Week 6 Fantasy Hitting Planner

The Fantasy Baseball Hitting Planner is the essential guide to setting your lineup for the upcoming week. Every weekend, we provide you with favorable and unfavorable matchups as well as lineup changes for each team.

Weather planner: Taking into account all games with at least a 50 percent chance of precipitation according to Weather.com, no games are in danger of being rained out.

This week's news and notes for each team:

Arizona Diamondbacks
Schedule: CIN3, @ATL3
Heating Up: In a lineup full of young underachievers, the youngest of all, 21-year-old Justin Upton, has broken out. He's batting .368 (21-for-57) with six home runs during his current 16-game hitting streak. Get him active in all leagues.
Cooling Off: Who first? Every regular other than Upton and Felipe Lopez is hitting on the wrong side of .250. You shouldn't start any of them in mixed leagues right now, with the possible exception of Mark Reynolds, who has seven homers.
Injury Concerns: Stephen Drew (hamstring) began a rehab assignment Saturday and could return before the end of the team's homestand Wednesday. Since he might only play the weekend series at Atlanta, you should keep him reserved outside of NL-only leagues, but he's normally a must-start when healthy.
Platoon Possibilities: The Diamondbacks don't face any left-handed pitchers this week, but now that Chad A. Tracy has lost his starting job, they don't have any clear candidates to sit against them anyway.
Lineup Changes: Hoping to spark some life in their offense, the Diamondbacks promoted 27-year-old Josh Whitesell to the majors this week and named him the starting first baseman over Tracy. So far, Whitesell is 1-for-13 with a double, but he does have five walks compared to one strikeout. The Diamondbacks could always decide they want Eric Byrnes to play every day instead, but Whitesell deserves a roster spot in deeper NL-only leagues for now.

Atlanta Braves
Schedule: @NYM3, ARI
Heating Up: Casey Kotchman is batting .353 (6-for-17) with his first two home runs of the season over his last five games, but he's just an NL-only option. Jeff Francoeur has hit safely in every game this month, batting .310 (13-for-42) during a 10-game hitting streak.
Cooling Off: Garret Anderson has struggled since coming off the DL -- or all season, really. He's batting .111 (2-for-18) in five games.
Injury Concerns: None
Platoon Possibilities: The Braves face two left-handed pitchers this week, so Matt Diaz will probably start those games in place of Anderson. Omar Infante has begun platooning with the ever-slumping Kelly Johnson and has low-end appeal in NL-only leagues because of his high batting average.
Lineup Changes: Brian McCann, who missed time with a vision problem, has hit fifth since returning from the DL, with Anderson batting fourth. The two will likely switch places after McCann homered Saturday, especially given Anderson's struggles.

Baltimore Orioles
Schedule: TB2, @KC4
Heating Up: Adam Jones refuses to let his batting average drop below .340. He's batting .400 (8-for-20) with a homer over his last five games and is clearly a must-start. Gregg Zaun, who's no stranger to streaks, has finally shown some life, batting .545 (6-for-11) with a homer over his last four games. He can actually make an impact in mixed leagues if you get desperate enough.
Cooling Off: Melvin Mora hasn't looked like the same player who drove in 104 runs last season. He's batting .130 (3-for-23) over his last six games and hardly has any appeal in mixed leagues.
Injury Concerns: None
Platoon Possibilities: The Orioles don't face a single left-handed pitcher this week, meaning Ty Wigginton likely won't get enough at-bats to start in AL-only leagues. Luke Scott could have a nice week if he starts all six games.
Lineup Changes: Lou Montanez got a start Friday against CC Sabathia, which all but confirms he's now the everyday left fielder, replacing Felix Pie against both lefties and righties. He's worth adding in AL-only leagues. Scott and Wigginton will likely platoon at DH going forward.

