Editor's Note: What's been going on around the National League in the past week? Tristan H. Cockcroft takes a quick-hitting look at the news and notes for each of the 16 NL teams:
National League East
Atlanta Braves: So much for the contract-year theory. Andruw Jones is off to a terrible start, batting .212 with a .729 OPS and six home runs, putting him on pace for 22 homers for the full year. Those would represent his worst numbers since his rookie year of 1997, but at least in this case, there's a possible explanation. Back problems have plagued him for much of the month, potentially explaining his .147 batting average (10-for-68) in 18 games in May, and his 3-for-29 (.103), 15-strikeout performance in his last seven contests. They also forced him to sit out the second game of Saturday's doubleheader, while leading to a five-strikeout effort on Sunday. Jones is now on pace for 188 strikeouts, by far a career high, and his drop-off in the power department could be in part attributed to his back problems, which have a history of hurting sluggers in that key aspect of the game. Now, it's worth noting that Jones did carry a .234 batting average, .702 OPS into the first week of May before exploding for a 51-homer performance in 2005, so don't give up on him, but don't be shocked if he requires a little time off in the short term to rest his ailing back.
Florida Marlins: It appears Kevin Gregg is the preferred closer in Henry Owens' stead, as the right-handed veteran has picked up each of the team's past two saves, and has pitched five hitless innings in five appearances since Owens landed on the DL on May 11. Of course, two of those games came against the Pirates and two against the Nationals, rather light-hitting offenses, but since April 27 Gregg has a 0.75 ERA and .143 BAA in his last 12 appearances. Owens should get another chance to reclaim the role once healthy, but keep Gregg active while he remains hot, as he could make this a real battle once the former returns at this pace. ... It took awhile, but Jeremy Hermida finally seems to be realizing his vast potential, the kind of upside that made him a favorite for 2006 NL Rookie of the Year honors. Injuries have plagued him ever since, but since his return from the DL, he has hit safely in each of his seven games, batting .417 (10-for-24) with two homers. Throw in his .294 batting average (5-for-17) with two homers in five games of his minor-league rehabilitation assignment and it seems Hermida might be back on the right track. Though he's risky, he's indeed capable of a high batting average and 20-plus homers.
New York Mets: Now there is the power we've all been expecting from David Wright since the middle of last season. In the three-game weekend series against the cross-town rival New York Yankees, Wright managed three home runs and a 3-for-9 (.333) performance, bringing his May homer total to seven in 19 games. He's batting .329 (24-for-73) with 19 RBIs and a 1.074 OPS in 19 games for the month, much closer to our preseason expectations, and a lot more encouraging coming off such a troubling power drought. From last year's All-Star break through April 30 of this season, Wright managed only six homers in 91 games, compared to 12 in a 34-game span from June 4-July 9, 2006. Sure, he batted a respectable .288 (96-for-333) with a .426 slugging percentage in the midst of his power drought, not terrible numbers, but it's good to see he's finally shaking those issues. Wright now finds himself on pace for 26 home runs, which actually could be low for him. Remember, he hit 26 homers in 2006 despite a half-season of poor production, but from All-Star break 2005 to All-Star break 2006, he managed .324-36-132-21 numbers, which are representative of his upside. Expect big things the rest of the year.
Philadelphia Phillies: The Phillies actually haven't had nearly the trouble scoring runs and winning games as expected since Ryan Howard landed on the DL on May 10, managing 5.10 runs per game while winning seven of 10 contests. Still, the slugger's return, tentatively scheduled for Friday, should continue to bolster the team's offensive attack. The Phillies plan to send Howard on a two-game minor-league rehabilitation stint this week, during which time we should get a sense of how well his strained quadriceps has healed, and then he should get in a couple of weekend games before returning to fantasy lineups for Week 9. Maybe some Howard owners are concerned that injuries could hinder his performance all season, but the time off to rest should have done him some good. Keep in mind that Howard managed a .322 batting average (135-for-419) with 44 home runs and 113 RBI from May 25, the day he's expected to return, through season's end in 2006, which demonstrates the impact he can have on a fantasy team statistically. I'm skeptical he'll match that pace this year, but 30-35 more homers are within his reach.
