Chicago Cubs: After a disgusting display of 11 strikeouts and 17 walks in 25.1 innings, Rafael Dolis was sent down to the minor leagues to make room for Carlos Marmol‘s return from the DL. James Russell, the only lefty in the Cubs bullpen, picked up a 2-out save on Tuesday and pitched the top of the 9th in a tie game Wednesday. Shawn Camp entered the game in the 8th and pitched into the 9th Tuesday before giving way to Russell. Casey Coleman pitched the 9th on Monday in a non-save situation with a 4-run lead and was said by manager Dale Sveum to have been the guy had a save situation arisen that day, but hasn’t been used since. Confused yet? Russell has severe platoon splits (8.14 K/BB and 3.96 FIP vs LHH, 1.64 K/BB and 5.37 FIP vs RHH) and as mentioned earlier, is the only left-hander in the bullpen. Camp is the best pitcher of the group, and sports an uninspiring career 6.25 K/9 and 4.11 FIP. Much like the Mariners and League, Marmol has close to zero value for the Cubs pitching in the 6th inning. Russell and Camp will likely split saves based on matchups until Marmol gets his shizz together.

Washington Nationals: Tyler Clippard has picked up the team’s last three save opportunities and hasn’t appeared in a non-save situation since – a span of 4 games. For a guy who pitches nearly every other game (78 and 72 appearances the last two seasons), it’s another sign that he’s the one to own in the Nats bullpen. With Drew Storen hoping for a return at the All-Star break, Clippard and his 11.22 K/9 should be owned until Storen comes back and reclaims the job.

San Diego Padres: After converting 5 consecutive save chances and not allowing a run in his first 10 outings, Dale Thayer has been hammered in his last 2 appearances, allowing 7 baserunners and 7 earned runs in 1.2 innings. He’s only walked 2 batters in 37.2 career MLB innings, but even though he’s upped the usage of his slider (30.9%, up from 8% and 19% in previous seasons), he still doesn’t make enough guys miss (9.3% swinging strike rate) to be reliable. On top of that, he’s had trouble versus same-handed batters: Thayer has allowed 18 ER in 22.1 IP and owns a 5.02 FIP versus RHH, striking out only 12.8% of righties faced. Strangely enough, he’s compiled a 2.14 FIP and K’d 22.1% of opposite-handed batters. Fortunately for Dale, Andrew Cashner hasn’t been doing so hot himself, coughing up 7 baserunners and 5 runs in his last 3.2 innings. Cashner throws ridiculously hard, with an average fastball velocity of 98.8 MPH, but has control problems – a career BB/9 of 4.99, and a 5.79 mark this season. Huston Street may begin a rehab assignment in Lake Elsinore on Friday, and until he returns, Thayer is the guy to own. If you’re desperate for saves.

Arizona Diamondbacks: I covered J.J. Putz last week, and since then, he’s struck out 3 and allowed 1 baserunner in two save opportunities. Despite Putz not pitching since Sunday, David Hernandez, not Putz, got the save on Wednesday. As of now (late Wednesday/early Thursday), there’s no word as to why Putz went unused. Putting on my speculation cap, Hernandez came in for Ian Kennedy with 2 outs and a 3-run lead in the 8th; Kirk Gibson may have simply decided to give Putz the night off. We’ll figure out what happened by morning and hash it out in the comments.

Miami Marlins: I wouldn’t drop Steve Cishek just yet, even though Heath Bell has recorded 3 saves in as many days, posting 6 K to only 1 BB in 3 appearances. If Bell continues to miss bats he’ll be safe, but he’s the owner of a 5.3% swinging strike rate for the season, and until this recent stretch, had walked more batters than he’d struck out.

Los Angeles Angels: The Sciosciapath continues to live up to his nickname. He alternated Ernesto Frieri and Scott Downs on Saturday and Sunday, with Frieri getting the save on Saturday and the hold on Sunday, Downs getting the hold on Saturday and the save on Sunday. On Tuesday, Downs pitched the 8th with a 3-run lead against the Yankees, and Frieri pitched the 9th with a 4-run lead. Wednesday, Downs pitched the 8th with the Angels down by a run, Frieri got the night off. If we can glean a pattern from the last two days, it seems as though Frieri is unofficially the closer. Don’t drop Downs until Frieri closes two opportunities in a row, though.

Fernando Rodney blew his first save of the season on Saturday, and responded Sunday with a clean save and a punchout. He has the highest first strike % of his career, so the improved BB/9 (1.44 in 2012, 4.69 career) doesn’t strike me as a fluke. I don’t think Kyle Farnsworth has a chance at getting his job back when he returns from injury… Matt Capps joined Rodney in blowing his first save over the weekend, but unlike Rodney, Capps isn’t as secure in his position. He has produced a 4.74 K/9, and once he gets traded or has a couple bad outings, Glen Perkins (11.57 K/9, 3.12 FIP) will take over the 9th for the Twins… if you are lagging in Ks, pick up Jason Grilli and plug him in as needed. He’s got an insane 17.2% swinging strike rate and has whiffed 35 batters in 20 innings.

Please make sure to let me know in the comments section if you like this new feature or not and if you would like to see it continue.  As always, thanks to everyone who supports the site as it is very much appreciated.

3:00 PM:

• According to Adam Rubin of ESPN New York (click here for the article), “Right-hander Elvin Ramirez, who has wicked numbers against minor league batters this season, and Josh Thole are expected to join the Mets on Friday for the series opener against the St. Louis Cardinals, the Mets announced.”  Ramirez will work as a middle reliever and Thole is an option only for the desperate in two-catcher formats.

1:45 PM:

• According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today (click here for the article), “The Cubs are letting teams know that nearly everyone but starter Jeff Samardzija is available, two high-ranking team officials told USA TODAY Sports on condition of anonymity because of competitive reasons.  Matt Garza and Ryan Dempster are veterans starters who can fill out the top of a rotation for a contender. Shortstop Starlin Castro already is a star at 22 but can be obtained for two impact prospects. First baseman Bryan LaHair, a surprise bright spot with 10 home runs, can be cleared to make room for top prospect Anthony Rizzo.”  This is a situation fantasy owners need to pay extremely close attention to, as fantasy appeal of some of these Cubs players could change dramatically over the next few weeks.

12:45 PM:

• Troy E. Renck of The Denver Post (click here for the article)is reporting that, “Josh Outman is expected to start Friday in Moyer’s spot. He’s likely keeping the seat warm for Drew Pomeranz or Jorge De La Rosa, whose forearm gave him no issues during or after his most recent rehab start, an encouraging development for a team that needs a veteran starter soon.”  Outman has struggled out of the bullpen for the Rockies (9.64 ERA), gets the Los Angeles Dodgers and is clearly a short-term stop gap.  In other words, outside of the deepest NL-only formats he can safely be ignored.

11:30 AM:

• According to Roch Kubatko (via Twitter), “Told that Adam Jones is icing his left wrist and should be fine after being hit last night. Only thing broken was his 20-game hitting streak”.  Fantasy owners can exhale.  On a night where Matt Kemp and Troy Tulowitzki both appear destined for the DL, Jones appears to have escaped unharmed.  We’ll monitor the news, but 2012′s breakout darling appears to be a safe play.

10:50 AM:

• According to Gerry Fraley of the Dallas Morning News (click here for the post), “Feliz opened the season in the rotation and went on the disabled list May 19 because of a sprained elbow ligament. Feliz, speaking through an interpreter, said he still considers himself a starter, but he is likely to return to the bullpen when healthy.”  It makes sense, with the recent addition of Roy Oswalt, and gives the Rangers a potentially dominant relief corps with Neftali Feliz joining Joe Nathan, Mike Adams and Alexi Ogando.  Unfortunately, Feliz will be working in a setup role as Nathan has returned to a dominant closer.  That means his fantasy appeal will be limited to those in formats the value middle relievers.  Keep that in mind if you are in a roster crunch in yearly formats.

9:30 AM:

• The Atlanta Braves have demoted Tyler Pastornicky and are calling Andrelton Simmons to take his place as the starting shortstop according to Mark Bowman and Teddy Cahill of mlb.com (click here for the article).  Simmons is better known for his defense, though he was hitting .292 with 3 HR and 10 SB in 171 AB at Double-A.  He makes solid contact (20 K vs. 20 BB) and his 3 HR all have come in his last 7 games.  That said, he is not likely to bring enough power or speed (at least not yet) to make a major impact in 2012.

8:20 AM:

• According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today (via Twitter), “Matt Kemp says he expects to be back on the DL once again with his nagging hamstring, and this time, could be out a month.”  This is horrible news for fantasy owners, as Kemp was back from the DL for just two days before leaving yesterday’s game after scoring from first on a double.  Luckily (if such a word exists in this type of situation) you have not likely moved on from the replacement plan they already had, so just stay the course for the time being.  Look for the Dodgers to go with a combination of Bobby Abreu, Tony Gwynn Jr. and a returning Juan Rivera, though none of those options are obviously ideal replacements.  Considering Jerry Sands wasn’t a factor the first time Kemp was out, I wouldn’t expect him to play a major role this time around, though owners in deeper formats will definitely want to monitor the situation.

Kevin Youkilis is technically not injured, but that’s not going to stop me from mentioning him in a post about injured players. After all, the Greek God of Injuries already missed time this season and has not played in over 140 games since 2008. He’s currently saddled with a .722 OPS, well below his career .878 OPS. This decrease is mainly due to an increased strikeout rate and a decreased walk rate. Yes, he will improve, but he’s past his peak years and, in addition to a declining skill set, his numerous injuries are likely to have a cumulative effect on his body. I’m hesitant to expect more than last year’s line of .370/.460/.830 for the rest of 2012, with the possibility of downside. That’s still solid for a third baseman, but he’s no longer the elite option he once was.

Carlos Santana might need some of Ozzie Guillen’s black magic to reclaim his smooth hitting. The Supernatural has a .747 OPS in 2012, which is decent for a catcher, but less than what you would hope to see from Santana. His .360 OBP is in line with his career average, and his decrease in OPS can be fully attributed to a decrease in slugging. The good news is that this is mainly the result of a HR/FB below his career norm, and it should rebound over the rest of the season. Expecting a .360/.450/.810 line is reasonable and Carlos has upside for more, as evidenced by his minor league stats. However, his stats do not indicate an imminent breakout, unless he realizes a substantial increase in his HR/FB.

Mike Morse is tough to decipher. He seemed marked as a dreaded Quad A Player with the Mariners, receiving sporadic playing time in the majors across several seasons, but spending the majority of his time in the minors. Upon joining the Nationals, he’s increased his OPS each season: .772 in 2009, .870 in 2010, and .910 in 2011. When he finally takes the field in 2012, I think he’ll be able to approach his career average of .350/.500/.850, with upside for more slugging. Despite his over .900 OPS season last year, I’m not ready to count on him near that level because it appeared to be a combination of a BABIP and HR/FB on the high end for what to expect from Morse. Still, having an .850 is a fantastic baseline.

