Pitching Forecaster: Tigers showing some bite

Just when we thought it was time to ignore Detroit Tigers pitchers not named Armando Galarraga or Edwin Jackson, Justin Verlander pulls us back in.

Verlander was finally great again Monday night, the Tigers are in first place and there is the possibility that they only get better from here. It is time to buy on Tigers pitchers, if you haven't already.

First, they get Joel Zumaya back from the DL to bolster the bullpen.

Second, the get the promising start from Verlander and the continued development of Rick Porcello.

Third, Dontrelle Willis is posting good outings on his rehab assignment as he rebounds from social anxiety disorder. Willis could even be a factor for the Tigers and owners by the end of Fantasy Week 5 (May 4-10).

You get the likes of Miguel Cabrera and potential free agent Magglio Ordonez some pitching, and the Tigers could be in the thick of a wide-open AL Central for the long haul. That helps to make not only the current starters intriguing, but it could also mean huge comebacks for the likes of Willis and -- perhaps in June -- Jeremy Bonderman.

Bonderman is being brought back slowly, but that is actually good news if you have him stashed on the DL already. They will be sure he is ready to be an effective major league starter, not to mention Fantasy pitcher.

The addition of Zumaya helps supplement the setup staff behind closer Fernando Rodney, who has a 5.63 ERA through Tuesday's action but just a .267 batting-average against. Brandon Lyon (.222 BAA), flamethrowing rookie Ryan Perry (.143 BAA) and Bobby Seay (.125 BAA) have been decent, too.

You might not like Rodney as the closer, or the questionable health of Zumaya, but the Tigers finally have some strength in numbers.

It's time to catch a Tiger before they become too tough to catch.

Arizona Diamondbacks

1. Dan Haren
2. Jon Garland
3. Doug Davis
4. Max Scherzer
5. Yusmeiro Petit

Week 5 two-starter(s): Davis and Scherzer. They pitch Wednesday and Thursday and could prove to be sleepers for smaller mixed leagues.
Starters on the DL: Webb (shoulder). He is out until at least June now.
Starters to watch in the minors: Jarrod Parker, high Class A. He hasn't been touched yet, so he could position himself for late this year.

Atlanta Braves

1. Derek Lowe
2. Jair Jurrjens
3. Javier Vazquez
4. Kenshin Kawakami
5. Jo-Jo Reyes

Week 5 two-starter(s): Reyes and Vazquez. Reyes pitched well Tuesday night against the Cardinals, much to the chagrin of those owners waiting for a Tommy Hanson promotion.
Starters on the DL: Glavine (shoulder) and Hudson (elbow). Glavine is throwing but it doesn't sound like he is all that optimistic on pitching again. Hudson is still on track for an August return, barring setbacks, but he now wants to return sooner as a reliever.
Starters to watch in the minors: Hanson, Charlie Morton and Kris Medlen. The recent struggles of Kawakami could make the Braves consider other prospects, although you have to figure Kawakami rights himself before the Braves go to any other young starters.

Baltimore Orioles

1. Jeremy Guthrie
2. Koji Uehara
3. Adam Eaton
4. Mark Hendrickson
5. Bradley Bergesen

Week 5 two-starter(s): Eaton and Uehara. They pitch Tuesday and Wednesday vs. the Angels and could be viable AL-only options if they pitch well.
Starters on the DL: Rich J. Hill (elbow) and Alfredo Simon (elbow). Hill began a rehab assignment and could be ready by mid-May. Simon is out for the season after Tommy John surgery.
Starters to watch in the minors: Chris Tillman, Jake Arrieta and Brian Matusz. Future aces, all. Tillman or David Hernandez are next in line, perhaps June 1.

Boston Red Sox

1. Josh Beckett
2. Jon Lester
3. Tim Wakefield
4. Brad Penny
5. Justin Masterson

Week 5 two-starter(s): Lester and Beckett. They pitch Wednesday and Thursday, but it would take a really bad outing by those aces to keep you from not using them next week.
Starters on the DL: Daisuke Matsuzaka (shoulder) and John Smoltz (shoulder). Dice-K and Smoltz might begin a rehab assignment in early May. Masterson will be pitching for his rotation life, perhaps Penny, too.
Starters to watch in the minors: Clay Buchholz and Michael Bowden. Bowden got a one-day call for relief, but the Red Sox don't figure to need these guys as starters unless a number of Red Sox starters go down. They will already have seven starters by late May, if the DL guys return healthy.

