MLB Fantasy News 2011

[HacheMan]

Slow-starting Jay Bruce still a solid option

Jason Grey

Cincinnati Reds slugger Jay Bruce has gotten off to a slow start; he's hitting .235 with no homers, one walk and 14 strikeouts through his first eight contests. But he's going to be just fine. In fact, he was still showing off that solid left-handed hitting stroke when I watched him over the weekend.

After breaking into the majors in 2008 at age 21, Bruce, who turned 24 a week ago, had a mini-breakout last season that rightfully has people expecting big things from him this year. That mini-breakout was driven by a strong finish to the season; he put up a .338 AVG/.418 OBP/.699 SLG stat line in the final two months of 2010. Bruce fractured his right wrist in July 2009, and it might have still been an issue over the first half of '10, at least as far as his power was concerned. But he obviously rebounded nicely and put to rest any concerns regarding the injury moving forward.

Luck was also a factor. Bruce's .221 batting average on balls in play in 2009 jumped to .334 last year, which played a part in his batting-average jump of more than 50 points. However, I think some mechanical changes and additional experience were also factors, and they give me reason to think that further growth is ahead.
One marked area of improvement: Bruce's ability to hit lefty pitching. He posted an .899 OPS against them in 2010 after .643 and .562 marks, respectively, in his first two years in the majors.
"I think I had a better understanding of what they were going to try to do to me and a better understanding of what I could and couldn't handle," Bruce said. "I was too anxious [against lefties]. I needed to relax a bit and settle down, and not feel you have to do everything right."
While some of the improvement in 2010 was simply the maturation of a hitter in his early 20s, the '09 wrist injury, it turned out, had a silver lining. Bruce used the time off to make a mechanical change in his swing. To be more specific, he got rid of a double-tap movement with his front foot in his stride, and that has wound up helping him with his timing in the box. It gives him a little more time to see the ball and an extra split-second to make a decision. As a result, I think he's now able to better recognize and handle off-speed stuff, especially from southpaws, and that's going to be the key in sustaining and improving upon his 2010 success.
That's not to say Bruce still doesn't have some things to work on. He still gets a little too anxious and tries to do too much at times, and will go through ruts in which he's trying to pull everything, not getting his back side through the ball and getting away from what works for him. We'd like to see him cut down on the strikeouts a bit, and I think he'll make some incremental improvement in that regard, but as long as they come with the power production it's not really a big concern.
"More experience is huge, and I'm still getting it, but I really just need to be more consistent. That's the key for me," Bruce said. "My success is going to be dependent on pitch selection and consistency. Mechanically, I feel my swing is pretty sound right now."
The bottom line: Despite his slow start, Bruce is going to be just fine this year. I expect a slight growth season. If someone is panicking about his first eight games -- believe it or not, there are people doing so -- you should take advantage. I've already gotten questions about dropping or benching Bruce in shallow mixed leagues. But I'll say about him what I'd say about pretty much any player at this point of the year: If he was good enough to draft, he's good enough to keep running out there. Just be patient.

 

[HacheMan]

How to handle hot, cold starts

AJ Mass


You're hot then you're cold. You're yes then you're no.
You're in then you're out. You're up when you're down." -- Katy Perry


Every year, as the major league season officially gets under way, there are always a few hitters who explode out of the gate, proving themselves to be what one might well call "a firework, who have showed them what they're worth." This season is no exception. For example, Cincinnati Reds shortstop Paul Janish -- a career .236 hitter -- has hits in all six of his starts and has posted a .444 (12-for-27) batting average, opening 2011 with a bang.

At the same time, there are always those players who creep along like the proverbial tortoise as the season opens, barely managing to register on the statistical Richter scale at all. This sad lot will cause fantasy owners to lament at their being "so paper thin, like a house of cards, one blow from caving in." Case in point, take a look at veteran Vernon Wells -- a career .280 hitter -- going 4-for-40 (.100) with 11 strikeouts, making an anemic first impression on the fans in Anaheim.


Like clockwork, the questions start pouring in to the ESPN fantasy experts: Can I cut Vernon Wells? Should I replace Dan Uggla, hitting .158, at my middle infield spot with Yunel Escobar and his .476 batting average? Is it too soon to panic about Matt Wieters and his .192 average, or should I trade him for Miguel Montero, who is a scalding hot 13-for-26 (.500), tops in the majors?


Sure it can be frustrating if you spent the first overall pick on Albert Pujols and all you have to show for it is a lowly .143 batting average, while every "SportsCenter" highlight reel seems to feature Joey Votto (.455) dancing around the bases, mocking your selection with each run he scores. But it's not the end of the world.


Certainly, at this early stage of the season, there can be legitimate concerns about slumping players due to a lack of consistent playing time, health and injury issues, or perhaps the real possibility that a player's age has finally pushed his performance seesaw inexorably downward. Certainly, because he's pushing 40, Jorge Posada's current 0-for-17 slump certainly raises some legitimate red flags. Nobody would blame you for sweating at least a little bit here.


Barring specific extenuating circumstances, however, there's really no need for panic if your studs are simply stinking up the joint. If you thought they'd hit .300 for the year, then a poor 10-game showing -- about 6 percent of the total season -- is no reason to get concerned any more than a red-hot start to the season should make you think a career .230 hitter is suddenly destined to be the first hitter since Ted Williams to hit .400.


But don't just take my word for it that the wisest course of action is to take no action at all. Let's look at what history has to say on the subject. First, let's look at the "hottest of the hot" hitters of the past 10 seasons and see how much they cooled off after the initial spark. My definition of "hot" in this case is counting how many times a hitter got two or more hits during his team's first 10 games of the season. Here are the 20 players who had the largest number of these efforts in the past decade, and the stats from just those games.


<TABLE><THEAD><TR><TH colSpan=2></TH><TH colSpan=3>Stats in "Hot" Games </TH><TH colSpan=3>Rest of the Season </TH></TR><TR><TH>Hot Player </TH><TH>Year </TH><TH>AB </TH><TH>H </TH><TH>BA </TH><TH>AB </TH><TH>H </TH><TH>BA </TH></TR></THEAD><TBODY><TR class=last><TD>Miguel Cabrera </TD><TD>2009 </TD><TD>27 </TD><TD>18 </TD><TD>.667 </TD><TD>584 </TD><TD>180 </TD><TD>.308 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD>Chris Shelton </TD><TD>2006 </TD><TD>29 </TD><TD>19 </TD><TD>.655 </TD><TD>344 </TD><TD>83 </TD><TD>.241 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD>Javy Lopez </TD><TD>2004 </TD><TD>23 </TD><TD>15 </TD><TD>.652 </TD><TD>556 </TD><TD>168 </TD><TD>.302 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD>Garret Anderson </TD><TD>2003 </TD><TD>25 </TD><TD>16 </TD><TD>.640 </TD><TD>613 </TD><TD>185 </TD><TD>.302 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD>Ian Kinsler </TD><TD>2009 </TD><TD>29 </TD><TD>18 </TD><TD>.621 </TD><TD>537 </TD><TD>125 </TD><TD>.233 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD>Edgardo Alfonzo </TD><TD>2005 </TD><TD>26 </TD><TD>16 </TD><TD>.615 </TD><TD>342 </TD><TD>86 </TD><TD>.251 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD>Alex Gonzalez </TD><TD>2003 </TD><TD>25 </TD><TD>15 </TD><TD>.600 </TD><TD>503 </TD><TD>120 </TD><TD>.239 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD>Bernie Williams </TD><TD>2003 </TD><TD>27 </TD><TD>16 </TD><TD>.593 </TD><TD>418 </TD><TD>101 </TD><TD>.242 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD>Adam Jones </TD><TD>2009 </TD><TD>22 </TD><TD>13 </TD><TD>.591 </TD><TD>451 </TD><TD>118 </TD><TD>.262 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD>Aaron Hill </TD><TD>2007 </TD><TD>24 </TD><TD>14 </TD><TD>.583 </TD><TD>584 </TD><TD>163 </TD><TD>.279 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD>Richard Hidalgo </TD><TD>2004 </TD><TD>26 </TD><TD>15 </TD><TD>.577 </TD><TD>497 </TD><TD>110 </TD><TD>.221 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD>Cristian Guzman </TD><TD>2009 </TD><TD>28 </TD><TD>16 </TD><TD>.571 </TD><TD>503 </TD><TD>135 </TD><TD>.268 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD>Shannon Stewart </TD><TD>2001 </TD><TD>30 </TD><TD>17 </TD><TD>.567 </TD><TD>610 </TD><TD>185 </TD><TD>.303 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD>David DeJesus </TD><TD>2007 </TD><TD>25 </TD><TD>14 </TD><TD>.560 </TD><TD>580 </TD><TD>143 </TD><TD>.247 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD>Martin Prado </TD><TD>2010 </TD><TD>29 </TD><TD>16 </TD><TD>.552 </TD><TD>570 </TD><TD>168 </TD><TD>.295 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD>Kevin Youkilis </TD><TD>2009 </TD><TD>29 </TD><TD>16 </TD><TD>.552 </TD><TD>462 </TD><TD>134 </TD><TD>.290 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD>Emilio Bonifacio </TD><TD>2009 </TD><TD>29 </TD><TD>16 </TD><TD>.552 </TD><TD>432 </TD><TD>100 </TD><TD>.231 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD>Jeff Francoeur </TD><TD>2010 </TD><TD>22 </TD><TD>12 </TD><TD>.545 </TD><TD>432 </TD><TD>101 </TD><TD>.234 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD>Raul Ibanez </TD><TD>2009 </TD><TD>24 </TD><TD>13 </TD><TD>.542 </TD><TD>476 </TD><TD>123 </TD><TD>.258 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD>Placido Polanco </TD><TD>2007 </TD><TD>26 </TD><TD>14 </TD><TD>.538 </TD><TD>561 </TD><TD>186 </TD><TD>.332 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD colSpan=8>*Only players with a minimum of 350 PA for the season were considered.</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>



As you can see, while five of these 20 hitters did top the .300 milestone the rest of the way, seven of them failed to even manage to hit .250 over the remainder of their at-bats. Certainly, you knew none of these guys was going to keep up such a hellacious hitting onslaught for six full months, but otherwise, the hot start didn't serve as an indicator of future performance one way or the other. These players, for the most part, ended up performing pretty much as expected.


So, now let's look at the other side of the coin and see if the "coldest of the cold" players showed any tendency to lean one way or the other on the spectrum of success after the glaciers began to recede. My definition of "cold" in this case is any game in which a hitter recorded one or fewer hits -- with at least three at-bats -- in any of his team's first 10 contests of the season. Here are the 20 players with the largest numbers of those efforts in the past decade, and the stats from just those games.


<TABLE><THEAD><TR><TH colSpan=2></TH><TH colSpan=3>Stats in "Cold" Games </TH><TH colSpan=3>Rest of the Season </TH></TR><TR><TH>Cold Player </TH><TH>Year </TH><TH>AB </TH><TH>H </TH><TH>BA </TH><TH>AB </TH><TH>H </TH><TH>BA </TH></TR></THEAD><TBODY><TR class=last><TD>David Ortiz </TD><TD>2008 </TD><TD>32 </TD><TD>1 </TD><TD>.031 </TD><TD>384 </TD><TD>109 </TD><TD>.284 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD>Yadier Molina </TD><TD>2005 </TD><TD>29 </TD><TD>1 </TD><TD>.034 </TD><TD>356 </TD><TD>96 </TD><TD>.270 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD>Carlos Lee </TD><TD>2010 </TD><TD>35 </TD><TD>2 </TD><TD>.057 </TD><TD>570 </TD><TD>147 </TD><TD>.258 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD>Lyle Overbay </TD><TD>2010 </TD><TD>39 </TD><TD>3 </TD><TD>.077 </TD><TD>495 </TD><TD>127 </TD><TD>.257 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD>Dmitri Young </TD><TD>2003 </TD><TD>38 </TD><TD>3 </TD><TD>.079 </TD><TD>524 </TD><TD>164 </TD><TD>.313 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD>Jeff Francoeur </TD><TD>2006 </TD><TD>37 </TD><TD>3 </TD><TD>.081 </TD><TD>614 </TD><TD>166 </TD><TD>.270 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD>Joe Randa </TD><TD>2001 </TD><TD>35 </TD><TD>3 </TD><TD>.086 </TD><TD>546 </TD><TD>144 </TD><TD>.264 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD>Mike Sweeney </TD><TD>2001 </TD><TD>35 </TD><TD>3 </TD><TD>.086 </TD><TD>524 </TD><TD>167 </TD><TD>.319 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD>Gary Sheffield </TD><TD>2007 </TD><TD>34 </TD><TD>3 </TD><TD>.088 </TD><TD>460 </TD><TD>128 </TD><TD>.278 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD>Chris Singleton </TD><TD>2002 </TD><TD>34 </TD><TD>3 </TD><TD>.088 </TD><TD>432 </TD><TD>119 </TD><TD>.275 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD>Jim Thome </TD><TD>2001 </TD><TD>34 </TD><TD>3 </TD><TD>.088 </TD><TD>492 </TD><TD>150 </TD><TD>.305 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD>Nick Punto </TD><TD>2007 </TD><TD>33 </TD><TD>3 </TD><TD>.091 </TD><TD>439 </TD><TD>96 </TD><TD>.219 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD>Alex Gordon </TD><TD>2007 </TD><TD>33 </TD><TD>3 </TD><TD>.091 </TD><TD>510 </TD><TD>131 </TD><TD>.257 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD>Steve Finley </TD><TD>2001 </TD><TD>32 </TD><TD>3 </TD><TD>.094 </TD><TD>463 </TD><TD>133 </TD><TD>.287 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD>Alexei Ramirez </TD><TD>2009 </TD><TD>31 </TD><TD>3 </TD><TD>.097 </TD><TD>511 </TD><TD>147 </TD><TD>.288 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD>Eric Young </TD><TD>2002 </TD><TD>31 </TD><TD>3 </TD><TD>.097 </TD><TD>465 </TD><TD>136 </TD><TD>.292 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD>Hunter Pence </TD><TD>2010 </TD><TD>37 </TD><TD>4 </TD><TD>.108 </TD><TD>577 </TD><TD>169 </TD><TD>.293 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD>Cristian Guzman </TD><TD>2005 </TD><TD>37 </TD><TD>4 </TD><TD>.108 </TD><TD>419 </TD><TD>96 </TD><TD>.229 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD>Brian Giles </TD><TD>2004 </TD><TD>37 </TD><TD>4 </TD><TD>.108 </TD><TD>572 </TD><TD>169 </TD><TD>.295 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD>Edgardo Alfonzo </TD><TD>2001 </TD><TD>37 </TD><TD>4 </TD><TD>.108 </TD><TD>420 </TD><TD>107 </TD><TD>.255 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD colSpan=8>*Only players with a minimum of 350 PA for the season were considered.</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>



In this case, only three of these hitters managed to hit .300 the rest of the way, while just two ended up under .250 post-cold spell. I suppose one could make the argument that this means that because there don't seem to be as many players living at the extremes in this group, that by trading a hot player for a cold player, you may end up better off in the long run.


Intuitively, that does make a lot of sense. After all, if you can trade Shane Victorino for Vernon Wells right now, and if they both end up meeting their preseason projections at the end of the season, even though Victorino will still have better final 2011 numbers, you'll come out ahead of the game because of when you make the deal.


<TABLE><THEAD><TR><TH></TH><TH colSpan=3>2011 Projections </TH><TH colSpan=3>To Meet Projection </TH></TR><TR><TH>Player </TH><TH>H </TH><TH>AB </TH><TH>BA </TH><TH>H </TH><TH>AB </TH><TH>BA </TH></TR></THEAD><TBODY><TR class=last><TD>Vernon Wells </TD><TD>159 </TD><TD>587 </TD><TD>.271 </TD><TD>155 </TD><TD>547 </TD><TD>.283 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD>Shane Victorino </TD><TD>171 </TD><TD>614 </TD><TD>.279 </TD><TD>156 </TD><TD>578 </TD><TD>.270 </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>



However, for the most part, any move made based solely on the hot or cold streaks to start the season are just as likely to backfire as they are to be successful. This point is borne out by the combined statistics of all the players who met my criteria for "hot" or "cold" since 2001. Take a close look at the batting average of each group after we removed their extreme starts.


<TABLE><THEAD><TR><TH></TH><TH colSpan=3>Total Stats During Hot/Cold Games </TH><TH colSpan=3>Rest of the Season </TH></TR><TR><TH>Player Type </TH><TH>AB </TH><TH>H </TH><TH>BA </TH><TH>AB </TH><TH>H </TH><TH>BA </TH></TR></THEAD><TBODY><TR class=last><TD>Hot (56 players) </TD><TD>1541 </TD><TD>800 </TD><TD>.519 </TD><TD>29506 </TD><TD>8154 </TD><TD>.27635 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD>Cold (74 players) </TD><TD>2550 </TD><TD>350 </TD><TD>.137 </TD><TD>37172 </TD><TD>10274 </TD><TD>.27639 </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>



That's about as close as you can get. I don't know about you, but I'm not going to try to split hairs that finely. I'll hold on to slow starters like Wells, Carl Crawford and Adrian Beltre and let them prove to me that they are exactly who I thought they were.


But if you want to send that trio to me in exchange for Nick Hundley, Willie Bloomquist and Jhonny Peralta, based entirely on the incredibly small sample size of stats from 2011?


I take you up on that offer -- and I don't ever look back, don't ever look back.

 

[HacheMan]

Nats Lose Zimmerman
The Nationals are collectively batting just .217/.321/.328 with a .649 OPS over the first nine games of the season. Pretty ugly stuff, huh? Now let's see what they can do without their best hitter for at least the next two weeks.

Ryan Zimmerman is expected to be placed on the disabled list Tuesday with an abdominal strain. It's the very same injury that sidelined him for a few days during the early part of the Grapefruit League schedule. He re-injured himself while sliding into second base during Saturday's game against the Mets.

It's an awful blow for the Nationals, who may forge ahead with Ian Desmond and Rick Ankiel in the top two spots in their lineup like we saw during Sunday's game. In a word, yuck. Considering Adam LaRoche is dealing with a groin strain in addition to a shoulder injury, Jayson Werth won't have much in the way of protection when his former teammates visit Nats Park this week.

If you're really hurting for replacements at the hot corner, two under the radar stopgap possibilities are Edwin Encarnacion (Yahoo: 10 percent owned, ESPN: 81.9 percent) and Wilson Betemit (Yahoo: 1 percent owned, ESPN: 0.2 percent). Mike Aviles opened the year as the starting third baseman in Kansas City, but is batting just .115 (3-for-26) to begin the season. Meanwhile, Betemit is off to a hot start with the bat, including a 4-for-4 day against the Tigers on Sunday. He should play against most right-handers moving forward.

While the Nationals and fantasy owners hope for a speedy recovery from Zimmerman, here are some more news and notes from a busy Monday around the baseball world.

- It's amazing what one good night early on in the season can do for your batting line. Sam Fuld entered Monday's action with a .227 batting average -- which honestly is pretty good for the Rays' lineup right now -- but a 4-for-6 day against the Red Sox pushed his batting average to .321 (9-for-28) over his first eight games.

Fuld hit two doubles, a triple and his second major league home run. He needed a single to hit for the cycle, but flew out in the seventh and doubled (how dare he?) in the ninth. Nights like these will probably be few and far between for the 29-year-old New Hampshire native, but he does have five stolen bases over his first eight games this season. There's a good chance he's already gone in competitive leagues, but he makes for a fine pickup in AL-only leagues or mixed formats that use five outfielders.

- Now here's an interesting one. Rafael Furcal was forced to leave Monday's game against the Giants after six innings with a broken left thumb. He suffered the injury on a slide while stealing third base in the fifth inning. There's no clear timetable for his return -- he's scheduled to visit a hand specialist in Los Angeles on Tuesday -- but early word has him out 4-6 weeks.

According to Tony Jackson of ESPNLosAngeles.com, Furcal actually hinted at retirement after hearing the diagnosis, though it's very likely that he made those comments out of frustration. The 33-year-old has a $12 million option for 2012 that vests automatically if he reaches 600 plate appearances. An extended absence could really hurt him in the wallet.

As for replacements in your fantasy lineup, mixed leaguers should look at the versatile Maicer Izturis while those in NL-only leagues should pick up Jamey Carroll, who figures to see most of the time at shortstop in Furcal's absence.

Here are some noteworthy pitching lines from Monday's action:

Mat Latos: 6.0, 4 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 7 K's vs. CIN - Latos gave up a pair of homers, but all in all, not bad for his season debut. His velocity was nearly identical to what we saw last season, so use him with confidence moving forward.

Tyler Chatwood: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 4 BB, 3 K's vs. CLE - Didn't allow a hit over his final three innings, but probably not ready for prime-time quite yet.

Madison Bumgarner: 4.2 IP, 8 H, 5 ER, 4 BB, 3 K's vs. LAD - Much too soon to give up on this draft day sleeper, but his poor Cactus League has crossed over to the regular season. Might be worth benching him against the D-Backs this weekend.

Daisuke Matsuzaka: 2.0 IP, 8 H, 7 ER, 2 BB, 2 K's vs. TB -- An embarrassing showing against a pathetic offense. Tim Wakefield could be in this rotation soon.

Nelson Figueroa: 4.0 IP, 8 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 3 K's vs. CHC - This could be a long season for the Astros, but I'm counting down the days until Jordan Lyles is ready for the big leagues. Take note, NL-only folks.

Mitch Talbot: 8.0 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 K's vs. LAA - Yeah, this happened. Remember, Talbot got off to a nice start last season before posting a 5.29 ERA over 11 starts after the All-Star break. He's a poor option for strikeouts anyway, so don't go crazy here.

Felix Hernandez: 6.0 IP, 12 H, 7 ER, 2 BB, 6 K's vs. TOR - He'll be fine, just in case there was any doubt.

National League Quick Hits: Clayton Kershaw struck out seven over 6 2/3 shutout innings in a win over the Giants on Monday … Jon Garland (oblique) is expected to return from the disabled list Friday against the Cardinals… Carlos Gonzalez (flu) singled and drove in three runs in his return to the lineup Monday … Zack Greinke (rib) is expected to throw live batting practice twice this week … Jose Reyes tripled twice in Monday's loss to the Rockies … Jonathan Lucroy (finger) was activated from the disabled list Monday and will make his season debut Tuesday… Lance Berkman homered twice in Monday's win over the Diamondbacks … Kosuke Fukudome is day-to-day with a mild left hamstring strain … Jair Jurrjens (oblique) is on track to return from the disabled list Saturday after allowing two runs over six innings in a rehab start with Triple-A Gwinnett on Monday … Takashi Saito was placed on the disabled list with a left hamstring strain … Casey Blake was out of the lineup for the second straight day Monday with a deep thigh bruise suffered over the weekend … Clint Barmes swung a bat Monday for the first time since fracturing his left hand in March … Dustin Moseley will remain in the Padres' starting rotation … Ubaldo Jimenez (thumb) is expected to throw 85 pitches in an extended spring training game Wendesday …

American League Quick Hits: Magglio Ordonez is expected to miss a couple days with right Achilles tendinitis … Matt Thornton was credited Monday with his third blown save in as many tries … Alexi Ogando left Monday's outing against the Tigers with a blister on his index finger, but is expected to make his next start … The Athletics announced a five-year, $30.5 million contract with Trevor Cahill on Monday … Scott Downs tossed a scoreless eighth inning Monday in his first appearance since coming off the disabled list … Adam Dunn (appendectomy) may not return until Friday … Andrew Bailey (forearm) threw 20 pitches off a mound Monday … Colby Lewis will miss his scheduled start this week to be present for the birth of his daughter … Chone Figgins exited Monday's game with a left thumb contusion … Asdrubal Cabrera hit his fourth home run Monday … Franklin Gutierrez lost 15 pounds with his recent stomach issue, but could play rehab games with Triple-A Tacoma this week … Kurt Suzuki singled in the sixth inning to break up Mark Buehrle's no-hit bid and hit a go-ahead homer in the 10th inning Monday… David Aardsma (hip) is set to throw a simulated inning Tuesday … Grady Sizemore went 2-for-4 with two RBI Monday in a rehab game with Double-A Akron … Brandon Morrow (forearm) will make his second rehab start Tuesday with Single-A Dunedin … Jack Wilson returned to the starting lineup Monday after being benched over the weekend … Rajai Davis was placed on the disabled list with an ankle injury, which makes Corey Patterson a worthwhile pickup in AL-only formats ...

