CHICAGO WHITE SOX

Following a disaster start at home against Minnesota on August 26th, Jose Contreras has put together 3 consecutive quality starts.  In his last 21 innings, he has allowed 4 ER and just 4 BB’s, while striking out 23.  A decline in his K/9 plagued him as he struggled in July and August.  A sore back has bothered him for most of the year and perhaps this is a sign that he is feeling better. 

Bobby Jenks is pitching with a sore hip and it really seems to be affecting his performance.  In his last 4 appearances he has blown two saves, lost a game in extra innings, and allowed 6 ER.  Fantasy owners of Jenks need to monitor this situation closely.  With the team in a battle for the wildcard, they cannot afford to be using an injured and ineffective closer.  If manager Ozzie Guillen decides to make a change, Mike MacDougal should be the one to takeover.  After missing the entire first-half of the season with a shoulder injury, MacDougal has been fantastic since returning.  Pitching in the set-up role for the Sox, he has a microscopic 1.01 ERA in 26.2 innings.  Throughout his career, he has been a high strikeout, high groundball pitcher with control problems.  This year he is maintaining the high G/F ratio and striking out less hitters, but he has really reined in the control with a very low 1.0 BB/9.  The new approach seems to agree with him.

CLEVELAND INDIANS

Travis Hafner’s great season of 42 home runs and 117 RBIs has come to a premature end due to a hairline fracture in his right hand.  His absence will give Ryan Garko and Kevin Kouzmanoff regular playing time the rest of the way. 

C.C Sabathia’s home/road ERA split of 4.00/2.69 is baffling considering that Jacobs Field suppresses scoring by 13%.  Regardless, with an 8.2 K/9, 2.1 BB/9, 1.36 G/F ratio and a 3.24 ERA, Sabathia is in the upper tier of fantasy pitchers.

Tom Mastny is 5 for 6 in save opportunities.  The 9.45 K/9 and 2.00 G/F ratio are closer-worthy.  Control is the one thing that may get him in trouble.  His Triple-A BB/9 this year was 3.8 and he has allowed 5 walks in 13.1 major league innings.  Stay with for now, but monitor the walks.

Jeremy Sowers is being shut down for the rest of the season.  Fausto Carmona or Brian Slocum could get starts in his place.  In Triple-A this season, Slocum had an 8.7 K/9 and did a good job of keeping the ball in the park, with just 5 home runs allowed in 94 innings.  However, his BB/9 of 3.54 could get him into trouble with more discerning major league hitters.  In 6.2 major league innings, he has allowed 6 walks. Avoid him in all formats.

DETROIT TIGERS

The surprise release of Dmitri Young will open up the full-time DH role for Marcus Thames.  Thames’ first-half .297 batting average was above his skill set of a 75% contact rate and a .37 batting eye.  But with his immense power, he is also better than the .194 that he is hitting in the second-half of the season.  Regular playing time should get him back on track and he is a great source of power for the remainder of the season.

2006 first round, 6th overall, selection Andrew Miller is only up with the big league team because of a clause in the 4-year contract that he signed on August 5th that guaranteed a September call-up.  He has the talent to be an elite starter, but for now will not pitch in any meaningful situations.

21-year old rookie reliever Joel Zumaya is having a fine rookie season, with a 10.5 K/9 and a stingy 1.98 ERA.  The only cause for concern is that his first-half BB/9 was a high 4.15 and has regressed in the second-half to 5.5.

KANSAS CITY ROYALS

Manager Buddy Bell is thinking about giving Todd Wellemeyer some save chances.  With a 5.6 BB/9, it is probably not a good idea.

Andres Blanco is taking away playing time at shortstop from the struggling Angel Berroa.  After breaking in with an intriguing power/speed package in 2003, Berroa has regressed badly.  Things will not get better if he keeps hacking away.  His .16 batting eye is among the worst of all major league players.  To make matters worse, he is not displaying any power or speed.  Blanco has no plate discipline, power, or speed.  His strong defense gives him potential as a back-up infielder.  Both are poor options for a fantasy roster.

Odalis Perez has now pitched well in 5 of his last 6 starts.  In that period, covering 37 innings, his K/9 is a strong 8.5 and his BB/9 is a solid 2.43.  He is a good option, even in mixed-leagues.

MINNESOTA TWINS

Torii Hunter has 4 stolen bases in his last 5 games.  If his foot is not bothering, he could be a good source of speed down the stretch.

Francisco Liriano has been activated from the DL and will face Oakland today.  It is highly doubtful that the Twins would let him pitch if he was less than 100%.  Use him with confidence.

Brad Radke had a pain-free throwing session yesterday.  It looks like he will get one more start before he retires at the end of the season.

The Twins gave relief pitcher Matt Guerrier a start last night against Oakland, in which he allowed 3 ER in 4 innings.  Guerrier has a soft skill set of a 5.0 K/9, 2.7 BB/9 and 1.48 G/F ratio.  He is better suited for relief, as the longer he is out there, the more his skills can be exposed.  The Twins have not decided whether Guerrier or Matt Garza will get the start on Sunday in Cleveland.  Garza has struggled with his control and cannot be trusted until he shows improvement in that area.