The Buzz Around the Bullpen: Is Brett Myers Headed for the Pen?

Welcome back to another edition of the “Buzz Around the Bullpen”. With the completion of today’s games, most teams throughout MLB have surpassed the “half-way” point in games played. While there have been some surprising performances thus far, the Tampa Bay Rays have stolen the show. The Rays are in the midst of battle for first place in a division that has four teams with winning records. Even more impressive, they have looked unfazed by any pressure from the Sox and the Yanks. In an era dominated by huge payrolls, the Rays have been a breath of fresh air. This could be a great story down the stretch and I look for the Rays to continue to ride their pitching into the playoffs.

Big Hits

Ricky Nolasco (SP, Florida Marlins): Ricky Nolasco has quietly won eight games this year in Florida. Even more intriguing is the fact that Nolasco has gone 7-1 over his last ten starts. In his past seven starts, Nolasco has only given up more than three earned runs only once. The young Marlins staff has been extremely inconsistent this season and they are in desperate need of one of their young arms to step up and anchor the staff. Nolasco’s last ten starts has proven that he can be the consistent pitcher that the Marlins need him to be. Nolasco is still available in over 40% of leagues and could be a great start this week against the Washington Nationals.

Eric Stults (SP, Los Angeles Dodgers): Stults has been a beneficiary of the injuries suffered by the Dodgers starting rotation this season. After Brad Penny and Hiroki Kuroda both went down to shoulder injuries, Stults got the call from Triple-A Las Vegas and has pitched well in his first two starts. Manager Joe Torre has been impressed enough to decide he will have a six-man rotation through the All-Star break. Often times when pitchers get promoted to the big leagues, their adrenaline starts pumping and they struggle with their command. However, Stults has kept his cool and has only walked two in 15 IP. Stults could be a good pick-up this week as he is slated for two starts.

Ryan Church (OF, New York Mets): Church has been one of the most underrated fantasy hitters this year. Before suffering two concussions, Church was putting up consistent fantasy numbers each week. While Church’s numbers have been somewhat of a surprise, I believe his numbers this year are more of a reflection of what kind of player Church can be. For the past three years, Church was bothered by injuries and even when he was healthy, his numbers were staggered because he played in RFK stadium. Church has found a home in New York and if he can stay healthy don’t be surprised if he puts up close to 25-30 HRs this season. Because of his recent injuries, owners have neglected to stick with Church over the past several weeks. I would definitely make a move to pick up Church if he is still available. Somehow he is still available in over 40% of leagues. Once his bat starts to heat up again, you’ll be happy you gave him a chance.

Big Miss

Brett Myers (SP, Philadelphia Phillies): Myers has been awful the past two months. There are rumors in Philadelphia that Myers may even be moved out of the rotation and back into the bullpen. From a fantasy standpoint, he could retain some value if he works his way back into the closer role. However, if you were looking for Myers to anchor the front-end of your starting rotation, you better look long and hard for a replacement. In his last 13 starts, Myers carries an alarming 1-8 record. Over his past 7 games, he has only let up 3 or less earned runs once. If you are an owner, now is the time to think about whether you can handle a move to the bullpen for Myers. If you have decent save and hold numbers, make a move with someone that needs bullpen help. Myers will most likely move to the bullpen and you need to fill the gap in your starting rotation. Pitchers often fall into slumps just as hitters do but Myers’ stuff is too good for such a prolonged struggle. The rumor is that his struggles are a result of a combination of mental and mechanical problems. However, I believe Myers’ fell in love with his closer role last year and his heart just isn’t set on starting. As a pitcher, you have to believe in your stuff and I believe that Myers may think his stuff is better suited in the bullpen.

As with any SportsJudge articles, please feel free to post any questions or comments. Until next time, keep your ears open for the Buzz Around the Bullpen.

"Miranda Warnings": Sightings!

Welcome to Week #13 of "Miranda Warnings", your weekly guide to what's happening in the world of Major League Baseball, from a fantasy baseball perspective. Every Wednesday, throughout baseball's regular season, "Miranda Warnings" will appear on SportsJudge.com. I'm your host Michael Miranda.

A few players who have performed well below expectations in 2008 have recently been "sighted" (i.e. shown signs of life). These players are featured in this weeks "Miranda Warnings".

American League East: There have been Alex Rios (pictured, above) sightings recently! The Blue Jays outfielder is, finally, showing signs of life. Rios went 4-for-6, including his fourth home run, Tuesday versus Cincinnati. Unbelievably, the home run was his first in almost two months! His previous homer came on May 1! Rios has multiple hits in four of his last five games... Scorching-hot Yankees OF Johnny Damon might land on the disabled list for the first time in his career. The troublesome left arch that plagued Damon throughout 2007 has returned. He was unable to start Tuesday's game versus Pittsburgh and he looks doubtful for the remainder of the week. This situation bears monitoring because when Damon was asked about his status for Wednesday versus Pittsburgh, he replied: "it would take a miracle to play on Wednesday". Stay tuned!... Baltimore 2B Brian Roberts went 3-for-5 with one RBI and two runs scored in Tuesday's win over the Cubs, extending his hitting streak to 11 games... As predicted in last week's "Miranda Warnings", Tampa Bay OF Carl Crawford seemed poised to snap out of his Junk funk. Crawford blasted two homers, scored two runs, and had five RBI's in Wednesday's win over Florida! Crawford has a .438 average, 3 HR's and 11 RBIs during his current eight-game hitting streak... Boston DH David Ortiz (wrist) took some swings off a tee Tuesday. There were no setbacks. Big Papi is still about three weeks away from swinging against live pitching.

American League Central: C.C. Sabathia (7 IP, 5 hits, 1 ER, 1 BB, 10 K) was lights-out against the Dodgers Saturday. Unfortunately, the Indian bats were silent and Sabathia ended up with a no-decision. Sabathia lowered his ERA to a season-low 4.06 mark. If Cleveland (as expected) falls out of the AL Central race, Sabathia (a free agent after 2008) could be a major target for pitching-starved teams as baseball approaches its trading deadline (Thursday, July 31 @ 4 p.m. EST)... Kansas City closer Joakim Soria collected his 21st save Wednesday versus Colorado. Soria is 8-for-8 in his last eight save opportunities. His ERA is 1.29!... In Detroit, there's been a Gary Sheffield sighting! Sheffield (oblique), on the DL since late May, went 4-for-5, with a run scored and a walk-off RBI single on Wednesday versus St.Louis. Sheffield is 5-for-9 since returning from the disabled list. I'm not big on Sheffield, as he's an injury waiting to happen... Immensely talented Minnesota OF Carlos Gomez snapped an 0-for-11 drought, going 3-for-4 with two RBIs, a run and two stolen bases Wednesday versus San Diego. Remember Gomez, because in the not-so-distant future he will be a better version of Tampa Bay OF Carl Crawford. Think Crawford, but with lots more speed. Take this to the bank: in his prime, Gomez will regularly post a .280-.290 BA, 15-20 HR's, 80-90 RBI's, 100+ runs scored and 80+ SB's! Wow!... Chicago OF Jermaine Dye has been on a tear lately, cracking his 17th homer of the season against the Dodgers Tuesday. Dye has seven HR's and 17 RBIs over his last eight games! Wow!

