Fantasy Baseball: Five Hitters for the Stretch Run

C/1B Victor Martinez

"The Associated Press reports Cleveland Indians C Victor Martinez (elbow) is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment with Double-A Akron Friday, Aug. 15." A career .299 hitter at catcher is hard to find. If for some odd reason Victor Martinez is a free agent still in your league, pick him up immediately.

C/3B/OF Brandon Inge

If you're looking for a backup catcher, third-baseman, or outfielder to plug into your lineup, Brandon Inge is your man, especially in deeper leagues, due to his flexibility. His best value is perhaps as a backup catcher on a fantasy team. He's shown flashes of coming around with his bat, going 5/19 with 1 HR and 4 RBI during the Tigers' last  four games vs. the Toronto Blue Jays.

1B Adam LaRoche

Adam has a reputation of being "Mr. Second half." He's rejuvenated, healthy, and fresh off the DL. Adam will join his brother Andy and perhaps have extra motivation to perform down the stretch.

He's a free agent in many leagues and may be a valuable addition in deep leagues to fill in on off-days or platoon him with your current 1B, depending on pitching matchups.

1B/2B/3B Ty Wigginton

Ty is in the midst of an 11-game hitting streak, during which he is batting .436 with four HR and 11 RBI. Ty is someone flying under a lot of people's radars, but given a full and healthy season, he has shown 30 HR and 100 RBI potential. His three-position eligibility gives him added value down the stretch and into the playoffs.

2B/SS/OF Alexei Ramirez

Alexei just became eligible at SS. This has shot his value through the roof, due to the demand for a solid, everyday SS in fantasy leagues. If he's a free agent, pick him up immediately in your league.

He has proven to be a clutch performer already, expect the trend for this former Cuban Olympian to continue down the stretch, batting .305 with 11 HR and 9 SB. Those are solid numbers for anyone, especially at short.