Author: Andy Behrens

OK, so it’s probably not fair to Tim Lincecum(notes) that we won’t allow him to have a rough outing, ever. But he’s a back-to-back Cy Young Award winner, and we tend to hold those guys to high standards. 

Lincecum has tied his career high in walks (5) in each of his past three starts, and he hasn’t pitched beyond the fifth inning in his last two. He allowed six hits, six runs and four stolen bases in Wednesday’s loss to Washington. His average fastball this season is just 91.3 mph, three ticks below the velocity readings we’re accustomed to.

The locals are concerned enough to write headlines like this:

What the heck is wrong with Tim Lincecum?

If they’re asking the question, then perhaps the fantasy community should consider the issue, too. Before Lincecum’s start on Wednesday, a CSN Bay Area report suggested that he was dealing with a blister on his pitching hand. Lincecum and his manager both denied the report, but the hand itself was unavailable for comment…

Everyone wants answers on Lincecum. A blister would be an easy one, but he and Bochy both pooh-poohed a pregame television report that the pitcher was fighting a blister. But even as Lincecum was denying it was an issue, he kept his hands in his jacket pockets.

In fact, all recaps of the Giants’ loss seemed to mention the fact that his hands were hidden from view. Andrew Baggarly of the Mercury News suspects that Lincecum may not have a blister, but a recurrence of another issue:

Back in spring training, Lincecum had a cracked nail on the middle finger of his pitching hand. He even let me snap a picture of it and send it as a joke to a college buddy of mine, who was thinking of drafting Lincecum on his fantasy team. (Note to geeks, and you know who you are: This is not a public service I provide at large.)

At the time, the nail problem wasn’t serious and didn’t look too ugly. But perhaps Lincecum is dealing with the cracked nail issue again. I can’t tell you for sure, because Lincecum had both hands very conspicuously buried in the pockets of his sweatshirt while he conducted his postgame interview.

But maybe he’s not really hiding anything. Maybe he was cold. Or maybe he has plush, inviting pockets. Or maybe he’s sick of having reporters photograph his hands. Dunno.

There’s no denying that Lincecum had control problems on Wednesday, whatever the reason. As Baggarly notes, Lincecum threw only two of 14 curveballs for strikes, and one of the stray curves hit a batter. He also struggled with command of his fastball. In the early innings the heater was 92-94 mph according to Gameday, but Lincecum dialed it down in the fourth and fifth (89-91), presumably in an effort to locate. Nothing really worked. He continued his season-long inability to prevent steals, too, as the Nats were 4-for-4 on stolen base attempts. Lincecum now leads all National League pitchers in steals-allowed (12-for-12) — no simple feat for someone who doesn’t generally allow many baserunners.

Manager Bruce Bochy had a closed-door meeting with his ace on Thursday morning, and his subsequent comments suggest that he’s more concerned about Lincecum’s focus than his health. Here are a few highlights:

"Basically, he’s fine [physically]. Like everybody in this game you’re going to have your hiccups. And Timmy, he’s a little hard on himself, I think, at times. A little frustrated. This guy has set the bar so high that he’s tough on himself when he doesn’t pitch like he’s accustomed to. … [Lincecum] has the ability to do a good job of holding onto runners, vary his
looks, sidestep and things like that. That got away from him. Got a little out of focus I think with runners on. That’s going to happen at times and as a pitcher, you learn from it. …

"There were times when he was working on his command out there, so he was trying to get the ball where he wanted it instead of letting it go. … Timmy, he’s got plenty of fastball. He was at 92 there. That’s kind of been his comfort, 91-92, which is a good fastball. What you don’t want to do is get caught in velocity, where you’re trying to add, and you lose command. I certainly don’t want him doing that. … Some of us — myself — were average players. We’re used to dealing with, you know, tough outings or at-bats, things like that. But you set the bar so high, it’s a little tougher for him, I think."

Well, that ended up being a huge block of text. Sorry. You can’t be expected to read a thing like that. I’ll tighten it up for you:

• Lincecum is apparently not hurt, might have hiccups.

• He’s paying no attention to baserunners, a problem when you walk five batters and hit another.

• His fastball is an easy 91-92 mph and he leads the league in Ks, so back off.

• Bochy thinks of himself as an average player, which is kind of a slap in the face to players who were actually league-average.

There’s no reason for serious concern here. You’ll recall that Lincecum had a miserable spring (0-2, 6.94 ERA) — which panicked a few of you — then won his first four regular season games in his usual dominant fashion (1.00 ERA, 10.7 K/9). His next start is on Monday against Ubaldo Jimenez(notes), in the must-watch pitching matchup of the year. Be there.

As MLB.com’s Chris Haft reminds us, no active pitcher has been more dominant than Lincecum through his first 100 games. But if you’re worried about the velocity thing (which could be a non-thing), I’ll happily take the Freak off your hands. I’m prepared to spend the rest of my day in trade negotiations…

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Photo via US Presswire

According to Yahoo!’s Tim Brown, a "source close to Stephen Strasburg(notes)" has indicated that the 21-year-old will likely make his major league debut on June 8 against the Pirates.

If accurate, this means that Strasburg will be in line to face the following opponents prior to the All-Star break: Pittsburgh, Cleveland, ChiSox, Baltimore, Atlanta, San Diego and San Francisco.

So, um … wow. It’s tough to imagine a sequence of weaker lineups. Those teams currently rank 29th, 26th, 22nd, 27th, 15th, 23rd and 24th in the majors in runs-scored. The Nationals have set up Strasburg for the smoothest possible transition from Triple-A, where he’s been utterly dominant (3-0, 0.39 ERA, 0.56 WHIP, 27 Ks in 23.1 IP).

Brown’s tweet confirms an earlier filing from MLB.com’s Bill Ladson, suggesting that Strasburg will, in fact, make his first regular season appearance in the Pittsburgh series. The phenom’s future teammates are understandably excited:

Nationals players were ecstatic to hear the news about the
possibility of Strasburg making his Major League debut against
Pittsburgh.

Center fielder Nyjer Morgan(notes), who nicknamed Strasburg "Jesus" after
watching him pitch during Spring Training, said Strasburg will make an
impact on the team.

"This kid is a monster. He is a special breed," Morgan said. "I’m fired
up that he will face my former team. I just want to see him pitch really
good against them. He is going to bring an energy that we haven’t had
before here. It’s something I’m looking forward to."

No word on whether Morgan has also nicknamed Jesus Flores(notes) "Steve," but let’s hope he has.

Pitching call-ups are always risky, but it’s tough to imagine Strasburg scuffling, given the Nats’ unusually friendly schedule. We’ll remind you again to clear your calendar for his debut. There will be a live-blog, and possibly a raffle. (Sorry, no Superfractors).

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Photo via AP Images

Brewers manager Ken Macha is apparently ready to restore Trevor Hoffman’s(notes) ninth inning privileges, which will allow the Hoff to continue his agonizing historic march toward career save No. 600. What a thrilling time this must be for Milwaukee fans!

On Wednesday, Hoffman pitched a scoreless seventh inning in the Brewers’ 5-0 loss to the Astros. He allowed a single to Hunter Pence(notes) and a walk to the Big Puma, but managed to escape with his dignity. He did not record a strikeout. 

These were Macha’s postgame comments, via the Journal Sentinel:

Manager Ken Macha said Tuesday he might give Hoffman one more outing
before moving him back to ninth-inning duty. But after the game tonight,
Macha was non-committal about that situation.

"That is two good outings in a row," said Macha. "I’ll talk to him
tomorrow and see how he feels about himself."

It seems pretty unlikely that Hoffman will say to his manager, "I’m cooked. I’m 42. Maybe you should give Danny Kolb a call." Hoffman is clearly back in the saves mix.

Don’t launch Carlos Villanueva(notes) just yet, though, if you have room on the roster. Let’s give the Hoff a chance to re-lose the closing gig. He’s allowed runs in eight of his 15 appearances so far this year, and Wednesday’s effort was hardly a vintage performance. Nothing is settled yet in the Milwaukee ‘pen.

By the end of the season, Hoffman blog posts will likely outnumber Hoffman saves by a wide margin. The current Vegas line is blog -7.

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Photo via US Presswire

Brad Lidge(notes) is once again slouching from the shadows, threatening to blow saves for the Phillies. Lidge has told reporters that he hopes to return from the DL in time for next week’s series at Atlanta.

After receiving a cortisone shot in his surgically repaired right elbow on May 17, Lidge is apparently feeling much better. He threw a 25-pitch bullpen session on Tuesday, and another is scheduled for Thursday. If all goes well, Lidge may make an appearance at Single-A over the weekend — so far this year, he’s actually pitched more innings for Clearwater (4.2) than for Philadelphia (3.1). 

And after the short rehab stint, he’ll presumably want his old job back.

But is there even a remote possibility that Lidge can pitch as brilliantly as interim closer Jose Contreras(notes) has to this point in the season? (OK, maybe there is, seeing as how no reasonable person thought Contreras himself could ever pitch this well). Jose has allowed just eight hits and one run over 14.1 innings, while striking out 20 batters and earning two saves. As we’ve mentioned before, the move to the ‘pen has allowed Contreras to throw harder than ever. He’s been ridiculously good. No one — except for a few thousand Lidge owners — wants to see him leave the ninth inning. 

Thankfully, Charlie Manuel won’t reassign Contreras to a lesser role right away. This from the Philadelphia Daily News:

Manager Charlie Manuel said his decision-making in tight games will depend largely on how Lidge performs after he recovers. But he also has said repeatedly he thinks the 38-year-old Contreras, who entered the season as a full-time reliever for the first time in this, his eighth season, has the potential to be a successful closer.

"We’re trying to build him up where he can go at least 3 or 4 days in a row," Manuel said. "That’s a process, but stuff-wise, what he’s done so far, he’s been very good, and he’s got the talent to pitch at the end of the game and to be a closer."

