Let’s face it – no matter how dedicated you are to the game of fantasy baseball, there are times throughout the season where the daily grind of life and work get in the way. You’re keeping general tabs on your players and making moves to keep yourself afloat, but there are weeks where your work and depth of research are not as intense as they should be. While you’d like to think you’ve got a grip on it all, no one is immune to having those weeks. Not even me.

This past week was an intense one for me and before I go through some of the latest MLB news and notes, I’d like to take a moment to thank the team here at Fantasy Alarm for their help in picking me up. Between the FSTA and my wife having surgery (she is fine and recovering nicely, though she’s a bit of a pain in the ass as a patient) the boys have done a great job helping me through by filling in on some of the Morning Buzz and Daily Bender pieces. I’m regaining my balance finally and it’s time to kick this shit into high gear. You have championships to win, I have championships to win and every guy writing on this site has a championship to win. It’s not only time to get back up on that horse, but to ride that friggin’ horse right into the winner’s circle.

So with that, let’s start off Monday on the right foot and get to some of the more pressing matters and questions to get us through…

Return Engagement

If no one in your league was paying close attention, Randal Grichuk just might be available still in your league. After a lengthy stay in the minors which saw him demoted all the way down to Low-A ball, he finally started to hit with some consistency, as well as some power. Over his last eight games at Triple-A Memphis, Grichuk batted .297 (11-for-37) with five home runs, seven RBI and eight runs scored (28 total bases for you points league junkies) and now has the opportunity to play full-time in the majors again with Dexter Fowler hitting the disabled list. Tommy Pham will stay in center field and Grichuk will get the nod ahead of Jose Martinez so long as he continues to hit well.

Closer Concerns

The situation in Oakland is a tough one right now and fantasy owners are sitting here scratching their heads. At the start of last week, Sean Doolittle was seeing a bunch of work in the ninth inning but on Sunday, it was Santiago Casilla who got the nod. We are all very much aware of some of the struggles Casilla has had, but you have to keep in mind that manager Bob Melvin is a match-up guy. His preference is to have Doolittle serve as his situational lefty and he would like the flexibility of bringing him in for the seventh or eighth inning rather than limit him solely to the ninth. If the match-up in the ninth calls for a lefty, he’ll do it, but do not expect him to anoint Doolittle as his closer anytime soon. Casilla is going to lead this team in saves the rest of the way unless the A’s find someone willing to pick up the rest of the $11M they signed him for in the offseason. It’s always a possibility with the A’s, but you can’t bank on it just yet.

This switch in Cleveland has a number of fantasy owners up in arms as manager Terry Francona wants to start conserving innings for Andrew Miller. The plan is to have Miller serve the ninth while Allen is used in high-leverage situations in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings. Just a complete role reversal for now. But that doesn’t mean you drop Allen because he’s not getting saves right now. Expect the two to switch it back again early in the second half after Miller grabs enough rest. The tandem work a lot better that way than this one.

Potential Playing Time Changes

The Nationals are going to be re-establishing a timeline for the return of Jayson Werth who is finally out of the walking boot and ready to resume baseball activities. The toe injury sidelined him for most of June, but if he can run the bases without issue, he may not require a lengthy rehab stint in the minors. When he does return, we’re looking at an interesting situation in the outfield as both Michael Taylor and Brian Goodwin have been killing it in his absence. They could fall into a straight lefty/righty platoon which wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world, but it would devalue both from a fantasy standpoint. If you’ve been using either of them, just keep in mind that a decrease in at-bats could be coming sooner than later.

Also keep an eye on the second base situation in Cincinnati. This crazy surge from Scooter Gennett could spell trouble for Jose Peraza if it continues. The Reds haven’t said anything specific just yet, but with Peraza’s currently dismal .282 OBP and Gennett’s hot bat, we could start seeing a bit more platooning than we would like. I’m still not sold on Gennett and this power display, to me, looks like a sham, but manager Bryan Price seems to be quite fond of him and is going to continue finding ways to get his bat in the lineup so long as he’s hitting well. Nothing imminent, so there’s no need to panic. Just be aware as you’re adjusting your roster.

Catcher Changes

So the A’s finally had enough of Stephen Vogt’s struggles and DFA’d him late last week. However, he’s not someone you should be dropping as the Brewers grabbed him off waivers and demoted the struggling Jett Bandy in a corresponding move. Manny Pina will likely start off as the primary backstop since he’s the incumbent there, but there’s a good chance Vogt turns things up in his new hitter-friendly home and takes on a good portion of the starts. Watch his first few games and see if he rebounds from his earlier struggles. For the A’s, you’re looking at a straight lefty/righty platoon between Josh Phegley and Bruce Maxwell. If you’re in a two-catcher league and in need of some help, these are definitely the two situations which deserve some serious attention.

