TORONTO BLUE JAYS

A.J. Burnett returns to the starting rotation this week pushing Ty Taubenheim to middle relief.

Ted Lilly continues to frustrate fantasy owners.  The 12 K’s he had in a start against Detroit show the potential of how dominating he can be.  What is holding him back is a BB/9 of 5.1 and 14 home runs allowed in 14 starts.

Alex Rios’ fine season continues with 15 home runs, 49 RBI and a .328 batting average.  The improvement from his first two seasons is validated by growth in his batting eye, contact rate and G/F ratio. 

BALTIMORE ORIOLES
Jay Gibbons burned many fantasy leaguers who set their lineups weekly on Mondays.  After being activated on Monday and playing two games, Gibbons went right back on the DL with a strained ligament in his right knee.  When he comes back, it might be a good idea to leave him reserved until he is able to play a few days in a row.

The Orioles seem intent on letting overmatched Nick Markakis take his lumps on the major league level.  While he one day may turn out to be a good player, he is not providing power or speed.  This has led to an “empty” .230 batting average.  He may be better served batting in Triple-A.

A good sign that your team is in trouble is when Kris Benson has been your best starter.  Benson is putting up decent numbers, 8-5 record with a 4.32 ERA, despite a pedestrian 4.62 K/9.  With a BB/9 of 3.1, which is above his career levels, and a low G/F of 1.16 some bad outings could be in his future.

BOSTON RED SOX

With Matt Clement going on the DL, the Red Sox are so desperate for starting pitching that they are actually considering using Kansas City Royal reject Kyle Snyder.  His 6-8 frame has not translated into a high strikeout rate.  Add in that he walks too many and he is someone to avoid.

Jon Lester looked better in his second start against Atlanta allowing 1 ER in six innings.  The three walks allowed are still a little high, but he could be worth using against some weaker offenses the first time he is facing them.

Gabe Kapler is back and will probably platoon in right field with Trot Nixon.  Batting right-handed, Kapler will get the bad part of the platoon and has no value. However his presence will help Nixon’s batting average, as his righty/lefty split is .349/.226. 

NEW YORK YANKEES

Octavio Dotel is rehabbing in Triple-A and should be back by the end of the month.  He will eventually slide into Scott Procter’s current role of 6th to 7th inning relief.

Chien-Ming Wang is having a solid season at 7-3 with a 4.07 ERA.  With a low K/9 of 3.24, he relies on good control and groundballs for success.  All one needs to do is look at his extremely high G/F ratio of 2.93 to know how he makes his living.  The risk averse may want to sell high here as with so many balls in play he is going to have some bad outings.

Jaret Wright is a disaster waiting to happen.  He is fortunate to have a 4.86 ERA.  His low K/9 of 4.0, combined with a BB/9 of 3.0 and a G/F ratio of 1.03 will catch up with him.

TAMPA BAY DEVIL RAYS

It looks like Carl Crawford’s wrist is no longer bothering him.  After a slow start, he is now hitting .315, with 10 home runs and 22 stolen bases.  This moves him back into the elite level of fantasy players.

Don’t look for hot prospect Elijah Dukes to be in a Devil Ray uniform anytime this season.  He was suspended indefinitely from the Rays’ Triple-A team for disciplinary reasons.  Another hot prospect, B.J. Upton, certainly didn’t help his chances of playing in the majors this season when he was arrested for DWI on June 16th.

The Devil Rays have not had a save situation since Tyler Walker went on the DL.  Ruddy Lugo, Chad Harville, Travis Harper and Shawn Camp could all see save opportunities.  Lugo, Harville and Camp are not recommended due to poor command.  Harper is probably the best choice because of his good command.  However, he does not strike out enough hitters and allows too many home runs to succeed long-term as a closer.