MLB Fantasy Baseball: Tuesday News and Notes

Pretty impressive night of baseball. As July continues, it seems that many of the actual notes focus on injuries and trades. Trades are the fun pieces, and we should look at that.

When it comes to stars going out of the lineup, it isn't easy to deliver the bad news. Except in this case. Because we at the Roundtable can't stand the Yankees. As fantasy owners, we sympathize. As baseball fans, we rejoice. Let's get to it.

• Jorge Posada has been placed on the 15-day DL again with a shoulder injury. Posada is scheduled to have an MRI done, but is reportedly contemplating season-ending surgery. Posada is hitting right around .260 with three home runs in just over 50 games this season. Overall, most owners should have made adjustments during his first DL stint, but that won't soften the blow taken for the playoff push. Kurt Suzuki is available in most formats, and is a solid replacement option.
• Johnny Damon returned to the lineup for New York and went 1-4 in his first game back. Damon has been the most consistent Yankees hitter all season. Look for him to return to that form, so long as he remains healthy. David Ortiz is still on track to return to the Red Sox's lineup for Friday's tilt against New York. Have him in your lineups immediately, as he's been very good on his rehab stint.
• Troy Tulowitzki returned to the lineup for Colorado. If he's healthy, no reason to hold him back if you would normally start him. Just hope that he doesn't throw another hissy fit with a bat.
• Billy Wagner is going to have his shoulder re-examined to determine the cause of the tightness and fatigue. Wagner is one of the more valuable closers in the game, and this would be a blow. Best short-term option is to try to grab Putz off the waivers from teams that let him go, or to look for Masa Kobayashi. The Mets will likely use a committee approach at this point. If the injury is longer than expected, they will likely make a play for Brian Fuentes.
• Scott Kazmir continued his dominance at home, tossing seven shutout innings while allowing just two hits and walking four. Control continues to be an issue early in the second half for Kazmir, but he got through seven for the first time in his last seven starts. That's a better sign, because the A's preach patience. He was around the plate all night.
• Dustin Pedroia has a six-game hitting streak going that has him hitting nearly .600. He continues to be the hottest hitter in baseball over the last month. His season average is up over .320, a far cry from the .260 he was hitting around May. When Pedroia is hot, this is what he does. You have to expect a cool down at some point, but I just don't see when. He's one of the top-five second basemen in fantasy. This is not a sell-high point, in fact, in keeper leagues, he's one of those guys to hang on to based on the limited depth at the position.
• Robinson Cano is hitting .526 in his last 19 at-bats with two home runs. He is not a .260 hitter. He's much closer to a .290-type guy. Look to get him now if you can. Miguel Cabrera continues to heat up, going 5-6 last night in the thrashing of Kansas City.
• Rich Harden looked good in his second outing for the Cubs. Harden thrives in bigger ballparks, and that's exactly what he got in Arizona last night. He went seven innings, giving up just one run on one hit and striking out 10. Ability won't be the question. Health, however, will be.
• When Francisco Cordero blows saves, he does it in style. Cordero has blown two of his last three save chances in fantastic fashion. In neither case did he make it through the inning. He gave up three and four runs respectively, and couldn't find the plate with a map. Cordero continues to be considered a top closer because of his work with Milwaukee last season. Not so much the case right now. Keep him around because other options are limited, but if you can get another owner to bite, it's not a bad move.
• Radhames Liz got the win for Baltimore last night. There are just a couple key factors that make him successful. He either needs to be at home or in a larger ballpark, and he needs to be facing a team outside the top 10 in total offense. When this matches up, Liz is dominant. Other outings, he's completely hit or miss.
• Adam LaRoche is continually given less credit than he really deserves. He homered again last night and has been virtually unstoppable since June 1, recording a top-five average among all players. LaRoche is getting the chance to show what he can do, and it is really paying off. If you're struggling at first, we at the 'Table continue to advocate riding the hot streak. He is a prime example of that.

