Roy Oswalt refused to pitch a third relief inning on Sunday? Has he seen his ERA?

***

Clayton Richard was really good for us on Friday, Edinson Volquez stunk on Saturday, and Kris Medlen was his usual solid self on Sunday. With the streaming starter record at 68-44 for the season, tonight's pick is Baltimore's Chris Tillman (owned in 3.1 percent of FOXSports.com leagues) against the Mariners, and Tuesday's selection is Nats' lefty Ross Detwiler (17.8 percent owned) versus the terrible Astros in Houston.

On to the news:

• The Marlins expect to get OF Giancarlo Stanton back from the DL on Tuesday. While nothing is guaranteed until you see Stanton in the lineup, you should activate him this week if you have him.
• Speaking of the Marlins, they'll learn the severity of speedy Emilio Bonifacio's thumb injury today or tomorrow. There were some "done for the season" reports over the weekend, but Bonifacio's X-rays were negative.
• David Ortiz's recovery from his Achilles injury doesn't seem to have a clear end date. Big Papi will speak with team doctors today about changing his treatment.
• Phillies C Carlos Ruiz is expected to miss 4-6 weeks due to a foot injury. That's a long time when there are eight-and-a-half weeks left in the season, and you can cut Ruiz if you need the roster slot. Rookie Eric Kratz, who homered over the weekend and has 12 homers in 153 at bats between Triple A and the majors this season, should be in line for most of the playing time during Ruiz's absence. Grab him in NL-only leagues.
• Chris Sale will be back on the mound for the White Sox tonight after nine days off. If Sale has a really good outing, see what you can get for him in a trade. Considering the way the Sox are handling Sale, I wouldn't count on him staying effective for the rest of the season.
• Rays manager Joe Maddon thinks there's a 50-50 chance that 3B Evan Longoria (hamstring) will come off the DL on Tuesday. I think there's a 50-50 chance that Longoria's fantasy owners are beating their heads against the nearest wall after reading another non-committal update.
• A's rookie SP A.J. Griffin is on the DL with a shoulder injury. Brandon McCarthy will come off the DL to take Griffin's rotation slot on Friday.
• The Angels expect to get SS Erick Aybar (toe) back from the DL tonight.
• After trading Kurt Suzuki on Friday, the A's have made rookie Derek Norris their No. 1 catcher. Norris is worth a pickup in some deep leagues, as noted in this week's edition of Free Agent Frenzy. Suzuki will become the Nationals' primary catcher, which would be nice for fantasy owners if he could still hit.
• Drew Storen got Sunday's save for the Nationals, but Tyler Clippard had pitched in the previous three games. It sounds like Clippard is still the guy for the Nats, at least for now.
• The Giants think that 3B Pablo Sandoval (hamstring) will be back in the lineup next week.
• Yankees OF Brett Gardner might be able to play in September, but probably not as anything other than a pinch runner or defensive replacement.
• The Mets are targeting a Saturday return for SP Johan Santana, who's on the DL with an ankle injury.
• Tsuyoshi Nishioka is about to get regular playing time for the Twins, at least until Trevor Plouffe comes off the DL. If Nishioka was any good, this would be interesting news.
• The Indians will give speedy Ezequiel Carrera (26 SB in Triple A) the majority of starts in left field, playing him against right-handed pitchers. If you need free speed in an AL-only league, Carrera might still be available.
• The Royals designated Yuniesky Betancourt for assignment, but still didn't promote Johnny Giavotella? I'm flummoxed. In related flummoxing Royals' news, OF Wil Myers is still at Triple A, where he's hit 20 homers in 72 games.
• Reds 2B Brandon Phillips (calf) still hasn't played since July 31, but it sounds like he's close to returning.
• Cubs SP Matt Garza (elbow) won't start Tuesday as hoped, and has been placed on the DL.

See you back here tomorrow morning.

I don't know what the heck is going on with Josh Hamilton, but I know that I still don't trust him as a fantasy owner. His numbers are great, he's insanely talented ... and he's always seemed too risky for me. I'll pass again on draft day next year.

***

Yeah, Ross Detwiler! The southpaw's excellent outing on Thursday raised our streaming starter record to 66-43 for the season. The weekend picks are San Diego's Clayton Richard (owned in 6.6 percent of FOXSports.com leagues) at PETCO against the Mets tonight, fellow Padre Edinson Volquez (20.4 percent owned) versus the Mets on Saturday, and Atlanta's Kris Medlen (1.5 percent owned) against the terrible Astros on Sunday.

