Will Ohman: The Dodgers placed Ohman on the 15-day-DL with a sore left shoulder. After having a solid season with the Braves last year, 3.68 ERA, 8.1 K/9, and a 3.4 BB/9, Ohman has been a disaster this year, 5.84 ERA, 5.1 K/9, and a 5.9 BB/9. His LD% for both years is a very high 29% which means batters are getting good wood on the ball against him. Like most pitchers, when his command breaks down, Ohman numbers suffer, however it is accentuated more because of how hard batters hit the ball off of him.
A.J. Ellis: The Dodgers called up Ellis from Triple-A, where he was putting good numbers, 0/12/.340 in 106 AB. He doesn’t hit for power, but has nothing left to prove at Triple-A, 2008/2009 batting averages of .321/.340, BB%’s of 15%/18%, and Ct%’s of 84%/88%. However, at 28 years of age, he is not considered a prospect and most likely won’t play enough to be a factor in fantasy leagues.
Jordan Zimmermann: With a 9.2 K/9 and a 2.7 BB/9, Zimmermann has pitched much better than his 6.07 ERA would indicate. An unlucky 61% strand rate and a .304 BHIP% means there is some upside to Zimmermann’s stats if those numbers regress to the mean.
Tim Lincecum: Remember when Lincecum struggled through his first couple of starts and there was all that crazy talk about him being a fluke? All he does is continue to blow hitters away with an unheard 11.6 K/9 for a starting pitcher. With his control improving, 2008/2009 BB%’s 3.3/2.6, and the ability to induce ground balls, GB%’s of 44%/44%, you would be hard-pressed to find another starting pitcher with a better skill set.
Eric Stults: While it may appear that Stults is having some success in the Dodgers rotation, 4-1 with a 4.29 ERA, there are some troubling signs lurking beneath the surface. His strike outs are on the low side, 5.8 K/9, especially for a fly ball pitcher, 48% FB%. However the biggest problem is the deadly combination of poor control, 4.9 BB/9, and too many fly balls. A low 3% HR/FB is protecting him now, but if that starts to normalize, you could be seeing a bunch of 2 and 3-run home runs against him.
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