Chris Volstad- FLA- Cold- Volstad lost his 6th consecutive decision, getting battered by the Phillies. He allowed 8 runs on 10 hits and 2 walks while only striking out 2. Volstad has had problems keeping the ball in the park this year, as he did in 2009, and his 4 homers allowed yesterday illustrated that. His HR/FB% now stands at 18.2%. There are some hopeful signs. Volstad's K/9 and BB/9 would be career bests if he finishes with the 6.44 and 2.85 (respectively) he has now. His xFIP of 3.68 reflects what he could do if he was stingier on the long ball front. Volstad has a high risk but could be a sleeper if he figures out what he did last year to lower his homers.
Shane Victorino- PHI- Hot- For the 3rd time in his last 4 games Victorino got multiple hits. He is now hitting .302 since returning from the DL. Victorino hasn't hit a homer yet since coming back and his hamstring injury may still be affecting his speed, as he has only 1 steal in 11 games. He is contributing in that average column, though.
Francisco Rodriguez- NYM- Hot- After picking up only 1 save in the previous 17 days, KRod has earned 3 saves over his last 8 days, making 19 total for the season. His value the rest of the way is going to depend in large part on factors outside his control, which will be where he pitchers and in what role. On ability alone he would be a premier closer. With the uncertainty he drops down a notch in desirability.
Dan Uggla- ATL- Idea- The long awaited regression to the mean might have started. Uggla hit his second homer in 3 games. He is 5-for-14 in his last 4 games and has walked 4 times while striking out only 3. His BABIP of .195 has been an intense drag on his average and if his luck is evening out a significant rise could be seen.
Joel Hanrahan- PIT- Hot- Hanrahan notched his 18th save yesterday. Combined with his ERA of 1.42 and WHIP of 1.01 makes him one of the top producing closers of 2011. Will he stay there? There are some areas that would indicate Hanrahan can't sustain this level. First, his K/9 has dropped from 12.92 last year to 7.96 this year. Second, his HR/9 is at .28, far below his career average of .84. Part of that is from a (literally) incredible FB% of 24.4%. It is highly unlikely that Hanrahan will keep his current GB/FB ratio of 2.25. Add it all up and Hanrahan is a "sell high" candidate.
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