Now that Alfredo Simon(notes) is on the DL for Baltimore and Carlos Villanueva(notes) is losing his tenuous grip on the ninth in Milwaukee, Contreras is the last of the SP-eligible closers. Stay strong, Jose. Lidge has a mysterious hold over Manuel, though, so he can never be written off. 

(And yes, we’re paid a little extra to write about the Phillies’ bullpen. That should be obvious by now).

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Photo via US Presswire

Sean Rodriguez(notes) entered the season atop everyone’s breakout list. Nobody generated as much spring buzz. Rodriguez hit .460 for Tampa Bay during Grapefruit League play with 13 extra-base hits in 63 at-bats. He led all players in runs-scored (20), and he finished second in both hits (29) and homers (6) this spring.

When he was selected in the late rounds of your fantasy draft, everybody paused to acknowledge the greatness of the pick. MLB Network’s Peter Gammons predicted that Rodriguez would be the A.L. Rookie of the Year, and it seemed like an easy call at the time. 

Then, of course, when the regular season began, Rodriguez was a mess. He went 1-for-4 with two strikeouts on opening day — and that’s when his batting average peaked. He’s now hitting .211 with just one home run in 71 at-bats. His strikeout percentage (42.3) is the second-worst in baseball. Right or wrong, Rodriguez carries the Quad-A label; he’s been an outstanding player in the high minors, but he can’t seem to produce in the big leagues.

On Monday, his season reached its low point. While wading in the water near his home, Rodriguez was stung by an actual ray. (The aquatic version. He was not stung by, say, Willy Aybar(notes)). Details here via the St. Petersburg Times:

Rodriguez was on the beach Monday morning behind his Redington Beach rental condo when he took his 2-year-old daughter, Sofia, a couple of feet into the water for a closer look at some dolphins.

A few steps (and a stingray shuffle or two) later, he saw something flash through the water and felt something on his right heel.

"I actually thought it was a catfish at first, that it grazed me. I didn’t think much of it," Rodriguez said. "And then I got out of the water, and I was like whoooaaaa."

I’m not aware of any other instance in which a professional athlete has been attacked by the real-life version of his team’s animal mascot. Did Ron LeFlore ever fight a live tiger? Can’t recall. But I believe the ray-versus-Ray thing is unique.

Paramedics treated the injury and Rodriguez is now fine. He struck out in a pinch-hit appearance against the Red Sox on Tuesday, so this apparently is not one of those scenarios where an unwitting human receives the proportionate powers of an animal, and is thus immediately awesome at everything.

Instead, this seems to be a simple statement made by the global community of
stingrays: they no longer wish to be associated with Sean Rodriguez.

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Photo via US Presswire

The following statement is not intended as an official piece of fantasy advice, and the author assumes no responsibility for transactions made as a result of its publication: Will Ohman(notes) is expected to get save opportunities for Baltimore while Alfredo Simon(notes) (hamstring), Koji Uehara(notes) (elbow) and Michael Gonzalez(notes) (shoulder) are sidelined.

MLB.com’s Brittany Ghiroli just issued a full briefing on the Orioles’ bullpen situation, and you’re encouraged to review it before making an add/drop. Ohman is a 32-year-old lefty specialist with a career WHIP of 1.59 against right-handed batters. Obviously he’s been terrific in 14.2 innings this season (0.00 ERA), pitching mostly in favorable match-ups. If you want him, he’s yours. Best of luck, speculators. I won’t race you to the free agent pool. 

Frank Mata will be promoted from Triple-A Norfolk, according to the Baltimore Sun. He’s pitched well as the Tides’ closer, going 2-1 with a 1.86 ERA, eight saves, and 14 Ks in 19.1 innings. Given the disastrous situation in Baltimore, he might sneak into the saves mix. Anyone could.

Ghiroli also suggests that David Hernandez(notes) may be bumped from the O’s starting rotation to the bullpen. If that were to happen, then presumably either Jake Arrieta(notes) or (more likely) Chris Tillman(notes) would be called up to start this weekend in Toronto. The Orioles begin June with nine games against the Yankees and Red Sox, so any investment in their pitching staff is loaded with short-term risk.

• In case you missed it, Kerry Wood(notes) converted a save against Cincinnati on Sunday, facing the bottom of the Reds’ order with a one-run lead. Chris Perez(notes) is still worth holding of course, given Wood’s injury issues and the potential for a pre-deadline trade. But it’s worth noting that the Tribe won’t have an easy time trading that contract ($10.5M in 2010, vesting option in 2011). 

• There are no easy answers with the Brewers’ bullpen. Trevor Hoffman(notes) has been mostly horrible this season, but he pitched a 1-2-3 eighth inning in his return from exile on Sunday. The Hoff may be required to make a few more proof-of-concept appearances in the middle innings before returning to closing duties. In the interim, Carlos Villanueva(notes) and John Axford(notes) should get the late, high-leverage situations. Villanueva offers SP-eligibility; Axford has a mid-90s fastball and a mid-1970s mustache (pictured right).

• Toronto closer Kevin Gregg(notes) has allowed four hits, four earned runs, one homer and four walks over his past two appearances, and he hasn’t struck anyone out since May 16. We shouldn’t elevate the threat level just yet, but it’s worth noting that Jason Frasor(notes) has been terrific this month (following a lousy April). Since the calendar flipped, Frasor has allowed just one run in 10.0 innings and while striking out nine batters and walking only two. Scott Downs(notes) has been excellent in the eighth inning role, per his usual. I’d feel much safer with Downs on my fantasy roster, though I’d give Frasor equal odds of someday taking over closing duties. The Jays just called up David Purcey(notes) to work in relief, so it’s not as if Downs is the only lefty in the ‘pen.

• Francisco Rodriguez reportedly got into a "heated exchange" on Sunday with his bullpen coach, Randy Niemann, over recent usage. K-Rod converted a five-out save against the Yankees on Saturday and a two-out save on Sunday. He’s on pace for 83.0 innings this season, which would be his highest total over the past six years. Unofficially, K-Rod might also lead the majors in bullpen warm-up sessions. 

• The Denver Post reports that Huston Street(notes) (groin, shoulder) will likely throw a bullpen session next week at Coors Field, and then he’ll resume his minor league rehab assignment. The Post offers a "mid-late June" return estimate. 

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Photo via Getty Images 

Earlier this year, Drew Stubbs(notes) seemed to be dealing from an endless deck of 0-for-5’s.

After back-to-back hitless games on May 4th and 5th, Stubbs’ batting average was .174 and his OPS was just .549. He was a wreck. The Reds mercifully dropped him from the leadoff spot; fantasy owners dropped him from their outfields.

But as Cincinnati’s No. 7 hitter, Stubbs has been excellent — in fact, he’s been exactly the player you thought you’d drafted back in March. Entering Monday, he was batting .283 with two homers and four steals when hitting in the bottom-third of the Reds’ lineup. He collected three more hits against the Pirates tonight, including a double and a homer (pictured), raising his average to .218.

Of course that’s still not a terribly impressive batting average, but it’s progress. We’re talking about a guy who hasn’t been north of .210 since April 12th. It may have helped that he faced Brian Burres(notes) and Jeff Karstens(notes) on Monday. 

No one ever promised you a batting crown with Stubbs — or even a .275 season — but as long as he clings to a spot in the Reds’ batting order, he’ll provide modest power and outstanding speed. He’s stolen 11 bags in 13 attempts so far this season. Use him as needed. Stubbs is just 12 percent owned in Yahoo! leagues.

• When Stephen Strasburg(notes) allows two runs in a minor league start — even when one is unearned and he strikes out a batter per inning — it’s a small disappointment. Facing Toledo on Monday, Strasburg went five innings and allowed five hits, one earned run, and no walks. He struck out five and took a no-decision in Syracuse’s 6-3 win, throwing just 52 pitches. (The Nats are taking few chances with his major league debut so close, perhaps June 4). Even if Strasburg didn’t have his best stuff against the Mud Hens, it still looked awfully good on the smallish MiLB.com media player. Toledo hitters were swinging at the first pitch whenever they could, with varying degrees of success. Nine games into his pro career, Strasburg is 6-1 with a 0.99 ERA and 54 Ks in 45.1 innings. And, no joke, if Steve Phillips were the Nationals’ GM, he would trade Strasburg for Roy Oswalt in a heartbeat. Get that man in your fantasy league if it’s at all possible.

• Victor Martinez(notes) took a foul ball off his left big toe early in Boston’s 6-1 win over Tampa, but X-rays were reportedly negative. The Boston Globe offers a few of the uglier details here; what you really need to know is that V-Mart’s toe is bad enough to sideline him for a day or two (or three), but it isn’t broken.

Clay Buchholz(notes) was excellent against the Rays, by the way, not that you can do anything with that information. He’s 58 percent-owned in Yahoo! leagues. Buchholz pitched his way out of jams in the first two innings, then basically cruised in a six-inning, one-run, eight-K performance. David Ortiz(notes) went deep against Wade Davis(notes), which we only mention because commenters get angry if we don’t. Highlight here via MLB.com.

• According to various sources, the Phillies are scouting White Sox closer Bobby Jenks(notes). Brad Lidge(notes) (elbow) is hoping to return from the DL early next week, but he’s not necessarily the answer to every bullpen problem. Jenks has had excellent velocity in his recent appearances (98 mph on Monday), and he’s thrown four consecutive scoreless innings. If he leaves town, the nearly unhittable Sergio Santos(notes) enters the saves discussion, along with Matt Thornton(notes). 

• Jason Donald(notes) nudged his batting average above the Stubbs Mendoza line with a 2-for-2 performance against the White Sox. Both of the hits were doubles, and he added a pair of walks. Donald should get a long look at shortstop while Asdrubal Cabrera(notes) is on the DL. He was hitting .277/.396/.423 with 10 steals at Triple-A Columbus before the emergency call-up. 

