The Fantasy Baseball Hitting Planner is the essential guide to setting your lineup for the upcoming week. Every weekend, we provide you with favorable and unfavorable matchups as well as lineup changes for each team.
Weather planner: Taking into account all games with at least a 50 percent chance of precipitation according to Weather.com, the following games could potentially get rained out: Arizona at Florida (50 percent chance) on Monday.
Interleague play begins over the weekend, so any AL team that travels to the NL will lose a hitter, and any NL team that travels to the AL will gain one. If a team plays on the road this weekend, you'll notice a new section, "Interleague Effect," added to its news and notes. That section will offer a best guess as to which players will lose or gain at-bats as a result of interleague play.
This week's news and notes for each team:
Arizona Diamondbacks
Schedule: @FLA4, @OAK3
Heating
Up: Justin Upton is still swinging a
hot bat, hitting .391 (9-for-23) over his last six games. Keep him
active.
Cooling Off: The ever-streaky Mark Reynolds has fallen on hard times lately, batting .167
(5-for-30) over his last eight games. He's the kind of player you'll
want to sit on occasions such as these.
Injury Concerns: Conor Jackson went on the DL with an illness (or maybe just a need to
get some minor-league at-bats, though that's total speculation). Eric Byrnes and newcomer Gerardo Parra
have split at-bats in his absence, but with only part-time at-bats,
neither has much appeal outside of deeper NL-only leagues.
Platoon
Possibilities: The Diamondbacks face two left-handed pitchers this
week, but one at an AL park, which allows for an extra hitter in the
lineup. They don't have any clear lefty-righty platoons, but Byrnes is
more likely to start in place of Parra against lefties and Josh Whitesell is more likely to start in place of Chad A. Tracy.
Lineup Changes: Yes, Tracy didn't need long
to start cutting into Whitesell's at-bats, though the Diamondbacks don't
seem to have any rhyme or reason for starting one over the other. Parra
looks like the favorite to start over Byrnes and deserves a look in all
NL-only leagues for his speed and extra-base pop. He now bats second,
followed by Justin Upton, Stephen Drew and Mark Reynolds.
Interleague
Effect: The Diamondbacks could go several different directions with
their DH spot when they visit Oakland at the end of the week, but
they'll most likely want to get Parra and Byrnes in the lineup at the
same time. Nothing they do should significantly alter your Fantasy
lineup, though.
Atlanta Braves
Schedule: COL4, TOR3
Heating Up:
After not looking quite like himself in April, Chipper Jones has heated up over his last four games, batting .500
(7-for-14) with a home run. His frequent injuries make him a
week-to-week risk, but you want him active when he's playing like he is
now.
Cooling Off: Jeff Francoeur's
batting average has dropped more than 30 points over his last six games.
He has only two hits in 23 at-bats during that span.
Injury
Concerns: None
Platoon Possibilities: The Braves face two
left-handed pitchers this week. Matt Diaz
and Omar Infante will likely start those
games in place of Garret Anderson and Kelly Johnson, though neither is guaranteed to do so.
Lineup
Changes: None
Baltimore Orioles
Schedule: @NYY3, @WAS3
Heating
Up: Aubrey Huff might be on the
verge of the same sort of hot streak that began in June last season,
transforming him from a so-so Fantasy option to a must-start. He's
batting .346 (9-for-26) with three home runs over his last seven games.
Keep him active.
Cooling Off: Nobody really.
Injury
Concerns: Adam Jones has missed
three straight games with a hamstring injury, but the Orioles don't
think he'll have to go on the DL. With an off day Monday, he'll likely
sit Sunday and return to the lineup Monday at the Yankees. Assuming you
don't hear anything cryptic right before your lineup deadline, keep him
active.
Platoon Possibilities: The Orioles face only one
left-handed pitcher this week, so Ty Wigginton
likely won't play much, especially with a weekend series at an NL
ballpark. He's just a low-end AL-only option anyway.
Lineup
Changes: The Orioles have promoted prospect Nolan Reimold, and he'll play just about every day with Luke Scott (shoulder) on the DL. He's not worth a roster spot in
mixed leagues yet, but if he gets hot, you never know.
Interleague
Effect: Most likely, neither Wigginton nor Lou Montanez will get any starts when the Orioles visit the
Nationals.
Boston Red Sox
Schedule: TOR3, NYM3
Heating Up: Jacoby Ellsbury is batting .357 (20-for-56) during a 12-game hitting
streak. He's not walking nearly enough for a leadoff man, but his stolen
bases make him a must-start in Fantasy.
Cooling Off: Dustin Pedroia is 4-for-20 (.200) over his last five games, but all
four hits came in the same game. You obviously wouldn't sit him, though.