Notes for today's games:

• Shaun Marcum returns from the DL for Toronto. As is the case with most pitchers, we recommend holding him back one start to see how he's actually recovered. Marcum hasn't faced true hitting since the middle of June. Better to be safe and not kill your ERA in weekly leagues.
• Garrett Olson has been very solid at home, but has struggled in two outings against Toronto. Normally, we advocate using him at home, but not this time. Let this one go by. In fact, start all Blue Jays.
• Jake Peavy gets a Reds team that has not necessarily provided much offense, but he has struggled dramatically on the road, posting a 4.54 ERA. Peavy is just 3-3 in seven road starts on the season. It's a small ballpark, but you use your ace unless there is something glaring. The Reds don't provide that.
• Darrell Rasner hasn't been fooling anyone lately. Rasner has already had problems with Minnesota once this season and has not pitched well in two starts this month. I'd make sure all my Twins were in the lineup and look for some offense that way. Overall, expect a high-scoring game. Kevin Slowey has not pitched well away from the Metrodome and has struggled against good offenses.
• Hunter Pence and Mark Loretta have both had success against Paul Maholm. Maholm, though, has limited both Carlos Lee and Lance Berkman to .143 averages. He's been very effective against left-handed hitters, holding them to a .171 average, and has allowed three runs or less in five of his last six starts. He seems to be coming around. I wouldn't give him an automatic start today based on the 1-5 road record, but if you're looking for innings, there are worse options out there.
• Clayton Kershaw will be given another look by the Dodgers, as he will get the ball tonight. Kersham struggled with command his last time up, but has shown flashes of brilliance with his curveball. The issue here is that this is a road start at Colorado. Get your Rockies in the lineup. He hasn't faced a team that has this kind of fire power.
• Michael Young is just 7-42 against Mark Buehrle, but Milton Bradley has gone 7-22. If you have another option for Young, now would be the time to use it. Buehrle has been tough at home, allowing opponents to hit just .235 in nine starts.
• Kenny Rogers has struggled with some of the Royals bats. Get Jose Guillen, Mark Grudzielanek, and Billy Butler into your lineups.
• I'm not saying that I'd throw Barry Zito out there against Washington, but I would certainly keep an eye on the start. Zito has allowed just two runs in each of his last two starts and seems to be showing signs of life again. Monitor this one, as he could become a decent spot option if needed.
• Spot starts today? Let's go with Andy Sonnanstine, Jason Bergmann, and Johnny Cueto.

Notes for Wednesday's games:

• Start all Padres and Reds. Bronson Arroyo is going for Cincinnati and, if you can handle the strikeouts, the Padres should mash. Greg Maddux continues to be abysmal away from home. Do not use him.
• Tough call on starting any pitchers in Colorado, but Kuroda would be one option to consider. He may not have seen it before, but you could do worse if you need to meet innings limits. Otherwise, not worth the full gamble of pitching in the thin air.
• Brett Myers gets the ball against the Mets. Yup, start any Mets player you can find. Myers' struggles have been even more apparent on the road than at home and he has not held one Mets regular to an average to make you think twice.
• Glen Perkins was mashed by the Yankees last time out, but he has pitched well on the road for the Twins. Mike Mussina has just been too good at home in order to justify the gamble. Mussina has performed well against most regulars on the Twins not named Morneau.
• Until proven otherwise, don't gamble on A.J. Burnett. On the road, he is just 3-6 with a 4.17 ERA. Jeremy Guthrie has been outstanding at home and Toronto's offense is not one of the ones that would strike fear into the hearts of men. Guthrie is a great spot option.
• I'd avoid Clay Buchholz until he proves he can continually throw his fastball for strikes. He hasn't done that all season and it has only been more apparent since his return to Boston. Seattle throws Felix Hernandez, so fishing for a win isn't an option really, either.
• If I told you Ian Snell held the Astros to an average below .190, would you believe it? I didn't either, but there it was, plain as day. Snell has struggled on the road, but you could do worse here. Keep Carlos Lee around, but he's the only 'Stros player with decent numbers.
• Early spot start calls? We like Ricky Nolasco, Armando Galarraga, Jeremy Guthrie, and Braden Looper.

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