Here is a look at the latest news and notes from around the diamond to help you set your fantasy baseball lineup for week 23.

American League:

Alex Rodriguez returned to the New York Yankees lineup on Sunday, going 2-for-5 with an RBI. He should be active in all formats for next week.

Cliff Lee has been scratched from his Tuesday start for the Texas Rangers and could possibly be skipped the entire week depending on how his back feels. Scott Feldman will take the hill on Tuesday at Toronto. Also for the Rangers, shortstop Elvis Andrus is likely to miss the first part of next week with hamstring issues. Cristian Guzman will get starts in his place.

Josh Hamilton is expected to miss a week of action for the Texas Rangers with sore ribs. The team will go with a platoon of Julio Borbon and Jeff Francoeur in his place.

National League:

Johan Santana has been scratched from his Tuesday start by the New York Mets; instead the team will turn to Dillon Gee from Triple-A.  Gee had a 4.96 ERA with 165 strikeouts in 161 1/3 innings, with opposing hitters batting .275 against him.

Clay Hensley has supplanted Leo Nunez as closer in Florida for the time being so if you are looking for saves next week, get Hensley in your active line up.

Platoon Roles:

For those players in platoon roles, below you will find the number of games that each player might play based on the current pitching matchups for week 23.

Here is a complete look at the fantasy baseball two-start pitchers for week 23. Obviously the top tier pitchers are going to be left in your line up, but here is a look at some of the more border line pitchers for mixed league starts and who they face in those starts.

2 start pitchers week 23: remember again that the list below is more focused on mixed leagues since in AL or NL only leagues in most cases you do not have the option to rotate too many starting pitchers with the smaller player pool. The pitchers below are listed in alphabetical order by team name per category.

American League:

Start them:

Jon Lester (BOS) ~ TB (Niemann). @OAK (Anderson)
Max Scherzer (DET) ~ CWS (Jackson), BAL (Guthrie)
Justin Verlander (DET) ~ CWS (Garcia), BAL (Arrieta)
Brett Anderson (OAK) ~ SEA (Vargas), BOS (Lester)
Jason Vargas (SEA) ~ @OAK (Anderson), @LAA (Haren)
Ricky Romero (TOR) ~ TEX (Hunter), TB (Niemann)
Shaun Marcum (TOR) ~ TEX (Lee), TB (Price))

Roll the Dice:

Edwin Jackson (CHW) ~ @DET (Scherzer), KC (Davies)
Carlos Carrasco (CLE) ~ @LAA (Haren), MIN (Slowey)
Dan Haren (LAA) ~ CLE (Carrasco), SEA (Vargas)
Kevin Slowey (MIN) ~ KC (O’Sullivan), @CLE (Carrasco)
Tommy Hunter (TEX) ~ @TOR (Romero), NYY (Burnett)

Slowey returns to action after a stint on the disabled list. Before the injury, he had went 3-1 in his previous five starts, allowing one run or less in three of them. Jackson has been riding a hot streak since coming back to the American League, going 3-0 in five starts with a 1.47 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP. Haren has had two good starts in a row and faces Seattle again, a team he tossed seven shutout innings against in his last start. Hunter is always on the fence for me with his fringe stuff that can lead to some explosive outings. He has failed to make it to the fourth inning in three of his last 10 starts. He has yet to face either Toronto or New York this season.

Sit Them:

Jake Arrieta (BAL) ~ @NYY (Burnett), @DET (Verlander)
Freddy Garcia (CHW) ~ @DET (Verlander), KC (O’Sullivan)
Sean O’Sullivan (KC) ~ @MIN (Slowey), @CWS (Garcia)
A.J. Burnett (NYY) ~ BAL (Arrieta), @TEX (Hunter)
Jeff Niemann (TB) ~ @BOS (Lester), @TOR (Romero)

Burnett has been too inconsistent and a win in his last start was his first since July 28th. I don’t want any part of Niemann in my rotation until he shows he is healthy. He has been bombed in his two starts since coming off of the disabled list, allowing 17 runs in 8 1/3 innings. Garcia has slowed down after a nice first half, now sporting a 5.80 ERA and 1.64 WHIP since the All-Star break. Arrieta is 0-3 in his last four starts and his inability to throw strikes makes it hard for him to get wins because he can barely make it through five innings in a start.

