DETROIT TIGERS

Marcus Thames continues to show that he deserves to be playing regularly.  He now has 19 home runs, 43 RBIs and a .295 batting average.  Until this year, he had always hit poorly against right-handed pitchers.  But he seems to have solved them, as he is hitting .315 with 15 home runs against them.  With a contact rate of 77%, he is most likely not a .300 hitter, but the power skills and gains against right-handers should keep him in the lineup full-time.

It took 8 starts, but Zach Miner finally had a bad outing against, of all teams, the weak KC Royals.  Miner was shining with the mediocre skills of a 5.8 K/9, 2.9 BB/9 and a 1.46 G/F ratio.  His 3.30 ERA could be in for a spike, especially as he faces teams a second time.

Justin Verlander is having a fine rookie season.  Something to keep an eye on is his tiring down the stretch.  Last season was his first season in professional baseball and he pitched 129.2 innings at three different levels.  He has already logged 117.2 innings this season, putting on pace to exceed last year’s innings by a wide margin.  Add in that in the past manager Jim Leyland has been known to overwork young pitchers and there could be some problems later in the year.

CHICAGO WHITE SOX

There are rumors circulating that the White Sox are looking to move either Freddy Garcia or Javier Vazquez and move 23 year-old Brandon McCarthy into the starting rotation.  McCarthy has pitched decent in relief sporting a 4.17 ERA in 49.2 innings this year.  To succeed as a starter, he will need to raise his K/9 from its current 5.9.  A look at his minor league numbers tell us that he is capable, though it may not happen right away.  The other potential caveat is a need to curb the longball.  That might be more of a problem, as his .86 G/F ratio shows that opposing batters can get the ball in the air against him.  Those in AL-only leagues who need some starting pitching may want roll the dice with him.  Mixed leaguers can do better.

Mark Buerhle’s weak skills are beginning to catch up with him as he ERA has risen from 2.62 on May 24th to its current 4.43.  His K/9 of 3.93 is too low to make up for his average G/F ratio of 1.22.  These numbers are off of his usual output of a K/9 in the 5.0 to 6.0 area and a G/F ratio around 1.40 to 1.50.  At just 27 years old, he would seem too young to be in a skill deterioration phase.  He has pitched a ton of innings in his career, so it is possible that there is a hidden injury.  In any event, the window to sell him high has closed.

CLEVELAND INDIANS

There is a good chance that the Indians will deal closer Bob Wickman before the August 1st deadline.  Fausto Carmona would seem to be the choice to step up to the closer role.  Carmona’s K/9 of 7.13 is a little on the low side for successful closers but his G/F ratio of 2.67 more than makes up the difference.  Those desperate for saves should stash him on their reserve list gambling that Wickman is dealt in the next few weeks.

25 year-old Starter C.C. Sabathia is showing some nice growth in his skill set.  His K/9 is in a 5 year rising trend up to an above average 8.11 this year.  He is also cutting down on walks, which is also contributing to a three-year trend of an improving command ratio.  The excessive career innings pitched is a cause for concern, but if he stays healthy, he is a keeper.

Jeremy Sowers is struggling in his first taste of major league action.  The 7.15 ERA in 22.2 innings is the product of a very high 7 home runs allowed and a low K/9 of 3.18.  With a G/F of 1.76, he should be able to tame the longball.  Whether or not he has the stuff to consistently strike out major league hitters is in question.  Stay away from him for now.

KANSAS CITY ROYALS

Since his trade to the Royals, Joey Gathright has contributed nothing to a fantasy team.  With Kansas City, he is batting an empty .231 with just 1 stolen base.  On the positive side, he is making better contact and drawing walks.  But when he makes contact, it seems like he is just beating the ball into the ground as evidenced by his absurd 3.33 G/F ratio since joining the Royals.  With that kind of speed, he should be turning more of those ground balls into hits, but it is not happening.  Only those truly desperate for steals should be rostering him.

On the flip side, David Dejesus is putting together a nice season batting .300.  It looks like stolen bases will not be a part of his game as he has been caught 19 times in 33 career steal attempts.  An improvement in power could be coming as his G/F ratio is in a three year declining trend from 1.69 to 1.35 to this year’s 1.28 mark. 

Although the Royals will almost certainly be trade deadline sellers of veterans, don’t expect super prospect Alex Gordon to get called up.  The Royals will probably not want to start the arbitration clock early for him.

MINNESOTA TWINS

The Twins have been hit hard with injuries to their outfied with Torii Hunter, Shannon Stewart, and Lew Ford all going on the DL.  It doesn’t help that rookie Jason Kubel is limited to DH to help keep pressure off of his recovering left knee.

Hunter has a stress fracture in his left foot.  Reports have him missing anywhere from two weeks to the rest of the season.  Even if he does make it back in two weeks, he cannot be counted on for stolen bases for the rest of the year.  Nick Punto and Jason Tyner are expected to split time in centerfield during Hunter’s absence.  Punto has made nice strides in his batting eye and contact rate this year, helping him get on base more often to take advantage of his speed.  He should play regularly shifting between CF and third base.  Those in deep mixed leagues and AL-only leagues looking for speed should pick him up.  Tyner has absolutely no power.  He carries a label as a stolen base guy, but he had only 8 in 80 Triple-A games this season.  It is advisable to avoid him in all formats.

Shannon Stewart went back on the DL with a plantar fasciitis condition and it is unknown how long he will be out.  Rondell White who was probably going to be released gets a new lease on life as the starting leftfielder for the foreseeable future.  White has either been greatly affected by a lingering shoulder injury or he is just at the end of the line.  He has just 1 home run and 8 extra base hits in 191 AB.  Besides the complete lack of power, he also has lost any semblance of plate patience that he may have had with just 6 walks.  All of this adds up to a .199 average.  Avoid him, he offers no help in any fantasy category.

Lew Ford should be back by the beginning of August and will play regularly upon his return.  Although he is better than White, he also doesn’t bring much to the table .With some extended playing time, the only benefit he will provide is a handful of steals.