 

[HacheMan]

Nats Lose Zimmerman
The Nationals are collectively batting just .217/.321/.328 with a .649 OPS over the first nine games of the season. Pretty ugly stuff, huh? Now let's see what they can do without their best hitter for at least the next two weeks.

Ryan Zimmerman is expected to be placed on the disabled list Tuesday with an abdominal strain. It's the very same injury that sidelined him for a few days during the early part of the Grapefruit League schedule. He re-injured himself while sliding into second base during Saturday's game against the Mets.

It's an awful blow for the Nationals, who may forge ahead with Ian Desmond and Rick Ankiel in the top two spots in their lineup like we saw during Sunday's game. In a word, yuck. Considering Adam LaRoche is dealing with a groin strain in addition to a shoulder injury, Jayson Werth won't have much in the way of protection when his former teammates visit Nats Park this week.

If you're really hurting for replacements at the hot corner, two under the radar stopgap possibilities are Edwin Encarnacion (Yahoo: 10 percent owned, ESPN: 81.9 percent) and Wilson Betemit (Yahoo: 1 percent owned, ESPN: 0.2 percent). Mike Aviles opened the year as the starting third baseman in Kansas City, but is batting just .115 (3-for-26) to begin the season. Meanwhile, Betemit is off to a hot start with the bat, including a 4-for-4 day against the Tigers on Sunday. He should play against most right-handers moving forward.

While the Nationals and fantasy owners hope for a speedy recovery from Zimmerman, here are some more news and notes from a busy Monday around the baseball world.

- It's amazing what one good night early on in the season can do for your batting line. Sam Fuld entered Monday's action with a .227 batting average -- which honestly is pretty good for the Rays' lineup right now -- but a 4-for-6 day against the Red Sox pushed his batting average to .321 (9-for-28) over his first eight games.

Fuld hit two doubles, a triple and his second major league home run. He needed a single to hit for the cycle, but flew out in the seventh and doubled (how dare he?) in the ninth. Nights like these will probably be few and far between for the 29-year-old New Hampshire native, but he does have five stolen bases over his first eight games this season. There's a good chance he's already gone in competitive leagues, but he makes for a fine pickup in AL-only leagues or mixed formats that use five outfielders.

- Now here's an interesting one. Rafael Furcal was forced to leave Monday's game against the Giants after six innings with a broken left thumb. He suffered the injury on a slide while stealing third base in the fifth inning. There's no clear timetable for his return -- he's scheduled to visit a hand specialist in Los Angeles on Tuesday -- but early word has him out 4-6 weeks.

According to Tony Jackson of ESPNLosAngeles.com, Furcal actually hinted at retirement after hearing the diagnosis, though it's very likely that he made those comments out of frustration. The 33-year-old has a $12 million option for 2012 that vests automatically if he reaches 600 plate appearances. An extended absence could really hurt him in the wallet.

As for replacements in your fantasy lineup, mixed leaguers should look at the versatile Maicer Izturis while those in NL-only leagues should pick up Jamey Carroll, who figures to see most of the time at shortstop in Furcal's absence.

Here are some noteworthy pitching lines from Monday's action:

Mat Latos: 6.0, 4 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 7 K's vs. CIN - Latos gave up a pair of homers, but all in all, not bad for his season debut. His velocity was nearly identical to what we saw last season, so use him with confidence moving forward.

Tyler Chatwood: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 4 BB, 3 K's vs. CLE - Didn't allow a hit over his final three innings, but probably not ready for prime-time quite yet.

Madison Bumgarner: 4.2 IP, 8 H, 5 ER, 4 BB, 3 K's vs. LAD - Much too soon to give up on this draft day sleeper, but his poor Cactus League has crossed over to the regular season. Might be worth benching him against the D-Backs this weekend.

Daisuke Matsuzaka: 2.0 IP, 8 H, 7 ER, 2 BB, 2 K's vs. TB -- An embarrassing showing against a pathetic offense. Tim Wakefield could be in this rotation soon.

Nelson Figueroa: 4.0 IP, 8 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 3 K's vs. CHC - This could be a long season for the Astros, but I'm counting down the days until Jordan Lyles is ready for the big leagues. Take note, NL-only folks.

Mitch Talbot: 8.0 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 K's vs. LAA - Yeah, this happened. Remember, Talbot got off to a nice start last season before posting a 5.29 ERA over 11 starts after the All-Star break. He's a poor option for strikeouts anyway, so don't go crazy here.

Felix Hernandez: 6.0 IP, 12 H, 7 ER, 2 BB, 6 K's vs. TOR - He'll be fine, just in case there was any doubt.

National League Quick Hits: Clayton Kershaw struck out seven over 6 2/3 shutout innings in a win over the Giants on Monday … Jon Garland (oblique) is expected to return from the disabled list Friday against the Cardinals… Carlos Gonzalez (flu) singled and drove in three runs in his return to the lineup Monday … Zack Greinke (rib) is expected to throw live batting practice twice this week … Jose Reyes tripled twice in Monday's loss to the Rockies … Jonathan Lucroy (finger) was activated from the disabled list Monday and will make his season debut Tuesday… Lance Berkman homered twice in Monday's win over the Diamondbacks … Kosuke Fukudome is day-to-day with a mild left hamstring strain … Jair Jurrjens (oblique) is on track to return from the disabled list Saturday after allowing two runs over six innings in a rehab start with Triple-A Gwinnett on Monday … Takashi Saito was placed on the disabled list with a left hamstring strain … Casey Blake was out of the lineup for the second straight day Monday with a deep thigh bruise suffered over the weekend … Clint Barmes swung a bat Monday for the first time since fracturing his left hand in March … Dustin Moseley will remain in the Padres' starting rotation … Ubaldo Jimenez (thumb) is expected to throw 85 pitches in an extended spring training game Wendesday …

American League Quick Hits: Magglio Ordonez is expected to miss a couple days with right Achilles tendinitis … Matt Thornton was credited Monday with his third blown save in as many tries … Alexi Ogando left Monday's outing against the Tigers with a blister on his index finger, but is expected to make his next start … The Athletics announced a five-year, $30.5 million contract with Trevor Cahill on Monday … Scott Downs tossed a scoreless eighth inning Monday in his first appearance since coming off the disabled list … Adam Dunn (appendectomy) may not return until Friday … Andrew Bailey (forearm) threw 20 pitches off a mound Monday … Colby Lewis will miss his scheduled start this week to be present for the birth of his daughter … Chone Figgins exited Monday's game with a left thumb contusion … Asdrubal Cabrera hit his fourth home run Monday … Franklin Gutierrez lost 15 pounds with his recent stomach issue, but could play rehab games with Triple-A Tacoma this week … Kurt Suzuki singled in the sixth inning to break up Mark Buehrle's no-hit bid and hit a go-ahead homer in the 10th inning Monday… David Aardsma (hip) is set to throw a simulated inning Tuesday … Grady Sizemore went 2-for-4 with two RBI Monday in a rehab game with Double-A Akron … Brandon Morrow (forearm) will make his second rehab start Tuesday with Single-A Dunedin … Jack Wilson returned to the starting lineup Monday after being benched over the weekend … Rajai Davis was placed on the disabled list with an ankle injury, which makes Corey Patterson a worthwhile pickup in AL-only formats ...

 

[HacheMan]

No Humerus for Hamilton

Most fantasy owners know they're assuming some risk when drafting a player with the injury history of Josh Hamilton, but the news is decidedly more harsh than any of us would have expected after he left Tuesday's game early: The Rangers' outfielder is expected to miss 6-8 weeks due to a non-displaced fracture of the humerus bone in his right shoulder.

There's obviously no way to fully replace Hamilton's bat in fantasy lineups, but there is some potential value to be found here in David Murphy, who takes over as the primary starter in left field and warrants a close look in mixed leagues. If Hamilton makes it back on the early side of his timetable, he'll be back in late May. If it ends up being eight weeks, he'll be back in mid-June. Chris Davis is expected to take Hamilton's spot on the roster, but likely won't get enough at-bats to make an impact.

On a more happy injury note, Kendrys Morales (ankle, foot) ran on the field in spikes on Tuesday, with Mike Scioscia describing Morales' running (which was less than 100 percent speed) as "baby steps." Scioscia also told the L.A. Times, "Hopefully, as the week goes on, the intensity will pick up. When he's running full speed and can get on the bases, he'll be ready to go out and play." Morales' timetable should become clearer later in the week.

Rafael Furcal will not require surgery on his broken thumb, but is still expected to be in a splint for three weeks, with his estimated return set at 4-6 weeks. And though Furcal mentioned retirement shortly after the injury, indications are that he was simply speaking out of frustration. With Casey Blake (thigh) hoping to return on Wednesday, Jamey Carroll takes over as the primary fill-in at short while Furcal is out.

A small piece of positive news on the Grady Sizemore front: The Indians' center fielder went 0-for-3 with a walk in his fourth rehab game at Double-A, which marked the first time he has played center on back-to back days. He appears to be on track to return toward the end of this month. Michael Brantley is slated to move over to left when Sizemore returns, sending Austin Kearns and Travis Buck to the bench.

In other positive injury news, Rays manager Joe Maddon said that Evan Longoria (oblique) is "doing good" in his recovery, did some running in the outfield on Monday and is "on pace" to be back when expected. Longoria's original timetable was approximately three weeks, which puts him on track to be back in the lineup before the end of April.

Ozzie Guillen reiterated the nature of his bullpen-by-committee on Tuesday, telling ESPNChicago.com that "I still believe in" Matt Thornton, but saying that "Whoever is going to be out there is the closer." Thornton remains the leading candidate despite three blown saves already, but Chris Sale, Jesse Crain and Sergio Santos all remain in the mix.

NL Quick Hits (pitchers): Zack Greinke (rib) threw 25 simulated pitches and is making a push to return before the end of April … After two shaky outings to open the year, Tommy Hanson returned to peak form (and picked up his first win) with seven scoreless innings against the Marlins … Chris Carpenter was uncharacteristically shaky on Tuesday, giving up eight runs in four innings against Arizona … Sam LeCure deserves a look in NL-Only leagues after holding the Padres to one run on one hit in six innings … Brett Myers picked up his first win of the season by holding the Cubs to one run in seven innings … The Mets and Rockies got rained out on Tuesday, meaning Jon Niese and Esmil Rogers are both pushed back to start on Wednesday … Homer Bailey (shoulder) gave up one run in three innings at extended spring training and is on course for rehab starts on the 17th and 22nd before likely returning toward the end of the month … Brian Wilson struck out the side while picking up his first save since coming off the DL.

NL Quick Hits (position players): Corey Hart (oblique) is hoping to return on April 22 … Jason Bay (rib cage) isn't expected to return until April 26 at the earliest … Bruce Bochy said that Andres Torres (Achilles) will not require a DL stint, and the Giants' center fielder could be back this weekend … The Nationals officially placed Ryan Zimmerman (abdominal strain) on the 15-day DL, retroactive to April 10 … Adam LaRoche (groin) missed Tuesday's game, leaving 43-year-old Matt Stairs at first base … Starlin Castro said on Monday that he hopes to steal between 25 and 30 bases this season … Hanley Ramirez (leg) returned to the Marlins' lineup … The slumping Drew Stubbs returned after a day off and went 2-for-6 with a homer and four RBI … Jason Bartlett (back) is making progress, but sat out again on Tuesday … Kosuke Fukudome (hamstring) is hoping to return Friday.

Editor's Note: For exclusive columns, rankings, projections and more, check out Rotoworld's MLB Season Pass.

AL Quick Hits (pitchers): Mariners closer David Aardsma (hip) impressed Eric Wedge with a simulated game Tuesday, and should be ready for a rehab assignment after another simulated game on Friday … Andrew Bailey (forearm) played catch on Tuesday and appears to be close to beginning a rehab assignment … Joel Zumaya (elbow) is headed for another visit to Dr. James Andrews next week … Frank Francisco (shoulder) has allowed six earned runs in 2 2/3 minor league innings and is expected to make at least a couple more rehab outings … Brandon Morrow (forearm) allowed two runs in three innings at Single-A on Tuesday and will likely need at least one more rehab start … Red Sox GM Theo Epstein described the performance of Daisuke Matsuzaka (12.86 ERA, 2.71 WHIP) as "horrific", suggesting that either Felix Doubront or Tim Wakefield may not be far from joining the Boston rotation … Michael Pineda (7 1/3 innings, one earned run, seven K's) out-pitched Ricky Romero to pick up a win in his second big league start … Dan Haren pitched a one-hit gem against the Indians, but did throw 125 pitches, one short of his most extensive single-game workload.

AL Quick Hits (position players): Cliff Pennington has been out of the starting lineup due to an infected sweat gland and should be considered day-to-day … Eric Wedge is hoping to have Chone Figgins (thumb) back on Wednesday … Alexei Ramirez'second homer of the evening was a game-winner … Magglio Ordonez was out of Tuesday's lineup due to an inflamed bursa sac in his right ankle … Adam Dunn (appendectomy) returned to action, going 1-for-4 … Vernon Wells got a day off after a 4-for-44 start to the season … Coco Crisp is being called "50-50" for Wednesday after leaving Tuesday's game with lower back trouble … Alex Rodriguez (flu) was set to rejoin the lineup before the Yankees got rained out ... Michael Cuddyer raised his average from .107 to .219 with a four-hit night … Carlos Delgado is expected to announce his retirement on Wednesday … Michael Young (3-for-3 on Tuesday) is two games away from five-game eligibility at second base.

 

[HacheMan]

Hit The Road, Matt Thornton?

This is Saves and Steals. We are not going to talk about Manny Ramirez here.

Well, we are, but just to set up the tiers this week. Because Manny went out in such an explosion of bad that he set a new basement for retiring with grace and class. He was a great hitter, but that was a terrible ending. Craptacular even.

And so, the tiers this week are labeled by players ranked by their ability to 'go out on top.' Somewhere in this muddled mess you'll find plenty of information about non-Manny-Ramirez relievers and speedsters, we promise.


Tier 1: Elite (4) (AKA: The "Ted Wiliams" Tier.)


Neftali Feliz, Texas Rangers
Heath Bell, San Diego Padres
Mariano Rivera, New York Yankees
Joakim Soria, Kansas City Royals

Ted Williams hit 29 home runs in fewer than 400 at-bats in his final season - and hit a home run on his final at-bat ever. He's the gold standard for retirements, and these are the gold standards for closers this year. John Elway, who won a title on his way out, would provide the football version.
There's really only one worry on this list is the fact that Soria only has two strikeouts in his six-plus innings. And that's not a huge worry just yet. Well, let's say that wouldn't normally be a problem if he wasn't also suffering from a two-mile-per-hour drop in his fastball velocity. It's not like Soria's history is without injury - if you can get a solid, healthy closer back, along with an upgrade elsewhere, it wouldn't be crazy to trade His Mexcellence away.


Tier 2: Rock Steady (5) (AKA: The "George Brett" Tier.)


Carlos Marmol, Chicago Cubs
Joe Nathan, Minnesota Twins
Jonathan Papelbon, Boston Red Sox
Brian Wilson, San Francisco Giants

Craig Kimbrel, Atlanta Braves

Brett hit .266 with 19 home runs and played 145 games in his final season, which is a respectable final season. Tiki Barber rushed for a ton of yards in his last season. These guys were "Rock Steady" into their twilights, like these closers.
This tier has seen some upheaval recently. Gone is Matt Thornton, and down a couple ticks goes Brian Wilson… for now. The Beach Boy hasn't returned with his full beard-force, but let's give him a little slack since he missed time with injury and is just now getting up to speed, as evidenced by Tuesday's nights excellent work.
To replace Thornton, we have Braves wunderkind Craig Kimbrel joining the second tier in his first season. He's not ceding save chances to lefty Jonny Venters, and he's blowing people away with his big fastball and nasty slider. The possible control problems haven't even surfaced yet - one walk so far.


Tier 3: OK options (7) (AKA: The "Tony Gwyn" Tier.)


J.J. Putz, Arizona Diamondbacks
Francisco Rodriguez, New York Mets
Jose Valverde, Detroit Tigers
Huston Street, Colorado Rockies
Joel Hanrahan, Pittsburgh Pirates
Chris Perez, Cleveland Indians

Comment:
Tony Gwynn hit .324 in his final season, but only managed 71 games. That's an okay way to go out - he still had his skills, but health failed him. In the same way, this tier has skills, but a flaw or two keeps them from joining the top tier.
J.J Putz hasn't walked a guy and is performing well - but health always lurks in the background. Francisco Rodriguez has a nice strikeout rate and is obviously an elite closer on skills alone - but he's walked too many so far this year and who knows what team he'll be on at the end of the year. Jose Valverde is strong now but has also failed to pitch more than 55 innings in half of his seasons, so health is a lingering question for him. Chris Perez is nice, but he still hasn't struck out a batter per inning in the American League.
Huston street has a whopping five saves already, and has been getting steady work all week. He even went to three innings last Friday. If he's healthy all year, he'll end up a strong second-tier option. Joel Hanrahan has eight strikeouts against one walk, and Evan Meek is hurting, so he moves up a little inside the tier as well.


Tier 4: Question marks (6) (AKA: The "Dale Murphy" Tier.)


Leo Nunez, Florida Marlins
John Axford, Milwaukee Brewers
Jonathan Broxton, Los Angeles Dodgers
Francisco Cordero, Cincinnati Reds
Kevin Gregg, Baltimore Orioles
Jordan Walden, Anaheim Angels

Matt Thornton, Chicago White Sox
Ryan Franklin, St. Louis Cardinals

Comment:
If we opened this up to other sports, Brett Favre would name this tier (and really, it's amazing that Manny could top Favre). Instead, it's Dale Murphy, who was traded out of Atlanta after injuries ravaged him and left him a below-mendoza corner outfielder. Sad ending to a shortish but great career.
Let's just tackle the new closer in the tier, shan't we? We will list him alone as the closer for now, but there's obviously some cause for concern for Matt Thornton owners. But! He had the best fastball in the league last year (which is good because he used it more than anyone else, too), and he's been great ever since he put on the black and silver. He's had some defensive help in blowing his saves this year, but his manager is talking about going to a committee. The problem with using that press conference as a jump-off point is this: Ozzie Guillen also said, in the same presser, that Thornton would have gotten the ball Sunday had he not thrown so many pitches Saturday. Sergio Santos, Jesse Crain and Chris Sale are all handcuffs and this is an open sore of a situation. Thornton is a good pitcher and could easily come out on top, so we'll leave him here just to remind you that it is too soon to drop him.
It's tempting to move Jonathan Broxton up since he's been successful in his save chances so far, but his velocity hasn't recovered its' peak speed, and he's getting about half the swinging strikes that he got last year. He's not completely right, and his one strikeout on the year confirms the diagnosis.
Same verse, same as the first for Francisco Cordero, whose velocity is down from last year's career-worst. He's also getting the fewest swinging strikes of his career and is so far surviving on the fact that he hasn't walked a batter yet. Okay, but not solid.
<!--RW-->Another couple of notes: Fernando Rodney got the save Sunday, but his manager said that Jordan Walden had thrown too many pitches the night before and is still his closer. Ryan Franklin is still the Cardinals' closer, but he had a tough week, and Jason Motte had a much better strikeout rate last year (and even hit a home run Monday).


Tier 5: Rollercoaster rides (9) (AKA: The "Manny Ramirez" Tier.)

Kyle Farnsworth, Tampa Bay Rays
Brandon Lyon, Houston Astros
Brandon League, Seattle Mariners
Jose Contreras, Philadelphia Phillies
Brian Fuentes, Oakland Athletics
Jon Rauch, Toronto Blue Jays
Sean Burnett / Drew Storen, Washington Nationals

Comment:
Manny left the league at the very nadir of his career. His exit was so bad it's the new platinum standard. His name is now synonymous with walking away from wrongdoing in order to avoid punishment. You might (*might*) want to walk away from some of these closers because they'll just give you heartburn.
The upper portion of this tier is mostly filled with capable closers that have an expiration date. By talent alone, they could all be Question Marks, but you have to acknowledge that they'll only be around until the head honcho returns from rehab.
Drew Storen: the velocity is there, but he isn't using his curveball. Then again, in his last four innings he has four strikeouts and one walk and only one hit. You know the team wants him to win out in the end, if only to justify his draft position. On the other hand, Burnett is no slouch and hasn't walked a guy this year. You'll just have to handcuff those to each other for a while.
Brandon Lyon is not a great pitcher, and he looked absolutely terrible throwing high 88-MPH cutters in the first game of the season. But since blowing that save, Lyon hasn't given up a walk or a run. He might last all year despite being so mediocre. Wilton Lopez gets groundballs and doesn't walk people, but has a platoon split. Mark Melancon might actually next in line to be the closer, so watch his usage.
You might say the same thing about Kyle Farnsworth as you do about Brandon Lyon. Flawed pitcher, but it looks like the save chances are his for the time being. Jake McGee is scuffling and may not yet be ready for the job.

<CENTER>* * * * * * * * * *</CENTER>


Injured

Frank Francisco, Toronto Blue Jays (strained pectoral)
David Aardsma, Seattle Mariners (hip surgery)
Andrew Bailey, Oakland Athletics (forearm tightness)
Brad Lidge, Philadelphia Phillies (shoulder)

Comment:
Frank Francisco is on his rehab assignment - good. Frank Francisco is getting shelled on his rehab assignment - bad. Apparently, he's down more than a couple MPH on his fastball, and it might take a little more time before he's back up garnering saves.
David Aardsma is throwing bullpens and fielding grounders, but doesn't have an official timetable yet. He's ahead of Andrew Bailey, who hasn't thrown a scheduled bullpen session yet, and Brad Lidge, who is still talking about the All-Star break.

The Deposed:
Fernando Rodney, Los Angeles

No-one here for now, and hopefully we won't see Matt Thornton here soon.

<CENTER>* * * * * * * * * *</CENTER>

The Steals Department

He doesn't have any power really, and he's not a speed demon, but the most important thing about Maicer Izturis is that he's playing virtually every day. He's appeared in eight of ten games so far, and now with Erick Aybar on the disabled list, he should appear in even more going forward. With eligibilities all over the diamond, he could be a plug-and-play bench player in any league deeper than a 10-team mixed league - but even then he's a decent injury replacement. Sure, he's never topped 14 stolen bases in a full season since he was an Expo in 2004. He's also never topped 437 plate appearances. But he'll steal you a couple bases and have a decent batting average while Aybar is out. If you're in a deeper league, or have an injured shortstop, consider him in the short term.