National League:

Start them:

Tommy Hanson (ATL) ~ @PIT (Karstens), STL (Westbrook)
Tim Hudson (ATL) ~ @PIT (Karstens), STL (TBD)
Ryan Dempster (CHC) ~ HOU (Rodriguez), @MIL (Gallardo)
Johnny Cueto (CIN) ~ @COL (Chacin), PIT (Karstens)
Ubaldo Jimenez (COL) ~ CIN (Harang), ARI (Saunders)
Anibal Sanchez (FLA) ~ @PHI (Oswalt), @WAS (Zimmermann)
Wandy Rodriguez (HOU) ~ @CHC (Dempster), LAD (Kershaw)
Clayton Kershaw (LAD) ~ @SD (Correia), @HOU (Rodriguez)
Roy Oswalt (PHI) ~ FLA (Sanchez), @NYM (Pelfrey)
Tim Lincecum (SF) ~ @ARI (Enright), @SD (Correia)

Roll the Dice:

Ian Kennedy (ARI) ~ SF (Bumgarner), @COL (Chacin)
Jhoulys Chacin (COL) ~ CIN (Cueto), ARI (Kennedy)
Nelson Figueroa (HOU) ~ @CHC (Gorzelanny), LAD (Padilla)
Yovani Gallardo (MIL) ~ STL (Westbrook), CHC (Silva)
Mike Pelfrey (NYM) ~ @WAS (Zimmermann), PHI (Oswalt)
Wade LeBlanc (SD) ~ LAD (Monasterios), SF (Bumgarner)
Madison Bumgarner (SF) ~ @ARI (Kennedy), @SD (LeBlanc)
Jake Westbrook (STL) ~ @MIL (Gallardo), @ATL (Hanson)
Jordan Zimmermann (WAS) ~ NYM (Pelfrey), FLA (Sanchez)

Kennedy has been up and down in his rookie season, but his strikeout rate plus his 6-2 record over his last 10 starts gives him the nod for rotations next week. Figueroa has been solid in his four starts since moving into the Astros rotation, with only five runs allowed in 23 innings. Westbrook has lost three in a row but still pitched well enough to win two of them. The Cardinals gave him only five runs of support in those three outings. Zimmerman has had one good start and one rough start since coming back to the major leagues. He faces Florida again next week, after tossing six shutout innings with nine strikeouts against them on 8/31. LeBlanc is teetering on the edge of benching after coming down from his hot run in July and allowing 16 runs in his last 13 innings. Getting two home starts where he has a 2.71 ERA and a 1.32 WHIP should help. Chacin has run off three straight solid starts, allowing two earned runs in 20 innings with 19 strikeouts. Gallardo’s overall numbers seem okay, but a 7.23 ERA and 1.70 WHIP after the break with hitters batting 90 points higher against him tells me there may be something wrong with him. Pelfrey has gone 3-3 in his last six starts, allowing three runs or less in five of those outings. Hitters have started to catch up to Bumgarner the second part of the year. Luckily for you, he gets two road starts next week where he has a 2.62 ERA with a 1.32 WHIP vs. 5.24 and 1.49 at home.