Boston Red Sox
Schedule: @LAA3, @SEA
Heating Up: Jason Bay is picking up the slack for David Ortiz, batting .360 (9-for-25) with four home runs and 13 RBI over his last six games. Jacoby Ellsbury is batting .370 (10-for-27) with five steals over his last six games, but he's still not walking or hitting for power. Still, he has established himself as a must-start in Fantasy.
Cooling Off: Jason Varitek is starting to look like he did last year, batting .167 (3-for-18) over his last five games. Don't bother with him in mixed leagues.
Injury Concerns: Kevin Youkilis hasn't played since Monday because of soreness in his side. He hopes to return Tuesday, meaning he'd play the full week since the Red Sox have an off day Monday. Unless you hear something new Sunday, you should probably trust him to return and keep him active.
Platoon Possibilities: The Red Sox face only one left-handed pitcher this week, but it's a tough one in Erik Bedard. Rocco Baldelli will likely start for J.D. Drew that day.
Lineup Changes: Julio Lugo has bounced in and out of the lineup with continued soreness in his surgically repaired knee, but he started his third straight game Sunday. He's batting .462 (6-for-13) during that stretch but doesn't have the ceiling to matter in mixed leagues.

Chicago Cubs
Schedule: SD3, HOU3
Heating Up: Milton Bradley has hit safely in four straight games and reached base four times Saturday. Those numbers don't mean much on their own, but you'll want him active if he breaks out this week. He has too much talent to hit under .250 forever.
Cooling Off: Mike Fontenot has run hot and cold all season, but he's 1-for-13 over his last four games. Of course, he could turn on a dime Tuesday, so you should probably use him as you normally would.
Injury Concerns: Derrek Lee missed his fourth straight game with a stiff neck Saturday and will have an MRI on Monday to determine the extent of the injury. The Cubs' week begins Tuesday, so Lee could potentially return in time to play all six games, but he could just as easily go on the DL. Avoid him if you can. Micah Hoffpauir will continue to start in his absence and has enough power potential to start in NL-only leagues.
Platoon Possibilities: The Cubs face only one left-handed pitcher this week, so Kosuke Fukudome will make five starts. He's not as hot as he once was, but he still deserves a look in mixed leagues.
Lineup Changes:With Aramis Ramirez going on the DL and out 4-6 weeks with a dislocated shoulder, newly acquired Ryan P. Freel might get a chance to play right away. He can help with stolen bases in NL-only Rotisserie leagues. More likely, Fontenot will move over to third base, allowing Aaron Miles to play second base regularly.

Chicago White Sox
Schedule: @CLE3, @TOR3
Heating Up: A.J. Pierzynski went 0-for-6 over his last two games, but he's batting .433 (13-for-30) with three home runs over his last eight.
Cooing Off: Jim Thome is batting .059 (1-for-17) over his last five games and .200 on the season. He's practically irrelevant in mixed leagues.
Injury Concerns: Brian N. Anderson (oblique) has begun working out and could return as soon as Friday, though he hasn't begun a rehab assignment yet. He was playing well enough before the injury to deserve a look in AL-only leagues.
Platoon Possibilities: The White Sox face four left-handed pitchers this week, making Thome an especially poor choice. Wilson Betemit will likely start some of those games in his place, if not all of them. Brent Lillibridge could also start those games in place of Scott Podsednik, at least until Anderson returns, but neither of those players matters outside of deeper AL-only leagues.
Lineup Changes: None

Cincinnati Reds
Schedule: @ARI3, @SD3
Heating Up: Brandon Phillips had his first hot streak of the season interrupted by the flu, but he returned strong Saturday and is batting .387 (12-for-31) with three home runs over his last seven games. Jay Bruce is batting .282 (11-for-39) with four home runs during a 10-game hitting streak. The power numbers are impressive even if the batting average isn't, so get him active. Willy Taveras has a 10-game hitting streak of his own, batting .350 (14-for-40).
Cooling Off: Nobody, really.
Injury Concerns: Joey Votto is still out with the flu. Since Phillips returned from the same illness Saturday, you have to figure Votto will follow. Keep him active. Alex Gonzalez, who hasn't played since Monday because of a strained oblique, might have to go on the DL. Jerry Hairston, his replacement, probably has more value in NL-only Rotisserie leagues anyway, especially since everyday at-bats have sparked him at the plate. He's batting .400 (8-for-20) with a home run over his last five games.
Platoon Possibilities: The Reds don't face any left-handed pitchers this week, but they don't have any platoon players anymore now that Laynce Nix has become the everyday left fielder.
Lineup Changes: Nix takes over for Chris Dickerson. He has never really gotten a real opportunity in the majors, but he has enough power potential to deserve a look in deeper NL-only leagues. Ramon Hernandez has started at first base with Votto sidelined, but even if he gains eligibility there, you'll want to continue using him as a catcher.

