Corner Infielders: Olerud awakening

His arrival in Boston was about as quiet as the man himself, but John Olerud is making noise with the Red Sox these days.

With his productive bat and trusty glove in tow, Olerud returned to the majors last Friday night at Yankee Stadium, presumably to fill the role Doug Mientkiewicz played so well last season. But after just four games, it is becoming apparent Olerud might be much more than just a late-inning defensive replacement.

In his first four games with Boston, Olerud is 5-for-11 (.455). Granted, that is not exactly a large sample for analysis, but with regular first baseman Kevin Millar scuffling at a .243 clip, any offensive production is an improvement.

The implications for Fantasy owners short term are simple: Millar will see less at-bats, while Olerud will likely start 2-3 days a week. Initial indications are manager Terry Francona will play the hot hand and go on matchups.

While he had a very un-Olerud-like .258 average a year ago, splitting time with the Yankees and Mariners, the 17-year veteran will be valuable in AL-only leagues. He can still hit and is in arguably the best offense in baseball. Consider picking him up if you have room. He might end up being a great find.

As for Millar and his Fantasy owners, this is not good news. Sure, he is still considered the everyday first baseman, but what does it say when the organization brings in a proven veteran and gives him at-bats immediately? Millar has but two home runs this season and a meager 22 RBI.

It is hard to say what to do with him at this point. He loses much of his value in mixed leagues until further notice.

Cornering the market

• Jim Thome, who has struggled with both his health and his bat, has picked it up in the past week. He is 6-for-9 with a homer and an RBI in his past four games, raising his average to .219. While Thome has just two long balls this season, he is one of the more streaky home run-hitters in the game. As long as he remains healthy and in the lineup, he is much too valuable to reserve or cut.
• Once-promising first baseman Carlos Pena was sent to the minors Tuesday by the Tigers. Pena was hitting a light .181 in 127 at-bats. Detroit called up catcher Chris Shelton, who led the Arizona Fall League with a .404 average (46-for-114) and won the MVP award for the super-prospect league. After spending much of last season on the bench with Detroit as a Rule-5 Draft pick, Shelton showed he is ready to deliver in the majors. Shelton was tearing up at Triple-A Toledo, hitting .331 with eight homers, 39 RBI and 34 runs scored. As a catcher eligible who will likely see significant time at first base, Shelton is immediately a must-have in almost every league.
• Olmedo Saenz is getting more at-bats at first base while Hee Seop Choi battles a stiff forearm. Saenz has started each of the past two games and is hitting .345 on the season with five home runs. Bad news for Choi, who might lose at-bats when he returns to full health.

• The roller-coaster ride that is being a Tino Martinez owner continues. He carried the Yankees for two weeks in May, but he hasn't homered since May 15. Journeyman Russ Johnson even got a start at first Sunday against David Wells. For those of you who traded Tino at his maximum value, congrats. For those who hung on too long, you might as well wait for the next streak.

• Ryan Freel had a good time in the absence of Joe Randa at third base, but with Randa back after a foot injury, Freel moved back to second. He now has eight games of eligibility at the hot corner, making him a very useful and productive utility man. Freel also has eligibility in the outfield as well. He is a valuable guy, considering his hitting .319 with 12 stolen bases.

Injury report

• Potential Hall of Famer Jeff Bagwell is scheduled to have surgery on his ailing shoulder Thursday and could be out for the remainder on the season. Depending in his rehabilitation, it could lead to his retirement.

• Sean Burroughs has missed five consecutive games for the Padres as he nurses a strained left quad. He wasn’t exactly re-writing the franchise's record books before the setback, hitting .266 with one homer. He should be back in action this week, but if you're waiting for his return to boost your offense, you might want to look elsewhere.

• Corey Koskie had successful surgery on his fractured right thumb last week and is expected to return to the Blue Jays' lineup in four to six weeks, which puts him into July.

Bleacher Banter

Chris Kimmel  Shady Cove, Ore.:  I drafted Adrian Beltre on Draft Day and up to this point he has been a bust. Should I hang on to him or try to trade him for a pitcher? I had Mark Prior as my ace, but it looks as though he might be done for the season.

B.B.: Beltre sure is struggling in his first year in the AL, hitting just .235 with five home runs. He has also been battling a nagging hamstring injury. That said, his value has plummeted, meaning you won't get nearly the starting pitcher for him that you would have prior to the season (no pun intended). You're better off riding him out to see if he can turn things around.

Mark: What are the chances of the Padres moving light-hitting Sean Burroughs to second and giving more playing time to Xavier Nady at third base? Does Nady have potential, or were the first few weeks of the season a fluke?

B.B.: Burroughs has been a disappointment and the Padres do have a hole at second with Mark Loretta out. Burroughs did work out some this spring at second base, but his recent injury has kept any possible switch from happening. It is a longshot at this point to see Burroughs moved to second for the two months Loretta is expected to miss. Now, Nady might get more at-bats at third with Burroughs scuffling, but don't expect him to take over hot corner on a permanent basis.

You can e-mail your Fantasy Baseball corner-infielder questions to bleacher@commissioner.com. Be sure to put Attn: Corner Infielders in the subject field. Please include your full name, hometown and state. Be aware, due to the large volume of submissions received, we cannot guarantee personal responses or answers to all questions.