MLB Fantasy Baseball: Wednesday News and Notes

No doubt, this was a rough night for pitching of all types. Most of the stars fell on their faces, the spot-picks got lit up, but unexpected sources provided gems. Nothing says fun like September baseball! We're still waiting for the Marlins and Braves to stop scoring runs. That game could have been uglier, but it would have been hard. 

Stay tuned later today for the first half of the NFL Week One Fantasy Preview. Until then, on to the notes!

• Both Mike Lowell and Josh Beckett will return over the weekend against Texas. Beckett will pitch Friday night. Expect him to be very limited, likely around the 75-pitch mark. That could be six or seven innings, but it could also be four. As is the case with all pitchers coming off the DL, keep him reserved. Mike Lowell looked ready to go after batting practice in Boston. Expect him back over the weekend as well. Given the injury, we don't recommend using until we get to next week.
• Kevin Youkilis suffered back spasms during the anthem last night and was scratched from the lineup. Terry Francona does not expect him to play today either. Look for Jed Lowrie to get another start at third and Jeff Bailey to continue working the bag at first. Bailey is a decent fill-in option, but look more to Chris Davis in Texas if you need the at-bats.
• We got a question about starting Carlos Zambrano against the Astros yesterday. The numbers still did add up to a play, especially given that Carlos Lee was the only 'Stros player with solid numbers against him. What that didn't tell us was that Zambrano was having more than just fatigue issues. He left after five innings with an arm injury and will be examined today to determine the extent. This in mind, look for him to miss a start or two now. The Cubs are going to be careful because of the lead they have developed. It's like Week 17 in the NFL.
• Ben Sheets will not miss his next start for the Brewers. Sheets left his last outing with an apparent groin injury, but feels good enough to go later this week. With that being the case, owners should keep him active and starting.
• Jeremy Guthrie has been scratched from today's start against the Red Sox. Guthrie does not seem to have an injury, but the Orioles are looking to limit the innings on the young pitcher's arm. He's been very good against Boston, no doubt about that, but this will let him get a few extra days between starts. Look to use him in the weekend series coming up. We'll update as needed.
• Troy Percival was activated by Tampa prior to their loss to the Yankees. Percival hasn't pitched for what feels like the better part of the second half. Don't look for him to replace Dan Wheeler just yet. The Rays will look to work Percival back into the role and limit the innings he'll record in September. As long as they have the lead, they have the flexibility to do that.
• Chipper Jones is listed as day-to-day after twisting his knee during infield practice the other day. Jones was not in the lineup for last night's slugfest against the Marlins, and could be held out through Saturday. That in mind, those owners looking to add a third basemen should look to Chase Headley, who has dual eligibility or Kevin Kouzmanoff in many formats. They'll spend about half of September on the road, and that will help their stats. Casey Blake is also swinging a decent bat out in Los Angeles.
• Victor Martinez is going to see his at-bats steadily increase. Last night, he hit his first home run since September of 2007 and is starting to get his timing back. Owners shouldn't view this as a major addition to their club, but a good sign for next season. The better he swings now, the more you will remember his name for next year's drafts. Martinez will be ranked lower because of the lack of stats and games played due to injury. Keep that in the back of your mind.
• Dustin Pedroia has been one of the hottest hitters in baseball, no doubt about that, but many people are sleeping on the power tear that Carlos Beltran has entered. Beltran suddenly has 22 home runs and has hit five in his last nine games. Over his last six, he's hitting .435. These are numbers that weren't there this time last season, as all Mets fans will attest. His numbers, as well as those of Carlos Delgado, are making fantasy owners that grabbed these guys early on in the season smile.