Chicago Cubs

1. Carlos Zambrano
2. Ryan Dempster
3. Ted Lilly
4. Rich Harden
5. Sean Marshall

Week 5 two-starter(s): Dempster and Marshall. Marshall is a nice sleeper to track in deeper leagues. He pitches Thursday vs. the Marlins and could make himself a nice pick-up in mixed leagues.
Starters on the DL: None.
Starters to watch in the minors: Mitch Atkins. Jeff Samardzija is now working in the bullpen in the majors, so he would be the defacto No. 6 starter if the Cubs needed one in the coming weeks.

Chicago White Sox

1. Mark Buehrle
2. John Danks
3. Gavin Floyd
4. Bartolo Colon
5. Jose Contreras

Week 5 two-starter(s): Colon and Floyd. Colon is high risk despite his great outing Tuesday night, while Floyd can be a must-start with a solid outing Wednesday.
Starters on the DL: None.
Starters to watch in the minors: Aaron Poreda and Jeff Marquez. Poreda is worth tracking, while Marquez is not.

Cincinnati Reds

1. Aaron Harang
2. Edinson Volquez
3. Bronson Arroyo
4. Johnny Cueto
5. Micah Owings

Week 5 two-starter(s): Harang and Volquez. They are must-start options.
Starters on the DL: None.
Starters to watch in the minors: Homer Bailey and Daryl Thompson. Bailey has struggled, while Thompson has just resumed pitching after a spring injury. We don't see them making any noise in the near future.

Cleveland Indians

1. Cliff Lee
2. Fausto Carmona
3. Carl Pavano
4. Anthony Reyes
5. Aaron Laffey

Week 5 two-starter(s): Reyes and Carmona. Reyes is a bigger risk than Carmona after laying an egg Tuesday night. Carmona is a buy-low candidate we are not ready to give up on.
Starters on the DL: Jake Westbrook (elbow) and Scott Lewis (elbow). Westbrook is out until at least July after Tommy John surgery, while Lewis is out until at least late May.
Starters to watch in the minors: David Huff, Jeremy Sowers and Charles Lofgren. Laffey has pitched well and will get a longer leash than expected, which makes these guys no better than June 1 call-ups at this point.

Colorado Rockies

1. Aaron Cook
2. Ubaldo Jimenez
3. Jason Marquis
4. Jason Hammel
5. Jorge De La Rosa

Week 5 two-starter(s): De La Rosa (blister) and Cook. De La Rosa is a question mark regardless of the blister he developed Tuesday night. Cook would really have to pitch well to encourage you to trust him outside of NL-only formats at this point.
Starters on the DL: Franklin Morales (shoulder) and Jeff Francis (shoulder). Francis is out for the season, while Morales will need to rest his arm for at least the next couple of weeks.
Starters to watch in the minors: Greg Smith (7-day DL), Jason Hirsh, Greg Reynolds, Jhoulys Chacin and Keith Weiser. The Rockies always need viable starters. Anyone they would go to has to be considered high-risk options initially.

Detroit Tigers

1. Justin Verlander
2. Edwin Jackson
3. Armando Galarraga
4. Rick Porcello
5. Zach Miner

Week 5 two-starter(s): Porcello and perhaps Miner. Porcello works Wednesday and could prove to be a must-start even in mixed leagues. The rookie is off to a solid start. Miner is going to potentially lose his rotation spot. He is being skipped until his next turn Tuesday, which could be his last.
Starters on the DL: Jeremy Bonderman (shoulder) and Dontrelle Willis (anxiety disorder). Willis is doing surprisingly well on his rehab assignment and could be an option as soon as late next week. Take a DL flier on him in deeper formats, just in case you can catch lightning in a bottle. Bonderman is being brought back more slowly now and figures to have to wait until at least June at this point.
Starters to watch in the minors: Scot Drucker and Chris Lambert. Willis and then Bonderman will be the Tigers' first options, then perhaps Nate Robertson out of the bullpen.

Florida Marlins

1. Ricky Nolasco
2. Josh Johnson
3. Chris Volstad
4. Anibal Sanchez
5. Graham Taylor

Week 5 two-starter(s): Johnson and Volstad. They could be must-start options if they pitch well Wednesday and Thursday, respectively.
Starters on the DL: Andrew Miller (obliqe) and Rick VandenHurk (elbow). Miller might need just another week before he is ready to return, perhaps after a rehab start to get his stuff in order. We don't see VandenHurk being a factor this season at this point.
Starters to watch in the minors: Sean West, Ryan Tucker, Brett Sinkbeil and Aaron Thompson. They went to Taylor to save the arms of West and company. West could be a factor by June 1 if Miller cannot prove capable off the DL.