Washington Nationals: It's hard to imagine the Nationals rotation getting any worse, but somehow, that's what keeps happening. With Jason Bergmann hitting the DL on Friday with inflammation in his elbow, the team's opening-day starter (John Patterson) and both of the team's starters who had sub-three ERAs in the season's first seven weeks are on the DL (Shawn Hill was the other). That leaves Washington's rotation in the hands of Mike Bacsik, Micah Bowie, Matt Chico, Jason Simontacchi and Levale Speigner, who had a combined 66 starts' MLB experience entering the season (81 through Sunday). None has better than a 4.79 career ERA -- that's Simontacchi's -- which doesn't bode well for the Nationals' chances the next few weeks. Sure, Chad Cordero has returned from his bereavement leave and reclaimed his closer's role after a few nights as Jon Rauch's setup man, but don't count on many close games for Cordero to nail down in the near future. There's an ever-increasing chance that things might become so frustrating in Washington, Cordero could be traded midseason, leaving the closer's role in Rauch's hands. That makes him NL-only worthy, but be forewarned, there shouldn't be many saves in D.C.
National League Central
Chicago Cubs: What is going on behind closed doors in Chicago?! Rumors began to circulate during the team's weekend interleague series against the cross-town rival Chicago White Sox that closer Ryan Dempster would be inserted into the rotation. In fact, they were so believable, Dempster himself told reporters on Sunday about his move to the starting rotation, before being called back into manager Lou Piniella's office, after which point he told those same reporters he'd be remaining in his current role. So what are we to believe? It's possible such a move could indeed take place, though it's not the easiest to do in-season, as it takes time to build up a pitcher's stamina from a 20-pitch short reliever to a 100-pitch starter. Fifth starter Angel Guzman is ticketed for the bullpen, clearing a rotation spot, so keep an eye on that Cubs bullpen the next few days. Hard-throwing Carlos Marmol was among the rumored candidates to take over as closer, though I'd still call Bob Howry the next-best bet, with Michael Wuertz as strong a choice as Marmol. If Dempster sneaks in some middle-relief work in which his pitch counts see a boost from the 17.2 he has averaged to date, it could be a tip-off such a move is indeed imminent. He's probably going to remain the closer, but if you're a Dempster owner, it's not a bad idea in NL-only or larger mixed formats to handcuff him with Howry and/or Marmol for now.
Cincinnati Reds: The Reds sent rookie phenom Josh Hamilton back to Cincinnati on Sunday to be examined by team doctors after he had been diagnosed with gastroenteritis. He had to be taken to the hospital by ambulance on early Saturday, and was released after doctors found inflammation of his gastrointestinal tract. It's unclear how much time he'll miss as a result of the ailment, though any missed time is a concern for one of the year's most inspiring comeback stories. Hamilton had been batting .147 (5-for-34) without an extra-base hit in his last 11 games, so don't count on him contributing too much to fantasy teams in the next few days. One bright spot: If Hamilton indeed needs a DL stint to heal, that could create another opportunity for Edwin Encarnacion, who has hit well since his demotion to Triple-A Louisville. He's batting .372 (16-for-43) with two homers in 10 games there, and could step back in at third base for the Reds, with Ryan Freel shifting back to the outfield on a regular basis. NL-only owners should keep Encarnacion on reserve, and those in deeper mixed leagues could consider stashing him away now, too.
Houston Astros: Since the day spring training opened, rookie Hunter Pence has done nothing but hit, no matter where the Astros have asked him to play. In 19 games during spring training, he batted an unreal .647 (16-for-28) with four doubles, two triples and two home runs, enough to nearly earn him a roster spot out of camp. Still, the team felt he'd be better served with more seasoning at Triple-A Round Rock, and after his assignment there, Pence continued to rake, batting .341 (29-for-85) with 10 doubles and three homers in 22 contests. Now, since his promotion by the Astros on April 28, he has hit safely in 17 of 20 games, batting .364 (28-for-77) with four homers and 16 RBI. In his past eight games, in fact, Pence has batted .586 (17-for-29) with three of those homers, enough to earn him a start in the No. 5 batting spot against left-hander John Koronka on Saturday. Such a lineup promotion would pay huge dividends for the rookie in the RBI category; Nos. 3 and 4 hitters Lance Berkman and Carlos Lee are the team's best hitters, leading to plenty of men on base for the rookie to drive home. Like any rookie, Pence could slip into a bit of a funk at some point, but remember, he's in a situation where there's little competition for a prime lineup spot, and his home ballpark is quite conducive to big offensive totals. Asking him to top a .280 batting average, 20 homers and 80 RBI isn't all that big a stretch.
