We take our weekly look around baseball's pitching staffs and Fantasy's two-start pitchers in the Pitching Planner. A return of Cliff Lee (oblique) and a potential two-start week for Yankees phenom Phil Hughes are among the highlights in Week 5.
Staff reflections
Arizona Diamondbacks: RHP Micah Owings, on the 15-day DL with a hamstring injury, was great in his start for Triple-A Tucson on Saturday. Owings will likely come off the disabled list May 3 to start vs. the Mets. With seven games, the D-Backs will have Brandon Webb and Livan Hernandez as two-start pitchers.
Atlanta Braves: After experiencing discomfort in his arm in a recent bullpen session, RHP Lance Cormier was scratched from his scheduled start Friday night at Triple-A Richmond. "We thought it was better if he didn't start and wait another few days," manager Bobby Cox said. Cormier was placed on the DL on March 31 with a strained right triceps muscle. Kyle Davies will continue to serve as the No. 5 starter. With a day off Thursday, Davies could be slid off his weekend start. Consider him a high-risk option for the deepest of NL-only leagues.
Baltimore Orioles: RHP Jaret Wright (sore shoulder) was expected to come off the DL and start Sunday's game against the Indians. Jeremy Guthrie heads back to the bullpen. With a day off Thursday, Daniel Cabrera is the team's lone two-start pitcher.
Boston Red Sox: Jon Lester will get one more rehab outing, so it's questionable whether he will be ready to replace No. 5 fill-in Julian Tavarez at Minnesota on Saturday, May 5. Consider both risky starts in Fantasy leagues this week. With a day off Monday, Curt Schilling is the team's lone two-start pitcher, a must-start one.
Chicago Cubs: With Sunday's tragedy postponement and a day off Thursday, the Cubs will likely go with a four-man rotation and hold off on recalled Angel Guzman as the No. 5 starter. This will make Rich Hill and Ted Lilly two-start pitchers this week.
Chicago White Sox: With just five games and days off Monday and Thursday, they have all five starters getting just one start.
Cincinnati Reds: All five starters will go in success, including two-starter Bronson Arroyo.
Cleveland Indians: LHP Cliff Lee (abdominal strain) is expected to start Thursday's game against Toronto. He was injured in late February and hasn't pitched in the majors this season. Lee pitched five scoreless innings in a rehab start for Double-A Akron on Friday. Fausto Carmona will return to the bullpen or Triple-A.
Colorado Rockies: Taylor Buchholz will get at least one more start in place of Rodrigo Lopez (elbow), who could be back May 7 at St. Louis. Reserve Lopez for one more week in those deeper NL-only leagues he is owned. With a Thursday day off, Josh Fogg is the team's lone two-start pitcher, a risky one.
Detroit Tigers: Jeremy Bonderman is the team's lone two-start pitcher, a must-start one in all leagues.
Florida Marlins: Ricky Nolasco is returning from the DL on Tuesday, while Sergio Mitre (blister) could return over the weekend. A Thursday day off clouds Mitre's return, though. Scott Olsen is the lone two-start pitcher, unless Mitre doesn't come back, which could give Nolasco a potential second start. Consider all but Dontrelle Willis a questionable start in Fantasy leagues at this point.
Houston Astros: RHP Jason Jennings still isn't sure when he'll return from his elbow injury suffered April 8 against the Cardinals. He's eligible to come off the DL now but manager Phil Garner says "We're probably looking at least the end of next week ... if all goes well." Jennings is throwing a limited number of pitches every other day. He hopes to throw a simulated game sometime next week. "It's hard to tell how long right now," Jennings said. "We're trying to get my pitches up to 50 or 60 now." Jennings could slot May 6 at St. Louis in place of Matt Albers, who is a risky two-start pitcher if Jennings doesn't return.
Kansas City Royals: Luke Hudson (shoulder) and Scott Elarton (shoulder) aren't likely to come off the DL until late next week, so all five current starters will go in succession. That includes two-start pitchers Odalis Perez and Zack Greinke, who could prove useful in deeper leagues this week.