Chase Utley is gonna have it his way or nothing at all. Last year, for the first time since 2004, he posted an OPS below .800. Even more remarkable is that he maintained an OPS above .900 from 2005-2009. With the injuries piling up last year, Chase willed his way to a .769 OPS, which is very respectable for a second baseman. Despite the injuries continuing this year, I believe that he will have a slight improvement relative to last year’s numbers. A line of .360/.440/.800 is within the realm of possibility for 2012, as it largely reflects his performance over the past two seasons. At middle infield, that’s still great, which speaks to how amazing Utley is and how awful middle infield has been. As Ramona would say, “You’re not the only one, but you’re the best Utley.”

Allen Craig has a 1.188 OPS, the highest in the majors for players with at least fifty plate appearances. He’s always displayed that he was capable of hitting for power, supported by his minor league numbers and his .540 OPS across his career 132 games in the majors. His problem has been injuries, but he’s been fantastic when healthy. This year he’s benefiting from an insane BABIP and HR/FB, but he will still be productive when these factors regress. His line for the rest of the season should be near .350/.500/.850.

Carl Crawford is still Carl Crawford. Or at least that’s what I thought all of last year, while waiting for a rebound that never happened. Not that I’m bitter or anything. I don’t think you can simply ignore last year’s stats, despite them being a glaring anomaly. This year’s injury won’t help either, especially with his slugging. I think this year he’ll be close to his career average line of .330/.440/.770. Somewhere, Mike Trout yawns. Assuming Crawford runs with more frequency, he won’t hurt you overall, but a .770 OPS isn’t spectacular for an outfielder.

Take Brewers catcher, Jonathan Lucroy.  I’m still scratching my head at this one but the gist of what I’m getting is that he was searching for a sock under the bed and while that was happening his wife shifted a suitcase which then fell on his throwing hand and fracturing it.

Huh?

I feel like I need one of those crime scene TV shows that goes into flashback mode to recreate the scene so that we, the public, can understand the course of events.  Was one hand on top of the bed while he was looking under for this alleged sock and the suitcase fell on it there?  Was he shimmying under the bed and his hand was on the floor?  How did a suitcase fall onto his hand?  Someone help me understand, please, because this is sounding like the dumbest excuse I’ve ever heard.  Just because someone says, “You can’t make this stuff up,” doesn’t mean that they didn’t.

So as I’m searching the waiver wire deciding whether to pick up George Kottaras or some other shlub that’s still available in this 12-team, two-catcher league, it got me to thinking about all the other times my fantasy teams got hosed because of the stupidity of humans.  I thought about stupid Jeff Kent falling off his truck while washing it, breaking his wrist and my immediate need for a new second baseman.  What?  That was a lie?  He was violating his contract by riding his motorcycle?  Well then that’s even more stupid.

Then there was the time a promising young rookie named Clint Barmes, hitting close to .400 in mid-May, fell up (or down, depending on whose story you get) a flight of stairs while carrying a bunch of deer meat for Todd Helton after a hunting trip and broke his collarbone.  We would have still been trying to figure this one out, but since Barmes owns a career average under .250, no one seems to care anymore.  Either way, he was gone for months with zero trade value so early in the season.  To think, all the offers for him I passed up on…

Kevin Brown, punching the clubhouse wall.  The Sammy Sosa sneeze.  Chris Coghlan going after Wes Helms with a shaving cream pie.  Troy Tulowitzki cutting his hand while breaking his bat.  Carlos Quentin breaking his wrist punching his bat.  Sadly, the list goes on and on and over the years my, and countless others’, fantasy teams have been wrecked by the stupidity of humans.  If you get hurt sliding into second, then fine.  Break a finger squaring up for a bunt?  I’m cool with that.  Injuries are a part of the game.  But when you’re being careless or reckless and doing things off the field that maybe you shouldn’t be doing, well then we have issues.

Ballplayers should know, there are only so many times a fantasy owner can recover in one season when his players go down with injuries.  Winning a league is hard enough as it is.  Let’s not make it even more difficult by letting your stupidity get in the way of our championship run.

In addition to recently-promoted top prospects, this column offers a take on those who are formerly-elite or lesser-known, as well as veteran minor leaguers, all of whom are on the verge of getting a shot in the majors — with a nod to their fantasy relevance and impact for this season. To help owners get an idea of just how good a player is (or might be), there’s a Talent Rating, but just as important is the Opportunity Rating, which points out the likelihood that a player will make his way to or stay in the majors during the current season based on various factors (i.e., age, depth chart, recent performance, etc.).

Andrelton Simmons, Braves SS
TALENT: 8 (out of 10)
OPPORTUNITY: 9 (out of 10)
DOB: 9/4/1989
CURRENT LEVEL: Majors
MILB STATS: .292/.372/.421, 9 doubles, 3 HRs, 21 RBIs, 28 runs, 10 SBs (2 CSs), 20:20 K:BB over 171 ABs
ON 40-MAN ROSTER: Yes

The Curacao native nearly beat out fellow prospect Tyler Pastornicky for the Braves starting shortstop job this spring. Turns out, he just needed a couple more months to finish the job. The Braves decided late Wednesday to call up Simmons to replace Pastornicky, who was slashing just .248/.281/.324 and in need of improving his defense.

Simmons broke out last season, hitting .311 and winning the batting title at High-A Carolina League as a 21-year-old, making him one of the youngest at that level. Always a superb defender, his bat has actually started to catch up to his mitt, as he was posting a career-best .794 OPS in his first shot at Double-A — again as one of the circuit’s youngest.

The 2010 second-rounder is a line-drive hitter with gap power, but he’s also hit all 3 of his homers over his past 10 games, and he knows how to get the barrel to the ball consistently. The approach and discipline are both very good, considering his strikeout rate is just 7.4% for his career and his 10% walk rate this year is a marked improvement. Simmons should also be able to swipe some bases, too, although he’s got some work to do in that area; he’s 10-for-12 in 2012 but went just 26-for-44 last year.

The overall package may not make for a crazy impact in fantasy leagues this year — he’s likely to be better in real life, at least immediately, because of his D — and he does have just 43 games above A-ball, but any starting shortstop deserves serious consideration, especially one with Simmons’ upside.

ETA: Now. As in, go get him. It’s pretty clear Pastornicky wasn’t cutting it for the Braves, so it’s Simmons’ turn. He should certainly get at least as long of a leash as his predecessor was afforded (145 ABs) to prove he’s either ready or not. And remember, the last time Atlanta promoted an elite shortstop straight from Double-A, Rafael Furcal turned out to be pretty good.
POTENTIAL FANTASY ROLE: SS or MI in mixed 12-team leagues

Nathan Eovaldi, Dodgers SP
TALENT: 8
OPPORTUNITY: 9
DOB: 2/13/1990
CURRENT LEVEL: Majors
MILB STATS: 2-2 W-L, 3.09 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 30:13 K:BB over 35 IPs
ON 40-MAN ROSTER: Yes

Eovaldi is taking over for Ted Lilly while the left-hander is on the DL with shoulder inflammation. The severity of that injury is still being determined — there’s a chance Lilly could be out for a while — so Eovaldi is getting a legitimate chance to pitch with the big boys again after making his debut last season. The righty, who notched a 3.63 ERA and 1.39 WHIP in his 2011 debut, throws in the mid-90s and has a hard slider. He looked strong in his first action with the Dodgers on Tuesday, hurling 7 innings of 4-hit, 2-run ball with 4 Ks and 1 walk against the Brewers. The key for Eovaldi, who was brought up from Double-A, is going to be staying in control of his stuff, as he walked 20 in his 34.2 IPs with L.A. last year and owns a career walk rate just under 4 per 9 in the minors. Pitching in the NL and having Dodger Stadium as his home park will help, but he’s liable to have a few blowups. And it might be wise to avoid his next outing, which comes Sunday against the Rockies at Coors Field.

ETA: Eovaldi is in the rotation until either Lilly returns or he pitches himself out of it. As long as he avoids the latter, though, there’s plenty of opportunity for Eovaldi to stick in a five-man that also includes injury-prone types like Aaron Harang and Chris Capuano.
POTENTIAL FANTASY ROLE: Streaming SP in mixed 12-team leagues or SP5 in NL 10-team leagues

Garrett Richards, Angels SP
TALENT: 7
OPPORTUNITY: 6
DOB: 5/27/1988
CURRENT LEVEL: Majors
MILB STATS: 5-2 W-L, 4.31 ERA, 1.60 WHIP, 48:29 K:BB over 56.1 IPs
ON 40-MAN ROSTER: Yes

Richards is expected to fill in for Jered Weaver, who went on the DL after his back gave out in the first inning of his start on Monday. Richards came in against the Yankees in a relief role Wednesday, but that was likely just to get him some action — he’s a starter. A supplementary round pick in 2009, Richards has breezed through the minors thanks primarily to his durability (143 IPs in the minors in each of 2010 and 2011). In fact, the right-hander actually made his major league debut last year (14 IPs), although that was due in large part to a lack of big-league ready pitchers in the Angels system. Richards is a fine arm to have, given his size (6’3, 215) and ability to handle a starter’s workload, but the quality of his breaking pitches is lagging, and while his fastball sits in the low-to-mid 90s, it’s also rather straight. To be fair, his ugly WHIP this year can be attributed somewhat to pitching in the PCL. The club hasn’t yet announced who will start Sunday against the Rangers, but it looks to be Richards. Steer clear for now, but Richards could be a solid back-end starter down the road.

ETA: Richards is up for the time being, but his place with the Angels depends entirely on Weaver’s health. Even if Richards pitches well, he’s not taking anyone’s job, so he’ll return to Triple-A as soon as Weaver’s back is, well, back to normal.
POTENTIAL FANTASY ROLE: Streaming SP in mixed 14-team leagues or SP5 in AL 12-team leagues

Most people were probably unaware that Jeff Suppan was still playing when the Padres brought him up a few weeks ago to supplement their ravaged rotation.

So imagine the surprise when he was actually useful for three starts (16 IP, 14 hits, three earned runs, one homer, five Ks, four walks and a 2-1 record).

Well, we can all relax now. The world is not going to be stop spinning on its axis. Suppan is back to being useless. In three starts since that trio of nice efforts he’s gone 0-2 and, in 14 2/3 IP, he’s been tagged for 20 hits, 15 runs, three homers and nine walks while striking out just three.

Last year, we assumed that Suppan’s lack of appeal would give Danny Duffy plenty of chance to establish himself in the Royal rotation. And sure enough, Suppan didn’t see a day of action in the bigs in 2011.