On to the news:

• Nationals OF Jayson Werth had a hit and an RBI in his return to the lineup last night following a three-month absence. Start Werth if you have him.
• Lost in Thursday's stellar outing from Minnesota's Samuel Deduno was a pretty good effort from opposing pitcher Jon Lester. Read this Boston Herald item about Lester, who might finally be turning things around.
• As for Deduno, well, he's posted a 2.48 ERA in five starts for the Twins. He also has 19 strikeouts against 20 walks in 29 innings over that span. This is going to get ugly soon.
• Braves SP Mike Minor had his start cut short last night because of a rain delay. If you own Minor, you were probably wondering when you saw his three-and-two-thirds scoreless innings.
• The A's have called up minor-league strikeout leader Dan Straily to start tonight against the Blue Jays. Strally has a 2.60 ERA between Double A and Triple A this season. Athletics Nation has a brief but helpful writeup on Straily, who's worth a pickup in AL-only leagues. He takes Travis Blackley's place in the A's rotation, which has my AL keeper league clubhouse incensed.
• It sounds like the terrible Jeff Francoeur will be back in the Royals' lineup this weekend after a four-game absence that's supposed to straighten him out. On a related note, prospect Wil Myers is batting .293 with 20 home runs and a .972 OPS in 68 games since being promoted to Triple A, but there hasn't been any news lately about a possible promotion. Am I missing something?
• Uh-oh. Lance Berkman's right knee is bothering him again. Stay tuned.
• Indians C Carlos Santana is batting .302 with six homers, 16 RBI and 11 runs in 20 games since the All-Star break. Raise your hand if you gave up on him.
• Rookie Mike Olt played first base and batted eighth for the Rangers last night. Dave Cameron at FanGraphs wonders if Olt will cut into Michael Young's playing time.
• Rays 3B Evan Longoria was 1-for-3 with a walk and two strikeouts last night in his latest rehab appearance (he rested on Tuesday and Wednesday). Longoria will be DHing whenever he's ready to return to Tampa ... and I have no idea when that will be.
• The Giants think that 3B Pablo Sandoval (hamstring) will be ready to come off the DL when eligible on August 9.
• Hey, Cliff Lee is on waivers! You know why? Because everybody gets put on waivers in August. Well, almost everybody, anyway. This stuff doesn't mean much, other than making it possible that an expensive guy could get traded.
• The Twins are hoping to get 3B Trevor Plouffe off the DL on Monday.
• Don't look for Reds 1B Joey Votto to return this weekend. As Dusty Baker noted, Votto still has to start running.

See you back here Monday morning.

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor sat with the Yankee Stadium Bleacher Creatures to cheer on her hometown Yanks yesterday. I wonder if she joined in on the fine bleacher tradition of spewing profanity toward the opposing right fielder for nine innings. What rhymes with "Markakis?"

***

Mike Fiers mowed down the Astros to raise our streaming starter record to 65-43. Today's pick is Ross Detwiler (owned in 17.6 percent of FOXSports.com leagues) against the Phillies, while Friday's selection is San Diego's Clayton Richard (5.6 percent owned) at PETCO versus the Mets.

On to the news:

• Reds 2B Brandon Phillips hasn't been placed on the DL with his strained calf, but the team doesn't know if he'll be ready to play this weekend. Injury limbo is really annoying, isn't it? Bench Phillips until you're sure he's playing.
• The Blue Jays don't seem to have a timetable on when OF Jose Bautista will come off the DL. He's eligible now, but apparently not too close to a return.
• The Marlins' website reports that OF Giancarlo Stanton is targeting a Tuesday return from the DL.
• The Mets are again considering the idea of pitching R.A. Dickey every fourth day. I wish I knew if this was a good thing or a bad thing for his fantasy owners.
• Don't get too excited about Ryan Lavarnway's promotion to the Red Sox. He won't be there for too long.
• Brett Wallace batted cleanup and hit two homers for the Astros last night? Is someone trying to play a trick on me?
• The Rangers have called up 3B prospect Mike Olt (27 HR, .974 OPS at Double A). Olt will be mainly a bench player for now, and while he's a good long-term keeper league target, there doesn't seem to be enough of a role for him in Texas this season - they're saying he'll play some, but not every day.
• The Blue Jays are considering adding lefty J.A. Happ to their rotation. Happ's strikeout rate has improved this season, but you should still stay away.
• Reminder: Look for closer Frank Francisco to come off the DL for the Mets this weekend. They'll probably activate him on Friday.
• Reds C Devin Mesoraco is on the seven-day concussion DL, and is appealing his three-game suspension for bumping an umpire.
• Greg Holland got his first save of the season last night for the Royals. He's still available in 96.2 percent of FOXSports.com leagues. What are you waiting for?
• The Rockies have called upAlex White to start today against the Cardinals. White has pitched well at Triple A lately, but you're not going to start him at Coors Field against the Cardinals.
• Royals OF Jeff Francoeur sat for the third straight game last night. When you get benched for Jarrod Dyson, you know something is wrong. Can someone remind me why Wil Myers is still at Triple A?
• The Indians have DFA'd SP Derek Lowe, and will start rookie Cory Kluber against the Royals today. Kluber isn't viewed as a top prospect, but he had a 3.59 ERA with more than a strikeout per inning at Triple A this season.
• Brett Anderson appears to be one or two rehab starts away from rejoining the A's.
• Last night's Phillies' outfield had Domonic Brown in left field, John Mayberry in center and Nate Schierholtz in right. Schierholtz could be interesting for NL-only leagues if he keeps playing, but it's only one game, so let's keep an eye on this situation.
• Giants' manager Bruce Bochy still appears supportive of closer Santiago Casilla. I hear a lot of frustration from Casilla's owners, but he should still be OK.
• John Baker is the Padres' starting catcher, at least for now. Zzz ...
• Cardinals SS Rafael Furcal (back) is still day-to-day.
• The Nationals expect to get 3B Ryan Zimmerman back in the lineup today.
• Thanks to some rotation juggling, Chris Sale will start again for the White Sox on Tuesday after getting 10 days of rest. Don't be too annoyed if you own Sale, as this is probably the best way to keep him effective.

See you back here tomorrow morning.

Every real-life trade has fantasy impact. Check out our Trade Tracker for everything you need to know about the deadline deals.

***

Homer Bailey's clunker dropped our streaming starter record to 64-43. Today's pick is Milwaukee's Mike Fiers (owned in 36.5 percent of FOXSports.com leagues) against the terrible Astros, while Thursday's selection is Washington's Ross Detwiler (13.4 percent owned) versus the Phillies.

On to the news:

• Greg Holland has been named as the Royals' new closer in the wake of the Jonathan Broxton trade. Holland is owned in 2.9 percent of FOXSports.com leagues, and should be picked up in all formats.
• Astros manager Brad Mills has kinda sorta named Wilton Lopez as his team's new closer. Here's Mills, per the Astros' website: "I think the way things have gone, he deserves to be given that opportunity ... I think we're really not going to name a particular closer as we go forward, but if there comes an opportunity to get some key outs in the seventh, eighth innings, we might use [Lopez] there." I'm good with that, even with the qualifier. Lopez is owned in just 0.4 percent of FOXSports.com leagues, and you should grab him if you need saves. He's lower on the closer totem pole than Holland, but he's still on it.
• Red Sox SP Josh Beckett is day-to-day after leaving Wednesday's game early due to back spasms.
• Yankees 1B Mark Teixeira got a cortisone shot on his injured left wrist and will be re-evaluated on Friday, when he hopes to play.
• Even with the acquisition of Ryan Dempster, the Rangers will keep Scott Feldman in their rotation, and move Roy Oswalt to the bullpen.
• Speaking of the Rangers, Neftali Feliz will have Tommy John surgery. He'll miss the rest of this season and most - or all - of 2013.
• Also done for the season is White Sox SP John Danks, who will have shoulder surgery on Monday.
• Angels RP Scott Downs is on the DL due to a shoulder strain. Ernesto Frieri should have the save opportunities all to himself for awhile.
• Reds 2B Brandon Phillips could miss at least a few games due to a strained calf. Keep an eye on this one.
• Nationals 3B Ryan Zimmerman and 1B Adam LaRoche are both day-to-day with back issues. OF Jayson Werth is still hoping to come off the DL before the end of the week.
• The Braves have placed SP Tommy Hanson on the DL with a lower back strain. Kris Medlen gets to stay in the rotation for a little while longer.
• Rockies SS Troy Tulowitzki appears to be targeting a return from the DL somewhere around August 20. There could be setbacks, but all the Josh Rutledge owners should keep a close eye on Tulowitzki's progress.
• Rays 3B Evan Longoria is now targeting a return from the DL early next week.
• Cardinals SS Rafael Furcal missed another game Tuesday with back issues, and could sit out today as well. The Cards are trying to play it safe with their oft-injured leadoff hitter, so his fantasy owners should probably be happy that they're not rushing him back.
• Have you been waiting for the Mariners to promote pitching prospect Danny Hultzen? It's probably not going to happen, as the Mariners have decided to limit his innings.
• Padres C Yasmani Grandal is on the DL with the dreaded oblique strain.
• Giants OF Angel Pagan is day-to-day with bruised fingers on his hand. It sounds like he hurt them hitting a water cooler or a wall or something.
• Hey - Tim Lincecum had a really good start last night! Twenty more of those and he'll be worth where you drafted him.
• Brewers manager Ron Roenicke wants to make Corey Hart a full-time first baseman.
• Orioles DH Jim Thome is on the DL with a herniated disc in his neck. The O's also activated 2B Robert Andino, who is expected to share time at the keystone with Omar Quintanilla.
• Today's schedule features six afternoon games, beginning with Orioles-Yankees at 1:05 p.m. ET. Set your lineups accordingly.

