Another Hamilton multi-hit game

Josh Hamilton makes it eight multi-hit games the last ten times out, going 4-4 with 2 RBI and a run scored in a 4-1 Rangers win over the Indians. Hamilton rips two doubles, his 12th and 13th of the season, and he ups his average to .260, the high-point since a .263 spike on July 7th.

Fantasy Impact: The sign of things to come? The once substance-addicted outfielder has been under scrutiny for recently admitting to backsliding at least once this offseason. He did take responsibility for the episode with his team and then again with the media, but the issue doesn't help his image much. It's more likely Hamilton's injuries that kept him back this season.

Arroyo dominates

Bronson Arroyo strings together his fourth straight quality start, this time producing his best effort of the year. The reds starter tosses a complete-game shutout, two-hitting the Nationals on his way to his 11th victory. Maybe it's the supplements?

Fantasy Impact: This kind of performance by a mid- to low-end fantasy option is the kind of thing that earns owners a winning week. Arroyo is not, however, in the midst of some sort of awakening as a fantasy play. His first year back in the National League was the most impressive of his career (3.29 ERA/1.19 WHIP/.243 BAA), but since then his numbers have taken a steady rise. Arroyo's 1.40-plus WHIP ever since is the sign of an average pitcher potentially declining. He's avoidable, if possible despite the very occasional gem. If Major League teams take a pass, shouldn't you?

Gomes goes yard three times

Reds outfielder Jonny Gomes slugs three home runs against the Nationals on Thursday, powering Cincinnati to a 7-0 victory. He's up to 14 homers on the season and is hitting .271.

Fantasy Impact: Power has never been a problem for Gomes, who's hit 21 and 20 home runs over more or less full seasons in the majors in years past. Consistency is a big problem. Gomes began getting regular at bats in the middle of July when reds youngster Jay Bruce hit the disabled list. Since then, Gomes' batting average had been in steady decline, going from .338 on July 1st to .259 the day before his home run binge. He's a stop-gap at best. His playing time will likely decrease come September 1st, when Bruce is expected to return, creating a logjam in the Cincinnati outfield.

Rodney in danger? Not quite

Fernando Rodney tosses a perfect, one-strikeout ninth for his 24th save, a 2-0 Tigers victory over the Red Sox. Despite just one blown save on the year, Rodney has his critics including this blogger, who all but forecasts Rodney's imminent ouster.

Fantasy Impact: The write-up on Rodney is speculative at best, as there are no news reports expecting his demise as Detroit closer. Setup man Brandon Lyon has pitched well since incorporating a cut fastball at the end of May. Sure, his numbers are better than Rodney's, but pitching the eighth is different from pitching the ninth, and managers tend to go with what the know over the unknown. What Jim Leyland knows is Rodney's gotten the job done in 2009. He's seen Lyon close a single game under his watch. Rodney's job is safe unless he comes unglued. Lyon owners will be on the short end of the save chances until then.

Running bases with Pods

Scott Podsednik might be know for his fleet feet, but the White Sox outfielder continues to make base running gaffes. Wednesday night in Seattle, Podsednik made it to third base with one out in the 10th in a 0-0 ballgame but proceeded to be picked off by Seattle catcher Rob Johnson. It wasn't even close. The White Sox eventually lost the game 1-0 in 14 innings.

Fantasy Impact: Pods is hitting .296 after a 2-6 effor against the Mariners. He's stolen 18 bases and scored 51 times this year, but none of his numbers are enough to make him a starter in fantasy play. He's a part-time player for his ability to steal bases and not hurt your team batting average. He should be losing time in the outfield now with Alex Rios on board with the White Sox.

Closers on the hot seat

KFFL considers Leo Nunez and Brad Lidge to be the closers closest to losing their jobs down the stretch. Kevin Gregg received what amounts to honorable mention for his recent struggles. Agreed.

Jeter X-ray negative

Derek Jeter suffered a right foot contusion when Toronto starter Ricky Romero hit him in Jeter's leadoff at bat. The injury didn't stop Jeter from getting around the bases as he scored the game's first run, but he did have to leave the game in the second after grounding out.

An X-ray showed no damage, but there is no word on Jeter's prognosis.

Fantasy Impact: The Yankees play Thursday night in Seattle. It may be wise to leave Jeter out of the lineup if possible.

Re-thinking throwing programs

Wonder how the Texas Rangers finally found success on the mound in 2009? Part of the answer comes with a reconfigured throwing program for Rangers pitchers.

Gonzalez goes gonzo without homering

Adrian Gonzalez exploited Brewers pitching, going 6-6 in a 13-6 Padres romp. Gonzalez doubled once to go along with five singles. He scored twice and knocked in three. Gonzalez's six hits are a career high.

Fantasy Impact: If there's a knock on Gonzalez in fantasy play, it's his mediocre batting average. After recording six hits that average climbs to an unimpressive .262. In all other offensive categories he remains a force. If he weren't playing half of his games at Petco Park and all of his days in San Diego's lineup, he might be one of the top first basemen in all of fantasy. Instead, he's a higher-end option with potential upside if he's traded or the Padres improve.

Youkilis-Porcello brawl

Kevin Youkilis looked like a blitzing linebacker tackling an unprotected quarterback Tuesday night, charging Detroit rookie Rick Porcello in the 2nd inning after Porcello hit him in the back. Both benches emptied, Youkilis and Porcello were ejected, and order was restored.

Porcello's pitch appeared to be retaliation for Boston starter Junichi Tazawa hitting Miguel Cabrera in the hand in the first inning, but the beanballs followed a Monday filled with hit batsmen between the two teams.

Fantasy Impact: Youkilis and Porcello face fines and suspensions, so you can expect to lose Youkilis for the better part of.a week and Porcello for a start. Youkilis' loss certainly hurts more. Porcello hasn't pitched well since a strong May.

Tigers battery a double positive

The youngest battery in the Majors proved effective the first time together as 20-year-old Rick Porcello wins his 10th game of the season and 22-year-old catcher Alex Avila goes 2-4 with a run scored and an RBI in his MLB debut. The Tigers rookies certainly helped the team to a 7-3 victory over Baltimore. Avila wasn't even expecting a call-up this year.

Fantasy Impact: Porcello is an own-able option as a starting pitcher, but Avila's situation is much more amorphous. The backstop might not get many chances at the MLB level with Gerald Laird ahead of him. Laird, however, hasn't hit much for the past month, making Avila worth watching in the case that he begins to steal Laird's playing time.

Porcello finally wins

Tigers rookie starter Rick Porcello wins his 10th game of the season, working 5 2/3 innings of two-run ball in a 7-3 victory against the Orioles. While it was just Porcello's second win since June 18th, the sinker-baller is still a fixture in Detroit's rotation. He's capable of a handful of more wins by season's end, giving the youngest player in the Majors a shot at 15 wins in his opening campaign.

Fantasy Impact: Porcello's ERA swelled almost a full point from the end of June through August 1st, but this outing was a half-step in the right direction. The 20-year-old is holding his own as a Major Leaguer, and he's proven very impressive over the course of 18 MLB starts. When the matchups are right, Porcello is a nice back-of-the-rotation option for any fantasy team.