American League West: LA Angels OF Vladimir Guerrero was not in the starting lineup Wednesday after leaving Tuesday's game versus Washington with "flu-like symptoms." Vlad should be back by this weekend... There was a Joe Blanton sighting in Oakland! Blanton (7 IP, 4 hits, 1 ER, 4 BB, 5 K) was sharp Tuesday against Philadelphia, "improving" his record to 4-10. Blanton is a decent #4 or #5 fantasy starting pitcher... Seattle ace Felix Hernandez (ankle) will miss his next start, Sunday versus San Diego. Hernandez suffered a badly sprained ankle Monday versus the Mets. Don't dismiss a DL stint. Stay tuned... Milton Bradley (quad) was out of the Rangers starting lineup for the seventh straight game Wednesday. Bradley is injured, again, which is why I have no faith in him. Bradley is solid when he plays. Unfortunately, he's injured more often, than not.

National League East: Atlanta OF Jeff Francoeur was sighted recently! Francoeur might be snapping out of his year-long slump. Francoeur went 2-for-4 Tuesday against Milwaukee, snapping an 0-for-12 slump. Francoeur is hitting .248! Ouch!... I wasn't kidding in last week's "Miranda Warnings" when I called the New York Mets, the New York Mess! Tuesday, playing at home versus the Mariners, the worst team in baseball, "the Mess" got torched 11-0! P Oliver Perez (5 IP, 7 hits, 5 ER, 1 BB, 3 K) had yet another rocky outing. When the Mets finally realize they need to change player personnel (not just Manager Willie Randolph), you can expect Perez to be one of the first, if not the first, to go. How bad is Perez? In 83.1 IP, he has 52 (yes, 52) walks! His ERA stands at 5.29 and his WHIP stands at 1.56! Ugh!... Florida 1B Mike Jacobs cranked his 18th homer Wednesday versus Tampa. Yes, Jacobs' homers are nice, but don't kid yourself into thinking he's a quality 1B. His .239 BA and extremely long slumps drag down a fantasy roster and indicate that he's a below-average 1B... Washington 1B Nick Johnson (wrist surgery) will miss the rest of the season. Shocker! This guy is just as bad (never, ever healthy) as Texas OF Milton Bradley (see AL West report above)... Even the best hitters have slumps. Philadelphia 2B Chase Utley was 1-for-29 entering Wednesday's game versus Oakland! Utley went 4-for-5 versus the Athletics and you can be sure that another hot-streak is not too far away.

National League Central: Houston 1B Lance Berkman went 2-for-4 (two doubles) Wednesday against Texas. Berkman is hitting .360 with a .443 OBP! Can you say MVP?... Milwaukee P Ben Sheets is making a Cy Young push. Sheets had his seventh consecutive quality start (6 IP minimum, 3 ER or less) to lower his ERA to 2.59. He's now 9-1. If he can remain healthy ( a big "if"), he might win the NL Cy Young... St. Louis OF Ryan Ludwick has come back down to earth. Ludwick is 7-for-44 since June 12. Ludwick was out of the lineup Wednesday versus Detroit... Chicago closer Kerry Wood continues to dominate. Wood struck out the side versus Baltimore Wednesday for his 20th save... In Pittsburgh, there was an Adam LaRoche sighting! LaRoche went 3-for-5, with two RBIs and one run scored Tuesday versus the Yankees. Despite the big game, the three hits "lifted" LaRoche's average to .224 in 2008... Cincinnati OF Jay Bruce has been slumping lately, while seeing his BA dip below .300 (.296) for the first time since he began his Major League career. However, Bruce has hit safely in six of his last seven games. In the not-so-distant future, Bruce will be a superstar.

National League West: I'm calling it: Arizona OF Justin Upton's demotion to Triple-A is imminent. After going 2-for-2 May 3rd versus the Mets, Upton's BA was at a scalding .346! Fast-forward to Wednesday versus Boston. After going 0-for-2 versus the Red Sox, Upton is at a season-low .240, while being overmatched by major league pitching. Upton is a special talent, sure to be a stud one day, but he's not ready yet... According to mlb.com, Dodgers P Clayton Kershaw will remain in the Dodgers' starting rotation for the foreseeable future. "As long as we feel he's making progress, I'm comfortable with the fact he's throwing the ball every five days," said Dodgers Manager Joe Torre. Kershaw is winless, with a 4.34 ERA in 2008... There was a Barry Zito sighting Wednesday! The San Francisco Giants pitcher was brilliant versus Cleveland (6 2/3 IP, 4 hits, 1 ER, 4 K), "raising" his record to 3-11... San Diego P Chris Young (face) is on the road back. Young was injured on May 21, when a line drive off the bat of Cardinals 1B Albert Pujols hit him in the face and broke his nose. Young has been throwing bullpen sessions, but there is no timetable for his return... Colorado SS Troy Tulowitzki's struggles continue and, as a result, he was out of the Rockies lineup Wednesday. Tulowitzki (quad) is just 3-for-20 since returning from the DL. Tulo's BA is at .152!

See you next week!

The Buzz Around the Bullpen: It's Time to Hawpe on the Train

Welcome back to another edition of the “Buzz Around the Bullpen”. As I sit here late-night writing this edition, I feel like Omar Minaya writing his now famous press release. Minaya paved the way for a week of “hacking” underachieving managers. Although you can disagree with how the Mets handled the situation, a change needed to be made. Willie Randolph will get another crack at managing in the big leagues. It’s quite possible that the bright lights of New York might have been too much for him in his managerial debut. People don’t realize that Willie had never managed at any level prior to his job with the Mets. There is a huge difference between being a base/bench coach and the manager. The Mets organization hoped that Willie would be the one that could take them to the next level. Unfortunately, Willie came into a situation where anything less than a World Series victory was a failure. Regardless, managers aren’t going to be scoring you any fantasy points anytime soon so let’s talk about some players that can help your team.

Big Hits

Brad Hawpe (OF, Colorado Rockies): Since returning from the DL, Brad Hawpe has been on an absolute tear. Hawpe started the year hitting .231 with 3 HRs and 17 RBIs in his first 41 games. After Hawpe’s dismal numbers early on, it was only a matter of time before he started heating up. Hawpe is often overshadowed by Matt Holliday in Colorado but this guy is a fantasy star. Last year Hawpe hit .291 with 29 HRs and 116 RBIs. Although he struggled early, I look for Hawpe to continue to recover and finish with a respectable season. It might too late to make your move on Hawpe because owners are starting to finally reap the benefits of holding on despite his terrible start.. If you were a faithful owner and stuck with him, sit back and collect some of the quietest fantasy numbers you’ll ever receive.

Mike Aviles (SS, Kansas City Royals): Aviles emerged this past week and he is showing why he was the Kansas City Royals’ minor league player of the year last year. As a rookie, Aviles has impressed hitting .339 with 3 HRs and 9 in 59 at-bats. If you haven’t heard of Mike Aviles you are not alone. He is a rookie and he plays for the Kansas City Royals. This is good news if you are in search for a SS. I’m not saying he’s stealing any Rookie of the Year honors but it looks like Aviles could be a serviceable fantasy shortstop. Before getting the call to the bigs, Aviles had 10 HRs at Triple-A Omaha. He definitely has the ability to hit with some power and his average is just an added bonus. Aviles is still available in over 50% of leagues so if you’re looking for a replacement for your struggling shortstop or even just an opportunity to ride a “hot bat”, give Aviles a look.

