Fantasy Sports

BY ADAM RONIS

It has been a great week for the Yankees. They made deals to solidify the lineup with a righthanded bat, a setup man and a catcher and now one of the best hitters in baseball has left their rival. After all the specualtion, Manny Ramirez was finally traded by the Red Sox to the Dodgers as part of a three-way deal that will send Jason Bay to the Red Sox. The Pirates got third baseman Andy LaRoche, righthander Brandon Morris, pitcher Craig Hansen and outfielder Brandon Moss.

BY ADAM RONIS

The Reds traded Ken Griffey Jr. to the White Sox for pitcher Nick Masset and second baseman Danny Richar. The White Sox didn't have a glaring need for an outfielder with Carlos Quentin, Nick Swisher and Jermaine Dye. They also have Jim Thome as the designated hitter. Ozzie Guillen has hinted recently that Paul Konerko, hitting .214 with nine homers and 35 RBIs, could lose time. This trade makes that likely. Several things could happen. Konerko could be benched, split time at first with Swisher or split time at DH with Thome.

BY ADAM RONIS

Todd Jones was placed on the 15-day disabled list with shoulder soreness and if you were hoping he would reclaim his job as closer, this makes it highly unlikely. Fernando Rodney, the current closer, blew his first save opportunity yesterday. Joel Zumaya has struggled with his control and injuries. So don't count out Kyle Farnsworth closing for the Tigers.

Anibal Sanchez was activated from the DL by the Marlins and he will start tonight. He is coming off Tommy John surgey and hasn't pitched in the majors since May 2007. He went 2-0- with a 2.89 ERA in five rehab starts.

Aaron Harang is hoping he could return to the majors after one rehab start. He is scheduled to make a start at Triple-A Monday.

We're talking fantasy baseball today with Adam Ronis in a live chat at 2 p.m.

BY ADAM RONIS

Two pitchers went deep into the game with a no-hitter and a perfect game and each fell short. John Lackey lost a no-hitter with one out in the ninth inning on a single by Dustin Predroia. He then allowed a two-run homer to Kevin Youkilis for the only damage. He walked two and struck out four and is 9-2 with a 2.93 ERA.

Doug Davis lost a perfect game with two outs in the seventh on a single by Brian Giles. He threw 7 2/3 scoreless innings and allowed two hits, two walks and struck out eight. He is 4-5 with a 3.86 ERA.

Chris Young pitched for the first time since getting hit in the face by an Albert Pujols line drive. He went five scoreless innings and allowed two hits, two walks and struck out eight. He should be owned in all leagues.

Why do the Giants hitters hate Matt Cain? For the second straight season, he gets no run support. He went seven innings and allowed eight hits, two runs -- one earned -- walked none and struck out eight to fall to 6-9 with a 3.70 ERA. Stick with him.

Is Brett Myers back? Not so fast. His control and allowing too many homers have hurt him this season. He was a different pitcher tonight, but it came against the Nationals, who have an awful offense. He walked just one, but also had just two strikeouts. He allowed four hits and an unearned run in seven innings for the win. Wait until he faces a real team before deciding whether to pick him up. I think he is capable of pitching well, but we need to see more.

If Troy Tulowitzki is available in your league, get him. He has hit well since he returned and could be in for a good final two months.

Tyler Yates pitched a scoreless ninth with a strikeout for his first save. He has a 38/34 K/BB ratio so beware.

Jose Reyes went 3-for-5 with his 35th stolen base and is hitting .302.

Carlos Delgado has turned his season around in a huge way and it has impacted the Mets in a major way. He hit his 23rd homer and has 69 RBIs. I can see the Mets giving him the Luis Castillo treatment now and offering a four-year deal.

Oliver Perez pitched well for the sixth straight start. His ERA is down to 4.02 and his K/BB ratio is 44/15 in the six starts. Might be time to trust him again.

Matt Garza beat Roy Halladay by going the distance on a five-hit shutout. He allowed one walk and struck out five. He is 9-6 with a 3.56 ERA and should be owned in all leagues.

