Tim Lincecum missed yesterday’s start vs. the Padres (there goes that 14 K start) and gave way to the Giants big-time rookie pitching prospect, Madison Bumgarner. Lincecum should be back by this weekend. A detailed Madison Bumgarner outlook can be found where it says, “Madison Bumgarner outlook.” (Yeah, still haven’t figured out how to naturally link to something. I feel like Buzz Bissinger. Bleh! What are these things you call links? Bleh! Actually, that sounds more like The Count.) So one in for Mad-Bum, and no harm done. 5 1/3 IP, 2 ER, 4 Ks. I think he can supplant Joe Martinez in the rotation. He sure as heckfire has a better name… Go with Jose at least, geez. Bumgarner will have value in all leagues down the stretch if he has a rotation spot. He’s risky, but in the NL West and with his stuff, well worth a look in mixed leagues. In keepers, pursue him aggressively. He’s real and he’s spectacular. I expect he’ll take the David Price route next year. Start in the minors, then get the call in June. Anyway, here’s what else I saw yesterday in fantasy baseball:
Brad Lidge – Prior to getting removed from a save situation for Madson, Manuel said that Lidge will remain the Phils closer. HA!!! Sorry. Lidge hasn’t been a closer in three months. Are they freakin’ kidding me? Lidge is pitching like he’s wearing contacts that bear Pujols’s face. Please, someone tie Lidge to a bed and break his ankles to put him out of his misery.
Alex Gordon – He returns from his Triple-A stint. A lot has been made of his trip to the minors. (Because of the minors stint, he’ll be under contract through 2013.) People are saying the Royals pulled a low move to delay free agency. Um, and Gordon’s done something to stay in the majors? At this rate, he may not be a major leaguer by 2013. Though, February Grey still will probably find a way to talk him up for next year.
Pedro Martinez – 6 2/3 IP, 3 ER. Not great vs. the Nats, but I would’ve taken it over the roofie-ing I took from Carlos Torres. Don’t worry, I’ll get to that.
Raul Ibanez – 3-for-4 with 2 HRs yesterday. I swear, after three months of homer sobriety from Ibanez, I was a twitch away from pulling the trigger on him. Now, he’s hot. Someone was looking out for me. They obviously didn’t care enough to warn me about Carlos Torres. Fantasy baseball, because every day stress is not enough.
Carlos Torres – 2/3 IP, 5 ER vs. the A’s. I hate you, Carlos Torres. I swore off rookie pitchers earlier this year because of a start by Hochevar vs. the A’s. Why do the A’s hate me? Someone, help! I was roofied and I’m hemorrhaging from the A’s.
Julio Borbon – 2 HRs yesterday and a steal. Someone’s been talking to Drew Stubbs.
Elvis Andrus – 2 steals yesterday. If you need steals, maybe he’s running now, cause he hadn’t been.
Frank Francisco – 1 IP, 2 ER. Kazaam!
Nick Swisher – 2 HRs yesterday. Hitting over .300 in the last seven games with 3 homers.
Evan Longoria – Has 5 homers in the last 8 games and is hitting near .500 in his last seven games. H2H teams rostering Longoria tip their caps.
Garrett Jones – Hit his 19th homer yesterday. If I didn’t see it myself, I wouldn’t have believed it, but after Robot Jones hit his homer, he elevated five inches off the ground to allow wheels to slide out from his cleats and he rolled around the bases.
Dustin Pedroia – This might be Scrappy Doo’s first appearance in a daily roundup this year. Well, anyway, he hit two homers yesterday against the Orioles’ Double-A pitching.
Felix Pie – 0-for-3, and 2 for his last 13. I think he’s back to being lame.
Carlos Beltran – Returned with a 1-for-4. Now he has three weeks to hit 35 homers and steal 20 bases. Or if he just outproduced Angel Pagan, that would be nice, too.
Cameron Maybin – You’re going to hear about every positive thing he does until next year. Yesterday, he hit a homer.
Nate McLouth – Hit his 2nd homer since he returned. This is a hunch, but I think he realizes he has three weeks to make his season’s stats look somewhat palatable.
Manny Parra – Left the game with neck spasms. Manny, you don’t watch the ball off the bat. That’s how you get a crick in your neck.
Mat Gamel – Was recalled. But McGehee’s got the corner locked down like Marlo Stanfield.
Corey Hart – Is back from the DL. He says he wants to steal bases. I have no idea if he’s lying. I couldn’t see his eyes through his sunglasses.
Chris Davis – 3-for-4 with a HR in yesterday’s nightcap. In the, uh, daycap he went 0-for-5.
Michael Brantley – He’s stealing bases. You know you wanna. Go ahead, pick him up.
Franklin Gutierrez – Hit his 16th homer yesterday. The Big FraGu’s having a better year than Carlos Beltran, Grady Sizemore and Josh Hamilton. Cust kayin’.
Matt Murton – Called up by the Rockies. Score this a victory for the National Association for the Advancement of Gingy People. But the NAAGP won’t rest until Murton gets playing time, so there will be a lot of late nights for them.
J.A. Happ – His strained oblique is still vaguely hurting and will miss another start.
Jeff Baker – The pride of Bad Kissingen, West Germany went 3-for-4 yesterday as he hits near .400 in the last week.
Jake Fox – Piniella hates him. Bobby Scales? Sam Fuld? They sound like the bassist and drummer for the Cubs’ heavy metal band, Quite The Riot.
