A night after getting mauled by cyborg..er Stephen Strasburg, the Pittsburgh Pirates promoted RHP Brad Lincoln to start Wednesday night against the Nationals. Two roster spots were opened up yesterday — 1B Jeff Clement was sent to Triple-A Indianapolis and LHP Jack Taschner was DFA’d — and the other spot is expected to go to OF Jose Tabata. If that move becomes official, look for a post on Tabata tomorrow.

Lincoln, 25, was the fourth overall pick in the 2006 draft. The University of Houston product starred on the mound and in the batter’s box for the Cougars, but a power pitching arsenal assured that he’d leave the bat behind as a pro. Here was Baseball America’s scouting report of Lincoln at the time:

He sits at 91-93 mph with good life on his fastball, touches 95-96 most games and has peaked at 98. He holds that velocity throughout games. His curveball is equally as impressive, and he can throw it for strikes or break it out of the zone as a chase pitch. He also shows feel for a changeup that’s close to an average pitch already. Lincoln is close to big league ready and his competitive makeup means he’ll get everything out of his considerable ability.

Unfortunately, the 6-foot righty would toss just 23.2 innings as a Pirates farmhand in 2006 before succumbing to Tommy John surgery the following April. After missing the entire 2007 season, Lincoln returned in 2008 and split his season between the Low-A South Atlantic League and the High-A Carolina League. At the lower level, he had 6.68 K/9, 0.87 B/9 and a 3.78 FIP in 62 IP. In the Carolina League, Lincoln logged 41.2 innings and had rates of 6.26 K/9, 2.38 BB/9 and a 4.23 FIP. Though he didn’t strike out a ton of batters, Lincoln was stingy with the walks and kept the ball down (a combined 50.9 GB% between the two levels, according to Minor League Splits).

In its 2009 Prospect Handbook, BA said that Lincoln’s post-Tommy John velocity returned to the 90-93 MPH range, and his hammer curve regained its bite. His changeup was said to need work, though, and he also “caught too much of the strike zone at times, making him susceptible to home runs.” (Lincoln surrendered about 1.1 HR/9 in ’08)

In ’09, Lincoln again divided his season between two levels. In the Double-A Eastern League, he whiffed 7.8 per nine, walked 2.16 and had a 2.96 FIP in 75 innings. A low homer rate (0.48 per nine) contributed to that sub-three FIP, however, and his ground ball rate dipped to 43.8%. Promoted to the Triple-A International League, Lincoln threw 61.1 innings with rates of 6.16 K/9, 1.47 BB/9, 1.03 HR/9 and a 3.85 FIP. He was an extreme fly ball pitcher for the Indians, getting grounders just 34 percent.

Sent back to Indy to begin the 2010 season, Lincoln improved his K rate (7.2 per nine), kept the walks low (1.8 BB/9) and had a more neutral GB/FB profile (42.6 GB%), posting a 3.67 FIP in 68.1 IP.

While no premier prospect, Lincoln has the look of a quality mid-rotation arm. He controls his low-90’s fastball well, has an above-average curve and while his change doesn’t draw much praise, he hasn’t shown much a platoon split in the minors (3.88 FIP versus lefties, 3.78 FIP against right-handers). According to Minor League Splits, Lincoln’s ’09 pitching translated to a major league line of 5.64 K/9, 2.59 BB/9, 1.06 HR/9 and a 4.57 FIP. His 2010 season equates to 6.09 K/9, 2.59 BB/9, 1.32 HR/9 and a 4.85 FIP. Before the season began, CHONE projected 6.22 K/9, 2.87 BB/9, 1.34 HR/9 and a 4.70 FIP, while ZiPS forecasted 5.58 K/9, 2.35 BB/9, 1.32 HR/9 and a 4.65 FIP.

Lincoln’s worth an add in NL-only formats, given his adequate punch out rates and low walk rate. He’s probably not a prime target in keeper leagues, but he’s someone to monitor there, too. Watch his ground ball rate, though — as BA indicated, home runs could become a problem.

With the MLB amateur draft set to kick off its three-day celebration on June 7, I though it would be a fun time to take a look back at some interesting names to remember from the ’09 draft.

