Picking Up and Dropping Off
Picking Up:
1. Scott Baker, SP MIN: With Brad Radke's health and return for this season in question, Baker gets the spot in the rotation for September. He looked good against the Yankees in his return and there is great strikeout potential. He won't be a lights out kind of guy, but he should turn in a few quality outings before season's end. I'm still calling him my September Sleeper.
2. Troy Tulowitzki, SS COL: Nerves had him start off a little slow and sloppy at the plate, but the team is still high on him and Clint Hurdle is sending him out every day. He's responded as of late by going 6 for 8 in his last 2 games and hit his first big league homer the other day.
3. Endy Chavez, OF NYM: Talk about nine lives...every time you think he's headed back to the bench, he ends up being needed most. After filling in for the injured Cliff Floyd he will move over to center for a few games to replace the recently injured Carlos Beltran. He's been a great bench player all year, and should still see some decent at bats.
4. Mike Stanton, RP SF: It's all about career ressurrection here in the Bay Area. With the inconsistencies and injuries of Armando Benitez, Stanton has turned into quite the bullpen asset. He's grabbing saves lately and even when Benitez comes back...again...manager Felipe Alou will probably still keep Stanton in the mix to close games.
5. Barry Bonds, OF SF: Like I said, career ressurrection. After turning in an incredibly underwhelming year, everyone's favorite steroid target is hitting .471 with 5 dingers in the past week. He should finish the year with a bang as the Giants make a run for the playoffs. You might as well take advantage of it while you can.
Dropping Off:
1. Carlos Zambrano, SP CHC: Still no word on this morning's MRI, but apparently the back pain could be finishing his season early. Once the results are in, the team will make a decision; but don't be surprised if they put him on the shelf as their playoff hopes diminish further and further. Too much work in the WBC and perpetual mismanagement by Dusty Baker makes for a troublesome September.
2. Curt Schilling, SP BOS: With the Red Sox season spiraling out of control, the team will not push their ace for a return before he is ready. He's already missed one start with a strained lat muscle and will probably miss atleast one more. He belongs on your bench for now.
3. Ken Griffey, Jr., OF CIN: If it's not a hammy, it's a knee. If it's not a knee, it's a hip. If it's not a hip it's a foot. And it's still a foot...sort of. A disloacted toe puts the slugger on the shelf again. The team is saying that he could return either this coming weekend or the beginning of next week. Either way, this is Griffey we're talking about so injurues are nothing to take lightly.
4. Chad Billingsley, SP LAD: The youngster was putting together a nice debut season (well, half a season) until this strained oblique he's battling. It'll cost him his lone start this week and depending on his recovery -- we've all seen the oblique injury before -- it could affect the rest of his season.
5. Adrian Beltre, 3B SEA: Sorry, guy...this was just too difficult to pass up. After a stellar August, the one time great third baseman has turned in a 2 for 23 performance in his last 5 games. Both of those hits were meaningless singles. His last game featured an 0 for 5 performance with 4 K's. Check the past two years...for Beltre, September is the cruelest month.
1. Scott Baker, SP MIN: With Brad Radke's health and return for this season in question, Baker gets the spot in the rotation for September. He looked good against the Yankees in his return and there is great strikeout potential. He won't be a lights out kind of guy, but he should turn in a few quality outings before season's end. I'm still calling him my September Sleeper.
2. Troy Tulowitzki, SS COL: Nerves had him start off a little slow and sloppy at the plate, but the team is still high on him and Clint Hurdle is sending him out every day. He's responded as of late by going 6 for 8 in his last 2 games and hit his first big league homer the other day.
3. Endy Chavez, OF NYM: Talk about nine lives...every time you think he's headed back to the bench, he ends up being needed most. After filling in for the injured Cliff Floyd he will move over to center for a few games to replace the recently injured Carlos Beltran. He's been a great bench player all year, and should still see some decent at bats.
4. Mike Stanton, RP SF: It's all about career ressurrection here in the Bay Area. With the inconsistencies and injuries of Armando Benitez, Stanton has turned into quite the bullpen asset. He's grabbing saves lately and even when Benitez comes back...again...manager Felipe Alou will probably still keep Stanton in the mix to close games.
5. Barry Bonds, OF SF: Like I said, career ressurrection. After turning in an incredibly underwhelming year, everyone's favorite steroid target is hitting .471 with 5 dingers in the past week. He should finish the year with a bang as the Giants make a run for the playoffs. You might as well take advantage of it while you can.
Dropping Off:
1. Carlos Zambrano, SP CHC: Still no word on this morning's MRI, but apparently the back pain could be finishing his season early. Once the results are in, the team will make a decision; but don't be surprised if they put him on the shelf as their playoff hopes diminish further and further. Too much work in the WBC and perpetual mismanagement by Dusty Baker makes for a troublesome September.
2. Curt Schilling, SP BOS: With the Red Sox season spiraling out of control, the team will not push their ace for a return before he is ready. He's already missed one start with a strained lat muscle and will probably miss atleast one more. He belongs on your bench for now.
3. Ken Griffey, Jr., OF CIN: If it's not a hammy, it's a knee. If it's not a knee, it's a hip. If it's not a hip it's a foot. And it's still a foot...sort of. A disloacted toe puts the slugger on the shelf again. The team is saying that he could return either this coming weekend or the beginning of next week. Either way, this is Griffey we're talking about so injurues are nothing to take lightly.
4. Chad Billingsley, SP LAD: The youngster was putting together a nice debut season (well, half a season) until this strained oblique he's battling. It'll cost him his lone start this week and depending on his recovery -- we've all seen the oblique injury before -- it could affect the rest of his season.
5. Adrian Beltre, 3B SEA: Sorry, guy...this was just too difficult to pass up. After a stellar August, the one time great third baseman has turned in a 2 for 23 performance in his last 5 games. Both of those hits were meaningless singles. His last game featured an 0 for 5 performance with 4 K's. Check the past two years...for Beltre, September is the cruelest month.
posted by Howard Bender at
12:36 PM
