Player Notes

Jason Marquis limited the Cardinals to two runs -- one earned -- on three hits over six innings to improve to 6-2 on Monday.
Advice: Marquis has won each of his last five trips to the bump and has been one of baseball's best starters over that stretch. We aren't here to pimp Marquis, however, as he's benefited from smoke and mirrors and his home park perhaps more than any pitcher in the game. Marquis' 28 walks lead the National League. And that five-game winning streak? He posted a hideous 17/18 K/BB rate over 31 2/3 innings during that stretch. This house of cards is about to topple and you'd be wise to identify the sucker in your league to pay for Marquis' 6-2 record and 3.27 ERA before it does.

Rex Brothers hasn't allowed a run since April 6.
Advice: And that run, surrendered to the Padres, is the only blemish on his campaign to this point. Brothers has six holds, a 0.47 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 20/7 K/BB ratio over 21 appearances. He's been Colorado's best reliever, but closer Rafael Betancourt is also pitching well for the 24-21 Rockies. Brothers could be Colorado's full-time closer next season, but he likely won't earn saves in 2013 barring injury.

Bartolo Colon pitched the A's past the Rangers by allowing just two runs over seven innings on Monday.
Advice: Colon walked as many batters tonight (two) as he did in his first eight starts combined, but he had his best outing in a month anyway, winning for the first time since April 23. He's 4-2 with a 4.31 ERA overall.

Dylan Axelrod held the Red Sox to two runs and four hits in six innings to pick up a win Monday.
Advice: It's just Axelrod's second win in nine outings this season, but he's given the White Sox five quality starts, plus two more in which he was pulled in the sixth having allowed three or fewer runs. He's now probably moved back ahead of Hector Santiago with John Danks due back and a rotation spot on the line.

Joe Thatcher earned his fifth hold by tossing two-thirds of a scoreless inning against the Cardinals on Monday night.
Advice: When healthy, the southpaw has been terrific for the Padres. Between 2009-2011, he posted a 2.66 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 10.9 K/9 rate. This year he is 1-0 with a 2.13 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 10/1 K/BB rate over 21 appearances. As an effective LOOGY who calls PETCO home, Thatcher is a solid middle reliever in deeper NL-only formats.

Pedro Strop was slapped with a loss Monday against the Yankees after allowing two runs over two-thirds of an inning.
Advice: Called upon to begin the 10th inning, Strop gave up consecutive doubles to Ichiro Suzuki and Vernon Wells before recording a pair of outs. He was asked to intentionally walk Robinson Cano before the O's tabbed Brian Matusz, who allowed an inherited runner to score. Strop's stuff is absolutely lethal, but his post-WBC efforts haven't impressed. The 27-year-old holds a 5.19 ERA and 1.44 WHIP over 21 appearances. He's got closer's stuff, but is nowhere close to being trusted in the ninth inning.

Tony Sipp's walk rate (6.0) and strike-to-walk rate (1.38) are the highest and lowest of his career, respectively.
Advice: Sipp's only pitched 12 inning over 18 appearances, so it's not time for Kirk Gibson to panic, but the left-hander will be playing with fire if he can't iron out his control issues. His 3.75 ERA is better than last season's 4.42, but Sipp's peripherals suggest that he was a better hurler in 2012. The improvement in ERA is entirely tied to Sipp keeping the ball in play. He's surrendered only one bomb after giving up nine last year.

Shelby Miller coughed up three runs on five hits over 5 2/3 innings in the Cardinals' loss to the Padres Monday.
Advice: He struck out five and walked three. It was the second consecutive start in which Miller labored and was pulled after 5 2/3 innings, tallying 96 pitches against the Mets on Wednesday and 107 this evening. Undoubtedly, Miller must learn how to be more efficient. That will come in time. He already has down the dominate-major-league-brutes thing, posting a 1.74 ERA and 0.93 WHIP over nine starts.

Dale Thayer notched his eighth hold in Monday's victory against St. Louis.
Advice: Thayer induced Ty Wigginton into a double-play after surrendering a leadoff single to Jon Jay. After walking Pete Kozma, he was yanked for Joe Thatcher, who ended the inning. Thayer holds a 3.15 ERA and 0.90 WHIP over 20 appearances.

Craig Stammen was knocked around the park by the Giants Monday, allowing two runs on seven hits over 2 2/3 innings.
Advice: Washington didn't have much of a chance after Zach Duke spotted the Giants an early lead, but Stammen's poor performance sealed their fate. Stammen stranded a handful of runners to limit the damage this game had on his ERA, which jumped from 2.25 to 2.78. As a long reliever, Stammen has fulfilled expectations, adding a 1.19 WHIP and 23/5 K/BB rate over 22 2/3 innings.