Two deeper league options this week. Sam Fuld was a hit short of the cycle on Monday night, so he's a newsy option. But power is not his game - getting on base and flashing wheels is more his deal. His yearly average in the minor leagues suggests that he could steal as many as 30 bases if given a full slate of at-bats in the major leagues. That used to be a problem, but with Manny Ramirez gone, DH at-bats can now go to Johnny Damon. Matt Joyce moves to the outfield, and there's Sam Fuld looking at everyday duty. If a decent batting average (or OBP) is what you need, Fuld is a good long-term pick up in deep leagues - and even has more upside than our first entrant in the Steals Department, despite being owned in about a quarter as many leagues. Guess he doesn't play the infield.

 

[HacheMan]

How best to replace Josh Hamilton

Eric Karabell

Well, you can't say you weren't warned about the risks of drafting or trading for Texas Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton. The upside is immense, as we saw the first five months of the 2010 season when Hamilton was arguably the best player in baseball, real and fantasy. The downside is what happened to Hamilton on Tuesday, the latest in a series of often-freak injuries over the past few years, when a headfirst slide into home plate contributed to a non-displaced fracture of the humerus bone in his right arm.
There's nothing humorous about the 18th selection in ESPN average live drafts being on the shelf for perhaps two months, but that's the result after Hamilton's ill-advised attempt to tag and score from third base on a foul pop between home and third base. First he was out, now he's really out. The Rangers, off to an outstanding start, will probably be able to handle things offensively for two months, but fantasy owners who have lost their hitting anchor might be a different story. I can't make a great case to drop Hamilton in any fantasy format; he's just too good, and he could resume terrorizing hitters by June. You have to keep him owned, maybe target him in trade if you have offensive depth, but realize this is the fourth time in five seasons he will miss significant time. (Check out Stephania Bell's blog for more of the medical ramifications of Hamilton's injury.)
Since the Rangers possess depth, the team can turn to a numbers of options on a regular basis, including speedy center fielder Julio Borbon, forgotten yet underrated outfielder David Murphy or even enticing yet disappointing slugger Chris Davis, who will be recalled from Triple-A Round Rock to take Hamilton's place on the roster. I'd say each of these players looks better today than he did Monday, before Hamilton broke his arm. Really, the case can be made that Michael Young and Mitch Moreland win here, as well, based on potentially adding eligibility. Moreland can play the outfield, and Young can play first base. However, Young is owned in all leagues, and Moreland is at 81.4 percent.

The other guys are readily available, and if I was choosing one of them, I'd surely go with Murphy, and I suspect the Rangers will, too. He wasn't getting much playing time, with 12 at-bats through the Rangers' first 10 games, but he had two of the team's five stolen bases before Tuesday. A season ago, Murphy hit .291 with 12 home runs, 65 RBIs and a surprising 14 stolen bases in 16 attempts, statistics good enough to earn the former Boston Red Sox 2003 first-round pick a spot among the top 50 outfielders on ESPN's Player Rater. It didn't, however, get Murphy chosen in drafts this season, because playing time wasn't there. Now, it should be. Murphy has hit .278 with an average of 15 home runs and 10 stolen bases the past three seasons, yet he hasn't been given 450 at-bats any of those seasons. I'd call him ownable for standard leagues right now. Note that Murphy, like Hamilton a left-handed batter, has a career slugging percentage against right-handers of .488.
Davis is blessed with the ability to match Hamilton or pretty much anyone else in terms of pure power. Of course, he swings and misses quite a bit, as well. Davis has tortured the Rangers and fantasy owners the past few seasons, ever since he hit .285 with 17 home runs in roughly a half-season back in 2008. In 2009, he regressed across the board, losing 47 points of batting average and striking out 150 times in a mere 113 games. Last season, Davis hit .192 with only one home run in 45 games. Still only 25, Davis was thought of as prime trade bait this spring, after hitting .362 and whacking five home runs in spring training. In five games with Triple-A Round Rock, Davis was hitting .429 with four home runs, 11 RBIs and a 1.530 OPS in five games. He has always hit in the minors. The Rangers could play him at first base or DH and move Moreland to the outfield, but then again, there's no guarantee Davis will hit in the majors.
Then there's Borbon, the team's lone natural center fielder. The Rangers have enough offense, even sans Hamilton, to afford using Borbon regularly and hitting him ninth. I just don't think he can hit enough to warrant attention in most fantasy leagues. His 0-for-3 performance Tuesday left his moribund batting average at .167, and he doesn't take walks and doesn't have power. Also, while Hamilton was playing more left field than center field to protect himself from injury, it's not like Borbon is Willie Mays in center field, either, as he occasionally makes terrible reads on fly balls. Borbon should keep playing, but I don't think he'll do much. Murphy is a better player, and when he outplays Borbon, he should remain a regular when Hamilton returns.
Don't expect manager Ron Washington to get cute with his lineup, which will miss Hamilton's presence in the No. 3 spot. Cleanup hitter Adrian Beltre and Nelson Cruz likely will move up in the order, and their value shouldn't change much. Each should be a major run producer, but durability isn't a strength for either of them. Just like the team's best player.
As for outfielders available in more than half of ESPN's standard leagues, if you're looking for power there's Josh Willingham, Jonny Gomes, Seth Smith, Tyler Colvin, Marlon Byrd and Pat Burrell. If speed is your thing, there's Dexter Fowler, Carlos Gomez, Cameron Maybin, Michael Brantley and recent folk hero Sam Fuld. Personally, I'd just go with Murphy, owned in 5.1 percent of leagues.

 

[HacheMan]

Asdrubal Cabrera on a home run binge

Eric Karabell

I check out the ESPN Player Rater from time to time, even in mid-April, just to get a chuckle at some of the names at the top, but also because I can occasionally learn things. For example, I'm happy to see Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp first on the list entering Wednesday's game since I was one of his backers in March. But at the same time, it has been only two weeks. He's also joined in the top 20 by such players as Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Jose Tabata, Arizona Diamondbacks utility guy Willie Bloomquist and everyone's folk hero, Sam Fuld, which makes me reconsider if any of it matters. After all, guys with a lot of stolen bases tend to rank high on the Player Rater.

However, I did note that as of Tuesday afternoon, there was just one player in the Player Rater top 10 with the last name of Cabrera, and it wasn't Detroit Tigers stud Miguel Cabrera. Rather it was Cleveland Indians shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera. Yeah, it's early, and later on Tuesday, Miggy drove in the winning run and Asdrubal was one of many Indians dominated by Dan Haren, so they ended up switched by Wednesday. Then again, since the top middle infielder on the Rater is the spunky Indian, and he is now up to 97.8 percent owned, I figured it was time to take a closer look at the "other" Cabrera (we'll leave out Orlando, Melky, Everth and golf's Angel Cabrera for now).


Cabrera was the 19th shortstop off the board in ESPN average live drafts, a 22nd-rounder overall. That seems low, considering we at ESPN Fantasy ranked him 14th at the position. Essentially, fantasy owners decided they'd rather have Ryan Theriot, J.J. Hardy and Miguel Tejada, among others, which is something I didn't agree with. Then again, I can't say I considered Cabrera anywhere close to a top-10 option, either. Cabrera has been a big leaguer for four seasons, and has a career high of six home runs and 17 stolen bases. His 2009 campaign featured those numbers, along with a .308 batting average and 81 runs scored, and I considered that about as good as it could get for him. Cabrera missed a few months last season because of a broken arm, but even when he was active, he didn't do much at the plate to warrant fantasy attention.
So far this season, he has hit four homers and knocked in 10 runs (in 11 games), while hitting .289. While this is obviously more power than anyone expected, there's also no evidence to suggest he can sustain this excellent start. Cabrera hit his two home runs as a left-handed batter against Dan Wheeler and Tyler Chatwood, the former a noted fly ball reliever who has allowed 36 home runs over the past four seasons and the latter a 21-year-old rookie making his major league debut. Cabrera also homered against lefties Jason Vargas and Erik Bedard in Seattle's spacious ballpark, which is more of a feat. Regardless, Cabrera is far more likely to earn fantasy love by hitting for average, stealing bases and scoring runs than he is trying to circle the bases on one swing.
In fact, until homering against Vargas last Friday, Cabrera hadn't hit a home run while batting right-handed since 2008, so while his career slugging percentage currently is higher against southpaws than against righties, don't overrate this. Cabrera can hit doubles, but he really hasn't hit for home run power against any pitchers on a consistent basis until the past week, and it's not likely to continue. He also has hit more than eight home runs in any minor league season, and never more than two in any major league month. I understand adding players off to hot starts, but it's entirely possible that Cabrera still finishes shy of double digits in homers, even though manager Manny Acta claims Cabrera is still developing as a hitter. I understand that, since Cabrera is only 25 years old, but still, this is a surprising start. I could have seen four stolen bases by now, but not four home runs. Indians shortstops aren't exactly known for their power. Yes, Jhonny Peralta and Julio Franco had a little pop, but generally we've seen more Omar Vizquel and Felix Fermin types over the past, oh, half-century or so, since Woodie Held in the early 1960s. Held was the last Indian to hit four or more home runs in the team's first 10 games.
ESPN Fantasy projected Cabrera for eight home runs, 55 RBIs and 12 stolen bases, and while I'd up the power just a bit thanks to his good start, I'll still take the under on 15 home runs. Own Cabrera for what he has shown in the past, but don't expect Stephen Drew or Alexei Ramirez numbers.

 

[HacheMan]

Deserving the Win
Wins are not a great statistic until you zoom out on a full career. Until you're talking about at least a year's worth of work - and most likely, twenty years' worth of work - they just aren't a great statistic.

See last night for some great examples. How about Carlos Zambrano getting the win despite allowing five runs on seven hits and three walks in fewer than six innings of work? Well, at least he did hit his 22nd career home run to help his cause. Esmil Rogers allowed seven hits, and three runs, and walked four against two strikeouts, all in 5 2/3 innings. He got the win. Kyle Drabek, interesting mostly for his ability to get groundballs (and his pedigree), walked four and threw 115 pitches in 5 1/3, but was bailed out by his teammates and didn't get the loss. The most egregious example might be Kyle Davies, who gave up ten hits and five runs in five innings - and got the "W" when Francisco Liriano dropped another turd of a game. Don't give up on Liriano just yet. He's still got the strikeouts, is showing better control, and was hurt by the poor defense behind him - Michael Cuddyer played second base yet again. But don't go running to get Davies, obviously.

On the other side of the coin, check out Ervin Santana. He allowed three runs in seven innings and didn't get a decision in the 12-inning affair with the Indians Wednesday night. That marks the third time this season that he's given up three runs in more than 6 2/3 innings, and he doesn't have a win yet. He's still pitching well, he's showing great control, and should be owned in all leagues. He'll get a win eventually. Ted Lilly pitched decently against San Francisco - only two strikeouts, but no walks, seven hits and four runs in six innings - but got the loss. If he hits your waiver wire, he's a decent pickup. Max Scherzer only gave up two runs to the vaunted Rangers offense (with seven strikeouts in six innings), but his own lineup couldn't get him the win. Oh, that daggum win.

* The White Sox bullpen is imploding right now. Ozzie Guillen says he doesn't have a closer after Chris Sale, Matt Thornton and Jesse Crain all conspired to blow Wednesday night's game. Sale even allowed three runs without getting an out! Thornton go the loss when he allowed three runs of his own, and Crain wasn't much better. Now all three have been replaced in the middle of a save opportunity at some point this season. Only converted infielder Sergio Santos has not fallen apart this year, so perhaps he's next in line to try on the Closer's mantle. It's hard to figure out right now, and there's too many options to really handcuff them all. Don't drop Thornton or Sale yet, but if you have room, Santos has velocity and stuff and could be an interesting speculative play.

In Washington, the two candidates have pitched well, but they'll continue to share save chances. Maybe it's because Sean Burnett is a lefty, or because Drew Storen is the Closer of the Future, but Nationals manager Jim Riggleman said they will continue to see opportunities. Our position has, for the most part, been that Storen will win out eventually. This seems like step one in that process, but it's still too early to drop Burnett in most leagues.

* Some older dudes showed they still had some spunk Wednesday night, and most are mixed-league relevant while they are still healthy. Chipper Jones hit his first home run of the season and is now hitting .310. Orlando Hudson, now a veteran, hit a walkoff single Wednesday night, but he's an empty batting average these days. Maybe he won't have a nice batting average ever again, but Alfonso Soriano's fourth home run of the year Wednesday night means he still has power. Lance Berkman hit a grand slam (his fourth home run of the season) and is looking spry. Wait until running around in that outfield starts to get to him.

* The Dodgers went with the lower-upside Ivan DeJesus to replace the injured Rafael Furcal, passing over one of their top prospects in Dee Gordon. The son of Tom Gordon is hitting .360 on the young season, but doesn't have any power, and hasn't shown much plate discipline in the past. He's more tools than results right now, but at the very least, he should stick at the position. That's half the battle when selecting shortstop prospects.

National League Quick Hits: Ryan Howard got hit on his right wrist, but the X-ray came back negative and he should only miss a day or two … Brandon Phillips hurt his groin early in Wednesday's game, but since he stayed in for a while, you can believe him when he says he'll play Friday … Jay Bruce (groin) didn't play but should be fine by the weekend … Aroldis Chapman didn't pitch very well, but it was his velocity Wednesday night (92-94 MPH) that has people worried about a possible injury … Wandy Rodriguez is starting out slow for the second straight year, but even though he's older than you might think (32), keep him on your bench until he figures it out … Andres Torres will run the bases on Thursday and seems like a fast healer … Jon Niese gave up seven hits, three walks and five runs in six innings against the Rockies at home, meaning he's not even a strong spot start right now … Tim Stauffer (two runs, four strikeouts, two walks in 4 1/3 innings) is a little hittable, but at least playable at home in most leagues … Angel Pagan got on base three times Wednesday night, and since he's healthy, he makes for a good buy-low … Daniel Murphy got a hit and is playing semi-regularly; deeper leagues might consider him for their MI spot … Mark DeRosa (wrist) was a late scratch; he's hard to roster anywhere … Chris Johnson, an easily-predicted sophomore bust, missed the game Wednesday with a sore elbow and is day-to-day … Chris Snyder (back), who is decent against lefties, was activated from the DL … Danny Espinosa, on the other hand, has power and speed and hit an RBI single off of Roy Halladay in the ninth Wednesday night, but his strikeout rate means the batting average will drop … Mike Morse (flu) will be back Thursday … Jaff Decker homered and doubled twice on Tuesday, and the Padres prospect is hitting .375/.516/.833 on the young season … Bryce Harper, on the other hand, went hitless in four at-bats with three strikeouts and has a 7/2 K/BB ratio so far.

American League Quick Hits: Shin-Soo Choo is coming alive (two RBI and two stolen bases); your chance to buy low on him is disappearing … Jose Bautista hit his third home run of the season in the top of the eighth to power his team to a victory; Guess the power was real … Kendrys Morales (ankle, foot) wants to return in mid-May or sooner … Chone Figgins (thumb) should be back in the lineup Thursday according to his team … It wasn't that pretty (a wild pitch, two walks and seven hits in 6 1/3), but A.J. Burnett is looking decidedly okay in the young season … Denard Span hit four singles Wednesday, but that's all he's doing right now … Matt Wieters hit his first home run of the season - maybe his third year is the charm … Grady Sizemore (knee) could be back as soon as next week … Jake Peavy (shoulder) struck out four in six innings against Triple-A in his first rehab start … Jeremy Jeffress recorded his first save Wednesday and might be first in line if Joakim Soria goes down or gets traded … Carlos Carrasco pitched well (five hits, three runs, five strikeouts, two walks in seven innings), but he's a risky pitcher against strong offenses … Jason Vargas held the Blue Jays to one run in 6 2/3 innings (he added seven strikeouts against one walk) - he's a great spot start at home in most leagues … J.J. Hardy (oblique) finally officially hit the DL … Adam Lind hasn't shown the power yet, and was out of the lineup with a lefty on the hill Wednesday … Magglio Ordonez (ankle) should play sometime in the upcoming series … Franklin Gutierrez (stomach) will begin a rehab assignment this weekend … Chris Davis came up to the Rangers to help in the wake of the Josh Hamilton's injury, but he doesn't play the outfield and will get sparse at-bats, mostly against lefties … Chris Tillman hasn't really gotten his fastball up to his old velocity levels, and the Yankees rocked him for six runs in fewer than two innings Wednesday; he's a dropper in most leagues … Mike Trout, perhaps the best offensive prospect in the minors, hit the ground running at Double-A (.318/.423/.727), but shouldn't be up until September at the earliest … Those in holds leagues can probably drop Pedro Feliciano, who is headed for shoulder surgery … Brandon Inge hit his first home run to beat the Rangers Wednesday night, but he's just not interesting at his new position … Mike Aviles played two straight days and doubled twice Wednesday night; he's play gainst lefties at least … The Rangers signed rangy, 23-year-old Cuban outfielder Leonys Martin to a contract and added him to the 40-man roster.

 

[HacheMan]

Holland Days
The first couple weeks of the season are pretty funny to watch from a fantasy baseball perspective. I usually call it fickle season. Everybody is paying extra attention to their teams right now, so people are often compelled to roster players they have either never heard of previously (Sam Fuld, to name one prominent example) or never would have considered before.

I hate to keep picking on Willie Bloomquist -- I'm sure he's a nice guy and all -- but there's a reason for it. Do you realize that he is owned in 74 percent of Y! leagues and 61.4 percent of ESPN.com leagues right now? Seriously. That means he's owned in more Y! leagues than Jordan Zimmermann and Carlos Beltran and in more ESPN.com leagues than Kurt Suzuki and Gavin Floyd. Bizarro world, I tell you.

Let's all reconvene about a month from now and see where Mr. Bloomquist stands. Deal?

MIXED LEAGUES

Kyle Farnsworth RP, Rays (Yahoo: 36 percent owned, ESPN: 6.6 percent)

Don't laugh. I'm serious about this one. The Rays have only had two save situations so far this season and Joe Maddon has turned to Farnsworth for both of them. The 35-year-old right-hander pitched a perfect inning against the White Sox last Friday and fanned two in a spotless ninth against the Red Sox on Tuesday night. While Farnsworth gets a lot of grief sometimes, he actually pitched quite well last season and has averaged 9.0 K/9 for his career. I still think young left-hander Jake McGee will have the job before the end of the season, but Farnsworth is the one to own in this bullpen right now.

David Freese 3B, Cardinals (Yahoo: 37 percent owned, ESPN: 47.3 percent)

Freese was a major question mark coming into spring training after undergoing surgeries on both ankles, but you wouldn't know it by his current output. He's batting .324/.359/.541 with two homers and six RBI over his first 37 at-bats, including his current streak of four consecutive multi-hit games. The 27-year-old Freese was batting over .300 before his ankle problems resurfaced last June, so there's reason to believe he can be a palatable fantasy option at the hot corner. If you're looking for someone to fill in for Ryan Zimmerman or Evan Longoria at third base for a couple weeks, here's your man.

David Murphy OF, Rangers (Yahoo: 36 percent owned, ESPN: 5.1 percent)

The Rangers have lost Josh Hamilton for 6-8 weeks with a non-displaced fracture of the humerus bone in his right shoulder. The reigning AL MVP is nearly impossible to replace, but Murphy proved last September (.355, 3 HR, 17 RBI, 4 SB) that he is capable of being an adequate substitute. I'm not saying Murphy is a lock to repeat those numbers, but he puts a hurting on right-handed pitching (.842 career OPS) and possesses sneaky speed. He's a definite buy in deeper mixed formats.

Josh Willingham OF, Athletics (Yahoo: 20 percent owned, ESPN: 15.8 percent)

I almost included Willingham in last week's column, but he's all the more relevant following Josh Hamilton's injury. The 32-year-old outfielder was on the way to a career-year last season before a knee injury eventually led to surgery. I wouldn't worry too much about his early numbers (17/4 K/BB ratio over 41 at-bats), as they are wildly out of step with his career norms. "The Hammer" probably won't hit for a high batting average, but he gets on base enough (.366 career OBP) and offers 20-plus homer power.

Chris Narveson SP, Brewers (Yahoo: 41 percent owned, ESPN: 30.2 percent)

Narveson was one of my favorite deep sleepers over the winter and he's making me look pretty good right now. The 29-year-old southpaw has tossed 13 scoreless innings over his first two starts to go along with a 14/4 K/BB ratio. He struggled a bit with runners on base last season, but remember that he posted a 3.89 ERA over 14 starts after the All-Star break. If he can come close to those numbers over a full season in 2011, he'll have real value in mixed leagues. Give him a try against the Nationals on Friday.

Derek Holland SP, Rangers (Yahoo: 27 percent owned, ESPN: 10.9 percent)

I debated including Alexi Ogando among this week's recommendations. I certainly think he has a chance to help fantasy owners in the short-term, but I'm worried about an eventual innings-limit. That's why I advocate selling more than buying. Meanwhile, Holland is someone that I think can be an asset all year long. The 24-year-old left-hander has flown under the radar in some mixed leagues, despite posting a 2.25 ERA and an impressive 11/3 K/BB ratio over his first two starts. Holland showed some nice building blocks last season, so hopefully this is the year he puts it all together.

Maicer Izturis 2B/3B/SS, Angels (Yahoo: 40 percent owned, ESPN: 51.9 percent)

Izturis has started four out of the last five games at shortstop as he fills in for Erick Aybar, who is currently on the disabled list with an oblique injury. The 30-year-old utility infielder is a known commodity among most fantasy owners at this point, so he doesn't need much of an introduction here. He'll give you a decent batting average along with some pop and speed. We're talking about a stop-gap option here, but he's a perfectly respectable one if you're waiting for Aybar or Rafael Furcal to return.

Dexter Fowler OF, Rockies (Yahoo: 35 percent owned, ESPN: 47.5 percent)

Lots of things to like about Fowler right now. The 25-year-old center fielder has batted leadoff in all nine of his starts this season. And while a .250 batting average doesn't exactly knock you over, he has a .340 on-base percentage thanks to six walks. By the way, he has drawn walks at a rate of around 12 percent in the majors, so there's reason to believe this is sustainable. Getting on base is obviously a very good thing with this Rockies lineup, as Fowler is already among the league leaders with 10 runs scored. Throw in the potential for stolen bases and you have someone who should be owned in most mixed leagues moving forward.

Shopping at the five-and-dime:

(Players owned in less than 10 percent of Y! and ESPN.com leagues)

Sergio Santos RP, White Sox (Yahoo: 5 percent owned, ESPN: 0.2 percent)

Have any other bright ideas? If anything, Santos might be Ozzie Guillen's best option for the ninth inning by default, as Jesse Crain, Chris Sale and Matt Thornton all played a part in giving up a three-run lead to the Athletics on Wednesday afternoon. It certainly helps that Santos has pitched very well so far this season, posting a 9/3 K/BB ratio over 7 2/3 scoreless innings. The closer role figures to be a very fluid situation in the short-term -- and I'd watch left-hander Chris Sale, as well -- but the 27-year-old right-hander is worth an add if you're willing to speculate.

Jeff Francis SP, Royals (Yahoo: 8 percent owned, ESPN: 6.8 percent)

It's not often that you can say this, but Dayton Moore may have scored one of the best bargains of the offseason. Francis, who signed a one-year, $2 million contract in January, has a 2.61 ERA and 13/3 K/BB ratio over his first three starts as a member of the Royals. In truth, the 30-year-old southpaw didn't really pitch all that poorly with the Rockies last season, averaging 5.78 K/9 and 1.98 BB/9 to go along with an xFIP of 3.79 and a career-high ground ball rate of 47 percent. Francis is a bit of a health risk because of his past shoulder problems, but he's already the best fantasy bet in this Royals' starting rotation.


