I don't want to alarm anyone, but there are only 66 days left until the NFL season opener. SIXTY-SIX! Make sure you sign up for FOX Fantasy Football right away, OK?
Pitcher to start: I'd like to thank Kevin Slowey for salvaging the weekend slate of picks after Nick Blackburn and John Lannan brought nothing to the table on Friday and Saturday. Slowey's ERA is down to 3.47 for the season, his WHIP is 1.03, and he's owned in just 4.4 percent of leagues around here. You really have five or six better starters than this guy?
Tonight's selection is the Cards' Kyle Lohse (30.3 percent owned), who goes at home against the Mets.
On to the news:
A big thanks to my dad for trading me Magglio Ordonez in our AL keeper league last week. Maggs went on the DL with a pulled oblique muscle, and will be out through the All-Star break.
OF Michael Cuddyer is on the DL for the Twins with a torn tendon in his finger, and they're not sure when he'll be back. The team promoted Denard Span (yawn) to take Cuddyer's roster spot, but yesterday they DHed Mike Lamb while moving Jason Kubel to the outfield. Somehow, under "designated hitter" in the dictionary, I don't think there's a photo of Lamb.
It sounds like Braves 3B Chipper Jones is finally heading to the DL with his quad strain. If that happens, the earliest he'll be back is a week from Friday.
The Yankees are apparently going to call up speedy outfielder Brett Gardner today, and he should get some playing time while Hideki Matsui is on the disabled list. Gardner had 34 steals in the minors this season, and if you're in an AL-only league you might want to take a shot at him.
The Brewers activated Eric Gagne from the DL yesterday, but he won't be the closer anytime soon unless Salomon Torres either falls on his face or gets accidentally run over by one of the team's racing sausages. By the way, click on the first link and read manager Ned Yost's brief explanation as to why Gagne will be fine in a setup role, even though he said in the off-season that his problems in Boston last year were due to him setting up rather than closing. I wonder if Yost had a straight face when he was quoted.
DH Billy Butler is back with the Royals after a month in the minors, where he batted .337 with five home runs in 26 games. I was a big Butler fan coming into the season, and I think he's probably going to hit well for the Royals at some point soon.
Nats CF Lastings Milledge is on the DL with a groin injury, and Roger Bernadina was called up from Double A to take his place. Quick scouting report, thanks in part to the Baseball America Prospect Handbook: Bernadina's full first name is "Rogearvin," and while he's apparently not much of a hitter, he'll steal bases as long as the Nats let him play. I have a hunch that won't be too long.
The Cardinals activated Mark Mulder over the weekend, and he'll be in the bullpen for the time being.
Mets OF Ryan Church is back from his concussion, and he takes the roster spot of Trot Nixon, who's on the DL with a groin strain.
If you own Carlos Zambrano, you can tentatively plan on seeing him Friday night against the Cardinals.
Reds 3B Edwin Encarnacion finally returned to the lineup yesterday, and made up for lost time.
Dodgers OF Juan Pierre hurt his knee yesterday, and he'll have an MRI today to see what's wrong.
