Hot Players

Here are a few players that caught my eye in the past 7 or so days. Remember, these guys are hot right now but don't expect most of them to continue to torch pitchers/hitters for the rest of the season. But at the same time, make sure to take note of these players just in case they do have a career year which will help you win a fantasy championship.

R. Cedeno - SS - Cubs - .429AVG, 6R, 1HR, 10RBI's
C. Blake - 1B/3B/OF - Indians - .421AVG, 4R, 2HR, 10RBI's
F. Lewis - OF - Giants - .333AVG, 6R, 1HR, 5RBI, 2SB

J. Lannan - SP - Nationals - 13IP, 1W, 15K's, 0.69ERA, 0.85WHIP
C. Silva - SP - Mariners - 13IP, 1W, 5K, 2.08ERA, 1.08WHIP

CC Sabathia

Ouch, another terrible outing by Indians ace pitcher C.C. Sabathia. The start to this season is nothing owners ever expected in their craziest of dreams. This time around, the heavy bats of the Tigers gave Sabathia another 9 ER's.

Owners shouldn't outright panic but should be worried. This is a contract year for Sabathia and we all know contract years can lead to major swings in stats, look at Adrian Beltre of 2004 and Andruw Jones of 2007. Just hope Sabathia turns things around and becomes a 2004 Beltre because if he continues and struggles like Jones in 2007, owners will have wasted a high draft pick.

My advice is to wait him out. Bench him for his next start and watch what's happening from the sideline. He throws a gem, throw him back into your lineup for his next start. If he throws batting practice and allows another 9ER's, worry about it then. But on the bright side, his velocity is there but he just can't find his location. Just hope injuries aren't causing this terrible start.

DL Time

E. Bedard of the Mariners is officially on the 15Day-DL, retroactive to April 9th. So far Bedard has been reported as saying he's not even sure when he'll be back on the mound. This is a big blow for owners who drafted him early in drafts but with a player of this calibre, you have no choice but to keep him on your bench or hopefully in a DL spot, if it is free. Again, this proves the point on why you should never draft pitching early in a draft. Pitchers will always come up during the season.

J. Borowski of the Indians is on the 15Day-DL with a strained tricep. Borowski was suffering from low velocity on his pitches and here is the reason why. Owners who read my previous post should have picked up Kobayashi and now I will also include the name of R. Betancourt for the job. Both are candidates for the closer position. I believe Kobayashi will get the nod because he is pitching well and has proven, in Japan, he can close out games an grab a save.

Indians Closer Situation

Joe Borowski of the Indians and his great way of ending games might be closing for a AAA team in the near future. Okay, he won't be sent to the minors but he'll be pitching in the 6th/7th/8th, while closer in waiting, Masa Kobayashi, takes over his job.

Borowski blew another save last night, allowing 3ER's against the Red Sox. Owners who drafted Borowski drafted him knowing he was going to have a high ERA and plenty of save opportunities. His time might be coming to a close (no pun intended).

ADVICE - Owners should go out and grab Kobayashi off the waiver wire ASAP!! It is imperative you go out and grab the next closer for the Indians just in case there is a change of scenery for Borowski.

Ugly and Great

Oswalt is 0-3 this season for the Astros. In his latest disappointment, he pitched 4IP, 9H, 8ER, 6K's with 4HR. Owners should be disappointed with this performance and his overall performance throughout the 2008 season. But, it's great its happening now then during the crunch time in September. Just keep him in your lineup and just hope he turns the corner because he is one of the better pitchers in the league. He isn't as good as he was a few years back with his elite fantasy value but he is still better then majority of the pitchers out there. Stick with him for a few more starts.

L. Hernandez of the Twins is a work horse and is 3-0 to start the season. This pitcher won't give owners the contribution needed to attack all the categories but he does provide a healthy option for innings. He has pitched at least 200 innings dating back to 2000. Owners should have him on your team and ride out his hot streak and if you are looking for a solid 3-4 pitcher, he's a good option.

CC Sabathia of the Indians seems to be starting slow for 2008 and it seems to have continued in his last outing with a poor outing (9ER's in 3.1IP)...OUCH!!! Owners, just hope it's early season jitters. He's an elite pitcher so keep trotting him out there.

T. Hudson of the Braves had a nice outing. 8IP with 0ER's.

Canadian J. Francis of the Rockies is starting slowly and is worrying fantasy owners. With 7ERs in 5 innings isn't going to cut it. Owners expected a nice season from the southpaw but so far hasn't delivered much except smiles for opposing hitters. Owners, bench him until he come back with a strong performance.

Injuries

Gary Sheffield of the Tigers is hurt. This 39 year old tore a tendon in his finger. More information will be presented when the swelling goes down. This is not a good thing for Sheffield owners. Anything to do with your hands as a power hitter will destroy your swing. For now, just keep him on your bench until further information is released.

V-Mart of the Indians took a pinch hit and this is a good sign for fantasy owners. He should be back in the lineup soon and for owners who drafted him early this is great news.