We go around baseball's pitching rotations and Fantasy Baseball's two-start pitchers every Sunday of the season in our weekly Pitching Planner.
Staff reflections
Arizona Diamondbacks: The Diamondbacks called up RHP Yusmeiro Petit from Triple-A Tucson to start Sunday's series finale. Manager Bob Melvin likes what he's seen out of Petit in his limited time in the majors. In fact, Arizona took Petit's potential into account when Byung-Hyun Kim was designated for assignment earlier in the week. "That's why we probably pulled the plug a little bit quicker on Kim, is that we have a guy that's been pitching pretty well for us," Melvin said. Petit has sleeper value in deeper leagues as their No. 5 starter. Streaking Doug Davis is the team's lone two-start pitcher.
Atlanta Braves: All five starters will work in succession, including two-start pitchers Tim Hudson and Chuck James.
Baltimore Orioles: All five starters will work in succession, including two-start pitchers Daniel Cabrera and Erik Bedard.
Boston Red Sox: All five starters will work in succession, including two-start pitchers Tim Wakefield and Jon Lester. Each could have been a two-starter last week, but spot starts by rookie Clay Buchholz and reliever Julian Tavarez moved them back so the Red Sox could set up their rotation for the Yankees at the end of August.
Chicago Cubs: All five starters will work in succession, including two-start pitchers Ted Lilly and Jason Marquis.
Chicago White Sox: All five starters will work in succession, including two-start pitchers Mark Buehrle and Javier Vazquez.
Cincinnati Reds: All five starters will work in succession, including two-start pitchers Phil Dumatrait and Bobby Livingston.
Cleveland Indians: Manager Eric Wedge said the Indians will stay with a four-man rotation until Aug. 25. Cliff Lee, Jeremy Sowers and Aaron Laffey are the candidates to start that day. The winner will be a sleeper for all leagues, especially since the Indians are a top contender with a great offense. Sowers and Laffey are pitching better than Lee, who will be on regular rest for that Saturday start. The winner will be postseason eligible and likely be available as a playoff lefty reliever. Fausto Carmona is the team's lone two-start pitcher.
Colorado Rockies: With Aaron Cook (oblique), Rodrigo Lopez (elbow) and Jason Hirsh (leg) on the DL, the Rockies are relying on rookies Ubaldo Jimenez and Franklin Morales in their rotation. Also, No. 5 man Elmer Dessens will keep the No. 5 spot warm, perhaps until Taylor Buchholz can get stretched out. Jimenez, who is intriguing and hit 100 MPH on the gun in his past start, and Dessens are two-start pitchers this week.
Detroit Tigers: Rookie RHP Jair Jurrjens is scheduled to get another start next Tuesday against Cleveland. He made his major league debut Wednesday night against the Indians and took the loss but pitched well. LHP Andrew Miller is slated to make another rehab start for Triple-A Toledo on Monday. Miller could return over the weekend, while Jurrjens can keep his rotation spot with a nice outing Tuesday. Miller might take Jurrjens second start, but Jurrjens can earn it back by outpitching Chad Durbin. Durbin might start Friday unless Jeremy Bonderman is kept on regular rest that day, relegating Durbin to relief. Miller would then pitch Saturday and Jurrjens gets a second start Sunday. Use the talented, young Jurrjens in deeper AL-only leagues. We suggest avoiding Durbin, who could be sent to the bullpen after Jurrjen's start, and Miller, who could have a setback on his rehab assignment. Kenny Rogers (elbow) is expected to throw a bullpen session on the homestand with a post-Sept. 1 activation likely. Keep him reserved in Fantasy Week 21 (Aug. 20-26).
Florida Marlins: All five starters will work in succession, including two-start pitchers Sergio Mitre and rookie Daniel Barone.
Houston Astros: Hurricane Dean threatens to affect games in Houston, which plays in a dome but would likely cancel games if the storm does any significant damage. Roy Oswalt (oblique) appears he will be doubtful for his start this week. Consider him a must-reserve at this point. His potential spot start isn't intriguing enough to consider at this point, although top prospect Troy Patton could arrive and really be a popular addition in all deeper leagues. Jason Jennings and Wandy Rodriguez are two-start pitchers, but they will be risky ones if Hurricane Dean does hit early this week.
