There’s a few minor injury notes I’d like to get to, so let’s group them and put them in one place:

– Cole Hamels will miss a start thanks to inflammation in his shoulder. He still could end up on the DL if things don’t improve, but the good news is that this is nothing too serious. While missing a couple of Hamels’ starts isn’t that big of a deal for the Phillies thanks to their division lead, it could be huge for fantasy owners, especially in head-to-head leagues.

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Yesterday I mentioned that ESPN added a good deal of players to their player universe, but I failed to go in to depth as to who you should be looking at. So, without further ado, here are four names you’ll want to look into if you’re in a large ESPN keeper league:

– James Paxton, SP, SEA: Currently cruising in Double-A, Paxton was once a top draft pick of the Toronto Blue Jays, but refused to sign and has been the gauntlet ever since. He throws a fastball in the low- to mid-90s with nice movement, and the 22-year old also possess a very nice breaking ball. I’d guess Paxton is up during the middle of 2012 if not sooner, and with the Mariners defense and ballpark, he could put up solid numbers right away.

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– Despite his status as a top prospect, Mike Moustakas hasn’t been able to do much against MLB pitching. He’s hitting below the Mendoza Line at the moment, and while some may point to his .214 average on balls put in play, the 22-year old also hasn’t shown anything when it comes to power production. Moustakas never had very high BABIPs in the minors, either, so a low career mark in the majors wouldn’t be the least bit surprising. If you own the Moose in a standard league, it’s time to give up hope and let him go on his merry way. He’s still worth holding onto in dynasty and slightly deep keeper leagues since he’s still so young and talented. Moustakas may need another stint in Triple-A to figure out what ails him before too long, but I’m not sure if the Royals are willing to call his debut a failure just yet.

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– After missing two and a half weeks with a strained oblique, Brian McCann was back in the Braves lineup on Sunday. The 27-year old catcher was having his best offensive season since 2008, blasting 18 homers and hitting over .300 in under 400 trips to the plate. If his oblique is truly healed, he should continue to be an elite catcher over the rest of the 2011 campaign. If you play in a shallow league, make sure to check to see if someone was stupid enough to dump McCann from their roster when he went on the DL.

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– The Royals continue to bring prospects to the big leagues, calling up catcher Salvador Perez. The 21-year old Perez is exactly what you would expect from a Dayton Moore catcher: his batting average is high, his walk rate is low, and he doesn’t have a whole lot of power to speak of. Still, the idea of a catcher with a high batting average is certainly attractive in non-OBP leagues, so it might not be a bad idea to give this kid a shot if you’re looking for a catcher in deeper than standard leagues. It sounds like he’ll be the main catcher in KC, and who knows, maybe he’ll hit .280? If you’re in deeper (dynasty) leagues, he’s certainly worth a shot if you’re in need of catching help.

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– Granted he’s only had a handful of plate appearances in the bigs, but Trayvon Robinson does not look MLB ready to me. He’s been swinging quite a bit, often at bad pitches, and he has also been rolling over on balls. I was surprised to see him swinging so freely due to his high minor league walk rates, and it’s entirely possible that he’s just pressing right now in an effort to make an impression in his debut. Still, unless he becomes more patient and aware of what pitchers are throwing, he’s going to need another half-season in the high minors.

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– With Jed Lowrie ready to return from the disabled list, it appears that he and Marco Scutaro with split time at shortstop for the mighty Boston Red Sox. With that lineup, it may not matter to Boston who ends up in the starting lineup, but this is a big blow for fantasy owners. Heading into the season, I had a hard time projecting numbers for both of the Boston infielders due to playing time questions, and did not draft either of them in the process. If for some reason you own one of the aforementioned shortstops and don’t have a backup plan, I feel sorry for you. If you’re looking to add a player off the wire and Lowrie is available, he might not be a bad pickup. If he hits, he’ll stay in the lineup. Bottom line.

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Thanks to TBS’ Sunday MLB coverage, I had the chance to watch a couple innings of Mike Minor’s start yesterday against the Mets. Here are some observations I made note of during the game: Read the rest of this entry »

Today marks the fourth day of a new feature we will be trying out here at RotoGraphs. In an attempt to keep you, the fantastical reader, informed, we will be looking at some of the stories around baseball that have an effect on your fantasy team. Because this piece is ultimately being read by you, your opinion is requested. Please chime in using the comments and let us know what you would like to see from this piece.

– After undergoing surgery on his left shoulder, Cincinnati Reds’ third baseman Scott Rolen will miss at least a month of action. Odds are the Reds are going to give Miguel Cairo most of Rolen’s playing time, and he has actually played well for Cincy this year, already contributing over 1.5 wins to his team. Cairo’s fantasy value is certainly limited, but he may not be a terrible pickup in very deep leagues if you own Rolen. Another player to keep an eye on in Todd Fraizer, but it appears Dusty Baker prefers to keep him on the bench.

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Today marks the third day of a new feature we will be trying out here at RotoGraphs. In an attempt to keep you, the fantastical reader, informed, we will be looking at some of the stories around baseball that have an effect on your fantasy team. Because this piece is ultimately being read by you, your opinion is requested. Please chime in using the comments and let us know what you would like to see from this piece.

– Brett Lawrie was lighting the PCL on fire before he missed significant time with a fracture in his left hand, and now he’s back and hitting well again. The 21-year old infielder has hit .319 since coming off the DL, mashing three homers in just under seventy at-bats. The power stroke may not be all the way back, but he could still be up in the majors by the end of the week. If you want to take a chance on him in standard leagues, now is the time to pounce on him to ensure that he is yours.

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