Injury
Concerns: Kevin Youkilis, on the DL
with a strained oblique, will begin a rehab assignment Monday and hopes
to return Wednesday. That's a pretty aggressive timetable, though, and
his return could get pushed back on a whim. In most leagues, you'll
probably just want to start him and hope for the best, but in shallower
leagues, you can afford to take a more cautious approach.
Platoon
Possibilities: The Red Sox face three left-handed pitchers this
week, meaning J.D. Drew might lose a
handful of starts to Rocco Baldelli.
Keep Drew reserved in standard mixed leagues.
Lineup Changes:
The Red Sox pulled slumping David Ortiz,
who has yet to homer this season, out of the lineup for this weekend's
series at Seattle, hoping a mental break will cure what ails him. He'll
likely return to the lineup Tuesday against the Blue Jays, but you
should probably reserve him until he shows real signs of progress.
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Player | % Change | |
1. | Nick Johnson, 1B, WAS | 14 |
2. | Juan Pierre, OF, LAD | 13 |
3. | Jerry Hairston, SS, CIN | 13 |
4. | Willy Taveras, OF, CIN | 12 |
5. | Casey Blake, 3B, LAD | 10 |
6. | Michael Bourn, OF, HOU | 10 |
7. | Todd Helton, 1B, COL | 9 |
8. | Coco Crisp, OF, KC | 8 |
9. | Emmanuel Burriss, 2B, SF | 8 |
10. | Nolan Reimold, OF, BAL | 8 |
Chicago Cubs
Schedule: @STL3, @SD3
Heating Up:
In a week full of left-handed pitchers, Kosuke Fukudome came back to life. He's batting .414 (12-for-29) over
his last eight games and is worth using more often than not in mixed
leagues. Also, Geovany Soto has come
around, batting .350 (7-for-20) with one home run over his last six
games.
Cooling Off: Mike Fontenot,
who has moved over to third base with Aramis Ramirez (shoulder) on the DL, has only one hit in his last
eight games, batting .038 (1-for-26) during that stretch. Sit him in
mixed leagues.
Injury Concerns: None
Platoon
Possibilities: The Cubs don't face a single left-handed pitcher this
week, so Kosuke Fukudome's hot streak
should continue. Also, Fontenot, despite his struggles, isn't likely to
lose many at-bats to Aaron Miles.
Lineup
Changes: The Cubs continue to find at-bats for 29-year-old rookie
slugger Micah Hoffpauir, subbing him for Derrek Lee and Milton Bradley at times
this week. His inconsistent at-bats make him hard to recommend in
Head-to-Head leagues, but he's at least a viable option in NL-only
formats. Bobby Scales, a 31-year-old
rookie, has taken over as the regular second baseman with Ramirez ailing
and has enough pop to contribute in NL-only leagues.
Chicago White Sox
Schedule: @TOR1, MIN3, PIT3
Heating
Up: Jim Thome is batting .462
(6-for-13) with two home runs over his last four games, but he loses
at-bats on occasion and still isn't an advisable start in shallower
mixed leagues.
Cooing Off: Jermaine Dye
has the kind of power potential you can rarely afford to sit in Fantasy,
but he's batting only .143 (3-for-21) over his last six games.
Injury
Concerns: After missing two games earlier in the week with a sore
left heel, Carlos Quentin had to sit
again Saturday with the same injury. He's in a 3-for-23 slump anyway, so
you should maybe just opt to sit him in mixed leagues, assuming he
doesn't blow up Sunday. Brian N. Anderson
(oblique) has hit well on his rehab assignment and could return any day
now. He was playing well enough before the injury to deserve a look in
AL-only leagues.
Platoon Possibilities: The White Sox face two
left-handed pitchers this week, so Chris Getz
and Thome might sit in favor of Jayson Nix
and Wilson Betemit in those games. The
White Sox haven't followed those platoons religiously, though.
Lineup
Changes: None of permanence, though the White Sox have toyed with
the idea of dropping Quentin in the lineup.
Cincinnati Reds
Schedule: PHI3, CLE3
Heating Up: Jerry Hairston thrived while filling in for an injured Alex Gonzalez and remained in the lineup at third base when Gonzalez
returned Saturday. He's batting .292 (14-for-48) with two home runs and
four stolen bases over his last 11 games and is a worthy stopgap in all
Fantasy leagues. Just don't get too attached. He won't play every day
once he calls off.
Cooling Off: Jay Bruce did homer Saturday, but he's batting only .130 (3-for-23)
over his last five games. Despite his big power numbers, the future star
isn't quite a must-start yet in mixed leagues. You can bench him if you
have viable alternatives.
Injury Concerns: Joey Votto caught the flu late last week and has battled dizziness
off and on ever since. He has managed to play well when in the lineup,
making the situation even more perplexing. You have to think of him as
somewhat of a risk right now, so consider benching him in standard 10-
or 12-team mixed leagues.
