The Woes of Uggla

     Owners that drafted Dan Uggla this season thought they were getting the most consistent power source at the second base position for the last 5 years. He seemed like a guaranteed 30 home runs, which he had done the last four seasons. Many owners, including myself, thought the move from Florida to Atlanta would help his RBI totals because he would be in a better lineup with more protection. Well it just hasn't happened for him this season and is on pace for the worst season of his career. He has the worst batting average in the National League for players who qualify and is in the midst of a 6-65 slump.

"His biggest problem," said one scout, "is he's not getting his front foot down, so he's got a timing issue. And now he's pressing."

He looks awful," said another scout. "Every ball down in the zone is a 6-3 or a 4-3. And it's becoming psychological."

     I'm not in the boat that believes you should cut Uggla if you're an owner. If you don't own him and he's on another team go ahead and try to get him for dirt cheap. There are no options in the free agent pool that excite me and you have to believe that he'll get his timing down based on his track record. Look at it as who will be better for you from now until the season's end. Forget about season stats to date. Will the better play be a free agent like Gordon Beckham (owned in 68% ESPN.com leagues) or Orlando Cabrera (owned in 43.9 ESPN.com league), or will it be Uggla. Even with Uggla's awful season, he still has given better RBI and home run numbers. Be patient with him, he could be the difference at a position that is scarce in power.

Brett Anderson Travels Back to Oakland

Brett Anderson returned to Oakland on Monday for an evaluation of his left elbow. Yes, he's a left handed pitcher. The San Francisco Chronicle has reported he traveled back because he is experiencing a recent drop in velocity and has had trouble controlling his slider.
     This news comes after an awful Fantasy Week in which he let up 14 earned runs in two starts. It was against two top lineups in the Yankees and Red Sox but there was something clearly wrong. Anderson’s  ERA rose from 2.84 to 4.00 during the week.
     This news is troubling because he made two different trips to the DL last season with injuries to the same elbow, causing him to miss much of the season. His injury could cause him to miss some extended time or the injury could linger. Anderson is not a top pitcher, and if your league allows only one DL spot, I wouldn’t hold on to him. There are plenty of decent pitchers out there that can give you good time.

Choo's DUI Affecting His Play

     Indian's outfielder Shin-Soo Choo admitted that his DUI arrest has been affecting his play. In May, Choo hit an unusual .247 with only 1 HR and 1 SB. Choo was arrested on May 2nd in Ohio after blowing a .201 on a breathalyzer test, more than twice the legal limit. Choo says that ever since then, he's been pushing himself to play well and gain redemption among fans in America and in his native Korea.

"That happened last month. So I wanted to play good in the field, show better play and then try to make people forget," said Choo. "I'm trying too hard. That's just my natural thought. Sometimes it helps and sometimes it makes it worse. It's given me a lot of stress."

 In the past, Choo has been a valuable addition to any fantasy owner's roster. However this season Choo has been less than spectacular. He's on pace to hit only 14 HR's and drive in 61 RBI's. Choo has been a 20-20 guy for the past two seasons and the fact that his mind is getting in the way of his play scares me. Physical injuries usually have some sort of timetable, but mental blocks have no prognosis.
     Even worse is news that Indians' manager Manny Acta has dropped Choo from 3rd to 6th in the batting order. Fewer at-bats mean fewer chances for redemption. My advice would be to bench Choo and wait out this slump. He should get back to form eventually, but you can't afford to waste a starting OF roster spot while Choo breaks out this funk.

Kung-Fu Panda set to Return

     Pablo Sandoval could be nearing a return after having surgery to remove the fractured portion of the hamate from his right wrist. He has been sent to San Jose on rehab assignment according to the San Francisco Chronicle. He'll spend a few days there and barring any setbacks will move on to Triple-A Fresno. He is supposed to join the Giants sometime next week.
     The Third base position has been hit hard by the injury bug this season so it's nice to see one of them returning. Sandoval was having a nice bounce back season hitting .313 with 5 homeruns and 14 RBI's. A positive sign that the hand is healed is him hitting both left and right handed. When hitting left-handed the knob of the bat puts pressure against the surgical area. I see no reason why he wont continue to produce once he returns to the everyday lineup.

