FANTASY NEWS

Check out the latest
fantasy baseball news
and advice on FOXSports.com!

A couple more prominent fantasy baseball producers hit the disabled list this week.  Cleveland's Michael Bourn was placed on the 15-day DL a few days after he was spiked by Chicago's Matt Thornton as he slid into first.  Arizona's Aaron Hill will miss the next four-to-six weeks with a broken hand.

Here are my top three waiver wire options to replace Bourn and Hill:

Widely-available fantasy replacements for Bourn:

Starling Marte (PIT) - The starting left fielder for the Pirates is hitting .370 with 10 runs scored, eight RBI and two stolen bases.  He's available in over 50 percent of all leagues on FS.com

Jon Jay (STL) - He's hitting .263 with two home runs, 13 runs scored and eight RBI.  He's available in 88 percent of all leagues on FS.com

A.J. Pollock (ARI) - Pollack earned some early-season playing time with Adam Eaton on the shelf.  He's hitting over .300 with two home runs, six doubles, seven RBI and five runs scored.  He's available in nearly all FS.com fantasy baseball leagues.

Widely-available fantasy replacements for Hill:

Chris Getz (KC) - A sneaky second baseman for the Kansas City Royals.  Getz is hitting .300 with a home run (don't expect a ton) with 10 runs scored and six RBI.  There's a good chance he's floating on the waiver wire.

Eric Sogard (OAK) - Greg Maddux's lovechild, Sogard has put together a solid five-game stretch.  His batting average is up over .300 with a handful of runs, a few RBI and a couple stolen bases.

Neil Walker (PIT) - I was just surprised to learn his slow start in 2013 bumped his ownership percentage down to 60 percent.  For owners who lost Hill, I'd take a gamble on him.

- Fowler

It's been nice knowing you, Ubaldo Jimenez. But after last night, I think we're all done with you. 2010 seems like such a long time ago.

First pitch: The Royals and Braves get underway at 12:10 p.m. ET. Also, the Phillies and Reds will resume last night's suspended game at 5:30 before playing tonight's contest.

Interleague DH issues: Lance Berkman will again be relegated to pinch-hitting duties at Wrigley Field. Billy Butler sat last night for the Royals, and it figures that Butler will play in place of 1B Eric Hosmer today against southpaw Mike Minor.

Streaming starters: Derek Holland threw eight scoreless innings for us last night, raising the streaming starter record to 6-7. Today's pick is Oakland's Bartolo Colon (owned in 2.5 percent of FOXSports.com leagues) against the Astros, while Thursday's selection is Colorado's Jhoulys Chacin (27.7 percent owned) versus the Mets on what is forecasted to be a 36-degree day at Coors Field.

On to the rest of the news:

• It sounds like 3B Chase Headley (thumb) will return to the Padres' lineup tonight against the Dodgers, though there's an outside chance he'll sit for one more game. If we get confirmation today from the Padres on Headley's return, start him if you have him.

FANTASY NEWS
Check out the latest
fantasy baseball news
and advice on FOXSports.com!
• Indians OF Michael Bourn is on the DL with a finger injury. Bourn received five stitches in his right index finger on Sunday, when he tried to slide into first base and got stepped on by White Sox RP Matt Thornton. The guess here is that Bourn will return as soon as he's eligible.
• In other Indians' news, Scott Kazmir is expected to make his first start of the season on Saturday, while 2B Jason Kipnis (elbow) hopes to return to the lineup tonight. Looking at Kazmir's career path, he's sort of the poor man's, southpaw version of Ubaldo.
• Andrew Bailey will close for the Red Sox while Joel Hanrahan (hamstring) is on the DL. Bailey is available in 88.6 percent of FOXSports.com leagues, and you should grab him if you can. As Adam Meyer and I discussed on Tuesday's Fantasy 15 podcast, Hanrahan's general shakiness makes Bailey a possible long-term saves solution. Have we mentioned that you can subscribe to the Fantasy 15 on iTunes?
• Marlins OF Giancarlo Stanton (shoulder) missed his fifth consecutive game on Tuesday, and his status for tonight sounds iffy. Plan to keep Stanton on your bench in daily leagues unless you see a lineup with his name in it.
• Brian McCann's wrist issues might cause a slight delay in his rehab from offseason shoulder surgery. Evan Gattis' fantasy owners will surely be excited devastated by this news.
• The Nationals might give sick outfielders Bryce Harper and Denard Span one more day off.
• Blue Jays OF Jose Bautista is still day-to-day with back spasms.
• Diamondbacks 2B Aaron Hill is expected to miss 4-6 weeks with a broken hand. The D-backs called up rookie SS Didi Gregorius to take Hill's roster spot, but he's more glove than bat. The most interesting effect here is that Martin Prado played second base last night; watch his status to see if he gains eligibility there in your league.
• The lack of lineup protection in New York seems to be really hurting Robinson Cano (.327 BA, 4 HR, 1.042 OPS).
• Angels RP Ryan Madson (elbow) has his eye on a May 1 return. Madson might not get the closer gig right away, but Ernesto Frieri's penchant for walks always makes him risky. Madson is owned in 18.5 percent of FOXSports.com leagues - grab and stash him if you can.
• With Darin Mastroianni on the DL due to a fractured ankle, Twins OF Aaron Hicks gets a reprieve from what appeared to be a looming demotion. If only he can stop striking out in every other at bat, he'll help you. Rookie Oswaldo Arcia is back to take Mastroianni's roster spot, and might get some playing time.
• Phillies C Carlos Ruiz is scheduled to return from his suspension on April 28.
• Did you pick up Barry Zito after his hot start and put him in your lineup yesterday? If so ... sorry to hear that. You know he hasn't had an ERA under 4.00 since 2006, right?