Pablo's for real

Pablo Sandoval continues to rake to the point that he can be considered a baby Albert Pujols or Prince Fielder at this point in his young career. Like Pujols and Fielder, Sandoval is hitting a ton at a young age, upping his average to .334 with a 3-4, two run, two RBI effort in a 10-6 Giants win over the Astros. Sandoval knocked his 32nd double to go along with 17 home runs, and he's just about to turn 23 next week.

Fantasy Impact: The portly Sandoval doesn't run the bases very well (4 SB in 6 attempts), nor does he have much patience (22 BB in 386 AB), but he does hit exceptionally well. He poses an interesting dilemma as the trade deadline looms in most fantasy leagues: is the young player good enough to acquire and keep for an even better campaign next season, or is he playing a bit above his head? Well, just like Pujols, his minor league numbers look a lot like his Major League marks. That means your only worry with Sandoval is injury. He's going to be a major star.

There's Lehr

Where's Justin Lehr been? In the minors, for three years. Wednesday he not only won his first game in the Majors since May 18, 2006, Lehr also 4-hit the Cubs in a complete-game shutout. The Reds 32-year-old right-hander was starting just the second game of his career. He may have earned a third.

Fantasy Impact: Almost none. There have to be a few managers out there willing to take a one-game flier on Lehr to see if he can turn the trick again. Here's hoping we're playing one of those managers next week.

Buchholz cruises

Making his first start in almost a full calendar year, Clay Buchholz looks solid in a 4-1 victory over the Blue Jays. While he gives up just one run on four hits, Buchholz doesn't not earn a quality start as he works 5 2/3 innings, throwing 104 pitches.

Fantasy Impact: Buchholz has dominated at the minor league level for the past two seasons, but he needs to put it together for the Red Sox. Right now it looks like Boston is going with a six-man rotation, and Buchholz's performance could force a trade. That means he's got a legitimate shot of sticking. He's worth a flier, but expect mixed results for the interim.

Berkman out a night

Lance Berkman sits out the night after suffering a mild calf strain. It doesn't sound like a problem, although Berkman is thinking about the injury.

"It's just tight and sore," he said. "It's probably a small pulled muscle or something like that. I'm just worried about a lingering issue, which I obviously don't want, especially going into a pretty important stretch for us here in the first part of the second half."

Fantasy Impact: Lingering injuries are never a good thing. They not only keep players out of the lineup now and again, they also impact statlines. Berkman might need to be benched until he gets back in the game.

2009 MLB closers - first half review

A list of the top MLB closers over the first half of 2009. Criteria used in evaluation: Saves, blown saves, ERA, WHIP, BAA

First Tier:

1. Joe Nathan
2. Heath Bell
3. Mariano Rivera
4. Ryan Franklin
5. Huston Street
6. Francisco Cordero
7. Francisco Rodriguez
8. Jonathan Papelbon
9. Jonathan Broxton
10. David Aardsma
11. Brian Fuentes
12. Trevor Hoffman


Second Tier:

13. Joakim Soria
14. Frank Francisco
15. George Sherrill
16. Bobby Jenks
17. Fernando Rodney
18. Brian Wilson
19. Rafael Soriano
20. Scott Downs
21. Andrew Bailey
22. Kevin Gregg
23. Chad Qualls
24. Matt Capps

Third Tier:

25. Matt Lindstrom
26. Kerry Wood
27. LaTroy Hawkins
28. Brad Lidge
29. J.P. Howell
30. J. Valverde
31. Mike Gonzalez
32. C.J. Wilson
33. Brad Ziegler
34. M. MacDougal
35. T. Percival

Rebirth of Berkman

Lance Berkman's slow start is appearing to be a thing of the past. The Astros first baseman slugs his 18th home run and extends his hitting streak to 11 games in a 2-4 effort in a 9-4 victory over Washington. Berkman's on pace for right around 100 RBI and 90 runs scored, which is pretty good after his woefully slow start, which included a strikeout rate of more than 30 percent. He's now hitting .277 and looking like he can climb into the .290s by season's end.

Fantasy Impact: Berkman remains one of the game's most consistent performers. His contact hitting has come around dramatically since the end of May. Berkman's struck out just 20 times since June 1st, and he's upped his average 119 points since the end of April. He's a must start, a keepable asset, and one of the top options at first base. It was only a matter of time before he came around.

Richard rocked

Clayton Richard hasn't just suffered a recent run of bad luck, the White Sox starter has pitched so poorly that he's now in danger of losing his rotation spot altogether. Richard gave up six earned runs on three walks and four hits in a single inning of work against the Indians on Thursday. He failed to record a single out in the second inning before getting pulled.

Fantasy Impact: Aaron Poreda owners will be upset, because the young phenom is not even in the running for Richard's rotation spot if he gets pulled. Instead, Bartolo Colon or D.J. Carrasco will get the first shot. The situation is fluid, however, as Richard might make his next start after the All-Star break.

Ross is boss

Ross Ohlendorf throw his best outing in two months as the Pirates ride their big right-hander to a 3-0 victory over the Cubs. Ohlendorf has pitched well in his first full season as a starter, posting a 7-6 record with a 4.41 ERA on a losing team.

Fantasy Impact: Certainly, you can do better than Ohlendorf, but you can also do much, much worse. The young righty continues to pitch well despite his low strike out total. He actually notched eight in seven innings in this one. He's a great low-end rotation option. If you've got him as a 5the or 6th starter, you're exceeding your replacement value.

Ug-Lee

Indians starter Cliff Lee threw the Chicago White Sox batting practice in game two of their series giving up 7 runs on 11 hits in three innings. His ERA soars to 3.39, which is obviously very respectable but still bot that of a frontline fantasy ace.

Fantasy Impact: Earlier in the year we talked about Lee's inflated value after his Cy Young season. Certainly there are fantasy managers out ther who over-valued the solid lefty. The fact of the matter is this: Lee is a good to very good pitcher, but he's not one of the top 10 or even 20 pitchers in baseball. He'll never dominate like the game's best, and therefore he'll continue to be a top-end No. 3 or low end No. 2 fantasy starter. If you drafted him high or kept him, here's hoping you moved him prior to this paltry showing.

Ramirez rehab scheduled

Aramis Ramirez's rehab assignment begins Thursday, which is good news for the Cubs. Ramirez's bat has been sorely missed, but the Cubs are seeing production in his place from rookie Jake Fox. Fox went 2-3 Monday in a 3-1 victory over the Pirates, leaving him at .347 at the Major League level this season. Fox is Chicago's hottest hitter, and taking him out of the lineup would only be counterproductive while he's hitting so well.

Fantasy Impact: If and when Ramirez is ready to come back, the Cubs will have a serious decision to make: do they sit Fox, a below-average defensive player, in favor of Milton Bradley in right field? Ramirez would certainly inherit his third base spot when he's available, meaning Fox will have to slot somewhere else. Right field might be the only option.

Alexei's OK

Alexei Ramirez left the White Sox game against the Indians when a Chris Perez pitch struck him in the head. Ramirez stayed down for a couple of minutes as the White Sox training staff evaluated him on the field. While it was a scary moment, Ramirez says he will be able to play on Tuesday.