Will Hanley go to DL?

     The Florida Marlins are expected to put Hanley Ramirez on the DL Monday after experiencing lower back pain since May 29^th when he was pulled in the second inning.

“It’s very sensitive. When you’re standing up on a plane for three-four hours, I tell you he’s not joking around,” said Manager Ewin Rodriguez.

     If he can’t even sit on a plane, it’ll be tough for him to play baseball. The biggest hint that he’ll be put on the DL is the Marlins recalling shortstop Ozzie Martinez from Triple-A New Orleans.

     The Marlins were reportedly going to make their decision on putting Hanley on the DL Friday but after Clay Hensley got hurt and placed on the DL Thursday ( right shoulder sprain),  they decided to wait until Monday.

     It’s time to put Hanley on the bench until he either goes on the DL or if not placed on the DL returns to the lineup. He hasn’t been that productive this season (.210 4 home runs 17 RBI’s and 11 stolen bases). He’s a career .307 hitter so I see all of the numbers rising if the lower back pain doesn’t linger. There will be many owners who smell blood on this first round pick and will try to offer you some trades. Hold on the Hanley unless you get wowed by an offer. Your patience will pay off and he numbers should return to his career averages.

Michael Morse is on Fire

    Michael Morse is a journeyman Outfielder who never seemed to get a shot at being the starter until last season when the Nationals gave him the starting nod in the second half of the season. He certainly responded, hitting 15 home runs in just 266 at bats. Many owners were high on Morse, hoping he could put up the same production with everyday at-bats. He didn’t respond at the beginning of this season with just one home run going into the month of May. Many owners gave up on him but he has been on fire during the month of May. In May Morse had 6 home runs 15 RBI’s and a .403 batting average.

    Morse looks like he has put it together this last month and I see no reason why he wouldn’t be able to continue his production. Don’t expect him to hit .400 for the rest of the season but I see him finishing with a .280 average and about 25-30 home runs. He’ll have his cold streaks from time to time that will drive owners crazy but I think if you stay patient, you’ll be rewarded.

Matt Holliday to the DL

     Matt Holliday didn’t go on the DL earlier season when he went through an appendectomy procedure. He did go on the DL Thursday after experiencing nagging pain in his left quad since May 19^th. He had an MRI on Wednesday and clearly the Cardinals felt he needed some time to rest the injury. The DL stint should be good for Holliday and I don’t see this injury lasting past his DL stint. It looks like the Cardinals are just being cautious in trying to make sure Holliday will be healthy for the second half of the season.

     It’s nearly impossible to replace a bat like Matt Holliday’s ( .342 6hr 31 RBI’s). What you need is a stop-gap player who seems to be on a role. Go get Holliday’s former outfield mate Ryan Ludwick. Ludwick has been on a tear. He has raised his batting average 17 points in the last ten game, adding 7 RBI’s. Two guys to get if Ludwick isn’t available would be Michael Brantley or John Jay. John Jay will replace Holliday in the Cardinal’s lineup and has been on a hot streak (hitting .345 in the last week). Brantley is a solid all-around fantasy option who is at the top of a decent Cleveland Indians lineup.

Garza Staying on the DL

     According to Stephania Bell of ESPN.COM, Matt Garza will not be returning to the DL on Friday (the first day he's eligible to come off). Garza has been out with a bone contusion in his right elbow and has just started throwing bullpen sessions. He's scheduled to throw a couple bullpen sessions later in the week. If he continues to improve he should come off the DL sometime next week.
   Garza has been solid his last few starts on a bad Chicago Cubs team. This season he's posted a typical Matt Garza ERA of 3.72 but has had a disappointing 2-4 record. Don't expect much better when he comes off the DL. He's going to be a decent starter going forward but nothing to be excited about. There are plenty of better starters out there.

Is The Chief Back?

