Kuzul

There are several managers in Major League Baseball who have put together a solid case for Manager of the Year. I have selected my top three front runners for the award.

Many baseball fans view managers like cloths on a stripper, they are useless excuses for keeping you from what you really want to see.

To win the honors for Manager of the Year they need to achieve at least one of the following accomplishments.

1. Exceed preseason expectations

2. Manage the team through great adversity

3. Take the team to the post-season

Dusty Baker / Cincinnati Reds

The Reds are currently in the lead of the NL Central by 3.5 games over the preseason heavy favorite, St. Louis Cardinals.

Before the season started I predicted they would be in the mix for the wildcard, but would fall short to the Atlanta Braves, currently leading the NL East by 3 games.

The Reds have a legitimate shot at making the post-season and large part of that is do to the amazing surprise play of Joey Votto, Scott Rolen, and the entire pitching staff.

However, Baker has to get a lot of credit for managing a team that many thought was a year or two away from being this competitive. The one down fall I would credit Baker with is the over use of closer Francisco Cordero—this is something that will come back to haunt him in September and October.

Bud Black / San Diego Padres

Currently the Padres have the best record in the National League. To say that Black has done a good job this season, would be like saying Jennifer Aniston looks okay naked.

I was way off on my preseason prediction of the Padres, and only recently was willing to admit that I think this team is for real.

Until the recent trade deadline acquisitions of Miguel Tejada and Ryan Ludwick this offense looked less intimidating than most little league teams —with the exception of Adrian Gonzalez.

Black had his players over achieving all season long by stealing and calling timely hit-and-run plays.

They lost arguably one of their best pitchers in the first week of the season in Chris Young and still lead the league in team ERA.

The NL West is the second toughest division in baseball and Black has his team at the top, cruising to the playoffs.

Terry Francona / Boston Red Sox

The Sox play in the best division in baseball. They make up half of one of the greatest rivalries in sports. I’m not a Sox fan, in fact I’m kind of a closet fan of their greatest enemies.

However, I can’t ignore the incomprehensible job Francona has done managing a team that has suffered so many key injuries.

On top of this fact they still have a chance at the post-season, sitting 6.5 games back of the New York Yankees and 5.5 games back of the wildcard leading Tampa Bay Rays.

I personally don’t think they have a chance at making the playoffs this year—I’m not just saying that to rile up Boston fans, I predicted it before the season as well.

Dustin Pedroia has spent significant time on the DL, Jacoby Ellsbury has been out for most of the season and will likely miss the remainder, and my personal favorite Red Sox player Kevin Youkilis is out for the year.

Many other key contributors have spent time on the DL including supposed ace pitcher Josh Beckett. Francona hasn’t even been able to count on Beckett for a big start all season.

To me Beckett is overrated and suffers from injuries every season. I’ll give you the fact that he is dominant in the post-season, but needs to stay healthy and pitch better in the regular season before I believe he is among the best.

Earlier in the season he lit a fire under the overrated, overweight, lovable David Ortiz and got more production from him than many people thought he had left.

Francona is on of the best managers the game has seen in years. Francona always says and does the right things in my opinion, and the way he has kept his team in the race and juggled the lineup on a seemingly night-to-night basis makes him the leader for Manager of the Year.

Check out my weekly “Sluggers and Slugs” column for other honorable mentions

Looking to follow sports fans on Twitter

Locker Talk – Weekly Sports Podcast

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Throughout the 2010 season, the Boston Red Sox have been on the cusp of making  the playoffs. With Dustin Pedroia hitting the disabled list for the second time this season, it appears that it’s finally time to throw in the towel. This team could still make the playoffs and Dustin Pedroia could be back by the end of September, but realistically, this is likely the end of the road.

It’s just been a horrible year full of growing pains for the Red Sox. They lack an identity and they’re not the team that we thought they were.

Besides Jon Lester, Clay Buchholz and to an extent Daisuke Matsuzaka, the starting pitchers have been a disappointment.

Josh Beckett has been the poster boy for disappointment. Granted, he has spent a significant amount of time on the DL but really? 19 earned runs in his past three starts.

Has John Lackey really been even remotely close to good? Terry Francona will tell you he has but that’s just because he has to.