Rookie Watch

When the Astros sent Derek Fisher back to the minors last week, the move left a number of fantasy owners scratching their heads. The speculation was that if he hit, which he did, he would be given the opportunity to supplant Nori Aoki in left field. That didn’t happen and now it looks like we’re going to have to wait longer to see him return. The FAAB money you spent just might have been a waste for the time being which would be a huge bummer. On top of that, the Brewers sent down Lewis Brinson who struggled during his call-up. I expect both to return at some point in the second half, so don’t get too discouraged, but that should also give you pause with how much you invest in A’s infielder Franklin Barreto. He was called up late last week, but how long he stays is anyone’s guess. The A’s will be getting Marcus Siemian and Chad Pinder back soon, so don’t get too attached to the youngster just yet. Yes, he homered in his debut, but so did Fisher. In fact, Fisher homered again on the same day the Astros sent him down, so keep that in mind.

Trade Rumors

Apparently the Rays are looking to acquire Adeiny Hechavarria from the Marlins with the hopes of installing him as their regular shortstop. That would push Tim Beckham over to second base with the assumption that Brad Miller, whenever he returns, will likely slot into the DH spot or some semblance of a platoon there. There’s not much change in the world of fantasy value for any of the players involved here, though if you’re in and AL-only league, Hechavarria obviously becomes a solid add as a new full-time shortstop. The Marlins are talking to a few teams, so nothing is set in stone yet, but keep an eye on the negotiations and get your FAAB money ready should you need some middle infield help.

On the Mend

The Astros are trying to take a very cautious approach to Dallas Keuchel’s recovery and it looks like they’re going to put off his return until after the All Star break. While it may make sense, in the grand scheme of things, to do so, there should be some concern. As I’ve written before, Keuchel’s issue is, on the surface, a pinched nerve in his neck, it’s the source of that pinched nerve which needs to be addressed more. The issue was diagnosed as a cervical problem – a potential bulging or herniated disc which is causing the discomfort. They’ve had to shut him down to get him just back to throwing and if it’s not given a proper chance to heal, he could end up back and forth on the DL throughout the second half. Monitor what they are doing for him and see how he responds once he’s actually throwing pitches from a mound. He may have been pitching like a stud before the injury, but you’re going to have some serious issues with him if the team tries to bring him back before he’s truly ready.

The good news is that, if everything works out properly, you could have Madison Bumgarner back in your fantasy rotation by the end of July. The bad news is that there still might be some concern regarding his overall effectiveness. The southpaw threw three no-hit innings against the Giants’ Arizona Rookie team over the weekend, but his velocity was clocked between 88-91 mph. He is obviously building up arm strength right now, but as we’ve seen with AC-joint injuries in the past, the recovery is similar to that of someone coming back from Tommy John surgery in that the velocity comes back first and then the command. MadBum’s velocity is not where it needs to be just yet and it’s going to take more than just a few rehab outings to get him back to where he was prior to the injury. The Giants are going nowhere this season, so if they need to coddle their ace a little, they will, so while the return target date is late July, it could push back depending on what happens when he faces stronger competition. Keep stashing and hope for the best. I own him in two leagues, so I’m fighting this battle with you. Cautiously optimistic is how I will leave it here today.

In other DL news, the Yankees are hoping to get Jacoby Ellsbury back later in the week. With Aaron Hicks out for close to a month, the team will go with Mason Williams in center, but Ellsbury, who is recovering from a concussion and a couple of setbacks, started a Triple-A rehab assignment Saturday and the hope is to have him back by July 1. Keep an eye on his progress and if you can, stash him for a few days here. If all works out fine, he should serve as some immediate help in the runs scored department.

And for those of you who want to think you’re being savvy and are looking for some unusual edge, allow me to say fuck Tim Tebow. Don’t even think about it. I don’t care what your personal beliefs are or what your relationship with God is all about. The guy isn’t doing shit for you this year or next year or the year after that, and no, even as a September call-up (which would be nothing more than a gimmick for a floundering Mets club), he’s about as useful as tits on a bull. Yeah, we can credit my granddaddy for that last statement. He’s always good for a slap in the face with reality.

Best of luck to you this week!