     It took ten starts to get his first win, but Ubaldo Jimenez sure made the first one count in a complete game shutout against the Los Angeles Dodgers Wednesday night. Jimenez has struggled this season going 1-5 with a 4.98 ERA; but has improved the last couple of weeks, having a quality start in 4 of his last 6 starts.
      It hasn't been all Jimenez' fault as the Rockies have been struggling to score runs for him. They had scored 5 runs in the last 19 innings Ubaldo had pitched on the road.
     He missed some time in Spring Training with leg muscle problems and later spent some time on the DL with a cut cuticle. There were rumblings amongst the media of whether or not he was more hurt than the Rockies had led on.
     Jimenez spent the last couple of weeks looking over his starts from last season, comparing them to this season. Jimenez thought he looked like "a completely different pitcher." Him and Manager Jim Tracy have been working on his mechanics and it looks like he might just turn this thing around.
      I'm optimistic about Jimenez because he's been a fairly consistent pitcher when it comes to stats at season's end (under 4 era in all seasons he gets more than 15 starts). He usually goes through bad stretches and this was no different, he just didn't get the same run support he got in the past. If Jimenez is still available, it's time to get him now. He's turning it around. Hope an owner is frustrated with him and remembers the poor start.

Future Keeper of the Week: Hank Conger

     This week's F.K.O.W. is Angels' catcher Hank Conger. Conger impressed Angel's management with an impressive spring offensively. The 23 year old former first round draft pick's bat has never been in question (career .297 hitter in the minors). The question is will he ever get a chance to be the full time catcher. Manager Mike Scioscia, a former catcher, would be the perfect coach for Conger to learn under, especially with his track record of developing catchers. Conger is hitting .233 with 3 home runs and 12 RBI's in limited time this season.
     Scouts have wondered if he'll be good enough defensively and if he'll be able to call an efficient game. From everything I've read he has improved drastically since last season and should continue in his progression.
     It's rare to get a catcher who can hit. If he gets the chance to be an everyday catcher, he will put up solid numbers. Look for him to be the full time starter either this year or next year. If you can pick him up and stash him as a keeper, he'll pay dividends down the road. He will hit, but will he catch? Only time will tell Conger's future.

The Royals Have a New Closer

     After blowing two saves in the last two days, Royals’ closer Joakim Soria is being replaced by rookie Aaron Crow. Soria gave up the lead in the ninth inning to the Rangers on Saturday and then did it again against the Angels yesterday. It was his fifth blown save so far this season.
     
Soria himself admitted that it may be time for a change.

“Last night I asked for another chance and if I blew another save, I’d need a break, and that happened,” Soria said after Monday’s game.

     Soria’s replacement, rookie Aaron Crowe, has pitched well so far this season. He’s pitched 27 innings this year and has an ERA of 1.33. He also has 26 K’s, seven more than Soria. Crow is a popular pick-up in fantasy leagues, so grab him now before someone else does. As for Soria, I wouldn’t drop him quite yet. Remember, this is still the same guy who racked up 43 saves last year, and 42 in 2008. Wait and see how he does in his new role in the bullpen before abandoning him.

Bench Adam Dunn

     White Sox slugger Adam Dunn is currently in a deep slump. Since the season began, he's only hit 5 HR's while totaling a .181 batting average and a rather weak .331 slugging percentage. Dunn's power numbers are way down from last season. At the end of May in 2010, he had already hit 10 HR's and racked up a .616 SLG. He's been doing so poorly at the plate, that manager Ozzie Guillen has dropped Dunn to seventh in the batting order.
     The most concerning stat of all may be Dunn's strikeout total.  We all know that many power hitters tend to rack up punch outs with their long balls, but Dunn is on pace to strikeout 203 times this year! That would be a career high. He's also on pace for a less than impressive 15 HR's, another potential career worst.
     Dunn may improve as the season progresses. His career numbers show that his strikeouts tend to decrease after the all-star break, but so do his home runs. My advice would be to bench Dunn and see if he breaks out of this intense slump. You have nothing to lose by starting someone like Nationals' OF Michael Morse in his place, who has 1B eligibility. Morse has been hot in May, hitting .389 with 5 HR's, four of which he's belted in the last week.

