Pitching Forecaster: An infusion of aces

It is a make or break time of the year for Fantasy owners hopeful for their postseason or the Rotisserie stretch run and for pitchers hoping to come off the DL before the end of the season.

It means you have to monitor the Probable Pitchers reports all that more closely -- and those serving out minor league rehab assignments, like Jake Peavy, Daisuke Matsuzaka and Tim Hudson. Aces all, and potential contributors for contenders and Fantasy owners.

After Fantasy Week 22 (Aug. 31-Sept. 6), there won't be any more minor league regular seasons in which to stretch out arms.

It likely won't matter to Peavy. He looks poised to return to the White Sox rotation this Saturday due to the failure of Jose A. Contreras and his own impressive rehab outing Monday in Triple-A.

Peavy went five shutout innings, striking out three, walking two and allowing four hits. He dodged injury while he was at it, too, staying in the game after taking a liner off the elbow. Contreras meanwhile was busy in Boston getting bombed and removed from the rotation.

It really lines up perfectly for Peavy owners, because they will get to see him against arguably the best team in baseball this weekend before considering starting him in a potential crucial week for Fantasy. If it is not yet your Head-to-Head postseason, it soon will be. And, in Rotisserie leagues, it is time to seperate the contenders from those spending their free time preparing for their Fantasy Football drafts.

Dice-K was also working a rehab outing Monday. He tossed three scoreless innings in the Gulf Coast League, setting up a potential return to the Red Sox, which will come no sooner than Sept. 8, manager Terry Francona said. He will pitch Saturday for Double-A and then the following Thursday in Triple-A.

Francona told The Sports Xchange that Matsuzaka is stronger and trimmer than he was in the WBC-interrupted spring training.

"The last two months have gone, in my opinion, as good as possibly expected," Francona said. "He's not only met but exceeded every milestone that's been put in front of him."

A quietly under-the-radar arm the Red Sox will get back first is 38-year-old veteran Paul Byrd, who could work in the rotation or long relief. He was great in what was perhaps his final Triple-A start before a Sept. 1 call-up, tossing seven innings and allowing a run on three hits. We would be a lot more excited about Byrd if he was going to get a rotation spot, but it looks like Junichi Tazawa and Tim Wakefield will hold down the back end of the rotation until Dice-K can return.

Finally, the Tommy John surgery survivor Hudson could join a crowded Braves rotation after the end of his minor league rehab assignment in early September. Hudson stretched out to six innings Sunday, allowing three earned runs, one walk and six hits while striking out five. He will get perhaps one last rehab outing Aug. 28 and return as soon as Sept. 3 at Florida.

The list of rehabilitating pitchers doesn't end there. There are over a dozen other pitchers on rehab assignments that will have to expire after or during Fantasy Week 22 (Aug. 31-Sept. 6) -- like, Brandon McCarthy, Brett Myers and Jeremy Bonderman.

But Peavy, Dice-K and Hudson figure to be the only ones that have the potential to impact all Fantasy leagues in crunch time.

Arizona Diamondbacks

Potential two-start SPs for Week 22
Pitcher	TM	Own%	Start%
Josh Johnson	FLA	97	85
Rich Harden	CHC	96	85
Javier Vazquez	ATL	97	84
A.J. Burnett	NYY	97	79
Cole Hamels	PHI	97	77
Roy Oswalt	HOU	97	73
James Shields	TB	95	73
Edwin Jackson	DET	95	73
Gavin Floyd	CHW	95	68
Joel Pineiro	STL	85	66
Randy Wolf	LA	90	65
Scott Kazmir	TB	93	64
Randy Wells	CHC	83	61
Andy Pettitte	NYY	89	60
John Danks	CHW	94	58
Jarrod Washburn	DET	84	47
Jonathan O. Sanchez	SF	70	40
Derek Holland	TEX	61	30
Kenshin Kawakami	ATL	44	27
Doug Davis	ARI	49	23
Gio Gonzalez	OAK	39	20
Tim Wakefield	BOS	71	20
Joe Saunders	ANA	68	19
Anibal Sanchez	FLA	39	19
Paul Maholm	PIT	42	18
Braden Looper	MIL	30	16
Luke Hochevar	KC	29	12
Jeremy Guthrie	BAL	23	9
Trevor Cahill	OAK	25	9
Marc Rzepczynski	TOR	15	8
Vicente Padilla	LA	19	6
Brett Cecil	TOR	19	6
Doug W. Fister	SEA	9	5
Luke French	SEA	8	4
Tim Stauffer	SD	9	4
Yusmeiro Petit	ARI	8	3
David Huff	CLE	5	2
Armando Gabino	MIN	2	1
J.D. Martin	WAS	2	1
Josh Fogg	COL	1	0