Kansas City Royals: RHP Brandon Duckworth had a shaky rehab start for Triple-A Omaha on Wednesday night, giving up five runs in the first inning of a two-inning stint in a 6-3 loss to Iowa. The organization is going slow with Duckworth, who remains on a 45-50 pitch limit after he went on 15-day DL on June 14 due to a left rib cage strain. Duckworth will have at least one more rehab start and the Royals would like to add him to the rotation by the end of August. Gil Meche is the team's lone two-start pitcher.
L.A. Angels of Anaheim: Ervin Santana won his rotation spot back and will start against Toronto this week, which means Dustin Moseley will take a final turn in the rotation Monday before heading back to the bullpen. Joe Saunders likely keeps his spot over Moseley, at least until RHP Bartolo Colon is ready to return in September. Colon threw a bullpen session Saturday and "the ball came out of his hand great," manager Mike Scioscia said. He said Colon would throw "probably no more than 45 pitches" during a simulated game Tuesday. Colon went on the DL on July 24 with right elbow irritation. Kelvim Escobar is likely the team's lone two-start pitcher, assuming Moseley doesn't keep his rotation spot over Jered Weaver. Not a chance there.
Los Angeles Dodgers: Eric Stults will get another go as the No. 5 starter next weekend at the N.Y. Mets. He will keep that rotation spot for the time being. LHP Randy Wolf, out since July 4 because of shoulder problems, said he will begin playing catch by the middle of next week in the hope that he can salvage something out of this season. "The frustrating part is that the clock is running out," said Wolf. "All I can go by is the information I have and how I feel. I feel like I can throw right now, but I think it's going to take that extra week. I can't be certain what the outcome will be. I've obviously been a little gun-shy since the last time I threw, and I'm being very cautious and trying to do it right." Brett Tomko, who slid back to allow Brad Penny to start on three days rest Sunday, is the team's lone two-start pitcher. He is a risky one, though, because he's a candidate to be replaced by a minor league call-up after any given start.
Milwaukee Brewers: RHP Ben Sheets, on the disabled list since July 16 with a partial tendon tissue tear in his right middle finger, threw a bullpen session Thursday morning and is expected to throw a simulated game in Arizona next week. Brewers manager Ned Yost knows the team needs its ace back in the rotation, but Yost won't rush his return. "I want to make sure he feels good and he's free and easy," Yost said. Sheets is out until at least early September. Yovani Gallardo is a two-start pitcher, but a day off Thursday and the following Monday could allow the Brewers the luxury of going to a four-man rotation. Gallardo or Chris Capuano had been struggling and could be candidates to skip over the weekend. If one of them is, Dave Bush would get a serendipitous second start. Consider Bush a slightly more intriguing one-start pitcher. The Brewers are in a tight pennant race and will go with whomever gives them a best chance to win on a start-to-start basis. Capuano was on shaky ground before Sunday's start and Gallardo was pitching equally poorly. If one of them loses his rotation spot, Sheets is a candidate to take it in September and talented rookie Manny Parra could be an option out of the bullpen.
Minnesota Twins: All five starters will work in succession, including two-start pitchers Matt Garza and Scott Baker. Struggling Boof Bonser is on shaky ground of late, leading to the possibility Glen Perkins (shoulder) or Kevin Slowey from Triple-A could take some starts from him in September. Bonser stays in the rotation for now, but watch him in his next couple of turns.
New York Mets: RHP Pedro Martinez's next rehabilitation start will be Monday for Class A St. Lucie, with Mets pitching coach Rick Peterson expected to attend on his off day. Don't expect him to rejoin the Mets rotation until after at least two more rehab outings. He has looked terrible in his recovery from shoulder surgery. John Maine is the team's lone two-start pitcher, while Brian Lawrence will continue to serve as the No. 5 starter. Former No. 1 picks Mike Pelfrey and Philip Humber have stunk in Triple-A and won't be call-up candidates before the end of the Triple-A season and therefore won't be postseason eligible.