Lohse is a Keeper

     Cardinals starting pitcher Kyle Lohse is having a breakout season that fantasy owners have never seen. His six wins and 2.06 ERA have him on pace to set career bests. If he keeps it up, he'll rack up 19 wins and could be regarded as one of the top fantasy pitchers of 2011.
     Many fantasy owners want to know if Lohse will continue his hot start. History would say no. Over the past 3 seasons, Lohse has only won a combined 9 games and his ERA is above 5 after the All-star break.
     Although Lohse has struggled in the past as the season progresses, this year seems different. Lohse leads all Cardinals' pitchers in innings pitched and may be their best starting pitcher. He's second only to Jaime Garcia in ERA and he currently holds the lowest WHIP among the rotation. He's also fresh off of back-to-back 8 inning outings, both of which contributed to his win total. His last loss was May 7th and even then Lohse only gave up 1 ER in 8 innings of work. Lohse may be someone to hold onto for the future in keeper leagues.

Is the Giambino Back?

     Jason Giambi is perhaps the hottest hitter in the National League right now. He hit five home runs in six games this month, including a three homer night on May 19th against the Phillies. He also drove in nine runs during that six game span. Giambi attributes his hot hitting to his new upright batting stance that Rockies' head coach Jim Tracy developed for the 40 year-old slugger.

  

“It helps me get a lot more leverage, it helps me be a lot quicker to the ball,” Giambi said of his new stance. “Like a top spins faster when it’s straight up and down instead of sideways. It definitely helped speed up my bat a little bit. They were kind of jamming me a lot earlier. I just couldn’t get through because I was bent over.”

     The big question still remains: Is the Giambino back? He's already matched his home run total for all of last season and Coors Field is a very hitter-friendly park. However, Giambi will still have to compete for playing time with Colorado's favorite, Todd Helton. Helton is hitting .309 with 6 HR's and 22 RBI's so far this season, more bad news for Giambi. However, Giambi could be a great power addition to your fantasy lineup if you have the ability to adjust your roster every day. Watch for Giambi's name in the Rockies' starting lineup and start him if he's playing. The move could impact your team's power numbers drastically.

Posey May Be Out for the Season

Buster Posey is out 6-8 weeks, and possibly longer, after a collision with Marlins' outfielder Scott Cousins Wednesday night. According to the San Francisco Chronicle and Giants' head trainer Dave Groeschner, Posey has a broken fibula and torn ligaments in his left ankle. Three MRI's were also taken to determine any further damage to the 2010 NL Rookie of the Year.

"The fracture will be fine," Groeschner told the Chronicle. "The ankle injury is most concerning to us."

Posey will require surgery, which will take two months to recover from. If any further injuries are found, Posey could miss the entire season. As a fantasy owner, Posey is far too valuable to simply drop because of this injury. Wait to see how severe his injuries are before doing anything drastic. Ramon Hernandez will be a solid fill-in. Hernandez doesn't play every day, but he's reliable when he gets his starts. So far he's hitting .327 with a .558 SLG, 15 RBI's and 6 HR's (more than Posey had this season). He's owned in 32% of Yahoo! leagues.

Disappointing News for Jason Heyward

     Braves Outfielder Jason Heyward was placed on the 15-day disabled list because of soreness in his right shoulder. The shoulder has been bothering Heyward since spring training and the Braves optioned to have it examined last week. An MRI revealed rotator-cuff inflammation and Heyward received a cortisone shot to help ease the pain. He has periodically missed starts over the course of the last week and the Braves finally optioned to put him on the DL on Sunday.
     Heyward has underachieved so far this season, hitting a measly .214 with 14 RBI's. The injury is tough to swallow for fantasy owners who had high hopes for Heyward in his second major league season. My advice is to wait until Heyward returns to the lineup and see if you can use his name to steal a quality outfielder like Mike Stanton. If you need to replace Heyward in your lineup, look to pick up someone like Ryan Ludwick who will put up similar power numbers.
 

Is Charlie Morton For Real?

     Pirates starting pitcher Charlie Morton is probably a name you've never heard before. That may be because Morton has a career ERA of 5.38. He's also accumulated only 16 wins in his career. However, this season, Morton seems to have found his rhythm. He's 5-1 with a stunning 2.62 ERA and a 1.31 WHIP. 
     Starting pitching can be very fickle, so the question remains: Is Charlie Morton for real? His career stats say no, but this season's stats scream sleeper. He won three games in April and has won all three of his decisions in May. He's also fresh off a complete game five hit shutout. The best news of all is that Morton is available in 79% of Yahoo! leagues. Get him now while he's hot and reevaluate him around the all-star break.

