Description: Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira could begin a minor league rehab assignment Tuesday with Double-A Trenton, according to Erik Boland of Newsday.
Insight: Teixeira suffered a torn tendon sheath in his right wrist while taking batting practice for team USA on March 5. He hit in simulated games this week and took batting practice Thursday in Tampa. He should be back by the first week of June at the latest.
Description: Andy Martino from the New York Daily News is hearing that Mets first baseman Ike Davis could be sent down to Triple-A after this weekend's series against Atlanta.
Insight: This season has just been a disaster for Davis. He's 1-for-38 over his last 11 games with 14 strikeouts over that span. Outfielders Lucas Duda and Mike Baxter could both see playing time at first if Davis gets sent down.
Description: They call him Prince Fielder: not the prince of hitting Scott Diamond. The Tigers first baseman is batting just .091 against the Twins lefthander.
Insight: Fielder's batting average (.276) is lower than it was last season but he's on pace for more home runs and RBI. With that said, we don't expect him to do much damage against Diamond on Thursday night.
Description: Baltimore first baseman Chris Davis hasn't had much success against Blue Jays righthander Brandon Morrow. In 14 at bats, he's only managed two hits while striking out eight times.
Insight: That computes to a .143 average. We wouldn't expect Davis (.329, 14 HR, 43 RBI) to add to his league-leading home run total on Thursday night.
Description: Orioles first baseman Chris Davis went 4-for-4 with a homer and two RBI Wednesday against the Yankees.
Insight: Davis is now hitting .303 with five homers and 15 RBI in May after batting .348 with nine homers and 28 RBI last month. He still is striking out a lot, but his K rate is down from 30.1 percent last year to 24.5 percent and his walk rate is up from 6.6 percent to 12.8 percent.
Description: Nationals first baseman Adam LaRoche is a career .154 hitter (2-for-13) versus Giants right-hander Madison Bumgarner.
Insight: Since getting hitting advice from former teammate and friend Chipper Jones, LaRoche is batting .306 over a 21-game span, well above his season average of .219. This matchup should be avoided, however, despite his improved hitting.
Description: Philadelphia first baseman Ryan Howard drove in three runs as part of a three-hit game Tuesday against the Marlins.
Insight: Howard has been dealing with a knee injury and recently had a cortisone shot. The former 50-home-run hitter's power has been in decline for years, and he has hit just 20 homers in 113 games since returning last year from a torn Achilles. He's hitting .256 with six homers and 25 RBI this season.
Description: Indians first baseman Nick Swisher, who has a good history against Detroit right-hander Max Scherzer will not get a chance to hit against him. He's out of the lineup due to family reasons
Insight: Swisher's .875 OPS is the highest of his career. He's helped lead the resurgent Cleveland offense, now ranked No. 2 in all of baseball at 5.07 runs-per-game, batting .313 over the past 13 games. They face the highest scoring team, Detroit, in a huge AL Central division series beginning on Tuesday, but without Swisher.
Description: Philadelphia first baseman Ryan Howard was given a cortisone shot in his left knee on Sunday and it's apparently done its job because Howard is in the Phillies starting lineup for Tuesday's game against Miami.
Insight: Howard's numbers, however, have not returned to the level we expect from this slugger. A .245 batting average, six home runs, 22 RBI and a .713 OPS are not fantasy worthy statistics from the first base position.
Description: Brewers first baseman Corey Hart (knee surgery) took batting practice and did some running before Monday's game.
Insight: Hart had surgery on his right knee in January. He could be ready for a rehab assignment in about a week and a mid-June return to the Brewers' lineup.
Description: Minnesota 1B minor league prospect Chris Colabello is pounding the ball at Triple-A Rochester, batting 360 with 12 HR, 38 RBI and a 1.089 OPS in 45 games.
Insight: The Twins have the heir apparent to Morneau down on the farm and it appears that he's ready to get his shot at the major league level. Don't be surprised if they make Colabello the starting DH before the season is out.
Description: Angels first baseman Albert Pujols is a career .311 hitter with five home runs in 74 at-bats versus Seattle right-hander Aaron Harang.