Kyle Heckathorn | RHP | Milwaukee: The knock on Heckathorn coming out of college was that he had never dominated despite very good stuff. That has changed in pro ball. The right-hander has a power-pitcher’s frame at 6’6” and 225 lbs. He has a fastball that can reach the mid-90s, as well as a slider that can be plus at times, and a good change-up. He also has pretty good control for a power pitcher and gets a good number of ground balls. In college, he wasn’t very good at pitch selection but he’s been helped by working with pro catchers and coaches, who have really sharpened his understanding of his craft. One caution, though: He is succeeding in low-A ball, so it will be nice to see him at higher levels, perhaps later this year.

Ryan Wheeler | 1B | Arizona: How is this for debut numbers from 2009: .361/.462/.540 in 263 at-bats. Sure, Wheeler was an advanced college hitter beating up on younger pitchers, but he’s at it again in 2010… this time in high-A ball. The left-handed hitter is batting .310/.364/.434 in 226 at-bats in the powerful California League. Wheeler isn’t showing a ton of over-the-fence power right now, but he has good raw pop and he has 17 doubles on the year. A report by Baseball America likened his potential to that of the Reds’ Joey Votto.

Brad Boxberger | RHP | Cincinnati: I’m fairly certain you’re familiar with the Reds’ first draft pick from 2009… a guy by the name of Mike Leake? Well, Boxberger didn’t zoom right from college to the Majors, but he is already is double-A and is one of the fastest-moving draftees not named after a bodily function. The right-hander has given up 47 hits and just 17 walks in 49.1 innings of work. He’s also recorded 57 strikeouts and has a solid ground-ball rate, which has helped him give up just two homers this season. He has a little bit of work to do to improve against left-handed hitters but an improved curveball could give Boxberger the edge that he needs. He repertoire also features a low-90s fastball, plus slider, and a change-up.

While it isn’t official quite yet, it looks like Mike Stanton is being called up by the Marlins and should join the team shortly. Stanton isn’t playing in Double-A today, and MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro says that he will be with the club on Tuesday.

Stanton, one of baseball’s top prospects, hit 21 homers in 240 plate appearances for Jacksonville. He posted a line of .313/.442/.729, with a wOBA of .449. Stanton had a career high walk rate (18.3%), and kept his strikeout rate around 22%. Stanton is only 20 years old, yet he should be able to step right in for the Marlins and at least hit for power.

For those of you who don’t like the fancy things we call numbers, Stanton is even built like a power hitter. Hitting right handed, Stanton is 6-5, weighing in around 235 pounds. While I’m not a professional scout, and I don’t evaluate hitters nearly as well as pitchers, Stanton just looks like a power hitter in the batters box. Our very own Marc Hulet said ” Stanton obviously has massive power potential as a future MLBer, but it will be his contact rate that dictates just how big of an impact he has.”

Before the season began, no one could figure out where Stanton would fit into Florida’s lineup. Now, with Cameron Maybin struggling, it looks like Cody Ross will move into CF and Stanton will man RF. The club wouldn’t call up Stanton to have him sit on the bench, so look for him to be in the lineup more times than not. He’s probably not worth a spot in standard re-draft leagues, but if he’s available in a keeper league, snatch him up.

Thanks to Michael Jong for the information about what the Marlins lineup will probably look like.

Minnesota Twins recalled 3B Danny Valencia from Triple-A Rochester.

Valencia, 25, might not be long for Minnesota — he’s replacing RF/reluctant 2B Michael Cuddyer (bereavement list) on the active roster. Then again, while Nick Punto has an outstanding glove at third base (career +19.5 UZR/150 in more than 2,000 innings), he’s hitting below even his modest standards. Plus, Brendan Harris‘ all-around poor play has resulted in a sub-replacement level performance. Minnesota has gotten a combined .257 wOBA from its third basemen, a mark of futility topped only by the Astros.

A 19th round pick out of the University of Miami back in 2006, Valencia entered the year ranked as a top 10 Twins prospect by Baseball America (number six), John Sickels (eight) and our own Marc Hulet (three).

