Wednesday Lineup Card: Aces in Many Places

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Projected Starters - A look at Wednesday's matchups (all times Eastern)

Angels (Ervin Santana – R) at Indians (David Huff – L), 12:05
Mariners (Felix Hernandez – R) at Yankees (Phil Hughes – R), 1:05
Tigers (Max Scherzer – R) at White Sox (John Danks – R), 2:10
Giants (Tim Lincecum – R) at Phillies (Cole Hamels – L), 7:00
Marlins (Javier Vazquez – R) at Nationals (Livan Hernandez – R), 7:05
Orioles (Alfredo Simon – R) at Blue Jays (Ricky Romero – L), 7:07
Royals (Bruce Chen – L) at Red Sox (John Lackey – R), 7:10
Pirates (Paul Maholm – L) at Braves (Jair Jurrjens – R), 7:10
Mets (Mike Pelfrey – R) at Reds (Bronson Arroyo – R), 7:10
Twins (Brian Duensing – L) at Rangers (Colby Lewis – R), 8:05
Cubs (Carlos Zambrano – R) at Brewers (Zack Greinke – R), 8:10
Astros (Bud Norris – R) at Cardinals (Chris Carpenter – R), 8:15
Rays (James Shields – R) at Athletics (Trevor Cahill – R), 10:05
Diamondbacks (Ian Kennedy – R) at Padres (Cory Luebke – L), 10:05
Rockies (Aaron Cook – R) at Dodgers (Hiroki Kuroda – R), 10:10

Day game after a night game: LAA, CLE, SEA, NYY, DET, CWS

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

Day-to-Day
Josh Willingham, OF, OAK – (Neck) Served as DH in Tuesday's game.
Kevin Youkilis, 1B, BOS – (Hamstring) Not in Tuesday's lineup.
Ernesto Frieri, P, SD – (Personal) On paternity leave for up to three days.
Kerry Wood, P, CHI-N – (Illness) Suffering from flu-like symptoms; missed Tuesday's game.
Jordan Schafer, OF, ATL – (Finger) Late scratch from Tuesday's lineup.
Chase d'Arnaud, 3B, PIT – (Finger) Available off the bench despite fractured pinky.
Juan Uribe, 2B, LA – (Abdomen) Out of the lineup again Tuesday.
Matt Holliday, OF, STL – (Illness) Out of the lineup again Tuesday due to food poisoning.
Tim Lincecum, P, SF – (Illness) Scratched from Tuesday's start due to the flu.
Lance Berkman, 1B, STL – (Shoulder) Started Tuesday’s game.
Angel Pagan, OF, NYM – (Illness) Hopes to return to the lineup Wednesday.
Gaby Sanchez, 1B, FLA – (Hamstring) Scratched from Tuesday's lineup.
Chipper Jones, 3B, ATL – (Quadriceps) Out of Tuesday's starting lineup.
Jose Bautista, 3B, TOR – Left Tuesday’s game after being hit by a pitch in the head; left field under own power

Players on the DL
Cesar Izturis, SS, BAL – (Elbow) Continuing rehab in Double-A.
Justin Morneau, 1B, MIN – (Neck) Limited recently due to migraines.
Ross Ohlendorf, P, PIT – (Shoulder) Felt good after a 50-pitch bullpen session Tuesday.
Johan Santana, P, NYM – (Shoulder) Will make 45-pitch rehab start for High-A St. Lucie Thursday.
Mitch Stetter, P, MIL – (Hip) Likely facing season-ending surgery.
Cole Kimball, P, WAS – (Shoulder) Hopes to return to action next July.
Joe Blanton, P, PHI – (Elbow) Unlikely to rejoin Phillies rotation this season.
Adam Wainwright, P, STL – (Elbow) Throwing 75 pitches in blocks of 25, three times a week.
Allen Craig, OF, STL – (Knee) Began rehab Monday but looked “rusty.”
Jose Contreras, P, PHI – (Elbow) Scheduled to receive second platelet-rich plasma injection Tuesday.
Roy Oswalt, P, PHI – (Back) Remains to be seen if multiple rehab starts will be necessary.
Placido Polanco, 3B, PHI – (Back) Said two injections have allowed him to resume exercise.