Lesson learned?

Did the Brewers learn a valuable lesson last year via the CC Sabathia trade? This year, Milwaukee is not going to deal top prospects like Matt Gamel and Alcides Escobar for high-priced free-agents to be, even if it's badly needed pitching they can acquire in return. Doug Melvin, who giddly said "We're going for it!" last year, has certainly changed his tone regarding a blockbuster deal.

"It's almost impossible. You never say never but it's not my focus at all. Those young players are valuable." After LaPorta was dealt for Sabathia, who led the Brewers to the playoffs for the first time in 26 years, Escobar moved up to the top spot in the organizational prospect rankings by Baseball America magazine, with Gamel at No. 2. As badly as the Brewers need starting pitching help with Dave Bush on the disabled list and Manny Parra in the minors, Melvin said the price would be too high if he included Gamel or Escobar. Gamel has been with the Brewers since May 14 and is batting .244 with two homers and 12 RBI in 32 games.

Middle- to small-market teams like the Brewers who cannot afford a dearth of big contracts need to hang onto their high-end prospects, because in the end, they get nothing. The traded prospect is gone, and so is the player Milwaukee traded for. We ripped Milwaukee for the Sabathia trade last year, saying mortgaging the future wouldn't bring them a title. This time The Brewers wised up.

Lesson learned?

Did the Brewers learn a valuable lesson last year via the CC Sabathia trade? This year, Milwaukee is not going to deal top prospects like Matt Gamel and Alcides Escobar for high-priced free-agents to be, even if it's badly needed pitching they can acquire in return.

"It's almost impossible. You never say never but it's not my focus at all. Those young players are valuable." After LaPorta was dealt for Sabathia, who led the Brewers to the playoffs for the first time in 26 years, Escobar moved up to the top spot in the organizational prospect rankings by Baseball America magazine, with Gamel at No. 2. As badly as the Brewers need starting pitching help with Dave Bush on the disabled list and Manny Parra in the minors, Melvin said the price would be too high if he included Gamel or Escobar. Gamel has been with the Brewers since May 14 and is batting .244 with two homers and 12 RBI in 32 games.

Middle- to small-market teams like the Brewers cannot afford a dearth of big contracts need to hang onto their high-end prospects, because otherwise, they get nothing in the end. The traded prospect is gone, and so is the player Milwaukee traded for. We ripped Milwaukee for the Sabathia trade last year, saying mortgaging the future wouldn't bring them a title. This time The Brewers wised up.

Tulo standing tall

Troy Tulowitzki's resurgence after a tough stretch early in the year may be attributed to altering his batting stance. He's standing more upright at the plate.

Fantasy Impact: Anyone who hits seven homers over 19 games should be worth a start, and after the top shortstops, Tulowitzki remains one of the best options at the position.

Backing Beckham

Over the past nine days, Gordon Beckham's nothing average has climbed steadily to .196. In that span, he's hit three doubles and a home run, bumping his slugging percentage up to .314, which is nearly respectable for a player hitting just below the Mendoza line. His 2-3 day with a double against the Reds gives him hits in six of his last seven games.

Fantasy Impact: Beckham is hitting .348 over that stretch of seven games, making him more than a viable option at third base or shortstop during while he's hot. He probably won't keep up this pace, but even if he slips just a bit, he's one of the better middle infielders in fantasy baseball. Grab him.

Not bad, Volstad

After four straight losses and back-to-back flame-outs, Chris Volstad got it back on track against the Yankees in a 6-5 win. Not only did Volstad earn a quality start, he also managed to walk just one and strike out four over six innings. Despite a 4.74 ERA, Volstad's WHIP is a solid 1.28.

Fantasy Impact: Volstad's struggles saw him dropped in numerous fantasy leagues, but he's still an average or above-average starter for the most part. If he's available, grab him, because he won't last long.

Hot Rodriguez

Sean Rodriguez launches his 22nd home run of the season (21 came in the Pacific Coast League) as the Angels beat the Giants, 9-7. Near the bottom of the Major Leagues in home runs this season, Los Angeles could use Rodriguez's bat in the lineup, but Mike Scioscia seems committed to Maicer Izturis at second base.

Fantasy Impact: Pick up Rodriguez just in case he starts getting a more legit shot at second base. He can be a Dan Uggla-type second baseman if Scioscia eventually lets him play every day.

Good Torii Hunter

Torii Hunter blasts three home runs against the Padres in a 9-1 victor for the home Angels. Hunter smacks two of the three against Padres starter Josh Geer, hardly an ace, but this is looking like Hunter's career year - no matter whom he's facing.

Fantasy Impact: Hunter's always been a nice fantasy player, but never a first-two round pick. This season, however, he's on pace to destroy his career high in homers of 31. He's also on pace to go over 100 runs for the first time in a single season. Breaking his career-high of 23 stolen bases is also in reach. He's a sell-high candidate who is prone to slumps historically, but this hot streak is going on three months now without stopping. Ride the wave. It just might last a full season.

Hochevar dominates on 80 pitches

Luke Hochevar continues to be an enigma for the Kansas City Royals. The former overall pick routinely struggles when pitching at the Major League level while dominating in the high minors. Friday, Hochevar flipped the script in terms of his Major League results, completely baffling the Cincinnati Reds in an 80=pitch, 3-1 complete-game victory.

Fantasy Impact: At some point Hochevar seemingly has to get it together, and this might be the catalyst to do exactly that. One Kansas City Star reporter considered this perhaps the most dominating Royals pitching performance in recent memory, and yes, that's including Zack Greinke's fabulous April-May. Hochevar's got the goods, and he's good enough to be a part of any fantasy roster if you're willing to wait out the good through the bad.

Top 2009 MLB closers - first 1/3 of season

Spitting Seeds' rankings for the best closers of the first third of the 2009 season. This is not a projection. It is an assessment of how effective baseball's top closers performed.
-----------------

Top Tier - No. 1 closers

1. Trevor Hoffman (15 saves, 0.00 ERA)
2. Heath Bell (18 saves, 1.37 ERA)
3. Francisco Rodriguez (16 saves, 0.61 ERA)
4. Frank Francisco (12 saves, 0.46 ERA)
5. Jonathan Broxton (14 saves, 1.50 ERA)
6. Jonathan Papelbon (15 saves, 2.08 ERA)
7. Joe Nathan (13 saves, 1.93 ERA)
8. Francisco Cordero (15 saves, 2.00 ERA)
9. Mariano Rivera (14 saves, 3.20 ERA)
10. Ryan Franklin (13 saves, 1.23 ERA)
11. Bobby Jenks (13 saves, 3.15 ERA)
12. Brian Fuentes (16 saves, 4.97 ERA)
-----------------

Second Tier - No. 2 closers

13. Brian Wilson (16 saves, 3.45 ERA)
14. George Sherrill (12 saves, 2.66 ERA)
15. Matt Capps (14 saves, 5.49 ERA)
16. David Aardsma (10 saves, 1.84 ERA)
17. Chad Qualls (12 saves, 3.97 ERA)
18. Huston Street (11 saves, 2.84 ERA)
19. Scott Downs (8 saves, 2.13 ERA)
20. LaTroy Hawkins (8 saves, 2.54 ERA)
21. Joakim Soria (7 saves, 1.74 ERA)
22. Mike Gonzalez (8 saves, 2.67 ERA)
23. Andrew Bailey (5 saves, 1.93 ERA)
24. Matt Lindstrom (11 saves, 5.92 ERA)
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Third Tier - No. 3 closers