Sit Them:

Aaron Harang (CIN) ~ @COL (Jimenez), PIT (Morton)
Chris Volstad (FLA) ~ @PHI (TBD), @WAS (Olsen)
Carlos Monasterios (LAD) ~ @SD (LeBlanc), @HOU (Figueroa)
Jeff Karstens (PIT) ~ ATL (Hanson), @CHC (Cueto)
Kevin Correia (SD) ~ LAD (Kershaw), SF (Lincecum)
TBD (STL) ~ @MIL (Narveson), @ATL (Hudson)

Monasterios has not picked up a win since May 28th and has not gone five innings in a game since back on July 30th. Karstens win in his last start was his first since June 19th, sandwiched around eight losses. Correia always seems to run in streaks and unfortunately for his owners, he is in a run right now, allowing 20 runs over his last 12 innings. Harang’s first start in two months in the major leagues was not a success and pitching at Colorado next week does not bode well for your team’s stats. Volstad faces a six game suspension which could impact his two starts next week depending on if he appeals the ruling.

With September 1 here, here is a look at some of the more interesting names that were called up today and they impact they might have in fantasy leagues over the course of the next five weeks. Keep in mind that there will be more players coming up and they still might be in Double-A or Triple-A if there team is in the playoffs.

1B / OF Brandon Allen (ARI) – Allen got the start in left field on Wednesday with Justin Upton out of the lineup and day-to-day. Allen went 2-for-3 and drove in four runs, thanks to a grand slam in the seventh innings. Allen was hitting .261 in Triple-A with 25 home runs and 86 RBI to go along with 14 stolen bases. He should see a good amount of playing time the last five weeks between the outfield and first base.

1B Freddie Freeman (ATL) – Freeman got the start at first base in place of Derrek Lee and went 0-for-3 with a strikeout while hitting sixth in the order. He could see spot starts the rest of the way since Lee has been injury prone this year, but Freeman’s real value won’t come until 2011. He hit .319 in Triple-A with 18 home runs, 87 RBI and six stolen bases.

2B Daniel Espinosa (WAS) – Espinosa should see a good amount of starts at seconds base for the Washington Nationals over the remainder of the season. Espinosa hit .268 at two levels in the minor leagues with 22 home runs, 69 RBI and 25 stolen bases in 481 at bats and is the favorite to start at second base in 2011. He came off the bench Wednesday to go 1-for-2 with an RBI.

OF Nolan Reimold (BAL) – It has been a disappointing season for Reimold who started the year as a strong sleeper candidate in Baltimore, but did not seem recovered enough from surgery to his Achilles to ever get untracked. Reimold was hitting .249 in Triple-A with 10 home runs, 37 RBI and 9 stolen bases in 337 at bats. He got the start Wednesday at designated hitter with the lefty Jon Lester on the mound and went 1-for-3 with an RBI. It looks like he could platoon with Luke Scott at DH and fill-in periodically in the outfield.

OF Lucas Duda (NYM) – With Jason Bay still out of action, Duda could get an extended look in left field for the New York Mets. Duda was in the lineup Wednesday night and hit seventh going 0-for-3 with a strikeout. He hit .304 between two levels in the minor leagues with 23 home runs and 87 RBI in 425 at bats.

OF Desmond Jennings (TB) – Jennings got the start in right field hitting second for Tampa Bay on Wednesday. He went o-for-3 with a strikeout and his playing time for the rest of the season is still in question, unless the Rays decide to give Ben Zobrist more time at second base. The addition of Brad Hawpe also takes away some possible at bats from the DH spot. Jennings hit .278 in Triple-A with 37 stolen bases in 41 attempts.

RP – Aroldis Chapman (CIN) – The Reds cheated the a little by getting him to the major leagues a day early so he would be eligible for the playoffs and he has pitched both days, working two scoreless innings with three strikeouts. He has some value in NL leagues for K’s but is not worth owning in mixed leagues. For keeper leagues, his long term outlook is still in the Cincinnati rotation

SP – Cory Luebke (SD) – Luebke is expected to get the start on Friday for the San Diego Padres against the Colorado Rockies. Luebke was 10-1 between two levels in the minor leagues with a 2.68 ERA and 88 strikeouts in 114 innings.

Here is a look at the fantasy baseball closer report for week 22. It contains all of the most recent closer news, plus the current closers and the current handcuffs.