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AL ONLY

Corey Patterson OF, Blue Jays (Yahoo: 1 percent owned, ESPN: 0.3 percent)

Rajai Davis was placed on the disabled list earlier this week with a nagging injury to his right ankle, opening the door for Patterson to receive regular playing time in center field. He has taken advantage of the opportunity thus far, putting together three straight multi-hit games. The 31-year-old hit eight homers and stole 21 bases over just 340 plate appearances with the Orioles last season, so he is capable of providing value in a pinch. He could even be useful in some mixed leagues if you're chasing steals.

Wilson Betemit 3B, Royals (Yahoo: 2 percent owned, ESPN: 0.5 percent)

Betemit began the season on the bench, but recently found his way into the lineup due to the slumping Mike Aviles. It's safe to say he might not sit down again for a while. Betemit is batting .379 (11-for-29) so far this season and has hit safely in five consecutive starts, four of them coming at third base. The 29-year-old probably won't win you many fantasy leagues on his own, but he did bat .297/.378/.511 with 13 home runs over 315 plate appearances last season. The best-case scenario is that he holds down the starting third base job until top prospect Mike Moustakas is ready for the big leagues this summer.

Chris Davis 1B, Rangers (Yahoo: 3 percent owned, ESPN: 0.3 percent)

Another beneficiary of the Josh Hamilton situation, Davis got the call from Triple-A Round Rock this week after batting .429 with four homers and 11 RBI over his 21 at-bats this season. The 25-year-old doesn't have anything left to prove down there, but he has batted just .248 with 278 strikeouts over 806 at-bats in the major leagues. Rangers manager Ron Washington has indicated that Mitch Moreland could see some time in the outfield, so it's possible that Davis could grab some at-bats at first base if he swings the bat well enough. With his power potential, it's a chance every AL-only should take.

Luke Hochevar SP, Royals (Yahoo: 2 percent owned, ESPN: 1.3 percent)

Why am I recommending someone who has given up six home runs over their first three starts? Because there's absolutely no way that he'll have a 25 percent home-run to fly-ball ratio for the entire season, that's why. Putting aside the ugly 5.30 ERA, I'm willing to gamble on someone who has a 12/2 K/BB ratio over their first 18 2/3 innings, especially when they have the Mariners on tap this weekend. I'm optimistic there's still some upside left with this former 2006 No. 1 overall pick.

NL ONLY

Jonathan Lucroy C, Brewers (Yahoo: 1 percent owned, ESPN: 0.1 percent)

Lucroy became a bit of a forgotten man in fantasy leagues after breaking the pinkie finger on his throwing hand during spring training, but he was activated from the disabled list this week. The 24-year-old backstop batted .253/.300/.329 over 297 plate appearances in his rookie season last year, which isn't much to crow about, but he makes good contact (85.2 percent in 2010) and has a pretty solid approach at the plate. There's something to be said for playing everyday, so Lucroy should be rostered in most NL-only leagues.

Miguel Batista RP, Cardinals (Yahoo: 1 percent owned, ESPN: 0.4 percent)

Nope, your eyes aren't fooling you here. Ryan Franklin has blown three out of his first four save opportunities this season, which has people wondering who could be next in line for save opportunities. We all know how much Tony La Russa loves his veterans and he basically said the other day that Jason Motte and Mitchell Boggs aren't ready for the job. That might leave Batista as the odds-on favorite. He's not exactly the sexiest name of the bunch, but remember he did save 31 games with the Blue Jays in 2005. For some managers, experience in the job means something.

Jamey Carroll 2B/3B/SS/OF, Dodgers (Yahoo: 6 percent owned, ESPN: 0.6 percent)

Carroll was already getting some playing time at second base with the injuries to Casey Blake, but now he'll slide over to shortstop as Rafael Furcal is expected to miss 4-6 weeks with a broken left thumb. The 37-year-old Carroll doesn't really have any power to speak of, but he did hit .291 to go along with a .379 on-base percentage and 12 stolen bases last season. Considering his multi-position eligibility, he could even have some value in deeper mixed leagues where you use a MI (middle infield) spot.

Chris Capuano SP, Mets (Yahoo: 2 percent owned, ESPN: 0.1 percent)

Capuano's first start doesn't look great on the surface, but aside from the home run ball, he was actually pretty solid. The 32-year-old southpaw struck out eight and walked just one over six innings. Listen, Capuano is going to give up his fair share of home runs (39.8 percent fly ball rate), but it's less of a concern when he pitches at Citi Field. The important part is that he is healthy, throwing harder than he did before his two Tommy John surgeries and is coming off a year where he averaged 7.36 K/9 and 2.86 BB/9. Worth speculating.

 

[HacheMan]

Already Missing Mauer
Let's add another major injury to the pile.

The Twins placed catcher Joe Mauer on the 15-day disabled list late Thursday night due to what is being called "bilateral leg weakness." It's a condition that can sometimes be related to serious neurological problems and the Twins are pulling out all the stops to ensure that they have a good read on what's going on in their star catcher's body. Mauer will visit a specialist on Friday in Baltimore and the Twins should have an update soon after that appointment concludes.

For now, Drew Butera is going to start behind the plate for Minnesota and Steve Holm is going to serve as the backup. Butera has a frightening .193/.231/.287 career major league batting line and the 31-year-old Holm boasts only 107 big league plate appearances. The only fantasy implication here is doom and gloom for Mauer owners. Butera and Holm can be avoided altogether.

Before this Daily Dose gets too depressing, let's move on to the good stuff...

* I was asked two intriguing questions on a Sirius-XM radio spot this week. The first? "Name a player, a surprising player, who is off to a hot start and will be able to maintain a high level of production all year."

My thoughts immediately honed in on one name: Brian Roberts. The Orioles second baseman was a perennial second-round pick in fantasy leagues before back and hip problems ruined his 2010 season, and he fell to the middle rounds of drafts this year. But the results so far this season have been positive. Roberts has three home runs and 10 RBI through just 47 at-bats and was successful on his one stolen base attempt. If he gets more aggressive on the basepaths, it's quite possible that he could wind up as one of the top fantasy second basemen of 2011. And finding a productive fantasy second baseman this year has been tough.

* Now to the second question. "Is there a player whose production you are already questioning here in early April? Someone waiver wire vultures should avoid?"

I was initially stumped. All I could see was John Lackey's sad face and so I blurted out something like, "avoid the back end of the Boston rotation." Now given time to think about my answer, I've come up with a couple.

Rays outfielder Sam Fuld drew all sorts of waiver additions this week after he nearly hit for the cycle on Monday night against the Red Sox. If you added him, drop him. Fuld is a stellar defender, but he was basically a throw-in this winter in the Cubs' trade for Matt Garza and his current .943 OPS is going to be hovering under .800 by the time late May arrives. Fuld never hit more than six home runs in a minor league season.

Diamondbacks infielder Willie Bloomquist is also getting far too much attention in fantasy leagues. He did a fine job filling in for Stephen Drew while Drew was sidelined by an abdominal strain, but that's all over. Bloomquist has a .266/.318/.340 career big league batting line and his playing time going forward is going to come in waves. He's an attractive option because he has eligibility at a range of positions, but even the worst players can have nice 10-game stretches. Remember, it's only April 15.

National League Quick Hits: Phillies second baseman Chase Utley has been cleared to begin a running program … Brandon Phillips is expected to return to the Reds' lineup this weekend … Astros closer Brandon Lyon picked up his second save of the season Thursday against the Padres … Randy Wolf struck out 10 batters over six-plus shutout innings Thursday against the Pirates … Nationals starter Jordan Zimmermann carried a perfect game into the sixth inning Thursday against the Phillies … Huston Street has successfully converted his first six save chances … Pirates reliever Joe Beimel could return as soon as Friday … Astros third baseman Chris Johnson is expected to return to the starting lineup Friday … The Brewers are hoping that Corey Hart will be ready to return to the major league starting lineup around April 22 … Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki slugged two home runs in a doubleheader Thursday against the Mets … Wilton Lopez will have his elbow examined by a specialist this weekend … Boof Bonser will undergo Tommy John surgery next week … Brewers reliever LaTroy Hawkins will continue his minor league rehab assignment this weekend at Triple-A Nashville … Alan Johnson on Sunday against the Cubs.

American League Quick Hits: A's reliever Michael Wuertz is expected to begin a minor league rehab assignment this weekend … Evan Longoria did rotational exercises in a pool on Thursday and is on track for a late April return from the disabled list … Tigers outfielder Magglio Ordonez remains sidelined with an inflamed bursa sac in his ankle ... Joe Nathan blew his first save of the season Thursday and is looking like a shell of his former self at the moment … Phil Hughes struggled again Thursday, allowing five runs over just four-plus innings … Yankees catcher Jorge Posada now has five home runs on the season … Pedro Feliciano has a torn capsule in his left shoulder and is likely to require season-ending surgery … Twins starter Carl Pavano tossed eight shutout innings Thursday in an extra-innings loss to the Rays … Damaso Marte is likely to miss all of the 2011 season as he continues to recover from shoulder surgery … The Royals have placed Robinson Tejada on the disabled list with shoulder inflammation … Joel Pineiro is scheduled to throw a simulated game this weekend … Yankees pitching prospects Dellin Betances and Manny Banuelos have both landed on the minor league disabled list with blisters.

 

[HacheMan]

Just Joshing

The upcoming week features our largest crop of two-start pitchers yet, so fantasy players will have a vast array of options to choose from. Most profile as mid-tier options, but there are some strong names highlighting the list, especially in the National League. There, we find Tim Lincecum, Ubaldo Jimenez, Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, and Josh Johnson -- fresh off his no-hit bid this past week.

Regarding the two-start pitcher projections, I'd like to point out to readers that while I put great effort into ensuring that these listings are as accurate as possible, it should go without saying that there will inherently be some mistakes when trying to project the rotations for all major-league teams 10 days out (especially in the early weeks of the season, with rotations still being settled, fifth starters occasionally being skipped, etc.). If you spot an error, shoot me an email and I'll do my best to get the column updated as quickly as possible. Just try to be polite -- we're all on the same side here.

Going Twice...



American League

Strong Plays
C.J. Wilson: LAA (Santana), KC (Chen)
Brett Anderson: BOS (Lackey), @SEA (Fister)
John Danks: @TB (Shields), @DET (Scherzer)
Edwin Jackson: @TB (Price), @DET (Penny)
Fausto Carmona: @KC (Davies), @MIN (Liriano)
David Price: CWS (Jackson), @TOR (Litsch)

Decent Plays
Ricky Romero: @BOS (Matsuzaka), TB (Shields)
James Shields: CWS (Danks), @TOR (Romero)
Jason Vargas: DET (Scherzer), OAK (Cahill)
Doug Fister: DET (Coke), OAK (Anderson)
Carl Pavano: @BAL (Arrieta), CLE (Carrasco)
Francisco Liriano: @BAL (Tillman), CLE (Carmona)
Ervin Santana: @TEX (Wilson), BOS (Matsuzaka)
Max Scherzer: @SEA (Vargas), CWS (Danks)
Carlos Carrasco: @KC (Chen), @MIN (Pavano)
Chris Tillman: MIN (Liriano), NYY (Nova)
Jake Arrieta: MIN (Pavano), NYY (Garcia)

At Your Own Risk
John Lackey: @OAK (Anderson), @LAA (Palmer)
Daisuke Matsuzaka: TOR (Romero, @LAA (Santana)
Matt Palmer: @TEX (Wilson), BOS (Lackey)

National League

Strong Plays
Tim Lincecum: @COL (Jimenez), ATL (Beachy)
Roy Halladay: MIL (Marcum), @SD (Stauffer)
Cliff Lee: MIL (Narveson), @SD (Moseley)
Shaun Marcum: @PHI (Halladay), HOU (Rodriguez)
Ubaldo Jimenez: SF (Lincecum), @FLA (Johnson)
Josh Johnson: PIT (Maholm), COL (Jimenez)
Travis Wood: ARI (Galarraga), @STL (Westbrook)
Tim Hudson: @LAD (Lilly), @SF (Bumgarner)

Decent Plays
John Lannan: @STL (Westbrook), @PIT (Maholm)
Tim Stauffer: @CHC (Russell), PHI (Halladay)
Kevin Correia: @CIN (LeCure), WAS (Hernandez)
Paul Maholm: @FLA (Johnson), WAS (Lannan)
Hiroki Kuroda: ATL (Beachy), @CHC (Russell)
Ted Lilly: ATL (Hudson), @CHC (Dempster)
Wandy Rodriguez: NYM (Niese), @MIL (Marcum)
Sam LeCure: PIT (Correia), @STL (Carpenter)
Brandon Beachy: @LAD (Kuroda), @SF (Lincecum)
Jon Niese: @HOU (Rodriguez), ARI (Galarraga)

At Your Own Risk
Jake Westbrook: WAS (Lannan), CIN (Wood)
Dustin Moseley: @CHC (Zambrano), PHI (Lee)
James Russell: SD (Stauffer), LAD (Kuroda)
Armando Galarraga: @CIN (Wood), @NYM


Streamer City



The following pitchers are generally available in over 50 percent of fantasy leagues and have favorable match-ups this week:

American League

Wednesday, 4/20: Nick Blackburn @ BAL
The Minnesota righty has gotten his season off to a strong start. We'll see if he can keep it going against the upstart Orioles.

Wednesday, 4/20: Justin Masterson vs. KC
Masterson has jumped out to a hot start this season and will look to keep it going at home against the Royals.

National League

Wednesday, 4/20: R.A. Dickey vs. HOU
The knuckleballer figures to bounce back from a rough outing against the Rockies with a favorable home match-up against the miserable Astros.

Thursday, 4/21: Jair Jurrjens @ LAD
Jurrjens is ready to return from an oblique injury. Keep an eye on how he performs in his first start on Saturday, and if the results are good jump on him for his next turn.

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Total Games



American League

5: NYY
6: DET, OAK, TEX, TOR
7: BAL, BOS, CWS, CLE, KC, LAA, MIN, SEA, TB

National League

6: ARI, CHC, COL, FLA, HOU, MIL, NYM, SF, STL, WAS
7: ATL, CIN, LAD, PHI, PIT, SD


Lefty/Righty Breakdown



American League

BAL: 6 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
BOS: 6 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
CWS: 4 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP
CLE: 7 vs. RHP, 0 vs. LHP
DET: 5 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
KC: 5 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
LAA: 4 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP
MIN: 6 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
NYY: 4 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
OAK: 5 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
SEA: 4 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP
TB: 4 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP
TEX: 4 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
TOR: 5 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP

National League

ARI: 5 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
ATL: 4 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP
CHC: 5 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
CIN: 7 vs. RHP, 0 vs. LHP
COL: 5 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
FLA: 5 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
HOU: 4 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
LAD: 6 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
MIL: 4 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
NYM: 3 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP
PHI: 4 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP
PIT: 6 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
SD: 4 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP
SF: 5 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
STL: 3 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP
WAS: 4 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP


The Infirmary



You can get a full listing of injured players at Rotoworld's Injury Page, but here's the latest on a few prominent players who have been out of action:

Joe Mauer: Out indefinitely
Evan Longoria: Out until late April
J.J. Hardy: Out until late April
Rafael Furcal: Out until May
Josh Hamilton: Out until June
Rajai Davis: Out until late April
Ryan Zimmerman: Out until late April

 

[HacheMan]

Puma For Sale? Act Now! A look at some sell high candidates as well as some other big things of the week comes at you right now in the Week That Was.


Lance Berkman: Lance Berkman hit two more jacks Friday to bring his season total to a whopping six! Yes, this is a feel good story for a guy who has looked old and tired in recent years. Has he found the fountain of youth in St. Louis? Uh, no! The odds against the Puma returning to his previous glory after being so far removed from his last big year and trying to roam the outfield injury free are long indeed. So, what do fantasy owners do? Look for a Cardinal fan or just plain old novice in your league and peddle your Puma. Now!


Jeff Francoeur: Speaking of sell high candidates, Jeff Francoeur raked Friday night, going 3-4 with a tater, three RBI and three runs. Thus far, Francoeur has a .327 average and 11 RBI in the early going. What to do? Has Frenchy rediscovered the stroke that made him a stud back in 06-07? Answers: Sell! and Heck No! In each of the last three years, Francoeur has struck out approximately 3 times for every walk. That trend is continuing this year. Also, he has not posted an OBP above a paltry .309 since 2006, so why would we think it would spike now? Finally, the Royals will fall out of the race early and will be bringing up their youngsters like Cain, Moustakis and Hosmer, leaving no room for Frenchy. Sell!


Luke Hochevar: Not all is dreary in Royals-land as Luke Hochevar has shown why he was the number one pick overall. Last night, he was strong (albeit against the Mariners), allowing just one hit and one run over seven innings while striking out 4. Thus far on the young season, Hochevar has a WHIP just over 1.00 and a K/BB rate of 4/1. Pitchers take time to develop. It often seems like it takes forever when teams desperate for pitching rush kids who should be in AA to the majors at tender ages. Hochevar was rushed and does seem like he has been around forever. However, he is just 27 and looks strong so far. Buy cheap if you still can.


Andy Laroche: Speaking of being around forever and still a young player, Adam's brother Andy may finally be reaching his potential. According to reports right here at Rotoworld, Bob Geren indicated that he will give Andy LaRoche a shot to win the 3B job outright. This is one of those situations that is intriguing for deep leagues. First, Laroche is eligible at SS in most leagues, so he could fill that very, very scarce position. Second, while Oakland will not produce a lot of runs with that lineup in that stadium, Laroche could still be useful. He is only two days older that Hochevar and like Luke, has been saddled with the high expectations of a top pick. From 05-08, the lowest minor league AVG Andy posted was .292. Now at 27 in the bigs, he is hitting exactly that, .292. Will he be roto-stud this year? No. Can he easily outproduce MI's that populate AL only rosters like Jack Wilson? Oh, yes.


Clay Buchholz: Clay Buchholz was pretty poor again last night, walking five in five innings in yet another Red Sox loss. The numbers thus far are quite ugly -- 6.60 ERA, 1.73 WHIP and an atrocious 8/10 K/BB ratio. Is he this bad? Of course not. Was a decline from last year predictable? Absolutely. While his 2.34 ERA in 2010 was very pretty, roto owners must learn to look past the peripherals and go deeper. What would they have seen had they done the deep dive? I am glad you asked. They would have seen a K/BB ratio that was hardly dominant at any level, minors or majors. Those who did not dig paid $20 for a $10 pitcher. Lesson learned?


Aaron Harang: Aaron Harang is on a roll in S.D. Last night, Harang tossed a gem, giving up three hits and one run over six innings. Even more interesting is the fact that he pitched well in the hitter haven in Houston. With half his starts coming in Petco and a bunch of others coming in pitcher parks like SF and LA, Harang is a very good bet to bounce back. If the Harang owner in your league is a nonbeliever, fleece the fool while you can.


Matt Harrison: Speaking of for real, Matt Harrison sailed through eight strong innings in the cold of Yankee Stadium last night giving up just one earned run on the way to a victory over the Yankees. Watching from my seat in the cold, I saw a pitcher who got stronger as the game went on (actually hitting 94 on the gun in the 8th inning) and who made the big pitches when he needed them. Each time runners reached base, he induced double play ball after double play ball. There will be some hiccups along the way, but this lefty is poised for a very nice season – especially given the 54 games Texas gets to play against the anemic offenses of Oakland, Anaheim and Seattle.


Javier Vazquez: Moving from "for real" to "for sale", Javier Vazquez allowed three runs in just five innings last night, while walking four and striking out just one. He has no life on his fastball, the radar gun says "I am waiting" when measuring his throws to home, and the stats are just plain bad. Yes, he has had national league success before. Tell that to your league-mates, trade Javy if you can and then repent for the sin you just visited on another team's ratios. So, I think you all get the point that I am not high on Javy, right?


Justin Masterson: Justin Masterson has certainly exceeded this writer's expectations so far. Last night, he was strong again, giving up just one run over seven innings. Thus far, Justin has a tidy 1.33 ERA and 0.93 WHIP. What to do? Well, Schultz and his Indians rose colored glasses would tell you to buy. Me? Well, I would tell you to watch him pitch live or on TV first. If he has developed a pitch to counter lefties (either a change or a cutter), then I would say to buy. However, if you don't see one of those pitches working, then you are looking at a time bomb you want to avoid. Jury is out on this one.


Phil Hughes: Finally, in a move that should have surprised only those baseball fans without TV or the internet, the Yankees placed Phil Hughes on the DL. He has been awful and is clearly not right physically. There is no reason for a big young kid to suddenly lose life on his fastball – both MPH and movement – unless something is wrong. This is the right move by Cashman and Girardi. In other words, they made the right choice by letting Hughes clear his head and then head to the minors on a rehab assignment while avoiding the stigma of a demotion. Yankee fans are now rooting for Bartolo Colon to step up and continue his resurgent ways. I will be the first in line to give credit to my friends Matthew Berry and Nate Ravitz if Bartolo produces. If you are in a deep league, you could do much worse than investing a buck or two in the former Cy Young award winner.


And last, but not least, Schultz says: "Its good to read the warning labels on products that might conceivably do you harm. I'm relatively sure that one of the tattoos on Josh Hamilton cautions "Fragile! When damaged, do not use for 2 months." After his gargantuan 2010 season - in which he missed about 2 months due to injury - many roto-owners banked heavily on a repeat, quite possibly forgetting Hamilton's history of being unable to avoid the DL. While exact injuries are often impervious to prediction, there are some players that just have that stigma, Hamilton being one. If you own Hamilton and didn't account for a proper temporary replacement for his inevitable down time, prepare to reap what you've sown. Since we are in the advice business here at The Week That Was might I suggest looking into David Murphy, who will get ample playing time until Big Josh returns.

One the keys to the success of the CLEVELAND INDIANS has been the remarkable efforts from the starting rotation. After getting hammered on opening day and dismissed by Colton, Fausto Carmona has pitched like an ace, outdueling Jon Lester and battling Dan Haren inning for inning. Given how bad he was last year, it was easy to forget that Justin Masterson was a top prospect in the Red Sox farm system and the key piece to the Victor Martinez trade. Not so hard to forget now. Carlos Carrasco will hit some rough spots along the year and Mitch Talbot will throw an occasional gem but will likely come to define the word steady. Ignore all reports of the Indians' futility. The Tribe's young staff are likely the best source of waiver wire fodder out there right now.

Going back to warning signs, Joe Mauer's abrupt placement for weakness in his legs should send waves of terror through his roto-owners. Two years ago, Mauer made anyone who wagered that he wouldn't miss much time with an amorphous back injury look like geniuses. The Mauer that giveth may also taketh away. There is clearly something amiss with the 2009 MVPs back that reportedly is causing serious problems. Hope for the best and prepare for the worst. Unless you backed up your catchers well - and who ever does that - the drop off from Mauer to the best catcher on your waiver wire will be precipitous."


Response: Great stuff on Mauer and Ham. Anyone who paid for 600 AB simply doesn't pay attention to either reality, or more importantly, the gospel preached in this column. As to the Indians, good stuff so far, but lets not drink too much of that kool-aid just yet!

 

[HacheMan]

Ubaldo returns; Phils' aces hit Petco

Tristan H. Cockcroft
ESPN.com

On tap: Pitching -- specifically National League pitching -- out west is the storyline, the headliner being the anticipated return of Colorado Rockies ace Ubaldo Jimenez (cuticle) on Monday. Jimenez's return sets up quite the battle of Cy Young candidates; he'll battle the San Francisco Giants and their ace, Tim Lincecum, at Coors Field. It also sets Jimenez up for a two-start week -- the second turn Sunday at the Florida Marlins -- and one his fantasy owners shouldn't fear, being that his injury wasn't significant, his spring was solid (3.26 ERA, 1.14 WHIP) and he reached 97 mph and averaged 94 mph with his fastball during a rehab start on April 13, according to the Rockies' official website. (For comparison's sake, Jimenez averaged 96.1 mph with his fastball in 2010, and 95.7 in his career.)


