MLB Fantasy Baseball: Thursday News and Notes

It's always exciting to see the first of something, so watching Tampa play the Yankees last night made the first replay factor pretty cool. Except for the fact there was no conclusive evidence. Was the ball fair? I think it probably was, and the umpires got the call right.

The larger point though is that there is nothing on any angle to give something definitive. If we're looking for boundary calls, each park needs something better than what we saw last night. 

Just sayin'. On to the notes.

• Carlos Zambrano is going to miss his next start, but team examinations on were negative on his sore pitching arm. The MRI turned up tendonitis and inflammation in the arm, but no structural damage, according to a report on ESPN.com. Zambrano and the Cubs are going to be careful, simply because they have the lead in the division. He'll be back before the end of the season, but don't look to him to help your squad in the semifinals next week. He is scheduled to start throwing again on September 10, and on track to start in Houston after that.
• Rich Harden is also going to be held back until next week. Reportedly, Harden is experiencing discomfort in his throwing arm. This, again, could just as easily be the Cubs taking precaution with a pitcher that has been very prone to injuries. Keep an eye on the situation, but Harden is expected to pitch next Wednesday or Thursday. If that doesn't change, you should feel no concern with using him here.
• Ian Kinsler is struggling in his bid to come back this season. Kinsler has taken batting practice, run, and taken infield, but is still experiencing enough discomfort to not get into games. He is going to see a doctor this week to determine if he should have the season-ending surgery or continue to rehab and come back. In all honesty, there is no motivation beyond his being able to get stats. The Rangers are done and would be wise to let Kinsler get healthy.
• I don't care if this is fantasy related or not, it has to be said. The fact that only 600 people showed up to watch the Marlins play the Braves yesterday is atrocious. Pathetic. It borders on my lobbying for them to move the team anywhere but there. I can't even come up with words on this one. Seriously, they could have played at a high-school field in almost any other major-league city and drawn more people. I just had to make the point.
• Congratulations to Randy Wolf. He managed to record road win No. 2 of the season, and it only took until the first week in September. The fact is, the Cubs offense hasn't been clicking, and the Astros are suddenly the hottest team in the Central division. It will also teach me to ignore the trends. Wolf has pitched well against the Cubs' hitters over his career. That was no exception last night.
• Dustin Pedroia is hitting .398 since Aug. 1 and is doing everything he can to solidify his status as one of the best hitters this season. Pedroia now has 22 three-hit games this season, one shy of the Red Sox record set by Wade Boggs. He's hitting .667 since being moved into the cleanup spot due to the health of Kevin Youkilis.
• Carlos Quentin is being bothered by a sore shoulder that has held him out of the lineup. Quentin has been one of the best stories of the season, and the White Sox's lineup does miss his production when he's forced out. Quentin will try again to play on Friday, but he is listed as day-to-day, which is the worst news a fantasy owner can get. Look to reserve him Friday night, but get him back in the lineup should he play. You'd rather get some production at this point in the season than no production.
• Casey Blake has hit .321 in his last six games and is giving fantasy owners a reason to use him for fill-in production and late-season injuries. Blake hit another home run last night, giving him eight as a Dodger. He'll head into the game against Arizona on Friday with a .321 AVG against the Diamondbacks this season and as a .429 hitter against Friday's starter, Dan Haren.
• We always talk about finding the right guy and using the hot player when you need the stats. Dustin Nippert is looking to get into that group. Nippert has worked in long relief most of the season but has stepped in to the starting role recently. His last two starts have been solid against AL West division opponents and he'll get the Mariners on Tuesday night on the road. Seattle is a good pitcher's park, and Nippert looked very good against them last night. Keep that in mind.

Notes for Thursday

• Righties have hit Darrell Rasner hard all season. Rasner has allowed right-handed bats to hit .323 against him, and on the road, all batters are over .300. Tampa has struggled in the first two games of this series, but this is a matchup they should look to exploit. Start all Rays and feel confident doing so.
• 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.
• Oakland hasn't seen much of Brian Bannister, but they have hit him hard in two chances this season. Bannister has an ERA approaching seven against Oakland, and the Oakland regulars are all hitting north of .300 against him with the exception of Mark Ellis. Kurt Suzuki and Bobby Crosby are both good offensive options in game one. Bannister is much better at home than on the road, but his numbers against Oakland don't off-set that.
• Khalil Greene and Adrian Gonzalez both are hitting over .400 against Jeff Suppan, but they are the only Padres worth getting in your lineups. Suppan has been tough on the other Padres who will be in the lineup against him.
• 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.
• 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.
• Batters hit 60 points better against Kevin Slowey on the road than they do at home. Slowey is just 4-5 on the road for the season, with an ERA over four. He's pitched well at home, but even against a weaker hitting Blue Jays lineup on the road, Slowey should be reserved. Jesse Litsch is still the better play.
• Light schedule, but for spot starts: Jesse Litsch, Jojo Reyes, Dana Eveland, and Suppan, in that order.

Notes for Friday

• The road for Tampa does not get easier with the Yankees leaving town. They travel to face Roy Halladay. Expect to see Rocco Baldelli in the lineup, as he is 5-for-14 against Halladay. The Blue Jays' starter has had trouble figuring Tampa out this season, as he is just 1-3 with a 4.82 ERA against them this season. His last two outings have been better, but if you're in a close matchup, this is a chance you might not want to take.
• Josh Beckett will take the mound for Boston. He will be limited to around 75 pitches or so, meaning that he doesn't necessarily make an easy start. Beckett should be held back, simply because of the type of injury that had been holding him back. Use caution.
• The Red Sox starters have good numbers against Kevin Millwood. Jason Varitek (.381), David Ortiz (.467/3/8), Mark Kotsay (.286/2/6), and Kevin Youkilis (6-for-9) have all hit well against the Texas starter. While he's 5-2 at home, his ERA is 4.98. Use the Sox's starters, but avoid Millwood.
• At some point, this is going to come back and bite all of us, but Brett Myers is pitching too well to bench him against the Mets. We're still seeing him reel off impressive start after impressive start. He gave up just three runs on three hits in five innings against the Mets in his first start back. Since then, he's only been better. There is no reason to bench stars like Delgado, Reyes, and Beltran, but start Myers.
• Derek Lowe is 2-1 in four starts against Arizona and has a 2.64 ERA at home. Lowe has pitched well enough at Dodger Stadium to keep him active against the Diamondbacks.
• Armando Galarraga is 8-2 on the road this season, with a 2.85 ERA. He's had two solid outings against the Twins as well. While a win may not be in order, he's going against Francisco Liriano, Galarraga has been very good and, arguably, the most steady presence in the Tigers' rotation. Keep him active and grab him as a spot starter.
• Spot starts: Galarraga, Braden Looper, and Jair Jurrjens.

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