Fantasy Baseball Morning Update: Brew Crew loses Lucroy
Of the games I missed while enjoying the Memorial Day holiday, the Chris Sale-Matt Moore 25-strikeout battle tops the list. Wow.
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Thanks for nothing, Phil Hughes. The righty's BP-level outing dropped our streaming starter record to 34-22 for the season. Today's selection is Jarrod Parker (owned in 3.1 percent of FOXSports.com leagues) against the Twins at Target Field, while Wednesday's pick is Dillon Gee (2.3 percent owned) against the Phillies. Gee's K/BB ratio and ground-ball rate suggest that his 4.92 ERA won't stay so high.
On to the news:
Another day, another Brewers' injury. Hot-hitting catcher Jonathan Lucroy will probably miss 4-6 weeks with a broken bone in his right hand. According to FOXSportsWisconsin.com, Lucroy "sustained the injury when his wife accidentally dropped a suitcase on his hand, while searching underneath his hotel bed for a lost sock." I think the Brewers sold their souls to the devil to make the playoffs last season, and are paying for it now with all these weird injuries. Look for George Kottaras to get a lot more playing time during Lucroy's absence, and look for the Brew Crew to trade Zack Greinke before the deadline, because they're not going anywhere.
(UPDATE: 12:25 P.M. ET): I was apparently pretty groggy this morning, because I left out the info on Jeff Weaver leaving Monday's game in the first inning due to a back injury. Weaver will be evaluated today.
Red Sox 2B Dustin Pedroia left last night's game with a jammed right thumb. The injury doesn't sound serious, but manager Bobby Valentine suggested that Pedroia won't be in the lineup today.
Phillies' ace - or is it co-ace? - Roy Halladay will have his injured shoulder examined today. If you own Halladay, there's nothing you can do except sit tight and wait for the results. Halladay's next scheduled start is Saturday.
After hitting two homers in two rehab games, OF Matt Kemp is expected to return to the Dodgers' lineup tonight. Start Kemp if you have him.
I'll make my weekly appearance in the FOXSports.com fantasy chat room today at 2 p.m. ET. Make sure to send your questions!
Manny Ramirez won't join the A's until Friday at the earliest. According to the A's website, Friday is also the day that OF Yoenis Cespedes is due to come off the DL. Do you think the A's are more excited about the good, young power hitter, or the 40-year-old who basically hasn't played in a year and a half?
Speaking of old DHs, the Rays have called up Hideki Matsui from Triple A. Unless you have an AL-only team in need of a part-time bat, don't bother with Godzilla.
This week's edition of Free Agent Frenzy is available for your reading pleasure. Check it out.
Braves 1B Freddie Freeman missed another game Monday while continuing to wait for his sports goggles to arrive. The mailman will determine if Freeman plays tonight, and we won't know his status until this afternoon.
Mark Reynolds had two hits in his return to the Orioles' lineup yesterday.
Carlos Marmol is off the DL for the Cubs. If either James Russell or Shawn Camp struggles in the closer's role, and Marmol can throw a strike on occasion, he might get his old job back.
Raise your hand if you started Rockies OF Dexter Fowler for Monday's doubleheader. He had a big day.
With Jack Hannahan on the DL, 3B Lonnie Chisenhall has been called up and will get the chance to play. Chisenhall might struggle because he isn't very selective, but he's got decent power potential. Count me as a skeptic.
Torii Hunter wasn't in the Angels' lineup last night, but might play tonight.
Mets' infielder Justin Turner will probably miss 2-3 weeks due to an ankle injury.
Brandon McCarthy is expected to come off the DL to start for the A's on Saturday.
Allen Craig is on track to come off the DL on Friday, and the Cardinals' website floated the possibility of Craig in right field, Carlos Beltran in center and Matt Adams at first base, at least until Jon Jay returns from the DL. That makes a lot of sense, except for the part about increasing Beltran's already-high injury risk.
Tigers OF Delmon Young has a court appearance scheduled today in New York, and the team isn't sure if he'll be back in time for tonight's game. I hope they keep all the Jewish people away from the front of the courthouse so Young doesn't get in any more trouble.
Blue Jays SS Yunel Escobar (groin) missed Monday's game and is still day-to-day.
Nationals C Jesus Flores (hamstring) hopes to avoid the DL, but his status is still up in the air.
In other Nats' news, OF Michael Morse will begin his rehab assignment today, and may be just a few days away from returning to the lineup.
See you back here tomorrow morning.
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