Platoon Possibilities: The Reds have
two games against lefties this week -- starts new left fielder Laynce Nix might lose to Hairston. Then again, Nix has been playing
pretty well himself.
Lineup Changes: The red-hot Hairston
looks like he'll start at third base for now, displacing Adam Rosales until Edwin Encarnacion
returns from the DL.
Cleveland Indians
Schedule: @KC3, @CIN3
Heating
Up: Shin-Soo Choo is thriving in the
cleanup spot, batting .500 (8-for-16) with two home runs over his last
four games. People keep choosing to sit him, but ... why? Victor Martinez is batting .667 (12-for-18) over his last four games,
bringing his season batting average to over .400. Jhonny Peralta is showing his first signs of life, batting .452
(14-for-31) over his last eight games. The home runs should follow.
Cooling
Off: Grady Sizemore hasn't had a
multi-hit game since May 4 and is batting only .220 on the season. You
obviously wouldn't sit him, though.
Injury Concerns: Travis Hafner, on the DL with soreness in the same shoulder that
ruined him last year, has begun a rehab assignment at Triple-A Columbus
and could return sometime this week. You'll want to see some power from
him before you get him active in mixed leagues, though.
Platoon
Possibilities: The Indians don't face a single left-handed pitcher
this week, but they don't have any clear lefty-righty platoons.
Lineup
Changes: The Indians starting lineup remains mostly intact, but
their defense is all over the place. Jhonny Peralta has begun playing third base, which moves Asdrubal Cabrera to shortstop and Mark DeRosa
to first base. Luis Valbuena has
benefited the most as the incoming second baseman, though Jamey Carroll has played there some too. On days when Victor Martinez moves out from behind the plate to play first base,
DeRosa has to go somewhere else, either back to third or out to left
field. Really, these moves don't affect much other than position
eligibility in Fantasy. You wouldn't want to pick up Valbuena.
Interleague
Effect: One of Matt LaPorta and Ben Francisco will likely lose at-bats at the end of the week, but
neither is worth starting in mixed leagues right now.
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Player | Start % | |
1. | Jason Kubel, DH, MIN | 43 |
2. | Nyjer Morgan, OF, PIT | 37 |
3. | Gary Sheffield, OF, NYM | 5 |
4. | Casey Blake, 3B, LAD | 46 |
5. | John Baker, C, FLA | 39 |
6. | Cristian Guzman, SS, WAS | 37 |
7. | Scott Hairston, OF, SD | 7 |
8. | Fernando Tatis, OF, NYM | 4 |
9. | Jeremy Hermida, OF, FLA | 18 |
10. | Nick Johnson, 1B, WAS | 32 |
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Colorado Rockies
Schedule: @ATL4, @DET3
Heating
Up: Brad Hawpe is hitting like
someone who hopes to contend for the batting title, batting .409
(18-for-49) in April. He's a must-start in all Fantasy leagues and no
longer just a source of relatively cheap power.
Cooling Off:
Despite hitting three home runs early this past week, Ian Stewart is batting just .176 (6-for-34) in May. His upside and
multi-eligibility make him worth stashing in mixed leagues, but you
wouldn't want to start him now.
Injury Concerns: None
Platoon
Possibilities: The Rockies face only one left-handed pitcher in
their seven games this week, so Seth Smith
might spell Dexter Fowler and Ryan Spilborghs more than usual, making him worth a flier in NL-only
leagues.
Lineup Changes: None
Interleague Effect:
Smith seems the most likely candidate to play DH at Detroit later this
week, though Stewart could fit there as well. Given Stewart's struggles,
Smith is probably the better sleeper if you need a one-week stopgap.
Detroit Tigers
Schedule: TEX3, COL3
Heating Up:
After a brief cold spell, Brandon Inge
has heated up again, batting .353 (6-for-17) with two home runs over his
last four games. Clete Thomas has
thrived since coming up from the minor leagues, batting .341
(14-for-41). Of course, he gets to bat in front of Miguel Cabrera, which always helps. He doesn't have enough power
potential for mixed leagues.
Cooling Off: Gerald Laird got three hits Saturday, but he had gone hitless in 24
at-bats before then. You still don't have any reason to trust him in
mixed leagues.
Injury Concerns: Magglio Ordonez has to attend to a personal issue and will likely miss
the team's three-game series against the Rangers at the start of the
week. Jeff Larish will likely benefit
most from his absence, getting to start at DH.
Platoon
Possibilities: The Tigers face only one left-handed pitcher this
week, meaning Ryan Raburn, who has
heated up this weekend with homers in consecutive games, might not get
much playing time. Speedster Josh Anderson
will likely get to start against the right-handers, especially with
Ordonez out of the lineup.