The Philadelphia Phillies and their "four aces" travel to San Diego's Petco Park, meaning the game's best rotation visits the game's best pitchers' park, Thursday to Sunday. So far, the Phillies' rotation -- the sum total -- has been as good as advertised, with seven wins, eight quality starts, a 3.00 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 9.57 strikeouts-per-nine ratio in 10 turns, so you obviously know what to do: Expect continued greatness from Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels during that Petco series, and if your opponent in a head-to-head league this week owns any of them, you should cringe in fear.


A housekeeping reminder: Don't forget to set your Monday (and Week 3 in weekly formats) lineups early, as the Boston Red Sox's annual Patriots Day game begins at 11:05 a.m. ET that morning. This season the Red Sox host the Toronto Blue Jays, with Daisuke Matsuzaka getting the start. The reason: He's 6-1 with a 3.80 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 8.87 K's-per-nine ratio in 11 career starts versus the Blue Jays, including 2-0 with a 3.71 ERA in four starts in 2010 alone. The opposing Ricky Romero, meanwhile, is 2-4 with only one quality start, a 7.42 ERA and 2.04 WHIP in nine career starts versus the Red Sox.


Be mindful of teams' total games played in weekly formats, as 15 -- half of the majors' 30 -- teams play seven times. The New York Yankees, meanwhile, are the lone team to play just five times, as they're off both Monday and Thursday. Remember the quantitative advantage of a seven-game week versus a five-game week.


Quick click by section, if you're seeking advice in a specific area:
Projected starting pitchers | Pitching strategies
Team advantages | Hitting strategies
Weather report | Week 3 pitcher rankings


Projected starting pitchers




The chart below lists each of the 30 MLB teams' schedules and projected starting pitchers, and provides a matchup rating for each day's starter. Pitchers scheduled to start twice this week are in color-coded boxes.


<STYLE type=text/css>.mod-inline td img {margin: 0px;}</STYLE>
<TABLE style="MARGIN: 0px; WIDTH: 100%"><THEAD><TR><TH style="WIDTH: 30px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>Team</CENTER></TH><TH style="WIDTH: 14%; VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>Mon
4/18</CENTER></TH><TH style="WIDTH: 14%; VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>Tue
4/19</CENTER></TH><TH style="WIDTH: 14%; VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>Wed
4/20</CENTER></TH><TH style="WIDTH: 14%; VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>Thu
4/21</CENTER></TH><TH style="WIDTH: 14%; VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>Fri
4/22</CENTER></TH><TH style="WIDTH: 14%; VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>Sat
4/23</CENTER></TH><TH style="WIDTH: 14%; VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>Sun
4/24</CENTER></TH></TR></THEAD><TBODY><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>MIN
Tillman
(RHP)
P: 2</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>MIN
Arrieta
(RHP)
P: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>MIN
Britton
(LHP)
P: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>MIN
Guthrie
(RHP)
P: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>NYY
Bergesen
(RHP)
P: 4</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>NYY
Tillman
(RHP)
P: 2</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>NYY
Arrieta
(RHP)
P: 4</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>TOR
Matsuzaka
(RHP)
P: 3</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@OAK
Lackey
(RHP)
P: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@OAK
Buchholz
(RHP)
P: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@LAA
Beckett
(RHP)
P: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@LAA
Lester
(LHP)
P: 8</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@LAA
Matsuzaka
(RHP)
P: 4</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@LAA
Lackey
(RHP)
P: 3</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@TB
Jackson
(RHP)
P: 5</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@TB
Danks
(LHP)
P: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@TB
Humber
(RHP)
P: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@TB
Floyd
(RHP)
P: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@DET
Buehrle
(LHP)
P: 5</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@DET
Jackson
(RHP)
P: 5</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@DET
Danks
(LHP)
P: 7</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@KC
Carmona
(RHP)
P: 3</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@KC
Carrasco
(RHP)
P: 3</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@KC
Masterson
(RHP)
P: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@KC
Tomlin
(RHP)
P: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@MIN
Talbot
(RHP)
P: 5</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@MIN
Carmona
(RHP)
P: 4</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@MIN
Carrasco
(RHP)
P: 3</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@SEA
Scherzer
(RHP)
P: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@SEA
Coke
(LHP)
P: 10</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@SEA
Porcello
(RHP)
P: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>CHW
Verlander
(RHP)
P: 8</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>CHW
Penny
(RHP)
P: 1</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>CHW
Scherzer
(RHP)
P: 4</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>CLE
Davies
(RHP)
P: 3</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>CLE
Chen
(LHP)
P: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>CLE
Hochevar
(RHP)
P: 3</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>CLE
O'Sullivan
(RHP)
P: 3</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@TEX
Francis
(LHP)
P: 4</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@TEX
Davies
(RHP)
P: 1</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@TEX
Chen
(LHP)
P: 3</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@TEX
Santana
(RHP)
P: 5</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@TEX
Palmer
(RHP)
P: 3</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@TEX
Weaver
(RHP)
P: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>BOS
Chatwood
(RHP)
P: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>BOS
Haren
(RHP)
P: 9</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>BOS
Santana
(RHP)
P: 7</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>BOS
Palmer
(RHP)
P: 4</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@BAL
Liriano
(LHP)
P: 5</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@BAL
Pavano
(RHP)
P: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@BAL
Blackburn
(RHP)
P: 3</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@BAL
Baker
(RHP)
P: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>CLE
Duensing
(LHP)
P: 8</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>CLE
Liriano
(LHP)
P: 6</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>CLE
Pavano
(RHP)
P: 6</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@TOR
Burnett
(RHP)
P: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@TOR
Hughes
(RHP)
P: 3</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@BAL
Nova
(RHP)
P: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@BAL
Sabathia
(LHP)
P: 9</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@BAL
Burnett
(RHP)
P: 4</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>BOS
Anderson
(LHP)
P: 8</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>BOS
Gonzalez
(LHP)
P: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@SEA
McCarthy
(RHP)
P: 8</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@SEA
Braden
(LHP)
P: 8</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@SEA
Cahill
(RHP)
P: 9</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@SEA
Anderson
(LHP)
P: 9</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>DET
Vargas
(LHP)
P: 6</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>DET
Fister
(RHP)
P: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>DET
Bedard
(LHP)
P: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>OAK
Hernandez
(RHP)
P: 10</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>OAK
Pineda
(RHP)
P: 8</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>OAK
Vargas
(LHP)
P: 7</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>OAK
Fister
(RHP)
P: 7</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>CHW
Price
(LHP)
P: 8</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>CHW
Shields
(RHP)
P: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>CHW
Davis
(RHP)
P: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>CHW
Niemann
(RHP)
P: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@TOR
Hellickson
(RHP)
P: 3</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@TOR
Price
(LHP)
P: 7</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@TOR
Shields
(RHP)
P: 3</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>LAA
Lewis
(RHP)
P: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>LAA
Wilson
(LHP)
P: 8</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>LAA
Harrison
(LHP)
P: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>KC
Holland
(LHP)
P: 3</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>KC
Ogando
(RHP)
P: 8</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>KC
Lewis
(RHP)
P: 6</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@BOS
Romero
(LHP)
P: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>NYY
Drabek
(RHP)
P: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>NYY
Cecil
(LHP)
P: 2</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>TB
Reyes
(LHP)
P: 1</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>TB
Litsch
(RHP)
P: 5</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>TB
Romero
(LHP)
P: 7</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@CIN
Galarraga
(RHP)
P: 2</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@CIN
Kennedy
(RHP)
P: 3</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@CIN
Hudson
(RHP)
P: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@NYM
Saunders
(LHP)
P: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@NYM
Enright
(RHP)
P: 4</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@NYM
Galarraga
(RHP)
P: 4</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@LAD
Hudson
(RHP)
P: 10</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@LAD
Beachy
(RHP)
P: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@LAD
Lowe
(RHP)
P: 8</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@LAD
Jurrjens
(RHP)
P: 8</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@SF
Hanson
(RHP)
P: 8</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@SF
Hudson
(RHP)
P: 8</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@SF
Beachy
(RHP)
P: 4</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>SD
Zambrano
(RHP)
P: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>SD
Russell
(LHP)
P: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>SD
Garza
(RHP)
P: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>LAD
Coleman
(RHP)
P: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>LAD
Dempster
(RHP)
P: 7</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>LAD
Zambrano
(RHP)
P: 8</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>PIT
Wood
(LHP)
P: 9</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>ARI
LeCure
(RHP)
P: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>ARI
Arroyo
(RHP)
P: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>ARI
Volquez
(RHP)
P: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@STL
Leake
(RHP)
P: 4</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@STL
Wood
(LHP)
P: 8</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@STL
LeCure
(RHP)
P: 7</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>SF
Jimenez
(RHP)
P: 8</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>SF
DeLaRosa
(LHP)
P: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>SF
Chacin
(RHP)
P: 8</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@FLA
Hammel
(RHP)
P: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@FLA
Rogers
(RHP)
P: 5</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@FLA
Jimenez
(RHP)
P: 8</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>PIT
Johnson
(RHP)
P: 10</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>PIT
Nolasco
(RHP)
P: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>PIT
Vazquez
(RHP)
P: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>COL
Sanchez
(RHP)
P: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>COL
Volstad
(RHP)
P: 3</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>COL
Johnson
(RHP)
P: 10</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@NYM
W.Rdrguez
(LHP)
P: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@NYM
Norris
(RHP)
P: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@NYM
Happ
(LHP)
P: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@MIL
Figueroa
(RHP)
P: 3</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@MIL
Myers
(RHP)
P: 4</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@MIL
W.Rdrguez
(LHP)
P: 5</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>ATL
Lilly
(LHP)
P: 7</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>ATL
Kuroda
(RHP)
P: 9</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>ATL
Garland
(RHP)
P: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>ATL
Kershaw
(LHP)
P: 10</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@CHC
Billingsley
(RHP)
P: 6</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@CHC
Lilly
(LHP)
P: 6</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@CHC
Kuroda
(RHP)
P: 7</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@PHI
Marcum
(RHP)
P: 7</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@PHI
Wolf
(LHP)
P: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@PHI
Narveson
(LHP)
P: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>HOU
Gallardo
(RHP)
P: 8</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>HOU
Marcum
(RHP)
P: 9</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>HOU
Wolf
(LHP)
P: 6</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>HOU
Niese
(LHP)
P: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>HOU
Dickey
(RHP)
P: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>HOU
Capuano
(LHP)
P: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>ARI
Pelfrey
(RHP)
P: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>ARI
Young
(RHP)
P: 9</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>ARI
Niese
(LHP)
P: 3</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>MIL
Halladay
(RHP)
P: 9</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>MIL
Lee
(LHP)
P: 8</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>MIL
Oswalt
(RHP)
P: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@SD
Hamels
(LHP)
P: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@SD
Blanton
(RHP)
P: 4</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@SD
Halladay
(RHP)
P: 10</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@SD
Lee
(LHP)
P: 9</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@CIN
Correia
(RHP)
P: 4</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@FLA
Maholm
(LHP)
P: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@FLA
Morton
(RHP)
P: 3</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@FLA
McDonald
(RHP)
P: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>WAS
Karstens
(RHP)
P: 4</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>WAS
Correia
(RHP)
P: 6</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>WAS
Maholm
(LHP)
P: 6</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>WAS
Westbrook
(RHP)
P: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>WAS
Garcia
(LHP)
P: 10</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>WAS
Lohse
(RHP)
P: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>CIN
McClellan
(RHP)
P: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>CIN
Carpenter
(RHP)
P: 8</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>CIN
Westbrook
(RHP)
P: 3</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@CHC
Stauffer
(RHP)
P: 4</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@CHC
Moseley
(RHP)
P: 3</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@CHC
Harang
(RHP)
P: 2</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>PHI
Latos
(RHP)
P: 10</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>PHI
Richard
(LHP)
P: 7</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>PHI
Stauffer
(RHP)
P: 6</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>PHI
Moseley
(RHP)
P: 5</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@COL
Lincecum
(RHP)
P: 9</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@COL
Sanchez
(LHP)
P: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@COL
Cain
(RHP)
P: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>ATL
Zito
(LHP)
P: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>ATL
Bumgarner
(LHP)
P: 5</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>ATL
Lincecum
(RHP)
P: 10</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@STL
Lannan
(LHP)
P: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@STL
Zimmrmnn
(RHP)
P: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@STL
Gorzelanny
(LHP)
P: 3</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@PIT
Marquis
(RHP)
P: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@PIT
Hernandez
(RHP)
P: 3</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@PIT
Lannan
(LHP)
P: 6</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>P: The starting pitcher's matchup rating, which accounts for past history (three years' worth as well as past 21 days), opponent and ballpark. Ratings range from 1-10, with 10 representing the best possible matchup, statistically speaking, and 1 representing the worst.





Tristan's pitching strategies




• The Seattle Mariners get a pitching thumbs-up for the second consecutive week, despite the fact their rotation is 2-8 with a 4.63 ERA through 13 games. Seven of those, however, have been quality starts, and the ERA has been largely tainted by the performance of Erik Bedard (9.00 ERA, 1.89 WHIP in two starts) and one ugly outing by ace Felix Hernandez (6 IP, 12 H, 7 ER on April 11). Bedard, naturally, is too risky to use against the right-handed-heavy Detroit Tigers, but every other Mariners starter should have a place in AL-only -- and some mixed -- leagues. That includes two-start pitchers Jason Vargas, 9-7 with a 3.12 ERA and 1.22 WHIP in 28 career games (24 starts), and Doug Fister, 7-11 with 3.56/1.16 ratios in 25 games (24 starts) at Safeco Field, and rookie Michael Pineda, who has back-to-back quality starts to begin his big league career. Consider all three if you're digging deep.


• The Mariners' weekend opponent, the Oakland Athletics, should also put up superb pitching numbers, in spite of a two-game home series versus the Boston Red Sox to begin their week. We all know about the Red Sox's offensive struggles to date, and remember, they managed but 18 runs in their six games at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in 2010. Athletics starters already have the game's second-lowest ERA (2.56) and eight quality starts in 13 games, and all five current members of their rotation have no higher than a 4.15 ERA or 1.38 WHIP. Two-start pitcher Brett Anderson has a 2.29 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 6.50 K's-per-nine ratio, diminishing any fear of that Tuesday Red Sox matchup, and even noted fly ball pitcher Brandon McCarthy should be worth using at spacious Safeco Field on Thursday.


• The Phillies, naturally, have the week's most attractive pitching matchups, obviously because four of their seven games will be played at San Diego's Petco Park, but how about the Atlanta Braves, who head west to play series in two other West Coast pitchers' parks, Los Angeles' Dodger Stadium and San Francisco's AT&T Park? Braves starters might not have league-leading numbers -- their rotation has a 4-7 record, 3.74 ERA and only six quality starts in 13 games -- but it's not like any of their current five has endured a disastrous start, either; Mike Minor (4 1/3 IP, 7 H, 5 ER), set to be replaced by Jair Jurrjens this week, is the only one close. Two-start pitcher Tim Hudson continues to turn out reliable start after reliable start and Brandon Beachy has tantalizing strikeout potential, so both are worth slotting in. Ace-of-the-future Tommy Hanson is also coming off one of the team's better outings of 2011 (7 IP, 4 H, 0 ER), and remains a must-start.

For more insight into Week 3 pitching matchups, see my rankings for every scheduled starter at column's end.


Team advantages




The chart below lists each of the 30 teams' total number of scheduled games, home games and games versus right- and left-handed pitchers, and provides a matchup rating for the week's games in terms of overall offense, offense versus left- and right-handed pitchers and base stealing. Matchup ratings for each individual game are listed under the corresponding date.


<STYLE type=text/css>.mod-inline td img {margin: 0px;}</STYLE>
<TABLE style="MARGIN: 0px; WIDTH: 100%"><THEAD><TR><TH style="WIDTH: 30px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>Team</CENTER></TH><TH style="WIDTH: 11%; VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>Games</CENTER></TH><TH style="WIDTH: 11%; VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>Overall
Rating</CENTER></TH><TH style="WIDTH: 11%; VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>Mon
4/18</CENTER></TH><TH style="WIDTH: 11%; VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>Tue
4/19</CENTER></TH><TH style="WIDTH: 11%; VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>Wed
4/20</CENTER></TH><TH style="WIDTH: 11%; VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>Thu
4/21</CENTER></TH><TH style="WIDTH: 11%; VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>Fri
4/22</CENTER></TH><TH style="WIDTH: 11%; VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>Sat
4/23</CENTER></TH><TH style="WIDTH: 11%; VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>Sun
4/24</CENTER></TH></TR></THEAD><TBODY><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>7 total
7 home
2 vs. L
5 vs. R</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>H: 8
L: 6
R: 8
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>MIN
H: 6
L: 1
R: 8
S: 1</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>MIN
H: 6
L: 5
R: 7
S: 1</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>MIN
H: 8
L: 9
R: 7
S: 1</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>MIN
H: 6
L: 6
R: 6
S: 1</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>NYY
H: 7
L: 6
R: 8
S: 9</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>NYY
H: 1
L: 1
R: 2
S: 9</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>NYY
H: 7
L: 7
R: 6
S: 10</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>7 total
1 home
3 vs. L
4 vs. R</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>H: 3
L: 7
R: 4
S: 8</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>TOR
H: 4
L: 9
R: 2
S: 3</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@OAK
H: 2
L: 5
R: 1
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@OAK
H: 4
L: 4
R: 4
S: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@LAA
H: 7
L: 5
R: 8
S: 8</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@LAA
H: 1
L: 1
R: 2
S: 8</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@LAA
H: 5
L: 7
R: 2
S: 9</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@LAA
H: 7
L: 7
R: 7
S: 8</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>7 total
0 home
1 vs. L
6 vs. R</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>H: 6
L: 7
R: 6
S: 8</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@TB
H: 2
L: 1
R: 4
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@TB
H: 7
L: 6
R: 8
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@TB
H: 5
L: 6
R: 4
S: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@TB
H: 6
L: 6
R: 7
S: 8</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@DET
H: 2
L: 2
R: 2
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@DET
H: 9
L: 9
R: 9
S: 8</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@DET
H: 6
L: 10
R: 2
S: 7</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>7 total
0 home
3 vs. L
4 vs. R</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>H: 10
L: 7
R: 10
S: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@KC
H: 9
L: 9
R: 8
S: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@KC
H: 7
L: 6
R: 7
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@KC
H: 9
L: 9
R: 8
S: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@KC
H: 9
L: 8
R: 10
S: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@MIN
H: 3
L: 1
R: 6
S: 1</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@MIN
H: 5
L: 1
R: 7
S: 1</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@MIN
H: 5
L: 4
R: 6
S: 1</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>6 total
3 home
4 vs. L
2 vs. R</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>H: 4
L: 5
R: 4
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@SEA
H: 5
L: 3
R: 5
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@SEA
H: 5
L: 5
R: 4
S: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@SEA
H: 6
L: 10
R: 5
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>CHW
H: 5
L: 7
R: 5
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>CHW
H: 6
L: 6
R: 6
S: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>CHW
H: 3
L: 4
R: 3
S: 7</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>7 total
4 home
1 vs. L
6 vs. R</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>H: 7
L: 6
R: 7
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>CLE
H: 7
L: 8
R: 6
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>CLE
H: 8
L: 7
R: 8
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>CLE
H: 5
L: 9
R: 1
S: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>CLE
H: 5
L: 3
R: 6
S: 3</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@TEX
H: 8
L: 3
R: 10
S: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@TEX
H: 2
L: 1
R: 3
S: 8</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@TEX
H: 4
L: 5
R: 3
S: 6</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>7 total
4 home
3 vs. L
4 vs. R</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>H: 6
L: 6
R: 6
S: 10</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@TEX
H: 4
L: 5
R: 3
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@TEX
H: 3
L: 1
R: 5
S: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@TEX
H: 7
L: 5
R: 8
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>BOS
H: 5
L: 6
R: 3
S: 9</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>BOS
H: 2
L: 1
R: 3
S: 9</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>BOS
H: 7
L: 10
R: 2
S: 10</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>BOS
H: 8
L: 7
R: 9
S: 9</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>7 total
3 home
1 vs. L
6 vs. R</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>H: 9
L: 10
R: 7
S: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@BAL
H: 10
L: 9
R: 10
S: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@BAL
H: 7
L: 8
R: 6
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@BAL
H: 4
L: 6
R: 4
S: 3</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@BAL
H: 5
L: 6
R: 4
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>CLE
H: 6
L: 6
R: 5
S: 3</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>CLE
H: 7
L: 8
R: 5
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>CLE
H: 7
L: 7
R: 8
S: 5</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>5 total
0 home
1 vs. L
4 vs. R</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>H: 7
L: 6
R: 6
S: 1</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@TOR
H: 5
L: 5
R: 5
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@TOR
H: 9
L: 6
R: 10
S: 3</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@BAL
H: 7
L: 10
R: 5
S: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@BAL
H: 10
L: 9
R: 10
S: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@BAL
H: 7
L: 8
R: 6
S: 6</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>6 total
2 home
1 vs. L
5 vs. R</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>H: 3
L: 4
R: 4
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>BOS
H: 8
L: 7
R: 8
S: 9</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>BOS
H: 6
L: 6
R: 6
S: 8</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@SEA
H: 1
L: 2
R: 1
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@SEA
H: 4
L: 7
R: 2
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@SEA
H: 5
L: 3
R: 5
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@SEA
H: 5
L: 5
R: 4
S: 4</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>7 total
7 home
3 vs. L
4 vs. R</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>H: 3
L: 8
R: 1
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>DET
H: 6
L: 9
R: 2
S: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>DET
H: 1
L: 1
R: 2
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>DET
H: 7
L: 10
R: 4
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>OAK
H: 5
L: 8
R: 2
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>OAK
H: 5
L: 6
R: 4
S: 2</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>OAK
H: 3
L: 5
R: 1
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>OAK
H: 3
L: 5
R: 2
S: 5</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>7 total
4 home
3 vs. L
4 vs. R</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>H: 7
L: 7
R: 6
S: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>CHW
H: 6
L: 5
R: 6
S: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>CHW
H: 3
L: 3
R: 3
S: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>CHW
H: 5
L: 5
R: 6
S: 8</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>CHW
H: 4
L: 5
R: 3
S: 8</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@TOR
H: 10
L: 5
R: 10
S: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@TOR
H: 6
L: 8
R: 4
S: 3</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@TOR
H: 4
L: 9
R: 2
S: 3</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>6 total
6 home
2 vs. L
4 vs. R</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>H: 7
L: 7
R: 6
S: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>LAA
H: 5
L: 8
R: 3
S: 9</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>LAA
H: 8
L: 8
R: 8
S: 8</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>LAA
H: 3
L: 4
R: 2
S: 9</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>KC
H: 7
L: 5
R: 7
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>KC
H: 9
L: 10
R: 9
S: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>KC
H: 7
L: 7
R: 7
S: 5</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>6 total
5 home
1 vs. L
5 vs. R</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>H: 7
L: 8
R: 5
S: 8</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@BOS
H: 7
L: 10
R: 3
S: 10</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>NYY
H: 7
L: 7
R: 6
S: 10</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>NYY
H: 7
L: 8
R: 5
S: 9</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>TB
H: 7
L: 10
R: 3
S: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>TB
H: 3
L: 1
R: 5
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>TB
H: 7
L: 7
R: 8
S: 6</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>6 total
0 home
1 vs. L
5 vs. R</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>H: 4
L: 5
R: 4
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@CIN
H: 5
L: 5
R: 5
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@CIN
H: 6
L: 9
R: 3
S: 3</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@CIN
H: 5
L: 4
R: 6
S: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@NYM
H: 7
L: 9
R: 5
S: 8</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@NYM
H: 1
L: 1
R: 1
S: 10</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@NYM
H: 7
L: 6
R: 8
S: 5</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>7 total
0 home
4 vs. L
3 vs. R</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>H: 2
L: 3
R: 4
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@LAD
H: 4
L: 10
R: 2
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@LAD
H: 2
L: 3
R: 1
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@LAD
H: 6
L: 6
R: 6
S: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@LAD
H: 1
L: 1
R: 1
S: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@SF
H: 5
L: 2
R: 6
S: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@SF
H: 7
L: 4
R: 9
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@SF
H: 1
L: 1
R: 1
S: 5</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>6 total
6 home
1 vs. L
5 vs. R</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>H: 6
L: 9
R: 4
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>SD
H: 7
L: 8
R: 6
S: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>SD
H: 8
L: 10
R: 5
S: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>SD
H: 9
L: 8
R: 9
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>LAD
H: 4
L: 7
R: 2
S: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>LAD
H: 5
L: 10
R: 3
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>LAD
H: 3
L: 4
R: 2
S: 5</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>7 total
4 home
0 vs. L
7 vs. R</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>H: 6
L: 5
R: 7
S: 1</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>PIT
H: 7
L: 7
R: 6
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>ARI
H: 8
L: 10
R: 5
S: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>ARI
H: 8
L: 6
R: 9
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>ARI
H: 2
L: 2
R: 3
S: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@STL
H: 3
L: 1
R: 5
S: 1</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@STL
H: 2
L: 2
R: 2
S: 1</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@STL
H: 8
L: 7
R: 9
S: 1</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>6 total
3 home
1 vs. L
5 vs. R</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>H: 1
L: 2
R: 3
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>SF
H: 1
L: 1
R: 1
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>SF
H: 5
L: 3
R: 6
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>SF
H: 4
L: 4
R: 4
S: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@FLA
H: 6
L: 6
R: 6
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@FLA
H: 7
L: 8
R: 6
S: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@FLA
H: 1
L: 1
R: 1
S: 6</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>6 total
6 home
1 vs. L
5 vs. R</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>H: 6
L: 4
R: 5
S: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>PIT
H: 6
L: 1
R: 8
S: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>PIT
H: 8
L: 10
R: 2
S: 8</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>PIT
H: 5
L: 3
R: 7
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>COL
H: 7
L: 8
R: 7
S: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>COL
H: 6
L: 7
R: 6
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>COL
H: 2
L: 3
R: 1
S: 7</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>6 total
0 home
3 vs. L
3 vs. R</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>H: 4
L: 1
R: 7
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@NYM
H: 7
L: 6
R: 8
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@NYM
H: 6
L: 5
R: 6
S: 8</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@NYM
H: 7
L: 2
R: 10
S: 8</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@MIL
H: 4
L: 4
R: 4
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@MIL
H: 3
L: 1
R: 7
S: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@MIL
H: 6
L: 3
R: 7
S: 5</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>7 total
4 home
0 vs. L
7 vs. R</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>H: 5
L: 9
R: 4
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>ATL
H: 2
L: 4
R: 1
S: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>ATL
H: 7
L: 9
R: 6
S: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>ATL
H: 4
L: 4
R: 4
S: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>ATL
H: 4
L: 6
R: 2
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@CHC
H: 8
L: 10
R: 6
S: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@CHC
H: 5
L: 7
R: 4
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@CHC
H: 4
L: 5
R: 4
S: 6</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>6 total
3 home
2 vs. L
4 vs. R</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>H: 1
L: 1
R: 3
S: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@PHI
H: 1
L: 1
R: 1
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@PHI
H: 2
L: 3
R: 2
S: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@PHI
H: 3
L: 2
R: 3
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>HOU
H: 8
L: 10
R: 6
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>HOU
H: 6
L: 3
R: 7
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>HOU
H: 5
L: 3
R: 6
S: 4</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>6 total
6 home
3 vs. L
3 vs. R</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>H: 6
L: 5
R: 6
S: 3</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>HOU
H: 5
L: 2
R: 6
S: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>HOU
H: 6
L: 9
R: 3
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>HOU
H: 4
L: 2
R: 4
S: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>ARI
H: 7
L: 4
R: 8
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>ARI
H: 8
L: 7
R: 8
S: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>ARI
H: 7
L: 10
R: 4
S: 4</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>7 total
3 home
3 vs. L
4 vs. R</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>H: 4
L: 2
R: 6
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>MIL
H: 3
L: 1
R: 7
S: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>MIL
H: 6
L: 3
R: 7
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>MIL
H: 5
L: 2
R: 6
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@SD
H: 1
L: 1
R: 2
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@SD
H: 4
L: 1
R: 6
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@SD
H: 5
L: 6
R: 4
S: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@SD
H: 6
L: 9
R: 3
S: 7</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>7 total
3 home
2 vs. L
5 vs. R</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>H: 6
L: 9
R: 4
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@CIN
H: 3
L: 7
R: 2
S: 3</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@FLA
H: 1
L: 1
R: 1
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@FLA
H: 5
L: 5
R: 5
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@FLA
H: 6
L: 9
R: 3
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>WAS
H: 6
L: 8
R: 4
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>WAS
H: 9
L: 10
R: 7
S: 3</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>WAS
H: 6
L: 5
R: 6
S: 5</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>6 total
6 home
3 vs. L
3 vs. R</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>H: 4
L: 5
R: 6
S: 2</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>WAS
H: 6
L: 5
R: 6
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>WAS
H: 5
L: 1
R: 8
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>WAS
H: 8
L: 9
R: 8
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>CIN
H: 7
L: 9
R: 6
S: 3</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>CIN
H: 2
L: 6
R: 1
S: 3</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>CIN
H: 4
L: 4
R: 4
S: 5</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>7 total
4 home
3 vs. L
4 vs. R</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>H: 3
L: 3
R: 5
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@CHC
H: 4
L: 5
R: 4
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@CHC
H: 8
L: 5
R: 10
S: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@CHC
H: 5
L: 4
R: 6
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>PHI
H: 3
L: 4
R: 3
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>PHI
H: 7
L: 6
R: 8
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>PHI
H: 1
L: 1
R: 1
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>PHI
H: 1
L: 1
R: 1
S: 4</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>6 total
3 home
1 vs. L
5 vs. R</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>H: 1
L: 4
R: 2
S: 5</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@COL
H: 3
L: 4
R: 2
S: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@COL
H: 6
L: 3
R: 7
S: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@COL
H: 3
L: 6
R: 1
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>ATL
H: 3
L: 4
R: 2
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>ATL
H: 2
L: 5
R: 1
S: 4</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>ATL
H: 7
L: 9
R: 6
S: 4</TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>