• Brett Cecil(notes) delivered another highly useful (if not quite dominant) effort on Monday, holding the Angels to two hits, two walks, and no runs in a 7.1 inning win. He struck out three. Cecil’s only rough outing this year was the eight-run disaster against the Rangers; his ERA is now 4.10 and his WHIP is 1.15. The lefty will get Baltimore at the end of the week, and that’s clearly a safe start.  Cecil is just 10 percent-owned. 

• Rays prospect Jeremy Hellickson(notes) owned the Pawtucket Red Sox in a Triple-A matchup on Monday, firing an eight-inning, one-hit gem. He retired the first 18 batters he faced before walking the leadoff hitter in the seventh. The 23-year-old Hellickson is now 7-2 with a 2.79 ERA and 60 Ks in 58.0 innings. He’s ready, whenever Tampa Bay happens to need him. 

Everybody hurts: Homer Bailey(notes) has landed on the DL due to inflammation in his amazing shoulder, though he doesn’t sound too happy about the transaction. He was replaced on Cincinnati’s roster by Enerio Del Rosario, a right-handed reliever who was off to a great start at Triple-A Louisville (1.46 ERA). Bailey’s next scheduled start (Friday) will go to either Travis Wood(notes), Matt Maloney(notes) or Sam LeCure (not Aroldis Chapman(notes)). The game happens to fall on Wood’s turn. We care about this situation, because the guy who gets the spot-start also gets the Astros. … Ivan Rodriguez(notes) hit the disabled list with a back strain, and he’ll be replaced by catchers you’d rather not add (Wil Nieves(notes), Carlos Maldonado(notes)). … The Cubs are giving Aramis Ramirez(notes) a few days off to recover from a bruised/sprained thumb, and they
hope he’ll use the time to remember how to hit. … Alfredo Simon(notes) (hamstring) and Koji Uehara(notes) (elbow) are both facing DL stints, so Frank Mata may earn a promotion from Norfolk. Mata has a 1.86 ERA and eight saves in 18 appearances at Triple-A, and he’s struck out 14 batters in 19.1 innings. The Baltimore Sun’s Jeff Zrebiec seems to like Will Ohman(notes) for saves in the short-term, but the O’s currently enjoy the freedom that comes with having nothing but ridiculous solutions to a big problem. Add Cla Meredith(notes) — or any of these guys, really — at your own risk.

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Photos via AP Images (Martinez) and US Presswire (Cecil)

At this point, we’ve probably said all that needs to be said about Stephen Strasburg(notes) (0.89 ERA), Mike Stanton(notes) (17 HR), and Carlos Santana(notes) (.994 OPS). Which is not to suggest we’ll stop talking about them. In fact, Strasburg is scheduled to start on Monday night against the Toledo Mud Hens, so there’s a fair chance he’ll pitch his way into Closing Time. But after 40.1 brilliant innings in the high minors, you shouldn’t need to be told that he’s pretty good.

We’ve also dedicated blog posts — or at least bullets — to Desmond Jennings(notes) (11 SB), Buster Posey(notes) (.327 AVG), Pedro Alvarez(notes) (10 HR), Jeremy Hellickson(notes) (55 Ks in 50 IP), Brett Wallace(notes) (.912 OPS), and Aroldis Chapman(notes) (48 Ks in 40.2 IP). These names should all be well-known if you play in a league where prospects matter. 

There are, of course, many other relevant fantasy prospects who find themselves just a level or two away from the majors. Our purpose today is to review a few of them. The names below are not ranked; if even one of them becomes a must-add fantasy commodity this season, that would be a minor miracle. (Bad pun. Just noticed. Not originally intended). No one is saying that these guys are going to win you a fantasy title, or even make your 2011 roster. But if you’re involved in a deep, competitive format — seriously deep, where players like Strasburg and Santana have been owned for months — then the players below should be on your radar. Dozens of others should, too, but today we’re focused on guys at Double and Triple-A who’ve been piling up numbers.  

(And yeah, even in a post that’s supposedly not going to involve Strasburg, we led with his picture, featured his name in the headline, then repeated it four times in the introduction. He’s a bit more clickable than, say, this dude…)

Jose Tabata(notes), Pit, OF
Alvarez is the Pirates prospect that we’re all waiting for, but this guy could arrive first and have a greater short-term fantasy impact. Acquired from the Yankees in the Xavier Nady(notes) deal, the 21-year-old Tabata currently leads the International League in stolen bases (19) and he’s hitting .320/.379/.426. There’s not much power here, unless you’re looking for doubles, but he’s a career .298 hitter in the minors and he can clearly run.

Mike Minor, Atl, SP
Another year, another excellent Braves pitching prospect. Ho-hum. This left-hander leads all minor leaguers in strikeouts, with 72 Ks in just 49.2 innings at Double-A Mississippi. Minor’s fantasy ratios aren’t overwhelming (3.44 ERA, 1.23 WHIP), but he’s had double-digit strikeout totals in three of his last five starts. His velocity has been better than expected, too (low to mid-90s). The former Vanderbilt star was the seventh overall pick in last year’s draft.

Mike Moustakas(notes), KC, 3B
After an underwhelming year in the Carolina League (16 HR, 10 SB, .250 AVG), Moustakas has decisively reclaimed his elite prospect status in Double-A at age 21. He leads the Texas League in all the Triple Crown categories (12-40-.395), and his .816 slugging percentage is the best in the minors, topping even Stanton (.735). If Moustakas can maintain anything close to his current pace, this is a guy we’ll be desperate to see next June.

Andrew Cashner(notes), ChC, SP
The hard-throwing right-hander was excellent at Double-A early in the year (2.75 ERA, 10.5 K/9), and he’s been unbeatable since making the leap to Triple-A. In three starts for Iowa, he’s 3-0 with a 0.95 ERA, 0.79 WHIP and 14 Ks in 19.0 innings. The Cubs can’t seem to figure out how to squeeze the organization’s most expensive pitcher into the starting rotation right now (Carlos Zambrano(notes)), so there’s obviously no room for Cashner at the moment. He could have been useful in a relief role, but now that Bob Howry(notes) is on board, the ‘pen is loaded. (Yes, that’s a joke).  

Travis Wood(notes), Cin, SP
You might recall that it was Wood — not Aroldis Chapman — who finished as the runner-up to Mike Leake(notes) for the Reds’ fifth starter gig back in the spring. The 23-year-old lefty has pitched a couple of messy outings for Triple-A Louisville, but in his last two appearances he’s allowed only six hits over 14 innings, and he’s struck out 16. Wood now has 57 Ks in 56.1 innings; he’ll be an option if Homer Bailey(notes) (shoulder) hits the DL. 

Domonic Brown(notes), Phi, OF
There’s not exactly a clear path to the big leagues this year, but we should see Brown in 2011. He’s been terrific at Double-A Reading, delivering seven homers and seven steals while hitting .311/.387/.582. Brown was excellent at three minor league stops in ’09, too: 14 HR, 23 SB, .299 AVG, .880 OPS. This spring, he hit a bomb off Justin Verlander(notes) that still hasn’t landed. (Video here). 

Daniel Hudson(notes), ChW, SP
If the White Sox become deadline sellers (possible) and/or Freddy Garcia(notes) continues to struggle (certain), then Hudson will eventually make his way back to Chicago. His most recent start for Triple-A Charlotte was an eight-inning, three-hit, 11-K shutout. Hudson has 59 strikeouts in 48.1 innings this year. His ERA isn’t pretty (4.47), but most of the ugliness occurred in a disastrous one-inning effort at Colorado Springs (8 H, 9 ER, 2 HR). Since that game, he’s given up only seven runs in 32.0 innings while striking out 41 batters and walking just six. 

Lance Lynn(notes), StL, SP
The 23-year-old righty is on a nice roll at Triple-A Memphis, having limited opponents to one ER or less in five of his last seven starts. On Saturday, Lynn held Sacramento to three hits and no runs over eight innings, striking out nine. He went 11-4 last season across three levels (mostly Double-A), with a 2.85 ERA and 124 Ks in 148.2 innings. He’s allowed only seven homers in 200.1 IP over the past two years. With Kyle Lohse(notes) and Brad Penny(notes) both dealing with injuries, Lynn could sneak into the starting mix earlier than expected. 

Derrick Robinson, KC, OF
If you’re looking for future speed, this is your guy. He’s one of the fastest men in professional baseball anything. The 22-year-old has already swiped 25 bags for Northwest Arkansas this season, and he’s batting .310/.407/.406. (That slash line is a massive improvement over last year’s .239/.290/.324 at Single-A, and he’s drawing walks at a much better rate). Robinson stole 62 bases in the Carolina League in 2008 and 69 in ’09. 

Tanner Scheppers(notes), Tex, RP
Scheppers could be a useful middle reliever in the not-so-distant future. He’s posted an ERA of 1.29 this year in 11 appearances at Double and Triple-A, and he’s struck out 34 batters while allowing only 11 hits in 21.0 innings. When the Rangers’ overworked bullpen needs help, Scheppers is just a level away.

Madison Bumgarner(notes), SF, SP
After rediscovering some lost velocity and enhancing his arsenal, the 20-year-old lefty has been outstanding. He hasn’t yielded more than two runs in any of his last seven Triple-A starts, dating back to April 19. Bumgarner began the season with a pair of ugly stat-lines, but lately he’s been extremely effective, though not quite the K-machine we saw in ’08 

Simon Castro, SD, SP
If he were with another organization, maybe this 22-year-old right-hander would receive more attention. Castro is 6-foot-5, he throws in the mid to high-90s, and he K’d 157 batters in 140.1 innings in the Midwest League last season. Now at Double-A, he’s posted a 1.75 ERA and 0.96 WHIP in 51.1 innings.