Cleveland Indians
Schedule: CHW3, @TB4
Heating Up: Asdrubal Cabrera just had a 10-game hitting streak interrupted Saturday. He hit .340 (16-for-47) during the streak and has enough extra-base pop to deserve a roster spot in Head-to-Head leagues.
Cooling Off: You obviously wouldn't bench Grady Sizmore, but he's certainly not carrying your team right now. He's batting .143 (4-for-28) over his last six games.
Injury Concerns: Travis Hafner, who recently went on the DL with renewed soreness in his surgically repaired shoulder, visited with Dr. James Andrews, who assured him the soreness was normal given the procedure. Hafner could come off the DL as soon as Thursday, but he's a risk in mixed leagues even when he plays a full week. Don't bother starting him except in the deepest of AL-only leagues.
Platoon Possibilities: The Indians face two left-handers this week, but they play a full seven games. Matt LaPorta will likely displace David Dellucci for those games, assuming Hafner doesn't return first. Since LaPorta hasn't established himself as an everyday player with Hafner out, he'll likely go back to the minor leagues once Hafner returns.
Lineup Changes: Luis Valbuena has come up from the minors and stolen a couple starts from the struggling Jhonny Peralta, but he has no chance of replacing him on a regular basis. Peralta's bat will wake up eventually, and when it does, you'll want him active in Fantasy.

Colorado Rockies
Schedule: HOU3, @PIT3
Heating Up: Troy Tulowitzki, a disappointment since he nearly won the NL Rookie of the Year in 2007, is finally showing signs of life, going 4-for-8 with a homer over his last two games. He looked like a candidate to bench earlier this week, but you'll probably want him active now. Brad Hawpe is batting .450 (9-for-20) with a homer over his last five games, raising his season batting average to .337.
Cooling Off: Dexter Fowler made plenty of noise when he stole five bases on April 27, but he hasn't done anything since, batting .212 (7-for-33). You can sit him for now, but he'll get hot again sooner or later. Same goes for Garrett Atkins and Ian Stewart, who are hitting .218 and .197 respectively.
Injury Concerns: None
Platoon Possibilities: The Rockies face four left-handed pitchers this week, which means Seth Smith surely won't get many at-bats. You'll probably want to bench the left-handed hitting Stewart too.
Lineup Changes: The Rockies have started hitting Ryan Spilborghs in the middle of the order, mostly fourth or fifth, and have moved Tulowitzki up to second in the order, which has obviously done him some good. The move only helps Spilborghs, and it seems to have helped Tulowitzki too.

Detroit Tigers
Schedule: @MIN3, OAK3
Heating Up: Miguel Cabrera is hot again during what could be a career season. He's batting .419 (13-for-31) with three home runs over his last eight games.
Cooling Off: Brandon Inge is beginning to show the downside of his streakiness, batting .111 (2-for-18) over his last five games. You can't sit him yet, but you can sit fellow Fantasy catcher Gerald Laird, who has only one hit over his last nine games -- a span of 29 at-bats.
Injury Concerns: None
Platoon Possibilities: The Tigers face two left-handed pitchers this week. Josh Anderson will likely sit those two games in favor of Ryan Raburn, but that arrangement can't last too much longer if Raburn continues to hit .050.
Lineup Changes: With Carlos Guillen going on the DL with an Achilles' injury, the Tigers have called Clete Thomas up from the minors, batting him third. He'll likely contribute speed more than anything else, but he has good protection with Miguel Cabrera behind him and deserves a look in AL-only leagues. Jeff Larish could get a start or two if Thomas struggles, and he has useful power potential for the deepest of leagues.

