Sunday Lineup Card: Wily Mo Power

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Projected Starters – A look at Sunday's matchups (all times Eastern)

Diamondbacks (Joe Saunders – L) at Tigers (Brad Penny – R), 1:05
Reds (Homer Bailey – R) at Orioles (Jeremy Guthrie – R), 1:35
Red Sox (Andrew Miller – L) at Pirates (John McDonald – R), 1:35
Athletics (Josh Outman – L) at Phillies (Roy Halladay – R), 1:35
Rays (Jeff Niemann – R) at Astros (J.A. Happ – L), 2:05
Rockies (Juan Nicasio – R) at Yankees (Ivan Nova – R), 2:05
Twins (Carl Pavano – R) at Brewers (Chris Narveson – L), 2:10
Cubs (Randy Wells – R) at Royals (Luke Hochevar – R), 2:10
Nationals (Livan Hernandez – R) at White Sox (Phil Humber – R), 2:10
Blue Jays (Ricky Romero – L) at Cardinals (Kyle McClellan – R), 2:15
Mets (Dillon Gee – R) at Rangers (Derek Holland – L), 3:05
Braves (Tim Hudson – R) at Padres (Cory Luebke – L), 4:05
Angels (Jered Weaver – R) at Dodgers (Clayton Kershaw – L), 4:10
Indians (Fausto Carmona – R) at Giants (Madison Bumgarner – L), 8:05
Mariners (Doug Fister – R) at Marlins (Anibal Sanchez – R), 10:10

Day game after a night game: DET, AZ, BOS, PIT, CIN, BAL, OAK, PHI, TB, HOU, MIN, MIL, TOR, STL, ATL, SD


Injuries – A brief look at players who have been missing time with minor ailments and their expected returns

Day-to-Day (includes players expected to make their return from the DL)
-Shaun Marcum, SP, MIL – (Leg) Doesn’t know if he’ll be ready to make his next start.
Ryan Madson, RP, PHI – (Hand) Should be available to pitch again in 3-4 days.
Huston Street, RP, COL – (Groin) Not available Saturday and could miss a few days.
Chris Capuano, SP, NYM – (Abdomen) Expected to make his next start Wednesday.
Ryan Webb, RP, FLA – (Shoulder) Expects to be available Saturday.
Carlos Ruiz, C, PHI – (Illness) Spent Friday in a hospital with dehydration.
Jason Bay, OF, NYM – (Neck) Held out of the lineup Saturday with a stiff neck.
Justin Turner, 2B, NYM – (Thumb) Recurring pain in his thumb kept him out of Saturday’s lineup.
J.R. Towles, C, HOU – (Face) Should return as early as Sunday but held out Saturday.
Eli Whiteside, C, SF – (Quadriceps) Held out Friday and Saturday with a sore quad.
Chase Headley, 3B, SD – (Shoulder) Out Saturday.
Jonathon Niese, SP, NYM – (Upper Body) Left Saturday’s start after 5.2 innings with an elevated heart rate.
Elvis Andrus, SS, TEX – (Wrist) Could return Tuesday but will not play this weekend.
Torii Hunter, OF, LAA – (Ribs) Could return Monday but isn’t expected to play this weekend.
John Danks, SP, CHW – (Hip) Left Saturday’s start in the second inning.
Jake Arrieta, SP, BAL – (Elbow) Could be cleared to start Wednesday.
Grant Balfour, RP, OAK – (Oblique) May not be available Saturday.

Players on the DL
Rafael Furcal, SS, LAD – (Oblique) May shift over to second base when he returns from the DL.
Brandon Belt, 1B, SF – (Wrist) Started swinging a regular bat Friday but his return remains a ways away.
Darwin Barney, SS/2B, CHC – (Knee) Expected to return to the Cubs on Wednesday.
Marlon Byrd, OF, CHC – (Face) Starting a rehab assignment Monday and should return around the All-Star break.
Kerry Wood, RP, CHC – (Finger) Could return after a couple more side sessions but no definitive date set.
Brad Lidge, RP, PHI – (Shoulder) Scheduled to throw off a mound Saturday and is on pace to return around the All-Star break.
Joe Blanton, SP, PHI – (Elbow) Still feeling tightness in his elbow. Return probably won’t come until the end of July.
Tommy Hanson, SP, ATL – (Shoulder) Set to return and start against the Marlins on Tuesday.
Sam Demel, RP, AZ – (Shoulder) Could be activated early in the coming week.
Juan Gutierrez, RP, AZ – (Shoulder) Could return before the end of the month.
Geoff Blum, SS, AZ – (Knee) Is beginning a rehab assignment Monday but may not be back in the majors until after the All-Star break.
Clay Hensley, RP, FLA – (Shoulder) Could return by the end of the month.
David Wright, 3B, NYM – (Back) Cleared to resume baseball activities, will start hitting next week. Unlikely to return before the All-Star break.
Mike Fontenot, 2B, SF – (Groin) Will resume his rehab assignment in a few days.
Jonathan Sanchez, SP, SF – (Biceps) Placed on the 15-day DL.
Luke Gregerson, RP, SD – (Oblique) Could return early in the coming week.
Brad Hawpe, OF, SD – (Finger) Remains a ways away from returning.
Clay Buchholz, SP, BOS – (Back) Penciled in to return and start July 4.
Jesse Litsch, SP, TOR – (Shoulder) Could return in about two weeks after a couple more rehab starts.
Mike Napoli, C, TEX – (Oblique) Slated to return next weekend.
Bartolo Colon, SP, NYY – (Hamstring) No definite date set for return but he continues to improve and is getting close.
Phil Hughes, SP, NYY – (Shoulder) Expected to return to the Yankees’ rotation after two more rehab starts.
Jeff Marquez, RP, NYY – (Shoulder) Expected to return to the Yankees’ bullpen as soon as eligible to be activated.
Brandon Webb, SP, TEX – (Shoulder) Continues to struggle in his rehab outings.
Tommy Hunter, SP/RP, TEX – (Groin) Projected to be used out of the bullpen when he returns.
Darren O’Day, RP, TEX – (Hip) Expected to be activated sometime in the coming week.
Shin-Soo Choo, OF, CLE – (Thumb) Expected to miss six weeks with a broken thumb.
Matt LaPorta, 1B, CLE – (Ankle) Will miss at least another week but is no longer in a walking boot.
Derek Jeter, SS, NYY – (Calf) No timetable has been established for his return. Started swinging a bat but remains unable to run.
Jason Kubel, OF, MIN – (Foot) Could be activated as soon as Monday. Has had no issues running the bases.