Couldn't you see Carlos Lee helping a contender? He hit a grand slam and is hitting .302 with 24 homers and 87 RBIs. Oh wait, the Astros are in contention after landing a major piece in Randy Wolf. Forgot about that.

With Hank Blalock on the DL again, Ramon Vasquez is a useful AL-only player again. he went 4-for-5 with four RBIs.

J.J. Putz was given the chance to pick up a save tonight and he blew his fifth of the season. He allowed three hits and two runs in 1/3 inning.

Bryan LaHair homered for the second straight day in going 3-for-4. He should be owned in AL-only leagues.

I think I have said this about 10 times this season, but Milton Bradley left game in the eigth inning with a left quad injury. He has avoided the DL, but I'd still sell high.

Another player prone to injury, who at least has age as an excuse is Ray Durham. He left with a right shin contusion.

Joel Zumaya returned from a triceps injury and allowed a run in 1 2/3 innings.

Alexi Casilla has a torn tendon in his right thumb and could be out for the season.

Michael Young, originally expected to be out for a week with a fractured finger, played.

The Diamondbacks sent Micah Owings to Triple-A. Yusmeiro Petit will start in his place and should be owned in NL-only leagues.

BY ADAM RONIS

There are some negative aspects of fantasy baseball and one of them happened with me tonight. It's the first round of my head-to-head playoffs this week and A.J. Burnett went against me last night putting me in a ditch. So my opponent also has Daniel Cabrera, who faced the Yankees a team I'm not too fond of to put it mildly. So here I was rooting for the Yankees, wait I can't say that, I mean hoping Cabrera would implode. But of course, he didn't. He came in 2-0 against the Yankees and they did nothing against him.

I caught a break when Cabrera was wrongfully ejected for hitting A-Rod after he homered in his last at-bat. He left with two runners on base in the 8th inning and both scored. I am feeling better as the deficit is cut to 6-3 and hoping the Yankees tie it, costing Cabrera a win and then the Yankees lose after that. But of course, the one day I need the Yankees to come through, they tease, cut the lead to 7-6 and lose.

Just let me vent a little more. My opponent also had Aubrey Huff, who went 4-for-5 with a homer, two runs and four RBIs. To make it worse, he had C.J. Wilson blow a save only to wind up getting the win. Yeah, I am mad and trailing by a lot. My 35-16 regular-season record doesn't mean much now.

BY ADAM RONIS

The Braves traded first baseman Mark Teixeira to the Angels for first baseman Casey Kotchman and minor league righthander Stephen Marek. Teixeira is worth spending a lot of your budget in AL-only leagues. he is hitting .283 with 20 homers, 78 RBIs and 63 runs.

BY ADAM RONIS

Join me for a live fantasy chat right here tomorrow at 2 p.m. Another big deal was made today and there will be a few more with the deadline on Thursday, which will certainly impact fantasy leagues. Get your questions ready.

BY ADAM RONIS

There are several pitchers this season that have put up poor numbers so far that I have advised you to stick with. One is A.J. Burnett. He went seven innings against the Rays and allowed six hits, one run -- no earned -- walked four and struck out 10. He is 12-9 with a 4.50 ERA, but a few awful starts have made his numbers worse. He has walked too many hitters, but he has great stuff and has had some bad luck this season with a high BABIP. He has a 149/64 K/BB ratio. He has allowed one earned run or less in four straight starts.

Those in NL-only leagues may want to give Steve Pearce a look. The outfielder will get a chance to play with the trade of Xavier Nady. He went 0-for-2 with a walk and two sac flys.

See what happens when you don't walk many batters? Ian Snell walked just one, a rarity for him this year, and picked up a win. He went seven innings and allowed eight hits, four runs and struck out nine. He's had a high BABIP this season and problems with his control, but he is capable of helping you down the stretch. Wait until you see his next start and think about him.

