CHICAGO WHITE SOX

Since the beginning of July, Brian Anderson is hitting .289.  To give you an idea of how bad he was prior to July, six weeks of solid hitting has only raised his average to .211.  During this run, Anderson has been making better contact and hitting the ball with more authority.  It remains to be seen whether this is the beginning of something good or just a fluke.  For now he is an option in AL-only leagues.

If Anderson stays hot, Rob Mackowiak will take his empty .299 average to the bench.  A high G/F ratio of 1.56 limits his power and a low contact rate of 79%, coupled with a .51 batting eye point to a downward batting average correction.  He is a weak option in AL-only leagues.

The White Sox are considering putting SS Juan Uribe on the DL because of a sore back.  If it happens, Alex Cintron will start at shortstop.  He is a contact, groundball hitter without power.  With regular playing time, he will steal some bags so he has value in AL-only leagues.  A weak batting eye of .35 hurts his value in mixed leagues as it prevents him from getting on base more to take advantage of his speed.

CLEVELAND INDIANS

Fausto Carmona has imploded in the closer role.  After being given the job, he blew three save opportunities in a row and has seen his ERA go from 3.57 to 5.44.  The team will probably remove the 22 year old from the role just to save his confidence.

According to a Cleveland newspaper, Jason Davis and Rafael Betancourt will share the closer duties.  Davis was recalled from the minors on July 22nd.  After an initial poor outing, he has been tough, throwing 8 scoreless innings.  His 6.1 K/9 is low for a closer, but a solid BB/9 of 2.0 and a G/F of 1.61 make him worth using in AL-only leagues.

On the surface, Betancourt would appear to be the better choice.  He can be dominating with a 7.8 K/9 and 1.9 BB/9.  However, he may have some make-up issues, as he failed miserably in the closer role in 2004, when he blew 7 saves in 11 opportunities.  An extremely low G/F ratio of .57 is just inviting walk-off home runs.  He may be better suited for the set-up role.

The Indians placed Casey Blake on the DL with a sprained ankle.  The team recalled Ryan Garko, who should split time at first base with Victor Martinez.  Garko has some pop, makes decent contact, and can draw a walk.  But his .248 Triple-A batting average, playing his home games in a stadium that suppresses right-handed batting power by 28% and projected part-time play makes him a fantasy non-factor

With Victor Martinez seeing more games at first base, catcher Kelly Shoppach will see more AB.  Shoppach has some power in his bat.  Unfortunately, extra AB will expose his poor contact and batting eye skills.  Look for his .262 average to head due south.

DETROIT TIGERS

Justin Verlander missed his start on Sunday because of fatigue in his right arm.  He has already thrown more innings this year than he has in any previous year.  The team says that he will miss just one start, but one would think the Tigers will be cautious, especially with a 10 game lead in the AL Central.

Wilfredo Ledezma stepped in for Verlander and threw 5.2 scoreless innings against Cleveland.  His high 2006 K/9 of 8.33 in Triple-A and 8.1 in limited major league innings hint at some potential.  In past major league auditions, he has had control issues.  The 11 walks in 21 major league innings this year are troubling.  If he gets more opportunities to start and can harness his control, he is one to keep an eye on

Craig Monroe has been on fire, batting .340 since July 1st.  His 19 home runs put him within four of tying a career high.  Monroe’s poor contact rate of 75% and subpar batting eye of .21 means his current .273 batting average is probably as good as it will get.  However, the power growth is supported by the lowering of his G/F ratio from 1.49 in 2005 to this year’s .94. 

KANSAS CITY ROYALS

For some bizarre reason the Royals are keeping Runelvys Hernandez in the starting rotation.  One would be hard pressed to find worse surface stats, a 2-7 record with an 8.54 ERA, or underlying stats, 3.9 K/9, 4.6 BB/9, and a 1.10 G/F ratio, from any other major league pitcher.  He should be nowhere near a fantasy roster. 

Luke Hudson is now 4-0 with a 3.68 ERA in six starts.  His K/9 of 5.65 and BB/9 of 2.45 in that span are respectable.  He has also been stingy with the long ball, allowing only 4 in 50.1 innings this year.  Be careful, his 2006 G/F ratio of 2.20 is way beyond any number he has produced in previous major league trials.  Once that corrects, the home runs could start flying out like they did in 2005, when he allowed 14 home runs in 84.2 innings.

MINNESOTA TWINS

Francisco Liriano is still bothered by soreness in his left forearm and might require a trip to the DL.  The Twins have already called up Matt Garza, who will make his major league debut on Friday at home against the Blue Jays.

Limited to DH because of sore knees, Jason Kubel has struggled with a .238 batting average since July 1st.  In that time period, he has just 3 extra-base hits and has not even attempted a steal.  Because the knee problems will linger for the rest of the season, he is no longer an option in mixed leagues.

Since being called up from the minors, Jason Bartlett is off to a great start, hitting .364.  With his mediocre contact rate of 84%, average batting eye of .56 and lack of power, it will not last.  The four caught steals in 6 attempts negate him as a speed source.