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Photos via US Presswire

OK, it’s possible that the line in the Brewers’ bullpen still forms behind Trevor Hoffman(notes), not Carlos Villanueva(notes). But the all-time saves leader currently has an ERA of 13.15, and he’s been temporarily banned from pitching until he corrects mechanical flaws that he won’t acknowledge.

With Hoffman exiled, Villanueva has served as the interim closer. He converted a save on Thursday, though he went 3-0 to the first batter he faced, then drilled the second. On Saturday, Villanueva blew a save chance against the Twins after his team had rallied for five runs in the ninth. His final stat wasn’t as messy as it could have been — 2.0 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K — but he certainly hasn’t put a stranglehold on the Milwaukee closing gig.

If Hoffman can’t correct whatever it is that’s wrong, the door could be open for John Axford(notes), a hard-throwing right-hander who’s handled the eighth inning in recent days. Axford has allowed just one hit in five innings so far for the Brewers, and he’s struck out seven.

Here’s some recent propaganda via the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

After watching too many games get away in the late going, the Brewers called up Axford from Class AAA Nashville last weekend. Unlike most of Milwaukee’s pitchers, the lanky right-hander can throw hard, getting his fastball into the mid-90s with regularity.

[…]

"I was driving home last night and I said, ‘We’ve got to get Axford in a game,’" said [Ken] Macha, who lives in the area. "He’s got a little reputation for not throwing a whole lot of strikes, but with the few innings he’s had here, it was time to get him in there.

"He pitched two great innings for us. He had an overpowering fastball and pretty good command of his breaking stuff."

The 27-year-old Axford had a 2.02 ERA and 19 Ks in 13.0 innings at Triple-A before the call-up. He’s less than one percent-owned in Yahoo! leagues at the moment, but he should clearly be on the radar for those chasing saves.

Lefty Zach Braddock(notes) was also promoted from Nashville prior to Sunday’s game at Minnesota. He has 28 Ks and a 1.19 WHIP in 16.0 innings at Triple-A this year. In 40.1 innings across two levels in 2009, Braddock delivered 62 strikeouts and only seven walks while posting remarkable ratios (1.79 ERA, 0.87 WHIP). Keep an eye on his debut, too. 

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Photo via AP Images

Let’s play choose your own adventure, MLB-style.

Here’s the situation: There are two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning, your team has a four-run lead, the greatest hitter who ever lived is at the plate, a pitcher with a 4.44 career ERA is on the mound, and there’s a runner at first base. And let’s just say, hypothetically, that the baserunner is 0-for-2 on steal attempts this season and 16-for-30 lifetime.

The St. Louis Cardinals found themselves in precisely that situation on Friday. Albert Pujols(notes) was facing Angels reliever Jason Bulger(notes) while Ryan Ludwick(notes) stood on first. That’s obviously a terrific setup for Pujols, the reigning National League MVP.

But on Bulger’s first pitch, Ludwick took off for second — and he was thrown out by a mile. (Or if not literally a mile, then a significant percentage of a mile. It wasn’t close). The inning thus ended, and Pujols was denied a chance to extend the Cardinals lead. He was not pleased.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch offers these details:

Pujols flipped his bat and helmet as he returned to the dugout then smacked two trays of gum from a bench against the Cardinals dugout wall.

La Russa reprimanded Pujols, saying, "That’s enough."

Pujols responded and, according to eyewitnesses, the exchange escalated with La Russa telling Pujols at one point, "I [expletive] know how to manage."

No one can dispute that La Russa knows how to manage, obviously. He’s won five pennants and two World Series titles. But that’s just a crazy spot to attempt a steal. If Ludwick would have been successful, Pujols probably gets walked. Only Ludwick’s fantasy owners appreciated the decision.

Albert has been in a semi-slump — at least by his ridiculous standards — batting .267/.396/.400 so far in May. He hasn’t driven in a run in his last eight games. His between-innings reaction was either A) evidence of his frustration with his recent performance, or B) a total condemnation of gum.

Both La Russa and Pujols have downplayed the incident, and it sounds like nothing more than typical heat-of-battle bickering. These were Albert’s comments:

Pujols didn’t dispute that the incident happened but considered it
insignificant.

"I was hitting and we got thrown out stealing. I wanted to hit. That’s
all it was," he said.

Pujols added, "It’s over. We said what we said. It’s over."

Such things happen when you trail the Reds in the N.L. Central. 

Not to be out-done (or out-outed), the Angels allowed Erick Aybar(notes) to lay down a bunt in the ninth inning, trailing by four. (He was credited with a sacrifice, though he was no doubt looking for a hit. Aybar has a bit more speed than Ludwick).

No word on whether objects were attacked in LA’s dugout, or whether Mike Scioscia declared that he [expletive] knows anything.

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Photo via US Presswire

Roy Oswalt(notes) has pitched brilliantly this season, like the 2001-02 version of himself. He’s delivered a 2.66 ERA, a 1.07 WHIP and 60 Ks in 61.0 innings. He’s completed at least six frames in every start and hasn’t allowed more than three runs — earned or unearned — in any game.

Nonetheless, he has a record of 2-6, because he pitches for the lowest-scoring team in baseball.

In fact, the Astros currently rank dead-last in runs scored (2.98 per game), batting average (.228), on-base percentage (.274), slugging (.321), hits (305), doubles (53) and homers (21). They were shutout by Colorado’s Ubaldo Jimenez(notes) on Thursday, as Oswalt lost again. In his last four decisions (all losses), these were the final scores: 0-4, 1-2, 0-1, 2-4.

So it’s tough to blame him for today’s news. The Chicago Tribune’s Mark Gonzales reports that Oswalt has requested a trade.

The July 31 trading deadline is more than two months away, but one of baseball’s best pitchers has asked to be put on the market.

Houston Astros ace Roy Oswalt, a three-time National League All-Star, has asked owner Drayton McLane Jr. to be traded, a source said Friday.

Oswalt is under contract for $15 million this year and $16 million in 2011. The following season he has a $16 million team option or a $2 million buyout. Despite the 32-year-old’s stellar track record (3.21 career ERA), his pricetag will obviously scare off a few teams. 

According to an earlier report from ESPN’s Jayson Stark, the potential trade destinations that interest Oswalt are St. Louis, Texas and Atlanta. But if he’s requesting/demanding a move, then presumably he’s open to other options. Considering the abysmal run-support situation in Houston, Oswalt’s fantasy value is almost certain to increase (though if he heads to the Rangers, the league change and home park will complicate things).  

Ed Wade was born for this moment, Astros fans, so you’re in good hands. Let’s deal.

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Photo via US Presswire 

For the record, the purpose of this post is NOT to declare that fantasy owners need to sell Ubaldo Jimenez(notes). No one’s saying that. Don’t attack. This is merely a value/strategy discussion. Please save your vitriol for the new font.

But if you were selling shares of Jimenez today, I’d understand. A case can be made. He’s off to an astonishing start, and it can be reasonably argued that his value will never be higher than it is right now. Ubaldo is basically having Bob Gibson’s 1968 season (1.12 ERA) with a higher strikeout rate (8.63 K/9), and his velocity is greater than ever (96.8 mph average fastball). He’s been dominant. He put a no-hitter on the resume last month and his next scheduled start is tonight against Houston, the lowest-scoring team in baseball. That game is a strong candidate to become win No. 8.

And then what?

Well, we can probably all agree that won’t maintain a sub-2.00 ERA all season, but it’s not like he’s completely lucked into his current ratios (2.69 FIP). He’s also not a pitcher who typically fades in the second-half — if anything, his splits suggest that he gets a bit tougher after the All-Star break. He’s been better in Colorado than he’s been on the road, too.

Scott valued him at $30 in the most recent Shuffle Up, which is three imaginary bucks less than Tim Lincecum’s(notes) price and three more than CC Sabathia’s.(notes) Back in mid-March, Jimenez was $21. That’s a considerable profit on a pitcher who wasn’t cheap at the auction table.

So what’s your plan, Ubaldo owner? Are you getting a price check? Have you already sold him? (If so, what was the haul?) Or do you consider Jimenez to be completely untradeable? Shouldn’t Jeff Erickson flip him to me in a deal for Aramis Ramirez(notes)? 

Let’s settle this thing in comments…

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Photo via Getty Images

By now, you should know the drill. It’s a 12-team PPR league where we start one QB, two RBs, three WRs, one TE, one K and one DEF. You’ll find the earlier picks by following these links: Round 1, Round 2. OK, let’s mock…

Vincent Jackson(notes), SD, WR – Round 3, Pick 1
Despite sitting out a meaningless Week 17 contest, Jackson produced a career-high 68/1167/9 line, and tied for the league-lead with six 100-yard games – he also caught seven balls for 111 yards in a playoff loss to the Jets. At 6-foot-5, 230 pounds, Jackson is a matchup nightmare who keeps getting better every year. Entering his sixth season, I’m expecting another personal-best performance.

Here’s this team so far: RB Chris Johnson; RB DeAngelo Williams(notes); WR Vincent Jackson – Brandon Funston

Steve Smith, Car, WR – Round 3, Pick 2
Considering how bad Jake Delhomme(notes) was last season, it’s a testament to Smith’s talent that he was still able to finish among the top 20 WRs in fantasy points per game. He caught seven TDs in his final nine games and really took off with Matt Moore(notes) behind center, averaging 94.5 yards and scoring three times in the four games he played in which Moore was the starter. Smith showed last season, with seven receptions of 40-plus yards (fourth-best in the league), that he’s got plenty of rocket fuel left. He just needed a QB upgrade, and he has that now.

RB Maurice-Jones Drew; WR Sidney Rice(notes); WR Steve Smith – Funston

Steve Smith, NYG, WR – Round 3, Pick 2
Though diminutive in size, Smith is an absolute monster in leagues that reward possession receivers. Functioning as Eli Manning’s(notes) greaseman, he reeled in an NFC-leading 107 catches with 1,220 yards and seven touchdowns a season ago. Hakeem Nicks(notes) may be the breakout candidate in Giants blue the fantasy community will fawn over, but Smith is a consistency king who is incredibly productive. Quite frankly, he deserves more respect.

