The Lineup Card: Fit For a King

Projected Starters - A look at Saturday's matchups:

Marlins (Anibal Sanchez - R) at Nationals (Jason Marquis - R), 1:05
Rays (Wade Davis - R) at Blue Jays (Ricky Romero - L), 1:07
Cardinals (Jake Westbrook - R) at Braves (Tommy Hanson - R), 4:10
Phillies (Kyle Kendrick - R) at Mets (Mike Pelfrey - R), 4:10
Giants (Madison Bumgarner - L) at Padres (Tim Stauffer - R), 4:10
Royals (Kyle Davies - R) at White Sox (Edwin Jackson - R), 7:05
Twins (Nick Blackburn - R) at Indians (Carlos Carrasco - R), 7:05
Orioles (Jeremy Guthrie - R) at Tigers (Max Scherzer - R), 7:05
Dodgers (John Ely - R) at Astros (Wandy Rodriguez - L), 7:05
Cubs (Ryan Dempster - R) at Brewers (Randy Wolf - L), 7:10
Pirates (Charlie Morton - R) at Reds (Aaron Harang - R), 7:10
Yankees (A.J. Burnett - R) at Rangers (Tommy Hunter - R), 8:05
Diamondbacks (Rodrigo Lopez - R) at Rockies (Ubaldo Jimenez - R), 8:10
Mariners (Felix Hernandez - R) at Angels (Ervin Santana - R), 9:05
Red Sox (John Lackey - R) at Athletics (Brett Anderson - L), 9:05

Day game after a night game: FLA, WAS, TB, TOR, STL, ATL, PHI, NYM, SF, SD

Injuries - A brief look at players who have been missing time with injuries and their expected returns

Day-to-Day (includes players expected to make their return from the DL)
J.D. Drew, OF, Red Sox (hamstring) – Likely to sit next few games.
Josh Hamilton, OF, Rangers (ribs) – Doubtful for this weekend, not in Friday's lineup.
John McDonald, SS, Blue Jays (arm) – Took BP Thursday, not in Friday's lineup.
Miguel Cabrera, 1B, Tigers (shoulder) – Returned to lineup Friday.
Gordon Beckham, 3B, White Sox (hand) – Back in Friday's lineup.
Billy Butler, 1B, Royals (hand) – Back in lineup Friday after a couple days off.
Jose Valverde, P, Tigers (elbow) – Check back on him, he was hoping to be available Friday.
Brad Lidge, P, Phillies (elbow) – Says he should be available Friday.
Jose Reyes, SS, Mets (oblique) – Back in Friday's lineup.
Jay Bruce, OF, Reds (abdomen) – Still out of the lineup Friday.
Orlando Cabrera, SS, Reds (oblique) – Out of Friday's lineup but could be back this weekend.
Aramis Ramirez, 3B, Cubs (quadriceps) – Out of Friday's lineup, hasn't played since Sunday.
Josh Johnson, P, Marlins (back) – Likely out a week and season is in doubt.
Jim Edmonds, OF, Reds (oblique) – Activated Friday but still likely to miss some time.
Jimmy Rollins, SS, Phillies (hamstring) – Out Friday and likely Saturday too.

Players on the DL
Andy Pettitte, P, Yankees (groin) – Four very good innings in Double-A rehab, determining next step.
Elvis Andrus, SS, Rangers (hamstrings) – Activated and in Friday's lineup.
Frank Francisco, P, Rangers (back) – The rest of his season hangs in the balance and there is still no timetable.
Scott Mathieson, P, Phillies (back) – Placed on DL, was out since Sunday.
Felipe Paulino, P, Astros (shoulder) – Another solid simulated game, trying to make it back before end of year.
Johan Santana, P, Mets (shoulder) – Surgery is coming, out for the season.
Jason Bay, OF, Mets (concussion) – Was to throw Friday, not eligible to return for two weeks but could make it back by end of season.

Transactions - Players who have been demoted, called up, traded, released, you name it. We'll cover it here.

Activated from the DL
Jim Edmonds, OF, Reds
Mike Leake, P, Reds

Closer Watch - A closer look at intriguing ninth-inning situations (check out Dave Regan's Closer Grid with the link to the left)

Detroit – Ryan Perry picked up a save in Thursday's win over the White Sox and may continue to get opportunities while Jose Valverde is out with elbow tenderness. Valverde is only expected to miss a couple of days, however, so the gig will likely be short-lived.

