiz’s early season slump is quickly becoming a distant memory while Pat Burrell continues to rake in his contract year. Nice outing by Carlos Zambrano shutting down a potent Mets lineup and that’s 4 wins a piece now for Micah Owings and Marlins’ defacto ace Mark Hendrickson

Bats

Pat Burrell – 3/4, 1 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI
Dan Uggla - 3/5, 1 R, 2 2B, 1 HR, 1 RBI
Yorvit Torrealba – 2/4, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI
David Ortiz – 2/4, 2 2B, 3 RBI
Julio Lugo – 4/4, 2 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 SB

Arms

Carlos Zambrano – 7 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K (W)
Mark Hendrickson – 8 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 5 K (W)
Tim Hudson – 6.2 IP, 10 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K (W)
Brad Penny – 6 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K (W)
Micah Owings – 6.1 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K (W)

Bottom Five

Matt Morris is about two more appearances in the Bottom Five away from getting his own parking spot while Troy Tulowitzki’s struggles continue.

Bats

Jason Botts – 0/4, 3 K
Troy Tulowitzki – 0/5, 2 K
Matt Holliday – 0/4, 2 K
JJ Hardy – 0/5, 2 K
Geovany Soto – 0/4, 2 K

Arms

Matt Morris – 4 IP, 9 H, 8 ER, 1 BB, 2 K (L)
Dustin Nippert – 2.1 IP, 9 H, 8 ER, 4 BB, 2 K (L)
Matt Chico – 4 IP, 8 H, 6 ER, 3 BB, 0 K (L)
Matt Belisle – 4 IP, 12 H, 5 ER, 1 BB, 3 K (L)
Taylor Buchholz – 1.2 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K (L)

Making A Case...

Nomar Garciaparra – 2/5, 1 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI

Just because a guy is making a case to be added doesn’t mean you have to bring him on board. Nomar will continue to see time at third with Andy Laroche out but think of him strictly as a short-term stop gap option at best.

Armando Galarraga – 5.1 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 4 BB, 4 K (W)

The righty has now won both of his starts since replacing an injured Dontrelle Willis. He pitched well in his two starts allowing only 2 runs in 12 innings of work and is a decent play in his next start against the Angels at home. Willis is slated to return in 2 weeks or so and when he does, Galarraga may be out of a starting job.

Fantasy Observations & Thoughts

- Time for everyone to recognize that this Marlins’ lineup is legitimately dangerous and will only improve once Cameron Maybin is called up from the minors where he has been flat out dominating. Hanley Ramirez and Dan Uggla you already know, but the guy you should be focused on right now is Josh Willingham. He moved into the clean up spot when Cabrera was dealt to Detroit and is currently batting over .300 with 5 homers already on the young season. .280-25 HR-100 RBI is a definite possibility for the under the radar slugger.

- That’s 4 homeruns in the past 7 days for Reds’s young stud Joey Votto who is red hot and proving to bet he 20-20 threat we envisioned.

- Speaking of red hot, Chase Utley homered again last night and currently leads the majors with 9. He has clearly established himself as the top second basemen in fantasy once again.

- Another good outing for Roy Oswalt Monday night earning him his second win. Like Ortiz, his early season struggles are becoming a memory…

- Remember when Brandon Lyon was on the verge of losing his closer job in Arizona? One managerial vote of confidence and 4 saves later, Lyon appears locked in to his role and will see plenty of save opportunities on a good D’Backs squad.

- Jason Isrinhausen recorded his 7th save of the season, tying him for the Major League lead. Izzy has been dominant thus far but the questions remain - Are the Cardinals playing over their heads right now? And if so, how many save opportunities will he get later in the season?


Check out the Fantasy Baseball Happy Recap every weekday on Fantasy Sports Experience!

Struggling Hitters & Pitchers, Should You Be Worried? - 4/22/08

We had a great comment from someone who read the last article.

"These are the guys you should try to acquire in your fantasy leagues. For those who own them, it's too early to trade 'em."

Thats the idea here folks - identify the guys who are struggling now but will likely pick it up in the not so distant future and separate them from the guys who may not turn it around.

Hitters

Adam Dunn- Dunn is off to a very slow start hitting only 2HR to go along with 8R and 7RBI, his batting average which has never been his strength as a fantasy player anyway, is under the Mendoza Line at .188. Some might be saying that it is just taking a some time for the big man to find his swing, but his past numbers show that April is traditionally Dunn's strongest month and he normally has his swing down by now.

There are a few things that are working against Dunn in this case. He is in a contract year and could be putting some extra pressure on himself to perform at a higher level. He also had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee late last season to clean out some debris that had accumulated there. Finally Adam also has spent time over the last few seasons and in spring training tinkering with his swing in an attempt to cut down on his strikeout rate, which annually is up there among the league leaders.

All that being said, I still like Adam to get his groove back and put up typical Dunn numbers. I know I have used this stat before many times, but I'll go ahead and show it again now. Over the last 3 seasons only 4 players have averaged 40HR, 100RBI and 100R; Albert Pujols, David Ortiz, Alex Rodriguez, and Adam Dunn. He is still only 28, so it's not like he is aging and lost it, Dunn will find his swing and start mashing again soon, over his last 7 days Dunn has his OPS over 1.000 and for the season he leads all of baseball in walks. So, part of the issue could also be that he is just not getting many good pitches to hit and when he is, he can't capitalize. Dusty Baker is moving the line up around a bit to try and get Dunn some protection and more at bats.

Verdict: Don't Worry

Carlos Delgado- Going into spring training this season, Delgado said he had found a timing issue with his 2007 swing and was looking forward to correcting it, and rebounding to have a big 2008. Three weeks into the 2008 season it looks like the only timing issue Delgado has with his swing it that he turns 36 this season and his body is starting to show it. His batting average and power have been declining for the last two seasons and it looks like sub-par has become the norm for the once elite slugger.

The Mets big ballpark will do nothing to help Delgado and neither will the fact that the Mets play in the NL sans the DH spot, that has done so much to revive so many fledgling veterans. The line up around Delgado is as well not as strong as it once was because Delgado is no longer as strong as he once was. Delgado hit 38HR in 2006 and 24HR in 2007, figure for this season he finishes with around 20-25 or so and hits in the .240AVG range. Don't be surprised if the Mets try to find a replacement for him at some point during the season. The Mets are going to have to try and win this season, and won't be able to afford having the aging bat there.

Verdict- Worry

Gary Sheffield- Another aging slugger who hasn't so much lost it, as injuries have began to rip him apart and cost him serious time. On the season Sheffield is hitting .192 with 2RBI, and 6R. The aging slugger, Sheffield is 39 this season, and while he has forever been known for his legendary bat speed, the injuries in recent years are beginning to quickly pile up and we would not be surprised if those injuries have cost him some of that speed.

Sheffield can probably still hit with the best of them, however it would be difficult to prove because it is rare now that Sheff is in the line up for an extended period of time. If you own Sheffield you are more or less stuck with him because you won't be able to get equal value for him because of all the injuries. Between shoulder, hand, finger and a variety of other ailments that could be plaguing Sheffield it seems less and likely he'll be a viable fantasy force any more.

Verdict: Worry

Paul Konerko- 3HR, 10R, 13RBI doesn't look terrible this early, but add to that that Konerko is 4 for his last 32 and is hitting .172AVG there might be a bit of cause for concern. Another negative to this is that he hasn't been walking a whole lot either recently either. I think Konerko will be fine, and you should expect another season of 30HR, with 100RBI. He is 32 and that puts him a few years away from being worried about age effecting his play on the field. This looks like nothing but a cold streak and Konerko should be fine.

Verdict: Don't Worry

Adam LaRoche- I won't go crazy here with an explanation, I'll just post his career numbers pre and post All Star break and add the tidbit that LaRoche's career BA in April is .173.

Pre All Star Break (310 Games) .247, 41 HR, 163 RBI, .755 OPS

Post All Star Break (257 Games) .296, 46 HR, 141 RBI, .893 OPS

You can do one of two things here. 1) Weather the storm and keep sending LaRoche out there or 2) Stash LaRoche on your bench if you can and use a stop gap guy like Jorge Cantu, Mike Jacobs, Jose Vidro or Matt Stairs. Basically ride the hot hand at 1B until LaRoche gets it going like he has throughout his career. This is a great buy low candidate.

Verdict: Don't Worry

Pitchers Eric Gange- Milwaukee's $10 million dollar investment has gone bust so far this year, and leads all of the major leagues with 3 blown saves. Gange has really struggled so far this year with an ERA is over 8 and his WHIP is 1.57. There have been questions all season and many are wondering if it is just a matter of time before the job is handed to David Riske.

There are of course, a few positives. Gange does have 6 saves which ties him for second in the major leagues, and he is averaging better than a K an inning. Another positive is that his last blown save came on his 4th consecutive day of work. Given Gange's injury history, it is surprising he Brewers would push him so hard this early in the season. Another positive is that Gange doesn't really have any value to Milwaukee as a set up man. Gange already failed miserably in the set up role last, so Milwaukee won't move him there unless they feel it is absolutely necessary.

Verdict: Don't Worry

Pitchers

Justin Verlander- Thus far Verlander has really struggled this season with his control and hasn't looked like the young ace that had been in seasons past. The numbers right now, 0-3, 7.03ERA, 1.40WHIP, not pretty. Verlander is only 25, but I wonder if the Tigers pushed him too hard too soon and did some damage to his arm. It could just be that he is struggling to find his release point and command, but I see signs that it could be something more.

In 2006 he threw 186 innings and followed it up in 2007 withe 201. 2, and both totals might be a bit high for such a young pitcher. Add to that, that he throws near 100 consistently, you can see how the wear and tear to his arm could be catching up a bit sooner than previously expected. His strikeout average is also down a bit early on in this season, while 14 in 24IP isn't terrible for most guys, it isn't exactly the norm for Verlander.

He has won 35 games over the last two seasons, so its tough to think he won't be able to find a way a to right the ship and get whatever is wrong with him figured out. That being said, I would be a bit cautious here given his recent work horse numbers at such a young age for a pitcher.

Verdict: Worry

Ted Lilly- Shoulder whoas for the lefty have caused him to really struggle early on in the '08 season. He has a mysterious ailment that has cost him to lose some MPH on his velocity and the neither the Cubs or Lilly can figure out what is wrong. An MRI showed no damage to the shoulder area, so this is perhaps something that Lilly will just have to work through and figure out on his own.

It is always worrisome when a pitcher loses velocity and no one can seem to figure out what is wrong. Lilly's ERA is currently some where over the area of 9.00 and while you expect it to go down I don't know how much you can expect to get from him this season if he can't get the velocity back. Perhaps he can become a Jamie Moyer type slow pitching with guile and moxie, but I doubt it.

Try to deal off Lilly and get what you can for him, or stash him on your bench if you can sacrafise the roster spot. I would absolutely NOT put Lilly out there until he can get his velocity back and figure out what is wrong with him.

Verdict: Worry

Phil Hughes, Ian Kennedy- Both were supposed to pick up where they left off last season as rapidly developing, young pitchers who were going to anchor the Yankee rotation for years to come. Hughes with his low 90's fastball, knee locking curve and Roger Clemens pedigree was deemed the ace of the future. While Ian Kennedy was more of a guy who relied on control and spotting his pitches and many figured the youngster to fit in well as a future 3-4 starter who would be able to learn a lot from Mike Mussina.

Three weeks into the season Hughes sits at 0-3 and has gotten progressively worse as the season has worn on. Following his 2IP, 6R performance against Boston Hughes sat down and looked at tape and diagnosed his main issue was that he was rushing his motion. This sounded good, until Hughes went out in his next outing and through up a 5.1IP, 5R stinker against the lowly Baltimore Orioles. Coming into the season Hughes had an excellent spring training, so it is surprising to see him struggling this much early on.

Kennedy currently boasts an ERA above 9.50 with a staggering WHIP of 2.25. On a positive note he does have 13K in 14IP. On a negative note he does have 13BB in 14IP. Earlier I said how Kennedy was a control pitcher and clearly the 13BB in 14IP are greatly contributing to his struggles and perhaps he is just very over matched right now. Kennedy's next start comes against Paul Byrd and the Cleveland Indians, so it won't exactly be an easy going of it for him in the future.

The Yankee bullpen has been overworked so far this season, and as it has happened in seasons past they pay for it later in the season in September and October. I think the Yankees give each guy another shot or two to show the team something, or the Yanks might need to send them to AAA to sort things out. Kei Igawa and Darrell Rasner both have major league experience, to varying degrees of success, and one or both of them could be called up to replace Hughes and Kennedy if they are sent to AAA to sort out what is ailing them. Any demotion for Hughes would be a short term one as the Yankees have him penciled into be the future ace. Kennedy's demotion could last longer if Igawa or Rasner can show something and pitch well for the big club.

The Yankees haven't mentioned anything about either pitcher being sent down to regain their form from 2007, but it would make sense if it did happen. The Yankees simply cannot afford to keep sending both of the young, struggling pitchers out there without bearing the consequences of it later in the season.

Verdict: Worry

Fantasy Baseball Weekend Happy Recap - Week 3

Bat Of The Weekend: Bobby Crosby – 8/13, 4 R, 2 2B, 1 HR, 7 RBI

We’ve seen this act before from Mr. Crosby who was next to impossible to get out this weekend. He tore it up at a .615 clip in three weekend games driving in 7 runs in the process. Crosby now has 15 RBI and 13 runs scored on the young season and is hitting over .300. We here at FSE can’t say we are completely sold on the Oakland SS and view him more as a sell-high candidate given his injury history.

Arm Of The Weekend: Andy Sonnanstine – 9 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K (CG, W)

After an up and down start to the season, everything came together for Sonnanstine on Saturday. The young righty threw his first complete game shutout, allowing only 3 hits and 1 walk while striking out 4 against the White Sox in a 6-0 win. Sonnanstine has been way to erratic to recommend just yet, but he certainly has the talent to become a viable fantasy starter once he gets a few more starts under his belt. Keep an eye on the Rays’ youngster as more of a second half breakout candidate.

Bottom Line: Chris Sampson – 0.2 IP, 6 H, 6 ER, 2 BB, 1 K (L)

Sampson got roughed up by the Rockies and was unable to make it out of the first inning. For those of you scoring at home, Sampson’s ERA on the day was 81.00.

Honorable Mentions

Top Five

Given the obscene amount of pub Conor Jackson has received on FSE since the start of the season, you have only yourself to blame if he isn’t currently on your roster. Chase Utley hit some big homers against the rival Metropolitans this weekend while David Ortiz broke out of his awful slump with 8 RBIs. On the mound, Cliff Lee and Ervin Santana continue to prove themselves as worth fantasy options while Dan Haren has quietly been one of the top starters in all of baseball thus far.

Bats

Conor Jackson - 8/14, 6 R, 1 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 1 SB
Chase Utley – 6/11, 4 R, 4 HR, 6 RBI
Chipper Jones – 6/11, 3 R, 1 2B, 2 HR, 4 RBI
David Ortiz – 5/12, 4 R, 1 HR, 8 RBI
Jim Thome – 5/11, 3 R, 2 2B, 2 HR, 6 RBI

Arms

Cliff Lee – 8 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 8 K (W)
Miguel Batista – 7.2 IP, 8 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 8 K (W)
Andy Pettitte – 7 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 K (W)
Dan Haren – 7 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K (W)
Ervin Santana – 8 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 8 K (W)

Relief Stud

Billy Wagner – 2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, 2 Saves

Wags picked up two flawless, big-time saves Friday and Saturday in Philadelphia.

Bottom Five

Ryan Howard continues to struggle while James Loney and Rickie Weeks put 0-fers on the weekend. Braden Looper saw his ERA rise sky high on Sunday afternoon while Ian Kennedy is becoming a fixture in the Bottom Five.

Bats

Rickie Weeks - 0/10, 5 K
James Loney – 0/12, 5 K
Ryan Howard – 1/13, 6 K
Orland Hudson – 1/13, 3 K
Gerald Laird – 0/11, 4 K

Arms

Braden Looper – 3 IP, 10 H, 7 ER, 0 BB, 1 K (L)
Ian Kennedy – 2.2 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 5 BB, 4 K (L)
Tom Gorzelanny – 2.2 IP, 6 H, 7 ER, 4 BB, 3 K (L)
Matt Cain – 3.2 IP, 8 H, 9 ER, 3 BB, 4 K (L)
Luis Mendoza – 3 IP, 5 H, 7 ER, 3 BB, 2 K (L)

Relief Dud

CJ Wilson – 1 G, 0 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 0 K

Wilson entered in the bottom of the eighth inning at Boston with a 1 run lead and two outs. He then proceeded to blow his first save of the season in spectacular fashion. Wilson was unable to record a single out surrendering 2 hits and walking 3 batters before being replaced. Coming into the game, Wilson was a perfect 5/5 in save opportunities and had yet to allow a run. His closer job is safe and you can just chalk this up to a very bad day.

Making A Case...

Richie Sexson – 3/10, 3 R, 3 HR, 6 RBI

Big Sexy is coming off an awful year and has been a huge disappointment since arriving in Seattle in 2005, however he has shown signs of life in the early going. Sexson’s three-homer weekend brings his total on the season to 5 and as long as the big guy is hitting them out, he certainly has some fantasy value. In addition, to the homers, Sexson has drove in 15 runs while scoring 11. Although he will never hit for average and is streaky, Sexson can provide you with good power production out of the utility spot when he is going good.

John Danks – 7 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 8 K (W)
Nick Blackburn – 7.2 IP, 8 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K (W)

Read more about these two later this week in Desperation Station…

Jimmy Rollins Out: Fantasy Impact 4/20

Jimmy Rollins Out

Don't be too quick to try and insert Jimmy Rollins back into that line up. Rollins has reported that the ankle is still only at 75% and it still doesn't feel right. He says he is going to stay off of it as much as he can, yet that apparently hasn't stopped him from gathering 4 pinch hitting appearances over the course of the last week.

At this point one has to wonder if the Phils would have been better off just putting Rollins on the 15 day DL and being done with it. The fact he still doesn't think it feels right, makes it sound like he is going to be out for at least half of next week as well. Keep Rollins on the pine and make sure you get another bat for that SS spot in your line up.

