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| 4:32 PM | Derek Jeter, SS, NYY |
Jeter takes off in TorontoNews: Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter was given a breather on Wednesday in Toronto after going 1 for 3 with a walk in Tuesday's series finale defeat in Baltimore. Jeter has an active five-game hitting streak going and is batting .366 on the year. Analysis: Jeter has base hits in eight of his last 10 games as he continues to hit for a high average. Although he's maintaining the average, his power production has dropped off a bit in May, which is to be expected considering he's not considered to be a big home run threat. Jeter already has five bombs to go with 15 RBI, 24 runs scored and two stolen bases. He continues to be a worthy Fantasy start in all mixed leagues. |
| 2:56 PM | Jurickson Profar, SS, TEX |
Profar on tear at Double-ANews: Rangers prospect Jurickson Profar extended his hitting streak at Double-A Frisco to 25 games on Tuesday with a 3-for-5 performance. Profar is 35 for 108 (.324) with one homer, 15 RBI, four triples, 11 doubles and three stolen bases during his hitting streak. Analysis: You are starting to see why Profar is not only one of the best prospects in the Rangers' system, but one of the best prospects in baseball. Profar went from being ranked No. 74 in 2011 to No. 7 in 2012 on Baseball America's top 100 prospects list. Profar has a high ceiling, but with Elvis Andrus entrenched as the team's starting shortstop, the Rangers don't have to rush Profar to the majors. He remains more of a long-term Fantasy keeper. |
| 10:37 AM | Willie Bloomquist, SS, ARI |
Bloomquist's average worse in MayNews: Diamondbacks shortstop Willie Bloomquist had his first three-hit game of the season Tuesday against the Dodgers. All three of his base hits were singles. After hitting .243 in April, Bloomquist is batting just .212 in 11 May games. Analysis: Bloomquist's bat isn't the reason he continues to start at shortstop for Arizona. His defense has been pretty good thus far and he's clearly a better option than John McDonald. Stephen Drew just began playing in extended spring games and his return could happen in the coming weeks, which would shift Blommquist to a utility role. Bloomquist has marginal Fantasy appeal right now, but that will further dwindle once Drew is active. |
| 5/15/2012 | Troy Tulowitzki, SS, COL |
Tulowitzki remains in lineup despite injuryNews: With Troy Tulowitzki already challenged to regain his superstar form on offense, the Colorado shortstop was thrown another obstacle Monday night. Tulowitzki -- and the Rockies -- got a scare in the eighth inning when he took a foul ball hit by teammate Dexter Fowler off the left leg while standing in the dugout. "Nothing was broken. Just hit me on the side of my knee," said Tulowitzki. "I'm not a doctor, but I guess there was tendon there and it's just kind of blown up a little bit and sore." Despite the injury, Tulowitzki remained in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Giants. He went 2 for 4 with an RBI and a run scored in the 5-4 win. Analysis: X-rays on Tulowitzki's knee were negative, but it looks as though he will be able to play through the injury. "All I can tell you is we dodged a serious bullet there," Colorado manager Jim Tracy said. "If that ball would have been a couple of inches left, it might have hit him right in the kneecap. We were really fortunate." Tulowitzki has slumped this month and has not homered since April 27 against the Mets, just his third of the season. Fantasy owners should continue to keep tabs on his health status but keep Tulowitzki active as long as he is in the lineup. |
| 12:02 AM | Stephen Drew, SS, ARI |
Drew progressing toward returnNews: Diamondbacks shortstop Stephen Drew (ankle) went 2 for 4 with a double in nine innings in an extended spring training game on Tuesday, reports MLB.com. It was the first time that Drew has played nine innings since starting to rehab. He is scheduled to play another nine innings in another extended spring training game on Thursday. "You can just tell his gait is less of a limp right now," D-backs manager Kirk Gibson said after watching a video of Drew's performance. "He's definitely coming along." Analysis: Drew continues to progress through his recovery from a broken left ankle and is expected to start a minor-league rehab assignment on Sunday for Triple-A Reno. That is barring any setbacks of course, so Fantasy owners should continue to monitor his rehab moving forward. The 29-year-old has some decent pop for a shortstop so keep him stashed away in deeper mixed leagues until he is able to return. |