The trade of Brian Fuentes from the Los Angeles Angels puts Fernando Rodney in the closer role in LA with Fuentes moving to a set up role in Minnesota behind Matt Capps. Although Fuentes picked up a one-out save Saturday based on a lefty matchup, Capps is still the closer to own for the Twins.  For keeper leagues, it means Fuentes will be trying to win a job on a new team next season as a free agent and Rodney should be the closer in LA as he is under contract for 2011 at $5.5 million. Dynasty owners should keep an eye on recent call-up Jordan Walden who could figure into the mix for saves down the line, but he still has some work to do on his control with 24 walks in 49 2/3 innings in the minor leagues.

Koji Uehara tied for the American League lead with three saves last week in Baltimore and is firmly in control of the closer role for the Baltimore Orioles with Mike Gonzalez serving in a setup role. Gonzalez is due to earn $6 million in 2011 so he could get a crack at regaining the job next spring.

With J.J. Putz on the disabled list and Matt Thornton out with a forearm injury the last two weeks, Bobby Jenks should see the majority of saves for the Chicago White Sox. Of course having said that, Jenks allowed three runs in the ninth against the Cleveland Indians to send the game into extra innings.

Brandon Lyon led the National League with three saves last week and has entrenched himself as closer in Houston with Matt Lindstrom out of action. With Lyon under contract through 2012, if he closes out the year as closer like has been pitching the last few weeks, he will head into 2011 as the main guy.

Here is a look at the latest news and notes from around the diamond to help you set your fantasy baseball lineup for week 22.

American League:

The trade of Brian Fuentes to the Minnesota Twins leaves Fernando Rodney in the closer role in Los Angeles so make sure he is active in your lineup next week.

Outfielder Nelson Cruz is expected to return from the disabled list for the Texas Rangers on Monday. Coming off of his third trip to the disabled list, he might be rested a game or two more going forward with the additional depth the Rangers now have.

Outfielder Matt LaPorta of the Cleveland Indians exited Sunday’s game with a strained hip. It was the same hip he had surgery on last year and his status is in question so make sure you have him replaced in your lineup for next week.

Second basemen Brian Roberts of the Baltimore Orioles missed action over the weekend with a strained hip and is questionable for the start of the week. With the amount of middle infielders likely available in your league in free agency, I would plan on starting one of them over Roberts next week.

National League:

Manny Ramirez looks like he is on his way out of Los Angeles and headed to the Chicago White Sox. Details are still sketchy whether it is a straight waiver claim or a trade which could delay his arrival a day or two, meaning he should remain benched for next week still.

Aroldis Chapman is expected to make his major league debut for the Cincinnati Reds early next week in the bullpen. NL only owners in need of strikeouts should look to add him into their active lineup.

Troy Tulowitzki is day-to-day with a strained groin for Colorado and is questionable for Monday’s game. Chris Denorfia of the San Diego Padres is day-to-day after missing some action over the weekend with a sore back.

Platoon Roles:

For those players in platoon roles, below you will find the number of games that each player might play based on the current pitching matchups for week 22.

Here is a complete look at the fantasy baseball two-start pitchers for week 22. Obviously the top tier pitchers are going to be left in your line up, but here is a look at some of the more border line pitchers for mixed league starts and who they face in those starts.

2 start pitchers week 22: remember again that the list below is more focused on mixed leagues since in AL or NL only leagues in most cases you do not have the option to rotate too many starting pitchers with the smaller player pool. The pitchers below are listed in alphabetical order by team name per category.