Florida Marlins
Schedule: @MIL3, LAD3
Heating Up: Hanley Ramirez has blown up this week, finally living up to his promise as the consensus No. 1 overall pick in Fantasy. He's batting .556 (15-for-27) with four home runs and three stolen bases over his last seven games.
Cooling Off: Dan Uggla is batting (2-for-21) over his last six games and now is at risk of losing at-bats to fresh call-up Chris Coghlan. Coghlan will play all over the diamond, though, so you shouldn't give up on Uggla. He'll probably get his 30 homers this season.
Injury Concerns: None
Platoon Possibilities: The Marlins face three left-handed pitchers this week, meaning John Baker should lose a healthy sum of at-bats to Ronny Paulino. If you're waiting for Jeremy Hermida's big breakout, don't expect it to happen this week.
Lineup Changes: Coughlan might ultimately end up stealing the most at-bats from Cameron Maybin, who has elite potential but hasn't hit anything this season, but he might also steal at-bats from Jeremy Hermida, Cody Ross and Emilio Bonifacio. Basically, you shouldn't worry about any one particular player because of his promotion. He's not exactly a five-star prospect, but he has enough offensive potential to deserve a roster spot in NL-only Rotisserie leagues.

Houston Astros
Schedule: @COL3, @CHC3
Heating Up: Michael Bourn reached base three times Saturday, twice on walks, and also stole his ninth base of the season. He's becoming a legitimate top-of-the-order hitter instead of just a track star, batting .291 with a .371 OBP this season. Time to give him a look in mixed leagues. Carlos N. Lee is batting .447 (17-for-38) during his 10-game hitting streak, raising his batting average from .253 to .319.
Cooling Off: Ivan Rodriguez is 1-for-10 over his last three games and batting .242 on the season.
Injury Concerns: Lance Berkman missed his second straight game with a sprained left wrist Saturday and needed only one swing in the cages to declare himself unable to go. Clearly, he's in pain, but the Astros don't seem to think he'll miss more than two or three games. Despite his struggles, you hate to sit a guy who can blow up with four or five home runs in a week, but this wrist injury might give you all the excuse you need in shallower leagues.
Platoon Possibilities: The Astros face only one left-handed pitcher this week, so Geoff Blum should get five starts compared to Jeff Keppinger's one. Neither player matters outside of NL-only leagues.
Lineup Changes: None

Kansas City Royals
Schedule: @OAK2, BAL4
Heating Up: After hitting under .200 as recently as April 27, Billy Butler is now hitting .286, including .474 (9-for-19) over his last five games. He has elite potential if he can keep hitting this well, and he deserves a look in all Fantasy leagues right now.
Cooling Off: After showing some signs of life recently, Mike Aviles has cooled off again, batting .091 (1-for-11) over his last four games. Same goes for David DeJesus, who's batting .150 (3-for-20) over his last five games.
Injury Concerns: None
Platoon Possibilities: The Royals face two left-handed pitchers this week.
Lineup Changes: Alberto Callaspo has firmly entrenched himself as the starting second baseman, batting .343 with a .935 OPS. He won't hit many homers, but he could perform like another Placido Polanco, if not a little better. Give him a look if you have a hole to fill at second base.

L.A. Angels
Schedule: BOS3, @TEX3
Heating Up: Nobody's tearing up the league right now, but Kendry Morales is hitting .357 (5-for-14) with a home run over his last four games, which is a marked improvement over his performance to start the season. He has some low-end mixed-league appeal.
Cooling Off: Bobby Abreu, who's on pace for a career-high 69 stolen bases at age 35, has gone into freefall over his last five games, batting .053 (1-for-19). He's still hitting over .300 on the season, though, and remains a must-start.
Injury Concerns: None
Platoon Possibilities: The Angels don't face any left-handed pitchers this week, but they don't really have any lefty-righty platoons anyway.
Lineup Changes: With Vladimir Guerrero (pectoral) on the DL, Erick Aybar and Jeff Mathis have split at-bats, which sounds odd since they play different positions, but the Angels move different hitters to DH as appropriate. Neither Aybar nor Mathis matters outside of deeper AL-only leagues.