Jeff Clement (C, Seattle Mariners): A catcher that can hit for power. There aren’t too many out there and regardless of your current catcher, any owner could benefit from having a guy like Clement on their roster. In only 172 at-bats this year at Triple –A Tacoma, Clement hit 14 HRs. The news gets even better because the recent changes in Seattle should mean everyday playing time for Clement. If you’re looking for a new starting catcher, Clement could be worth the gamble. If you’re just looking for some trade bait, pick up Clement and let him hit a couple more homeruns like he did on Sunday against the Braves. If Clement can continue to hit with power, there will be a decent market out there for a young power-hitting catcher.

Big Miss

Jason Varitek (C, Boston Red Sox): Varitek is currently in an 0-24 slide and his season numbers continue to plummet well below his career averages. Varitek is definitely starting to show his age as his numbers have declined significantly over the past four years. Regardless of his struggles, Varitek will continue to be the catcher in Boston. However, he does not need to be your catcher on your fantasy squad. Always remember, your fantasy team does not need a clubhouse leader or a catcher that can “handle” the starting pitchers. Fantasy baseball is all about offensive production and Varitek cannot produce elite fantasy numbers anymore. Right now Chris Coste, Jesus Flores and Paul Bako are all putting up better numbers than Varitek. I know it’s tough dropping Varitek for one of these guys but Varitek’s days as a decent fantasy catcher are over.

"Miranda Warnings": The Amazin' Mess!

Welcome to Week #12 of "Miranda Warnings", your weekly guide to what's happening in the world of Major League Baseball, from a fantasy baseball perspective. Every Wednesday, throughout baseball's regular season, "Miranda Warnings" will appear on SportsJudge.com. I'm your host Michael Miranda.

National League East: If you've been reading "Miranda Warnings" in 2008, you know that I've been calling for the firing of Mets Manager Willie Randolph since early May. Randolph, arguably, deserved to be dismissed, as the Mets have been underachieving for almost three years, culminating in the infamous 2007 late-season "meltdown". The 2007 "meltdown" resulted in the Mets, unbelievably, missing the playoffs. Entering 2008, the message was clear: The Mets had to produce or heads would roll. On Tuesday morning, the inevitable occurred, with Randolph, pitching coach Rick Peterson and first base coach Tom Nieto, all getting axed. However, although Randolph's firing was inevitable, the manner in which Mets management handled it was a damn disgrace and nothing short of repulsive! Mets GM Omar Minaya takes full responsibility for the firing, but there's more than meets the eye here. Minaya could have justified Randolph's firing at the end of 2007, following "the meltdown". Minaya could have justified a firing in late May 2008, when Randolph met with Mets ownership, amidst rumors that his dismissal was imminent. Minaya could have justified a firing when, after receiving "support" from Mets ownership in the aforementioned late May 2008 meeting, the Mets were swept in four games by the San Diego Padres, one of the worst teams in baseball. Instead, Minaya allowed Randolph (and his coaching staff) to fly 3,000 miles, from New York to Los Angeles (to face the Angels), before announcing the firing in the wee-hours of the night (3:12 a.m EST), via a press release! Although Minaya takes full responsibility for the firing, he was pressured by ownership (owner Fred Wilpon and his son Jeff, the team's chief operating officer) to fire Randolph, and to do it far away from the New York spotlight! Minaya chose LA, because that's about as far away from New York as you can get. Minaya then proceeded to botch-up the firing with an ill-timed, cowardly, unprofessional announcement. Minaya botched it up so bad that he is now public enemy #1 (see 6/18/08 "New York Newsday" front page, pictured above)! Despite rumors of his impending demise, Randolph conducted himself with dignity and class in the days and weeks leading up to his firing. Randolph, Peterson and Nieto all deserved a more professional, dignified exit and should consider themselves lucky to no longer be a part of the team from Queens, now known as the New York Mess!... Braves C Brian McCann is heating up. He went 2-for-4, including his 13th homer, in Tuesday's loss to Texas. He's hitting .310!... Marlins P Scott Olsen continued his inconsistent ways in 2008 Tuesday, lasting just 4 1/3 innings against the weak-hitting Mariners. Olsen surrendered 4 ER, a whopping 11 hits and 1 BB, as he fell to 4-4. Olsen is pitching to contact moreso in 2008, than in any of his previous seasons, which means there is less margin for error for the young lefty... Washington OF Elijah Dukes is finally beginning to strut his stuff and payback the Nats for the patience they've had with him. Dukes went 2-for-3 with a double, a stolen base and two runs in Sunday's win over Seattle. Dukes has a six-game hitting streak and is worth a look in deep fantasy leagues... Philadelphia P Brett Myers continues to struggle. Myers allowed 6 ER and 8 hits in 6 IP, while taking the loss Sunday at St. Louis. Myers has lost three in a row, with a 5.78 ERA in his last 18 2/3 innings.

National League Central: Houston is in danger of falling out of the NL Central race. The Astros have lost six straight to fall to 1/2 a game out of last-place. Despite the 'Stros struggles, OF Carlos Lee continues to produce. Lee went 2-for-4, with a home run on Tuesday versus Baltimore. Lee is one of the best producers in the Majors with 15 HR's, 53 RBI's and is hitting .277... Brewers P Manny Parra continued to improve Tuesday, versus Toronto. Parra went seven innings, allowing four hits shutout and four walks, while striking out five, to raising his record to 6-2... Cardinals P Todd Wellemeyer has been solid in 2008 (7-2, 3.67 ERA), but his recent elbow woes continue. He's been scratched from his scheduled start June 19. Wellemeyer was sidelined for seven days earlier this month due to discomfort in his right elbow. Wellemeyer was not placed on the disabled list, with rest/rehab being the current course of action... Rumors surfaced late Monday that OF Alfonso Soriano (fractured left hand) will attempt to return in time for the All-Star game! Don't believe the talk! Keep in mind, Soriano broke his hand just last week! Soriano is expected to miss at least another four weeks with the injury. Although the swelling in his hand has gone down, Soriano still has to wear a brace to avoid re-injuring his hand. He is not allowed to perform any baseball activities, until further notice... Pittsburgh P Ian Snell was ripped apart Tuesday by the White Sox, giving up 7 ER, 9 hits and a staggering 6 BB's in only 4 IP's. In 2008, Snell's WHIP is an unsightly 1.87 and the opposition is battering him to the tune of a .320 BA! Ouch!... Cincinnati P Homer Bailey's "star" has dimmed significantly. Bailey, a highly-touted prospect as recently as this spring training, got rocked by the Red Sox Sunday (2 1/3 IP, 5 ER, 3 BB's and 3 HR's) to fall to 0-3, with a ghastly 8.76 ERA and horrific 2.11 WHIP. The former first-round draft seems destined for another trip back to the minors to get himself straightened out.