See you back here tomorrow morning.

My deepest sympathies go out to the victims of Monday's attack in Boston. 

First pitch: Game 1 of the Mets-Rockies doubleheader begins at 3:10 p.m. ET, while the AL day starts at 7:05 with a pair of games.

Interleague DH issues: Haven't seen any news yet on who the Diamondbacks will use at DH against the Yankees. Eric Chavez, maybe? The Rangers will make Lance Berkman a pinch hitter during this week's trip to Wrigley Field, while the Royals haven't yet announced their plans for the series in Atlanta. I suspect that Eric Hosmer will play right field tonight, and sit Wednesday against lefty Mike Minor.

Streaming starters: Chad Billingsley's mediocre effort dropped our streaming starter record to 5-7 for the season. Derek Holland (owned in 35.4 percent of FOXSports.com leagues) is today's pick against the Cubs, while Wednesday's selection is Oakland's Bartolo Colon (2 percent owned) versus the Astros.

On to the rest of the news:

• With Mitchell Boggs struggling, Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said Monday that the team would use multiple options to close for the time being, and two of the team's beat writers tweeted last night that Edward Mujica was expected to enter the game if a save situation arose. My money is still on Trevor Rosenthal here, since a chairman usually emerges in these committees, but anything can happen.

FANTASY NEWS
Check out the latest
fantasy baseball news
and advice on FOXSports.com!
• After missing his fourth straight game last night, Marlins OF Giancarlo Stanton will test his injured shoulder today before a next step (playing tonight, DL, etc.) is determined. Let's hope Stanton gets back soon, because without him, the Marlins' lineup is especially hideous. Go ahead - see for yourself.
• Blue Jays 3B Brett Lawrie will make his 2013 debut tonight at third base - not second base, as we'd been teased about earlier this week. RF Jose Bautista (back) is expected to return to the lineup as well. For those keeping track, Bautista has made three appearances at third base so far this season.
• Reds SP Johnny Cueto has officially been placed on the DL with a strained lat muscle, but he expects to be back after 15 days. Lefty Tony Cingrani (0.00 ERA, 26 K in 14 1/3 IP at Triple A) is expected to start in Cueto's place on Thursday. Cingrani is pitching well, his stuff isn't lights-out, and you know how I feel about rookie starters. Temper your expectations, and don't drop anyone good in an effort to acquire him in mixed leagues. FanGraphs has this quick, helpful look at Cingrani.
• Red Sox DH David Ortiz (Achilles) was scratched from his Monday rehab appearance with mild left heel pain. A possible weekend return is starting to look a little shaky for Ortiz.
• Peter Bourjos is the Angels' leadoff hitter, at least while Erick Aybar and Alberto Callaspo are out. Didn't they have a good leadoff hitter last season? Young guy, kind of fast, little bit of power, photo is a few lines above us in this blog entry?
• Mets SP Shaun Marcum (neck) is targeting a return to the rotation next week.
• The Mariners sound like they're in no hurry to promote catching prospect Mike Zunino.
• Jose Valverde tossed two scoreless innings in an extended spring training game on Monday. He still has a ways to go, though.
• Nationals 2B Danny Espinosa (hand) hopes to be back in the lineup on Wednesday.
• Good luck with the White Sox, Tyler Greene, but I've been down this road with you before. Your part-time status limits you to minor AL-only usefulness, anyway.

See you back here tomorrow morning.

FANTASY NEWS

Check out the latest
fantasy baseball news
and advice on FOXSports.com!

The fantasy baseball season is a long, arduous journey.  Over the next six months, the same players you cursed in April, you will fawn over come August.  The cyclical nature of baseball leads to knee-jerk reactions and overreaction by fantasy owners.  It's all part of the fun that comes with the hobby.  Yes, it is FUN.  Remember that.

In the background, I'll be keeping tabs on my favorite storylines, the good, the bad and the ugly, and share them with you here on the FOXSports.com fantasy buzz blog.

We'll begin with the my top {positive} storylines of 2013 thus far:

• Evan Gattis

You find me another former janitor and ski lift operator turned major league baseball player and then tell him to hit four home runs in two weeks.

• John Buck

He's 32-years-old and never finished a season with more than 20 home runs.  He's hit six to-date.

• Torii Hunter

He's 37-years-old and is hitting .407 with a modest nine-game hit streak in one of the most intimidating lineups.

• Matt Harvey

Late last season, there were signs of great things to come from Matt Harvey.  The high strikeout rate took a backseat to the fact the Mets couldn't score a run to support him.  The offensive script has flipped this year as New York leads the National League in runs scored, while Harvey picked up right where he left off in 2012.  He's 3-0 with an ERA and WHIP under one with 25 strikeouts.

• Chris Davis

We haven't forgotten about the "Incredible Hulk." Despite a relatively quiet week from the O's big bopper - he only hit two home last week - Davis is hitting .366 with a .460 OBP.

• Clay Buchholz
• Paul Maholm
• Justin Masterson
• Oakland's rotation

Still sneaky good with the exception of Jarrod Parker.

• Shelby Miller
• Barry Zito
• Carl Crawford

Are all the injuries behind him? 

• Daniel Murphy

One of the most popular waiver wire options the last few seasons.  He may gain full-time employment this season.

• Justin Upton
• Dexter Fowler

No relation, but a heck of a start for the Rockies' speedster who had plateaued the last few seasons.