New York Yankees: All five starters will work in succession, including two-start pitcher Phil Hughes.
Oakland Athletics: The A's will activate RHP Esteban Loaiza to start Wednesday at Toronto, which will be his first appearance of the year after a pair of injuries. Loaiza pitched in his final rehab outing Saturday at Triple-A Sacramento, going six innings and more than 100 pitches. RHP Rich Harden is throwing from 125 feet (up from 70 feet) on flat ground as he rehabs a strained right shoulder in Arizona. "He's throwing just about every day," Geren said. "It's all been positive." Joe Blanton and Dan Haren are the team's two-start pitchers this week. Lenny DiNardo and Chad Gaudin remain the back-end starters until at least early September.
Philadelphia Phillies: All five starters will work in succession, including two-start pitcher Kyle Kendrick.
Pittsburgh Pirates: Manager Jim Tracy said LHP Shane Youman was available for bullpen duty this weekend and, for now, RHP Tony Armas would remain in the rotation as the fifth starter. LHP Zach Duke, on the DL since June 29 with tightness in his left elbow, will pitch for Bradenton on Wednesday. Youman and Duke are candidates to return to the rotation in September as the Pirates evaluate for 2008 and beyond. Matt Morris and Armas are the team's two-start pitchers.
San Diego Padres: Manager Bud Black said the Padres haven't decided whether ace Jake Peavy will start Wednesday or Thursday at the Mets. Peavy started Friday night, and the team might give him an extra day. Peavy was moved up one day in the rotation so he could pitch on his normal four days rest. Peavy was scheduled to start Saturday night, but with the Padres having a day off Monday, his start got bumped up one day. Padres manager Bud Black said he would consider keeping Peavy on four days rest in the future. Peavy and RHP Chris Young have been among the most consistent pitchers in the NL, while the rest of the Padres starting pitchers have been inconsistent of late. Young is the team's lone two-start pitcher.
San Francisco Giants: LHP Pat Misch joined the Giants bullpen, his third stint with the big league club this season. Misch was called up after Wednesday's game to replace RHP Randy Messenger, who went on the DL after breaking his left hand in a batting-practice mishap. "We need some help in the pen," manager Bruce Bochy said. "He gives us a fresh arm." Misch is a candidate to return to the rotation in September. Russ Ortiz and Tim Lincecum are the team's two-start pitchers this week.
Seattle Mariners: LHP Horacio Ramirez said he doesn't sense his team is running low on patience with him as the playoff race heats up. Ramirez, whom manager John McLaren has said will remain in the rotation, has allowed 24 hits and 17 earned runs in 14 innings over his past three starts. He is 7-4 despite a 7.38 ERA. "I don't know," he said, when asked if he feels his opportunity to improve may be dwindling. "That's not really up to me. ... I just worry about what I can control." Ramirez, due to start Monday at Minnesota, said he has been working with pitching coach Rafael Chaves on "tweaking" his throwing motion so he can be more consistent with his release point. "It's hard walking in the next day, coming into the clubhouse knowing I didn't give the team a chance to win," he said. Ramirez and Jarrod Washburn are the team's two-start pitchers.
St. Louis Cardinals: All five starters will work in succession, including two-start pitcher Joel Pineiro and Adam Wainwright.
Tampa Bay Devil Rays: Manager Joe Maddon and executive vice president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman plan to discuss potential September player callups Monday. Tampa Bay will likely bring up just a few players from the minors when rosters can expand Sept. 1. The Devil Rays said RHP Jeff Niemann, taken fourth overall in the 2004 amateur draft, remains on target to start next Tuesday for Triple-A Durham. The highly regarded prospect has been out since July 31 with right shoulder fatigue. He would be the most likely rotation candidate in September. All five starters will work in succession, including two-start pitchers Scott Kazmir and Andy Sonnanstine.