Houston Astros

1. Roy Oswalt
2. Wandy Rodriguez
3. Mike Hampton
4. Felipe Paulino
5. Russ Ortiz

Week 5 two-starter(s): Rodriguez and Paulino. These guys are nice sleepers if they pitch well Tuesday and Wednesday.
Starters on the DL: Brandon Backe (oblique) and Brian Moehler (knee). They are both on rehab assignments for the next week or so. They are hardly worth stashing right now, though.
Starters to watch in the minors: Bud Norris. He will get ample time down on the farm, but he could impact deeper leagues later this year.

Kansas City Royals

1. Zack Greinke
2. Gil Meche
3. Kyle Davies
4. Brian Bannister
5. Sidney Ponson

Week 5 two-starter(s): Greinke and Davies. Greinke is a must-start in all leagues as the ace of Fantasy Baseball right now. Davies is a nice sleeper in deeper formats if he pitches well Thursday. He should prove useful in mixed formats.
Starters on the DL: None.
Starters to watch in the minors: Luke Hochevar, Danny Cortes and Carlos Rosa. Hochevar will be the next in line if he continues to pitch well. The problem is Ponson has been surprisingly serviceable.

Los Angeles Angels

1. Joe Saunders
2. Jered Weaver
3. Shane Loux
4. Anthony Ortega
5. Matt Palmer

Week 5 two-starter(s): Loux and Ortega. They could be sleepers for AL-only formats if they pitch serviceably Wednesday and Thursday.
Starters on the DL: John Lackey (elbow), Ervin Santana (elbow), Kelvim Escobar (shoulder) and Dustin Moseley (forearm). The Angels are without an entire rotation -- a really good one, too. The first three were supposed to be back close to May 1, but they haven't started rehab assignments yet and they will need at least a few starts before being ready. You have to consider them out until late May now.
Starters to watch in the minors: Jordan Walden, Sean O'Sullivan and Trevor Reckling. If they haven't been considered stopgaps now, we don't see them being factors once the veterans come back en masse.

Los Angeles Dodgers

1. Chad Billingsley
2. Randy Wolf
3. Clayton Kershaw
4. Eric Stults
5. James McDonald

Week 5 two-starter(s): Wolf and Billingsley. Billingsley is a must-start in all leagues regardless of his matchup(s), while Wolf can prove to be a two-start sleeper if he pitches well at Houston on Wednesday.
Starters on the DL: Hiroki Kuroda (shoulder), Jason Schmidt (shoulder) and Claudio Vargas (elbow). Kuroda and Schmidt are expected to get rehab starts in early May. The former could return after just one start, while the latter might need the full 30 days. Vargas is likely to merely return in relief, if at all.
Starters to watch in the minors: Joshua Lindblom. The Purdue prospect is an elite prospect who could impact all leagues before the end of the year.

Milwaukee Brewers

1. Yovani Gallardo
2. Manny Parra
3. Jeff Suppan
4. Braden Looper
5. Dave Bush

Week 5 two-starter(s): Gallardo and Suppan. They pitch Wednesday and Thursday. Gallardo could prove to be a must-start, while Suppan could prove to be a sleeper.
Starters on the DL: None.
Starters to watch in the minors: Jeremy Jeffress. He needs polish, but the Brewers look like they have five serviceable starters right now at least.

Minnesota Twins

1. Scott Baker
2. Francisco Liriano
3. Glen Perkins
4. Kevin Slowey
5. Nick Blackburn

Week 5 two-starter(s): Liriano and Blackburn. Blackburn needs a decent outing Wednesday to be trustworthy in mixed leagues right now. Liriano looks like a good option after a solid outing Tuesday night.
Starters on the DL: Boof Bonser (shoulder). He is out for the season.
Starters to watch in the minors: Anthony Swarzak and Kevin Mulvey. The Twins didn't need much help from the minors last year, so you can expect they will this season right now.

