Fantasy Baseball: Wednesday News and Notes

It simply amazes me how major media companies refuse to allow their writers to embrace new technology. The fact that ESPN has come down against using Twitter should it not serve the purpose of the company is simply short-sighted. New media and the "now" philosophy is shaping how everyone goes to get their news.

While blogs allow near instant posting of thoughts and insights, mediums like Twitter require less thought and less time while still allowing the user to generate buzz. When it comes to items like sports, quicker insights are often that much more effective. Should the news be about a player being out of the lineup or an injury, timing is everything.

First to market tends to draw the biggest crowds, especially if the trend is found to be desirable. Any introduction to marketing text book can teach you that. Should personalities utilize everything they have at their disposal, they generate greater readership in this quick-hit market. These readers then frequent websites and other pieces more frequently.

In the same way newspapers have needed to embrace the Web, Web sites need to embrace "Web 2.0" (and 3.0 for that matter). The Internet is not going anywhere, but how we use it is changing on a seemingly daily basis. Where 20 years ago almost no one had computers in the home, now homes have more computers than televisions. Ten years ago, sites like Facebook did not even exist.

Content is changed and added rapidly, and companies are already working on the next big thing. Trying to stop the change only stifles growth. ESPN and others should be careful when it comes to choosing what they will and will not accept.

On to the notes.

Tuesday Rewind

• Albert Pujols hit his fifth grand slam of the season last night in the 10th inning against the Mets. Pujols is one away from tying the single-season record for grand slams in a season, a record shared by Don Mattingly and Travis Hafner. Pujols snapped a 0-for-13 skid with two home runs last night.
• Jose Reyes returned to New York for more tests and to see a doctor regarding potential course of action. The shortstop has continuing discomfort in his right leg, and there is still no potential date for his return to the Mets. Reyes was set to run the bases on Thursday, but that has now been pushed back.
• J.D. Drew was back in the Boston lineup last night, but Jason Bay was still out. Drew has been bothered by a groin strain that has caused him to miss time recently. Bay has a mild hamstring strain that is nagging at him, but he expects to be able to return to the lineup tonight for Boston. That likely means the end of the line for Josh Reddick.
• Why you might ask? The Red Sox depleted their bullpen last night. Without Justin Masterson, Boston does not have a pitcher equipped to throw multiple innings. After using everyone last night, the team will have to make some sort of call up in case Brad Penny gets in trouble early. Michael Bowden is slated to pitch in Triple-A tonight, so he would be the most likely candidate.
• It is like Joe Torre finally got the memo. Matt Kemp has been moved into the middle-third of the Dodger lineup, and his offense has responded. Last night, Kemp added four hits and five RBI while scoring four runs in the 17-4 win over the Brewers. The outfielder now has 15 home runs this season to go with 69 RBI and 22 steals.
• Torii Hunter will begin his rehab stint on Friday and test the strained oblique through the weekend. Hunter has been progressing well, and is looking at a return next week. When he comes back, Gary Matthews will be the one getting the shaft in terms of playing time.
• Nelson Cruz did not play last night after spraining his ankle on the final play of the game on Monday. Cruz is not likely to return until at least Friday, but the team has no immediate plans to put him on the DL. There was certainly swelling to deal with, but the outfielder does not feel like the ankle is broken.
• B.J. Upton's struggles finally pushed him out of the leadoff spot and down to the seven-hole. Upton is hitting just .240 over the last 30 days, and has not hit a home run in that time. Jason Bartlett is simply hitting everything, so the move makes a lot of sense. Upton's OBP for the season has fallen to .317.
• Andy Pettitte continues to pitch well on the road, picking up a win last night. He gave up just one run in 6.2 innings of work, and now has a string of four consecutive quality starts. With the exception of a start against the Angels, Pettitte has allowed three or fewer earned runs in his last four road starts.

