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.

Roughing up Rivera

Mariano Rivera gave up his second homer of the season on Wednesday, a three-run shot to Curtis Granderson. Rivera then recorded the final out in a rare 1/3 inning of work to finish the Yankees 8-6 victory over Detroit. Rivera has allowed two homers this April. The 39-year-old's previous high for home runs in a season as Yankees closer is four. His ERA spiked to 3.12.

Fantasy Impact: We love Mariano Rivera and expect him to be fine from here on out. We also realize that Rivera's age must begin to be a concern at some point, and advise owners in keeper leagues to be aware of his recent struggles. If the home run numbers come up, that could be an indication that time is catching up to the sure-fire Hall of Famer.

MLB investigates Domincan age issues

The recent age fraud revelations of Miguel Tejada, Vladimir Guerrero and a Washington Nationals signee have resulted in a full-blown investigation by Major League Baseball into age lying in Dominican Republic baseball circles.

Consulate spokesman David Searby said he could not immediately comment.

"They have asked us to investigate, and we have detected around 42 cases of possible irregularities related to the real age of these young men," said Melendez, who also is Puerto Rico's general manager during the World Baseball Classic.

The investigation began a week ago.

Several Latino players have said they lied about their ages in recent years, including Vladimir Guerrero and Miguel Tejada.

Melendez said players found lying about their age could face a cancellation or temporary revocation of their visas. The State Department would make that decision, he said.

Certainly future legislation will result in a statute of limitations with regard to players who have already confessed their actual age. It would be difficult to punish Vlad or Tejada with retrospective rules.

Rapidly aging Guerrero

Vladimir Guerrero is one year older than previously thought. He's 34, not 33.

In a morning interview session with reporters, Scioscia said Guerrero's October surgery to clean out scar tissue and repair cartilage damage in his right knee could "point to a guy maybe turning back the clock a couple of years."

Relayed that quote through an interpreter, Guerrero smiled and said, "I feel good. I can't say [like] 25, because, you know, I'm 34. But I feel a lot better. That's where I'm at right now."

The Angels list Guerrero's birth date as Feb. 9, 1976, which would make him 33. Guerrero admitted to a team executive later in the day that he was born on the same date in 1975, making him 34.

The team plans to change the media guide to reflect Guerrero's correct age.

Though Guerrero, as it turns out, is one of hundreds of players from the Dominican Republic who faked their age when signing contracts with major league teams, the timing of Friday's discovery could be costly.

Guerrero, who will make $15 million this season, is in the final year of a contract, and any new extension he signs probably will be for one less year than he would have signed for, which would cost him millions.

I'm wondering if Vlad might be even older than 34.

Fantasy Impact: This revelation means Guerrero's slip in numbers last season might not be an off year as much as it could be the beginning of the end. His .521 SLG and .302 AVG were his worst since 1997. His 27 home runs matched his 2008 total, but both were also his worst since '97 when he only played a half-season. Guerrero is still a viable fantasy option, but he's no longer a second-round draft pick. If he slips to round five, however, Guerrero could be a major steal, especially if offseason knee surgery helps him bounce back.