American League:

Start them:

Brian Duensing (MIN) ~ DET (Galarraga), TEX (Lee)
Phil Hughes (NYY) ~ OAK (Mazzaro), TOR (Cecil)
Trevor Cahill (OAK) ~ @NYY (Moseley), LAA (Santana)
Felix Hernandez (SEA) ~ LAA (Santana), CLE (Masterson)
C.J. Wilson (TEX) ~ @KC (Davies), @MIN (Duensing)

Roll the Dice:

Josh Beckett (BOS) ~ @BAL (Matusz), CWS (Buehrle)
Mark Buehrle (CHW) ~ @CLE (Talbot), @BOS (Beckett)
Armando Galarraga (DET) ~ @MIN (Duensing), @KC (Davies)
Dan Haren (LAA) ~ @SEA (Pauley), @OAK (Mazzaro)
Dustin Moseley (NYY) ~ OAK (Cahill), TOR (Rzepczynski)
Vin Mazzaro (OAK) ~ @NYY (Hughes), LAA (Haren)
David Pauley (SEA) ~ LAA (Haren), CLE (Talbot)
Wade Davis (TB) ~ TOR (Cecil), @BAL (Matusz)
Brett Cecil (TOR) ~ @TB (Davis), @NYY (Hughes)
Ervin Santana (LAA) ~ SEA (Hernandez), @OAK (Cahill)

Beckett has been rocked in three of his past four starts, allowing 22 runs in 22 1/3 innings. He allowed two runs in seven innings in his lone start against Baltimore and has yet to face the White Sox this season. If you are trying to catch up in stats, then you probably have to take your chances and hope for two good starts. If you are trying to protect your team ERA and WHIP, it is probably best to have him on the bench. Buerhle is 6-3 in his last 10 starts, allowing three runs or less in eight of those starts. Galarraga has been better the second half of the season despite only one win in eight starts. ERA of 3.60 with 1.28 WHIP plus uptick in his strikeout rate gives him the benefit of the doubt for now. Haren’s numbers haven been slightly better in the American League with a drop in strikeouts as he now faces a designated hitter. His batting average against in both leagues has been much higher than in 2009 giving some cause for concern for his value in keeper leagues. Moseley is good for wins but allowing a home run every five innings does not bode well for long term success. Mazzaro has not won since July 24th despite allowing three runs or less in five straight starts. Pauley has two home starts where he has a 2.66 ERA and 1.10 WHIP vs. 5.40 and 1.54 on the road. Davis has not lost since June 27th and has allowed two runs or less in five of his last six starts. Cecil has carried over his performance from the first half to the second with a slightly lower ERA and a slightly higher WHIP. His start on August 14th when he allowed seven runs was the only time in his last nine outings that he allowed more than three runs. Santana has not been as sharp since the All-Star break and faces two tough opposing starters next week making him a tough start.

Sit Them:

Brian Matusz (BAL) ~ BOS (Beckett), TB (Davis)
Justin Masterson (CLE) ~ CWS (Jackson), @SEA (Hernandez)
Mitch Talbot (CLE) ~ CWS (Buehrle), @SEA (Pauley)
Kyle Davies (KC) ~ TEX (Wilson), DET (Galarraga)

Talbot has not won since June 27th and is 1-6 in his last 10 starts. Masterson allows too many hits and too many walks to have success as a starter on a consistent basis. Matusz has been better of late, but has a 6.06 ERA vs. Tampa Bay with a 1.53 WHIP, his second start next week. Against Boston, his numbers are 2.41 and 1.18.

National League:

Start them:

Mike Minor (ATL) ~ NYM (Niese), @FLA (Sanabia)
Travis Wood (CIN) ~ MIL (Wolf), @STL (Carpenter)
Hiroki Kuroda (LAD) ~ PHI (Halladay), SF (Sanchez)
Jon Niese (NYM) ~ @ATL (Minor), @CHC (Zambrano)
Roy Halladay (PHI) ~ @LAD (Kuroda), MIL (Bush)
Jonathan Sanchez (SF) ~ COL (De La Rosa), @LAD (Kuroda)

Roll the Dice:

Jair Jurrjens (ATL) ~ NYM (Misch), @FLA (Johnson)
Carlos Zambrano (CHC) ~ PIT (Maholm), NYM (Niese)
Jorge De La Rosa (COL) ~ @SF (Sanchez), @SD (Richard)
J.A. Happ (HOU) ~ STL (Westbrook), @ARI (Saunders)
Randy Wolf (MIL) ~ @CIN (Wood), @PHI (Kendrick)
Kyle Kendrick (PHI) ~ @LAD (Monasterios), MIL (Wolf)
Wade LeBlanc (SD) ~ @ARI (Saunders), COL (Rogers)
Jake Westbrook (STL) ~ @HOU (Happ), CIN (Wood)

Throw out Jurrjens last start at Colorado and he had went four straight starts with three runs allowed or less. Allowed four runs in seven innings in his start against Florida back on July 25th. Zambrano has been good in the ERA department but his control has been Carlos Marmol like with 16 walks in 24 innings.  De La Rosa has been on a roll, allowing three runs or less in seven straight starts while striking out five or more in six of those outings. Happ has had only one really bad start since the All-Star break and it was against St. Louis, allowing seven runs in one inning. The same team he happens to face in his first start next week. Other than that start, the other six starts were all three runs or less. Wolf has won three of his last four starts and allowed two runs or less in four or his last six appearances. Kendrick has been streaky, either pitching very well or getting hit hard. He has been much better on the road with a 3.87 ERA and 1.28 WHIP vs. 5.50 and 1.46 at home. If you have daily or bi-weekly transactions, keep that in mind. LeBlanc walks a fine line to get wins in San Diego, usually needing to surrender three runs or less to get a decision. He has allowed four or more runs in four of his last 10 starts. He just faced Arizona this week, allowing three runs in 6 2/3 innings.  The move to the National League has agreed with Westbrook, sporting a 1.10 WHIP and striking out a batter per inning.

Sit Them:

Joe Saunders (AZ) ~ SD (LeBlanc), HOU (Happ)
Esmil Rogers (COL) ~ @SF (Bumgarner), @SD (LeBlanc)
Alejandro Sanabia (FLA) ~ WAS (Marquis), ATL (Minor)
Paul Maholm (PIT) ~ @CHC (Zambrano), WAS (Marquis)
Jason Marquis (WAS) ~ @FLA (Sanabia), @PIT (Marquis)
Pat Misch (NYM) ~ @ATL (Jurrjens), @CHC (Coleman)

Saunders was supposed to see a drop in his numbers with the move to the National League, instead, his ERA and WHIP have both gone up. He has allowed a home run in eight straight starts. Maholm is 2-6 in his last 10 starts and with little strikeouts to speak of, not much incentive to have him in your rotation. Sanabia is too unpredictable to use at this point of the season in mixed leagues unless you are desperate for wins.

Here is a look at some potential players to target in your fantasy baseball league that might be out there on the waiver wire for upcoming week 22.

American League:

OF/DH  Marcus Thames – With Lance Berkman on the DL, Thames is seeing all at-bats versus lefty pitching for the Yankees.  Thames is hitting .316 with four home runs and 16 RBI in 117 plate appearances.

RP Chris Sale – Sale is another first round draft pick from this year’s draft that has reached the majors.  Currently pitching in relief for the Chicago White Sox, Sale was drafted as a starter and could be a potential keeper.

3B  Danny Valencia – Minnesota has finally decided to give Valencia the full time job at third after trying a slew of players; even Michael Cuddyer has a few games at third. Valencia is nothing flashy in terms of power since he only has one home run since being called up, but Minnesota has a great line-up and he will see his share of runs scored.  Valencia is hitting .329 on the season.

SP  Ivan Nova – It’s hard not to recommend a starting pitcher for the New York Yankees.  He showed some spunk in his first start for the Bombers going 5+ innings while only giving up two earned runs.  Nova was 12-3 in Triple-A with a 2.86 ERA and 115 strikeouts in 145 innings.