Texas Rangers: RHP Edinson Volquez, 5-1 with a 1.89 ERA for Triple-A Oklahoma after starting the season at Class A Bakersfield, will rejoin the Rangers' rotation Tuesday. Injuries have scuttled the team's plans for Kevin Millwood, Vicente Padilla, Brandon McCarthy and Kameron Loe to be the mainstays of the rotation. McCarthy became the latest to go on the 15-day DL because of a stress fracture in his right shoulder. "People talk about how many times we've actually been able to go through our rotation and it hasn't been very much, three or four times," pitching coach Mark Connor said. "It's been a hard year, a frustrating year, whatever you want to call it. Everybody's had some issue but life goes on and you've got to deal with it." Vicente Padilla and Volquez are the team's two-start pitchers, while Kason Gabbard and Kevin Millwood are one-start options. The No. 5 rotation spot is down to Kameron Loe or John Rheinecker, but an official decision hasn't been made on who stays and who goes with the call-up of Volquez.
Toronto Blue Jays: Blue Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi said exploratory surgery could be required to determine what is wrong with LHP Gustavo Chacin (left shoulder). Chacin (2-1, 5.60) has not pitched since April 28 and is not expected to pitch for the Blue Jays again this season. Shaun Marcum and Dustin McGowan are the team's two-start pitchers.
Washington Nationals: LHP Mike Bacsik is still scheduled to start Wednesday's game in Houston, but remains available to pitch out of the bullpen until that time. Manager Manny Acta said a minor league pitcher would be called up to make the start if he needs Bacsik to pitch in relief. RHP John Patterson, trying to recover from a nerve problem in his throwing arm, will pitch live batting practice Sunday at the Nationals complex in Florida. Consider him a potential sleeper in September once healthy and ready to return to the rotation. Tim Redding and Joel Hanrahan are the team's two-start pitchers this week.
Fantasy Week 21 (Aug. 20-26)
| This week's matchups | |||
| AL early | NL early | AL late | NL late |
| TEX@BAL | FLA@STL | MIN@BAL | FLA@CIN |
| OAK@TOR | CHC@SF | OAK@TB | CHC@ARI |
| BOS@TB | ATL@CIN | BOS@CHW | ATL@STL |
| SEA@MIN | WAS@HOU | SEA@TEX | WAS@COL |
| KC@CHW | PIT@COL | TOR@LAA | PIT@HOU |
| NYY@LAA | MIL@ARI | NYY@DET | MIL@SF |
| CLE@DET | LAD@PHI | CLE@KC | LAD@NYM |
| SD@NYM | SD@PHI | ||
| Bold indicates a four-game series. | |||
| The following teams play seven games this week: Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati, Colorado, Florida, Houston, L.A. Angels, Minnesota, Oakland, Pittsburgh, San Francisco, Seattle, St. Louis, Tampa Bay, Texas, Toronto and Washington. | |||
Two-start pitchers
| This week's two-start pitchers | ||
| Must-start options | ||
| Pitcher | Start No. 1 | Start No. 2 |
| Erik Bedard | vs. TEX Volquez | vs. MIN Baker |
| Tim Hudson | at CIN Dumatrait | at STL Pineiro |
| Dan Haren | at TOR McGowan | at TB Sonnanstine |
| Scott Kazmir | vs. BOS Wakefield | vs. OAK Blanton |
| Kelvim Escobar | vs. NYY Mussina | vs. TOR McGowan |
| Chris R. Young | at NYM Maine | at PHI Kendrick |
| Fausto Carmona | at DET Jurrjens | at KC Meche |
| Javier Vazquez | vs. KC Nunez | vs. BOS Lester |
| Tim Lincecum | vs. CHC Marquis | vs. MIL Gallardo |
| Joe Blanton | at TOR Marcum | at TB Kazmir |
| Advisable options | ||
