Red Hot Meds

Streamer City

The following pitchers are generally available in over 50 percent of fantasy leagues and have favorable match-ups this week:

American League

Thursday, 9/6: Freddy Garcia @ BAL
Garcia has struggled to pitch deep into his past few outings, but on the flip side, he's racked up 24 strikeouts over 21 2/3 innings in his last four turns.

Friday, 9/7: Francisco Liriano vs. KC
Liriano has allowed more than two runs in a start only once in six tries since joining the White Sox.

Friday, 9/7: Liam Hendriks vs. CLE
The young righty seemed to turn a corner in his last start, a one-run complete game loss. See if he can build on that success against the Tribe.

National League

Tuesday, 9/4: Jordan Lyles @ PIT
The 21-year-old has been quality in three of his past four starts, qualifying as perhaps his best stretch of the season.

Wednesday, 9/5: Aaron Harang vs. SD
In the month of August, Harang has registered a 3.38 ERA while holding opponents to a .233 average.

Friday, 9/7: Tyler Skaggs @ SD
The rookie southpaw has been impressive in his first couple starts for the D-Backs.

Total Games

American League

6: BOS, CLE, CWS, DET, LAA, MIN, OAK, SEA, TB, TOR
7: BAL, KC, NYY, TEX

National League

6: ARI, CIN, HOU, LAD, NYM, PHI, PIT, SD, SF, STL
7: ATL, CHC, COL, MIA, MIL, WAS

Lefty/Righty Breakdowns

American League

BAL: 5 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
BOS: 3 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP
CLE: 5 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
CWS: 4 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
DET: 5 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
KC: 4 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP
LAA: 6 vs. RHP, 0 vs. LHP
MIN: 5 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
NYY: 3 vs. RHP, 4 vs. LHP
OAK: 4 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
SEA: 3 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP
TB: 3 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP
TEX: 4 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP
TOR: 4 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP

National League

ARI: 3 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP
ATL: 6 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
CHC: 5 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
CIN: 4 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
COL: 4 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP
HOU: 5 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
LAD: 2 vs. RHP, 4 vs. LHP
MIA: 6 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
MIL: 7 vs. RHP, 0 vs. LHP
NYM: 4 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
PHI: 4 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
PIT: 2 vs. RHP, 4 vs. LHP
SD: 2 vs. RHP, 4 vs. LHP
SF: 4 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
STL: 5 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
WAS: 5 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP

The Infirmary

You can get a full listing of injured players at Rotoworld's Injury Page but here's the latest on a few prominent players who have been out of action:

Franklin Morales: Out indefinitely (shoulder)
David Ortiz: Out until mid-September (Achilles)
Gavin Floyd: Out until late September (elbow)
Chad Billingsley: Out indefinitely (elbow)
Denard Span: Out indefinitely (shoulder)
Vance Worley: Out for the season (elbow)

Forty and two-third innings. Three runs allowed.

What Kris Medlen has managed to do since rejoining the Braves rotation in late July is nothing short of incredible. He's been absolutely lights-out and somehow he keeps getting better and better, as his latest start – 8 IP, 0 R, 5 H, 0 BB, 9 K in San Diego – may have been his most impressive yet.

The 26-year-old right-hander's return from Tommy John surgery has gone about as well as one could possibly imagine, and he'll look to extend his current 24-inning scoreless streak as he makes a pair of starts in The Week Ahead, where he's slated to take on the Rockies at home and the Mets on the road.

Here are a few notes on some other pitchers included on the two-start block:

* Joe Saunders struggled in his debut for the Orioles, coughing up six runs in 5 1/3 innings at home against the White Sox, and I'd stay away again this week with tough match-ups against the Blue Jays and Yankees on deck.

* Jeff Samardzija is a sneaky good play with the Nats and Pirates scheduled. He's been stellar in his past two turns, posting a 17/2 K/BB ratio in 14 innings, and hasn't issued more than three walks in a start since July. Shark is currently available in about 50 percent of leagues.

* I like Tommy Hanson, but I just can't recommend him at this point. He has completed six innings only once in his past seven outings, and there's a chance he might be wearing down. He's thrown 141 innings after totaling 130 last year.

Going Twice…

American League

Strong Plays

Matt Harrison: @KC (Guthrie), @TB (Cobb)
Yu Darvish: @KC (Chen), @TB (Shields)
CC Sabathia: @TB (Moore), @BAL (Britton)
Phil Hughes: @TB (Cobb), @BAL (Saunders)
C.J. Wilson: @OAK (Griffin), DET (Sanchez)

Decent Plays

J.A. Happ: BAL (Saunders), @BOS (Matsuzaka)
Alex Cobb: NYY (Hughes), TEX (Harrison)
Jason Vargas: BOS (Buchholz), OAK (Griffin)
A.J. Griffin: LAA (Wilson), @SEA (Vargas)
Jeremy Guthrie: TEX (Harrison), @CWS
Bruce Chen: TEX (Darvish), @CWS (Sale)
Anibal Sanchez: CLE (Kluber), @LAA (Wilson)
Samuel Deduno: @CWS (Axelrod), CLE (Kluber)
Dylan Axelrod: MIN (Deduno), KC (Guthrie)