RB Ray Rice(notes); RB Jahvid Best(notes); WR Steve Smith – Brad Evans

Greg Jennings(notes), GB, WR – Round 3, Pick 4
Rodgers’ primary target was a major disappointment last season despite catching 68 passes for 1,113 yards. The steady play of Donald Driver(notes) combined with JerMichael Finley’s(notes) emergence kept the fourth-year receiver’s dancing shoes in the closet. Because little has changed in Title Town, the same scenario could unfold again this season. Still he’s far too talented a route runner to post another mediocre campaign. Expect numbers closer to ’08, not ’09.

RB Adrian Peterson; QB Aaron Rodgers(notes); WR Greg Jennings – Noise

DeSean Jackson(notes), Phi, WR – Round 3, Pick 5
Jackson only recorded 63 receptions last year, but thanks to 18.5 yards-per-catch (second highest in the NFL), he produced 1,167 yards and 11 total touchdowns. He’s a bit feast-or-famine, as he finished with fewer than 50 yards receiving in six games, but with the more accurate Kevin Kolb(notes) taking over QB duties, a true WCO system will be in place, relying less on big plays and more on yards after the catch, which should lead to more targets (and more receptions) for the most exciting wide receiver in football.

RB Frank Gore(notes); RB Shonn Greene(notes); WR DeSean Jackson – Dalton Del Don

Anquan Boldin(notes), Bal, WR – Round 3, Pick 6
Boldin is a pretty big injury risk, and it’s also a gamble banking on a receiver switching teams. Still, Boldin has averaged more yards receiving per game (79.2) than any other WR in the history of the NFL, and he’s joining a system in Baltimore with a highly promising quarterback. He’s sure to dominate targets in Baltimore as by far the best option through the air. While he scored only four touchdowns last season, he hit paydirt in 20 of his previous 24 games and no longer has to worry about goal-line monster Larry Fitzgerald(notes) taking away looks in the red zone.

RB Rashard Mendenhall(notes); RB Ryan Mathews(notes); WR Anquan Boldin – DDD

Ryan Grant(notes), GB, RB – Round 3, Pick 7
Grant is probably going to land in the 20-30 reception area, not great for this format, but he’s also coming off a 1,450-yard season (ninth in the league in yards from scrimmage) with 11 touchdowns, and that makes him a reasonable pick in this spot. Green Bay didn’t add a major back in the offseason; it’s happy to stick with what’s working. The identify of the Packers offense is Aaron Rodgers and Friends, but there will be enough left over for Grant.

WR Andre Johnson(notes); RB Pierre Thomas(notes); RB Ryan Grant – Scott Pianowski

Joseph Addai(notes), Ind, RB – Round 3, Pick 8
Location, location, location. The Colts keep the scoring opportunities coming – Addai has 43 scores in 58 pro games – and Peyton Manning(notes) looks for No. 29 when a play breaks down (Addai caught 51 passes last year). On a per-play basis Addai is a very ordinary back (last year’s 3.8 YPC doesn’t even get you to the league average), but his environment makes him a very safe fantasy pick.

WR Larry Fitzgerald; WR Miles Austin(notes); RB Joseph Addai – Pianow

LeSean McCoy(notes), Phi, RB – Round 3, Pick 9
THE McCoy enters his second camp atop the depth chart at running back after producing a respectable 945 total yards as part of a timeshare as a rookie. His 40 receptions in ‘09 were noteworthy, particularly for a guy who struggled (as many rookies do) with blitz pick-up in his first year. We know the Eagles like to involve running backs in the passing attack and McCoy is the team’s best weapon in that regard (Mike Bell(notes) doesn’t have much of a history catching passes out of the backfield). Couple a featured role with an expected second-year uptick and a 1,200-yard, eight TD, 60 reception season isn’t difficult to visualize.

RB Steven Jackson; WR Roddy White(notes); RB LeSean McCoy – Matt Romig

Ronnie Brown(notes), Mia, RB – Round 3, Pick 10
As has already been discussed in this space, everybody in Miami came out a winner when the Dolphins acquired Brandon Marshall(notes). Teams can no longer overload against the run, meaning Brown – already back on the field after last year’s serious ankle injury – can pick up right where he left off, which was on an 18 TD in 24 games binge. Brown is far from PPR gold, but throw in the occasional rogue touchdown pass and all is forgiven.

RB Jamaal Charles(notes); WR Brandon Marshall; RB Ronnie Brown – Mig

Cedric Benson(notes), Cin, RB – Round 3, Pick 11
This pick is about preserving the integrity of the mock. That’s it. This is probably where Benson goes, if objective people are handling the picks. I cannot explain his 2009 season, and I especially don’t know where that spin move came from that he burned the Ravens with in Week 5. No idea. It was not present in Chicago, I can tell you that much. The PPR format doesn’t really help Benson, but you can’t argue with the workload he’s likely to get in Cincinnati. Cedric averaged 23.2 carries per week last year. Here’s an official projection: 310 carries, 1188 rush yards, 20 receptions, 169 receiving yards. I would pay to not own this team…

WR Reggie Wayne(notes); RB Michael Turner(notes); RB Cedric Benson – Andy Behrens

Felix Jones(notes), Dal, RB – Round 3, Pick 12
This owner was seriously unhappy when McCoy was selected, but that’s the penalty for picking at the turn. Alas. Beanie Wells(notes) would be the pick here in a standard league, but A) he caught only 12 passes last year, B) Tim Hightower(notes) is still in the mix, and C) I don’t fully trust a Leinart-led offense.

So Felix it is. He takes over the traditional Jones role in the Dallas backfield, formerly held by Julius. Now at the top of the depth chart, Felix is in line for 200-plus carries and an as-yet-unknown number of catches. (Probably not a massive number; he had just 19 last year, plus four in the playoffs). He’s a ridiculously explosive player in a juggernaut offense. Health is the worry, of course, but the upside is awfully tempting. And in a mock, there really are no gambles.  

The choice now facing this team is whether to draft an elite quarterback, or a less-than elite RB. Good thing I’ll have 24 hours to think it over…

WR Randy Moss(notes); WR Calvin Johnson(notes); RB Felix Jones – Behrens

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Photos via US Presswire

Serious question: Has there ever been a situation in baseball history — or in the history of any sport — where a team installed an in-stadium countdown to an individual milestone, but the player never made it?

Did the Rays have a countdown to Fred McGriff’s 500th homer? (He finished with 493). That seems possible. But I can’t specifically recall any cases where a team launched a countdown that a player couldn’t finish. 

In Miller Park, however, they’ve been tracking Trevor Hoffman’s(notes) progress toward career save No. 600, and it’s not at all clear that he’ll get there. He’s at 596 right now and he’s blown three of his last five save chances. On Tuesday he was rocked by Cincinnati, allowing four hits, one walk and three runs without retiring a batter.

Hoffman has kept hitters off-balance brilliantly over his 18-year career, but not this season. Today, opposing batters are perfectly balanced against him. He’s allowed 21 hits and 19 earned runs in just 13.0 innings. At 42 years old, he simply has not been able to string together three consecutive outs in the final frame. These were his comments after Tuesday’s blown save, via MLB.com:

"I’m not getting outs," said Hoffman. "There’s not a lot to analyze about it. It’s pretty obvious that I’m not getting it done. If there was an answer at this point in time, we would’ve found it."

It’s an awful situation for manager Ken Macha, who now has the unenviable task of … well, of doing his job. Hoffman has to be replaced. As the all-time saves leader, Hoffman has had a very long leash, but we’ve apparently reached the end. He’s had rocky starts before, sure, but nothing like this. Macha wasn’t ready to reveal his plan — assuming he has a plan — following Tuesday’s loss. This from the Journal Sentinel:

Macha was evasive when asked if Hoffman would be removed from the closer’s role, saying he wanted to discuss it with pitching coach Rick
Peterson. There is no obvious Plan B because LaTroy Hawkins(notes), who has closing experience, is on the disabled list.

Hoffman also dodged a question about his future.

"I can’t worry about that," he said. "I feel prepared and ready to go out there. I’m just not getting it done."

Mr. Pianowski already discussed Milwaukee’s replacement options on Tuesday, and a few of the names are sketchy. Todd Coffey(notes) has pitched the eighth with Hawkins on the DL, but he was mauled by the Reds on Monday (5 ER) and hasn’t recorded a K in his last six appearances. Carlos Villanueva(notes) is the only Brewers reliever I’ve stashed in any league; he has a closer-quality strikeout rate (11.8 K/9), and he’s posted the best fantasy ratios in the Brewers’ bullpen (3.05 ERA, 1.06 WHIP). If you’re speculating, Villanueva offers the greatest potential for an extended, successful run.

He gets the "Threatening" spot below…

• No, Aaron Heilman(notes) does not seem like the ideal candidate to pitch the most important innings for a team that was supposed to contend for a playoff spot. But he’s presently the only guy in Arizona’s ‘pen with a sub-4.00 ERA. Chad Qualls(notes) has been unusually bad (7.62 ERA, 2.08 WHIP), and his most recent blown save resulted in this comment from his manager: "All bets are off as far as the bullpen goes. I’ve tried to remain as patient as I can, and it just hasn’t really worked." Heilman finished off the D-backs’ most recent win, although it wasn’t a save situation (and he allowed two hits and a run). Saul Rivera(notes) isn’t the answer, and none of the Triple-A options really leap off the page.

• Baltimore manager Dave Trembley has semi-officially declared that Koji Uehara(notes) is Plan B, should Alfredo Simon(notes) struggle. "He usually gets three outs with a minimum of pitches," said Trembley, "so I could see it." Simon rebounded nicely from Saturday’s blown save, however, pitching 1.2 innings against the Royals on Tuesday, earning a win. Michael Gonzalez(notes) recently threw BP to live hitters, but he’s no threat to rejoin the O’s until June. 

