Tuesday Fantasy Baseball News and Notes

It's never good when you start to prepare your notes mentally and realize how much of it involves the DL. If you're not a fan of bad news, you might want to skip the first few bullet points on this post. Hopefully this is coherent, because if that hockey game had gone on much longer last night, spelling would have been optional. On to the notes.

• David Ortiz is headed to the disabled list. Ortiz has been told to do nothing with a bat or a ball for 30 days. After 30 days, the team and the doctors will decide if the ligament damage requires surgery. If it does, his season is over. If not, he'll resume baseball activity. This looks like a best-case scenario of the All-Star break. Not good news for fantasy owners, as Ortiz had really started to hit the ball well. The news is just as bad if you own Manny Ramirez. With Ortiz out of the lineup, he becomes much easier to pitch around. Obviously, keep Ortiz on your DL until we know more.
• Jake Westbrook is headed back to the disabled list as well. This time, it's elbow swelling. I'm not good on determining lengths of injuries, but I never find it good when one injury (the rib cage muscle) seems to lead to another. It's at least two weeks without him. But the good news is that this will keep Aaron Laffey around. Laffey had a rough night last night, but he's pitched well overall. Certainly more than an adequate fill in and spot-start pitcher for the time being.
  
• Here is a bad thing to read about a pitcher: "I'm going to have all kinds of deliveries and motions. There's going to be nothing consistent about what I do." The man talking is John Smoltz. Smoltz returned from the DL and blew the save for Atlanta. That in itself isn't good, but what makes matters worse is the fact that he can't use his normal motion and has to make adjustments on the fly to ease the pain. Obviously, for one, this moves Rafael Soriano out of the closer's role. I'm not sure for how long. Cox claims that Smoltz will get the calls, but the veteran has had nothing but shoulder issues for several years now. Until he proves his health, keep him on reserve.
  
• The Yankees are intent on starting Joba Chamberlain, and that's fine. It's good for fantasy owners because it truly gives the guy some value. But they got a first-hand look at life without him in the bullpen. Enter Kyle Farnsworth, who managed to blow the lead and cost the Yankees the game and Pettitte the win. Expect this to happen more often than not, because Farnsworth is beyond hit or miss; 100 MPH fastball, but a ten-cent head.
  
• Casey Blake hit three home runs last night, and is 6-16 in his last four games. Blake improved his average to .342 on the road for the season, and hits about 100 points better against righties than lefties. Unfortunately, they draw a lefty tonight, even if it is at Texas, which is a hitter's park.
  
• Jeremy Guthrie continues to pitch well against Boston. In his last three starts overall, he's faced some of the best offenses in the American League. He held Boston to two earned runs over six-and-a-third, the Yankees to three runs over seven, and Tampa to one run over six-and-two-thirds. The good points really are that he continues to work into the seventh inning. That's what we should all hope our starters can give us. Even more, he strikes out about six guys a game, has kept his ERA to 3.58, and his WHIP at 1.23. The problem is that he doesn't get the run support and hasn't shown the wins. But these other categories make him a valuable pitcher for spot starts against any opponent, and he should be owned in all deep, mixed league formats.
  
• Recommending Jeff Suppan as any type of spot yesterday made me nervous, but he continues to pitch well at home. Suppan went seven innings and gave up three runs. He even struck out six guys. He didn't get the win, but his ERA at home in five games is now at 1.50, with a WHIP at 1.25. Batters are only hitting .228 against him there. He becomes a viable option when the Brewers are playing in Milwaukee. Yes, that pained me to say.
  
• One of my rebound picks for June is Prince Fielder. He's coming through so far. In his last seven games, Fielder is hitting .333, with three home runs and five RBI. His season average is now at .280, and he has nine home runs on the season. Get on the horse now.
  
• Other quick notes. Kyle Kendrick got the win, but the lefties destroyed him. That includes Jay Bruce, who homered for his third straight game. Kendrick just can't get lefties out. Derek Lowe had a third good outing in a row, giving up one run over eight innings to record the win. When he pitches well, he's a good spot-start, especially at home. Derek Jeter did record three hits yesterday. Sometimes you just need a friendly pitcher to snap out of a funk.

Notes for today's games:

• As I said yesterday, I like Barry Zito against the Mets at home. Zito controls the big bats, as evidenced by the .211 Carlos Delgado and .188 Carlos Beltran have put up against him. He's a solid spot-start in any format. Pedro Martinez will get the ball to oppose Zito. The Mets expect around 100 pitches, so they don't seem to be holding him back. My method with any pitcher coming off the DL is to wait one start.
• In four games on the road this season, Kyle Lohse is sporting an ERA over six, and opponents hit .370 against him. His WHIP is right around two in that time as well. I'd keep him benched against Washington. Odalis Perez is tough at home, sporting a 2.51 ERA in his five starts with a WHIP just over one.
• Erik Bedard has been tough at home, but the Angels seem to have solved him. Torii Hunter is 9-18 with two home runs against him. Garrett Anderson and Vlad Guerrero have hit .375 and .462, respectively, against the lefty. I never like to recommend benching your aces, but this is a situation that makes it VERY close to that point.
• Joba Chamberlain gets the ball today. Yesterday's notes detail the plan for him, but don't expect more than five innings today. He's on a strict pitch count.
• I like Justin Masterson against Tampa. Masterson may be young, but so are the Tampa hitters. It leaves them more prone to being impatient and getting ahead of his off-speed pitches. Masterson has a solid fastball that he locates very well, but it's his secondary pitches that make him tough to hit. Matt Garza isn't a bad start, especially with Ortiz out of the lineup. But he struggled in his last outing against Boston and doesn't pitch well on the road.
• Pat Burrell should be in all lineups today, as he hits .444 against Aaron Harang. Adam Eaton has been tougher on lefties, but Ken Griffey has two home runs in seven career at-bats against him.
• Keep Wandy Rodriguez away from the Pirates today. Jason Bay is .526/2/11 in 19 career at-bats, Freddy Sanchez is .412/1/2 in 17 at-bats, and even Adam LaRoche has five hits in nine plate appearances. The team is at .350 against Rodriguez.
• Spot starts? Let's go with Zito, Masterson, Kevin Slowey, and Jorge Campillo.

Notes for Wednesday:

• Raul Ibanez owns Jered Weaver. Weaver struggles against Seattle all around, but Ibanez is .571/4/7 in 21 at-bats. On the road, Weaver has posted an ERA close to six, a WHIP near 1.50, and batters hit .285. That doesn't mean to start Carlos Silva, as he gives up hits like they're going out of style.
• The Rays do not do well against Josh Beckett. That's about all there is to it there.
• Mike Mussina's struggles have largely come at home, where his ERA is over five and batters hit .305 against him. Toronto, as a team, has had a good deal of success against him, sporting a .302 team average in nearly 350 at-bats. Jesse Litsch is 4-1 on the road, and has held down right-handed hitters very well. Lefties are another case. Johnny Damon should be in your lineup here.
• Clayton Kershaw will see a battered Rockies team tomorrow night. Without some of the major pop in the lineup, I like his chances for success. You used a waiver priority on the kid for a reason.
• Early spot start calls: Kershaw, Greg Maddux (lights out at home), Todd Wellemeyer, and Litsch

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