FANTASY IMPACT

You should have already replaced Rollins in your line up and stashed him on the bench. Clint Barmes in Colorado is a good choice as is Erick Ayabar on Anaheim. We aren't high on Aybar, but as a short term option he can be decent, he has been hot and can steal a bag on a team with a productive line up.

Frank Thomas Released: Fantasy Impact 4/20

Frank Thomas Released

After a very public spat with management over his benching, the Toronto Blue Jays have taken the initiative and released slugger Frank Thomas. Thomas was angered over his benching because he believed the Blue Jays did not want him to accumulate the 304 at bats it would have taken for his 2009 $10million dollar option to kick in. One of Thomas's biggest downfalls as a major league player is his griping about his contract situation, he was famous for it in Chicago and it has bitten him here again in Toronto. He is a sure fire Hall of Famer, it's just too bad incidences like this over shadow some of his great accomplishments.

Fantasy Impact

Good news for you Matt Stairs owner out there. It looks like he will get the majority of at bats in Thomas's absence, although Toronto could also opt to bring Adam Lind up the minor leagues. Lind is one of Toronto's best hitting prospects and has some major league experience from the previous two seasons. We like Lind's upside a lot and he is a definite option to keep an eye on in deeper leagues where you need some offense.

Frank Thomas will wind up playing somewhere else on a team in need of a right handed DH type. Teams like Seattle, Tampa Bay, Baltimore, or even Minnesota could be a good fit for him. These teams are all purely speculation on our part, but they do make sense. Thomas doesn't hit for average any more, but he still has a plenty of pop in his bat. He hasn't hit too well so fat shit season, but he will get it going, as the weather warms and he rounds that big swing into shape. he can draw a walk and hit 25HR. Stash him on your bench if you own him, he won't be unemployed for too much longer.

Fantasy Baseball Desperation Station - Hitters 4/19/08

In a deep league and can't seem to find that one guy who went undrafted to fill out your lineup? In Desperation Station we offer you a few under the radar players who could fill out your roster and contribute admirably.

Dan Johnson- Remember him? Johnson was Oakland's next of 1B/DH kin before a variety of injuries and younger players to replace him crept up quickly. Johnson has been given a few chances on the major league level and while he has shown good power he has never been able to stay in the line up long enough to accumulate more than 500 at bats in a season. Johnson won't dazzle you with his AVG, but with the right team and right situation he could be an effective RBI man.

That chance might have come Friday, when the Tampa Bay _______ Rays claimed him off of waivers from the Oakland Athletics. Currently Tampa is missing DH Cliff Floyd and 1B Carlos Pena has been nursing a hamstring injury so Johnson should be able to seamlessly join the fray and be able to become a productive bat in the middle of Tampa's line up. If he can muster an everyday gig between 1B and DH he should be able to hit 20HR over the course of the rest of the season with 60 or so RBI, and a .250AVG.

He is still only 27 so is still young enough to expect that he hasn't reached his full potential yet as a hitter. This is the type of sleeper 1B bat that can can have an impact for the rest of the season. He is prone to hot and cold streaks like most sluggers are, and the fact he doesn't hit well for AVG will perpetuate the cold streaks, so take note of that in head-to-head leagues.

John Bowker- The 24-year-old outfielder is getting his shot in the majors and had made the most of it thus far after 16 at bats. He is hitting over .400 and already has a couple HR on his major league resume. Bowker doesn't really have a set spot in the line up or on the field, but manager Bruce Bochy is trying to find a place in the outfield and even at 1B a position he isn't use to playing.

Normally I would advise staying away from a guy like this as a flash in the pan, but Bowker has shown good power numbers in the minors as well as an ability to hit for a decent AVG as well. I can't guarantee that Bowker will be a solid guy for the rest of the season, but he looks good now and he has shown the ability in the minors to continue his success which are both positives.

Clint Barmes- In 2005 he was having a great rookie season before breaking his collarbone and has never been the same since. He has since lost the SS gig to Troy Tulowitzki and has barely managed to hang on as a major league ball player. This season however, has been different. Barmes has been hitting like he is a rookie again and is off to a .433AVG to go along with a HR and a SB, forcing Clint Hurdle to find creative ways to get his bat into the struggling Rockies line up. Thus far Barnes has seen at bats at SS, 3B and 2B, depending on how many games your league's eligibility rules Barmes might be eligible at all 3 spots. As the season wears on there is a good chance that by late May he has seen 10 or so games at 3 positions in one way or another.

He won't hit over .400 all season, thats obvious, but if he can keep himself in the line up he can definitely hit .300, with double digit HR and SB. A middle infielder who can do that and play a variety of positions (especially the middle infield) has great value in the majors but also in fantasy, as a guy who can step in for an injured player, a guy on an off day or for a guy who is getting a routine day off.

FSE NBA Playoff Predictions

With the NBA regular season over and fantasy basketball champions crowned, it is now playoff time people! The anticipation surrounding this year's postseason is unlike anything I can remember in the past 15 years and rightfully so. The west is wide open, loaded with good teams top to bottom and great 1st round matchups while the east has arguably the league's finest squad in the Boston Celtics and that Lebron fellow lurking.

Without further ado, here are one man's playoff predictions. Warning: these predictions were fueled heavily by my love of Steve Nash and the way he plays the point guard position and may burst into flames after the first round...

Eastern Conference

First Round

Boston over Atlanta (4-0)

Cleveland over Washington (4-2)

Orlando over Toronto (4-2)

Detroit over Philadelphia (4-1)

Semifinals

Boston over Cleveland (4-1)

Detroit over Orlando (4-2)

Eastern Conference Finals

Boston over Detroit (4-2)

Western Conference

First Round

Los Angeles over Denver (4-2)

Utah over Houston (4-2)

Phoenix over San Antonio (4-2)

New Orleans over Dallas (4-3)

Semifinals

Utah over Los Angeles (4-2)

Phoenix over New Orleans (4-3)

Western Conference Finals

Phoenix over Utah (4-3)

NBA Finals

Phoenix over Boston (4-3)

Your 2008 NBA Champs - Phoenix Suns

Disagree with these picks? Shoot us an email or comment with your NBA Playoff predictions! 

Ben Sheets Leaves Game With Tightness In Triceps - Fantasy Impact

To say Ben Sheets has been dominant thus far in 2008 might be a bit of an understatement. Entering tonight's game at Cincinnati, the 29 year old righty had allowed only 3 earned runs and 4 walks in 23 innings of work while striking out 20 batters. 

Sheets' brilliance was on full display tonight, allowing only 2 hits (both singles) over 5 scoreless innings and tacking on 4 strikeouts for good measure. Unfortunately, that is where his night would end as he was removed from the game after experiencing tightness in his triceps. 

The location of the injury has to be especially troubling for Sheets owners as it is similar to that of John Lackey who will miss at least the first month of the season. Now, Lackey has strained triceps whereas preliminary reports on Sheets' have not identified a definitive injury to his tricep muscle. We will know more tomorrow once the trainers can take a look at Sheets arm, but given his injury history, we would venture to say that you can count him out for his April 23rd start against Philadelphia. A DL stint is certainly a possibility here, so stay tuned.

Fantasy Impact

Really tough blow for Sheets owners as the Brewers ace was arguably the top pitcher in all of baseball up to the moment his triceps gave out on him. Yovani Gallardo returns Sunday against Cincinnati and originally this meant that either Dave Bush, Manny Parra or Carlos Villanueva was on their way out of the rotation. With Sheets possibly on the shelf for a while, it looks like all three guys are safe for a few more starts. 

Fantasy Baseball Happy Recap - 4/17/08

Bat Of The Night: Chipper Jones – 4/4, 3 R, 1 2B, 2 HR, 3 RBI

Not to be outdone by fellow third basemen David Wright and Miguel Cabrera, Chipper Jones takes home Bat Of The Night honors for Thursday – the third 3B to do so this week. Jones went a perfect 4/4 at the plate, hitting 2 homers and a double while scoring and driving in 3 runs in the Braves blowout of Florida.

Arm Of The Night: John Smoltz – 5 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 10 K (W)

The Atlanta Braves sweep the top honors tonight with John Smoltz’s 10 strikeout effort making him our Arm Of The Night. Smoltz was virtually unhittable in his 5 innings of work allowing only 3 hits and being pulled early with the Braves putting the game out of reach. Despite only going 5 or 6 innings in each of his 3 starts, Smoltz has allowed only 1 earned run over his first 16 innings while striking out 21 batters. Soon to be 41, the future Hall Of Famer remains an elite fantasy starter.

Bottom Line: Raul Casanova – 0/6, 4 K

It took extra innings, but the Mets backup catcher earned himself a golden sombrero striking out 4 times in 6 forgettable at bats.

Honorable Mentions

Top Five

Thursday night was full of gaudy numbers both at the plate and on the mound. Manny Ramirez and Carlos Quentin hit two homers a piece while Jake Peavy and little known Nationals’ starter John Lannan registered double digit strikeout totals. Prince Fielder finally got on the board with his first homerun and Fausto Carmona played the role of stopper for the tribe shutting down the Tigers after Sabathia’s poor performance Wednesday.

Bats

Manny Ramirez – 3/5, 3 R, 2 HR, 3 RBI
Carlos Quentin - 2/3, 3 R, 2 HR, 2 RBI
Joey Votto – 2/4, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 5 RBI
Prince Fielder – 2/5, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI
Chris Coste – 4/5, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI

Arms

Fausto Carmona – 6.2 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K (W)
Brett Myers – 7 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K (W)
Vincente Padilla – 7 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 2 K (W)
Jake Peavy – 8 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 11 K (W)
John Lannan – 6 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 11 K (W)

Bottom Five

Golden Sombreros for Brad Hawpe and Tony Clark, but we give them a pass since they just participated in a marathon 6 hour plus, 22 inning game in San Diego.

Bats

Brad Hawpe – 0/7, 4 K, 1 RBI
Tony Clark – 1/8, 4 K
Aubrey Huff – 0/5, 3 K
Luis Gonzalez – 0/4, 3 K
Tadahito Iguchi – 0/7, 1 K

Arms

Ricky Nolasco – 4.2 IP, 9 H, 6 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, 4 HR (L)
Lenny DiNardo – 2.1 IP, 5 H, 5 ER, 4 BB, 2 K (L)
Boof Bonser – 4 IP, 7 H, 6 ER, 2 BB, 0 K (L)
Brandon Backe – 3 IP, 10 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 2 K (L)
Mike Mussina – 3 IP, 7 H, 5 ER, 0 BB, 1 K (L)

Making A Case...

Joey Votto – 2/4, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 5 RBI

The Reds stud first base prospect earned a starting job out of spring training and is really beginning to come into his own. Votto broke out this week in the Reds’ 3 game series against the Cubs, slugging 2 homers and driving in 7 runs. The 24 year old rookie has the ability to maintain an average around .300 and has legitimate 20-20 potential although he may not realize it this season.

Carlos Quentin - 2/3, 3 R, 2 HR, 2 RBI

Quentin smashed homers 3 and 4 last night and has great power potential starting everyday as the RF in the southside of Chicago. He hits in a good lineup and plays in a favorable hitters park so 3o homeruns are not out of the question. However, our money would be on 20-25 HR with a batting average around .270-.280.

Ryan Ludwick – 4/5, 2 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 1 RBI

The former career minor leaguer continues to produce when he plays. He is 9/16 with 4 HR and 6 RBI in his last 4 starts and is truly making a case for Tony Larussa to hand him a starting outfield gig. As of now he is splitting time with Skip Schumaker which hurts his value.

Carlos Silva – 7 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K (W)

Silva continues to the job done despite low strikeout totals and inability to miss bats. This win moves him to 3-0 on the season and his 2.79 ERA and 1.14 WHIP cannot be ignored. The fact so many balls are put in play against Silva makes him a prime candidate to get rocked on any given outing. However, he is in a good situation in Seattle pitching in a big ballpark and for a team that plays good infield and outfield defense. Silva is an innings eater pitching for a contender so he should be a pretty good source of wins and quality starts. But we would advise to play the matchups with him to avoid the inevitable rough outings.

Nelson Figueroa – 7 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 K (ND)

The Brooklyn native has made a triumphant return to New York posting back to back good outings. Figueroa will continue to serve as the Mets’ #5 starter as long as Pedro Martinez and Orlando Hernandez continue to miss time and is a decent start given the right matchup against weaker offenses.

Fantasy Observations & Thoughts

- Chad Cordero did not appear in last night’s 14 inning affair at Shea Stadium and Jon Rauch was called upon by Manny Acta when a save situation arose. Check out this post from last night for more on Washington’s closer situation.

- Lots of extra baseball last night with four games going into extra innings highlighted of course by the Rockies and Padres playing 22 innings deep into the night.

- George Sherrill continues to sit atop the closer position, earning a win last night in Baltimore’s 6-5 victory over the White Sox in 10 innings. Sherrill is a legitimate sell high candidate right now, this can’t last!

- Speaking of Baltimore, former Oriole Miguel Tejada hit his third homer of the season on the same day he admitted to his new employer that he is actually 33 years of age and not 31 as previously stated. Whatever his age, if Tejada stays healthy he should have a nice season hitting in Minute Maid Park. The stadium is built for right handed pull hitters.

- Blown saves last night by Manny Corpas and Bobby Jenks. For Jenks it was his first of the season.

- Contract Year Watch: Pat Burrell hit homer #6 while Manny Ramirez hit 2 homers bringing his total on the season to 5.

- Ken Griffey Jr hit his third homer last night bringing his career total to 596.

- That’s 5 unblemished saves now for CJ Wilson in Texas.


Check out the Fantasy Baseball Happy Recap every weekday on Fantasy Sports Experience!

Fantasy Baseball Pickups Around The Diamond - Week 3

Catcher

Mike Napoli- The Anaheim catcher has hit 2HR with 5RBI in his last 4 games and has a mini-hot streak going. In fact, thus far this season Napoli leads all catchers with 4HR. While Napoli has good power he doesn't hit for great average, which doesn't really fit that classic Anaheim Angel contact hitting identity. His other major problem is that Jeff Mathis is starting to take some starts for him as he is scorching hot right now. Of the two, Napoli has the better power and is considered the starter, yet Mathis has still managed to start 3 games this week, an awful lot for a back up. Bottom line in this situation is don't be fooled into thinking either are good fantasy option just because they play on a good team. Both are streaky and while Napoli has decent power, his at bats and starts are too inconsistent to trust for a full time fantasy gig.

Ryan Doumit- He was penciled in to back up Ronny Paulino, but apparently his bat didn't get that memo. Doumit has been hitting all season and boasts a BA of .341 to go along with 2HR and 7 runs scored. The negative is that he only has 4RBI and 1BB on the season, to go along with those numbers. Doumit's ability to hit has never been questioned and it has seemed like that for years the Pirates have tried to find a place for him. Keep an eye on Doumit, while he has only played games at catcher this season, he has played some outfield and first base in his career, so if he continues to hit, the Pirates will be forced to keep finding him a position to hit in.

FSE's Take- Don't go crazy over either player yet. Look for Doumit to get more at bats as he can play 1B and the OF in a pinch and is a more important part of the Pirates line up than Napoli is for Anaheim.

First Base

Mike Jacobs - We have seen this before from Jacobs. He shows flashes of brilliance and looks like a star in the making and then he gets hurt and fails to take his numbers to the next level. He has never hit more than 20HR in a season or batted over .265AVG in his career as a full time starter. If you are struggling for offense at 1B or need an extra bat, grab Jacobs. He is very hot right now, and you might as well ride that and benefit from it. I doubt he goes on to have a huge season or maintains the early HR pace that he has established but, he is hot and has been tearing the cover off of the ball. Grab him now, while he is still hot, and either try to trade him for value, or keep a careful eye on hi stats and look for that initial cold streak and dump him for another hot player.

Casey Kotchman- Young player who is entering his second full season as an everyday player this season and is really beginning to blossom as a hitter. Last season Kotchman showed he could hit for AVG, but really lacked in the power department. This season he already has 4HR after having 12HR in all of the 2007 season to go along with a .344AVG. The power numbers are a bit deceiving early on, but expect roughly 20HR to go along with a .310AVG. He is a fine pick up in all fantasy formats because he is more than just a guy on a hot streak.

Conor Jackson- Has been around a while for a young player, but Jackson finally looks primed to put up solid numbers for a 1B this season. Jackson hit .290AVG with 15HR and 79RBI in 2006 and then regressed a bit in 2007 hitting .284 with 15HR and 60RBI. While the numbers don't show a total regression, they don't show a good progression that you like to see from a young player. Another problem was that in both of these seasons Arizona never gave Jackson 500+ at bats and he always seemed to lose playing time in crucial times to aging veterans. Jackson will have a fine season and even if he doesn't hit over 20HR, is surrounded by a young and exciting line up so he will have plenty of RBI opportunities. He isn't an elite 1B option, but he will put up fine numbers this year, as he finally looks to have a strangle hold on the starting spot.

FSE's Take- I would rank these first basemen in the following order: Kotchman, Jackson, Jacobs. The first 2 could be interchangeable but I have a better feeling about Kotchman for the 2008 season than I do Jackson. Jacobs has the most upside as far as power goes, but he is also the biggest injury risk.

Second Base

Not a ton going on here...

Orlando Hudson- Another member of the high octane D-Backs' offense, Hudson has been around a while and has turned into a viable fantasy option over the last couple of seasons. The best way to describe Hudson in cliche form: "He doesn't do anything great, but he does a lot things well enough to stay productive." Basically, he posts decent enough numbers in all parts of the game to make him a decent player. Look at his 2007 numbers, .294AVG, 10HR, 10SB, 69R, 63RBI, .351OBP. Again nothing crazy, and none of the numbers jump out at you, but across the board they are respectable enough to use in deep leagues and is consistent enough to use over the course of a season.

Third Base

Evan Longoria- The Ray's hot 3B prospect was expected to crack the Major League roster out of spring training. Well he didn't and it was big news, but the stay in AAA was short and he has found himself back in the majors in a little under 3 weeks. Longoria will hit, and reminds me of a young Eric Chavez - a guy who can hit for power and AVG and carry an offense when he is going well. I don't think that fantasy owners can expect that quite yet, but 15HR and 65-70RBI are not totally out of the question. Expect to see some ups and downs from Longoria this season, as he is still rookie seeing his first major league time.

