UPDATE: 5/13/2010:
Well how about that kids? Derek Holland opened up some eyes in his 2010 debut on Wednesday, tossing six innings of shutout ball against the Athletics. In all he gave up a measly five hits, struck out an impressive seven and walked just one batter…see, I told you so!
If you are one of the lucky ones who pick him up, congratulations. But if you are still one of the many who are about to make a mad dash to the waiver wire, you might wanna do that now.
Holland posted a 0.93 ERA in six Triple-A starts this season. The surprising left hander should be a hot commodity in the coming weeks, with the Angels on deck.
Make sure you keep abreast of the situation in Texas, though, since it is speculated his stay in the majors could be temporary. In my opinion Matt Harrison isn’t gonna be back anytime soon, and this kid is good enough to prove he belongs in the rotation permanently.
Original Article posted May 9th, 2010:
Ron Washington has made it official, and Matt Harrison is headed to the DL with biceps tendinitis, giving the green light to call up Derek Holland from Triple-A Oklahoma.
In other words, move over bacon, here comes something meatier.
Harrison has been worked like a dog this year throwing over 120 pitches in such a small frame of time, and to be honest Harrison was lucky to even get a job in the starting rotation. But now all of that is about to change and it’s Holland’s turn to show dem’ Texas boys what he’s got.
Holland is a solid smoker type pitcher who has a clear cut penchant for throwing some heat, and he has excelled in Oklahoma going 4-1 with a 0.93 ERA with a 37/7 K/BB ratio in a very trim 38 and 2/3 innings.
In 2009, Holland struggled with a 8-13 record and inflated 6.12 ERA. He was still able to strike batters out as shown in his 107 / 47 K/BB ratio, but he was also incredibly hittable.
In 2010, Holland has changed his approach a bit and learned some much needed control and increased his velocity, which should translate into wonderful things in the bigs, and for fantasy owners alike.
Keep in mind one final thought. Holland’s 4 years in the minors are proof positive that the kid has the potential to be a number two guy in any roster. His SO / BB rate was 3.97 which is about as good as you could expect from a youngster and his 9.7 K/9 rate is as attractive as steak on the grille.
Holland is available now, and is also a dual listing as a SP and RP.
Rounding the Bases.
Jayson Heyward – OF – Braves could be headed to the DL by as early as Wednesday if his groin injury doesn’t get better which is sad news for the Braves, and fantasy owners as well, since Heyward’s has been the only bright spot of offense. Stay tuned for further updates as they become available.
LaTroy Hawkins – RP – Brewers is headed for a stint on the DL as well with a bit of shoulder weakness which shouldn’t come as a surprise given his lack of velocity and under performance as of late. Through 13 appearances, Hawkins has a disgusting 9.26 ERA.
Joe Mauer – C – Twins is expected to DH today (Sunday) and if everything goes well he should be eased back into things in no time. Before the hell injury Mauer was hitting .345/.406/.500 with 10 extra base hits.
Fantasy Snag Of The Week:
Name-Position-Team: Carlos Ruiz – C – Philadelphia Phillies
Stat Line: .320/.458/.427 with 1 HR 9 RBI and 5 DBL in addition to an .885 OPS
Scouting Report:
Think of Ruiz as little Miguel from The Bad News Bears: relatively quiet; considerably underestimated. Not the guy who will put up power numbers and eye pooping stats, but a guy who will get on base quite often, and could serve as a viable option as a utility man in NL only leagues. Ruiz is riding a four game hitting streak with Colorado, Milwaukee, Pittsburgh, and Chicago (Cubs) all due up in the coming week.
We all constantly look for a guy or two that can provide some quick action and getting one off the waivers is even better even if it is for a short period of time. If you are in the market for a part-time bat, definitely check out Ruiz.
Be sure to keep on top of all of the hot players in the league that could be of some service to you this week coming up, and Happy Mother's Day to all you moms out there!
