No special topic for Spikes Up this week; we’re sticking with old-fashioned, hardcore fantasy notes to help you plan for your stretch run.

The Professor Picks Up the Dodgers

Is it any coincidence that just as Greg Maddux arrived in La La Land, the Dodgers went on a tear, winning 12 of 13? Forget about his on-field performance that includes six no-hit innings in Cincinnati and another quality start against the Rox. The influence The Professor has had on his new teammates – especially his fellow starters – has been immeasurable. Derek Lowe, another sinkerballer like Maddux, could stand to gain the most from Mad Dog’s expertise. It’s a very good time to own any Dodger starter.

Drew Suffers ‘Minor’ Injury

In other Dodger news, J.D. Drew had to come out of Wednesday’s game with a quadriceps strain that was termed “mild.” Of course, anyone that’s followed Drew’s career knows that the terms “minor injury” and “J.D. Drew” do not go together.

Drew was held out of the starting lineup on Thursday, but did get used as a pinch-hitter, grounding out in the fifth. He did not stay in the game to play the outfield. Drew was back in the lineup Friday, however, owners should note that he had offseason surgery on his shoulder and wrist and has recently complained that he’s still feeling the effects of these procedures. That would certainly help explain his OPS dropping over 100 points from 2005, another injury-shortened season for Drew, in which he missed 90 games.

Drew has been relatively healthy this season, and is on pace to play 150 games for the first time in his career. But given last week’s scare and the news that he’s been hurting all year, I’d be pessimistic about his chances to pass the career-high 145 games he played in his one season with the Braves.

Patterson Continues to Fly

Despite a recent 2-for-13 slump, Corey Patterson remains very valuable from a fantasy standpoint because of his speed. With a couple more steals in the past week, Patterson is now on pace for 54 for the season. He’s already surpassed his previous career high by five and currently ranks second in the American League next to Chone Figgins.

Patterson has somehow maintained a BA over .280 despite the fact that his patience as a hitter is actually regressing. With just 16 walks so far this year, Patterson’s walk rate is at its lowest in four seasons.

But Baltimore has been smart about it (how often do you hear that?). The team realized that Patterson could not be wedged into a lead-off role that he was not suited for given his skill set. So they’ve had him batting sixth or seventh this season, spots in the batting order where he wouldn’t be asked to become something he’s not – mainly someone who actually gets on base more than his current rate of 31.5 percent of the time (which, amazingly, is pretty darn good for Patterson, but would be horrible for a top-of-the-order guy).

Baltimore has simply let Patterson play his game and kept running him out there every day in a spot in the order where he wouldn’t be exposed. It’s been a win-win-win situation for the Orioles, Patterson and his fantasy owners alike.

Burroughs’ Back Bringing Him Down

Once upon a time Sean Burroughs was an absolute beast, dominating Little League play like few ever had. Even as a young third base prospect coming up through the Padres system, most expected Burroughs to one day develop power to go along with his fine OBP and BA skills.

Believe it or not, he’s still just 25, but so far, things have not gone well. After flaming out with San Diego, Burroughs was dealt to the Devil Rays who were expected to give him a fresh start and make him their everyday third baseman this season. Unfortunately, back woes have cost him that chance. And once he returned, a 4-for-21 performance earned him a DFA and a trip back to Triple-A.

Burroughs is now finally back with Durham after spending much of the season on the DL, but his performance is not exactly opening eyes. He’s batting .209 through 36 games and 129 at-bats with just one homer and 11 RBI. Even his once-promising on-base talent has let him down, as evidenced by a substandard .259 mark.

Burroughs has all of 11 homers in 439 career big league games and now that B.J. Upton has been switched to the hot corner, what chance does Burroughs have to revitalize his career with the Rays? There is absolutely no reason to own him now, even in keeper leagues.

Things Go South for Hamilton…Again

Just over a month ago, we checked in on Josh Hamilton, the one-time uber prospect who fell on hard times but was attempting a comeback, having finally been reinstated to play minor league ball. Well, he lasted all of 15 games with Hudson Valley of the New York Penn League before more misfortune felled the snake-bitten outfielder.

Instead of his mind, this time it was his body that let him down. Hamilton’s knee gave out, requiring surgery that was performed Thursday. He’s now done for the year. The final tally? A .260 BA for 50 at-bats with no homers, five RBI and just five walks. Hamilton slugged just .360. His comeback story will have to wait until 2007.

Blog Update: If you haven’t yet visited www.RotoRob.com, our new fantasy sports analysis blog, you’ve been missing out on all the fun. Recent developments include links to Podcasts featuring our weekly Fantasy Reports. In addition to our standard baseball and basketball material, our expert hockey and football writers are posting content. Recent posts include articles on a couple of recent episodes that make me wonder about just how tame Jays fans really are; an update of the recent court ruling that allows the fantasy industry to use MLB player names and stats; and Chase Utley’s streak and how the Phillies have gone from being sellers to contenders.

If you like my columns at CREATiVESPORTS.com, you’ll get more of the same, except with more of an edge and often in more bite-size form. Check it out! www.rotorob.com.

NEXT: Spikes Up returns August 21.
 
Comments? Questions? Criticisms or witticisms? You can reach me at rob@creativesports.com if you’d like further information or have a question you’d like me to answer in an upcoming column. Have a suggestion for a column or want to hear analysis about a particular player? Feel free to write. I might even answer!

Rob Blackstien is a freelance writer and the principal of Pen-Ultimate (www.pen-ultimate.ca), a Toronto-based writing and editorial services firm. Position Battles, a column he writes for www.rotoworld.com, also appears on usatoday.com and foxsports.com. His latest venture, www.rotorob.com, features daily fantasy sports analysis with an edge.