25. Fernando Rodney (11 saves, 4.68 ERA)
26. Brad Lidge (13 saves, 7.27 ERA
27. Kevin Gregg (10 saves, 4.62 ERA)
28. Rafael Soriano (5 saves, 0.98 ERA)
29. C.J. Wilson (4 saves, 3.33 ERA)
30. Kerry Wood (8 saves, 5.31 ERA)
31. Brad Ziegler (5 saves, 4.07 ERA)
32. Troy Percival (6 saves, 6.35 ERA)
33. Brandon Morrow (6 saves, 6.38 ERA)
34. Joel Hanrahan (5 saves, 6.84 ERA)
35. Ryan Madson (3 saves, 2.15 ERA)
36. Chris Sampson (3 saves, 1.70 ERA)
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Fringe closers

37. Randy Choate (3 saves, 1.93 ERA)
38. Takashi Saito (2 saves, 2.70 ERA)
39. J.P. Howell (2 saves, 2.10 ERA)
40. Leo Nunez (2 saves, 3.10 ERA)
41. Todd Coffey (2 saves, 2.57 ERA)
42. Carlos Marmol (3 saves, 3.67 ERA)
43. Carlos Villanueva (2 saves, 4.18 ERA)
44. Jose Valverde (2 saves, 5.63 ERA)
45. B.J. Ryan (2 saves, 6.91 ERA)
46. Mike MacDougal (0 saves, 6.00 ERA)

Going West

Marlins rookie Sean West, known to some as "Little Unit," carried a no-hitter into the seventh against the Giants and wound up with an eight-inning, two-hit shutout. The long, lean lefthander not only won for the first time in his fourth MLB start, he also beat Randy Johnson, the pitcher to whom he most often copmpared. Johnson sounded very impressed with the 22-year-old after the game.

“It’s a lot of pressure. You try not to think about it but it’s there. But he has to be happy about the way he pitched,” Johnson said.

Fantasy Impact: Johnson knows a thing or two about tossing no-hitters. West knows some things about pitching. He's sporting a 2.22 ERA and has allowed just 14 hits in 24 1/3 innings. He's worth a flier in most formats.

Dry-eyed David Ortiz

David Ortiz's eye exam turned up nothing unusual. He did get some drops for dry eyes, a condition that can actually screw up your vision rather seriously. In this case, however, it sounds like Ortiz is suffering from a lightweight case.

Fantasy Impact: Ortiz struggled with injuries in 2008, which is what limited his offensive numbers. After a slow start this year the Red Sox have tried everything to get him going again. Here's wondering if they've tried to do too much. Tampa Bay allowed B.J. Upton to battle through his early slump, and their center fielder is finally showing some life offensively. Maybe Ortiz needs to work through his problems by just staying consistent at the plate.

We wouldn't give up on Ortiz just yet. Hopefully you have a bench slot he can occupy for the remainder of his slump.

Poreda called up

The Chicago White Sox promoted rookie Aaron Poreda, according to multiple sources. Poreda, a big lefty, has dominated at Double-A Birmingham. Poreda just missed making the big league roster out of camp with Jose Contreras and Bartolo Colon taking the No. 4 and No. 5 rotation spots.

Fantasy Impact: You'd have to believe the White Sox called up Poreda to join the rotation, but does that mean the end of days for Bartolo Colon? Contreras dazzled Monday night against Detroit while Colon served up four gopher balls to the lowly Indians over the weekend. The Sox top three of Mark Buerhle, John Danks and Gavin Floyd is solid. Poreda would need to unseat Colon for a rotation spot. The Sporting News says the White Sox might go with a six-man rotation, but it's more likely that either Clayton Richard or Poreda ends up in the 'pen. Maybe both do for the time being and the Sox give Colon a couple more chances to start.

Oh, Contreras!

White Sox starter Jose Contreras returned from a near month-long stint in the minors and 1-hit the Tigers over 8 innings. He picks up his first win in almost a year after a ruptured Achilles tendon cost him half of 2008. The Sox win, 6-1.

Fantasy impact: Contreras entered the year as a sleeper candidate thanks to coming back in great shape from his strenuous rehab. He didn't pitch well enough to stay in the big leagues, however, and now needs to string together a few quality starts before he can be trusted on a regular basis.

Fields frustrated over Beckham starts

White Sox third baseman Josh Fields sat down with Ozzie Guillen recently after Gordon Beckham came up from Triple-A Charlotte and immediately started a few times at Fields' position. Fields is frustrated that he's losing time to a rookie.

‘‘As a player you go through a thing where you kind of have people that have confidence in you — your front office and your manager having confidence in you — and I really don’t know this situation,’’ said Fields, who entered Monday hitting .242 with three home runs and 21 RBI. ‘‘It’s been weird. Ozzie sat me down the other day and tried to go through it a little bit, but it’s kind of hard to swallow. If I was still at .212 like I was for a while, it would be easier, but pulling my average up and the team getting into second place, it just kind of came surprising, I guess.“I asked [Guillen] a couple of questions, but I have more questions for [general manager] Kenny [Williams] and I haven’t been able to actually sit down and talk to him. I know the draft is coming up and stuff, but we’ll get to sit down here before long and we’ll get to ask all of the questions that I need to.’’Asked if he was frustrated about the timing of the Beckham call-up, Fields responded, “I think so.’’

Fantasy Impact: We've alreday felt some of the impact from Beckham getting a look at third. The 23-year-old has yet to produce in any way offensively, but he's stealing at bats from Fields in the process. Fields is a low-end option, anyway, so he's unlikely an important piece on any fantasy roster. It appears as if the White Sox are willing to let the two players battle it out for the job. That might be a good thing for the fantasy owners who pick the right horse.

The last 300-game winner will not be Unit

Please stop writing about this. The question was asked when Greg Maddux became the latest 300 game winner. It was asked against when Tom Glavine became the even-more-latest 300-game winner. Randy Johnson will not be the last 300-game winner. No way.

The fact that rarely is there a pitcher nearing 300 wins when the latest pitcher turns the milestone means nothing, and while we acknowledge that winning 300 is one of the hardest things to do in baseball, Randy Johnson became the 24th pitcher to do so in a 5-1 victory over Washington Thursday night.

If you divide 24 pitchers over 133 years of Major League Baseball, a pitcher gets to 300 wins about every 5.5 years. While there's merit in the belief that it is growing harder and harder to earn that many victories over a career, Maddux, Glavine, Johnson and Roger Clemens each got to 300 over a period of six seasons. That's one 300-game winner every 1.5 seasons. If anything, the milestone is getting reached more often than ever before.

While the past handful of years is a small sample size and not necessarily a fair measure of pitching history or of the future, greatness will always be greatness. Great pitchers will always dominate, and the best ones will do it for a long, long time. While it will be hard to predict whom will become the next 300-game winner, it's even more difficult to predict the last of anything.