See you back here tomorrow morning.

Sounds like a bunch of minor trades were made after I went to bed: Geovany Soto to the Rangers, Paul Maholm to the Braves, Brandon League to the Dodgers and Travis Snider to the Pirates. I'll post analysis on them a little later this morning, and we'll cover the fantasy impact of all relevant trades today at our trade deadline tracker. The deadline is at 4 p.m. ET, and I'm betting the biggest name dealt will be Jonathan Broxton. If I think like that, I can't be disappointed, right?

***

Another solid start from Oakland's A.J. Griffin raised our streaming starter record to 64-42. Today's pick is Homer Bailey (34.6 percent owned) against the Padres, while Wednesday's selection is the unstoppable and under appreciated Mike Fiers (30.8 percent owned) versus the Astros. Fiers has a 1.80 ERA with a strikeout per inning over 10 starts.

On to the news:

• Yankees 1B Mark Teixeira left Monday's game after aggravating a left wrist injury. He'll have an MRI today, and isn't expected to play tonight. Keep your fingers crossed.
• It looks like Angels SP Dan Haren will miss his Wednesday start. Haren is feeling pain in his right side that's apparently related to his recent back issues, but the Angels don't sound too worried. Garrett Richards figures to make the start if Haren can't go.
• In other Angels' news, OF Mark Trumbo expects to play tonight after missing Monday's game due to back spasms.
• Reds 1B Joey Votto was back on the field for a Monday workout, but doesn't have a timetable for his return. Sorry for the non-update.
• Remember when the Red Sox said David Ortiz would be back in the lineup on Wednesday? Now, they're saying he probably won't. It doesn't sound like he's far away, though.
• Look for Nationals OF Jayson Werth (wrist) to come off the DL later this week.
• Brewers OF Ryan Braun missed Monday's game due to blisters on his left hand, but expects to play tonight.
• Blue Jays 1B Adam Lind is on the DL with back issues that "may or may not have to do with physical conditioning," according to the Toronto Star. Ouch.
• 1B Mitch Moreland returned to the Rangers' lineup on Monday after missing a month with a hamstring injury. The aforementioned Geovany Soto could present a threat to Moreland's playing time.
• Padres C Yasmani Grandal left Monday's game after straining an oblique muscle, and we should know more about his status today. It's a little known fact that the word oblique is Latin for "one month on the DL."
• Light-hitting catcher Hector Sanchez should come off the DL for the Giants on Thursday. That normal wouldn't be news, but the San Francisco Chronicle reports that the Giants might start Sanchez behind the plate and move Buster Posey to first base during Pablo Sandoval's absence.
• The A's sent rookie backstop Derek Norris to the minors to make room on the roster for new acquisition George Kottaras, who will be the lefty half of a platoon with Kurt Suzuki. AL-only owners should try to grab Kottaras, who offers some power with a bad BA.
• Mets closer Frank Francisco hopes to come off the DL on Friday.
• The Marlins are moving Carlos Zambrano to the bullpen, and might start recent arrival Jacob Turner on Friday.
• Cubs SP Matt Garza had a strong bullpen session on Monday, and could start for someone (probably the Cubs) later this week.
• Orioles 2B Robert Andino appears ready to come off the DL today.
• I'll be in the FOXSports.com fantasy chat room today at 2 p.m. ET. Make sure to stop by!

