Fantasy Sports News
Update: Benches cleared in Wednesday's game between the Washington Nationals and the Florida Marlins when Nats' OF Nyjer Morgan charged the mound at Florida's SP Chris Volstad. Volstad pegged Morgan earlier in the game and in Morgan's next at-bat Volstad threw behind him. Morgan then charged the mound and connected with a left hand to the face of Volstad before getting clotheslined by Marlins' 1B Gaby Sanchez. There were a grand total of six ejections including both managers. No suspensions have been issued yet by the MLB but surely they will be coming soon.
Fantasy Update: This is particularly frustrating for fantasy owners, as the regular season of fantasy baseball is nearing a close. Morgan has been a base-stealing machine and will leave fantasy owners hurting. The next series between the Nats and the Marlins is September 10-12 at Nationals Park.
Update: Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Brandon Morrow will be shut down in the near future in an attempt to limit the amount of work he puts in for the remainder of the year.
Fantasy Impact: Morrow has been an innings eater this season, and he had pitched 143 1/3 innings this year which is double his career high. Morrow will have one last outing and then be shutdown.
Update: Mets Knuckleballer R.A. Dickey will be arbitration eligible for the first time in his career this coming winter despite having nearly five years of service time, but wishes to return to the New York Mets in 2011.
Fantasy Impact: Dickey is making less than a million dollars this season in New York, and it is certain that he will get a raise. Look for Dickey to be back in New York next year.
Update: The Boston Red Sox have claimed Mike Napoli off waivers from the Los Angeles Angels, reports Joe McDonald of the ESPNBoston.com, but it appears a trade between the two clubs is unlikely, according to McDonald's source.
Fantasy Impact: The Red Sox apparently have put the claim in so that teams like the Twins, Yankees and Rays couldn't add Napoli. There is a possibility that Napoli does end up in Boston, but the chances are slim right now.
Update: The Texas Rangers plan to activate Nelson Cruz (hamstring) off the DL on Monday, according to ESPN.com.
Fantasy Impact: Cruz had been doing a rehab assignment in Double A and was very productive. He should be back in the lineup right away.
Update: Kyle Lohse's spot in St. Louis' rotation is in danger, according to MLB.com.
Fantasy Impact: Jeff Suppan would be in position to take Lohse's spot in the rotation. Lohse has an ERA over 7.00 this year.
Update: According to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, the Dodgers will trade Manny Ramirez to the White Sox Monday.
Fantasy Impact: The Dodgers appear ready to move Ramirez and him heading to the South Side will be a big lift in the White Sox lineup.
Update: The Padres have placed Jerry Hairston Jr. (elbow) on the 15-day DL, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune's Twitter page.
Fantasy Impact: Hairston's elbow is banged up and it is reported that he may need somewhere close to 3 weeks before he can get back on the field.
Update: Reds starter Aaron Harang (back) may be activated in time to start on Tuesday, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer.
Fantasy Impact: The Reds are looking to get Harang back to ensure he would be eligible for the playoffs should they hold on and clinch a berth.
Update: Yankees Manager Joe Girardi has hinted that A.J. Burnett's spot in the Yankees' rotation could be in danger, according to the Newark Star-Ledger. Burnett has not won in his last five starts, and his ERA has sky rocketed to 5.17.
Fantasy Impact: Burnett has stunk lately, but is a big game pitcher, and the Yanks certainly need his arm for another World Series run.
Update: New York Mets shortstop Jose Reyes could be out for a prolonged period of time as he deals with an aggravated oblique injury, according to the New York Post.
Fantasy Impact: The rosters will expand once September hits so it will be interesting to see if the Mets end up placing Reyes on the DL. Reyes once again continues to be injury prone. and has shown he is not reliable.
Update: The Chicago Cubs began their search for a new manager on Thursday with an interview of former Indians skipper Eric Wedge. Triple A manager and fan favorite Ryne Sandberg appears to be the favorite for the gig.
Fantasy Impact: Wedge is a proven winner as he has compiled over 500 wins, and is a guy that will surely be in this thing till the end.