He actually used to be a pretty decent innings eater, which is a back-handed compliment if we’ve ever heard one. We’re talking about a dude who is striking out 2.05 batters per nine.

Clearly, the Padres are desperate for anyone who can start. Hell, they just signed Jason Marquis to a minor league deal. And as pathetic as that sounds (and is), Marquis will likely wind up taking the rotation spot of Suppan or perhaps Eric Stults.

Obviously, if you took a flier on Suppan in your NL-only league after his surprising start, you should have cut bait by now.

Quick Hits

• Heading into the season, we had Alex Gordon pegged as a top 25 outfielder. Um, not so much. He hasn’t even been a top 75 flyhawk through the first two months of the season, but Gordon could be a good buy-low candidate as he’s showing signs of life lately. On Wednesday, he helped key the suddenly hot Royals with his second straight multi-hit game, including a double, a run and a RBI. Gordon now has a modest four-game hit streak and looks a lot more comfortable at the plate since returning to the leadoff role a few days ago. This is where he spent most of his breakout campaign in 2011, so it’s a smart move by Manager Ned Yost to move him back to the top of the lineup to try to get his bat going.
• In a battle of awful teams, the Cubs swept the Padres this week and were very much helped by an impressive showing from Darwin Barney, who went 5-for-10 with two homers, two doubles, six runs, five RBI, two walks and a steal over the series. Barney’s walk-off homer Wednesday was a first (at any level) for the purple dinosaur. This is a player that we slightly undervalued this year. We expected him to be a top 25 second baseman, but he’s probably been among the top 15 at the position, and the way he’s playing now, we can see Barney as a decent low-end No. 1 keystone corner option in standard leagues. He’s really flashing more pop now, with 13 extra-base hits in May alone and, with six RBI in the past four games, Barney is starting to produce at a clip we never thought he’d be capable of. We’ll have to see more before completely jumping on the bandwagon, but for now, we would definitely put him forth as a fine pickup in NL-only leagues and even someone to consider in deeper mixed leagues. Second base is a shallow position, and Barney not only plays every day, but he’s producing.
• Okay, so it was only against the Oakland A’s (the worst hitting team in the AL and one that’s been struggling something fierce lately), but how promising was Francisco Liriano’s return to the rotation Wednesday? We didn’t have massive expectations for Liriano this season, ranking him 66th among all starting pitchers heading into 2012, but given that he’s barely been a top 225 starter, it’s been a complete disaster. Most Fantasy owners had long since cut bait given that he’d be demoted to the bullpen, but a few – to their credit (or desperation?) took another shot on Liriano when he was moved back into the rotation this week. He sure rewarded the brave and crazy, tossing six shutout frames with just three hits and two walks allowed against nine strikeouts for his first win of the season. Again, we remind you that these were the A’s, but it’s still a damn impressive performance from a dude the Twins were going to farm out in an effort for him to get his shit together. And for a team as desperate for starters as Minny is, the fact it was considering that drastic move speaks volumes about the failures of the 28-year-old lefty. Liriano faces a much stiffer test against the Royals Tuesday. Right now, he looks like a nice speculative addition in AL-only leagues; if Liriano looks good again next week, we’ll upgrade that to must-own AL-only and worth considering in mixed formats.

RotoRob’s Fantasy Baseball Weekly Podcast

Crave more in-depth Fantasy analysis? Then join us every Thursday at 9 p.m. EST for RotoRob’s Fantasy Baseball Weekly Podcast on Blogtalkradio. Tim, Buck and I will entertain and edify you for an hour or more each week. Tune in here.

1. Craig Kimbrel – Atlanta Braves (1)
2. Jonathon Papelbon – Philadelphia Phillies (2)
3. Aroldis Chapman – Cincinnati Reds (9)
4. Joe Nathan – Texas Rangers (4)
5. Jim Johnson – Baltimore Orioles (3)
6. Joel Hanrahan – Pittsburgh Pirates (5)
7. John Axford – Milwaukee Brewers (6)
8. Kenley Jansen – Los Angeles Dodgers (7)
9. Santiago Casilla – San Francisco Giants (11)
10. Chris Perez – Cleveland Indians (14)
11. Rafael Betancourt – Colorado Rockies (10)
12. Fernando Rodney – Tampa Bay Rays (12)
13. Jason Motte – St. Louis Cardinals (8)
14. Brett Myers – Houston Astros (13)
15. Jonathon Broxton – Kansas City Royals (15)
16. Frank Francisco – New York Mets (21)
17. Jose Valverde – Detroit Tigers (20)
18. J.J. Putz – Arizona Diamondbacks (16)
19. Rafael Soriano – New York Yankees (22)
20. Addison Reed – Chicago White Sox (18)
21. Heath Bell – Miami Marlins (17)
22. Matt Capps – Minnesota Twins (19)
23. Tyler Clippard – Washington Nationals (NR)
24. Scott Downs – Los Angeles Angels (23)
25. Dale Thayer– San Diego Padres (24)
26. Tom Wilhelmsen – Seattle Mariners (NR)
27. Alfredo Aceves – Boston Red Sox (25)
28. Casey Janssen – Toronto Blue Jays (26)
29. James Russell – Chicago Cubs (NR)
30. Brian Fuentes – Oakland Athletics (28)

Closers currently on the DL: Sergio Santos, Drew Stanton, Kyle Farnsworth, Huston Street, David Robertson
Closers out for the year: Brian Wilson, Ryan Madson, Joakim Soria, Mariano Rivera
Closers Removed Over The Past Week: Rafael Dolis, Brandon League

Thoughts:

• Joe Nathan hasn’t just been good as of late, he’s been absolutely dominant.  He allowed 1 hit in his appearance on 5/29, the first time he has allowed a hit or walk since May 13.  In his past 7 appearances he’s allowed 0 ER on 1 H and 0 BB, striking out 10, over 7 innings (notching 4 saves).  He certainly is looking like the Nathan of old, doesn’t he?
• It has become clear that pitching as the closer has not affected Arolodis Chapman in the least.  In his last 4 outings he has 1 W, 3 SV and 6 K while allowing 0 H and 1 BB.  On the season he has a 0.00 ERA, 0.58 WHIP and 44 K over 26.0 IP.  He could ultimately be the #1 option before long.
• I had my concerns about Chris Perez entering the season, but right now he is looking like one of the elite closers in the game.  In his past 7 appearances he hasn’t allowed a run, striking out 10 and saving 6 games.  With a 2.66 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 17 saves it is hard not to like him, isn’t it?
• Who is the closer in Los Angeles?  Is it Scott Downs?  Is it Ernesto Frieri?  Is there a committee?  For now we’re sticking with Downs on the rankings, but stashing Frieri would definitely be a smart move.
• Heath Bell has picked up saves in three straight appearances, but how many chances is he going to get to blow up only to be handed the job back (he was pulled from back-to-back save chances just days earlier)?  Until he can produce for a long stretch, he has to be held down on these rankings.
• All we know in Seattle is that Brandon League is out.  While they have yet to get a save opportunity so we can actually see who is going to close, my money is on Tom Wilhelmsen.  Given the way some closers in the league have pitched, he’s got a good chance of being a CL2 almost immediately with his strikeout ability.

Make sure to check out all of our recent rankings:

• Catchers (as of 5/29/12)
• First Basemen (as of 5/24/12)
• Second Basemen (as of 5/19/12)
• Third Basemen (as of 5/11/12)

Alex Cobb

After making nine starts for the Rays last year, Cobb is back in the Majors to replace the injured Jeff Niemann in the rotation. Though his 4.14 ERA at Triple-A before his promotion is uninspiring, that came along with a .355 BABIP, so it can be ignored. He posted a pretty good K% of 23.7% and also carried strong rates in previous minor league stops. He has also been a ground ball pitcher, having posted a mark above 50% every single year, which is always a plus. His fastball so far this season has been rather underwhelming, averaging just under 90.0 miles per hour and he has thrown his change-up a whopping 41% of the time. So far his SwStk% hasn’t translated and for a guy with a below average fastball, you always have to wonder if the minor league skills will show up. However, I do think he makes for an excellent AL-Only pickup and I wouldn’t be surprised if he also generates a bit of mixed league value.

Jarrod Parker

The former Diamondbacks top prospect has made quite the debut in Oakland…on the surface. His 2.88 is pretty, but there are alarm bells ringing all over. His SIERA is about two full runs above his ERA, as both his K% and BB% are worse than league average, his BB% being significantly so. The one aspect of his game that tempered my pessimism was his ground ball tendency in the minors. But so far, all he’s doing is allowing line drives. What’s amazing is that his LD% is actually higher than his BABIP! You rarely see that and it suggests that something has to give- my bet is the BABIP jumps from its current .270 mark. Of course, the LD% will come down too, but it’s not a good sign for a rookie hurler. His SwStk% is below league average and supports his mediocre K% and his F-Strike% is poor, backing up his unacceptable walk rate. His Triple-A stats give us some hope though, but he has only thrown 20.2 innings at the level. In keeper leagues, I think his superficially strong start makes him a prime sell-high candidate. I wouldn’t touch him in a mixed league.

Scott Diamond

Diamond was recently called up by the Twins and has shown decent enough skills for a look in deep leagues an AL-Onlys. Though he has typically posted pretty good ground ball rates in the minors, they were closer to the 50% mark, rather than the above 60% level he has posted so far this year. His minor league strikeout rates and current SwStk% confirm that there is little upside here and his F-Strike%, while solid, isn’t good enough to possibly maintain a sub-2.00 walk rate. That said, a ground ball pitcher with a strikeout rate around 6.0 and a walk rate around 2.50 is plenty good enough to generate fantasy value.

Drew Hutchison

A month ago, Marc Hulet provided a nice summary on Hutchison from a scouting perspective. While the 4.84 ERA is unsightly, a 4.01 SIERA and 95 xFIP- is much more palatable. Hutchison has actually never thrown a pitch at the Triple-A level and has only thrown 31.2 innings at Double-A. This is somewhat shocking for a pitcher who wasn’t exactly an elite prospect. Why he would be rushed to the Majors so quickly is not something I know the answer to. He has shown fantastic control in the minors, but that has not translated so far, as his F-Strike% is well below league average. His pitch selection also leaves something to be desired, as he has thrown his mediocre fastball 77% of the time. If he was throwing in the mid-90s, this might be forgiven, but when you only average a smidge over 91.0 MPH, then you should be mixing in some off-speed and breaking stuff. I don’t see him lasting in the rotation all season and expect him to be demoted to Triple-A at some point.

• The Rockies have finally cut bait on Jamie Moyer, designating him for assignment just moments after his 10 billionth day on this earth. Taking his place in the rotation will be right-hander Carlos Torres. Torres, 29, has pitched 46 innings in the bigs up to this point, and he’s been pretty downright awful thus far. Torres has had problems with his control in both the majors and the minors, and he also has had troubles giving up homers. He only throws around 90 MPH, but as a guy who could make a start or two to allow a more qualified candidate more time to develop, he’s not the worst guy in the world.