L.A. Dodgers
Schedule: @PHI3, @FLA3
Heating Up: Russell Martin has snapped out of his beginning-of-the-season slump, raising his batting average from .198 to .275 in the span of one week. He's batting .571 (12-for-21) during that stretch. Start him.
Cooling Off: James Loney is batting only .217 (5-for-23) over his last six games. His lack of power should keep him out of your lineup more than anything, though. He has yet to homer and is slugging only .339.
Injury Concerns: None
Platoon Possibilities: The Dodgers face three left-handed pitchers this week, but none of their players routinely sits against lefties.
Lineup Changes: The 50-game suspension for Manny Ramirez obviously shuffles the entire Dodgers lineup. Juan Pierre starts for him in left field, and the Dodgers have opted to bat him ninth, behind the pitcher, hoping he serves as sort of a second leadoff hitter. He'll get steals if nothing else. Andre Ethier moves up to third, and Matt Kemp slots as the team's new cleanup hitter. Both remain too valuable to sit in Fantasy.

Milwaukee Brewers
Schedule: FLA3, @STL3
Heating Up: Ryan J. Braun is batting .600 (9-for-15) with three homers in his last four games, but you don't have much reason to get excited about a must-start option. You do, however, have reason to get excited about J.J. Hardy, who has begun one of his patented hot streaks. He's batting .400 (10-for-25) with two home runs over his last seven games. Get him active.
Cooling Off: Corey C. Hart is batting .188 (3-for-16) over his last four games, which isn't exactly justification to sit him, but he also hasn't homered since April 13.
Injury Concerns: None
Platoon Possibilities: The Brewers don't face any left-handed pitchers this week, but they don't have any platoon players anyway.
Lineup Changes: Craig Counsell has hit well enough lately to raise his batting average to .340 and steal some at-bats from Bill Hall. From a Fantasy perspective, Counsell is worse than Hall, who barely matters in NL-only leagues, so you shouldn't particularly care about this battle.

Minnesota Twins
Schedule: DET3, @NYY3
Heating Up: Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau hit back-to-back home runs in back-to-back games Friday and Saturday, and Mauer has especially impressed with a .583 (7-for-12) batting average over his last three games. You'd start those two regardless, so the guy who really deserves your attention this week is Michael Cuddyer, who has come to life with a .400 batting average (14-for-35) and two home runs over his last 11 games. Get him active at least in AL-only leagues.
Cooling Off: Nobody -- not after the team's lineup changes.
Injury Concerns: None
Platoon Possibilities: The Twins don't face any left-handed pitchers this week and don't have anyone in a lefty-righty platoon.
Lineup Changes: The Twins have turned over their struggling middle infield, replacing Nick Punto and Alexi Casilla with Brendan Harris and Matt Tolbert. Harris and Tolbert both started for a time last year, but neither has much upside offensively. The Twins could always switch back to Punto and Casilla, so ignore all four of these players outside of deeper AL-only leagues.

N.Y. Mets
Schedule: ATL3, @SF4
Heating Up: Carlos Beltran's 16-game hitting streak might have come to an end this week, but his power numbers have only now begun to catch up. He has four home runs over his last six games. Meanwhile, Jose B. Reyes is starting to make up for lost time, batting .333 (6-for-18) with a home run and three stolen bases over his last four games. Both players are obvious must-starts.
Cooling Off: Ryan Church is batting .071 (2-for-28) over his last nine games and has lost the right to start against left-handed pitchers.
Injury Concerns: Carlos Delgado, who recently missed time with a hip injury, has learned he'll have to play with pain the rest of the season. It hasn't bothered him so far, though. He's batting .583 (7-for-12) with two doubles and a home run over his last three games. Ramon A. Castro, who is splitting time with Omir Santos with Brian Schneider on the DL, pulled his quadriceps Saturday and might have to miss a game or two. His power makes him a serviceable stopgap in NL-only leagues.
Platoon Possibilities: The Mets face three left-handers in their seven games this week, which is bad news for Daniel Murphy and Ryan Church, who are now in fairly strict lefty-righty platoons with Gary Sheffield and Fernando Tatis.
Lineup Changes: With Delgado back playing every day, the Mets have confirmed their desire to have Luis Castillo hit second. Murphy will now bat sixth when he plays, behind Beltran, Delgado and David Wright.

