Seattle resurrections

Ichiro made his return to the Great Northwest Wednesday night after a bleeding ulcer had sidelined Japan's World Baseball Classic hero. He didn't disappoint in his first game back, going 2-5 with a grand slam and a stolen base as the Mariners whip the Angels, 11-3.

Ken Griffey Jr. also homered, lifting No. 613 of his career, his 400th as a Mariner.

Picking up his second win in the game was starter Jarrod Washburn, who looks like he's found something in that new sinker. Washburn cruised until giving up a two-run homer to Torii Hunter in the fourth, and that was it. He's 2-0 with a 1.29 ERA.

Fantasy Impact: Ichiro returns to his place as one of the premier average/speed threats in all of baseball. He's a starter in every fantasy baseball format.

Washburn is a sleeper for a rebound season. He hasn't made much of a fantasy impact since 2005, and even that year he only finished 8-8. With a new pitch and a 2-0 start on a 7-2 Mariners team you should ride the wave while it lasts.

Washburn sinking in

Hello, Jarrod Washburn. The Seattle southpaw, an afterthought in the fantasy baseball world, lifted his left arm to the heavens on Thursday night, and each time that arm came down a sinking fastball floated around and under the bats of miffed Minnesota batters. Washburn's new pitch got him through eight innings of five-hit baseball and earned the Seattle Mariners a 2-0 win.

Fantasy Impact: Sinkerballers pose an intriguing value in fantasy play. Typically guys like Chien-Ming Wang and Aaron Cook keep their teams in the game and maintain low ERAs, but they're not going to strike people out. Washburn never did, and in Seattle he's unlikely to win. That said, a pitcher who can get people out and pitch deep into games as Washburn did Thursday always has a chance. That means this old lefty with a new pitch can pay dividends at the back end of most fantasy staffs.