Milwaukee Brewers: Anytime Rickie Weeks misses a game with wrist problems, his fantasy owners can't help but be concerned. After his 2006 was cut short in the team's 100th game last July, Weeks succumbed to surgery to repair a damaged tendon sheath in his right wrist. It continued to bother him into spring training, but after he finished April with five home runs, five stolen bases and 19 runs in 23 games, he seemed to be a bit closer to full health. Unfortunately, Weeks fell into a 4-for-27 (.148) slump with 10 strikeouts in eight games from May 7-16, and he sat out the following four games to rest his ailing wrist. The problem has been blamed on the breaking up of scar tissue stemming from last August's surgery, but it's something to monitor the next few weeks nonetheless. Weeks is a tremendous athlete with 30/30 potential -- he's on pace for 21/29 numbers -- but his strikeout-per-3.86 at-bat ratio for his big-league career makes him a perennial batting average risk. Combine that with the wrist worries and you shouldn't be too dismissive of trade offers for him if you're pleased with the potential return.
Pittsburgh Pirates: Finally the Pirates decided on Friday that Tony Armas is not the answer as their No. 5 starter. It was a painfully obvious fact to most; the right-hander had a 8.46 ERA, 2.17 WHIP and .358 BAA in seven starts. It's unclear whether Armas is bullpen-bound or due for a release, but in either case, that he couldn't retain a spot in Pittsburgh doesn't bode well for his chances in the future. Fantasy owners probably cut him long ago, but now's the prime time to speculate on a potential replacement. Veteran Shawn Chacon is probably the best bet, having tossed five shutout innings in relief of Armas last Thursday. Chacon threw 70 pitches in that game, ramping up to a starter's workload, he has experience in the rotation and he has a 2.84 ERA, 1.36 WHIP and .241 BAA in 15 appearances. He's a streaky type, but in NL-only leagues, that's not a bad gamble to take with a reserve. It's also not a bad idea to pick up alternatives Bryan Bullington and John Van Benschoten, both pitching at Triple-A Indianapolis. Van Benschoten has the better numbers (2.47 ERA, 1.24 WHIP), but Bullington (2.96/1.32) is the one on schedule for a Saturday assignment. Either one could be an NL-only factor this season.
St. Louis Cardinals: Chris Duncan is beginning to look somewhat human, after an unreal performance to finish out 2006 and begin 2007. In 110 games from May 21, 2006 through April 27, 2007 he batted .302 with 26 homers and a .956 OPS, effectively All-Star numbers. Since then, though, he has hit only .234 with three homers and a .741 OPS in 19 games, actually slipping to sixth in the order on Sunday. Unfortunately, while Duncan has proven quite a valuable player in his short time in the majors, he has two huge drawbacks: His strikeout rate (one per 3.96 at-bats for his career) and his inability to hit left-handers (.220 AVG, .662 OPS career against them). That limits his upside, with a .290 batting average and 25 homers perhaps the best such a platoon type might accomplish. That's a useful player, but it's also a streaky one, especially taking into account how often Duncan strikes out. Reserve him for now, though a hot streak should easily earn him back that No. 2 lineup spot, and a safe place in all fantasy lineups except in shallow mixed leagues.
National League West
Arizona Diamondbacks: Though he hasn't been kept out there for as long as his owners might have liked, Randy Johnson has appeared close to 100 percent recovered from offseason back surgery in his past two starts. During that time he has pitched 11 2/3 innings and allowed only two runs, striking out 19 batters compared to no walks. Of Johnson's 179 combined pitches thrown in his May 15 start at Colorado's Coors Field and May 20 start at Pittsburgh's PNC Park, 130 were strikes (72.6 percent), an exceptional display of command. At his age -- he's 43 -- Johnson will be a breakdown candidate until the day he retires, but the shift back to the pitching-rich National League should play quite a bit in his favor in the short term. He's averaging 11.86 strikeouts per nine innings through six starts, his best ratio since 2001's 13.41, and his 1.77 walks-per-nine is how lowest since 2004's 1.61, his most recent year in the NL. There's little doubt that a healthy Johnson could manage a mid-threes ERA, a WHIP near 1.10 and a strikeout per inning, if not better. In short, this is probably your last chance to acquire him on the cheap.
