Tommy Milone -- Rumors yesterday indicated that with Brett Anderson close to a return from the DL, sophomore hurler Tommy Milone could be bumped from Oakland's rotation to make room. That would obviously kill his fantasy value even in AL-only leagues, so owners should pay attention to see what happens. Milone hasn't been bad this year (4.30 ERA, 4.33 xFIP), but he hasn't been good either and has taken a step back statistically from 2012 (3.74 ERA, 4.02 xFIP). If he is bumped from the rotation, he can safely be dropped in any mixed leagues in which he's owned.
Clay Buchholz -- Buchholz threw 50 pitches in his rehab start yesterday, and the Red Sox said he'll likely make just one more before being activated on September 4 to face the Tigers, though manager John Farrell hinted that Buchholz may only be able to throw four innings or so at that point but that he'd "rather [those four innings] be [in Boston] than in Fort Myers." Buchholz was pitching over his head prior to hitting the DL, but he's still in the midst of a legitimately good season and is sure to be welcomed back by his fantasy owners.
Ryan Dempster -- The Boston Herald reported yesterday that Ryan Dempster could be bumped from the rotation when Clay Buchholz returns from the disabled list; he's currently on track for a September 4 activation. That would be quite the blow for such a highly-paid player and would surely disappoint his fantasy owners. Then again, Dempster has been doing plenty of that himself this year with a 6-9 record, 4.77 ERA, and a mediocre 4.24 xFIP not portending a whole lot better. The move to the AL can be blamed for a lot of that, so if you owned him, you really shouldn't be too surprised that this is what you've gotten.
Chia-Jen Lo -- Lo blew his second save of the year yesterday, facing six batters and retiring just one while giving up two runs with a 1/3 K/BB. The hard-throwing Lo was looking like he was settling in as the saves favorite in Houston, but this outing puts that assessment in limbo. Josh Fields could be given the next chance at a save. Both are worth stashing in any league where you need saves, but it's hard to count on either one actually giving you saves for the time being.
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