See you back here tomorrow morning.

Reminder: The FOXSports.com fantasy team will review the fantasy impact of every important MLB trade until Tuesday's 4 p.m. ET deadline. You can find everything at this page.

***

The amazing Mike Fiers got it done again on Friday, new Marlin Nathan Eovaldi was solid on Saturday, and Travis Blackley stumbled on Sunday. With the streaming starter record at 63-42 on the season, today's pick is Oakland's red-hot A.J. Griffin (owned in 12.9 percent of FOXSports.com leagues), while Tuesday's selection is Homer Bailey (30 percent owned) versus the Padres.

On to the news:

• The acquisition of Francisco Liriano will allow the White Sox to delay Chris Sale's next start. Sale says he's going through a "dead-arm" phase, and South Side Sox gets into detail this morning on Sale's recent velocity drop. We've discussed Sale's apparent fragility in this space before - remember when the Sox moved him to the bullpen temporarily in May because they thought his arm wouldn't hold up? - and the thought here is has been that while he's got elite skills, an increased workload would eventually catch up to him this season. Try one last time to sell high on Sale if you still can. If you can't, hold him and hope for the best.
• Exhale, Mike Trout owners. Your man expects to play tonight after being scratched Sunday due to a bruised left knee.
• Marlins OF Logan Morrison is on the DL due to a knee injury, and might miss the rest of the season. Teammate Giancarlo Stanton is targeting an August 10 return from his DL stint.
• Despite a rehab setback over the weekend, the Mets still hope to get closer Frank Francisco back this week.
• Poor John Axford. Even as part of a committee, he's still blowing saves.
• If you've been following MLB trade activity, you know that the Astros have gutted their roster in an attempt toward building for a better future. We'll be picking starters against them as often as possible, and you should, too.
• The Red Sox hope to get DH David Ortiz off the DL when eligible on Wednesday. Don't write that return date in ink, though.
• Giants 3B Pablo Sandoval is on the DL with a hamstring injury. The Giants hope Sandoval can return on August 9, and will use new acquisition Marco Scutaro in his place.
• With Neftali Feliz being scratched from his Sunday rehab start because of elbow discomfort, the Rangers are apparently planning to put Alexi Ogando in their rotation. I'd suggest grabbing Ogando in deep mixed leagues, but you might want to wait one more day to see if the Rangers deal for someone like Josh Johnson or James Shields (or even Josh Beckett).
• Orioles 2B Brian Roberts will have season-ending hip surgery. Please don't ask me about him in 2013, OK?
• The Cubs hope to get Matt Garza (triceps) back on the mound - for them or another team - later this week.
• The Astros have called up Brett Wallace, who will get at bats at the infield corners and apparently be an option at ... shortstop? Come on.
• The Royals hope that 3B Mike Moustakas (knee) will be back in the lineup on Tuesday.
• Nick Swisher DH'd for the Yankees on Sunday after missing more than a week with a hip injury, and could play the field again tonight.
• The Pirates say that they're not ready to skip James McDonald's turn in the rotation, despite his recent struggles.
• Cardinals SS Rafael Furcal hopes to return to the lineup on Tuesday after missing two games over the weekend due to back stiffness.
• The Tigers have activated SP Drew Smyly from the DL and sent him to Triple A. After getting Anibal Sanchez last week, there's no room for Smyly in the rotation.
• Nationals 1B Adam LaRoche left Sunday's game due to back tightness, and has "no clue" if he'll be ready to play on Tuesday. Speaking of the Nats, here's a look at how scorching hot 3B Ryan Zimmerman has been over the past month. Everybody should get such great cortisone shots in their shoulders. I might even get one today, just for the heck of it.
• Here's a link to this week's edition of Free Agent Frenzy. Two words: 1) Mike, and 2) Carp.

See you back here tomorrow morning.

Mets rookie SP Matt Harvey was nasty in his big-league debut last night, striking out 11 batters in five-and-a-third scoreless innings. Before you get too fired up about Harvey’s high-octane gas, remember that he had a 3.68 ERA in 20 Triple-A starts, and walks nearly four batters per nine innings at that level. There will be bumps in the road on Harvey’s way to success.

