Saturday Wrapup: Carlos and Hoffman Return

Howie Kendrick - Kendrick has not hit well since returning from his broken finger, so I'd consider using the 2B you picked up in his place for a little while longer until he gets hot, and I'd start shopping his replacement for an upgrade at another position in the meantime as Kendrick will return to form soon enough.

Kelvim Escobar - Wow, what a season for him so far. He's always had the talent to do this when he's healthy, and he's certainly capable of keeping this up all year long. However, his arm will likely not allow him to pitch 200 innings this year, so now is a good time to try to move him for a guy more likely to pitch at a high level all season long. The only problem you might run into is the lack of name recognition, which unfortunately makes guys like Escobar more valuable to their knowledgable owners than anyone else.

Carlos Zambrano - There's the Carlos we love! He pitched an excellent game last night, although Pinella left him in a bit too long and he ended up at 125 pitches. Given he's been battling issues with his velocity all season long, this didn't seem like a good idea. He was still only about 90-91 MPH last night compared to throwing mid-90s most of his career. I figured we'd see increased velocity as the season wore on, but I'm a bit worried as to what the cause of this is.

Ryan Dempster - Gave up a couple hits to start the 9th, but got a K and a double play to get out of it. There doesn't seem to be any indication of Pinella actually removing Dempster from the closer's role, so maybe he came to his senses, or this will be a drawn-out process. I picked up Guzman in a league in which I needed saves, but I'm very tempted to drop him if Dempster continues to close.

Aramis Ramirez - Smacked his 12th HR last night, and has his average up to .295. He's performing like an elite 3B yet again this year despite being drafted at a slight discount. He, unlike Garrett Atkins, is living up to his draft day position.

C.C. Sabathia - Cruising right along. He hasn't had a dominant outing this month, but he's been very consistent and turned in a solid performance (7 IP, 6 H, 1 BB, 3 ER, 6 K) against a very tough Tigers offense.

Justin Verlander - Had control problems last night with 4 BBs, but he limited the damage by allowing only 3 Hs and 2 ERs in 6 IP. He hasn't posted the K rate expected of him (44 K in 63 IP), but he's pitched efficiently and has great numbers across the board.

Edgar Renteria - .332 AVG with 7 HR and 3 SB this year. He's been an outstanding value as he was likely one of the last SSs taken on draft day. He'll slow down a bit batting average-wise, but he has the talent to keep this up, posting 3 seasons of .290 or better in his career, including hitting .330 once. His career high in HRs is 16, so his HR pace will decline a bit as well.

Antonio Alfonseca - It's official, he's the Phillies closer while Gordon and Myers are on the DL. He gave up 1 hit in a scoreless inning last night for the save, but he's only attractive to those who chase saves with little regard to ERA/WHIP.

Carlos Delgado - He Del-Got-It last night, smashing 2 HRs and driving in 5. Given his poor overall numbers, he's still a quality buy-low guy who should heat up in a hurry.

John Maine - He bounced back a bit last night, giving up 2 ER in 6 IP with 8 Ks. He walked 4 more, so his outing wasn't as encouraging as one might think. He's still managing to avoid major damage while walking 34 in 61 1/3 IP, but he's not going to keep doing that. If you haven't yet, I'd still try to trade him before his numbers continue to decline.

Richie Sexson - He got a hit last night, which is noteworthy in itself given his .182 AVG so far. He's making Adam Dunn look like Ted Williams. I feel sorry for everyone who drafted him.

Alex Rios - I'm punching myself in the balls every time he hits a HR. He's now hitting .309 with 11 HRs, 35 Rs, 26 RBIs, and 4 SBs. He's making me look stupid for trading him along with Webb to get Manny and Sheets. I know Manny will get hot as well and not look back, sometime soon preferrably, right? Jerk.

Michael Cuddyer - He's providing very solid 3rd OF value, as that's what he likely is for your team. 4/5 last night with a HR, giving him a .290 AVG with 7 HRs so far this year. He's hit 3 HRs and driven in 9 over the past week, so he's getting hot and moving his numbers to those that were expected by his owners.

Edwin Encarnacion - HR last night, giving him solid numbers since returning from the minors. He should continue to hit, and is a borderline starter at 3B in mixed leagues. You could do worse than picking him up/trading garbage for him if he's available in your league. He should be a top 10 3B this year when all is said and done.

Bronson Arroyo - Alright, it's time to get worried. After getting lit up for 6 ERs in 2 IP against Washington 5 days ago, he got hit around for 6 ER in 4 IP this time, walking 4 in the process. That's 12 ER in 6 IP against the two worst offenses in the NL. I would bench him until he posts a solid outing.

Jim Edmonds - He's been on a tear the last two weeks, and is worth adding if you need OF help. He's too good of a hitter when healthy to continue the pace he was on. With the entire Cardinals lineup starting to heat up, he'll post solid numbers outside of SBs while he's healthy.

Jason Isringhausen - He's quietly posting a great season again as the Cardinals' closer. 1.42 ERA, 0.79 WHIP, and 14 Ks in 19 IP while saving 13.

Manny Ramirez - Slowly heating up. He's raised his average 27 points in the last 6 days to .272. The power should soon follow as he's only hit 7 HRs so far this year. Last chance to get him at a discount.

Aaron Cook - A CG, 1 ER performance last night. 27 Ks in 72 1/3 IP along with un-impressive ratios, and you'll realize this was just a great performance by an average pitcher. Don't pick him up.

Brandon Webb - Well, it looks like he just needed a non-Colorado matchup to get him back on his game. 7 IP, 7 H, 1 BB, 2 ER, and 8 K. Granted the Houston offense is rather weak, but this was a nice sign to see after 2 straight 5 R performances. Expect him to continue to improve, especially if he keeps showing better control.

Jose Valverde - Another great bullpen steal on draft day. 2.53 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, and 22 Ks in 21 1/3 IP while saving 18 games. He's always had the talent to do this, but he's finally showing the consistency necessary to keep this up all year long.

Ryan Braun - Milwaukee's prized hitting prospect, and arguably the best hitting prospect in the minors after Billy Butler and Hunter Pence graduated, has been promoted. 3/4 with a HR and a SB in his 2nd game. He's still on waivers in Yahoo's league, and he's worth a claim for all teams in need of a 3B or UTIL help.

Justin Germano - He's had an amazing start to his career, posting a 1.08 ERA and 0.76 WHIP, but with 9 Ks in 25 IP, it's hard to see him keeping this up. Pitching half his games in SD will help him maintain some semblance of success, but I figure things will go south for him eventually. It's hard to recommend him in mixed leagues.

Trevor Hoffman - Returned to the closer's role last night after a save opportunity presented itself with Brocail walking 2/3 hitters he faced. His sore arm is obviously not a long-term concern, but he'll continue to need days off more than most closers. Like I said before, all Hoffman owners need to own Linebrink to guard against a further injury, and to make sure they claim all saves generated by the Padres bullpen.