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Do you have some trade offers you are consider, but need to bounce them off of someone? Are you pondering a roster move and want a second opinion? Feel free to post your questions in the Fantasy Baseball Questions thread.
Fake Teams Podcast, Episode 12: Rugged and Manly
Zack and Andrew hosted the Fake Teams podcast on Sunday night, with Brian Creagh making an appearance. Among the topics discussed were their thoughts on Kyle Gibson's upcoming major league debut, David Wright, some bullpens in flux and much more.
You can listen to the podcast in two ways:
Bryce Harper playing injured?
Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper went 1-1 with a walk and a stolen base in his first rehab game since going on the DL in late May. Reports state that he wore a knee brace, and that is concerning for me. The fact that he stole a base is good news, but that was against a catcher in High A. If he has to wear a knee brace when he returns, I worry how much the knee injury will impact his power. The Nationals need his bat back in their lineup, so I am also concerned that they/he is rushing to get back on the field.
For more on Harper and the Nationals, check out Federal Baseball, SB Nation's Nationals fan site.
Dustin Pedroia fills up the boxscore
Robinson Cano is widely believed to be the top fantasy second baseman in the game, but Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia heads the next tier. Last night, Pedroia went 3-5 with a double, 2 runs, 4 RBI and a stolen base in the Red Sox 11-4 win over the Rockies. Pedroia is now hitting .316-.396-.424 with 4 HRs, 50 runs, 45 RBI, 11 stolen bases and an excellent 42-42 strikeout to walk rate.
Pedroia is on pace for 8 HRs, 103 runs, 92 RBI and 23 stolen bases. The power is lower than what I expected from him, but the 100+ runs, 90+ RBI and 23 stolen bases are quite valuable at the keystone.
For more about Pedroia and the Red Sox, make sure you check out Over the Monster, SB Nation's Red Sox fan site.
Round'em Up
Jason Kipnis is some kind of hot right now. Kipnis went 2-2 with a HR, 2 walks and 2 RBI last night in the Indians loss to the Orioles, raising his triple slash line to .288-.368-.502 with 10 HRs, 37 runs, 43 RBI and 17 stolen bases. He has hits in nine of his last ten games, with 5 runs scored, 11 RBI and 3 stolen bases. He is making his 2012 rookie season look like it was no fluke.
I don't think I have written about Josh Hamilton much in these pages this season, and for good reason. He has been pretty terrible at the plate, but his performance last night might be the spark he, and his fantasy owners, need to get him going. He went 3-5 with a walk, 3 runs scored and an RBI. It will take a lot for him to get his triple slash line to expected levels, but he has gone on huge streaks in the past, so let's see what happens in the near term.
Like Hamilton, Nationals first baseman Adam Laroche has not lived up to the new contract he signed last offseason, but he had a big night at the plate last night. Laroche went 3-4 with a HR and 3 RBI, and is now hitting .259-.339-.445 with 11 HRs, 35 runs and 35 RBI. Laroche is a streaky hitter, and usually goes on week long power streaks, so this could be the start for his fantasy owners.
Mets young starter Zack Wheeler had a bit of a tougher time in his second big league start than in his first. Last night, he was touched up for 4 runs on 4 hits, 4 walks and just 3 strikeouts in 5.1 innings, but did not factor in the decision in the Met 5-4 loss to the White Sox. Young starters will struggle, they all do. Once he can minimize the walks, he can be really special. Patience is required.
Wheeler faced off against White Sox ace Chris Sale last night, and Sale got the best of the young starter. Sale gave up 3 runs on 4 hits, 2 walks and 13 strikeouts in 8 innings of work. Sale was in line for the win until closer Addison Reed blew his third save of the season. Sale is now 5-6 with a 2.75 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and a 104-23 strikeout to walk rate in 98.1 innings.
More from Fake Teams
Minor League Level Review (High-A): Promotions of Cuthbert, Franco, Sano, Granier and De Paula
Coming Soon to A Stadium Near You: Brandon Workman, RHP, Boston Red Sox
Injury Report: My good fortune might run out
Has anything changed? Jonathan Singleton