The offense exceeded expectations but they flamed out when everybody realized the season doesn’t end in July. Oh, and missing Kevin Youkilis has been a big reason for the flame out as well. Guys like Adrian Beltre and David Ortiz have quite frankly been the only impact bats on the team who haven’t been injured.

Injuries have definitely been a problem but they shouldn’t excuse the poor structure of the team. The only players on the team who have hit well have been Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis, Adrian Beltre and David Ortiz. Where is the big bat in the outfield though? Combined, Sox outfielders (Drew, Ellsbury, Hermida, Hall, Cameron, Nava, Kalish, Reddick, Van Every, Patterson, McDonald) have hit 55 home runs.

To put that into perspective, Red Sox outfielders rank dead last in the AL East in long balls. That’s right, they’re worse than the Baltimore Orioles at something.

The bullpen struggles go without mentioning.

It’s time for Theo Epstein and company to get on the phone and make some changes!

Begin Slideshow

The Boston Red Sox will have quite a few issues to address this off season.  While their offense has been a nice surprise this year, they still need to improve if they want to compete with the Yankees and Rays in the East. 

The strength of this team was supposed to be their pitching staff however, it has been very inconsistent.  This rotation was expected to be the best in baseball, but in reality, it has been average.  Not to mention the bullpen has been a complete disaster.

I will suggest a few moves that the Sox should and could make this off season.  Feel free to comment and give your suggestions.

Begin Slideshow

The second base position just got a whole lot beefier, as today three of the position’s top guns have been activated from the disabled list. Proud owners of Dustin Pedroia, Chase Utley, and Martin Prado have been forced to plug holes with stragglers like Adam Kennedy and Blake DeWitt. Now is your time to rejoice.

Dustin Pedroia returns to the Red Sox after breaking his left foot nearly two months ago on June 26. In his stead, Bill Hall received the majority of starts at 2B, with Eric Patterson and Jed Lowrie also seeing action. Hall hit 12 homers after Pedroia went down, providing decent numbers for fantasy owners. Hall will likely get significant starts in CF with Jacoby Ellsbury heading back to the DL after more pain in his slow healing fractured ribs. While Pedroia might not be 100 percent game ready, he is still a must start in all leagues. But be wary, he does tend to run in red-hot and ice-cold streaks. A slow start is a realistic expectation while he shakes off the rust. He was hitting .292 with 12 HR and 41 RBI prior to the injury, and had raised his average .38 points in June (from .254).

Right thumb surgery has sidelined Chase Utley since June 29. It had long been speculated that Utley was struggling with the thumb, forcing him to make adjustments to his swing. That could very well be the reason for his average production in the season’s first three months. His .277, 11 HR, 37 RBI stat line looks solid for most second baseman, but for Utley those figures are a disappointment. If Utley is pain free, expect a big final push from him once he settles in. His stroke is the epitome of ‘simple’ and it shouldn’t take him long to rediscover it. Placido Polanco will now shift back to third base full time, and Wilson Valdez will hit the bench. The 32-year-old Valdez did a more than admirable job being thrust into regular action, but was never a fantasy option.

A career utility man, Martin Prado’s fractured finger might have come at an ideal time (well, no injury is ideal). His batting average had plummeted .22 points from .337 to .315 in the month of July suggesting he needed a breather. Maybe sitting on the sidelines for a short while and re-energizing his body will be a positive in the long run. Unlike his 2B compatriots, he’s only been out since July 31 and could find his groove in a flash. All-star selection Omar Infante continued to rake in his absence putting up seven multi-hit games thus far in August. Infante possesses position eligibility all over the diamond, and should continue to see regular ABs at third base with Chipper Jones on the shelf for the year. Once again, Troy Glaus could be the big loser.

In other injury news, Charlie Manuel characterized first baseman Ryan Howard’s chances of returning to the lineup before Friday as “slim”. Howard has been out since August 2 with sprained ligaments in his ankle. He’s eligible to come off the DL today, but that’s obviously not happening. How exactly the Phillies plan to handle his rehabilitation remains unclear. Patience is the key my fantasy brethren, patience. Meanwhile, Mike Sweeney will continue to get the bulk of starts at 1B and is a realistic option in NL-only leagues until big number six returns.

Written by Adam Ganeles exclusively for TheFantasyFix.com. Look for Adam’s weekly insight into MiLB & MLB ball.