Future Keeper of the Week: Lonnie Chisenhall

    This week's "Future Keeper of the Week" is third baseman from the Cleveland Indians organization, Lonnie Chisenhall. The 22 year old was the 25th ranked prospect according to Baseball America and the second ranked third baseman on that list (first being Mike Moustakas).
     Third base is a premium position offensively and usually takes a little while to learn. Chinsehall is no exception to that rule. He was a shortstop when the Indians drafted him in the first round of the 2008 MLB draft. He has since had had a few growing pains defensively and literally (right shoulder injury last season). He showed good power last season in AA Akron hitting .278 17 HR 84 RBI in 460 at bats.

     Chisnehall doesn't wow the scouts with any of his tools but is above average in every faze of the game. I see him being a .300 guy who gets about 25 home runs a year. He has been often compared to his mentor and 5 time All-Star Travis Fryman.

    The only thing stopping him from being called up is his defense which is much improved from last season. Upon Indian reports he'll come up around the All-Star break. The Indians don't have any road blocks keeping him in the minors. Look for him to have a long leash once brought up, the Indians will give him every chance to be their guy of the future.

Two Rangers Return

     Two important pieces to the Texas Rangers lineup will return from injury in the next few days, according to Tom Wills of MLB.com. Josh Hamilton, coming back from a right shoulder injury,will be back in the lineup Monday and Nelson Cruz, coming back from a strained right quad, will be back Friday. 
    Hamilton will be on rehab assignment for the next four days, playing one game for Frisco and three for Round Rock, the Ranger's Triple-A affiliate. If all goes well he'll return at home against the White Sox next week If you remember Hamilton's shoulder injury stirred up some controversy when he threw his third base coach, Dave Anderson, under the bus disagreeing with Anderson's decision to send Hamilton home on an infield pop-up. 
     Cruz will play in one more game in Frisco Thursday and join the Rangers in Philadelphia on Friday. He was a huge source of power early on, hitting a home run in the first four games of the season, but cooled off since with just 3 since and a .219 batting average.

Another Third Baseman Goes Down

     According to ESPN's Amy K. Nelson via Twitter David Wright will be out about 10 days with a stress fracture on his lower back. He will not go on the DL as of now and is getting a second opinion tomorrow. It confused me as to why the Mets wouldn't put Wright on the DL and stay on the cautious side as he will start "baseball activities" after the ten days, according to Mets General Manager Sandy Alderson. This info coming when a lot of lineups have already been set is unfortunate. If you're in a league that has a bench and allows lineups to be set until the first game is played on Monday then act now. Owners who don't have a bench will now have to bite-the-bullet and deal with a hole in the lineup. As we said about Chippers Jones, try to pick up an Alberto Callaspo, if other owners read the info and already picked him up, try Scott Rolen who just got back from an injury of his own but is a solid veteran option.

Chipper Jones has a Torn Meniscus

     Chipper Jones sat out Sunday's game against the Phillies after an MRI revealed a small meniscus tear in his right knee. The Braves third baseman took batting practice before Sunday's game and felt pain in his knee after only a couple of swings. Chipper suffered a torn ligament in his left knee last season that almost ended his career. Jones hasn't had any issues with his surgically repaired left knee, but he did sit out a game on April 23rd because of soreness in his right knee.
     Any time fantasy owners hear the words "Chipper Jones" and "knee injury" in the same sentence, they begin to sweat. Don't panic yet. Chipper received a knee injection and if the soreness doesn't get better, he will undergo arthroscopic knee surgery. Again, surgery may sound scary, but it will only cost Jones two weeks in the Braves lineup. Don't abandon the 39 year old yet. He's batting .275 and is on pace for over 100 RBI's this season. He's still a solid starting third baseman. Continue to monitor his knee to see if he needs surgery. Look to pick up a good RBI third baseman or utility man like Alberto Callaspo to replace Chipper if the surgery sidelines him for two weeks. Callaspo is available in 72% of Yahoo! leagues.