Remember when the 49ers would be the last football dynasty due to the use of a salary cap in the NFL? Along came the Patriots. Remember when Villanova was the last legitimate Cinderella to crash the Final Four? Along came George Mason. Remember when Randy Johnson was considered as possibly the last 300-game winner? We'll look back at that argument and laugh.

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.

Sean West: "Little Unit?"

The Florida Marlins recently recalled minor-leaguer Sean West to fill-out their ailing rotation. The 6'8, 200 lb lefty has earned comparisons to Randy Johnson during his time in the minors for both his long, lanky delivery and propensity for walks and strikeouts.

In two starts at the MLB level, West has mustered just seven Ks in 12 innings, and he showed his wildness the second time out by walking four batters in just five innings. West showed a willingness to battle each time out, throwing 91 pitches in both no-decisions. The Marlins eventually lost both games.

Fantasy Impact: The 22-year-old 2005 supplemental-round pick looks comfortable at the Major League level. Take a flier if you're in need of a power pitcher. He can kill you in leagues that penalize walks, but with an ability to limit hits, West's WHIP numbers should be tolerable.

Sean Rodriguez rumors heating up

By now you'd have to be living under a rock not to notice the hype Angels minor-league second baseman Sean Rodriguez is garnering. With Howie Kendrick going Rickie Weeks for the big league club, everyone is saying "move over, Brandon Wood," Rodriguez is the call-up flavor of the month of June.

Fantasy Impact: Rodriguez would appear to have a ton of pop with 17 home runs in 51 games at Triple-A. Last season, however, his Major League numbers did not impress. He's worth a flier if you're looking for middle infield options at this time, and isn't everyone? Get him before someone else takes the plunge and reaps potentially high rewards. Think a Dan Uggla type with Mike Fontenot numbers on the low end.

Padres & White Sox agree on Peavy deal

The Padres and White Sox have agreed on a deal that would send Jake Peavy to Chicago in exchange for four players, according to WSCR.

Peavy has a full no-trade clause and prefers to play in the National League, so there's a strong possibility the deal doesn't happen. The Sox are said to be offering Aaron Poreda and Clayton Richard as part of the trade.

Fantasy Impact: Peavy would be going to a smaller ballpark, but his electric stuff should work anywhere. He'll have a much more productive lineup around him as well, so his win potential improves. Richard would immediately become a starter with merit. Poreda might have a shot at the Padres roster this season.

Trading Zack Greinke

Yahoo! fantasy baseball readers believe Zach Greinke is the real deal. When asked if it's a good idea to sell, buy or hold Greinke right now, most respondents to Yahoo! Fantasy sports' poll said they'd keep the star right-hander. Afterall, Greinke is off to potentially one of the great pitching seasons in baseball history. Only about one quarter of readers said they'd deal him away at this time.

If the price is right, however, why not deal a guy who almost certainly can't keep up the pace? There's got to be someone willing to overspend. Just looking at Greinke's player page on CBSsports.com you can see some of the deals managers are making for his services.

One deal I caught:

Yovani Gallardo & Hanley Ramirez
for
Greinke & Michael Young

Ramirez is likely the best fantasy performer in that deal year in, year out. Gallardo is a stalwart ace if he stays healthy. While Greinke is the better pitcher in the deal right now, Young is a nice hitter who loses SS eligibility next year. His value diminishes greatly at third base. In a keeper league, this deal is a no brainer - trade Greinke.

There are deals out there to be had, so if you own Greinke, float some trade offers. You might be surprised at what you can get.

Rain on Whitesell's parade

The Arizona Diamondbacks optioned first baseman Josh Whitesell back to the minors before today's double-header against the Marlins. Whitesell had been struggling to hit, going 3-26 since his call-up earlier this month. That doesn't mean he won't be back. The double-header called for an increased strain on the bullpen, so Whitesell's replacement came in the way of another arm, not a bat.

Fantasy Impact: We'd drop Whitesell due to his demotion and struggles at the plate. We'd also keep an eye on him and the Arizona corners. If Whitesell proves resurgent at Triple-A and either Mark Reynolds or Chad Tracy remains dormant, Whitesell can be back up in a matter of weeks.

Damn, Damon

Yankees outfielder Johnny Damon continues to hit well-above his head power-wise. Damon slugs his 10th homer of the 2009 season in the 10th inning for a walk-off win over Minnesota. He's hitting .324 from the No. 2 hole in New York's star-studded lineup.

Fantasy Impact: Can this hold up? Maybe. While Damon is 34 and hasn't hit more than 24 home runs in a single season, he's certainly showing more pop in his bat later in his career. New Yankee Stadium is seeing baseballs fly into the stands with alarming regularity, but it's not necessarily going to last. Damon's production will be expected to slow, but we think he's capable of hitting 25-30 homers thanks to his blistering pace. That makes him a great trade piece to a team needing another outfielder.

No longer on Holliday

Matt Holliday is showing signs of coming out of his early-season slump. The Athletics outfielder goes 4-4 with four singles and steals a base in an 11-7 loss to Detroit. Holliday's power numbers still lack (4 HR/.394 SLG entering Sunday), but his average is on a slow climb at .267.

Fantasy Impact: Holliday's numbers took a hit leaving Coors Field and switching leagues. He's adjusting to new pitchers and a tougher park in which to hit, but he's still an accomplished outfielder. We're expecting a .285 average with 25-30 homers by season's end, leaving him in the top tier of fantasy outfielders.

Sonnastine hits well, pitches poorly again

A lineup card mistake forced Rays starting pitcher Andy Sonnanstine to bat on Sunday. The Rays submitted a lineup with both Evan Longoria and Ben Zobrist listed at third base, meaning they had no DH. When Ben Zobrist played third to start the game, Indians manager Eric Wedge called the mistake to the attention of the umpiring crew.

"They had two third basemen, so I just wanted to make sure that Zobrist was in the game playing third, and I pointed it out to them after the top half of the first," Wedge said.

The Rays lost their DH position because of the error, meaning
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Sonnanstine replaced Longoria in the third spot of the lineup.

That forced Longoria to sit out, leaving Sonnastine in the No. 3 spot in the Rays' order. The pitcher doubled a run in the fourth, going 1-3 for the game, but he didn't pitch well. Sonnanstine allowed five runs in 5 2/3 innings, as his ERA balloons to 7.36

Fantasy Impact: Sonnastine actually won the game to improve to 2-4 on the year. The Rays scored all seven runs without Longoria before he left. Tampa might need to make a decision on Sonnanstine soon, as his struggles certainly cannot be ignored much longer.

Glee for Lee

Cleveland starter Cliff Lee outpitched White Sox ace Mark Buehrle for a 4-0 win, just Lee's second of the season. It was Lee's first victory in nearly a month. Buehrle offered his worst effort of 2009, and it wasn't that bad, save for a pair of homers he allowed to Victor Martinez and Ryan Garko.

