The Lineup Card: The Midnight Ride of Ben Revere

Ben Revere has taken advantage of his playing time opportunity to be a solid option at the top of the Twins' batting order.

Updated on June 30, 2011 1:48AM EST

The Lineup Card: The Midnight Ride of Ben Revere

By:

Paul Bruno

Updated on June 30, 2011 1:48AM EST

The Lineup Card

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

Red Sox (Jon Lester - L) v. Phillies (Cole Hamels - L) 1:05
Brewers (Randy Wolf - L) v. Yankees (CC Sabathia - L) 1:05
Mets (Mike Pelfrey - R) v. Tigers (Justin Verlander - R) 1:05
Giants (Matt Cain - R) v. Cubs (Carlos Zambrano - R) 2:20
White Sox (Jake Peavy - R) v. Rockies (Aaron Cook - R) 3:10
Marlins (Chris Volstad - R) v. A's (Trevor Cahill - R) 3:35
Cardinals (Jake Westbrook - R) v. Orioles (Brian Matusz - L) 7:05
Pirates (Jeff Karstens - R) v. Blue Jays (Brett Cecil - L) 7:07
Rangers (Matt Harrison - L) v. Astros (Wandy Rodriguez) 8:05

Day game after a night game: Bos/Phi, Mil/NYY, NYM/Det, SF/CHC, CHW/Col, Fla/Oak

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)

Luke Scott, DH, BAL (knee) - bruised right knee in Tuesday's game; may miss a day or twoJ.D. Drew, OF, BOS (eye) - day to day with a black eyeAlexi Casilla, SS, MIN (back) - sore thumb and stiff back will need a couple of days to healMiguel Olivo, C, SEA (soreness) - left Tuesday's game because of crampsElvis Andrus, SS, TEX (wrist) - likely return to starting lineup on Thursday J.R. Towles, C, HOU (face) - may sit and recover for a day or two Marco Estrada, P, MIL (foot) - left Tuesday's game after taking grounder off his foot Jonathon Niese, P, NY-A (chest) - should be medically cleared to play on FridaySergio Romo, P, SF (knee) - has not pitched since June 24 Laynce Nix, OF, WAS (Achilles) - felt tightness after Tuesday's game

Players on the DL

Fernando Rodney, RP, ANA (back) - threw a bullpen session Tuesday; soon headed for rehab stintAlfredo Simon, RP, BAL (hamstring) - may be activated in next day or two Clay Buchholz, SP, BOS (back) - he may be pushed back from his scheduled start to after break Carl Crawford, OF, BOS (hamstring) - jogging at half speed; may be held out until July 4John Danks, SP, CHI-A (oblique) - MRI revealed only a minor strain; return after All-Star breakAlex White, P, CLE (finger) - hopes to throw off a mound in three to four weeksShin-Soo Choo, OF, CLE (thumb) - had thumb surgery on Tuesday; recovery estimated at 8-10 weeksCarlos Guillen, 2B, DET (knee) - at High-A Lakeland; rehab will continue to All-Star breakKevin Slowey, SP, MIN (abdomen) - may remain on minor league rehab until All-Star breakDelmon Young, OF, MIN (ankle) - MRI showed no ligament damage; will be out until after All-Star breakJason Kubel, OF, MIN (foot) - likely to spend another week in minor league rehab stintDerek Jeter, SS, NYY (calf) - ran bases and fielded grounders on Tuesday; no timetable for return yetBartolo Colon, SP, NYY (hamstring) - may be back in rotation as early as SaturdayGrant Balfour, RP, OAK (oblique) - MRI revealed inflammation; return delayed until after All-Star break Brandon McCarthy, SP, OAK (shoulder) - may rejoin A's this weekend if all goes well in final rehab start Rich Harden, SP, OAK (shoulder) - will start Friday against the DiamondbacksTommy Hunter, SP, TEX (groin) - switching to reliever role during minor league rehabDarren O'Day, RP, TEX (hip) - accelerated the planned return due to struggles in Rangers' bullpenScott Feldman, SP, TEX (knee) - one more minor league start before possible promotion before All-Star breakMike Napoli, C, TEX (oblique) - minor league rehab this week; may rejoin Rangers on MondayMarlon Byrd, OF, CHI-C (face) - continuing minor league rehab this week Josh Johnson, SP, FLA (shoulder) - trip to Dr. Andrews this week may lead to shut down for the rest of the year Humberto Quintero, C, HOU (ankle) - will begin rehab at Triple-A Oklahoma City on July 1Rod Barajas, C, LAD (ankle) - may begin minor league rehab over the weekendJonathan Broxton, P, LAD (elbow) - will be shut down for three weeks Takahashi Saito, P, MIL (oblique) - may be back with the Brewers by the weekend after recent rehab successDavid Wright, 3B, NY-N (back) - may begin hitting from tee this week; may be active after All-Star break Johan Santana, P, NY-N (shoulder) - throwing mound sessions this week; then will head to minor league rehabRoy Oswalt, SP, PHI (back) - will visit spinal surgeon for second opinion on FridayJose Contreras, P, PHI (elbow) - no timetable to begin rehab; sidelined until at least late JulyPedro Alvarez, P, PIT (quadriceps) - continuing rehab this weekLuke Gregerson, P, SD (oblique) - making rehab appearance with Triple-A Tucson on FridayRick Ankiel, OF, WAS (ribs) - played five innings in Tuesday rehab; may return in first week of July