Weather Impacting Lineups

     There was a ton of nasty weather over the weekend that postponed some games and impacted many fantasy lineups. I told you Josh Tomlin would be a good play for starting pitcher this week. It held true with a quality start against Tampa Bay on Tuesday but he had his game cancelled Sunday. He will now pitch Monday instead and become another two start pitcher (@ Royals and home against the Reds) . Pick him up, he's been one of the more steady pitchers this year. 
     The weather also pushed back Carlos Zambrano's start and he will also start Monday. Zambrano has quietly had a solid year. I'm not in love with his match ups ( Road games against Reds and Red Sox). Get him if Tomlin isn't available.

Two-Start Pitchers: May 16-22

     As we did last week, here are three two-start pitchers to pick up for the week. It's based on match ups, recent success, and past success vs. teams. Our main criteria is that they aren't owned in more than half of the ESPN.com leagues. 
     The AL West teams have favorable match ups this week so if you don't agree with my pitchers, look for advantages there. As always if you're not sure who to get, look to see who's pitching against either the Mariners or Athletics. I'm not sure who's offense is worse.

Joel Pineiro- He'll play in Oakland and at home against Atlanta. I'm not in love with the Atlanta match up but he is at home. I love that he's playing in Oakland Coliseum against an awful Athletics offense. On top of that, he's posted very good numbers in the three starts he's had since be activated from the DL (2-0, 1.33 ERA). 


Homer Bailey- Here's another guy who hasn't been noticed much with back-to-back quality starts since being activated from the DL. Both start were against the Astros, but Bailey showed good promise last season on a late August call-up. He'll be pitching at home against the Cubs and on the road against the Indians. Both are average offenses regardless of the Indians hot start.


Scott Baker- Baker got roughed up his last start at home against the Tigers going 4 1/3 innings 5 earned runs but before that was pitching like the ace the Twins have been looking for (4 quality starts in a row). I think the last outing was just a bump in the road and will rebound nicely this week going against both Seattle and Arizona on the road. 

Ace Throws off Mound

      Perennial ace and two-time Cy Young award winner Johan Santana threw off the mound Friday, according to ESPNNewYork.com's Adam Rubin. It was the first time Santana has thrown off the mound since having surgery September 14th last season to repair a torn anterior capsule on his left shoulder. This is positive news for the few of you that have Santana on your DL but he's still about a month and a half from returning. Santana is a guy who if healthy is a fantasy ace and a top ten Starting Pitcher. I just fear that he is one setback away from being out for the season. Chien-Ming Wang is the recent pitcher of memory who underwent a similar surgery and has been out for two seasons. Monitor Santana's rehab, he could be a steal for the second half of the season.

Jair Jurrjens is Back

     Braves starting pitcher Jair Jurrjens has been more than impressive so far this season. He’s 4-0 with a 1.50 ERA. Jurrjens had major health concerns coming into this season. He missed the playoffs last season because of a meniscus tear he suffered in September. So far, he’s been the ace of the Braves’ staff.
     The thing that is most impressive as a fantasy owner is that Jurrjens had a terrible April last season. He was 0-3 with an ERA above 6. This season, Jurrjens has defeated pitchers Mike Pelfrey, Aaron Harang (who is 5-2 this season), Yovani Gallardo and, most recently, Cole Hamels. Injury concerns will always be there for Jurrjens, but so far, he shows no signs of knee problems. If you own a big name pitcher like Clay Buchholz, moving him for Jurrjens will be more than beneficial to your fantasy roster.

Fantasy Keeper of the Week: Eric Hosmer

     One of the most highly touted prospects in the league has been brought up from Omaha to Kansas City as first baseman Eric Hosmer will get a shot at being an everyday player for the Royals. Hosmer has absolutely lit up the minors posting a .439 batting average with 3 steals and home runs. As you can see from past posts, this may not mean anything ( Who remembers me rave about Brandon Belt?).
      Hosmer is a polished hitter who has gap power and will develop a power stroke for the near future as he matures. How near is this future though? I wouldn't buy too much stock into this guy unless you're in a keeper league. In that case hold onto him. He may be a great player. Look for a fast start as most pitchers don't know his strengths or weaknesses.
     Upon reading a scouting report on him, he seems to struggle with the inside fastball and turning on the inside pitch. Not being able to hit the inside pitch will hurt power. It's still left to see if he will be Mark Texiera or Ben Broussard. I don't think he's a guy you should immediately take, especially at the first base position. Let another owner buy into the hype and struggle with him. Young players are usually hard to predict.

