Andy Dirks- DET- Hot- Dirks went 4-for-4 for the first time in his young career, hitting a double, scoring a run and knocking in a run. He also walked for the first time since July 15th. Dirks is hitting a respectable .273 in part time duty with the Tigers. He has shown decent power, with 6 homers in 161 ABs. AS the Tigers Minor League Player of the Year in 2010 Dirks only hit .248 against southpaws, which largely explains his part time status. This year in a small sample size of 24 ABs he has an average of .375 against lefthanders, but that is largely a product of a .364 BABIP against them. Dirks projects as a useful outfielder in the mix for Detroit but will probably not hit everyday status.
Carl Pavano- MIN- Hot- Pavano has thrown quality starts in his last 2 outings, allowing 2 runs, one of which was earned, in each of those games. He has only allowed 1 walk in the combines 15.1 IP, but given up 15 hits. Pavano's luck has had both good and bad luck in those starts that have been fighting it out. His .352 BABIP has been countered by his 81.0% LOB%. Pavano's strikeout rate has kicked up a notch, with 9 Ks in those games, but it's still lower than it needs to be to recommend him consistently.
David Price- TB- Hot- Price allowed just 1 run on 6 hits and 2 walks while striking out 4 in 8 IP against the Yankees. However, this was only his 4th quality start in his last 8 and he still keeps throwing a lot of pitches. Last night was his 6th outing of 110 or more pitches in those 8 games. Price has not recorded more than 7 Ks in any of those games. Prior to this stretch he hadn't gone more than 3 starts without getting at least 8 Ks. Price has also allowed more than 1 walks 6 times in those 8 games. He had only done that 5 times in the first 17 starts of the season. It's looking more that Price has been pushed hard and is showing the effects.
Jose Bautista- TOR- Cold- Bautista is suffering a very cold stretch. He is batting only .197 with 2 homers since the All Star Break. Although he was eliminated in the first round, maybe Bautista is this year's Home Run Derby casualty. He has suffered bad luck, with a microscopic .130 BABIP this month, but he has also seen a drop in his Batting EYE from 1.37 before the Break to .90 after the Break. While still a high number, that's quite a plunge. There might be swing problems Bautista needs to work out.
Melky Cabrera- KC- Hot- After going 10-for-21 in his last 5 games Cabrera has raised his average to .310. However, with a .333 BABIP and a Batting EYE that has dropped to .37 from .66 in 2010 don't expect that kind of average next year. The career highs in homers and steals, though, keep him on the radar for fantasy value in 2012. He could be a 20/20 player this year and will retain the potential for next year.
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