Update: According to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe, second baseman Dustin Pedroia (foot) is likely to be shut down for the rest of the season.
Fantasy Impact: Pedroia needed to be shutdown as he was unable to play through the pain that he was experiencing. The Sox still think they are in the hunt for the Wild Card, but without Pedroia, their chances take a big hit.
Update: Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports suggests that the Dodgers might wait until Tuesday which is the last possible day to deal Manny Ramirez.
Fantasy Impact: The Dodgers have won three in a row and are closing in on the wildcard chase. Manny is certainly capable of helping a team down the stretch, and the White Sox are clearly the favorite for his services.
Update: Boston Red Sox third baseman Mike Lowell is still likely to retire after the 2010 season. "I'm pretty much set in knowing what I'm going to do after this year," said Lowell. "It will be fun. It will be fun enjoying my kids."
Fantasy Impact: Lowell is seeing time because the Red Sox are without Kevin Youkilis who is lost for the season. Lowell is an aging veteran who will hang it up after this season.
Update: Lance Berkman (DH) for the Yankees is on the disabled list with a sprained right ankle.
Fantasy Impact: Not huge news, Eduardo Nunez will take the spot until Berkman feels better.
Update: Alex Rodriguez, third baseman and slugger, of the New York Yankees was pulled from a game after just one at bat. A-Rod's calf strain is still keeping him out of play. However, he is playing smart, only going for DH and trying to ease back into the game.
Fantasy Impact: This should not be a big problem for the Yankees, as A-Rod's status is day to day. They should rest him as much as possible to get this key player back to full health.
Update: Ryan Howard (1B) of the Philadelphia Phillies is feeling better and will start his rehab assignment. If all goes well he could return for the Phillies by the Monday.
Fantasy Impact: Howard is a great slugger and it would mean a lot for the Phillies if he was of the DL and back to playing like his normal self.
Update: The Minnesota Twins have placed Nick Punto (3B) on the 15 day disabled list.
Fantasy Impact: Punto is hitting .253 in 233 at bats, however his injuries have kept him playing on and off. His seasons have ridden with injuries, and we can truly see his caliber when he has a streak injury free.
Update: ESPN is reporting that the Chicago Cubs have traded 1B Derrek Lee to the Atlanta Braves for three pitching prospects. The Cubs will recieve righty Robinson Lopez, righty Tyrelle Harris, and lefty Jeffrey Lorick. Lee was in the final year of his five-year, $65 million contract.
Fantasy Impact: Lee was on a hot streak hitting two home runs in his last game before injuring his back on Sunday. He has been diagnosed with a bulging disc in his lower back, and won't be ready to play again until Friday. Ironically, his first game as a Brave will be against the Cubs at Wrigley Field.
Update: The Red Sox have had no shortage of injuries this season, and to add to it, Ellsbury now has a broken rib and may be out for the rest of the season.
Fantasy Impact: The Red Sox have a tough season ahead of them, with all the injuries affecting the team. Chances are he won't come back until late this season or next season.
Update: Mike Cameron, outfielder for the Boston Red Sox is injured and will be out for the season. Cameron has had an abdominal tear all season, on top of which he adds a kidney stone, hip flexor strain, and groin injury.
Fantasy Impact: Cameron isn't young anymore, and at this stage in season, players that are suffering this much injury cannot be expected to go on. Hopefully, he will be able to return in good health next season.
Update: Carlos Guillen (2B) for the Detroit Tigers is on the DL because of a bruised knee. Guillen sustained this injury during a hard slide.
Fantasy Impact: Guillen has hart. He saw Gardener coming at him but took the hit and made the play at first to get Jeter out. Guillen is a great player and has showed great perseverance, he will be back soon to the joy of the Tigers.
Update: Texas Rangers have put Nelson Cruz (RF) on the 15 day DL with a strained hamstring. He sustained the injury while running bases, but the MRI shows no tears or potential threats.
Fantasy Impact: Cruz is a good defender and a solid hitter going .320 and with 16 HRs and 64 RBIs. He will be missed as an offensive force for the Rangers.