Lineup Changes: None
Florida Marlins
Schedule: ARI4, TB3
Heating Up: Hanley Ramirez has cooled his pace somewhat from the first week of
May, but he's still batting .500 (23-for-46) during a 13-game hitting
streak. You want him active, obviously.
Cooling Off: After
looking like Albert Pujols for much of
April, Jorge Cantu has come back down to
earth, batting .125 (4-for-32) over his last nine games. You'd have to
have an incredible backup to bench him, though.
Injury Concerns:
None
Platoon Possibilities: The Marlins face only one
left-handed pitcher this week, so John Baker
should get plenty of at-bats, leaving Ronny Paulino on the bench. Baker is a worthy starter in all Fantasy
leagues.
Lineup Changes: With Cameron Maybin back in the minors, Chris Coghlan
has taken over as the everyday left fielder, batting second. He bumps John Baker down to fifth in the lineup and Cody Ross over to center field. He's hitting only .174 so far,
though, so don't bother adding him except in deeper NL-only leagues.
Houston Astros
Schedule: MIL3, TEX3
Heating Up:
No one can touch Carlos N. Lee right now, who has three hits in four of
his last six games and is hitting .341 now this season. But on perhaps a
more important note, Lance Berkman, his
partner in crime, is batting .500 (6-for-12) with one home run over his
last three games. His hot streaks can last for weeks at a time, so don't
even consider benching him now. Michael Bourn
has five stolen bases over his last six games, batting .385 (10-for-26)
during that stretch.
Cooling Off: Kazuo Matsui couldn't use his team's favorable matchups to get going
last week. He's batting .147 (5-for-34) over his last eight games.
Injury
Concerns: None
Platoon Possibilities: The Astros face only
one left-handed pitcher this week, which really only affects Geoff Blum (five starts) and Jeff Keppinger
(one start). You wouldn't touch either of them outside of deeper NL-only
leagues.
Lineup Changes: None
Kansas City Royals
Schedule: CLE3, @STL3
Heating
Up: Coco Crisp has been scoring
Fantasy points even without a high batting average, but he has improved
the mark over his last six games, batting .333 (8-for-24) with one home
run and three stolen bases. Mike Jacobs
has three home runs over his last six games, batting .333 (7-for-21).
Cooling
Off: David DeJesus is batting only
.229 on the season and showing no signs of improvement. No sense in
using him now.
Injury Concerns: Mike Aviles has a stiff forearm that manager Trey Hillman thinks has
affected his swing. "It could be a one-day thing; it could be more than
a one-day thing," Hillman said. Thanks for the clarity. Do yourself a
favor and sit Aviles regardless. He's batting .194. Luis Hernandez or Willie Bloomquist
will fill in for him, but neither matters outside of deeper AL-only
leagues.
Platoon Possibilities: The Royals face only one
left-handed pitcher this week, but they don't have anyone in a
lefty-righty platoon.
Lineup Changes: The Royals have juggled
the middle of their lineup a bit, batting Billy Butler third, Mike Jacobs
fourth and Jose Guillen fifth. Butler's
value improves slightly, but he still doesn't have much Fantasy appeal
until he becomes more consistent.
Interleague Effect: Butler
and Jacobs will likely alternate starting at first base when the team
travels to St. Louis at the end of the week. You might just want to sit
both in mixed leagues.
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Team | Schedule | |
1. | Yankees | MIN1, BAL3, PHI3 |
2. | Pirates | @WAS4, @CHW3 |
3. | Nationals | PIT4, BAL3 |
4. | Twins | @NYY1, @CHW3, MIL3 |
5. | Orioles | @NYY3, @WAS3 |
L.A. Angels
Schedule: @SEA4, @LAD3
Heating Up: Torii Hunter is batting .471 (8-for-17) with one home run and two
stolen bases over his last five games and is batting .317 on the season.
He won't keep playing this way all year, but you should obviously have
him starting now.
Cooling Off: Maicer Izturis is batting only .241 in May, but he continues to steal
at-bats from Howie Kendrick and Erick Aybar.
Injury Concerns: None
Platoon
Possibilities: The Angels face five left-handed pitchers this week,
which doesn't really mean anything since they have no lefty-righty
platoons. Juan L. Rivera might have a better week than usual.
Lineup
Changes: None
Interleague Effect: The Angels don't have a
clear-cut DH, giving every starter a turn there now and then, but Gary Matthews seems the most likely candidate to lose at-bats at the
Dodgers.
L.A. Dodgers
Schedule: NYM3, LAA3
Heating Up: Juan Pierre has fared surprisingly well as the speedy stand-in for Manny Ramirez, batting .447 (17-for-38) with six stolen bases since
taking over as the starter. He obviously can't maintain quite this pace,
but he's worth a look in all Fantasy leagues. Casey Blake is on one of his familiar hot streaks right now, batting
.455 (10-for-22) with three home runs over his last six games. He can
suffice as a stopgap if you need a third baseman.