Insight: Pujols and Harang faced each other a lot when they both played in the NL Central division. Hopefully, the favorable matchup will get Pujols' production headed in an upward direction.
Description: Indians first baseman Nick Swisher is 5-for-10 versus Detroit right-hander Max Scherzer with a 1.415 OPS.
Insight: Swisher's .875 OPS is the highest of his career. He's helped lead the resurgent Cleveland offense, now ranked No. 2 in all of baseball at 5.07 runs-per-game, batting .313 over the past 13 games. They face the highest scoring team, Detroit, in a huge AL Central division series beginning on Tuesday.
Description: Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard is doubtful for Monday's game against Miami with left knee soreness.
Insight: Howard will have an MRI on Monday to see if the problem is serious. He has just four hits in his last 29 at-bats and his season-long .713 OPS isn't of much value to fantasy owners.
Description: Astros first baseman Carlos Pena is 9-for-26 (.346) with a 1.038 OPS versus Royals hurler Jeremy Guthrie.
Insight: For a guy who has averaged .234 for his career and .208 over the past four seasons, that's a huge jump in production and makes him a fantasy-worthy starter for one day.
Description: Chicago first baseman Paul Konerko is 10-for-23 (.435) in his career versus Boston left-hander Jon Lester. Three of his 10 hits are home runs.
Insight: Konerko's three-year bump, batting around .300, seems to have faded this season as he's hitting just .224 through the first 38 games. At 37-years-old fantasy owners have to wonder if he'll ever get it back. This favorable matchup could be a first step or an indication that he must have his fantasy value permanently reduced.
Description: Mariners first baseman Justin Smoak is hitless in five at-bats versus Cleveland starter Scot Kazmir.
Insight: Smoak is hitting .254 for the season, but without much power (2 homers, 9 extra base hits) which simply isn't enough from a power position like first base. As the cornerstone to the Cliff Lee trade back in 2010, Smoak has never lived up to expectations and it's long past time to give up on him as a fantasy option.
Description: Rockies first baseman Todd Helton won't be on the diamond Sunday against San Francisco.
Insight: With the lefthander Barry Zito throwing for the Giants, manager Walt Weiss thought Sunday would be a good time to give Helton a rest. Jordan Pacheco (.313, 1 HR, 11 RBI) is starting in Helton's place.
Description: Miami first baseman Logan Morrison (knee) will start his rehab assignment Monday, according to the Miami Herald.
Insight: Morrison hasn't played in a game since last July. He's trying to return from surgery to repair a torn patellar tendon in his right knee. He'll go out on a rehab assignment for no longer than 20 days, provided he doesn't have a setback.
Description: Chicago first baseman Paul Konerko has slammed Angels lefty Jason Vargas in their previous meetings.
Insight: Konerko is batting .538 (7-for13) with a homer against Vargas. The first baseman has hit safely in four straight games since getting a few days off at the beginning of this week, and he is 7-for-25 (.280) against lefties this year.
Description: Angels first baseman Albert Pujols has good numbers in his career against White Sox starter Jake Peavy, who will face the Angels Sunday.
Insight: Pujols has gone 8-for-23 (.348) with two homers and eight RBI against Peavy. Plagued by knee and foot injuries, Pujols is batting just .247 with seven homers, 25 RBI and a 24/19 K/BB this season. However, at this same point last year (190 plate appearances), he was hitting .213 with four home runs and a 23/11 K/BB.
Description: Blue Jays DH Adam Lind has taken just five at-bats this season against left-handers, but he might be in the lineup Sunday given his strong history against Yankees starter CC Sabathia.
Insight: Lind has gone 7-for-15 with four RBI against Sabathia. Lind only has started against righties this season and it has helped him to hit .286 with an .878 OPS and a 14/17 K/BB.
Description: Indians first baseman Nick Swisher is hitting .273 with four homers and a .965 OPS in May, but he'll face Felix Hernandez Sunday. He's just 10-for-48 (.208) with 11 strikeouts against the Mariners right-hander, though he does have four homers against him.
