Rotoprofessor

Here are some notes for everyone:

• As I suspected, the punishment for B.J. Upton will not end with him simply being pulled from the game last night.  According to Marc Lancaster of The Tampa Tribune (click here for the post), “Upton definitely would not be in the lineup for the second game of the series and he was weighing whether further punishment was necessary”.  Definitely not good news for fantasy owners, though I expect the problems not to last more then a few days.  Those in daily formats should move him to the bench and just wait and see what comes out the next few days.
• Steve Kornacki of mlive.com (click here for the article) is reporting that Justin Verlander will start today, despite rumors that he could be pushed back a day.  The start is against the Orioles, but given the way he’s been throwing of late, he’s certainly a tough start.  Use him at your own risk.
• The Arizona Diamondbacks will use their top 4 starts (Randy Johnson, Brandon Webb, Dan Haren and Doug Davis) “on four days’ rest from now on, instead of pushing them back around an off day”.  That limits the amount of value Yusmeiro Petit, the current 5th starter, and any other potential player for that spot (Max Scherzer?) will have.  I’m surprised Davis is included in this group, to be honest.  He has been struggling and despite the extra starts, he is not an option that I would use.
• Mike Bernadino of The Sun-Sentinel (click here for the post) is reporting that the Marlins have designated Justin Miller for assignment, bringing Paul Lo Duca up to fill his roster spot.  Lo Duca could see some significant playing time down the stretch, but he would only have value in formats that require 2 catchers. 
• Marlon Byrd is listed as day-to-day, according to Richard Durrett of The Dallas Morning News (click here for the post).  He has a “hyper-extended left elbow”.  He certainly has been hot of late, but still is only an option in the deepest of formats.  As I discussed earlier in the week, I just wouldn’t expect to see him keep up his hot stretch.
• According to Joe Strauss of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch (click here for the article) Adam Wainwright’s next rehab appearance is tonight, and it could be his last one.  There’s no word as to if he would return as a starter or reliever, but he could start on Friday, if that’s the direction they decide to go.  It’ll be interesting to see how this breaks, so just keep checking back for the latest updates.
• La Velle E. Neal III of The Star Tribune (click here for the article) is closing in on returning to the Twins.  On Friday he “hit off a tee and fielded grounders”.  He still is not 100% hitting lefthanded, apparently.  Still, he was a good option when healthy earlier as a MI for those in deeper formats, and should quickly emerge as one again.  If you moved on to someone like Emilio Bonifacio, I wouldn’t make the switch back, but if you missed out, this is surely good news.
• Todd Zolecki of The Philadelphia Inquirer (click here for the article) is reporting that Greg Dobbs has declared himself ready to return.  He’s been out as he “tweaked his left quadriceps Wednesday”.  No real news for fantasy owners, to be honest.
• Julio Lugo could be ready to return to the Red Sox in September, according to Joe McDonald of The Providence Journal (click here for the article).  The Red Sox would be in a bind, however, especially with the way Jed Lowrie has been playing.  I would think the Red Sox would stick with what’s been working, so I wouldn’t take any gamble on grabbing Lugo.  He wasn’t that productive before his injury to begin with.