Cooling Off:
So far, life without Ramirez hasn't gone well for Andre Ethier. He's batting .143 (6-for-42) over his last 10 games.
You shouldn't give up on him yet -- he has a right to get cold just like
anyone else -- but the timing of this slump doesn't bode well.
Injury
Concerns: None
Platoon Possibilities: The Dodgers don't
face any left-handed pitchers this week, but none of their players
routinely sits against lefties.
Lineup Changes: The Dodgers
continue to shuffle their lineup to compensate for the loss of Ramirez
and have recently settled on Pierre in the leadoff spot, followed by Rafael Furcal, Orlando Hudson and
Ethier. Matt Kemp, who at one point
looked like the cleanup hitter, has since moved back to seventh, where
he has done most of his damage. Pierre's Fantasy appeal should remain
high as long as he's at the top of the lineup.
Milwaukee Brewers
Schedule: @STL1, @HOU3, @MIN3
Heating
Up: Rickie Weeks has gone 0-for-6
over his last two games, but he's still hitting a respectable .274 on
the season, thanks in part to him going 11-for-31 (.355) with three home
runs over his previous seven games. He's having a career season and is
too valuable to sit in any Fantasy format right now.
Cooling Off: Corey C. Hart homered for the first time since April 13 Saturday but
is batting .185 (5-for-27) over his last seven games. He could get hot
at any moment, but he doesn't look like more than a No. 3 Fantasy
outfielder this season.
Injury Concerns: None
Platoon
Possibilities: The Brewers face three left-handed pitchers this
week, but they don't have any players in a lefty-righty platoon.
Lineup
Changes: None
Interleague Effects The Brewers recently
called up third base prospect Mat Gamel,
who seems the most likely candidate to start at DH during their
interleague series at Minnesota. He might only play that second half of
the week, though, so leave him for NL-only leagues.
Minnesota Twins
Schedule: @NYY1, @CHW3, MIL3
Heating
Up: The entire middle of the Twins order has caught fire lately,
perhaps sparked by the return of Joe Mauer,
who's hitting .429 (15-for-35) with five home runs during a nine-game
hitting streak. Justin Morneau is
hitting .379 (11-for-29) with six home runs over his last eight games,
and Jason Kubel is hitting .526
(10-for-19) over his last five games.
Cooling Off: Brendan Harris, who recently stole the starting shortstop job away from Nick Punto, is batting .188 (6-for-32) in May. Don't bother with him
outside of deeper AL-only leagues.
Injury Concerns: Delmon Young went on the bereavement list Friday, meaning he'll miss
3-7 days. He could return Monday, but the Twins had given him nothing
more than sporadic playing time anyway. Joe Crede,
who had just begun to heat up by homering in consecutive games, missed
Friday night's game with tightness in his back and hamstrings. He's just
an AL-only option and not an advisable one for this week.
Platoon
Possibilities: The Twins face four left-handed pitchers this week,
but they don't really have any platoon players, especially with Kubel
playing so well.
Lineup Changes: Young didn't play much over
the last week, but neither did Carlos Gomez.
Manager Ron Gardenhire moved Jason Kubel
to left field for much of the week to give some of his other players a
few starts at designated hitter, most notably Joe Mauer. Young will probably still get most of the playing time
in left field, but he's clearly not a priority for the Twins right now,
bereavement list or not.
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Team | Schedule | |
1. | Padres | SF3, CHC3 |
2. | Rangers | @DET3, @HOU3 |
3. | Phillies | @CIN, @NYY3 |
4. | Indians | @KC3, @CIN3 |
5. | Reds | PHI3, CLE3 |
N.Y. Mets
Schedule: @LAD3, @BOS3
Heating Up: Gary Sheffield has gotten everyday at-bats this week and responded
by batting .500 (9-for-18) with one home run over his last four games,
raising his once-pathetic batting average to .270. Even without the
benefit of a homer, David Wright has had
a monster week, batting .500 (17-for-34) with six stolen bases over his
last eight games. As soon as Carlos Beltran's
16-game hitting streak came to an end, he started another one. He's now
batting .357 (15-for-42) during a 10-game streak.
Cooling Off: Daniel Murphy continues to lose at-bats to Sheffield and is batting
.067 (1-for-15) over his last eight games. You should probably cut him
in mixed leagues.
Injury Concerns: Jose B. Reyes missed his third straight game with tightness in his
calf Saturday. The Mets will likely take a cautious approach and sit him
again Sunday before getting him back in the lineup Monday at the
Dodgers. Even if he misses a day or two more, you'll want him in your
lineup in Fantasy. At a position as weak as shortstop, you can't find
anything remotely close to Reyes on waivers.