Week 22 two-starter(s): Davis and Petit. They figure to be questionable options even with quality starts Wednesday and Thursday.
Starters on the DL: Brandon Webb (shoulder, out for the season).
Starters to watch in the minors: None. Jarrod Parker has been shut down for the season, so if the D-Backs need a starter, it could be Daniel Cabrera or Juan Gutierrez out of long relief.

Atlanta Braves

Week 22 two-starter(s): Kawakami and Vazquez. Vazquez is likely a must-start, while Kawakami is a sleeper while he pitches for his rotation spot down the stretch.
Starters on the DL: Tim Hudson (elbow) and Jorge Campillo (shoulder, out for the season). Hudson will need more time on his rehab assignment, but he could be a candidate to return before the end of Fantasy Week 22 (Aug. 31-Sept. 6). Track his progress through the weekend, but we wouldn't consider him a viable option in his first start coming off Tommy John surgery.
Starters to watch in the minors: Jo-Jo Reyes. The depth will come from a returning Hudson or reliever Kris Medlen first. We don't see the Braves needing rotation help, though.

Baltimore Orioles

Week 22 two-starter(s): Guthrie. He figures to be a high-risk option even in AL-only leagues after his start Wednesday at Minnesota. A quality start would merely make him less risky and merely questionable to use in most formats.
Starters on the DL: Brad Bergesen (leg), Koji Uehara (shoulder), Rich J. Hill (shoulder, out for the season) and Alfredo Simon (elbow, out for the season). Bergesen is throwing again and could be a sixth starter for the O's, which could affect Guthrie's second start. We tend to believe Bergesen won't be ready before the end of Fantasy Week 22 (Aug. 31-Sept. 6), though, and would likely replace a struggling starter rather than slot as a No. 6 man.
Starters to watch in the minors: Jake Arrieta, Troy Patton and Brandon Erbe. Arrieta likely gets a call-up in September, but Patton has already been told he will be shut down once the Triple-A season is over. Erbe was injured earlier this year, too, making it less likely we see him this season.

Boston Red Sox

Week 22 two-starter(s): Wakefield. He could be a sleeper for deeper leagues, but we expect Wednesday's return vs. the White Sox will make him a questionable option best left for deeper AL-only leagues.
Starters on the DL: Daisuke Matsuzaka (shoulder). He has started a rehab assignment and could be brought back to the majors anytime after Sept. 1. We tend to believe the Red Sox will maximize the final remaining days of the minor league season, though, giving Dice-K plenty of time to ramp up for the season's final few weeks.
Starters to watch in the minors: Michael Bowden. Brad Penny has been demoted to the bullpen and Dice-K is on his way back, so it is doubtful we will see Bowden in anything more than a spot-starting role in September.

Chicago Cubs

Week 22 two-starter(s): Harden and Wells. They should be advisable options, if not must-starts after going Wednesday and Thursday vs. the Nationals.
Starters on the DL: None.
Starters to watch in the minors: Jeff Samardzija. Sean Marshall remains stuck in the Pitch-22, while Samardzija can at least stretch out down in the minors. He would be high risk if he gets starts in September, though. He hasn't been that great back in Triple-A.