So much for this whole Manny saga hurting his play. He hit his 20th homer and has 68 RBIs. I'll take him on my team. We all love drama anyway.

K-Rod allowed a run and still got his 44th save. Gotta love the save rule. Oh yeah, it's a contract year for him.

Dice-K is someone you might want to sell high on. He allowed six runs in five innings to fall to 11-2. He has a very low BABIP and a poor 86/62 K/BB ratio.

I have mentioned him several times recently and I'll say it again: buy on Adam Jones. He's probably available in many leagues and has hit real well since the start of June. He went 3-for-6 with a grand slam and finished with five RBIs. His K/BB ratio still stinks, but he could be productive.

Another player I have said to buy low on numerous times is Adrian Beltre. He went 2-for-4 with two homers and four RBIs. He has 18 homers and 51 RBIs.

Fernando Tatis remained red hot going 2-for-4 with a run and two RBIs. If you need help, use him while he's hot.

John Maine was pitching really well, but was removed from the game in the fifth with right shoulder tightness. Maine said he has been dealing with the pain since his last outing. Sounds like he will miss some time.

Alfonso Soriano has returned and looks fine. He hit his 17th homer and stole his 8th base.

Carlos Marmol picked up save No. 5.

In shocking news, C.C. Sabathia didn't pitch his fourth straight complete game. He went 6 2/3 innings and allowed three earned runs against the Cubs.

Roy Oswalt returned from the DL and won to improve to 8-8. He went five innings, allowing seven hits, four runs, one walk and struck out five.

Micah Owings returned to the starting rotation and the best thing I could say is he went 1-for-1. He allowed eight runs in three innings and should be dropped.

Denard Span has hit very well since being recalled for the Twins and with Carlos Gomez struggling, Span is hitting leadoff. He hit his first homer and should be owned in deep mixed leagues.

Kevin Slowey has exhibited great control. The one thing that hurts him is the penchant for allowing a lot of homers, but he didn't allow any against the White Sox and threw a six-hit shutout. He walked one and struck out five. He is 7-7 with a 4.00 ERA and should be owned in most leagues.

Zack Greinke has struggled lately, but I still have faith in him. He went 7 1/3 innings, allowing seven hits, two runs, one walk and struck out 11.

I know it's hard to believe. Take a minute to soak it in. Nomar Garciaparra has a sprained MCL and will miss a few days.

Michael Young will miss a week with a fracture in his ring finger, while pitcher Chris Young will return from the DL and start Tuesday night. If he's available, grab him now!!!

BY ADAM RONIS

National League Offensive Player of the Week -- Conor Jackson (Diamondbacks): He went 13-for-24 (.542) with nine runs, three home runs, seven RBIs and one stolen base.

American League Offensive Player of the Week -- Howie Kendrick (Angels): He went 12-for-24 (.500) with five runs, one home run, five RBIs and two stolen bases.

National League Pitcher of the Week -- Randy Johnson (Diamondbacks): He went 2-0 and in 14 innings, he didn't allow an earned run, struck out six and had a 0.86 WHIP.

American League Pitcher of the Week -- Jon Lester (Red Sox): He went 2-0 with a 1.26 ERA and 1.26 WHIP. He struck out 14 in 14 innings.

BY ADAM RONIS

Jason Isringhausen has finally regained his closer role. He will now get the save chances for the Cardinals and Ryan Franklin will go back to being a setup man. Izzy has been throwing well since returning from the DL, while Franklin has struggled.

BY ADAM RONIS

The Braves placed third baseman Chipper Jones and pitcher Tim Hudson on the 15-day DL. Quite an accomplishment for Jones to go almost four months without a DL stint, but this was inevitable. Now, it will save my hands some typing each night as I don't need to say Jones left tonight's game with a strained something. He has a strained left hamstring and I said to sell high even when he's hitting .400. It wouldn't be a baseball season without Jones on the DL. Hudson is sidelined with right elbow tightness.