Platoon Possibilities:
The Mets face two left-handed pitchers this week, but with both
Sheffield and Fernando Tatis now getting
getting regular playing time, the Mets don't have any platoon players.
Lineup
Changes: Tatis has taken over at first base for Carlos Delgado, who had to go on the DL with continued pain in his
hip. If Delgado ends up sidelined for a prolonged period of time, Tatis
has the pop to hit 15-20 homers with a respectable batting average. He's
a must-add in NL-only leagues.
Interleague Effect: For their
three-game series at Boston, the Mets will surely go with the
defensively challenged Murphy at DH, especially since they'll face
nothing but right-handed starting pitchers in that series.
N.Y. Yankees
Schedule: MIN1, BAL3, PHI3
Heating
Up: At long last, Mark Teixeira's
multi-million dollar bat has come to life. He's batting .407 (11-for-27)
with three home runs over his last seven games. The normally slow
starter is always a must-start, but if you for some reason benched him,
you need to get him active now.
Cooling Off: After a hot
April, Nick Swisher has fallen on hard
times in May, batting .100 (4-for-40). He's the kind of player who could
turn on a dime, blowing up as soon as you bench him, so the Yankees'
good matchups this week are reason enough to keep him active.
Injury
Concerns: Jorge Posada continues to
progress from a strained hamstring -- he was at 85 percent at last
count, whatever that means -- but the Yankees don't think he'll return
when eligible Wednesday. He could potentially return this upcoming
weekend, but not with enough certainty for you to activate him in mixed
leagues or even single-catcher AL-only leagues.
Platoon
Possibilities: The Yankees face three left-handed pitchers this
week, meaning Brett Gardner will sit at
least those three games. He has heated up lately, though, and could
begin to steal at-bats from Melky Cabrera
again.
Lineup Changes: None
Oakland Athletics
Schedule: @TB4, ARI3
Heating
Up: Kurt Suzuki, who ran hot and
cold last year -- his first as a full-time starter -- continues to swing
a hot bat, hitting .389 (7-for-18) over his last five games.
Cooling
Off: Orlando Cabrera hasn't really
done anything all season, but he's been particularly awful of late,
batting .158 (6-for-38) over his last nine games. You shouldn't have any
reason to use him in mixed leagues.
Injury Concerns: Nomar Garciaparra could come off the DL any day now, though the
Athletics might wait until after the Tampa Bay series to activate him so
he doesn't have to break in his newly healed calf on artificial turf.
He's just a part-time player anyway and only worth using in deeper
AL-only leagues.
Platoon Possibilities: The Athletics face
only one left-handed pitcher this week, so Travis Buck should get plenty of at-bats -- unless, of course, new
arrival Aaron Cunningham cuts into his
playing time.
Lineup Changes: The arrival of Cunningham from
the minor leagues throws a wrench in the Athletics outfield for now. He
has the most upside of any hitter on the roster -- excluding Matt Holliday, of course -- so the A's will want to get him in the
lineup somehow. He'll likely steal at-bats from Buck and Ryan Sweeney. All three players remain just AL-only options.
Philadelphia Phillies
Schedule: @CIN3, @NYY3
Heating
Up: Perhaps you missed Raul Ibanez's
three home runs in a day-night doubleheader Saturday. If so, believe it:
The man's ridiculous. He's batting .565 (13-for-23) with four home runs
over his last six games, and you shouldn't even kid about sitting him.
Cooling
Off: Shane Victorino is batting .122
(5-for-41) over his last nine games, lowering his batting average from
.304 to .255. You'd have to play in an awfully shallow league to
consider benching him, though. Chase Utley
broke out of an 0-for-18 skid with three hits Saturday.
Injury
Concerns: None
Platoon Possibilities: The Phillies face
two left-handed pitchers this week, but they don't have any platoon
players.
Lineup Changes: None
Interleague Effect:
The Phillies don't have any obvious candidates to DH and will likely use
the free lineup spot to spell some of their starters. Pinch hitters Greg Dobbs and Matt Stairs could each
make a start or two, but they remain last resorts in NL-only leagues.
Pittsburgh Pirates
Schedule: @WAS4, @CHW3
Heating
Up: Any time Brandon Moss does
anything, he's hot by his standards. The source of nothingness all
season long is batting .563 (9-for-16) with one home run over his last
four games. He's at best a low-end option in NL-only leagues.
Cooling
Off: Nobody's performing all that poorly, but Nate McLouth does have only three hits in his last 14 at-bats. Keep
him active, though.
Injury Concerns: None
Platoon
Possibilities: The Pirates face four left-handed pitchers this week,
making Craig Monroe a better start than
usual in NL-only leagues, especially since he might play DH during
interleague play.