Chicago White Sox

Week 22 two-starter(s): Floyd and Danks. They figure to be at least advisable options after they start Wednesday and Thursday at Boston.
Starters on the DL: Jake Peavy (ankle) and Bartolo Colon (elbow, out for the season). With the demotion of Jose A. Contreras, Peavy is now expected to return this weekend. It will give you a look at him before using him for Fantasy Week 22 (Aug. 31-Sept. 6).
Starters to watch in the minors: Daniel Hudson. He is a combined 14-5 with a 2.37 ERA and .202 batting-average against in four stops from low Class A to Triple-A, albeit more human in Triple-A (2-0, 3.43, .266). The return of Peavy blocks him, unless Garcia continues to prove ineffective.

Cincinnati Reds

Bronson Arroyo
Justin Lehr
Homer Bailey
Micah Owings
TBD
TBD

Week 22 two-starter(s): TBD. They have a Monday doubleheader vs. the Pirates, which will require a six-man rotation the next six days/seven games. There is no announcement yet on either starter, though. One of them could be a two-start pitcher, or Owings could be moved up for a two-start week. The Reds' two-start pitcher is a high-risk option regardless of which scenario plays out.
Starters on the DL: Johnny Cueto (shoulder), Aaron Harang (appendectomy, out for the season) Edinson Volquez (elbow, out for the season). Cueto is questionable to return this season, much less for Fantasy Week 22 (Aug. 31-Sept. 6). Keep him reserved in all formats.
Starters to watch in the minors: Matt Maloney. His numbers in Triple-A (9-9, 3.08) should earn him another look. He could be up as soon as Friday after making a start Sunday. The Reds certainly need someone -- two of someone, in fact.

Cleveland Indians

Week 22 two-starter(s): Huff. He is a high-risk option even for AL-only leagues at this point.
Starters on the DL: Jake Westbrook (elbow, out for the season) and Anthony Reyes (elbow, out for the season).
Starters to watch in the minors: Scott Lewis, Carlos Carrasco, Hector Rondon, Charles Lofgren and Jeanmar Gomez. That is some Triple-A rotation, but anyone that comes up would initially be a high-risk AL-only option in September.

Colorado Rockies

Week 22 two-starter(s): Fogg or De La Rosa. The Rockies could choose to skip the spot starter Fogg next Tuesday after a Monday off day, which would make De La Rosa a two-start sleeper. Consider him in deeper formats if he posts another quality start Thursday vs. the Dodgers. He has been a real pleasant surprise this season.
Starters on the DL: Aaron Cook (shoulder) and Jeff Francis (shoulder, out for the season). Cook's sore shoulder will keep him out through Fantasy Week 22 (Aug. 31-Sept. 6) at least. They have a some real nice mojo going, but they sorely need Cook amid the pennant race in the NL West.
Starters to watch in the minors: Christian Friedrich and Jhoulys Chacin. Franklin Morales is up in relief, Chacin bombed in a spot start, while Friedrich is dominating in high Class A at 3-1 with a 1.93 ERA. We doubt the Rockies dip down for a Class A pitcher down the stretch, though. Chacin struggled in his past Triple-A start, making him a risky option for the Rockies and any Fantasy owners.

Detroit Tigers

Week 22 two-starter(s): Washburn and Jackson. They are advisable options after Washburn earned his first victory as a Tiger Tuesday night.
Starters on the DL: Jeremy Bonderman (shoulder), Nate Robertson (elbow) and Dontrelle Willis (anxiety). They are on rehab assignments until Sept. 1 and could be spot starters or long relievers come September. We don't see them getting starts at this point, though.
Starters to watch in the minors: Brooks Brown and Alfredo Figaro. Neither of these guys are real long-term candidates. The depth would come from the DL returnees, if anything. Robertson is the most stretched out, going five innings in his past start.

