Daily Notes for Wednesday: Lackey is back!
He's back! John Lackey is in line to make his first start of 2008, and his patient owners no doubt are pleased to finally have him available. Now those owners hope Lackey picks up where he left off in 2007, when he won the AL ERA title with a 3.01 mark. As noted below, his owners should activate him right away.
The Mets have yet to announce a starter for Wednesday's contest, but manager Willie Randolph has hinted that the team will call up someone from the minors.
| Time | Visitors | L/R | Record | ERA | WHIP | Home | L/R | Record | ERA | WHIP | |||
| 2:05 p.m. |  | Carlos Silva | R | 3-2 | 4.33 | 1.35 | @ |  | Scott Feldman | R | 1-1 | 4.07 | 1.36 |
| 3:05 p.m. |  | Jon Lester | L | 2-2 | 4.06 | 1.51 | @ |  | Daniel Cabrera | R | 3-1 | 3.54 | 1.20 |
| 7:05 p.m. |  | Joe Blanton | R | 2-5 | 3.82 | 1.40 | @ |  | C.C. Sabathia | L | 2-5 | 6.55 | 1.68 |
| 7:05 p.m. |  | Tom Glavine | L | 0-1 | 4.03 | 1.62 | @ |  | Brett Myers | R | 2-3 | 5.33 | 1.47 |
| 7:10 p.m. |  | Mike Mussina | R | 5-3 | 4.36 | 1.20 | @ |  | James Shields | R | 4-2 | 3.14 | 1.14 |
| 7:10 p.m. |  | Tim Redding | R | 4-3 | 3.83 | 1.19 | @ |  | Undecided | 0 | 0.0 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| 7:10 p.m. |  | Ricky Nolasco | R | 2-3 | 5.35 | 1.43 | @ |  | Bronson Arroyo | R | 2-4 | 7.14 | 1.71 |
| 8:05 p.m. |  | Derek Lowe | R | 2-3 | 4.43 | 1.43 | @ |  | Manny Parra | L | 1-2 | 5.79 | 1.87 |
| 8:05 p.m. |  | Jake Peavy | R | 4-2 | 2.47 | 1.08 | @ |  | Ted Lilly | L | 3-4 | 5.24 | 1.30 |
| 8:10 p.m. |  | Roy Halladay | R | 3-5 | 3.29 | 1.03 | @ |  | Boof Bonser | R | 2-4 | 5.09 | 1.35 |
| 8:10 p.m. |  | Justin Verlander | R | 1-6 | 6.43 | 1.47 | @ |  | Luke Hochevar | R | 2-2 | 4.94 | 1.44 |
| 8:15 p.m. |  | Paul Maholm | L | 2-3 | 4.79 | 1.43 | @ |  | Todd Wellemeyer | R | 3-1 | 3.56 | 1.19 |
| 9:40 p.m. |  | Jorge De La Rosa | L | 1-1 | 10.34 | 1.86 | @ |  | Micah Owings | R | 4-1 | 4.33 | 1.15 |
| 10:05 p.m. |  | Jose Contreras | R | 3-3 | 3.66 | 1.22 | @ |  | John Lackey | R | 0-0 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| 10:15 p.m. |  | Brian Moehler | R | 1-0 | 4.26 | 1.58 | @ |  | Patrick Misch | L | 0-0 | 5.62 | 1.37 |
Out
Jeremy Accardo, RP, Blue Jays (forearm)
Wilson Betemit, 3B, Yankees (hamstring)
Chris Denorfia, OF, A's (back)
Chone Figgins, 3B, Angels (hamstring)
Nick Punto, 2B/3B/SS, Twins (hamstring)
Richie Sexson, 1B, Mariners (suspension)
Vernon Wells, OF, Blue Jays (wrist)
Day-to-day
Luis Castillo, 2B, Mets (quadriceps)
Ray Durham, 2B, Giants (hamstring)
Jacoby Ellsbury, OF, Red Sox (knee)
Rafael Furcal, SS, Dodgers (back)
Ramon Hernandez, C, Orioles (wrist)
Orlando Hudson, 2B, Diamondbacks (hamstring)
Mike Jacobs, 1B, Marlins (thumb)
John Lackey, SP, Angels (triceps)
Julio Lugo, SS, Red Sox (concussion)
Angel Pagan, OF, Mets (shoulder)
Manny Ramirez, OF, Red Sox (hamstring)
Brian Roberts, 2B, Orioles (foot)
Takashi Saito, RP, Dodgers (illness)
Mark Teixeira, 1B, Braves (back)
Hitters: Jhonny Peralta is a good start versus Joe Blanton. He is 8-for-20 (.400) with two homers against him. … Delmon Young is a must-start versus Roy Halladay. He is 4-for-8 with three doubles versus Doc. … Hideki Matsui mashes against James Shields. In 10 at-bats, Matsui has three home runs, a double and two singles. … Look for someone to use in place of Nick Swisher in your Wednesday lineup; he is 4-for-34 (.118) against Lackey. That's a big enough sample size to consider benching him. … Mark Teixeira left the first game of Monday's doubleheader because of back spasms; the recently acquired Greg Norton started in his place the second game. Look elsewhere for help if Teixeira must sit a few games. Maybe you can try Kevin Millar, who has been relatively hot in recent weeks. … Brian Roberts (foot) and Ramon