National League West: It's not often that you hear this, so it's a situation that bears monitoring: Arizona P Brandon Webb got smoked (3 1/3 IP, 7 ER, 9 hits, 5 BB's, 3 K's) by the A's Tuesday! The loss drops Webb to 11-3. Is Webb's troublesome hip still bothering him? Stay tuned!... The saga surrounding Dodgers SS Rafael Furcal (back) continues. Three times (that I can remember), Furcal has been scheduled to begin a rehab assignment, only to suffer a setback. Apparently, the bulging disk rumors that surfaced a few weeks ago may be true. Furcal is currently out until, at least, early July. We shall see!... Giants stud P Tim Lincecum had his first rough outing of 2008 (7 IP, 6 hits, 4 ER, 3 BB's, 3 K's) and it wasn't really all that bad, especially considering he faced a strong Detroit lineup. Lincecum is special (8-1, 2.21 ERA)... San Diego's top-prospect, 3B Chase Headley, made his 2008 debut and went 2-for-4 (two singles) in Tuesday's loss to the Yankees. Headley's ceiling is not that high because of pitcher-friendly PETCO Park, his lack of speed and the Padres tailoring him to play outfield (i.e. his natural 3B position is blocked by Padres 3B Kevin Kouzmanoff). Headley is worth a spot on fantasy rosters in need of a 3B, just don't get carried away with your expectations. Headley was hitting .305, with 13 home runs and 40 RBIs for Triple-A... Rockies OF Willy Taveras was running wild in Saturday's win over the White Sox, stealing five bases! Although Taveras has 30 SB's in 2008, an in-depth look at his overall numbers (.239 BA, 1 HR, 32 runs, 14 RBI's) reveals that he's a below-average fantasy OF. He should only reside on fantasy rosters that are in desperate need of speed.

American League East: This past weekend, Toronto OF Vernon Wells experienced soreness in his recently fractured wrist. Wells is ok though, evidenced by his 3-for-5 performance versus Milwaukee on Wednesday... Orioles closer George Sherrill collected his 23rd save of the season Tuesday, pitching a perfect ninth inning to slam the door on the Astros. Sherrill's 23 saves rank second in the Majors to Francisco Rodriguez (28 saves) of the LA Angels! Few gave Sherrill a chance of succeeding in the closer role, let alone dominating it. He has been one of 2008's major surprises... Tampa Bay OF Carl Crawford is showing signs (albeit small ones) that he's possibly ready to emerge from his June funk. Crawford went 1-for-3 with a double and a run scored on Wednesday versus the Cubs. What "funk" am I referring to? Glad you asked! Crawford is hitting .195 in June!... A few weeks ago, Boston lost slugger/team-leader DH David Ortiz (wrist) for 4-6 weeks. In the 6/4 edition of "Miranda Warnings", I expressed serious concerns about the impact of such a loss. I couldn't have been more wrong! Since Ortiz' injury, OF J.D. Drew has more than picked up the slack by putting up softball-type numbers! Are you ready for this? In June, Drew is hitting .441, with 9 HR's and 21 RBI's! Drew's onslaught shows no signs of ending anytime soon as he went 4-for-5 with a homer, two runs scored and four RBI's Wednesday versus Philadelphia... The Yankees might have lost P Chien-Ming Wang (foot) for the remainder of 2008. A best-case-scenario has Wang returning in late August/early September! In a complete act of desperation, the Yankees signed P Sidney Ponson to a minor league contract.

American League Central: Cleveland DH Travis Hafner (shoulder) suffered a setback in his rehab. Hafner will now make the dreaded trip to Birmingham, Alabama, to receive a second opinion from infamous surgeon, Dr. James Andrews. I say "dreaded" because a trip to see Dr. Andrews usually (not always) ends with surgery being the solution. On the disabled list since May 30 with right shoulder weakness, Hafner and his fantasy GM's are keeping their fingers crossed!... I've said it before and I'll say it again: Don't give up on Kansas City 3B Alex Gordon. Gordon is in his second season and putting up respectable numbers (.272 BA, 8 HR's, 31 RBI's). Remember, he's only 24 years old and arrived in KC in 2007, never having played Triple A ball. In the near future, possibly as soon as 2009, Gordon will start putting up numbers comparable to Mets 3B David Wright. When (not if) KC starts winning on a consistent basis, Gordon will be one of the main reasons why. Trust me, Gordon is the real deal! Be patient!... If Detroit somehow manages to recover from their horrendous start, they'll have to thank P Armando Galarraga. Galarraga was in cruise-control versus the Giants on Wednsday (6 IP, 7 hits, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 K). Galarraga, who is not a prospect, by any means, and was not even in Detroit's plans entering 2008, is now 7-2!... On the opposite end of the spectrum, one-time "can't-miss" prospect, Minnesota OF Delmon Young, continues to baffle with his nonexistent power (1 HR, 24 RBI's in 261 AB's!)... Chicago OF Carlos Quentin (17 HR's, 56 RBI's) went 2-for-4, with a homer and two runs scored Wednesday's versus the Pirates. Quentin has been very quiet lately (4-for-33), no doubt slowed a bit by a sore thumb. Quentin and Manager Ozzie Guillen both say that the injury is minor. If Quentin can remain healthy, he is very capable of launching 40+ HR's.

American League West: Usually reliable, LA Angels closer Francisco Rodriguez (1 ER, 2 hits) faltered Wednesday versus the Mets, suffering his second blown save of 2008. K-Rod leads the Majors with 28 saves and is entitled to an off-day, once in a while... Oakland closer Huston Street has quietly put together a nice 2008. Street pitched a perfect ninth inning for his 13th save Sunday against the Giants. He's a solid #1 or #2 fantasy closer... The Daily Herald is reporting that the Mariners will release 1B Richie Sexson within days. Sexson's numbers are ugly (.220 BA, .294 OBP, .380 SLG), so this should come as no surprise to anyone. If Sexson resides on a fantasy roster, it begs the question, why? Seattle owns baseball's worst record (25-47) and began making changes by firing GM Bill Bavasi earlier this week. Expect many more changes in the Pacific Northwest... Texas C/1B Jarrod Saltalamacchia is in a 2-for-21 skid and not seeing regular AB's. Salty has lots of upside, so I wouldn't give up on him in 2008, just yet. Long-term, 2009 and beyond, he's a solid investment.

See you next week!

The Buzz Around The Bullpen: A Penny Saved Is a Penny Earned....Run

Welcome back to another edition of the “Buzz Around the Bullpen”. First off, Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there. Nothing says Father’s Day like sitting back and watching Tiger walk to the first tee on virtually one leg knowing that he is still better than everyone else. I like Tiger by 2 strokes but then again, two weeks ago I said Dontrelle Willis was a sleeper. Now Dontrelle is hanging out in Lakeland, Florida wondering how and the heck he ended up there. Well forgive me on my Dontrelle call and lets hope this week’s suggestions pan out a little better for you.

Big Hits

Ryan Garko (1B, Cleveland Indians): Garko has been on fire in June and look for him to be much more consistent in the second half. The past two years Garko has hit around .290 in limited at-bats for the Indians. He managed to hit 21 HRs last year in only 484 ABs. Cleveland’s lineup will be potent again after they recover from all of the injuries. For right now though, Garko needs to step up and carry some of the load. He is still available in over 30% of leagues. I could see Garko heating up in the summer and finishing with around 23 HRs.

Chase Headley (3B/OF, San Diego Padres): If you went anywhere near a fantasy baseball website today, you were already suffocated with this guy’s name. But like some of the other young studs that have gotten the call this year, Headley deserves the buzz. In Triple-A this year, Headley has already put up some impressive numbers. At Triple-A Portland, Headley was hitting .305 with 13 HRs. Before getting the call to the “bigs”, he was on pace to smash his HR total from last year. Often times you see young hitters’ homerun numbers increase from year to year. This is a great sign for prospective Headley owners. Those that have seen him hit recently believe he is developing a pretty sweet power stroke. I know a lot of you are worried about him having to play at Petco but don’t be alarmed. Headley is not just a blast or bust type hitter. In just 259 at-bats, Headley accumulated 24 doubles and carried an average above .300. One thing that will not be a problem for Headley is getting playing time. Look for Headley to start immediately in the outfield and also get some time at 3B.