N.Y. Yankees
Schedule: @TOR3, MIN3
Heating Up: Johnny Damon loves hitting in new Yankee Stadium. He's batting .462 (12-for-26) with four home runs over his last six games and already has eight home runs this season even though his career high is only 24. Clearly, he's not over the hill at age 35, so keep him active in all Fantasy leagues.
Cooling Off: Robinson Cano, coming off the best April of his career, has cooled off a bit in May. He's batting .103 (3-for-29) over his last seven games. Nick Swisher has also hit a snag, batting .105 (2-for-19) over his last seven games. You probably shouldn't sit either player, though.
Injury Concerns: With backup Jose Molina (quadriceps) following starter Jorge Posada (hamstring) to the DL this week, 23-year-old Francisco Cervelli takes over as the new starting catcher for the Yankees. He doesn't figure to make an impact in mixed leagues.
Platoon Possibilities: The Yankees face only one left-handed pitcher this week, which doesn't affect their lineup now that Melky Cabrera has become the everyday center fielder.
Lineup Changes: Alex Rodriguez made his long-awaited return Friday and homered on the first pitch he saw. He immediately becomes the cleanup hitter, dropping Hideki Matsui to fifth and Swisher to sixth. No sense waiting any longer to get him back in your active lineup.

Oakland Athletics
Schedule: KC2, @DET3
Heating Up: Jason Giambi isn't exactly hot, but he homered twice Saturday. He's the type of player who can do half his damage in one-sixth of the season, so if he has another good game Sunday, you might want to get him active.
Cooling Off: Orlando Cabrera had a mini burst at the beginning of the month, but he's now batting .125 (2-for-16) over his last four games. Bench him if you can in mixed leagues.
Injury Concerns: None
Platoon Possibilities: The Athletics don't face any left-handed pitchers this week, but they play only five games total. Travis Buck will likely start all five of those games, but he barely has any appeal in AL-only leagues.
Lineup Changes: With Mark Ellis on the DL with a calf injury, the Athletics acquired Adam Kennedy from the Rays and immediately put him in the starting lineup Saturday. Gregorio Petit had been starting at second base, but Kennedy should play virtually every day now, not that he has any Fantasy appeal. The Athletics moved Kurt Suzuki up to second in the batting order, which will only increase his Fantasy appeal. Cabrera has replaced Ryan Sweeney as the leadoff hitter. Sweeney now bats in the lower third of the lineup.

Philadelphia Phillies
Schedule: LAD3, @WAS3
Heating Up: Jayson Werth had arguably the best week of any hitter, batting .450 (9-for-20) with four home runs over his last six games. The potential 20-20 man isn't necessarily a must-start yet, but you obviously want him active now.
Cooling Off: Shane Victorino, coming off a 16-game hitting streak, is batting .118 (2-for-17) over his last four games. You wouldn't want to sit him, though.
Injury Concerns: None
Platoon Possibilities: The Phillies face four left-handers in their six games this week, meaning Werth will likely stay hot. Ryan Howard might struggle this week, but you can't afford to sit him in any Fantasy leagues.
Lineup Changes: None