Colorado Rockies: Could the Rockies actually trade Garrett Atkins, the team's leading hitter (.329) and RBI man (120) of a year ago? Multiple newspaper reports indicate the Los Angeles Angels continue to inquire about him, with a recent rumor suggesting the Angels might be willing to trade top hitting prospect Brandon Wood. It's not a move that makes much sense for L.A., especially not with Atkins off to a dreadful start, with .237/.677 rates. Still, such talk does open up the possibility that the Rockies could consider moving Atkins, knowing they have Ian Stewart waiting behind him at Triple-A Colorado Springs, where he's batting .279 in 39 games. Fantasy owners can't be happy to hear that; Atkins is a career .272/.775 road hitter, compared to .318/.891 rates at Coors Field, so a move from Colorado would hurt his value. It's becoming apparent that he's not the hitter he showed in his breakout 2006, and might be more a .290-hitting, 20-homer type, which means that if he heats up in the coming weeks, it wouldn't be a bad idea to shop him around.
Los Angeles Dodgers: All it took was a mere week for Rafael Furcal to get his season numbers back to their traditional All-Star levels. A .218 hitter on the morning of April 12, Furcal kicked off an unreal eight-game stretch in which he managed back-to-back-to-back four-hit efforts and batted .559 (19-for-34) with six RBIs, raising his season batting average to .299, one point behind his final 2006 number. He slipped a bit beneath the radar in late-spring drafts after an ankle injury cost him the Dodgers' first nine games of the regular season, and then he batted only .170 (8-for-47) in his first 11 contests, further concerning those owners who still had faith in him during his DL stint. Fortunately, Furcal has since bounced back with 11 multi-hit efforts and a .361 batting average (35-for-97) in 23 games, restoring his status as a top-five potential fantasy shortstop. That he has yet to hit a home run and has only five stolen bases in 34 games despite keeping his leadoff spot is a mild concern, but with Furcal now hitting closer to his career norm, expect those rates to increase. He's easily within range of matching or exceeding his 2006 totals.
San Diego Padres: One of the apparent drawbacks to Adrian Gonzalez's apparent breakout campaign is an increase in his strikeout rate, which could develop into a bit more of a concern if it's not corrected in the coming weeks. He's on pace to set career highs in home runs (37), RBIs (118) and total bases (333) easily, yet a 16-for-69 (.232) performance in 18 games to begin the month of May has dropped his season batting average to an ordinary .279. That's due in part to his having averaged one strikeout per 4.48 at-bats for the year, up from 5.04 in 2006 and 5.77 for his minor league career. Players with that poor a contact rate usually struggle to bat as high as the .304 Gonzalez batted in 2006, or the .296 mark he had in the minors, so keep an eye on it. He could be sacrificing batting average in exchange for hitting for more power, meaning he might be more of a .280 hitter who belts 35-plus homers, as opposed to the .300-hitting, 25-homer candidate expected in the preseason. If it's the former, though, simply remember that such players are often subject to streakiness.
San Francisco Giants: Tim Lincecum owners finally can stop sweating, as manager Bruce Bochy said on Saturday that the rookie right-hander will remain in the rotation even though veteran Russ Ortiz was scheduled to be activated from the DL on Monday. Ortiz instead will shift to the bullpen, which is the right decision considering he had a 6.44 ERA, 1.74 WHIP and .344 BAA in five starts while facing a bit of an easier schedule than Lincecum. Lincecum, meanwhile, though a bit shaky in his MLB debut, has a 3.44 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and .209 BAA in his first three starts, holding up nicely in turns at Colorado's Coors Field and Houston's Minute Maid Park the last two times. The No. 11 prospect as ranked by Baseball America in the preseason, Lincecum wasn't considered much less in talent than the Yankees' Phil Hughes or Reds' Homer Bailey entering 2007, and he's as good a bet as anyone to win Rookie of the Year honors. As with any young pitcher, expect an adjustment period, but I'd count on Lincecum being a useful full-year NL-only option, and he should remain pretty useful in mixed formats, too.
Tristan H. Cockcroft covers fantasy sports for ESPN.com. You can e-mail him here.