Nomar Garciaparra- This old gag. He was activated off the DL early and people saw the name "Nomar Garciaparra" and overreacted. Nomar is no longer a good player. He has lost his power stroke and is not a reliable RBI guy. While he has managed to stay on the field a bit more in the last few seasons, it doesn't really matter because he is no longer a viable fantasy option. Let some other sucker take a flier on Nomar as you would be better off trying a guy like Longoria with better upside and power potential. Nomar is also less of a threat to get consistent at bats because the Dodgers will wind up with a small log jam at 3B once Andy LaRoche comes back.

FSE's Take- Longoria is clearly going to be a better player for this season and seasons going forward. Please do not fall into the "name game," judging players on past accomplishments rather than what they are doing this season.

Shortstop

Erick Aybar- Had a mini hit streak going with 9 hits in 5 days and managed to steal a couple of bags along the way, which is the best you can hope for from Aybar. He is currently going to see the bulk of at bats at SS for the next week or so while Maicer Izturis fills in for the injured Howie Kendrick. I am not a big Ayabar fan as it seems like the only thing he does well is steal bases and he doesn't exactly get on base enough to do that consistently because he doesn't draw a lot of walks. He has stolen 2 bases in this period, and if that's what you need he can be helpful, but I wouldn't go too crazy here. A lot of times guys like this get overrated because of the team they are on and their history of bringing up successful players, when in all actuality he isn't that good.

Outfield

Ryan Ludwick- A career minor leaguer, the 30-year-old is finally getting his shot to play with the Cardinals this season and is making the most of it. The difficulty for him will be staying hot with the bat so he can fend off Skip Schumaker for the majority of playing time in the outfield. While Ludwick is hot right now, I would avoid grabbing him if you are in a league with a maximum adds limit. His inconsistent playing time is a concern, as is the fact that he has never had a full major league season under his belt.

Nate McLouth- Love this guy. He can hit a HR and steal a bag on any given night, already has reached double digits in RBI and runs, and has fought off a small of army of players who were trying to take the CF job from him in spring training. While his batting average should go down, I think McLouth has the ability to maintain his current production because he can draw a walk and get on base. Considering he plays on the Pirates these numbers are all the more awe inspiring.

FSE's Take- Go out and grab him. He will be a solid player, barring injury or the Pirates organization doing something inexplicably stupid. Unfortunately with the Pirates, the latter is a strong possibility.

Jeremy Hermida- Was quickly gaining "That old gag" status as he seemed like a highly touted prospect with power and speed destined to flame out without doing much. But in the second half of last season he showed himself to be a fine player, and a good RBI bat. He came into this season as a highly touted sleeper who had many excited with his strong spring training. He then proceeded to do what cost him his once elite prospect status; he got hurt and missed time. Hermida is back now and swinging a good bat and is quickly back on the most adds bandwagon. I like Hermida and I think he still can be a fine fantasy player. However, the injury factor scares me a bit, and I will go to my grave saying, "You need healthy players to win in fantasy." Avoid Hermida, unless you desperately need the OF help and are in a very deep league.

Do you think we forgot anyone? We are sure there are some players who we left out. Send us your feedback and tell us who we felt we slighted and we'll do out best to get to your response and comments.

Fantasy Baseball Pickups on the Mound- Week 3

Starting Pitchers

Cliff Lee- Lee is off to a fast start and I am normally a skeptic when it comes to pitchers like this, but I like Cliff lee to have a fine consistent season. He was a good pitcher in 2005 and for parts of 2006. 2007 was a bit of an enigma, as Lee started the season hurt and never seemed to be able to regain his form from previous seasons, bottoming out with a trip to the minor leagues. Lee looks to be healthy and back to his form of old. He is a decent K option and should have a good record because he plays on a very good offensive team. Go out and grab him if he is still available in your league. He won't be great, but he will be solid and consistent, look for an ERA of 3.75 and a WHIP of 1.35, to go along with a record of 15-5.

Gavin Floyd- Has seen starts in parts of the last four seasons, but only entering his second full season as a full time major league starter. He looks to have finally found a good groove and has started the 2008 season hot, throwing 3 QS in a row to go along with a decent K rate. What is impressive is that he has seen the Detroit Tigers twice this season and actually got better from his first to second start. Most of the time a team will figure a pitcher out from one start to another and put up better numbers against them the second time they see them. The fact that Floyd actually got better against a good hitting team, speaks to how unique a pitcher he can be and what he can become.

Kyle Lohse- In four starts this season Lohse has looks begrudging good. A guy who has been known to mail it in during starts when he has bad stuff, seems to be another case of the Cardinals Career Revitalization Foundation in action. He has four starts this year going 5+ innings in all of them and not surrendering more than 2 runs in any of them.

I normally wouldn't tell you to touch Lohse, but you know what he might be worth it this season. He went into the 2007 off season with agent Scott Boras expecting a 4 year $40 million dollar a year contract, and didn't get it. Didn't get anywhere near it at all, in fact he was unemployed going into spring training until the Cards were hard up for a starter. So in reality what this is for Lohse is his season to cash in on big money, so he has to pitch well. Lohse is a glorified innings eater who is going to pitch well this season so he can cash in on the 4 year $40million dollar contract he didn't get last off season. Hitters do it all the time, why not a pitcher?

Mike Pelfrey- Young Met with a hot arm. Pelfrey has spent parts of 2006 and 2007 in the majors with the Mets and both season had a common theme; disaster. But the 2008 season has seen a new Mike Pelfrey. He has bee aggressive, trusting his stuff more and has positioned himself to be able to stay with the big club for more than his usual cup of coffee because he has been so good early on. He will need to show he can do this consistently for a few more starts before I start buying that he can be a solid fantasy option, but what he has shown everyone now is that the potential the Mets talked about for years really is there and he can pitch.

Wandy Rodriguez- Lefty with dynamite stuff, great K rate, low ERA and WHIP, whats not to love? His home to road splits for one.

Home: 95 IP, 6-3, 2.94 ERA, .220 Opp BA and 8 HR Allowed          
Away: 87.2 IP, 3-10, 6.37 ERA, .287 Opp BA and 14 HR Allowed          

What is strangest among those stats is the HR away total being higher than the home total. Minute Maid ballpark is a right handed pull hitter's paradise, and should own a lefty like Wandy. The fact he thrives there, shows the kind of potential he has as a pitcher. All of Wandy's starts this year have come at home, which have probably contributed to his hot start. He is a very good pitcher and if he can figure out how to pitch on the road, the Astros have something special to go alongside Roy Oswalt as a nasty 1-2 combination.

Relief Pitchers

Manny Acosta- Someone has to close in Atlanta.

Doug Brocail- The ageless veteran reliever has become the number one set up man in the Houston bullpen and as is usually the case, they get first crack at saves if something happens to the closer. Well Jose Valverde has been bad early and really struggling to get the job done in any situation. Valverde already has 2 blown saves and has an ERA of 11.37 with a WHIP of over 2. With Valverde struggling this much Brocail might step in for a save or 2 until Jose is able to right himself. Of course there could also be more to this. Until last season Valverde was always getting hurt and missing time. Perhaps he is trying to quietly pitch through an injury now and that is contributing to his ineffectiveness. Either way, grab Brocail if you have the space for him in your league, he already notched one save the other day and maybe in line for more. He will also be a good source of holds for those of you using that statistic in your leagues.

Chad Cordero Losing Grip On Closer Role - Jon Rauch Gets The Call At Shea

The bottom of the 8th inning at Shea Stadium tonight was very telling in regards to the Washington Nationals' closer situation. With the team clinging to a 2-1 lead and a runner in scoring position with 2 outs, manager Manny Acta turned to Jon Rauch rather than Chad Cordero to close out the ballgame. 

Although Rauch promptly blew the lead by giving up a single to Carlos Delgado, it is becoming clear that the team is losing faith in Cordero. The Chief has pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings thus far, however. his lack of velocity has been troubling to the Nationals' coaching staff. Concerns about the health of Cordero's shoulder are mounting and I bet that GM Jim Bowden secretly wishes he had dealt the 26 year old closer when he had the chance at the 2007 trade deadline.

Cordero, who recently returned from a DL stint, insists he is fine. But given the fact that the Mets-Nationals game is now in the 13th inning and we have yet to see the flat-brimmed righty is a strong indication that something is wrong.

Fantasy Impact

It appears that it will be hard for Manny Acta to trust Cordero to finish ballgames as long as his velocity is down. Look for Jon Rauch to serve as the Nats' closer while Cordero works out his issues. It is safe to say that The Chief cannot be considered an elite closer any longer and owners have to be concerned about what exactly Cordero will have to offer during the course of the 2008 fantasy season. 

Pitcher Injury Updates & Fantasy Impact - Week 3

Each week, FSE takes a look at the key injuries affecting fantasy baseball owners and offers updates, projected return times and the impending fantasy implications. Here, we focus on the pitchers.

Next Stop - DL…

Joe Borowski (Strained Triceps) – Borowski hit the 15 day DL immediately following a disastrous blown save compliments of Manny and the Red Sox. He is now expected out for at least a month.

Fantasy Impact: All-world setup man Rafael Betancourt will get his shot to close in Borowski’s absence. If Betancourt proves reliable, Borowski’s days of working the ninth in Cleveland may be over.

Projected Return: Mid-Late May

Erik Bedard (Hip) – Bedard hit the 15-day DL due to inflammation in his right hip. The DL date is retroactive to April 9th making the 24th the first day he can return but the team has said it does not intend to rush their ace back. Bedard is definitely out for week 3 and is a risky proposition for week 4. The earliest he could return would be for a weekend series against Oakland the 25th-27th but we wouldn’t count on it. Bedard owners should plan on him being out of action until week 5.

Fantasy Impact: Tough blow for Bedard owners but injuries should you knew he was injury prone when you drafted him. Hopefully this is just a minor early season setback and he returns on schedule and effective.

Projected Return: Late April – Early May

Al Reyes (Shoulder) – Reyes is headed to the DL with an impinged right shoulder. The team said Reyes will be out until at least late April but given his advanced age, we would suspect his DL stint will last longer.

Fantasy Impact: The Tampa pen has been ineffective and is now injury riddled with Reyes and Kurt Birkins both out. Dan Wheeler will slide into the role of primary 8th inning setup man with Reyes out and could be a decent source of holds.

Projected Return: May

On The Shelf…

Pedro Martinez (Hamstring) – Some conflicting reports on the severity of Pedro’s hamstring injury coming from Omar Minaya and Pedro himself. The GM says the team will be cautious with Pedro and likely hold him out beyond the original 6 week timetable that was set for his return. Meanwhile, Pedro told Dominican sources he is working hard, feels ahead of schedule and could return before the end of May.

Fantasy Impact: Pedro’s injury coupled with the extended absence of El Duque who is still fighting back from a foot injury means Mike Pelfrey and Nelson Figueroa are guaranteed around another month’s worth of starts. In the case of Pelfrey, he has pitched great thus far in April and is beginning to realize his potential. If the big righty continues to prosper, Hernandez may not be guaranteed a regular spot in the rotation upon his return and may land in the bullpen.

Projected Return: I like Pedro’s optimism but there is no way the Mets agree to rush the veteran pitcher back - Mid-May.

Back Later This Week…

Shawn Hill (Forearm) – The promising yet injury-riddled Nats’ youngster went 6 innings in a AAA rehab start and is scheduled to make his season debut Saturday against Florida.

Fantasy Impact: Hill is a guy we have always liked around FSE and has the potential to be an effective NL starter if he can stay healthy. He won’t win all that many games playing for a bad Nationals’ team but can be a good source of quality starts and ERA support.

Projected Return: Saturday at Florida

Yovani Gallardo (Knee Surgery) – Gallardo threw 90 pitched in a recent AAA rehab assignment and looked strong. He is scheduled to make his season debut Sunday at Cincinnati.

Fantasy Impact: Ned Yost has a decision to make regarding his starting rotation. Youngsters Carlos Villanueva and Manny Parra got off to hot starts filling in for Gallardo but have struggled of late while veteran Dave Bush has more or less struggled all season. One guy will be removed from the rotation upon Gallardo’s return and our money remains on Bush being moved to the pen… although we are not as confident about that call as we were a week ago. Stay tuned.

Projected Return: Making Season Debut Sunday at Cincinnati

On The Road Back…

Scott Kazmir (Elbow) – Kazmir threw two innings in extend spring training and will now make a rehab a class A rehab on Friday.

Fantasy Impact: Kazmir’s return will push James Shields and Matt Garza (upon his return) back a slot in the rotation adding to their value. Andy Sonnanstine and Edwin Jackson, who has pitched well in the early going, should round out the Rays’ rotation.

Projected Return: Early May

Mark Mulder (Shoulder) – Threw 63 pitches in his first Class A rehab start, allowing 1 earned run and 6 hits over 5 innings of work. Mulder also registered a strikeout but more importantly did not walk any batters.

Fantasy Impact: Mulder’s return is rapidly approaching. Given the way the Cardinals staff has performed, he has to be considered a solid sleeper going into May and a prime DL-stash candidate.

Projected Return: Early May

JJ Putz (Ribcage) – Putz threw off the mound Wednesday for the second time this week; however, the team still refuses to provide a definitive timetable for his return. He threw 41 pitches in a 10-minute bullpen session and reportedly felt fine afterwards; an encouraging sign.

Fantasy Impact: Mark Lowe appears to be the top closing option in the Mariners bullpen right now and could be a source of a few cheap saves while Putz is out.

Projected Return: With the way Seattle is handling their prized closer, he looks 1 ½ - 2 weeks away from returning. Think week 5 Putz owners.

Rafael Soriano (elbow) – Soriano is recovering well from elbow tendonitis. His DL date is retroactive to April 9th meaning he is eligible to return April 23-24 against Florida.

Fantasy Impact: With Peter Moylan down and possibly done (see below) Soriano will be asked to carry the load in the Braves’ pen. He will immediately return to his role as closer upon returning.

Projected Return: April 23-24 vs. Florida

Dontrelle Willis (Knee) – Hasn’t experienced any setbacks in recovering from a hyperextended knee outside of a 761 dollar fine, 50 hours community service and 6 months probation as a result of a DUI arrest.

Fantasy Impact: Willis was off to a rocky start before the injury. D-train owners are hoping he can regain his old form upon his return and that he has learned to know when to say when. With the Tigers beginning to roll, the Willis is a more attractive pitching option going forward and could be a nice buy low candidate right now.

Projected Return: Late April

John Lackey (Triceps) – Lackey threw a 40 pitch bullpen session and 20 pitches to live batters before Wednesday’s game. Lackey has now thrown 3 bullpen sessions in the past 2 weeks and his next moves will be a two inning simulated game Saturday followed by a Class A rehab assignment.
Fantasy Impact: Lackey owners and Angels fans eagerly await the return of the bonafide fantasy and real-life ace.

Projected Return: Early-Mid May

Rich Harden (Arm) – Harden has been shutdown and has not thrown in a week. However, the A’s say the righty is on schedule for a return in late April.

Fantasy Impact: Harden had strung together a series of great starts before going down with an arm injury. It is believed the injury is mild and the extended rest is more precautionary given his extensive injury history.

Projected Return: Best Case Scenario - April 25th-27th series at Seattle. More likely - Week 5.

Matt Garza (Elbow) – Garza felt no pain after a 30 pitch bullpen session Tuesday. Garza has said he feel great and will be ready to return as early as next Thursday, April 24.

Fantasy Impact: Garza is a talented young pitcher and will slot into the 3 slot once Kazmir returns from injury in early May.

Projected Return: April 25th-27th series vs. Boston

Mike Gonzalez (Elbow) – Gonzalez has been throwing live batting practice and is starting a rehab assignment in Florida as he closes on a return to the majors after missing nearly a year following Tommy John surgery.

Fantasy Impact: Given the state of the Atlanta bullpen with Peter Moylan down and Rafael Soriano being injury prone, Gonzalez could be in line to close at some point this season. He makes for a very under the radar DL stash candidate as he nears his return.

Projected Return: Early May

Fantasy Graveyard - Headed to Dr. James Andrews…

Fernando Rodney (Shoulder) – Rodney has struggled in his bullpen session and will now get his ailing shoulder checked out by Dr. Andrews.

Fantasy Impact: Rodney has been a good source of holds and a candidate to vulture saves in the past but I wouldn’t expect much from him in 2008.

Peter Moylan (Right Elbow Soreness) – Moylan felt the dreaded “twinge” in his elbow and is now extremely sore and headed for a visit with Dr. James Andrews.

Fantasy Impact: The Braves don’t sound to optimistic about their workhorse reliever and whatever the case, you can expect Moylan to miss a decent amount of time with the chance he is shutdown for the season. With oft-injured closer Soriano also out until at least Tuesday, Manny Acosta will likely be the best source of saves in the Braves bullpen for now. Reminder, keep an eye out for Mike Gonzalez!

Fantasy Baseball Happy Recap - 4/16/08

Bat Of The Night: Miguel Cabrera – 4/6, 2 R, 1 HR, 5 RBI

The third basemen are getting hot! A night after David Wright snagged Bat Of The Night recognition for his 5 RBI outing against the Nats, fellow 3B stud Miguel Cabrera responded in kind with 4 hits and 5 RBI against CC Sabathia (see below) and the struggling Indians. After a slow start, the Tigers offense is beginning to click on all cylinders, a frightening proposition for AL pitching staffs. Get all viable Tigers’ bats into you lineup stat.

Arm Of The Night: Felix Hernandez – 9 IP, 8 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K (CG, W)

The King has been lights out thus far in 2008 but hasn’t had much to show for it due to shaky work behind him in the Mariners’ bullpen. He entered the game 1-0 despite throwing shutouts in 2 of his first 3 outings and was brilliant on this night throwing a complete game allowing only 1 earned run and striking out 8. With ace Erik Bedard in front of him, Hernandez has looked more comfortable pitching out the 2 spot in the rotation and is seeing better pitching matchups on a nightly basis. This could be the year Hernandez puts it all together over a full season.