National League:

OF Seth Smith – With Brad Hawpe out of the picture in Colorado, Smith is going to see more at bats for the Rockies as they are only 4.5 games out in the NL West.  Smith who is 27-years-old has 14 home runs with 45 RBI while batting .265 in limited action.

OF Cameron Maybin – Florida called Maybin up again after they moved Cody Ross.  Maybin will see regular playing time in center field for the Marlins for the remainder of the season.  Maybin is 4 for his last 9 plate appearances.

Mixed Leagues:

OF Ryan Raburn – Magglio Ordonez is done for the season as the Detroit Tigers have decided to proceed with ankle surgery.  Raburn is hitting .333 with 5 home run over the last 17 games.

SP Bud Norris – Don’t look at Norris’s over numbers.  Norris has not allowed more than 2 runs over his last 3 starts and had 14 strikeouts in one of those outings.  Norris also hasn’t lost a game since July 17th.

OF Chris Denorfia – Denorfia has been also getting regular at bats for the Padres in the month of August.  He is hitting .339 this month and has 9 home runs with 31 RBI.  Denorfia is more know for having some speed with six steals on the season but ride him while he’s hot.

With only six weeks left in the fantasy baseball season and most trade deadlines past, now is the time to focus on getting players that may be trending hot and looking to drop those players that are turning ice cold as the season winds down. Here is a look at some hitters to buy or sell in week 21.

Buy:

Will Rhymes – all Rhymes has done when he has gotten the chance is hit in Detroit, to the tune of a .318 batting average after Wednesday’s game. Should be able to score some runs hitting second in the order and can help a team batting average down the stretch. Has multi-hit games in six of his last eight starts.

Ryan Raburn – Rhymes teammate in Detroit, Rayburn is a good source of power at middle infield or in the outfield. Is currently hitting .321 in August with six home runs and 16 RBI in 78 at bats.

Coco Crisp - despite his injury tag which is warranted, he has been one of the top players in the American League over the last three weeks. He has a lot to play for with a $5.75 million club option looming for 2011. Crisp is hitting .350 in August with three home runs, 11 RBI and 9 stolen bases, giving him 19 stolen bases the last two months.

Chris Denorfia – despite the over crowded situation in the San Diego outfield, Denorfia has maintained a good stat pace in August, hitting .339 with three home runs, 11 RBI and two stolen bases.

Jamey Carroll – another middle infielder that has decent value as long as Rafael Furcal is out for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Caroll is hitting .350 in his last 60 at bats with seven runs scored and four stolen bases.

Sell:

Jack Cust - he was hitting home runs for awhile but has dropped off lately with 22 strikeouts in his last 48 at bats with a .188 batting average. The damage his batting average can still do to your team at this point of the season is not worth the trade off for the power.

Brennan Boesch – on the whole his numbers don’t look too bad when you first see them, but a closer look reveals second half numbers of a .156 batting average with only two home runs and 12 RBI in 135 at bats.

Jeff Mathis – with prospect Hank Conger a possible September call up combined with the performance of Mathis of late, .079 batting average with 15 strikeouts in 38 at bats means you should be looking for another catcher if you own him.

Brett Wallace – it looks like Wallace is going to have little impact down the stretch, rotating at firs base in Houston and still adjusting to major league pitching. Wallace is hitting .188 in 55 at bats with a whopping 22 strikeouts and no home runs.

Here is a look at the latest news and notes from around the minor leagues from a fantasy baseball perspective in the week 21 minor league report. With September 1 right around the corner, here is a look at some potential call ups that could have an impact for your fantasy baseball team the last month of the season.

C Hank Conger (LAA) – Conger has been solid at Triple-A with a .287 average, nine home runs and 42 RBI. He has good plate discipline with 50 walks and 55 strikeouts and could give your team a batting average boost the last month as his .287 mark this year is the lowest of his minor league career.

