Player Notes

Josh Hamilton went 2-for-5 with a homer, two runs scored and two RBI against the Mariners on Monday.
Advice: Coming off a Sunday off-day against Yankees left-hander CC Sabathia, Hamilton teed off in an easier matchup, taking Aaron Harang deep for a two-run shot in the second. Hamilton owners, much like the Angels, are stuck in a holding pattern with the former top slugger. Nobody is going to take his .217/.273/.395 slash line off your hands and offer you value back, but it's unlikely that you have a more talented backup to insert into the lineup until Hamilton regains his stroke.

Dillon Gee was slapped with a loss despite pitching a gem Monday, allowing two runs over 8 1/3 innings to the Braves.
Advice: He struck out six and walked one. Gee was absolutely cruising through eight innings and entered the ninth in Atlanta with a 1-0 lead. He surrendered a leadoff single to Justin Upton and Freddie Freeman ended the game with a 365-foot blast to right field. Gee revealed after his last start that he's dealt with flexor tendonitis all season, but he appeared just fine on Monday. He's 5-7 with a 4.56 ERA.

Rich Hill allowed a bunt single to David Lough on Monday.
Advice: Hill relieved Brian Shaw in a 1-1 game in the ninth inning with runners on first and second. After Lough reached, Matt Albers replaced Hill and threw a wild to gift Kansas City with a 2-1 lead. Hill, a non-roster invitee who made the club out of spring training, may be reaching the end of his rope as Cleveland's left-handed specialist. He has a 7.79 ERA and 1.96 WHIP in 17 1/3 innings over 26 appearances.

Alfonso Soriano went 0-for-4 and committed his fifth error in left field Monday against the Cardinals.
Advice: And this from a guy who said Carlos Marmol used to be good. Soriano is batting .253 and is on pace to finish with 17 homers, 69 RBI and a 138/21 K/BB ratio.

Barry Zito struck out a season-high eight batters over just 5 2/3 innings in a no-decision against the Padres on Monday.
Advice: The left-hander collected 102 pitches before he was pulled. Zito walked three and gave up six hits, allowing two runs. He's 4-5 with a 4.67 ERA on the season. Zito has won just one game since April 21.

Nick Tepesch lasted just 3 2/3 innings and gave up six runs to the A's in a loss Monday.
Advice: Tepesch's time in the rotation may soon come to an end. He's given up 17 runs over 15 2/3 innings in his last three starts, and he hasn't picked up a win since beating Houston on May 12. The Rangers might give him one more chance, but if he doesn't improve, he could be replaced by Martin Perez.

Jason Vargas whiffed a season-best nine batters and surrendered a mere two runs over seven innings in Monday's 11-3 win against the Mariners.
Advice: Vargas allowed four hits and a walk to his former club. Monday's strikeouts are clearly a bonus for owners -- Vargas has struck out about six batters per nine innings this year -- but Vargas has established himself as a rotation stalwart in his first season in LA. He's now 6-4 with a 3.65 ERA.

Tim Hudson surrendered just one run on six hits and three walks over his seven frames Monday against the Mets.
Advice: He struck out six. Hudson (4-6, 4.17 ERA) was in line for the loss before Freddie Freeman's walk-off homer took him off the hook. The veteran entered June with an unsightly 5.37 ERA, but he's been lights-out this month, allowing just five earned runs in 28 2/3 innings covering four starts, all of which were quality outings. There were whispers late last month that Hudson might lose his rotation spot, but you'll hear nothing of the sort now.

Nelson Cruz homered twice, doubled and knocked in four runs as the Rangers beat the A's 8-7 on Monday.
Advice: Cruz homered off Dan Straily in the fourth and Jesse Chavez in the fifth, giving him 18 bombs for the year. Only Chris Davis (24) and Miguel Cabrera (19) have more in the AL. If Cruz stays healthy, his career high of 33 homers is probably going down.

Albert Pujols went 4-for-5 with a double, an RBI and a run scored in Monday's 11-3 victory against the Mariners.
Advice: While his big night must be qualified -- Aaron Harang was on the mound, after all -- Pujols' heat check must be recognized. El Hombre is 12-for-23 (.522) over his last five games. He's batting .333 with an OPS over .900 in June after struggling mightily over the first two months of the season. If you can buy low, now's the time to do it.

Dayan Viciedo tripled with the bases loaded in the sixth to lead the White Sox to a 4-2 win over the Astros on Monday.
Advice: Viciedo saved the White Sox from what might have been a four-game sweep in Houston. The Astros got all of their runs in the sixth off Bud Norris. The triple was Viciedeo's third in 261 major league games, and it gave him his first multi-RBI game since May 15. That was also the day on which he last homered.

Jacob Turner allowed two runs on six hits over five innings Monday against the Diamondbacks.
Advice: He struck out five and walked three. The former first-round pick has only allowed six earned runs in four starts, posting a 2.16 ERA and 1.20 WHIP over 25 innings. Turner has only one win to show for his efforts, however, an unfortunate occupational hazard of pitching in South Florida.

Despite giving up a homer for a second straight outing, Edward Mujica picked up his 20th save in 20 chances Monday in the Cardinals' 5-2 defeat of the Cubs.
Advice: Mujica gave up a homer to Marlon Byrd on Thursday and another to Darwin Barney tonight, but he's yet to allow one in a one-run game. All four homers he's given up this year have been solo shots. It helps a lot that he hasn't walked a batter since April 3.

Aaron Harang was tagged for four runs on 12 hits in five innings by the Angels in a loss Monday.
Advice: He struck out four and didn't walk a batter. Harang actually has an outstanding 56/9 K/BB rate and a solid 1.31 WHIP. That's the good news for Seattle management and AL-only owners still holding out hope he'll turn it around. To the naked eye, however, Harang just doesn't have the stuff to get out major league hitters anymore. It's great to eliminate free passes, but it doesn't do much good if the slop you loft over the plate is obliterated all over the park. Harang (3-7) and his 5.73 ERA aren't to be trusted in any format.

Brandon Barnes went 3-for-5 with a couple of steals against the White Sox on Monday.
Advice: Justin Maxwell is expected back in Houston's lineup on Tuesday, but Barnes should remain the team's center fielder, with Maxwell primarily playing right. That doesn't give him much fantasy value -- he's been struggling offensively since his nice April -- but he's an acceptable fifth outfielder in AL-only leagues.