Fantasy Impact: Lee's disappointing start to the season leaves him unlikely to regain his 2008 Cy Young numbers, but he's still a solid fantasy option. Last season's breakout prompted overbuying of Lee in 2009, as his average draft position jumped to 64th overall in CBSsports.com fantasy leagues. That pegs Lee as a high-end No. 2 starter in most fantasy leagues, which he is not. Lee is more likely a low-end No. 2 or a No. 3 starter at this point in his career. We lean toward Lee as a No. 3, especially on an Indians team that's mired in last place.

Soriano blows save; Gonzalez notches sixth

Rafael Soriano blew his first save of 2009, but did so in the 8th inning of an eventual 8-7 Braves victory over the Mets in extra innings. Mike Gonzalez remains Atlanta's top choice for saves as he comes in to notch No. 6 on the season.

Fantasy Impact: There would appear to be some interchange between Soriano and Gonzalez to this point, but Gonzalez is still the closer in Atlanta. Soriano's earlier save chances came via Gonzalez's unavailability or use in a tight situation suited for a dominant lefty earlier in a game. Soriano blew this one in the eighth inning, meaning Gonzalez would have likely gotten the save chance with the lead in the ninth.

Zimmerman zeroed in

Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman is finally figuring it out. In the midst of a 29-game hitting streak, Zimmerman has put together a stellar 2009. He's batting .363 with eight home runs and looking every bit the part of a number four overall drat selection back in 2005.

Fantasy Impact: The hitting streak and the .363 average probably won't hold up, but Zimmerman was a breakout candidate in 2008 and just delayed the fireworks. Injuries kept him back as much as anything. With a thin third base crop this year, he's likely one of the steals of this year's draft day.

Jenks suspension looming?

Bobby Jenks' admission that he purposely threw behind Rangers second baseman Ian Kinsler is being investigated by Major League Baseball. This sort of thing is not taken lightly, and Jenks very well could miss a game or two with a suspension. It happened to Josh Beckett for throwing "near" Bobby Abreu earlier this year.

Fantasy Impact: We're expecting Jenks to be sidelined for at least one, maybe two games. Because he admitted purposefully throwing the pitch, we do not expect an appeal.

Richard for Contreras

With Jose Contreras getting sent to the minors to work out his issues, the White Sox moved reliever Clayton Richard into the rotation.

Fantasy Impact: Richard was a dark horse to make the Sox rotation this spring, but with Contreras' return from injury and the addition of Bartolo Colon, he became a middle reliever. Richard struggled in 2008, posting a a 6.04 ERA in 13 appearances and eight starts. He's been stronger in 2009, but he only threw 16 1/3 innings in 11 outings. He probably won't have the initial stamina to contribute in a productive way.

Hello, Hochevar

Luke Hochevar is back in the bigs. Hochevar takes Joakim Soria's spot on roster as Soria hits the DL with his shoulder problem. Sidney Ponson leaves the Royals rotation for the bullpen, so it appears Hochevar is expected to stay in the rotation a while.

Fantasy Impact: Hochevar has dominated in the minors this season. He owned a 0.90 ERA and 5-0 record in six starts. While he struggled in his first major league season in 2008, Hochevar believes he's an improved pitcher thanks to the experience. He's a two-start pitcher for the week of May 11th. We like his upside and recommending adding him to the back of your rotation.

Soria sent to DL

Joakim Soria finds himself on the DL with his shoulder issues, as the Royals announce their bullpen-by-committee approach will continue. Juan Cruz is the most obvious choice to stand in for Soria for the next two weeks.

Fantasy Impact: Cruz has the stuff to be a closer, and his 1.88 ERA and 1.12 WHIP should entice owners needing stopgap options for their bullpen. Soria's shoulder is a definite concern and should be monitored closely. He's an elite closer when healthy, so if he's dropped on the waiver wire, pick him up for a DL slot.

Soria's sore shoulder

Joakim Soria's shoulder woes won't go away. The Royals closer continues to feel stiffness in his throwing shoulder despite medical work showing no actual injury.

"We probably don't have Jack [Soria]," manager Trey Hillman said before Saturday night's game against the Angels. "He was a little sore yesterday -- too sore for my liking to feel real comfortable. We'll probably go day-to-day."

Other than Soria's right shoulder being stiff, Hillman said he had no further information and that all medical tests had checked out OK.

"It's kind of new territory for me," Hillman said. "I felt he was a little bit behind to start [the season] and I'm still hopeful that that's what it is. I just don't know. Anything beyond that would be speculation on my part."

Fantasy Impact: This situation sounds similar to Brandon Webb's non-injury that turned into a two-month DL stay. Anytime a pitcher suffers shoulder troubles it's a big deal. Soria logged a lot of innings the past two seasons as a young pitcher, logging 69 and 67 1/3 innings at the ages of 23 and 24. It would be unfortunate that all the early success in his career begins to derail him.

It's hard to recommend a stop-gap option as Trey Hillman prefers a closer-by-committee approach if Soria is not available. Soria is not yet headed to the disabled list, so there is no reason to jump to the conclusion that he'll be unavailable for an extended period. You'll have to ride this one out.

Aramis Ramirez disabled

Aramis Ramirez separated his non-throwing shoulder diving for a ball in Milwaukee Saturday night. He's expected out four to six weeks.

Fantasy Impact: While it's not his right shoulder, we're still expecting Ramirez to be gone for the latter half of that estimate. A separated shoulder is not a good injury to have as it can impact a player's swing even when he's capable of playing again.

Look for Mike Fontenot to get the lion's share at third. He's already third-base eligible in a number of leagues, and this development should get him the starts he needs in most leagues. Ryan Freel, recently acquired from Baltimore, might be the leadoff man the Cubs craved at second base. Keep an eye on Freel.

Barry very steady

Barry Zito might have won just his first game of 2009 on May 8th, but his overall body of work is looking very solid.

Zito worked six innings of one-run baseball against the Dodgers on Friday night, allowing eight hits while walking two. He struck out five. While the WHIP total is a bit high, Zito got out of jams and lowered his ERA for the fourth straight performance. It's down to 3.57 now.

Fantasy Impact: Zito is still a risky start, but he's not nearly as bad as the beating he takes in the press. We suggest picking him up if he's still available on the waiver wire. Pitch him when the matchups are right against weaker and lefty-dominated lineups.

Pierre impact

There's no reason to critique the Manny Ramirez situation other than to say Manny's 50-game suspension means owners will have to stash their prized outfielder for what amounts to a near two-month injury. That's brutal.

What's interesting is the sudden emergence of Juan Pierre. The Dodgers fourth outfielder suddenly finds himself in the starting lineup again, and the pressure is off. Pierre will bat at the bottom of the order and merely has to do a serviceable job in order to keep the Dodgers hot while Manny is out.

Fantasy Impact: Grab Pierre. There's nothing to lose. The lifetime .300 hitter went 2-4 with a steal and a caught stealing in his first game as a starter. The Dodgers are unlikely to find a better replacement in the outfield via trade, so Pierre should see regular at bats for the 50 days without Manny. If you already have him on your roster, reap the benefits of a decent average and a good number of stolen bases.

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.

Grilling the Grilli angle

With Huston Street and Manny Corpas on a closer roller coaster this season, the idea of the steady Jason Grilli taking over has surfaced in Denver. No, Grilli isn't really a candidate right now, but fans posed the question to Denver Post writer Troy E. Renck, and he shot the idea down, point-blank.