Transactions – Players who have been demoted, called up, traded, released, you name it. We'll cover it here.

Placed on the DL (15-day DL unless otherwise noted)
Shin-Soo Choo, OF, CLE
Jonathan Sanchez, SP, SF

Activated from DL
Barry Zito, SP, SF
Jim Thome, DH, MIN

Called Up
Travis Buck, OF, CLE
Brian Esposito, C, HOU
Eric Fryer, C, PIT

Sent Down
Fernando Rodriguez, RP, HOU
Rene Tosoni, OF, MIN

Designated for Assignment
Dusty Brown, C, PIT

Signed
Kenny Miramontes, SS, PHI
Kolten Wong, 2B, STL


Closer Watch – A closer look at intriguing ninth-inning situations (also check out our Closer Grid)

Colorado – Huston Street got the save Friday, but he is also dealing with a groin injury that could make him unavailable for a few days. Matt Lindstrom should get any save opportunities that arise if Street is unavailable to pitch.

Toronto – Frank Francisco earned the save for the Blue Jays on Friday, and he’s been the only pitcher used in normal save situations for the Jays for over two weeks now. He’s the guy to own.

KEY MATCHUPS: HOT
Hot Batter Matchups			At-Bats	AVG	HR	XBH	RBI	BB	K	SLG	OBP	OPS
Xavier Nady - OF	ARI @ DET 6/26 1:05 PM	Brad Penny	4-10	.400	0	3	0	1	1	.700	.455	1.155
Miguel Cabrera - 1B	DET vs ARI 6/26 1:05 PM	Joe Saunders	4-12	.333	0	2	3	4	4	.500	.500	1.000
Magglio Ordonez - OF	DET vs ARI 6/26 1:05 PM	Joe Saunders	9-21	.429	1	3	6	2	1	.667	.478	1.145
Jhonny Peralta - SS	DET vs ARI 6/26 1:05 PM	Joe Saunders	8-17	.471	2	4	4	1	1	.941	.500	1.441
Hideki Matsui - DH	OAK @ PHI 6/26 1:35 PM	Roy Halladay	14-59	.237	4	5	9	4	3	.458	.286	.744
Matt Diaz - OF	PIT vs BOS 6/26 1:35 PM	Andrew Miller	4-13	.308	1	1	1	2	2	.538	.400	.938
Ramon Castro - C	CWS vs WAS 6/26 2:10 PM	Livan Hernandez	8-20	.400	1	2	6	0	4	.600	.400	1.000
Omar Vizquel - 3B	CWS vs WAS 6/26 2:10 PM	Livan Hernandez	12-25	.480	1	2	5	2	4	.640	.519	1.159
Alcides Escobar - SS	KC vs CHC 6/26 2:10 PM	Randy Wells	6-12	.500	0	0	0	1	2	.500	.538	1.038
Cameron Maybin - OF	SD vs ATL 6/26 4:05 PM	Tim Hudson	5-12	.417	1	1	3	1	5	.667	.462	1.129
Casey Blake - 3B	LAD vs LAA 6/26 4:10 PM	Jered Weaver	4-13	.308	0	2	1	2	5	.462	.400	.862
James Loney - 1B	LAD vs LAA 6/26 4:10 PM	Jered Weaver	7-17	.412	0	1	2	0	4	.471	.412	.883
Aubrey Huff - 1B	SF vs CLE 6/26 8:05 PM	Fausto Carmona	4-16	.250	2	2	2	0	1	.625	.250	.875
Hot Pitcher Matchups			At-Bats	Opp AVG	HR Allow	XBH Allow	RBI Allow	BB	K	Opp SLG	Opp OBP	Opp OPS
Brad Penny	DET vs ARI 6/26 1:05 PM	Diamondbacks Batters	26-109	.239	0	6	8	5	20	.296	.270	.565