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim: All five starters will go in succession, including two-starters John Lackey and Bartolo Colon. They are advisable options in all leagues. Man, this rotation is good -- perhaps the deepest in baseball.
Los Angeles Dodgers: Jason Schmidt (shoulder) won't be returning this week, so keep him reserved in all leagues. A day off Thursday means Randy Wolf will be the team's lone two-start pitcher.
Milwaukee Brewers: RHP Ben Sheets threw in the bullpen Saturday and manager Ned Yost said the Brewers' ace is close to being ready for his next scheduled start Tuesday. Sheets left Wednesday's game against the Chicago Cubs after three innings because of a strained right groin. Yost said Sheets felt fine during his brief session Saturday, but added Sheets would be re-evaluated again Sunday. "We will take zero chance with this," Yost said. "If he feels anything in the next day or two, we're going to probably skip him. As of right now, he feels fine." With no days off, there won't be any skipping in the rotation. We expect Sheets to make his start and he could be a two-start option. Jeff Suppan is also a two-start pitcher, albeit a less intriguing one.
Minnesota Twins: With a day off Monday, Sidney Ponson will be the team's lone two-start pitcher, a highly risky one for the deepest of AL-only leagues.
New York Mets: GM Omar Minaya and manager Willie Randolph both said Mike Pelfrey still has a spot in the rotation despite his previous outing. He allowed six runs in three innings in an 11-5 loss to Colorado on Wednesday. Pelfrey is 0-2 with a 7.90 ERA this season. "Just because he struggled a bit doesn't mean he's on trial," Randolph said. "He's my fifth starter. That's the way it is, plain and simple." Minaya, though, wouldn't guarantee Pelfrey more than one more start. "There's no guarantee with young players," the GM said. With no days off, Orlando Hernandez and Pelfrey will be two-start pitchers, Pelfrey obviously a riskier one. Jorge Sosa is the potential replacement call-up from Triple-A if Pelfrey struggles again.
New York Yankees: Injured RHP Carl Pavano (tightness in right forearm) is slated to throw off a mound Sunday, but it won't be a full bullpen session, GM Brian Cashman said. That makes his return unlikely this week. RHP Mike Mussina, on the DL with a strained left hamstring, is slated to return May 3 at Texas. Phil Hughes gets another go Tuesday and could be a two-start pitcher if he does well. He should. Jeff Kartsen's (leg) injury makes it likely Hughes sticks around as the No. 5 starter. Kei Igawa will also return to the rotation this week, but he or Hughes will be removed once Pavano is ready.
Oakland Athletics: Ace RHP Rich Harden, on the DL with a strained throwing shoulder, is being given several days off from throwing and will be out at least another week -- perhaps available to return sometime during a series at Kansas City from May 8-10. A pair of days off Monday and Thursday will allow the A's to use a four-man rotation. Joe Blanton will still get two starts this week, making him a viable option in deeper leagues.
Philadelphia Phillies: All five starters will go in succession, including two-starters Jon Lieber and Cole Hamels, who is a must-start option in all leagues at this point.
Pittsburgh Pirates: All five starters will go in succession, including two-starters Zach Duke and Tony Armas, who is risky for the deepest of NL-only leagues.
San Diego Padres: With a day off Thursday, like many NL teams, the team's lone two-start pitcher will be Jake Peavy. Start him in all leagues on a regular basis, regardless of the number of starts or matchups.
San Francisco Giants: All five starters will go in succession, including two-starters Noah Lowry and Russ Ortiz, who is risky even for the deepest of NL-only leagues.
Seattle Mariners: Manager Mike Hargrove said injured RHP Felix Hernandez felt good after Friday's 35-pitch bullpen session. Hernandez will throw in the bullpen again sometime in the next couple of days. He is expected to have two or three more bullpen sessions before returning to the rotation, most likely May 4 or 5 against the Yankees in New York. Consider him a risky start in his return, because that is a tough matchup. Cha Seung Baek (likely) or Jeff Weaver (less likely) will be removed from the rotation.