These injuries really hurt the Braves and it means Mark Teixeira could be traded. Charlie Morton was recalled and he will start tonight.

http://www.newsday.com/sports/ny-spfantasy0727,0,6007318.column

BY ADAM RONIS

Chris Carpenter will return sooner than anticpated and start on Wednesday against the Braves in place of Mitchell Boggs if his bullpen session goes well tomorrow. Carpenter hasn't pitched since Opening Day last season and had Tommy John surgery on July 24 of last season. Carpenter pitched several simulated games in Florida and made only two rehab starts. In 9 2/3 innings, he allowed five hits, two runs, walked five and struck out nine. Carpenter is worth the gamble if he's available in your league.

BY ADAM RONIS

Since the Giants don't score many runs for Matt Cain, he took matters into his own hands and threw a four-hit shutout against the Nationals today. He struck out four and walked none for the first time this season and has a 3.82 ERA. I've said many times to stick with Cain or buy low on him and he was discussed on the fantasyphenoms show last night and we all like him. He can be frustrating at times because he has some bad games and can walk too many batters. Cain is tough to hit, holding batters to a .242 average entering today. He has pitched at least seven innings in five of his last 11 starts and he has the ability to throw gems like he did against the Nationals.

On July 11 against the Cubs he threw seven scoreless innings and struck out nine in a no-decision. Against the Cubs on July 1, he threw eight scoreless innings allowing just two hits with 10 strikeouts. He has a 130/58 K/BB ratio in 141 1/3 innings. He pitched very well last season and went just 7-16 because he received no run support. That is also happening this season as he is 6-8, but as I have said numerous times, you can't gauge wins. Cain likely won't cost you much and he might pay big dividends for the final two months.

BY ADAM RONIS

I have blogged at all times of the day and many times while on the road for work related assignments. But I have never blogged from the courthouse until now. I am currently on jury duty in Jamaica, Queens and I am showing my dedication to you guys. Well, that and I need something to pass the time.

Once again, Milton Bradley left a game with an injury. He departed last night after being hit on the forearm with a pitch. He is day-to-day, but this happens way too often and you need to sell high.

David Ortiz is expected to come off the disabled list tomorrow. Just in time for the Yankees.

Pedro Martinez will not start tomorrow against the Cardinals after learning of the death of his father, Pablo, who was battling brain cancer. Mike Pelfrey will start tomorrow and the Mets will likely recall someone from Triple-A to start Saturday.

Jorge Posada needs surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder, but he is bypassing surgery at this time and hopes to return as a designated hitter.

Jesse Litsch has been a solid starter for most of the season, but three poor starts have sent him to Triple-A Syracuse. He is 8-7 with a 4.46 ERA. In his last 12 2/3 innings, he has allowed 22 hits and 15 earned runs and is 0-3. The Blue Jays recalled lefthander David Purcey, who went 8-6 with 121 strikeouts and 34 walks at Triple-A.

Colby Rasmus, a top Cardinals outfield prospect that many thought would be in the majors this season, will miss the Olympics with a left MCL sprain and will likely be sidelined for one month.

Lastings Milledge is expected to come off the disabled list tomorrow.

Chris Carpenter will makes his second rehab start tomorrow at Triple-A. He threw four scoreless innings on Sunday at Double-A. If you have a spot to stash him, it's worth a shot.

BY ADAM RONIS

The Cubs activated Alfonso Soriano from the disabled list and he will hit leadoff tonight

BY ADAM RONIS

What a shock. Robinson Cano has at least two hits in each game since the All-Star break spanning six games. He is 14-for-27 with five runs, two home runs and seven RBIs. Hope you listened and stuck with him since he thinks the season begins at this time.

Mariano Rivera got one out for his 25th save.

Kevin Kouzmanoff has started to get going. He went 2-for-4 with a homer and two RBIs. He is hitting .277 with 13 homers and 48 RBIs.

The strikeouts and poor average are well know, but Adam Dunn hits for power and is valuable. He went 2-for-4 with a home run and five RBIs. Despite a .237 average and 104 strikeouts, he has 29 home runs and 68 RBIs and 76 walks.