Florida Marlins

Week 22 two-starter(s): Johnson and Sanchez. Johnson figures to be a must-start, while Sanchez is a nice sleeper with a quality start Thursday vs. the Mets.
Starters on the DL: None.
Starters to watch in the minors: Andrew Miller and Rick VandenHurk. Miller is pitching again, but he will need the rest of the minor league season to prove healthy and effective enough for a call-up to a rotation spot. It is possible the Marlins use him in a six-man rotation, though.

Houston Astros

Roy Oswalt
Wandy Rodriguez
Bud Norris
Brian Moehler
Yorman Bazardo

Week 22 two-starter(s): Oswalt. He figures to be a must-start in all leagues.
Starters on the DL: Mike Hampton (shoulder, might be out for the season). Hampton wants to try to pitch with a partial tear in his shoulder that should require offseason surgery. We don't see any value here.
Starters to watch in the minors: None.

Kansas City Royals

Week 22 two-starter(s): Hochevar. He is merely a questionable option even with a quality start Wednesday vs. the Indians.
Starters on the DL: None.
Starters to watch in the minors: None. Bruce Chen was removed for Meche's return, so he is now likely the de facto No. 6 starter -- one not worth stashing.

Los Angeles Angels

Week 22 two-starter(s): Saunders. He returns from the DL on Wednesday, but his struggles and injury questions make him a questionable option unless he is really lights out in his return.
Starters on the DL: Dustin Moseley (elbow, might be out for the season).
Starters to watch in the minors: Sean O'Sullivan, Jordan Walden and Trevor Reckling. Reckling is emerging as their top pitching prospect, but we have to figure the Angels will stick with what they have or turn back to Matt Palmer or Shane Loux.

Los Angeles Dodgers

Week 22 two-starter(s): Wolf and Padilla. Wolf is likely advisable in any format with a quality start Wednesday at the Rockies, while Padilla could be a sleeper for deeper formats with a solid Dodgers debut Thursday at the Rockies.
Starters on the DL: Hiroki Kuroda and Eric Milton (shoulder, out for the season). Kuroda could return later in Fantasy Week 22 (Aug. 31-Sept. 6), but track his news through the weekend before considering him.
Starters to watch in the minors: Joshua Lindblom. James McDonald is in the bullpen and Lindblom is working there in Triple-A to help out down the stretch, too.

Milwaukee Brewers

Week 22 two-starter(s): Looper. He is a potential sleeper in deeper formats with a quality start Wednesday vs. the Reds.
Starters on the DL: Dave Bush (shoulder). They expect him to return Thursday. Suppan came off the DL to start Tuesday night, a less than stellar outing vs. the Reds.
Starters to watch in the minors: None. Carlos Villanueva and Mike Burns are the spot starter options now that they are getting the veterans back from the DL.

Minnesota Twins

Week 22 two-starter(s): Gabino. He made a less-than-spectacular major league debut Tuesday, unable to get through three innings. He could be skipped off his third career start in his two-start week that begins next Monday. Consider him a high-risk option for AL-only leagues, barring something unforseen with the converted reliever.
Starters on the DL: Francisco Liriano (shoulder), Glen Perkins (shoulder), Boof Bonser (shoulder) and Kevin Slowey (wrist, out for the season). Liriano, Perkins or Bonser could return in September, but they are long shots to help the Twins or Fantasy owners at this point.
Starters to watch in the minors: Kevin Mulvey. They are going with Gabino and Duensing over Mulvey and Phil Humber at this point, which doesn't say much for two of the pieces the Twins received from the Mets.

New York Mets

Week 22 two-starter(s): Pelfrey. He could be a nice sleeper in deeper leagues with a quality start at Florida on Wednesday.
Starters on the DL: John Maine (shoulder, might be out for the season), Fernando Nieve (quadriceps, might be out for the season), Johan Santana (elbow, out for the season) and Jonathon Niese (hamstring, out for the season). With Santana getting shut down, we tend to doubt the Mets are inclined to rush back Maine or Nieve either.
Starters to watch in the minors: Brad Holt. He has been beaten up in Triple-A (6.31), which makes him doubtful to come up in September.

