Ryan Theriot has quietly picked his game back up of late.

National League Central Notes

Chicago Cubs

Hot: Everyone jumped on when he was hot early, and then everyone jumped off the Ryan Theriot bandwagon when he got cold. It might be time to get back on. Theriot is hitting .365 in July with a home run, 3 RBI, 14 runs scored, and a stolen base in 52 at-bats.

Not: With Theriot hitting again, and Mark DeRosa back on track, Mike Fontenot picked a bad time to go cold. In his 44 at-bats in July, Fontenot is hitting just .227 with three RBI, seven runs, and two stolen bases.

Cincinnati Reds

Hot: Brandon Phillips was already having a solid season before July, but he has exploded offensively this month. So far, Phillips has 6 homers, 20 RBI, 17 runs scored, 3 stolen bases, and a .352 batting average. Maybe, just maybe, he is finally ready to live up to the “franchise” label he stuck on himself when he was first traded to the Indians.

Not: Here is why everyone should switch to on-base percentage instead of batting average – a fantasy owner should be rewarded for their player getting on base, as that is what you want to do in the real game. That is definitely what Adam Dunn does, and he has a .385 on-base percentage for the month, but that matters little to the majority of fantasy owners out there. What does is the .204 batting average for the month, which is why so many fantasy owners avoid him. Note to fantasy league commissioners: if you are not going to reward for walks then you should not reward for singles either – it is the same thing.

Houston Astros

Hot: Brad Lidge is doing everything possible to raise his trade value – err, help his team, that is, as they keep insisting that they are not shopping him. Sure they aren’t… anyway, Lidge has four appearances, two saves, and eight strikeouts in four innings in July, and has to be one of the more talked-about players as we get closer to the trade deadline.

Not: Early this year, I had an argument with a reader that took issue with my insulting Luke Scott, saying that he did not belong in the majors as an everyday player and that the Astros had better options in the minors. Well, this reader pointed to last year for Scott and raved how wonderful he must be, ignoring his mediocre major league numbers prior to that and his mediocre career minor league numbers. Well, Scott is having a lousy season and has been putrid of late, hitting just .161 in 31 July at-bats. What masochistic reason the Astros could have for continuing to give him at-bats is beyond me…

Milwaukee Brewers

Hot: He came up late in the season, but Ryan Braun is making a very strong case for Rookie of the Year. Through 16 games in July, Braun is hitting .317 with 7 home runs, 14 RBI, 11 runs, and 2 stolen bases for the month. The team might be struggling to stay ahead in the division, but it is certainly not his fault.

Not: From being one of the hottest hitters in the game to one of the coldest, Corey Hart has tailed off dramatically this month. Hart is hitting just .194 in July, although he does have at least three home runs. Those three homers seem to come at a high price though, as that average in 62 at-bats starts to really hurt.

Pittsburgh Pirates

Hot: Ryan Doumit continues to produce, and has surpassed that magical 20 games behind the plate plateau needed to qualify at catcher next year in most fantasy leagues. For the month of July, Doumit is hitting .273 with three home runs, eleven RBI, and seven runs scored. Those that gave up on Doumit after his initial hot period have to feel silly now, as he has put together a very nice season as a post-hype prospect, and should be one of the better catching keepers in most leagues.

Not: July has not been kind to Jason Bay. In his 51 at-bats this month, Bay is hitting just .137, with one home run, eight RBI, and seven runs scored. To quote the poet Horse, from Ren and Stimpy, “no sir, didn’t like it.”

St. Louis Cardinals

Hot: Skip Schumaker does not want to see July end. Over 13 games this month, Schumaker has picked up 26 at-bats and is hitting .538 with one home run, two RBI, and nine runs scored – maybe they should find a way to get him a few more at-bats.

Not: Adam Wainwright had one extra base hit and one RBI in his nine at-bats in July. That is highlighted here because that is what he has done as a starting pitcher hitting every fifth day, and the extra base hit and RBI totals tie him in those categories with Yadier Molina, who is hitting just .152 in 46 at-bats this month. The one extra base hit by the way was a double.