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)
J.D. Drew, OF, BOS
Geoff Blum, 1B, ARI
Ernesto Frieri, RP, SD – paternity leave

Activated from DL
Vladimir Guerrero, DH, BAL
Eric Chavez, 3B, NYY
J.J. Putz, P, ARI

Called Up
Yonder Alonso, 1B, CIN
Pat Neshek, P, SD
Drew Sutton, 3B, BOS
Collin Cowgill, 1B, ARI
Luis Martinez, C, SD
Jay Buente, P, TB

Sent Down
Brandon Laird, 3B, NYY
Adam Russell, P, TB
Wilkin Ramirez, OF, ATL
Kyle Phillips, C, SD
Brandon Inge, 3B, DET
Mark Worrell, RP, BAL
Cesar Ramos, P, TB

Traded
Jonny Gomes, OF – from CIN to WAS

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

Los Angeles (AL) – Jordan Walden blew his seventh save of the season Monday, a game in which Scott Downs recorded his 18th hold and lowered his ERA to 1.31. It's hard to say if Scioscia's patience with Walden is waning, but it's pretty clear that Downs is making a case to get some saves opportunities if Scioscia opts to make a change or simply give Walden a break.

KEY MATCHUPS: HOT
Hot Batter Matchups			At-Bats	AVG	HR	XBH	RBI	BB	K	SLG	OBP	OPS
Nick Swisher - OF	NYY vs SEA 7/27 1:05 PM	Felix Hernandez	8-34	.235	4	5	5	5	7	.618	.333	.951
Mark Teixeira - 1B	NYY vs SEA 7/27 1:05 PM	Felix Hernandez	14-47	.298	3	7	6	3	11	.574	.333	.907
Omar Vizquel - 3B	CWS vs DET 7/27 2:10 PM	Max Scherzer	3-11	.273	1	1	2	2	2	.545	.385	.930
Carlos Guillen - 2B	DET @ CWS 7/27 2:10 PM	John Danks	6-13	.462	0	1	3	2	2	.538	.533	1.071
Victor Martinez - C	DET @ CWS 7/27 2:10 PM	John Danks	6-23	.261	3	3	5	1	2	.652	.292	.944
Magglio Ordonez - OF	DET @ CWS 7/27 2:10 PM	John Danks	15-26	.577	2	6	7	1	2	.962	.593	1.555
Mike Cameron - OF	FLA @ WAS 7/27 7:05 PM	Livan Hernandez	10-43	.233	4	6	7	2	11	.558	.292	.850
Hanley Ramirez - SS	FLA @ WAS 7/27 7:05 PM	Livan Hernandez	11-31	.355	3	5	7	4	3	.710	.429	1.139
Cody Ross - OF	SF @ PHI 7/27 7:05 PM	Cole Hamels	9-30	.300	4	5	6	1	3	.733	.323	1.056
Alex Cora - SS	WAS vs FLA 7/27 7:05 PM	Javier Vazquez	8-16	.500	0	1	1	2	0	.563	.556	1.119
Vladimir Guerrero - DH	BAL @ TOR 7/27 7:07 PM	Ricky Romero	8-13	.615	0	1	0	0	1	.692	.615	1.307
Adam Jones - OF	BAL @ TOR 7/27 7:07 PM	Ricky Romero	8-23	.348	1	2	2	0	5	.522	.348	.870
Nick Markakis - OF	BAL @ TOR 7/27 7:07 PM	Ricky Romero	8-26	.308	1	4	7	1	1	.538	.333	.871
Dave Ross - C	ATL vs PIT 7/27 7:10 PM	Paul Maholm	6-21	.286	2	2	5	4	6	.571	.400	.971
Jason Varitek - C	BOS vs KC 7/27 7:10 PM	Bruce Chen	5-16	.313	2	3	4	2	6	.750	.389	1.139
Brandon Phillips - 2B	CIN vs NYM 7/27 7:10 PM	Mike Pelfrey	6-15	.400	1	2	4	1	0	.667	.438	1.105
Joey Votto - 1B	CIN vs NYM 7/27 7:10 PM	Mike Pelfrey	3-10	.300	2	2	4	1	3	.900	.364	1.264
Carlos Beltran - OF	NYM @ CIN 7/27 7:10 PM	Bronson Arroyo	5-18	.278	1	4	4	2	5	.667	.350	1.017
Ronny Paulino - C	NYM @ CIN 7/27 7:10 PM	Bronson Arroyo	6-14	.429	0	3	3	4	2	.643	.556	1.199
Prince Fielder - 1B	MIL vs CHC 7/27 8:10 PM	Carlos Zambrano	15-43	.349	3	8	7	15	7	.674	.525	1.199
Matt Holliday - OF	STL vs HOU 7/27 8:15 PM	Bud Norris	6-22	.273	2	3	5	0	4	.591	.273	.864
Hideki Matsui - DH	OAK vs TB 7/27 10:05 PM	James Shields	9-22	.409	3	6	7	1	4	.955	.435	1.390
Seth Smith - OF	COL @ LAD 7/27 10:10 PM	Hiroki Kuroda	6-14	.429	0	1	2	2	2	.571	.500	1.071
Ian Stewart - 3B	COL @ LAD 7/27 10:10 PM	Hiroki Kuroda	6-10	.600	0	0	4	2	1	.600	.643	1.243
Andre Ethier - OF	LAD vs COL 7/27 10:10 PM	Aaron Cook	9-21	.429	2	4	8	4	3	.810	.520	1.330
Hot Pitcher Matchups			At-Bats	Opp AVG	HR Allow	XBH Allow	RBI Allow	BB	K	Opp SLG	Opp OBP	Opp OPS
Ervin Santana	LAA @ CLE 7/27 12:05 PM	Indians Batters	15-82	.183	1	7	7	10	22	.303	.288	.591
Max Scherzer	DET @ CWS 7/27 2:10 PM	White Sox Batters	23-109	.211	5	6	11	11	28	.361	.288	.649
Javier Vazquez	FLA @ WAS 7/27 7:05 PM	Nationals Batters	21-99	.212	2	6	7	10	22	.312	.292	.604
Chris Carpenter	STL vs HOU 7/27 8:15 PM	Astros Batters	21-103	.204	3	5	12	7	18	.320	.265	.585

