Fantasy Baseball Around the Majors: May 17: Rollins, Pujols and More

Jimmy Rollins returned to the Phillies lineup.  Edwin Jackson showed why he has a huge upside the rest of the way.  Phil Hughes struggled for the first time this season.  Let’s look at these stories and all the rest from yesterday’s games:

Hitters:

Jimmy Rollins (2-4, 1 RBI, 2 R) -  The big bats took charge in Ryan Howard (3-5, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 2 R) and Jayson Werth (2-5, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 1 R).  What was most interesting was Rollins, in his first game back off the DL, was actually slotted in the third hole.  Granted, Chase Utley was given the day off so it is impossible to know exactly how the lineup will be revamped, but with the way Shane Victorino (2-4, 3 R, 1 SB) has played, it’s tough to see him being yanked from the leadoff spot.  It doesn’t really matter where you hit in the Phillies lineup, but Rollins owners definitely want to see him hitting in front of the big bats.

Corey Patterson (1-2, 3 R, 2 SB) -  I know, it’s Corey Patterson, but this type of game is worth taking notice of.  He has a ton of speed and is getting regular at bats at the top of the Orioles lineup.  That makes him worth considering in all five-outfielder formats.

Justin Morneau (3-4, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 3 R) -  How long are people going to undervalue him on draft day?  He’s now on a six game hitting streak, going 12-22 with four HR, eight RBI and five R.  He’s now hitting .374 with 11 HR and 29 RBI on the season.

Jose Bautista (1-4, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 R) -  He just keeps hitting HR.  This makes four in his last three games.  When will he slow down?  It’s going to come, sooner or later, but he certainly should be used while he’s smoking hot.

Corey Hart (3-4, 2 HR, 2 RBI, 2 R) -  He’s now at 7-12 with four HR, seven RBI and four R over his last three games.  Needless to say, he’s starting to finally look like he’s producing like the player most thought he would be.  If you stayed patient on him, you’re reaping the benefits.  If you didn’t, grab him back up before it’s too late.

Victor Martinez (2-4, 2 HR, 2 RBI, 2 R) -  This was part of a five home run onslaught by the Red Sox (J.D. Drew, Kevin Youkilis & David Ortiz also went deep).  Martinez had gone 1-23 over his previous five games.  We all know he’s better then his .234 average, so just keep patient and wait for more success like this to come.

Asdrubal Cabrera (0-1) -  He left with what is said to be a broken left forearm, meaning he’s going to be out for a while.  Jason Donald could be his replacement and if you need a replacement you certainly could do worse.  I’ll take a look at him later on today.

Jose Lopez (2-4, 3 RBI) -  These are his first RBI since May 1.  We all know he has his deficiencies (most notably in runs scored), but we also know that he’s better then his .221 average, one HR and eight RBI.  Look for a big rebound to come, with this possibly being the start.

Aramis Ramirez (2-5, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 R) -  What fantasy owners really want to know is when his average will get over .200 (currently at .175).  A .193 BABIP can’t stay forever, so just stay patient and wait for his resurgence.

Albert Pujols (3-3, 2 R) -  The line isn’t what’s important.  He hit cleanup, with Matt Holliday hitting third (and Colby Rasmus fifth).  If the Cardinals stay with this alignment, Rasmus could have the opportunity to do some serious damage, with teams pitching around Pujols to get to him.  Tony LaRussa isn’t one to necessarily stay with a consistent lineup, but keep a close eye on this one.

Pitchers:

Mike Pelfrey (7.2 IP, 2 ER, 7 H, 2 BB, 3 K, W) -  The Mets needed a big start and Pelfrey stepped up and delivered, as he has done quite often this season.  It appears the shoulder concerns should be a thing of the past.  His next start is surely a tough one against the Yankees, but at least it’s in CitiField, right?

Edwin Jackson (8.0 IP, 0 ER, 4 H, 2 BB, 12 K, W) -  Now this is the type of performance we’ve been waiting for.  He entered the day with a .347 BABIP and 61.1 percent strand rate, so we all knew that a turn around was coming.  If he was dropped in your league he’s certainly a pitcher I’d advocate stashing away on your bench.  Obviously, don’t look for 12 Ks too often (career K/9 of 6.3), but the guy is solid and should be a positive factor in your fantasy league going forward.

Jonathan Papelbon (0.2 IP, 4 ER, 3 H, 0 BB, 0 K) -  It was an ugly performance, giving up two-run home runs to Alex Rodriguez and Marcus Thames to blow the game.  There isn’t much to worry about here, it happens.

Phil Hughes (5.0 IP, 5 ER, 6 H, 1 BB, 3 K) -  Everyone is going to have a bad outing once and a while, right?  He had been so good he was almost due for an outing like this.  If he struggles against the Mets in his next outing, then I’d maybe start to get concerned, but for now this certainly isn’t a big deal.  How about Javier Vazquez getting the win out of the bullpen?!?

Derek Holland (5.1 IP, 3 ER, 5 H, 2 BB, 3 K, W) -  He was solid early on before struggling and being forced out of the game, asking the bullpen to get 11 outs.  They were up to the challenge.  Holland has a ton of upside, as we’ve talked about before, and clearly has significantly improved from the 2009 stat line that other owners remember him for.  If it’s not too late, grab him now if you need starting pitching.

Clayton Richard (7.0 IP, 1 ER, 3 H, 3 BB, 5 K, W) -  Padres pitchers just continue to get things done, don’t they?  Richard needs to limit the walks (4.0 BB/9), but the rest of the statistics could be repeatable.  He has a .308 BABIP, 78.4 percent strand rate (a little on the high side) and 6.4 K/9.  He’s getting groundballs at over 50 percent and in Petco Park, that goes a long way.

What are your thoughts from yesterday’s games?  Which ones caught your eye? And which ones did I miss?

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