Matt Kemp 2/4 2B RBI 2SB Guess who (might) be back!! Kemp looked good in the outfield his first day back, and after a breather he stole two bases last night, indicating that his hamstring issues are likely behind him. Kemp hasn’t played like the breakout star we saw in 2011 for a long time now, and even though this is a small sample, the idea that he may finally be over his injuries is enough to get any owner excited. Here’s what else I saw in Fantasy Baseball yesterday…
Matt Garza 7IP 8H ER BB 10K Garza kept the Brew Crew swinging all day in this one, which worked out great since he was being scouted by potential suitors from the dodgers and Rangers among others. He’s had two fantastic outings in a row now, even if it was against the Astros and the Brewers’ AAAA team, but he seems to be settling into a groove after being out for so long. I wouldn’t get too excited yet though, as J-Fort mentioned yesterday, he does well against the Brewers anyway. His next matchup against Oakland should provide a clearer picture as to whether or not he’s turned a corner.
Aaron Hill 1/5 HR 2RBI – Hill picked up right where he left off in April, having some solid nights at the plate, where he’s reached base in every game he’s played in since returning from the DL. Hill was ranked in the top five second basemen going into the season, and while he might take awhile to really get going, I think he’ll do his best to live up to that billing. If there’s some way he’s available to you and you aren’t satisfied with your second base situation, give Hill a look.
Jurickson Profar 1/2 HR 2R BB Washington said he would find ways to get Profar into the lineup, and it paid off. After this display, I see Wash doing a better job of getting Profar steadier playing time, but I still don’t see him starting more than three or four times a week. In daily leagues he’s great, but weekly leaguers can look elsewhere, unless it’s a dynasty league. He is the future after all.
Michael Cuddyer 3/4 R Cuddy is on fire on the rockies, and has been so since his return from a DL stint a few weeks back. Not having Tulo in the lineup hurts his numbers a little, but he’s hitting the ball better than he has all year, and that humid summer in Denver will only help his cause.
Matt Wieters 2/4 2B RBI I feel like people have been waiting for Wieters to emerge for some time. Every year, his potential “breakout” is touted during spring training, but he never seems to live up to the hype. With so much offense happening in the Orioles’ lineup this season however, he’s getting his chances with runners on base and hitters to drive him in. All in all, a lot of fantasy managers would have done well to just draft half of the Orioles roster, and let it be.
Jon Lester 7IP 5H 4ER 3BB 5K Finally seeing a good performance from Lester was great, but then he left the game in the eighth due to a sore hip. Hopefully it doesn’t turn out to be serious as we were starting to see the Jon Lester of the first few months of the season after a few clunkers. Now might be a good time to reach out to an owner to see if they’re panicking given his recent struggles coupled with this potential injury. You might be able to get him a bit cheaper than he otherwise would be.
Salvador Perez 2/4 HR RBI – Perez is finally looking like the catcher we all thought we drafted. With the rest of the team starting to pull out of this slump, look for Perez to have ample RBI opportunities. He’s only 22, which many forget, so his power is still developing and will continue to do so. If you held onto him, you should pat yourself on the back, and don’t worry, I don’t think he lets you down in the second half.
Marlon Byrd 2/4 HR 2RBI – I don’t know why or how, but Byrd seems to have something left in the tank and the Mets are bringing it out of him. Over the last month, Byrd has 8HR and is hitting .291. Yeah, seriously. I don’t know if this holds up, but he’s worth a flier in deeper leagues after hitting a HR yesterday. Maybe he’s ready to go on another streak. If you have an open bench spot, I’d scoop him to see what happens.
Trevor Bauer – Bauer comes up to start the first half of a doubleheader today, and if he does better than Carlos Carrasco, he can stick in the rotation going forward. Actually, if Kazmir’s injury turns out to be significant, he could end up with a spot anyway. It’s a situation to watch.
The post I’m verKempt over Matt! appeared first on hecmanroto | fantasy baseball blog.