Insight: Swisher is batting .250 with an .809 OPS against righties this year, compared to .300 with a .955 OPS against lefties. Plus, he is just 10-for-56 (.179) in day games. All signs point to this being a tough day for the Indians first baseman.
Description: The Phillies couldn't get Reds first baseman Joey Votto out Saturday afternoon. Votto came to the plate six times and went 4-for-4 with a double, a homer, two RBI and two walks.
Insight: Votto's power and run production has been lacking all season, but he has homered in each of the last two games. It's hard to be disappointed in a player hitting .346 with a 1.004 OPS and 32 runs, even if he has just six homers and 20 RBI.
Description: Mets GM Sandy Alderson told first baseman Ike Davis Saturday that a demotion to Triple-A is not imminent, according to Marc Carig of Newsday.
Insight: It might not be imminent, but the team is certainly discussing it. Davis came into Saturday hitting .160 with four homers this season (1-for-26 last seven games).
Description: With New York first baseman Ike Davis' latest cold streak of one hit in his last 24 at-bats, he's batting .160 for the season with four home runs and nine RBI.
Insight: Hopefully, he'll produce when the weather gets warmer as he did last season when he hit 27 of his 32 home runs from June to the end of the year. But the other option being discussed by Mets management is sending him to Triple-A Las Vegas. Fantasy owners beware.
Description: Nationals first baseman Adam LaRoche is hitting .339 with four homers and 11 RBI since April 29.
Insight: April 29 was the day LaRoche and former teammate and friend Chipper Jones sat down to talk about his hitting. Perhaps the future Hall of Fame third baseman has found his next job - hitting coach.
Description: Texas DH Lance Berkman is a career .385 hitter with a 1.115 OPS against Detroit starter Anibal Sanchez.
Insight: The oft-injured first baseman/DH is batting .293 with an .871 OPS and should be in fantasy lineups for this favorable matchup. He's yet to play first base, so he's only eligible as a DH.
Description: Arizona first baseman Paul Goldschmidt had another monster game Friday night against the Marlins (4-for-5, 2 HR, 4 RBI).
Insight: It didn't take Goldschmidt long to become a fantasy superstar. The 25-year-old is hitting .338 this year with 12 HR, 35 RBI and four steals. He hasn't missed a game yet in 2013.
Description: Pirates 1B/OF Garrett Jones is a career .500 hitter (6-for-12) with a pair of home runs and a 1.583 OPS against Houston starter Jordan Lyles.
Insight: Jones is having a solid season (.284, 5 HR, 23 RBI and going against the Astros pitching staff is almost always a good strategy.
Description: Cincinnati first baseman Joey Votto is 7-for-16 (.438) versus Phillies lefty Cliff Lee.
Insight: Although Votto is batting .325 with a solid .930 OPS, he's been too patient for fantasy owners, frequently leaving the job of driving in runs to Brandon Phillips. His four home runs, 17 RBI and league-leading 35 walks are a bit frustrating to fantasy owners.
Description: Twins first baseman Justin Morneau is a career .500 hitter (8-for-16) against Boston starter Clay Buchholz.
Insight: The bad news is that all eight hits were singles. Morneau still isn't hitting for power (2 HR), but he is batting .306 and knocking in runs (28).
Description: Yankees first baseman Lyle Overbay should get the day off on Friday based on his 0-for-18 history against Blue Jays lefty Mark Buehrle. That includes eight strikeouts.
Insight: Overbay has done a solid job as a fill-in first baseman for the Yankees, hitting .260 with six homers and 24 RBI. Mark Teixeira will be back by June 1, so Overbay only will have usefulness to fantasy owners for another two weeks, but not in this matchup.
Description: Baltimore first baseman Chris Davis is a career .444 hitter (8-for-18) versus Tampa Bay right-hander Jeremy Hellickson with a home run and a 1.167 OPS.
Insight: Davis leads the American League with 11 HRs, a .659 slugging percentage and a 1.067 OPS and this favorable matchup should add to those totals. He's a must start.
Description: Giants first baseman Brandon Belt is hitting .444 with six RBI during his current six-game hitting streak and homered in two of the last three games. However, he has an unfavorable matchup with Rockies starter Jhoulys Chacin on the hill Thursday.