Fantasy Impact: Grilli's improving ERA is quite impressive. It's down year after year after year, all the way to 1.04 this season. He owns 12 strikeouts in 8 2/3 innings. He also owns the Rockies setup role, and it doesn't appear that will be changing anytime soon. His fantasy value is extremely limited unless Street struggles again. If Grilli continues to succeed at that time while Corpas struggles, Grilli would be up against Alan Embree for save chances.

Ankiel meets wall

Cardinals outfielder Rick Ankiel survived a scary moment Monday night after running hard into the wall after a fly ball. He made the catch, but paid for it dearly. Amazingly, the Cardinals say Ankiel is just a little sore, according to Phillies outfielder Shane Victorino.

Victorino, anxious when he came to bat in the ninth, asked catcher Jason LaRue how Ankiel was doing and was assured by what he heard.

"LaRue said (Ankiel) felt fine, that he was a little sore, that it wasn't anything where he wasn't moving or anything like that," Victorino said.

"I'm glad he was able to give a thumbs-up (when Ankiel was carted off the field). I'm sure he's going to be sore, but I hope nothing more comes about tonight.

"... I only wish him the best and that it didn't do too much damage.

"It was a great play. He went a long way to get the ball."

Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard said, "When I saw (Ankiel) stumble, I knew he was going face-first into the wall. I was just waiting for some movement. I saw him move his arms and said, 'All right. That's good. He's still got feeling.'"

Fantasy Impact: We'll start Colby Rasmus in place of Ankiel for at least a day or two. Rasmus looks to be on the verge of breaking out in his first full major league season, anyway.

Sherrill sharing closer role

After saying he'd gladly hand he role back to a rehabilitated Chris Ray in the offseason, George Sherrill had his closer role taken away by the Orioles on Monday.

The O's will go with a closer-by-committee setup until someone emerges, but the requisite names of Chris Ray, Dennys Baez and Jim Johnson all got mentioned in articles today. None excites us, although we'd have to believe Ray's experience in the role might eventually make him the fallback option. Baez has pitched best this year, so he'll certainly be the name floated by most fantasy baseball resources. His previous season's ERA of 6.44, however, is not a confidence-builder.

Fantasy Impact: Stash Ray. He lost the role due to injury and will eventually take his turn. Oddly enough, Baez worked two innings in middle relief for a win Monday night while Johnson and Sherrill followed in the eighth and ninth innings, respectively for an 8-4, non-save victory over Tampa. It was like nothing had changed in Baltimore.

Zambrano to be shelved?

Cubs starter Carlos Zambrano will likely hit the disabled list regardless of today's MRI result on his injured hamstring. If Zambrano is out for a prolonged period of time, look for Jeff Zamardzija to get a chance at a few starts.

Fantasy Impact: Samardzija was a candidate to make the Cubs rotation to start the year. If Zambrano misses two to four weeks, Zamardzija could get his chances. Zamardzija will not be the first horse out of the gate, however, as he hasn't started in 17 days.

Parker promoted to Double-A

Jarrod Parker pitched a ho-hum Double-A debut on Saturday for the Mobile BayBears. The Arizona farmhand, considered one of the top prospects in baseball, wasn't expected to make the majors this year. With Brandon Webb on the DL, however, and the Diamondbacks struggling to compete, a mid- to late-season call-up is not out of the question.

Fantasy Impact: Stash the young man on your watch list. He's exciting, although he's probably a year or year-and-a-half away from making a significant impact.

Young arms in Baltimore?

Baltimore owns a number of young guns that are set to make major impacts at the big league level. Brad Bergesen has already arrive. Chris Tillman and David Hernandez would appear to be next in line.

Tillman started the year with Norfolk of the International League, and he's dominating the competition through four starts. He's 2-0 through four starts with a 2.77 ERA. He's struck out 21 batters in 19 innings, but he needs to work on his command having walked nine batters.

Hernandez hasn't shown the same kind of success in certain areas: 1-1, 4.58 ERA in four starts, but in others he's excelled. Hernandez owns 32 strikeouts in 19.2 innings pitched.

Fantasy Impact: It's a bit early to expect the trio of Bergesen, Tillman and Hernandez throwing in the majors together soon. Bergesen is the obvious choice to pick up as he's already working for the Orioles, but Tillman and Hernandez certainly can't be that far away. The youngters are looking up at a terrible MLB rotation that is currently rounded out with Adam Eaton and Mark Hendrickson. Both have struggled badly. We suggest that you keep a close eye on Baltimore. If the O's continue to look like a last-place team, the cavalry may come in the form of both Tillman and Hernandez.

Welcome, Matt LaPorta

Recently called up Matt LaPorta, acquired in the CC Sabathia deal from Milwaukee, started immediately for Cleveland on Sunday. He struggled against Tigers starter Justin Verlander, striking out twice in three at bats while leaving four runners on base. He made the final out of the game, going 0-4.

Verlander did strike out 11 batters in seven innings, so it wasn't just LaPorta who struggled to see the ball.

Fantasy Impact: It's not an ideal debut for the 24-year-old LaPorta. He was hitting .333 with five home runs in Triple-A. He's potentially here to stay, but LaPorta is a part time player to start with.

Ziegler out with flu

It turns out that A's closer Brad Ziegler's medical condition was simply a bout with the flu. It kept him out of action again on Saturday.

Michael Wuertz pitched again in the closer role for the Oakland A's, notching his second save of the year in a 3-2 victory over Seattle. Wuertz may be getting the save opportunities because Santiago Casilla is on the DL with a strained right knee ligament.

Fantasy Impact: We believe it's safe to say that Ziegler is the closer the moment he returns. With Casilla out, Wuertz is the top candidate for stray saves.

Uggla rests hammy

Dan Uggla sat out of Saturday's Marlins-Cubs game after straining a hamstring the day before.

I saw the play in which he was injured. Uggla stretched far off second base on a force play and nearly ended up doing the splits. At first look you could tell he was experiencing discomfort, but he stayed in the game.

Fantasy Impact: It sounds like the injury is a day-to-day situation, so you don't have to bench your power-hitting second baseman. If you have a decent alternative, however, you can leave Uggla on your bench Sunday to guarantee some fantasy points just in case.

Dye injured

Jermaine Dye took a fastball off his left hand during an at bat late in the White Sox game at Texas. Dye looked to be in a lot of pain while he was examined. He then walked off ahead of the medical staff and did not return.

One of the White Sox announers suggested that because his hand was not on the bat when the ball struck Dye might be OK. I've never heard that proposed before, but it might have some merit.

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.

Bullpen blues for Piniella

Kevin Gregg walked three straight batters in the eighth against Arizona, including walking in a run. His ERA climbs to 6.23. Don't panic, Gregg owners, because Carlos Marmol's ERA jumped to 6.75 as he walked in two Diamondbacks earlier in the game. Gregg is the Cubs closer, Marmol is the setup man and Jeff Samardzija might be the dark horse to leap both for the closer role. Samardzija struck out two of the three Diamondbacks he faced, although he did give up a 2-RBI double to Justin Upton. Both of the runs were charged to Marmol as the Cubs lose 10-0.