New York Yankees

Week 22 two-starter(s): Pettitte and Burnett. They weren't great the last time out, but they could be advisable options again with a quality start Wednesday and Thursday vs. Texas.
Starters on the DL: Chien-Ming Wang (shoulder, out for the season).
Starters to watch in the minors: Ian Kennedy and Kei Igawa. Phil Hughes is now a setup man. Alfredo Aceves and Sergio Mitre will provide any rotation depth they might need. Kennedy is likely headed to fall ball instead of returning in the minors, much less to the majors.

Oakland Athletics

Week 22 two-starter(s): Gonzalez and Cahill. They are questionable options that could be sleepers if they can continue to work back to respectability in their starts Wednesday and Thursday.
Starters on the DL: Dallas Braden (foot), Justin Duchscherer (elbow/depression, out for the season) and Josh Outman (elbow, out for the season). Duke has been shut down, while Braden could follow him. If Braden does return, it will be as a member of a six-man rotation, perhaps. Tomko has been surprisingly effective.
Starters to watch in the minors: None.

Philadelphia Phillies

Week 22 two-starter(s): Hamels. He has been struggling, but we will still consider him advisable in most formats, barring a meltdown Wednesday at Pittsburgh. Don't count on that.
Starters on the DL: Brett Myers (hip) and Antonio Bastardo (shoulder). Myers will return in relief, giving him value only in late September if he proves effective enough to replace Brad Lidge at closer.
Starters to watch in the minors: Kyle Kendrick, Kyle Drabek, Joe Savery and Andrew Carpenter. There is little chance the Phillies go to one of these arms as a spot starter over veteran Jamie Moyer at this point.

Pittsburgh Pirates

Week 22 two-starter(s): Maholm. He will be a sleeper for deeper leagues with a quality start Wednesday vs. the Phillies.
Starters on the DL: None.
Starters to watch in the minors: Timothy Alderson, Brad Lincoln and Daniel McCutchen. Jeff Karstens is working in long relief, but McCutchen is under consideration to start one of the games of the Aug. 31 doubleheader at Cincinnati. He is 13-6 with a 3.36 ERA in 23 starts and tied for the Triple-A International League lead in victories. Consider him an option in deeper NL-only formats. Alderson is the real jewel of the system, though.

San Diego Padres

Week 22 two-starter(s): Stauffer. He is likely questionable even in NL-only formats at this point. A quality start Wednesday at Atlanta could lure you to trust him in deeper formats, though.
Starters on the DL: Chris R. Young (shoulder, out for the season), Cha Seung Baek (elbow, out for the season) and Shawn Hill (elbow, out for the season).
Starters to watch in the minors: Aaron Poreda and Cesar Carrillo. Poreda (0-2, 8.10) has been bad in Triple-A after the deal to the Padres.

San Francisco Giants

Week 22 two-starter(s): Sanchez. He is a sleeper for deeper leagues with a quality start Thursday vs. the D-Backs. His matchups will be tough, though.
Starters on the DL: Randy Johnson (shoulder) and Noah Lowry (shoulder, out for the season). Johnson still hopes to pitch with a partial shoulder tear, perhaps because he knows it could be the end of his career.
Starters to watch in the minors: Madison Bumgarner and Kevin Pucetas. Bumgarner might have a low enough innings total to be considered a No. 5 candidate come September. It helps Bumgarner's case that Pucetas (10-4, 4.19 in Triple-A) has hit a wall in August (0-2, 8.16), too.