C J.P. Arencibia (TOR) – he was called up a few weeks ago and cost some owners a lot of their free agent money. For some reason Toronto reverted back to John Buck at catcher to give J.P. more time in the minor leagues. It remains to be seen how many at bats he might get the last month. If the team really wanted to give him time, they had the perfect opportunity with Buck injured. I would expect J.P. to get a couple of starts per week if he is brought back up.

1B Mark Trumbo (LAA) – The 24-year-old Trumbo has enjoyed a power breakout in Triple-A with 30 home runs and 104 RBI while hitting .294. He is blocked by Kendry Morales at first base next season, but he should see some at bats next month for the Angels.

2B Dustin Ackley (SEA) – The second overall pick from the 2009 draft, Ackley has made a successful transition to second base.  Across two levels this year, Ackley is hitting .276 in 439 at bats with five home runs, 43 RBI and nine stolen bases. The Mariners will likely look to move either Jose Lopez or Chone Figgins in the off-season to find a spot for Ackley in their 2011 line up.

3B Jared Goedert (CLE) – The Cleveland Indians have several third basemen in their pipeline with Goedert likely to get first crack since he is currently in Triple-A. Through two levels this year, he is hitting .295 with 25 home runs and 77 RBI.

3B Mat Gamel (MIL) – The forgotten prospect is back and healthy in Triple-A, hitting .319 to go with 12 home runs and 65 RBI in 285 at bats. With Casey McGehee locked in at third base, Gamel could see time at first base next season if Prince Fielder is traded.

OF Desmond Jennings (TB) – Despite the fact that he has not been called up this season does not diminish his appeal in long term keeper leagues. With Carl Crawford a free agent after this season, Jennings will be a full-time player in Tampa next year. He could impact the stolen base category the last month of the year. He is hitting .287 with three home runs, 36 RBI and is 34-for-37 in stolen bases.

OF Lucas Duda (NYM) – Duda has been on a power binge in AAA with 17 home runs and 53 RBI in just 230 at bats to go along with a .322 batting average. He could see a few at bats the last month of the year for the Mets.

SP – Michael Pineda (SEA) – Pineda has been solid since being promoted to Triple-A halfway through the season. His ERA at 4.14 is a little inflated with eight home runs allowed in 58 2/3 innings. His 71 strikeouts with a .210 batting average against though shows he could make an immediate impact once he is recalled.

SP – Zachary Britton (BAL) – The Baltimore Orioles have talked about a possible 6-man rotation with Chris Tillman and Britton looking at September call ups. Across two levels, Britton has a 2.70 ERA with 107 strikeouts in 136 2/3 innings. The 22-year-old lefty has only allowed five home runs while holding hitters to a .237 average.

Here is a look at the fantasy baseball closer report for week 21. It contains all of the most recent closer news, plus the current closers and the current handcuffs.

Hisanori Takahashi had little problem last week in his first week as new closer for the New York Mets in place of Francisco Rodriguez. Takahashi picked up a save and worked 2 2/3 scoreless innings. With a 3.21 ERA and a 0.75 WHIP in his first 15 pitches on the season, he should be good in that role for the rest of the season.

Koji Uehara picked up a save last week for the Baltimore Orioles although manager Buck Showalter was not ready to annoint him the full-time closer yet. With a 1.73 ERA and a 1.12 WHIP, Uehara has been more reliable in the pen than Mike Gonzalez or Alfredo Simon.

With Matt Lindstrom going on the disabled list, it finally confirmed what we have known for several weeks, that Brandon Lyon is officially the closer in Houston.  Lyon has been a perfect 4-for-4 in saves the last two weeks without allowing a run in his last six innings. NL only league players should grab Wilton Lopez as he may be able to snag a save or two over the next few weeks.

The month of August has been unkind to Huston Street in Colorado as he has converted only four of seven saves and has a 7.15 ERA to go along with a 1.85 WHIP.  Manny Corpas who picked up 10 saves the first half of the year has not been great after the All-Star break with a 1.79 WHIP. Street still looks to be the man though at Coors Field as there have been no rumblings yet of an impending change.