Josh Donaldson, 3B, Oakland A's: Cold Batter
Donaldson finally drove in a run with a solo homer off of Homer Bailey yesterday afternoon. This marked his first RBI of the second half. He finished the game 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBI, the second coming on a 2-out single. Donaldson had been batting .146 (6-for-41) since June 24th, so this multi-hit day could be a sign his swing is coming back around. He was seeing the ball well even during his slump, walking a total of 10 times during that 13-game span. A sell high candidate at the halfway mark, he quickly lost some value after that rough patch, but he is still an above average play in all formats.
Adam Lind, 1B/DH, Toronto Blue Jays: Cold Batter
Lind, like Donaldson, struggled the past week, hitting just .120 (3-for-25), with three runs and no RBI. On Wednesday however, Lind finished 2-for-3 and connected with one, sending it into the seats for his 14th dinger of the year. He hasn't had a bad season, driving in 41 runs in 99 games, with a .281/.349/.479 line, but his RBI opportunities aren't as frequent with the likes of Edwin Encarnacion and Jose Bautista cleaning house before him, combining for 157 RBI between them so far. He is only owned in 31 percent of Yahoo! leagues, so he is available in most leagues, but he should only be owned in 12-team mixed and AL Only formats.
Yan Gomes, C, Cleveland Indians: FA Pickup
Gomes finished 1-for-5, but his lone hit was a two run shot, his ninth of the season. In a platoon role at catcher, Gomes has been up and down, but in his past 10 games, he is batting .469 (15-for-32) with five runs, two long balls and eight RBI. His splits are very even versus righties and lefties, batting over .300 against both, so his at-bats have been increasing recently. In deeper mixed leagues, Gomes can provide a steady average and solid run/RBI production out of the catcher slot. If you have the luxury to mix and match at catcher by matchup, the first ever Brazilian born major leaguer should be considered.
C.C. Sabathia, SP, New York Yankees
Sabathia threw seven and a third, giving up three runs against the last place White Sox. Sabathia took a 4-1 lead into the seventh frame before giving up three straight hits and an RBI groundout to see his lead dwindle to one. But after escaping the seventh on a questionable strike three call which got Chicago pitching coach Don Cooper tossed, the 33-year old from Vallejo, California was able to get one out in the eighth before Dave Robertson took over. In his last six starts, C.C. is 0-4 with a 7.00 ERA. The Yankees have lost every single game during that span and C.C. is quickly losing value. You can't trade him now as no one will touch him, and it's hard to drop someone who has been as good as Sabathia over the past half decade or so. For now, it may be wise to only start him if the matchup is truly in his favor and with less than two months of the regular season left and the Yankees falling farther out of the AL Wildcard race, the entire year may be lost for him from a confidence standpoint.
J.J. Hardy, SS, Baltimore Orioles: Great Player
Hardy finished 2-for-5 with a solo homer and three RBI in Baltimore's 10-3 win Wednesday. It was his third homer since the All-Star break, and he now has 63 RBI on the year, putting him on pace for 90 on the season. Hardy never puts up flashy numbers, but he has been healthy and consistent, bringing power that you don't get from many middle infielders. For anyone looking for cheap HRs, trading for Hardy shouldn't cost you a boatload, and considering he's in such a potent lineup, the RBI opportunities should keep on coming, even towards the bottom of that order. Most trade deadlines are over the next two weeks, so be wary if you are looking to make a move.
