MLB Fantasy Baseball: Tuesday News and Notes

I think it's time we force ESPN to go the route of everyone else. When a no-hitter or perfect game is going on, you can switch us over to it or show the line score, but stop talking about it.

It's like they're out to be the proverbial jinx. The second they started discussing the performance of Hiroki Kuroda, he gave up a hit. It was absolute perfect timing. I thought these guys would be aware of baseball superstitions. On to the notes.

• Justin Masterson will be sent to the bullpen. He's been optioned to AAA to begin work in one and two-inning stints. Clay Buchholz will be recalled to make his starts going forward. Buchholz struggled early in the season with his command, but seems to have regained form in the minors. He's a solid deep-league addition to your roster, especially if you already had Masterson.
• Better news, David Ortiz took live batting practice and reported only moderate pain. Ortiz knows he will have to battle through the remainder of the season, because the only remedy for the injury is rest. The Red Sox will get him as healthy as possible and then move forward from that point. He seems only a couple weeks away now.
• After Jeff Suppan's worst outing of the season at home, he's been placed on the DL with irritation in his elbow. You could almost see this coming with Sabathia joining the rotation to start Tuesday, but this does buy the Brewers some time. Suppan only has a fantasy impact from a spot-start perspective.
• Hiroki Kuroda was nearly perfect. The Dodgers pitcher has had his share of control problems this season and has forced himself into some high-pitch-count games. Not the case last night. Kuroda gave up just one hit in the complete-game effort, throwing just 91 pitches. I was on Kuroda prior to his injury, and I'm going to get back on the train here. He could be a surprise pitching add for the second half.
• Even in losses, we saw two solid pitching performances from Jorge Campillo and Scott Baker. Campillo went seven innings, giving up just three runs against the Dodgers. Scott Baker went seven innings without giving up a run and allowed just five hits. Baker is still not getting respect. I was nervous about the play last night, but after watching Baker work, I'd own him in all deep leagues (12 or more teams). He throws strikes and can throw any pitch at any time, keeping hitters completely off balance.
• Two young players hit some major home runs last night. Chris Davis hit his fourth of the season, while Chase Headley hit his fifth. Davis is a completely valid replacement for those that lost Todd Helton. Headley is harder to read. He's going to get more consistent time as the season goes on, but whether that will be at third or in the outfield seems to be up in the air. He's still not a definite add unless you're in a keeper format.
• Some pitchers just don't get runs scored for them. Greg Maddux is one of those guys this season. Maddux pitched well, just not as well as counterpart Ricky Nolasco. Maddux gave up just one earned run on four hits in six innings. A solid performance from most perspectives, but just couldn't get a win. Meanwhile, time for the rest of standard league owners to get on the Ricky Nolasco train.
• Dana Eveland had a rough first inning, but managed to continue to justify my man-crush by garnering his seventh win of the season. At home, he's nearly always a good play.
• It's always nice to comb through box scores and realize that starting anyone on several teams helped your cause. The offensive explosions by the Mets, Pirates, Phillies, Angels, and Rangers were all led by fantasy stars. It's not often you get it all happening in one night, but when it does, it certainly can aid your week. Even better, most of the pitchers should not have been started in virtually any format outside of Ervin Santana.

Notes for today's games:

• Nick Blackburn is a much better option at home than on the road. The Red Sox offense struggled against Baker last night, but Blackburn's stuff just isn't as consistent. No problem starting any and all of your Red Sox tonight.
• Keep all your Phillies in the lineup again tonight. Joel Pineiro's struggles on the road are going to make them all solid options. Pineiro allows lefties to hit .298 against him, making Utley and company great options. His 5.16 ERA on the road solidifies that.
• The Cardinals haven't seen much of Cole Hamels as a team. Hamels is especially tough on lefties and has been good at home. I'd keep stars like Pujols and Ludwick in the lineup, but better options are available for other Cardinals.
• There are some guys that hitters just don't see the ball well against. Lance Berkman is 3-16 against Ian Snell. Snell has been decent at home this year, but mainly because he's been able to strand runners. Teams are still at nearly .300 against him.
• You probably have better options than Xavier Nady today. Nady is just 1-11 against Brandon Backe. Your other Pirates are all solid plays.
• Not a big fan of starting Andy Pettitte against Tampa. Johnny Gomes will likely get the start for Tampa, as he's 8-19 against the lefty. Tampa, as a team, hits .279 against him, and all your regular Rays are close to or above .300. Pettitte has a 5.32 ERA against them since 2005 and is 1-2 this season.
• Odalis Perez is a decent option at home, sporting a 2.27 ERA in seven games. He's marginally owned in all leagues because he's tough to trust, but, in his recent outings, the stats don't lie.
• Bobby Crosby is just 3-27 lifetime against Carlos Silva. This might be the only time you hear me say that Silva owns anyone, but, there you have it. If you have another option for Crosby, you should explore it. No issues starting Justin Duchscherer.
• C.C. Sabathia will get his first start for the Brewers. If you started him with Cleveland, you start him here. Sabathia could be even more dominant in the NL than he was in the AL.
• Randy Wolf is likely auditioning for his next team. I like Wolf and his opponent, Andrew Miller, today. Wolf likely stands the better chance for a win, but both will provide solid stats in all categories to make starts worth it.
• Every Cub should make a solid play. The one exception to that is Jim Edmonds, but his jammed thumb does not make him a very likely play against Aaron Harang. Harang is 0-2 with an ERA of 5.12 against the Cubs this season. He should not be an option for you. Your normal Reds all have decent numbers against Dempster. Start them as normal.
• Spot starts today? Go with Jair Jurrjens, Wolf, Miller, and Perez.

Notes for Wednesday:

• I'd expect Sean Casey in the lineup somewhere for Boston. He's 14-28 against Livan Hernandez. Hernandez has been roughed up on the road. You have better options, especially against Josh Beckett.
• Mark Mulder returns to the mound for St. Louis. I'm intrigued on all fronts. Mulder was a good pitcher prior to all these issues. If he were to put together a couple decent starts, he could become a solid spot-starter in all formats and potential sleeper in the second half of the season. Just watch this one.
• We've set certain rules here at The Roundtable. What's one of them? Never start Paul Byrd on the road, against anyone. That holds true here. Another one? We're trusting most Brewers pitchers at home. Manny Parra is case in point, and makes a solid play.
• Garrett Olson has been a decent pitcher inside Camden Yards. I'd avoid him on the road, where his ERA is 5.75 in seven starts. A.J. Burnett tends to throw up some stinkers, but Baltimore is not a truly high-powered offense, and his last two home starts have been very good. Burnett is a buy-low guy I want in the second half.
• Spot start calls? Brian Bannister at home is a good option. Also, John Lannan, Parra, and Scott Olsen should do the job.

Back as the need arises. Check out the full Roundtable blog.