Patrick Corbin moved to 7-0 by pitching a three-hitter and striking out 10 as the Diamondbacks topped the Rockies 5-1 on Monday.
Advice: Corbin's April could have been written off as something of a fluke after he went 3-0 with a 1.91 ERA. However, he's now 4-0 with a 0.92 ERA in May. It's a pretty amazing transformation for a guy who went 6-8 with a 4.54 ERA and 14 homers allowed in 107 innings last year.

Pat Neshek owns a 2.81 ERA over 18 appearances.
Advice: Born and bred in Minnesota, Neshek has been a decent middle reliever since he was unceremoniously waived by the Twins prior to the 2011 season. Over the last two seasons in Oakland, he's posted a 2.02 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 27/14 K/BB ratio over 42 appearances.

Nationals recalled RHP Yunesky Maya from Triple-A Syracuse.
Advice: Maya has an ugly 5.07 ERA and 34/17 K/BB ratio in 49 2/3 innings over eight starts this season in Triple-A, but the Nationals need a fresh arm for their bullpen. This will be his first stint in the majors since 2011.

Matt Lindstrom has allowed an earned run in three of his last five relief appearances.
Advice: The streaky Idahoan didn't allow a run through April 20, then gave up six in his next four appearances, then was perfect in May until the 10th, when his newest batch of concerns cropped up. The 32-year-old reliever, signed to a one-year, $2.8 million contract over the winter, holds a 4.76 ERA over 17 innings. Lindstrom will continue operating out of a middle relief role.

Wesley Wright holds a 2.95 ERA over 21 appearances.
Advice: Wright broke out in 2012, putting up a 3.27 ERA while striking out over a batter per inning. Over his first three seasons, batters teed off to the tune of a 5.33 ERA and 1.55 WHIP over 134 games. In the last three years, Wright has turned into a fine LOOGY, posting a 2.94 ERA and 8.4/2.9 K/BB/9 rate. Owners in deep AL-only formats should note that Wright's WHIP this year (1.53) sits right around where it did during the dark years of his career. He's walking fewer batters then he ever has, but has surrendered 23 hits over 18 1/3 frames.

Brad Ziegler owns a 2.61 ERA and 1.06 WHIP over 24 appearances.
Advice: The former 20th-round pick hasn't received much attention since he blew onto the scene as a rookie in 2008 (finishing eighth on that season's Rookie of the Year balloting), but he hasn't slowed down much. The right-handed specialist has posted a career 2.45 ERA over 347 appearances, which makes him a good bullpen piece in deeper formats, even if he had more saves in that rookie season (11) than he's had since (eight).

Pitching exclusively out of the bullpen, Josh Collmenter is 1-0 with a 2.45 ERA and 0.95 WHIP over 22 innings.
Advice: Last year's horrific April that cost him a rotation spot seems like a distant memory. Collmenter finished with a 2.13 ERA in 72 innings (seven starts, 17 relief appearances) over the final five months in 2012 and has carried that success into a new season. Of particular interest is his strikeout and K/BB rate, both improved over last year, which were both improvements over 2010's fifth-place-ROY-voting campaign.

Dane De La Rosa has a 4.91 ERA over 21 appearances.
Advice: The 6-foot-7 hurler has allowed four runs over 3 1/3 innings in the last week. His 20/8 K/BB rate in 22 innings is decent, but it doesn't necessarily speak to any potential improvement coming. De La Rosa has never solved the puzzle of major league hitters, posting a 7.08 ERA over 33 games despite a shiny 33/13 K/BB rate.

Nationals placed RHP Ryan Mattheus on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to May 20, with a fractured right hand.
Advice: Mattheus suffered the injury Sunday after he gave up five runs on four hits and two walks over one inning against the Padres and punched his locker in frustration. No word yet on how long he'll be sidelined, but he's obviously facing an extended absence. The Nationals are calling up Yunesky Maya and Fernando Abad for some bullpen insurance.

Cory Gearrin got a one-out save in a four-run game against the Twins on Monday.
Advice: Gearrin came in with the tying run on deck and two outs and got Oswaldo Arcia to foul out to left. Gearrin has allowed just two runs in 20 innings this season. He's going to be pitching with the lead or in tie games a lot more going forward with Jonny Venters and Eric O'Flaherty down.