CHICAGO WHITE SOX

Left-handed swinging Scott Podsednik is now platooning.  Looking at his average split against right-handed and left-handed pitching, .272 vs. .223, it is not hard to see why.
Maybe not having to face southpaws will allow him to improve on his post All-Star break batting average of .224.

Podsednik’s leftfield platoon partner is Pablo Ozuna.  After hitting an unsustainable .413 in the first-half of the season, Ozuna has cooled down considerably in the second-half with a .238 average.  With his poor batting eye and declining speed, the second-half number is closer to his skill level.  He probably shouldn’t be trying to steal bases, as he has been caught 6 times in 11 tries.

Since August 1st, Paul Konerko has just 4 home runs in 122 AB.  The 11 doubles in that same period show that he is still generating power.  Expect the pace of home runs to pick up for Konerko this month.

CLEVELAND INDIANS

You can’t break in any better than Kevin Kouzmanoff did.  He slugged the first major league pitch that he saw for a grand slam.  The next day he “disappointed”, as he only managed a solo shot.  This season, Kouzmanoff hit .389 in Double-A and .353 in Triple-A, while showing good plate patience, contact, and power skills.  With the Indians out of the playoff race, he should see a fair amount of playing time and is worth owning in AL-only leagues.

Travis Hafner left Friday’s game with a bruised hand after getting hit by a pitch.  He has not played since, but he should return to the line-up within the next couple of days.

Jason Michaels is beginning to lose playing time in leftfield.  In his first shot at a full-time job, the right-handed swinging Michaels is showing why he is probably better suited for a platoon or part-time role.  His batting average split when facing right-handers and southpaws is .249/.290 and he has hit 1 more home run against left-handers, 5 vs. 4, despite having 88 less AB.  He doesn’t offer much power or speed, but could be a useful player if his AB versus right-handers is limited.

In his lone start in Triple-A, Fausto Carmona allowed 4 ER in 2.1 innings.  Despite the poor start, the Indians are planning on starting him on Saturday against the White Sox.  He is not recommended in any format.

DETROIT TIGERS

Placido Polanco’s shoulder is healing well and he could be back for the final week of the season.  His off-the-charts contact rate of 94% insures a healthy batting average.  His lack of speed and power mean that he will only help you in that category. 

The Tigers waited until after September 1st to recall Chris Shelton from the minors, making him ineligible for the playoff roster.  That should be a clue on how much they plan on using him for the next month. 

After two consecutive seasons of second-half fades, 41-year old Kenny Rogers is defying age by putting up a superb second-half.  In his last 40 innings, covering 6 starts, he has allowed just 3 ER.  He is certainly not doing it by overpowering hitters, as he has just 12 K’s in that period.  4 of those 6 starts were at home, where Rogers is clearly a better pitcher.  His home/road ERA split for the season is 2.62/5.01. 

KANSAS CITY ROYALS

Runelvys Hernandez has allowed just 1 ER in his last 2 starts covering 15 innings.  However, he is still a fly ball pitcher, with poor control, and a low strikeout rate.  Avoid him in all formats. 

Mark Teahen will have season-ending right shoulder surgery on Friday.  Alex Gordon will not be called up to replace him.  Instead, the Royals will go with Esteban German and Jeff Keppinger.  German does not have the power needed to be a full-time third basemen, but he does offer some other skills.  He uses a good batting eye and speed to get on base where he can take advantage of his speed.  Keppinger makes good contact and has a discerning batting eye.  That should help him produce a good batting average.  The problem is that he has little in the way of power or speed, so he is only a one-category player.

If Jorge De La Rosa can reign in his control, he has the ability to dominate major league hitters, like he did last night when he shut out the Yankees for 5.2 innings.  Since joining the Royals his BB/9 is a too high 5.28. 

MINNESOTA TWINS

Brad Radke will not throw for 10 days but has not ruled out pitching again this year.  Considering that he plans to retire after this season and the Twins are in the playoff hunt, he will probably do whatever he can to pitch again in September..

The recently acquired Phil Nevin is an upgrade at DH over Rondell White.  Both are veterans on the downside of their careers, but at least Nevin maintains a semblance of power and plate patience. 

Francisco Liriano is on track for a September 14th return.  However, the Twins will be cautious and even a minor setback can push back that timetable.