Hiroki Kuroda has been dealing like an ace lately.

Mixed League Options

Hiroki Kuroda- Starting Pitcher-LA Dodgers - The Japanese sinkerballer has been on fire since returning off the DL, firing 16 straight scoreless innings including his fabulous 1-hitter Tuesday night, perhaps the best pitched game of the year. Pitchers with high groundball rates typically have good ERAs and WHIPs, although giving up a little bit in the strikeout department. Kuroda is no exception, with a very solid 1.20 WHIP to go along with his 3.39 ERA. Perhaps his time on the DL rested him up, because he appears to be firing on all cylinders right now. He’s a nice option for the back end of your rotation, and is definitely worth adding during this hot streak.

Jeff Francouer – Outfielder – Atlanta Braves - A lot of people ditched Francouer after he was demoted to AA ball. He raked during that time away, hitting .538 with a triple and 2 rbis in his 3 games there. Francouer will not hit for a great average, although it will almost certainly improve from his current .234 mark. His batting average on balls in play is .265, a low rate, but not THAT low. Mostly his problems have stemmed from him not driving the ball with much authority. His line drive rate is down, along with his isolated power. Even in the minors, 6 of his 7 hits were singles. With all that said, Francouer is still worth a flier. He has been successful in the majors for three straight years before this, and is a good bet to regain his magic. Look at him for RBI, and hopefully some home runs, and a decent average the rest of the way out. Remember folks, he’s just 24.

Paul Konerko- First Basemen – Chicago White Sox - Another struggling hitter coming back from a brief absence, Konerko’s was due to an oblique injury. As he returns though, think back over the last three years, and remember that Konerko has averaged over 35 home runs during that span. While he has unquestionably peaked, and 40 HRs are out of the question, I expect Paulie to get back to last seasons production. Think 15 or so dingers the rest of the way, a valuable addition to any team. He may never become the feared All-Star caliber first baseman again, but this guy should put up numbers at first that are comparable, or better than guys like Justin Morneau, James Loney, and Conor Jackson, except that he is widely available. Don’t give up on him yet; there is some pop remaining in his bat.

NL Only Options

Ubaldo Jimenez – Starting Pitcher – Colorado Rockies - Jimenez has been moderately disappointing after pitching well down the stretch run last year, but still has maintained a 4.21 ERA in Coors Field, no small feat. His WHIP has been a pretty awful 1.52, mostly due to control problems, but he has also struck out his share of hitters, with 86 Ks. A turnaround might be in the making though, as he has been great in his last two starts, and has thrown quality starts in 5 of his last 6 outings, going 3-2 along the way. Walks remain an issue, but his strikeouts are there and the Rockies offense has nowhere to go but up. Jimenez probably will continue to post higher WHIP ratios than you would like, but if you need cheap help in the strikeout department, look no further. Worth a look in mixed leagues too, if he can continue to fire out great starts.

Austin Kearns – Outfielder – Washington Nationals - On his way back from the disabled list, Kearns made a stop in Columbus, the Nationals’ Triple A affiliate, and hit .429/.526/.857, an absolutely ridiculous line. Since his return, he has been 6-19 with two RBIs. Kearns has always been a pretty good hitter, and will be given plenty of chances to regain his old magic in the National lineup. Keep an eye out for him, as he looks like he is seeing the ball pretty well right now. He has plenty of upside as a useful outfielder in NL only leagues.

Ty Wiggington - Infielder- Houston Astros - Wiggington has been hitting the cover off the ball lately with 3 HRs and 8 RBIs in his last 6 games. On the season he’s got 7 HRs in 186 at bats, with 21 RBIs and has also added 4 SBs.He’s always had some pop in his bat, with 20 HRs the last two seasons, and has hit well while he’s been healthy this year. What really gives him value is his eligibility at 1B, 2B, and 3B. Thinking of him as a second basemen, he becomes a legitimate fantasy option in deep leagues. Pick him up and look for up to 20 HRs out of him, although the time he missed earlier in the year will likely prevent him from hitting that mark for the third consecutive year.

AL Only Options

Sean Gallagher – Starting Pitcher – Oakland Athletics - Here’s an exercise for you: try to remember the last Oakland pitcher who put up an ERA of 5 or higher over the course of 10 or more starts. Give up? Gil Heredia, all the way back in 2001. Since then the ballpark has made good pitchers out of Kirk Saarloos, Lenny DiNardo, Mark Redman, John Halama, some really mediocre guys. Welcome, Sean Gallagher. The newest Athletic should thrive in his new environment, the spacious McAfee Coliseum. This guy is no Erik Hiljus either; he’s got legitimate stuff and has been successful throughout his whole minor league career. The 22-year-old Gallagher throws in the mid 90s, with developing secondary stuff, and stands to become at least a mid rotation pitcher, with an outside chance at becoming an ace. This year, Gallagher has put up an ERA in the mid 4s, but that could drop as much as a run in his new home. There is no reason to think he can’t do what Greg Smith and Dana Eveland have done this year; win some games for you with decent strikeouts and good ratios. He’s a great keeper too, at just 22 he should be able to produce for seasons to come.

Jeff Clement – Catcher/DH – Seattle Mariners - Clement is a great hitter for a catcher, and in the next few years will establish himself as a top 5 player at the position, assuming he can stay there. He hasn’t hit for much average in the majors so far, but just raked in Triple A and should come around as he gets used to big league pitching. He’s got 25-35 HR potential, and while he won’t reach it this year, 15-20 is still reachable. The big problem for Clement is Kenji Johjima, who signed a huge 3-year deal before this season, a deal that looks horrible now. But with Johjima making that much money, Clement doesn’t have a full time position for the time being. Jim Riggleman has been doing a good job getting him at bats, and will continue to as the Mariners are in rebuild mode and Clement is a big part of their future. Look at him for a source of power at catcher.

Jarrod Washburn – Starting Pitcher – Seattle Mariners - Clement’s battery mate has been on fire of late. Washburn broke a streak of 5 straight quality starts with a complete game, 4 ER loss the other day. He has been very good, and his ERA and WHIP should continue to trend downward over the rest of the season. He’s no ace, but he’s also not nearly as bad as he looked over the first part of the season. Look for his numbers to regress towards last years, 4.33 ERA and a 1.39 WHIP. Washburn shouldn’t be confused for a guy who will save your season, but there is something to be said for reliable inning eating pitchers, and Washburn can fill that role in the back of your rotation.