Fantasy Baseball: Monday News and Notes

With dust having finally settled, many teams are out to see exactly what they got from moves made or not made at the deadline. Some saw immediate dividends, while other teams may be wishing that they made a move or two.

There obviously is still the potential that some players move this month. The names that do are likely to have much less of a fantasy impact than those that were sent packing in July. August names, largely, are fill-ins. The big name this year could very well be Jon Garland or Willie Bloomquist. If these two were to move, it does not necessarily enhance value regardless of where they go.

Pitchers like Garland are a dime a dozen. We have found that, again, Garland struggles with command, throws a fair amount of hittable pitches, and has at least one bad outing for every good. Bloomquist is a nice player, but unless you are in an AL- or NL-only league, he provides very little return on the investment.

Owners need to keep plugging away at the waiver wire. Good players are added and dropped on a daily basis. Look at recent ownership trends up and down and then start to evaluate if  you have those players on your roster. The trade deadline changes how many teams shuffle lineups, and those shifts impact player value and production.

On to the notes.

Weekend Rewind

• The Red Sox are suddenly looking for some short-term help in the outfield. Jason Bay left the game on Saturday with cramping in his hamstring, and it kept him out of the lineup on Sunday as well. J.D. Drew, surprise, is battling a groin injury. While he was able to start on Sunday, he left after a three-run double in the first inning. Josh Reddick could produce short-term in AL-only deep formats, and Rocco Baldelli may see some time as well to spell the legs of these outfielders.
• Simply impressive watching Brian Bannister pitch right now. Bannister has changed his entire approach on the mound. According to reports, he has completely gone away from a four-seam fastball, working more with a two-seam cutter to induce ground ball outs. Last year, he was a fly ball pitcher with a horrible home run rate. This season, he has induced more ground ball outs, and seems much more confident on the mound. Deep league owners should take note.
• Ian Kinsler has hit the DL with a hamstring injury. Kinsler had missed five straight starts with the injury, and noted that it just had not improved to the point he felt he could be effective. The move is retroactive to July 29. Second season in a row that Kinsler has hit the DL late, but this one should be a shorter stint.
• Aramis Ramirez missed the game on Sunday with swelling in his right forearm Ramirez was hit by a pitch on Saturday and could not comfortably play in the series finale. According to the Cubs third basemen, he should be in the lineup on Monday. Weekly owners should not worry about keeping him active, as this seems like a short-term issue. Daily leagues may want to look at replacing him today to be safe if they need the at-bats.
• Chad Billingsley left last night's start with a cramp in his hamstring. The Dodgers starter worked through five innings, allowing only two hits and a walk while striking out nine. Watching the game, it appeared to happen on a pitch where he landed awkwardly on his leg. The Dodgers have given no indication as to the extend of the injury or his status this week.
• The Angels continue to have outfielders produce. Kendry Morales hit two more home runs yesterday, and is quietly hitting .299 this season with 23 home runs and 69 RBI. Morales is still hovering between 65 and 70 percent owned in most formats, still too low for a player producing at this level. Regardless as to who has been in the lineup for the Angels, Morales has been given at-bats and has produced.
• Sticking with the Angels, it looks like Torii Hunter will be back sooner rather than later. Hunter did not play this weekend, but got in several workouts. It is likely he heads out for some rehab work before joining the team at the end of the week or during the weekend. Daily owners should keep their eyes open for Hunter, while weekly owners should wait until next week.
• Two aces look to be heading in exact opposite directions. Jake Peavy tossed a side session yesterday, and the team is looking to have him towards the end of the month if all goes according to plan. Brandon Webb, on the other hand, had shoulder surgery and has had his season effectively ended by the decision.
• James Shields was robbed yesterday. Shields gave up just one earned run, but continued to see virtually no run support on the other side. Teams do not win many games when they score only one run. His work against the Royals should be viewed as encouraging, especially where he had given up 14 earned runs in his last 17.1 innings of work.