New York Mets

1. Johan Santana
2. Mike Pelfrey
3. Oliver Perez
4. John Maine
5. Livan Hernandez

Week 5 two-starter(s): Hernandez and Santana. Hernandez might have saved his rotation spot Tuesday night with a decent outing. Santana? Forget it. Leave him in your lineup all season.
Starters on the DL: Tim Redding (shoulder). Redding could be a candidate for Hernandez's second start next week. Let him return and pitch well before you trust him in any league.
Starters to watch in the minors: Jonathon Niese and Bradley Holt. They just don't look fit for New York this season.

New York Yankees

1. CC Sabathia
2. A.J. Burnett
3. Andy Pettitte
4. Joba Chamberlain
5. Phil Hughes

Week 5 two-starter(s): Chamberlain and Burnett. They are must-start options with decent outings Wednesday and Thursday.
Starters on the DL: Chien-Ming Wang (hip). He could begin a rehab assignment and prove capable by mid-May again. Track his progress.
Starters to watch in the minors: Ian Kennedy. Hughes gets the first look, but Kennedy was arguably better in Triple-A to date.

Oakland Athletics

1. Dallas Braden
2. Trevor Cahill
3. Dana Eveland
4. Brett Anderson
5. Josh Outman

Week 5 two-starter(s): Cahill and Braden. They could prove to be sleepers in deeper formats if they pitch well at Texas on Wednesday and Thursday.
Starters on the DL: Justin Duchscherer (elbow). It is getting to the point he needs to be ready for a rehab assignment soon if he wants to return before June. He is nothing more than a DL stashee at this point.
Starters to watch in the minors: Gio Gonzalez, Vin Mazzaro and James J. Simmons. Any of these guys could get the call before the All-Star break if the A's need a starter or they stay hot for an extended period. Track them in AL-only formats.

Philadelphia Phillies

1. Cole Hamels
2. Brett Myers
3. Jamie Moyer
4. Joe Blanton
5. Chan Ho Park

Week 5 two-starter(s): Hamels and Myers. Hamels should be fine for his next start, while Myers would solidify his value for Week 5 with a solid start Wednesday.
Starters on the DL: None.
Starters to watch in the minors: Kyle Kendrick, Carlos Carrasco, Joe Savery, Antonio Bastardo and Kyle Drabek. They won't get a look before J.A. Happ does out of the bullpen. That could come in May for Happ in place of the struggling Park, perhaps as soon as next week. Watch Park on Friday vs. the Mets.

Pittsburgh Pirates

1. Paul Maholm
2. Zach Duke
3. Ian Snell
4. Ross Ohlendorf
5. Jeff Karstens

Week 5 two-starter(s): Maholm and Snell. Maholm came down to earth as we expected so we can no longer say he is an advisable two-start pitcher in mixed leagues.
Starters on the DL: Phil Dumatrait (shoulder). The surprising Pirates rotation doesn't look like it needs him right now.
Starters to watch in the minors: Tom Gorzelanny, Brad Lincoln, Bryan Morris and Daniel McCutchen. These guys will get a look later this year, but they are hardly worth tracking in the minors at this point.

San Diego Padres

1. Jake Peavy
2. Chris R. Young
3. Shawn Hill
4. Kevin Correia
5. Josh Geer

Week 5 two-starter(s): Correia and Geer. They could prove to be sleepers in NL-only leagues if they pitch well Wednesday and Thursday.
Starters on the DL: Walter Silva (elbow) and Cha Seung Baek (forearm). Baek could return in May. He is starting a rehab assignment. Silva looks like he will be out for a while.
Starters to watch in the minors: Cesar Carrillo, Nick Schmidt, Wade LeBlanc, William Inman and perhaps Mark Prior. The last one is the most intriguing, but also the most unlikely to see the majors at this point.

San Francisco Giants

1. Tim Lincecum
2. Randy Johnson
3. Matt Cain
4. Barry Zito
5. Jonathan Sanchez

Week 5 two-starter(s): Lincecum and Sanchez. Lincecum is a must-start in all leagues, but Sanchez could prove to be a sleeper in mixed leagues if he pitches well Tuesday.
Starters on the DL: Noah Lowry (shoulder, elbow). He is out until at least midseason and might not pitch at all this season now. The Giants aren't counting on him, so you shouldn't either.
Starters to watch in the minors: Madison Bumgarner, Timothy Alderson and Kevin Pucetas. No one in baseball has a better pair of elite arms down on the farm than Bumgarner and Alderson, potential front-line guys. Watch their starts closely for potential second-half rewards in deeper leagues. Or any league, perhaps.