Insight: Belt is 25-for-96 (.260) with five homers against right-handers this season, compared to 5-for-26 (.192) against lefties, but Chacin, a righty, has held him hitless in 10 career at-bats.
Description: Yankees first baseman Lyle Overbay has hit .458 with five doubles in 24 career at-bats against Mariners starter Aaron Harang.
Insight: Overbay has done a solid job as a fill-in first baseman for the Yankees, hitting .266 with six homers and 24 RBI. Mark Teixeira will be back by the end of the month, so Overbay only will have usefulness to fantasy owners for another two weeks. Make sure he's in your lineup Thursday against Harang.
Description: Nationals first baseman Adam LaRoche is hitting .390 with a homer, five RBI and seven walks during his 12-game hitting streak.
Insight: LaRoche's bat has awakened from its usual April slumber, though he still has a ways to go. He has struck out eight times in his last 16 at-bats and just snapped a 22-game homerless streak Wednesday night.
Description: Blue Jays DH Adam Lind went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer Wednesday against the Giants and is now hitting .286. He has three homers over his last six games.
Insight: Lind has played exclusively against right-handers this year, which has helped protect his numbers. The DH has an impressive 12/17 K/BB and an OBP over .400 in 29 games, but he hasn't accumulated the counting stats that would make him fantasy-worthy until recently.
Description: Brewers first baseman Corey Hart (knee) has started running without assistance, but he likely won't be ready to come off the DL when he's eligible on May 30. SOURCE: Todd Rosiak, Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel
Insight: Hart had surgery on his right knee in January. He said at the end of April that he would need a 10-day rehab assignment before he's ready to rejoin the major league club, but he won't be ready to go out on an assignment by May 20.
Description: Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira told Bryan Hoch of mlb.com that he expects to be playing in the big leagues before June 1.
Insight: Teixeira suffered a torn tendon sheath in his right wrist, while taking batting practice for team USA on March 5. Curtis Granderson came back Tuesday and Teixeira seems to be two weeks away. The Yankees are getting healthier - look out East Division.
Description: Astros first baseman Carlos Pena is hitless in eight at-bats versus Detroit right-hander Max Scherzer.
Insight: Pena is .231 batting average this year which is a significant improvement from what he hit in 2012 (.197 in 160 games for Tampa Bay). Even so, this matchup should be avoided.
Description: Chicago first baseman Paul Konerko is not in the starting lineup Tuesday for the second straight game.
Insight: Konerko is hitting just .214 with four homers and 26 strikeouts in 126 at-bats this season, so manager Robin Ventura is getting him a few days off.
Description: Yankees first baseman Lyle Overbay is just 2-for-15 (.133) against Seattle starter Felix Hernandez.
Insight: Overbay has done a solid job in his temporary role at first base. Too bad Mark Teixeira isn't healthy because he has always had success against Hernandez (.311 with five home runs in 61 at-bats).
Description: Anthony Rizzo has signed a seven-year, $41 million deal with the Cubs with club options for 2020-21.
Insight: Rizzo is a talent you can build your team around and the Cubs recognized that. He hit 15 home runs in half a season last year and after a slow start is batting .280 with nine homers and 28 RBI this season. As long as the money doesn't mess up his head, he should be a fantasy stud for many years.
Description: Nationals first baseman Adam LaRoche is 3-for-18 (.167) against Dodgers right-hander Josh Beckett.
Insight: LaRoche's bat is waking up from its usual April slumber (last year not withstanding). His career first-half numbers are .246 batting average, .760 OPS vs. second half of .293 BA and .886 OPS.
Description: O's first baseman Chris Davis bopped his 11th homer Sunday in a win over Minnesota.
Insight: That extends his hit streak to four games. During the streak, Davis has racked up five extra base hits and seven RBI. His .313 batting average this season is a career high.
Description: Tampa Bay first baseman James Loney swatted his third home run of the season Sunday against San Diego.
Insight: Loney (.376, 3 HR, 20 RBI) is on quite a tear right now. Over his last nine games, he's hitting .412 with two homers, nine runs and seven RBI. Somehow Loney is only owned in 26 percent of ESPN leagues, though that's an 18 percent increase from last week.