Edwin Encarnacion stayed hot with his 19th homer.

Tough to figure Bronson Arroyo out. He looks good at times and then can allow 10 runs in one inning. He was good against the Padres going seven innings allowing six hits, three runs, no walks and struck out seven. He is 9-7 with a 5.60 ERA.

Francisco Cordero got one out for his 21st save.

James Shields allowed two solo home runs in the second inning and one run in the ninth. He went 8 1/3 innings and allowed six hits, three runs, no walks and struck out seven. He is 9-6 with a 3.66 ERA.

Troy Percival picked up save No. 20.

Carlos Quentin is showing his fast start is no fluke. He went 2-for-4 with two homers and four RBIs. He has 26 home runs and 76 RBIs.

Bobby Jenks recorded his 19th save.

Armando Galarraga lost a perfect game with no outs in the top of the seventh inning on a single by David DeJesus. He went seven innings, allowing three hits, one run, one walk and struck out seven. He is 8-4 with a 3.27 ERA.

Manny Ramirez didn't start because of soreness in his right knee.

Jason Bay keeps enhancing his stock. He hit his 21st home run and has 59 RBIs with a .288 average.

BY ADAM RONIS

If I told you before the season that on this date Mike Mussina would have five more wins than Johan Santana you would say that it's a tough break for the Mets that Santana was sidelined for the first four months of the season. But that's not the case. Mussina surprisingly has 13 wins and Santana has just eight.

Mussina hasn't been that much better than Santana, but as I said before the season and numerous times during the season, you can't predict wins. Too many factors are involved. The odds of Mussina attaining more wins than Santana were as good as A-Rod staying faithful to his wife. But to quote John Sterling: "That's baseball."

Mussina has made great adjustments at the age of 39 after posting a 5.15 ERA and 1.47 WHIP last season that knocked him off the fantasy radar. He threw eight scoreless innings against the Twins and allowed six hits, walked none and struck out seven. He threw 105 pitchers. He is 13-6 with a 3.26 ERA. He has an 81/16 K/BB ratio in 121 1/3 innings. He has become mainly a six-inning pitcher, but has pitched eight innings three times since the beginning of June. Would I rather own Mussina than Santana? Nope.

BY ADAM RONIS

I'll also be appearing on the Fantasy Phenoms Baseball Hour tonight for the entire show joining hosts Jason Sarney and Brett Greenfield of fantasyphenoms.com. The show begins at 7 p.m. Check it out here.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Fantasy-Phenoms/2008/07/23/Fantasy-Phenoms-Baseball-Hour

BY ADAM RONIS

I'll be appearing on Talking Baseball Live hosted by Lenny Melnick and Paul Greco tonight at 8:30 p.m. to discuss fantasy baseball. Check it out here. The show starts at 8 p.m.

http://blogtalkradio.com/fantasybaseballguy

BY ADAM RONIS

Does Francisco Liriano need to throw two consecutive perfect games to make it back to the majors? It sure appears that way. He was dominant again on Tuesday at Triple-A as he won his ninth straight by throwing seven scoreless innings with 10 strikeouts, two hits and two walks. He is 9-2 with a 3.13 ERA at Triple-A, but in the last 35 innings he has allowed just one run with 42 strikeouts. Liriano's agent filed a grievance against the team for keeping Liriano's service time down by keeping him in the minors. He has to be recalled soon, especially since the Twins are fighting for a division title. He may not have this type of success in the majors, but he has done all he could in the minors to show he deserves a chance with the Twins. If you have the room, pick him up.

BY ADAM RONIS

The Padres traded lefthander Randy Wolf to the Astros for minor league pitcher Chad Reineke. Wolf is 6-10 with a 4.74 ERA, but was excellent at home in spacious PETCO Park and awful on the road. He was 5-4 with a 3.17 ERA at home and 1-6 with a 6.63 ERA on the road. He will start on Sunday at Milwaukee.