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)

Jason Bourgeois, OF, HOU (quadriceps)Jose Tabata, OF, PIT (quadriceps - retroactive to June 27) Ryan Madson, RP, PHI (hand - retroactive to June 19) Grant Balfour, RP, OAK (strained right oblique - retroactive to June 22) Chris Gimenez, C, SEA (strained left oblique)Erik Bedard, SP, SEA (sprained left knee - retroactive to June 28)Alberto Arias, P, HOU (shoulder - moved to 60 day DL)

Activated from the DL

Tommy Hanson, P, ATL Franklin Morales, RP, BOSBobby Jenks, RP, BOSAlfredo Simon, RP, BAL

Called Up

Brian Bogusevic, LF, HOUJose Yepez, C, SEAJosh Bard, C, SEA

Sent Down

Gregory Holt, P, WAS
J.C. Romero, P, WAS
Edward Paredes, P, SEA (DFA)
Clay Rapada, P, BAL (DFA)
Chaz Roe, P, SEA (DFA)

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

Pittsburgh - Joel Hanrahan recorded his 23rd save (one shy of the major league lead) on Tuesday. His 1.21 ERA is far and away the best mark among the top relievers in the game and he is a large reason why the Pirates have a winning record as we approach the midway mark of the season. Colorado - Huston Street has returned to workhorse mode after an injury-plagued 2010 season. He already topped last year's personal marks in saves, with 23, and has appeared in 38 games, as opposed to only 44 in all of last season.Toronto - Frank Francisco has recorded a season-high of six straight scoreless outings, recording three saves and striking out nine batters in only 5.2 innings of work. Slowly but surely he is turning back into that "blow-away" reliever that he was expected to be when they signed him in the offseasonSan Francisco - Brian Wilson leads the majors with 24 saves and has chopped his ERA down to a very impressive 2.43 for the season. After a disastrous April, where his ERA ballooned to 6.97, he has allowed only two earned runs in his last 26 appearances, covering 26.2 innings pitched, to rank as the stingiest closer in the majors. Yes sir, the Beard must be feared.

Hot Batter Matchups			At-Bats	AVG	HR	XBH	RBI	BB	K	SLG	OBP	OPS
KEY MATCHUPS: HOT
Adrian Gonzalez - 1B	BOS @ PHI 6/30 1:05 PM	Cole Hamels	8-22	.364	2	2	2	3	7	.636	.462	1.098
Dustin Pedroia - 2B	BOS @ PHI 6/30 1:05 PM	Cole Hamels	5-10	.500	1	3	1	0	2	1.000	.500	1.500
Blake DeWitt - 2B	CHC vs SF 6/30 2:20 PM	Matt Cain	6-18	.333	1	1	2	3	2	.500	.429	.929
Pat Burrell - OF	SF @ CHC 6/30 2:20 PM	Carlos Zambrano	4-16	.250	1	3	3	2	6	.563	.333	.896
Todd Helton - 1B	COL vs CWS 6/30 3:10 PM	Jake Peavy	14-43	.326	3	9	4	4	4	.674	.375	1.049
Troy Tulowitzki - SS	COL vs CWS 6/30 3:10 PM	Jake Peavy	6-18	.333	0	2	0	2	4	.500	.400	.900
Adam Dunn - 1B	CWS @ COL 6/30 3:10 PM	Aaron Cook	4-15	.267	1	2	3	3	2	.533	.389	.922
Juan Pierre - OF	CWS @ COL 6/30 3:10 PM	Aaron Cook	10-26	.385	0	2	1	1	1	.500	.407	.907
Omar Vizquel - 3B	CWS @ COL 6/30 3:10 PM	Aaron Cook	8-23	.348	1	2	3	3	0	.565	.423	.988
Vladimir Guerrero - DH	BAL vs STL 6/30 7:05 PM	Jake Westbrook	9-25	.360	1	1	3	1	2	.480	.385	.865
Ian Kinsler - 2B	TEX @ HOU 6/30 8:05 PM	Wandy Rodriguez	9-13	.692	2	5	4	2	0	1.385	.733	2.118