FANTASY NEWS

Check out the latest
fantasy baseball news
and advice on FOXSports.com!

As for my least favorite storylines of 2013:

• Injuries to top-tier fantasy talent

Aramis Ramirez must have been lonely on the DL as Jered Weaver, Zack Greinke, Jose Reyes, Yoenis Cespedes, and Johnny Cueto (among others) joined him last week.  It's so depressing to look at a roster full of red "DL" superscripts.  Nothing super about them.  Sigh.

• Giancarlo Stanton

A slow start at the dish and then a shoulder contusion sidelined him last weekend.  Aside from Jose Fernandez's first two starts, not a lot to be excited about down in Miami.

• Matt Kemp

He's hitting .174 with no home runs and 4 RBI.  Grumpy cat is loving this.

• Edwin Encarnacion

He's hitting .133 with a .250 OBP and a two-to-one K:BB ratio.  Toronto's high hopes for the season have been deflated early.

• Matt Wieters
• Jose Bautista
• B.J. Upton
• Adam LaRoche

He's making $10-million this season.  In related news, LaRoche is 5-34 with two home runs, two runs and 4 RBI.  It reminds me of the epic Henry Hill quote in the movie "Goodfellas," "{blank blank}, pay me."  I'll let you fill in the blanks.

• Asdrubal Cabrera
• Jason Heyward
• Roy Halladay

Well, he did beat the Miami Marlins.  Yay for progress!  The one earned run allowed over eight innings nearly cut Halladay's ERA in half.  Still, at 1-2 with a 7.63 ERA with only 15 strikeouts in three starts, owners are not out of the woods yet.

• Cole Hamels

He'll turn it around.

• Jarrod Parker
• Jonathan Sanchez
• Josh Johnson

FANTASY NEWS

Check out the latest
fantasy baseball news
and advice on FOXSports.com!

I love movie quotes weaved into sports analogies.  Here's another one from "Dick Tracy,"

"Wait a minute! Wait. I'm having a thought. Oh, yes. Oh, yes. I'm gonna have a thought. It's coming... It's gone." - Big Boy Caprice

Same applies for Johnson.  It's gone.

• Cubs bullpen
• John Axford
• Carlos Carrasco
• Aaron Hicks

He has one Major League Baseball record.  Not the good kind.  Hicks' 20 strikeouts in the first 10 games of his career tied Brett Jackson's feat set last season.  He's hitting .047 and hasn't been sent down yet.  I think the Twins transposed some words in the phrase "kill 'em with confidence."

FANTASY NEWS

Check out the latest
fantasy baseball news
and advice on FOXSports.com!

There was some big injury news over the weekend, and the FOXSports.com fantasy staff had them covered. Check the fantasy fallout on Jose Reyes, Johnny Cueto, Yoenis Cespedes and Kyuji Fujikawa. Reyes is expected to miss three months with his ankle injury, leaving some AL-only teams (including one of mine) in quite a bind. For mixed leagues, San Diego's Everth Cabrera - flawed as he may be - is probably your best option to replace Reyes' steals. He's owned in 15.3 percent of FOXSports.com leagues.

Who's off: Yankees, Orioles, Royals, Indians, Tigers, Rangers, Mariners, Braves, Brewers, Cubs, Giants, Diamondbacks

First pitch: It's Patriots' Day in Massachusetts, so the Rays and Red Sox will get underway at 11:05 a.m. ET. NL action begins with Cardinals-Pirates at 7:05.

Interleague DH issues: None

Streaming starters: Tommy Hanson was a bust against the Astros on Friday, Zach McAllister pitched well on Saturday, and Edwin Jackson got knocked around on Sunday, so we're down to 6-7 for the season. Let's go with Chad Billingsley (owned in 14.3 percent of FOXSports.com leagues) against the Padres tonight, and Derek Holland (34.2 percent owned) versus the Cubs at Wrigley on Tuesday. Billingsley looked pretty good in his first start of the season last week.

On to the rest of the news:

• Reyes' injury may help some fantasy teams with positional eligibility. Jose Bautista played third base on both Saturday and Sunday, with Brett Lawrie getting some second-base duty during his rehab assignment, as the Jays want to maximize their offensive production. Lawrie's defense might not be good enough for this switch to take hold, but you should keep a close eye on it (and your league's in-season eligibility requirements) if you own Lawrie or Bautista.
• Remember all the preseason panic about Chase Headley's thumb injury? He's expected to return sometime this week.
• Indians OF Michael Bourn needed five stitches to close a would on his right index finger that was caused by a head-first slide into first base on Sunday. According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Bourn will "almost certainly will miss the Boston series Tuesday through Thursday, and probably more." You'll want to bench Bourn in weekly lineup leagues.
• The Red Sox are blaming hamstring soreness for Joel Hanrahan's control issues, and will keep him out for at least a few days. Andrew Bailey will fill in during Hanrahan's absence, and probably get the closer job soon when the Red Sox realize that a healthy Hanrahan can't throw strikes, either.
• Twins OF prospect Oswaldo Arcia will join the team for a few days, but is likely to return to the minors after that. Aaron Hicks' looming demotion probably won't change Arcia's status. The Twins haven't said they'll send Hicks down, but he's struck out 20 times in 43 plate appearances. He's lost.
• Padres OF Carlos Quentin began serving an eight-game suspension on Sunday, and will be able to return on April 23. 
• Nationals 2B Danny Espinosa will "probably miss a game or two" with a wrist injury, according to manager Davey Johnson.
• After blowing another save on Sunday, Mitchell Boggs is still the Cardinals' closer, at least for now.
• Hey, Roy Halladay is back! Wait - his good game was against the Marlins. Let's see another one, please.
• A's OF Coco Crisp was out of the lineup on Saturday and Sunday due to a strained groin, and appears to be day-to-day. In equally unsurprising news, the sun came up today.
• Robinson Cano made an appearance at shortstop on Saturday. If you own Cano in a league where one game makes a player eligible at a position, congrats!
• Brewers SP Marco Estrada pitched well Sunday, and has 21 strikeouts against two walks in 18 innings. Numbers like that make me happy, and I wish Estrada was available in more than 27.3 percent of FOXSports.com leagues.
• Dodgers SP Zack Greinke had his collarbone surgery Saturday, and is expected to miss eight weeks.
• Red Sox DH David Ortiz missed Sunday's rehab appearance with a stomach virus, but is still targeting a weekend (or earlier) return from the DL.
• D-backs 2B Aaron Hill returned to the lineup Sunday, and left after four innings with a wrist injury. He might be headed for the DL - we should know more today.

