MLB Fantasy Baseball: Monday News and Notes

Weekend baseball always brings a decent number of notes, especially heading in to Monday's, which tend to have lighter schedules than most days. We're heading in to the stretch run for all these games, as most leagues only have about four weeks remaining in the regular season. The final pushes need to be made and playoff position should be solidified.

Let's get to the notes:

• Francisco Liriano looked like he never left. The Twins lefty threw six shutout innings yesterday to pace Minnesota to the win. Liriano has been dominant in the minors, so this shouldn't necessarily come as a surprise. If he's available, add him immediately. He won't be on waivers for long.
• Bad news for Mets pitching. John Maine is, in fact, headed to the DL with tightness in his shoulder. Decent fill-in starters are available in most formats, and we've talked about some of the favorites being Paul Maholm and Scott Baker. Also look to Nick Blackburn, Dave Bush, and Manny Parra. Cris Carpenter could be a sleeper add as well. Billy Wagner is going to have an MRI on his shoulder. Be prepared to react, and look to Craig Hansen in Pittsburgh for the cheap saves in the meantime.
• Tim Hudson looks like he will undergo Tommy John surgery. Kiss his season goodbye for this year and next. Hudson had looked for a second opinion, but this seems to be the best course of action for the Braves' starter. It will sideline him for a while, so don't look for impact.
• The good news for the Braves, and fantasy owners, is that Brian McCann and Chipper Jones are much closer to returning. McCann was cleared to enter as a pinch hitter and his ability to catch should come in the next week or so. He's a great boost to lineups. Getting Jones back will obviously help all concerned.
• Trade-deadline moves are already paying off for several teams. Xavier Nady knocked in six runs, Manny Ramirez had four hits, and Jason Bay has scored six runs in three games. Not too bad for a change of scenery. Nady looks like he will see more regular playing time than I originally thought. That's definitely a good thing if he hits like that.
• Watch the fallout of the White Sox-Royals brawl. In situations that escalate that quickly, it becomes very likely that someone of fantasy consequence is going to be suspended. It may not be for long, but it will be for enough. We'll keep you posted on the fallout from that situation.
• Mike Aviles is up to .340 on the season after a four-hit game yesterday. Aviles is over .500 in his last six games, driving in five to go with two home runs. He has duel eligibility and is still availble in 12 percent of all leagues. Aviles is a much better option than guys like Stephen Drew and Bobby Crosby. At this point, there is no way he should not be 100 percent owned.
• Jorge Campillo out-dueled Ben Sheets yesterday, throwing seven shutout innings and looking dominant at times. Campillo has allowed two runs or less in all five of his last five starts. For the season, he may just have a 6-4 record, but he has posted a 2.58 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP. Campillo gets the Giants on the road for his next start. On the road, he's 3-2 with a 1.48 ERA and .196 BAA. Seriously, time to give this guy more credit then 58 percent owned.
• Kerry Wood was back and throwing to batters yesterday. Wood has had blister problems since the All-Star break, but seems like he is back on track and should be activated sooner rather than later. Expect him to be throwing in games within the next week. Carlos Marmol will continue to get saves in the meantime.

Notes for today's games:

• Matt Garza has been much more effective at home all season long, and there aren't really any Indians hitters with enough of a track record against him to make you think otherwise. His only outing against Cleveland did not go very well, but he was stuck at the Jake for that one. Expect better numbers this time around.
• Manny Parra's last two outing have not exactly gone as planned. He still is very good at home, but the road struggles seem to be returning to the Brewers pitcher. He gave up four earned at home against the Reds last time out. It's too early in the week to call him a definite play right now.
• Bronson Arroyo is still 25-percent owned. Someone explain this one to me. Start all your Brewers not named Rickie Weeks. Cameron, Hardy, and Fielder lead the way, but all of them should be started against the Reds' starter.
• Clay Buchholz was much better his last time out, with regards to command, but he's 0-4 on the road this season with an ERA over seven. Continue to hold him out until proven otherwise.
• David Ortiz is 9-20 against Gil Meche, but Jason Varitek is just 1-13 and Mike Lowell 3-15 against the Royals starter. He's had moderate success against Boston. He's far from a definite start, but not a definite sit either. Play him as you normally would if he's on your roster.
• Teams that play on the East Coast one day then fly all the way back across the country for a game the next day tend to struggle. That's what the Angels will be doing, as they face Baltimore 24 hours after playing the Yankees in New York. Tough one here, so look for the offense to struggle slightly, even if it is against lesser pitching.
• While Ryan Dempster has been good this season, the better Astros players are all posting good numbers against him. Your normal plays are still solid options, even against a guy pitching as well as Dempster has. He's 1-1 with a 2.57 ERA against the Astros this season.
• Spot starts for today? Greg Smith, Jair Jurrjens, Glen Perkins, and Gil Meche are the better options available.

Notes for tomorrow's games:

• Andy Pettitte has had some good numbers against the Rangers. While Texas has had what amounts to the best offense in the American League lately, the best average you'll see from regulars is .286 from Michael Young. Pettite should be started in all formats. His 7-3 record on the road certainly helps. Add to that, he holds lefties to just a .193 average.
• Brian Bannister's last outing against Boston was an unmitigated disaster. The team has seen him a couple times and has posted an average over .300 among all concerned parties. While Bannister is a decent play at home most times, this is not one of them.
• Jose Guillen is 6-19 against Josh Beckett, but he's the only Royal with a decent-enough average to start. Beckett continues to struggle with the long ball, but if you can handle that, his other stats are still better than almost anyone in baseball.
• Gavin Floyd is 7-2 at home and 2-0 against the Tigers this season. He's holding opponents to just a .217 average this season, and the Tigers are only at .232 against him in the two starts. Continue to keep him active.
• Nate Robertson is just 3-5 on the road and has a 5.71 ERA in three games against the White Sox this season. Start all your White Sox.
• Chris Carpernter will get the ball at home against the Dodgers. Yes, since Manny Ramirez joined them, the Dodgers offense has looked much better, but Carpenter is a healthy gamble here. He's at home and pitched four solid innings last time out. Expect him to give about six or so this time around.
• Jamie Moyer's problems have largely come at home this season. He gets a Florida team, though, that he's had a lot of success against. It seems like a good matchup for him. Expect an overall pitcher's duel, with Josh Johnson having pitched well since his return.
• Early spot start calls, go with Johnson, Moyer, Chris Carpenter, and Scott Baker.

Back as the need arises.