Hot Pitcher Matchups			At-Bats	Opp AVG	HR Allow	XBH Allow	RBI Allow	BB	K	Opp SLG	Opp OBP	Opp OPS
CC Sabathia	NYY vs MIL 6/30 1:05 PM	Brewers Batters	11-65	.169	1	3	2	5	11	.305	.229	.534
Matt Cain	SF @ CHC 6/30 2:20 PM	Cubs Batters	20-90	.222	2	5	7	9	24	.336	.300	.636
Carlos Zambrano	CHC vs SF 6/30 2:20 PM	Giants Batters	26-126	.206	2	10	13	17	36	.326	.310	.636

Cold Batter Matchups			At-Bats	AVG	HR	XBH	RBI	BB	K	SLG	OBP	OPS
KEY MATCHUPS: COLD
Marco Scutaro - SS	BOS @ PHI 6/30 1:05 PM	Cole Hamels	2-13	.154	0	2	0	0	2	.308	.154	.462
Yuniesky Betancourt - SS	MIL @ NYY 6/30 1:05 PM	CC Sabathia	0-15	.000	0	0	0	0	1	.000	.000	.000
Josh Wilson - SS	MIL @ NYY 6/30 1:05 PM	CC Sabathia	2-17	.118	1	1	1	0	3	.294	.118	.412
Andruw Jones - OF	NYY vs MIL 6/30 1:05 PM	Randy Wolf	5-33	.152	2	4	5	3	7	.394	.222	.616
Jeff Baker - 2B	CHC vs SF 6/30 2:20 PM	Matt Cain	2-11	.182	0	0	0	0	4	.182	.182	.364
Kosuke Fukudome - OF	CHC vs SF 6/30 2:20 PM	Matt Cain	3-14	.214	0	1	0	0	8	.286	.214	.500
Aramis Ramirez - 3B	CHC vs SF 6/30 2:20 PM	Matt Cain	3-15	.200	0	1	1	1	1	.267	.294	.561
Cody Ross - OF	SF @ CHC 6/30 2:20 PM	Carlos Zambrano	2-12	.167	0	1	1	1	5	.250	.231	.481
Aaron Rowand - OF	SF @ CHC 6/30 2:20 PM	Carlos Zambrano	0-10	.000	0	0	0	0	4	.000	.091	.091
Ty Wigginton - 3B	COL vs CWS 6/30 3:10 PM	Jake Peavy	4-20	.200	0	0	1	1	6	.200	.238	.438
A.J. Pierzynski - C	CWS @ COL 6/30 3:10 PM	Aaron Cook	1-12	.083	0	0	1	1	3	.083	.214	.297

Cold Pitcher Matchups			At-Bats	Opp AVG	HR Allow	XBH Allow	RBI Allow	BB	K	Opp SLG	Opp OBP	Opp OPS
Aaron Cook	COL vs CWS 6/30 3:10 PM	White Sox Batters	32-97	.330	4	10	14	8	7	.532	.388	.920

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

Recommended Pickup

Ben Revere, OF, MIN - Those fantasy pool owners who looked away from the Twins' roster after the club's dreadful start need to circle back and take another look at the fleeted-footed Revere, whose performance has mirrored the turnaround of the whole team. With his recent string of regular at bats, he has caught fire. In his last six games, he has eight hits in 24 at bats, highlighted by a pair of RBI and stolen bases. He has become a fixture in the leadoff spot of the Twins' batting order. It seems like a great opportunity to plug a steady performer who has a significant upside into your fantasy roster, with a player who is currently owned in only 13% of all fantasy leagues.

Other recent recommendations: Chris Heisey, OF, CIN, Cameron Maybin, OF, SD, Lucas Duda, OF, NY-N, R A Dickey, SP, NY-N

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