• Bobby Jenks’(notes) last two appearances have gone reasonably well (2.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K), but the most recent save belongs to Matt Thornton(notes). This may already be a committee; when there’s no margin for error, Thornton is clearly the better option. 

• Brad Lidge(notes) (elbow) received a cortisone injection, and he’s eligible to return from the DL next Tuesday. An MRI indicated that there was no structural damage in his surgically repaired elbow. There’s very little chance that Lidge can pitch as effectively as Jose Contreras(notes) has so far, but he somehow kept the closing gig last season, despite the 11 blown saves. Logic may not apply here.

• As we mentioned on Sunday, Huston Street(notes) was removed from a minor league rehab appearance over the weekend due to a groin strain. But he’s already back to playing long toss, and it sounds like the groin injury isn’t too severe. It was a setback, but not the worst possible news. 

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Photo via Getty Images

Just to remind you, this is a 12-team PPR mock draft of a league with the following starting positions: QB, RB, RB, WR, WR, WR, TE, K, DEF. Still, the odds that someone will draft RB-RB-RB then write about their flex position are very strong. Earler results here: Round 1

Calvin Johnson(notes), Det, WR – Round 2, Pick 1
After selecting Randy Moss(notes) at the end of the first round, a running back obviously would have been the prudent choice. Yup. No doubt. But rather than take a third-tier RB – and in a PPR format, that’s what the Burner is – this team has decided to draft an elite talent, then let the backfield situation sort itself out. There’s enough running back depth in the player pool to make this gamble work (or at least that’s the hope. And if it becomes necessary, I can always edit other people’s picks). Megatron isn’t clearly better than the next few wide receivers on the board – Rice, Austin, Roddy, the Jacksons, et al – but there’s a historic season somewhere in his future. The Lions have substantially upgraded the skill positions; their offense is built for shootouts. (Andy Behrens)

Michael Turner(notes), Atl, RB – Round 2, Pick 2
This is far from an ideal PPR pick, let’s just start there. Turner has caught only 11 passes in two seasons with Atlanta. That’s not helpful. Of course the backs who follow him on the cheat sheet – DeAngelo, Mathews, Greene, Benson, Grant – aren’t exactly the 1999 version of Marshall Faulk(notes), either. So Turner it is. He’s averaging a touchdown and 20.5 carrier per game with the Falcons; his workload is safe, and his red zone responsibilities should help overcome the lack of targets in the passing game. (Behrens)

Brandon Marshall(notes), Mia, WR – Round 2, Pick 3
Marshall and Wes Welker(notes) are the only two players with at least 100 receptions in each of the last three seasons. That’s a format-friendly stat, and as we know Welker is no guarantee to see the field anytime soon (though could probably pull off 100 grabs in a 10-game season). Marshall has proven to be adaptable in his four-year career – new system, new QB, no problem – and there’s a clear arm-strength upgrade in Miami. He’s saying and doing all the right things so far with the Dolphins, but obviously discord hasn’t been a big obstacle to production for him in the past. (Matt Romig)

Roddy White(notes), Atl, Atl – Round 2, Pick 4
The easiest thing to do to appease followers of a mock draft is to just take the next best available player. If the name fits the slot, people are happy. But you can’t be blind to format, and this league doesn’t feature a flex position, so running back depth isn’t as critical, and of course we’re drafting PPR. The elite wideouts would be picked clean by the time this team is up in the third round. White is coming off a career-best 11 touchdowns and a 100-reception campaign (it would be his first) isn’t out of the question with Matt Ryan(notes) entering his third season. (Mig)

Miles Austin(notes), Dal, WR – Round 2, Pick 5
The Cowboys 2009 season was saved when Roy Williams suffered a rib injury at Denver in Week 4; it enabled Austin to enter the starting lineup the following Sunday and the rest was history. If you grade the receivers from Week 5 to the end of the year, Austin ranks fifth in catches (76), first in yards (1,239) and third in receiving touchdowns (10). Let’s get in on that. (Scott Pianowski)

Pierre Thomas(notes), NO, RB – Round 2, Pick 6
It was frustrating to watch Thomas be somewhat underused for most of 2009, but Sean Payton employed Thomas more as a pass-catcher down the stretch and that’s going to play nice in this format. Thomas caught 31 passes from Weeks 9-16 (third-most at the position over that span), and he tacked on 12 receptions during the championship run, including six in the Super Bowl. And while Thomas doesn’t get heavy work on the ground, it’s not like he’s chopped liver in that area – he averaged 5.4 yards per carry, he collected 793 yards rushing and he scored six times. You won’t take Thomas this early in a traditional format, but the PPR rules drive this selection. (Pianow)

Ryan Mathews(notes), SD, RB – Round 2, Pick 7
Wide receivers are flying off the board, but I’m sticking with the backs, including a rookie here who finds himself in a terrific situation to succeed right away. Mathews is slated to immediately become San Diego’s workhorse, and he inherits a role that produced an incredible 28 goal-line rushing attempts last season – the second-most since 2004 (which also happened to be San Diego’s lead back). Coach Norv Turner doesn’t have a veteran currently on the roster he needs to worry about as far as seniority is concerned – in fact, he’s already stated a desired goal of getting Mathews 290 touches. Not only does Mathews have a high ceiling as lead back in one of the NFL’s best offenses, but as crazy as it sounds, thanks to his role he’s also one of the safer picks, even as a rookie. (Dalton Del Don)

Shonn Greene(notes), NYJ, RB – Round 2, Pick 8
Considering Greene didn’t catch a single pass during the regular season last year, he’s hardly an ideal pick in PPR formats. Still, that’s likely why he fell into the middle of the second round, because he should be a top-10 pick in most standard leagues. It might be safer to go with a proven WR here, but I’m all about upside, and Greene enters 2010 with a ton of it. Greene, who had the second fewest stuffs/carry (6/108) in the NFL last year, was unleashed in the playoffs, when he ran for 304 yards on 54 rushes (5.6 YPC) over 2.5 games. Questions remain whether he can hold up physically as a lead back, but Greene is certainly in the right situation in New York – a team that possesses one of the three best offensive lines in the NFL, one of the best defenses in the league and with Santonio Holmes(notes) eventually joining Braylon Edwards(notes) out wide, a potentially dangerous passing attack as well. And even if LaDainian Tomlinson(notes) is given more carries than he deserves at this stage of his career, the Jets had a whopping 607 rushing attempts last year, which led the league by 82 carries, so there will be plenty to go around. (DDD)

Aaron Rodgers(notes), GB, QB – Round 2, Pick 9
Clearly the biggest cheese of last year’s quarterback class, A-Rod bested second place finisher Drew Brees(notes) by 30-plus total points in standard scoring formats. His improving accuracy, underappreciated ground contributions and consistency are unmatched. Last season, he totaled 11 multi-TD performances and surpassed the 20-point mark in 13 of 16 starts. Rodgers, regardless of scoring system, is a supreme bargain 20 picks into the draft. Given his youth, experience and comfort level in Green Bay’s spread scheme 35-plus total touchdowns is again very attainable. (Brad Evans)

Jahvid Best(notes), Det, RB – Round 2, Pick 10
If Mathews is a Clydesdale, Best is a versatile stallion. Explosive, interiorly tough and undaunted, the former Cal Bear will be an instant impact player for an ascending Lions club. Questions about Detroit’s offensive line are apparent, but if Matthew Stafford(notes) can make significant strides in his development, the first-round pick should pay a handsome dividend, particularly in PPR formats. Last year, as a junior, he averaged 7.1 yards per touch. Jim Schwartz has made it clear he wants to establish a strong ground identity, which means the youngster will be leaned upon heavily. Expected to tote the load with Kevin Smith(notes) sidelined for at least the first few weeks of the season, the rookie could be Ray Rice(notes)-light. (Noise)

Sidney Rice(notes), Min, Wr – Round 2, Pick 11
I’m assuming that Brett Favre(notes) is returning, which is the kind of carefree license you’re allowed to take in a mock-only setup. In the real world, I’ll be drafting my leagues in late August/early September, a time when the "What’s Brett gonna do?" season will have passed and we’ll have an answer to that $64k question. Assuming Favre plays, Rice is a no-brainer here. At 6-foot-4, 200 pounds, Rice physically dominates opposing corners. In the final 16 games of ’09 (including two postseason contests), Rice caught 88 passes for 1,450 yards and 12 TDs. (Brandon Funston)

DeAngelo Williams(notes), Car, RB – Round 2, Pick 12
After pacing his position in fantasy points in ’08, Williams finished a respectable seventh in points per game among running backs last season. A PPR setup hasn’t helped him much in the past, but I suspect with a new QB behind center (be it Matt Moore(notes) or Jimmy Clausen(notes)) and little in the way of proven receiving talent outside of Steve Smith, the Panthers’ backfield might be more involved in the passing game than has been the case in recent years. (Funston)

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Photos via US Presswire

Does Hanley Ramirez(notes) not have an agent? Advisers? Friends? Concerned neighbors? Might he listen to Billy the Marlin’s special brand of folksy wisdom?

It seems like there should be someone in Hanley’s life who can convince him — at least for a few days — to shut up. He’s making this loafing situation much, much worse than it needs to be.

By now you’ve all seen the highlight of Ramirez pursuing a booted ball into left field at a tectonic pace (and if you haven’t seen the clip, here it is). You’ve no doubt also seen manager Fredi Gonzalez’s reaction to the play; he confronted Ramirez in the dugout, then sent him to the clubhouse. Typical manager stuff. It was not an overreaction. As a Ramirez owner, I fully acknowledge the need to remove him from Monday’s game.

But I’d also like to see him back on the field in the not-too-distant future, and Ramirez isn’t making things easy for the man who fills out Florida’s lineup card.