Bottom Lines: CC Sabathia – 4 IP, 8 H, 9 ER, 5 BB, 1 K (L)
Josh Fogg – 2 IP, 7H, 9 ER, 2 BB, 3 K (L)

Two starts, two appearances on the Bottom Line for the returning AL Cy Young award winner CC Sabathia. The big lefty is now 0-3 for the first time in his career and opponent are hitting a ridiculous .390 against him. ESPN’s Eduardo Perez noted that Sabathia’s velocity remains on point but that he has been simply unable to locate his pitches. He has left many pitches up and over the plate and has paid the price. Despite his remarkable struggles, Sabathia is too good to be this bad for much longer and don’t forget he is in a contract year. Josh Fogg’s line speaks for itself, the self-proclaimed “Dragon Killer” was slain by the Cubs.

Honorable Mentions

Top Five

Redemption is the theme of our Top Five bats and arms as Roy Oswalt finally got on track after a series of rough starts to begin the season while Jim Thome homered, doubled and drove in 3 in his return from a 1 game suspension. Also noteworthy was a big 5 RBI night from Edgar Renteria of the surging Tigers and Michael Bourn continuing to thrive in Houston and sticking it to his former team in the process.

Bats

Edgar Renteria - 3/4, 2 R, 1 HR, 5 RBI
Michael Bourn – 2/4, 2 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 SB
Rafael Furcal – 4/4, 2 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI
Frank Catalanotto – 3/7, 3 R, 2 2B, 1 HR, 1 RBI
Jim Thome – 2/4, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI

Arms

Adam Wainwright – 7.2 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K (W)
Brandon Webb – 8 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K (W)
Roy Oswalt – 7 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K (W)
Jose Contreras – 7 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 K (W)
Carlos Zambrano – 7 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K (W)

Bottom Five

Rough night for a few front-line starters and big bats. Tim Hudson and Chien-Ming Wang struggled mightily against division foes while Adrian Gonzalez and Brandon Phillips lead a star-studded cast of fantasy regulars who struggled at the dish Wednesday.

Bats

Kelly Johnson – 0/4, 3 K, 1 R
Brandon Phillips – 0/4, 2 K
Hunter Pence – 0/3, 2 K
Adrian Gonzalez – 0/4, 2 K
Carlos Delgado – 0/4, 2 K

Arms

Carlos Villanueva – 4.2 IP, 8 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 0 K (L)
Tim Hudson – 3 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 1 K (L)
Pat Maholm – 5 IP, 11 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 2 K (L)
Clay Buchholz – 3.2 IP, 8 H, 6 ER, 1 BB, 2 K (ND)
Chien-Ming Wang – 4 IP, 9 H, 8 ER, 3 BB, 2 K (ND)

Making A Case...

Ryan Church – 2/4, 2 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI

With Alfonoso Soriano injured super utility man Mark Derosa will see more playing time in the outfield. DeRosa gives you good position flexibility with eligibility at 2B, 3B and the OF and can provide respectable contributions in runs scored, RBI and batting average. Consider him a good stopgap option if you are experiencing injury woes or need a spot starter.

Fantasy Observations & Thoughts

- Doug Brocail was called upon to close out Houston’s 2-1 win at Philadelphia last night and did so successfully pitching a scoreless ninth. We had mentioned that Brocail was the Astros’ top closing option behind the struggling Valverde in yesterday’s Happy Recap and it appears we are on point. Brocail may become an intriguing bullpen option sooner rather than later.

- AJ Burnett was called upon in a relief role last night, pitching the 14th inning in Toronto’s marathon affair against Texas. Burnett let up 2 earned runs and took the loss. It appears he remains on schedule to pitch Friday against Detroit but that may change. Keep an eye on this situation as the Blue Jays may choose to push Burnett back to the weekend.

- Brad Penny snapped a 2 game losing streak pitching 5.2 innings of scoreless ball in the Dodgers win over Pittsburgh.

- Gil Meche allowed 2 runs over 6 innings to earn his first win of the season. The front-end of the Royals staff has been arguably the best in baseball thus far this season and rumor has it Luke Hochevar may be called up to solidify the back-end soon. The Royal’s top pitching prospect has been dominant in AAA and will be an intriguing fantasy option upon his arrival. KC has the makings of a really good pitching staff for years to come.

- A night after getting 4 hits and missing a cycle by a homer, Jose Reyes tagged his first home run of the season in the Mets 5-2 win against Washington. Reyes now has 6 hits in his last two games since returning from a hamstring injury and is heating up with the weather.

- Carl Crawford homered again last night, his second blast in two nights. One of these seasons, Crawford is going to reach his full potential as a .300+, 100 R, 20 HR, 90 RBI, 50 Steal guy and there is a chance 2008 might be it.


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Fantasy Baseball Happy Recap - 4/15/08

Bat Of The Night: David Wright – 3/4, 2 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 5 RBI

Big night for the Mets third baseman driving in 5 runs, tops in the league yesterday. Wright also added a single, double, homerun and 2 runs scored and is truly an all-around threat in fantasy given his 25-30 stolen base ability.

Arm Of The Night: Randy Wolf – 7 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 4 BB, 9 K (W)

Wolf actually took a no hitter into the 6th inning before giving up a single to Brad Hawpe, the only hit he would surrender in 7 innings of work, and lowered his early season ERA to 1.42. Wolf also struck out 9 and looks to be 100% healthy after enduring a few injury-riddled seasons coming into 2008. The veteran lefty is in a great situation in San Diego pitching in the pitcher’s paradise known at Petco Park. He is proving himself to be a good weekly start, especially at home where he has allowed 1 earned run in 13 innings.

Bottom Line: Jose Valverde – 0.1 IP, 3 H, 4 ER, 0 BB, 2 K (BS, L)

Another struggling closer takes home our bottom line tonight. Shawn Chacon was brilliant for Houston last night pitching 8 innings of shutout ball and allowing only 4 hits. Valverde entered in the bottom of the ninth with a 3-0 and proceeded to blow the game giving up 4 runs on homers by Chris Snelling and Pat Burrell and an eventual walk off double by Pedro Feliz. Valverde has been terrible thus far in Houston and has looked more like the inconsistent closer we saw prior to his 47 save campaign in 2007. Houston’s bullpen doesn’t really offer any solid fallback options at closer but one guy to keep an eye on is veteran Doug Brocail who has looked good thus far.

Honorable Mentions

Top Five

Hot return for Jose Reyes piling up 4 hits and missing a cycle by a homer in the Mets win over the Nats. Derrek Lee continues his assault on National League pitching while Magglio and the Tigers bats are beginning to warm up a little. On the pitching side, Scott Olsen and John Danks followed up poor starts with gems last night. Micah Owings continues to pitch well and is putting up some under the radar strikeout numbers.

Bats

Derrek Lee - 3/5, 2 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI
Aaron Hill – 2/3, 1 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI
Magglio Ordonez – 2/4, 2 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 2 RBI
Chris Young – 2/4, 2 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI
Jose Reyes – 4/5, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 3B

Arms

John Danks – 7.2 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 K (W)
Scott Olsen – 7 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K (W)
Micah Owings – 6 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K (W)
Shaun Marcum – 6.2 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 4 K (L)
Shawn Chacon – 8 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 K (ND)

Bottom Five

A few guys barely avoided the golden sombrero last night while usual suspects Matt Morris and Steve Trachsel reclaim their rightful positions on the Bottom Five. Something tells me we haven’t seen the last of those two in this section.

Bats

Aaron Rowand – 0/4, 3 K
Jason Kubel – 0/4, 2 K
Felix Pie – 0/4, 3 K
Matt Holliday – 0/4, 3 K
Bill Hall – 0/4, 2 K

Arms

Matt Morris – 4.2 IP, 7 H, 6 ER, 1 BB, 1 K (L)
Steve Trachsel – 2.1 IP, 5 H, 5 ER, 3 BB, 1 K (L)
Edwin Jackson – 5 IP, 4 H, 5 ER, 4 BB, 4 K (L)
John Bale – 3 IP, 7 H, 5 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
Jesse Crain – 1 IP, 2 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 1 K (L)

Making A Case...

Mike Pelfrey – 7 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 K (W)

Pelfrey has now strung together two solid back to back starts and last night pitched arguably his best game at the Major League level shutting out the Nationals over 7 innings of work. Pelfrey is showing far better control this season and has done a better job locating his pitches, especially his fastball. The results have been less walks (only 4 over his first 12 innings) and better overall results on the mound as the 23 year old is now 2-0. With Pedro and El Duque out until at least May, the Mets will rely heavily on Pelfrey and he should see good matchups pitching out of the 4 slot in the rotation.

Mark DeRosa – 2/4, 1 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI

With Alfonoso Soriano injured super utility man Mark Derosa will see more playing time in the outfield. DeRosa gives you good position flexibility with eligibility at 2B, 3B and the OF and can provide respectable contributions in runs scored, RBI and batting average. Consider him a good stopgap option if you are experiencing injury woes or need a spot starter.

Conor Jackson – 2/4, 2 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI

Jackson continues to produce in both the RBI and runs scored departments and has now homered in consecutive games. The power is starting to come for Jackson, bring him aboard before it’s too late.

Fantasy Observations & Thoughts

- Russ Martin hit his first homerun of the season last night. Hopefully this will get the Dodgers’ catcher going because he has struggled mightily thus far.

- No word on the extent of Alfonso Soriano’s injury yet. Lou Piniella is not optimistic saying that Soriano could be out for a while.

- Braden Looper and Ryan Dempster improved to 3-0 and 2-0 respectively.

- Pat Burrell tagged his 5th homerun… (cough) contract year, while Mo Rivera, K-Rod and Bobby Jenks registered their 5th saves of the season.

- Miguel Cabrera, Gary Sheffield, Carlos Guillen and Magglio Ordonez all homered in the Tigers win last night. Just wanted to send this warning out to fantasy owners: The Tigers Offense Is Coming, The Tigers Offense Is Coming! Somewhere Rob Deer is smiling…

Wednesday Fantasy News and Notes

Back In The Lineup

Jimmy Rollins- News had him coming back on Tuesday, but he sat out with some discomfort he felt before the game started. He did manage to pinch hit in the game, and while he recorded and out the fact he was feeling well enough to pinch hit is a positive step forward. The hope was he'd be back on the field on Wednesday, but the Phils wound up holding him out again from playing. Personally, if I were with the Phils I'd take my time getting him back in the line up. It is way to early in the season to risk him injuring himself further and losing him for an even greater amount of time. That being said, the Phils look eager to get him back out there and, more importantly for you, you should feel eager to get him back in your line up. He may not be as fleet of foot because of the ankle sprain, but he is still an elite SS based on his ability to handle the bat.

Francicso Rodriguez- Nailed down his second save in as many days on Tuesday and looks like he is good to go following two sprained ankles. The injury sounds so fluky it's near hard to believe. He is one of the best so if you haven't already get him back on the mound.

R.A Dickey- Oh baby! Dickey gets the start on Friday meaning we have the return of a knuckleballer to fantasy baseball. Sure we all know Tim Wakefield, but now we have another name to add to the list as Dickey steps in for the DL'd Erik Bedard (See Below). Fantasy is supposed to be fun, which is the only reason I'll be adding Dickey this week. If it was just because he had a funny name it would be one thing, but add to that the fact that he is a knuckeballer.. oh baby sign me up for the Friday night start. I can't fully endorse him and tell you he is a great pick up, but if you have the veteran journeyman knuckleballer fetish that I do go ahead and grab him.

Out

Alfonso Soriano- He had to leave Tuesday night's game after catching a ball and hurting his calf in the first inning. Hold him out of your line up for Wednesday, but we can't say for sure how much time he'll miss (if any) yet. It did come out on Wednesday that Soriano would make a trip on the 15 day DL and the Cubs were optimistic he would be ready to return when the DL time was up. Frustrating for Soriano owners because he was just getting it going with bat, but at least he'll be back sooner rather than later.

Erik Bedard- Goes to the DL with an inflamed hip and making winners of all the people who took the under on the amount of time it would take for Bedard to land on the DL. This is a tough blow for Seattle and fantasy owners everywhere. Bedard can strike guys out and dominate a line up like fer others can. He is one of the few starters in baseball who can win a game for his team on his own. In head to head leagues you might want to find a hot arm to replace him like Gavin Floyd, Mike Pelfry or Wandy Rodriguez. We would endorse FSE favorites like Micah Owings or Brian Bannister, but they should already be taken, if you are in a serious league.

Peter Moylan- I spent most of spring training telling people to "handcuff" Rafael Soriano with Molyan because Soriano always gets hurt. The it turns out I was right early on and Soriano went down and Moylan came in. Unforeseen by me was Moylan getting hurt and his "handcuff" being turned to to collect saves. The bullpen in Atlanta has official become a disaster area. Moylan is going to visit Dr. Andrews to get the elbow checked out because there were some irregularities to the soreness that concerned the Braves. For fantasy owners everywhere Dr. Andrews is generally the kiss of death to a player's season.

Right now your guess to close games out for the ATL will probably be as good as Bobby Cox's. In all seriousness it'll probably be Manny Acosta who gets first crack at closing games, as he is the last man standing. (Note- Bob Wickman might have been fat, lazy and out of shape, but at least he was healthy.)

Called Up

Eric Patterson- Speedster from AAA ball gets the nod over FSE fave Matt Murton. Murton has better AAA numbers, it looks like the Cubs are trying to add another dimension to their bench by bringing up a guy who can steal a base in a late inning situation.

Hated On

MATT MURTON!- A favorite here at FSE, he should have gotten first crack to replace Soriano if he has to miss an extended period of time. He has never really gotten a chance to just stay in the outfield and keep a starting gig for a while and live with the ups and downs of a major league season. He won't get his chance and the Matt Murton fan club continues to grow restless.

Fantasy Baseball Happy Recap - 4/14/08

Bat Of The Night: Evan Longoria – 2/3, 2 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 1 RBI

After two respectable games over the weekend, Longoria broke out Monday night hitting his first major league homerun. He also added a double and scored twice on the night. Longoria has quickly established himself as a starting fantasy option and will be a fantasy stud at the third base for many years to come. You are looking at Ryan Braun 2K8.

Arm Of The Night: Zack Greinke – 9 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K (CG,W)

Another night, another young Royals starter stealing the show… this is getting ridiculous already. Greinke followed by Brian Bannister’s complete game shutout on Sunday afternoon with a complete game win of his own allowing 1 run and 5 hits over 9 innings while striking out 4. Greinke is now 3-0 on the young season with a 0.75 ERA and 0.92 WHIP and his ownership is now up over 90% for the first time all season. The secret is out, hope you got in while you could people.

Bottom Line: Joe Borowski – 0.2 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 0 K (BS, L)

After blowing yet another save opportunity in dramatic fashion yielding a 2 run go ahead home to Manny Ramirez, Borowski was placed on the 15 day DL with strained triceps. Rafael Betancourt is the new closer in Cleveland, grab him immediately.

Honorable Mentions

Top Five

A-rod and Carl Crawford make their first appearances in the Top Five accompanied by Delmon Young who has taken a little longer to get going than people expected on draft day. Patience everyone! Not much to report among the pitchers as Oakland’s Greg Smith is beginning to make a case for himself (not so fast my friend) while Ervin Santana and Jake Westbrook continue to pitch well.

Bats

Alex Rodriguez - 4/5, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI
Carl Crawford – 2/4, 1 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI
Miguel Olivo – 3/4, 2 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI
Ivan Rodriguez – 2/4, 2 R, 1 3B, 1 HR, 3 RBI
Delmon Young – 3/5, 3 R, 1 2B, 2 RBI, 1 SB

Arms

Greg Smith – 7 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K (W)
Ervin Santana – 7 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 6 K (W)
Matt Albers – 5 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K (W)
Mark Buerhle – 7 IP, 9 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K (L)
Jake Westbrook – 6.1 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 5 K (ND)

Bottom Five

Man, what a rough night for relief pitchers. In addition to Joe Borowski’s awful outing, Takashi Saito, Pat Neshek and Al Reyes also couldn’t hold late leads. Good to have Jason Bay, Travis Buck and JD Drew back on the Bottom Five, we missed you guys.

Bats

Jason Bay – 0/5, 2 K
Travis Buck – 0/5, 2 K
JD Drew – 0/4, 3 K
Jhonny Peralta – 0/3, 3 K
Paul Konerko – 0/4, 2K

Arms

Jason Jennings – 4.2 IP, 7 H, 7 ER, 4 BB, 5 K (L)
Takashi Saito – 1 IP, 41 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 1 K (BS,L)
Pat Neshek – 1 IP, 32 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 K (L)
Al Reyes – 0.2 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
Andy Sonnanstine – 3.1 IP, 9 H, 7 ER, 1 BB, 2 K (ND)

Making A Case...

Randy Johnson – 5 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 4 BB, 7 K (ND)

The Big Unit is back and looked good in his first outing striking out 7 batters over 5 shutout innings. Johnson did have some control problems as he walked 4 batters on the night. However, this is commonplace when a pitcher is making their first start after an extended DL trip. Johnson’s strikeout potential makes him a good add while his Hall Of Fame resume and the fact he plays for a contender in Arizona give him great upside going forward. Play the matchups with him until he fully proves healthy and effective.

Hank Blalock – 2/3, 1 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI

The Tank finished last season off strong and has carried that momentum into 2008. The former top 10 third basemen whose value has taken a tumble due to a series of injuries over the past few year is off to a strong start with 2 homers, 4 RBI and 6 runs scored on the young season. In addition, he has hit safely in 8 of 11 games, definitely a good sign going forward. Blalock has great sleeper potential especially given the fact he plays a thin position.

Conor Jackson – 2/4, 2 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI

Jackson is only owned in 60% of leagues right now due to injuries which have forced him to miss a few games and prevented him from building a consistent resume of success thus far. His current numbers warrant greater ownership as he is batting .312 with a homer and 10 RBI and runs scored. The fact he is scoring and driving in runs at will is very promising and the power should come as Jackson is certainly capable of hitting 20 homeruns. I am fully aware I have been pushing Jackson on you since the season began but it’s for your own good. Expect him to be a regular in the Making A Case portion of the Happy Recap until I see 80%+ ownership numbers! Add him!

Fantasy Observations & Thoughts

- Derek Jeter returned to the Yankee lineup and went 2/5 with 2 RBIs. Get him back in those lineups.

- Speaking of returning studs, Francisco Rodriguez pitched a perfect ninth to notch his first save since being sidelined with two sprained ankles over a week ago. We told you to put him in your lineup Sunday, shame on you if you didn’t believe in K-Rod.

