Fantasy Baseball: Thursday News and Notes

Last Night Rewind

• Kris Medlen was removed from last night's start with what looks to be a severe elbow injury. Medlen threw a curveball in the fifth inning that caused him to leave the game. He is scheduled for an MRI today. The ligament injury is one that could certainly lead to season-ending surgery and holds the potential for a long recovery time.
• Brandon Inge was activated from the DL last night and went 3-for-4 in his first game back. Inge is still recovering from a broken left hand that was expected to sideline him for four to six weeks. Inge missed just two weeks. The move will likely push Jhonny Peralta out of the third base spot for the time being and over towards shortstop.
• Vicente Padilla took a no-hit bid into the seventh inning and wound up with a two-hit shutout over the Padres. Since returning from the DL in June, Padilla has posted a 1.80 ERA. He has allowed only one home run in his last 34 innings pitched and only three home runs in that stretch. At just 30 percent owned, Padilla's work should garner him some more attention in the coming days.
• Jon Lester suffered his fourth loss in a row last night, struggling the bulk of the evening against the Indians. Lester was visited several times by the training staff on the mound, appearing to suffer from a cramp or stiffness in his left calf. He threw 100 pitches in just five-plus innings before being removed. Watch to see if his next start is pushed back after the events of Wednesday.
• The Blue Jays called up catcher J.P. Arencibia to replace the injured John Buck who was placed on the DL. Arencibia was tearing up Triple-A with a .300 average and 31 home runs in just 95 games before getting the call. Those teams in need of some help on offense in AL-only leagues from the catcher position could get some offensive benefit from a quick move.

Thursday Notes

• While Josh Hamilton has been one of the hottest hitters in baseball, he struggles against Felix Hernandez. Hamilton is just 5-for-28 against him lifetime. Julio Borbon and David Murphy should be avoided as well, but no other concerns with the rest of your Rangers in this one. In fact, Hernandez is 0-2 against the Rangers this season with a 7.27 ERA in three starts.
• Chad Billingsley has not allowed a run in his last three starts, covering 21.2 innings. He is also 2-0 this season against the Padres. Billingsley has not allowed a run to the Padres in 13 innings against them and has surrendered only seven hits and a walk to them in 2010.
• Ignore the 5.73 ERA on the road for Freddy Garcia and look at the fact that he is 2-0 against the Tigers this season. Garcia has posted a 3.27 ERA against Detroit so far this season, allowing 12 hits and three walks in 13 innings of work. Only Miguel Cabrera is worth the start here. Johnny Damon is only a .245 hitter and Jhonny Peralta is 3-for-14.
• Dan Uggla has been on a tear, but he is only 2-for-15 lifetime against Roy Oswalt. Fortunately for Marlins fantasy owners, he is the only issue. Hanely Ramirez is a .455 hitter in 22 at-bats with two home runs against him and even Wes Helms has hit .365 against Oswalt. Those are the best numbers the Marlins have to offer.
• Kevin Slowey's command may be coming back. He has walked just two batters since the All-Star break and he has surrendered only one run on eight hits in his last 14 innings of work. The Rays are hitting basically everyone right now, but Slowey has some upside in this start given his recent run of luck.
• Give Andre Ethier the time as usual today against Kevin Correia. Ethier is 8-for-15 against the San Diego starter. On the other end of the spectrum is Matt Kemp, as he checks in at only 4-for-21 against Correia. Casey Blake has struggled as well at 3-for-15, but Jamey Carroll could be worth the start at 5-for-10. Correia is 0-2 against the Dodgers this season.
• Brian McCann has raked against Tim Lincecum, going 8-for-19 against him. The Braves have not exactly seen much of Lincecum otherwise. The Giants starter has already beaten them once this season and he is 4-1 in 11 road starts this season. Batters are only hitting .245 against him away from home this season.
• Jayson Werth is only 1-for-14 against Chris Volstad. Jimmy Rollins and Raul Ibanez are both worth the starts here. Rollins is 6-for-16 while Ibanez is 6-for-14 against Volstad. Volstad lost against the Phillies his last time out, but that was on the road. At home, he has posted a 3.65 ERA with a .245 BAA.
• It is always a gamble to start Daisuke Matsuzaka against anyone. He dominated the Indians in his only start against them this season, working eight shutout innings in the process back in early June. Matsuzaka has been a six-inning pitcher largely since his return from the DL. The Indians largely have no track record against the Red Sox starter, and that tends to bode well for Matsuzaka when he faces a team.
• Spot Starts: Slowey, Tomlin, Volstad

Friday Notes

• Adrian Beltre has raked against Javier Vazquez, hitting .441 in 34 at-bats against him. David Ortiz and J.D. Drew are both well over .300 as well. Drew has hit four home runs in 28 at-bats against Vazquez. Look to avoid the 5-for-29 of Victor Martinez if you have better options available to you on your bench.
• The Cubs have some ugly numbers against Bronson Arroyo. Alfonso Soriano is hitting only .190 in 42 at-bats while Aramis Ramirez is hitting only .205 in 39 at-bats. Derrek Lee struggles to a .235 mark and Kosuke Fukudome is 0-for-13. Marlon Byrd and Blake DeWitt at 4-for-10 are the best options available against Arroyo.
• Time for me to stop recommending Dave Bush as a spot-start option. While the numbers have been good, he is strictly out to make me a liar. Bush draws the Astros again, a team he is now 0-2 against this year. He has allowed eight earned runs in 16 innings against them overall with 19 hits and nine walks. Not too good there.
• Wandy Rodriguez is the opposite of Bush this season. He has gone 2-0 against the Brewers so far and yielded just one run on 12 hits and two walks in 15 innings this year. Even with this, only Prince Fielder struggles against Rodriguez. He has hit just .233 against him. Look to start Corey Hart as he is at .400 in 35 at-bats.
• Only Aaron Hill and Vernon Wells have been able to garner averages better than .300 against Matt Garza lifetime. Garza is 6-2 at home so far this season with batters hitting only .220 against him inside Tropicana Field. He can certainly be erratic, but the numbers bear out in this one. Start him with confidence.
• Spot Starts: Niese, Hammel, Arroyo