</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>6 total
0 home
2 vs. L
4 vs. R</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f8f8f2; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>H: 5
L: 3
R: 6
S: 2</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@STL
H: 8
L: 7
R: 9
S: 1</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@STL
H: 1
L: 1
R: 1
S: 1</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@STL
H: 6
L: 4
R: 8
S: 1</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@PIT
H: 8
L: 10
R: 5
S: 7</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@PIT
H: 6
L: 6
R: 6
S: 6</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=middle>@PIT
H: 6
L: 1
R: 8
S: 7</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>H: Hitters' matchup rating, which accounts for the opposing starting pitcher's past history (three years' worth as well as past 21 days) as well as ballpark factors. L: Hitters' matchup rating accounting only for left-handed hitters. R: Hitters' matchup rating accounting for only right-handed hitters. S: Base stealing matchup rating, which accounts for the opponent's catchers' ability to gun down opposing base stealers. Ratings range from 1-10, with 10 representing the best possible matchup, statistically speaking, and 1 representing the worst.





Tristan's hitting strategies




• The lone "perfect-10" rating this week belongs to the Cleveland Indians, who are off to an 8-4 start thanks in part to their having averaged 4.92 runs per game. Asdrubal Cabrera (.286/.333/.612 rates, 10 RBIs in 12 G) has been a fantasy sensation so far, Michael Brantley and Orlando Cabrera have been contributing at low cost in terms of draft picks/pickups, and the team might even get Grady Sizemore, a 30/30 man as recently as 2008, back this week. (Note: Sizemore isn't recommended in leagues with weekly transactions being that his exact return date was unknown at publishing time.) And here's the kicker: Two of their most valuable hitters, Shin-Soo Choo and Carlos Santana, have yet to really heat up. Choo, incidentally, is a lifetime .402/.462/.652 hitter with 21 RBIs in 24 games at Kansas City's Kauffman Stadium, where the Indians play Monday through Thursday. Perhaps this will be the week the top-40 preseason selection finally breaks out?


• Returning to the topic of the Yankees' short week, that they still managed a "5" rating despite only five games demonstrates a few things: the potency of their offense, how sketchy their opponents' projected starters are and how hitter-friendly the two venues they'll visit (Toronto's Rogers Centre on Tuesday-Wednesday, Baltimore's Camden Yards on Friday-Sunday) are. In recent history, the Yankees have treated Camden Yards in particular as somewhat of a "Yankee Stadium South," given some of these offensive numbers their hitters have there: Robinson Cano .376/.414/.624 rates in 48 games; Curtis Granderson .281/.346/.562 in 23; Alex Rodriguez 25 HRs, 86 RBIs, .256 ISO in 97 games; Nick Swisher .315/.392/.717, 38 RBIs in 36 games. But where the Yankees' short schedule matters is its two slow starters, Brett Gardner and Derek Jeter. There will be cases where there are more worthy alternatives with seven-game weeks.


• The Kansas City Royals' offense is off to a scorching start; their 67 runs ranks fifth in the majors and they have .282/.344/.416 team rates through 12 games. While they'll be facing two hot-starting pitching staffs -- the Indians' team ERA is 3.45; the Texas Rangers' ERA is 2.55 -- let's not forget that the Indians' rotation wasn't advertised as one of the game's best, and three games at Texas' Rangers Ballpark is still a favorable schedule for an offense. Billy Butler (.382/.478/.491 in 16 games) and Alex Gordon (.289/.325/.421 in nine) have standout numbers during their careers in Texas, and speedy Royals like Alcides Escobar and Chris Getz should be able to capitalize upon the Rangers' so-so catchers.



Weather report




Here's your early look -- as of Friday -- at Week 3 games with at least a 40 percent chance of precipitation (per weather.com and the National Weather Service): Padres at Cubs (40 percent, Monday); Giants at Rockies (40, Tuesday); Padres at Cubs (40, Tuesday); Diamondbacks at Reds (40, Tuesday); Indians at Royals (40, Tuesday); Diamondbacks at Reds (50, Wednesday); Giants at Rockies (40, Wednesday); Padres at Cubs (40, Wednesday); Nationals at Cardinals (40, Wednesday). (Look for an update during the weekend.)


Weatherproof games: Yankees at Blue Jays (2, Tue-Wed); Rays at Blue Jays (3, Fri-Sun); Astros at Brewers (3, Fri-Sun); Tigers at Mariners (3, Mon-Wed); Athletics at Mariners (4, Thu-Sun); White Sox at Rays (4, Mon-Thu).



Tristan's Week 3 pitcher rankings: Top 75




Rankings take into account several factors: The pitcher's raw talent, historical and recent performance; number of starts; strength of opponent(s); and ballpark factors. Be aware that different leagues might emphasize different pitching statistics that could change these rankings slightly. These are based upon a fairly standard Rotisserie scoring system, like ESPN's.


1. Roy Halladay (PHI) -- Mon-MIL (Marcum), Sat-@SD (Stauffer)
2. Josh Johnson (FLA) -- Tue-PIT (Maholm), Sun-COL (Jimenez)
3. Tim Lincecum (SF) -- Mon-@COL (Jimenez), Sun-ATL (Beachy)
4. Cliff Lee (PHI) -- Tue-MIL (Wolf), Sun-@SD (Moseley)
5. Tim Hudson (ATL) -- Mon-@LAD (Lilly), Sat-@SF (Bumgarner)
6. Ubaldo Jimenez (COL) -- Mon-SF (Lincecum), Sun-@FLA (Johnson)
7. Clayton Kershaw (LAD) -- Thu-ATL (Jurrjens)
8. Felix Hernandez (SEA) -- Thu-OAK (McCarthy)
9. David Price (TB) -- Mon-CHW (Jackson), Sat-@TOR (Litsch)
10. CC Sabathia (NYY) -- Sat-@BAL (Tillman)
11. Justin Verlander (DET) -- Fri-CHW (Buehrle)
12. Brett Anderson (OAK) -- Tue-BOS (Lackey), Sun-@SEA (Fister)
13. Jered Weaver (LAA) -- Wed-@TEX (Harrison)
14. Dan Haren (LAA) -- Fri-BOS (Lester)
15. Jon Lester (BOS) -- Fri-@LAA (Haren)
16. Shaun Marcum (MIL) -- Mon-@PHI (Halladay), Sat-HOU (Myers)
17. John Danks (CHW) -- Tue-@TB (Shields), Sun-@DET (Scherzer)
18. Cole Hamels (PHI) -- Thu-@SD (Latos)
19. Max Scherzer (DET) -- Mon-@SEA (Vargas), Sun-CHW (Danks)
20. Chris Carpenter (STL) -- Sat-CIN (Wood)
21. Yovani Gallardo (MIL) -- Fri-HOU (Figueroa)
22. Hiroki Kuroda (LAD) -- Tue-ATL (Beachy), Sun-@CHC (Zambrano)
23. Ted Lilly (LAD) -- Mon-ATL (Hudson), Sat-@CHC (Dempster)
24. Mat Latos (SD) -- Thu-PHI (Hamels)
25. Colby Lewis (TEX) -- Mon-LAA (Santana), Sun-KC (Chen)
26. Jaime Garcia (STL) -- Wed-WAS (Zimmermann)
27. Trevor Cahill (OAK) -- Sat-@SEA (Vargas)
28. Tommy Hanson (ATL) -- Fri-@SF (Zito)
29. Roy Oswalt (PHI) -- Wed-MIL (Narveson)
30. Travis Wood (CIN) -- Mon-PIT (Correia), Sat-@STL (Carpenter)
31. Matt Cain (SF) -- Wed-@COL (Chacin)
32. Ricky Romero (TOR) -- Mon-@BOS (Matsuzaka), Sun-TB (Shields)
33. Jhoulys Chacin (COL) -- Wed-SF (Cain)
34. Matt Garza (CHC) -- Wed-SD (Harang)
35. Carlos Zambrano (CHC) -- Mon-SD (Stauffer), Sun-LAD (Kuroda)
36. Chad Billingsley (LAD) -- Fri-@CHC (Coleman)
37. Wandy Rodriguez (HOU) -- Tue-@NYM (Niese), Sun-@MIL (Wolf)
38. Ryan Dempster (CHC) -- Sat-LAD (Lilly)
39. Edwin Jackson (CHW) -- Mon-@TB (Price), Sat-@DET (Penny)
40. Josh Beckett (BOS) -- Thu-@LAA (Chatwood)
41. Francisco Liriano (MIN) -- Mon-@BAL (Tillman), Sat-CLE (Carmona)
42. Derek Lowe (ATL) -- Wed-@LAD (Garland)
43. Ricky Nolasco (FLA) -- Wed-PIT (Morton)
44. Alexi Ogando (TEX) -- Sat-KC (Davies)
45. Carl Pavano (MIN) -- Tue-@BAL (Arrieta), Sun-CLE (Carrasco)
46. Gio Gonzalez (OAK) -- Wed-BOS (Buchholz)
47. Ervin Santana (LAA) -- Mon-@TEX (Lewis), Sat-BOS (Matsuzaka)
48. Daniel Hudson (ARI) -- Thu-@CIN (Volquez)
49. Dallas Braden (OAK) -- Fri-@SEA (Pineda)
50. Jason Vargas (SEA) -- Mon-DET (Scherzer), Sat-OAK (Cahill)
51. Brett Myers (HOU) -- Sat-@MIL (Marcum)
52. Jonathan Sanchez (SF) -- Tue-@COL (De La Rosa)
53. C.J. Wilson (TEX) -- Tue-LAA (Palmer)
54. Doug Fister (SEA) -- Tue-DET (Coke), Sun-OAK (Anderson)
55. Michael Pineda (SEA) -- Fri-OAK (Braden)
56. Brian Duensing (MIN) -- Fri-CLE (Talbot)
57. Clay Buchholz (BOS) -- Wed-@OAK (Gonzalez)
58. Phil Coke (DET) -- Tue-@SEA (Fister)
59. Gavin Floyd (CHW) -- Thu-@TB (Niemann)
60. Jeremy Guthrie (BAL) -- Thu-MIN (Baker)
61. Edinson Volquez (CIN) -- Thu-ARI (Hudson)
62. Jorge De La Rosa (COL) -- Tue-SF (Sanchez)
63. R.A. Dickey (NYM) -- Wed-HOU (Norris)
64. Jordan Zimmermann (WAS) -- Wed-@STL (Garcia)
65. Zach Britton (BAL) -- Wed-MIN (Blackburn)
66. Kyle McClellan (STL) -- Fri-CIN (Leake)
67. Kyle Drabek (TOR) -- Tue-NYY (Burnett)
68. Brandon Beachy (ATL) -- Tue-@LAD (Kuroda), Sun-@SF (Lincecum)
69. Bronson Arroyo (CIN) -- Wed-ARI (Kennedy)
70. Wade Davis (TB) -- Wed-CHW (Humber)
71. Kevin Correia (PIT) -- Mon-@CIN (Wood), Sat-WAS (Hernandez)
72. Jeremy Hellickson (TB) -- Fri-@TOR (Reyes)
73. A.J. Burnett (NYY) -- Tue-@TOR (Drabek), Sun-@BAL (Arrieta)
74. Brandon McCarthy (OAK) -- Thu-@SEA (Hernandez)
75. Clayton Richard (SD) -- Fri-PHI (Blanton)



Two-start options for AL-/NL-only leagues:
Fausto Carmona (CLE) -- Mon-@KC (Davies), Sat-@MIN (Liriano)
Carlos Carrasco (CLE) -- Tue-@KC (Chen), Sun-@MIN (Pavano)
John Lackey (BOS) -- Tue-@OAK (Anderson), Sun-@LAA (Palmer)
John Lannan (WAS) -- Tue-@STL (Westbrook), Sun-@PIT (Maholm)
Sam LeCure (CIN) -- Tue-ARI (Galarraga), Sun-@STL (Westbrook)
Paul Maholm (PIT) -- Tue-@FLA (Johnson), Sun-WAS (Lannan)
Daisuke Matsuzaka (BOS) -- Mon-TOR (Romero), Sat-@LAA (Santana)
Jonathon Niese (NYM) -- Tue-HOU (Rodriguez), Sun-ARI (Galarraga)
James Shields (TB) -- Tue-CHW (Danks), Sun-@TOR (Romero)
Randy Wolf (MIL) -- Tue-@PHI (Lee), Sun-HOU (Rodriguez)



No-thank-yous, among two-starts:
Jake Arrieta (BAL) -- Tue-MIN (Pavano), Sun-NYY (Burnett)
Bruce Chen (KC) -- Tue-CLE (Carrasco), Sun-@TEX (Lewis)
Kyle Davies (KC) -- Mon-CLE (Carmona), Sat-@TEX (Ogando)
Armando Galarraga (ARI) -- Tue-@CIN (LeCure), Sun-@NYM (Niese)
Dustin Moseley (SD) -- Tue-@CHC (Russell), Sun-PHI (Lee)
Matt Palmer (LAA) -- Tue-@TEX (Wilson), Sun-BOS (Lackey)
Tim Stauffer (SD) -- Mon-@CHC (Zambrano), Sat-PHI (Halladay)
Chris Tillman (BAL) -- Mon-MIN (Liriano), Sat-NYY (Sabathia)
Jake Westbrook (STL) -- Tue-WAS (Lannan), Sun-CIN (LeCure)



One-start sleepers:
Joe Blanton (PHI) -- Fri-@SD (Richard)
Chris Capuano (NYM) -- Thu-HOU (Happ)
Jason Hammel (COL) -- Fri-@FLA (Sanchez)
Derek Holland (TEX) -- Fri-KC (Francis)
Kyle Lohse (STL) -- Thu-WAS (Gorzelanny)
Jason Marquis (WAS) -- Fri-@PIT (Karstens)
Justin Masterson (CLE) -- Wed-@KC (Hochevar)
Bud Norris (HOU) -- Wed-@NYM (Dickey)
Rick Porcello (DET) -- Wed-@SEA (Bedard

 

[HacheMan]

Tyler Chatwood profile; Top 11 for '11

Jason Grey

Los Angeles Angels call-up Tyler Chatwood, just 21 years old, will make his second big league start Saturday, and if he holds his own he could make quite a few more starts for the Angels after that, given the struggles they've had at the back end of their starting rotation.

Chatwood did not make my top prospects list for 2011 impact, yet, as it turned out, he was among the first starting pitchers to get called up. So why didn't I place him in my top 100? Well, it was not because I doubted his talent or potential opportunity; it was more because I was concerned that he wasn't quite ready for prime time.
For what it's worth, he was among the last five names I cut from the final list, and he was actually on my radar last year. In fact, I provided an in-depth scouting report of him last August, calling him an under-the-radar pitcher to monitor.

I'm still concerned about Chatwood's ability to stick in the big leagues at this point. I'm just not sure his command and control are refined enough for him to have consistent success at this stage of his career. Still, I did put a bid on him in a deep AL-only league last week before him allowing four runs over five frames in his big league debut because I'm already looking for starting pitching depth, as are many owners in that format.
After a couple of early homers in his debut start, Chatwood settled down and finished with three scoreless frames, showing flashes of his potential. He topped out at 94 mph, showed a plus curveball that froze batters more than once and managed to get a few swinging strikes on his changeup, a pitch that has improved since I saw it last year. He was also very aggressive, worked quickly and trusted his stuff, even when he was behind in the count. Once he settled down, he also was able to keep the ball down in the zone more often to induce ground balls. That was one of his strengths in the minors, and he'll need to do that at the big league level to succeed. Meanwhile, three of his four walks came in his final inning -- he struggled with his arm slot -- but he was able to get out of the jam without allowing any runs thanks to a big double-play ball off the bat of Shin-Soo Choo.
Chatwood has a lot of potential and a good repertoire to build on, but he still has much to learn and improve upon. Having to do some of his learning at the big league level makes Chatwood a risky fantasy play for now as he builds consistency with both his delivery and command of his pitches. A lot of people in the Angels' organization like to invoke the name Roy Oswalt when discussing Chatwood's future potential, but at age 21, Oswalt was still at the low Class A level. He was not pushed aggressively to the big leagues, as Chatwood has been.
I rostered Chatwood in a 12-team AL-only league because I'm already in a position in which I needed to take some risks. But that might not apply to your deep-mixed or AL-only squad, so use your judgment accordingly.

Top 11 for '11


Yup, the top 10 fantasy prospects for the remainder of the season have added another name to make for a snappier subhead. But this list is not without the usual caveats. You see, there's a certain throwing-darts-at-the-wall nature to determining a list like this, because there's no telling when a player will actually arrive on the scene. Who gets the summons obviously depends on a variety of factors, such as team needs, injuries and performance. For example, if the Twins' Delmon Young or Denard Span were to get hurt tomorrow, Ben Revere would shoot up this list. If one of their starting pitchers got hurt, then Kyle Gibson does the same. Meanwhile, Brad Hawpe is not off to a good start for the San Diego Padres, but if the Padres were to make a change, they likely would go to a rehabbing Kyle Blanks first, not to highly regarded prospect Anthony Rizzo.
Thus, for the purpose of this list, I try to balance a prospect's upside with who is likely to get an opportunity in the near future. I look for potential paths to big league playing time, and I rank only players who: (1) are still rookie-eligible; and (2) are not already in the major leagues (having just been called up).
And please note that this list is for 2011 value only, not for the long haul, so you won't see names such as Bryce Harper on it. Not yet, anyway. It spotlights players who could help fantasy teams this season, with no regard to 2012 and beyond. Season the list to your particular taste and your fantasy team's needs.