Who will have the strongest return out of Pedroia, Utley or Prado?
Leave a comment and let us know, or reply to us on twitter @TheFantasyFix

__________________________________________________________________

Here are some more articles that will smack some sense into you…

Fantasy Baseball

Fantasy Baseball Forecast: Week 20’s Two-Start Pitchers & Mike Stanton

Well Hello Morrow! 17Ks & Why He Should Be On Your Fantasy Team

Fix’s AAA Farm Report

Sabermetric Series: BABIP For Dummies

2010 Fantasy Baseball’s Second Half Ranks: Closers

Fantasy Baseball’s Top 50 Pitchers Post All-Star Break  

MLB Fantasy Baseball Second Half Ranks: Third Base

MLB Fantasy Baseball Post ASB Ranks: Second Base  
 
MLB Fantasy Baseball Post ASB Ranks: First Base

MLB Fantasy Baseball Post ASB Positional Ranks: Catcher

Easy Steals and Cheap Thrills

MLB Closer Carousel: American League Report & Fantasy Baseball Implications

Fantasy Football

Why Tony Romo & Phillip Rivers Should Lead Your Fantasy Team

2010 Fantasy Football’s Top Ten Running Backs: Not Named Chris Johnson, Adrian Peterson or MJD

2010 Fantasy Football’s Most Under & Overrated Running Backs

2010 Fantasy Football’s Most Under & Overrated Quarterbacks

Fantasy Football’s Late Round Fliers

MAURICE JONES-DREW & THE SIRIUS XM 2010 CELEBRITY FANTASY FOOTBALL DRAFT

2010 Sirius XM Fantasy Football Draft Recap

More Good Reads from the Fix Fellas!

MLB Records Are Meant To Be Broken! A Fantasy Fix Roundtable Adventure    
What a Bunch of Dicks: Baseball’s Funniest Names    
Fantasy Baseball Geeks: Meet Kelly Slater
Fantasy Surfer: Jeffreys Bay Recap

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Jacoby Ellsbury has spent the majority of the season in a handful of very specific places: Arizona, the disabled list, the doghouse of a rabid Boston media.

Everywhere but on the field.

So when Ryan Kalish trotted out to center this weekend in Texas following Ellsbury’s latest appearance on the disabled list, there was reason to believe he was auditioning for more than just a roster spot in 2011.

Is Red Sox Nation looking at its starting centerfielder for the foreseeable future?

This is a prickly question. For one, Ellsbury is a rare and unique talent whose skill set hasn’t graced the Red Sox outfield very often over the year. Giving up on him so quickly would seem a rash judgment.

And Kalish has admittedly played extremely well since being called up, but the sample size is far too small. The name Phil Plantier pops into my mind as an outfielder that burst on the scene impressively toward the end of a campaign and fizzled almost as quickly and spectacularly.

But one has to wonder if Kalish is being given a test by Red Sox management: Ellsbury’s done for awhile, so let’s see how the kid does out there.

Of course, Red Sox management is the wild card in this whole equation. Ellsbury has been getting ripped in the Boston media since April, perhaps rightfully so in some cases. His trip to Arizona to recover was puzzling, his extended rehab time even more so. After all, the guy was clubbing the ball for almost a week at Pawtucket before he returned to the lineup. Dustin Pedroia could barely stand to sit in the McCoy Stadium dugout for two days before clearing himself fit to play.

Ellsbury’s teammates have even questioned his motives, with Kevin Youkilis and Jon Lester both publicly wondering why the center-fielder was gone for so long.

Through it all, the media has assumed upper management was growing tired of Ellsbury’s act and a rift was expanding between the two sides. But nobody from the front office has given any indication one way or another, and why would they? It does nobody any good to comment publicly on the matter.

But that’s why the situation is so intriguing. It could be that management looks at this as a lost season in what should prove to be a very successful career. Perhaps they still view Ellsbury as the starting center-fielder for the next decade or more.

But it’s also possible that the Sox are test-driving Kalish in center to see if they like the ride. If he performs well enough down the stretch—during the heat of a pennant race, for bonus points—do the Sox cut ties with Ellsbury and shop him this summer? He would no doubt bring a solid return, and if the team is truly disillusioned with him, that may not be such a silly route to take.