Two Start Pitchers This Week

Here are some of the two-star pitchers coming up this week. Remember innings and strikeouts are categories that you can win without having the Halladays or Lincecums on your roster. I decided to give you 3 guys (In no particular order) that are on most league's waivers (50 %) to use for this week only.

Josh Tomlin- Tomlin has been a nice surprise for the equally surprising Cleveland Indians. He's had a quality start every start thus far.  His only loss was in a pitching battle vs. Trevor Cahill in which he went 7.2 innings and 2 runs. He wont put up huge strikeouts numbers but will be average across the board. It help that he plays an inconsistent Rays offense and a non-existent Mariners offense.

Kevin Correia-  Had a poor 2010 with a 5.40 era coming after a breakout 2009 in which he had a 3.91 era. He's been quietly consistent for the Pirates with a quality start in three of his last four starts. Like Tomlin he wont put up huge strikeout numbers. Correia will play at home against the Dodgers and on the road against the Brewers. He doesn't have the best match ups but has been pitching well.

Jason Hammel- Hammel has gotten better in every start this season and is coming off a 7 inning 0 runs against Arizona Thursday. Hammel has put up a 2.63 era and has been a big part of the Rockies early success. He will pitch at home against the Mets and Padres and will be a nice option for the week.

Jeter's Career is Dying

     Derek Jeter was not in Yankee’s lineup for Thursday night’s game against the Tigers. Manager Joe Girardi says that Jeter wasn’t benched because of his sore hip, but was taken out of the lineup because he simply needed some rest. Jeter reportedly shook his head in disgust when he didn’t see his name in the batting order.
     There’s no doubt that Jeter will be back in the lineup and that he will retain his job as the Yankee’s shortstop throughout the 2011 season. However, Jeter has struggled greatly this season, hitting only .250 with 0 homers. We may be witnessing the slow, painful death of Jeter’s baseball career. As a fantasy owner, Jeter’s major lack of production and sore hip issues worry me. He’s easily replaceable with a young player though. Darwin Barney of the Chicago Cubs (who is available as a 2B and SS) was named National League Rookie of the Month for April and is owned in only 39% of Yahoo! leagues. He’s a great replacement for Jeter, especially in a keeper league.

Time to Drop Carlos Lee?

     We have more bad news for Carlos Lee owners. Lee was forced to leave last Sunday's game after colliding with shortstop Angel Sanchez going for a shallow fly ball. Lee was lying on the ground writhing in pain for several minutes with a supposed rib-injury. It doesn't look like he'll be put on the DL which means he's probably hurting many owners out there burning a hole in their lineups.
     The injury doesn't exactly come at a time when he's putting up numbers. Lee is hitting just over the Mendoza Line and has put up average home run numbers. I would usually tell you it's way too early to drop over one bad month but this comes after a career low batting average last year (.246). On top of that, his RBI and HR numbers have been trending down the last three years. You can hang on hope that he's just going through the motions on a bad team and wait for a trade but that would be a mistake. There are plenty of Outfielders out there that can give you better production. Don't keep him based on his name, he's no longer a top hitter.

Liriano's No-Hitter is No Gem

     Francisco Liriano tossed the first no-hitter of 2011 last night against the Chicago White Sox. A no-hitter is always an incredible feat, but it seems like an even bigger accomplishment for Liriano. Liriano has struggled so far this season with a 2-4 record, 6.61 ERA and a 20/24 strikeout-to-walk ratio. There was talk that Twins' manager Ron Gardenhire would move Liriano from the starting rotation to the bullpen.
     Although Liriano's no-no may have saved his spot in the rotation, don't expect the same kind of performance the rest of the season. Let's take a closer look at the game. Last night's no-hitter was the first complete game of Liriano's career. Although Liriano gave up no hits, he still walked six and only struck out two hitters. His defense saved him with several great throws, including three double plays. His strikeouts are down and his walks are up from last season. The no-hitter has put Liriano's value at its peak. Look to take advantage of any gullible fantasy owner in your league willing to give up a quality player for Liriano.