Struggles continue for Carlos Zambrano. In his game against Atlanta last night, Big Z threw 5.1 IP and gave up 5 ER, 5 BB, 8 hits, and 2 HR. Four of those runs came in the first inning and then he was able to settle down a bit, but we expect more of the Cub ace. He only has one quality start in four outings this season and has a 7.77 ERA, 1.86 WHIP, HR/9 of 2.45, and BB/9 of 6.6. I would've never guessed Zambrano to put up these numbers in four starts this season (who would?), but the next few starts will be very telling. You can always chalk up the first month to early-season cob-webs, bad weather, etc. But if he doesn't start turning this around soon, I'll begin to question whether the 860 innings pitched over the last four is affecting the 25-year-old power pitcher.
Aaron Harang posted his 2nd start on Wednesday, striking out 8 Astros while giving up only 1 ER in 6.0 IP. He entered yesterday's game with an inflated ERA and WHIP, but those should start creeping down soon. The good news is that Harang's K-totals are in-line with expectations. He has 22 K's in 22.2 IP for a K/9 of 8.7. Our preseason forecast was 198 total K's at a rate of 8.0 K/9.
Who knew that Jose Valverde (the same Jose Valverde who was replaced by Jorge Julio last season as the closer) is now leading the National League in saves. With another successful inning last night in extra-innings for the D-Backs, Valverde has 7 saves in 7.2 IP. If you ever watch the final inning with Valverde, its an adventure. He usually puts himself into a dangerous situation. A quick look at his 1.57 WHIP and .267 BAA tells the story. He'll keep getting you the saves, but it could get ugly at times from an ERA and WHIP perspective.
Jon Lieber moves back to the rotation and takes over for Brett Myers (who was moved to the bullpen). Lieber's value gets a big "up-arrow"and is set to get the start on Friday against the Cincinnati Reds. He'll be a cheap source of wins (when the Phillies actually start winning) and should be able to post decent WHIP and ERA numbers in the 1.25 and 4.50 range, respectively. He's especially valuable in NL-only leagues, but has decent mixed league value as well. I'd take a chance in the short-term, but don't be surprised to see him head back to the bullpen at some point as the Phillies figure out this mess.
Josh Hamilton is a decent flyer in some leagues, especially during this hot-streak. He made another start in CF last night against the Astros and hit his 4th HR of the season. Four HR for the comeback kid is impressive, but its even more eye-opening when all of them have come in the last seven games. Combine that with a .308 average and 8 RBI and manager Jerry Narron will have trouble keeping Hamilton out of the lineup. His playing time is inconsistent from a fantasy perspective to slot him into your lineups, but if your league has plenty of bench spots or you're an NL-only guy, its looking like Hamilton could pay some dividends this season.
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