Loney picking his average up: Dodgers first baseman James Loney recorded his fifth multi-hit performance of May on Sunday night against the Cardinals. He went 2 for 4 with an RBI in the 6-5 win. Loney has gone 16 for 42 (.381) in his last 12 games with six RBI. (Updated 05/21/2012)
Injury Report
No information available at this time (Updated 5/25/12).
Fantasy Analysis
Loney has been able to raise his average from .198 to .258 during his recent hot stretch and is starting to look like a viable option in Fantasy once again. He continues to see the majority of the starts at first base for the Dodgers but owners should keep in mind that Scott Van Slyke could see time there against left-handers. While he is not the most powerful option, Loney remains a worthwhile option in NL-only formats since he is getting his average back up. (Updated 05/21/2012).
05/22/2012 01:20 Dodgers cruise past Diamondbacks
Matt Treanor, Andre Ethier and James Loney homered to power Chris Capuano to his sixth victory, and the Los Angeles Dodgers won their fifth straight by beating the Arizona Diamondbacks 6-1 on Monday night.
05/21/2012 14:17 MLB top 10 plays of the week: 5/21
Where does Norichika Aoki land in the top 10 after channeling his inner Willie Mays? Did Vernon Wells grab the top spot for stealing a home run? Adam Aizer has your top plays from the diamond this past week.
05/20/2012 23:20 Van Slyke's first HR wins it for Dodgers
Pinch-hitter Scott Van Slyke connected for his first major league homer, a go-ahead, three-run shot in the seventh inning against his father's former team, and the Los Angeles Dodgers rallied for a 6-5 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday night.
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 02:29 The Lineup: Pitchers and Blue Jays
Interleague play commenced with some staggering pitching performances ... except in Toronto.
Most players hit their peak as they head into their late 20s, but the 27-year-old James Loney looked fully in decline for most of last season. At the start of August, Loney was batting .256 with a measly 13 doubles and four home runs. Over the last two months of the season, Loney went on a rampage, pounding out 26 extra-base hits -- including eight homers -- on his way to a .357 batting average over 52 games. Loney's power spike appeared to be legitimate. All eight of his late-season homers traveled more than 390 feet, and his line drive rate spiked as well. The question for Fantasy owners on Draft Day is whether to trust the stats produced by Loney's late-year binge. To be sure, his doubles total was probably inflated by a high rate of hits on balls in play (.379 BABIP) from Aug. 1 on that he would have trouble sustaining over a full season. Another potential risk involved with drafting Loney is that he could face criminal charges stemming from a multi-car accident he was involved in back in November. Add in Loney's lengthy track record of subpar power production and owners have little reason to reach for him outside of deeper mixed leagues and NL-only formats. (Updated 2/8/12)