Key Matchups - Spotlight on hitters and pitchers with favorable matchups against their opponent on a particular day (generally, individual matchups with fewer than 10 at-bats are not included) *Check status

Hot
Ian Desmond v. Anibal Sanchez – 4-for-11 (.364), 0 HR, 1 RBI, 1:1 BB:K (.417 OBP)
Hanley Ramirez v. Jason Marquis – 7-for-14 (.500), 1 HR, 1 RBI, 2:0 BB:K (.563 OBP)
Ben Zobrist v. Ricky Romero – 5-for-10 (.500), 0 HR, 2 RBI, 2:1 BB:K (.583 OBP)
Eric Hinske v. Jake Westbrook – 5-for-12 (.417), 0 HR, 2 RBI, 2:0 BB:K (.500 OBP)
Alex Gonzalez v. Jake Westbrook – 5-for-12 (.417), 0 HR, 0 RBI, 2:1 BB:K (.500 OBP)
Carlos Beltran v. Kyle Kendrick – 4-for-13 (.308), 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1:1 BB:K (.357 OBP)
Jose Reyes v. Kyle Kendrick – 7-for-17 (.412), 1 HR, 2 RBI, 2:0 BB:K (.474 OBP)
Greg Dobbs v. Mike Pelfrey – 7-for-16 (.438), 1 HR, 3 RBI, 0:0 BB:K (.438 OBP)
Jayson Werth v. Mike Pelfrey – 8-for-26 (.308), 0 HR, 1 RBI, 1:6 BB:K (.379 OBP)
Ryan Howard v. Mike Pelfrey – 11-for-27 (.407), 1 HR, 3 RBI, 5:2 BB:K (.500 OBP)
Shane Victorino v. Mike Pelfrey – 10-for-33 (.303), 1 HR, 4 RBI, 2:5 BB:K (.343 OBP)
Paul Konerko v. Kyle Davies – 8-for-15 (.533), 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1:1 BB:K (.563 OBP)
Billy Butler v. Edwin Jackson – 4-for-13 (.308), 2 HR, 3 RBI, 1:0 BB:K (.357 OBP)
Asdrubal Cabrera v. Nick Blackburn – 8-for-23 (.348), 0 HR, 1 RBI, 0:1 BB:K (.348 OBP)
Matt Kemp v. Wandy Rodriguez – 4-for-12 (.333), 0 HR, 2 RBI, 1:2 BB:K (.357 OBP)
Ryan Theriot v. Wandy Rodriguez – 10-for-27 (.370), 1 HR, 1 RBI, 2:0 BB:K (.414 OBP)
Rickie Weeks v. Ryan Dempster – 9-for-28 (.321), 0 HR, 1 RBI, 6:7 BB:K (.444 OBP)
Geovany Soto v. Randy Wolf – 6-for-16 (.375), 2 HR, 6 RBI, 1:3 BB:K (.412 OBP)
Scott Rolen v. Charlie Morton – 4-for-10 (.400), 1 HR, 4 RBI, 1:0 BB:K (.455 OBP)
Brandon Phillips v. Charlie Morton – 4-for-10 (.400), 0 HR, 2 RBI, 1:1 BB:K (.455 OBP)
Chris Snyder v. Aaron Harang – 4-for-10 (.400), 0 HR, 1 RBI, 1:2 BB:K (.455 OBP)
Ronny Cedeno v. Aaron Harang – 6-for-19 (.316), 2 HR, 6 RBI, 1:7 BB:K (.350 OBP)
Ryan Doumit v. Aaron Harang – 8-for-26 (.308), 2 HR, 3 RBI, 1:6 BB:K (.333 OBP)
David Murphy v. A.J. Burnett – 5-for-16 (.313), 1 HR, 2 RBI, 3:4 BB:K (.450 OBP)
Jason Giambi v. Rodrigo Lopez – 11-for-35 (.314), 4 HR, 9 RBI, 6:11 BB:K (.415 OBP)
Adam LaRoche v. Ubaldo Jimenez – 5-for-16 (.313), 0 HR, 2 RBI, 4:5 BB:K (.450 OBP)
Bobby Abreu v. Felix Hernandez – 11-for-33 (.333), 1 HR, 6 RBI, 3:5 BB:K (.378 OBP)
Torii Hunter v. Felix Hernandez – 12-for-38 (.316), 0 HR, 1 RBI, 3:8 BB:K (.395 OBP)
Russell Branyan v. Ervin Santana – 4-for-12 (.333), 0 HR, 0 RBI, 3:4 BB:K (.500 OBP)
Josh Wilson v. Ervin Santana – 7-for-18 (.389), 1 HR, 5 RBI, 0:1 BB:K (.389 OBP)
Ichiro Suzuki v. Ervin Santana – 21-for-59 (.356), 1 HR, 1 RBI, 5:2 BB:K (.406 OBP)
Daric Barton v. John Lackey – 7-for-20 (.350), 1 HR, 3 RBI, 2:0 BB:K (.409 OBP)
Jack Cust v. John Lackey – 8-for-27 (.296), 3 HR, 6 RBI, 2:5 BB:K (.345 OBP)

Ricky Romero v. TB – It's only 101 plate appearances, but Rays hitters have had almost no success against Romero, hitting just .205 with a measly total of one home run. He's coming off a great start against Texas and should continue to roll on Saturday. (A.J. Burnett also had great numbers against his opponent (Texas), but he's just been too inconsistent for me to stomach putting him here).