| Ted Lilly | vs. STL Pineiro | at ARI Petit |
| John Maine | vs. SD Young | vs. LAD Tomko |
| Mark Buehrle | vs. KC Meche | vs. BOS Wakefield |
| Adam Wainwright | vs. FLA Barone | vs. ATL James |
| Shaun Marcum | vs. OAK Blanton | at LAA Saunders |
| Phil Hughes | at LAA Moseley | at DET Jurrjens? |
| Yovani Gallardo | at ARI Davis | at SF Lincecum |
| Matt Garza | vs. SEA Ramirez | at BAL Cabrera |
| Tim Wakefield | at TB Kazmir | at CHW Buehrle |
| Dustin McGowan | vs. OAK Haren | at LAA Escobar |
| Jon Lester | at TB Sonnanstine | at CHW Vazquez |
| Tom Gorzelanny | at COL Dessens | at HOU Rodriguez |
| Chuck James | at CIN Livingston | at STL Wainwright |
| Doug Davis | vs. MIL Gallardo | vs. CHC Marquis |
| Wandy Rodriguez | vs. WAS Hanrahan | vs. PIT Gorzelanny |
| Daniel Cabrera | vs. TEX Padilla | vs. MIN Garza |
| Jason Marquis | at SF Lincecum | at ARI Davis |
| Ubaldo Jimenez | vs. PIT Morris | vs. WAS Redding |
| Scott Baker | vs. SEA Washburn | at BAL Bedard |
| Jarrod Washburn | at MIN Baker | at TEX Volquez |
| Questionable options | ||
| Gil Meche | at CHW Buehrle | vs. CLE Carmona |
| Kyle Kendrick | vs. LAD Tomko | vs. SD Young |
| Matt Morris | at COL Jimenez | at HOU Jennings |
| Sergio Mitre | vs. SF Ortiz | at CIN Dumatrait |
| Joel Pineiro | at CHC Lilly | vs. ATL Hudson |
| Jason Jennings | vs. WAS Redding | vs. PIT Morris |
| High-risk options | ||
| Tim Redding | at HOU Jennings | at COL Jimenez |
| Vicente Padilla | at BAL Cabrera | vs. SEA Ramirez |
| Joel Hanrahan | at HOU Rodriguez | at COL Dessens? |
| Brett Tomko | at PHI Kendrick | at NYM Maine |
| Andy Sonnanstine | vs. BOS Lester | vs. OAK Haren |
| Bobby Livingston | vs. ATL James | vs. FLA Barone |
| Horacio Ramirez | at MIN Garza | at TEX Padilla |
| Russ Ortiz | at FLA Mitre | vs. MIL Capuano |
| Elmer Dessens | vs. PIT Gorzelanny | vs. WAS Hanrahan |
| Edinson Volquez | at BAL Bedard | vs. SEA Washburn |
| Phil Dumatrait | at ATL Hudson | vs. FLA Mitre |
| Daniel Barone | at STL Wainwright | at CIN Livingston |
| Jair Jurrjens | vs. CLE Carmona | vs. NYY Hughes |
Pitch a question
John Anthony, Pa.: Would you go with Joel Pineiro, a two-starter, or A.J. Burnett pitching at home with one start?
Emack: Burnett is a must-start in most leagues on a regular basis -- especially while healthy and in that favorable matchup vs. the A's. Pineiro is hot and an intriguing two-starter, but you don't sit a top arm like Burnett to slot him. Consider Pineiro over a lower-end one-start option.
Romeo, San Jose: What's the better pickup, not just for Week 21, but for the long term as well. I'm in first right now and I'm trying to shore up my pitching staff for the playoffs with a spare roster spot: Joel Pineiro, Shawn Hill, Doug Davis, Ubaldo Jimenez or Wandy Rodriguez?
Emack: Davis has the best contender and is a solid two-start pitcher. Jimenez and Pineiro, in that order, are intriguing, too, but Davis has the best supporting cast and is the most proven and hot of late. Hill and Rodriguez are more of long-term options because of their sub-.500 supporting casts.
You can e-mail Emack your Fantasy Baseball pitching questions to DMFantasyBaseball@cbs.com. Be sure to put Attn: Pitching Planner in the subject field. Please include your full name, hometown and state. Be aware, due to the large volume of submissions received, we do not guarantee personal responses or answers to all questions.
