Let me get this out of the way right up front. You will remember last week, I made the following comment here:
Ah Livan - how we've missed you. I personally wouldn't touch Livan with a 10 foot pole. He has Colorado this week (against Ubaldo Jimenez), and even though he has handled the Rockies in his career, I cannot recommend him this week. If he throws another scoreless gem this week, get back to me.
With that in mind…
Livan Hernandez. Well, Livan proved me wrong with his start against the Rockies, so, now, true to my word, I write him up. His interior numbers are not much different than 2007 and 2008, other than his 100% LOB percentage and 11% line drive percentage in 2010, which I doubt will last. The troubling part of these interior numbers is the fact that he finished with a 5 ERA in 2007 and a 6 ERA in 2008. The bubble is going to burst at some point, and I still have trouble recommending him. He is in Wrigley this coming week if you want to take that chance.
Reed Johnson/Garrett Anderson. If you listened to me last week, you already put these players on your reserve list and, therefore, can “benefit” from their ABs.
Xavier Paul. Frankly, I like Paul better than Johnson and Anderson, but he is not going to get a lot of ABs. He is off to a hot start this year, but strikes out a lot and really doesn’t bring any power to the table. I think he’s good for a few steals though, so he’s worth a pick-up for that reason alone.
Nelson Figueroa. The prodigal son has returned to the Phillies…again. He is likely going to see 2 starts. He gets Arizona and the Mets in the next couple of starts, so if you are desperate for some innings, he is one of the better choices available.
Joe Thatcher. I mention Joe because he was palatable out of the bullpen for the Padres last year. Sometimes, you need some strikeouts and some innings out of the pen. Petco is not a bad place to pitch, and since he struck out over a batter an inning last year, he should be on your list of fungible relievers.
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