***

Chris Tillman’s solid effort on Thursday raised our streaming starter record to 61-41 for the season. The weekend selections are Milwaukee’s Mike Fiers (owned in 27.1 percent of FOXSports.com leagues) today against the Nats, new Marlin Nathan Eovaldi (0.6 percent owned) on Saturday versus the popgun Padres, and Oakland’s Travis Blackley (2.7 percent owned) on Sunday in Baltimore. Blackley has been doing a nice Greg Maddux impression lately, with a 1.93 ERA and just three walks over his last 37 1/3 innings.

On to the news:

• The Yankees say that 3B Alex Rodriguez will miss eight weeks at the most. River Avenue Blues suspects that six weeks is the probable amount, and that seems reasonable. Such a timeframe would get A-Rod back on the field by about September 4. If you don’t have a DL slot available, you have my approval to waive him. It’s too late in the season to wait that long for someone.
• Did you happen to catch Starling Marte's debut for the Pirates? Hitting a homer on the first major-league pitch you ever see must be nice.
• The Brewers plan to use a closer-by-committee approach for awhile, with John Axford, Francisco Rodriguez and - are you sitting down? - Livan Hernandez in the mix. Axford is the smart choice for fantasy owners.
• Upon activating C Jonathan Lucroy, the Brewers designated George Kottaras for assignment. Kottaras bats lefty, has some pop, walks a lot, and would give the Yankees a great excuse to bench Russell Martin half the time. Maybe that's just wishful thinking on my part.
• The Phillies placed 3B Placido Polanco on the DL with a back injury. Ty Wigginton is expected to start in Polanco's place for as long as the Phils can stand his glove.
• The Padres are hoping that OF Cameron Maybin (wrist) will return to the lineup tonight, but make sure the lineup card includes his name before you start him.
• Orioles SS J.J. Hardy got hit in the ribs by a pitch on Thursday, and has a painful bruise. His status for tonight is TBD.
• Stephen Fife (4.31 ERA at Triple A this season) is Friday's probable starter for the Dodgers. 
• It sounds like Twins 3B Trevor Plouffe (thumb) will return to the lineup tonight after a weeklong absence.
• As expected, the Pirates have moved Kevin Correia to the bullpen to make room in their rotation for Wandy Rodriguez.
• The Cardinals hope to get 1B Lance Berkman (knee) back in the lineup today.
• Rays 3B Evan Longoria went oh-for-three with a walk in his first - er, latest - Triple-A rehab game on Thursday. Longoria could be back with the Rays next week as a DH.
• The first thing I did after college was to take a yearlong internship with the United States Olympic Committee. I lived at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, ate at the dining hall with Olympians every day, met a lot of great people, learned more about more sports (especially weightlifting) than I ever imagined, and ended up working there for almost five years. I hope you enjoy the next 17 days as much as I do.

See you back here Monday morning.

Hanley Ramirez played third base in his Dodger debut on Wednesday, but the team's website says he could still wind up at shortstop. Be patient with Ramirez's positional eligibility.

***

Homer Bailey's latest strong game raised our streaming starter record to 60-41 for the season. Today's choice is Baltimore's Chris Tillman (owned In 3.2 percent of FOXSports.com leagues) against the Rays at 12:35 p.m. ET, while Friday's selection is Milwaukee's still-surprising Mike Fiers (25.3 percent owned) against the Nationals.

On to the news:

• Blue Jays C J.P. Arencibia is expected to miss at least six weeks after breaking his right hand last night. Weak-hitting Jeff Mathis (.198 career BA) becomes the Jays' starter, while the interesting Yan Gomes (11 homers, .976 OPS at Triple A this season) becomes the backup. I'd like to get my hands on Gomes in an AL-only league.
• Speaking of the Blue Jays, Ricky Romero is officially dead to me after last night's debacle. I really thought he was going to break out this season.
• The Pirates have called up OF prospect Starling Marte, who was batting .286 with 12 homers, 61 RBI, 64 runs and 21 stolen bases at Triple A. Marte is expected to lead off tonight, and with that power and speed I'd give him a try in any fantasy format. Alex Presley appears likely to lose much of his playing time in the wake of Marte's arrival.
• The Giants expect to know by Friday if 3B Pablo Sandoval (hamstring) will need a trip to the DL.
• We should know more about Alex Rodriguez's recovery timetable later today. Stay tuned.
• Evan Longoria will begin a rehab assignment today, with an eye on DHing - at least temporarily - when he returns to the Rays. Ryan Roberts, who homered in his Rays' debut on Wednesday, might get more playing time than we thought.
• Albert Pujols (elbow) got the day off Wednesday, but the Angels think he'll be ready to go on Friday.
• Reminder: Brewers C Jonathan Lucroy is due to come off the DL today.
• Francisco Cordero blew his second straight save for the Astros last night. There's not a clearly defined successor, but I think it's time to start picking up Wilton Lopez in many leagues.
• Mets SP Matt Harvey makes his big-league debut tonight at Arizona. In case you've forgotten, rookie pitchers are dangerous.
• The Braves will skip Jair Jurrjens' next turn in the rotation. That'll happen when you have a 7.04 ERA.
• Speaking of skipping, the Angels will skip Ervin Santana on Friday, and then bring him back for a "maximum 15-out start" next week, according to the Los Angeles Times. Who wants to be he doesn't get to 15 outs?
• The Marlins stole seven bases in their first post-Hanley game last night, including two by the previously non-speedy 3B Donovan Solano. Let's keep an eye on the Marlins' activity on the basepaths, OK?
• Tim Lincecum, still not getting any better.
• Remember that if there's a notable trade in MLB between now and Tuesday's deadline, the fantasy impact can be found at this link.