Lineup Changes: Robinzon Diaz has replaced Jason Jaramillo
as the starting catcher with Ryan Doumit
(wrist) on the DL. He might hit for a respectable average, but he's
nothing more than an NL-only option right now.
Interleague Effect:
The Pirates will face two left-handers in their interleague series at
Chicago, which complicates their decision on which player to DH. Monroe
will start at least those two games, maybe the third. One of Moss and Eric Hinske will likely get to play against those two lefties, but
both remain just low-end options in NL-only leagues.
San Diego Padres
Schedule: SF3, CHC3
Heating Up: Adrian Gonzalez is batting .321 (9-for-28) with an amazing six home
runs during a seven-game hitting streak, but you'd never consider
benching him. Newly appointed starter Scott Hairston is batting .325 (13-for-40) during a nine-game hitting
streak and is quickly becoming a viable option even in mixed leagues.
Cooling
Off: David Eckstein is batting .136
(3-for-22) over his last six games. He remains a complete scrub.
Injury
Concerns: None
Platoon Possibilities: The Padres face
three left-handed pitchers this week, making Hairston an even more
attractive sleeper.
Lineup Changes: None
San Francisco Giants
Schedule: @SD3, @SEA3
Heating
Up: Randy Winn's usual streakiness has him going in the right
direction now. He's batting .414 12-for-29) over his last seven games
and once again deserves a look in mixed leagues. Pablo Sandoval is batting .423 (11-for-26) over his last six games
and is worth activating right now even in shallower leagues.
Cooling
Off: After a hot streak to begin May, Emmanuel Burriss has cooled off over his last six games, batting .148
(4-for-27). Hot or cold, his ability to steal bases gives him some
low-end appeal in Rotisserie leagues.
Injury Concerns: Edgar Renteria, who has missed two straight games with a hamstring
injury, could return Tuesday at San Diego. Since he's hitting only .256,
though, you might want to take the cautious approach and bench him even
in shallower NL-only leagues.
Platoon Possibilities: The
Giants face two left-handed pitchers this week, which means Travis Ishikawa will probably sit twice for Rich Aurilia. Yawn.
Lineup Changes: Burriss' recent hot
streak -- the one just before he cooled off -- convinced the Giants to
bat him leadoff, which only helps his value. Fred Lewis has hit second since the injury to Renteria.
Interleague
Effect: Nate Schierholtz has
arguably the most offensive potential of all the Giants outfielders, so
he seems like the best choice to play DH at Seattle. Give him a look in
deeper NL-only leagues.
Seattle Mariners
Schedule: LAA4, SF3
Heating Up: Ichiro Suzuki homered twice Friday and has 10-game hitting streak
during which he's batting .364 (16-for-44).
Cooling Off: Jose Lopez continues to struggle, batting .105 (2-for-19) over his
last six games. Avoid him if possible in mixed leagues.
Injury
Concerns: None
Platoon Possibilities: The Mariners face
three lefties this week, so Ken Griffey
will have to split time with Mike Sweeney
at DH and Endy Chavez will have to split
time with Franklin Gutierrez in center
field.
Lineup Changes: Emerging slugger Wladimir Balentien has apparently earned an everyday job in the Mariners
outfield, forcing Chavez and Gutierrez into a platoon. He's batting .303
so far, but his power potential makes him an intriguing option in
AL-only leagues.
St. Louis Cardinals
Schedule: MIL1, CHC3, KC3
Heating
Up: Skip Schumaker is back hitting
over .300, which he pretty much has to do to have any Fantasy appeal. He
has gone 13-for-29 (.448) over his last eight games.
Cooling Off:
After a hot April, Yadier Molina is
batting only .243 in May. He's not an elite Fantasy option, but he's
good enough that you'll probably want to ride out this slump.
Injury
Concerns: Ryan Ludwick strained his
hamstring Tuesday and went on the DL, joining Rick Ankiel (neck). Shane Robinson
has gotten most of the starts in Ludwick's absence. He might steal a few
bases but not enough for him to make a significant Fantasy impact.
Platoon
Possibilities: The Cardinals face two left-handed pitchers this
week, which doesn't have as much significance as usual with two of their
outfielders on the DL. Joe Thurston will
likely sit twice for somebody, be it Brian Barden,
Tyler Greene or Brendan Ryan.
Lineup Changes: The Cardinals prefer to bat
Robinson and his speed second in the lineup, which means Colby Rasmus moves down to sixth in the order. He obviously would
fare better batting in front of Albert Pujols,
but he's not worth using in mixed leagues regardless.
Tampa Bay Rays
Schedule: OAK4, @FLA3
Heating Up: B.J. Upton is finally playing like a Fantasy stud, batting .303
(10-for-33) over his last seven games with four stolen bases and his
first two home runs of the season. Time to get him active. Since
stealing six bases on May 3, Carl Crawford
is batting .383 (18-for-47) with seven stolen bases.
