DL Returnees

Eric Byrnes of the Diamondbacks returned from the DL on Monday and went 0-5. Owners who dropped him because of his injury should take a chance and pick him up if they have room on their roster. In 2007, he stole 50 bags, hit 21HR's, 83RBI's, all with a .286AVG. This was his career year and owners who drafted him thinking he was going to repeat those numbers are on some wacky tobacky. By looking at his career totals, when he is injury free, he can hit 20HR's and steal 15-20bags. So far this season he has struggled at the plate and on the base paths but if you can take a chance, he could provide huge returns in the second half.

Gary Sheffield of the Tigers is recovering from a strained left oblique. In a rehab start he went 1-3 with a HR on Sunday. Just like Byrnes, this guy is worth the pick-up and if he goes back to normal production, which I believe he will, he will give owners a great boost in power numbers for the rest of the season. The only problem I see is his ability to stay healthy. He is really piling on the years and if the Tigers don't treat him well with off-days Sheffield and his bat might not be able to stay in the lineup. He deserves a spot on all rosters but if he struggles, cut him.

Clint Barmes of the Rockies made his return last night and went 1-4. Again, this guy should be on all fantasy rosters but be warned, his playing time might not be guarenteed. With the hot bat of Jeff Baker Barmes needs to prove he is able to make contact and get on base regularly. Before his DL stint, Barmes was hitting .340+ and was showing tons of confidence at the plate. Lets see if he can continue his productive hitting. Owners, make sure to have this guy on your roster.

Josh Willingham of the Marlins is expected to return to the lineup on Tuesday. After a long DL, lasting almost 2 months, this hot swinging LF'er is about to make his return. Owners, who had him for the first month were greeted with great numbers. Don't expect Willingham to continue hitting .341 but do expect him to have 15-20 more HR's the rest of the way.

Jeff Keppinger of the Reds returned to the lineup with a 1-4 performance against the Yankees. Before going on the DL he was putting up nice numbers for owners, .324 with 3HR's, and 2SB's. This production is great coming from a SS. Owners, I would suggest leaving him on your bench to see how comfortable he feels being back in the lineup. If he hits coming out the gate, put him back into your lineup.

A Few Notes...

Coco Crisp of the Red Sox is rumoured to be on the trading block and with his limited playing time, 177AB's, he has put together a decent season (.260AVG, 5HR, 22RBI, and 12SB). Owners should welcome a trade because he would get full time playing time in his new home. More time, hopefully, more stats.

James Loney of the Dodgers has enjoyed good season in which he has hit .306AVG, 6HR, 36RBI, and 2SB. Over his past 10 games he has raised his average from .287 to .306. As long as his playing time is not cut, owners should enjoy a breakout season by Loney.

Troy Tulowitzky of the Rockies is back in the starting lineup after returning from an injury to his quad. After a terrible start to the season Tulo is looking for a chance to prove his 2007 stats were not a fluke. In his return he went 0-4 with a K. Owners, I would wait a few games to see if he is back to normal and hitting again.

Clint Barmes of the Rockies is still in a rehab stint and is not fairing too well. He has gone 1-8 and is struggling to find his swing. Hopefully for owners, the more time he spends down in his rehab stint the quicker his swing comes back. When he returns, he will most likely return as the starting 2B.

Tulo/Barmes

Troy Tulowitzky and Clint Barmes of the Rockies are playing in AAA for conditioning/rehab and will be back with the Rockies within the next week, if all goes well. This is great news for owners who have had to live without the services of Tulo and Barmes, even though Tulo was awful during the start of the season. Owners are hoping Tulo can come back and provide some pop as a middle infielder and go back to his 2007 stats where he hit .291 with 24HR's and 99RBI's. On the other hand, Barmes was tearing things up at the plate just before he went on the DL and owners should put him back into your rosters because he should provide some decent pop as a 2nd baseman.

If you look at the Rockies lineup (Holliday, Atkins, Hawpe, and Helton) you can see that adding Tulo and Barmes should produce some fireworks. This group of 6 can light up opposing pitchers in a hurry.

Take a quick look on the FA list and see if Tulo or Barmes are sitting there. If so, grab them.

Rockies and their injuries

Clint Barmes, who is replacing Troy Tulowitzky, was placed on the DL with a right knee strain. Just as owners were benefiting from Barmes, he goes down to injury. Expect him back after the DL stint. More news will be reported after an MRI.

Brad Hawpe was also placed on the DL with Barmes with a right hamstring sprain. This isn't huge news for most unless you are in a NL-only league.

But the big news from the Rockies is the injury to Matt Holliday. He suffered a slight strain to his left hamstring while running out a ground ball during the 9th inning. Currently, he is day-to-day but will be re-evaluated on Sunday. This is HUGE news for owners who own Holliday and for others who don't. For owners, just hope he is day-to-day and comes back without having to go on the DL.

Barmes

Clint Barmes of the Rockies is filling in well for Tulowitzky. He has 12 hits in his past 10 games and increased his batting average from .280 to .337. If you are in need of some help in the middle infield Barmes is a great option for you. With Tulo being absent for a while, Barmes will have plenty of time to play SS.