Let the record state that this observer wouldn’t move Ellsbury just yet, unless he was an attractive enough piece to kick-start the Adrian Gonzalez trade machine again. Otherwise, I think he has too much talent to sell for pennies on the dollar.

But the simple truth of the matter—despite all the blabbering on TV and the radio—is we really don’t know. We won’t know how the Sox brass feels about Ellsbury until the off-season, when he’s either declared the center-fielder again or put on the trading block.

What we do know right now is that Ryan Kalish is the current center-fielder for the Boston Red Sox. Given that less than a month ago he was just another prospect in the minors, that’s some remarkable progress.

It’s also an intriguing opportunity for the youngster. If he puts enough of an imprint on the position in the last month-and-a-half of the season, the spot could be his for a long time to come.

After all, we know where Jacoby Ellsbury has been all summer long. Where he is next year remains the question.

And the answer may be taking shape before our eyes.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

There and Back Again for Jacoby Ellsbury

When I went on my 10-day hiking trip to the Oval Lakes of Northern Washington, I expected I would miss no-hitters, some shakeups atop the many tight-knit divisions, and a franchise-altering trade made by Rich Cho and the Portland Trail Blazers.

Hiking peaks and lounging around a nearby lake reading Michael Chabon’s brilliant novel The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, the very strange Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman, and David Halberstam’s superb October 1964 was very enjoyable, but as the trip went on, I began to have withdrawals. I dreamed of writing articles. I conjured up what I was sure had happened, was happening, and what was going to happen prior to my returning to Eugene, Oregon.

After pining for a newspaper throughout the nine-mile hike out, I snatched a USA Today at a nearby gas station to see that though not much newsworthy took place, it was still an exciting week in the world of sports.

Boston Red Sox v New York Yankees, August 5th-9th; Red Sox were 6 1/2 back to begin series

Boston managed a split in their four-game series against New York. Clay Buchholz, perhaps the best in a rotation full of solid starters, paced the team in the opener and a David Ortiz homer backed his performance.

They lost the next two games of the series. Saturday’s Yankee win was overshadowed by an ankle injury suffered to Alex Rodriguez, who appears to be alright after that scare considering he hit three home-runs the following Saturday. Derek Jeter passed Babe Ruth on the Yankees all-time hit list as they blasted Josh Beckett in the third contest between the foes.

The Red Sox salvaged a draw with a victory in the finale behind six shut-out innings by Jon Lester, who, the following Saturday, tossed eight more scoreless innings over the deadly Texas Rangers.

Given how action-packed Red Sox-Yankees series usually are, this was a ho-hum duel. Nothing changed in the standings, which hurts Boston. And they couldn’t gain any more ground the rest of the week, too.

Youkilis out for season with thumb surgery; Ellsbury struggles, then returns to the Disabled List

Kevin Youkilis, one of Red Sox best hitters, was deemed done for the season as he underwent surgery to repair a tear in his thumb. It’s a devastating blow to Boston, a team already depleted by the injury suffered to former MVP Dustin Pedroia. Their lineup has been makeshift all year, and with this and what would come, it certainly will remain that way for the rest of the season.

Jacoby Ellsbury had four stolen bases in the Red Sox win over the Yankees in their series finale, but that was the lone highlight of his brief return. He was deemed ready to play after missing all but nine games due to severe damage done to his rib-cage. His performance suggested he was not healthy enough to, though, as he went 4-34 with no rbi’s before landing back on the Disabled List.

He returned to the DL Saturday night after re-injuring his ribs in Friday’s loss to the Rangers. He underwent CT and MRI scans, which found “some edema in the same area,” according to manager and apparent M.D. Terry Francona, and a new fracture line. Overall, Ellsbury said, through Francona, that it is worse than the first relapse in May. He may be done for the year. Sadly, a lost season for not only a very dangerous leadoff man, but a Oregon-native and former Oregon State Beaver.

Collison can now turn that frown upside down: the Pacers are his team to run.

A four-team trade in the NBA that helps all but one

New Orleans traded away promising young point guard Darren Collison along with James Posey to the Indiana Pacers; the Pacers traded power forward Troy Murphy (who has an expiring contract) to the New Jersey Nets; the Houston Rockets sent young guard Trevor Ariza to the Hornets; and the Nets traded their version of Ariza, Courtney Lee, to the Rockets.

