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May 13, 2008

CATCHERS - Prospect Jeff Clement is 4 for 32 (.125 AVE) since being called up. He still has sleeper potential, especially as a catcher in AL only leagues. The Nationals placed both Johnny Estrada & Paul LoDuca on the DL, leaving Jesus Flores and Wil Nieves to split time. Josh Bard is 5 for his last 38 (.132 AVE). Reports have him still battling wrist problems. Ramon Hernandez starting improving over the past week hitting .350, but missed Sunday’s game due to a sore wrist. Ryan Doumit fractured his thumb and will miss a couple of weeks.

FIRST BASE - Kevin Youkilis raked 5HR in 5 games, leading to 10 RBI. Also in Boston, Sean Casey will begin minor league rehab assignment this week. Joey Votto hit 3 HRs in 1 game. He gets more engrained in the lineup with each passing day. Richie Sexson was suspended for 5 games after charging the mound. Despite his power (7 HRs), fantasy owners can find better value elsewhere at such a deep position. Mark Teixeira left the game yesterday with back spasms. There is no word on his status yet.

SECOND BASE - Howie Kendrick is still on a minor league rehab assignment, the hamstring doesn’t appear healthy enough for him to return. After Josh Willingham went on the DL, Dan Uggla moved down in the lineup from the second spot. Uggla has been thriving, hitting 8 HRs in his last 10 games. Robinson Cano finally broke out of his rut and is in the midst of a 7 game hitting streak. Omar Infante was activated off the DL this week. If Bobby Cox finds him enough ABs, NL only owners can find a serviceable bench player that qualifies at multiple positions.

THIRD BASE - Evan Longoria is batting .211, owners have to expect some rookie adjustment. Ryan Zimmerman went 8 for 14 in the series against Houston, but regressed going 1 for 11 in his next matchup against Florida. Nomar Garciaparra was set to begin a rehab assignment this week, but is delayed. Mike Lowell caught fire over the past week – .435 AVE, 2 HRs, 7 RBI. Pedro Feliz is 11 for his last 30 with 2 HRs. He’s historically streaky, but can be a cheap source for power when he’s on. The Angels finally placed Chone Figgins on the DL, retroactive all the way back to May 4.

SHORTSTOP - The Orioles named Freddie Bynum starting shortstop over Luis Hernandez. He’s got plenty of speed, stealing 176 bases in is minor league career. Michael Young was day-to-day with a hip injury, he appears healthy after a full weekend. Cristian Guzman is in the middle of a 7-game hitting streak. When healthy, he deserves mixed league attention, but he gets hurt a lot. David Eckstein was placed on the DL this week. The Blue Jays called up Joe Inglett and Marco Scutaro can play shortstop. Jhonny Peralta leads most shortstops with 6 HRs, but at the cost of seeing his average drop from .294 to .216 over the past month. Rafael Furcal was placed on the DL, retro to May 6. Chin-Lung Hu is the first option to replace him. Jeff Keppinger fractured his kneecap, it looks like an extended trip on the DL.

OUTFIELD - Johnny Damon’s 5 HRs & 5 SBs puts him on-pace for about a 20-20 season. It doesn’t quite match his 2006 campaign of 24 HRs/25 SBs, but productive nonetheless. Xavier Nady has been among the RBI leaders all season long. Reports have him battling a hamstring, but he hasn’t missed any time. After a head injury to Conor Jackson, Chris Young dropped to the 3rd spot in the lineup. He lit it up, hitting 3 HRs in 3 days, giving him 9 total on the year. Josh Willingham is eligible to come off the DL Tuesday, but may need more time off. Vernon Wells broke his wrist and will miss 6-8 weeks. It’s a shame, he just started to heat up and this will be the second year in a row he sustained a significant injury. The Padres released Jim Edmonds, but he should find a spot again. The Cubs seemed to have expressed the most interest.

STARTING PITCHERS - Brett Myers found his velocity for a nice outing against the Giants, but was torn apart in Arizona. Until the picture becomes clearer, bench him unless it’s a considerably good matchup. Barry Zito’s bullpen stint was brief/non-existent. He actually pitched decent against the Pirates & Astros, but he still hasn’t won. Kyle Lohse has been pummeled since his fast start. He’s most effective in NL only leagues. On the flip side, Daniel Cabrera has pitched well since a terrible beginning. Over the past 6 starts, he’s averaged over 7 IP per outing & hasn’t allowed more than 3 runs in a game. After a dynamic debut, Johnny Cueto has been consistently roughed up. He still maintains great strikeout ability, but is experiencing the growing pains young pitchers often do. Homer Bailey has performed well in the minors this year. The Reds may opt to insert him into the rotation for Cueto, although fantasy owners would like to see Matt Belisle go instead (7.45 ERA / 1.91 WHIP).

RELIEF PITCHERS - Jason Isringhausen continues to blown saves. His 7.47 ERA has him on a bit of a break, Ryan Franklin is the favorite for saves in the meantime. LaRussa will lean to veterans, so Izzy remains the first option once he works things out. Eric Gagne also temporarily lost his job. Speculation has Mota, Torres, & Shouse all in the mix. Torres has the background and past success, Mota has the best stuff, and Shouse is a lefty specialist. All will be used as a committee. Manager Ned Yost indicated he knows what Gagne’s problems are, so the Brewers will definitely want to get him back in the closer role. Peter Moylan underwent season ending surgery last week. The Braves are looking for Rafael Soriano to return at the end of May & Mike Gonzalez in early June. Also, John Smoltz said he’s a couple of weeks away, he’ll work out of the bullpen at first. Jonathan Papelbon blew a couple of saves in a row, but rebounded nicely against Minnesota.

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