1. Desmond Jennings, OF, Rays: Manny Ramirez's retirement puts more of a spotlight on Jennings and his stolen-base potential. Sam Fuld has filled in nicely and he's a good story, but at the end of the day, he's better suited to be a fourth outfielder. We might not see Jennings until June, but he could still rack up plenty of steals in a short period of time once he does arrive.
2. Mike Moustakas, 3B, Royals: The versatility of both Mike Aviles and Wilson Betemit allows the Royals to make room for Moustakas in a couple of months when he's ready, and those veterans won't stand in his way.
3. Dustin Ackley, 2B, Mariners: Service-time preferences and issues with his defense kept Ackley from opening the season with the big club, but he still could be the team's starting second baseman by June.
4. Lonnie Chisenhall, 3B, Indians: The Indians are starting Jack Hannahan at third base right now. I'll let that sink in for a moment. Jack Hannahan. Meanwhile, Chisenhall's sweet left-handed stroke is almost ready, and he had a good first week at Triple-A.
5. Jerry Sands, OF, Dodgers: Sands continues to silence the doubters with his bat, and he deserves more attention given the uncertainty the Dodgers have in left field. Granted, he's in a good hitting environment, but Sands has homered in four of his first seven games at Triple-A after hitting 35 home runs last year, and has probably passed teammate Trayvon Robinson in the pecking order for a call-up at this point.
6. Mike Minor, SP, Braves: Minor lost out on the fifth spot in the Braves' rotation to Brandon Beachy and didn't perform well in a spot start before getting sent back down, but he'll be fine. Look for him to be the next guy called up if the Braves have a rotation need. He fanned nine batters in six innings in his Triple-A debut.
7. Brett Lawrie, 3B, Blue Jays: Lawrie's transition to the hot corner is still a work in progress defensively, but after turning heads in spring training, he's not far off. Plus he has gotten off to a good start with the bat. The team's acquisition of Jayson Nix buys the club a little more time for Lawrie to develop, but Juan Rivera is not hitting, and the Jays would like to keep Edwin Encarnacion from playing third base, so there's a chance for an opening in the near future.
8. Eric Hosmer, 1B, Royals: Kila Ka'aihue needs to start hitting or the Hosmer rumbles will grow louder. You could actually flip-flop Hosmer and Moustakas on this list and I wouldn't argue with it too much. Hosmer is the better long-term prospect, but Moustakas might have a better shot at more playing time in 2011.
9. Andrew Oliver, SP, Tigers: Oliver has fanned 14 batters and walked three in his first two Triple-A starts and is next in line should the Tigers need to fill a spot in their rotation.
10. Mike Montgomery, SP, Royals: I wrote in more detail about Montgomery in my April 7 blog. He has had some mediocre efforts in his first two Triple-A starts -- he has run up his pitch counts early -- but I'm not concerned. He'll be fine.
11. Domonic Brown, OF, Phillies: Technically, Brown is in the majors and on the disabled list, but I'm including him here because he's still an unproven rookie. He just started taking batting practice in his return from a broken bone in his wrist and could begin a rehab assignment by the beginning of May. He likely will be optioned back to the minors when he's ready, assuming there's no starting job open to him then. Once in the minors, he'll have to show that he can avoid the struggles to hit for power that often accompany the early stages of a return from a hamate injury.

 

[HacheMan]

Time to drop Mike Aviles, grab Betemit?

Jason Grey

Even the best-laid fantasy plans can be laid to waste by managerial whim. That has been the case for those owners who, like me, were looking at Mike Aviles as a solid value play in AL-only leagues and a viable option in deep mixed leagues.

Aviles was not only the projected starter at third base (in addition to already being eligible at second base) for the Kansas City Royals entering the season, but he also began the season hitting leadoff.
So much for that. Aviles did not get off to a good start. In his first six games, he had three hits in 26 at-bats and made three errors (and could have easily been charged with another). Apparently that was enough for manager Ned Yost. Wilson Betemit started the first game of the team's first road trip and has hit in all six games since then, with four of those hits going for extra bases. Simply put, he seems to have taken over as the starter at third base, even though Yost has yet to officially confirm that.

Like we tell fantasy owners when they're panicking about slow starts from their active players at the beginning of the season, if a player were to have a bad six games in the middle of June, it would get lost in his season stats. However, if his bad stretch happens to be the first six games of the season, it gets magnified. In Aviles' case, the magnification was prominent enough for him to seemingly lose his job. Given that he has hit better than .300 in each of the two seasons he has played in more than 100 games in his major league career, you'd think he would have gotten a little more benefit of the doubt and a little more leeway early. Aviles did hit two doubles and knock in three runs in his last start (Wednesday), but was right back on the bench the next day.
That said, it's understandable why Yost would keep Betemit in the lineup. Betemit has been producing since the change was made, and it's hard to justify sliding Aviles over to second base with the starter there, Chris Getz, off to the start of his life.
Betemit has quietly morphed into an interesting fantasy option. He has some pop, and he hit .297 with 13 homers in a career-high 276 at-bats last year, hitting both lefties and righties. In fact, he has slugged a respectable .451 in his 1,450 career big league at-bats. He has become more of a fly-ball hitter, which helps his power, and has added a few more walks and a few less strikeouts to his game. He has developed into a hitter that pitchers don't want to challenge with a fastball, and he's chasing fewer breaking balls outside the strike zone. Betemit has become an offensive threat while also being versatile (even if he is a little rough defensively).
Not all is lost for Aviles, though, even if Betemit continues to hit. If starting first baseman Kila Ka'aihue doesn't step things up soon, Betemit or Aviles could slide over to first base or slot in as the DH with Billy Butler starting at first. And when it comes down to it, Aviles is simply a better player then Getz, so Aviles could see more time at second base once Getz cools down.
Of course, all situations regarding the corner infield positions in Kansas City could be viewed as temporary, given the presence of Mike Moustakas and Eric Hosmer in Triple-A. Moustakas and Hosmer are progressing nicely, and both stud prospects could be regulars in the big league lineup by the second half of the season, leaving Betemit, Aviles and Getz fighting for one starting job.
But for now, as long as he's playing regularly, Betemit is a worthwhile fantasy option even in mixed leagues if you're having problems filling a relatively shallow third base position. As for Aviles, don't give up on him in single-league formats just yet. Just as his fantasy prospects have changed quickly this season, they could easily change again, this time for the better.
Friday afternoon update: After this was originally written, Yost didn't provide any more clarity to the situation, telling the team website that Aviles will start both Friday and Saturday, while Betemit will be back in there on Sunday. "I'm going by the matchups, mixing and matching, and getting 'em both in there and keeping 'em both going -- or trying to," Yost said. "I can't bail on Mike right now, but Wilson's hitting .370 and playing a good third base."
It's entirely possible this could evolve into a platoon situation with Betemit getting the lion's share of at-bats, with his versatility keeping him in the lineup at times even when he's not getting hot corner starts. The uncertainty may not make him the best fit for shallower mixed leagues, at least until there's a little more clarity. Either way, Aviles would do well to put up some base hits this weekend, and Betemit remains one to watch in deeper mixed formats.

 

[HacheMan]

AL Notes: King Felix's Fate
So, Joe Mauer has bilateral leg weakness largely caused by a viral infection? Or is that just what the Twins are hoping? Much of the talk immediately after the announcement that Mauer was landing on the DL centered on what position the 2009 AL MVP would play next season. There's more optimism about Mauer's situation now, but there's still no telling whether he'll be back once his 15 days are up.

I'm giving the Twins the benefit of the doubt here. From the sound of things, there are no new problems with Mauer's knees; he just developed weakness in his legs while trying to play through whatever virus had him down. There's a very good chance he'll be back in the lineup within two weeks. The Twins are hurting in the meantime, as their backup, Drew Butera, is probably the worst position player in baseball when it comes to hitting. But Mauer should return as a catcher this season, and while I think he'll likely finish his contract as a left fielder, there's still not much reason to think a change will come this year or next.

American League Notes

- Another shaky outing from Felix Hernandez is a reason for concern. His fastball velocity is down slightly, and he's throwing the pitch quite a bit less than usual. I don't think he's hurt, but I do wonder if he's bored. The Mariners, who actually had Adam Kennedy open a game in the cleanup spot last week, look to be even worse than they were last year, and there's no reason to expect a turnaround anytime soon. For the first time, I'm beginning to believe King Felix might be traded. The Mariners have so many needs, and even with their deep pockets, it's hard to imagine them contending before 2013 if they keep Hernandez. They might be in better shape then with three or four top youngsters than they would be with the AL's best pitcher.

- Now that Josh Hamilton is out 6-8 weeks with a broken humerus, maybe, just maybe, the Rangers could try Nelson Cruz in the cleanup spot, rather than have him bat behind a guy with a .242 OBP. Not that Adrian Beltre won't heat up. But it's not like Cruz is some sort of unproven youngster. He's just a year younger than Beltre, and he's hit .301 with RISP during his career, compared to .268 with the bases empty. Give him a chance, Ron.

- Hamilton's injury will provide the struggling Julio Borbon with a much longer leash, but Borbon still hasn't attempted a steal this year, rendering him worthless for fantasy purposes. The Rangers' best offensive lineup has David Murphy in center, Mitch Moreland in left, Mike Napoli at first and Michael Young at DH, but the team isn't going to play all four at once with any regularity. Poor Napoli was on the bench Saturday despite his .333/.478/.833 line in 18 at-bats this season. He deserves better, and the Rangers truly need his thump in the order with Hamilton down. If they're not going to use him at DH -- and they haven't, not once -- then he needs to start over Yorvit Torrealba more frequently.

- Alexi Ogando is slated to face the Yankees on Sunday after leaving his last start with a blister. He's getting picked up in mixed leagues after starting off the year with 13 scoreless innings and deservedly so. Don't be surprised if he struggles against the Bombers, though. The Yankees will wait him out if his finger issues lead to control problems.

- Signs point to Sergio Santos getting a chance to claim the vacant closer's role in Chicago. Matt Thornton shouldn't be released in any format, but four blown saves in four opportunities is simply inexcusable no matter how bad the defense has been behind him. Santos still hasn't allowed a run in 8 2/3 innings this season, and he certainly has closer-type stuff. I expect Thornton will be the superior pitcher from here on in, but if Santos can survive while getting his feet wet in the ninth, the White Sox might stick with him. After all, they've done fine for years with Thornton setting up.

- The Red Sox can't afford to pass up offense with the way they're playing, so hopefully Jed Lowrie's 3-for-5 with a homer in Saturday's win will get him a look as the regular shortstop over Marco Scutaro. He deserved a shot to win the job this spring, though he wasn't provided with one. He'll be worth using in mixed leagues if the Red Sox decide to make him a starter.

- I have a feeling "thoughts on the Red Sox rotation" will become a weekly section here. Josh Beckett is looking just as good as the numbers suggest, but he's such a flake that he could become a sell-high candidate soon. I'm guessing the Red Sox will pair him with Jason Varitek from now on, something that seems to help him a bunch. I'm still optimistic about Clay Buchholz, but he needs to trust his fastball a little more. John Lackey, who was skipped after last week's rainout, should be started in AL-only leagues with outings against the A's and Angels this week. Daisuke Matsuzaka looks terrible, and the Red Sox may want to stash him on the DL if he struggles again Monday. My guess is that they'd replace him with Tim Wakefield, if only because of Alfredo Aceves' durability concerns. Felix Doubront is another option.

- The results have been unspectacular so far, but I really like the way David Price is throwing. His fastball velocity remains exceptional, but he's taking more off his changeup than usual and I think that increased separation between the two offerings is going to pay off. It wouldn't surprise me at all if his improved changeup becomes his No. 2 pitch as the year goes on.

- Erick Aybar (oblique) is eligible to come off the DL on Tuesday and hopes to be ready then. The only issue there is that Alberto Callaspo has been the Angels' best hitter so far. The team will have to keep him in the mix, possibly by playing Howie Kendrick at first and sitting Mark Trumbo at times.

- The Angels also have the option of playing Bobby Abreu in the outfield and sitting either Peter Bourjos or Vernon Wells. But Wells isn't going to be benched, even though he's playing as poorly as anyone in the league right now. It's worth holding on to Wells in mixed leagues and waiting for him to snap out of it. He's not going to match his 2010 production, but he still ranks somewhere in the 40-50 range among outfielders.

- It's nice that Michael Cuddyer is about to have second-base eligibility in pretty much all formats. What he doesn't have is an RBI this season. And when Cuddyer is at second base, the Twins are probably running out the worst defense of any team in baseball, what with Delmon Young and Jason Kubel manning the outfield corners. It's simply not fair to their pitchers. Francisco Liriano wasn't pitching nearly as badly as his line suggested when he gave up seven runs Wednesday. The Twins thus far have lost all four of Cuddyer's starts at second, surrendering 24 runs in the process.

- The Twins can't be feeling great about Joe Nathan at the moment either. He gave up a homer, walked two and then allowed a game-winning single in blowing a second straight save Saturday against the Rays. Matt Capps also struggled in both games, so the Twins might not have been any better off with him in the closer's role. Still, Capps looks like the superior pitcher with Nathan showing poor command of a fastball that isn't all of the way back to peak velocity. They may yet consider turning the ninth over to Capps if Nathan has another bad week.

- The Indians are weighing activating Grady Sizemore (knee) prior to Sunday's game. Travis Buck hasn't been able to carry his hot spring into the regular season, so he'll probably get the boot to make room. Shelley Duncan is the other possibility, but he's gone 3-for-10 with three RBI in limited action. Sizemore won't be an everyday guy for the Indians immediately, so mixed leaguers with quality alternatives may want to wait as long as possible to activate him. Austin Kearns will lose at-bats.

- Jack Hannahan is hitting his weight at third base (.235/.316/.441 to be exact), so the Indians may choose to option Jason Donald to Triple-A once he completes his rehab from a fractured finger. That decision is likely a week away.

- The Tigers should be weighing a switch at second base: Scott Sizemore is hitting .435/.519/.652 in 23 at-bats for Triple-A Toledo, while Will Rhymes has come in at .220/.289/.220 with just two runs scored in 41 at-bats for Detroit. There's nothing to suggest that a Carlos Guillen (knee) return is imminent.

- On the other hand, Magglio Ordonez (ankle) was able to come back and DH on Saturday. The Tigers are probably better off with Brennan Boesch and Ryan Raburn in the outfield corners right now, considering that they're both hitting and they're both better defenders than Ordonez. The Tigers aren't going to bench Ordonez, but they'll probably give him a lot more rest than he's used to getting, potentially leaving him with little short-term value in mixed leagues.

- I'm fine with it in practice, but how can the Yankees be allowed to place Phil Hughes on the disabled list while simultaneously telling everyone who will listen that he's not hurt? Anyway, getting Hughes off the major league roster for a couple of weeks was undoubtedly the right move. He's going to start long-tossing Sunday and the hope is that he'll recover some velocity before the team gets him back into games in a week or two. Bartolo Colon is probably worth trying in AL-only leagues while serving as the Yankees' interim fifth starter. If he impresses, he'll keep a spot over Ivan Nova or Freddy Garcia once Hughes returns.

- In a 1-for-19 slump, Brett Gardner sat versus back-to-back lefties on Friday and Saturday. The thing about Gardner is he doesn't really have a platoon split. Andruw Jones does, however, and he should be in there against most southpaws while he's swinging well. Of course, Jones can also start over Curtis Granderson versus lefties, but Granderson, who typically fares much, much better against righties, has hit all three of his homers versus lefties in the early going.

- Franklin Gutierrez's stomach issues have the Mariners befuddled, so it looks like he'll be sent to the Mayo Clinic for further tests. That means more Michael Saunders and Ryan Langerhans for the M's. Langerhans has delivered three of Seattle's seven homers, though he has just one other hit this season. He shouldn't have any lasting value in AL-only leagues. The Mariners would like to see Saunders step up in Gutierrez's absence, but it's shown little sign of happening.

- If Evan Longoria had his way, he'd return from his strained oblique this week. The Rays, though, are being careful in the hopes of avoiding a setback. Keep him reserved for now. An April 26 return looks like the best bet.

- The Rays picked Elliot Johnson over Felipe Lopez as their utilityman at the end of spring training, but Lopez, who was called up when Longoria went down, has been getting most of the time at third base and he even hit cleanup on Saturday. It'll be interesting to see what the Rays do there when Longoria returns. Johnson is out of options, and he was quite impressive this spring. Perhaps the Rays will trade Lopez. He'd be able to help the Twins and Mariners, among others. However, if the Rays are still struggling and want to shake things up, they could option Reid Brignac to Triple-A and install Lopez at shortstop.

- Vin Mazzaro's horrible Triple-A outing last week cost him his spot in Kansas City's rotation. The right-hander was sent down because the Royals didn't need a fifth starter initially, but he was so bad for Omaha that the Royals turned to Sean O'Sullivan when that spot came up Saturday. And, lo and behold, Sullivan went on to outpitch King Felix to earn a win over the Mariners. He's still not worth picking up in AL-only leagues.

- Speedy center fielder Jarrod Dyson finally got his first at-bats of the season on Saturday and went 0-for-3, though he did walk and steal his fourth base. He's everything the Royals wanted Joey Gathright to become and so much more.

- Brandon Morrow (elbow) will make one more rehab start Sunday and then rejoin Toronto's rotation next weekend. Jo-Jo Reyes will either be sent to the pen or designated for assignment.

- Frank Francisco (shoulder) finally had an encouraging rehab appearance Friday, so he's a candidate to be activated this week. Still, the Jays figure to stay with Jon Rauch in the closer's role for a while longer at least.

- With Rajai Davis (ankle) out for another week, Corey Patterson is worth using in AL-only leagues.

- Even with Davis out, the Blue Jays are running mad under new manager John Farrell. Aaron Hill already has five steals, one off his career high and three more than he had last year. Travis Snider also has five in 14 games after swiping seven bags in 159 games the previous two seasons. Snider isn't hitting yet, but if he's going to be a 20-steal guy, he'll have value in mixed leagues.

 

[HacheMan]

NL Notes: Saves in St. Louis
Ryan Franklin did it again Sunday, surrendering a two-run homer to Matt Kemp to blow his fourth save and take the loss versus the Dodgers. He's allowed runs in five of his six appearances, and he's already given up three homers in just 4 2/3 innings.

The Cardinals stood by Franklin after his first three blown saves, but that probably ends now. Mitchell Boggs, Jason Motte and even Miguel Batista stand as the Cardinals' alternatives in the closer's role. Boggs looks like the favorite to me. He pitched a scoreless eighth inning Sunday and he's struck out 12 while allowing two runs in nine innings this season.

Motte was supposed to be the heir to Franklin's job, but he's still not throwing like he did last year. His velocity is down a bit, and he's struck out just three batters in seven innings. He's been effective in his last few appearances anyway, but since he struggled all spring, manager Tony La Russa hasn't been using him in close games.

Batista certainly has experience on his side and he's allowed just one run in seven innings to date, but he was signed to pitch in middle relief, which is where he so clearly belongs. NL-only leaguers with free moves could grab him and hope for the best, but Boggs is the one to pick up in leagues in which he's available.

National League Notes

- On the plus side for St. Louis, Chris Carpenter looked better Sunday than he had at any point since suffering a strained hamstring this spring. He struck out six and walked none in seven scoreless innings.

- The Dodgers' offensive woes could lead to an early season callup for 23-year-old Jerry Sands. Sands is pounding the ball at Albuquerque, having already hit five homers in 10 games. He's also struck out just three times. He's worth stashing away in NL-only leagues now in the hopes that the Dodgers won't wait until after the super-two "deadline" to call him up. He'd probably get to take over as their everyday left fielder if promoted.

- Unfortunately, first base is an even bigger problem for the Dodgers than left field. James Loney was awful this spring, and he's hitting .150/.175/.217 in 60 regular-season at-bats. The Dodgers could try Jay Gibbons there if he's able to overcome the eye problems that put him on the DL to begin the year. I'm sure they'll give Loney a couple of more weeks first, and most likely, he'll revert to being his usual below average self. Still, it's becoming increasingly clear that he doesn't belong in the team's plans going forward.

- It's disturbing seeing Wandy Rodriguez sporting a 7.31 ERA after he missed time this spring with a sore shoulder, but it looks like more a case of terrible luck than anything else. His strikeout rate is down a bit, but so is his walk rate and he's allowed just one homer in three starts. He currently has a 3.44 FIP, which is right about where he finished each of the last three years. I'm not seeing anything different in terms of stuff, so my guess is that he'll bounce back soon.

- We're not there yet, but with Pedro Alvarez hitting .193 with no homers and 20 strikeouts in 57 at-bats, an eventual demotion to Triple-A can't be ruled out. Fortunately for him, the Pirates traded Josh Fields, rather than Andy Marte, at the end of the spring. While Marte is off to a poor start at Indianapolis (.222/.276/.407 in eight games), Fields is currently tearing it up with the Rockies' Triple-A club (.333/.387/.667).

- Pirates right-hander Charlie Morton is off to a very interesting start, what with the 1.64 ERA and a 6/12 K/BB ratio in 22 innings. Of course, he also had a strong spring and the fine ERA doesn't look like a complete fluke. He's added sink to his fastball, but he's still throwing it in the 90-94 mph range. So far, he's inducing grounders about two-thirds of the time while relying pretty exclusively on the sinker. I can see him remaining a fair NL-only starter as a sinkerballer. He's not worth grabbing in mixed leagues, though. The Pirates' infield defense is likely to hurt him in the long run.

- I thought Jair Jurrjens' stellar season debut Saturday against the Mets (he allowed two hits in seven scoreless innings) was at least as much about bad hitting as good pitching. Jurrjens is fine to use in NL-only leagues, but I'm skeptical that he'll help in mixed leagues this year.

- Hitting second for the first time this season, Jason Heyward went 2-for-4 with a homer Sunday against the Mets. Unfortunately, the Braves scored just two runs anyway and took the loss. Nate McLouth was getting the day off for the Braves, and the guess is that things will return to normal on Monday (McLouth batting second, Heyward hitting sixth). Still, at least it was nice to see that Fredi Gonzalez is open to batting Heyward second. Batting sixth, Heyward had just six RBI and six runs scored through 15 games, limiting his fantasy value.

- The Reds still haven't solved Edinson Volquez's first-inning troubles. He allowed four more first-inning runs Sunday, bringing his total to 13 for the year. He's allowed just four runs in his remaining 18 2/3 innings of work. Obviously, the stuff is there for Volquez to become a big-time winner. Still, he's displayed especially poor command since returning from Tommy John surgery and he just hasn't found the touch on his changeup yet this year. It doesn't look like he'll be worth using in mixed leagues anytime soon.

- Johnny Cueto (triceps) and Homer Bailey (shoulder) are getting closer to returning to the Reds, though it's not expected to happen this week. Both will need at least one and possibly two more rehab starts before rejoining the rotation at the end of the month. Mike Leake and Sam LeCure figure to be bounced.

