The Big Z

Carlos Zambrano of the Cubs is now on the 15-Day DL with a strained right shoulder. This is good news, yes there is good news, because it was not anything structural which would cause the ace of the Cubs rotation to miss a lengthy period of time on the DL. Expect Zambrano back after the 15 days.

Owners, this isn't too much to worry over except for the fact it might turn into something serious but at this point it doesn't seem likely he will miss more than the allotted 15 days. If are in search of a pitcher I would usually suggest the player who is replacing the injured player but in this case, Sean Marshall, a lefty pitcher won't do you any good.

This is a good time to attack some of your categories. Lower you ERA/WHIP by picking up some RP. Remember, I always preach this, try to lower your ERA/WHIP before you pitch too many innings since it is easier to move the ERA/WHIP numbers now compared to September and August.

Reed Johnson

Reed Johnson of the Cubs burned his old team the Blue Jays on the weekend and should be on fantasy radars and most likely their rosters. This utility player seems to have a spot for the immediate future because of the Soriano injury. Reed is not a pretty player who will come out and flash some great baseball talent but he will grind and battle his way through a game. With a powerful lineup, Reed fist nicely into it due to his .290AVG, .350OBP and his ability to steal a hand full of runs, he is a viable fantasy option at this point.

So far, he is hitting .267AVG, 3HR, 31RBI, 31R, and 4SB.

Soriano...AGAIN

Holy smokes, Alfonso Soriano of the Cubs went off on Pirates pitching again for the tune of 2 more HR's. Soriano just hit another 2HR's for the second straight game and has hit 7HR's in his past 6 games. On top of this he's increased his batting average by 63 points over the span of 6 games to .295.

Again, owners should be happy he's posting such big numbers. Just hope he starts to run in the near future.

Soriano

A. Soriano of the Cubs has hit 5HR's in the past 5 games and it seems he's back to mid-season form after suffering an injury to his right calf. Now that his power seems to be back in form, owners need for him to start running on the base paths.

My advice. For some reason I have never ever been impressed with Soriano because he's so inconsistent from year to year. With his big name value you can grab a stud pitcher or a few bats in return.

Kerry Wood

Kerry Wood of the Cubs was reassured by Lou Piniella he is still the closer for the Cubs even after blowing 3 saves in his last 4 chances. I don't buy this at all. A closer who is blowing saves on a consistent basis will not last long as a closer and for owners who have Wood, you better make sure you have some insurance. Go out and grab Bob Howry or Carlos Marmol of the Cubs just in case Wood is replaced. After Ryan Dempster left the bullpen for the starting rotation the only people left in line for the closer position is Howry and Marmol.

Owners should keep a CLOSE eye on this situation because if Wood continues on the path of blown saves THERE WILL be a change of pitcher when the 9th innings rolls around.

Rich Hill

Rich Hill of the Cubs was demoted by coach Piniella to AAA-Iowa. The struggling southpaw was out of whack with his control this season (18BB's in 19.2 innings) and a trip to the minors hopefully will change his confidence and his control. The idea is to send him down and have him work in a less stressful environment so he can get comfortable with his dominating stuff which led to an impressive 2007 season. In 2007 he went 11-8, 195 innings, 183K's, with a 3.92ERA.

Owners who have Hill should be a little angry about his results this year after a great 2007 season. Advice for owners is to keep Hill on your bench and watch a few starts of his in AAA. If he has a few strong starts he will be back with the big team sooner than later.

Jon Lieber will replace Hill in the rotation. Just telling you this information even though Lieber doesn't deserve a spot on your fantasy roster.

To get more information about AAA-Iowa and Rich Hill please head to Minor League Baseball - AAA Iowa.