Indiana, a team discontent with T.J. Ford and A.J. Price as their depth, gets the point guard of their future. Collison performed admirably in Chris Paul’s stead during his rookie season, and now he won’t be in his shadow anymore. He averaged 21 points and eight assists in 42 minutes per game during February when Paul was on the shelf, and finished the season averaging 12 points and upwards of six assists per game. He could potentially be a top-ten point guard in the league come this season, as ESPN’s Josh Whitling suggested.

Murphy gives the Nets cap-room for the Summer of 2011. The team will target Carmelo Anthony (if he doesn’t accept the Nuggets $65 million offer that’s been on the table for over a month) and Tony Parker during that free agency period, and Murphy’s expiring $11.9 million contract, should give them a considerable chance to at least nab one of the two premier talents.

Ariza put up solid numbers in his lone season with Houston, but shot just 39 percent. I’m not sure Lee will be much of an upgrade, but he’s a defensive-stalwart who seems to have a bit better head on his shoulders than Ariza. Just like every move Kevin Pritchard made for the Blazers before his dismissal, every deal that Houston does is seemingly intelligent with Daryl Morey at the helm.

The deal makes little sense for the Hornets, though Ariza does fill a need. They are taking a risk on moving Collison, as Paul could choose not to re-sign and test the free agent market. If that indeed does happen, New Orleans will have to take the time to develop a point guard, which is no easy task.

Karl Malone, Scottie Pippen inducted into Hall of Fame–deservedly, too.

Malone never won a championship with the Utah Jazz, and there have been some who have argued he isn’t Hall of Fame Material, but, in my mind, he was one of the best players of his generation–of any generation, for that matter. The Mailman formed an effortlessly talented tandem with one of the best point guards ever to play, John Stockton, and averaged 25 points and 10 rebounds per game for his career.

There was Malone-Stockton, but then there was Michael Jordan-Scottie Pippen. The latter duo kept the former duo from winning any rings.

Pippen was the quintessential side-kick, stifling on defense, one of the better athletes ever to play in the NBA, and a solid scorer to compliment Jordan’s greatness. He averaged 16 points (20 during his prime), dished five assists and grabbed six rebounds per game over a 16-year career, and came up huge come playoff time, averaging 17-7-5 in 208 playoff games.

New York Mets closer Francisco Rodriguez was arrested for assault and the San Francisco Giants acquired a big bat in Jose Guillen. Those two tidbits, a thumb surgery, newly fractured ribs, a quiet week and a half in baseball, and a four-team trade in the NBA that could have fairly large ramifications is the collection of sports news that I missed. Now I return to the blogosphere, ready to write articles off the headlines as they happen.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

As Jacoby Ellsbury left Friday night’s game against Texas in the fourth inning with “side pains,” speculation indicated another rib injury for Boston’s speedy outfielder.

Indications were right.

Confirmed by ESPN Boston’s Joe McDonald, Ellsbury has indeed re-injured his ribs and has been sent back to Boston for an MRI and a CT scan.

It is reported that Ellsbury injured himself in the first inning when he collided with Rangers pitcher Tommy Hunter

Ellsbury has played in only 18 games this year for the Red Sox, and it appears that his season will end with 18 games.

Ellsbury flourished last season as Boston’s lead-off batter, but this season has had a major setback that has caused many steps backwards.

Like what you see? You can read more of Tony’s work and many other sports articles atwww.SportsHaze.com and www.BeantownObserver.com

You can also follow Tony via Twitter @TonySantorsa10

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Let’s take a look at some of the biggest stories from yesterday’s games:

American League:

