DL possible for Ankiel

Although initial reports said Rick Ankiel was fine after his head-first dive into the left-center field fence in St. Louis, Ankiel's prognosis might mix in a DL stint.

Tony La Russa said the Cardinals would likely wait a few more days before deciding on whether to put Ankiel on the 15-day disabled list. The decision depends on his improvement.

La Russa says Ankiel is "more sore in some places and not as sore other places."

Ankiel watched from the dugout during Tuesday's loss to the Phillies. La Russa said it was highly unlikely Ankiel could play Thursday in the finale of a four-game homestand.

Fantasy Impact: The more time Ankiel misses, the more chances rookie Colby Rasmus gets to show his promise. Rasmus is certainly worth the flier for a couple of weeks if Ankiel hits the DL.

Can McCann see?

Brian McCann must be annoyed. The Braves catcher got Lasik surgery in 2007, but that surgery to improve his eyesight caused blurriness. McCann tried contacts, but they were uncomfortable. He then ordered prescription lenses, and while the product arrived a day early, the packaged did not contain his prescription.

McCann is expected to play for the Braves on Friday. He might get one game in at the minor league level with the correct lenses before he arrives.

Fantasy Impact: McCann was the premier player at his position fantasy-wise before the problem surfaced the spring, but his average dropped to .195 due to his inability to see the baseball well. We'd like to see some results before we return to trusting McCann on a regular basis, but at the talent-strapped catching position we'd still start him right away.

Tolbert takes Casilla's roster spot

Rumor had it Twins second baseman Alexi Casilla might lose his starting spot. It's actually much worse than that for the second-year pro. The Twins sent the struggling Casilla to Triple-A and recalled Matt Tolbert. He will start tonight at second.

"I think he's getting so flustered offensively that it just carried over to the whole game," manager Ron Gardenhire said Wednesday before the Twins opened a three-game series against the Orioles. "That's why you send him down. He's just mentally a wreck right now as far as being able to play the game. He's got too many things going on."

The last straw came Monday night when Casilla didn't hustle after hitting a popup.

"Pop fly and ran with the bat all the way to first base, not really running. And that's just not acceptable," Gardenhire said. "It's just not the way we play the game. Especially after the night before, not running when he bunted a ball."

Fantasy Impact: Tolbert is one of those decent contact types who slugs for nearly nothing. We'd consider stashing Casilla, because he might be back soon, but we weren't excited about him in the first place.

Capps elbow woes

Matt Capps experienced a sharp pain in his pitching elbow after Monday's meltdown against Milwaukee. An MRI Tuesday revealed no structural damage, but Capps will miss a few days. That leaves Tyler Yates and John Grabow potentially sharing the closer role for the time being.

Fantasy Impact: The harbinger of something more? Capps missed time in 2008, but he's fairly reliable when healthy. Yates hasn't exactly gotten the job done himself this year, but he's going to be the guy when the matchups require a right-hander. Expect Grabow to close games against lefty bats. We like Yates a touch better as an overall saves candidate in the interim as the Pirates might want to keep the lefty Grabow in a setup role.

Porcello powered by revamped Tigers lineup

Tigers rookie starter Rick Porcello provided his best major league effort to date, and the Tigers revamped lineup gave him plenty of space to work with in a 9-0 victory over the Twins.

Porcello threw seven innings of shutout ball while Jim Leyland slid Josh Anderson into the leadoff spot and batted usual leadoff man Curtis Granderson fifth

Fantasy Impact: The young Porcello is looking to be a mercurial pitcher at this stage of his career as his ERA falls to just 4.71. He's got some work to do before he's a consistent option in fantasy leagues.

Granderson and Miguel Cabrera both homered in the new-look lineup while Anderson went 2-5 and scored a run. If it ain't broke, Jim Leyland, we'll see the same lineup tomorrow, right? This may bode well for both Anderson and Granderson owners.

Brewers protecting Hoffman

Trevor Hoffman apparently won't pitch on three straight days, so Todd Coffey and Carlos Villanueva owners may want to take note. Villanueva got the opportunity to close out a game Tuesday night against the Pirates, and he converted the chance cleanly for his third save in six tries. Brewers win, 8-5.

Fantasy Impact: We still like Coffey for the stray saves, but Villanueva is an OK option in very deep pitching leagues. Hoffman is up there in years, so his careful handling by the Brewers can be expected. He's a good No. 2 saves option in most fantasy leagues.