St. Louis Cardinals: Sunday's tragedy and postponement pushes the rotation back a day, meaning Chris Carpenter (elbow) won't be needed to return until May 8. He could return late next weekend, but he's a risky option at this point. There is a Thursday day off, which means Kip Wells and Braden Looper will be two-start pitchers if Carpenter doesn't return. Consider them in deeper leagues. Sit Carpenter. Also, fill-in No. 5 Randy Keisler has already been demoted to the minors, so ignore him.
Tampa Bay Devil Rays: A Monday day off means Edwin Jackson will be the team's lone two-start pitcher. He's a risky option for the deepest of AL-only leagues.
Texas Rangers: Jamey Wright isn't close to returning, so Kameron Loe will still get a chance to prove himself this week. All five starters will go in succession, including two-starters Vicente Padilla and Loe. Use them in deeper leagues only at this point.
Toronto Blue Jays: The Blue Jays have moved RHP Josh Towers (1-3, 4.70) to the bullpen and will put RHP Victor Zambrano (0-1, 5.06) in the starting rotation. Zambrano is expected to make his first start next Wednesday in Cleveland. He has been pitching out of the bullpen so far this season and missed most of last year after undergoing the second Tommy John surgery of his career. With no days off, Roy Halladay and A.J. Burnett are must-start two-start pitchers this week. Use Zambrano in deeper AL-only formats at this point.
Washington Nationals: RHP Jason Simontacchi (right groin) probably will have one more minor league rehab start before being ready to join the Nationals, manager Manny Acta said. Simontacchi reached 92 mph and allowed one run and eight hits in a five-inning start at Triple-A Columbus on Friday. Jerome Williams (ankle) went on the 15-day DL on Sunday, but a day off Thursday allows the Nats to use a four-man rotation until Simontacchi can return in Fantasy Week 6 (May 7-13).
Week 5 (April 30-May 6)
| This week's matchups | |||
| AL early | NL early | AL late | NL late |
| BAL@DET | PHI@ATL | CHW@LAA | LAD@ATL |
| TOR@CLE | STL@MIL | CLE@BAL | PIT@MIL |
| LAA@KC | CHC@PIT | DET@KC | WAS@CHC |
| OAK@BOS | FLA@NYM | SEA@NYY | NYM@ARI |
| MIN@TB | WAS@SD | OAK@TB | SD@FLA |
| NYY@TEX | COL@SF | TOR@TEX | PHI@SF |
| CHW@SEA | CIN@HOU | BOS@MIN | COL@CIN |
| ARI@LAD | HOU@STL | ||
| Bold denotes a four-game series. | |||
| Italics denotes a two-game series. | |||
| Seattle plays at Boston on May 3 as a makeup game for an April 12 rainout. | |||
| The following teams play seven games this week: Arizona, Kansas City, L.A. Angels, L.A. Dodgers, Milwaukee, N.Y. Mets, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, San Francisco, Texas and Toronto. | |||
Two-start pitchers
| This week's two-start pitchers | ||
| Must-start options | ||
| Jake Peavy | vs. WAS Patterson | at FLA Olsen |
| Roy Halladay | vs. TEX Padilla | at TEX Padilla |
| Jeremy Bonderman | vs. BAL abrera | at KC Greinke |
| John Lackey | at KC Perez | vs. CHW Garland |
| Brandon Webb | at LAD Wolf | vs. NYM Hernandez |
| Rich Hill | at PIT Duke | vs. WAS Patterson |
| C.C. Sabathia | vs. TOR Burnett | at BAL Cabrera |
| Curt Schilling | vs. OAK Blanton | at MIN Ponson |
| Tim Hudson | vs. PHI Lieber | vs. LAD Wolf |
| Cole Hamels | at ATL Redman | at SF Ortiz |
| A.J. Burnett | at CLE Sabathia | at TEX Loe |
| Bartolo Colon | at KC Greinke | vs. CHW Buehrle |
| Bronson Arroyo | at HOU Albers | vs. COL Fogg |
| Advisable options | ||
| Ted Lilly | at PIT Armas | vs. WAS Hill |
| Ben Sheets | vs. STL Looper | vs. PIT Armas |
| Orlando Hernandez | vs. FLA Olsen | at ARI Webb |