| 5/15/2012 | Joaquin Arias, SS, SF |
Arias leaves after HBPNews: Giants infielder Joaquin Arias left Tuesday's game against the Rockies in the fourth inning after getting hit by a pitch. The pitch hit him on the left forearm and he was replaced by Charlie Culberson. Arias went 0 for 1 before the early exit. X-rays came back negative on his forearm and his injury is being considered a contusion. Analysis: Arias was recently named the starting third baseman with Pablo Sandoval on the DL so hopefully this injury does not cost him too much playing time. He is batting .250 with five RBI in 17 games this season so keep an eye on his progress going forward. Arias should be considered a low-end option in NL-only formats, when healthy. |
| 5/15/2012 | Mike Aviles, SS, BOS |
Aviles hits two RBI doublesNews: Boston infielder Mike Aviles hit two RBI doubles on Tuesday afternoon in a win over Seattle. Aviles doubled to right center in the fourth inning to score Cody Ross and he added another run-scoring double in the eighth to plate Jarrod Saltalamacchia. Aviles went 2 for 4 in the game and is batting .260 for the season for Boston. Analysis: Aviles has been plenty productive for the Red Sox thus far this season. He's seeing everyday at-bats, and already has five homers, 23 RBI and five stolen bases. Aviles has produced across the board and can be active in most mixed Fantasy leagues at this point. |
| 5/15/2012 | Brian Dozier, SS, MIN |
Dozier heating up for TwinsNews: Twins shortstop Brian Dozier had his third multi-hit game in four appearances Tuesday against the Indians. Dozier, who went 3 for 4 with a double, is now 7 for 16 (.438) with one homer and one RBI in his last four games. Analysis: Dozier has started regularly at shortstop for Minnesota since his recall. Dozier was a .305 hitter in the minors, so posting a respectable batting average won't be out of the norm. It's just that Dozier doesn't have much power. He belted 15 homers and posted a .416 slugging percentage during his minor-league career. He's best left for AL-only Fantasy formats. |
| 5/15/2012 | Asdrubal Cabrera, SS, CLE |
Cabrera established as 'good hitter'News: Indians shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera has been one of the team's most consistent hitters through the early part of the season. He came into play Tuesday against the Twins batting .316 with a .414 OBP, .500 slugging percentage and .914 OPS in 29 games. While he hasn't hit many homers (Cabrera had his fourth of the season Tuesday), that doesn't bother manager Manny Acta. "He's a good hitter, period," Acta said. "He hit a lot of home runs last year and drove in a lot of runs. He's a good hitter. He has a chance to be a .300 hitter, or even .280 with 15-20 homers every year in this league. He's that good. He's doing what we want him to do. His on-base percentage and hitting ability is there." Analysis: It took Cabrera only 10 games in 2011 to belt four homers. However, it's worth pointing out that he had just three homers in his next 33 games and still went on to finish the year with 25 homers. The fact Cabrera continues to make consistent contact could mean the power numbers will rise with time. He remains a viable Fantasy start in all formats. |
| 5/14/2012 | Brendan Ryan, SS, SEA |
Ryan still playing good defenseNews: Seattle infielder Brendan Ryan has struggled at the plate all season, but he's not letting that translate into poor fielding, reports MLB.com on Monday. "I don't have a choice," said the 30-year-old. "There are a lot of things to say off of that. For one, on the field right now, I have the most tenure except for [Ichiro Suzuki]. Not that I'm the captain or role model or anything like that, but you can't show it. You have your moments, but you try to have them by yourself. That's not something you want to show, having five-plus years in. That can kind of trickle down." Analysis: Ryan is batting just .144 on the season entering Monday's game at Boston. He has one homer and seven RBI over 90 at-bats. Ryan has low-end Fantasy value in AL-only leagues thanks to his poor offense. |