Description: Boston first baseman Mike Napoli exploded for three hits Sunday in a loss to the Blue Jays.
Insight: Napoli (.268, 7 HR, 33 RBI) had been hitless in the series prior to Sunday. Five of his seven home runs this season have come against Toronto.
Description: Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez (neck) is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against Miami.
Insight: Gonzalez left Wednesday's game after aggravating his neck strain and has been in and out of the lineup. When in uniform, he's hit well, batting .345 with four homers, 26 RBI and a .914 OPS. The Dodgers have Monday off, so hopefully the two days of rest will allow him to play again on a regular basis.
Description: Pirates 1B/OF Garrett Jones went 3-for-5 with two doubles, a homer and three RBI Friday against the Mets.
Insight: Jones is hitting .306 with five homers and 20 RBI in 98 at-bats against right-handers this season. He has just five at-bats all season against lefties.
Description: Indians first baseman Nick Swisher went 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI Friday against Detroit.
Insight: He was the only Indians player to have multiple hits. It was Swisher's first multi-hit game since April 20 at Houston. He's hitting .308 with three homers in May.
Description: Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard is hitless in nine at-bats against Arizona starter Ian Kennedy with three strikeouts.
Insight: Howard is hitting at a .270 clip with six home runs and 20 RBI, his highest average in a number of seasons, but he has trouble with Kennedy and you should sit him for this game.
Description: New York first baseman Ike Davis is hitless in seven at-bats versus Pittsburgh left-hander Wandy Rodriguez.
Insight: Davis (.178, 4 HR) is off to another miserable start, particularly against lefties, so he should be avoided in Friday's matchup. Hopefully, he'll produce when the weather gets warmer as he did last season when he hit 27 of his 32 home runs from June to the end of the year.
Description: Twins first baseman Justin Morneau is a career .444 hitter (4-for-9) against Baltimore starter Jason Hammel with all four hits being doubles.
Insight: Morneau is batting .302 over the past two weeks and still knocks in runs, but without the power of the past. He's no longer any every day fantasy starter, but today is a favorable matchup.
Description: Blue Jays DH Adam Lind is just a .111 hitter with 10 strikeouts in 27 career at-bats versus Boston left-hander Jon Lester.
Insight: The Blue Jays aren't playing Lind against any left-handers, so it's likely he won't be in the starting lineup. Even if he was, he shouldn't be in any fantasy lineups.
Description: Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer finally hit his first homer of the season Thursday against the Orioles.
Insight: Hosmer had an excellent rookie season, hitting .293 with 19 homers, 78 RBI, 11 steals and 66 runs in 128 games, but he has been a disappointment since last year, when he batted .232. This year, he's hitting a solid .277, but with no power.
Description: New York first baseman Ike Davis is not in the starting lineup Thursday against the Pirates with left-hander Jeff Locke on the hill.
Insight: Davis (.170, 4 HR) is off to a miserable start for the second straight season, and the Mets are sitting him against lefties. Davis did bat .261 with 27 homers and 68 RBI in 98 games from June 12 to the end of last season, but it's going to take a lot of patience to wait for that again.
Description: Astros first baseman Carlos Pena has been dreadful against Los Angeles starter Jason Vargas (.091 in 11 at bats).
Insight: The sad thing is that Pena's .230 batting average this year is a significant improvement from what he hit in 2012 (.197 in 160 games for Tampa Bay). Even when he's hitting home runs (he only has three this season), Pena's too risky to own in any fantasy leagues.
Description: Indians 1B/RF Nick Swisher is a .500 career hitter against A's starter Bartolo Colon.
Insight: Luckily for Swisher, that's who is going to be pitching today for Oakland. Swisher (.255) is beginning to heat up with two homers in his last five games. He had just two in 24 games prior to his recent power surge.
Description: Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez appeared to re-injure his neck Wednesday versus the Diamondbacks. SOURCE: MLB.com
Insight: He dove for a ball at first base and had to come out in the fourth inning. Even with the off day on Thursday, Gonzalez is questionable at best for Friday's contest against the Marlins.