Notes for Today's Games

• As we mentioned yesterday, there are a few early starts today. Adjust your rosters accordingly.
• Javier Vazquez has held down Grady Sizemore (.208 in 34 at-bats), Jhonny Peralta (.154 in 26 at-bats), and Victor Martinez (.208 in 24 at-bats). Looking for some quick offense? Asdrubal Cabrera is 5-for-12 against Vazquez.
• While Jon Garland is 7-3 on the road, his ERA is still 4.70 in that time. Magglio Ordonez is just 7-for-30 against him, but all other Tigers have good numbers and should be considered must-starts where available.
• Brian Roberts is 5-for-10 against Daisuke Matsuzaka, but the Orioles as a team have barely broken the .200 mark against the Boston starter. Matsuzaka has struggled with control, as is evidenced by a WHIP of 1.33, despite a 2.82 ERA. If you have options for any of your other Baltimore hitters, certainly use them. Daisuke has held righties to a .202 average and lefties to .221. His 9-2 record at home, and 2-0 record against the Orioles, seals the deal.
• David Murphy is 5-for-16 against Felix Hernandez, but is still being held back with a knee injury. Michael Young checks in at .303 against the Mariners starter. Look for Gerald Laird behind the plate as well, as he is hitting .308 against Hernandez. The good news for Hernandez is that Milton Bradley and Josh Hamilton are a combined 0-for-19. While still a good start, Hernandez is winless in four outings against the Rangers and has a WHIP of 1.38.
• Expect Omar Vizquel to get a crack at Aaron Cook today, as he has hit .348 against the Rockies starter. Cook is 2-1 with a 3.00 ERA in three starts against the Giants this season, but the team has hit .321 against him in 21 innings. Aaron Rowand and Bengie Molina are decent plays, but Randy Winn is just a .200 hitter in 25 at-bats.
• Jorge Campillo has pitched well against Florida all season, having gone 1-0 in four games against the Marlins. On the season, lefties are hitting just .236 against Campillo. Florida, as a team, is just at .164. Campillo could benefit from the Marlins having used all their hits last night.
• Nick Blackburn may have an ERA close to 4.50 on the road, but he has pitched well in eight of his last 10 outings. The two trouble spots have come against the Yankees. Blackburn has allowed no more than three runs in any of those eight and worked into the seventh inning in six of those appearances. Against a struggling Blue Jays offense, he's worth the start.
• Randy Wolf is pitching on the road against a good offense. He is 1-7 on the road and was hammered by the Cubs in his only outing against them this season. Get your Cubs in the lineup. It's one of the few times that ignoring history makes sense.
• Spot starts: Hiroki Kuroda, Odalis Perez, Edwin Jackson, and Nick Blackburn.

Notes for Thursday

• Tom Gorzellany's last three starts have all been against Milwaukee, so you know he's happy to see someone else. In two starts against the Reds this season, he's lasted a total of seven innings and given up a total of seven earned runs. Not great numbers. Start your Reds and bench the Pirates starter. Gorzellany has allowed opponents to hit .327 on the road.
• Scott Kazmir has been tough at home, having gone 6-1 with a 2.30 ERA and .191 BAA. Against the Yankees, he's 1-1 with a 1.64 ERA, WHIP just over 1.00, and .205 BAA. Bobby Abreu is worth the start, as he's 4-for-11 against the lefty, but the rest of the Yankees are well below .200 when you take out the .474 of Jorge Posada. Other options for Yankees are encouraged.
• Jesse Litsch has been strong in his three outings since returning from the minors. He has faced Minnesota once this year and came away with a win in a strong performance. Litsch is 5-2 at home on the season. If you're looking for a spot play, both starters in this game work, but I like Litsch slightly better.
• While Chone Figgins is just 7-for-29 against Kenny Rogers, the Angels lineup is hitting over .300 against him. Many of the best offensive options of the day will come from this game. Look to use any Angels you can. On the other side, Gary Sheffield is 6-for-12 against Ervin Santana. He's the best Detroit option outside of your stars.
• Kelly Johnson is just 2-for-13 against Jason Bergmann and Jeff Francoeur is 2-for-23. Brian McCann has solid numbers, and Chipper Jones would if he plays (don't expect it). Bergmann hasn't thrown the ball especially well on the road, but this is a decent matchup for him.
• It's a light schedule, but for spot starts use Bergmann, Jeff Suppan, and Jesse Litsch. Slowey is another good start, but Litsch is the better play for that game.

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