 

KEY MATCHUPS: COLD
Cold Batter Matchups			At-Bats	AVG	HR	XBH	RBI	BB	K	SLG	OBP	OPS
Asdrubal Cabrera - SS	CLE vs LAA 7/27 12:05 PM	Ervin Santana	2-16	.125	0	1	2	2	3	.250	.263	.513
Travis Hafner - DH	CLE vs LAA 7/27 12:05 PM	Ervin Santana	4-23	.174	1	1	3	2	9	.304	.269	.573
Eric Chavez - 3B	NYY vs SEA 7/27 1:05 PM	Felix Hernandez	3-23	.130	0	0	1	1	7	.130	.167	.297
Curtis Granderson - OF	NYY vs SEA 7/27 1:05 PM	Felix Hernandez	11-34	.324	1	3	1	1	13	.471	.343	.814
Carlos Quentin - OF	CWS vs DET 7/27 2:10 PM	Max Scherzer	1-12	.083	0	0	0	1	3	.083	.154	.237
Alexei Ramirez - SS	CWS vs DET 7/27 2:10 PM	Max Scherzer	1-10	.100	0	0	0	2	3	.100	.250	.350
Mark Teahen - 3B	CWS vs DET 7/27 2:10 PM	Max Scherzer	0-11	.000	0	0	0	2	5	.000	.154	.154
Omar Infante - 2B	FLA @ WAS 7/27 7:05 PM	Livan Hernandez	5-25	.200	0	0	0	0	2	.200	.200	.400
Aaron Rowand - OF	SF @ PHI 7/27 7:05 PM	Cole Hamels	3-15	.200	0	1	1	0	5	.333	.200	.533
Matt Stairs - OF	WAS vs FLA 7/27 7:05 PM	Javier Vazquez	2-21	.095	1	1	2	3	6	.238	.208	.446
Jayson Werth - OF	WAS vs FLA 7/27 7:05 PM	Javier Vazquez	2-22	.091	0	0	0	2	8	.091	.200	.291
Matt Wieters - C	BAL @ TOR 7/27 7:07 PM	Ricky Romero	2-13	.154	0	1	1	1	4	.231	.214	.445
Carl Crawford - OF	BOS vs KC 7/27 7:10 PM	Bruce Chen	4-23	.174	2	2	4	4	2	.435	.296	.731
David Ortiz - DH	BOS vs KC 7/27 7:10 PM	Bruce Chen	3-15	.200	0	0	2	4	4	.200	.333	.533
Angel Pagan - OF	NYM @ CIN 7/27 7:10 PM	Bronson Arroyo	3-16	.188	1	1	1	0	2	.375	.188	.563
Marlon Byrd - OF	CHC @ MIL 7/27 8:10 PM	Zack Greinke	2-16	.125	1	1	1	1	6	.313	.176	.489
Carlos Pena - 1B	CHC @ MIL 7/27 8:10 PM	Zack Greinke	3-27	.111	0	1	2	2	14	.148	.172	.320
Rickie Weeks - 2B	MIL vs CHC 7/27 8:10 PM	Carlos Zambrano	9-45	.200	1	3	4	1	19	.311	.265	.576
Clint Barmes - 2B	HOU @ STL 7/27 8:15 PM	Chris Carpenter	2-14	.143	0	1	0	1	0	.214	.200	.414
Carlos Lee - OF	HOU @ STL 7/27 8:15 PM	Chris Carpenter	4-28	.143	1	1	3	2	5	.250	.194	.444
Hunter Pence - OF	HOU @ STL 7/27 8:15 PM	Chris Carpenter	3-18	.167	1	2	5	0	5	.444	.167	.611
Skip Schumaker - 2B	STL vs HOU 7/27 8:15 PM	Bud Norris	3-16	.188	0	0	2	3	3	.188	.316	.504
Coco Crisp - OF	OAK vs TB 7/27 10:05 PM	James Shields	2-14	.143	0	0	0	0	4	.143	.200	.343
David DeJesus - OF	OAK vs TB 7/27 10:05 PM	James Shields	4-22	.182	0	2	0	1	6	.273	.217	.490
Will Venable - OF	SD vs ARI 7/27 10:05 PM	Ian Kennedy	2-10	.200	0	0	0	0	4	.200	.200	.400
Troy Tulowitzki - SS	COL @ LAD 7/27 10:10 PM	Hiroki Kuroda	4-22	.182	1	2	3	2	2	.364	.250	.614
Juan Uribe - 2B	LAD vs COL 7/27 10:10 PM	Aaron Cook	1-13	.077	0	0	2	0	1	.077	.077	.154
Cold Pitcher Matchups			At-Bats	Opp AVG	HR Allow	XBH Allow	RBI Allow	BB	K	Opp SLG	Opp OBP	Opp OPS
John Danks	CWS vs Det 7/27 2:10 PM	Tigers Batters	56-177	.316	7	19	26	19	30	.491	.386	.877
Cole Hamels	PHI vs SF 7/27 7:05 PM	Giants Batters	25-85	.294	6	11	16	6	16	.591	.341	.932
Livan Hernandez	WAS vs Fla 7/27 7:05 PM	Marlins Batters	48-167	.288	9	19	28	16	24	.530	.359	.890