Prior to Tuesday’s game, Ramirez told reporters that he was angry, that he’d lost respect for Gonzalez, and that he ran as hard as he possibly could on Monday — and, OK, even if he didn’t run with max-effort, it was just fine because "We have a lot of people dogging it after ground balls."

Not surprisingly, Gonzalez is now insisting on an apology. This from MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro:

"I think he needs to talk to his teammates a little bit," Gonzalez said. "Whatever feelings he has with me or doesn’t have with me, it’s fine and dandy. We don’t have to get along, but I think he has to get along with the other 24 guys on this team. When that happens, we’ll run him back in there. When he sets his ego aside, this could be good."

[…]

The manager said he didn’t know when Ramirez would return to the lineup.

"I think he needs to take care of the situation," Gonzalez said. "When he handles that, the right way, we’ll be fine."

You know, if anyone could have just handled Hanley the right way on Monday night, this situation would not have escalated. What’s the point in paying people to represent you if they don’t intervene when you’re about to say something insane? 

Honestly, I don’t care about Marlins team chemistry. And at this particular time, I don’t care if Hanley grows as a result of this experience. (He can grow up next season, on someone else’s fantasy roster). And I certainly don’t care what Wes Helms thinks. I just need Ramirez to be a contributing member of my fantasy portfolio. Here’s hoping that Hanley’s people — assuming he has people — will engage in a little belated damage control. 

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Photo via US Presswire

Cleveland catching prospect Carlos Santana(notes) has three official at-bats over the past two days, and he’s hit three home runs. His other plate appearances have resulted in four walks and a sacrifice fly. Here’s video of Sunday’s bomb, via MiLB.com. It’s not every day that you get to hear an announcer say, "It hit the protective netting on the backside of the hamburger balcony!"

Santana hit two more homers on Monday. The first was a grand slam to right-center and the second was reportedly a roof shot to right (presumably clearing the ‘burger balcony altogether). He’s now up to nine home runs and 37 RBIs on the season for Triple-A Columbus, and he’s batting .333 with an on-base percentage of .461. He’s ready for the big leagues — perhaps as ready as any non-Strasburg in the minors.

By now, you should have at least a vague understanding of the economic weirdness that keeps these guys on the farm during the early weeks. (Terrible official explanation here; much better explanation here). The switch-hitting Santana will arrive soon, and he’ll immediately take over full-time backstop duties from Lou Marson(notes) (.553 OPS). He’s just four percent owned.

Make the add, then please join us in the fellowship room for additional fantasy content…

• OK, so maybe you weren’t awed by Johnny Cueto’s(notes) one-hit shutout of the Pirates due to quality-of-opponent issues. But he followed it up with a one-run, seven-strikeout win over the Brewers on Monday, and he beat Yovani Gallardo(notes) in the process. Over his last four appearances, Cueto is 3-0 with a 0.89 WHIP and 26 Ks in 27.0 innings. And yes, they’re still the first-place Cincinnati Reds, despite Corey Hart’s(notes) best efforts (3-for-4, 2 HRs).

• Entering Monday’s game, Marlins hitters ranked fourth in baseball in total team strikeouts, so it wasn’t necessarily a surprise to see Edwin Jackson(notes) piling up Ks. Still, no one could have possibly expected a four-hit, 12-strikeout effort. Jackson was excellent, but as Florida outfielder Chris Coghlan(notes) mentioned in his postgame comments, "I think he was a little erratic in the beginning of the game and sometimes we were helping him out." Coghlan added, "Toward the end, [Jackson] was throwing everything for strikes." That’s a new single-game career high in Ks for Edwin. He’ll get the Jays next.

• Hanley Ramirez(notes) owners got a scare when the Florida shortstop fouled a pitch off his left shin in the first inning, but he stayed in the game … just long enough to get kicked out. By his manager.

The image over on the right is a snapshot of the brief exchange between Ramirez and Fredi Gonzalez in the Florida dugout, not long after Hanley’s second inning fielding error. After booting a ball into left field, Ramirez jogged after it halfheartedly, allowing two runs to score. Gonzalez, understandably, was not happy. These were his comments via the AP:

"Hanley left the game because we felt — he got smoked in the ankle — but we felt whether he was hurt or not hurt or whatever it was, we felt that the effort wasn’t there that we wanted," Gonzalez said. "There are some injuries there, but we expect an effort from 25 guys on this team and when that doesn’t happen, we have got to do something."

And so they did. On behalf of Hanley owners everywhere, I’d like to state unequivocally that he’s learned his lesson and this will never happen again, so he needs to play tomorrow. 

• There’s rarely anything worth saying in this space about a Yankees-Red Sox tilt, because all of the players involved are widely owned and/or much-discussed. But it’s also tough to ignore a 20-run, 26-hit contest. The 51 percent-owned JD Drew(notes) homered, as did five other players. Jonathan Papelbon(notes) recorded his first regular season blown save since July 28, as Alex Rodriguez(notes) hit a game-tying blast in the ninth and Marcus Thames(notes) walked off. Video here. 

• Derek Holland(notes) beat the Angels on Monday, giving him two wins in as many starts since being recalled. His final stat line doesn’t quite jump off the page (5.1 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 3 K), but the W helps, and we know he’s capable of serious strikeout totals. The lefty will get the Cubs on Saturday.

• Corey Patterson(notes) scored three runs and stole two bases on Monday, and if you’ve just awakened from a three-year coma then you probably can’t believe he’s still a free agent in your league. Check the career rate stats before adding; know what you’re signing up for.

• Asdrubal Cabrera(notes) suffered a broken left forearm in Cleveland’s loss to Tampa Bay, and surgery is reportedly a possibility. Details here via the Cleveland Plain Dealer:

The injury took place in the first inning when Cabrera and Jhonny Peralta(notes) collided on a Hank Blalock(notes) single over second base.

Cabrera was shifted to second base and Peralta was shifted to shortstop against the left-handed-hitting Blalock. Cabrera stopped Blalock’s hit with a dive, but Peralta tumbled over him. Cabrera, face down behind second base, kicked his feet in pain as trainers from both teams rushed to his assistance.

Cabrera was eventually carted off the field. The Tribe is expected to promote shortstop Jason Donald(notes) from Columbus. He was hitting .277/.396/.423 at Triple-A with 10 doubles, two homers and 10 steals, and he’s worth a look in deeper formats that require you to fill a MI spot. 

• First the Cubs reduced the number of innings that Carlos Zambrano(notes) was supposed to throw (thereby negating his best trait: endurance). Now they’ve reduced the importance of the very few innings that they want him to toss, shifting him to long relief. Here’s manager Lou Piniella, as quoted by the Tribune’s Paul Sullivan:

"Look, we thought the outcome would be a little different, and he’s not as comfortable in the bullpen pitching short," Piniella said. "So we’re going to use him in a different role, give him some stamina, build up his arm."

Perhaps they intend to return the $18 million pitcher to the rotation, which would of course be his best shot at regaining fantasy value. Zambrano himself said, "If they want to send me to the minor leagues to work, I will work in the
minor leagues." The Cubs managed to beat Colorado in extra innings on Monday, thanks to Aramis Ramirez’s(notes) first meaningful hit in forever. Highlight here. 

• Drew Storen(notes) had a successful major league debut, pitching two-thirds of an inning with his team trailing. He hit a batter, but that was the only baserunner he allowed, and he K’d Matt Holliday(notes) to end the seventh inning. You’ll find a longer look at Storen here. 

• Here’s a rather incredible fact from the AP recap of San Diego’s 3-1 win: "The Padres haven’t trailed against the Giants once this season." They obviously didn’t trail tonight, as Clayton Richard(notes) earned his third win and reduced his season ERA to 2.94. (Note the 1.41 WHIP, however). 

• Dodgers starter John Ely(notes) earned his second straight win on Monday, and he hasn’t allowed a walk in any of his last three starts dating back to May 6. Over the past 19.2 innings, he’s struck out 21 hitters. His WHIP is now 0.94, and his next start will be on Saturday against Detroit. For what it’s worth, Houston’s Jeff Keppinger(notes) was not particularly impressed by Ely’s stuff:

"To be honest, I don’t think he was that difficult to hit. I know that’s
hard to say after the game he threw, but we’re struggling as an offense
right
now."

Ely isn’t a hard-thrower, but he’s mixing four pitches well, and everything is a strike. His minor league numbers don’t suggest the kind of control we’re seeing at the moment, but you can’t argue with the recent results (unless you’re Keppinger).

