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Odrisamer Despaigne (SP-SD) - Given the environment, it's worth paying attention to any Padres pitcher these days, and this Cuban import may be another success story. The organization is still building up his pitch count, as he's tossed just 7.2 innings in two starts at Double-A, but the results are impressive: 1 run, 4 hits, 12:5 K:BB. The walks are a bit much, but Despaigne is missing bats and could have some success in Petco Park. His Cuban League starts are relatively unimpressive with a 6.4 K/9 and 3.7 BB/9, but the 27 year-old did receive a $1 million bonus and with relatively little being known about him, perhaps some early success could help owners in deeper fantasy leagues. ... Justin Turner homered on Thursday, but still has just a .594 OPS. He may be worth a buck in deep NL-only leagues, but that's about it. ... The Mets' Eric Campbell is 7-for-19 and could be in line for regular playing time. He's worth a look in deeper leagues. ...
Marcell Ozuna (OF-MIA) - Ozuna has been up and down this year, which is not surprising for a 23 year-old who never played at the AAA level. Ozuna was 2-for-4 with his eighth home run of the season Thursday, leaving him batting .261/.306/.436. With those HR's and the .175 ISO, Ozuna's power has developed a bit quicker than I expected, but given that he failed to show much plate discipline in the minors, Ozuna's 0.28 EYE isn't a huge surprise, nor is his 24+% K%. Ozuna had just 3 HR in 275 AB last year, so he's well on his way to showing the 25 homer power predicted for him. I'm just not sure the contact ability will develop enough for him to become a star.
Eric Campbell (OF/1B - NYM) - When I see "E. Campbell" in a box score, I immediately think of the former great NFL running back Earl Campbell, but this is Eric. The 27 year-old journeyman is making the most of his first taste of big league action. He was just 0-for-3 with an RBI Thursday against the Dodgers, but Campbell is still 7-for-19 with a home run and a 3:1 K:BB. He hasn't displayed much power in his minor league career, but his .355/.442/.525 slash line in the minors this year is even more impressive than last year's .314/.435/.475. His EYE ratios were 1.0 and 1.1 those years as well, and though he doesn't have a ton of speed, he'll swipe a few bags. Give him a look in NL-only leagues, as the Mets seem to be giving him a real shot.
Justin Turner (3B-LAD) - Turner appears to be the primary third baseman with Juan Uribe nursing a hamstring injury and Alex Guerrero missing part of his ear. Thursday, Turner was 1-for-2 with a walk and two-run homer against the Mets' Jon Niese to raise his slash line to a paltry .225/.281/.313. Chone Figgins also played in the game as a replacement for a slumping Dee Gordon, and with Figgins sporting a surprising .452 OBP, Turner might not be getting all the 3B at-bats. Still, as a temporary NL-only fill-in, I suppose you could do worse.
Rex Brothers (RP-COL) - If you want to stash a setup man in the hopes he'll turn into a closer, Brothers is your guy. It's not exactly a huge surprise that Hawkins' job appears to be in jeopardy, and with manager Walt Weiss giving him the dreaded vote of confidence Wednesday, Hawkins' leash is likely short. He has a 4.41 ERA and 1.53 WHIP. In his last three appearances, Hawkins has allowed four runs on seven hits over three innings with just one strikeout. Hawkins is coming off a solid 2013 (2.93 ERA, 7.0 K/9. 1.3 BB/9), but he's also 41 now and his K/9 has plummeted to 3.3. Brothers meanwhile has a 2.70 ERA, but he has also fallen off from 2013, posting a 7.7 K/9 (10.2 a year ago) and his BB/9 has risen from 4.8 to 5.9. Still, Brothers is probably the future at the position and the future could be coming shortly.