• There are a number of candidates for filling Moyer’s rotation spot in the now, but there will be only one name to remember in just a matter of days. Jorge de la Rosa is currently rehabbing in Triple-A, and he could be back in no time at all. JDLR has posted good strikeout numbers in the past, but his poor control has always plagued him on the mound. JDLR is an interesting pickup in NL-only leagues and deep mixed leagues, but he’s not a player you should own in standard leagues.

• Every pitcher in the league has officially be placed on the DL or could be very soon. Jered Weaver, Roy Halladay, and Doug Fister are all out for at least 15 days, and it’s entirely possible we see Jaime Garcia join them soon, despite a clean MRI. If you’re like me and own a couple of these fellows on the same team, trying to bring pitchers in for spot starts is going to be very tempting while your studs are down, but that may not be the best option. There’s going to be a pitcher or two out there with the ability to fill the gap, especially if it’s only for a few weeks. If you’re looking at being a bit unconventional, grab a high-K reliever and see if you can luck into a save or two.

For those of you who play daily fantasy games like FanGraphs: The Game, or just like to stream players, here are a couple matchups you may be able to exploit.

A Pitcher for Today: Jeremy Guthrie vs HOU
Only three games on Thursday, and Guthrie will be the least owned of the group. If you can, take a day off from streaming and have yourself a hot cup of tea, instead.

A Pitcher for Tomorrow: Felipe Paulino vs OAK
Paulino is good, and if he’s not available, you may want to make a run at his opposition on the mound, Bartolo Colon.

A Hitter for Today: N/A
Three games today means not much to choose from, and since most of the pitchers are pretty good and I don’t want to suggest anyone against Guthrie for obvious reasons, I’m going to plead the fifth today.

by Will Overton

When the Seattle Mariners explode for 21 runs in a game you know it’s an interesting night of baseball. We had the Mariners doing just that last night as well as several guys going deep multiple times and some strong pitching performances, one in particular from a very unexpected place. Let’s get to the big stories of the night:

1. Francisco Liriano – Starting Pitcher – Minnesota Twins: After six starts in which he allowed at least four runs or more Liriano was moved to the bullpen. Things went a bit better for him there aside from getting rouged up in his last outing and the Twins decided to give him another shot at starting, more or less because they had no one else. Last night he took on Oakland and dominated for six innings of shutout ball and striking out nine hitters, walking just two. This was against Oakland so no one should be getting their hopes up too high. Control is still one of the big issues for Liriano and so seeing just two walks is a positive sign. In the bullpen Liriano walked seven in 7.1 IP, so I am now ready to go all in on him. Liriano’s next start is in Kansas City though and he could make a decent spot start play there. Just don’t let yourself get to crazy for Liriano, again, until he proves a bit more.
2. Justin Smoak – First Base – Seattle Mariners: I still want to believe that Justin Smoak is not another case of an overhyped letdown, but his struggles have continued this season. On May 23^rd Smoak was close to seeing his average drop below .200, but he’s turned things around a bit these last six games. Smoak was one of the many Mariners to explode last night as he hit 2 HR’s, scored 3 R and knocked in 6 RBI. In the last six games Smoak is 9 – 24 with 7 R, 4 HR and 12 RBI. Smoak seems to be getting something together, at least at the moment, and I think the potential makes Smoak someone to run with for the time being and see where he goes.

More Quick Thoughts

• After struggling through a 2 – 25 slump Freddie Freeman missed four games for vision problems. Freeman returned last night with a new pair of sports goggles and he went 3 – 5 with 2 R, 1 HR and 3 RBI. If this really was the reason for Freeman’s recent struggles than you should expect to see that turn around quickly. Freeman is better than the .257 average he has right now.
• The Pirates newest reclamation project, A.J. Burnett, didn’t have the strikeouts last night, but was dominant again. This time he stifled a strong offense in Cincinnati giving up just two hits and one unearned run over 7 IP. Take out that one 12 run beatdown from earlier this season and Burnett has allowed just 8 ER in 47.1 IP. It’s clear that the National League is where Burnett belongs and while I don’t expect a sub 3.00 ERA I am buying Burnett in all leagues.
• He’s not available to be picked up, but you might still be able to make a decent buy low trade for Jimmy Rollins. Last night he was 3 – 5 with both a HR and a SB, and he is now 7 for his last 19. The power is fading for Rollins, but despite his numbers it’s not completely gone yet. I don’t expect Rollins to have a blowout second half, but I expect more than what we’ve already seen and I still think he’s still worth trying to grab on the cheap.
• How good is Carlos Gonzalez? Gonzalez wen t deep three times last night, his second multi-HR game in four games. Gonzalez is also 19 – 41 in his last ten games and not showing signs of slowing down. This guy is an elite talent.
• After allowing 10 runs in 10 innings over the last two starts it was nice to see Ian Kennedy settle in a bit and look good, even if it was just the Giants. Kennedy allowing one run in 7.2 IP with 5 H, 2 BB and 7 K. Control has not been the problem, but rather just being too hittable. No one expected Kennedy to be as good as last year, but he should be a lot better than he has been. I expect a nice little run here from Kennedy.
• Heath Bell did put two guys on base before closing the door, but he still got the save and didn’t allow a run. This is now 7 straight successful save opportunities and only three runs in his last 8.1 IP. Still don’t feel totally safe with him at closer, but he is getting things turned around it seems.

Carlos Gonzalez – It wasn’t all bad news in Colorado as CarGo went for the home run hat trick.  That’s 13 HRs now on the season and 9 in May.  I don’t catch Rockie games that often – what’s the lamest CarGo-related sign they bring to the stadium?  I imagine at least one person made a “Look at that CarGo!” sign with a crayon-drawn car.  Much lamer than the legendary baby doll T-shirt of, “I know you’re staring at my Jimenez but you’ll never guess where I’m Ubaldo.”

Jamie Moyer – Rockies designated him for assignment.  That assignment is to watch Wheel of Fortune and drive his grandkids to school.

Justin Smoak - 3-for-5 with a double and two 3-run HRs against his old team.  I guess revenge is a dish best served after being cold for most of the past year and two months.  That’s 9 HRs now for Smoak (impressive for a Mariner) and 3 doubles (impressive for a NL pitcher?).

Doug Fister – Going back on the DL with the same injury that caused him to miss a month earlier in the year.  Not good news.  Might be looking at another month being sidelined. Replacing him in the rotation is Casey Crosby.  Sounds like the first/middle names of one of Clemens’s kids – just missing the K’s in his name.  Or was he one of the kids on The Cosby Show spinoff where all of David Crosby’s sperm donor offspring lived in one house?  Hmm, not sure.  He’s definitely got the K’s on the stat sheet (10+ K/9 this year), but also has a high BB/9 ratio (he’s down from 5.3 in 2011 to 4.6 in 2012).  Leave him for AL-only for now. 

Travis Hafner – Will miss approximately 6 weeks with knee surgery. Oh, well.  Really the only advantage to owning Hafner now would be to strap him to a large chain and use his noggin to knock down the Excaliber in Vegas.

Alejandro De Aza – Stole two bases, but was lifted when he was hit with a pickoff throw.  The Rays hit him with the pickoff because they couldn’t get the lion from The Naked Gun.

Paul Goldschmidt – 4th HR of the year.  He has 15 career HRs and 4 are off of Lincecum.  Some like to get their freak on, Goldschmidt likes to get on The Freak.

Jaime Garcia – Will be skipped in the rotation with elbow discomfort.  Even if you’re not Sherlock Smartpants, you can tell this isn’t good news.

Allen Craig – Set to return from the DL on Friday, and Matheny’s saying that he will see time in the outfield and 1st base.  This could spell trouble for Fatt Adams’s playing time.

Brandon Morrow – 6 1/3 IP, 1 ER, 6 baserunners, 8 Ks when he came out of the game after a comebacker hit his leg.  Sounded scary from what I read in the Razzball comments, but I didn’t see it.  I was watching the Mariners tell Holland to kiss these tulips.  Turns out Morrow should be okay with a shin contusion.  “I thought I was a calf!”  Oops, that’s shin confusion.  My bad.

Colby Rasmus – 1-for-4 with his 6th homer.  He was this week’s Creeper, which surprised me a bit because those are usually guys that aren’t owned, but it turns out he made sense because he’s not owned enough.  Yet.

Rajai Davis – 1-for-3 with his 3rd homer.  With Thames riding the River No-Sticks back to the minor leagues, Davis is getting everyday playing time.  Rudy talks on this week’s podcast about how he just grabbed him.

Kelly Johnson – Didn’t start yesterday and during his homer the other day he was seen limping around the bases.  That reminds me of the time I met this girl, but I drank too much tequila and I was limping around–Wait, what was I saying?  Um, moving on…

Nick Markakis – He sat out yesterday after he got a tweakakis in his wrist.  He’s going to see a hand specialist on Thursday.  For Nick’s sake, I hope his hand specialist hasn’t owned him in a dynasty league for the last three years.

Jeanmar Gomez – 5 IP, 5 ER.  I think his first name is Flemish, because whenever I say it I hock up phlegm.

Jason Kipnis – 1-for-4 with his 10th and 11th steals.  Easily the best player with a kosher deli sounding name since Pat Strommy in 1924.  That was also the year where baseball began its long tradition of ball scratching that became a craze years later by Gaylord imitators.  That’s scratching of a baseball and Gaylord Perry… Geez, c’mon!

A.J. Burnett – 7 IP, 0 ER, 4 baserunners, 3 Ks.  Frequent commenter, Eddy, mentioned a crazy stat the other day.  If you remove Burnett’s 12 earned run start vs. the Cardinals, his ERA is 1.52.  Zoinks!

Everth Cabrera – 2-for-4 with his 4th steal.  Okay, he’s stealing every day so I grabbed him.  I can’t resist cheap steals from an middle infidel!  It’s my weakness, well, that and free samples at an ice cream shoppe.  “What do you call that again?  Chocolate?  Hmm… I think I’d like to try that.”

Carlos Quentin – 3-for-4, 2 runs, 4 RBIs and 2 homers.  As someone in the comments dubbed him yesterday, he’s The Travel Charger.  When he’s away from home, he generates power.

Dale Thayer – Ugh, I knew he wasn’t going to be good, but 7 earned runs in his last one and two-thirds is totally unnecessary.  I have him on one team and I’m about to drop him.  The tsuris (Yiddish Word of the Day!) isn’t worth it.

Dustin Pedroia – Next Monday he’s going to try to swing a bat and, based on that, will determine if he can return or if he’ll need a DL stint.  Gotta appreciate Pedroia’s Sparky Anklebiter gumption for wanting to play.  Ma and Pa Pedroia should’ve named him Gutsy, and his pedophile brother, Putzy.