Update: Fransisco Rodriguez (CP) of the New York Mets is now out for the rest of the season. He apparently tore a ligament in his right hand while striking the grandfather of his children. It is still not clear exactly the circumstances of the injury but K-Rod will be charged with third degree asault and second degree harassment.
Fantasy Impact: This is just bad news. It always hurts when a team loses a player, especially someone as important as a closer like K-Rod. Even worse is the circumstance that he was injured in. We can only hope that when he returns from this he can continue the level of play that we expect from him.
Update: New York Yankees firstbaseman Lance Berkman had to exit Sunday's game with an apparent foot injury. Berkman landed on the Royals' Bryan Bullington's heel while lunging to first base and fell to the ground.
Fantasy Impact: Marcus Thames came in for Berkman as a pinch hitter later in the game. There is no word on how serious of an injury this is.
Update: The St. Louis Cardinals have moved thirdbaseman David Freese to the 60-day disabled list.
Fantasy Impact: The Cards needed the roster spot for Kyle Lohse who is returning. Freese is a question mark for spring training next season.
Update: ESPN is reporting that the Texas Rangers have placed RHP Rich Harden on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to August 8, with right shoulder tendinitis. Harden was originally supposed to start Saturday.
Fantasy Impact: Derek Holland, Matt Harrison and Scott Feldman are options to take Harden's spot in the rotation for the time being.
Update: The Texas Rangers have signed outfielder Willy Taveras to a minor league contract, according to MLB.com. He will most likely see time in Triple A until the rosters expand in September.
Fantasy Impact: This is Tavaras' fourth team this year. He hasn't been able to stick anywhere after bouncing around the NL East, so there is no reason to believe he can make an impact for the Rangers.
Update: Jason LaRue (C) for the Cardinals was sidelined due to an injury sustained during a bench clearing brawl. It is unclear when LaRue will be back as he suffered a concussion and bruised ribs. The fight took place between the Cardinals and the Reds, and disciplinary action may be on its way.
Fantasy Impact: It is difficult to see how the brawl started, but MLB commissioners will be viewing tapes in order to see who is at fault. In the meanwhile, players have been lost to injury and some may be lost soon to disciplinary action.
Update: As long as everything goes well Red Sox's Dustin Pedroia (2B) is slated to return this Tuesday. Pedroia has been out since mid-June with a broken bone in his foot.
Fantasy Impact: Reports say that Pedroia is hitting and fielding well, and is having an overall good recovery. This is good news for Boston because Pedroia is a key man for the team. His return, and of course, recovery are a huge bonus for the Red Sox at this point in the season.
Update: Curtis Granderson (CF) of the New York Yankees has been benched for the last two games. Granderson has not been hitting as well, and has talked to Girardi and hitting guru Kevin Long about ways to improve. The basic plan is to cut out Granderon's movements that don't help, and quicken his swing.
Fantasy Impact: Ideally, this change would occur in the off-season, but Granderson is really eager to get better at hitting. Kevin Long says that there could be a chance Granderson takes to the new swing well and goes on a hot streak.
Update: Seattle Mariners shortstop Jack Wilson will undergo season-ending hand surgery Wednesday. Wilson fractured the fifth metacarpal in his right hand when he slipped in the bathroom over the weekend.
Fantasy Impact: The initial prognosis was he would miss six weeks but now the timetable has jumped to eight weeks. Wilson had just 14 RBIs this year and was unproductive at the plate for the Mariners.
Update: Florida Marlins outfielder Chris Coghlan underwent successful surgery on his left knee Wednesday. Coghlan will miss the remainder of the 2010 season.
Fantasy Impact: Coghlan hit 5 HRs this season and was a reliable player for the Fish. He is hoping to be back at full health when spring training opens.
Update: MASNSports.com reports that the Washington Nationals have strong interest in free-agent-to-be Carl Crawford.
Fantasy Impact: Crawford is a stolen base machine, and is going to be arguably the hottest free agent position player on the market come this offseason. It will be interesting to see if the Nats can outbid teams like the Red Sox and Yankees who are clearly going to show some interest.