- Great night for game winning homers by the away team in the top of the ninth inning. Nate McLouth did in the Dodgers while Manny sent Joe Borowski to the DL stinging with a 2 run bomb in Cleveland.

- Carl Crawford, BJ Upton and Evan Longoria each homered in last night’s game against the Yankees. The future is coming fast in Tampa, quite an offensive core they have there.

- George Sherrill let up his first 2 runs (and hits) of the season last night but came away with his Major League leading 6th save of the season for the AL East leading Baltimore Orioles. Gotta love April baseball…

Add Alert - Rafael Betancourt Closing In Cleveland; Joe Borowski On The DL

Joe Borowski was placed on the 15-day DL today with strained triceps. The move comes less than 24 hours after Borowski blew his 3rd save of the season, surrendering a go ahead 2 run homerun to Manny Ramirez in the top of the ninth in a 6-4 Cleveland loss. According to the team, Borowski's velocity has been down over his last few outings which they cite as the primary cause of his ineffectiveness in the early going. With Borowski out, setup man Rafael Betancourt will work the ninth inning for Cleveland.

Fantasy Impact

Rafael Betancourt was arguably the top setup man in all of baseball last year finishing the season with 31 holds - 6th best in baseball. Betancourt's numbers were simply dominating as he went 5-1 with a 1.47 ERA, 0.76 WHIP and struck out 80 batters in 79.1 innings of work. He also vultured three saves in 2007 and has 12 saves over his 6 year career.

Although he has been a bit more hittable in the early going in 2008, Betancourt certainly has the makeup to thrive in the closer role. The Indians are a contender in the American League and a team that traditionally plays a lot of tight ballgames, so he should receive plenty of save opportunities.

Given Borowski's immense struggles thus far, there is a chance that if Betancourt pitches well enough, Eric Wedge may opt to keep him as the closer even when Borowski returns in 2 weeks. If Betancourt should struggle, the team might turn to Raphael Perez or Masahide Kobayashi as a short-term ninth inning solution.

Monday Fantasy News and Notes

Back In The Lineup

Derek Jeter- After sitting out for a week with a strained quad Derek Jeter finally returns to the Yankee line up. Jeter was hitting just a shade over .200 with no HR or RBI when he injured himself, so maybe the time off actually helped him. At the time of the injury Jeter was really pressing at the plate and when he made contact it was often a slow dribbler or a fly out. Toss Jeter back in the line up tonight. He is playing against Andy Sonnanstine whom Jeter is hitting .400 against and could be the right tonic to get him back on the right foot.

David Ortiz- We said the other day that it looked like Ortiz needed a day or two off, and surprisingly enough manager Terry Francona took the initiative and benched Ortiz in the rubber game of the Sox series against the Yankees. Hopefully the day off did Ortiz well and allowed him to rest his body and head. Ortiz squares off against Jake Westbrook today who he is 0-7 against, but we could see him getting it going after a big hit against like a middle reliever or mop up man with marginal stuff. It might only take a hit or even a well hit foul ball for Ortiz to get his swing back. You have to get him back in the line up immediately; he is one of the best when he is going well.

Randy Johnson- He isn't what he was, but he can still be serviceable. Think Jaimie Moyer with a better heater. He squares off against the Giants whose offense suddenly looks pesky. Personally I like to hold off a start or 2 before playing a pitcher who is coming off the DL. There is a big difference between major league and minor league hitters, and while the Giants are awful, they still shold be able to knock off some hits against Unit and get to him.

Chad Cordero- Actually came back Sunday and got a save opportunity. Problem was he struggled with his control and even more disturbing, with his velocity. Cordero said he felt fine, yet pitching coach Randy St. Claire didn't sound as convinced, saying that Cordero normally tops off between 88-91 and on Sunday struggled to his 87. After loading the bases and throwing over 20 pitches in 2/3 of an inning, he had to be bailed out by Jon Rauch to get the last batter out. It could be that Cordero needs some more work to get his velocity back, or it could be something more serious. Personally I would try to trade Cordero for any other closer that I could get for him. This shoulder thing sounds like it could be problematic.

Jimmy Rollins- Is expected to be ready to start on Tuesday after sitting out most of week 2 with a sprained ankle. This type of injury makes me a little nervous as Rafael Furcal sprained his ankle in spring training of last season and was never right all season. Hopefully this is of much less severity and Rollins can continue to be the around hitting threat fantasy owners have gotten to know and love.

B.J. Ryan- Came back on Sunday and immediately gave up a lead off triple. He went on to retire the next three hitters in order without allowing the run to score. He was barely hitting 90 on the gun, so doesn't have his great stuff back yet, but he should be able to get by with his funky motion and hitting spots until then.

Called Up

Arthur Rhodes- I thought he was dead. Well at least retired, but he's back! Rhodes isn't what he was in his prime, but he is a solid situational lefty who seems like he still might have something left. If your league counts holds, Rhodes might actually be a decent option, so keep an eye on him to see what sort of situations the Mariners wind up using him in.

R.A. Dickey- I love the veteran journeymen knuckleballers. Dickey will probably pitch out of the pen as a long reliever, but could also give a different look as a set up man. He has posted good AAA numbers the last two seasons and took a no hitter into the 7th in his last start. As with any knuckleballer his success will be based on the amount of work he gets and how the knuckler is feeling that day. As with any knuckleballer it is a live and die way to live.

Out

Joba Chamberlain- Placed on the bereavement list so he can be with his father. Joba will be out for at least 3 days now, so look for Kyle Farnsworth to pick up the slack in his absence. I doubt he reads us, but i bet Joe Girardi cringed reading that.

Alex Gonzalez- X-rays show his knee is still cracked and will need at least another four- six weeks of recovery time. Which means...

Good News

Jeff Keppinger- Has done nothing but hit since midway through last season. He will continue to get starts at SS and all around the Cincy infield to be more exact as he is an invaluable utility man.

Greg Maddux & Brian Bannister- Many have called Bannister a young version of Maddux, so its fitting that they they each throw gems on the same day. Maddux went 5 and gave up no runs, while Bannister went all 9 for the complete game shut out. Both are very solid fantasy options, and will be consistent guys who, on the days when they don't have their best stuff will still battle, fight and get by on moxie and bravado.

Fantasy Baseball Weekly All-Star Team & Awards - Week 2

Awards Ceremony

Bat Of The Week: Matt Holliday – .480, 6 R, 2 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 10 RBI, 1 SB 1.398 OPS

Holliday rebounded from a terrible week one to edge out weekend stud Raul Ibanez for Bat Of The Week honors. The Rockies outfielder hit nearly .500 for the week and put up strong power numbers across the board namely in the RBI department. Additionally, Holliday even threw in a stolen base for good measure.

Arm Of The Week: Cole Hamels – 2 GS, 2-0, 14 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 5 BB, 9 K

Hamels picked the Phillies up this week, overwhelming the Cubs and Reds lineups; which is no small task. In three starts this season Hamels has only allowed 2 earned runs and 11 hits over 22 innings. His strikeout numbers are down but will surely come with time. By season’s end, we may be talking about the 24 year old Hamels as one of the elite pitchers in the game.

Pickup Of The Week: Ryan Ludwick - 5/12, 3 R, 3 HR, 5 RBI

No one could have seen this coming. Ludwick began the week owned in only 3% of CBS leagues and rightfully so given he is splitting time with Skip Schumaker in the Cardinals outfield. He received his first at bat of the week Thursday and his first start on Friday then proceeded to homer in each of the Cards three weekend games and drive in 5 runs. If Ludwick keeps hitting, he should keep playing and could be an intriguing option later in the season. Despite the big weekend, Ludwick’s ownership is only up to 7%.

Worst Week Ever: Phil Hughes – 2 GS, 0-2, 5 IP, 12 H, 9 ER, 7 BB, 5 K

Hughes couldn’t get past the 3rd inning in either of his starts this week, both losses, and worse yet in the eyes of Yankee fans – he got lit up in his first start at Fenway.

FSE All-Week One Team

C Bengie Molina - .384, 5 R, 1 2B, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 1.037 OPS
1B Lance Berkman - .391, 8 R, 4 2B, 3 HR, 7 RBI, 1.417 OPS
2B Mark Ellis – .384, 48 R, 3 2B, 2 3B, 5 RBI, 2 SB, 1.086 OPS
SS Hanley Ramirez - .392, 6 R, 2 2B, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 1 SB, 1.091 OPS
3B Joe Crede - .294, 5 R, 2 2B, 3 HR, 9 RBI, 1.309 OPS
OF Matt Holliday - .480, 6 R, 2 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 10 RBI, 1 SB, 1.398 OPS
OF Raul Ibanez - .370, 7 R, 3 2B, 1 3B, 4 HR, 11 RBI, 1.468 OPS
OF Justin Upton - .476, 4 R, 1 2B, 2 HR, 8 RBI 1.309 OPS
U Albert Pujols - .416, 7 R, 2 2B, 3 HR, 7 RBI, 1 SB 1.392 OPS
U Mark Reynolds - .291, 7 R, 1 2B, 3 HR, 9 RBI, 1 SB, 1.078 OPS

SP Brian Bannister – 2 GS, 1 CG, 2-0, 14 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 5 BB, 9 K
SP Javier Vasquez – 2 GS, 2-0, 14 IP, 12 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 17 K
SP Cole Hamels – 2 GS, 2-0, 14 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 5 BB, 9 K
SP Dan Haren - 2 GS, 2-0, 12 IP, 11 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 12K
SP Greg Maddux – 2 GS, 2-0, 12 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 7 K
MR Hideki Okajima – 3 Holds, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
CL Huston Street – 3 Saves, 3.1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K

Honorable Mentions – Jhonny Peralta, Pat Burrell, Vladimir Guerrero, Casey Kotchman, Vernon Wells, Miguel Tejada, Carlos Pena, Zack Greinke, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Gavin Floyd, Jon Lieber, Edwin Jackson, Tim Hudson, Roy Halladay, Aarron Harang, Livan Hernandez and Derek Lowe.

Fantasy Baseball Weekend Happy Recap - Week 2

Bat Of The Weekend: Raul Ibanez – 7/13, 5R, 2 2B, 1 3b, 3 HR, 9 RBI

Ibanez took fantasy teams on his back this weekend and did everything in his power to get them that W. He lead all players with 9 RBI, tied for the weekend homerun crown with 3 and was the only guy to double, triple and homer.

Arm Of The Weekend: Brian Bannister – 9 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K (CG, W)

Bannister is becoming a regular recipient of this honor and with good reason. The 27 year old righty is off to a red hot start, sporting a 3-0 record with a miniscule ERA and WHIP of 0.86 and 0.71 respectively. Bannister represents the next generation of the “thinking man’s pitcher” as he makes up for what he lacks in stuff with control, location and a strong feel for the game. This was evidenced yesterday when he indicated after the game that he worked faster in order to keep the pressure on Francisco Liriano who was making his first start since coming off the DL. Bannister’s ownership has now shot up to 86% in CBS leagues. If he is still available in your league, grab him without hesitation.

Bottom Line: CC Sabathia – 3.1 IP, 12 H, 8 ER, 4 BB, 2 K (L)

Sabathia continues to struggle, posting this awful line against a weak Oakland lineup. CC remains one of the game’s best pitchers and is in a contract year so we are confident he will turn it around. However, his 11.57 ERA and 2.36 WHIP after 3 starts is a bit disconcerting.

Honorable Mentions

Top Five

Some really great pitching performances this weekend including 3 complete game victories thrown by Brian Bannister, Chien-Mien Wang and Roy Halladay – a rarity in today’s bullpen dominated game. Carlos Pena and Ryan Ludwich muscled up at the plate while Casey Kotchman hit everything that moves racking up 8 hits; 6 of the extra base variety.

Bats

Carlos Pena - 3/9, 3 R, 3 HR, 7 RBI, 4 BB
Ryan Ludwick – 5/11, 3 R, 3 HR, 5 RBI
Jeff Francoeur – 4/11, 3 R, 2 HR, 8 RBI
Casey Kotchman – 8/12, 1 R, 5 2B, 1 HR, 4 RBI
BJ Upton – 6/11, 3 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 5 RBI

Arms

Chien-Ming Wang – 9 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K (CG, W)
Roy Halladay – 9 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K (CG, W)
Tim Hudson – 8 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 K (W)
Derek Lowe – 8 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 K (W)
Javier Vasquez – 7 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 9 K (W)

Relief Stud

Eric Gagne – 2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K. 2 Saves

Shaky coming into the weekend Gagne found his salvation deep in the heart of Queens closing out both the Saturday and Sunday games in flawless fashion.

Bottom Five

Some struggling big name pitchers on this list headed by Roy Oswalt who has been terrible thus far. Kenny Rogers failed to get the Tigers on the right track while Phil Hughes got shelled at Fenway. Tough weekend for both young and veteran hitters alike especially Jose Guillen who is in a funk.

Bats

Adam Jones - 0/8, 5 K
Jose Guillen – 0/12, 4 K
Troy Tulowitzki – 0/8, 3 K
Andruw Jones – 0/9, 4 K
David Murphy – 1/12, 3 K

Arms

Kenny Rogers – 4 IP, 7 H, 7 ER, 4 BB, 1 K (L)
Joel Pineiro – 3.2 IP, 10 H, 6 ER, 0 BB, 0 K (L)
Chris Young – 3 IP, 7 H, 6 ER, 4 BB, 2 K (L)
Roy Oswalt – 4 IP, 9 H, 8 ER, 0 BB, 6 K (L)
Phil Hughes – 2 IP, 6 H, 6 ER, 3 BB, 3 K (L)

Relief Dud

Mike Timlin – 2 G, 0-1, 0.1 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 0 K

Timlin was ineffective in both of his appearances against the hated Yankees this weekend and earned the loss Friday night giving up two earned run in a third of an inning.

Making A Case...

Cliff Lee – 8 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K (W)

Lee has looked great in the early going as he tries to put an awful 2007 campaign behind him. He has been dominant in his first two starts going 2-0 with a ridiculous 0.61 ERA and 0.46 WHIP over 14.2 innings. In addition, he has struck out 12 while only walking 1 batter. As good as Lee has looked keep in mind that both starts came against a light hitting Oakland lineup. However, pitching out of the 5 spot for a contender in Cleveland, Lee should see good pitching matchups each time out and is a great pickup right now. He is currently available in nearly half of all leagues.

Gavin Floyd – 7.1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 4 BB, 4 K (W)

Floyd dominated a struggling Tigers’ lineup allowing only a single hit over 7 innings of work, his second consecutive strong outing against Detroit. The former top Phillies prospect was written off a bit after getting hit hard in his first season with the White Sox in 2007 but has come out of the gate hot thus far. He faces another favorable matchup at Baltimore Thursday and is available in over 70% of leagues. Floyd is a solid spot start candidate this week.

Wandy Rodriguez – 7 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K (W)

This makes back to back dominant performances for Rodriguez over which he has allowed just one run and one walk in 14.1 innings of work while striking out 13. Wandy showed flashes of brilliance last season as well and despite a high ERA did put up solid strikeout numbers. He has limited the walks this season and it is possible this could be a breakout year for the now 29 year old lefty.

Stephen Drew – 5/10, 2 R, 3 2B, 2 RBI

Coming off a strong weekend which included 3 doubles, I noticed that the younger Drew is still only owned in 79% of CBS leagues. Come on people the kid is hitting .317 with 2 homers, 4 RBI and 7 runs scored and even has the ability to swipe double digit bags on the season. Further, he hits in a good lineup for an emerging power in Arizona and plays the scarce position of shortstop. ADD HIM.

Fantasy Observations & Thoughts

- BJ Ryan saved Toronto’s win Sunday afternoon against Texas and looked good in the process. Get him back in those lineups.

- Evan Longoria was called up this weekend and notched 2 hits and an RBI in his first two starts Saturday and Sunday. He is going to be a stud and has drawn many comparisons to David Wright. Grab him if he is still available in your league.

- Francisco Liriano was outdueled by Brian Bannister in his season debut for the Twins and looked rusty. His fastball was topping out at around 90 mph for much of the game and his control was shoddy. Look for Liriano to steadily improve over the course of the season as he gets more starts under his belt. We expect a good second half from Johan Santana’s heir apparent.

- Ryan Ludwick homered in all three of the Cardinals’ weekend games and landed in our top five bats list for the first time. If I were Ludwick’s platoon mate Skip Schumaker I would be worried about my job security right now. If he continues to hit, Ludwick might be considered a viable fantasy option soon enough.

- Gabe Kapler sighting! Kapler who is keeping Mike Cameron’s outfield spot warm until he returns from a 25 game suspension hit long homers against Met lefties Johan Santana and Oliver Perez this weekend. Not bad for guy who was coaching this time last season.

- Johnny Cueto got touched up for 5 ER by the Pirates on Sunday. Cueto should be fine but will have to make some adjustments as teams begin to figure out his stuff.

Week 2 Closer Report - Top 10 Closers, Injury Updates & Next In Line

Every 2 weeks, FSE takes a look at the closers around the majors breaking down the top 10 as well as guys that are struggling, injured and next in line to close. 

Top 10 Closers

#1 George Sherrill - 0-0, 5 S/0 BS, 2 BB, 3 K, 0.00 ERA, 0.43 WHIP

The Orioles have been hot out of the gate and Sherrill has been completely dominant. He has yet to allow a run or a HIT this season. I doubt Sherrill can keep this up mostly because the Orioles are destined to come back down to Earth. He is a good sell-high candidate.

#2 Jason Isringhausen - 1-0, 5 S/1 BS, 1 BB, 8 K, 2.57 ERA, 1.14 WHIP 

Izzy is tied with Sherrill for the league lead in saves and has looked good posting 8 Ks in 5 innings of work. The Cardinals should play plenty of close games so Izzy looks to be in line for a 30+ save campaign. As always, health is always the key concern with Isringhausen

#3 Joe Nathan - 0-0, 4 S/0 BS, 0 BB, 4 K, 0.00 ERA, 1.00 WHIP

Business as usual for Nathan, continues to dominate American League hitters.

