MLB Fantasy Baseball: Monday News and Notes

Interleague play always yields interesting matchups. It never really gives much for fantasy owners though. These are teams that most of these players will not see enough over the course of a season to develop the level of comfort they have with division, or even league, opponents. It does portray more of the left/right and home/away disparities, however. That and hot streaks is what the notes will focus on. Let's get to it.

• J.D. Drew spent most of last season very distracted, due to the health of his son. This year, he seems to have found his swing. Drew has hit safely in 13 of his last 14 games, raising his average 25 points in the process. He's utterly locked in. When Manny is in the lineup, Drew sees fantastic pitches. Even with Manny out two days this weekend, Drew still racked up three hits in eleven at-bats against the Reds.
• Ricky Nolasco has been a pitcher recommended for spot starts off and on for most of the season. Not for his next couple though. Nolasco threw 132 pitches yesterday, and he still did not register a complete game. His 132 pitches were the most in the majors in two years. You just don't see guys do that because of the strain it takes on the arm. I would look to start any borderline A's against him next time out.
• It's almost become a joke, but Greg Maddux continues to struggle on the road. In six innings, he gave up five runs, though only two were earned. The fact is, it seems almost like a mental block. Maddux is one of the best the game has ever seen, but he's severely limiting where he can be used in fantasy.
• Injury news: Chien-Ming Wang injured his foot while running the bases. Right now it doesn't look like he'll make his next start, but we'll keep you posted as we hear more on this situation. Rafael Soriano headed to see Dr. Yocum, who is to Tommy John surgery what Dr. Andrews is to shoulders. Look to Manny Acosta in the short-term on saves. The Braves did sign Jorge Julio to a minor-league contract over the weekend. Paul Konerko might also find himself on the DL with a strained muscle in his rib cage. If you need a fill-in, Carlos Delgado is heating up.
• And more DL news: Brad Penny, apparently, has been dealing with shoulder issues most of the season. If that's the reason behind his struggles, then the DL trip is likely warranted. But Penny has been beyond bad. Even when he comes back, I wouldn't be rushing to grab him. I don't see the need to stash him on your DL spot either, unless you really have the room. This is an outright drop.
• David Ortiz has progressed well, according to Terry Francona. Expect him to be in the cast a few days longer than planned, but more as a precaution. Ortiz should be good to go right around the break.
• I'll say it: time to drop Micah Owings. Owings has given up at least four runs in his last four starts, and he hasn't made it into the seventh more than once in his last five. Owings is hit or miss, but he's going to be moved to a spot start matchup in my book when it comes to most mixed league formats. 14-team leagues is one thing, but, right now, there are better options available that won't give you the headache.
• Clayton Kershaw was pitching very well when the game was delayed 45 minutes. Kershaw did not come back out, but had pitched four solid innings. This is a good sign for his next outing.
• It isn't really going out on a limb, but I'm going to recommend Jeff Suppan for basically all home starts. He's similar to Randy Wolf and Greg Maddux here, and the stats, surprisingly, back it up.
• We were all curious as to if Nate McLouth would slow down. He's had a rough first half to June, posting a .236 average in 55 at-bats. I talk about this a lot, but this is likely regression to the mean. He's not going to hit .320 this year, but .290 or so with 30-35 home runs is still completely reasonable. I wouldn't be opposed to selling high and looking to add depth to another position at this point, if the right offer came along, especially since he's still the eighth-ranked player in standard leagues (Marcum or Hamels perhaps?)
• Solid pitching performances out of some of the early calls, even in losses. Jorge Campillo, Scott Baker, and Dana Eveland all were solid in their outings. Eveland was the only one to secure a win, but the others allowed only two runs a pieces and provided stats in peripheral categories that kept you in games.

Notes for today's games:

• Limited slate of five games, so not a ton to talk about.
• Jair Jurrjens has struggled of late, allowing five and six runs in his last two outings. He has an ERA of 7.50 in June, and he has posted an ERA of nearly five on the road. I wouldn't want him starting in Colorado.
• Justin Verlander has looked good in his most recent two outings. San Francisco does not have the type of offense that should scare you away from using him today. Don't expect a win, though, as the Tigers will have to face Tim Lincecum. Lincecum has held batters to a .230 average this season and has been especially tough to hit at home.
• Mike Pelfrey has been solid in his last three outings, but only one of those was on the road and that team was San Diego. Pelfrey hasn't been able to work out of jams away from Shea, and I'd be inclined to lean away from him today, as Jered Weaver has been very good at home.
• Not much more to add, unfortunately. There are no hitters with track records against starters today. If you're looking at spot starts, I think Andrew Miller is the best option today. I'd shy away from Bartolo Colon, as he hasn't faced an offense like the Phillies, and the Red Sox won't have a DH in the lineup.

 

Notes for Tuesday:

• Johnny Cueto's numbers are better at home, and he's facing a Dodgers lineup that has not been hitting well. But I can't recommend a guy that has had incredible struggles getting the ball over the plate. There are better options, especially going up against Chad Billingsley.
• He might not have to face David Ortiz, but the Red Sox still hit .325 against Jamie Moyer. Most of the team has seen him before, either from days with Seattle or interleague play. I wouldn't have him in my lineup. Moyer's ERA at home clinches that, as he sits at 5.10 in Citizen's Park.
• Vlad Guerrero doesn't hit Johan Santana well, but both Gary Matthews and Garrett Anderson have had some success against the lefty. Don't be afraid to have them in lineups. I still start Santana, obviously, especially given his 0.87 ERA in three June starts.
• Garrett Olson makes a solid play every time out at home, even against a lineup that hits lefties pretty well in Houston.
• Paul Byrd was good on the road last time, but this game is in Colorado. I wouldn't bet on catching lightning in a bottle twice. Randy Wolf is on the road too...in New York against a Yankees team that has remembered how to hit. Avoid this one.
• Randy Winn and Bengie Molina have seen enough of Kenny Rogers to let you know they should be in the lineup. Winn is a .300 hitter and Molina goes .282/4/6 in his time against Rogers. Keep Vizquel and Ray Durham down though.
• Early spot start calls? Let's go with Scott Olsen, Braden Looper, and Ian Snell.

 

Back as the need arises.