Valencia hit well at the lower levels of the minors, batting .302/.374/.500 in 271 Low-A plate appearances and .313/.367/.469 at the High-A level in 501 PA. He continued to show power at Double-A in 2008 and 2009 (.287/.353/.483 in 539 PA), but extra-base hits have been rarer at the highest level of the minors. In 483 PA in the International League over the past two seasons, Valencia has a .289/.321/.421 triple-slash.

BA, Sickels and Marc all noted that Valencia’s plate discipline was rough, and the 6-2, 210 pound righty batter hasn’t done an especially good job of working the count over the years. That aggressiveness at least came with above-average pop in years past. But that hasn’t been the case with Rochester, and he’s hacking even more to boot:

Low-A (age 22): 10.3 BB%, 22.3 K%, .198 ISO
High-A (22-23): 8.6 BB%, 20.2 K%, .156 ISO
Double-A (23-24): 9.1 BB%, 22.7 K%, .196 ISO
Triple-A (24-25): 4.3 BB%, 15.6 K%, .132 ISO

According to Minor League Splits, Valencia’s work between Double-A and Triple-A in 2009 translated to a .248/.285/.389 line in the majors. His tepid 2010 works out to a .255/.302/.324 major league equivalent triple-slash. CHONE (.252/.295/.388 pre-season projection) and ZiPS (.251/.294/.377) forecast similarly mild lines for Valencia in the show.

As a mid-twenties farm talent who doesn’t work many deep counts and doesn’t possess mammoth power, Valencia has the look of a less-than-ideal option as an everyday player in the big leagues. Those in keeper leagues will probably want to look elsewhere, and owners would have to be pretty desperate for third base help to pick him up for the short term.

We already discussed Buster Posey’s arrival over the weekend, but here’s two more recent call ups that could help your team…

Andrew Cashner | Cubs | RP

The Cubs’ first round pick in 2008 made quick work of the minor leagues this year, posting a 59/15 K/BB ratio in 57 IP as a starter (~2.15 FIP) between Double- and Triple-A. The big league team needed some righthanded relief help with Carlos Zambrano moving back into the rotation, so for the second time this year the Cubbies called on their top minor league prospect to fill a hole. Cashner debuted yesterday, getting Ronny Cedeno to pop up to short on just one pitch (a 95 mph fastball inside) with two men on and two outs in the 8th inning with Chicago trailing by one. It was about as spectacular as a one-pitch big league debut could be.

Now Cashner’s not going unseat Carlos Marmol as closer as long as the latter continues to strike out basically half the men he faces, but he could quickly push his way into some 7th and 8th inning setup work. Close to a strikeout per inning with a sub-4.00 ERA is likely, so if your league counts holds, here’s a new candidate to consider.

Chris Tillman | Orioles | SP

If you’re going to pick up an Orioles’ starter, you have to go in expecting very little help in the win column. Kevin Millwood is having his best season in about four years (4.00 xFIP, 3.41 K/BB), but he’s got an 0-5 record to show for it. Tillman and Brian Matusz are the future of Baltimore’s rotation, but right now they’re just 6th or 7th starters on a fantasy roster. ZiPS RoS projection for Tillman isn’t good – 5.13 ERA, 4.67 FIP – but I think he can best those numbers. Maybe I’m just a blind optimist, but I think he can keep his walks around 3.5 BB/9 and his strikeouts around 7.5-8.0 K/9 (both in line with his career Triple-A performance), which should put his ERA in the low-to-mid 4.00’s assuming a somewhat normal homerun rate.

The AL East is an unforgiving place, especially when you play for a generally awful team, so Tillman only has value in deep mixed or AL-only leagues. His next two starts come at home against the Red Sox and Yankees, but after that he lines up for dates in San Francisco, in San Diego, at home against the Nats, and at home against the A’s. Not a bad stretch of matchups, so there’s a little bit of value to be had this month.

Everyone wanted it to happen except for the Giants, or at least it seemed that way. San Francisco finally called on top prospect Buster Posey today, and will start him at first base against the Diamondbacks tonight. He’s best known as a catcher and he’d provide the most value to the team from behind the plate, but for fantasy purposes, the more first base Posey plays, the better.

It’s Fantasy 101: he has catcher eligibility but will play at least part of the time at a less demanding position, which translates not only more at-bats in general, but (theoretically) better offensive production given the decreased wear and tear. It’s a win-win.

