Still have a shot at the title in your Fantasy Baseball league and don't want to blow it? Stay away from Lance Lynn for the next few weeks.
The Cardinals right-hander will be good again -- maybe even at some point this year -- but down the stretch, you can't hold out hope of him rediscovering his form. He's gone too long now without showing any signs of it, allowing four-plus earned runs in five straight starts for a 7.57 ERA.
And it's not like he was a world beater before then. In his last 17 starts -- or more than half his season so far -- he has a 5.56 ERA and 1.54 WHIP. In only five of those starts did he allow fewer than four earned runs.
At least Jeff Samardzija and Tim Lincecum throw in the occasional gem.
Even if Lynn shows signs of turning the corner next time out, he doesn't have enough time to regain my trust. The stakes are too high and the waiver wire is too plentiful, with pitchers like Sonny Gray, Marco Estrada, Martin Perez and Michael Wacha still available in many leagues.