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Roto Roundup: Kyle Schwarber, Jayson Werth, Matt Shoemaker and Others

Alex highlights some of the top fantasy newsmakers from Thursday, including Kyle Schwarber, Jayson Werth, Matt Shoemaker and others.

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Kyle Schwarber gets the (re)call

It wasn't long ago when Kyle Schwarber made his debut, going 4 for 5 in his first career start with a triple, three runs and two RBI on June 17. The next day, Schwarber hit his first major league home run and Cubs fans were hooked. Unfortunately, (smart) Cubs fans knew Schwarber's stay would only be as long as the Cubs' visits to Cleveland and Minnesota - when Chicago could see how Schwarber's bat played in a designated hitter role.

Schwarber's stay was brief (six games), but the 6-foot, 235-pound left-hander was impressive with his cup of coffee, slashing .364/.391/.591 with a home run, six runs and six RBI. I didn't think we'd see Schwarber return to Chicago until September call-ups, but circumstances have changed. On Thursday, we learned that Miguel Montero could miss up to six weeks with a jammed left thumb, leaving the Cubs a little light on offense behind the dish. Today, the Cubs will officially place Montero on the disabled list and call up their No. 1 prospect, Schwarber, in a corresponding move.

Schwarber, 22, becomes a must-add in al NL-only leagues, as well as deeper mixed leagues or leagues that play with two catchers. I'm hesitant to add him in 12-team formats, as he won't be an everyday catcher with the Cubs already carrying two catchers in David Ross and Taylor Teagarden. Schwarber is still a catcher in the making, but the offensive upgrade over Ross and Teagarden is immense. Joe Maddon can mix and match catchers. If Schwarber can prove himself behind the plate, he could be rewarded with more time, but don't anticipate him to be the everyday catcher. The Cubs wouldn't bring Schwarber up if they didn't think he could handle catching duties, but they aren't going to throw him in the fire every single day. That .333/.403/.633 slash line in Triple-A Iowa (67 games) must have been too juicy to pass up.

Roto Roundup

Jayson Werth (wrist) began a minor league rehab assignment Thursday with High-A Potomac, but don't expect the Nationals outfielder back in Washington until late July at the earliest. Werth has been out of action since May 15 after suffering two fractures in his left wrist. Before being injured, the 36-year-old veteran was hitting just .208/.294/.287 with two home runs in 27 games. After hitting 25 home runs in 2013, his power went down considerably in 2014 as he hit just 16 homers with a .163 ISO (down from .214). Wrist injuries are tricky, and it's no guarantee that Werth comes back showing more power. Ryan Zimmerman (plantar fasciitis) is expected to begin a rehab assignment soon, but nothing has been made official as of Thursday night.

The Giants signed speedster Everth Cabrera to a minor league contract Thursday after he released by the Orioles. In 29 games this season, Cabrera was hitting .208/.250/.229 with two stolen bases. The Giants middle infield is crowded, so this doesn't appear to be an ideal fit, but the 28-year-old provides a little bit of depth for San Francisco in the second half of the year. Cabrera stole a career 44 bases in 115 games for the Padres in 2012, and the following year had 37 more in 95 games. He should only be added in NL-only leagues at this point.

It appears that Matt Shoemaker might be the odd man out in the Angels rotation when Jered Weaver returns from a hip injury, at least it's a real possibilty according to Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register. After breaking out last season, Shoemaker has been inconsistent with a 4-7 record, 4.85 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 74/21 K/BB ratio in 91 innings. Shoemaker hasn't been terrible, registering a 4.64 FIP and 3.89 SIERA, but his velocity is below 90 and he hasn't missed as many bats this year. Shoemaker could make an interesting addition at the backend of another team's starting rotation, but I'm guessing the Halos would like to keep him in case of an injury to another arm, or possibly use him in a long relief role going forward. Be sure to monitor this situation closely if you're a Shoemaker owner.

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