Fantasy Baseball: Wednesday News and Notes

Last Night Rewind

• See, it was obvious that Aroldis Chapman's 105mph-fastball was a lie. Look, he only hit 103 on the gun last night and it took him a whole eight pitches to retire the side in order. To say that the velocity is impressive is really an understatement. This debut should give Reds fans reason for greater optimism down the stretch. An eighth inning role would be nice for league owners that need to view holds.
• Impressive outing by Jordan Zimmermann last night. He worked six innings and gave up just one hit without allowing a run. He managed to strike out nine Marlins without walking a batter. Though he is going to be limited in innings and pitch count, he has some favorable matchups over his final few starts that may help owners out.
• Cliff Lee had another abysmal start, this time getting roughed up by the Royals. Lee is now winless in his last five starts and has surrendered at least four earned runs in each of those starts. There were some positive signs in this one. Lee did not walk a batter and continued to induce ground ball outs. Have to take the positives where you can right now...
• The Mets lost their cleanup hitter yesterday, sending Jeff Francoeur to the Rangers in exchange for infielder Joaquin Arias. Fact is, Frenchie was a below average bat that had done nothing but struggle since the All-Star break. Though he has had nine hits in his last 22 at-bats, since the recess he is hitting just .190. AL-only owners are even ignoring this move.
• While Derek Jeter may be a solid hitter at home, he is now mired in a 2-for-30 slump and has only two hits since the series with Toronto began back on August 23rd. He has scored just four runs and driven in only two in that time. Do not expect it to get much better tonight. Jeter is hitting just .129 this season in 31 at-bats against Oakland.

Wednesday Notes

• Should have gone with the gut last time and kept Chris Volstad as a spot starter. This time, there are too many bats on the Nationals that have owned him. Ryan Zimmerman is 11-for-18 with two home runs against Volstad while Adam Dunn checks in at 8-for-16 with a home run and seven walks. Evan Ivan Rodriguez is a .364 hitter in 11 at-bats. Only the 1-for-10 of Nyjer Morgan should be avoided.
• Jon Lester rebounded with a nice win against Tampa Bay last time out. He has now held opponents without an earned run in three of his last four starts. He is 2-0 in three starts against Baltimore this season, allowing one run in 19 innings, and 8-3 overall on the road this year. Ty Wiggington and Matt Wieters are both 7-for-18 and should be started, but Nick Markakis is only at .205 in 44 at-bats.
• Ubaldo Jimenez continues to look for win number 18, and the Giants may help him out. Jimenez is 2-0 against them this season in three starts. Overall, he is 9-4 on the road and has held batters to a .182 average in those outings. Only Pablo Sandoval at 10-for-28 stands out as a regular you would want in your lineup against the Colorado ace.
• Tommy Hanson is winless in his last 10 starts and has allowed 10 earned runs in his last 10 innings pitched. He is just 4-5 at home this season with a 4.22 ERA in that stretch. Hanson has thrown relatively well against the Mets this season, but does not have a win to show for it. His run of luck makes him a tougher start here.
• Corey Hart is 6-for-16 against Johnny Cueto with three home runs. Prince Fielder has had a good showing as well, posting a .353 average in 17 at-bats with two long balls. Ryan Braun has struggled to a 3-for-17 mark and Rickie Weeks is only 2-for-12.
• Francisco Liriano has been lit up by the Tigers in his starts against them this season. Through three outings, he is 1-2 with a 7.47 ERA. The Tigers have put up 13 runs on 19 hits with a .311 average against Liriano in just 15.2 innings. Brandon Inge is only 4-for-27 and is worth avoiding, as is the 3-for-13 of Ryan Raburn. These are the only red flags for your lineups.
• Tim Lincecum has lost his last five starts and is staring at an 0-2 record against Colorado this season. The Rockies have seven runs on eight hits and NINE walks against the San Francisco starter. Carlos Gonzalez is only 2-for-14 against Lincecum and Troy Tulowitzki checks in at only .240 in 25 at-bats against him.
• Jeff Suppan is being activated off the DL today to start against Houston. Suppan is coming off a groin injury that has sidelined him for a full month. While a reach, look to Geoff Blum against Suppan today. He is 15-for-28 with two home runs against the St. Louis starter. Carlos Lee checks in at .253 with three home runs in 75 at-bats. Michael Bourn is only 1-for-12.
• Mark Ellis, Jack Cust, and Coco Crisp are all hitting below .200 against A.J. Burnett. Gabe Gross is 4-for-13 (.308) against Burnett and Daric Barton is 3-for-9 with a home run. Burnett is pitching for his job each time out at this point, and it has not gone well on the road. He is 4-5 with a 4.62 ERA away from home.
• Spot Starts: Gorzelanny, Figueroa, Vargas

Thursday Notes

• You just do not beat C.C. Sabathia at home. He is 10-0 in New York this season with batters hitting only .211 against him in "the stadium." Only Barton, hitting at .273 against Sabathia, has posted an average better than .250. Look to avoid those you can on the A's in this situation.
• Daisuke Matsuzaka missed his last start due to a back injury but is expected to take the mound on Thursday against the Orioles. Daisuke has allowed four earned runs in each of his last three starts and four of his last five overall. Nick Markakis is only 2-for-15 against him, but both Brian Roberts and Luke Scott are worth starting.
• Michael Cuddyer is just a .150 hitter against Justin Verlander in 40 at-bats. Joe Mauer, Jason Kubel, and Denard Span are the big winners, all with averages better than .350 against the Detroit starter. Jim Thome may be hitting just .256 against Verlander, but he does have seven home runs in 43 at-bats.
• Scott Baker is 5-0 in his last seven starts and is 8-3 overall at home this season. Only Miguel Cabrera has an average better than .300 as a player that a fantasy owner would have on a roster. Johnny Damon is at .286, then the averages fall off. Inge has struggled here as well, going just 8-for-40 against Baker.
• If Johan Santana is pitching against the Braves you know it must be time to start Matt Diaz. He is 16-for-30 (.533) against Santana lifetime. Only a 3-for-9 from Derrek Lee and 4-for-9 from Rick Ankiel are worth starting beyond that. The Braves have some overall rough numbers against him. Batters are only hitting .234 against Santana on the road.
• Spot Starts: Slim pickings with only six games...Fister is the best option.