See you back here tomorrow morning.

The MLB trading activity has picked up, with Hanley Ramirez on his way to the Dodgers, Wandy Rodriguez headed to the Pirates, and Ryan Roberts en route to Tampa. The fantasy impact of all these deals will be available at this link later this morning. On a related note, I'd like to congratulate the city of Miami for funding a fine, new stadium from which the Marlins are hosting their latest fire sale.

***

The Jose Quintana train derailed a bit last night, dropping our streaming starter record to 59-41 for the season. Today's pick is Homer Bailey (owned in 25.3 percent of FOXSports.com leagues) at Houston, while Thursday's selection is Baltimore's moderately interesting Chris Tillman (0.8 percent owned) versus the Rays. The Rays don't hit much, and Tillman has posted two pretty good starts in three tries since getting called up from the minors.

On to the news:

• Yankees 3B Alex Rodriguez broke a bone in his left hand last night when getting hit by a Felix Hernandez pitch. A-Rod's return timetable won't be known until later this week, but don't plan on seeing him until September. Look for Eric Chavez to be the busier half of the Yankees' third-base platoon in A-Rod's absence, with either Jayson Nix or Eduardo Nunez getting the righty at bats.
• Cole Hamels is apparently close to signing a big contract extension with the Phillies. You can cross Hamels off the trade deadline list, but add some of his teammates (Hunter Pence, Shane Victorino, and maybe even Cliff Lee). The Phils are going nowhere, and their payroll is through the roof.
• Giants 3B Pablo Sandoval is expected to miss at least a few games due to a strained left hamstring. He'll have an MRI today.
• Mike Carp is the Mariners' new first baseman in the wake of Justin Smoak's demotion to Triple A. Carp has enough power to hit 10 homers over the rest of the season, and can be targeted in AL-only leagues. AL-only owners should also take a look at OF Trayvon Robinson (9 HR, 19 SB at Triple A). If the all-or-nothing Carlos Peguero strikes out enough to fall on his face, Robinson could get plenty of playing time.
• Keep an eye on Albert Pujols in daily leagues. Pujols got hit in the elbow by a pitch last night, and even though he stayed in the game, he'll be examined today.
• Twins 3B Trevor Plouffe (thumb) still isn't playing, and will go on the DL if he can't return to the lineup by Friday.
• Padres OF Cameron Maybin (wrist) didn't play Tuesday, and is still day-to-day.
• I kind of like the Indians' acquisition of utilityman Brent Lillibridge, who could steal a handful of bases in a reserve role.
• The White Sox expect C A.J. Pierzynski (oblique) to return to the lineup on Friday.
• The Nationals are hoping to get OF Jayson Werth (wrist) back from the DL in the next week or two.
• Blue Jays SP Brandon Morrow has one more hurdle to clear (BP session today) before beginning a rehab assignment on Sunday.
• Here's a look at how the Anibal Sanchez/Omar Infante acquisitions affect the rest of the Tigers' roster.
• After having his Monday start skipped, Roy Oswalt (back) is targeting a Sunday return to the Rangers' rotation.
• Rays manager Joe Maddon hinted Tuesday that 3B Evan Longoria is getting close to a rehab assignment. There's no timetable yet, but this is the first positive news we've seen about Longoria in awhile.
• Cardinals 1B Lance Berkman is day-to-day with a bruised knee.
• My AL keeper league team would like to thank A's SP Travis Blackley for his continued awesomeness.
• Mets closer Frank Francisco (knee) will begin a rehab assignment today, with an eye on returning to Queens within the week.
• It won't be long before John Axford reclaims his closer role in Milwaukee. Don't get too attached to Frankie Rodriguez if you picked him up recently.
• Dodgers IF Adam Kennedy is headed to the DL with a groin injury.
• Astros OF J.D. Martinez missed his third straight game on Tuesday due to a shoulder injury. They're hoping to get him back today.
• Braves 3B Chipper Jones will get today off.
• Here's a link to Tuesday's chat transcript. Check it out if you weren't around for the live version.
• There are eight afternoon games on today's schedule, starting with Nats-Mets at 12:10 p.m. ET. Set your lineups accordingly.