BY ADAM RONIS

The Nationals traded closer Jon Rauch to the Diamondbacks for minor league second baseman Emilio Bonifacio. Rauch went 4-2 with a 2.98 ERA and converted 17 of 23 save chances. He has 44 strikeouts and just seven walks in 48 2/3 innings. He should now be a setup man. Bonifacio, 23, is a speedy switch hitter and hit .302 in Triple-A this season. In Class AA Mobile last season he led the Southern League with 41 steals. Joel Hanrahan should take over as closer with the Nats.

BY ADAM RONIS

I need to get a Powerball ticket now. I had Rich Harden and Randy Johnson facing each other and I own both in a head-to-head league. I always want a 1-0 game with loads of strikeouts in that scenario. It was 2-0, but they both pitched well. I'll take it. Chad Qualls picked up his second save since Brandon Lyon pitched three straight days.

In my Sunday column, I highlighted some players that got off to slow starts in the first half to target as potential bargains in the second half. I couldn't get everyone in because of space. One guy that I left out is Robinson Cano. His second-half track record, especially in New York, is so well-documented, I didn't think I needed to include him. He's been on fire and I said it even when he was struggling badly to ride it out. He went 2-for-5 with his eighth homer and raised his average to .260.

Adam LaRoche's second half success is also well known, which is why I excluded him. He hit his 12th homer and is someone to look at.

Another player who had a big last couple of months last year is Rickie Weeks. The Brewers acquired Ray Durham, so Weeks needs to turn it on or he could sit against some righthanders. He went 2-for-5 with two runs, a homer, three RBIs and a walk. He has nine homers and 30 RBIs.

Adam Jones is another player I would buy on. He has been hitting real well the past month and has been in the second spot recently. He went 2-for-4 with two runs, a homer and two RBIs. He is hitting .282 with six homers and 43 RBIs.

Kevin Kouzmanoff also had a big second half last season. He went 2-for-4 with three RBIs and is hitting .278 with 46 RBIs.

Edwin Encarnacion, mentioned in Sunday's column, hit his 18th homer. Also in the Sunday column was Javier Vasquez. He lost but pitched well by going seven innings and allowed four hits, three runs, two walks and struck out 10.

Francisco Cordero has been awful lately and blew his sixth save. I have benched him the last few days. Cordero should call Jose Valverde, who blew his sixth save by allowing six runs in 1/3 inning.

Remember one of the first fantasy roundtables when the question was what player drafted outside of the top 275 or so would produce the most? My answer was Scott Hairston and that's looking like a good choice right now. He has been real hot and hit his 16th homer. He has the power and this is the first time he's playing every day.

Johnny Damon returned from the DL and went 1-for-4 with a run and RBI.

Rafael Soriano was activated from the DL. I have 10 days in the pool for when he returns to the DL.

Troy Tulowitzki returned from the DL and went 5-for-5 with a run and RBI.

BY ADAM RONIS

The Yankees placed Jorge Posada on the 15-day disabled list because of a recurring right shoulder injury that could result in season-ending surgery. He will have an MRI. He missed a month earlier this season with the injury. He returned June 5 and has hit .248 with two home runs since then. Posada hasn't caught much either. Posada was one of the guys I said to avoid this season coming off a career year for a catcher that will turn 37 next month.

Johnny Damon was activated from the DL and will start tonight.

BY ADAM RONIS

National League Offensive Player of the Week -- Troy Glaus (Cardinals): Glaus started the season slowly when it came to power, but he has turned it on in a big way. He went 7-for-16 (.438) with six runs, three home runs and five RBIs.

American League Offensive Player of the Week -- Luke Scott (Orioles): He went 7-for-13 (.538) with four runs, three home runs and six RBIs.

National League Pitcher of the Week -- C.C. Sabathia (Brewers): He threw a complete game and allowed one run with 10 strikeouts in a win. He allowed four hits and walked none against the Giants.