#4 Jonathon Papelbon - 0-0, 4 S/0 BS, 1 BB, 12 K, 1.50 ERA, 1.00 WHIP

Paps 12 Ks lead all closers. This guy is a workhorse out of the closer spot as the Red Sox rely on him regularly for 4 or 5 out saves.

#5 Joakim Soria - 0-0, 4 S/0 BS, 0 BB, 7 K, 0.00 ERA, 0.40 WHIP

Soria is perfect through his first 5 innings of work and has yet to let up a walk while striking out 7. One of the top surprises of 2007, Soria is showing that last season was no fluke.

#6 Bobby Jenks - 0-0, 4 S/0 BS, 3 BB, 1 K, 0.00 ERA, 1.20 WHIP

While Jenks' K/BB ratio is a bit disconcerting there is no denying the results. The White Sox closer who is in a contract year has gotten the job done when called upon.

#7 Mariano Rivera - 0-0, 3 S/ 0 BS, 0 BB, 4 K, 0.00 ERA, 0.50 WHIP

Rivera got off to a slow start in 2007 which lead to the inevitable "is he done?" chatter. After signing a fat 3 year deal in the offseason, a happy Rivera looks as dominant as ever. 

#8 Francisco Cordero - 1-0, 2 S/0 BS, 0 BB, 3 K, 0.00 ERA, 0.25 WHIP

Cordero has been overpowering in his first 4 innings of work in Cincy allowing only one hit over that span while amassing 2 saves and a win. The Reds are showing some potential in the early season, a good sign for Cordero owners. 

#9 CJ Wilson - 0-0, 3 S/ 0 BS, 0 BB, 0 K, 0.00 ERA, 0.25 WHIP

One of the new closers on the block off to a fast start. Wilson finished 2007 strong after taking over as the Rangers closer in the second half and has looked good thus far allowing only batter to reach base over his first 4 innings. This week, Wilson racked up 2 saves in one day closing out both halves of Texas' doubleheader sweep of Baltimore.

#10 Matt Capps - 0-0, 3 S/0 BS,  2 BB, 5 K, 4.05 ERA, 1.20 WHIP

After getting rocked in his first outing of the season, a non-save situation against the Braves, Capps has pitched 6 scoreless innings in his last 5 games notching 3 saves over that time. Being on the Pirates hurts Capps' value some, but strictly in terms of talent, he is one of the better arms working the ninth inning in baseball.

Honorable Mentions - Manny Corpas (3 Saves), Brad Lidge (2 Saves), Huston Street (3 Saves this week)

The Shaky Five & Next In Line

#1 Trevor Hoffman - Hoffman has 2 losses and a blown save already in only 4 2/3 innings of work. Additionally, his ERA of 11.57, 4 walks and 7 hits have to be of great concern to Hoffman owners. The Padres play a ton of close games so Hoffman will get plenty of save opportunities. However, his days as an elite closer might be behind him.

Next In Line - Heath Bell 

#2 Brandon Lyon - Lyon has struggled early in the season after taking over the closer role in Arizona. He has blown 2 saves and taken a loss while posting a high ERA of 9.00. Bob Melvin has said that he still has confidence in Lyon as the D'Backs closer. However, with guys like Tony Pena and Chad Qualls in the Arizona bullpen, if Lyon continues to struggle a change may be in order.

Next In Line - Tony Pena and Chad Qualls 

#3 Eric Gagne - Gagne's time in Milwaukee got off to an inauspicious start in Chicago and hasn't gotten all that much better. He is tied for the league lead with 2 blown saves and doesn't appear over his struggles in the second half of 2007. Gagne will have a long leash in Milwaukee given he is making 10 million dollars this year and will get every opportunity to right his ship.

Next In Line - David Riske and Solomon Torres

#4 Joe Borowski - This guy was a workhorse last season, locking down 45 saves despite having a 5+ ERA. Borowski will get his saves but also will blow his fair share often in spectacular fashion (case in point 0.2 inn, 4 ER against Anaheim Monday). Last year, Borowski had a long leash with the Indians bullpen being young and unproven. With Rafael Betancourt having proven himself as a top 5 reliever and the arrival of Masahide Kobayashi from Japan, there is a better likelihood that Borowski would be replaced if he struggles in 2008.

Next In Line - Rafael Betancourt

#5 Jose Valverde - Going into the 2007 season, Jose Valverde was a model of inconsistency at the closer position. What followed was a breakout 47 save season and offseason trade to Houston. Thus far Valverde has been unable to capture his 2007 magic as he has blown a save and allowed a a run or more in 3 of four outings. The Astros don't really have a strong fallback option at closer so it's Valverde's barring monumental struggles. One really under the radar veteran to keep an eye on here is Doug Brocail who has looked strong in the early going.

Next In Line - Doug Brocail 

Closer News

BJ Ryan Returns

BJ Ryan was activated off the disabled list on Sunday.

Fantasy Impact - Ryan will be the Blue Jays' closer with Jeremy Accardo who struggled mightily in his last two outings returning to his 8th inning setup role. Ryan looked good while rehabbing and if he can stay healthy should be very productive closing for a good Toronto team.

Injury Updates

Francisco Rodriguez -After missing a week with two sprained ankles (yikes) K-Rod has been declared ready to return. Certainly get him in the lineup for week 3 as Rodriguez is still a top 5 closer with 40 save potential. However, we don't blame you if his injuries are making you a bit nervous.

JJ Putz - Putz out since April 1st with a ribcage injury threw off flat ground for 20 minutes on Saturday, his fourth consecutive day throwing, and said he felt great. Putz is eligible to come off the DL April 17th, however don't count on him returning in week 3 since he still hasn't thrown off a mound or worked a simulated game. Our best guess is Putz returns early-mid week 4. In Putz's absence the Mariners will use a closer by committee headed by Mark Lowe who should see a majority of save chances in week 3.

Rafael Soriano - Soriano hit the 15 day DL Monday with right elbow tendinitis. This comes after the Braves closer experienced elbow soreness in Spring Training. For all his talent, Soriano has been very injury prone over his career and these recent ailments surely have fantasy owners worried. Soriano is out for fantasy week 3 and will be eligble to return next Tuesday - he appears on schedule. In the meantime, Peter Moylan will see most of the work in the ninth inning with Manny Accosta another candidate to vulture saves. 

Struggling Hitters & Pitchers, Should You Be Worried? - 4/11/08

We are entering the third week of the fantasy baseball season and there are some big names really struggling. In this piece, we examine 6 hitters and 4 pitchers who are currently struggling and determine if fantasy owners should be worried about their production going forward.

David Ortiz- He isn't walking, he isn't hitting for power, he isn't hitting for average and the constant updates by the media and the pressure he puts on himself to perform doesn't make it any easier for him to get out of it.

I would post Ortiz's numbers, but Ortiz owners are angry enough about them already. I wouldn't worry too much about Ortiz, I think his surgically repaired right knee is fine and that all the early season travel has gotten to him. Ortiz doesn't deal too well with fatigue and it can effect him on the field.

Remember a few seasons ago when the Sox and Yanks were playing a key series in August that included 4 games in 5 days and Pappi wound up in the hospital with an irregular heartbeat? I am sure his big body had an extremely difficult time adjusting to the time zone changes that opening day in Japan and then the road series Boston played once they returned to the states. If you go back a few years ago to when the Yankees and D-Rays opened the season in Japan, there were players on both teams who struggled mightily for most of April and didn't right themselves until May. Hell, Jason Giambi was infected with a parasite and it almost ruined his career. So I guess worst case scenario, Papi has a parasite and his season is ruined.

What Ortiz needs most is a day or two off, where he can rest and not have to worry about baseball. The problem is that he is such an important part of that Red Sox offense that they need him in there, so he will have to figure it out on the fly. I saw him on Saturday playing against the Yankees and he looked lost at the plate. He was indecisive with his swings, confused about what the pitcher might be throwing and just not making good contact. In the end, I do expect Ortiz to have about 30-35HR with 100RBI and a .280AVG. He will eventually hit again and will have a lot of hitting to do so he can put up numbers that are on par with what he normally does.

Verdict: Don't Worry (Barring Parasite Infestation)

Shane Victorino- What do you call a stolen base threat who isn't stealing bases? Useless
Victorino is entering his 2nd full season and is really struggling early on having stolen only one base so far with a batting average in the low end of .200. It looks like Victorino has corrected whatever was wrong with him, and since April 10, has gone on a mini hitting streak. He was just beginning to find his way out his early season funk when he went down with an injury Saturday night. A strained left calf muscle was the diagnosis and this is something that could prove to be problematic. Any sort of leg injury to a player who relies on speed can be a fantasy disaster. Add to that that he was just getting it going and sending his season in a positive direction when this happened. This will probably mean a DL stint for Victorino followed by the usual week or so time to re acclimate himself to major league pitching.

Verdict: Worry

Ryan Zimmerman- He started off really well hitting the game winning homerun in the inauguratory game in the Nats' new ballpark. He then had a 4 game stretch when he went 0-4 in every single game totaling an 0-16 that plummeted his AVG to .191. Zimmerman is a fine young 3B and his 2-3 on Saturday is a sign that he might be hitting his way out of his struggles. Don't worry about Zimm, he'll be fine.

Verdict: Don't Worry

Jim Thome- Thome had a hot start to the season, but has been struggling since then that culminated in his ejection in Friday night's game against Detroit for arguing balls and strikes. His batting average is down to .179 and he hasn't gone yard in more than a week. Thome knows how to draw a walk, and can still hit the long ball, but other than that his skills are greatly diminished. If I was a Thome owner I would be extremely careful in trusting him to do much to help my team this season. While Thome has put up solid numbers over his last two seasons, he will be 38 in August and has a history of back problems, factors that don't generally help someone at the tale end of their career. I would be looking to trade Thome and find a bat off the FA wire to help replace him. This early in the season you can risk trading Thome's potential because there is always a handful of hitters who break out or get hot at times and are worth a playing spot in the line up.

Verdict: Worry

Troy Tulowitzki- Tulowitzki has struggled this season and in turn, so have the Rockies. Tulo has 0HR on the season and even surprisingly 0RBI. Tulo will begin to hit again, but do not expect numbers like he had last season for a couple of reasons. One being his obvious early season struggles. The other is that I think he played a bit over his head last season and while he will be a very good player for a long time, don't expect numbers like that every year.

I think we can expect Tulo to start to break out of this soon. The Rockies' hitting coach, Alen Cockrell, was looking at tape from 2007 at Tulo and noticed that the timing of his foot placement in his swing was a bit slow, and they just need to get that back to where it was last season.

Verdict: Don't Worry

Robinson Cano- Cano is a perennial breakout candidate going into near every fantasy season now. He is also rapidly becoming a perennial notoriously slow starter. The struggles might last the rest of April but we expect Cano to turn it around and get it going soon. He is a safe bet to hit 25HR with a .300AVG, if you can get some sucker to push the panic button early in your league go out and get him. When he is hot and swinging right, there aren't many batters in all of baseball you would rather have than him.

Verdict: Don't Worry

Pitchers

Roy Oswalt

Let's take a quick look at Oswalt's numbers thus far:

Innings Pitched - 16

Wins - 0

Losses - 3

Walks - 2

Strikeouts - 12

ERA - 9.00

WHIP - 2.00

The numbers early on aren't pretty for Oswalt and many are worried that Oswalt's small stature and big arm have finally caught up to him and he is due to go bust. Some point to his dwindling win total, descending K totals and rising ERA as prognostications that he is losing it. Lets for a second take a look at those "rising" ERAs.

2005- 2.95
2006- 2.98
2007- 3.18

If an ERA of 3.18 is losing it, than 90% of major league pitchers never had it. I wouldn't worry too much about Oswalt. He isn't what he was in 2004-2005, but he is still a great guy to have out there. He will probably have to be more careful with his pitches as he probably has lost some miles on the heater and the old breaking ball isn't a sharp. As he gets more work in he will be better than what he has shown thus far. With the offense that Houston currently boasts, a 14 or 15 win season isn't totally out of the question.

Verdict: Don't Worry

C.C. Sabathia

I thought Oswalts numbers were bad and then I looked at C.C.'s...

Innings Pitched - 14

Wins - 0

Losses - 2

Walks - 9

Strikeouts - 13

ERA - 11.57

WHIP - 2.36

The big lefty has had some big troubles early this season and has been downright bad. The strikeout numbers are good, so the stuff is there, so owners can feel confident that this probably isn't an injury. I would think it is a combination of a few factors. The first being that Sabathia is in a contract year and wants to pitch well so he can look for a big contract after this season. We saw it last season with Carlos Zambrano, the more perfect a pitcher tries to be the more mistakes they waind up making. Another problem might be that Sabathia threw 240innings last season, going over 200IP for the first time since 2002. He also set a career high in Ks, meaning that he threw a ton of pitches last season. While he won't say anything we can figure that his arm is probably a little tired early on and probably needs some more time to get ready to go.

If it makes you feel comfortable, I would suggest sitting C.C. for a start, or two. He will get his problems figured out and pitch better, but until then why not keep him on the bench until he shows he's ound his stuff again. I would suggest sitting him and not Oswalt, because while Oswalt has been bad, Sabathia's last start was so awful it was almost scary. Benching him means you run the risk of him coming back and throwing a gem his next game. Of course you could also benefit by diverting a potential disastrous game by one of your starters.

Verdict: Don't Worry

Rich Hill- Really hasn't been all that terrible, but when you get Lou Piniella mad at you there will be consequences. He apparently angered the manager and pitching coach by not being aggressive enough with his pitch selection in his last start and for that, they have banished him to the bullpen until he can show them something. Hill is a young lefty with a great curve and a whole heap of talent. The 27 year old finished with 183Ks last season and a WHIP of 1.19, numbers that are too good to leave in the bullpen for that long. He will be skipped in his next start, but he should make his start after that. Expect a relief appearance or two before then so he can prove to his manager and pitching coach that he is ready to compete.

Verdict: Don't Worry

Trevor Hoffman

His stuff has been on the decline for seasons now, but you wouldn't be able to tell by looking at his numbers. His fastball now tops out at what his change up used to, but it still works and he can still get outs. I would monitor how Hoffman is doing during the season, while it would be difficult to imagine the Padres replacing someone who can been such an icon in San Diego for so long, at one point reality sets in. San Diego plays in a very tough division and if Hoffman can't get the job done at the end of the game, they will have to find someone who does.

At age 40 Hoffman is no spring chicken, and the old fastball might finally be slow enough that it too closely mirrors the change in way of velocity, not arm speed. For you Hoffman owners, have a web browser up with Heath Bell's name on the add list for your fantasy team. You don't want to hear Hoffman will lose the closers job or start sharing duties and be stuck emptied handed without a closer.

Verdict: Get Unsettled

Jose Reyes Injures Hamstring - Fantasy Impact

Jose Reyes left Friday night's game against the Brewers in the 6th inning with what the team is calling a "tight left hamstring." No definitive word has been provided on the extent of the injury, however a visibly upset Reyes declared himself out for tomorrow's afternoon game at Shea. Manager Willie Randolph downplayed the injury saying it was more of a precautionary measure due to the damp conditions and the fact that Reyes' hamstring has been a bit sore lately.

Fantasy Impact

Reyes was 0-3 when he left the game and has gotten off to a slow start in 2008. He was coming off a big game last night that saw him steal his first base of the season, double and score the game winning run in a 12 inning thriller with the Phillies. Unfortunately, the Mets' spark plug was unable to build upon that effort and now finds himself forced to sit out at least one game.

The injury to Reyes is especially troubling given that it is his hamstring and has a direct impact on his biggest asset - speed. I wouldn't be surprised if the Mets played it safe with their stud shortstop and sat him for the weekend. The team has and off-day on Monday, so this would give Reyes 3 full days of rest.

In Reyes' absence, there is a good chance the streaking Angel Pagan will hit leadoff this weekend or continue to hit in the 2 hole if Luis Castillo returns to the lineup after sitting out the last two games with a sore knee. Pagan collected two more hits and an RBI tonight and is a solid stopgap option heading into this weekend's play.

Francisco Liriano to Start Sunday: FANTASY IMPACT

Minnesota Twins ace in the remaking, Francisco Liriano is being called up to start on Sunday for the injured Kevin Slowey. Liriano will be making his 2008 season debut against the KC Royals, who have come out of the gate swinging and will be a tough match up for the young left hander. The move is a bit of a surprise, considering the Twins could have started Nick Blackburn on regular rest that day, but chose instead to push him back a day and recall Liriano.

FANTASY IMPACT

Liriano is still technically rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, so the Twins will be very careful with his pitch count in this game. In his minor league start Liriano struggled a bit going 9 1/3 giving up 7ER with 11K in two outings. Early indications are he has had trouble spotting his fastball, a problem that could be hidden in the minors, but should be exposed facing major league pitching.

We would avoid starting Liriano out of the box so soon. Let him toss and get a few more starts under his belt, until he establishes consistency and an ability to spot his pitches. The Twins will have him on a pitch count of about 60-70 and if he is struggling he could reach that limit by the 4th or 5th inning at the latest. The other drawback is that right now the Royals are playing good baseball and their pesky offense could cause Liriano a host of trouble.

Fantasy Baseball Happy Recap - 4/10/08

Bat Of The Night: Geovany Soto – 4/5, 1 R, 2 2B, 1 HR, 2 RBI,

Breakout game for arguably the top sleeper catcher entering the 2008 season. Soto had a hot September last season after a late call up and already has 2 homers and 8 RBI on the young season. He should thrive as the Cubs’ unquestioned starting catcher and benefit from hitting in a potent lineup.

Arm Of The Night: Edwin Jackson – 8 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 4 BB, 6 K (W)

Another sparkling outing for Edwin Jackson as he continues to show the baseball world why he was once one of the top pitching prospects in the game. Jackson has allowed only a single run over his first two outings (both wins) spanning 14 innings of work. The 24 year old should continue to get favorable matchups pitching at the back-end of the Tampa rotation and has great strikeout potential.

Bottom Line: Frank Thomas - 0/4, 4 K, 2 BB

Despite reaching base twice on walks which is commendable, we simply could not ignore the golden sombrero posted by the Big Hurt.