Ryan Doumit (C, Pittsburgh Pirates): Once known around the Pirates organization as Ryan “No-mitt”, Doumit has been unreal since coming back from a broken thumb. No one has ever doubted Doumit’s natural ability. However, in years past, teammates compared him to “Stiffler” from the “American Pie” movies. Something tells me this “Stiffler” like attitude might have held him back. It seemed like things finally clicked for Doumit when he showed up at Spring Training in shape and more prepared to handle a young pitching staff. His hard work paid off as he snatched the starting job off of the often complacent Ronny Paulino. Doumit has shown power from both sides of the plate in years past but his approach and patience have made the difference this year. Doumit owns an impressive .349 average with 9 HRs in 132 at-bats. If Doumit can stay healthy which has always been a big question with him, look for him to finish as one of the top offensive catchers in the league.


Honorable Mention

Kelly Shoppach (C, Cleveland Indians): .(244 avg, 4 HRs, 11 RBIs, 14 runs)
Jorge Cantu (1B/3B, Florida Marlins): (.286 avg, 14 HRs, 39 RBIs, 41 runs, 2 SBs)
Armando Galarraga (SP, Detroit Tigers): (6-2, 3.31 ERA, 44 Ks, 1.03 WHIP)
Jonathan Sanchez (SP, San Francisco Giants): (6-3, 4.26 ERA, 80 Ks, 1.44 WHIP)

Big Miss

Brad Penny (SP, Los Angeles Dodgers): Penny confirmed after his start last night what most of his owners have been thinking for about the past two months. Penny stated that something does not feel right with his throwing shoulder. As a pitcher who is known to dominate in the first half of the season, it has been clear for at least his past seven starts that something was wrong with Brad Penny. Penny is now carrying an ERA near six and his record has fallen to 5-9. I don’t believe this is something Penny can recover from this year. Often times when pitchers have injured their shoulder, they begin to “toy” with their delivery to alleviate some of the stress on their injured arm. Unfortunately, they often end up hurting themselves even worse because the workload of their delivery is then put on their elbow. I look for the Dodgers to be extremely precautious with Penny and look for at least a 15-day trip to the DL. Don’t be surprised if Penny gets shut down until well after the All-Star break. As far as fantasy implications, I don’t see many buyers of Brad Penny right now. If you are an owner like myself, hang onto him and hope the MRI tomorrow does not show any structural damage.

As with any SportsJudge articles, please feel free to post any questions or comments. Until next time, keep your ears open for the Buzz Around the Bullpen.

"Miranda Warnings": Bad Break!

Welcome to Week #11 of "Miranda Warnings", your weekly guide to what's happening in the world of Major League Baseball, from a fantasy baseball perspective. Every Wednesday, throughout baseball's regular season, "Miranda Warnings" will appear on SportsJudge.com. I'm your host Michael Miranda.

For the second consecutive week, "Miranda Warnings" leads off with major injury news. Last week, it was David Ortiz (wrist). This weeks major injury news? See my NL Central report below.

National League East: Long-before the recent rumblings began, "Miranda Warnings" predicted Mets Manager Willie Randolph was treading water (see 5/7 edition of "Miranda Warnings"). In fact, the writing is now on the wall. After being swept in four games by the "mighty" San Diego Padres last weekend, it's only a matter of time before Mets management comes to its senses... After not going on the disabled list for an incredible 21 seasons, Atlanta P Tom Glavine (elbow) is on the DL for the second time in 2008! Expect top prospect Charlie Morton to be called up from Triple-A to start in Glavine's place, June 15 against the LA Angels. Morton is worth keeping an eye on. According to milb.com, Morton has impressive numbers (5-2, 2.05 ERA, 79 IP, 72 K, 27 BB, .181 BA against)... Marlins 3B/1B is playing out of his mind! Cantu blasted two more homers Wednesday off Phillies P Cole Hamels, giving him 14 homers in 2008!... The "face" of the Washington Nationals, 3B Ryan Zimmerman (shoulder), is expected to miss an additional 4 to 6 more weeks... Remember Ryan Howard's awful April/May start? After driving in four runs versus Atlanta on Sunday, Howard has 15 HR's and 49 RBI's! His .208 BA hurts, but his 49 RBI's rank Howard fifth in the Majors.

National League Central: The Cubs suffered a huge blow when OF Alfonso Soriano (pictured, above) fractured a finger after being hit by a pitch in Wednesday's game versus Atlanta. The injury will sideline "Sori" for a minimum of six weeks! Ouch!... After playing through several nagging injuries the last several years, Cardinals stud 1B Albert Pujols finally met an injury that requires time on the DL. Pujols has a strained calf and will miss a minimum of three weeks. Again, ouch!... Houston SS Miguel Tejada wast 3-for-4 with a solo homer, his eighth, in Wednesday's loss to Milwaukee. Tejada is having a very nice season for the Astros (8 HR, 40 RBIs, 48 runs)... Don't expect Brewers closer Eric Gagne (shoulder) to retain his role when he returns. P Salomon Torres recorded his seventh save of the year in Sunday's win over the Rockies and has been a God-send for Milwaukee's bullpen. Torres has a 2.50 ERA in '08... Pirates C Ryan Doumit is on fire, going 3-for-4 with a solo home run in a win over the Nationals Wednesday. Doumit went 4-for-4, including a homer, Tuesday. Doumit has an impressive eight homers in 2008... Reds P Johnny Cueto was lit-up by the Albert Pujols'-less Cardinals Wednesday, allowing six earned runs, five hits and a staggering eight walks in only five innings! Cueto remains a young stud who, like most other young stud hurlers, will be very inconsistent.

National League West: Arizona 3B Mark Reynolds went 1-for-5 and delivered a clutch game-tying three-run homer off Mets closer Billy Wagner on Wednesday. Although he sports a low BA (.258), Reynolds has lots of pop... Dodgers 3B Andy LaRoche has returned! LaRoche was sidelined since Spring Training by a torn thumb ligament. LaRoche homered Wednesday versus San Diego. He'll see time at 1B, 2B and 3B. Keep an eye on him as he was once a highly touted prospect... Giants P Tim Lincecum continues to dazzle, striking out nine and walking three in seven scoreless innings of six-hit ball, in a no-decision versus Colorado on Wednesday. Lincecum is now 8-1, with a 1.99 ERA! Wow!... Padres ace Jake Peavy (elbow) will be activated from the 15-day disabled list and start on June 13 against the Dodgers... Speaking of players returning from injury, Colorado OF Matt Holliday (hamstring) was 0-for-3 Tuesday against the Giants. Holliday's return is great news for the Rockies and for Holliday owners. Holliday is hitting .316, with eight homers, 26 RBIs and 34 runs scored in 2008.

American League East: Toronto OF Vernon Wells (wrist) returned to action much sooner than anticipated. Since his return from the disabled list, Wells is 7-for-16, with two homers and three RBI's... Orioles OF Nick Markakis is heating up. Markakis went 3-for-5 with a double and two runs scored on Tuesday versus Boston. He's hitting .486 with one homer, five RBIs and six runs scored in June... Rays 3B Evan Longoria continues to improve. In his last seven games, Longoria's is hitting .423 with three homers... Boston OF Jacoby Ellsbury went 1-for-4 with a stolen base Wednesday versus Baltimore, showing no signs of a wrist injury. The stolen base was Ellsbury's Major League-best 29th of the year... I thought Yankee P Mike Mussina was "done". I was wrong, as "Moose" has reinvented himself. No longer able to rely on overpowering the opposition, Mussina has nine wins while resorting to lots of change-ups, off-speed pitches and "painting the corners". And, the results are undeniable. Mussina is 8-1 with a 3.11 ERA in his last 10 starts!