| 5/14/2012 | Sean Rodriguez, SS, TB |
Rodriguez back from one-game absenceNews: Rays infielder Sean Rodriguez returned to the starting lineup at third base Monday against the Blue Jays after sitting out a start Sunday because of chest soreness. Rodriguez did eventually make it into the lineup Sunday and played a few innings at third base. Rodriguez said Monday that the left side of his chest is "more sore" than it was Sunday, but he is going to push through the injury. “It’s about pain tolerance,” he said. Rodriguez showed his tolerance by going 2 for 4 at the plate with a double and two RBI Monday. He's batting .238 on the year. Analysis: Rodriguez has been making some nice defensive plays at third base while Evan Longoria has been on the DL. Rodriguez is bouncing between third base and shortstop right now, but he's still playing regularly. Rodriguez is starting to improve offensively as well. Still, Rodriguez remains more of an AL-only Fantasy option. |
| 5/14/2012 | Tyler Pastornicky, SS, ATL |
Benching a spark for PastornickyNews: Braves shortstop Tyler Pastornicky has been a much improved offensive player since being benched for a three-game span in late April. Since his return to the lineup on April 24, Pastornicky is batting .333 (20 for 60) with a .369 OBP, .400 slugging percentage and .769 OPS in his last 18 games. He also has four doubles, seven RBI, nine runs and a .377 BABIP in that span. Analysis: The fact Pastornicky is improving offensively will definitely help keep him in the majors and keep rising prospect Andrelton Simmons in the minors. Pastornicky still isn't providing a ton of pop or RBI for Fantasy owners, so he's mostly limited to the deepest of Fantasy formats. |
| 5/14/2012 | Alexei Ramirez, SS, CHW |
Ramirez stumbling on offenseNews: For the first time this season, White Sox shortstop Alexei Ramirez was not in the starting lineup during Sunday's series finale against Kansas City. And it may have come at the right time for the slumping 30-year-old. Ramirez has collected just five hits over his past eight games and is carrying a lowly .184 batting average during the month of May. Overall, he is hitting just .199 and his average has not topped .300 this season. Analysis: Ramirez has normally been a fine starter at the beginning of a new season, but 2012 has been unkind to the infielder thus far. In the past three seasons, Ramirez has posted a .277 batting average before the All-Star break while recording 28 homers and 115 RBI in that span. The month of May has usually been his best month (.294 average), so if he's unable to turn it around, Fantasy owners should start looking for other options. |
| 5/14/2012 | Alex Gonzalez, SS, MIL |
Gonzalez to have Thursday surgeryNews: The Brewers announced Monday that shortstop Alex Gonzalez will have ACL surgery on his right knee Thursday. It will be performed by Dr. William Raasch. Analysis: Gonzalez will miss the rest of the 2012 season because of his injury. It's a tough break too since Gonzalez was batting .300 with three homers and 11 RBI in his last 14 games before the injury. Cesar Izturis has taken over at shortstop in his absence. Gonzalez can be dropped in all Fantasy formats. |
| 5/14/2012 | Elvis Andrus, SS, TEX |
Andrus batting .436 over his last 12News: Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus continued his recent hot hitting ways in Sunday's series finale against the Angels. He went 4 for 5 with an RBI and a run scored in the 13-6 win. He singled in his first at-bat before doubling his next time up. Andrus collected his 17th RBI of the year with another single in the fifth inning before an infield single capped off first four-hit performance of the season. Analysis: Andrus is batting .436 with eight RBI and 12 runs scored in his last 12 games and has gotten off to a solid start this season. He is on pace for a career campaign at this rate and should continue to score a ton of runs with some potent bats behind him in the lineup. While the 23-year-old does not have much power, he contributes in every other category and should remain active in all Fantasy formats heading into Week 7 (May 14-20). |
| 5/14/2012 | Zack Cozart, SS, CIN |
