TEXAS RANGERS

With Rod Barajas nursing a sore back, look for Gerald Laird to get the bulk of the time behind the plate the rest of the way.  Laird’s .330 batting average is way above his skill set of a poor batting eye of .26 and average contact rate of 80%.  He has shown legitimate growth in his power skills and even provides a little speed bonus with 3 stolen bases in 4 tries.

Akinori Otsuka has proven to be up to the task of closing games with 34 saves in 37 tries and a 2.07 ERA.  His K/9 of 7.0 is on the low side for a closer, but he makes up for it with pinpoint control, a 1.6 BB/9, and a high G/F ratio of 1.77.  The latter two skills are needed to close games in homer happy Ameriquest Field.  He will be the closer going into 2007.

In his 5 starts, Edison Volquez is not getting the job done, with a 1-4 record and a 6.75 ERA.  A K/9 of 4.6 and a BB/9 of 5.9 will usually do that.  He should be avoided in all formats.

LOS ANGELES ANGELS

The slumping Chone Figgins has been dropped to ninth in the batting order.  Since the All-Star break, he is hitting just .235.  His power is down slightly from the last few years and with a G/F ratio of 1.31, he is not hitting enough ground balls to take advantage of his speed.  He is even struggling in his best category, steals.  Although he has 47 stolen bases on the year, he has been caught 8 times in 22 attempts in the post-All-Star break period, as opposed to just 6 caught steals in 39 pre-All-Star break attempts.

Maicer Izturis moves into the leadoff spot.  His .303 batting average is supported by a strong 89% contact rate and a .87 batting eye.  He is also capable of stealing more bases than the 11 that he has in 85 games.  A lingering hamstring problem is slowing him down on the basepaths, as he has not had a steal since August 11th.

OAKLAND ATHLETICS

Rich Harden has been throwing in bullpen sessions and may pitch in a simulated game on Sunday.  He could return in mid-September.

Huston Street is expected to be activated from the DL today and immediately regain his closer role.  In his absence, Justin Duchscherer was a perfect 6 for 6 in save chances.

It looks like Bobby Crosby’s season is over due to a back problem.  Marco Scutero will continue to get regular playing time.  He provides some speed, but it is not worth the low batting average or lack of power.

SEATTLE MARINERS

Richie Sexson is rewarding fantasy owners who were patient with him.  After hitting a poor .218 in the first-half of the season, he is batting .298 since the All-Star break, raising his overall average to .250.  His power numbers are off from previous season, but are still well above league average.

Felix Hernandez is suffering from the dreaded sophomore slump.  He is now 11-13, with a 4.71 ERA.  There really is not that big of a variance in his underlying stats from this year to 2005.  His K/9 is almost identical, 8.1 vs. 8.2, while his BB/9 is slightly elevated, 3.0 vs. 2.5.  The biggest gap is in his G/F ratio, which has gone from an unbelievable 3.31 to a very solid 2.39.  A pitcher with that high of a G/F ratio should not be giving up the 21 home runs that Hernandez has allowed this year.  The home run rate should regress to the norm next year, which should improve his ERA.  Also, he is only 20 years old and he threw 172.1 innings last year and 168.1 so far this year.  His K/9 has steadily declined as this season wears on, which means his arm could be tired.  Those in keeper leagues should stay with him, he will be fine next year.