American League Central: Cleveland called up 2B Josh Barfield from Triple-A to replace the anemic Asdrubal Cabrera. Barfield was batting only .255 in the minors, so don't expect much from him with the Indians... I'm pretty sure that Kansas City OF Jose Guillen was wearing a Superman outfit underneath his Royals uniform this past weekend versus the Yankees. Although he is not considered an elite player, Guillen had one of the all-time great four-game series performances, going 9-for-16 with four homers, 10 (yes, 10) RBI's and three assists! Guillen is a very underrated talent... It appears that the heavy workload Tigers P Dontrelle Willis endured while in Florida has caught up to him. Willis was pounded for eight ER in 1 1/3 innings against Cleveland Monday. Tuesday, Willis was demoted to Class A. Not Triple-A. Not Double-A. But, Class A! Ouch!... Minnesota P Francisco Liriano (remember him?) delivered another strong Triple-A outing Tuesday, allowing just one run in six innings. Liriano allowed just six hits and one walk. Although there is no time-table for his return, Liriano could be in Minnesota in the very near future... Chicago P Jose Contreras finally had a bad outing. Contreras was lit-up for six ER and 13 hits by the Tigers on Tuesday. Contreras remains a decent #4 or #5 fantasy pitcher.

American League West: Angels P Jered Weaver (8 IP, 4 hits, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K) was brilliant against the Rays on Tuesday and evened his record at 6-6... Oakland OF Jack Cust went 2-for-2 with one run scored, a pair of walks and three RBI's in Wednesday's 8-4 win over the Yankees. Cust provides nice power (11 HR's), but is extremely streaky (.257 BA) and not recommended, except in the deepest of fantasy leagues... Seattle OF Ichiro Suzuki stole two more bases (# 27 and 28), in Wednesday's win over the Blue Jays. Ichiro is on pace for 60+ steals!... I consider myself extremely knowledgeable when it comes to fantasy baseball. Heck, if I weren't knowledgeable about fantasy baseball, I wouldn't be writing this fantasy baseball column! Despite my knowledge, I was/am clueless about Texas OF David Murphy and how he has put together his totally unexpected, crazy numbers in 2008. I had never heard of this guy until 2008 (admit it, you never heard of him either)! After launching two homers and driving in five runs in Wednesday's win over Kansas City, Murphy has a solid .293 BA, a ridiculous 10 HR's, an equally ridiculous 46 RBI's and 5 SB's!

See you next week!

Deep In The Rough: The US Open

There are 4 majors in an entire year, and the most challenging one comes this week as a very strong field takes on Torrey Pines in the US Open.  The beauty of the US Open is that it is open to anyone to attempt to qualify, so many say that it is the one chance for any amateur or pro to give the big time a real shot.  Of course, an amateur has not won since Johnny Goodman in 1933, so don't go picking Jimmy Henderson and expect to wow your buddies.

While Jimmy H might not be the answer, there are still plenty of players out there who could take this down.  The biggest story of the tournament has to be Tiger's return from knee surgery.  Many believed that this may be the year that Tiger would achieve the Grand Slam, winning every major he faced, but he already failed to win The Masters and will now be playing on a knee that is still sore in his first event since.  While I would not bet against Tiger (no one ever should) I am thinking there may be better fantasy options out there.  Torrey Pines is a long course, amassing more than 7600 yards.  It is the longest course in major tournament history, so make sure to choose the guys who can hit fairways and hit the ball a long way.

We do not have much "past data" to analyze this week, we can still look at a tournament that was played at this course earlier in the season, that being the Buick Invitational.  Tiger has owned that tournament, winning this year but a sickening 8 shots.  Still, I would pass on Tiger this week.  Other top finishers there this year at the Buick include Ryuju Imada (2nd) Stewart Cink (3rd) Justin Leonard (5th) and Phil Mickelson (6th).  All of these players would make solid picks this week, so definitely give them a look.

That being said, here are the list of players who I would consider, avoid, and pick.  Good luck to you all, and enjoy watching one of the best tournaments in golf!

Players to Consider

Tiger Woods:  Wait you said to avoid him Dave!  Yes, I did, but I did it with a bitter taste in my mouth.  This guy is the best player in the world, kills Torrey Pines, and wins major championships.  How can you not at least consider him?  Still, I don't think he wins this week, but he could...

Phil Mickelson:  Phil also kills Torrey Pines, and finished in 6th this year in the Buick.  I think he could win this week, and further more he's paired with Tiger for the first two rounds.  Don't you think he'd love to knock his teeth in early?

Justin Rose:  I keep calling for this guy to bust out, and I think he could certainly do it this week.  He had a rough start to the season, but is starting to pick it up.  He plays well in majors and the US Open specifically.

Ryuji Imada:  Imada finished 2nd here at the Buick, and did particularly well on the South Course, which is where all 4 will be played for the Open.  Pick with confidence.

Trevor Immelman:  Why not?  He won The Masters and finished 2nd last week.

Players to Avoid

Bubba Watson:  Bubba will be tempting to pick this week because of his finish last year, but um, look at his play this year.  Add in his 75-73 on the South Course at the Buick and he's a definite skip this week.

Boo Weekley:  Boo finished in 4th last week, but don't expect a similar performance this week.  He's been very inconsistent and shot 71-77 on the South Course at the Buick.

Jim Furyk:  I hate avoiding big Jim, but he has not played well here and has not cracked the top 20 in his last 3 events.

My Team:

A List:

*Phil Mickelson

Sergio Garcia

B List:

*Stewart Cink

*Ryuji Imada

Camilo Villegas

Justin Leonard

C List:

*Trevor Immelman

Luke Donald

As much as I still think Tiger can win, I'm not going with him this week.  I think Phil will win and Sergio has been hitting his driver great so who knows this could be his major.  Cink will be a good early start but will probably fade in the end.  Camilo has played very well leading up to this event (and finished 13th at the Buick) and Leonard won last week while finishing 5th at the Buick.  Trevor and Luke are the best C Listers out there, and either could bust out this week as well.

The Puck Stops Here: That's All She Wrote

Welcome back to another exciting edition of The Puck Stops Here. Before getting into our official end of the season wrap up, I want to take a moment and handle some scheduling. This is the first of a series of off-season hockey articles covering off-season happenings until the regular weekly article begins a few weeks before the first puck drops for the 2008-09 season.

The NHL Draft is June 20th and 21st, check for a review of the draft a week after. NHL free agency begins July 1st, look for an article over the 4th of July weekend previewing the free agents who haven’t signed and a discussion of those who already have. NHL training camps open early to mid-September and SportsJudge.com will have all your fantasy hockey needs starting with the opening of training camps.

