Ryan Freel
Good news on Ryan Freel lately, as the post-concussion systems continue to subside. Freel is currently on a Triple-A rehab assignment, and if things continue to go as planned, he should be able to be activated sometime next week. For awhile there, it wasn't looking good for Freel returning at all this year, but if he's cleared medically, Freel could return to the Reds as early as Monday. Freel was hitting just .251/.313/.363 before the injury, but his stolen base potential makes him one of those guys with more fantasy value than "real-life"value. With Edwin Encarnacion playing fairly well and the outfield a bit crowded as usual, Freel will probably take on a utility role upon his return, at least until the Reds trade either Ken Griffey Jr. or Adam Dunn. The Reds would probably be better off moving Dunn to 1B, Freel to LF, and benching Scott Hatteberg, but Hatteberg has been one of the team's better hitters with an .848 OPS, so that's unlikely.
Randy Johnson
Not only is Johnson pitching with a herniated disc in his back, but after his last awful start against the Dodgers, Johnson admitted that he now has a calf problem, saying "it wasn't the back that was the problem. "It was my leg," he said. "It's all part of it, the nerve in my calf. It's my landing leg. But I'm looking forward to my next start." If you watched the game, Johnson came off the mound after three innings walking like a 63 year-old man, rather than 43. You certainly can't drop him in fantasy leagues, but don't be surprised if another DL stint is just around the corner. As his 72:13 K:BB in 56 2/3 innings (1.3 K/I) attests to, Johnson can still be effective when he's out there, but he'll probably be limited to six innings per start going forward (he's actually averaging less than six in his 10 starts). The D-backs are locked in a tight race with the Dodgers and Padres so they need Johnson out there and he's a competitor, but at some point, it would seem likely that the team will give him another DL stint in an effort to have him healthy in September and hopefully for Arizona, October as well.
Sean Marshall
Guys like Marshall, not blessed with mid 90s heat, are going to have their occasional struggles, and Marshall's came on Saturday. He allowed seven runs (six earned) on seven hits in just two innings to the Brewers, causing his ERA to jump from 2.84 to 3.50. Marshall had allowed more than two runs in just one of his previous seven starts, so we'll allow him a mulligan on this one. For the year, Marshall has a 36:13 K:BB in 46 1/3 innings, and considering he had a minor league K/I of right at 1.0 (279 K in 274 IP), Marshall could be a guy good for 160 K's over a full season. Last year in 24 starts for the Cubs, Marshall had a 5.59 ERA and mediocre 77:59 K:BB, so the significant progress he's shown in his command needs to be maintained if Marshall is going to keep his ERA in his current range.
Ben Sheets
Sheets has quietly managed to stay healthy, always the key to his success. Sheets ran his record to 10-3 on Saturday after allowing four runs on six hits over eight innings to beat the Cubs. He walked one and struck out 11, by far besting his prior season-best of eight. Sheets has always had a solid K:BB, and this year is no expectation - 80:24 in 110 innings. The 0.74 K/I is down from his pre-2007 career mark of 0.86, but he's improving there lately with a 0.96 mark in June. You do have to wonder about his workload though, as Sheets has thrown at least 112 pitches in each of his last four starts, including 124 on Saturday, but so far at least, it appears he's getting better as the weather heats up.
Ryan Braun
Talk about a nice slot in a batting order for a rookie, Braun is hitting third between J.J. Hardy and Prince Fielder, two guys likely headed to the All-Star game. Saturday was yet another great game for Braun, as the red-hot rookie went 4-for-5 with two doubles and his seventh home run in 32 games. He's also hitting .349/.392/.643 and while those numbers will come down, he could wind up with around 22-25 homers and 80 RBI, not bad considering he wasn't called up until May 25. Braun now has four multi-hit games in the last five days and he's even chipped in six steals for fantasy owners, and he has yet to be caught. Also impressive is that Braun started off with a 17:3 K:BB, but since then, due in part to hitting ahead of Fielder most likely, he's at 13:7. Braun is going to have a great career and we just have to hope that the Brewers are able to keep the best home-grown infield since Garvey/Lopes/Russell/Cey together once they start getting expensive.
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