Hank Blalock is coming back, again, and your leaguemates have probably forgotten all about him.

Mixed League Options

Mark Buehrle – Starting Pitcher – White Sox - Buehrle was widely ditched after his early season struggles, and rightly so, as he doesn’t provide many strikeouts and only has value when he’s winning and posting good ratios. However, season after season Buehrle is probably the most consistent pitcher of our generation, and, surprise surprise, he has turned it around. Since June began, Buehrle has consistently gone deep into ball games, and has been an excellent fantasy pitcher, winning games and even striking out some hitters. As we begin the second half of the season, think of Buehrle the same way you did before the season started, a workhorse who will provide a bunch of innings with good ratios. He should also win about 6-8 more games for you for the rest of the year. If your league mates haven’t jumped on him yet, pick him up for the stretch.

Chris Davis – First Baseman – Rangers - Davis was previously profiled as an AL only option, but with Ron Washington’s recent announcement that Hank Blalock will return to the Rangers as a third basemen, instead of at first, the powerful first baseman is now a good play in mixed leagues also. He had a huge week before the break, and already has 6 home runs in his first 58 at bats. This kid definitely belongs in the bigs, and now has 29 total homers on the season. Look for a big second half, as Davis has enough time to make a run at 20 home runs. He may not have a great average, but he will score and drive in runs in the stacked Rangers lineup. This kid has some real power and will help you in those categories down the stretch.

Jeremy Guthrie – Starting Pitcher – Orioles - There’s not a lot to say about Jeremy Guthrie, except that he should be far more widely owned than he is. Guthrie has been an excellent pitcher for the Orioles, even though his 5-7 record doesn’t reflect it. He has had unusually low run support, even for the Orioles. He has been excellent in every category except wins, and should continue to pitch well over the rest of the season. Just look at his numbers, 3.49 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 83 Ks. He’s been far better than many top starters. Bottom line: don’t be deceived by the win total and pick this guy up in every league.

Hank Blalock – Third Baseman – Rangers - Blalock is returning from a wrist injury that has kept him out for the majority of the season, and will return to his starting job at 3^rd base. He has had his share of injury problems over the last couple years, but even beyond those injuries, he really hasn’t been a successful hitter since 2005. This is a bit of an odd case, as he came up as a good hitter, and established himself as an all-star caliber third baseman with great seasons in 2003-04. He had a really rough year in 2006, and began to rebound before dealing with a bunch of injuries. Basically, people may have forgotten that Blalock can hit, because of that bad year and some tough injuries. He’s just 28 though, and in his physical peak. He can definitely be a useful 3B in AL only leagues, hitting for some power and hopefully some RBI and runs in the Texas lineup. If he can stay healthy and shows any signs of regaining his magic, he even deserves a pickup in mixed leagues.