MLB Fantasy Baseball: Tuesday News and Notes

It seems that, even with a light night across baseball, we can't get away from tough injuries. While this is certainly a part of owning a team, and the reason that you need to build depth as an owner, there is no harder time of the year to lose a star player for a period of time. As my least favorite coach in football would say though, "It is what it is." 

Let's get to the notes.

• Lightning strikes the Rays once again, as Evan Longoria is joining Carl Crawford on the DL. Longoria suffered a broken wrist after getting hit by J.J. Putz out in Seattle. The team expects him to miss the next two weeks, but then be back in the lineup for the September push. That means he should be back for fantasy owners come playoff time, so do not risk dropping him. Stash him on the DL for the time being.
• Adam Dunn was sent from Cincinnati to Arizona in a trade for three minor-league players. Dunn goes from one of the best hitting ballparks in the league to one of the worst pitching divisions. The parks he will play in regularly are not quite the bandboxes that he got in the NL Central, but it shouldn't change his power numbers drastically enough to impact his value. He still is exactly what we think he is—a slugger that will hit for a low average. If you had him before, no need to change strategy with him now.
• Joba Chamberlain is expected to play catch this week to test the strength in his shoulder. Chamberlain still has the injury, but this is a step to getting him back into the rotation for the end of the month or beginning of September. If you can still steal him on the cheap from an owner, it's a solid philosophy. He still has the stuff to help teams win leagues.
• Charlie Zink will get the first chance to replace Tim Wakefield in the Red Sox rotation. Zink has been very good in the minors this year, posting an ERA under 3.00 in AAA. He's out of the same knuckleball mold, but has a better fastball than what Wakefield puts out there. For a first start, it's not the safest bet. See what he can do and if the Red Sox leave him up to fill Wakefield's starts going forward.
• It was another night of Jekyl and Hyde for Justin Verlander. This is his fourth bad start in a row, and he's again looking like the guy that couldn't get anyone out in April. He gave up six runs and couldn't get himself out of the fifth inning last night, obviously not a good sign for him moving forward. His next start will be against Baltimore, which represents a good matchup for him, but it's tough to recommend a guy struggling like this.
• John Danks was as tough as he could be last night, yet suffered a tough-luck loss to a guy that was just a bit better. Danks continues to improve and has had two excellent starts in August coming off a tough month of July. His win total isn't as impressive as it could be, but owners are getting the benefits of good WHIP and ERA numbers nearly every time out.
• Two very good outings in a row for Josh Beckett. He's had two positive appearances against the AL Central, which have helped him refine the control with his breaking pitches that he hasn't had recently. His fastball is popping, and the location is slightly better than it has been. He seems to be back on track from what you would want as an owner, and he lowered his WHIP to 1.18 and ERA to 3.92 for the season. The WHIP number is among the elite in the game.
• Dave Bush's dominance at home was on display against Washington last night. He improved to 4-3 at home and lowered his BAA to .223. He's earning recognition both home and away, but he's a better bet at home. He gets San Diego at Petco next time out, and that still means a quality option given the size of that park.
• For all the talk about how Manny Ramirez has hit since the trade to the Dodgers, Casey Blake has been no slouch himself. Blake hit his third home run with the Dodgers and is hitting .295 since the trade out west. Not bad numbers and he's still available in 20 percent of leagues.

Notes for today's games:

• Since his run of success early on, Garrett Olson has been nothing but trouble for fantasy owners. He's not a decent option on the road against Cleveland here either, as his splits just don't stack up. Get all Indians into the lineup and don't be afraid of Jeremy Sowers as a spot start.
• A.J. Burnett is a prime example as to why stats can be deceiving. While Burnett is 2-0 in August, his ERA is over six in the two outings, and in neither was he able to go beyond six innings. He's 5-6 on the road this year and has an ERA of 4.18. He's just not worth the gamble against a Tigers team that has been hitting the ball well.
• Got a question on Zach Miner yesterday and his viability as a spot starter. He certainly fits the profile for today. He's only had four starts, but is 4-0 in those outings. He's built his pitch count up, so that piece shouldn't be of major concern either. Miner has certainly been facing better offenses than what he will get tonight, and it isn't likely we'll see Toronto duplicate that type of output. In deep leagues (12 or more teams), he's a solid option tonight.
• Chone Figgins is just 2-22 against Jarrod Washburn, and Torii Hunter is only 7-40, but the remaining Angels should all be in the lineup against the Mariners. In every game, not just this one.
• Brian Bannister's stat line on the road has been awful, as he's gone 2-5 with an 8.10 ERA. Against the White Sox, he's 0-2 with a 9.31 ERA. In August, he's 0-1 with a 6.75 ERA. For his career, the White Sox have hit .323 against him. Jim Thome, A.J. Pierzynski, Juan Uribe, and Nick Swisher have all had their way with him. Keep him reserved in all formats. If it helps, Javier Vazquez has been no better against Kansas City.
• Cole Hamels is good enough that you start anywhere, and he's been equally as effective at home as he has on the road. He's holding hitters under .230 for the season. Clayton Kershaw at home is a decent play, especially given his last outing. The Phillies, as a team, have struggled against lefties enough to make the potential for a win strong in this matchup. Look for a pitcher's duel.
• Normally, pitching in Petco Park is a good thing for all pitchers, but Jeff Suppan has had very limited success against the Padres. Keep all normal Padres active and don't be afraid to add a couple since the team is hitting .322 against Suppan.
• Nick Blackburn is 0-2 against the Yankees, but his record at home makes him a healthy gamble. He's 6-2 at home, with an ERA of 2.54. He's also 2-0 already in August. In deep leagues, keep him active.
• Spot start calls? Go with Blackburn, Jon Garland, Clayton Kershaw, and Gio Gonzalez.

Notes for Wednesday:

• Kevin Slowey has been much more effective against right-handed hitters than he has left. Righties are hitting just .238 against him for the season. At home, batters hit just .225 against the Minnesota starter. He struggled during his last outing against the Yankees, but is worth the gamble at home.
• Jon Lester has only lost six times in his entire career at this point and is 6-1 at home heading into the game against Texas. His 2.87 home ERA makes him a good start even against a high-powered Texas attack.
• Jeremy Guthrie is again sticking around as a favorite at the Roundtable. He's pitched well in August and is holding opponents to a .209 average on the road. Keep him active and reserve any Indians you don't have better options for.
• Mark Teahan and Billy Butler are solid options against Mark Buehrle, but Buehrle has enjoyed success over his career against the Royals. Though just 1-2 this year, He's 6-2 since 2005 against the team with an ERA under 4.00.
• Lefties are hitting just .167 against Paul Maholm for the season, and he continues to be tough since the beginning of July. At home against Josh Fogg, he's a good option for a cheap win. Pick him up as a spot starter and bench Jay Bruce.
• Randy Wolf seems to have taken the home magic with him to this point, but is still a risky start inside a small ballpark. When the opponent is Barry Zito, the likelihood for a win does go up. His peripherals may not be good, but a cheap win isn't out of the question.
• Ronnie Belliard is 9-13 against John Maine, but he's the only concern. Maine is 2-0 against the Nationals this season, and Washington hasn't been hitting the ball very well at all. No concerns for a start.
• As good as Felix Hernandez has been, don't be afraid to start your Angels stars. Vlad Guerrero, Gary Matthews, Garrett Anderson, and Torii Hunter are all well over .300 against the Mariners starter.
• Early spot start calls? Go with Joe Blanton, Ricky Nolasco, Guthrie, and Slowey.

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