Seattle Mariners

1. Felix Hernandez
2. Erik Bedard
3. Jarrod Washburn
4. Carlos Silva
5. Chris Jakubauskas

Week 5 two-starter(s): Hernandez and Bedard. They should be must-start options with even mediocre outings Wednesday and Thursday. Hernandez could move up to Sunday if Jakubauskas is skipped this coming Sunday. Jakubauskas or a potential replacement would then be a two-start option. Stay tuned if you are in a really deep AL-only league.
Starters on the DL: Ryan Rowland-Smith (triceps) and Ryan Feierabend (elbow surgery). Rowland-Smith could begin a rehab assignment and be an option for that two-start week. Take a DL flier on him in deeper formats. Feierabend is out for the season.
Starters to watch in the minors: Gaby Hernandez. He is not all that intriguing right now.

St. Louis Cardinals

1. Adam Wainwright
2. Kyle Lohse
3. Todd Wellemeyer
4. Joel Pineiro
5. Mitchell Boggs

Week 5 two-starter(s): Wainwright and Boggs. Wainwright is likely a must-start option, while Boggs is a sleeper for NL-only formats. He pitches Thursday at Washington, which looks favorable for him pitching well.
Starters on the DL: Chris Carpenter (ribcage) and Jaime Garcia (elbow). Carpenter is out at least until late May, perhaps until July. Garcia is out for the season.
Starters to watch in the minors: Jess Todd and Clayton Mortensen. We figure the Cardinals will go with journeymen like Brad Thompson before they would give Todd a call. Mortsensen is no more intriguing than P.J. Walters or Boggs, who could platoon in the No. 5 starter's spot.

Tampa Bay Rays

1. James Shields
2. Scott Kazmir
3. Matt Garza
4. Andy Sonnanstine
5. Jeff Niemann

Week 5 two-starter(s): Kazmir and Garza. They could be must-start options if they pitch well Wednesday and Thursday.
Starters on the DL: None.
Starters to watch in the minors: David Price, Wade Davis and Jeremy Hellickson. We have to figure Niemann will determine his and Price's near future with his next few starts. Davis and Hellickson likely have to wait until spring 2010.

Texas Rangers

1. Kevin Millwood
2. Vicente Padilla
3. Brandon McCarthy
4. Matt Harrison
5. Scott Feldman

Week 5 two-starter(s): Padilla and Feldman. They will have to pitch well Wednesday and Thursday if they are going to be considered trustworthy in any league. We think they are risky even for AL-only leagues right now.
Starters on the DL: Kris Benson (elbow) and Eric Hurley (shoulder surgery). Benson won't be ready until mid-May and Hurley is out for the season.
Starters to watch in the minors: Neftali Feliz, Michael Main, Tommy Hunter, Thomas Diamond and Kasey Kiker. Derek Holland is already up in the majors in relief, so Harrison and Feldman have to be looking squarely over their shoulders at any of these guys.

Toronto Blue Jays

1. Roy Halladay
2. David Purcey
3. Ricky Romero
4. Scott Richmond
5. Brian Tallet

Week 5 two-starter(s): Tallet and Burres. They will have to pitch well Wednesday and Thursday to be useful even in AL-only leagues at this point.
Starters on the DL: Jesse Litsch (forearm), Dustin McGowan (shoulder), Shaun Marcum (elbow) and Casey Janssen (shoulder). Litsch makes it almost a complete rotation on the DL now. Consider him out until at least late May at this point. Marcum reportedly could be a factor come September, while McGowan merely hopes to be a factor in the second half. Janssen is starting a rehab assignment and could be a factor come mid-May. Stash him on the DL in deeper leagues.
Starters to watch in the minors: Brad Mills, Brett Cecil and Robert Ray. The Blue Jays elected to go with Tallet out of the bullpen to replace Litsch for now, but Mills and Cecil could be impact Fantasy starters if they can get hot back in Triple-A. Watch them closely.

Washington Nationals

1. John Lannan
2. Scott Olsen
3. Daniel Cabrera
4. Shairon Martis
5. Jordan Zimmermann

Week 5 two-starter(s): Olsen and Cabrera. Olsen could be a sleeper in mixed leagues if he pitches well Wednesday, while Cabrera is a risky option even for NL-only formats regardless of how he does Thursday.
Starters on the DL: Matt Chico (elbow). He is out until at least late July after Tommy John surgery.
Starters to watch in the minors: Ross Detwiler, Josh Smoker and Colton Willems. We don't see any of them impacting leagues this season.

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