Jon Lester – 6 2/3 IP, 4 ER, 10 baserunners, 7 Ks.  He’s found that magic spot between yawn and ho-hum.

Will Middlebrooks – 2-for-4 with his 6th homer, Youuuuuuuuk also went 2-for-4 with his 4th homer, and Ortiz went 2-for-4 with his 12th homer.  All those two-by-four’s make me want to say Hooo!

Luke Scott – Hit his 2nd homer of the year off a lefty and his 9th overall.  Really hope Scott gets hot.  Hey, I’m a poet and I recognize it.

Derek Holland – 1 2/3 IP, 8 ER vs. the Mariners.  An embarrassment to pitchers and mustaches everywhere.

Aroldis Chapman – Yesterday, his hotel room was robbed and a woman was found inside tied up.  Previously, he’s been arrested for driving with a suspended license and sued by an imprisoned man in Cuba for $18 million dollars.  Somebody get me Mark Burnett — Aroldis needs a reality show!  “The Fast and the Nefarious.”

Ryan Howard – Phils just announced Howard is unlikely due back in June.  You didn’t need to be a cyclops with a monocle to see this coming.  Wouldn’t be surprised to not see him until August.

Jimmy Rollins – 3-for-5, 3 RBIs and his 2nd homer.  Hey, there’s breath on the mirror under his nose!

Cliff Lee – 6 IP, 3 ER, 9 baserunners, 7 Ks.  Got the ND for the 6th time in 8 starts (he lost the other two).  He still has no wins.  Hey Cliff – the best way to change those L’s in your name to Ws is to have Elmer Fudd pronounce your name.

Jonathon Papelbon – Foreclosed!  Save la vie…

Dustin Ackley - 2-for-5 with his 4th HR.  Ackley is okay, but he’s not as merry as Kipnis.

Tim Lincecum – 7 IP, 1 ER, 9 baserunners, 6 Ks.  He avoided the big inning, but so did the Giants and he still got the loss.  He’s now 2-6 but, on the sarcastically positive side, his ERA is now down to 5.82.

Ichiro Suzuki - 21 runs for the Mariners…..and Ichiro had the night off.  Holy sit!

Ty Wigginton – 2-for-4, 2 runs, 2 RBIs and his 5th homer.  Second time I’ve mentioned him this week which could only mean one thing… Wiggy, Wiggy, can’t you see, sometimes your homer streaks just hypnotize me…

Lucas Duda – 3-for-4, 2 runs, 3 RBIs and 2 homers.  Could be the start of something, but, in most mixed leagues,  I wouldn’t Camptown Race to pick him up.

Freddie Freeman – 3-for-5 with a HR and 3 RBIs in his return to the lineup.  He’s now wearing glasses.  Maybe it’s his Reggie Clevelandesque name, but I picture them looking like this.

Andrelton Simmons – The Braves are calling him up from AA to take over short from Tyler Pastornicky.  He hasn’t flashed much power in the minors, but he has decent speed (20-30 SBs) and his low K rate (< 10%) should lead to solid AVG.  NL-Only leagues for now.  Though, Grey grabbed him in the RCL, fifteen minutes after grabbing an aforementioned shortstop.  Hey, EverCab, I’m glad you brought your own transportation…

Mark Trumbo – 3-for-3 with his 10th HR.  His BABIP is at about .400 right now.  So the .351 AVG is certainly not real (.251 more likely), but the power certainly is.

Tony Campana – Has been benched recently for Mather, but, yesterday, he finally gets into a game and steals 2 bases.  Say you don’t need no homers or ribbies and I’ll be satisfied.  Tell me that you want the kind of stats that power just can’t buy.  ‘Cause I don’t care too much for Mather.  Tony Campana love!  Campana loooove. Looooove.  Campana luh-huh-hove!

Darwin Barney – 2-for-3, slam & legs with his 2nd homer in his last 3 games, and here I thought The Purple Evolutionist went the way of the dodo.  In deep leagues, picking up Darwin would be intelligent design.

Josh Willingham – 2-for-4, 3 RBIs and his 10th homer and 2nd in as many games.  The Other White Meat loves hitting in Oakland.  The only person that hits harder in Oakland is MC Hammer.

Francisco Liriano – 6 IP, 0 ER, 5 baserunners, 9 Ks.  Sure, he pitched a great game, but the A’s lineup had one hitter above .240 to start the game.  You usually have to spend two weeks in Thailand to see a Reddick with that many sores around it.

Huston Street took to the bullpen at Wrigley Field this afternoon for a high-intensity session, and if he feels well tomorrow, the Padres’ closer could head to Class A Lake Elsinore on Friday to begin his rehab assignment. Prior to hitting the disabled list earlier this month with a right shoulder strain, Street converted each of his four save opportunities while strutting a 6.50 K/BB and a 2.10 xFIP in just under ten innings. Street, the Padres’ highest paid player at $7.5 million, figures to regain the closer’s role once given a clean bill of health.

• Heath Bell earned his third save in as many days, giving him ten on the season. In his last three trips to the hill, Bell has surrendered just two hits, two walks and has whiffed six batters. Those with shares of Bell have good reason to believe their closer has overcome his early season misfortune and turned the corner. However, I won’t feel safe sending Steve Cishek to the wire until Bell proves he can sustain this success over a few more outings.

• Brian Fuentes surrendered a game-winning three-run homer to Josh Willingham on Tuesday evening in Minnesota, blowing his first save since stepping into the closer’s role earlier this month. When discussing the blown save with reporters, Athletics’ manager Bob Melvin noted that “he has confidence in the veteran and (you) shouldn’t overreact to one blown save.” Acknowledging that fans may be looking to see a new face in the ninth, Melvin continued to say he likes having Ryan Cook pitch the eighth inning, and unless Fuentes fails to convert future chances, that’s where he’ll probably remain. Cook’s K/BB (1.50) isn’t the prettiest, but the youngster did pitch an impressive 21 scoreless outings prior to Monday.

• Craig Kimbrel notched his 15th save of 2012 this evening, fanning two of the three Cardinals he faced. Kimbrel is 15-of-16 in save chances this season, has racked up a 14.00 K/9 and a 2.56 xFIP in 21 innings pitched prior to tonight. Although the Braves’ flamethrower needs to reduce the free passes (5.0 BB/9), many will argue Kimbrel is baseball’s top current closer.

For those of you who play daily fantasy games like FanGraphs: The Game, or just like to stream players, here is a matchup you may be able to exploit.

A Pitcher for Tomorrow: Vicente Padilla vs. DET

The Boston Red Sox have called upon Alfredo Aceves in each of the last four days. Look for Vicente Padilla to get a shot at the save tomorrow should Boston be in position. Padilla is 1-for-2 this season in save chances with a modest 3.50 K/BB.

Closer Grid:

[Green light, yellow light, red light: the colors represent the volatility of the bullpen order.]

One of his biggest changes for this season is the pitches he swings at. The change is not exactly seen in the his K% and BB%. Both have not changed much from last year:

Year: K%, BB%
2011: 5%, 11%
2012: 4%, 12%

The change involves the pitches he swings at while hitting. Using Pitchf/x values, his Swing % in 2011 was 46% and it is the same this year. He has though stopped chasing pitches out of the strike zone and swings more at pitches in the zone. Here are his Swing % for in and out of the strike zone:

Year: O-Swing%, Z-Swing %
2011: 31%, 59%
2012: 26%, 63%

The main change is that he is not chasing inside pitches vs RHP. Here is a visual representation of the right-handed hitter’s swinging strike zone from 2011 and 2012 from baseballheatmaps.com (regressed 10 pitches):

The strike zone is from the catcher/umpire’s perspective. The square is the rule book strike zone and the circle is added for visual reference. The scale is the percent that the player swings at pitch in that part of the strike zone.

2011 vs RHP

2012 vs RHP

In 2011, he swung at over 50% of the pitches on the inside part of the plate, but out of the strike zone. So far in 2012, he has only swung at around 30% of those same pitches. By swinging at better pitches, he can only hit the ball better and further.

While it is impossible to know exactly how much of the improved plate selection has helped his power, it is at a career high this year with an ISO at 0.212. This value is twice as big as any of his IS0 values from 2007 to 2011.

The main change in his output is because of improved production from his fly balls. Over his career, his wOBA on fly balls is 0.235. This season it is 0.393. The change in output is mainly from hitting more home runs. This season, 10% of his fly balls have turned into HRs (5% career HR/FB%). The average distance on his fly balls and home runs has improved in 2012 compared to previous years.

Season: HR and FB distance (ft)
2009: 272 ft
2010: 278 ft
2011: 264 ft
2012: 288 ft

His fly balls are traveling 10 more feet than anytime in the previous 3 season and 24 more feet than last year.

Omar Infante is seeing a legitimate uptick in power which is partial related to an improved eye. He was probably picked up for very little on draft/auction day, but is now widely owned. Since he is not available in most leagues, an owner could look at picking him up from another owner trying to “sell high”. I would take an owner up on that sell proposition.

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• 23-years old
• Switch Hitter
• Catcher
• Drafted in the first round of 2010 (12th overall) by the Cincinnati Reds; selected one pick before Chris Sale
• Traded to the San Diego Padres as part of the package sending Mat Latos to Cincinnati
• Prior to the season Baseball America ranked him as the #53 prospect overall and mlb.com ranked him as the #63 overall prospect
• Through 115 AB at Triple-A (Pacific Coast League) in 2012 is hitting .322 with 4 HR, 23 RBI and 22 R
• Has shown good command of the strike zone this season, with 24 K vs. 21 BB; this should help him continue to hit for a strong average (though an inflated BABIP tells us he’s going to regress some)
• In 2011 he whiffed 97 times in 374 AB, so we need to keep a close eye on him in this regard and make sure he doesn’t regress
• He has not yet fully shown his power with 18 HR in 517 AB in minor leagues, though he has added 42 doubles
• Playing in Petco Park, he may ultimately be more of a doubles hitter with occasional power
• Prior to the 2010 season Baseball America said, “A switch-hitter, Grandal uses the whole field and has good plate discipline. He projects as a plus hitter with perhaps 20-25 homers per season”
• According to mlb.com, “A switch-hitter, Grandal was pretty consistent from both sides of the plate, even while playing at three levels in 2011. He hit .299 as a right-handed hitter and .307 hitting left-handed. He did have more power from the left side with 34 of his 45 extra-base hits coming from that side.”
• Like most catchers, he offers no speed

Conclusion:
There’s not much to say regarding Grandal, except that it’s only a matter of time before he reaches the Major Leagues.  He may not develop into a 20+ HR hitter (though the potential is there), but if he can hit .280 with 12-15 HR there is going to be a ton of value, especially for those in two-catcher formats.