Honorable Mentions

Top Five

So much for Jorge Posada missing time! The Yankee catcher had a fine night homering and driving in 2 while Michael Young went to work in Texas’ doubleheader sweep of the Orioles. Some unlikely top arms tonight with Kevin Correia and Mark Hendrickson posting dominant outings and Shaun Marcum continuing to establish himself as a strong SP option. CJ Wilson was perfect in locking down 2 saves in the Rangers’ doubleheader, always a great feat.

Bats

Edwin Encarnacion - 2/3, 2 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI
Michael Young – 3/7, 3 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 SB
Jorge Posada – 2/4, 2 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI
Melky Cabrera – 2/5, 1 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI
Travis Buck – 3/6, 3 2B, 3 RBI

Arms

Kevin Correia – 7.2 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 K (W)
Aaron Harang – 8 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K (W)
Mark Hendrickson – 7 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K (W)
Shaun Marcum – 7 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K (ND)
CJ Wilson – 2 IP, 8 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K (2 Saves)

Bottom Five

We have seen worse bottom fives over the past week. This is especially true on the pitching side where Nate Robertson and Matt Morris weren’t incredibly bad, but rather fell victim to a strong night of pitching around the majors. Tough night for the middle relievers however, as Brandon League, Aarron Heilman and Chad Bradford all couldn’t hold leads for their respective clubs. Also, congratulations to Daric Barton and Kevin Millar, the first batters with a hit or RBI to be put on this list. A golden sombrero and 0-fer in a double header will have that effect…

Bats

Erik Bruntlett – 0/6, 2 K
Jack Cust – 0/4, 2 K
Luke Scott – 0/4, 3 K
Daric Barton – 1/5, 4 K
Kevin Millar – 0/7, 1 RBI

Arms

Nate Robertson – 5.1 IP, 8 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 6 K (L)
Matt Morris – 7 IP, 11 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 3 K (L)
Brandon League – 1.2 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 2 K (L)
Aaron Heilman – 1 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
Chad Bradford – .2 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 K (L)

Making A Case...

Dana Eveland – 6.1 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 6 K (ND)

Billy Beane’s latest find, Eveland had a hot Spring Training and has carried that success over to the regular season allowing 1 earned run over his first 13.1 innings this season. In addition, he has struck out 13 while only walking 4 over that span. Eveland should come back down to Earth some, but he is currently a solid starting pitching option given the right matchup.

Jorge Cantu – 3/4, 1 2B, 2 RBI

Cantu was a top sleeper of ours at third base after winning the position late in Spring Training and he hasn’t disappointed. The former Ray has hit safely in his last 5 games with an average of .428 over that span. Cantu is only owned in 13% of leagues as of now and is an excellent guy to take a flier on. He will get every opportunity to succeed as the unquestioned starter at 3B in Florida.

Angel Pagan – 3/5, 2 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI

With Luis Castillo out Pagan hit in the 2 hole last night and all he did was go 3/5 and drive in the game winning run in the bottom of the 12th inning! Over his last 7 games, Pagan is hitting .375 with 7 runs scored and 8 RBI. He will continue to be the Mets starting LF until Moises Alou returns in late April-early May and is on excellent short-term stop gap option.

Fantasy Observations & Thoughts

- Despite Aaron Heilman’s struggles, it looks like the Mets will continue to stick with him as the primary set up man. Keep an eye on Joe Smith and Jorge Sosa as emerging holds options in Queens.

- Pedro Feliz hit his first homer of the season and could be a nice option for cheap pop hitting in that extremely hitter-friendly ballpark in Philly.

-A-Rod homered and Jose Reyes notched his first stolen base of the season last night. Both might be on the verge of breaking out of early slumps.

- The game between the Atlanta Braves and Colorado Rockies was PPD due to snow in Colorado and rescheduled for June 16. As a result, Ubaldo Jimenez owners will lose the phenom’s start in week 2 as it is pushed back to Tuesday. He is now a 2-start pitcher in week 3. Jeff Francis will start tonight followed by Franklin Morales on Saturday.

- The Minnesota Twins-Chicago White Sox game was postponed due to rain and rescheduled for June 9. This means Livan Hernandez will start tonight against KC.

Mike Lowell and Rich Harden to the DL: Fantasy Impact

Mike Lowell to the DL

The Red Sox placed 3B Mike Lowell on the 15 day DL on Thursday because of a sprained thumb he suffered in Wednesday night's game. While X-rays did turn out to be negative, Lowell showed up to the ballpark with the thumb still sore, swollen and bruised.

FANTASY IMPACT

In the short term this looks like good news for Sean Casey as it seems like the current plan is for Kevin Youkilis to play 3rd and Casey to move to 1B. The good news for Lowell owners is that he hurt his left thumb, so the Red Sox won't have to worry about him airmailing any long throws across the diamond, so a sooner rather than later return is certainly possible. If you need a 3B in your league to replace him look at Joe Crede (if he hasn't already been snagged) and Jorge Cantu on the Marlins, as he looks to get it going again.

Harden Luck

After looking dominant in his first two starts of the season, Rich Harden finally did something most fantasy players expected him to do. He wound up on the DL. The A's were awaiting the arrival of Joey Devine to the ballpark to make the roster move official, but it is a forgone conclusion that Harden will be out for at least 15 days.

FANTASY IMPACT

Can't win either way with Harden right now. He has looked too good in his first 2 starts (striking out 15 in 11IP) to trade him, because you won't get fair value. You are more or less stuck with him taking up the ever familiar DL spot on your roster. This shoulder issue might be a small thing, but how many small things have happened to Harden over the last few years that wound up costing him a season? This early in the season, this is certainly not good news for Harden or the A's.

Check out our Week 2 Adds for Pitchers for a hot name or 2 who might be worth a look in your league, if you need to fill out your roster with the DLing of Harden.

Fantasy Baseball Happy Recap - 4/9/08

Bat Of The Night: Albert Pujols – 3/4, 2 R, 2 HR, 3 RBI,

Following a pre-game altercation resulting from what Astros deemed a dirty slide into home plate in Tuesday’s game, Pujols got his revenge on the field. Pujols blasted 2 homers and drove in 3 in leading the Cards to victory. Thus far, Pujols’ elbow injury hasn’t been an issue. However, it will be a cause for concern among Pujols owners throughout the season.

Arm Of The Night: Zack Greinke – 8 IP, 6 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K (W)

Greinke went out and dominated a slumping Yankees lineup in poor conditions, throwing an impressive 8 innings of shutout ball. People forget that Greinke was the top pitching prospect in baseball at the time of his call up at the tender age of 19 – a move the Royals have certainly regretted. Now 24, wiser and more mature, Greinke appears to really be coming into his own and has gotten off to a hot start. He is quickly establishing himself as a fine starting pitching option with excellent strikeout potential.

Bottom Line: Jeremy Accardo – 0.1 IP, 0.1 IP, 1 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 1 K (BS, L)

Rough night for Accardo whose days as the Jays closer might be numbered. BJ Ryan is making good progress in his rehab assignment and expected back before the end of April. In the meantime, don’t read too much into this outing as Accardo has been very effective closing in Toronto for nearly a year now in Ryan’s absence.

Honorable Mentions

Top Five

Not the usual suspects having big nights Wednesday at the plate or on the mound as Adam Dunn is easily the most recognizable name on this list. Mike Jacobs has hit 4 homeruns now and could be headed towards a 25-30 homerun season in Florida while Jason Kubel is making the most of Michael Cuddyer’s absence. On the pitching side Micah Owings continues to shine and youngsters Jonathon Sanchez and Zach Duke had promising outings as they try to put poor 2007 seasons behind them.

Bats

Mike Jacobs - 2/5, 2 R, 2 HR, 4 RBI
Adam Dunn – 1/2, 1 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 2 BB, 1 SB
Ryan Spilbourghs – 3/5, 3 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 5 RBI
Yorvit Torrealba – 3/4, 1 R, 1 HR, 4 RBI
Jason Kubel – 2/4, 1 R, 1 HR, 6 RBI

Arms

Jarrod Washburn – 7 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K (W)
Micah Owings – 7 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 4 K (W)
Josh Fogg – 5 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K (W)
Jonathon Sanchez – 6 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 10 K (ND)
Zach Duke – 7 IP, 8 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K (ND)

Bottom Five

0/4 with 2 strikeouts was the popular line amongst the bottom feeding bats last night while John Danks has Jeremy Accardo’s implosion to thank for not receiving Bottom Line honors.

Bats

Ryan Doumit – 0/6, 2 K
Carlos Pena – 0/4, 2 K
Jim Thome – 0/4, 2 K
Travis Hafner – 0/4, 2 K
Adrian Gonzalez – 0/4, 2 K

Arms

John Danks – 2.1 IP, 7 H, 7 ER, 3 BB, 2 K (L)
Chuck James – 3 IP, 5 H, 6 ER, 1 BB, 5 K (L)
Paul Byrd – 3 IP, 5 H, 6 ER, 2 BB, 2 K (L)
Jason Bergman – 5 IP, 9 H, 7 ER, 1 BB, 4 K (L)
Phil Dumatrait – 3 IP, 3 H, 4 ER, 4 BB, 2 K (L)

Making A Case...

Ryan Dempster – 7 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 K (ND)
Justin Germano – 7 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K (ND)

In Dempster and Germano you have a pair of starters off to hot starts looking to cement roles in the respective rotations. Germano has opened the season tossing 13 scoreless innings while Dempster has had 2 strong starts and put up solid strikeout totals. I wouldn’t full trust either pitcher just yet, but they are viable options given the right matchup.

Mark Ellis – 4/5, 1 R, 1 3B, 1 RBI, 2 SB

Mark Ellis quietly put together a good 2007 and is off to a nice start in 2008. Ellis has 20 homerun potential and is still available in nearly half of all fantasy leagues. He is developing into a dependable option at second base.

Fantasy Observations & Thoughts

- With Rafael Soriano on the DL Peter Moylan looks to be the logical choice to work the ninth. However, rumor has it Cox likes Moylan as the setup man and may give some save chances to Manny Acosta.

-Joe Crede homered for the third time this season Wednesday and looks 100%. The White Sox may still opt to deal Crede but in the meantime he will be the Sox everyday starter at third giving Josh Fields no current fantasy value.

- Mike Pelfrey pitched 5 strong innings for the win and looked as comfortable as I have seen him on a Major League mound. With Duque and Pedro out until May, the Mets will be counting heavily on Pelfrey and he will be given every opportunity to succeed.

- The Rangers and Orioles will play a doubleheader today in Arlington after their game last night was cancelled due to rain.

Fantasy Baseball Desperation Station - Hitters 4/9/08

In a deep league and can't seem to find that one guy who went undrafted to fill out your lineup? In Desperation Station we offer you a few under the radar players who could fill out your roster and contribute admirably.

Jason Kubel- Kubel was a hot hitting prospect a few season ago, but knee surgeries have zapped him of his once can't miss potential and made him what most would deem, "serviceable". Well Kubel isn't quite ready to throw in the towel yet and proved it on Wednesday going 2-4 with a HR and 6RBI. He will get the majority of playing time while Micheal Cuddyer is out with a dislocated thumb so he will be able to get consistent at bats and force himself back into the everyday lineup. Minnesota will struggle to score runs at times so if Kubel can reestablish himself there is no reason for him not to be able to stay on the field on an everyday basis for the rest of the season.

Mike Jacobs- Won't go winning any batting titles any time soon, but maybe ready to have a 25-30HR season if he can stay on the field. This will be Jacobs' 3 full season in the majors and at the age of 28 many are calling it his make or break year. It looks like, early on, he is ready to make it. On the season Jacobs has 4HR and 9RBI already and is showing the pop that made him such an attractive figure for the Marlins when they acquired him from the Mets in the 2005 off season. If he can stay on the field, expect 25-30HR and a .250AVG, with about 80RBI.

Angel Pagan- A pesky slap hitter has been put into a starting role with the Mets and he has thrived in the process. Don't expect power numbers, but his ability to put the bat on the ball and make contact helps him drive in runs in a potent Met offense and score some runs as well. He has good speed, and Willie Randolph loves to run and play aggressive on the base paths so he could wind up with 15 SB if he continues his starting role in Moises Alou's absence.

Rafael Soriano to the DL, Randy Johnson off the DL: FANTASY IMPACT

Soriano to the DL

The Atlanta Braves placed closer Rafael Soriano on the DL on Wednesday, with a sore elbow. Soriano and the Braves want to nip this thing early before it becomes a big deal later on. The fact that he has been battling this essentially since the start of spring training is a bit disconcerting.

FANTASY IMPACT

I have predicted DL stint for Soriano at some point this season, so this comes as no surprise. Hopefully you Soriano owners took my advice and handcuffed him with Peter Moylan, who will probably be the first option out of the pen to collect saves. Another potential name to collect saves could be Manny Acosta, but we think Moylan is the safer bet.

Unit Back

ESPNNEWS is reporting tha Diamondbacks starter and future Hall of Famer Randy Johnson will return from the DL on Monday April, 14 against the San Francisco Giants.

FANTASY IMPACT

Unit will go from pitching in AAA to pitching in AAAA when he faces the Giants. This helps Johnson and really takes the pressure off of him to be perfect with his pitches against his Monday opponent. Most of the Giants roster are either retreads or over matched rookies. That being said, you might want to wait before automatically reinserting him into your starting lineup to see how he fends. For those of you out there who are a little braver go ahead and throw him back out there. But remember this isn't the Randy Johnson of old. The Unit is old and shriveled. He no longer has dominant stuff so don't expect 7ip with 10K and 1ER. Something along the lines of 6ip, with 4Ks and 3ER is probably a bit more realistic.

Fantasy Baseball Pickups On The Mound - Week 2

Yesterday we checked out position players who have been hot on the add list. Today we look at pitchers, both starters and relievers who have been high on the add list this week.

Starting Pitchers
Manny Parra, Carlos Villanueva- Two young guns who have had a drink of water or two in the majors over the last few seasons both won rotation spots in spring training for Milwaukee and have gone on to continue their success in the regular season. Villanueva might be the safer bet to be ready to regularly contribute to the major league ball club, while you should expect Parra to have the occasional struggles and have to battle a bit more. Both are fine options to pick up, as both collect a good amount of Ks, won't hurt your ERA or WHIP and Milwaukee scores a bunch of runs, which will help their win totals.

Livan Hernandez, Nick Blackburn- One is a veteran who was turned defacto-ace after being signed late in the winter. The other is a rookie who won a rotation spot in spring training and has shown himself to be ready for the majors after posting solid minor league numbers in '06 and '07. Both have turned in early success but really shouldn't be counted on for long term fantasy success. Blackburn right now looks to be pitching a bit over his head striking out nearly a batter an inning over his first two starts, and pitching to the tune of a 2.26ERA and a 1.25WHIP. Livan is in a similar boat as far as tossing over his head, but I think most fantasy owners realize this aren't drinking the Livan flavored Cool-Aid as much. Both might be decent short term adds, but don't count on them carrying your staff come late August. In fact, when Francisco Liriano and Kevin Slowey come back there is even a chance Blackburn won't even remain in the rotation.

Carlos Silva- I don't want to say that Silva is underrated, but I also don't want it to make it sound like he is overrated, but Silva belongs right in the middle of that fantasy ranking. Think of him as a Jake Westbrook or Kevin Millwood type. A guy who can go out, throw a solid game and put up pretty consistent numbers. The problem is those numbers aren't necessarily going to be good numbers. Silva is a decent add, as he is workhorse, has double digit wins in 3 of the last 4 seasons, and is playing in a good ballpark, with an inspired Seattle Mariners team around him.

Todd Wellemeyer- A career minor leaguer and middle reliever was entrusted by pitching coach Dave Duncan to be able to show something as a starter, and thus far he is spot on. Wellemeyer in all his previous seasons never did anything to distinguish himself as a dominant middleman, but did show decent stuff averaging nearly a strikeout an inning in his major league tenure. Right now Wellemeyer is probably throwing a bit over his head and will probably turn into what Brandon Looper was for the Cardinals last season. A guy with good stuff, whose shoulder is not used to the rigor of a full major league season as a starter and winds up struggling in the tail end of the season. He is a good grab for Ks and WHIP, but might struggle to earn Wins with St. Louis's questionable offense. If you want grab him now and try to sell high in a month of so.

Randy Wolf, Justin Germano- Two starters whose careers are at different points, yet have some interesting similarities. They both post an average amount of Ks, both play in SD's huge ballpark, and rely on moxie and finesse to get by. Wolf has proven himself to be a reliable veteran starter over the years, but too often gets hurt and can't finish the season he started. He is the pitching equivalent to Xavier Nady. Justin Germano on the other hand is a youngster who is looking for the chance to establish himself as a reliable starter after bouncing around for a couple of seasons. Both are good for the occasional spot start, however Wolf is the only one of the two I would trust to own on my team to go out there and post significant numbers, consistently (barring injury of course).

Micah Owings- Last season Owings was known as the pitcher who could hit. In 2008 we expect people to say that he is the pitcher who can hit... and pitch Following a strong second half last season, we were high on Owings coming into the 2008 season. In his first 2 starts this season Owings is 2-0 with 2QS, and 13Ks in 13.2IP. He is behind guys like Brandon Webb and Dan Haren in the D-Backs' rotation so not many pay attention to him, but they might need to soon. The drawback to owning Owings is that he is prone to the HR ball and with a pitcher like that, a good outing can turn ugly fast, spoiling a potential win. Thus far however he has shown good maturity and growth in his second season in the majors.

Edison Volquez, Johnny Cueto- Similar to the crew on Milwaukee only with less major league experience and better stuff. Volquez really refined his change up in the off season and according to scouts now features one of the best changes in all of the NL. Cueto is a hot rookie, who forced himself into the Reds starting rotation with a dominant spring. Cueto is a great source of Ks and will also be great for WHIP. You can add either of these guys right now and feel confident about the move. Even if they struggle at times, there is plenty of offense in Cincinnati to bail them out of the occasional mediocre start.


Relievers

Scot Shields/ Justin Speier- No secret as to why these guys are here. With Francisco Rodriguez battling TWO sprained ankles and being listed as out until the weekend at least, either one of these guys could end up getting the call to close games late. Speier got the first chance on Tuesday and wound up blowing the save, so we expect Shields to get the next call. He has been touted as being a closer in waiting for many seasons now because his stuff is nasty and he can dominate any part of a line up when he is on. Shields has battled injury a little bit recently and there is a decent chance he is already owned in many leagues because he is a great help to ERA, WHIP and HOLDS if your league counts them. If you only have a limited amount of roster moves you can make for the season, don't bother to take a flier on either. It looks like K-Rod's injury won't cost him a DL stint, so he could be back relatively soon.