Pittsburgh Pirates
Schedule: STL3, COL3
Heating Up: Andy LaRoche has only one home run on the season but is hitting .364 (8-for-22) over his last seven games. He's making slow, steady progress and is a worthwhile NL-only option.
Cooling Off: Adam LaRoche and his brother have switched places from a week ago. Now, Adam can't hit anything, batting .042 (1-for-24) over his last six games. Even though he has 25-homer potential, his streakiness makes him hard to recommend in mixed leagues.
Injury Concerns: Jack Wilson has begun a Triple-A rehab assignment and should be ready to go Tuesday. He's below average across the board, though, and not worth using outside of deeper NL-only leagues. Ramon Vazquez and Brian Bixler will lose at-bats once he returns.
Platoon Possibilities: The Pirates face only one left-handed pitcher this week, meaning Craig Monroe will likely get only one start. He hasn't homered since April 18 and is a bottom-of-the-barrel option in NL-only leagues.
Lineup Changes: After giving Monroe and Eric Hinske looks in right field, the Pirates have gone back to playing Brandon Moss every day against right-handers, platooning him with Monroe against lefties. He doesn't deserve it, though. He's batting only .176 overall.

San Diego Padres
Schedule: @CHC3, CIN3
Heating Up: Nobody, really
Cooling Off: Kevin Kouzmanoff went hitless again Saturday and is batting .135 (5-for-37) over his last 10 games, but he's just the tip of the iceberg with this team.
Injury Concerns: None
Platoon Possibilities: The Padres face one left-handed pitcher this week, but they no longer have any clear platoon players because ...
Lineup Changes: ... Scott Hairston has become an everyday outfielder, which is no surprise considering he's hitting .338. He'll mostly start in place of Jody Gerut, though Gerut might occasionally sub for Brian Giles and Chase Headley.

San Francisco Giants
Schedule: WAS3, NYM4
Heating Up: Emmanuel Burriss has solidified his spot as the starting second baseman, batting .500 (13-for-26) with three stolen bases over his last eight games. His speed makes him a sleeper in all leagues. Bengie Molina, one of the few catchers playing up to his abilities early this season, has three home runs in his last four games and is a must-start as always.
Cooling Off: Aaron Rowand is batting .071 (2-for-28) over his last nine games. Travis Ishikawa has gone hitless in his last 16 at-bats. Neither player deserves a roster spot in mixed leagues.
Injury Concerns: None
Platoon Possibilities: The Giants face right-handers in six of their seven games this week, meaning Ishikawa should get what amounts to a full week of at-bats. Of course, given his struggles, you probably won't want to start him.
Lineup Changes: The Giants continue to juggle their lineup, but lately, Fred Lewis has returned to the leadoff spot, dropping Randy Winn to sixth. The middle of the lineup appears stable with Pablo Sandoval batting third, Molina fourth and Rowand fifth.

Seattle Mariners
Schedule: @TEX3, BOS3
Heating Up: Ichiro Suzuki has gotten his batting average over .300, and probably for good. He's batting .471 (8-for-17) over his last four games and remains a must-start.
Cooling Off: Jose Lopez is batting only .190 (4-for-21) over his last five games, but he has generally underperformed all season. The guy whose Fantasy value might take a serious hit in the coming days is Russell Branyan, who has a career batting average of .233. He's 1-for-11 over his last three games, dropping his batting average below .300.
Injury Concerns: None
Platoon Possibilities: The Mariners face two left-handed pitchers this week, but they don't have anyone in a clear lefty-righty platoon.
Lineup Changes: The Mariners have started playing young power hitter Wladimir Balentien more and more, subbing him for Ken Griffey and Mike Sweeney. In fact, the three pretty much share two positions now, making them all useless outside of deeper AL-only leagues.

St. Louis Cardinals
Schedule: @PIT3, MIL3
Heating Up: Skip Schumaker has begun to hit the ball better, batting .600 (6-for-10) over his last three games. But a singles hitter like him doesn't have much mixed-league appeal.
Cooling Off: Colby Rasmus hasn't responded well to everyday at-bats. He's batting .176 (3-for-17) over his last five games.
Injury Concerns: None
Platoon Possibilities: The Cardinals face two left-handed pitchers this week, which mostly affects Schumaker. Then again, at third base, the Cardinals seem to go with Joe Thurston against right-handers and Brian Barden against left-handers. Neither of them matters outside of deeper NL-only leagues.
Lineup Changes: Rasmus and Chris Duncan pretty much play every day now that Rick Ankiel is on the DL with a neck injury. Both have the ability to contribute in mixed leagues, but neither is playing well enough to deserve much attention right now.