Cozart struggling with contactNews: Reds shortstop Zack Cozart got a day off on Sunday against the Nationals, after striking out seven times in his previous 13 at bats, spanning across three games. He has seen his batting average fall to .250 during the month of May, after hitting .271 in April. Analysis: Cozart is still flashing solid pop for a middle infielder, as he has two home runs in May, however the contact issues are starting to plague him. Cozart has struck out in 30 percent of his at bats during May, while walking just twice. He is hitting .264 for the season, and his overall numbers are solid for a middle infielder, however if he was able to make more consistent contact, he could be even more than the low-end mixed-league Fantasy option he currently is, given his upside. |
| 5/14/2012 | Ian Desmond, SS, WAS |
Desmond doubling upNews: Nationals shortstop Ian Desmond doubled for the second game in a row on Sunday, going 2 for 6 with a run scored as the Nationals fell to the Reds, 9-6. Desmond struck out once in the game as he continues to bat out of the leadoff spot. Analysis: Desmond is not a prototypical leadoff hitter, as he has just a .283 on base percentage in the month of May. What he does bring is power, especially for a middle infielder, as he has four doubles, a triple and two home runs in 12 games in May. He is hitting .260 on the season with four home runs and 12 RBI, and can be considered a solid low-end option in mixed Fantasy leagues. |
| 5/13/2012 | Alcides Escobar, SS, KC |
Escobar displaying improvementNews: Kansas City shortstop Alcides Escobar reached base in all five of his plate appearances during the Royals' 9-1 victory over the White Sox on Sunday. Escobar finished 3 for 3 with three singles and two walks while also scoring twice. He is currently riding a four-game hitting streak. Analysis: Escobar is attempting to become a consistent hitter, but is still plagued by poor patience at the plate as his two walks Sunday marked his first during the month of May. But he has become a strong doubles hitter and laced five two-base hits this month, including two on Saturday. Escobar now has seven total hits during his hitting streak to boost his average up to .296. He's worth an addition in deeper Fantasy formats while hot. |
| 5/13/2012 | Yunel Escobar, SS, TOR |
Escobar's average on the riseNews: Blue Jays short stop Yunel Escobar drove in his 13th run of the season during Sunday's contest against the Twins. Escobar roped an RBI single off reliever Jared Burton in the eighth inning. He would come around to score on a wild pitch later in the frame and finished 1 for 4 with a RBI in the 4-3 defeat. Analysis: Escobar hit just .216 back in April, but has been swinging the bat much better since the calender turned to May. The 29-year-old has collected 15 hits this month, which has raised his batting average up to .255. While his power numbers haven't come around yet, Escobar can still be considered a viable low-end option in deeper mixed formats heading into Week 7 (May 14-20). |
| 5/13/2012 | Erick Aybar, SS, LAA |
Aybar working on swing from left sideNews: Angels shortstop Erick Aybar was given the night off on Sunday against the Rangers due to his recent slumping. He entered the contest batting .135 in his last 16 games. MLB.com reports Aybar worked with hitting coach Mickey Hatcher after they discovered that he has been adding an extra foot tap in his swing from the left side of the plate. "He's got like a two-step thing going at the plate, and we want to correct that right now," Hatcher said. "He had a good session in the cage, so we'll see." Analysis: After a career campaign a year ago, Aybar has struggle at the plate thus far and it has affected all of his numbers. He has just eight runs scored with one stolen base through 32 games and a meager .243 slugging percentage. Hopefully this tweak in his swing will pay dividends sooner rather than later but in the meantime, keep Aybar reserved in deeper mixed leagues until he gets back on track. |
| 5/13/2012 | Jed Lowrie, SS, HOU |
Lowrie's average slippingNews: Houston shortstop Jed Lowrie went 0 for 5 to abruptly halt his modest three-game hitting streak during the Astros' 3-2 loss at Pittsburgh on Sunday. Lowrie took his third hitless outing over his past five games as his batting average has decreased to .283 on the season. Analysis: Lowrie's recent rough stretch comes after a dazzling nine-game hitting streak that included three doubles and three home runs. But the 28-year-old has seemingly developed some impatience at the plate and has not drawn a walk in his past seven games as his on-base percentage has dropped under .400. Fantasy owners should be used to Lowrie's cold stretches and view him as a quality option in deeper formats. |