Update: Atlanta Braves star Chipper Jones was diagnosed with a sprained left knee and is scheduled to have an MRI on Thursday. Brooks Conrad replaced Jones at third base on Tuesday night.
Fantasy Impact: Look for the Braves to push Martin Prado back quicker now with Jones out. For now Omar Infante will move to third base.
Update: The Los Angeles Dodgers placed shortstop Rafael Furcal on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to August 3, with a lower back strain. Furcal experienced discomfort during his pregame workout Tuesday.
Fantasy Impact: The Dodgers will most likely look to call up Juan Castro from Triple A.
Update: Chris Coghlan (LF) of the Florida Marlins will undergo knee surgery and may miss the rest of the season. The funny thing is that the injury was sustained during a victory celebration, as he was trying to pie a teammate.
Fantasy Impact: Coghlan was the 2009 NL Rookie of the Year, and he will be sorely missed. Regardless of the circumstances around his injury, he still got hurt, and will still have to watch his team play from the bench. The Marlins have lost a great fielder and a good bat.
Update: Jason Marquis (SP) will rejoin the rotation for the Washington Nationals. Having bone chips in his elbow, Marquis has had only three starts this season.
Fantasy Impact: The Nats have to be loving the good news. Marquis, former All-Star is returning along with rookie star Strasburg. The addition of the two to the rotation has to mean good things for Washington.
Update: Russell Martin (C) of the Los Angeles Dodgers suffered a hip injury while trying to score from third. It is likely that he will be out for the year.
Fantasy Impact: To lose a player for such a period of time always has an impact on the team. The Dodgers will need to find a replacement catcher, and Martin will have to work hard to return in good form.
Update: Rookie Stephen Strasburg (SP) is feeling better and will rejoin the rotation for the Washington Nationals. So far so good, and as long as there are no more setbacks Strasburg will start on Tuesday.
Fantasy Impact: This is very good news for the Nationals. They are starting to get the punch back into their rotation. Also Strasburg is a great rookie and a player to watch.
Update: Brandon Inge (3B) of the Detroit Tigers is activated to play. Originally, after breaking his left hand, Inge was slated to miss six weeks of play. However, making a speedy recovery, Inge is ready for action, hitting two doubles in his rehab assignment.
Fantasy Impact: The Tigers are lucky to get Inge back so quickly. He is a good fielder and a good bat and really get the Tigers' offense rolling. We just hope that the early comeback by Inge won't lead to further injury.
Update: Jacoby Ellsbury (CF) will be coming of the DL to play for the Red Sox. Though he may not 100% feeling better, the coach believes he is ready to come back. Since he has only played 9 games this season due to rib injuries the manager has said they will take his playing slow and steady in order to not further hurt him.
Fantasy Impact: Good news for the Red Sox. It is great to have Ellsbury back and hopefully he will return to top form. Also the Red Sox have lost a lot of players this season to injuries and it is a good turnaround when players start to return.
Update: After a dry spell of 12 games, Alex Rodriguez (3B), of the New York Yankees, hit his 600th homerun. A-Rod is the youngest player to reach this milestone and only the seventh in MLB history. Congratulations!!
Fantasy Impact: A-Rod is a great player and a brilliant star for the Yankees. He deserves this milestone and we hope to see him excel further.
Update: Chicago Cubs starting pitcher, Carlos Silva will be placed on the DL due to his abnormal heart rate. As of now, Silva is working with doctors and trainers to figure out the problem and rectify it. There is no set timetable for his return as of late.
Fantasy Impact: Thomas Diamond was recalled by the Cubs to take Silva's spot. It is hard to asses when Silva will be back, but when dealing with a heart condition I assume they will treat him carefully, better safe than sorry. He may not return to the mound for quite some time.
Update: Hitting superstar Joey Votto, of the Cincinnati Reds, is out of the lineup due to a sprained right wrist. As of now the x-rays are negative and it appears Votto is taking a preemptive strike against the injury.
Fantasy Impact: This is a smart decision. When you have a player thats leading the NL with an average of .322 and 27 homeruns, you rest him if he feels some pain. Better let take the day off than aggravate the injury and be out for longer.
