Kyle Blanks, OF, San Diego Padres
In his first action since July 11th, Blanks finished 2-for-4, batting 5th for Bud Black in the Padres order. Prior to getting injured, the 26-year old was batting .256 with 26 runs scored, eight homers and 34 RBI. His innate ability to go on home run surges and his performance against lefties (.299/.378/.494) 5 HR, 19 RBI) gives him some value in deeper mixed leagues, but he can be a big impact player down the stretch in NL Only leagues.
Miguel Montero, C, Arizona Diamondbacks
Montero recorded another two hits, a run and an RBI in last night's loss to San Francisco. Since returning after a month long stint on the disabled list, Montero has gone 6-for-16 (.375 AVG) in four games. He's been a forgotten man from a fantasy standpoint, but looking at his peripherals the past two seasons, he should have a bounce back September, and this quick start is a good sign for owners, or players who need a fill-in catcher down the stretch. Montero has decent value in NL Only and the deepest of mixed leagues, but don't expect anything more than a solid average and the occasional runs and RBIs.
Travis d'Arnaud, C, New York Mets
The rookie catcher seems to get more comfortable by the day and he recorded two more hits Saturday, giving him four in his last eight at-bats, one more than he had in his first 28 ABs in the majors. Coming from someone who watches the Mets almost every day, d'Arnaud has the confidence at the plate, he's just had some hard luck at-bats, but the fact that he's walking once every 6 PAs to start his career shows that he's seeing the ball well, so the hits will come. The young backstop is barely owned in any leagues, so he deserves a look in all NL only formats, as well as some deeper mixed leagues, specifically ones with two catcher slots or keepers.
Andrew Lambo, OF, Pittsburgh Pirates
Lambo has been flip flopping between the majors and Triple-A quite a bit this month, which I think is contributing to a poor start at the plate in the majors. In 19 ABs this year, Lambo has posted a slash line of .211/.318/.263 with just one RBI and three runs scored. Even if he remains on the roster for the duration of September, he hasn't shown much as a pro and for the time being holds minimal value in even NL only formats. Wait until next year on this guy, 2014 will bring better opportunity for the young outfielder.
B.J. Upton, OF, Atlanta Braves
Upton smashed his first home run since June 15th yesterday off the Marlins Jacob Turner. It was one of his four hits in the game, and he drove in three as well. Upton had been in a monumental funk all season, losing at-bats to Jordan Schafer in recent weeks, but he now has seven hits in his last 14 ABs, and has hits in four straight games. His upside doesn't need to be advertised, so he's worth taking a waiver on if he's available in your league. The risk is low because he will see some favorable matchups now that he's in a platoon, and if he can find his groove, the 29-year old has the ability to really make an impact in any fantasy format. The best time to catch guys who have slumped for big portions of the year is when they show a glimpse of their old self. It may be risky but it allows you to maximize what you can get out of a hot streak. Catch it early and milk it for what it's worth. Upton's not on a hot streak by any stretch, but he's making strides quickly and could finally show us why he was given such a lucrative contract in the offseason.