Tony Pena/ Chad Qualls- With Brandon Lyon struggling a bit in the early going these two have both been hot additions in most leagues. Pena has great stuff and Qualls has the experience in closing situations. Chances are if anyone is going to get the opportunity to close it will be Pena. Keep an eye on the situation, even if the D-Backs are showing faith in Lyon to get the job done early on, it's a long season and a lot can happen.

Ryan Rowland- Smith/ Mark Lowe- J.J. Putz went to the DL and Lowe became the hot target for fantasy owners as the main option to collect saves in his absence. Yet Smith was the one who got the call most recently in the Mariners game on Tuesday. The Mariners say that they are going with a bullpen by committee until Putz comes back off the DL. Putz threw today to test his injured ribs to see how they respond, so we should have a better idea on if it is worth it or not to add either of these after the results of the throwing are known.

Peter Moylan- The top setup man in Atlanta has been piling up the holds early this season, and will probably be the first candidate to close should anything happen to incumbent Rafael Soriano. Well, already Soriano is battling a tiny bit of soreness in his elbow and was held out of the Braves' game Monday against Pittsburgh because of that. This early in the season this news is a bit disconcerting, so it might be a good idea for you Soriano owners to handcuff him with Moylan should anything happen to him. Given Soriano's injury history, it would seem that there is at least a decent injury he winds up on the DL or missing a few games at some point.

Do you think we forgot anyone? We are sure there are some players who we left out. Send us your feedback and tell us who we felt we slighted and we'll do out best to get to your response and comments.

Baseball Injury Updates & Fantasy Impact - Week 2

Each week, FSE takes a look at the key injuries affecting fantasy baseball owners and offers updates, projected return times and the impending fantasy implications.

Bats

Curtis Granderson (Broken Right Hand) – Granderson began taking swings yesterday for the first time in two and a half weeks and will continue to do so as long as there is no swelling in his hand.

Fantasy Impact: Fantasy owners and the surprisingly feeble Tigers lineup are both hoping for a speedy recovery.

Projected Return: Late April

Jorge Posada (Shoulder) – When your catcher is saying things like “I am not 100 percent” or “It’s dead, no strength” in regards to his throwing shoulder you have a problem. The Royals ran all over Posada before he left the game and he will have further tests to gauge the severity of the injury.

Fantasy Impact: When healthy, Posada is a top 5 catcher, however, he is 37 years old and injuries are bound to occur. A DL stint is very likely here as the Yanks will probably play it safe with their veteran backstop.

Projected Return: 2 Weeks

Derek Jeter (Quad) – Jeter’s quad continues to sideline him, however, the Yankee captain has said he will be back for Friday’s game at Boston.

Fantasy Impact: Like Granderson, the Yankees and fantasy owners alike can’t wait to have him back.

Projected Return: We take Jeter at his word around these parts – Friday vs. Boston.

Michael Cuddyer (Finger) – Cuddyer visited a hand specialist as he recovers from a dislocated right index finger.

Fantasy Impact: With Cuddyer out, Jason Kubel will be guaranteed at-bats in either RF or DH nearly every night. He has decent power potential and is worth a look.

Projected Return: Early May

Scott Rolen (Finger) – Is making good progress as he recovers from a broken finger and is on track to return by the end of the month.

Fantasy Impact: With Rolen back, Marco Scutaro will return to the bench. In other words, there isn’t much impact to discuss here.

Projected Return: 2-3 Weeks

Arms

JJ Putz (Ribcage) – Although he is eligible to come off the DL in 8 days, the team is not sure if Putz will be able to return to action that quickly. Putz will test out his strained ribcage by throwing in the outfield this afternoon at which point we will know more about the extent of his injury.

Fantasy Impact: After Mark Lowe flopped in the ninth inning, the team turned to Ryan Rowland-Smith to close the door on the Rays and he came through with an impressive 5 out save. The Mariners insist that they will use a closer by committee system while Putz is out, but right now the edge has to go to Rowland-Smith as the best source of cheap saves in the M’s bullpen.

Projected Return: 2 Weeks

BJ Ryan (Elbow) – Pitched well on 2-days rest in Class A ball. He will continue to rehab in the minors to build up strength in his pitching shoulder.

Fantasy Impact: Jeremy Accardo who amassed 30 saves with Ryan injured last season will continue to close. He has shown that he is more than capable of working the 9th and is a great fantasy option while Ryan is out.

Projected Return: Late April

Chad Cordero (Shoulder) – The Chief will begin a Class A rehab assignment tonight and should be ready to make his season debut this weekend against the Braves.

Fantasy Impact: With Cordero back, Jon Rauch will return to his role as the Nationals’ primary 8th inning setup man.

Projected Return: Friday vs. Atlanta

Orlando Hernandez ( Foot Pain) – El Duque returned to New York for MRIs on his ailing left foot; the same foot that was bothering him during Spring Training.

Fantasy Impact: With Duque and Pedro both out, Mike Pelfrey and Nelson Figuerro will serve as the Mets 4th and 5th starters. If either should struggle, the Mets may turn there attention to the free agent market which includes the recently released Claudio Vargas and Robinson Tejada.

Projected Return: Late April – Early May

Matt Garza (Arm) – Garza was forced to leave his start against Seattle early on Tuesday due to an irritated nerve in his pitching arm.

Fantasy Impact: With Garza out, Jeff Niemann looks primed to snag the 5th starter role while the ever-improving Edwin Jackson will have additional time to secure a role in the Rays rotation.
Projected Return: Early-Mid May

Doug Davis (Thyroid Cancer) – Davis will undergo treatment for Thyroid Cancer and is out indefinitely.

Fantasy Impact: Randy Johnson is currently on class AAA rehab assignment and the team says he will be ready to make his season debut in Davis’ spot on April 14.

Projected Return: Mid May

Yovani Gallardo (Knee) – Out since March following arthroscopic knee surgery, Gallardo threw 90 pitches in his recent rehab start and looks ready to return to the Brewers’ rotation.

Fantasy Impact: Gallardo’s impending return means the Brewers will have some choices to make in regards to their starting rotation. Manny Parra and Carlos Villanueva have both looked very good thus far in the 4 and 5 slots. Thus, I wouldn’t be surprised if Dave Bush is the odd man out of the rotation when Gallardo returns and is moved into a long relief role.

Projected Return: April 19th at Cincinnati

Joel Pineiro (Shoulder) – Pineiro was strong in his last rehab outing Tuesday and looks to be on a fast track back to the Majors.

Fantasy Impact: Pineiro was strong towards the end of last season and given the success of the Cardinals staff here in the early season, he could be a nice sleeper candidate going forward. Take a flier on the righty in AL-only and deeper mixed leagues, the talent is there.

Projected Return: Next Week

Shawn Hill (Forearm) – Hill was impressive in his final Class A rehab start pitching 5 scoreless innings and touching 90-91 mph on the radar gun which is normal velocity for his fastball.

Fantasy Impact: Hill has a ton of talent but he is always hurt. Keep an eye on the Nats’ defacto ace as he can be a strong play in favorable matchups and may eventually be a decent fantasy contributor.

Projected Return: Sunday vs. Atlanta

Bartolo Colon (Oblique) – Colon will miss his next minor league start with an oblique injury.

Fantasy Impact: Clay Buchholz looks safe for a few more major league starts.

Fantasy Baseball Happy Recap - 4/8/08

Seven games into the season, the Tigers are 0-7 while the Baltimore Orioles moved to a paltry 6-1 with a convincing 8-1 win against Texas. It has been a wild start to the season to say the least and it appears that we are in store for an equally unpredictable fantasy baseball season. Given the influx of young talent both in the field and on the mound, we could see some major changes in the positional ranks come 2009.

Bat Of The Night: Aaron Hill – 4/4, 1 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI,

Hill was pegged as one of our top sleepers at the second base position entering the season. After quietly hitting 17 homers in a breakout 2007 campaign, Hill has gotten off to a fine start in 2008. He has 20+ homerun potential and the ability to hit .300 making him a solid option at 2B.

Arm Of The Night: Daisuke Matsuzaka – 6.2 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 4 BB, 7 K (W)

This is Dice-K’s second time being honored as FSE’s Arm Of The Night and deservingly so. Although a bit wild, Matsuzaka geared it up when needed registering 7 strikeouts and allowing only 4 hits over 6 2/3 innings of shut out baseball. Dice-K has allowed a total of 3 earned runs in 18 1/3 innings spanning 3 starts this season and looks poised to establish himself as one of the top pitchers in all of baseball.

Bottom Line: Alex Rodriguez – 0/4, 4 K

A golden sombrero for Alex Rodriguez courtesy of a feisty Royals pitching staff. Mr. April is not living up to his billing… perhaps this is a good thing.

Honorable Mentions

Top Five

Mark Reynolds and Conor Jackson are two young D’Backs who will be household names in fantasy sooner rather than later while Aubrey Huff just keeps mashing for the Orioles, forcing fantasy owners to take notice. On the pitching side, Jake Westbrook showed his durability last night tossing a complete game in Anaheim. Doug Davis was strong in his final start before beginning treatment for Thyroid Cancer. Davis is out until mid-may and we here at FSE wish him a speedy recovery.

Bats

Mark Reynolds - 2/5, 2 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI
Bengie Molina – 2/5, 2 R, 2 HR, 2 RBI
Vernon Wells – 2/5, 2 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI
Aubrey Huff – 4/4, 1 R, 1 2B, 4 RBI
Conor Jackson – 2/3, 2 R, 1 3B, 3 RBI

Arms

Jake Westbrook – 9 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 4 K (W, CG)
Jamie Moyer – 6 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 1 K (W)
Doug Davis – 6 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 K (W)
Brian Burres – 6 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K (W)
Manny Corpas – 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K (S)

Bottom Five

Tough night for several youngsters both on the hitting and pitching side. Aaron Rowand is lucky A-Rod registered a rare golden sombrero otherwise he would have most definitely been the Bottom Line.

Bats

Aaron Rowand – 0/5, 4 K
Chris B. Young – 0/6, 3 K
Corey Hart – 0/4, 3 K
Jose Guillen – 0/5, 2 K
Michael Bourn – 0/5, 2 K

Arms

Phil Hughes – 3 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 4 BB, 2 K (L)
Jason Jennings – 4.2 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 4 BB, 1 K (L)
Chad Billingsley – 2.1 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 1 K (L)
Justin Speier – 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K (L, BS)
Scott Schoenweis – 0.1 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, 1 HBP (L)

Making A Case...

Luke Scott – 2/4, 1 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI

In Houston, Scott was part of an overcrowded outfield and never received consistent playing time or a starting gig. However, when in the lineup, Scott has proved to be productive hitting 18 homers and driving in 64 runs in only 369 at bats last season. Scott was sent to Baltimore as part of the Miguel Tejada deal and has enjoyed a hot start this season hitting .500 over his first 7 games with a homer and 4 RBI. Scott is available in nearly half of all CBS leagues and is an intriguing outfield option with good upside.

Kurt Suzuki – 3/5, 1 R, 1 RBI

Oakland’s catcher of the future, Suzuki has gotten off to a fast start hitting .413 in his first 8 games. He won’t bring much power to the table and he does bat in a weak Oakland lineup; however, his ability to hit for average gives him some decent value in deeper leagues.

Fantasy Observations & Thoughts

- Justin Speier blew his first save opportunity replacing an injured Francisco Rodriguez who is out until the weekend. If K-Rod were to land on the DL, it will be interesting to see who the Angels turn to in the ninth inning.

- As of 4/9, Mark Reynolds leads the majors in homeruns and RBI.

- Anthony Reyes continues to shine in a relief role, pitching three scoreless innings to earn the win yesterday. Reyes may be back in the Cardinals’ rotation sooner than expected.

- Ryan Rowland-Smith is the latest guy in the Seattle pen to give closing a shot and he actually got the job done yesterday locking down his first save of the season. Rowland-Smith looked impressive getting the final 5 outs in unblemished fashion. He might be a good source of cheap saves until JJ Putz returns next week.

- Frank Thomas homered again quietly giving him 3 on the year. Big Hurt is the poster boy for cheap pop and could end up with 30+ homers this season if healthy.

Fantasy Baseball Pickups Around The Diamond - Week 2

We go around the diamond and take a look at some of the most added players by position in most fantasy leagues.

Catcher

Gerald Laird - Laird beat out Jarrod Saltalamacchia for the starting catcher position in Texas in Spring Training and in week one showed fantasy owners his power potential. After a tough start, Laird broke out on Saturday going 4/5 with 2 homers and 6 RBI. Given the great hitter's park that Texas plays in, Laird has a chance to have a strong summer in Arlington. One thing to keep an eye on are rumors of Laird being traded to Cincinnati, a move which could put Laird's starting status in jeopardy. 

First Base

Ben Broussard - The hottest first baseman on the adds list has clubbed 3HR in his last 4games to go along with 7RBI over that stretch. Many went out a grabbed Broussard while he was hot, but we wouldn't get overly excited by his recent numbers. Broussard has always been a streaky hitter, and at the age of 31 is no spring chicken who can expect to progress and keep this pace up over the course of the season. In his career he has never topped more than 21HR or 82RBI in a season, and has shown himself to be unable of making consistent contact. These are numbers that cannot be counted on consistently at 1B to carry your team, or put up a huge offensive output throughout the season.

Nick Johnson - Nick can draw a walk and hitting 3rd in the Nationals pesky line up will give him plenty of RBI opportunities as well. He has never been a tremendous power threat, but makes up for hit with his ability to hit for average. The biggest drawback of owning Johnson is that he isn't durable and is a constant threat to go down with an injury and spend sometime on the DL.

FSE's Take: If you have to pick between the Broussard and Johnson, take Johnson. He will hit for similar power as Broussard, hit for a much higher average and drive in more RBI.

Second Base

Jose Lopez - The 2B showed good progress in the 2006 season hitting .281 with 10HR and a frriendly 79RBI. He went into the 2007 season as a hot sleeper name, but quickly flamed out hitting only .251 with 11HR and 62RBI, extremely mediocre numbers and unownable in fantasy. 2008 has begun a new year for Lopez and he has gotten off to a hot start. He quickly has 2HR and 7RBI on the season. The negative is that doesn't walk a whole lot, but, on the flip side he also doesn't strikeout a whole bunch either (thus far he has one of each on the young season.)

FSE's Take: If your current 2B is injured or is totally flopping give Lopez a look. He could put up some numbers similar to that of his 2006 season, with about 15HR, 75RBI and 7SB, if he has a best case scenario season. While that is nothing spectacular, it could be serviceable in most fantasy formats.

Mark DeRosa - Managed to fight off a Brian Roberts trade to keep his job as the Cubs everyday 2B gig. DeRosa has managed to hit .290+ with double digit HR and 70+ RBI in each of the last 2 seasons. He had more value in the 2007 season when he had eligibility at SS, 3B, 2B and OF, yet he enters 2008 with 2B and 3B versatility and is a fine utility guy to keep on the bench, if one of your starters has an off day or get nicked up and needs to sit a game or 2. He isn't an all star, but he is useful in deeper leagues.

Third Base 

Mark Reynolds - If you read out Diamondbacks season preview you would see that we were high on Reynolds entering the season. He has shown power at every level in the minor leagues, as well as in his stint in the majors last season. Reynolds has gotten off to a white- hot start hitting 4HR, with 7R, 9RBI and a .333AVG. The average will probably drop a bit over the course of the season and don't expect 4HR a week for the rest of the season, but 30HR is a legit possibility. If he is still available in your league grab him and see what he can do.

Joe Crede - Another white hot corner performer. Crede managed 4 straight seasons of 19+HR from 2003-2006. 2007 turned into a disaster for Crede as a back problem cost him most of the season. It looked as if Crede's tenure in Chi-Town was drawing to a close when Josh Fields was recalled from the minors and went on to club 20+ HR. An injury here or there and a slow spring training from Fields opened the door for Crede to return and right now Crede is taking advantage of it. Grad Crede if he is available in your league and you need a 3B. He won't be this hot all season, but .270, with 20+HR, and 80RBI are not out of the question.

Bill Hall - Isn't there yet in most leagues, but should quickly regain his 3B eligibility. Hall is another guy who had a huge 2006 and a down 2007. He managed to hit 22HR with 70RBI last season and while those aren't all star numbers, it shows that even if he has another down season like he did in 2007 he can still put up capable numbers for a 3B. I do expect Hall to have a season somewhere in between what he did in '06 and '07. Look for 27HR with 75RBI and a .270AVG.

Shortstop 

Jeff Keppinger - The utility man has gone from filling in for players, to taking playing time from players. Keppinger has been used to fill in for the injured Alex Gonzalez in Cincy, but actually saw playing time ahead of Scott Hatteburg and Joey Votto at first against a lefthander. Keppinger has played his way out of just being a utility player and has become a player. He can be a valuable addition at SS, as he can hit and looks like he has impressed manager Dusty Baker enough to warrant consistent playing time.

Christian Guzman - Can't believe I am typing his name, but he has been hot early on and seems like he has refound the batting success he had early on in his career in Minnesota. He started 2007 off hot hitting over .320 when a thumb injury cost him his season. He is currently hitting well over .300 and while he won't hit for power, the batting average and amount of runs he will score leading off make him a potentially valuable addition. Depending on your need Guzman can be a solid asset.

Outfield

Xavier Nady - Always praised for his athleticism on the ballfield, Nady always seems to put up solid numbers and then battle injuries that cost him time and hurt his over all numbers. He always seemed primed to take it to that next level of consistent reliable play, and reach that 500AB plateau, but thus far in his career, it has eluded him. If you are hurting for offense now, Nady is a fine choice, just keep a close watch on him to see how he is doing healthy wise throughout the season. He is near certain to miss time at some point.

David Murphy - Getting the most playing time of his career, Murphy has started hot in Texas. Murphy spent a lot of time over the last 3 seasons bouncing up and down between AAA and AA and with the big team in Boston and now Texas, so it has been difficult to put up any sort of consistent numbers. That being said, from what I can gather, Murphy can hit a bit and