• Michael Brantley  – Cleveland Indians – He went 1-4 with one run, but the bigger thing to note was his stolen base, his second straight game with a steal. He’s taken over the leadoff duties and is playing virtually everyday, certainly making him worth stashing in five-outfielder formats. While he hasn’t shown off the speed much this season, he is just a year removed from a 50 SB campaign between Triple-A and the Majors.
• Josh Bell – Baltimore Orioles – He has struggled since assuming regular third base duties, but he may be finally coming around. He went 1-3 with one RBI yesterday, giving him a modest three-game hitting streak. Still, it’s the strikeouts that are holding him back, currently with a strikeout rate of 37.9 percent (as well as a fly ball rate of just 16.7 percent). He’s better than this. These last few games could be the sign that he’s started adjusting to the Major Leagues. Just keep him stashed away for now.
• Jacoby Ellsbury – Boston Red Sox – The ball was flying all over the field in Texas, with nine home runs being hit (including a pair for J.D. Drew), but the biggest story was Ellsbury being forced out early. He apparently was “re-injured in the first inning when he hit a slow grounder up the first-base line and collided with Texas starter Tommy Hunter, who raced to the bag to make the play. Ellsbury tumbled over Hunter,” according to Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe (click here for the post). He will have an MRI, but there appears to be concern that he aggravated the injury that kept him out earlier this season. At this point, all you can do is cross your fingers and hope for the best.
• Ryan Raburn – Detroit Tigers – He went 3-4 with one HR, his second straight game with a HR and his fourth multi-hit game in his last five. He’s getting regular playing time now and is finally starting to look like the player who hit 16 HR in 261 AB a year ago. He’s a low-end option, but if you are in a daily league and need a short-term fix, you can plug him in there for a couple of days while he’s hot. There is a chance this hot streak extends, so everyone should monitor him for now.
• Gregor Blanco – Kansas City Royals – He’s taken over the leadoff spot since being acquired from the Braves and showed why yesterday, stealing three bases while going 2-4. He has never proven to be able to hit for a good average, so consider him a low-end option, at best, unless he proves capable. If he can’t get on, the speed won’t matter.
• Marc Rzepczynski – Toronto Blue Jays – Those who followed Rotoprofessor preseason know that I was high on him, but injuries and inability pulled the plug on that early on. Performances like this certainly put him back on the map. He showed an ability for strikeouts (six Ks in 7.0 innings). He didn’t walk a batter. Of his 21 outs, 12 were via groundball (and only three in the air). He allowed just two hits and should have earned himself another start. He has the potential to be a solid option in all formats, as the Blue Jays have become notorious for developing young pitchers of late.

National League:

• Jay Bruce – Cincinnati Reds – He was overshadowed by Mike Stanton (3-4, two HR), the beating Josh Johnson (3.2 IP, six ER, 10 H, two BB, zero K) and the strong start from Edison Volquez (6.0 IP, one ER, eight hits, two BB, six K). Don’t ignore Bruce’s performance, as he went 2-4 with one HR, three RBI and one run himself. He has not lived up to preseason expectations at this point, but make no mistake, he has the potential and could produce big numbers over the final few weeks of the season. It was his first home run since June 30 and hopefully is just the start. While he’s not going to reach the preseason projections, he still should be a usable option down the stretch.
• R.A. Dickey – New York Mets – The knuckleballer allowed just one-hit in a complete game shutout, and that came courtesy of Cole Hamels. That’s right, the pitcher had the only hit. Does anyone else believe in the curse of Nolan Ryan yet? The Mets may never get a no-hitter, but no one is complaining about Dickey’s performance. He proved here that you shouldn’t be concerned if he hits a bump in the road (he struggled in his previous start), he’s worth using in all formats. Yes, the Phillies did go without Chase Utley and Ryan Howard, but there are rumblings that both could be back as soon as next week.
• Tim Hudson – Atlanta Braves – He was fantastic yet again, tossing 8.0 shutout innings, allowing three hits and one BB while striking out six. It’s hard to be worried about the results (2.13 ERA and 1.07 WHIP), but we’ve seen from guys like Josh Johnson and Ubaldo Jimenez that rough spots happen. Hudson has benefited from a .231 BABIP and 84.6 percent strand rate, so a turn in fortunes is certainly possible. I’m not suggesting not using him, but if your trade deadline hasn’t passed yet, selling high on him is worth exploring.
• Jonathan Broxton – Los Angeles Dodgers – He found his name in the news, coming in to pitch the eighth inning last night. After a disastrous outing, he has “temporarily” been removed as the Dodgers closer, according to Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times (click here for the article).  Hong-Chih Kuo will assume closing duties for the time being… really? Seems odd, considering the acquisition of Octavio Dotel and the presence of George Sherrill, but if you are desperate for saves grabbing Kuo will be worth it.
• Jake Westbrook – St. Louis Cardinals – He picked up his first win for the Cardinals, allowing two ER on six hits and one walk, striking out three, over six innings. In three starts since the trade, he’s allowed seven ER on 16 hits and two walks, striking out 19, over 19 innings. Maybe the move to the NL will significantly help, but I would still consider him a low-end option and play matchups with him for now.
• Evan Meek – Pittsburgh Pirates – Just when it looked like he could move into the closer’s role with a strong outing, Meek got bombed for four ER on five hits an one BB in just 0.1 innings. Not that the Pirates have been giving many save opportunities of late, but it looks like Joel Hanrahan should remain in the closer’s role for now.
• Jorge De La Rosa – Colorado Rockies – We have to love the strikeout potential, but he’s a killer on the WHIP right now. Yesterday he went 5.2 innings allowing three ER on six hits and three BB, striking out five. He is sporting a 1.48 WHIP on the season. He does have a .317 BABIP and 65.3 percent strand rate, so there is some upside there.  If he can ever reduce his current 4.8 BB/9, he’ll really be something. He got hot down the stretch last season and remember, he is still recently off the DL. Keep him stashed for now, but I’d expect him to develop into a must use option before the year is out.