Monday Notes

• Look to start as many Cubs as you can in this one. The team hits Aaron Harang very well overall. It looks like Ramirez plans to be in the lineup, and he is 15-for-46 with four home runs against the Reds starter. The worst average owners will be dealing with is the .250 of Alfonso Soriano. Nothing of concern there.
• Zack Greinke will get the ball against the Rays today, taking on Scott Kazmir. Greinke had a run of rough luck in July, not recording a win. The problems were largely run support or bullpen related. The Royals starter has held Carlos Pena to a 2-for-18 mark, and Carl Crawford is just 1-for-16.
• The Royals have not hit Kazmir well at all. Even with the .300 number of Coco Crisp, the team still has only hit .222 against the starter. With Crisp not being around, the numbers drop precipitously. Kazmir has struggled at home, allowing batters to hit over .300. Still, he is coming off a stellar outing against the Yankees and has given up just one earned run in two of his last three starts.
• It is nice to see Chris Tillman pitching with the Orioles, but remember that we are still dealing with a 21-year-old kid who did not exactly burn up Class A ball. Yes, he had a good season in AA last year, finishing second in strikeouts to teammate David Hernandez. Still, this is getting him ready for next season. The Tigers are hitting well, and this matchup does not look good for the young pitcher.
• Justin Verlander has given up five earned runs in his last 29.2 innings pitched at home. Verlander is nearly unhittable in Detroit, posting a 7-0 record to go with a 1.15 ERA at Comerica this season. No one on the Orioles with good stats against him for this one, and Aubrey Huff and Brian Roberts have combined to go just 2-for-25.
• Dan Haren is coming off two, for him, sub-par outings. Haren has given up six earned runs in his last 10 innings of work. This after only giving up just nine earned runs in the 60 innings prior to that. Sure, he was bound to give up runs eventually, but he is due to stop this streak. Haren is 5-1 on the road this season with a 2.22 ERA.
• Matt Cain has been money since the All-Star break. In his three starts, Cain has a 0.78 ERA. Over 2009, Cain has gone 6-1 on the road with a 2.27 ERA. He still has walked 33 batters in 67 innings away from home, a number that still needs to come down. That said, he is a solid option against the Astros, as there are very few in the lineup that have seen much of the ace.
• The Padres have been relying on some youth, and Mat Latos has provided them good reason to continue. Latos has looked solid in his three starts so far this season. He is coming off a strong seven-inning performance against the Reds that saw him give up just one run on one hit. Deep leagues and NL-only leagues should look to him against Atlanta in the big ballpark.
• Clayton Kershaw is coming off his longest outing of the season in terms of pitch count and innings. Kershaw has been strong at home, going 3-2 with a 1.75 ERA and a .197 BAA. Kershaw has already beaten the Brewers once this season, and the Brewers are not patient enough to force him into a lot of walks. With hitters hitting just .200 against him as a whole this season, do not go reaching for Brewers if you can avoid it.
• Spot Starts: Randy Wells, Brett Anderson, Latos

Tuesday Notes

• The Rays have actually hit pretty well against Jon Lester. Jason Bartlett has gone 7-for-14, and Evan Longoria has five hits in 12 at-bats with a home run. B.J. Upton is the only major concern, as he is 5-for-21 against the lefty. Lester is 0-2 against the Rays this season with an ERA over 12.00 in less than ten innings of work.
• Robinson Cano has really struggled against Roy Halladay. Cano is 7-for-38 against the Blue Jays starter, but has hit two home runs in those at-bats. Jerry Hairston is only 2-for-18, and Mark Teixeira has gone 6-for-26. These are the major red flags, otherwise there should be no problems in starting your normal Yankees.
• Travis Hafner and Grady Sizemore have simply raked against Scott Baker. Hafner has hit .476 with four home runs in 21 at-bats against the Minnesota starter. Sizemore does not have a home run, but he has gone 12-for-31 against Baker. Jhonny Peralta has struggled the most, hitting just .212 against him.
• Look to Alfonso Soriano against Johnny Cueto. He has gone 7-for-15 against the Reds starter with three home runs. Derrek Lee and Ryan Theriot have both gone 8-for-19 as well. Basically, there are very few Cubs that have not hit Cueto well. Look to avoid him if you have better options available.
• Josh Johnson does not have much of a track record against most of the Nationals, but he has put up a victory against them this season in three starts. Johnson has improved his road mark to 5-1 in 2009 with a 3.65 ERA and .246 BAA. While Josh Willingham needs to be started, Johnson has been tough overall, and the Nats are never a place to reach for offense.
• Spot Starts: Joel Pineiro, Ryan Rowland-Smith, Jarrod Washburn

Collin Hager writes The Elmhurst Pub fantasy blog. You can get your questions answered by sending an email to [e-mail]. He's also on Twitter @TheRoundtable.