Kevin Youkilis (3B - CHW) - Youkilis' trade speculation finally ended as the third baseman was dealt to the White Sox. The situation couldn't be better for him from a fantasy perspective, as he goes to the launching pad of U.S. Cellular Field and gets to play every day at third base. However, that won't mean anything unless his skills can rebound. He's hit just .233/.315/.377 so far and his strikeout, walk and fly ball rates are all considerably worse than last season. Owners should use a cautious approach.
Matt Wieters (C - BAL) - Wieters hit his 10th home run as part of a 2-4 day to raise his line to .254/.336/.446. Perpetually expected to break out after being a top-five pick in 2007, it has been mostly more of the same to this point. He has destroyed southpaws (.400/.471/.583 going into the day), but has struggled badly against righties (.199/.286/.381). Although each of those lines will regress somewhat as both the respective BABIPs are extreme (.500 and .203), he has been over 100 points of OPS better against lefties in his career. He's an excellent option against lefties and can be used against mediocre righties, especially at Camden Yards.
Mike Moustakas (3B - KC) - Moustakas had his first career multi-home run game, taking Lance Lynn deep twice. After a rough debut last year, he has been excellent this season, hitting .280/.347/.492. However, his difficulties with lefties have continued, as he sports just a .554 OPS against them. He also has a .315 BABIP despite jonly a 15.8 LD%. Moustakas is a sell-high option based on the numbers, but there's also a chance that he continues putting it together in the second half as he is still just 23 with a strong pedigree and minor league track record.
Derek Lowe (SP - CLE) - Lowe had a mediocre outing in Houston, allowing three runs on eight hits in 6 2/3 innings, walking and striking out one each. He has allowed even more balls in play this year, as his already pedestrian strikeout and swinging strike rates have plummeted with the move back to the AL. Because of the lack of strikeouts, Lowe is a strict matchup option at home and/or against lineups without quality left-handed hitting. He should be avoided at Camden Yards Friday.
Glen Perkins (RP - MIN) - Although Jared Burton got the nod Sunday, Perkins should receive most of the save opportunities in Minnesota after Matt Capps had a setback with his shoulder. The southpaw posted a big strikeout rate last season and has built on it this year, but he has also walked a lot of hitters and always given up hard contact. In addition, his ground ball rate has dropped over nine percent this year. He'll also have to face more right-handed hitters as a closer. He's certainly worth a flier and will be a good source of strikeouts, but expectations should be tempered.
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