Fantasy Baseball Around the Majors: 4/23: Dunn, Lincecum & More

Adam Dunn finally made a splash.  The Mets finally tried Jose Reyes hitting third.  Tim Lincecum proved again why he’s the best pitcher in the game. 

Let’s look at these stories and all the rest from yesterday’s games:

Hitters:

• Aaron Hill (1-4, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 R)— He returned from the DL and quickly made his presence felt.  Get him back active in all formats immediately.
• David Ortiz (1-3, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 R)— It was his first home run of the season.  Does this mean he’s beginning to heat up, or was it a one-day aberration?  It’s just too early to tell, but if he can continue to hit over the weekend, I’ll certainly be a lot more comfortable with him.
• Justin Smoak (0-2)— He did walk twice, however, and didn’t strikeout.  It was just his Major League debut, and we all know the hype surrounding him.  I’ll discuss him in more detail in the next few days.
• Adam Dunn (2-3, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 2 R)— We all knew it was just a matter of time, right?  There’s no reason to worry about him.
• Kurt Suzuki (3-5, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 R)— It’s already likely too late to buy low on him.  In his last six games, he’s gone 8-for-22 with three HR, seven RBI and three runs.  Kevin Kouzmanoff, however, could still be a very good candidate.  He went 2-for-4, with two RBI and one run, and could be showing signs of busting out of it.  He’s only usable to the deepest of formats, but he’s still someone I’d keep an eye on.
• Ike Davis (1-3, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 R)— He hit sixth in the Mets revamped lineup, which certainly appeared to pay dividends.  The much talked about move of Jose Reyes (2-4, 1 R) to third finally occurred.  He was followed by Jason Bay (1-3, 1 RBI, 1 R) and David Wright (1-3, 2 RBI).  Needless to say, thanks to the results, chances are Jerry Manuel will be keeping this lineup for at least a few more days.  Keep that in mind when valuing your Mets hitters.
• Andruw Jones (2-4, 2 HR, 2 RBI, 2 R)— Who says he’s done?  He’s now hitting .293 with six HR and nine RBI on the season.  He’s been moved to the third spot in the lineup, hitting in front of Paul Konerko (who also had a solid night, going 2-for-3 with one HR, two RBI and one run), Alex Rios, and Carlos Quentin (1-for-4, one HR, one RBI, two runs…another solid buy low candidate).  Amazingly, Jones has become valuable in all formats, at least for now.
• Kelly Johnson (2-4, 2 HR, 2 RBI, 2 R)— He’s on a four-game hitting streak, going 7-for-17 with two HR, three RBI and four runs.  At .327 with five HR, eight RBI and 12 R, he clearly has proven worthy of using in all formats.  Is it really a surprise to anyone that he has rebounded like this?

Pitchers:

• Matt Garza (5.0 IP, 5 ER, 8 H, 4 BB, 6 K)— You didn’t think he was going to be unhittable all season long, did you?  While it stinks, he was almost due to struggle, so I would take this with a grain of salt.  His next start comes against the Royals, and he has become a must start in all formats.
• Neftali Feliz (1.0 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, 0 BB, 1 K)— He blew the save, but was rewarded with the victory.  It’s just one game, but there is no guarantee that he holds the closer's role all year long.  I wouldn’t have dropped Frank Francisco quite yet, if you have room to stash him.  On a side note from this game, what is going on with Rich Harden?  He walked five batters and now has 18 in 17.2 innings on the season.  There’s certainly reason for concern there.  Is he hurt?  Is he just struggling?  If you’re a gambler, now may be the best time to get him on the cheap and hope he can turn it around.
• Luis Atilano (6.0 IP, 1 ER, 5 H, 2 BB, 1 K)— Nice debut, but there are some huge concerns here, and it’s not just the fact that he pitches for the Nationals.  He has little-to-no upside in the strikeout department (career minor league K/9 of 4.8), meaning his potential value lies in NL-only and just the deepest of formats.
• Bronson Arroyo (3.0 IP, 8 ER, 8 H, 2 BB, 0 K)— As I’ve said before, he has a few of these types of starts every season, severely limiting his value.  He is what he is, and that’s a pitcher I’d keep my distance from.
• Tim Lincecum (7.0 IP, 1 ER, 6 H, 3 BB, 8 K)— He’s now 4-0 with a 1.00 ERA, 0.93 WHIP and 32 K in 27 IP.  Anyone still questioning if he is a first round pick?

What are your thoughts from yesterday’s games?  Which of these stories interests you most?  Did anything else catch your eye?

To view the top stories from Thursday’s games, click here .

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