Napoli not a confident hitter: Rangers catcher Mike Napoli sat in favor of Yorvit Torrealba for the second time in four games Wednesday against the Mariners as he continues to struggle offensively. Napoli is mired in a 3-for-25 slump and is batting .210 in May. "I'm not comfortable obviously," Napoli told reporters. "I'm going to keep grinding and going until I figure it out. I'm not quitting or anything. I'm going to keep going at it. I'm going to try and give a tough at-bat every time." Manager Ron Washington said Napoli appears to be chasing pitches. He has at least one strikeout in 32 of 39 games. "It takes time," Washington said, per ESPN.com. "Sometimes you’re in a funk and it just takes time. You just got to keep battling and all of a sudden one pitcher gives you an opportunity to feel good about yourself and then you’re rolling." (Updated 05/23/2012)
Injury Report
No information available at this time (Updated 5/25/12).
Fantasy Analysis
Napoli has proven to be a streaky hitter, as we saw last season. He hit just .221 in his first 46 games before batting .378 with a .457 OBP, .712 slugging percentage and 1.170 OPS in his final 67 games last year. And let's not forget he stayed hot during the postseason as well. Napoli will continue to start in order to break him out of his slump. Unless you have a better option, then it's worth starting Napoli in Fantasy because his hot streaks are worth the wait. (Updated 05/23/2012).
05/19/2012 22:42 Astros use three HRs to edge Rangers
Justin Maxwell hit one of Houston's season-high three homers to put his team on top in the fifth inning and the Astros held on for a 6-5 win over the Texas Rangers on Saturday night.
05/18/2012 15:49 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.
05/17/2012 18:27 A's overcome iffy call, nip Rangers in 10
Kila Ka'aihue had a tiebreaking single in the 10th inning, and the Oakland A's bounced back from a disputed call on a squeeze play that cost them the lead to beat the Texas Rangers 5-4 Thursday.
05/15/2012 15:25 By the Numbers: Changes in the air
Is Adam Dunn's power stroke back? Is Nelson Cruz a buy-low candidate? Our Al Melchior studied six weeks of flyball and home run data to identify some sell-high and buy-low sluggers.
After getting traded twice in the offseason, Mike Napoli ended up with the Rangers in 2011 and enjoyed the finest campaign of his career. Splitting time between catcher, first base and DH, he hit .221 with 10 homers and 25 RBI over his first 46 games before missing nearly a month due to an oblique strain. He would return with a vengeance in early July, batting .378 with 20 home runs, 50 RBI and a .712 slugging percentage over his final 67 games. Napoli also had a solid postseason and appears to have finally reached his potential in Texas. The ballpark he plays in and the lineup surrounding him only helps his offensive production, and he enters 2012 as one of the better options in Fantasy at catcher. The 30-year-old has the power to hit 30 home runs on a yearly basis and should have plenty of guys on base when he comes to the plate. Considering he has averaged 24 home runs with a .535 slugging percentage over the last four seasons, target Napoli as a Top 5 Fantasy C on Draft Day. (Updated 1/28/12)
Actual 
AccuScore Projections) Note: Points are rounded down.
