Tommy Hanson (SP - Braves) - Tommy Hanson has come back to the pack a little bit, but he's still pitching incredibly well. He gave up 4 ER in 6.0 IP with 1 BB and 4 K's to a very good offensive Dodgers team and was handed his 2nd loss of the season. He lost in his last game as well, but he still hurled a quality start in that outing. For the season, the 22-year-old Hanson has been great, posting a 3.25 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, and a 50% QS rate in 10 outings. Take out his first game blow-up of 6 ER in 6.0 IP and those numbers drop significantly. I feel fine about riding the Hanson train to the end of the line this year and he should emerge next year as a solid mid-round draft pick in any mixed league.
Jason Schmidt (SP - Dodgers) - Before we all get giddy with excitement that the old Jason Schmidt is back, let's sit back and take a deep breath. Ok, Schmidt had an excellent outing on Friday, allowing just one hit and no ER in 6.0 IP for his first quality start of the season and his 2nd "W." He was a little wild at times, walking 5 for the game, but he did convert 53 strikes on just 87 pitches. Schmidt was basically pitching to retain his spot in the rotation and certainly continues to earn himself more starts with his next one coming against the Brewers mid next week. A history of injuries is just too much for me to overlook, so I'm letting another fantasy owner try to catch "lightning in a bottle" with this one.
Carlos Beltran (OF - Mets) - If you have Carlos Beltran stashed on the DL, you need to be a big Mets fan right now. With the Mets actually playing halfway decently and only 6.5 games out of the Wild Card (stranger things have happened), Beltran's activities could be accelerated to join the team earlier. I don't think anyone is going to rush him, but the Mets won't necessarily be overly cautious with him at this point either. With that said, Beltran has indicated he should be back within the next 2 weeks and has already started taking batting practice (although the running has yet to happen). He won't be 100% by far, but I'll take an 85% Beltran at this point.
Scott Rolen (3B - Reds) - Edwin Encarnacion will be replaced at 3B for the Reds by newly acquired veteran, Scott Rolen. He's having a better season that you'd expect, hitting .320 with 8 HR, 43 ribbies, OBP of .370, and OPS of .846. Moving to the bandbox in Cincy, Rolen's power numbers should increase, making him a good waiver flyer in a lot of league formats. Health will always be an issue for Rolen and a quick look at his game log shows a ton of "Did not Play" statuses throughout 2009. But, if you're looking for a little surprise power, we might have just gotten a nice gift from the fantasy gods.
Clayton Richard (SP - Padres) - Clayton Richard was acquired by the Padres in the deal that sent ace Jake Peavy to the southside of Chicago. Before digging too much into the numbers, Richard's fantasy value jumps immediately. First, he gets a weekend start right away. Secondly, he moves out of the American League and into a DH-less National League. And third, he leaves U.S. Cellular field, notorious for its HR's-allowed and shifts to the cavernous Petco. At a high level, Richard will get a little help from those factors. Looking at the numbers, he has given up 10 HR in 89.0 innings, with a GB/FB rate under 1.0. However, his overall K numbers have improved from 45+ IP last season, raising his K/9 to 6.7 and opposing OPS dropping from .802 to .767. Richard won't be the savior for any team, but keep an eye on his next few starts and he could be a nice little sleeper heading into August.
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