American League Pitcher of the Week -- Matt Garza (Rays): He threw 7 2/3 scoreless innings in a win against the Blue Jays. He allowed two hits, no walks and struck out six.

BY ADAM RONIS

If Mike Pelfrey allowed three runs in the fourth inning that allowed a team to tie the score at 4 last season, there's no way he lasts until the seventh inning. When Pelfrey went through trouble, he imploded and his exit was early. That's why it was encouraging to see Pelfrey last seven innings yesterday against the Reds when he wasn't as good as his recent hot streak. He allowed three home runs and had surrendered just four on the season entering the game.

Pelfrey has displayed great confidence and has battled through some tough situations. He went seven innings and allowed six hits, five runs, one walk and struck out four in a no-decision. His K/BB ratio still is shaky and also keep in mind he could struggled down the stretch as he reaches the peak for innings in his pro career.

BY ADAM RONIS

Kerry Wood missed the All-Star Game because of a blister on his right index finger and it is expected that he will land on the DL today. The move will be made retroactive to July 12, which means Wood would miss just one week. It will be the 12th time in Wood's career he is placed on the disabled list. Carlos Marmol, owned in many leagues, will be the closer in Wood's place. Marmol had a 1.82 ERA after May, but has an 8.83 ERA in his last 20 appearances.

Also in Cubs news, Alfonso Soriano will start a rehab assignment today.

BY ADAM RONIS

Jose Contreras was placed on the 15-day DL with right elbow tendonitis. Clayton Richard was recalled from Triple-A and he will start tomorrow. The lefthander had a 2.37 ERA in six starts since being promoted to Triple-A.

BY ADAM RONIS

http://www.newsday.com/services/newspaper/printedition/sunday/sports/ny-spfantasy205770566jul20,0,649392.column

PICKUPS:

Mixed leagues

Chad Tracy (Diamondbacks), 1B/3B: The injury to Eric Byrnes has enabled Tracy to play consistently at first base. He has hit very well this month.

Jonathan Broxton (Dodgers), RP: Takashi Saito could need elbow surgery and there's a possibility he might be out for the season. Broxton is likely owned in most leagues and if he isn't, sign him. He hasn't been as dominant as the last two seasons, but two appearances in which he allowed three runs and six runs have inflated his numbers. Both games were prior to June.

AL-ONLY

Sean Gallagher (Athletics), SP: He was mediocre for the Cubs and was excellent in his A's debut. Pitching in Oakland should make him a solid choice.

Gio Gonzalez (A's), SP: The lefthander could get promoted from Triple-A with the trade of Joe Blanton. He has 117 strikeouts in 110 innings. He has allowed three runs with 34 strikeouts in his last 281/3 innings.

NL-ONLY

Fernando Tatis (Mets), OF: The Mets have no choice but to play him and he's hitting .432 in 37 at-bats this month with four home runs. Ride the hot streak before it ends.

Chad Gaudin (Cubs), RP: He will pitch out of the bullpen for now, but there's a possibility he could enter the starting rotation in the second half. He has a 46/17 K/BB ratio.

BY ADAM RONIS

The Astros placed Roy Oswalt on the 15-day DL with a strained left hip. The move was made retroactive to July 12. He also has a minor herniated disc.

BY ADAM RONIS

The Phillies will recall Brett Myers from the minors and start him on Wednesday against the Mets. He allowed two earned runs in 6 2/3 innings for Single-A Clearwater last night. He also made two starts for Triple-A and one for Double-A. He went 1-3 with a 3.00 ERA and struck out 28 in 27 innings. He was sent to the minors on July 1. His biggest problem has been surrendering the home run. He has allowed 24, which still leads the majors. He is 3-9 with a 5.84 ERA and 1.56 WHIP. He has the ability to turn things around.

BY ADAM RONIS

Put on a Cardinals uniform this year and you will succeed. I really want to test the Cardinals positive karma. Send them Moises Alou, Pedro Martinez, Ryan Church and Orlando Hernandez. I guarantee they will all be healthy. That's how good things are going for the Cards even without Chris Carpenter, Adam Wainwright on the DL and very little from Jason Isringhausen. The Cardinals were supposed to be awful and they are in the NL Central race.