The Florida State product simply annihilated the minors during his season-plus stint there, racking up a .333/.427/.552 batting line in 750 plate appearances, almost all of them while squatting behind the plate. Baseball America ranked Posey as the 7th best prospect in the game coming into the season, calling him “a pure hitter with terrific strike-zone awareness, and his clean, unfettered swing allows him to drive pitches from pole to pole,” though they acknowledge that power isn’t his game. It’s not hyperbole to say he has the best plate approach of anyone in the organization, big leagues included.

CHONE projects a .329 wOBA in 2010, while ZiPS pegs him for .333. Both of those obliterate the .309 wOBA starting catcher Bengie Molina has put in 40 games this year, nevermind the .308 wOBA he fashioned last season. His homerun power might be minimal at the outset considering his home park and some of the parks in the NL West, but Posey should contribute solid AVG and OBP (if your league counts that) while surely chipping in a few RBI as well.

Posey is owned in just 15% of Yahoo! leagues, and right now he’s only eligible at catcher. He’ll pick up 1B eligibility in a week or so, and while it’s not terribly important, a little flexibility never hurt anyone. If your struggling to find production from the catcher’s spot – perhaps you’re stuck with an injury fill in like Francisco Cervelli – then there’s probably no better option on the waiver wire right now.

Pittsburgh Pirates placed 1B Steve Pearce (ankle) on the DL; recalled UTIL Neil Walker from Triple-A Indianapolis.

The ankle injury is a tough break for Pearce, as the 27-year-old was beginning to get some big league playing time with Jeff Clement (.235 wOBA) flailing at the plate. Still, Pearce is basically a first base-only player who likely doesn’t have the bat to hold the position. The Pirates experimented with him in the outfield, but the 5-11, 200 pounder doesn’t cover much ground. The former South Carolina Gamecock owns a career .281/.354/.482 triple-slash at the Triple-A level, and his ZiPS projection (.269/.336/.455, .345 wOBA) is a little light for first base. He’s the new Chris Shelton.

Walker, meanwhile, is trying to revive his prospect status after all but falling off the map. The 11th overall pick in the 2004 draft began his career as a catcher, but was shifted to third base prior to the 2007 season. The 6-3, 215 pound switch-hitter turned in modestly productive offensive numbers in A-Ball, given that he was behind the dish at that point:

Low-A South Atlantic League (2005): .301/.332/.452, 3.9 BB%, 15.7 K%, .151 ISO
High-A Carolina League (2005-2006): .281/.331/.402, 5.6 BB%, 17.3 K%, .121 ISO

Baseball America ranked Walker as the #81 prospect in the game prior to 2005, #43 before 2006 and #74 leading up to the 2007 season. Before ’07, BA said that Walker’s power was muted in 2006 by a surgically repaired left wrist, but claimed he had “the potential to hit 30 home runs a season.” They did caution that he lack of patience could become an issue in the upper levels of the minors, and that Walker’s D behind the dish was a work in progress. “The Pirates might get more long-term production out of him,” BA said, “by shifting him to another position, and he has the athleticism to handle third base or the outfield.”

In ’07, the Bucs did move Walker to the hot corner, and he batted .277/.349/.434 in a season spent mostly at Double-A Altoona. His power improved somewhat (.157 ISO), and happily, he stopped hacking so much. Walker walked in 9.8 percent of his plate appearances, whiffing 17.4 percent. Baseball America again named him a top 100 prospect, placing him at #61 before the 2008 season.

The next two years of Walker’s career wouldn’t be nearly as sunny. At Triple-A Indianapolis, he batted .242/.280/.414 in 2008 and .264/.311/.480 in 2009. Walker popped some extra-base hits, with a .172 ISO in ’08 and a .216 ISO in ’09, but his plate approach was lousy. He drew ball four just 5.3% and struck out 20.2% in ’08. In ’09, he walked 6.7% and K’d 15.4%. Walker also missed time last year with a sprained knee and a broken pinky. The Pittsburgh native made his big league debut last September, but it was with considerably lower expectations than when the Pirates called his name back in 2004.