 

KEY MATCHUPS: COLD
Cold Batter Matchups			At-Bats	AVG	HR	XBH	RBI	BB	K	SLG	OBP	OPS
Chris Young - OF	ARI @ DET 6/26 1:05 PM	Brad Penny	2-17	.118	0	1	1	0	3	.176	.118	.294
Brandon Inge - 3B	DET vs ARI 6/26 1:05 PM	Joe Saunders	3-17	.176	0	0	2	0	4	.176	.176	.352
Ryan Raburn - OF	DET vs ARI 6/26 1:05 PM	Joe Saunders	1-14	.071	0	1	0	0	3	.143	.071	.214
Fred Lewis - OF	CIN @ BAL 6/26 1:35 PM	Jeremy Guthrie	2-11	.182	1	2	1	0	1	.545	.182	.727
Scott Rolen - 3B	CIN @ BAL 6/26 1:35 PM	Jeremy Guthrie	2-15	.133	0	0	0	0	1	.133	.133	.266
David DeJesus - OF	OAK @ PHI 6/26 1:35 PM	Roy Halladay	4-18	.222	0	0	0	0	1	.222	.222	.444
Mark Ellis - 2B	OAK @ PHI 6/26 1:35 PM	Roy Halladay	3-16	.188	0	0	0	1	4	.188	.235	.423
Alberto Gonzalez - SS	SD vs ATL 6/26 4:05 PM	Tim Hudson	2-10	.200	0	0	0	0	4	.200	.200	.400
Orlando Hudson - 2B	SD vs ATL 6/26 4:05 PM	Tim Hudson	2-11	.182	0	0	1	4	1	.182	.375	.557
Andre Ethier - OF	LAD vs LAA 6/26 4:10 PM	Jered Weaver	2-17	.118	0	1	3	3	4	.235	.250	.485
Miguel Tejada - SS	SF vs CLE 6/26 8:05 PM	Fausto Carmona	2-12	.167	1	1	1	0	0	.417	.167	.584
Cold Pitcher Matchups			At-Bats	Opp AVG	HR Allow	XBH Allow	RBI Allow	BB	K	Opp SLG	Opp OBP	Opp OPS
Joe Saunders	ARI @ Det 6/26 1:05 PM	Tigers Batters	29-95	.305	3	11	16	7	15	.493	.353	.846
Carl Pavano	MIN @ Mil 6/26 2:10 PM	Brewers Batters	26-81	.321	3	9	10	4	7	.523	.348	.871
Livan Hernandez	WAS @ CWS 6/26 2:10 PM	White Sox Batters	64-200	.320	5	15	22	10	25	.453	.365	.818

***For a deeper look at the matchups please consult the new Batter v. Pitcher tool in the left hand menu.***


Recommended Pickup

Wily Mo Pena, OF, AZ – Pena was called up Tuesday to play with Diamondbacks during interleague play since they can use him at the DH in those games. Whether or not he sticks around afterward remains to be seen, but he’s made a good argument to stay with the team after going 4-for-15 with two home runs and three RBI through his first four games. Pena has struck out eight times in his first 15 at-bats, screaming caution when considering just how much value he has, but his work at Triple-A this season has been too incredible not to take a flier on him during this call-up. Through 237 at-bats at Reno this season, he hit .363 with 21 home runs, 63 RBI, and a 25:48 BB:K ratio. His ability to make contact at Triple-A lessens the gawking that his current MLB strikeout rate creates. There appears to be some hope for him. The Diamondbacks return home after Sunday but again visit an AL park next weekend, meaning Pena should be with them at least through next Sunday. Watch how he’s used in their home series against the Indians this week to see if he gets time in left field and at first base. If they’re willing to start him in one of those spots for his bat, Pena could become a huge offensive piece to have in fantasy for the rest of the season.

Other recent recommendations: Carlos Carrasco, Alexi Casilla, Jeff Keppinger, Mike Adams, Alcides Escobar


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Draft Street Lineup

C – Alex Avila, DET ($5,618)
1B – Miguel Cabrera, DET ($8,547)
2B – Rickie Weeks, MIL ($6,889)
3B – Evan Longoria, TB ($6,649)
SS – Hanley Ramirez, FLA ($5,646)
OF – Magglio Ordonez, DET ($3,375)
OF – Grady Sizemore, CLE ($3,705)
OF – Nelson Cruz, TEX ($6,821)
U – Joey Votto, CIN ($6,672)
U – Austin Jackson, DET ($3,705)
SP – Brad Penny, DET ($4,105)
SP – Roy Halladay, PHI ($19,214)
RP – Jose Valverde, DET ($1,910)
P – Anibal Sanchez, FLA ($15,730)

Total: $99,562

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