Belt mired in slump: Giants first baseman Brandon Belt continues to struggle, going 0 for 4 on Wednesday against the Brewers, with a pair of strikeouts. He is now 0 for his last 12, and is hitting .188 in his last five starts, with a pair of doubles and seven strikeouts. (Updated 05/23/2012)
Injury Report
No information available at this time (Updated 5/25/12).
Fantasy Analysis
Belts average on the season has tumbled all the way to .226, and has now struck out in more than 30 percent of his at bats on the season. He is still posting a solid .350 on base percentage, however given his struggles, Belt should be left for just NL-only Fantasy formats. (Updated 05/23/2012).
05/24/2012 23:14 Cabrera has 4 RBI, Giants beat Marlins
Melky Cabrera had three hits and drove in four runs Thursday for the San Francisco Giants, who gave Ryan Vogelsong robust run support for a change to beat the Miami Marlins 14-7.
05/20/2012 20:32 A's drop Giants; Lincecum in collision
Collin Cowgill drove in the go-ahead runs and scored in a home plate collision with pitcher Tim Lincecum, and the Oakland Athletics snapped an 11-game losing streak in San Francisco with a 6-2 victory over the Bay Area rival Giants on Sunday.
05/20/2012 19:47 Hit Parade for Week 8
Some catchers have been bitten by the injury bug in recent days, leaving some owners scrambling. Our Scott White shares some recommendations and helps set your lineups for Week 8 in his Hit Parade.
05/19/2012 19:17 Giants continue to feast on A's at home
Ryan Vogelsong allowed one hit in seven scoreless innings and played a key role in San Francisco's go-ahead rally as the Giants beat the Oakland Athletics for the 11th straight time at home, 4-0 on Saturday.
Brandon Belt shot up through the Giants' farm system in 2010, hitting for immense power at every level, but his rookie campaign in 2011 was not nearly so memorable. He shuttled between the majors and Triple-A Fresno, and at both levels, Belt was plagued by strikeouts and beset by some mediocre power stats. Inexplicably, when Belt did make contact, he was much more prone to hitting grounders than in the past, especially when he was at the big league level. Belt entered the 2011 season with a track record of strong plate discipline, so it may be a matter of time before he cuts back on both his swinging strikes and ground balls. It's a risk to assume those trends will occur in 2012, but Belt still offers tremendous upside. As a possible starter in either left field or first base, he is worth a flier late in mixed league drafts. (Updated 1/5/12)