Fantasy Impact: We're not speculating that Samardzija will earn the closer job imminently, but we're thinking Lou Piniella might need to get creative if he wants to solidify his 'pen. Samardzija is an intriguing talent - a hard-throwing stud with movement and a steady demeanor. If Marmol and Gregg continue to implode, Piniella's hand may eventually be forced. Keep an eye on the situation, especially if Samardzija begins to take off in his setup role.

Closer dilemma in Denver

Manny Corpas had the day off anyway, but Huston Street might make it a two-horse back of the bullpen again with his second save of the season. Street struck out three straight Padres en route to a 7-5 Rockies win. Corpas is still the closer, but it's not long before Clint Hurdle re-evaluates the position for a second time this season.

Fantasy Impact: As has been the case in recent seasons, the Rockies bullpen remains a work in progress. Neither Street nor Corpas appears to be a great source for saves in 2009 as each takes away from the other and then gives back what he's taken. Corpas is the better bet while he's in the role, but that can change on the whim of Hurdle.

Hanrahan loses grip on closer role

The Washington Nationals closer is no longer Joel Hanrahan. Manny Acta says he's going with a bullpen by committee for now, as there is not a clear-cut favorite for the position.

Fantasy Impact: There are really no clear closers-in-waiting in Washington, although some believe Garrett Mock is an eventual option. It's hard to feel good about Mock, however, as Acta pulled him from his setup role. The best advice is to consider Joe Beimel, Julian Tavarez and Kip Wells for closer now. Beimel will be the favorite to inherit the job once he comes off the DL, but Tavarez has more experience. Somehow, that always seems to matter.

Wringing hands over Hanley

Hanley Ramirez owners have to be breathing a sigh of relief. The 95-mph fastball that hit him on his wright wrist did not cause a break. Eric Karabell says there's nothing to worry about, maybe. He doesn't like Hanley's slow start, and he's non-committal regarding what it means for the season.

Ramirez, 25, comes off his first 30/30 season, and has a career .307 batting average, so expectations are obviously sky-high. He has three stolen bases, but has also been caught stealing the same number of times. It's still early, but if you used the first pick on the guy, you expected he'd be among the leaders on ESPN's Player Rater. Currently Ramirez is No. 93, and not in the top five among shortstops (behind Jason Bartlett, Michael Young, Derek Jeter, Marco Scutaro and Asdrubal Cabrera). The last thing the slumping Marlins, and fantasy owners, need is an injury.

With no apparent broken bones, Ramirez might miss a few games, and this potentially large story shouldn't be a big deal. Then again, we've seen what wrist injuries have done to power hitters in the recent past, notably the production of Hideki Matsui and Derrek Lee. Ramirez is much younger and more talented -- he was, after all, the first player taken in most drafts -- but any decrease in power is going to affect a whole lot of fantasy owners. As it is, Ramirez is someone who was being watched to start with, and an injury can't help.

Fantasy Impact: Let's actually take a stab at the signifcance of all this. If the wrist is ok and heals quickly, there's no reason to think Ramirez is going to have a sub-standard season. He's slumped in the past. In fact, he slumped for about a month after last season's All-Star game and still put up some of the best numbers of his career. That included 125 runs, the most of any player in the big leagues in 2008. While he's got more pressure on him hitting in the middle of the Marlins order, Ramirez is only 25 years old, meaning the best years of his career are in front of him, not behind him in the most likely case. That means this year should be as good or better than last year, and if it's not, it's still going to be a good year for a shortstop in most regards. Don't freak. Ramirez is a star.

Talk about inappropriate

MLB-TV's Matt Vasgersian tried to make light of a scary injury to Brad Hawpe, and it backfired badly. File this one under: "trying too hard to create an 'anchor moment.'" Just a foolish thing to do.

Berkman's struggles

Lance Berkman provided a solo homer in a 4-1 Astros win over the Reds Monday night. His home run total is up to five on the year, but he's still struggling mightily at the plate with a .174 batting average.

Berkman is not just making outs, he's striking out at an alarming rate. For his career, Berkman has struck out in exactly 20 percent of his at bats. Last season he whiffed 19.5 percent of the time. In his sub-par 2007, the worst batting average year of his career, Berkman struck out 22 percet of the time. In 2009, he's going down on strikes in a whopping 33 percent of his at bats.

Fantasy Impact: These numbers are unprecedented over the course of Berkman's career. Looking back to 2004, Berkman's worst strikeout rate for a stand-alone month of a season is 27 percent (22 in 81 at bats) back in 2004. That season, when Berkman was just 28 years old, he made corrections and ended up with one of the best stat lines of his career. Now 33, he still has the ability to correct his 2009 season, but career highs in strikeouts often signal the beginning of the end. Owners will have to hope this is just a career-low april for the otherwise slugging first baseman, because you're not going to get fair compensation by trading him away now.

Soria throws

Royals closer Joakim Soria threw a light session on Sunday as he tries to get back from recent shoulder woes. There's no definite schedule for his return, although Soria is not on the DL.

Fantasy Impact: He should be benched until Kansas City gives him the go-head. Shoulder troubles are not that uncommon in April, but this is a touch worrisome for a young pitcher who's logged a lot of innings in his relief role the past two seasons.

Jacoby jacks home

The good Jacoby Ellsbury showed up Sunday night against the Yankees. The Red Sox speedy center fielder reached twice and stole a pair of bases -- including home plate -- in a 4-1 sweep-sealing victory. Ellsbury has been plagued by inconsistency this season, but his recent hot streak has him hitting .289.

Fantasy Impact: Fantasy owners might have to be resigned to the fact that Ellsbury may never shake his streaky nature. He suffered through a massive slump at the plate and on the bases in 2008, and just 10 days ago he was hitting .194. Ellsbury is up to 10 steals already in 2009, so it's hard to keep him out of the lineup, especially now. Ride the wave. You might be benching him again shortly.

Shell-shocked Lindstrom gets night off

Marlins manager Freddie Gonzalez gave closer Matt Lindstrom the night off on Saturday. Gonzalez says he still has faith in his young right-hander despite his 38-pitch, seven-run ninth inning on Friday.

Gonzalez said he would be giving Lindstrom the day off Saturday because he threw 38 pitches in Friday's nightmare outing.

But there is a good chance if the Marlins have the lead late in Sunday's game, Lindstrom will be back out there. If he is, Lindstrom said, he will definitely take a different approach than the one he did Friday, when he waited until the fifth batter he faced to throw something other than his 96-mile-per-hour fastball.

''I know what I have to do now to have more success -- and that's mix my pitches better and stop getting behind hitters, giving them a hitter's count,'' said Lindstrom, whose ERA jumped to 10.80 from 1.50 after giving up seven earned runs in two-thirds of an inning Friday.

Fantasy Impact: You'll have to hope Lindstrom can bounce back. On Friday Lindstrom seemed to think this is the worst he'd ever pitched. We don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing. Only time moving forward will tell.

KC closer by committee

With Joakim Soria nursing a sore shoulder, Kansas City will turn to a closer-by-committee approach until their All-Star reliever can return in three to five days. Soria had an MRI that came back negative.