Hernandez (wrist) both got the day off Monday but could return Tuesday. Check Tuesday's box score for signs of life. … Jacoby Ellsbury's bruised knee, suffered as a result of a hit by pitch Sunday, might sideline him, but Coco Crisp would be a nice play in his stead. In fact, Crisp had a home run Saturday and another one Sunday. … Jose Guillen has been working his way back from a neck injury by starting at DH, but fantasy owners should give him the day off Wednesday. He is 1-for-13 (.077) versus Justin Verlander. … Randy Winn should be in your lineup, though. He is 12-for-21 (.571) with four doubles and a triple versus Houston starter Brian Moehler.
Pitchers: Lackey has been out since spring training because of a triceps strain but has made three Triple-A starts while on a rehab assignment. In the process, he struck out 11 batters in nine innings and certainly appears good to go. His matchup is promising as well, considering the White Sox lineup is a combined 35-for-170 (.206) against him. I say, "Why wait?" Get Lackey in your lineup right away. … Whatever was wrong with C.C. Sabathia early in the season is clearly behind him now. Since April 22, he has three quality starts in four outings, and his "rough" outing was only four earned runs (as opposed to nine in back-to-back games earlier this season). Oakland struggles with lefties, so look for Sabathia to have a fine outing. … Look for only an average outing (by his lofty standards) from James Shields. The Yankees pummeled him in 2007, but Shields' great numbers at home (1.16 ERA in four starts this season) should help balance things. … Jake Peavy and Roy Halladay are void of any harbingers in their matchups. Start 'em both with confidence (as you always should). … It's bothersome that Grady Sizemore, Peralta and Victor Martinez have solid numbers against Blanton, who allowed five runs against Cleveland on April 11 and has a 4.65 ERA in his five previous outings against the Tribe. Don't bet on a quality start from him in this contest. … Brett Myers should get back on track in this home start against Atlanta. He has a 3.00 ERA in four home starts this season (versus 8.18 on the road), and the current crop of Atlanta hitters have combined for a .214 career average against him (27-for-126). … Derek Lowe can't be faulted for having a rough outing at Coors Field, but his last start at home versus the Astros was troubling. However, Lowe had a terrific April (2.88 ERA), and two poor outings to begin May shouldn't be enough to scare anyone off (even though he has dipped to 80 percent ownership in ESPN standard leagues). The Brewers are decent prey for right-handed pitching, so if you play in the 20 percent of ESPN leagues in which he is available, grab Lowe and start him. … Ted Lilly is a great option. San Diego is one of the lightest-hitting clubs in the majors, especially against southpaws (28th in OPS). It should be quite a duel between Peavy and Lilly at Wrigley Field. … Pittsburgh has won six of its past seven games and trails only Boston for team OPS over the past week (.854). Todd Wellemeyer has been a nice surprise for the Cardinals this season, but he needs a careful eye to be a fantasy asset because he is not overpowering. Leave him on the bench for this one. … Saito (illness) should be OK by the time Wednesday rolls around. But if Jonathan Broxton is available, he might be a good desperation play to get a save. … Despite Justin Verlander's gaudy ERA, I'm in his court for this start. He has solid peripherals versus the Royals, and various reports say his command and velocity have been fine all season. The problem is said to be Verlander's mechanics, and the problem is being worked on. Verlander is 3-0 with a 1.33 ERA versus the Royals in his career. March out Verlander and look for a good outing.