At Your Own Risk

Corey Kluber: @DET (Sanchez), @MIN (Deduno)
Joe Saunders: @TOR (Happ), NYY (Hughes)
Zach Britton: @TOR (Villanueva), NYY (Sabathia)

National League

Strong Plays

Edwin Jackson: CHC (Raley), MIA (Turner)
Ross Detwiler: CHC (Samardzija), MIA (Nolasco)
Matt Harvey: @STL (Kelly), ATL (Hanson)
Michael Fiers: @MIA (Nolasco), @STL (Westbrook)
Johnny Cueto: PHI (Cloyd), HOU (Keuchel)
Jeff Samardzija: @WAS (Detwiler), @PIT (Burnett)
Kris Medlen: COL (Chatwood), @NYM (Young)
Patrick Corbin: @SF (Zito), @SD (Werner)

Decent Plays

Joe Kelly: NYM (Harvey), MIL (Marcum)
Andrew Werner: @LAD (Blanton), ARI (Corbin)
James McDonald: HOU (Keuchel), CHC (Raley)
Shaun Marcum: @MIA (Turner), @STL (Kelly)
Jacob Turner: MIL (Marcum), @WAS (Jackson)
Ricky Nolasco: MIL (Fiers), @WAS (Detwiler)
Joe Blanton: SD (Werner), @SF (Zito)
Tyler Cloyd: @CIN (Cueto), COL (Pomeranz)

At Your Own Risk

Barry Zito: ARI (Corbin), LAD (Blanton)
Tyler Chatwood: @ATL (Medlen), @PHI (Worley)
Drew Pomeranz: @ATL (Hanson), @PHI (Cloyd)
Dallas Keuchel: @PIT (McDonald), @CIN (Cueto)
Tommy Hanson: COL (Pomeranz), @NYM (Harvey)

Streamer City

The following pitchers are generally available in over 50 percent of fantasy leagues and have favorable match-ups this week:

American League

Thursday, 9/6: Freddy Garcia @ BAL
Garcia has struggled to pitch deep into his past few outings, but on the flip side, he's racked up 24 strikeouts over 21 2/3 innings in his last four turns.

Friday, 9/7: Francisco Liriano vs. KC
Liriano has allowed more than two runs in a start only once in six tries since joining the White Sox.

Friday, 9/7: Liam Hendriks vs. CLE
The young righty seemed to turn a corner in his last start, a one-run complete game loss. See if he can build on that success against the Tribe.

National League

Tuesday, 9/4: Jordan Lyles @ PIT
The 21-year-old has been quality in three of his past four starts, qualifying as perhaps his best stretch of the season.

Wednesday, 9/5: Aaron Harang vs. SD
In the month of August, Harang has registered a 3.38 ERA while holding opponents to a .233 average.

Friday, 9/7: Tyler Skaggs @ SD
The rookie southpaw has been impressive in his first couple starts for the D-Backs.

Total Games

American League

6: BOS, CLE, CWS, DET, LAA, MIN, OAK, SEA, TB, TOR
7: BAL, KC, NYY, TEX

National League

6: ARI, CIN, HOU, LAD, NYM, PHI, PIT, SD, SF, STL
7: ATL, CHC, COL, MIA, MIL, WAS

Lefty/Righty Breakdowns

American League

BAL: 5 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
BOS: 3 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP
CLE: 5 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
CWS: 4 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
DET: 5 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
KC: 4 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP
LAA: 6 vs. RHP, 0 vs. LHP
MIN: 5 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
NYY: 3 vs. RHP, 4 vs. LHP
OAK: 4 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
SEA: 3 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP
TB: 3 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP
TEX: 4 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP
TOR: 4 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP

National League

ARI: 3 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP
ATL: 6 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
CHC: 5 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
CIN: 4 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
COL: 4 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP
HOU: 5 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
LAD: 2 vs. RHP, 4 vs. LHP
MIA: 6 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
MIL: 7 vs. RHP, 0 vs. LHP
NYM: 4 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
PHI: 4 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
PIT: 2 vs. RHP, 4 vs. LHP
SD: 2 vs. RHP, 4 vs. LHP
SF: 4 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
STL: 5 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
WAS: 5 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP

The Infirmary

You can get a full listing of injured players at Rotoworld's Injury Page but here's the latest on a few prominent players who have been out of action:

Franklin Morales: Out indefinitely (shoulder)
David Ortiz: Out until mid-September (Achilles)
Gavin Floyd: Out until late September (elbow)
Chad Billingsley: Out indefinitely (elbow)
Denard Span: Out indefinitely (shoulder)
Vance Worley: Out for the season (elbow)