Wilson Ramos (C-WAS): Wilson Ramos (hamstring), playing in his first game since May 15th, hit a crucial 3-run homer to help lead the Nationals to victory over the Brewers. He totaled 3 hits and 5 RBI in the contest and looks to be moving forward from the hamstring injury. With a career .49 EYE and .765 OPS in 175 career games, Ramos offers solid upside at the catcher position and could easily hit 20 homers in a full season. However, he has had a difficult time staying on the field, and even when he does, Davey Johnson hasn't shown a willingness to give him consistent ABs. Unless you see a philosophical change from Johnson, Ramos looks only to be a solid pick-up in NL-only and deeper 2 catcher leagues. Those in need of power could understandably throw a few extra dollars at him.
Carlos Gomez (OF-MIL): Carlos Gomez filled up the stat sheet, going 2 for 2 with 2 RBI, 2 runs, a homer, and a stolen base but was pulled from the game in the 7th inning after crashing into the wall while tracking a flyball. This looks to be precautionary, as he was visibly upset about being pulled, so look for him to be back out there on Friday. Gomez has posted a career year so far to the tune of a .311/.350/.562 triple slash line with 13 homers, 17 steals, 39 RBI and 48 runs through 79 games despite a declining EYE (.20 to .17). His .369 BABIP is well above career norms, but I don't see a precipitous drop in AVG thanks to a spike in his linedrive rate. What I am concerned about is his ability to stay on the field, as he has played in more than 137 games only once in his career (2008). I wouldn't be looking to actively sell, but if somebody offered me 90-95 cents on the dollar, I'd consider it.
Ben Revere (OF-PHI): Ben Revere went 3 for 5 with 2 RBI to help lead the Phillies to a series victory over the Pirates. After a very quiet April, Revere has quietly performed solidly for fantasy owners, pushing his line to .290/.329/.330 with 20 steals, steadily decreasing his K-rate each month. Something to watch, especially in leagues with daily transactions, is the reverse split he continues to exhibit, as the speedster has posted an OPS 200 points higher against lefties than righties. Regardless, he is becoming the steady force that the Phillies wanted when they acquired him in the offseason and I see a great buy-low candidate if you have the need for speed.
Chase Headley (3B-SD): Chase Headley continued his struggles at the plate, going 0 for 2 with a BB, and is now homerless since June 11. Headley only has 6 homers through his first 71 games with an ISO of .119, nearly 100 points lower than last season's mark. The hope for fantasy owners is that he's sorely missing the presence of Jedd Gyorko and Yonder Alonso. However, I'm concerned on two fronts. For one, wrist injuries can be tricky, especially concerning their effects on power. And for another, even if the wrist is not the issue, Headley's 21.4% HR/FB rate in 2012 was 10.7% higher than any mark he had previously posted in his entire career, so this year's 9.1% could tell the real story. While I wouldn't sell, since he isn't likely to bring back a fair return, I also wouldn't buy unless you find an owner willing to sell at a significant discount.
Gerrit Cole (SP-PIT): Gerrit Cole was tagged with his first Big League loss, as the rookie allowed 3 earned runs on 8 hits and 1 walk in 5 and 1/3 innings. While he did add 5 K's, the rookie only has 16 in his first 29 and 2/3 innings and is also giving up a fair amount of line drives. While I see Cole as a must own in keeper leagues and think he could be a #2/borderline #1 fantasy starter down the line, there is going to be growing pains. While he averages 96 MPH on his fastball, it has a tendency to be flat and enter the zone on a rather straight plain. Also, his breaking stuff is a bit inconsistent, and isn't quite at the put-away level just yet. However, he has demonstrated veteran-like composure and a strong groundball-rate, so he could find a way to be a serviceable back-end starter in deeper mixed leagues for the remainder of the season.
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