See you back here tomorrow morning.

The injury bug has not been kind to the Cincinnati Reds. Ryan Ludwick, coming off a 26-homer campaign, injured his shoulder on Opening Day and is expected to miss the entire first half. Premier set-up man Sean Marshall has been dealing with arm fatigue throughout spring and was recently shut down. Johnny Cueto becomes the latest victim of the injury epidemic in the Queen City, as the Cincinnati ace was placed on the DL on Sunday with a lat strain. 

FANTASY NEWS

Check out the latest
fantasy baseball news
and advice on FOXSports.com!

Cueto finished fourth in Cy Young voting in 2012 thanks to 19 wins, a 2.78 ERA and 1.17 WHIP and was off to a good start in 2013, owning a 2.60 ERA and 1.04 WHIP at the time of injury. Prospect Tony Cingrani will take Cueto’s place in the rotation. Congrani is worth a look in deeper leagues and NL-only formats, as the 23-year-old has 26 punch-outs  in 14 1/3 shutout innings in Triple-A this season.

For owners looking for a more established name on the market, Barry Zito is available in a startling amount of leagues, as is Ryan Dempster and Josh Beckett. If managers are looking for an entity off the beaten path, Travis Wood and Chris Capuano merit a gander. 

In the words of Yogi Berra, "It's deja vu all over again." Last year, Yoenis Cespedes went on the DL with a strained left hand. Around the same time, the Chicago Cubs' closer (Carlos Marmol) went on the disabled list with an injured hamstring.

This year, Cespedes is again on the DL with a sprained muscle in his left hand. Also, Cubs closer Kyuji Fujikawa finds himself on the disabled list with a strained right forearm.

As for replacing them on your fantasy baseball teams, here's some names to check out:

Outfielders (to replace Cespedes)

• Chris Young - If you want Cespedes' replacement on the A's, Young is the guy. He's only owned in 2.5 percent of FOXSports.com leagues. Currently (April 13th) he's batting below the Mendoza line but he'll get his share of RBI opportunities. In Cespedes' first game on the DL, Young batted second on an Oakland lineup that is producing the most runs in baseball (70).
• Daniel Nava - The Boston outfielder caused a waiver wire frenzy along with his teammate Will Middlebrooks in 2012. Though he only hit .243, he managed to hit over .500 with six RBI in his first six games. Now, Nava is batting .421 with three home runs and seven RBI in six games and is only owned in 6.2 percent of leagues.
• Marlon Byrd - In deeper leagues, this Mets right fielder could prove to be a decent option. The 35-year-old journeyman is hitting .270 with one home run and seven RBI. His New York team is second in scoring (65 runs) with Byrd hitting in the middle of the order.

Other notables: Nate Schierholtz (CHC), Franklin Gutierrez (SEA), and Jordany Valdespin (NYM)

Closers (to replace Fujikawa)

• Carlos Marmol - It's more difficult to replace a closer for the most obvious reason, there are fewer choices. The Cubs aren't even sure who their ninth inning guy is right now.  Marmol started with the job and lost it almost immediately. However, since he blew the save against the Braves (April 6th) he's been improving. In three outings Marmol hasn't allowed a run.
• James Russell - Arguably the best pitcher in the Cubs bullpen, Russell hasn't allowed a run in all six appearances in 2013. He's also only given up one hit and zero walks while striking out five batters. He is available in 95.5 percent of FOXSports.com leagues.
• Trevor Rosenthal - If you'd like to avoid the Cubs mess altogether (I don't blame you) take a chance on the future of St. Louis. Rosenthal is a 22-year-old flame thrower who has already appeared in six games sporting a 2.57 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, and punched out eight batters. Manager Mike Matheny will likely make a decision on Jason Motte (tendon tear) in early May. As of now, Mitchell Boggs will assume ninth inning duties with Rosenthal looming.

Other notables: Joaquin Benoit (DET), Kelvin Herrera (KC), and Rex Brothers (COL)

A night after Zack Greinke broke his collarbone moshing with Carlos Quentin, Toronto Blue Jays' shortstop Jose Reyes awkwardly rolled his ankle sliding into second base on an attempted steal and had to be carted off the field.  At time of publication, the injury report was a sprained ankle and he could be out 1-3 months.  Reyes is hitting .395 with five RBI and five stolen bases.  Because of the shallow shortstop talent pool, your top fantasy waiver wire options are limited.

