Transaction Analysis: Ackley Joins the M's

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Mariners

Dustin Ackley, 2B - called up from Triple-A Tacoma
Luis Rodriguez, 2B - optioned to Triple-A Tacoma

Impact: Ackley isn't being called up to sit on the bench, so he should start seeing immediate time as the Mariners' starting second baseman. Ackley was hitting .303 with 57 runs scored, nine home runs and 35 RBI with Tacoma. Keeper league owners should pounce on Ackley, the second overall pick in the 2009. Rodriguez has a versatile glove but was the obvious demotion when Ackley was ready for the big leagues.

Tigers

Magglio Ordonez, RF-DH- activated from the 15-day DL
Enrique Gonzalez, RHP- outrighted to Triple-A Toledo

Impact: Ordonez has been remarkably consistent over his career, as he hit at least .280 in every season of his 14-year career prior to 2011. This year has been a completely different story, however, as he was absolutely terrible before he missed a month due to an ankle injury that he suffered in mid-May. Brennan Boesch and Casper Wells saw most of the playing time in right field during Ordonez's recovery, and Wells and outfielder Andy Dirks figure to lose the most playing time with Ordonez's return. Magglio will likely be eased back into regular playing time, but it's too early to say that his days of being an offensive threat are behind him.

Twins

Justin Morneau, 1B- placed on the 15-day DL (wrist)
Tsuyoshi Nishioka, 2B- activated from the 60-day DL

Impact: Just as the Twins are about to get Joe Mauer back from the DL, they lose another of their stars in Justin Morneau. Morneau is suffering from a strained wrist, which isn't expected to keep him out much longer than the minimum 15 days. He has been struggling offensively, hitting just .225 with four home runs in 55 games. Nishioka broke his leg April 8, in just his sixth major league game. Based on his track record in Japan, he appears to be a player who should hit for a decent average and steal a good number of bases but with only a handful of home runs.

Yankees

Derek Jeter, SS- placed on the 15-day DL (calf)
Ramiro Pena, IF- called up from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre

Impact: Jeter's pursuit of 3,000 hits will be put on hold for at least a couple of weeks due to a strained calf that he suffered during Monday night's game. An MRI revealed that the strain is not too serious, so he shouldn't miss too much time before he's able to work on getting those remaining six hits. Until his return, Eduardo Nunez (who just turned 24) will get a chance to play every day. Nunez isn't likely to help out much in the power categories, but he does have some stolen-base potential.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Astros

Wandy Rodriguez, RHP- activated from the 15-day DL
Jeff Fulchino, RHP- optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City

Impact: The Astros ace missed three weeks due to an elbow injury, but came back strong, picking up a win in his first start back on June 13. Rodriguez has been very consistent, posting a sub-4.00 ERA in each of the last three seasons, and starting off this year with a 3.41 ERA in 10 starts before his injury. A lack of offensive and bullpen support has prevented him from racking up the wins over the years, and this year has been no exception. Aneury Rodriguez now loses his spot in the rotation and will pitch out of the bullpen. Fulchino was second on the team in appearances, but gave up seven earned runs over his last five games.

Braves

Jason Heyward, RF- activated from the 15-day DL
Matt Young, OF- optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett

Impact: Heyward made a splash last season, putting up some nice numbers in his first year in the major leagues. At just 21, he still has plenty of opportunity for growth, so he should be exciting to watch. Joe Mather and Eric Hinske handled the right-field duties in Heyward's absence, and both players could now see a decrease in their playing time. Young was terrible offensively, hitting just .208 with one extra-base hit in 20 games.

Cardinals

Kyle McClellan, RHP- activated from the 15-day DL
Matt Carpenter, IF- optioned to Triple-A Memphis

Impact: The Cards' reliever-turned-starter returned to the rotation after missing a couple of weeks due to an ailing hip. He has done a respectable job in his first year as a starter, posting a 6-2 record before the injury and maintaining good ratios. His strikeout rate has been brutal, but other than that, he's been a solid fantasy contributor. Lance Lynn filled in for McClellan in the rotation, making two starts before being sent down on Saturday. Carpenter appeared in seven games with St. Louis, collecting just one hit in 15 at-bats.

Matt Holliday, LF- activated from the 15-day DL
Eduardo Sanchez, RHP- placed on the 15-day DL (shoulder)

Impact: Holliday has been a quality fantasy option for years now, pretty much assuring his owners of consistent production year in and year out. He continued to produce for the first two months of this year before landing on the DL for a couple of weeks with a strained left quad. Jon Jay and Lance Berkman filled in for Holliday in left field, and Jay is likely to see a reduction in playing time now that all of the team's regular outfielders are healthy. Sanchez has been one of the Cardinals' best relievers this year, and picked up five saves during a stint as the team's closer. He'll be out of game action for a couple of weeks with a mild shoulder strain.

Cubs

Alfonso Soriano, LF- activated from the 15-day DL
Darwin Barney, 2B- placed on the 15-day DL (knee)

Impact: Soriano has been the Cubs' best power hitter this season, clubbing 12 home runs and driving in 29 runs before a quad injury shut him down for a couple of weeks. Blake DeWitt manned left field while Soriano was out and may now see some time at second due to Barney's injury. Barney has hit a healthy .294 as the Cubs' regular second baseman, but has not provided fantasy teams with much help in any of the other categories. In addition to DeWitt, DJ LeMahieu and Jeff Baker should also figure into the second-base mix.

Marlins

Hanley Ramirez, SS- activated from the 15-day DL
Scott Cousins, OF- placed on the 15-day DL (lower back)

Impact: Ramirez will look to get his struggling bat going after taking a couple of weeks off due to a back injury. He'll need to really catch on fire to approach his career averages this year, due to an uncharacteristic swoon over the first two months of the season. Emilio Bonifacio covered shortstop while Ramirez was shelved, and could still get a fair amount of playing time around the diamond. Cousins is suffering from a lower back strain and was unproductive at the plate this year. His biggest hit of the season was the collision at home plate that knocked out San Francisco catcher Buster Posey.

Nationals

Ryan Zimmerman, 3B- activated from the 15-day DL
Craig Stammen, RHP- optioned to Triple-A Syracuse

Impact: The Nats filled a huge hole in their offense when Zimmerman returned to the lineup Tuesday. Their third baseman, who has been one of their best hitters over the last couple of years, missed two months due to an abdominal tear that required surgery. Jerry Hairston Jr. and Alex Cora both benefitted from some extra playing time while Zimmerman was out, but will return to backup roles. Stammen has appeared in just two games for Washington this year.

Padres

Aaron Harang, RHP- placed on the 15-day DL (foot)
Anthony Bass, RHP- called up from Double-A San Antonio; optioned to Double-A San Antonio
Wade LeBlanc, LHP- recalled from Triple-A Tucson

Impact: Apparently all Harang needed was a change of scenery. He was terrible last year with the Reds, but came out of the gate strong for the Padres this year, going 7-2 with a 3.71 ERA. Of course it doesn't hurt that he's now pitching in perhaps the best pitcher's park in baseball. Harang is on the shelf with a bruised right foot, so San Diego gave Bass a start in Harang's place. Despite a fairly decent performance, he was shipped back to the minors in favor of LeBlanc. LeBlanc put up some very ordinary numbers last year, and he'd probably not be worth owning in most leagues if it weren't for his home park.