Here are some notes on what happened in baseball while you were busy scouring the waiver wire for your fantasy football team:
* Jeremy Guthrie was scratched from his Tuesday start due to the flu, but odds are he would have missed the start anyway due to a tired right shoulder. The 29-year-old might end up missing the rest of the year in an effort to play it safe with the injury. Whatever he decides, Guthrie owes very little to his teammates. Despite posting a 3.57 ERA and 1.22 WHIP, the Orioles have left him with a 10-11 record so far this season.
* After watching Paul Konerko writhe around in the infield after hurting his knee on Tuesday night, this Sox fan was convinced that he was going to join Carlos Quentin on the sidelines for the rest of the year. Paulie apparently suffered just a slight sprain, and could be back as soon as Friday. Konerko had been playing well since the start of August, but it's always possible the knee injury could put a damper on his mild comeback.
* Dan Haren allowed just one run in four innings Wednesday, but he need 99 pitches to get through the abbreviated outing. Since the start of August, Haren is sporting an ugly 5.83 ERA. Something's clearly ailing him, and a bit of rest seems to be sorely needed. Unfortunately, the Diamondbacks are busy slipping out of playoffs, so it looks like Haren won't get any time off until October.
* On the other side of the spectrum, Ricky Nolasco pitched his ninth consecutive quality start on Wednesday. He's just 4-1 over that span, but has posted an impressive 2.54 ERA in the meantime. After averaging just 5.93 strikeouts per nine innings through the month of June, Nolasco has raised that rate to 9.31 over the last two and a half months, a strikeout rate that justifies the fact that he's owned in 100 percent of fantasy leagues and makes him someone to target for next season.
* Making his major league debut on Wednesday, Scott Lewis tossed eight shutout innings for the Tribe. Before being promoted, the 24-year-old managed a 2.40 ERA in 97 1/3 innings between Double- and Triple-A this season, posting a stellar 81/13 K/BB ratio in 97 1/3 innings. He'll face Minnesota, Detroit, and the White Sox to end the season, though, so he's only worth a gamble in NL-only leagues.
* Adam LaRoche tends to heat up for the final months of the season, which has been mentioned on numerous occasions on this site. He was sidelined with a rib injury during the first half of August, and struggled after being called up, but he has gone 11-for-25 with eight RBI so far in September. He's available in three quarters of fantasy leagues, and is worth taking a flier on for the last three weeks of the season.
U.S. & World
* James Parr has pitched twice since being promoted last week, throwing six shutout innings against the Nationals last week, and tossing six against the Orioles on Wednesday. The Orioles aren't contenders, but their offense is one of the best in the league. Parr's Wednesday performance, in which he struck out five and didn't allow a single walk is certainly encouraging. He faces Philly, the Mets and Houston to close out the season, making him strictly NL-only material.
* Troy Glaus was given a second cortison shot for a strained right shoulder on Wednesday, and he's apparently confident that he'll be back soon because this time they know just where the pain is originating from. After using Glaus as a pincushion, the Cardinals' medical staff should have a pretty good idea of what to do with Albert Pujols' arm once he finally goes under the knife.
* Fred Lewis will undergo season-ending surgery on his right foot on Friday. The culprit? A bunion that will wind up costing him 3-4 months. Lewis will finish the season hitting just over .280 with an OPS a hair under 800. He'll need 3-4 months to fully recover from the surgery, but he's expected to start in left for the Giants in 2009.
* Brian Wilson blew his second consecutive save on Wednesday, but for the second day in a row the Giants bailed him out by winning the game in the bottom of the ninth. Wilson probably isn't in any danger of losing his closer's gig, but Tyler Walker would likely get the next shot if the team did look to make a move. Still, at this point in the season, the Giants' backup closer isn't someone to go wild chasing after.
AL Quick Hits:: Javier Vazquez will pitch on short rest for the White sox on Saturday . Jered Weaver is scheduled to throw on Thursday after twice having his next start pushed back due to cuts on his pitching hand . James Shields will have his next start pushed back from Friday to Saturday with Matt Garza having his next outing moved up a day . Torii Hunter and Ivan Rodriguez both began two-day suspensions on Wednesday . The Twins aren't expecting anything more than pinch hitting out of Michael Cuddyer this season
NL Quick Hits:: Nationals GM Jim Bowden wants to bring in someone to compete with Nick Johnson and Dmitri Young at first base . Jamie Moyer will pitch on short rest for the Phillies on Thursday . Bobby Cox plans on returning in 2009 despite a poor 2008 for the Braves . Chris Carpenter struggled to recover from his first rehab appearance on Tuesday . The Cubs have "no idea" when Chad Guadin will return to the bullpen . Rafael Furcal could come off the disabled list next week