Here are my top five fantasy shortstops available in less than 70 percent of all FOXSports.com fantasy baseball leagues:

• Jean Segura (MIL) - .429 BA / HR / 3 RBI
• Pete Kozma (STL) - .297 BA / HR / 5 RBI
• Jhonny Peralta (DET) - .314 BA / .351 OBP / 2 RBI
• Alexei Ramirez (CWS) - .297 BA / HR / 3 R
• Brandon Crawford (SF) - .286 BA / HR / 5 RBI

Click here for more fantasy baseball shortstop trend analysis.

Visit FOXSports.com fantasy baseball news page for more advice and information.

- Ryan Fowler

After taking a truck-stick blow from Carlos Quentin in last night’s brawl between the Dodgers and Padres, Los Angeles ace and offseason acquirement Zack Greinke has suffered a fractured left collarbone. The extent of downtime for the former Cy Young winner is unknown, though initial reports have Greinke on the sidelines for at least a month. 

FANTASY NEWS

Check out the latest
fantasy baseball news
and advice on FOXSports.com!

To replace Greinke, the Dodgers will turn to either Ted Lilly or Chris Capuano. Lilly has spent the early season making rehab starts for his shoulder, endeavors that have not gone smoothly, as the 37-year-old was blasted in both appearances. Owners may remember Capuano’s early-season success from 2012, holding a sub-3.00 ERA during the first half. Alas, the wheels came off after the All-Star break, exploits that have put him in his current predicament as long-man in the Dodgers bullpen. Even in deeper leagues, Lilly and Capuano are not worth the look at the moment. 

For viable replacements, our old friend Barry Zito, owned in 52 percent of FOXSports.com fantasy baseball leagues, is off to a strong start in 2013. In fact, Zito has performed reasonably well since August of 2012, including a commendable fall during the Giants’ postseason run. Jaime Garcia is another battle-tested arm coming strong out of the gates. Though historically he’s been a detriment to WHIP, Garcia’s ERA, combined with the Cardinals’ offense, should correlate to a fair share of wins for managers. Garcia is owned in just under 40 percent of formats. 

In deeper leagues, take a look at Ross Detwiler. The fifth man in the Nationals rotation, Detwiler has a high ceiling and a front-line pedigree. Detwiler could be a sneaky pick-up that can contribute to your team throughout the summer.

James McDonald (owned in 8.3 percent), when pitching in PNC Park, is a serviceable option. Also keep an eye on Brandon McCarthy in the desert. He’s struggled coming back from that liner-to-the-head scare last season, but once he gets his feet under him, could be a top-30 hurler. 

The big news from Thursday was a brawl in the Dodgers-Padres game that left SP Zack Greinke with a broken collarbone. Greinke's prognosis is TBD, but figure that he'll miss at least a month. We should hear more from the Dodgers later today.

The brawl started when Greinke hit Padres OF Carlos Quentin, who gets hit by everybody, all the time, because he stands on home plate. Quentin thinks Greinke makes a habit of hitting him, and did so intentionally even though it was a 3-2 count in a one-run game, as the Dodgers noted. Maybe that's the case - Quentin claims that Greinke said something after the HBP that set him off - but either way, expect Quentin to be suspended. Watch for a possible Matt Kemp suspension as well, since he confronted Quentin in a stadium tunnel after the game. The first link in this entry's first paragraph - here it is again - does a great job of recapping everything. I'm still wondering why Greinke's first reaction was to lower his left shoulder into the burly Quentin.

FANTASY NEWS

Check out the latest
fantasy baseball news
and advice on FOXSports.com!

If you're hunting for a replacement and don't want to stream starters, I'm recommending Houston's Bud Norris (owned in 4.6 percent of FOXSports.com leagues) in this week's Free Agent Frenzy. Other options include Derek Holland (34.7 percent owned), Jason Hammel (22.5 percent owned), Ross Detwiler (9.2 percent owned), Zach McAllister (1.3 percent owned) and Wily Peralta (0.6 percent owned). Hopefully, that list will cover a variety of leagues. Please reach out on Facebook or Twitter if you have questions.

First pitch: On Friday, the Giants and Cubs begin NL action at Wrigley at 2:20 p.m. ET, while the AL action starts with a couple of games at 7:05. FOX's Saturday coverage begins at 12:30, featuring Rays-Red Sox, Giants-Cubs and Braves-Nationals.

Interleague DH issues: The Mets visit Minnesota, where they'll probably use Lucas Duda as the DH tonight and Sunday.

Streaming starters: Jason Vargas didn't get it done last night, so we're down to 5-5 for the season. The weekend streamers are Anaheim's Tommy Hanson (19.5 percent owned) against the Astros tonight; the aforementioned Zach McAllister versus the White Sox on Saturday; and the Cubs' Edwin Jackson (8.3 percent owned) against the Giants on Sunday.

