Starting Pitchers: August 16th

Three guys coming off the disabled list and going back into their team’s rotations…

Homer Bailey | Reds | 5% owned

Out since May with shoulder inflammation, Bailey returned to the bump yesterday and fired six scoreless innings against the Marlins. He struck out four and walked none, though earlier in the season his BB/9 was over three-and-a-half. (R) ZiPS isn’t a fan, forecasting a 5.10 ERA with just 6.90 K/9 the rest of way, though I think Bailey could beat that and post an ERA in the mid-4.00’s with a strikeout rate closer to eight per nine. If you matchup him up against impatient teams that swing-and-miss a lot, he could give your club a real nice boost (think of it as Daisuke Matsuzaka vs. The Blue Jays Syndrome). Bailey’s next two outings come at the Dodgers and at the Giants.

Derek Holland | Rangers | 2%

Holland came back from his shoulder and knee issues just in time to take the place of the DL-bound Rich Harden, and will start Wednesday against the Rays. The hard throwing lefthander misses enough bats and doesn’t walk many, but he’s proven to be very homer prone in his short time in the big leagues. (R) ZiPS sees an unfriendly 5.40 ERA and 6.60 K/9, though I definitely think the strikeouts are a little light. The Rangers will win him a ton of games because of their offense and bullpen, so Holland still has fantasy value as a fifth or sixth kind of starter.

Kyle Lohse | Cardinals | 8%

Brad Penny isn’t coming back anytime soon and Jeff Suppan has mercifully been put to sleep placed on the DL, so Lohse is back from a forearm issue to drive Cardinals’ fans mad. He had his patented fourth inning meltdown yesterday against the Cubs (charged with five runs without recording an out in the frame). Lohse has always had good stuff, but his 3.78 ERA (3.89 FIP) year in 2008 sticks out like a sore thumb from the rest of his career. I wouldn’t touch him even in extremely deep or NL-only leagues.

Quick Notes: The Mets recalled Pat Misch but he’s non-rosterable … Jhoulys Chacin is going to fill-in for the injured Jeff Francis, and I’d expect more of what he did earlier in the year (4.04 ERA, 9.73 K/9) the rest of the way. Jump on it.

Ownership rates are based on Yahoo! leagues.