Mike Trout, OF, Angels: When a player reaches the majors at age 20, the general assumption is he'll struggle for a couple weeks before inevitably returning to the minors for more seasoning. In Trout's case, it was especially true since that's basically what happened to him as a 19-year-old last year. But that little bit of time he spent getting his feet wet has apparently made all the difference. So far in 2012, his numbers have translated from Triple-A Salt Lake. He was hitting .403 there. He's hitting .355 now, with just as much speed and, as is often the case for a high-ceiling player getting an opportunity to see more strikes, more power. Over the last two weeks, Trout has performed like a top-30 Fantasy outfielder, and given his talent, you have no reason to believe it'll end anytime soon.
Matt Carpenter 3B/1B/OF, Cardinals: With Allen Craig (hamstring) and Lance Berkman (knee) both forced to the DL over the weekend, the Cardinals went from having too many corner infield-outfield types to not enough. Or perhaps just enough if you count Carpenter among the list of viable starting options, and he has given you no reason why you shouldn't, compiling an .845 OPS in part-time duty. Of course, Matt Adams is also in the mix, but the Cardinals have enough holes in their lineup that Carpenter should still get to play more often than not against right-handed pitchers. Though he struggled in a similar role when Craig and Berkman were both sidelined earlier this season, he has since come around with a .348 (8 for 23) batting average and two home runs over his last nine games. With his extra-base pop and on-base ability, the rookie should be a serviceable corner infielder in mixed leagues.
Bartolo Colon, SP, Athletics: Colon was the talk of the baseball world at the start of 2011, submitting to an unorthodox procedure to help him recapture his lost form. But if he ran out of steam then, at age 38, you had to expect he would again this year, at age 39. Apparently this time, it took only six starts. Now the hot waiver pickup who was going eight innings with ease in March and April has given up 36 hits in 19 innings over his last four starts. Considering his average fastball velocity has dropped a mile per hour or two during that stretch, it's probably not just a matter of him needing to locate his pitches better. He was worth a shot early, but you should feel comfortable letting him go in standard mixed leagues.
A.J. Ellis, C, Dodgers: Ellis was never considered a top catching prospect. He didn't have the all-around offensive ability of a Devin Mesoraco or the raw power of a Wilin Rosario. But one thing he could always do is walk. Boy, could he walk, compiling a .406 on-base percentage over nine minor-league seasons. So what, then, is so unsustainable about his numbers now -- numbers that have made him the ninth-ranked catcher in standard Head-to-Head leagues? It's not like he's homering every other day. No, it's the .446 on-base percentage that's carrying him. Maybe if he was doing something he'd never done before, you could dismiss a player with his lack of pedigree, but because walks are as natural to him as they are to Jonathan Sanchez, you should feel pretty good about starting him in a standard mixed league.
Rangers' Hamilton confirms relapse, calls his drinking 'wrong' - MLB - CBSSports.com News, Rumors, Scores, Stats, Fantasy Advice
Rangers' Hamilton confirms relapse, calls his drinking 'wrong'
CBSSports.com wire reports
ARLINGTON, Texas -- Texas Rangers outfielder and recovering drug addict Josh Hamilton says he had a relapse and had "three or four" drinks earlier this week.
Hamilton spoke Friday, confirming a report that he drank alcohol at a Dallas-area bar on Monday night. He said it was a "weak moment" and "it was just wrong."
The 30-year-old player was suspended for more than three years for drug and alcohol use while in the Tampa Bay organization. He missed the entire 2004 and 2005 seasons, but has become one of the best players in baseball on a team that has won the last two American League pennants. He was the AL MVP in 2010.
It is Hamilton's second known alcohol-related relapse in three years. In January 2009, he drank to excess in a bar in Tempe, Ariz. Before that, Hamilton said he hadn't taken a drink of alcohol since Oct. 6, 2005.
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