| Braden Looper | at MIL Sheets | vs. HOU Jennings |
| Joe Blanton | at BOS Schilling | at TB Jackson |
| Questionable options | ||
| Randy Wolf | vs. ARI Webb | at ATL Hudson |
| Daniel Cabrera | at DET Bonderman | vs. CLE Sabathia |
| Jeff Suppan | vs. STL Wells | vs. PIT Duke |
| Scott Olsen | at NYM Hernandez | vs. SD Peavy |
| Noah Lowry | vs. COL Fogg | vs. PHI Lieber |
| Kip Wells | at MIL Suppan | vs. HOU Williams |
| Phil Hughes | at TEX Loe | vs. SEA Washburn |
| Livan Hernandez | at LAD Penny | vs. NYM Pelfrey |
| Zack Greinke | vs. LAA Colon | vs. DET Bonderman |
| Vicente Padilla | at TOR Halladay | vs. TOR Halladay |
| Zach Duke | vs. CHC Hill | at MIL Suppan |
| Jon Lieber | at ATL Hudson | at SF Lowry |
| John Patterson | at SD Peavy | at CHC Hill |
| Mike Pelfrey | vs. FLA Nolasco | at ARI Hernandez |
| Jarrod Washburn | vs. CHW Vazquez | at NYY Hughes |
| Shawn Hill | at SD Young | at CHC Lilly |
| High-risk options | ||
| Russ Ortiz | vs. COL Buchholz | vs. PHI Hamels |
| Odalis Perez | vs. LAA Lackey | vs. DET Maroth |
| Edwin Jackson | vs. MIN Ponson | vs. OAK Blanton |
| Josh Fogg | at SF Lowry | at CIN Arroyo |
| Tony Armas | vs. CHC Lilly | at MIL Sheets |
| Sidney Ponson | at TB Jackson | vs. BOS Schilling |
| Kameron Loe | vs. NYY Hughes | vs. TOR Burnett |
Pitch a question
Greg: Trying to figure out how you compute your must-starts and advisable start pitchers? For example, you had Aaron Harang listed as a must-start option in St. Louis (last week). Harang is a career 3-6 vs the Cards in 11 starts. Granted his opponent (Wells) isn't too exciting -- it just begs to know why he would be listed as a must-start? If I were to catagorize his start I would give it a questionable mark at a 3-6 record. I went with your suggestion last (Monday) night and started two of your must-start options, Erik Bedard and Kevin Millwood -- both stunk. Just hoping you could shed some light on how you're coming up with your must-starts, advisable options, etc.
Emack: To be honest, we categorize all of the two-start pitchers in generic terms. We don't deal with the minutia of how they fair on the road or against a particular opponent -- unless it is very obviously a bad matchup. Harang is a pitcher we don't recommend sitting much, especially if he is getting two starts. Hopefully you didn't sit Harang against the Cardinals on those past stats. He went 7 2/3 solid and got a victory. Those stats have many variables involved and gamblers might mis-guidedly use them, but yours truly trusts better pitchers without hesitation. Bedard rebounded with 11 Ks in his second start, so he was decent, even though the O's didn't get him a victory. Millwood is perhaps a little less of a must-start, but as a staff ace against Seattle and Toronto, we expected better.
Trey: I am tempted to pick up Bartolo Colon after his impressive start this week. My rotation is pretty solid at this time. I have Johan Santana, C.C. Sabathia, John Lackey, Aaron Harang, Ben Sheets, Chris Capuano, Dave Bush and John Maine, as well as Joe Nathan and Bob Wickman on my roster. I was thinking about dropping Bush for Colon, but I'm hesitant to do so since Bush could be in line for a breakout year. On the other hand, Colon is a proven commodity when healthy. What are your thoughts?
Emack: Colon should be owned in all leagues, especially since he is looking strong off surgery and is in a contract year. He will be motivated to have a good year heading into free agency.
You can e-mail Emack your Fantasy Baseball 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 to all questions.