Cold
Roger Bernadina v. Anibal Sanchez – 1-for-10 (.100), 0 HR, 0 RBI, 2:3 BB:K (.250 OBP)
Ryan Zimmerman v. Anibal Sanchez – 7-for-33 (.212), 0 HR, 1 RBI, 2:5 BB:K (.278 OBP)
Chad Tracy v. Jason Marquis – 4-for-22 (.182), 0 HR, 0 RBI, 5:1 BB:K (.333 OBP)
Jason Bartlett v. Ricky Romero – 2-for-11 (.182), 0 HR, 0 RBI, 2:0 BB:K (.308 OBP)
Carl Crawford v. Ricky Romero – 2-for-13 (.154), 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0:3 BB:K (.214 OBP)
Omar Infante v. Jake Westbrook – 2-for-12 (.167), 0 HR, 1 RBI, 1:4 BB:K (.231 OBP)
A.J. Pierzynski v. Kyle Davies – 2-for-13 (.154), 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0:1 BB:K (.154 OBP)
Alex Gordon v. Edwin Jackson – 0-for-11 (.000), 0 HR, 0 RBI, 1:2 BB:K (.083 OBP)
Shin-Soo Choo v. Nick Blackburn – 3-for-29 (.150), 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0:5 BB:K (.150 OBP)
Andre Ethier v. Wandy Rodriguez – 2-for-11 (.182), 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0:1 BB:K (.182 OBP)
James Loney v. Wandy Rodriguez – 2-for-13 (.154), 0 HR, 2 RBI, 0:1 BB:K (.143 OBP)
Xavier Nady v. Randy Wolf – 1-for-10 (.100), 0 HR, 1 RBI, 1:2 BB:K (.182 OBP)
Aramis Ramirez v. Randy Wolf – 5-for-25 (.200), 1 HR, 5 RBI, 1:8 BB:K (.231 OBP)
Jorge Cantu v. A.J. Burnett – 1-for-15 (.067), 0 HR, 2 RBI, 0:2 BB:K (.067 OBP)
Vladimir Guerrero v. A.J. Burnett – 10-for-48 (.208), 2 HR, 3 RBI, 4:12 BB:K (.269 OBP)
Miguel Olivo v. Rodrigo Lopez – 2-for-13 (.154), 0 HR, 1 RBI, 0:4 BB:K (.154 OBP)
Augie Ojeda v. Ubaldo Jimenez – 2-for-10 (.200), 0 HR, 0 RBI, 1:2 BB:K (.273 OBP)
Justin Upton v. Ubaldo Jimenez – 2-for-18 (.111), 1 HR, 2 RBI, 2:7 BB:K (.238 OBP)
Chris Young v. Ubaldo Jimenez – 5-for-31 (.161), 0 HR, 0 RBI, 1:12 BB:K (.188 OBP)
Mark Reynolds v. Ubaldo Jimenez – 6-for-32 (.188), 1 HR, 3 RBI, 2:13 BB:K (.257 OBP)
Alberto Callaspo v. Felix Hernandez – 2-for-11 (.182), 0 HR, 1 RBI, 1:1 BB:K (.231 OBP)
Reggie Willits v. Felix Hernandez – 1-for-13 (.077), 0 HR, 0 RBI, 2:3 BB:K (.200 OBP)
Hideki Matsui v. Felix Hernandez – 5-for-25 (.200), 0 HR, 1 RBI, 3:3 BB:K (.286 OBP)
Howie Kendrick v. Felix Hernandez – 6-for-30 (.200), 1 HR, 2 RBI, 0:6 BB:K (.200 OBP)
Erick Aybar v. Felix Hernandez – 6-for-29 (.207), 0 HR, 2 RBI, 2:4 BB:K (.281 OBP)
Chone Figgins v. Ervin Santana – 1-for-14 (.071), 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0:2 BB:K (.071 OBP)
Jose Lopez v. Ervin Santana – 12-for-51 (.235), 1 HR, 6 RBI, 1:10 BB:K (.264 OBP)
Cliff Pennington v. John Lackey – 1-for-10 (.100), 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0:2 BB:K (.182 OBP)

Rodrigo Lopez v. COL – There weren't really any numbers that jumped out for this spot, so I'm forced to go with a guy who – let's be honest – you probably weren't going to be starting anyway. Rockies hitters have posted a .297/.372/.535 line against Lopez in 115 at-bats, and the right-handers current 0-6 streak shows no signs of coming to an end.

Recommended Pickup

Logan Morrison, OF, FLA – Morrison has been on a month-long tear, raking at a .353 clip over his last 27 games. Sure there hasn't been any power (just one homer), but he has 12 doubles and has been a monster in leagues that count OBP (.480 since August 10). Plus, hitting second in the Marlins' lineup afford him plenty of run-scoring opportunities. As of Friday night, he was available in nearly 60 percent of CBS leagues and almost 75 percent of ESPN leagues.

Other recent recommendations:Chris Narveson, Danny Espinosa, Ian Kennedy, Yunesky Maya