With Nick Hundley and his .173 average all that is standing in Grandal’s way, it may only be a matter of time before he is recalled.  The Padres have shown that they are not going to tolerate subpar play from their veterans, having already released Orlando Hudson (with the same fate potentially awaiting Jason Bartlett).  While I don’t see that happening to Hundley, moving to a reserve role is extremely realistic.

Grandal is obviously the team’s future at the position.  If you are in a two-catcher format, stashing him now definitely makes sense.  Once he’s recalled he is going to be a must own option.

Mark Appel | RHP, Stanford

At 6-5, 215, Appel sure looks like a future frontline starter.  A combination of size and athleticism allows him to generate mid-90′s velocity with a seemingly effortless delivery.  His fastball typically sits 92-95, and he counters with a hard slider and a work-in-progress change.  The consensus on Appel is that, given his  outstanding athleticism, the secondary stuff will develop nicely (and quickly) in the minors, allowing his plus fastball to play as an even deadlier weapon — he’s been knocked around at times during his collegiate career when facing more advanced lineups who sit on the straight four-seamer.   Even so, Appel looks like the safest option among the elite college arms, and there’s a very good chance that Jeff Luhnow and the Astros will take him at #1.

Mike Zunino | C, Florida

While he’s not as gifted a prospect as Buster Posey was heading into the 2008 draft, Zunino reminds me of Posey in that he does everything well.  He profiles average or better defensively, so there’s really no concern that he’ll be shifted elsewhere in the field.  And as a catcher, his bat will be invaluable in the fantasy game.  He figures to provide batting average in the neighborhood of .275 along with 20+ homers once he’s settled in the bigs.  More so than any of his playing tools, Zunino is praised for his baseball acumen and leadership.  These unmeasurable qualities are important to note, as they could lead to a hastier arrival for the catching prospect.  Look for Zunino to be off the board within the first five picks.

Andrew Heaney | LHP, Oklahoma State

Heaney likely isn’t a top ten pick,  but supreme command should allow him to develop more quickly and reach the majors sooner than most pitching prospects.   At 6-2, 175, the lefty projects nicely as a starter.  Since his arrival at Oklahoma State he’s pushed his fastball velocity from the high-80′s to the low-90′s, a pitch he impressively locates at both ends of the plate.  He’ll certainly be able to add a few more MPH once his slight frame has had a chance to fill out.  Pinpoint control on the fastball sets up his breaking ball and changeup, both of which draw plenty of whiffs.  Most mockups currently have Heaney going right in the middle of the first round, but there is interest in the top 10, even as high as #3 (Seattle).  Regardless of where he lands, he’ll be a safe choice to reach the big leagues, and he shouldn’t require much more than a year in minor league ball.

Matt Belisle

Belisle won’t become closer unless something bad happens to Rafael Betancourt, which is not impossible due to Betancourt’s age but it is certainly not imminent. Belisle has been tremendous this year, posting a 11.50 K/BB along with an ERA/FIP/xFIP line of 2.39/2.09/2.51. In a hitter haven, it is extremely important not to allow extra base runners, which has been Belisle’s calling card all season. His 0.68 BB/9 and 1.8% walk rate are lowest in the bigs amongst relievers with at least 10 innings pitched. The strikeout rate is not terribly impressive at 20.5%, which is just below league average for relievers, but his great strikeout-to-walk ratio should continue to allow him to produce stellar results.

Brandon Lyon

This has been by far the best Lyon has pitched in his career, as his 1.40 ERA is backed by a 0.93 BB/9 and 2.6% walk rate. Lyon’s career rate is 7.2%, so the improvement has been very impressive in the early going this season. His strikeout rate has also jumped significantly, up to 25% from his career mark of 15.2%. Lyon’s usage of his repertoire has hardly changed at all this year from last year, so there should be caution used when acquiring him, as it is far too early to say that these results are sustainable when looking at his past. However, with Brett Myers being a trade candidate, Lyon could eventually be lined up to save games in Houston once again if he continues to get somewhat similar production.

Dale Thayer

Thayer is already closing games for the Padres, so he is a bit different than the two aforementioned relievers. Even so, Thayer is still a relatively unrecognizable name and could be acquired for cheap at this point. His ERA of 4.09 is not sparkling, but his 2.46 FIP and 2.56 xFIP are. He has thrown just 11 total innings, but has a 9.00 K/9 and 0.82 BB/9 in majors this year. The strikeout rate may be a bit inflated, but the walk rate should remain very low for the foreseeable future. In his 37 career major league innings, Thayer has a 0.49 BB/9 and posted a 1.90 mark in 71 triple-A innings with the Mets last year. His 1.18 WHIP should drop significantly once his .355 BABIP comes back down closer to league average.

Rajai Davis, TOR  |OF|  Ownership:  ESPN – 2.8%  Yahoo – 4.0%

This is somewhat of a continuation to Dan Wade’s post from last week that discussed Davis and his achievement of certain statistical levels based on playing time.  If you don’t feel like clicking back, the gist of it was that Davis has never stolen fewer than 29 bases in any year he garners 200 or more plate appearances and would be a legitimate fantasy asset if he could just receive the playing time.  Well Adam Lind’s demotion last week set the ball in motion and Tuesday’s demotion of Eric Thames opened things up even wider for Davis.

While manager John Farrell said that, ultimately, he’s like to have a left-handed bat in left field to help balance the heavily skewed right-handed lineup, the Jays don’t really have anyone that fits the bill right now.  Travis Snider is on the Triple-A disabled list with a nagging wrist injury, and while Anthony Gose may have some potential down the road, his 22.0% strikeout rate down in the minors isn’t looking too appealing.  For now, Farrell will have to go with Davis and that should benefit fantasy owners for atleast a few weeks.  He won’t dazzle you with a killer batting average and consider yourself lucky if you get any kind of pop out of his bat, but what you will get is a slew of stolen bases and that’s going to have significant value.

Quintin Berry, DET  |OF|  Ownership:  ESPN – 2.2%  Yahoo – 2.0%

When Tigers beat reporter Jason Beck of MLB.com reported that, according to Jim Leyland, “Austin Jackson’s return is not going to be as soon as we hoped,” Berry’s value took a few more steps forward.  Jackson was originally supposed to be activated from the disabled list on Friday, but reports out of Detroit now say that he isn’t ready for baseball activities yet and won’t even be evaluated until this weekend when the Tigers return from their road trip.

As far as quick-fixes go, Berry has certainly been a strong asset for the Tigers, atop their lineup.  Thanks to a 10.3% walk rate and a robust .529 BABIP, Berry is currently batting .360 with three stolen bases through his first six games.  Obviously the sample size is tiny, but you’re just looking for a band-aid here, so if this over-inflated numbers can just last another couple of weeks, you’re golden.  Cheap steals should be available throughout the remainder of the year, so if you can pick someone like Berry up every few weeks and drop them as soon as they cool off, then you’ll have a spot in your lineup that is probably equivalent, if not better than having a Michael Bourn in there.

I know that several FanGraphs/RotoGraphs readers frown on such a tactic, but if you’re just picking up specialists who can grab you a handful of stolen bases each time, then it’s really no different than streaming starting pitchers.  It may be a little more difficult, but it’s still possible.  Berry is a good place to start, as is Davis, so if your place in the standings looks like it can be boosted with an influx of speed and you have a spot in your outfield that isn’t producing all that well, then you really have nothing to lose.

1. Josh Hamilton – Texas Rangers – 39.2%
Hamilton is having a remarkable season and, while it is nearly impossible for him to maintain this type of power, unless you get an absolute bounty for him who is even going to consider selling?  He’s proven that, when healthy, he’s one of the elite players in the game.  That is always the caveat, and I wouldn’t blame someone for getting rid of him at his peak value, especially if you can get a package including a player like Matt Kemp or Ryan Braun.  However, I wouldn’t be using the HR/FB as an excuse to move him.

2. Adam Dunn – Chicago White Sox – 32.7%
I spoke about Dunn recently (click here to view) and concluded that all of the numbers scream at us to sell him as soon as possible.  He has name value, so other owners are going to see his 16 HR and conclude that he’s back to his old form.  However, you couple the HR/FB with an inflated strikeout rate, even for Dunn (35.8%), and you get the potential for a fall in power and an abysmal average (as it is he is hitting .241).  It makes sense to get value for him while you can.

3. Curtis Granderson – New York Yankees – 31.3%
Yes, the HR/FB is inflated, but there is reason to think that he is going to be able to maintain his power even once it regresses.  After hitting 41 HR a year ago, he has 15 this season courtesy of a 36.9% fly ball rate.  Over his career he has posted a 44.0% mark and was at 48.0% last season.  Assuming that number increases, even when his HR/FB falls he should still hit plenty of long balls.  There’s no reason to sell here.

4. Bryan LaHair – Chicago Cubs – 30.3%
An inflated HR/FB is really just the tip of the iceberg for LaHair.  If this number wasn’t enough to cause you to run for the fences, he’s also posting an unrealistic .405 BABIP and is striking out a ton (29.3%).  So you have a player who is likely going to see both his power and average plummet, while there is a more talented player waiting in the wings to replace him (Anthony Rizzo).  Does this sound like a player you want to hold onto?

5. Carlos Beltran – St. Louis Cardinals – 28.8%
Over the course of his career he’s posted a 15.8% HR/FB and his career best is 21.1%.  He’s been around long enough that we know he’s not going to be able to maintain this type of mark.  With name value, it certainly makes sense to shop him around and see what you can get for him.  If you end up “stuck” with him, I wouldn’t be too upset, but if you can get a good return I would take advantage.

6. Dayan Viciedo – Chicago White Sox – 26.3%
We’ve long heard about Viciedo’s power potential and he has really poured it on as of late.  Is it impossible for him to maintain this type of number of a full season (though he’s at 30.4% in May)?  No, though I also wouldn’t consider it likely.  Unless he improves on his 31.1% fly ball rate, I would suspect his power is going to regress as the season progresses.  I definitely could see trying to sell high while you can.

7. Mike Napoli – Texas Rangers – 25.7%
Considering he was at 25.4% in 2011, there’s nothing to consider unrealistic about this number.  The concern with him is his 33.1% strikeout rate, though seeing him struggle in the average department was always a risk.  With a .241 average, though, he’s not really a sell high candidate.

8. David Freese – St. Louis Cardinals – 25.0%
At least this season he has his fly ball rate up, as he’s posted a 33.1% mark after being at 23.1% a year ago.  That at least gives you a little bit more hope that he can consistently hit for power, though the 25.0% HR/FB is probably a little bit inflated.  However, it may not be a huge inflation and, when healthy, Freese offers value at a position that has been hit hard by injuries in 2012.  I also don’t think you would truly be able to sell that high on him, so don’t go too crazy.

