Liriano pitching well out of 'pen: Twins pitcher Francisco Liriano made his fourth appearance out of the bullpen in Wednesday series finale against the White Sox. He worked a scoreless eighth inning, striking out two while walking one. Liriano has worked 4 2/3 scoreless innings since being taken out of the rotation. (Updated 05/23/2012)
Injury Report
No information available at this time (Updated 5/25/12).
Fantasy Analysis
Liriano posted a 9.45 ERA in six starts but has been able to lower that mark to 8.04 since being moved to the bullpen. Still no word on how long the left-hander will continue to work as a reliever so keep an eye on the situation going forward. Liriano has minimal Fantasy value in his current role but should be stashed away in deeper formats as he will likely rejoin the rotation at some point this season. (Updated 05/23/2012).
05/11/2012 12:20 Treating Fantasy like the game it is
There are plenty of under-the-radar types in Fantasy that are delivering for a handful of owners. Our Nando Di Fino comes up with a creative way to get his point across about a few of his favorite sleepers.
05/10/2012 00:32 Francisco Liriano demoted to bullpen
In 2010, Francisco Liriano finished 11th in AL Cy Young voting. In 2012, he has been so bad that the Twins have demoted him to the bullpen. P.J. Walters has been recalled from the minors to take Liriano's rotation spot.
05/09/2012 00:57 The Lineup: Bombs away, Santana looks to get on track, classless venom toward Werth
Rounding up Tuesday night's action (anyone hear if Josh Hamilton did anything good?), getting ready for Wednesday and hitting some links -- including a ridiculously classless display by some fans in Jayson Werth's direction. It's The Lineup for May 9, 2012.
05/08/2012 00:07 Angels' Weaver defeats Twins again
Jered Weaver allowed three hits in six innings in his first start since no-hitting the Twins last week to lead the Los Angeles Angels to an 8-3 victory against Minnesota on Monday night.
05/06/2012 17:17 Hit Parade for Week 6
Plenty of pitching matchups to take advantage of as we look ahead to Fantasy Week 6. Our Scott White helps you make sense of some platoons and maximizes your lineup's potential in his Hit Parade.
In 2010, Francisco Liriano was a borderline ace in Fantasy, winning 14 games and recording 201 strikeouts to finally put his lengthy Tommy John rehabilitation behind him. So much for all that. Whatever Liriano gained in 2010, he lost in 2011, putting together career-worst walk and strikeout rates during an ugly, injury-plagued season. He still had his moments of dominance, like when he threw a no-hitter at the White Sox on May 3 and compiled a 2.20 ERA during a seven-start stretch in May and June, but for the most part, he was like the AL version of Jonathan Sanchez and, like Sanchez, probably would have lost his rotation spot if the Twins had been in contention. As it was, he made only 24 starts, going on the DL twice -- once in late May and once in late August -- because of shoulder soreness, which might shed some light on his struggles. He had apparently been pitching through the injury since spring training. He's not necessarily cured now, but an offseason of rest should have at least helped. Fantasy owners are plenty aware of what Liriano is capable of doing at his best, which is why he's still a top-50 starting pitcher on Draft Day, but the injuries and inconsistency make him a risk no matter where you draft him. (Updated 1/5/12)