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Pitchers: Tom Glavine might be winless, but he does have three quality starts and only one bad outing (not including the start he left because of injury). Last season Glavine was 2-0 with a 2.14 ERA in five starts against the Phillies. He is not a bad start here. … It's all about the walks with Daniel Cabrera. After firing a complete game three-hitter with just one walk in his past start, expectations should be high for Cabrera. Boston will be a good test for him. The Red Sox lineup is a combined 46-for-148 (.311) against Cabrera, and he was 0-3 with a 4.96 ERA in three starts last season. Seeing as how walks are typically his downfall, the fact that Boston has the third-best on-base percentage versus right-handers (.359) also makes me shy away from starting Cabrera. Leave him on the bench for this one, and if he has another solid outing, you will feel a lot safer about starting him going forward. … I was in Bronson Arroyo's corner for his past start, but not this one. The Florida Marlins hit right-handed pitching harder (.824 OPS) than any other team, and Arroyo is pitching on short rest. … Mike Mussina seems to have his changeup working for him again. In 2006, he realized he was tipping the pitch, and fixing that had terrific results. Last year he was rocked by the Rays for a 7.59 ERA in two starts, but in 2006 he was 3-1 with a 1.88 ERA in four starts versus Tampa Bay. The fact that Mussina has kept Eric Hinske's and Carlos Pena's batting averages below the Mendoza Line is enough to tip me toward recommending the Moose. … Manny Parra had an encouraging outing in his last start, but bench him here. The Dodgers still lead the way in OPS versus lefties (.868). … Houston also has a powerful OPS versus southpaws (.825, fourth in majors), which is enough to eliminate Patrick Misch from consideration. … Luke Hochevar continues to induce ground balls well enough that I don't see the Tigers being a major threat to him. If the rookie's strikeouts were more plentiful, I'd be more confident in my recommendation, but I still think he can post a quality start here. … Micah Owings got back on track with a good outing against Philadelphia, and he already has one strong start against Colorado this season. With his offense likely to give him loads of support, Owings should be good for a win. … Arizona (.816) is nearly as strong as the Dodgers when it comes to OPS versus southpaws. Considering what the Dodgers did to Jorge De La Rosa (9 H, 9 ER in 4 IP) on May 3, I think the Diamondbacks should be able to tee off as well. … The Seattle Mariners sit dead last in OPS versus right-handers. Coming off two straight quality starts, Scott Feldman looks like a good spot starter, and he should be available in even the deepest of leagues. … Jon Lester can be tough to hit on his good days. Noting the Orioles' .609 OPS over the past week (second-to-last in the majors), Lester should be a useful starter. … Carlos Silva won't be getting much offensive support, and though he beat Texas in his first start this season, Silva had a 5.19 ERA in three 2007 starts versus the Rangers. … Jose Contreras has a 3.63 career ERA versus the Angels and really looked in his 2006 form in his past few starts. Pick him up if you need a spot-start pitcher in deep leagues. … Boof Bonser is coming off two rotten starts and is 0-2 with a 6.17 ERA versus Toronto. No thanks! … Cincinnati is pounding the ball lately (.816 OPS in the past week). That is enough to prevent me from starting a marginal fantasy option such as Ricky Nolasco against them. … Tim Redding just missed a quality start versus the Mets on April 23, and other than two hiccups against the Marlins (who hit righties better than any other team), has been downright solid. He's a sneaky spot start against the Mets. … The Giants have a solid .808 OPS over the past week (sixth in the majors), so don't bother with the idea of starting Brian Moehler.
There is a strong chance of showers and thunderstorms in Cleveland, Cincinnati and Arlington, Texas, which could threaten the A's-Indians, Marlins-Reds and Mariners-Rangers games, respectively. … There is a slight chance of rain in St. Louis and Chicago as well, which could affect the Pirates-Cardinals and Padres-Cubs contests. … Weatherproof games include the Yankees-Rays, Dodgers-Brewers, Blue Jays-Twins and Rockies-Diamondbacks.
Sean Allen is a fantasy baseball and hockey analyst for ESPN.com. You can e-mail him here.