Back with an injury blurb in a moment. Please stay tuned…

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Photos via Getty Images (Santana) and AP Images (Cabrera) 

It’s been way too long since we gave the fantasy football community something to ridicule. Below you’ll find the first round of a 12-team point-per-reception (PPR) mock draft. Assume the following starting roster spots: QB, RB, RB, WR, WR, WR, TE, K, DEF. Please critique…

Chris Johnson, Ten, RB – Round 1, Pick 1
What needs to be said? Not only did he reach the rarified air of 2,000 rushing yards last season, but he also was one of eight running backs to sang at least 50 passes. His speed is on an island unto himself – his 22 rushing plays of 20-plus yards were 10 more than the runner-up in that category. (Brandon Funston)

Maurice Jones-Drew(notes), Jac, RB – Round 1, Pick 2
Please don’t trot out that weak… excuse that Jones-Drew is an injury risk because of his size. He’s proven much more durable than everybody’s All-American, AP. MoJo has yet to miss a game because of injury, and last season he accrued the third-most touches in the league. MoJo is good at the goal line and one of the best receiving backs in the league. In a PPR league, I make this pick without hesitation. (Funston)

Ray Rice(notes), Bal, RB – Round 1, Pick 3
The Long Gain Rice is no one-hit Vanilla Ice. Last season’s pace-setter in receptions for rushers grabbed 78 passes, outdistancing Peterson by a mere four total fantasy points in PPR formats. Assuming John Harbaugh finally strips away Willis McGahee’s(notes) goal-line duties, Rice will easily finish in the position’s top three. Keep in mind the TD vulture had five more carries inside the five – and five more touchdowns – compared to Rice a season ago. (Brad Evans)

Adrian Peterson, Min, RB – Round 1, Pick 4
Casual players will immediately scream "Blasphemy!" seeing the Purple Jesus slide to No. 4, but since this league rewards versatile backs, his ejection from the catbird seat is warranted. Peterson is coming off career bests in touchdowns, receptions and receiving yards, but uncertainties surrounding Barbara Favre’s return slightly discount his overall stock. If the ageless wonder finally decides to pitch hay instead of passes, the Vikings rushing attack will take a minor hit. (Noise)

Frank Gore(notes), SF, RB – Round 1, Pick 5
Since there the top-four are clear cut, picking fifth is hardly ideal, but Gore isn’t a bad consolation prize. He totaled 1,526 yards with a career-high 13 touchdowns (thanks to a big improvement at the goal line) while missing essentially three games last season. Admittedly, he’s played a full 16-game slate just once during his five years in the league, but San Francisco used two first round picks to address the offensive line, and with Vernon Davis(notes) and Michael Crabtree(notes) emerging, defenses can no longer stack eight in the box. It’s exciting to think what Gore could do if he managed to stay healthy with the best supporting cast of his career. (Dalton Del Don)

Rashard Mendenhall(notes), Pit, RB – Round 1, Pick 6
I strongly considered Michael Turner(notes) here, but the PPR format made me ultimately look elsewhere. Mendenhall isn’t going to rack up receptions, but he showed improvement in that area last year and has earned the role as Pittsburgh’s workhorse. The Steelers should remain one of the better teams in the NFL while also returning to their smash-mouth roots, so Mendenhall is set up for success. (DDD)

Andre Johnson(notes), Hou, WR – Round 1, Pick 7
Andre Johnson and the PPR format is a perfect match, like Monroe and Frazier, Peanut Butter and Jelly, Evans and Butler. Johnson has collected a ridiculous 216 grabs for 3,144 yards the last two years, and all the main components of this offense remain in place (a Pro Bowl-level QB in Matt Schaub(notes), and an offensive mastermind in Gary Kubiak). Johnson’s low TD count might concern some (just 25 the last three years) but when someone gets this much volume in a passing game, I’m happy to write the check. We know we’ll get eight or more spikes, and some year, with a little luck, he’ll post 12 or more – receiving scores are more volatile than a lot of fantasy players realize. Johnson would be a respectable pick here even without the PPR tailwind; with it, he’s a slam dunk. (Scott Pianowski)

Larry Fitzgerald(notes), Ari, WR – Round 1, Pick 8
I’m not worried too much about Fitzgerald losing Anquan Boldin(notes) – at the end of the day, opportunity trumps protection when it comes to elite wideouts (though many will play either card if it suits their argument). The drop from Kurt Warner(notes) to Matt Leinart(notes), OK, that’s a concern. But I’m happy to bet on a freakishly talented athlete like Fitzgerald, and maybe Leinart will finally blossom now that he’s had a few years to learn the pro game and grow up a bit (he was a first-round pick and a Heisman Trophy winner, after all). Fitzgerald caught 22 TD passes his final year at Pittsburgh, working with the forgettable Rod Rutherford; he’ll find a way to make things work in the post-Warner era. (Pianow)

Steven Jackson, Stl, RB – Round 1, Pick 9
Jackson deserves a medal for his 2009 season. The Rams won one game. Their TD/INT ratio was among the worst in football and no team was less threatening downfield (St. Louis had only two pass plays cover 40 or more yards). Yet there was Jackson, ranking second in the league in rushing, averaging 4.4 yards per tote and even checking in with four touchdowns in eight games after the bye. St. Louis won’t be much better in 2010 – though this is the NFL, so you never know – but the Rams did upgrade at offensive line and in Sam Bradford(notes) have a guy who may be able to stretch defenses if he gets a second-half audition. There are odometer concerns and Jackson did just have minor back surgery, but he has PPR-friendly hands and one way to reduce wear and tear on your workhorse is to get him more involved in the passing game. Ten TDs is a bit optimistic in an offense this bad. I’ll settle for 7-8 scores, another 1,200-plus yards and 50-65 grabs out of the backfield. (Matt Romig)

Jamaal Charles(notes), KC, RB – Round 1, Pick 10
Charles scored all eight of his touchdowns in the final eight weeks of the season, closing out the campaign with 737 yards from scrimmage in the final four weeks. He averaged 5.9 yards per carry on the season (now 5.7 career) and was recipient of 25-plus touches every game in Weeks 14-17. His reward? The Chiefs signed Thomas Jones(notes) and drafted another running back, Dexter McCluster(notes), in the second round. If there’s concern in fantasy circles, it will only serve to hand Charles believers a nice draft-day discount. The Jones signing makes sense. Charles is undersized and is coming off minor shoulder surgery. Does he cede some red-zone touches to the bigger Jones? Sure, but like Chris Johnson, Charles can score from anywhere. McCluster was drafted more as a slot/wildcat guy, and the Chiefs are reportedly already tinkering with ways to get Charles, Jones and the rookie on the field at the same time. I just can’t see Charles’ talent getting marginalized by either newcomer. (Mig)

Reggie Wayne(notes), Ind, WR – Round 1, Pick 11
Reggie has posted triple-digit reception totals and double-digit TDs in two of the past three seasons, and he’s caught at least 80 passes every year since 2004 (when he caught 77). As a key contributor in a high-yield offense, Wayne is as reliable as it gets. If he has a down year, the final numbers will still be useful. The top running backs remaining aren’t exactly perfect fits in PPR, so this team waits at least a round to draft the position. (Andy Behrens)

Randy Moss(notes), NE, WR – Round 1, Pick 12
Moss was widely criticized last season, yet he still finished with 83 catches, 1,264 yards and 13 scores. Like Wayne, he’s one of the most dependable scorers in the game, even if he’s on the wrong side of 30. The big question facing this team at the turn is whether to draft a proven running back who won’t catch passes (Michael Turner), an unproven running back who might catch passes (Ryan Mathews(notes)), or another elite receiver (Megatron). Please stay tuned… (Behrens)

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Photos via US Presswire

With Tyler Clippard(notes) on pace to pitch over 110 innings and Brian Bruney(notes) on pace to walk over 110 batters (not really, but close), the Washington Nationals have called-up Drew Storen(notes) to aid the relief corps. Bruney was designated for assignment.

It shouldn’t take long for Storen to find himself pitching in high-leverage situations for Washington. This from MLB.com’s Bill Ladson:

[Jim] Riggleman is hoping that Storen will be one of the late-inning relievers. The Nationals have had a tough time finding a reliever who could help setup man Tyler Clippard and closer Matt Capps(notes). … "We are going to use him as needed," Riggleman said. "I wouldn’t use him in long stints. It will kind of find itself where those innings will be."

Storen, 22, was the tenth overall pick in the 2009 MLB Draft and he’s been considered the Nats’ closer of the future ever since. The right-hander was a dominant reliever in his two seasons at Stanford (12-4, 15 SV, 116 Ks in 99.0 IP), then he was nearly unhittable at three stops in Washington’s minor league system in 2009 (11 SV, 0.78 WHIP, 49 Ks, 8 BB in 37.0 IP). This year, he’s divided his time between Double-A and Triple-A, and he’s been terrific at both levels (1.12 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 15 Ks in 16.0 IP).

Nonetheless, you’re not adding Storen immediately in standard mixed leagues. He has a chance to finish the year as the Nats’ closer, sure, but he doesn’t have the job just yet. He’s of interest in N.L.-only and/or dynasty formats right now — and he’s certainly in play in leagues that use holds as a category — but that’s as far as it goes. Capps has been annoyingly good. Until that changes (or Capps is dealt), Storen will only have low-dosage ratio value in fantasy leagues. 

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Photo via US Presswire

Brad Lidge(notes) was simply awful last year. If you kept him around for the 31 saves, you paid a terrible price. Lidge’s ERA was 7.21 and his WHIP was 1.81. There were elbow and knee issues. He lost eight games and recorded 11 blown saves, yet his manager remained pathologically dependent.

And now Lidge is back! Hooray, Lidge!

Fantasy baseball is more fun when he’s in the game. Lidge is expected to be activated from the disabled list prior to Friday’s series opener against the Mets. Ryan Madson(notes) has been the ninth inning placeholder for the Phillies during Lidge’s absence, and he followed last year’s script perfectly: 9.0 IP, 4 SV, 2 BS, 7.00 ERA, 1.78 WHIP. He obviously hasn’t seized control of the closer’s role, so we can reasonably expect Lidge to return to save-blowing responsibilities soon.

How soon? Well, his manager won’t say. This from the Philadelphia Inquirer:

Manuel wouldn’t commit to Lidge as the closer yet.

"I don’t know," Manuel said Wednesday. "We’ll have to see where we’re
at with that. I’ll just play it by feel. I’ll talk to him first and see where he’s at and how he feels."

Lidge apparently felt just fine during the Double-A segment of his rehab stint. On Tuesday, he pitched two perfect innings, striking out four. The Inquirer reports that his fastball velocity was in the low-90s. That’s an improvement on the scary-low numbers we were hearing just a few weeks ago, but it’s certainly not vintage Lidge.

At his peak, of course, Lidge’s average fastball was in the 95-96 mph range. Last year’s average fastball was 93.6, and he was terrible. And now he’s returning. He has a certain Jose Mesa(notes)/Jason Voorhees flair that we can’t help but admire.

Best of luck, Lidge owners.

If this were any other pitcher coming off a bad year and multiple surgeries, we’d advise you to keep him benched or DL’d for a few days. But the whole point of Lidge ownership is to thrill-seek. Follow your heart, gamer.  

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Photo via US Presswire