Tampa Bay Rays
Schedule: @BAL2, CLE4
Heating Up: Carl Crawford is clearly back in form after a lost 2008 season. Beginning last Sunday, when he stole six bases, he's batting .467 (14-for-30) with 10 stolen bases. Also, Evan Longoria homered and drove in five runs Friday. He's now batting .367 with 11 home runs and an incredible 44 RBI and might rank ahead of both David Wright and Alex Rodriguez at season's end.
Cooling Off: Carlos Pena does have two home runs in his last five games, but he's also batting .150 (3-for-20) with 12 strikeouts. He's not necessarily a must-start in Head-to-Head leagues when playing this way.
Injury Concerns: None
Platoon Possibilities: The Rays face two left-handed pitchers this week, which likely means Gabe Gross gets four starts to Gabe Kapler's two. Ben Zobrist cuts into both of their at-bats, though.
Lineup Changes: None

Texas Rangers
Schedule: SEA3, LAA
Heating Up: Marlon Byrd has an eight-game hitting streak during which he's batting .324 (11-for-34). He doesn't have much power potential, but he can make an impact in mixed leagues when playing well.
Cooling Off: Hank Blalock has only one hit in his last 11 at-bats, dropping his batting average to .248.
Injury Concerns: Josh Hamilton (rib cage) has begun a rehab assignment and shouldn't have any trouble returning Tuesday against the Mariners. He's a first-rounder, so you'll want to have him active right away. Michael Young missed Saturday's game with back stiffness and could miss Sunday's game as well, but manager Ron Washington said he'll "for sure" return Tuesday. Keep him active.
Platoon Possibilities: The Rangers face two left-handed pitchers this week. With Hamilton expected to return from the DL, Hank Blalock again figures to sit in favor of Andruw Jones against lefties.
Lineup Changes: David Murphy will return to the bench once Hamilton returns, not that you've had any reason to depend on him in Fantasy.

Toronto Blue Jays
Schedule: NYY3, CHW3
Heating Up: Adam Lind's batting average hasn't dipped below .300 all season, but he's hitting as well as ever right now, batting .440 (11-for-25) with a home run over his last six games.
Cooling Off: Alex Rios is batting .143 (3-for-21) over his last five games. He began last year slowly and ended up just fine, but you might want to reserve him for now in shallower mixed leagues.
Injury Concerns: None
Platoon Possibilities: The Blue Jays face three left-handers this week, meaning Lyle Overbay and Travis Snider will sit in favor of Kevin Millar and Jose A. Bautista in those games. Of those four players, only Snider has mixed-league appeal, but more because of his upside than his current performance.
Lineup Changes: None

Washington Nationals
Schedule: @SF3, PHI3
Heating Up: Ryan Zimmerman extended his hitting streak to 27 games Saturday and is batting .353 (41-for-116) during that stretch. The former first-round pick is no more than a half step behind the elite class of third basemen and should start in all leagues, obviously. Cristian Guzman has picked up where he left off since returning from a hamstring injury, batting .405 (17-for-42) with two home runs over his last eight games. Give him a look if you need middle infield help in mixed leagues.
Cooling Off: Elijah Dukes was on a roll early this past week, but he cooled off toward the end, batting .063 (1-for-16) over his last four games. He's on pace for 27 home runs and 17 stolen bases, but his streakiness makes him hard to use in mixed leagues.
Injury Concerns: Jesus Flores will likely sit Sunday because of a right shoulder bruise, but the injury shouldn't sideline him much longer than that, if any. He's just a No. 2 Fantasy catcher anyway, but considering he's hitting .406 (13-for-32) with two home runs over his last nine games, he's an especially good one.
Platoon Possibilities: The Nationals face three left-handed pitchers this week, but none of their players sits specifically against left-handers.
Lineup Changes: None

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