On to the rest of the news:

• Hot-hitting Mariners OF Michael Morse is expected to miss 3-7 days with a fractured pinkie.
• Tigers manager Jim Leyland kinda sorta said on Wednesday that Joaquin Benoit is his first choice to close. Don't put too many eggs into Benoit's basket - this situation could stay volatile, especially if Jose Valverde pitches well in the minors. Leyland said during the offseason that he didn't like pitching Benoit on back-to-back days.
• Worried about Tim Lincecum and Roy Halladay? Both former aces take the hill on Sunday, when Lincecum starts against the Cubs and Halladay faces the Marlins. Remember the quality of the opponents if either guy pitches well.
• The great Twitter account @closernews noted last night that Nationals closer Rafael Soriano has pitched in three consecutive games, and figures to be in line for a night off if the Nats have a lead tonight. Drew Storen is the likely fill-in.
• White Sox 2B Gordon Beckham is expected to miss six weeks with a broken hamate bone. Beckham's lineup replacement, 3B Conor Gillaspie, hit 14 homers in Triple A with the Giants last season, and is worth a look in AL-only leagues.
• Blue Jays 3B Brett Lawrie (oblique) appears close to a minor league rehab assignment. Next weekend seems like a realistic scenario for a return.
• FYI, San Diego's Yonder Alonso played first base, second base and third base in Wednesday night's game. Check your league's eligibility requirements if you own Alonso.
• A's OF Josh Reddick (wrist) will probably be back in the lineup tonight.
• Red Sox DH David Ortiz (Achilles) played a Triple-A game last night, and appears on track to return next weekend.
• The Mariners acquired the not-awful Aaron Harang to bolster their struggling rotation. AL-only owners can consider Harang, who could post a 4.00-ish ERA for awhile.

See you back here Monday morning.

OF Jorge Soler is one of baseball's top prospects, and the Cubs hope he's part of the foundation when they start winning again. Last night, Soler tried to break up a double play, and apparently got angry when the opposing second baseman landed on top of him. A few minutes later, according to MiLB.com, Soler "re-emerged from the Cubs dugout with a bat, made his way toward the visitors' dugout and again traded words with members" of the Clearwater Threshers. If Soler is going to be an angry player, let's hope for the Cubs' sake he's more Albert Belle than Delmon Young.

Who's off today: Lots of teams, as there are only eight games. Here's the schedule.

First pitch: The Blue Jays and Tigers have another 1:08 p.m. ET start, while the Giants and Cubs begin NL action at Wrigley at 2:20.

Interleague DH issues: The White Sox started Adam Dunn in left field last night, and they said earlier this week that he'd play a game or two out there. We'll have to wait until this afternoon to find out if Dunn or Dayan Viciedo will start tonight against the Nationals.

Streaming starters: It's possible that I took the "target the Astros" thing a bit too far by picking the awful Blake Beavan as Wednesday's streaming starter. He got pummeled to drop our record to 5-4. Today's pick is Anaheim's Jason Vargas (owned in 23.7 percent of FOXSports.com leagues) at home against the A's, while Friday's selection is fellow Angel Tommy Hanson (17.2 percent owned) against the Astros. Carlos Villanueva had been today's pick, but he got bumped to Friday after a rainout, and we'll stay away from him.

On to the news:

• Flamethrowing Kelvin Herrera struck out the side to get the Royals' save last night. Royals manager Ned Yost said closer Greg Holland was just getting a rest after throwing 27 pitches on Tuesday, and he's still firmly in Holland's corner. If Herrera wasn't so awesome, I wouldn't give this much thought, but he is, so I am. Herrera is owned in 9.2 percent of FOXSports.com leagues. If you're speculating on saves and can wait awhile, grab him. The worst that can happen is him striking out a ton of guys while having a good ERA/WHIP.

FANTASY NEWS
Check out the latest
fantasy baseball news
and advice on FOXSports.com!
• Angels SS Erick Aybar might be headed to the DL due to a bruised left heel.
• Remember last month, when I called Red Sox closer Joel Hanrahan a ticking time bomb on, oh, seven or eight occasions? Hanrahan imploded last night, giving up five runs while missing the strike zone on 14 of his 32 pitches. It's a good thing his team's fans are the forgiving type.
• Red Sox DH David Ortiz (Achilles) moves his rehab assignment to Triple A Pawtucket today. Next Friday looks to be a possible activation date if all goes well.
• Braves C Evan Gattis - who was one of the subjects of Wednesday's Fantasy 15 podcast - can't be stopped!
• Reds' manager Dusty Baker said Wednesday that lefty Tony Cingriani will be the team's first callup if they need a starter at some point. Check out Cingriani's minor-league strikeout numbers when you get a chance.
• Nice 2013 debut for Dodgers SP Chad Billingsley, who's owned in just eight percent of FOXSports.com leagues.
• A's OF Josh Reddick (wrist) hopes to return to the lineup tonight. Snakebit teammate Scott Sizemore has retorn his left ACL and is done for the season. Utilityman Andy Parrino, who has shown just a little bit of pop as a minor leaguer, now appears to be Eric Sogard's platoon partner at second base.
• Pirates SP Wandy Rodriguez (hamstring) probably won't be able to make his Sunday start, but his status beyond that is uncertain.
• The positive progress continues for Padres 3B Chase Headley, who's on the verge of a rehab assignment.
• Mariners OF Michael Saunders might be headed for the DL with a shoulder injury. A Raul Ibanez/Jason Bay platoon seems likely to replace Saunders.

See you back here tomorrow morning.

The Astros scored 16 runs last night. In related news, a pig just flew by my window while a solar eclipse occurred, and hell froze over at 1:23 a.m.

First pitch: The Blue Jays and Tigers have another 1:08 p.m. ET start, while the Reds and Cardinals get the NL day started at 1:45.

Interleague DH issues: The White Sox' website says that Adam Dunn "will probably get a chance in left field either Wednesday or Thursday" against the Nationals. Sorry for the uncertainty, but you'll need to watch for the lineup posting later today if you own Dunn of left fielder Dayan Viciedo.