What are your thoughts from yesterday’s games?

THIS ARTICLE IS ALSO FEATURED ON WWW.ROTOPROFESSOR.COM

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Today’s 2-1 win over the Yankees may have saved the Red Sox’ season.  Traveling to New York to play a four game set with the Bronx Bombers, it looked very bleak for the Sox.  The Yankees were ready to send a knockout blow and send the Red Sox ten games back with a sweep.  But the Sox wouldn’t have it.

Game one was a 6-3 victory for the Red Sox, where Francisco Cervelli dropped a routine pop-up and allowed the Sox to rally for three runs in the second, leading up to Ryan Kalish’s first ever home run, a two run bomb to secure the lead for the Sox.

Game two wasn’t as kind to the Red Sox, as John Lackey could not protect a one run lead, and CC Sabathia hurled eight innings, giving up only two runs and striking out four.

Game three had both teams looking to take control of the series.  Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN began with the Yankees grabbing a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second.  In the fifth, Bill Hall cut the lead in half with a solo shot off of Dustin Moseley.  Then, in the bottom of the fifth, Josh Beckett gave up five earned runs to make it 7-1 Yanks.  The Sox scored once more, but that wasn’t nearly enough as the Yankees won 7-2.

Game four.  The Red Sox could fall behind eight games in the East with a loss or get back to six games with a win.  This was possibly the Red Sox’ biggest game all year, especially with the Rays losing five straight.  They scored two in the top of the second, and that was all they needed.  Jon Lester had a great outing, throwing 6.1 innings with no runs allowed.  In the seventh, Daniel Bard escaped a bases loaded jam with no outs, giving up nothing.  Mark Texiera would hit out a solo shot in the eighth to cut the lead, but the Yanks would get no more, as Papelbon put on a clutch performance and got the save.

The Red Sox escaped the series very much still in the AL East and Wild Card races.  They will only continue to get better as players return from injury, and Jacoby Ellsbury’s four stolen bases in the game means he’s getting back on track and should be at 100 percent soon.  

The Red Sox play the Yankees and Rays six times each, one series home and away against both teams.  The Red Sox aren’t out of this race just yet.  Mark your calenders for when the Yankees travel to Fenway from October 1-3 to close out each clubs’ regular season. There could be playoff spots on the line.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Every team has to deal with injuries.

During 2010, no team has had to deal with a greater number of injuries and illnesses than the Boston Red Sox, culminating Wednesday when it was announced that Gold Glove first baseman Kevin Youkilis, arguably the team’s most important player, was to have season-ending surgery on his right thumb.

Considering the injuries this season, it is incredible that the Sox have been able to remain in touching distance of the league leading Yankees and Rays.

With several players returning to health recently, Boston fans were hoping that the team would now be able to mount an assault on the AL East and punch their ticket to the playoffs.

Then came the news on Youk. Just in time for a four game series in The Bronx.

If the Red Sox do fail to make the playoffs, they may look at the following 10 injuries as some of the biggest reasons why.

Begin Slideshow