With that scheduling done, I would like to congratulate the Detroit Red Wings on winning the Stanley Cup. Although, for the first time since I can remember, I didn’t watch the winners celebrate with the cup. As a loyal Penguins fan for the last 15 years, I just couldn’t handle watching it. But I have to admit; the Red Wings were the better team and deserved to win the Cup. I have never seen a team that looked so machine-like. The Red Wings dominated just about every aspect of each game. Even when the Penguins won, it seemed more like they were barely holding on, rather than actually winning. The scariest part, Detroit looks like they will get most of their team back and will be the same juggernaut again next year.

Here are some other observations I made while watching every minute of playoff hockey that I could.

The Ottawa Senators are in trouble. Their goaltending is slightly above average. Their defense is slow and getting older. All the Senators have are a trio of all-stars and some serviceable pieces on offense. The entire organization reeks of dysfunction. The good news is it won’t take a ton to get the ship pointed in the right direction again. The goaltending will be a tough fix, but getting a solid, and younger, defensive core will help alleviate that problem. There is hope, just not a lot of it. The Senators still have enough talent to be good and make the playoffs, but with the current core of players, first round exits will be the norm.

The New York Rangers consistently keep showing the world why a bunch of high priced free agents doesn’t equal a championship. They need to take note of a fellow New York team, the New York Giants, and realize a couple all-stars help, but championships come from teamwork and buying into the “family” theme. The Rangers will probably throw more big money at defensemen this off-season, and it will help, but it won’t be the solution. They need more character guys, they need to get younger and those are two things you usually don’t get from high priced free agents. Like the Senators, they will continue to be good but won’t ever fulfill the promise of a salary-inflated roster.

The Washington Capitals have a bright future ahead of them. But, as most Washington teams seem to do, they can still screw it up. They have a very solid team of young stars, but they need to surround those developing stars with the proper cast of role players. Sergei Fedorov is not that guy. Many people compare the Capitals to the Penguins of a couple years ago, but the Capitals are much further away. More pieces of the puzzle are missing, especially in the key leadership roles. This summer is crucial. They must surround their young stars with good veteran leadership.

The West will always be wild. Coming into the playoffs most pointed to the Penguins or Canadiens in the East to make the Stanley Cup finals. However, in the West, most couldn’t agree between the Stars, Sharks, Wings or Ducks. All four teams are very good and will be very good again next year. If the playoffs started all over again, I am still not sure if I would say the Wings would make it out of the west. Sure, the Wings won and looked impressive doing it, but those other three teams all combine great goaltending with leadership, defense and skilled offense. The make up of each team will slightly change next year, but I fully anticipate another brawl in the West between these four teams. Everyone else is playing for 5th.

For more off-season hockey coverage, check back in a couple weeks for SportsJudge.com’s NHL draft recap. Until then, The Puck Stops Here.

The Buzz Around The Bullpen: Mattingly Tells Giambi: "Hitting's All About the "Stache"

Welcome back to another edition of the “Buzz Around the Bullpen”. As I write this latest edition, I find myself still wiping “man tears” off of my cheeks after last night's Penguins' loss. It hurts even more after realizing today that for the next three months, the most important sports story in Pittsburgh will be the battle for starting positions on the Pittsburgh Steelers offensive line. While baseball season is kicking into full gear, I'm left cheering for a Pirates squad that has broken my heart more times than Winnie Cooper broke Kevin Arnold’s. Needless to say I will be looking to my fantasy baseball teams to give me something to be excited about for the dog days of summer. Lets take a look at some moves that could cause your team to catch fire heading towards the All-Star break.

Big Moves

Jason Giambi (DH, New York Yankees): Giambi has raised his batting average almost 80 points in the past three weeks. One thing Giambi has proved throughout his career is that with regular at-bats throughout the course of a entire season, he is almost automatic for at least 30 HRs. People around baseball believe the Yankees are finally starting to turn the corner and as the Yankees’ lineup heats up, look for Giambi’s numbers to continue to improve. Giambi is still available in a little under 20% of leagues. Pick him up if he is still available and don’t be scared off by his tendency to wear a gold thong when he is slumping…I really wish I was joking about that.

Aaron Harang (SP, Cincinnati Reds): I know I have talked about Harang in a prior article but I cannot reiterate enough how much you should buy low on this guy. He has pitched entirely too well to be carrying a 2-8 record. Harang has a 3.86 ERA with 78 Ks in just 88 IP. For the past two seasons, Harang has finished as a top 10-15 fantasy pitcher. Owners have to be getting a little impatient with his bad luck and now is the time to jump on an opportunity to get a “innings eating monster” for well below market value.

Eric Chavez (3B, Oakland Athletics): Chavez fits under the “why not” category. He is available in over 60% of leagues and has proven in the past that he can be a good option at third base. I don’t think he will ever be the same after his offseason back surgery. However, a 75% Chavez is better than just about any other 3B option on your waiver wire right now. I am not terribly crazy about Chavez as an every day option but why not drop some dead weight and stash Chavez on your bench. The little risk of picking him up could pay some dividends if he can return to pre-surgery form.

Honorable Mention

Kyle Lohse (SP, St. Louis Cardinals): (6-2, 3.87 ERA, 34 Ks, 1.26 WHIP)
Dontrelle Willis (SP, Detroit Tigers): (0-0, 4.50 ERA, 3 Ks, 2.00 WHIP)
Howie Kendrick (2B, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim): (.379, 9 RBIs, 2 SBs)
Travis Buck (OF, Oakland Athletics): (.178, 2 HRs, 11 RBIs)

Big Miss

Oliver Perez (SP, New York Mets): There are rumors that in the next Batman Movie, Oliver Perez has been asked to play Batman’s villain “Two Face”. In 2004, Ollie had 239 Ks in only 196 IP and possessed a ridiculous 2.98 ERA. However, he followed up his amazing 2004 season with a year and a half of mediocrity and inconsistency. After he had frustrated the Pirates organization to their wits end, the Pirates and Mets made a deadline deal which sent Perez to New York for Xavier Nady and Roberto Hernandez. After a strong 2007 season, the Mets were convinced Perez had moved away from his “pick a different delivery every pitch” approach to pitching. However, this year he has been as inconsistent as ever. Perez is the type of pitcher that you will release or trade and immediately regret the move after he pitches 7 scoreless with 9 Ks. My advice is hang on to him and let him put together two of those great starts. Then do everything you can to try and move him. Oliver’s one great start every three weeks is not enough to negate his three bad starts in between. There will be some takers because some owners still love his potential and also believe the Mets’ offense can overcome his inconsistencies. Let them be the one who flips a coin every fifth day to decide whether to start him or not.

As with any SportsJudge articles, please feel free to post any questions or comments. Until next time, keep your ears open for the Buzz Around the Bullpen.

"Miranda Warnings": Big (Papi) Loss for BoSox

Welcome to Week #10 of "Miranda Warnings", your weekly guide to what's happening in the world of Major League Baseball, from a fantasy baseball perspective. Every Wednesday, throughout baseball's regular season, "Miranda Warnings" will appear on SportsJudge.com. I'm your host Michael Miranda.