Seattle Mariners

Week 22 two-starter(s): French and Fister. They figure to be questionable options even with quality starts Wednesday and Thursday. It will be tough to trust them in mixed formats in Fantasy crunch time.
Starters on the DL: Carlos Silva (shoulder), Erik Bedard (shoulder, out for season) and Ryan Feierabend (elbow, out for the season). Silva might return in September now, but we doubt he will prove Fantasy viable at this point in his career.
Starters to watch in the minors: Brandon Morrow. Morrow will continue to stretch out until September, we suppose. He clearly is capable of pitching in the majors and has posted a 4-0 record with a 2.23 ERA in five Triple-A starts. Stash him now for September rewards in any format, especially since he is relief eligible.

St. Louis Cardinals

Week 22 two-starter(s): Pineiro. He will be an advisable option in most formats with a quality start Wednesday vs. Houston.
Starters on the DL: Kyle Lohse (groin), Todd Wellemeyer (elbow), Jaime Garcia (elbow, out for the season). Wellemeyer figures to be ready before Lohse, but he will be a tough person to trust even if he returns at the end of Fantasy Week 22 (Aug. 31-Sept. 6).
Starters to watch in the minors: P.J. Walters. The Cardinals have Brad Thompson in long relief, but Boggs will hold down the No. 5 spot for now, albeit getting skipped whenever possible.

Tampa Bay Rays

Week 22 two-starter(s): Shields and Kazmir. They figure to be advisable options in most formats. Shields pitched well in a win Tuesday at Toronto while Kazmir pitches Weednesday.
Starters on the DL: None.
Starters to watch in the minors: Andy Sonnanstine and Wade Davis. Sonnanstine (5-3, 4.40, .305) and Davis (10-7, 3.26, .234) could be an interesting contributors in relief down the stretch.

Texas Rangers

Week 22 two-starter(s): Holland. He could be advisable in any league with a quality start Wednesday at the Yankees. We have to figure he will be more of a questionable option in mixed leagues, though.
Starters on the DL: Brandon McCarthy (shoulder), Matt Harrison (shoulder, out for the season) and Eric Hurley (shoulder, out for the season). McCarthy has targeted a Sept. 1 return in their doubleheader. He will be a risky option, but he could hold down the No. 5 starter's spot in the final weeks of the season.
Starters to watch in the minors: Michael Main and Kasey Kiker. Neftali Feliz is looking outstanding in the bullpen, but the rotation depth is likely to come from McCarthy, if anyone.

Toronto Blue Jays

Week 22 two-starter(s): Perhaps Tallet. There are reports Cecil and Rzepczynski will be shut down in September due to innings limits, so it is expected the No. 6 spot starter due to Monday's doubleheader, Tallet, will stay in the rotation as a two-start pitcher. He is a risky option best left for the deepest of AL-only leagues.
Starters on the DL: Shaun Marcum (elbow, out for the season), Bobby Ray (shoulder), Dustin McGowan (shoulder/knee, out for the season), and Jesse Litsch (elbow, out for the season). Ray is the only one with a chance to return this year, but it appears time has run out on him. The minor league season is ending, so Ray won't be stretched out enough if he could even prove healthy in September.
Starters to watch in the minors: David Purcey. He has been unimpressive in Triple-A (7-6, 4.83, .262), but he could get a look out of necessity.

Washington Nationals

Week 22 two-starter(s): Martin. He is a high-risk option even in the deepest of NL-only leagues, like all of the Nationals starters.
Starters on the DL: Jordan Zimmermann (elbow, out for the season) and Scott Olsen (shoulder, out for the season).
Starters to watch in the minors: Shairon Martis, Matt Chico and Ross Detwiler and Stephen Strasburg. Strasburg won't be making a pro debut before next spring and the rest of these starters aren't anything to anticipate in any Fantasy league at this point.

You can e-mail us your Fantasy Baseball pitching questions to DMFantasyBaseball@cbs.com. Be sure to put Pitching Forecaster in the subject field. Please include your full name, hometown and state. Be aware, due to the large volume of submissions received, we cannot guarantee personal responses to all questions.