Prior to 2010, BA ranked the perennial top-100 prospect as just the 26th-best farm talent in Pittsburgh’s system. His scouting report was blunt: “he undermines his offensive potential by lacking plate discipline…Walker has expressed a willingness to become a super-utility player.” That, said BA, “may be his ticket to having a big league career of any length.”

With Indy this season, Walker has roamed around the diamond. He has logged time at first, second and third base, while also manning left field. He put up a .321/.392/.560 line in 189 PA. A .360+ BABIP certainly helped, but Walker posted a .239 ISO, walked 10.1 percent of the time and whiffed 18.5 percent.

ZiPS projects Walker to bat .259/.304/.439, with a .325 wOBA. His future in Pittsburgh remains hazy, though — Pedro Alvarez is going to man one of the infield corners in short order. And While Andy LaRoche will never be a star-caliber talent, he did post a 2.6 WAR season in 2009. If Alvarez takes over at third, LaRoche could be shifted to second base. Should Pedro play first, Walker could enter the picture at the keystone spot. The outfield corners are a possibility as well.

For now, Walker will get a little PT at third while LaRoche rests his achy back. Walker, 24, is no longer a top prospect. However, his position versatility and power make him a good bet to at least have a long career as a super-utility type.

With June right around the corner, we’re going to start seeing more and more top prospects summoned to the big leagues now that their arbitration and free agent years have effectively been pushed back. Soon enough we’ll see guys like Mike Stanton (.456 wOBA at AA), Carlos Santana (.414 wOBA at AAA), and Stephen Strasburg (statistically unmeasurable awesomeness) arrive in the show, but for now we’ve got to rely on some lesser prospects for a fantasy boost.

Here’s two such players that will remain in the lineup for the foreseeable future…

Xavier Paul | Dodgers | OF

With Andre Ethier on the DL, Manny Ramirez dealing with a nagging foot problem, and Garret Anderson’s general ineptitude, Paul has been able to step in and get some regular playing time. He’s started five of the team’s last six games in RF, and in 52 total plate appearances this season he’s put up a .386 wOBA with three steals. Aside from a slight dip in his walk rate (5.8%), Paul’s strikeout (19.6%) and power (.152 ISO) output is right in line with what he’s done in over 700 AAA plate appearances over the last three seasons, though his .326 AVG is propped up by a .405 BABIP.

Even as his balls in play luck starts to go away (.358 BABIP in his minor league career), Paul will provide a decent average and steal enough bases to make him worth a roster spot in an NL-only or deep mixed league.

Juan Miranda | Yankees | 1B

It took 28 team games, but Nick Johnson has finally made his annual trip to the disabled list. He’ll be out until July at the very earliest after having third wrist surgery, but I’ll take the over. Miranda has been summoned from Triple-A purgatory to serve as the lefty half of a DH platoon in Johnson’s stead (Marcus Thames gets the at-bats vs. LHP), and has already managed to whack a pair of homers in a week’s worth of playing time. He’s proved all he can in the minors (.360 wOBA, .194 ISO, 1,500+ PA) and this will be his first extended opportunity in the bigs.

His lefty swing is a good fit for the latest version of Yankee Stadium, and even with some of the regulars playing below their career norms. that lineup offers plenty of RBI opportunities. Joe Girardi has a bit of a fetish with using the DH spot to give his regulars what he calls a “half-day off,” so you’re going to have to pay attention to the lineup each day to make sure Miranda’s actually in there. Like Paul, he’s a decent option in a deep mixed league.

The Tampa Bay Rays have the best record in baseball at 32-13 and not surprisingly are receiving strong pitching performances from all five guys in their rotation. Here are the fantasy numbers for the Rays’ SP:

Those numbers look very good, but let’s examine two other numbers for each pitcher.

The Rays’ staff goes from being excellent to being less impressive after Shields when we look at these other numbers. Davis goes from a very strong #5 pitcher to one who looks more league average. Out of 51 qualified pitchers in the American League, Davis ranks 47th in K/BB and 46th in xFIP. And in his last four starts, Davis has gone 1-3 with a 5.75 ERA. He has 11 BB and 12 Ks in 20.1 IP and has allowed 4 HR in that span.

