Fantasy Stl Cardinals

This is news I didn't think I'd be reporting this season, and it's most certainly something I didn't think would happen in June. This is nothing short of miraculous. After all the setbacks Mark Mulder has experienced, he might start this weekend in Kansas City for the Cardinals. As reported in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch:

Tonight's outing is considered a tuneup more than a full-blown start, suggesting the Cardinals have made a decision but will wait to see how Mulder exits the appearance before confirming his return to the major leagues.

"It depends on how it goes. We're not really putting a day on it," general manager John Mozeliak said.

Asked when Mulder would start, Mozeliak said, "We'll know that by Tuesday."

So he's going tonight for Triple-A Memphis, and unless his arm falls off he could be inserted into the rotation? After everything that we've been reading up to this point, it's an absolutely stunning revelation. I'm still skeptical that he's physically okay. I mean, just a month ago we thought he'd never pitch again because they had no idea what was wrong with the shoulder. Now he's ready to pitch in the bigs? C'mon.

Fantasy Spin: Don't bother. There's no way he'll hold up over the course of the season. Even if he somehow does, he's been completely ineffective in triple-A, compiling a 13.50 ERA in 13 1/3 innings of work. He's only punched out eight, while he's allowed 28 hits en route to a horrifying 2.48 WHIP. If that's what the minor leaguers were doing the major leaguers (yes, even the Royals) will tattoo him.

Let's face it -- one of the real joys of playing fantasy sports is the satisfaction of feeling smug, even superior, to the other folks in your league. Take, for instance, last season when a given owner tried to add Ryan Braun or Tim Lincecum prior to their call-up, only to find them sitting on your bench. There's no doubt that you felt pretty superior when they undoubtedly posted something like, "I can't believe he's already taken!" (Of course, this assumes a free agent world – otherwise, the same reaction would occur after you bid on that player weeks before anyone else did.)

On the other hand, this can go a bit too far sometimes. This year, I drafted Cameron Maybin, sure that I had myself a great combination of young speed and power – and then he got sent down by the Marlins, and it's far from clear when he'll be back in the bigs. I've stashed Colby Rasmus on a team where I have a bench that justifies it, even though it's not clear if he'll play before September.

Of course, this doesn't just apply to fresh young faces -- the savvy fantasy player can also pick up and stash a veteran who is out on the DL for a sizeable part of the year. Many folks have been holding on to Francisco Liriano for just this reason. (I'm of the theory that this is a waste since he'll be able to contribute very little when he does return.) But who else is likely out there on your free agent wire, potentially providing some free benefits to you down the stretch? Well, it turns out the Cardinals have a rash of pitchers with some prior success that should be hurling in the bigs sooner than later. Let's look at them and decide whether they are worth your bench space.

Albert Pujols collapsed with an injured calf Tuesday night, much to the chagrin of Cardinals fans and Phat Albert's fantasy owners alike.

Now, the latest news is that he'll miss at least three weeks due to the injury.

Chris Duncan was already recalled from Triple-A Memphis and was in Pujols' spot at first base against the Reds.

We should see Pujols placed on the DL very soon and then it's a waiting game. I'm sure we'll hear more in the coming weeks as to the severity and a possible timetable for the big man's return.

Fantasy Spin: Look, I don't have to tell you how good this man is. For my money, he's the best player in baseball. Not only is he currently the heart and soul of the St. Louis franchise, but he was also your first round fantasy draft pick. You can't replace him. You will have to try by working the waiver wire for someone like Kevin Millar, Carlos Delgado (who is heating up), Adam LaRoche, or even Duncan. It sucks, doesn't it? Going from Pujols to Millar sounds as enticing as a shot to the groin.

You could try to shop Pujols to an owner that believes this is a minor injury, but it's murky now with the "at least three weeks" stamp placed on him. You don't want to move him for 50 cents on the dollar only to see him return raking in July. I'd have to recommend holding him and sucking it up with a lesser 1B for a bit. As always, you can email us for specific advice on your squad.

Non-Fantasy and totally personal spin: I can't say this bothers me!

I've always been one for letting my employer decide when I'm no longer capable of doing my job, but Eric Gagne and Jason Isringhausen apparently feel differently, being "honest" enough to let their managers know they're no longer worthy of the closer role. (Update: Gagne can apparently close again!) Either way, not a lot of confidence. What they did is rare in the sense of being voluntary, but it certainly underlies the basic fantasy notion that saves are easy to come by.

In Milwaukee, if you're looking for saves, you actually love Gagne flip-flopping; Ned Yost will probably go back to the well with him, and you'll have an easier time going after the guy who will probably end up getting the saves. Salomon Torres, Guillermo Mota and David Riske are the official closer by committee. (The reality is they shouldn't have let Francisco Cordero walk, but that's neither here nor there at this point). I've been saying that Riske is my guy since early in the season, but in fairness, he hasn't pitched perfectly. Then again, neither has Torres, so I'm sticking by my guns here and saying Riske ends up with the most saves in the Milwaukee pen this year (unless Yost does something cr-r-r-r-azy and puts Carlos Villanueva in the spot).

The Cardinals end of things appears to be a little more cut and dry, in the sense that Ryan Franklin is the new go-to guy from the bullpen in St. Louis. Russ Springer and Randy Flores are apparently in the mix as well to a degree, but when you look at Springer's walk count -- five! -- since Izzy went down, it's hard to imagine Tony La Russa trusts him. Plus, Franklin is actually locking down the ninth. And the guy you want to grab for your fantasy league.

OK, so he might not be at A-Rod status of hotness, nor David Wright either, but Rich Aurilia is doing pretty well in his own right. Check this out: Aurilia is enjoying a 12-game hitting streak, during which he's batted .388. In the last five games he has nine hits and six RBI, but most of all, he's been clutch. On Thursday he delivered a two out two-run tiebreaking double in the sixth inning which helped spark the Giants 6-2 win. On Wednesday, Aurilia delivered the game-winning RBI single in the bottom of the 12th to give the Giants a 6-5 extra-innings win over the Cardinals. In his second stint with the Giants, Aurilia is concerned with more than just himself:

"It's a good feeling. It's nice to be able to come back home and contribute like this ... Now, if we can just get on a roll and win a few more in a row and get back to .500, that'd be great."

The Giants have rallied from a 1-6 start to win five of their last seven games, thanks in large part to Aurilia. It's a positive sign for Giants fans who starting getting seriously concerned early in the year, writing the team off.

Previously at FanHouse:
We May As Well Just Hand A-Rod the AL MVP Trophy
Dodgers Own the Giants Whose Season Is Over