Streaming starters: Travis Wood was pretty good last night against the Brewers, raising our record to 5-3. Today's selection is Seattle's Blake Beavan (owned in 0.7 percent of FOXSports.com leagues) against the suddenly fearsome Astros, while Thursday's pick from a limited schedule is the Cubs' Carlos Villanueva (3.9 percent owned) against the Brewers. Villanueva pitched well against the Braves on Saturday, and has a pretty good K rate.

On to the news:

• The Cardinals said Tuesday that RP Jason Motte will rest for three more weeks, and if his elbow doesn't improve by May 1, he'll be scheduled for Tommy John surgery and miss the season. Mitchell Boggs is currently the Cards' closer, and manager Mike Matheny mentioned Fernando Salas' name as a possibility if roles change. However, the chips at this table are all in on Trevor Rosenthal and his nasty, bat-missing arsenal. Rosenthal is owned in just 1.9 percent of FOXSports.com leagues, so get him while you still can.

FANTASY NEWS
Check out the latest
fantasy baseball news
and advice on FOXSports.com!
• As for Motte, stash him on your DL if you have one, but if you have a roster crunch, I wouldn't blame you if you cut him.
• Angels ace Jered Weaver will miss 4-6 weeks with a broken left elbow. Joel Beall took a look at the fantasy impact.
• The Padres are hoping that 3B Chase Headley (thumb) can return by the end of April.
• New role, same John Axford.
• Chase Utley has three stolen bases already? Until his inevitable DL trip, he'll be helpful.
• White Sox 2B Gordon Beckham will miss tonight's game and possibly more with a wrist injury. Conor Gillaspie will replace Beckham in the lineup tonight, playing third base while Jeff Keppinger moves to the keystone.
• Human target Carlos Quentin left Tuesday's game after being hit in the right forearm by a pitch. X-rays were negative, but Quentin's status is TBD. Quentin has been hit by pitches 115 times in his career, which works out to about once every six games.
• Derek Jeter ran on Tuesday. Woo-hoo! Seriously, his return still appears at least a few weeks away.
• See you in 2014, Jeff Niemann.
• Tim Lincecum ... oof. Eleven walks in 11 innings is bad, right?
• A's OF Josh Reddick (wrist) probably won't be back in the lineup before Friday. Teammate Scott Sizemore sprained his knee on Tuesday, and could be headed for the DL.
• Cubs 2B Darwin Barney (knee) hopes to make his 2013 debut next Tuesday.
• Have you subscribed yet to our Fantasy 15 podcast? On Tuesday's episode, Ryan Fowler and I discussed Matt Harvey, Roy Halladay and more. You can also listen to it on FOXSports.com. A new episode will be posted later today.

See you back here tomorrow morning.

FANTASY NEWS

Check out the latest
fantasy baseball news
and advice on FOXSports.com!

The Angels lineup may induce nightmares for the opposition, but the Halos’ starting pitching has been anything but frightening in the early going, surrendering a 4.54 ERA in just 33 2/3 innings, the fourth-lowest workload amongst rotations. Normally such figures would not be major cause for concern, as the team’s played in just six games. However, given the merits of the staff were under scrutiny in the offseason, the trepidation is understandably justified. Unfortunately for Mike Scioscia, this problem will only be amplified in the upcoming weeks, as Jered Weaver is heading to the disabled list with a broken elbow on his non-throwing arm. 

The three-time All-Star, who led the American League in wins and WHIP in 2012, is expected to miss 4-6 weeks with the injury. Journeyman Jerome Williams and young gun Garrett Richards are envisioned to vie for the opening spot in Weaver’s absence. Though Williams probably has the inside track to the gig, Richards is the more intriguing options for fantasy owners thanks to his punch-out appetite.

In terms of waiver-wire options, Cleveland’s Justin Masterson is off to a hot start and available in nearly 66 percent of FOXSports.com Fantasy Baseball leagues. In deeper leagues, Brandon McCarthy (owned in 16.7 percent of leagues) and Julio Teheran (24.2 percent) possess high upside, while AL-only formats may want to take a look at Rick Porcello (7.1 percent) or Bud Norris (4.6 percent). 

So, Matt Harvey ... wow. It's only been two starts, but I think we may have found Mr. Breakout.

Who's off today: Orioles, Red Sox

First pitch: The Blue Jays and Tigers have a 1:08 p.m. ET start, while the NL doesn't get underway until Dodgers-Padres at 6:40.

Interleague DH issues: The White Sox are in D.C. to face the Nats, and as noted in yesterday's entry, Adam Dunn is expected to sit tonight against tough lefty Gio Gonzalez.

Streaming starters: The Astros are the fantasy gift that will keep on giving. Joe Saunders shut them down last night to raise our record to 5-3. Today's pick is Travis Wood (owned in 5.1 percent of FOXSports.com leagues) against the shorthanded Brewers, while Wednesday's selection is Seattle's Blake Beavan (0.3 percent owned) against the friendly neighborhood Astros. I can't say I trust Beavan, but the pickings are slim, and the opponent is terrible.

On to the news:

• After three miserable outings, the Brewers have yanked John Axford from the closer's role in favor of Jim Henderson. However, the quotes from manager Ron Roenicke (and even Henderson) suggest that Axford will move back into the job once he straightens things out, so while you can certainly pick up Henderson, don't get too comfortable with him. Axford owners should try to hang onto him for awhile if possible. There's potential here for Henderson to keep the job all year, or give it back after a week. Sorry for the uncertainty, but that's life with shaky closers.

