TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Fantasy Baseball Tip Sheet - July 5

ADVERTISEMENT

By JAMES LoPRESTI

The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 5, 2008

INJURY REPORT

Hideki Matsui, OF (New York Yankees) - It has been rumored that Matsui could require surgery on his injured left knee if it continues to bother him. If so, speedy young outfielder Brett Gardner will resume right field duties. In 80 games in Triple-A, Gardner hit .324 and stole 34 bases. Gardner is worth a look in AL-only leagues and deep mixed leagues.

Magglio Ordonez, OF (Detroit Tigers) - Last year's AL batting king is the third Tiger to go on the disabled list with an oblique muscle pull. Barring any setbacks in his rehabilitation process, Ordonez will rejoin the team during the All-Star break. The Tigers called up utilityman Matt Joyce to fill a roster spot. Joyce has performed well in limited action for Detroit and is a good short-term pickup in deep AL leagues.

Rafael Furcal, SS (Los Angeles Dodgers) - Furcal will have surgery on his ailing back, and he is expected to miss two additional months. Bad news for Furcal owners; it is unlikely he will be back to full strength this season. Part ways with him or, if you are involved in a keeper league, hold on to him for next year.

SECOND-HALF PITCHERS

Upset with underachieving starting pitching? Here are some guaranteed solid second-half pitchers you'll want in your lineup.

Roy Oswalt (Houston Astros) - Oswalt has been unimpressive, posting a 7-8 record and an inflated 4.60 ERA in 18 starts. Don't panic. Oswalt is a far better second-half pitcher. He has a 56-19 career record after the All-Star break, including a 14-4 mark over the past two seasons.

Johnny Cueto (Cincinnati Reds) - Despite a 7-8 record, Cueto has pitched very well of late, going 2-2 with a 2.39 ERA and 19 strikeouts in his last four starts. Cueto has the stuff to be a top-20 pitcher this season, and as he begins to mature, you will likely see his ERA drop and his win total rise.

Clay Buchholz (Boston Red Sox) - Buchholz tossed five shutout innings in his last start at Triple-A, lowering his ERA to 1.63. Buchholz has spent his time in the minors working out the kinks in his mechanics, and he looks to return even better than the end of his 2007 season, when he went 3-1 with a 1.59 ERA. Look for him to return strong, racking up seven or eight wins and a mid-3.00 ERA for Boston.

WAIVER WIRE BARGAINS

Damaso Marte, RP (Pittsburgh Pirates) - Marte is the favorite to close games for the Pirates now that Matt Capps is on the shelf for eight weeks with shoulder tightness. Marte has performed well in the setup role and is a must pickup in all leagues.

Chris Davis, 1B (Texas Rangers) - Davis has been on fire the past week, smashing three home runs and driving in seven runs in just 23 plate appearances. This hot start is no surprise, as Davis hit .333 with 10 homers and 31 RBIs in 111 at-bats at Triple-A Oklahoma before being called up. Don't expect Davis to be able to keep this pace up, but it wouldn't be surprising if he finished the season with 20 home runs.

Adam Lind, OF (Toronto Blue Jays) - In eight games since being recalled from Triple-A Syracuse, Lind is hitting .333 with three home runs and 10 RBIs. Lind had a short stint in the majors in late April, but after a 1-for-19 start, the Blue Jays decided to send him back down. Now Lind seems prepared for big-league pitching, and Manager Cito Gaston has said he will play Lind on a regular basis. Lind is a sleeper to hit at least 10 home runs while also having a decent average in the second half of the season.

J.J. Hardy, SS (Milwaukee Brewers) - After a disappointing first 21/2 months of the season, Hardy is beginning to find his power stroke. He has five homers this week and eight in the past month. Hardy has also quietly put together a nice 16-game hitting streak, raising his average from .242 to .292.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT