Norris sporting 0.35 ERA in May: Astros pitcher Bud Norris continued his month-long run of dominant pitching in Monday's series opener against the Cubs. He worked seven scoreless innings, giving up five hits while striking out eight in the 8-4 win. The right-hander threw 77 of his 109 pitches for strikes and lowered his ERA to 3.14. Norris also walked three while earning his fifth win of the season. ''I'm definitely in a rhythm right now,'' he said. ''I've been working really well with (catcher Jason) Castro. Things have been there for me and I just want to keep it going.'' (Updated 05/21/2012)
Injury Report
No information available at this time (Updated 5/24/12).
Fantasy Analysis
Norris has gone 4-0 with a 0.35 ERA in his four starts in May and has brought his ERA all the way down from 5.46. He also has a 29-to-9 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 26 innings pitched over that span. The 27-year-old has been one of the hottest pitchers in Fantasy over the last few weeks and should see more looks in mixed leagues heading into his second outing of Week 8 (May 21-28). He is scheduled to pitch again on Sunday against the Dodgers. In three starts against Los Angeles a year ago, Norris posted a 0.90 ERA. (Updated 05/21/2012).
05/23/2012 06:45 Dear Mr. Fantasy: Ups and downs of young players
Last year your team was a juggernaut. This year it's sitting in the cellar. What happened? You might even have most of those players back. If you're relying on young talent, our Scott White says prepare to take some lumps in his latest Dear Mr. Fantasy.
05/20/2012 22:47 The Lineup: Lucroy explodes, Yu vs. King Felix on tap for Monday
3 Up, 3 Down; On Deck; Pepper. It's The Lineup. Today's version gives some love to Jonathan Lucroy, Ryan Cook and Scott Van Slyke. We also look ahead to Yu Darvish vs. Felix Hernandez and have a video of an instant replay FAIL in Japan.
05/20/2012 19:06 White Sox blank Cubs, sweep series
This is what the Chicago White Sox expected when they made those big moves to acquire Jake Peavy and Adam Dunn. They just figured it would happen sooner.
05/20/2012 08:36 Top 70 starters for Week 8
A lot to take into consideration before setting your pitching staffs for Fantasy Week 8. Our Al Melchior runs through his Top 70 starting options and has all the matchups.
05/17/2012 16:06 Norris is being added at a higher rate
Houston pitcher Bud Norris is one of the most added players in CBSSports.com leagues. The Fantasy Baseball 360 crew has more.
Bud Norris was able to make 30-plus starts for the first time in his career in 2011 and continued to improve as a starter in Houston. He posted a career-low 3.77 ERA and struck out 176 in 186 innings while walking just 70. While his victories fell from nine in his sophomore campaign to six, he could not be faulted for many of his 11 losses due to the poor production surrounding him. He heads into this season with a ton of upside at age 26 and should be able to continue to grow. Owners should keep in mind that he has been hindered by injuries over the last two years, but his ability to strike out nearly a batter per inning gives him some extra value in Fantasy. Target Norris in deeper mixed leagues on Draft Day but don't be surprised if he outperforms his draft position. (Updated 2/17/12)
Actual 
AccuScore Projections) Note: Points are rounded down.
= probable start