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.