- I'm not going to make too much of Aroldis Chapman's disappearing velocity. Command is the bigger issue for him, and he's had problems in that department since the spring. Anyone hoping he might overtake Francisco Cordero early in the season seems likely to be disappointed.

- Brett Jackson will force his way into the Cubs' plans by the middle of the summer if he keeps this up. He's hitting .441/.535/.647 through 10 games for Double-A Tennessee. The Cubs opted to keep him in the Southern League to begin the year, even though he was hit a more-than-respectable .276/.366/.465 in 61 games after his promotion to Tennessee last season. He'll be in Triple-A before much longer, and he may well spend the second half of the season as the Cubs' right fielder.

- John Mayberry Jr. hit five homers this spring, but the Phillies still haven't given him a start through 14 games, even though neither Raul Ibanez nor Ben Francisco is exactly tearing it up. I don't understand that at all. Ibanez is 38, awful defensively and doesn't really do much damage against lefties. Francisco had all of 179 at-bats as the Phillies' fourth outfielder last year. Both of those guys can sit once or twice a week so that the team can see if Mayberry's strong spring was a fluke. For what it's worth, Mayberry is 4-for-8 off the bench so far.

- Just when it looked like Chris Denorfia might get a chance to overtake Will Venable in San Diego's outfield, he left Sunday's game with a bruised forearm. Fortunately, it's likely just a day-to-day thing. Denorfia outhit Venable last year, finishing with a 769 OPS to Venable's 732 mark, and he didn't deserve to be thrown into a reserve role before the spring even started. Venable certainly has the greater fantasy upside of the two players, but the Padres may well be better off with Denorfia in right. Of course, with the way Ryan Ludwick is swinging, he might not be part of the Padres' best outfield either. The team has to get him and Brad Hawpe going.

- Ubaldo Jimenez (finger) will make his return to the Rockies' rotation Tuesday against the Giants. Get him active in all formats.

- Corey Hart (oblique) is another week away. The Brewers will continue to play Nyjer Morgan and Mark Kotsay in right field for now. If Morgan is still hitting when Hart returns, then center fielder Carlos Gomez may find himself on the bench more often than not.

- Donnie Murphy's slow start and recent knee contusion have opened the door for Greg Dobbs at third base in Florida, but Dobbs is so rough defensively that the Marlins probably won't want to stick with him for any length of time. They could use outside help at third base, since both Murphy and Emilio Bonifacio fit best as utilitymen. I think they blew it by not picking Arizona's Tony Abreu up off waivers at the end of the spring. Colorado's Jose Lopez should be available and could help.

- Lopez's name is out there because Jonathan Herrera is running away with the Rockies' second-base job. Besides the .400 average, he has a crazy 3/11 K/BB ratio in 35 at-bats. He's also 4-for-4 stealing bases after going 2-for-4 in 76 games last year. Herrera has no power to speak of, but now that he's learning how to steal bases, it looks like he could have significant value in NL-only leagues. I don't expect that he'll make much of an impact in mixed leagues.

- I can't help but love Chris Iannetta's early line for the Rockies: .229/.449/.543 in 35 at-bats. He's been punished by his managers because he doesn't hit for average, but GM Dan O'Dowd was never willing to trade him, and now that Iannetta doesn't have to worry about his playing time, he's looking like one of the game's top offensive catchers. Hopefully he'll get a chance to move up from the eighth spot in the lineup at some point, but even hitting in front of the pitcher, he has eight runs scored and seven RBI in 12 games.

- There are no minor injuries when it comes to the Mets' Chris Young. Maybe his case of biceps tendinitis will prove to be a two-week thing, but I tend to doubt it. Dillon Gee got the call in his place Sunday and figures to stick around after beating the Braves. Promoting Jenrry Mejia, who is off to a fantastic start in Triple-A, isn't yet an option, but I'd expect him to have some fantasy value come late May or June.

- As for the rest of the Mets' starters… I'm quite worried about Mike Pelfrey, and it wouldn't surprise me to find out his shoulder is bothering him. Chris Capuano is worth holding on to in NL-only leagues in spite of his 8.76 ERA. R.A. Dickey's knuckleball is off because of a cracked fingernail, but I think he'll be just fine. Jon Niese is what he is: he simply gives up too many hits for someone with such a strong strikeout rate. He'll be a useful NL-only pitcher, but he's not worthy of a roster spot in a shallow mixed league.

- Jason Bay (oblique) could be a go for Tuesday, so NL-only leaguers will want him active this week. Mixed leaguers can hold off.

- In need of a shakeup, the Mets finally tried Josh Thole in the two hole Sunday and he responded by going 2-for-4 with two RBI. He'll be a terrific No. 2 catcher in mixed leagues if the Mets leave him there.

- Roy Oswalt isn't currently expected to miss any additional time after leaving his last start with back spasms.

- The Giants are weighing activating Cody Ross (calf) on Tuesday or Friday. With Aaron Rowand playing exceptionally well in Andres Torres' place in center, Ross figures to stay in right field upon returning. Brandon Belt is probably in line for a demotion, with Aubrey Huff moving back to first base, but it isn't quite a given and he may yet have a few more days to heat up.

- Torres (Achilles' tendon) will be eligible to return on April 25, but it seems less than 50-50 that he'll be back then. With Rowand hitting .359, it's not such a concern at the moment.

- Barry Zito's first ever DL stint, the result of a sprained foot, will get Ryan Vogelsong into San Francisco's rotation. Vogelsong pitched briefly for the Giants in 2000 and '01, spent a few years with the Pirates and then toiled in Japan for three seasons. In his two starts with Triple-A Fresno, he struck out 17 while amassing a 1.59 ERA in 11 1/3 innings. I never got a chance to see him this spring, so I'm wary about recommending him. He always had a pretty good fastball, but his lack of an outpitch, combined with mediocre command, doomed him during his time with Pittsburgh. If he has a strikeout pitch now, he could surprise. Still, NL-only leaguers will probably want to see how he fares against the Braves this week before picking him up.

- I'm nowhere near running out of patience with Madison Bumgarner. In fact, he looks like a great buy-low candidate.

- With neither Mike Morse nor Rick Ankiel hitting for the Nationals, there's a good chance Roger Bernadina will get another opportunity soon. He might have been recalled when Ryan Zimmerman went on the DL, except for that he was away from his Triple-A team on a family matter. I think Morse will hit, but I'm less optimistic about Ankiel. Both figure to get one more week and then perhaps a move will be made.

- Zimmerman (abdomen) is eligible to return April 25 and could be ready then.

- The Nationals are one of the teams that should be taking notice of what Wily Mo Pena is doing at Triple-A Reno. He's already slammed six homers in eight games, and he's done it with an impressive 5/5 K/BB ratio through 30 at-bats. The Diamondbacks could opt to give him a look, though with Brandon Allen waiting in the wings, his window of opportunity would likely be very small. If they choose to pass, perhaps another team will come calling next month. Pena has been around forever, but he's just 29 years old and he may yet have a couple of 25-homer seasons in him.

 

[HacheMan]

Joe Nathan Loses Closer Role
So far this season, Joe Nathan hasn't had his fastball back. Instead of averaging around 94 on his heater, he's been closer to 91, and that can be a big difference. For now, it's the difference between Nathan being the closer and not.

Before we make too much of a big deal about his lost velocity, it's worth mentioning that the new closer, Matt Capps, has also lost two MPH off his fastball velocity from last year. Sometimes, it's just a couple bad outings. Long-term, this still seems like Nathan's job. For now, Capps is the man. For the Twins' sake, the news about Joe Mauer got better as the weekend went on - the weakness in his legs may have been caused by the viral infection that put him in the hospital. He may only miss two weeks.

At least there are only two possible closers in Minnesota, really. In Chicago, Matt Thornton, Chris Sale, Jesse Crain and Sergio Santos are all ownable because they are all in the mix for the closer's job. Unfortunately, the White Sox got swept over the weekend and we didn't learn too much about who might step forward. Santos is still the only reliever that has not been replaced during a blown save opportunity, and Crain is the only one that has nice numbers for the year.

Other pens are in flux, too. Frank Francisco comes off the DL on Tuesday, but Jon Rauch might keep the job, according to his manager. Francisco also had a poor rehab stint. Ryan Franklin blew another save Sunday, but who's behind him? Jason Motte's fastball is straight and he doesn't have another pitch really. Eduardo Sanchez is interesting, but would Tony LaRussa really trust such a green pitcher in the role? Mitchell Boggs has so far out-performed his past numbers - it seems like a mirage, but he's also new to the bullpen. He could be next in line. Hong-Chih Kuo (lower back) is on the DL now. His control problems this year had already put him behind Kenley Jansen in the pecking order should Jonathan Broxton fail. Brandon Lyon hasn't been great, but Wilton Lopez (elbow) is now on the the DL until the end of the month and Mark Melancon has moved into the setup role. He's not quite challenging Kevin Gregg, but Koji Uehara says he is now ready to pitch back-to-back days.

* Young starting pitchers are so exciting. So little is known about their abilities on the major league level, and their upside is so enticing. Michael Pineda struck out five, walked four, and got a win in six innings of strong work. It was against the Royals, and Pineda still has slight platoon issues, but he's a great pickup in any format if he's on your waiver wire. Ditto for Jeremy Hellickson despite allowing four runs and six hits and two walks in seven innings Sunday. His strikeout rate looks like it did in the minor leagues, so that walk total is actually encouraging. Mat Latos gave up five earned in his second start back from the DL. Once he stops giving up home runs, though, he'll be the elite guy he showed us last year - his minor league numbers support that thought. Tyler Chatwood, though? He had a good start Saturday against the White Sox (one run, five hits), and has some buzz about him, but doesn't strike guys out, has inconsistent control, and only got above-average ground ball rates in the minor leagues. He's no Zach Britton. Derek Holland hasn't gotten the early results as Chatwood, but underneath those numbers, he has a decent strikeout rate, good control, and gobs of promise, even for this year. Even after giving up five runs to the Yankees on Saturday afternoon.

Old pitchers? We have the book on them. We know enough about Jeff Francis, for instance, to say that since he hasn't added velocity, or a new pitch, and since he is striking batters out at about the same rate he always has, he probably isn't a new pitcher. Don't bet on the success continuing, even if he only allowed three runs to the Mariners on Sunday. Josh Beckett was so good for so long, you can believe that his excellent season could easily continue. He pitched seven innings of one-run ball against the Blue Jays on Saturday. Anibal Sanchez allowed two runs from ten baserunners and struck out eight in six innings - he can do that semi-regularly according to his rates. That much we know from his past, even if his stuff is fringe. Mike Pelfrey may seem young, but we it seems like we know what he is by now: hittable. He doesn't strike guys out, and this year, he's walking people. He's unownable in all formats.

* Not all fast starts are created equal. J.P. Arencibia's smashing start continued with two hits Sunday. But his minor league strikeout rates could suggest that he'll have more Ks coming in the future - and therefore a lower batting average. He could be sell high but Kyle McClellan is more definitely one. Despite another good start against the Dodgers, McClellan hasn't shown the strikeout or groundball rate of a strong starter. Sure he has better-than-average control, but that's not the most marketable skill ever. It's usually not very clear if a guy is a sell high. Starlin Castro had a four-hit day Saturday and is off to a great start. Despite a homer that day and 20+ steal upside, though, he's mostly about batting average. His batting average (now close to .400) will of course fall, but he should still put up a .300ish number going forward. If you drafted him for batting average help mostly, why would he be a great sell-high? He probably fits your team pretty well.

* Time for a checkup on some of our young first basemen in the league! Justin Smoak got his batting average up to .300 with two hits against the Royals on Sunday. His plate discipline stats are looking better this year - he's settled in - but his power upside is limited. Gaby Sanchez got two hits Sunday, and is the same kind of player. Both are fringe options in mixed leagues because of the power question. Mark Trumbo hit his second home run Sunday, and has some power, but is only a fill-in because Kendrys Morales is already running sprints. Brandon Belt is not playing so well (he's hitting a cool .200 after an 0-for-4 Sunday), but he's walked eight times against 12 strikeouts, so he's not out of his league. Still, he may only have until April 26 - when Andres Torres (achilles) returns - to prove he belongs by batting average.

National League Quick Hits: Jay Bruce got four hits and a home run on Sunday - there went your chance to buy-low … He feels like a buy-low, but Yovani Gallardo turned in another dud; Seven runs and ten hits to the Nationals on Sunday … Tommy Hanson struck out nine Mets Sunday, but took the loss - if you can get him for any less than ace prices, he's a buy-low too … Jair Jurrjens returned and held the Mets to two hits and no runs in seven Saturday innings, and he's a no-brainer pickup if he's on your wire … Brandon Phillips (groin) missed the weekend but should be back shortly … Jason Bay (rib cage) is due back mid-week, and he could make for an okay waiver wire pickup in most leagues … Uh-oh, the Rockies have discussed sending Ian Stewart down - at least Stewart got a hit Saturday … Teammate Javier Vazquez hasn't found his old velocity or results, but his pitching coach thinks the 86s he was putting up Friday were the result of a mechanical flaw … Josh Thole got two hits in the Sunday nightcap and is hitting for a respectable average, but both hits were singles, and with the way he chokes up on his bat, that's about all he'll get you … After his start Saturday, Barry Zito was diagnosed with a mid-foot sprain - he'll be on the DL at least two weeks … Clayton Richard allowed six runs on seven hits Sunday to a bad Astros offense - he's pretty much a must-sit away from home … He's close, but Cody Ross (calf) will return when the weather allows and is more of a platoon bat in fantasy, even if he plays almost every day while Andres Torres (achilles) rehabs … Allen Craig got three hits Saturday (including a home run), but his glove (and now his leg) will keep him from getting more than a fourth-outfielder's share of playing time … That's the sound of Chris Young (biceps) hitting the DL, but he's still probably worth keeping around given the early results … Yes he had a good start Friday against the Reds (two walks, three strikeouts, one walk in nine innings), but Charlie Morton has 12 walks against six strikeouts and is basically un-ownable anyway … Teammate James McDonald, isn't striking guys out, finding the plate, or getting grounders either, so his six-run blowup against the Reds Saturday is a sign to stay away … Carlos Lee got two hits and two RBI Sunday, he's probably a buy-low if only because he's ahead of last year's pace still … Jorge Cantu homered and drove in three, but is only playing against lefties, at least while Brad Hawpe is in town … Donnie Murphy has a bone bruise and won't start Tuesday, but you shouldn't be starting him anyway, not in any league … Dillon Gee will start for the Mets this week but he's a risky spot-start until he proves he can strike major leaguers out consistently.

American League Quick Hits: Grady Sizemore may not have his old speed back, but he homered in his return and is a must-own in all leagues just in case he's the Sizemore of old … He's owned for speed, but Jacoby Ellsbury hit his third home run Sunday … The Legend of Sam Fuld should also be owned for his speed (in mixed leagues now perhaps) - he also collected two hits Sunday … Mike Napoli started Sunday, but only because the Rangers were facing lefty C.C. Sabathia, so his playing time is once again limited … Brian Roberts got three hits Sunday, and if he's healthy he's a buy-low … Phil Hughes (dead arm) is on the DL for loss of velocity, but he's also on anti-inflammatories; he'll begin his rehab shortly … Brian Matusz (intercostal) has similar upside this year but is not ready to throw from a mound yet, says the team … Brett Gardner and his hitting coach have discovered a flaw in his swing, and that kind of news is just enough to give him a little more leash on your bench … Dallas Braden (shoulder) is worried about making his next start, but still had a nice start against the Tigers Saturday … Jed Lowrie, a good speculative play for those that need MI help, collected three hits (one homer) on saturday and is demanding more playing time … Hank Conger hit a home run on Saturday - he's a good prospect playing well behind a bad number one catcher, if that's interesting to you … Brandon Morrow (forearm) had a decent rehab stint (five strikeouts, three walks, four innings) and is on schedule to rejoin the majors late this week… Erick Aybar (oblique) should be back this week, maybe Wednesday … Jeff Niemann gave up three runs in seven against the Twins Saturday; Even though he's not doing well, his underlying performance hasn't changed much …Scott Baker only gave up one run in the same game, and if he shows better control he's a fringe mixed league option … Even after another good start from Brian Duensing (two runs and seven hits with five strikeouts), his peripherals don't really suggest that he's a great option in mixed leagues … Franklin Gutierrez (stomach) is going to the Mayo clinic for his mysterious ailment … Scott Podsednik (foot) is going to start rehab this week … Mark Buehrle gave up ten hits and four runs in seven innings against the Angles Sunday; He's a poor start in any format since control is the only thing he has going for him … Johnny Damon has as sore finger, hopefully he didn't do it while celebrating his walk-off hit Saturday evening … He's not getting a ton of playing time, but Jake Fox is a catcher and he homered and tripled Saturday for the Orioles, so there's that … Kevin Millwood had a seven-inning scoreless outing for Trenton on Sunday, but is there a rotation spot waiting for him?

 

[HacheMan]

Trends: Tour of Gomes SURGING

Jonny Gomes, OF, CIN

Stats: .323 avg (10-for-31), five homers, 11 RBI in his last eight games entering a Monday night matchup with the Pirates.

Bottom line: Has Gomes finally become an elite power hitter at age 30? Perhaps not, but a 1.131 OPS and 15/12 BB/K ratio certainly look pretty glorious at the moment. I expect Gomes to slow down from this pace eventually, but for the moment he very much has the look of a must-add, must-own player.

Danny Espinosa, 2B, WAS

Stats: .208 avg (5-for-24), two homers, 12 RBI in his last eight games.

Bottom line: Normally I wouldn't highlight a player who has just five hits in his last eight games, but Espinosa's 875 OPS and potential for power and speed (28 homers, 25 steals between Double-A, Triple-A and the majors last year) give him the look of a player who should be owned in far more than 11 percent of Yahoo leagues. He doesn't have a steal yet this season, but those should be coming.

Follow me on Twitter: @MattStroup

Johnny Damon, OF, TB

Stats: .375 avg (9-for-24) with two homers, 11 RBI and a steal in his last six games entering a Monday night matchup with the White Sox.

Bottom line: Did I write him off as being past his days as a valuable mixed league asset in the season-opening edition of Trendspotting way back on April 4? Yes, yes I did. But that was before Damon slapped three homers in his last 12 games, more than a third of his total (eight) all of last year. With a renewed surge in power and some life still left in his legs (3-for-3 on steals already after totaling just 23 the past two years), Damon – despite a 651 OPS – still has some value as a mixed league play (assuming, of course, that his recent finger injury isn't anything serious).

Jonathan Herrera, 2B/3B, COL

Stats: .412 avg (14-for-34) with a homer, four RBI, four steals and 10 runs scored in his last nine games entering a Monday night matchup with the Giants.

Bottom line: Owned in 30 percent of Yahoo leagues, Herrera has taken over the No. 2 spot in the Colorado order, and if he hangs onto the job (well within the realm of possibility given that Jose Lopez is sporting a miserable .178/.196/.333 slash line), the 26-year-old Herrera has a chance to be a significant asset in runs and steals.

Fausto Carmona, SP, CLE

Stats: 1.25 ERA, 0.78 WHIP, 15/6 K/BB ratio in his last three starts (21.2 IP).

Bottom line: What those numbers don't tell you is that Carmona got absolutely annihilated in his season debut (10 ER in 3.0 IP against the White Sox), but his 20/7 K/BB ratio for the season remains quite encouraging, and I'm on board with the notion of deploying him as a regular spot-starter or lower-end option in a mixed league rotation.

Bud Norris, SP, HOU

Stats: 3.00 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 13/5 K/BB ratio in his last two starts (12.0 IP).

Bottom line: I don't fully trust Norris yet, but he's worth watching closely given his potential in K's (158 in 153.2 IP last season), and if his control continues to show improvement (20/6 K/BB ratio in 16.0 IP so far), he's going to end up being an asset in mixed leagues.

Kyle Lohse, SP, StL

Stats: 2-0, 2.82 ERA, 0.85 WHIP, 16/2 K/BB ratio through his first three starts.

Bottom line: Those numbers look quite impressive, but I'm not buying in. Lohse has had an ERA below 4.18 just once in his career (the 3.78 he posted back in 2008), and benefited from an extremely generous strike zone against the Dodgers on Friday night. I can see the logic behind adding him in NL-Only formats, but I'm staying away in mixed leagues.

STRUGGLING

Pedro Alvarez, 3B, PIT

Stats: .193 avg (11-for-57), no homers, 5/20 BB/K ratio through his first 15 games prior to a matchup with the Reds on Monday night.

Bottom line: Alvarez has been a disappointment of the most frustrating variety so far, and it's discouraging to see him beginning his season looking this helpless after hitting 16 homers in just 347 at-bats last year. But consistent contact is not his forte, making some ugly stretches throughout the season inevitable. And let this be a reminder that he can heat up quickly – last season, Alvarez posted a 411 OPS through his first 46 big league at-bats in June, then responded with an 855 OPS, seven homers and 16 RBI for the month of July. Stay patient.

Brett Gardner, OF, NYY

Stats: .140 avg (6-for-43), 4/14 BB/K ratio through his first 14 games.

Bottom line: Gardner has hit .270 and .277 the last two seasons, respectively, so as ugly as it is at the moment, things will get better. Consider this another instance in which patience would be a wise choice.

Carlos Gonzalez, OF, COL

Stats: 718 OPS, one homer, 12 RBI, three steals through his first 14 games entering a Monday night matchup with the Giants.

Bottom line: The flashing neon lights are screaming out "buy low." Last season, CarGo started out somewhat quietly in the power department (12 homers through the first three months of the season) before busting out with a combined 17 in July and August. On the off chance you've forgotten, this was the No.1-ranked player in fantasy baseball last season, and though his struggles thus far haven't been that extreme, it's hard to picture the price tag getting any lower (especially given that he went 4-for-5 on Sunday).

Francisco Liriano, SP, MIN

Stats: 9.42 ERA, 1.74 WHIP, 12/9 K/BB ratio entering a Monday night start against the Orioles.

Bottom line: I'm generally quite appreciative of Liriano's work, but I have to admit I'm concerned with what we've seen thus far. FanGraphs reports that the velocity on his two-seam fastball is down from 93.5 MPH last year to 91.6 MPH this year, and suggests that Liriano's pitches aren't moving as much during the first few weeks of the 2011 season. It's still early, and I would love to see him shift things in a positive direction on Monday against Baltimore, but I think there's some cause for concern that he could struggle to recapture the form he showed last year.

Adam Lind, 1B/OF, TOR

Stats: 626 OPS, one homer, nine RBI through his first 14 games entering a Monday morning matchup with the Red Sox.

Bottom line: Like teammate and 2009 sensation/2010 dud Aaron Hill (.246/.274/.298 slash line through 14 games), Lind is showing a prolonged inability to get on base. It's nice to see him having walked in three straight games prior to Monday, but until he shows some signs that he's more like the hitter who posted a 932 OPS in 2009 than the one who had a 712 OPS in 2010, Lind belongs on the bench in standard-sized mixed leagues.

Editor's Note: For exclusive columns, rankings, projections and more, check out Rotoworld's MLB Season Pass.

Vernon Wells, OF, LAA

Stats: .148 avg (9-for-61), no homers, two RBI through his first 14 games entering a Monday night matchup with the Rangers.

Bottom line: Wells has shown a little bit of life by hitting .294 (5-for-17) with a double and a triple in his last four games, but it's hard not to think that last season's 31-homer, 88-RBI campaign will prove to be a fluke (in case any of us had forgotten, the 32-year-old Wells averaged 17 homers and 75 RBI between 2007 and 2009). Despite the early slump I could still see him reaching 20-plus homers and 80-plus RBI, but expecting a return to 2010 productivity is not that realistic.

Now, in closing, our trend-related proverb of the week…