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First, there's bad news for Mets fans and Wagner owners. The hard-throwing lefty with the 2.30 ERA, 0.89 WHIP and 27 saves this season is done for a while, maybe forever. He threw off a mound Sunday in between games of the Mets-Phillies doubleheader, but couldn't finish the session. After 13 pitches, Wagner walked off the mound with his head down. He has a torn medial collateral ligament in his pitching elbow, as well as a torn forearm muscle, and he'll be scheduled for Tommy John surgery. Those in keeper leagues can let go as well, because we won't see Wagner again until 2010. Being that he's 37 years old, it might be the last time we've seen Wagner.

The Mets have been using Luis Ayala to close games, and he's done a fine job, converting five of six chances, and allowing the rest of the bullpen to thrive in set-up roles. What you see for the Mets right now is what you get. Brian Stokes has tossed 11 scoreless innings, Pedro Feliciano has resumed pitching solely to lefty hitters, and Joe Smith hasn't allowed a run in 13 appearances, mostly against right-handed batters. Aaron Heilman should rent, not buy. As for next season, rumors will run rampant about the Mets wooing free agents like Francisco Rodriguez or trading for a Huston Street type. Ayala is unlikely to keep this closing job in 2009, but he is safe for the next three weeks.

While the news from New York was sad -- let's face it, Wagner has had a terrific career, and has led many a fantasy owner to a championship -- the Cardinals made an announcement that is surely surprising. Manager Tony LaRussa has tried a few relief pitchers to close out games, from Jason Isringhausen to Ryan Franklin and Chris Perez. Now comes word former Cy Young winner Chris Carpenter will not only finish the season in the St. Louis bullpen, but he will occasionally be used to save games.

Carpenter does not have a career save, and the last time he pitched in relief before last week was in 2000 with the Toronto Blue Jays. At this point, however, with Isringhausen out for the season, Franklin losing the job, and Perez struggling over the past week, LaRussa is willing to try anything. Carpenter, who had Tommy John surgery last season and has appeared in four games (three starts) in 2008, is owned in 15.6 percent of ESPN standard leagues. The team he says he will pitch maybe once per series, which frankly doesn't make him a very strong fantasy pickup.

This news also makes Perez owners wonder if it's worth owning the right-hander. LaRussa has watched his beleaguered bullpen blow a major league-leading 30 saves, and lose 30 games. Perez recently blew a pair of saves, but earned the final two outs Sunday to beat the Marlins. Kyle McClellan was warming up at the time, in case Perez got into trouble. Now it's likely Carpenter will be given the occasional chance in that closing situation.

Past editions: 9/8: Scherzer sharp | 9/7: Webb's woes | 9/6: Quentin to have surgery

Where was Gary Sheffield all season? The Tigers slugger hit a pair of home runs Monday, giving him 16 for the season, and knocked in five before the third inning. Sheffield still isn't slugging .400 for the season, but 11 of his home runs have come since the All-Star break. His second-inning grand slam is estimated to be home run No. 250,000 in major league history. No extra points for this in fantasy. … The Tigers destroyed young Oakland lefty Gio Gonzalez, who allowed three home runs in 1 2/3 innings, and eight earned runs. His ERA is 9.32 in seven starts. … Tigers right-hander Zach Miner, however, appeared a decent spot starter going in, with a 5-1 record and 2.50 ERA as a starter. He allowed eight earned runs and couldn't qualify for the win. He is on ESPN's most added list. Tomorrow, he'll be on the dropped list. … Miguel Cabrera owners complained at the All-Star break, but he's up to 33 homers and 116 RBIs, after hitting one out against Oakland lefty Josh Outman, a lefty acquired in the Joe Blanton deal. … Fausto Carmona entered Monday winning three straight starts, then allowed seven earned runs to the sputtering Orioles. Carmona is not safe to start in fantasy. … Adam Jones and Aubrey Huff each homered and knocked in four runs. Huff's been doing this all season, but Jones has struggled since the All-Star break, hitting .229. … Jon Lester toyed with the poor Rays on Monday, closing the AL East gap to a half game. Lester struck out nine in winning his 14th game. He and Jonathan Papelbon fanned Tampa cleanup hitter Rocco Baldelli four times. … Edwin Jackson pitched respectably in the loss, striking out six, which is one K off his season high. … By the fourth inning Monday, Jimmy Rollins had three singles and three stolen bases. He's not going to win MVP this year, but he is approaching his career high of 46 steals, achieved during his rookie season in 2001. He has 41 swipes now. … Jayson Werth delivered the big blow in the win over the Marlins, hitting the first pitch Joe Nelson threw for a three-run home run. Quietly, Werth has 21 home runs. Incidentally, Werth rarely swings at the first pitch. Only Bobby Abreu and J.J. Hardy swing at the first pitch less. … Anibal Sanchez was terrible, delivering his shortest career start for the second time in a week. Sanchez allowed five runs, and retired only five hitters. He is not safe to use in fantasy. … Everyone's pal Dave Bush bounced back from a brutal six-run first inning against the Mets last week with eight strong innings of two-run ball against the Reds. Then Salomon Torres gave up four hits, two walks and three runs to lose the game in the ninth. Torres is probably safe as closer, despite blowing seven saves, three in his past eight outings. Who else can close? Eric Gagne? Ha! … Edinson Volquez fanned 10 Brewers, giving him 23 in his past two outings. Of course, he didn't win either game. Giving up the second home run of the season to Jason Kendall is kind of inexcusable. … J.J. Hardy homered again, giving him 23 for the season, and three in the past week. Last season Hardy hit most of his homers in the first month, then few after. This season he's mashed 21 homers since June 1. … Ryan Braun stole second base twice off Volquez. He's one short of his 15 steals from his rookie campaign. … The Astros called up infielder Mark Saccomanno from Triple-A Round Rock, and he homered off Ian Snell on the first pitch he saw in the bigs. Saccomanno hit 27 homers this season, so he's no fluke, and Ty Wigginton is out at least this week with a groin strain. Then again, of the other three Astros in club history to homer in their maiden at-bat, none of them ever hit another home run for Houston (Charlton Jimerson, David Matranga, Jose Sosa). … Hunter Pence finally got into double digits in stolen bases, after swiping 11 as a rookie. Pence is not a good percentage base stealer. He's 10-for-19 this season. … A day after Nate McLouth injured his left eye when hit by an errant ball, he batted third, getting a hit in four at-bats. … The Angels could go with youngster Brandon Wood at one of the positions on the left side of the infield in 2009. The kid has power, swatting a pair of home runs Monday against the Yankees. … Quite a race in the NL West. The Dodgers saw their eight-game winning streak snapped by the Padres, as Cha Seung Baek and two relievers tossed a four-hitter. Andre Ethier had three of the Dodgers' hits. … Padres rookie second baseman Matt Antonelli had a poor hitting season in the minors, and it's continuing with the big club. He's hitting .048, with one hit in 21 at-bats.