Update: According to ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark, the New York Yankees have acquired RP Kerry Wood from the Cleveland Indians in return for a player to be named later.
Fantasy Impact: This is another smart, savvy move for the Yankees. Wood (6.30 ERA, 8 saves) has struggled this season, but he should transition smoothly from closer to set-up man in the Bronx. Between command issues and injury history – after all, he just came of the DL today – Wood is certainly a risk. At the same time, though, it would be difficult for him to be much worse than Joba Chamberlain, the incumbent “bridge to Rivera”. Wood will provide a more consistent presence late in games, and he’ll play a big role in shoring up a bullpen that may well be New York’s weakest link. For the Indians, the move looks to be yet another salary dump (the Yankees also stole OF Austin Kearns from Cleveland for next-to-nothing), as the Yankees will reportedly be taking on approximately $1.5 million of the $3.6 million still owed to Wood. It’s not too hefty a price for New York, which has flexed its financial muscle for the third time in the past 24 hours. As such, it’s another low risk-high reward pickup for the Yankees. For fantasy owners, Wood loses pretty much any value he may have had, as he obviously won’t be supplanting Mariano Rivera as the Yankees’ closer.
Update: Kerry Woods (P) has been activated of the DL to take the spot of Austin Kearns who was traded to the New York Yankees. He has been on the DL due to a blister on his finger.
Fantasy Impact: The Indians may not be ready to use Woods, he has been activated primarily to fill an open spot on the roster.
Update: ESPNNewYork.com’s Wallace Matthews reports that the New York Yankees have acquired outfielder Austin Kearns from the Cleveland Indians for a player to be named later or cash.
Fantasy Impact: This is one of those underrated moves that could pay big-time dividends for New York come September and beyond. The Yankees scooped up Kearns for almost nothing, but that doesn’t mean that the 30-year-old left fielder won’t play a substantial role in pinstripes. He’s a competent right-handed bat who can play every day or come off the bench. He also does well against left-handed pitching, which will enable the Yankees to tinker with the lineup and most likely rest Curtis Granderson – who struggles mightily against southpaws – from time to time. Kearns also will act as a safeguard in case Brett Gardner – who has never played this many games or innings in his career – begins to falter or wear down late in the season. This is by no means a marquee signing, but adding Kearns is an excellent move by the Yankees’ front office. On the flip side, though, this trade saps any fantasy value that Kearns may have had while he was with Cleveland. He simply won’t get enough at-bats to be a viable fantasy option in New York.
Update: Multiple sources are reporting that a deal sending Houston Astros’ 1B Lance Berkman to the New York Yankees is complete. The deal will not become official until tomorrow because Berkman has 10-and-5 no-trade rights – 10 years of MLB service, 5 years with the same team – which he has reportedly already agreed to waive. There has yet to be word on which players the Yankees will include in the deal, but New York isn’t expected to part with any big-time prospects. The move looks primarily like a salary dump for Houston, as the Yanks will most likely be taking on the rest of Berkman’s contract.
Fantasy Impact: Berkman (.245 BA, 13 HR, 49 RBI) has been the face of the Astros, and one of the best pure hitters in baseball, for the past decade. He’s had a disappointing season so far, but the move to the Bronx should be a welcome change of scenery for the slugging switch-hitter. Expect a substantial statistical bump from the 34-year-old, who will be the everyday DH in New York. After all, he’ll be upgrading from the Astros’ anemic offense (28th in MLB in runs scored) to the most potent run-scoring unit in all of baseball (Yankees are 1st in MLB in runs scored). Buy low on Berkman now, because – whether he’s hitting in front of Mark Teixeira or behind Robinson Cano – he’s going to have plenty of opportunities to post huge numbers in the Yankees' offense, especially in terms of run production. For the Astros, this deal (along with the recent Roy Oswalt trade) signals the end of the “old guard” in Houston. The team is in the “overhaul” stage of the rebuilding process, and they have now effectively rid themselves of two massive contracts, albeit at the cost of losing two veteran team leaders. Don’t be surprised if the Astros continue to make some cost-cutting, youth-supplying moves before tomorrow’s trade deadline.