| 5/13/2012 | Dee Gordon, SS, LAD |
Gordon to remain in leadoff spotNews: Dodgers manager Don Mattingly admitted that shortstop Dee Gordon has been struggling in the leadoff spot of the order, however before Sunday’s game against the Rockies he told MLB.com that he does not have many options to replace him with. "Dropping Dee in the order sounds really easy," said Mattingly, who had Gordon out of the lineup on Sunday. "But then who do you want me to hit there?" Mattingly believes that Gordon’s speed and ability to make things happen make him the team’s best option at the top of the order, despite his struggles. "He kind of needs to be that guy," Mattingly said. "I know we can't force a square peg into a round hole, but we have been able to sustain so far without Dee kind of getting going." Analysis: Gordon had been riding a seven-game hitting streak earlier in the week, however that abruptly came to an end over the last three games, as he has combined to go 0 for 14 with five strikeouts. Gordon is hitting just .211 on the season with a .250 on base percentage, which negates the advantage his speed gives him. He has 12 stolen bases, or more than one every three times he reaches base, however he reaches base so frequently that he has trouble consistently making use of his speed. It sounds like the team is simply going to let him figure things out, however he is really hurting you outside of the steals category, so consider him a mid-range Fantasy option for Rotisserie formats. |
| 5/13/2012 | Jimmy Rollins, SS, PHI |
Rollins finally makes round tripNews: Philadelphia shortstop Jimmy Rollins 1 for 4 with a home run during the Phillies' 3-2 win over San Diego on Sunday. It took Rollins 135 at-bats but he finally went deep, opening the game with his first homer this season off Padres starter Jeff Suppan. Rollins entered the contest just 9 for 27 with two home runs in his career against Suppan. "It was nice to hit a line drive," Rollins said about the 38th leadoff homer of his career. Analysis: Rollins' home run also pushed his hitting streak to four games as his batting average remained steady at .230 on the season. His hot stretch should keep him atop the batting order moving forward, but the Phillies would like to see him improve on his .275 on-base percentage. Rollins has just six extra-base hits this season, five of them doubles. Consider Rollins a viable start in the majority of Fantasy formats for now. |
| 5/13/2012 | Starlin Castro, SS, CHC |
Castro hitting well in MayNews: After having his 10-game hitting streak snapped on Saturday, Cubs shortstop Starlin Castro began working on a new one in Sunday's series finale against the Brewers. He went 2 for 5 with an RBI in the 8-2 win. He drove in David DeJesus with a single in the ninth inning, giving Castro 20 RBI on the year. Analysis: Castro has collected a hit in all but one game so far in May and has gone 16 for 49 (.326) over that span with one homer and six RBI. While he continues to take few walks, the 22-year-old keeps racking up the hits for the Cubs and has some developing power. He should continue to see plenty of RBI chances batting third in the lineup so keep Castro active in all Fantasy formats. He will face off against the Cardinals, Phillies and White Sox during Week 7 (May 17-20). |
| 5/13/2012 | Ruben Tejada, SS, NYM |
Tejada return could be slowedNews: New York infielder Ruben Tejada has not been cleared to begin doing any baseball-related activities as of Sunday, reports ESPN.com. Tejada is eligible to return from the disabled list on May 22, but that is unlikely to happen at this point. Analysis: Tejada has been cleared of having a concussion and is in Florida ready to begin rehab work. That said, he has not been cleared for baseball work just yet. He cannot take another step forward until that happens. Keep an eye on his status moving forward. Tejada is hitting 305 this season and can be considered a quality option in NL-only and deeper mixed formats when healthy. |
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