No one wanted to sign Kyle Lohse and Dave Duncan has turned him into a very good pitcher. He improved to 12-2 with a 3.35 ERA. He went seven innings and allowed seven hits, two runs, walked two and struck out four.

Ryan Franklin allowed a run, but got his 13th save.

Rick Ankiel hit his 21st homer.

Troy Glaus could be in for a big second half. He started slow in the power department and hit two against Jake Peavy. He has 17 homers and 61 RBIs. Peavy allowed four runs, all on homers, eight hits, walked none and struck out seven in seven innings to fall to 7-6.

Adam LaRoche went 2-for-4 with two RBIs. He has heated up lately and is usually a second-half player. Buy.

Ubaldo Jimenez looks like a different pitcher. He has turned his season around in a big way. He went seven innings and allowed five hits, three runs, two walks and struck out four. He is 5-9 with a 4.20 ERA.

Brian Fuentes struck out the side for his 15th save.

The Mets won their 10th consecutive game as David Wright hit a tying two-run homer in the top of the ninth inning. He went 2-for-5 with four RBIs and has 18 home runs and 74 RBIs with a .284 average.

Carlos Delgado continued his resurgence with a 3-for-4 game, a homer and three RBIs. His average is up to .254 and the good sign is he is hitting mammoth home runs, like the 438-foot shot tonight. He has 18 home runs and 55 RBIs.

As long as Fernando Tatis is playing consistently and hitting, ride the hot streak. He went 3-for-4 with a homer and three RBIs. He is hitting .306 with five home runs and 22 RBIs.

Edwin Encarnacion has hit real well this month. He went 3-for-5 with his 16th homer and his average is up to .265.

Adam Dunn hit his 27th homer.

Billy Wagner pitched a scoreless ninth for his 23rd save. Grady Sizemore and Evan Longoria didn't face him.
David Ortiz went 1-for-3 with a home run and walk in his first rehab game at Triple-A.

Francisco Cordero recorded the first out of the ninth inning before allowing six straight hits in blowing his fifth save. He allowed four runs.

Marcus Thames doesn't do much outside of hitting home runs, but hey sometimes you just got to take what you can get. He hit his 18th homer and has 41 RBIs with a .271 average in just 188 at-bats.

Todd Jones allowed an unearned run in his 18th save.

Pedro Martinez was scheduled to start Sunday, but will miss the start after receiving a cortisone shot to his hip.

The Yankees signed Richie Sexson. It was only 61 at-bats, but he did hit .344 against lefthanders and in a platoon, he could have value in AL-only leagues.

The Reds placed Jerry Hairston Jr. on the 15-day DL with a hamstring injury.

Andrew Miller was placed on the DL with right knee tendonitis.

BY ADAM RONIS

The A's traded Joe Blanton to the Phillies for minor league second baseman Adrian Cardenas, lefthander Josh Outman and outfielder Matthew Spencer.

He is 5-12 with a 4.96 ERA and 62/35 K/BB ratio in 127 innings. Blanton had a 3.92 ERA on May 25 and was receiving no run support. Since then, he has pitched poorly, althought he does have three starts in that span where he went at least seven innings and allowed two earned runs or less. He also has four starts where he allowed at least six earned runs. He goes to a worse ballpark for pitchers, but he can go seven innings and should get more wins with the Phillies. He went 14-10 with a 3.95 ERA and 1.22 WHIP. He should be picked up in NL-only leagues and considered in deep mixed leagues.

Gio Gonzalez should be called up to take Blanton's spot and he should be added in AL-only leagues.

BY ADAM RONIS

Magglio Ordonez was activated from the disabled list and will play tonight. He was on the DL with a strained oblique and is hitting .307 with 12 home runs and 50 RBIs.

David Ortiz is scheduled to start hi