9. Adam Jones – Baltimore Orioles – 24.1%
Is he the breakout performer of 2012?  He entered play yesterday hitting .307 with 14 HR, 31 RBI, 35 R and 8 SB (and promptly hit two more HR).  The numbers also aren’t completely unbelievable, including his .315 BABIP and 35.6% fly ball rate.  Obviously, if I was blown away I’d be selling, but there is little that makes me think he is going to completely fall off a cliff.  Sure, he may not hit 40 HR, but he’s going to be valuable regardless.

10. Hunter Pence – Philadelphia Phillies – 23.9%
We all know what Pence is at this point, so the numbers are basically irrelevant.  His value isn’t going to change, so proceed as you normally would.

Chisenhall’s ownership percentage in ottoneu was high even before the powerful debut, and is poised to climb – there are more auctions currently underway for Chisenhall than for any other player. The question for both current and prospective Chisenhall owners is what to expect from the youngster.

Once considered one of the top prospects in baseball thanks to a sweet swing and some solid minor league numbers, Chisenhall’s star lost some luster with a .255/.284/.415 line over 66 games as a rookie in 2011. With a .299 BABIP and .160 ISO, Chisenhall was not suffering from a lack of luck or a power outage – he just plain stopped making contact. After regularly posting K% around 15% in his minor league career, Chisenhall struck out 22% of the time in his first tour of the bigs.

Despite this, most people assumed he would be ticketed for Cleveland to start 2013, but instead the Indians turned to Jack Hannahan. Chisenhall wasted no time demanding a call-up. In 28 games in Columbus this year, the still-only-23-year-old put up a .319/.352/.531 line with four HR, while keeping his K% down at 16.4%, closer to his career norms. With Hannahan on the DL, Chisenhall will have a couple weeks, albeit weeks he may have to split with the hot-hitting Jose Lopez, to prove that he shouldn’t have to take the drive back down I-71 to Columbus.

Regardless of the fast start, in Tuesday’s Roto Riteup, Zach Sanders warned mixed leaguers not to “get carried away and grab him” right away. But, of course, ottoneu isn’t just any mixed league.

And, as far as ottoneu owners are concerned, Chisenhall is most definitely a worthy add if you still have a shot at him.

Chisenhall’s power potential is somewhat limited, as only once has he broken the 20 HR barrier in a single season, with 22 split between High-A and Double-A in 2009. The fact that he accomplished that feat at just 21 is a good sign, but not enough to suggest 30+ HR potential. Chisenhall will likely fall between 15-25 HR a year, and I would bet he falls in the upper half of that range. Chisenhall is not a base-stealing threat, and his 5×5 impact will likely be muted by a placement near the end of the Indians lineup, at least for 2012.

However, if he can get the playing time he needs, Chisenhall is a decent low-end 3B option in ottoneu leagues, and is definitely someone worth owning and watching. If he can establish himself as line drive machine in Cleveland the way he has in the minors, he could easily see himself moving up that lineup in 2013 and settling in as a solid starter in all fantasy formats, providing value with base hits, doubles power and enough HR to be dangerous.
Much like I said about Matt Adams a week ago, Chisenhall won’t win your league for you this year, and you shouldn’t count on him to do so. But he is a decent fill-in option at 3B this year and could easily be your starter in 2013.

This season, Norris has found what seems to be the best of both worlds. For the second year in a row, his WHIP and ERA are down — they sit at 1.31 and 3.34 respectively — but his strikeouts are back up. He’s setting down nearly a batter an inning thanks to a wipeout slider that has opposing hitters swinging and missing at nearly a 23 percent rate. Unlike in previous seasons, Norris’ FIP has come down as well, making his overall profile look even more sustainable; in fact, the biggest thing I see in his performance as being potentially unsustainably high is his WHIP.

His hit rate and opposing average look fine; they might be on the high side of ideal, but while Norris has improved into a strong fantasy option, he’s still not Pedro Martinez in his prime. So that leaves WHIP’s second component as Norris’ bane. Walks have always been a problem for him, perhaps more so when he was giving up more than a home run per nine, but even now that he seems to have that particular vice under control. His walk rate is at a career low this season, and while Ubaldo Jimenez might kill for just 3.19 free passes per nine, it just isn’t that great.

Rather than asking Norris to do his best Jason Marquis impression and simply allow hitters to make more frequent contact, I wonder if eliminating his changeup might be his key to success. It isn’t a common part of his arsenal as he prefers to stick to his fastball, slider, and occasionally his sinker. He throws it for a strike less than 50 percent of the time, and opponents seem to either let it drop for a ball or make good contact with it. He does get a fair number of ground balls with it, but it still generates only the fourth best ground ball rate of his four pitches. The argument can be made that, especially against left-handers, Norris uses the changeup to keep them from keying into his slider, which is probably largely why he keeps using it. His two-seam fastball would almost certainly fill the gap nearly as well, given its good downward action, though the difference in velocity between the sinker and his slider might be enough to render the exercise moot.

Whether he drops the changeup or not — I suspect he will not unless things really take a turn for the worse — Norris has enough going for him that he’s worth keeping or adding as part of a trade. He’s owned in 95 percent of ESPN leagues, which makes him virtually impossible to add off the wire, but Yahoo! players may have a shot at him. He’s available in 36 percent of leagues, and he’s probably as consistent as any pitcher available, especially if strikeouts are an area of need. His wins may ebb a little bit as the Astros cool down from their excellent start, but anyone who ignores Norris to chase wins probably deserves whomever they end up with.

1. Adam Jones – Baltimore Orioles – Outfielder – It is hard to think of a bigger breakout story in 2012 than Jones.  Always touted for his potential, Jones appears to have finally put it all together.  He went 3-3 with 2 HR, 3 RBI and 3 R yesterday, putting him at .317 with 16 HR, 34 RBI, 38 R and 8 SB. And also extended his hitting streak to 20 games.  Considering that he entered play with believable metrics, including a .315 BABIP, there is little reason to think he’s going to regress.  The one thing, obviously, is the power (24.1% HR/FB), but that’s not nearly enough to get us worried.  He is entrenching himself as one of the top outfielders in the game.
2. Nathan Eovaldi – Los Angeles Dodgers – Starting Pitcher – He didn’t get the victory (Michael Fiers, who was making his first MLB start, got the W), but Eovaldi was impressive.  Among the top pitching prospects, Eovaldi allowed 2 ER on 4 H and 1 BB, striking out 4, over 7.0 innings as he made one mistake in the first inning (two-run home run to Ryan Braun), which cost him.  The righty was sporting a 3.09 ERA and 30 K over 35.0 innings of work at Double-A and could have value in all deeper formats while he remains in the rotation.  However, he doesn’t bring huge strikeout stuff (7.42 K/9 in the minor leagues) and you would like to see better control (3.67 BB/9).  In other words, he’s a much better option for those in keeper formats.

More Quick Thoughts:

• Carlos Quentin has made a seamless return to the field.  In his second game back he went 3-4 with 1 HR, 1 RBI and 2 R.  He’s now 4-8 with 1 HR, 2 RBI and 3 R since coming off the DL.  Of course, these games have been played in Wrigley Field and not Petco Park, so time will tell how he is able to perform in his home ballpark.  That said, in five-outfielder formats he is worth owning.
• You could argue that there was a little bit of poor luck during Justin Masterson’s performance last night.  I know it’s hard, considering he allowed 8 R (7 earned), part of which came courtesy of a home run from Mike Moustakas (2-4, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 1 R).  However, he only allowed 9 H and 0 BB, striking out 8.  He also generated 9 groundball outs.  In other words he had good control, groundball stuff and a ton of Ks.  That’s the perfect mix, so while the results weren’t there I would consider this start a step in the right direction.
• Dayan Viciedo (3-4, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 3 RBI) and Alexei Ramirez (2-4, 2 RBI, 1 R, 1 SB) continued their recent rampage.  Ramirez is now 9-24 in his past 6 games, including 3 SB and 5 RBI.  Viciedo, meanwhile, has 4 HR and 12 RBI in his past six games.
• Jake Westbrook allowed 5 R (4 earned) on 5 H and 3 BB, striking out 6, over 5.0 innings.  It’s the fourth time in his past six starts that he’s allowed 4 ER or more (and third time in his past four starts).  With Shelby Miller waiting in the wings, how long is it until we start to hear the whispers?  Of course, with Miller also struggling (20 BB in 49.1 IP), it’s likely going to be awhile before we see him.
• For the second consecutive day Heath Bell was called upon in a save opportunity and for the second straight day he got the job done.  Bell allowed 1 H and picked up 2 K in converting the save.  It’s obviously been a rough season, but we can only hope that this is the time that he has truly turned the corner.  Time will tell, but for now the Marlins appear to be willing to give him a rather long rope, though one more meltdown could quickly end that.
• Things are turning around for Jay Bruce, who now has a modest 4-game hitting streak.  Yesterday was the first real big day, however, going 3-4 with 2 RBI and 3 R.  One of the streakiest players in the game, he has just 1 HR since May 9.  We’ll have to see if he can get going in the power department, but you need to stick with the highs and the lows.
• Daniel Bard may have beaten the Tigers last night, but are you walking away impressed?  He allowed 2 ER on 5 H and 2 BB, striking out 4, over 5.1 innings.  The 4 K is his highest total in his past 6 starts.  The control is an improvement, but is it really enough?  He also has failed to go past 5.1 innings in his past three starts.  He does bring win potential, but as I’ve said before you would think that he ultimately returns to the bullpen.  He’s just not showing that same electric ability that he has in year’s past when he would strikeout well over 1 batter per inning.
• It was another poor outing for Joe Blanton, who allowed 6 ER on 9 H and 2 BB, striking out 4, over 5.0 innings.  It’s the third straight start where he’s allowed at least 6 ER, with 19 ER over 14.2 IP.  The problem is, with Vance Worley already on the DL and Roy Halladay now out 4-6 weeks with a strained lat muscle, where else do the Phillies really have to turn?  Time will tell, but they can only tolerate a 5+ ERA for so long, especially if they want to keep themselves in the playoff race.
• How long will the A’s wait before making another change to the closer?  Brian Fuentes entered with a 2-0 lead, but he quickly coughed it up allowing a walk-off home run to Josh Willingham (1-4, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 R).  Fuentes’ final line was 0.2 IP, 3 ER, 2 H, 1 BB, 0 K.  It’s possible they turn back to Grant Balfour, though these are the first runs Fuentes has allowed since May 12 so I wouldn’t expect an immediate reaction.  That said, Ryan Cook figures to get a look in the role before the end of the season, so keep a close eye on the situation.
• Now that Albert Pujols is hitting, there doesn’t appear to be any slowing him down.  He went 2-4 with 1 HR, 2 RBI and 2 R, giving him 5 HR in his past 8 games and 8 HR on the season.  He still has a long ways to go, and while it’s going to be a tough road to get back to .300 there’s no reason to think he won’t reach 30/100.
• Matt Kemp came off the DL, going 1-4 (the one hit was a double off of John Axford, though that was the only hit Axford allowed in nailing down the save).  Get him active in all formats.
• Melky Cabrera just continues to hit, going 3-4 with 2 R yesterday.  He’s now 8-11 over his last 3 games and is hitting .524 over his past 10 games.  We all know he’s going to slow down, but ride this wave while you can.
• Hideki Matsui made his Tampa Bay debut, going 1-4 with 1 HR, 2 RBI and 1 R.  However, I wouldn’t anticipate him getting enough playing time to be relevant.  Outside of those in AL-only or the deepest of mixed formats, he can be ignored.

