Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Oh, Wells

Cubs starter Randy Wells pitched into the seventh inning with a no-hitter in his bid for his first major league win. He came away empty-handed when the Cubs bullpen blew four-run lead.

Fantasy Impact: Wells worked seven innings, giving up two hits and a run while striking out four. His ERA drops to 1.69 on the year, but he's not guaranteed to continue starting, really. Rich Harden will soon be back from the disabled list, and Wells started with Carlos Zambrano serving a six-game suspension. Wells' best chance at the rotation comes via Sean Marshall heading to the bullpen. There's no guarantee Marshall stays in the 'pen, however, meaning Wells will be on a short leash if he struggles a time or two.

Peavy plain sick

Despite a recent ankle problem, Jake Peavy's short start against the Phillies was nothing more than a pitcher laboring with the flu. Peavy gives up four runs in one inning of work, picking up his sixth loss.

Fantasy Impact: A few days off and Peavy should be ready to go again, although we might see his end-of-week start pushed back a day or two.

Looking Upton

The Upton brothers appear to be blossoming and back in form.

Justin Upton, who slumped in the .100s over much of April, has been the one consistently productive bat in the Diamondbacks order. Upton homered for the 10th time in Monday's 6-5 loss to the Dodgers, upping his RBI total to 33 as he scores for the 34th time. Imagine what those numbers might look like in a productive lineup.

B.J. Upton went 2-3 in a 6-2 Rays win over Kansas City, pushing his average to .212 and giving him a modest 6-game hitting streak. Upton also stole a base, giving him 16 for the season. In his slow progression since coming off the DL after shoulder surgery, his recent performance should give fantasy owners confidence to trust B.J. in their starting lineup again.