Cooling Off: Dioner Navarro has struggled all season, but he's now batting .120
(3-for-25) over his last eight games. You have no reason to start him in
mixed leagues.
Injury Concerns: Pat Burrell, who has missed much of the last week with neck
stiffness, had a cortisone shot Friday and will be reevaluated Sunday.
You might want to go ahead and sit him in mixed leagues. The
ever-streaky player hasn't gotten hot yet, batting .250 with one home
run.
Platoon Possibilities: The Rays face four left-handed
pitchers this week, which means Gabe Kapler
will likely get more at-bats than Gabe Gross.
Ben Zobrist again will steal at-bats
from both, though, and is probably the only one of the three with even
low-end mixed-league appeal.
Lineup Changes: Willy Aybar has filled in for Burrell and done a nice job, batting
.370 (10-for-27) over his last eight games. He's a worthwhile stopgap in
AL-only leagues, but he might not get many more starts with Burrell not
expected to go on the DL.
Interleague Effect: Burrell's injury
status leaves this situation somewhat up in the air since he normally
plays DH. If he doesn't return in time for the weekend series at
Florida, then the Rays don't have a decision to make. If he does return
in time, he could end up manning right field, forcing the useless Gross
and Kapler platoon to the bench. The degree of doubt only gives you
another reason to bench Burrell in mixed leagues.
Texas Rangers
Schedule: @DET3, @HOU3
Heating Up: Chris Davis is still striking out at a record-setting pace, but he
has made better contact over his last six games, batting .320 (8-for-25)
with three home runs. Michael Young
continues to assert himself as one of the top shortstop-eligible players
in Fantasy, batting .500 (11-for-22) over his last five games.
Cooling
Off: Nelson R. Cruz hasn't homered
since May 5 and is batting .143 (4-for-28) over his last eight games. In
mixed leagues, you probably have enough outfield overflow that you can
afford to sit him, especially since the Rangers play all six games on
the road.
Injury Concerns: None
Platoon Possibilities:
The Rangers face two left-handed pitchers this week, meaning Andruw Jones will probably start only twice in place of Hank Blalock. Then again, the Rangers will oppose one of those two
lefties in an NL park.
Lineup Changes: None
Interleague
Effect: Blalock and Jones usually platoon at DH, and they'll likely
have to go to the bench for the three-game series at Houston. Blalock
could steal a start from Chris Davis,
and Jones could steal one from Marlon Byrd,
but they still don't seem like ideal choices to use in Fantasy this week.
Toronto Blue Jays
Schedule: CHW1, @BOS3, @ATL3
Heating
Up: Alex Rios, whose batting average
has hovered around .250 in May, has improved a bit over his last six
games, batting .333 (7-for-21) with two home runs. Eventually, he'll get
hot and bring his batting average up to around .300.
Cooling Off: Aaron Hill has hit his first little snag of the season, batting .214
(3-for-14) over his last four games. That's no reason to sit him, though.
Injury
Concerns: None
Platoon Possibilities: The Blue Jays face
two left-handed pitchers this week -- both before interleague play
begins -- so Travis Snider and Lyle Overbay will likely sit those games as usual in favor of Jose
A. Bautista and Kevin Millar.
Lineup
Changes: None
Interleague Effect: Adam Lind normally plays DH, but the Blue Jays wouldn't sit a
middle-of-the-order hitter like them. Expect rookie Travis Snider to ride the pine for the three-game series at Atlanta.
Washington Nationals
Schedule: PIT4, BAL3
Heating
Up: Ryan Zimmerman's hitting streak
has come to an end, but his hot hitting hasn't. He's batting .483
(14-for-29) with three home runs over his last seven games and is an
obvious must-start. Nick Johnson isn't
such an obvious start, but he's batting .444 (8-for-18) over his last
five games and certainly deserves a look in mixed leagues.
Cooling
Off: Austin Kearns has only one hit
in his last 18 at-bats and didn't play in either game of Saturday's
doubleheader.
Injury Concerns: Elijah Dukes strained his hamstring Friday and didn't start Saturday.
He did appear as a pinch hitter, though. The Nationals have downplayed
this injury, saying Dukes won't miss more than a day or two, but they
said the same thing last week about Jesus Flores,
who ultimately went on the DL with a shoulder injury. In mixed leagues,
you shouldn't take any chances with Dukes this week.
Platoon
Possibilities: The Nationals face two left-handed pitchers this
week, but they don't have any lefty-righty platoons.
Lineup
Changes: Ronnie Belliard has begun to
steal at-bats from Anderson Hernandez,
and Willie Harris might continue to
steal at-bats Kearns. None of those players matters outside of deeper
NL-only leagues, though. Same goes for Wil Nieves,
who has taken over as starting catcher with Flores on the DL.
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