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

Recommended Pickup

Javy Guerra, RP, LAD - Guerra picked up his eighth save of the season Monday thanks to a meltdown by the rest of the Dodgers bullpen. He recorded the vaunted one-out save after a four-run rally closed the gap to three runs with one out to go. Guerra gives up a few too many flyballs (only 36% grounders), but as long as he has Don Mattingly's confidence and a 1.93 ERA – likely related – Guerra could be a source of cheap saves.

Other recent recommendations: Pedro Alvarez, Josh Reddick, Desmond Jennings, Edward Mujica, Cameron Maybin

Draft Street Competition

If you missed out on our recent free roll with DraftStreet, don't worry - we have another chance for you to take home some serious cash.

Register for a free account at DraftStreet.com today and start practicing. Remember to use bonus code Rotowire on your first deposit to get some extra cash released into your account as you play.

As a reminder, the competition will be an MLB Salary Cap league where values for each player are set based on projected fantasy value each day and your mission is to find the bargains and make the best 14 player team possible within the $100,000 budget.

Be sure to come back to RotoWire's Daily Lineup Card every day for all the analysis you need to dominate the competition and take home cash on DraftStreet.

Draft Street Lineup

C - Mike Napoli, TEX ($8,236)
1B - Paul Konerko, CWS ($7,065)
2B - Rickie Weeks, MIL ($7,024)
3B - Ryan Zimmerman, WAS ($5,820)
SS - Alexei Ramirez, CWS ($5,774)
OF - Jay Bruce, CIN ($5,823)
OF - Andre Ethier, LAD ($6,041)
OF - Desmond Jennings, TB ($5,995)
UTIL - Adrian Gonzalez, BOS ($7,688)
UTIL - Nelson Cruz, TEX ($7,375)
SP - Ervin Santana, LAA ($10,938)
SP - Hiroki Kuroda, LAD ($10,293)
RP - Jose Valverde, DET ($2,512)
P - Cory Luebke, SD ($9,355)

Total: $99,939

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