Player News – Page 114 – FantasySP Blog

Kazmir To DL, E-Jax/Burnett Going Fast

The Angels placed Scott Kazmir on the 15 day disabled list earlier today with “tightness in the lower back.” This shouldn’t come as a surprise, Kazmir hasn’t put together a solid season since 2008 with Tampa.

Analysis: I wouldn’t consider outright dumping Scott Kazmir at this point, just put him on the disabled list and pick up a red hot pitcher off the wire. A few days ago I mentioned picking up Edwin Jackson and after his last outing with 13 strikeouts he going fast in every format. He already has a sub 2.00 ERA with 20 K’s and two wins in two starts. But there are two sides of Edwin Jackson, good E-Jax(2009) and bad E-Jax(2007) and it appears good E-Jax is with us right now. He’s throwing his slider more than ever this year but the biggest difference is with his command as he has only walked five batters in two starts, that’s pretty good for Jackson. Jackson’s ERA will come back up into the 3.8-4.1 range especially pitching in hitter’s paradise US Cellular Field but if his command is on point then his strikeouts, wins and WHIP will be the numbers that will help you the most in roto leagues. The other hot option isn’t necessarily a good one. AJ Burnett is pitching well for the Yanks but you cannot trust a guy who on any given night can give up seven earned runs. If he’s available on the wire you have to consider picking him up and packaging him in a trade. The only thing you can trust with AJ will be the win total he has by seasons end.

Utah is Going to Love This Kid (Gordon Hayward)

I had high hopes for the dorky white kid who looks like he’s 15 years old, but I really didn’t expect any real production from him.

Analysis: In perhaps one of Utah’s best victories of the season it was the doofy young gun who led the team in scoring. Hayward poured in in 22 points against a team favored to win the whole shabam (LAL). Topping it off was Hayward’s shooting percentage. He was 9-14 from the field, which means he really caught fire. The points alone were solid, but he also contributed nicely in other important categories. He pulled down 6 boards, added 5 assists, had two steals, and even threw in a block for good measure. The question is whether or not this was a fluke night or a sign of things to come. One good sign is that he’s averaged 16 points for 3 straight games in April. Shooting 54% for the 3 games.

Projection: Hayward needs to put on some serious muscle so he doesn’t get pushed around at the small forward position. If he can bulk up a bit I think next year can be a solid year for him. Not spectacular fantasy production, but he’ll shoot a decent percentage and put up some points on occasion. His 3 point shooting is a serious plus for fantasy owners as he’s shot the ball well from deep all season. He’s averaging 45% from downtown this season, so when he actually gets some minutes he’ll put up a fair number of 3s for your fantasy team. If Hayward starts to heat up for any stretch expect Utah fans to jump aboard the Hayward train. I believe Utah is the perfect place for Hayward and Utah’s Mormon community will not hesitate to push Hayward to his greatest potential.

Nishioka To DL, Espinosa An Option

Slap hitting middle infielder Tsuyoshi Nishioka will be going to the disabled list with a broken left fibula.

Analysis: Nishioka’s best assest was his legs and most experts thought he was good for twenty or so stolen bases this year. He is also capable of posting about a .280 batting average and there aren’t many second basemen on the wire who are a lock to hit .280. In deep leagues you certainly have to take a look at Washington second baseman Danny Espinosa. Over the last two years in the minors Espinosa has hit 40 bombs with 54 stolen bases. Espinosa probably won’t be hitting in the .280 range but I don’t expect to see his batting average dip below the .250-.260 mark. He really is a power/speed threat and only being owned in less than ten percent of fantasy leagues is certainly an added bonus. Espinosa already has six hits in six games with two doubles, two runs and two RBI. If you’re worried about a loss in long term batting average before Nishioka returns you may want to consider Orlando Cabrera. Cabrera is a lifetime .274 hitter with double digit steal potential even in his late thirties. And if you absolutely need to have a secure batting average going forward then it’s time to pick up Freddy Sanchez who is going fast in most standard leagues. Sanchez is a career .299 hitter but he doesn’t have the speed.

Is Axford secure closing for the Brewers?

Milwaukee closer John Axford pitched a scoreless ninth inning on Wednesday, picking up his first save of the season.

Analysis: In his first appearance, on opening day, he blew a three-run lead to the Reds. The Brewers have invested too much into their pitching to have games blown by an inept closer. Given that Axford converted 24 of 27 save opportunities with 76 strikeouts in 58 innings pitched last year, the role is his to lose.

Projection: Brewers’ set-up man, Takashi Saito, has been a notable bullpen presence since his inaugural season in 2006 (84 saves, 2.19 ERA, 11.03K/9) However, the 41-year-old Japanese reliever will have to wait for Axford to give up a few more walk-off bombs until he has a shot at the closer’s job. Owners shouldn’t remove Axford from their starting lineups yet, perhaps he will bounce back to the form he showed last year. Seeing how quickly Fernando Rodney was yanked from the closer’s role in Anaheim, a change in Milwaukee would not be surprising if the struggle continues.

Ubaldo Jimenez To DL, Who To Pick Up?

The Rockies have placed fireballer Ubaldo Jimenez on the 15-day disabled list because of a cracked thumb cuticle on his pitching hand. This leaves many options so early in the season on who to pick up, here are some answers for you.

Analysis: Kevin Correia of the Pirates now has two wins in two starts. Correia has pitched 13 innings allowing just two earned runs. In deep, deep leagues the right hander is a solid choice as he is owned in less than one percent of fantasy leagues. Edwin Jackson of the ChiSox is another widely available interesting option. E-Jax threw six innings of two run ball while striking out seven batters last Saturday against the Indians. Jackson is due to start Thurdsay against a struggling Rays team, look to take advantage. Another deep league option is Clayton Richard of San Diego. Richard’s next start is in PETCO against the Dodgers on Friday night. Richard may have the best season of all the pitchers mentioned here thus far just because of where he plays. Richard had a 3.75 ERA last year with 14 wins but he still doesn’t get any love. Look for Richard to be a consistent presence in the Padres rotation as they will again try to push the action in the NL West. Obviously, if it’s not too late to pick up Kyle Drabek then pick him up. For more information on Drabek just scroll down the page. Drabek possesses the most upside with the nastiest stuff of all these guys next to Edwin Jackson’s slider.