FANTASY NEWS
Check out the latest
fantasy baseball news
and advice on FOXSports.com!
• In other Brewers' news, 1B Corey Hart (knee) has been moved to the 60-day DL, meaning that the earliest he can return is May 30.
• Indians C Carlos Santana left Monday's game with a bruised left thumb. X-rays were negative, but keep an eye on the Tribe's lineup today if you own Santana in a daily league.
• Pirates SP Wandy Rodriguez left Monday's game with a hamstring injury, and his status for his weekend start is TBD. We should know more today.
• Rangers SP Matt Harrison is dealing with lower back soreness, and his status for Thursday's start appears to be in question. Harrison has a bullpen session scheduled for today, so we should know more after that.
• Red Sox DH David Ortiz got two hits in an extended spring training game on Monday. If all goes well today and tomorrow, Big Papi will begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Pawtucket on Thursday, and hopefully be back in the Sox' lineup 7-10 days later.
• In other Red Sox news, John Lackey (bicep) figures to make a trip to the DL if he can't start Sunday, and SS Stephen Drew (concussion) is expected to be activated tomorrow.
• Braves SS Andrelton Simmons has been dropped to the No. 8 spot in the Braves' batting order, at least temporarily. That'll hurt his stolen base chances.
• Orioles OF Nolan Reimold (hamstring) hopes he'll avoid the DL.
• FishStripes says that "barring a drastic switch in performance over the next few weeks, there is almost no chance (Jose) Fernandez will return to the minors." The Marlins' top prospect is worth grabbing in NL-only leagues if you still can, but figures to be a risky option for mixed redraft leagues.
• Don't read anything into Aaron Crow's Monday save for the Royals. Greg Holland and Kelvin Herrera were both getting a day off after pitching Saturday and Sunday.
• There's no update on Jered Weaver's left elbow injury, but Dave Cameron at FanGraphs is worried about Weaver's fastball velocity.
• Are you panicked about Roy Halladay after his latest terrible outing? So is the Philly media.
• Trevor Rosenthal was bad in Monday's bullpen meltdown against the Reds, but Mitchell Boggs was worse. Just keep an eye on this - Rosenthal's stuff is nasty, and he could ascend for the Cardinals if Boggs continues to struggles.

See you back here tomorrow morning. 

Did your fantasy ace get pummeled on Sunday? So did everyone else's.

Who's off today: Blue Jays, White Sox, Tigers, A's, Angels, Nationals, Dodgers, Padres

First pitch: The O's and Red Sox get the AL day going at 2:05 p.m. ET, while the Brewers and Cubs have a 2:20 start at Wrigley.

Interleague DH issues: None

Streaming starters: Dan Straily shut down the hapless Astros on Friday, but teammate Bartolo Colon was just OK despite getting the win on Saturday. Jason Hammel's similarly so-so Sunday outing has our record at 4-3 for the season. Today we'll go after the Astros again with Seattle's Joe Saunders (owned in 1.3 percent of FOXSports.com leagues), and follow up with the Cubs' Travis Wood (2.7 percent owned) against the undermanned Brewers on Tuesday.

FANTASY NEWS

Check out the latest
fantasy baseball news
and advice on FOXSports.com!

On to the news:

• The Cubs have made their inevitable closer change official on Sunday, replacing the struggling Carlos Marmol with Kyuji Fujikawa. Did you grab Fujikawa last week like we told you to? Apparently not, since he's still available in 83.4 percent of FOXSports.com leagues. Check your free-agent pool ASAP to see if you can still get him.
• Did you see that Braves 1B Freddie Freeman (oblique) was placed on the DL Friday? He's apparently not happy about the move.
• The Royals say that Greg Holland is still their closer after getting yanked during Sunday's ninth inning (he had blown a save on Saturday). Don't panic yet if you own Holland, but know that fireballing Kelvin Herrera looms as a threat.
• For now, the Brewers will keep the struggling John Axford at closer. After his latest bad outing on Sunday, Axford owns a 20.25 ERA with four home runs allowed in three appearances. You might want to start buying stock in potential replacement Jim Henderson (0.9 percent owned).
• In other Brewers' news, OF Ryan Braun (neck) and SS Jean Segura (quad) are day-to-day, while 3B Aramis Ramirez (knee) is on the DL with a sprained knee. Braun hasn't played since Wednesday, and while he was in the on-deck circle late in Sunday's game, it was as a decoy. Manager Ron Roenicke said after the game that Braun "couldn't swing."
• Rangers SP Yu Darvish left Sunday's game after five innings because of a blister on his right ring finger. Darvish seems to think he'll be ready for his next start, but stay tuned.
• Angels SP Jered Weaver left Sunday's game with a strained left - LEFT! - elbow. X-rays were negative, but Halos Heaven is worried that Weaver might need a DL stint anyway.
• A's OF Josh Reddick is day-to-day with a sprained right wrist. Remember that the A's are off today.
• The White Sox figure to start Adam Dunn in left field on Wednesday or Thursday - or both - when they visit the Nats in Washington. Be prepared, Dayan Viciedo owners.
• Nats 1B Adam LaRoche (back) hopes to return to the lineup on Tuesday.
• Marlins' rookie SP Jose Fernandez was impressive in his first start. Remember that he's still 20 years old - there will be many bumps in the road.
• Speaking of young pitchers, Cleveland's Trevor Bauer walked seven batters on Saturday. If you saw Bauer pitch last season, this shouldn't be a surprise.
• Orioles OF Nolan Reimold left Sunday's game with a hamstring injury. His status is TBD.
• The D-backs are tentatively targeting a Friday return from the DL for OF Cody Ross (calf).

See you back here tomorrow morning.