Jered Weaver – To the DL with a lower back injury.  He says there’s no timetable for his return.  We talk about him on the podcast today (where we have a very special guest), but neither Rudy or I are particularly excited about a pitcher with a back injury.  In his place, the Angels brought up Garrett Richards.  (So, now when Richards is in the clubhouse, he says, “Hey, what’s this?”  And someone else says, “Don’t touch that.” But someone else says, “It’s okay, he’s with the team.  That’s a Bobby Grich doll with the face painted green that we call Bobby Grinch.”)  From what I can gather looking at Richards’s numbers (granted, they’re in the PCL), is I’m not going near him in most mixed leagues.  Through 56 1/3 IP, Richards has a 7+ K-rate and 4+ walk rate.  That 2nd number can’t be supported with a K-rate under 9, and last year he was pounded when he pitched for the Angels.  From what I found by searching Garrett in the top left corner of this site, is I talked about Garrett Jones a lot more than I thought and we need a better search function.  Also, I found a mention of Richards calling him a potential major league #4 starter.  As Dracula would say, bleh.  For the kids in the audience, Dracula is Team Edward.

Roy Oswalt – Signed with the Rangers.  I just went over my Roy Oswalt 2012 fantasy.  Here’s some of the important snippets from that post, “Never, Billy,” “American Black Beauty,” and “$400 overalls.”  Hmm… I gotta work on the quote pulls.  Oswalt should be up around the end of June and be a competent fantasy fourth starter.  He’ll either be well-rested or well-rusted and my projections for him will be bested or busted.  Hopefully, the U’s don’t have it.

Jason Marquis – Signed with the Padres to push the theory that every starter is worth starting in Petco to its limits.  Theory That Every Starter Is Worth Starting In Petco, “I’m a bit stressed by this new added pressure.”  See?

Everth Cabrera – 2-for-4 with his 3rd steal, that’s three steals in the last five games.  There’s nothing to see with his average, nothing to see with his power, nothing to see with his name if you have difficulty pronouncing your th’s, but he’s stealing bases.  SAGNOF!

Carlos Quentin – He’s doing his best to bail out the Padres for being sans Quentin all year.  3-for-4 with a HR and a double.  He’s an AVG drain but – much like a second laptop battery – he’s worth picking up when on road trips and you’re in need of extra power.

Hideki Matsui – Homered yesterday.  Quentin, then Matsui, all we need to talk about next is Alfonso Soriano and it’ll be like we’ve traveled back in time.  Peach Fuzz Grey, “Can I draft Ryan Klesko in the first round?”  Mother Grey, “Whatever my soon-to-be-mustachioed man wants he gets!”  I’ll never forget that conversation.  It happened at my bris.

Alfonso Soriano – Hit his 7th homer, and, like, his sixth one in the last 3 games.  He’s about as limber as Methuselah, and the Ghost of his Former Self gets scared when it looks at him, but I’d still own him while he’s hot.

James Russell – He got the save!  And Sveum showed so much confidence in him he didn’t even start the ninth.  There’s Brain Freezes, Mo’nique’s hairy pits from Precious, Heath Bell then Russell, but I’d still own him.

Jhonny Peralta – 2-for-4 with his 2nd homer in as many games.  The H is silent, but deadly.

Ryan Raburn – The man with the matinee idol name was demoted to Triple-A.  Don’t worry, he’s a 2nd half hitter.  2nd half of 2010.  Ooh, Rabuuuuuuurn.

Justin Masterson – He gives (6 IP, 8 K, 0 BB) and he takes away (7 ER, 9 H).  He’s such a person that uh…gives something and then they’re dissatisfied and they wish they had had never, uh…given it to the person that they originally gave it to….  He’s such a, you know…

Daniel Bard – 5 1/3 IP, 2 ER, 7 baserunners, 4 Ks.  He’s averaging under 6 innings per start.  So… When they gonna stretch him out to be a starter?

Dustin Pedroia – Has a torn abductor muscle.  Abductor muscle?  What’s he a mollusk?  Pedroia plans on playing through the torn muscle.   Geez, I never heard of an overeager mollusk.  Doctors are saying if he can’t play through it, he’ll be on the DL for a month.  This doesn’t sound good to me at all.  I’d quickly evaluate what I could get in a trade for him.

Albert Pujols – 2-for-4 with his 8th homer.  On April 27th, I told you to buy Pujols.  Since then, 2nd in the majors in RBIs, 8 homers, and the Sell’s in that post weren’t too bad either.

Mark Trumbo – 2-for-4 with a slam & legs.  Scioscia will probably be lauded for turning this team around from its early season struggles, but, in reality, it just took him 2 months to figure out what most people could’ve told him in March.  Call up Trout and play Trumbo.

Homer Bailey – 9 IP, 1 ER, 5 baserunners, 5 Ks to lower his ERA to 3.73.  Now has 4 solid starts in a row.  So far his K-rate is down from last year and his walk rate is up.  He’s looking like one of those pitchers you trot out there every start in an NL-Only league and are pleasantly surprised by, but have a hard time owning in most mixed leagues.

Todd Frazier – 2-for-3, 1 run, 2 RBIs after going deep on Sunday and not starting Monday in favor of Miguel Cairo.  Cairo:  Where Dusty’s common sense deserts him.

Nate Eovaldi – 7 IP, 2 ER, 5 baserunners, 4 Ks.  Solid start for the 22-year-old.  In Double-A, he had a nice K-rate (7+) and an iffy-at-times walk rate (3+).  Definitely worth a looksie in NL-Only leagues, but he’s a bit risky right now for mixed leagues.  Although, Tommy Lasorda has always been a fan, but that was more because Nate’s last name sounds like olive oil.

Michael Fiers – 7 IP, 1 ER, 5 baserunners, 3 Ks.  Short term, I like Fiers a bit more than Eovaldi.  In Triple-A, he had an 8+ K-rate and an under 3 walk rate.  He’s nothing special for keepers because of his age (26), but he could surprise in NL-Only leagues.

Mike Moustakas – 2-for-4, 4 RBIs and his 8th homer.  It’s Greek Lightning!  Moose Tacos is a hard man to pin down as what to expect this year.  I mean, there’s my preseason projections of 60/20/80/.270/4 that still look totally accurate, but where’s the mystery in that?

Will Smith – 6 IP, 2 ER, 6 baserunners, 5 Ks.  It’s summertime and he’s gettin’ jiggy wit it, prospect scouts just don’t understand.

Adam Jones – Two more HRs (now at 16) on a 3′s wild night (3-for-3 with 3 runs and 3 RBIs).  He’s makin’ it rain.

Chris Davis – 3-for-5, 2 RBIs and his 9th homer.  For the amount of times people have commented about dropping him, you’d think he was hitting .220.  He’s hitting .315.  I know he’s burned you in the past.  He apologizes.  He said he didn’t mean to hurt you and bought you a Hallmark card.  C’mon, the card’s got kittens!

Alexei Ramirez – 2-for-4 with 2 RBIs and a SB (his 3rd in 5 games).  Now at .222, the Cuban Missile is slowly resolving his irrelevancy crisis.  But only one HR — can’t Viciedo be a good comrade and share?

Kris Medlen – Braves are sending Medlen down to stretch him out.  Warm it up, Kris.  He’s about to.  I love me some Medlen.  We practically grew up together.  Or maybe it was just that I owned him in a few fantasy leagues for a few months a few years ago.  Either way, why do I love every young Braves starter?  Can’t they trade for a stereotypical Twins no Ks/good control starter?  I’m sure Scott Diamond is available.  Last time, Medlen started games for the Braves, he had a near-7 K-rate, an under 2 walk rate with a 3.49 ERA as a flat-billed pitchypus.  In NL-Only leagues, I’d grab him right now.  In most mixed leagues, I’d wait a couple of weeks until he’s due to return.

Freddie Freeman – Will be out until he gets prescription goggles.  Braves are hopeful the goggles will fix his vision problems or at least help him with his sky hook.

Michael Bourn – Hit his 5th homer.  Wait, did MLB adopt that rule change I proposed where everyone under 170 pounds gets to use an aluminum bat?  Cause I looked on the Google machine and saw nothing.

David Freese – Could be out until Friday with a hand sprain.  Uh-oh, just when I thought the Western novel, “Calamities of David Freese,” was out of print.

Yadier Molina – 4-for-4, 3 RBIs and his 8th homer.  Okay, we’re far enough into the season for me to admit that Molina’s been way more valuable than I thought he would be.  But be honest with yourself now, 8 homers before June is more than anyone would’ve expected.  BTW, if I were him, I’d sign my checks like Dennis Miller signing off on the Weekend Update, “I…Am…Yadier!”

Jarrod Parker – 6 IP, 0 ER, 8 baserunners, 4 Ks and the no decision.  Actually, there was a decision.  The decision was made a few weeks ago and was regarding Fuentes becoming the closer.  Cook just had a 23 1/3 IP scoreless streak come to an end, and Balfour has given up three runs since May 8th or the same amount Fuentes gave up last night.  I don’t think Fuentes is out as closer, but the retractable leash’s button is pressed, now all the A’s have to do is pull him in.  Cook’s been better, but I’d go with Balfour first as the handcuff since he’s already had the job.

Coco Crisp – 2-for-2 with a steal yesterday and 2 steals on Sunday.  He’s been terrible (batting .173), but Coco Crisp could get hot like Melky and make the *pinkie to mouth* poor rich.

Ryan Vogelsong – 7 IP, 1 ER, 9 baserunners, 8 Ks.  Over a year of productive pitching.  Now has his ERA down to 2.36, and people still won’t own him.

Hanley Ramirez – Han-Ram with the slam (#8) and legs (#10) against the Nats.  The AVG isn’t there yet (.265) but it seems like he’s on his way to a top 10 Fantasy Baseball Player Rater finish by the end of the year.

Anibal Sanchez – 7 IP, 0 ER, 4 baserunners, 5 Ks as the Marlins gave out 15,000 Gaby Sanchez shirts.

Chad Tracy – Out for the year with groin surgery.  Hopefully the doctors don’t get confused when he puts his last name first on his hospital forms and give him an unwanted nip/tuck.