American League East: The Red Sox attempt to win back-to-back world championships was dealt a huge blow when DH David "Big Papi" Ortiz (pictured above) landed on the 15-day DL with a partially torn tendon in his left wrist. Best-case scenario has Ortiz in a cast for 2-3 weeks. If the tendon heals properly during those 2-3 weeks, Ortiz can return to the Red Sox soon thereafter. Worst-case scenario has Ortiz undergoing season-ending surgery! Stay tuned!... Yankee P Joba Chamberlain (2 1/3 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 4 BB, 3 K, 62 PC) made his starting debut Tuesday versus Toronto. If you have him on your fantasy team or are thinking of acquiring him, your expectations must be realistic. Although Joba was a starter in the minor leagues, he hadn't started a baseball game in almost one year, prior to facing the Blue Jays! He'll be on a strich pitch count for the foreseeable future. You must be patient as Joba transitions to being a starting pitcher... Toronto 2B Aaron Hill is still feeling the lingering effects of a concussion suffered this past weekend in a collision with SS David Eckstein. Monitor the situation closely as a players' return from a concussion can be tricky. Don't rule out a DL stint... Baltimore P Daniel Cabrera (6 IP, 8 H, 6 ER, 0 BB, 3 K) was beat up pretty good in Wednesday's loss to the Twins. Although Cabrera has a ton of upside, he has been mostly inconsistent in his career. Despite being impressive thus far in 2008, this might be a good opportunity to see-high on DC... The Rays suffered a huge loss when they placed 1B Carlos Pena on the 15-day disabled list Wednesday. Pena has a fractured left index finger. Pena, who had a monster 2007 (.282 BA, 46 HR's, 121 RBI's), is expected to miss 4-6 weeks.

American League Central: Cleveland C Victor Martinez continues to battle hamstring soreness. He went 1-for-4, with two RBIs and two runs scored in Wednesday's victory over the Indians. He's still hitting for a high batting average (.287), but two months into 2008 Martinez has, unbelievably, yet to hit a HR. If you have V-Mart, you must consider selling high... Speaking of selling-high, the window to sell-high on Kansas City P Zack Greinke is closing. Greinke has been battered in two of his last three starts (19 IP, 17 ER). Ouch! With KC's anemic offense and Greinke struggling, wins will be few and far between for the young hurler... Detroit (24-35) stinks, plain and simple. They were swept in three games by Oakland this week and just don't have enough pithing to get back in the AL Central race... Twins closer Joe Nathan is having another Joe Nathan season. Nathan pitched a perfect ninth inning to collect his 16th save Wednesday against Baltimore... Don't be blinded by Chicago 1B Paul Konerko's two-run walk-off homer in Wednesday's victory over the Royals. It's just his second homer in the last 107 at-bats. Konerko is hitting just .202 overall.

American League West: LA Angels OF Vladimir Guerrero missed his third straight game Wednesday with a jammed right knee. Guerrero jammed the knee sliding into third base against Toronto this past weekend. Vladdy left the Angels in Seattle to pay a precautionary visit to Dr. Lewis Yocum. Considering how many injuries the Angels have had in 2008, don't be surprised if Vladdy has a DL stint in his future... Oakland mega-prospect OF Carlos Gonzalez, acquired in the off-season for P Dan Haren, is someone to keep an eye on. Gonzalez is playing due to OF Ryan Sweeney's injury (bruised foot). However, Gonzalez could see regular AB's even after Sweeney returns, if Gonzalez lives up to his lofty expectations... Seattle 2B Jose Lopez went 3-for-5 with a homer and three RBIs on Wednesday. Lopez has been red-hot lately, homering in each of his last three games to give him five homers in 2008. If you need infield help, get Lopez while he's hot. He's available in most leagues... Speaking of hot, Texas OF Milton Bradley is red-hot. Bradley went 2-for-3, including his 12th homer, two runs scored, three RBIs and a stolen base in Wednesday's loss to Cleveland. Bradley will eventually land on the DL, as he always does. But, for now, he's a must-have!

National League East: Mets P Oliver Perez is awful! Perez (1/3 IP, 5 H, 6 ER, 2 BB) was battered by the Giants (yes, the Giants!) on Monday. Ugh! Perez has surrendered 15 earned runs and 14 walks in his last 11 2/3 IP's! His overall numbers are absolutely ghastly! Despite four wins, Perez has a 5.70 ERA and a 1.63 WHIP! Perez faces the light-hitting Padres next. If you have Perez and he stinks again, you have to consider cutting him from your fantasy team... Atlanta P John Smoltz will undergo season-ending surgery (possibly career-ending surgery) on his ailing right shoulder. It's time to cut him in all leagues... Marlins SS Hanley Ramirez is heating up. Ramirez smacked two homers, scored three times, had three RBI's, walked twice and stole a base in Wednesday's win over Atlanta. Ramirez leads all shortstops with 48 runs scored, is tied for the lead with 11 long balls and ranks second with 14 steals... The Nationals placed 3B Ryan Zimmerman on the 15-day disabled list because of a slightly torn labrum in his left shoulder. Zimmerman hurt the shoulder while sliding headfirst against the Orioles on May 18. If surgery is necessary, Zimmerman could miss the remainder of 2008... Phillies SS Jimmy Rollins went 3-for-4 with a double, a run scored and two stolen bases on Tuesday versus Cincinnati. The reigning National League MVP entered Tuesday's game stuck in a 2-for-21 slump. The Phillies, their fans and Rollins' fantasy GM's hope that this multi-hit effort will get Rollins going.

National League Central: As we prepared for D-Day 2008, Houston C J.R. Towles was a much sought-after catcher. Towles is hitting .145 after going 0-for-3 with three strikeouts Sunday. Ouch!... Milwaukee OF Corey Hart was 2-for-4, with his seventh homer, and a season-high four RBIs in Wednesday's win over Arizona. The big game snapped a 1-for-13 mini-slump... Thanks to OF Ryan Ludwick's hot-streak, St. Louis demoted OF Chris Duncan. Duncan is a talented hitter who should turn things around eventually... Chicago Cubs P Carlos Zambrano permitted three earned runs in the first inning versus San Diego Monday, then held them scoreless for the next four, while earning his eighth win. Zambrano has been impressive in 2008 (8-1 record, 2.51 ERA)... Give Pittsburgh closer Matt Capps lots of credit. Playing for the Pirates means that Capps' save opportunities are few and far between. Yet, despite being used sparingly, Capps has 11 saves and 2.45 ERA... "Wow!", just about sums up what Cincinnati OF Jay Bruce accomplished in his first seven major league games. Bruce looks like a very special player.

National League West: San Francisco P Matt Cain is only 2-4 in 2008. Don't give up on him though as the Giants offense has shown some signs of life lately. Cain's 4.67 ERA and 1.41 WHIP are decent, and his 68 strikeouts in 79 innings give him with plenty of value in fantasy leagues that count strike outs... Arizona 3B/1B Chad Tracy hit his second homer of the year in Sunday's win over the Nationals. He'll continue to see regular at-bats at first base with Conor Jackson injured (quad). When Jackson returns, expect Tracy and 3B Mark Reynolds to platoon at 3B... Dodgers P Clayton Kershaw (5 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 5 K) suffered his first major league loss on Wednesday against Colorado. If P Jason Schmidt (shoulder) doesn't suffer any setbacks in his rehab, expect Kershaw to be sent to the bullpen or back to the minors... San Diego P Jake Peavy (elbow) pitched off the mound for the first time since going on the 15-day disabled list May 14. Peavy threw 45 pitches in a pain-free bullpen session. If Peavy doesn't suffer any setbacks, he could return to the Padres' rotation by mid-June... Colorado C Chris Iannetta hit his fifth homer of 2008 in Tuesday's win over the Dodgers. Iannetta is starting about two to three games a week, although he wasn't expected to see this much playing-time heading into 2008. Iannetta is a decent #2 fantasy catcher.

See you next week!