See you back here tomorrow morning.

Here's a look at the fantasy impact of Monday's two big trades (Tigers-Marlins, Ichiro). As more deals happen, we'll have the fantasy lowdown for you as fast as we can. But not too fast, or we'd have analyzed a Ryan Dempster deal that hasn't quite happened yet.

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Even though it came against the Cubs, Erik Bedard's impressive Monday outing raised our streaming starter record to 59-40. Today's pick is Jose Quintana (owned in 27.3 percent of FOXSports.com leagues) against the Twins, and Wednesday's selection is Cincinnati's improving Homer Bailey (19.3 percent owned) at Houston. Bailey's July ERA is 1.76, with 27 strikeouts against three walks in 30 2/3 innings.

On to the news:

• Rangers SP Colby Lewis is done for the season due to an elbow injury. Rookie Martin Perez will start in Lewis' place tonight, but after that there are many options for Lewis' rotation slot, including Scott Feldman, Neftali Feliz, Alexi Ogando and someone (Zack Greinke?) acquired in a trade. If the Rangers don't make a deal, the bet here is on Ogando.
• In Marlins' news, Hanley Ramirez (hand) is expected to be back in the lineup tonight, while RP Juan Carlos Oviedo (formerly Leo Nunez) appears done for the season due to a sprained elbow ligament. I had thought Oviedo and his new name would factor into the closer mix at some point. Steve Cishek got Monday's save.
• It sounds like Mets 1B/OF Lucas Duda could be on his way to Triple A, and that would suggest more playing time for the moderately interesting Jordany Valdespin. SS Ruben Tejada is likely to get today off after getting spiked in the shin on Monday. Finally, I think I read a little too much about Snooki from Jersey Shore being at last night's game. Mets fans must be proud.
• The Cubs' website reports that SP Matt Garza is expected to be "skipped in the rotation at least one start" due to cramping in his elbow. Garza had been scheduled to pitch on Friday, so don't plan to see him until the middle of next week.
• Rockies C Wilin Rosario should be back in the lineup tonight after missing three games with an ankle injury.
• The Brewers hope to get C Jonathan Lucroy back in the lineup on Thursday. Lucroy (.345 BA, 5 HR) has been out since May 28 due to a broken bone in his hand, and was one of fantasy's best catchers before getting hurt. He's owned in just 28.8 percent of FOXSports.com leagues.
• Twins 3B Trevor Plouffe is still day-to-day due to a jammed thumb. Plouffe hasn't played since Friday, and experienced some pain when taking some swings on Monday.
• Phillies 3B Placido Polanco missed Monday's game due to a sore back. If you haven't already cut Polanco, stay tuned for an update over the next couple of days.
• Padres OF Cameron Maybin missed his sixth straight game on Monday due to a sore right wrist. Manager Bud Black says that Maybin is "headed in the right direction," and since the Pads aren't discussing a DL stint (at least not publicly), look for Maybin to play soon.
• After last night's poor outing, I'm thinking that Roy Halladay might be a buy-low candidate right now. Thoughts?
• Here's an update on how the Cardinals are rotating Allen Craig, Carlos Beltran and Lance Berkman. Berkman has the short straw, which is what we figured when he came off the DL 10 days ago.
• Nationals C Jesus Flores missed another game Monday due to a sore lower back. He's day-to-day, like just about every other player in today's post.
• In other Nats' news, Ian Desmond's injury has resulted in a Roger Bernadina-Tyler Moore outfield platoon, with Bernadina in line to be the busier half.
• I'll be back in the FOXSports.com fantasy baseball chat room today at 2 p.m. ET. Make sure to stop by with your questions!

See you back here tomorrow morning.