The Twins and Tigers start a four-game series today in Detroit, with the Tigers ahead of the Twins by two games. Who else sees a 12-for-18, four-homer effort coming from Joe Mauer? I think I'd walk him every time if I was the Tigers.

Who's off: Mariners, A's, Cubs, Brewers, Reds, Cardinals, Padres, Rockies, Giants, Diamondbacks

First pitch: The Dodgers and Pirates get the NL day off to an early start at 12:35 p.m. ET, while we've got a trio of AL games at 7:05. Here's the full schedule.

Pitcher to start: Since we last left you with a 93-90 record:

• Wade Davis was good enough on Wednesday.
• On Thursday, Jason Hammel got the job done, while Clay Buchholz continued to prove that he should have been in the Red Sox rotation all along.
• Max Scherzer was just OK on Friday.
• Pedro Martinez got scratched Saturday - sorry about that. He's scheduled to start again on Thursday.
• David Price got knocked around on Sunday.

All that information leaves us at 96-92, which isn't too shabby. Today, let's go with our friend Jeff Niemann (28.9 percent owned) against the Orioles, and red-hot Dodger Hiroki Kuroda (23.4 percent owned) against the Pirates. Kuroda has a 2.16 ERA and a 0.88 WHIP since coming off the DL four starts ago.

On to the news:

• The Rays have decided to shut down closer J.P. Howell for the rest of the season, so if you've been getting saves from him, you need to replace them for the season's final week. You can't trust anyone on the mix-and-match Rays, since even Lance Cormier got a save for them Sunday. Suggestion: Matt Thornton of the White Sox has a couple of saves since Bobby Jenks' season ended, and he's owned in just six percent of FOXSports.com leagues. Thornton might close next season if Jenks is traded, so he's a great speculative pickup for keeper leagues. Note to the guys in my AL keeper league: I already have Thornton for $1, so don't even bother checking.
• Ryan Madson (8.7 percent owned) saved Sunday's game for the Phillies. If you can still grab him, do it. And if Brad Lidge gets another shot to close this week ... I apologize in advance.
• Clayton Kershaw pitched decently in his return to the Dodgers' rotation, and is on target to start again Saturday. However, he only threw four innings Sunday, and you shouldn't expect a long outing from him next time. Five or six innings, I'd guess.
• After an aborted comeback two weeks ago, Rangers 3B Michael Young expects to be back in the lineup tonight.
• Jon Lester got hit in the leg with a line drive Friday, but he seems to be OK, and is listed as Thursday's probable starter.
• The Tigers' Web site reports that SP Jarrod Washburn will rejoin the Tigers on Monday, but only to sit on the bench. His only chance to return is late in the postseason, which doesn't help your fantasy squad. That trade really worked out for the Tigers, didn't it?
• Neither Gavin Floyd nor Mark Buehrle is listed as a probable starter for the White Sox through Friday. According to the team's Web site, Buehrle might pitch Sunday against the Tigers if the game means anything, but it sounds like Floyd is done. I hope these guys don't watch any college football games in the clubhouse during their spare time.
• Mariners 1B Russell Branyan is done for the season due to a back injury. On both Saturday and Sunday, the M's went with Jose Lopez at first base and rookie Matt Tuiasosopo at second.
• Royals OF David DeJesus has missed a few games due to an illness, and might not travel on this week's road trip. It's probably safe to cut DeJesus if you need someone that's guaranteed to play.
• The Yankees and Cardinals have already clinched their divisions, and the Dodgers can do the same today. Look for those teams to rest players this week - particularly the older guys or those with nagging injuries (Jorge Posada's stiff neck qualifies under both criteria). It doesn't mean a week off, but it probably means a couple of  missed games, which might be harder to keep up with. I just dropped Posada for Matt Wieters in a mixed league, since Wieters is probably a safer play this week.
• For today's Hot Streak pick, I'll copy the computer and take John Danks to strike out at least seven Indians. Make your selection now!

I'll be back here later today with a football entry, and Wednesday morning for more baseball news.