Normally, the conclusion might be that Davis is just hitting a rough patch and that he should be given a chance to straighten things out. Especially given his status as a former top prospect and a player who is just 24-years old and holding his own in the toughest division in baseball.

But complicating matters for the Rays is the presence of another top prospect in Triple-A who is having great success in Durham. Jeremy Hellickson, rated the Rays’ number-two prospect by our own Marc Hulet prior to the season, is pitching lights-out in the International League this year. Hellickson is 7-2 with a 2.79 ERA in 10 starts this year.

Hellickson has 12 BB and 60 Ks in 58 IP and has allowed just 2 HR. Monday night ne pitched eight scoreless innings against Pawtucket and allowed just one hit. It really is not much of a surprise that Hellickson is doing well in Triple-A. He got a mid-season promotion to Durham last year and went 6-1 with a 2.51 ERA in 9 starts there in 2009.

In parts of two seasons at Triple-A, Hellickson is 13-3 with a 2.65 ERA. He has allowed 27 BB and notched 130 Ks in 115.1 IP. The only less than glowing marker is his ground ball rate. Minor League Splits shows him with a 31.5 GB% (not counting his start against PAW) this season. However, that might be a sample size issue, as he has a 43.5 GB% in his minor league career and had a 44.2 percent mark in Durham last year.

Listed as 6’1 by MiLB, Hellickson does not have intimidating size. Minor league prospect maven John Sickels compared him to Roy Oswalt in this regard prior to this season. Oswalt came up at age 23, spent eight games in the bullpen, moved into the starting rotation in June and ended up with a 14-3 record his rookie year.

It would not be surprising to see Hellickson on a similar path, even if he does not come close to duplicating Oswalt’s W-L record. He has little left to prove in Triple-A and Hellickson has received in-season promotions in both 2008 and 2009. The big question is how long the Rays can remain patient with Davis. A 5.5 game lead in the division makes it easier to allow Davis to go out and pitch every five days without looking over his shoulder.

Still, do not be surprised if Hellickson gets a promotion soon. The Rays waited until September to promote Davis last year, but he did not dominate at Durham like Hellickson. Davis posted a 7.94 K/9 and a 3.40 BB/9 at Durham in 2009. Hellickson’s numbers are 9.31 and 1.86, respectively, this year. Like Oswalt, the Rays could call up Hellickson to begin his major league career in the bullpen with the idea of moving him into the rotation when needed.

Today we’re looking at a couple of deep sleepers for keeper leagues that are intriguing but a little old for the leagues that they’re dominating.

Jerry Sands | 1B | Los Angeles (NL): Sands, 22, got off to a slow start to his pro career with two seasons in short-season ball. Last season, he split the year between short-season and low-A ball. Combined, he produced a triple-slash line of .306/.386/.590 in 288 at-bats but struggled to hit for average in low-A ball. Overall, he slugged 19 homers. Back in low-A to begin 2010, the right-handed hitter is batting .378/.456/.750 in 156 at-bats. He’s slugged 14 homers and driven in 34 batters in 43 games. At 6’4’’ 225 lbs, he’s even swiped eight bags in nine attempts. He’s creaming southpaws with a 1.275 OPS; his career OPS against left-handers is 1.122. Given his age and level of play, you definitely want to be cautiously optimistic over his output. Sands, though, could turn into a pretty intriguing prospect if he can continue to hit for both power and average at upper levels of the system.

Cody Overbeck | 3B | Philadelphia: A 2008 ninth round pick out of the University of Mississippi, the third baseman struggled in ’09 after he was pushed to high-A ball. He hit just .230/.282/.399 in 361 at-bats. His approach was clearly the issue as he posted a walk rate of 5.9 BB% and a strikeout rate of 29.1%. Left back in high-A for 2010, Overbeck has impressed the organization with the improvements that he’s made. He’s currently hitting .329/.393/.621 with 10 homers and 33 RBI in 43 games. Overbeck has been a real run producer for the club and is hitting .400 with runners in scoring position. He’s also made strides in both his walk and strikeout rates. Placido Polanco is not the long-term answer at third base for the big league club, so Overbeck could end up with a key role if he continues to develop.