Wednesday Notes

• As poorly as Edwin Jackson pitched during his last time out, he still managed to only allow two runs in four innings. His command was awful at best, and he needed 115 pitches to get through four innings. Still, Baltimore represents a decent rebound opportunity. Jackson has not seen much of the Orioles, but has done well against them in limited at-bats. He is 4-1 at home this season with a 2.86 ERA.
• Francisco Liriano is struggling with a slight forearm injury, but threw an effective bullpen session that leads him to believe he will be able to go against the Indians. Keep the injury in mind before putting him in your lineup though. While Grady Sizemore is just 1-for-11, Liriano is only 3-5 on the road this season with a 5.92 road ERA.
• Kyle Davies is being recalled to start for the Royals against the Mariners. Davies has been throwing the ball well in Triple-A, going 4-2 with a 2.14 ERA. Still, just because the Royals are trusting him does not mean owners should. Look to Franklin Gutierrez, as he is 5-for-8 against Davies.
• Vicente Padilla is supposed to take the mound against Oakland, and that should be good for some AL-only owners. Look to use Adam Kennedy and Ryan Sweeney. Sweeney is 6-for-10 against Padilla, while Kennedy is a .308 hitter. Kurt Suzuki should also be in lineups for this one.
• Have to love Ross Ohlendorf's home splits. The Pirates starter is 7-2 at home with a 3.34 ERA and 1.21 WHIP pitching in his home ballpark. While Ohlendorf is still an average pitcher, his home numbers should have deep league owners giving him a look in this one. Keep starting Mark Reynolds. He is now 10-for-20 this season against the Pirates.
• John Lannan's last outing is why it is tough to trust average pitchers. Lannan had gone 23.2 innings and given up just three earned runs in his three starts prior to giving up five against Pittsburgh. In his last 10 starts, he has given up three earned runs or less eight times and was worked into the seventh inning in eight of those starts as well. He has lost once this season to the Marlins, but he still has some minor potential.
• Juan Rivera and Bobby Abreu should be in every lineup tonight against Gavin Floyd. Rivera and Abreu are hitting .400 and .364, respectively, in their at-bats against the White Sox starter. Still, Floyd has looked very good at home, posting a 4-2 record with a 2.53 ERA. He has only allowed more than one earned run once in his last five home starts.
• We might see Angel Berroa against the Cardinals and Kyle Lohse. Berroa is 12-for-36 against Lohse in his career. David Wright has gone 7-for-17. Avoid Jeff Francoeur as he is only 1-for-13 against the Cardinals starter. Play the rest of your Mets as normal. Lohse is a tough play on the road, having gone 0-3 this season with an ERA approaching 6.00.
• Another reason why a record can lie. Braden Looper is 5-3 on the road. His ERA in those starts, though, is 5.60. He has looked good in a couple outings of late, but mainly against sub-par or struggling offenses. Look to avoid Rafael Furcal, who is 3-for-21 against Looper.
• Spot Starts: Chad Gaudin, Gavin Floyd, Jorge De La Rosa, J.A. Happ

Thursday Notes

• The Minnesota starters are best avoided on the road, and Nick Blackburn is no exception. Blackburn has posted a 4.58 ERA away from home this season, allowing batters to hit .292 against him. The Indians lineup has hit him relatively well, and there are no flags to throw up against Blackburn at home.
• Joba Chamberlain will get the ball for the Yankees against the Red Sox in New York. The Yankees are concerned about keeping his innings workload down as much as they can, so he is working on some extra rest. Look to avoid J.D. Drew as he is 0-for-13 against Chamberlain. The rest of your starters should be fine.
• Look to use Matt Diaz, Adam LaRoche, and, of course, Chipper Jones against Randy Wolf. Diaz has gone 5-for-10 against Wolf, and LaRoche is sitting at .286 with a home run. Wolf continues to struggle picking up wins, but his peripheral stats are certainly worth picking up for owners that need some help in WHIP and ERA.
• Adrian Gonzalez sat down Tuesday, but should be back in the lineup regularly going forward. He has, though, struggled against Livan Hernandez. Gonzalez has gone just 5-for-22 against the pitcher, but does have three home runs. The best play is Kevin Kouzmanoff, who has gone 4-for-12 with two home runs.
• Chris Volstad had been living dangerously based on the number of walks he had issued, but pitched much better his last time out. He has pitched well on the road this season, going 5-3 with a 3.78 ERA and .246 BAA. Volstad has picked up a win against the Nats this season in two starts.
• Spot Starts: Wolf, Trevor Cahill, David Hernandez

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.