Description: Los Angeles lefthander Ted Lilly has been activated from the DL.
Insight: He missed three weeks with an injured rib cage. Lilly is expected to take over for Josh Beckett (strained groin) in the starting rotation. Tonight, however, he'll be available as a long relief man out of the pen.
Description: Dodgers OF/1B Scott Van Slyke left Sunday's game with a leg injury and is questionable for Monday's game against Milwaukee.
Insight: Van Slyke is batting .267 with three home runs since being called up a week ago. He's been a solid .300 hitter in the minors (.397 at Albuquerque this season) and with the Dodgers looking for an offensive spark he's gotten a chance to show his talents this week.
Description: Dodgers second baseman Mark Ellis (quad) has been activated from the 15-day disabled list, according to Ken Gurnick of MLB.com.
Insight: Ellis was hitting .342 with two homers, 11 RBI, 10 runs and a steal when he went on the DL on April 27 with a strained right quad. He's in the starting lineup Sunday against the Braves.
Description: Dodgers starter Chris Capuano allowed five hits and one run over 7 1/3 innings Saturday against the Braves, but Kenley Jansen served up two homers to blow a 1-0 lead.
Insight: Capuano has surrendered 10 hits and two earned runs and walked just one over his last 13 2/3 innings. He was a solid fantasy starter last year and isn't a bad option going forward.
Description: Dodgers right fielder Andre Ethier is expected to get Friday off. Manager Don Mattingly said it's just a rest day for the outfielder, according to an LA Times report.
Insight: Ethier has played 38 of the Dodgers 39 games this season, but is 8-for-16 over his last five games and probably would like to stay in the lineup while he's hitting so well.
Description: Dodgers closer Brandon League tossed a scoreless inning to pick up his ninth save of the season Wednesday against the Nationals.
Insight: League is teetering on the edge of losing his job to Kenley Jansen, but manager Don Mattingly went to Jansen to get the final out of the seventh inning and to pitch the eighth Wednesday night. Instead of moving Jansen to the ninth, Mattingly might want to save his better reliever for the high-leverage situations and leave League where he is. After all, League is 9-for-10 on save chances despite carrying a 5.87 ERA.
Description: Dodgers starter Zack Greinke threw 83 pitches over 5 1/3 innings and allowed five hits and one run to beat the Nationals in his return to action Wednesday night.
Insight: Greinke made a remarkably quick recovery from the broken collarbone he suffered on April 11. He shouldn't have a problem living up to expectations going forward.
Description: Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen grabbed the save Tuesday against the Nationals, but manager Don Mattingly wouldn't go as far as naming him the closer after the game, according to MLB.com.
Insight: Brandon League has blown just one save in nine chances but has allowed 10 earned runs in 14 1/3 innings this season. "In that game, I had to go with the guy who's throwing the ball best; as much as anything (Jansen has) been throwing the ball better than anybody," said Mattingly. Jansen is the reliever you want to own in the Dodgers bullpen, as it is only a matter of time before Mattingly makes him the guy in the ninth inning.
Description: Dodgers starter Josh Beckett has been placed on the 15-day disabled list with a left groin strain.
Insight: Beckett has allowed three runs or more in seven of eight starts this season and is 0-5 with a 5.19 ERA and a 1.50 WHIP. He can safely be cut in mixed leagues. Ted Lilly (rib cage) is nearing a return and likely will take Beckett's place in the rotation; Matthew Magill will start until Lilly is ready.
Description: Dodgers lefty Ted Lilly (rib cage) will begin a minor league rehab assignment with High-A Rancho Cucamonga Wednesday, according to Ken Gurnick of MLB.com.
Insight: The Dodgers started the season with eight starters, but traded Aaron Harang and then watched as Zack Greinke (collarbone), Chris Capuano (calf) and Lilly went down with injuries. Josh Beckett (groin) left Monday's start and could be replaced by Lilly if he needs a DL stint.
Description: Dodgers second baseman Mark Ellis (quad) will start his minor league rehab assignment with Double-A Chattanooga Friday, according to Ken Gurnick of MLB.com.
Insight: Ellis was hitting .342 with two homers, 11 RBI, 10 runs and a steal when he went on the DL on April 27 with a strained right quad.
Description: Dodgers starter Zack Greinke will return from the disabled list to start Wednesday against the Nationals, according to Ken Gurnick of MLB.com.
Insight: Greinke made a remarkably quick recovery from the broken collarbone he suffered on April 11 and missed less than five weeks.
Description: Los Angeles righthander Josh Beckett left Monday's start with a slightly strained right groin.
Insight: Beckett has allowed three runs or more in seven of eight starts this season and his 5.40 ERA and 1.50 WHIP to say nothing of his 0-5 record should convince fantasy owners that he's not worthy of a spot on your fantasy roster.
Description: Dodgers right fielder Andre Ethier is 20-for-47 (.426) with a pair of homers and a 1.109 OPS against Washington right-hander Dan Haren.
Insight: Like most of the Dodgers not named Adrian Gonzalez, Ethier is struggling at the plate batting .254 with a .715 OPS. Facing Haren might get him going, at least for a day.
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: Los Angeles starter Zack Greinke felt good after his latest rehab outing. SOURCE: Molly Knight, ESPN
Insight: He's expected to come off the disabled list Wednesday against Washington. Greinke broke his collarbone in a fight with Carlos Quentin about a month ago.
Description: Dodgers second baseman Mark Ellis (quad) is eligible to come off the DL Sunday but manager Don Mattingly said the team has not discussed a rehab assignment yet, according to Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register.
Insight: Mattingly indicated that Ellis will need a rehab assignment before returning, which means he won't be rejoining the Dodgers Sunday.
Description: Dodgers left fielder Carl Crawford (hamstring) is back in the lineup Friday after sitting out Wednesday.
Insight: Crawford has been dealing with a hamstring strain, and manager Don Mattingly said it the hamstring was "a little bit tight" Wednesday. The Dodgers had Thursday off, so Crawford had plenty of time to rest up for Friday.
Description: Dodgers righthander Zack Greinke (collarbone) will make his first rehab start Friday for Class-A Rancho Cucamonga, according to Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times. UPDATE: Greinke will only need one rehab start and will be on track to rejoin the rotation on May 15 against the Nationals.
Insight: Greinke suffered a broken collarbone on April 11 in a brawl with Carlos Quentin of the Padres and was expected to miss two months, but he is way ahead of schedule. He resumed throwing soon after his April 13 operation, so he didn't lose much arm strength. The right-hander already has thrown three bullpen sessions, touching 90 mph with his fastball and reaching 60 pitches in his most-recent session. He'll throw about 75 pitches Friday.
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.
Description: Dodgers manager Don Mattingly says he has thought about mixing up his closer role, but he doesn't want to mess up his bullpen right now with the team already struggling. SOURCE: Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times
Insight: League is 8-for-9 on save chances, but he has allowed runs in seven of his last 10 appearances and picked up a loss in each of his last two appearances. He owns a 5.40 ERA and a 7/4 K/BB in 13 1/3 innings. Meanwhile, last year's closer Kenley Jansen has a 2.12 ERA and 21 strikeouts in 17 innings.
Description: Dodgers left fielder Carl Crawford (hamstring) is out of the lineup Wednesday.
Insight: Crawford has been dealing with a hamstring strain, and manager Don Mattingly said it the hamstring was "a little bit tight" Wednesday. The Dodgers have an off day Thursday.
Description: Dodgers minor league 1B/OF Scott Van Slyke continues to pound Pacific Coast League pitching, batting .400 with nine home runs, 28 RBI and a 1.249 OPS through 32 games.
Insight: Van Slyke batted .348 in 2011 and .327 last season at Albuquerque before struggling in a short stint with the Dodgers where he hit .167 in 54 at-bats. Considering the Dodgers are 28th of 30 teams in runs per game (3.41) and 27th in home runs (23) eventually they are going to have to find a spot for him.
Description: The Dodgers have recalled shortstop Dee Gordon to replace the injured Hanley Ramirez, who was placed on the DL Saturday with a left hamstring strain and he's off to a solid start.
Insight: Gordon was batting .314 with 14 steals at Triple-A Albuquerque this season and is batting .300 with three stolen bases in his first three games with the Dodgers. He has way more speed than Ramirez, but none of the power.
Description: Dodgers shortstop Hanley Ramirez, who was placed on the 15-day disbled list with a left hamstring strain, has been given a 4-6 week recovery time, according to Eric Stephens of truebluela.com
Insight: Ramirez made just three starts after returning to action from a torn thumb ligament. Dee Gordon was recalled after the injury and is batting .300 with three stolen bases in his first three games. He has more speed than Ramirez, but none of the power.
Description: Dodgers center fielder Matt Kemp is just 10-for-49 (.204) with one homer and 14 strikeouts against Matt Cain of the Giants.
Insight: Kemp's average is slowly climbing due to a 19-for-56 (.339) stretch, but he's still stuck on one home run and has been shut down by Cain in his career.
Description: Dodgers right fielder Andre Ethier is 27-for-60 (.450) with three doubles, a triple, a homer and five walks against Giants starter Matt Cain.
Insight: Ethier is batting .250 with three homers in 100 at-bats this season, but a matchup with the struggling Cain could be just what he needs to get going.
Description: Dodgers righthander Zack Greinke (collarbone) is about three weeks ahead of schedule and the team is hopeful he can return in 2-3 weeks, according to Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times.
Insight: Greinke suffered a broken collarbone on April 11 in a brawl with Carlos Quentin of the Padres and was expected to miss two months, but the Dodgers were encouraged after his bullpen session Saturday.
Description: The Dodgers have recalled shortstop Dee Gordon to replace the injured Hanley Ramirez, who was placed on the DL Saturday with a left hamstring strain.
Insight: Ramirez suffered the injury Friday in just his third start back from thumb surgery. Manager Don Mattingly compared the injury to the one that knocked out Matt Kemp for 51 games last season. Gordon is batting .314 with a 17/14 K/BB and 14 steals at Triple-A Albuquerque this season and will start and bat eighth Saturday, according to Bill Shaikin of the LA Times.
Description: Dodgers shortstop Hanley Ramirez has been placed on the 15-day disbled list with a left hamstring strain.
Insight: Ramirez made just three starts after returning to action from a torn thumb ligament, but he's out again. Dee Gordon has been recalled and is starting Saturday's game.
Description: Dodgers left fielder Carl Crawford (hamstring) is leading off Saturday in his first start since Monday, according to Bill Shaikin of the LA Times.
Insight: Crawford (.315, 4 HR, 6 RBI) has been dealing with a hamstring strain. We're assuming he's fully healthy, since we wouldn't expect the Dodgers to rush him following Hanley Ramirez' serious hamstring injury Friday night and Matt Kemp's hamstring injury last season.
Description: Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez (neck) is tentatively starting Saturday's game.
Insight: According to BIll Shaikin of the LA Times, Gonzalez said he could be scratched if he doesn't feel right during batting practice. He missed Friday's game with neck and upper-back stiffness.
Description: With Dodgers shortstop Hanley Ramirez likely headed to the DL with a serious left hamstring injury, the team is considering calling up Dee Gordon. SOURCE: MLB.com
Insight: Ramirez suffered the injury Friday in just his third start back from thumb surgery. Manager Don Mattingly compared the injury to the one that knocked out Matt Kemp for 51 games last season. Gordon is batting .314 with a 17/14 K/BB and 14 steals at Triple-A Albuquerque this season.
Description: Dodgers shortstop Hanley Ramirez is expected to be placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left hamstring.
Insight: Ramirez returned from a torn thumb ligament on April 29 and fantasy owners have to be pleased with the early results (5-for-11 in his first four games). But another injury could test their patience.
Description: Dodgers left fielder Carl Crawford won't be in the lineup Saturday at San Francisco, but could be available for pinch hit duty if needed. He's still dealing with a strained hamstring.
Insight: Crawford (.315, 4 HR, 6 RBI) and the disabled list could be on a collision course if he doesn't improve soon.
Description: Minnesota utility man Jamey Carroll should be in fantasy lineups for Saturday considering he's 6-for-10 with a home run and a 1.367 OPS.
Insight: Carroll (.292, 0 HR, 3 RBI in 10 games) hasn't started since Wednesday, but if the manager is paying attention should be in the Twins starting lineup. If that happens, he should be in your lineup too.
Description: Adrian Gonzalez won't suit up for Friday night's game against the Giants. The Dodgers first baseman is out with a sore neck.
Insight: He's just three for his last 17. Jerry Hairston Jr. was originally slated to start in the outfield but now he'll take Gonzalez's spot at first base with Skip Shumaker occupying left field.
Description: Los Angeles lefty Clayton Kershaw has returned from his bereavement leave and will make the start Friday against San Francisco.
Insight: The Dodgers placed Ted Lilly on the DL in the corresponding roster move. Kershaw tossed a complete game shutout versus the Giants in his first start of the season.
Description: The Dodgers have moved lefthander Ted Lilly to the disabled list.
Insight: Lilly has been bothered by a rib cage injury. He had a cortisone shot on Tuesday but was still in no condition to make his scheduled start Saturday against the Giants. Matt Magill (0-0, 2.70 ERA) will take Lilly's place in the starting rotation.
Description: The Dodgers still haven't placed second baseman Mark Ellis on the disabled list despite his lingering quad injury.
Insight: Los Angeles was expected to DL him as soon as Clayton Kershaw returned from bereavement leave but now the team has decided to hold off. Ellis isn't in the lineup for Friday's game against San Francisco though he could be available off the bench.
Description: Dodgers shortstop Hanley Ramirez has jumped right into action with five hits in his first nine at-bats, including two doubles and a homer. However, Giants starter Barry Zito usually has been able to quiet his bat.
Insight: Ramirez returned from a torn thumb ligament on April 29 and fantasy owners have to be pleased with the early results. But Zito has held the shortstop to a .148 average (4-for-27) with six K in their career meetings.
Description: Dodgers right fielder Andre Ethier is only 8-for-43 (.186) with zero homers and 10 strikeouts against Giants starter Barry Zito.
Insight: Ethier is only hitting .237 this season and faces a poor matchup Friday night. He's a .238 hitter in his career against lefties and is even worse against Zito.
Description: Dodgers center fielder Matt Kemp has raised his average to .260, and he has feasted on Giants starter Barry Zito in his career. Kemp is 24-for-55 (.436) with three homers, nine RBI and eight walks against Zito.
Insight: Kemp only has one homer this season, but he is hitting .356 (16-for-45) over his last 12 games. The talented outfielder should find his power stroke eventually, maybe even as soon as Friday against Zito.
Description: Los Angeles righthander Josh Beckett is winless in six starts this season.
Insight: His ERA spiked to 5.24 after another rough outing Wednesday against the Rockies (4 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 3 BB). Beckett's last win came on September 30th of last season. Ironically, that game was also against Colorado.
Description: Los Angeles lefthander Ted Lilly is expected to make his scheduled start Saturday in San Francisco. Lilly received a cortisone injection for his sore rib cage earlier in the week. SOURCE: Los Angeles Daily News
Insight: Lilly looked sharp in his first outing April 24th against the Mets (5 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 7 K's) before struggling Monday versus the Rockies (3 IP, 8 H, 5 R). He hasn't been a reliable fantasy option since 2011 (3.97 ERA in 33 starts).
Description: Dodgers second baseman Mark Ellis will probably be placed on the disabled list later this week. SOURCE: ESPN Los Angeles
Insight: He's been battling a quad strain for almost a week. Utility man Nick Punto should see most of the playing time at second base while Ellis is out.
Description: Los Angeles left fielder Carl Crawford won't be available Wednesday against Colorado. He's battling a tight hamstring.
Insight: Crawford is off to a decent start with four homers and a .308 average through 25 games. Utility man Skip Shumaker will make another appearance in left tonight versus the Rockies.
Description: Dodgers outfielder Carl Crawford was scratched from Tuesday's lineup for precautionary reasons due to tightness in his right hamstring, according to Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times.
Insight: The Dodgers are getting Hanley Ramirez back tonight, but they're missing the top-two hitters in their lineup in Crawford and Mark Ellis. Jerry Hairston is starting in left field and batting leadoff, and Nick Punto is at second and batting second.
Description: Dodgers shortstop Hanley Ramirez (thumb) is starting at shortstop and batting fifth Tuesday against the Rockies. SOURCE: Ken Gurnick, MLB.com
Insight: Ramirez tore a ligament in his thumb during the World Baseball Classic and was expected to be sidelined until mid-May. However, he recovered quicker than expected and was activated from the DL Monday.
Description: Dodgers shortstop Hanley Ramirez (thumb) was activated from the DL Monday, but did not start. Tuesday could be his first start of the season.
Insight: Ramirez pinch-hit on Monday, striking out. He tore a ligament in his thumb during the World Baseball Classic and was expected to be sidelined until mid-May, but he recovered quicker than expected.
Description: Los Angeles second baseman Mark Ellis is doubtful for Tuesday's game against Colorado with a strained right quad.
Insight: Ellis was playing very well, batting .342 with 2 HR, 10 runs scored and 11 RBI. He did take batting practice on Sunday so he might not be too far away from returning.
Description: Dodgers right fielder Andre Ethier is a career .077 hitter versus Colorado starter Jorge De La Rosa with six strikeouts in 13 at-bats.
Insight: Ethier is batting just .241, but does have three homers. The problem, however, is 20 strikeouts in 87 at-bats. Add that to his poor matchup with De La Rosa anf Ethier should find a seat on your bench.
Description: Dodgers center fielder Matt Kemp likes facing Rockies left-hander Jorge De La Rosa. He's a career .435 hitter with three home runs and a 1.397 OPS in 23 at-bats.
Insight: Kemp is struggling to find his power stroke (.654 OPS) and it may be because his shoulder is still not 100 percent, so even this favorable matchup may not be enough to get him going.
Description: Dodgers shortstop Hanley Ramirez (thumb) has been activated from the DL and is available for Monday's game.
Insight: Ramirez isn't starting but could pinch-hit. He tore a ligament in his thumb during the World Baseball Classic and was expected to be sidelined until mid-May, but he recovered quickly.
Description: Dodgers shortstop Hanley Ramirez (thumb) is not in Monday's starting lineup but we could see him back in action this week.
Insight: He tore a ligament in his thumb during the World Baseball Classic, but his rehab is well ahead of schedule. He went 2-for-3 in a minor league game Sunday at High-A Rancho Cucamonga.
Description: Dodgers outfielder Carl Crawford came in with a .077 average in 13 career at-bats against Brewers starter Kyle Lohse, but he took the right-hander deep twice.
Insight: Crawford is finally starting to look like the fantasy player we all remember from his Tampa Bay days. He has a .307 average, four home runs, 20 runs scored and four steals.
Description: The Brewers could only muster four hits while striking out 12 times in eight innings Sunday against Dodgers starter Clayton Kershaw.
Insight: Kershaw won his first two starts of the year with 16 scoreless frames but he walked 11 batters in 17 2/3 innings over his last three turns and went 0-2. Overall, Kershaw is 3-2 with a 1.73 ERA and a 0.91 WHIP.
Description: Los Angeles second baseman Mark Ellis, who left Friday night's game with a strained right quad, missed Saturday's game and is expected to miss Sunday's game against Milwaukee.
Insight: Ellis was playing very well, batting .342 with 2 HR, 10 runs scored and 11 RBI. The Dodgers have plenty of guys who can fill in at second base, Nick Punto, Jerry Hairston, Jr., Juan Uribe, and Skip Schumaker, but none who will put up those type numbers.
Description: Dodgers outfielder Carl Crawford is just 1-for-13 (.077) versus Milwaukee right-hander Kyle Lohse.
Insight: With a .298 batting average, four steals and a .838 OPS, Crawford is finally looking like the guy fantasy owners remember when he was with Tampa Bay. However, Sunday's matchup is unfavorable and you should sit Crawford for the day.
Description: If Cubs manager Dale Sveum is paying attention to the numbers, he'll give catcher Dioner Navarro a chance to start against Miami hurler Ricky Nolasco.
Insight: Although batting just .154 this season, Navarro is a career .700 hitter (7-for-10) against the Marlins right-hander.
Description: Ken Gurnick of Dodgers.com is reporting that first baseman Adrian Gonzalez has been taken to the hospital where he will be treated for a small skin infection on his right leg.
Insight: Gurnick said that Gonzalez is expected to return to the ballpark and that he could be available off the bench. That's probably wishful thinking but at least it's not something more serious.
Description: Los Angeles first baseman Adrian Gonzalez has been scratched from Saturday night's starting lineup. SOURCE: David Vassegh, Fox Sports Los Angeles
Insight: We're still waiting to hear why Gonzalez (.363, 2 HR, 17 RBI) was removed from the lineup. Most late scratches are injury-related. We'll let you know as soon as we know more.
Description: Los Angeles second baseman Mark Ellis left Friday night's game with a strained right quad and is likely to miss some time.
Insight: Ellis was playing very well, batting .342 with 2 HR, 10 runs scored and 11 RBI. The Dodgers have plenty of guys who can fill in at second base, Nick Punto, Jerry Hairston, Jr., Juan Uribe, and Skip Schumaker, but none who will put up those type numbers.
Description: Eric Stephens from SB Nation reports that Dodgers shortstop Hanley Ramirez will begin a rehab assignment Saturday in Single-A Rancho Cucamonga.
Insight: He tore a ligament in his thumb during the World Baseball Classic. Ramirez could be back in time for the start of next week's series against San Francisco.
Description: Dodgers closer Brandon League blew his first save of the season Wednesday night and allowed a solo homer to Ike Davis to lead off the ninth inning Thursday afternoon, but he recorded three straight outs to close out a 3-2 win.
Insight: League has six saves, a 4.00 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP with just three strikeouts in nine innings. His hold on the closer role is tenuous with Kenley Jansen looming, but he'll keep it for now.
Description: L.A. starter Chad Billingsley had successful Tommy John surgery on Wednesday. SOURCE: Dylan Hernandez, Los Angeles Times
Insight: Hernandez added that Billingsley will begin physical therapy in about a week. He'll miss the rest of this season and it's possible Billingsley could also miss a good chunk of the 2014 campaign.
Description: Dodgers starter Chris Capuano (calf strain) is on track to be activated May 3, the first day he is eligible to come off the DL. SOURCE: LATimes.com
Insight: Capuano threw a bullpen session Wednesday. The lefty was chosen to fill in for the injured Zack Greinke, who is out with a broken collarbone, but he suffered a left calf strain in his first start of the season. Chad Billingsley underwent Tommy John surgery this week, so Capuano and Ted Lilly are both expected to remain in the rotation when Capuano returns. Stephen Fife will be the odd man out.
Description: Dodgers shortstop Hanley Ramirez (thumb) is hoping to go on a minor league rehab assignment next week. SOURCE: Dylan Hernandez, LA Times
Insight: Ramirez was given an eight-week timetable after having thumb surgery on March 22, but he is way ahead of schedule. The shortstop expects to play three games in the minors before returning to the big leagues.
Description: The Dodgers have activated left-hander Ted Lilly from the 15-day disabled list. He'll make his first start of the season Wednesday.
Insight: The Dodgers began the season with eight starters, but Lilly is needed after injuries to Zack Greinke, Chad Billingsley and Chris Capuano and a trade of Aaron Harang. NL-only owners should add him immediately but mixed leaguers can wait.
Description: Dodgers right-hander Chad Billingsley needs Tommy John surgery, according to Ken Gurnick of MLB.com.
Insight: Billingsley suffered a partially torn UCL last season but opted to go with rehab instead of surgery, so we knew his elbow could go at any time. Suddenly, the decision to trade Aaron Harang doesn't look so great for the Dodgers, with Zack Greinke, Chris Capuano and Chad Billingsley being placed on the DL since the deal. Stephen Fife and Ted Lilly will remain in the rotation for now.
Description: Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez has spent most of his career in the NL West, but he does have five hits in 11 at-bats against Orioles starter Jake Arrieta.
Insight: Gonzalez faced Arrieta during his 1 1/2 years with the Boston Red Sox. The first baseman is hitting .377 with 13 RBIs and a 7/8 K/BB, but he has just two homers. Fantasy owners should come to terms with the reality that Gonzalez is now a high-average 20-home-run hitter.
Description: A sore elbow has landed Dodgers starter Chad Billingsley on the disabled list.
Insight: Billingsley suffered a partially torn UCL last season but opted to go with rehab instead of Tommy John surgery, so we knew his elbow could go at any time. Don't be surprised if he needs TJ surgery at some point this season. Suddenly, the decision to trade Aaron Harang doesn't look so great for the Dodgers, with Zack Greinke, Chris Capuano and Chad Billingsley being placed on the DL since the deal. Stephen Fife will join the rotation.
Description: Dodgers right fielder Andre Ethier went 1-for-3 with a homer and three RBIs in Game 1 of a doubleheader versus the Orioles Saturday but 0-for-4 in the nightcap.
Insight: Ethier has settled in as a hitter who is going to bat .285 with 20 homers and 85 RBIs; nothing more, nothing less.
Description: Dodgers outfield prospect Yasiel Puig has been placed on the 7-day minor league DL with a sprained left thumb.
Insight: The 22-year-old Cuban is hitting .333 with a .625 slugging percentage in 13 games at Double-A this season after a torrid spring. However, his path to the majors is still blocked, and the injury will further delay his promotion.
Description: Dodgers center fielder Matt Kemp is not in the starting lineup Wednesday night.
Insight: Kemp is getting a day off and should return to the starting lineup Friday. He is hitting just .185 this season with zero homers and 17 strikeouts in 54 at-bats, but fantasy owners should use this as a buy-low opportunity for one of the best players in fantasy baseball.
Description: After initially refusing to continue his rehab assignment, Dodgers lefty Ted Lilly (shoulder) made a start Tuesday and could rejoin the rotation following a calf injury to Chris Capuano.
Insight: Dodgers manager Don Mattingly passed over Lilly in favor of Capuano when looking for a fill-in for Zack Greinke (collarbone). The team doesn't think Lilly is ready to go, and that opinion was validated Tuesday when he allowed seven hits and three earned runs in a rehab start at High-A. Fantasy owners shouldn't rush to the free agent wire.
Description: Dodgers starter Chris Capuano has been placed on the DL with a left calf strain.
Insight: Dodgers manager Don Mattingly chose Capuano as Zack Greinke's fill-in, but the lefty lasted just two innings in his first start of the year. The team likely will have to turn to Ted Lilly, who has been building up his arm in the minors.
Description: Dodgers starter Chris Capuano will undergo an MRI on his strained calf.
Insight: Capuano left his first start of the season Tuesday one inning after suffering the injury while covering first base. Dodgers manager Don Mattingly chose Capuano over Ted Lilly as a fill-in for Zack Greinke, but Lilly may ultimately have to enter the rotation.
Description: Dodgers manager Don Mattingly says the team has no plans to call up Dee Gordon from Triple-A, according to Bill Shaikin of the LA Times.
Insight: Mattingly says the Dodgers are satisfied with Justin Sellers at shortstop. With Hanley Ramirez declaring Tuesday that he'll return "way sooner" than mid-May, fantasy owners can cut ties with Gordon.
Description: Dodgers shortstop Hanley Ramirez (thumb) said he'll be back "way sooner" than mid-May, according to Ken Gurnick of MLB.com.
Insight: Ramirez was given an eight-week timetable after having thumb surgery on March 22. While it's good news that Ramirez is feeling better, the team is yet to say he will return ahead of schedule. He has progressed to soft tossing and hitting off a tee.
Description: Dodgers right fielder Andre Ethier has managed just three hits in 26 at-bats versus San Diego starter Jason Marquis.
Insight: Ethier is off to a better start than Matt Kemp, but that's not saying much. He's batting .279 with just one homer and three RBI. This unfavorable matchup isn't likely to turn things around.
Description: Dodgers center fielder Matt Kemp is just a .150 hitter (3-for-20) against Padres starter Jason Marquis.
Insight: Kemp (.196) has fanned 15 times in 51 at-bats and has zero homers in 13 games. Through 13 games last year, he already had seven homers. It appears the offseason shoulder surgery could be effecting his swing and his power. Avoid, avoid, avoid.
Description: Dodgers lefty Ted Lilly (shoulder) has refused to continue his minor league rehab assignment for two more starts. The team cannot force him to do so, so it can either activate Lilly, designate him for assignment, release him or trade him. SOURCE: MLB.com
Insight: Lilly had shoulder surgery last April, but manager Don Mattingly said the Dodgers don't think Lilly is ready to return to the big leagues. Mattingly chose Chris Capuano over Lilly to fill in for Zack Greinke in the rotation.
Description: The Dodgers have chosen Chris Capuano to fill in for Zack Greinke in the rotation.
Insight: Ted Lilly was expected to be the choice, since he has been getting stretched out in the minors while Capuano has been throwing out of the bullpen, but the team opted to go with Capuano. Capuano went 12-12 with a 3.72 ERA last season, but he had a 5.28 ERA over his final 13 starts.
Description: Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez had a double and two singles in four at-bats Sunday against Arizona and is now hitting .409.
Insight: Both of Gonzalez' homers this season have come over the last four games. The first baseman's power has been on the decline for the last three years, but he is still a high-average run producer.
Description: Dodgers starter Josh Beckett was the tough-luck loser Sunday against the Diamondbacks. He shut out Arizona through the first eight innings but gave up a run in the bottom of the ninth to lose 1-0.
Insight: Beckett had a 2.93 ERA in 43 innings with the Dodgers after recording a 5.23 mark in 127 1/3 innings with the BoSox. He's 0-2 with a 3.26 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and a 17/3 K/BB 19 1/3 innings this season.
Description: A.J. Ellis is in the lineup for the Dodgers on Sunday and if you own him in fantasy, he should definitely be in your lineup as well. Six of his 11 at bats against D'Backs righty Trevor Cahill have resulted in hits.
Insight: While Ellis certainly isn't the flashiest catcher you'll find in the world of fantasy, he has recorded at least one hit in eight of his ten games this season. That has to count for something, right?
Description: Dodgers right fielder Andre Ethier could run into trouble Sunday with Trevor Cahill on the mound for Arizona.
Insight: Ethier's lifetime average against Cahill is just .167. Hopefully you have another outfielder on your bench that you can substitute for Ethier.
Description: Los Angeles righthander Zack Greinke had surgery to repair his broken collarbone on Saturday. SOURCE: Dylan Hernandez, Los Angeles Times
Insight: He suffered the injury during a brawl with Padres outfielder Carlos Quentin on Thursday night. Quentin was suspended eight games for his role in instigating the fight.
Description: Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez is 2-for-16 (.125) in his career against Arizona starter Ian Kennedy.
Insight: Gonzalez is batting .333 (12-for-32) with a homer and eight RBI. With a homer total that has dropped from 40 in 2009 to 31 to 27 and 18 last season, Gonzalez seems to have lost his power and become a singles hitter. This is an unfavorable matchup.
Description: Dodgers starter Zack Greinke will undergo surgery Saturday to place a rod in his clavicle to stabilize and align his fracture. He has been given a recovery timetable of eight weeks. SOURCE: Ken Rosenthal, FOX Sports
Insight: Greinke broke his left collarbone Thursday night in a brawl with Padres outfielder Carlos Quentin. We won't see him again until the first or second week of June.
Description: ESPN Los Angeles speculates that Dodgers left-hander Ted Lilly could take Zack Greinke's spot in the rotation. Greinke fractured his collarbone in a brawl with Carlos Quentin Thursday night.
Insight: Lilly had shoulder surgery last April, but he has been getting stretched out in the minors. He threw 90 pitches in his latest rehab start. Meanwhile, Chris Capuano has been pitching out of the bullpen and isn't stretched out to start at this time. Lilly was 5-1 with a 3.14 ERA and 1.13 WHIP in eight starts last season and has posted an ERA south of four in each of the last four seasons.
Description: Dodgers minor outfielder Scott Van Slyke has set a torrid early pace, even for Pacific Coast League hitting, batting .571 with four home runs and 14 RBI through his first eight games.
Insight: Van Slyke batted .348 in 2011 and .327 last season at Albuquerque before struggling in a short stint with the Dodgers where he hit .167 in 54 at-bats. If he keeps hitting like this, the Dodgers are eventually going to have to give him another shot.
Description: Dodgers starter Zack Greinke got the worst of a brawl with Padres outfielder Carlos Quentin and will miss an extended period of time with a broken left collarbone.
Insight: Estimates for recovery time are not yet known, but fantasy owners will miss the right-hander who has won 31 games over the past two season.
Description: Los Angeles center fielder Matt Kemp is off to a rough start and it probably won't get any better Thursday against Padres righty Jason Marquis (2-for-17 with five strikeouts).
Insight: It doesn't help that this one is being played at Petco Park, which is usually thought of as the definition of a pitcher's park. If you can afford to, give Kemp the night off and slot in another outfielder. Preferably, make it one who isn't a .118 lifetime hitter versus Marquis.
Description: Los Angeles right fielder Andre Ethier has never been able to figure out Jason Marquis. He'll go up against the Padres starter again on Thursday and we're thinking it would be a good night to have Ethier on your bench.
Insight: Marquis is about as average as they come but for whatever reason, Ethier just can't seem to hit him (.125 AVG in 24 lifetime at bats). This could very well put an end to the seven-game hitting streak Ethier has been riding since Opening Day.
Description: Los Angeles starter Chad Billingsley has officially been activated from the DL. He missed his first start of the year because of an elbow injury.
Insight: Billingsley will take the mound versus the Padres on Wednesday night. The righthander tossed 8 1/3 shutout innings in his one start against San Diego in 2012.
Description: Dodgers third baseman Juan Uribe will start and bat fifth Tuesday against the Padres.
Insight: Uribe is 10-for-26 with two homers in his career against Tuesday's starter Clayton Richard, so he'll get a start over Luis Cruz. Uribe is 86-for-438 (.196) with six home runs and a .546 OPS since 2011.
Description: Dodgers outfielder Andre Ethier struggles when facing Padres left-hander Clayton Richards. He's managed just four hits in 28 at-bats in their matchups for a .143 batting average.
Insight: Ethier brings a five-game hitting streak into the game but is still batting just .278 because he's only gotten one hit in each of those games. Tuesday doesn't figure to be a good matchup for Ethier.
Description: Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp is a career .375 hitter (12-for-32) with a pair of homers and a 1.081 OPS against Padres starter Clayton Richards.
Insight: Kemp has gotten off to an ugly start batting just .100 with a .408 OPS. He's shown very little power and fantasy owners have to be concerned that the left shoulder which was operated on is not completely healed. This is a favorable matchup, but with an extremely out of sync hitter.
Description: Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez is 7-for-8 (.875) in his career against Padres starter Clayton Richards.
Insight: It's a "soft" .875 with all seven hits being singles. Gonzalez is batting .400 (8-for-20) but is homerless this April and, in fact, has just two extra base hits (doubles). He's become a singles hitter ... but a good one.
Description: Dodgers starter Clayton Kershaw spun another gem Saturday night against Pittsburgh and remains unscored upon in 16 innings this season.
Insight: Kershaw held Pittsburgh to two hits and one walk and struck out nine in seven innings. He has allowed just four hits in 16 innings this season.
Description: Dodgers righty Chad Billingsley (finger) will come off the DL to start Wednesday against the Padres, according to Dodgers.mlb.com. He has been dealing with a finger contusion.
Insight: Billingsley opted for rehab over Tommy John surgery for a partially torn UCL last season so his elbow could go at any time, but he'll be a decent fantasy option in the meantime.
Description: The Dodgers cut ties with reliever Kevin Gregg on Wednesday.
Insight: Gregg had been designated for assignment but he refused his demotion to Triple-A. Gregg can still find work at the major league level, though it's highly unlikely that he'll be a factor in fantasy if he does.
Description: Luis Cruz will start at shortstop for the Dodgers after Justin Sellers made two critical throwing errors Tuesday, according to Ken Gurnick of MLB.com.
Insight: Both Cruz and Sellers have started off 0-for-6. If neither player can cut it at shortstop with Hanley Ramirez out for two months, we should see a Dee Gordon callup. Juan Uribe will take Cruz' place at third base and Skip Schumaker will play second in place of Mark Ellis on Wednesday.
Description: Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp is just a .214 career hitter against Giants starter Tim Lincecum with nine hits in 42 at-bats and 18 strikeouts.
Insight: Of course, many of those at-bats were during Lincecum's two Cy Young seasons and he's not pitching anything like that these days. Kemp has started the season going 0-for-6 so this isn't the time to expect things to turn around.
Description: Dodgers manager Don Mattingly says that Carl Crawford is sitting Tuesday because "we want to be able to wean him in," according to Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times.
Insight: Mattingly noted that Crawford isn't hurt and would have rested Tuesday even if the Dodgers weren't facing left-hander Madison Bumgarner. Crawford had Tommy John surgery last summer so the team understandably wants him to take it easy at the start of the season.
Description: Dodgers outfielder Carl Crawford will sit out of Tuesday's game against the Giants with lefty Madison Bumgarner on the hill. Jerry Hairston Jr. is starting in left field. SOURCE: Ken Gurnick, MLB.com
Insight: Crawford is a .263 career hitter against left-handers, compared to .305 versus right-handers. He probably won't sit against all lefties, just tough ones like Bumgarner, who held left-handed batters to a .208 average last season.
Description: Dodgers outfielder Andre Ethier is a career .077 hitter (1-for-13) versus Giants starter Madison Bumgarner.
Insight: Ethier's numbers have dropped significantly since his big season in 2009 (.31 HR, 106 RBI), but he is historically a better first-half hitter than after the All-Star break so is still a viable fantasy option to start the 2013 season. Monday is a unfavorable matchup and Ethier should be benched.
Description: Los Angeles southpaw Clayton Kershaw had a remarkable season debut Monday against the Giants. Kershaw allowed just four hits in nine shutout frames, fanning seven while walking none.
Insight: It only took Kershaw 94 pitches to finish off the defending champs. His 414-foot homer to lead off the eighth inning (also the first home run of Kershaw's career) broke a 0-0 tie. If Kershaw continues to pitch at this level, the Dodgers could make him the first $200 million pitcher in baseball history.
Description: Dodgers outfielder Andre Ethier is 26-for-57 (.456) in his career against Giants' ace Matt Cain.
Insight: Ethier's numbers have dropped significantly since his big season in 2009 (.31 HR, 106 RBI), but he is historically a better first-half hitter than after the All-Star break so is still a viable fantasy option to start the 2013 season. Monday is a favorable matchup.
Description: Justin Sellers has won the Dodgers' starting shortstop job according to Bill Plunkett from the Orange County Register.
Insight: Well, for now. Eventually Hanley Ramirez will play there when he recovers from a thumb injury. Sellers has generated just 34 hits in 55 career big league games. Dee Gordon, who was sent down to Triple-A Albuquerque earlier in the week, would have had more fantasy value than Sellers because of his elite speed (56 steals in 143 appearances).
Description: Dodgers outfield prospect Yasiel Puig was demoted to Double-A on Tuesday.
Insight: The 22-year-old Cuban defector is leading the majors in spring batting average at .526 in 57 at-bats but he doesn't have a position with the big league club. He's certainly a player to watch.
Description: The Dodgers have optioned shortstop Dee Gordon to Triple-A Albuquerque.
Insight: Gordon has blazing speed but he hit just .228 with a .561 OPS last season. Dodgers manager Don Mattingly chose Luis Cruz over Gordon to start at shortstop following Hanley Ramirez' thumb injury.
Description: Los Angeles shortstop Hanley Ramirez will need surgery to fix a torn ligament in his right thumb. Ramirez injured his thumb Tuesday while representing the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic.
Insight: He's expected to miss eight weeks. If Dee Gordon (32 steals in 87 games in 2012) can shake off a sprained ankle, he should be a decent fantasy option while Ramirez is out.
Description: After throwing 43 pitches over four scoreless innings of a minor league game Wednesday, Dodgers righty Zack Greinke (elbow inflammation) said he hopes he'll be ready to pitch at the start of the regular season, according to the LA Times.
Insight: Greinke's elbow inflammation has not amounted to anything major. He's scheduled to pitch on March 25 and 30 and said that should be enough to build up his arm strength and gain the necessary sharpness to make his first start, which would be pushed back from April 2 to April 5.
Description: Dodgers prospect Yasiel Puig came into Wednesday with a .500 average, three homers and four steals in 46 spring at-bats.
Insight: The 22-year-old Cuban defector is expected to start the season in Double-A but he has stuck around in camp so far and could last until the Dodgers' final cuts. He'll be someone to watch even if he doesn't make the team.
Description: Dodgers righty Zack Greinke (elbow inflammation) threw 43 pitches and allowed one hit in four scoreless innings of a minor league game Wednesday. SOURCE: Dylan Hernandez, LA Times
Insight: Greinke's elbow inflammation has not amounted to anything major and he appears to be ready to make his first scheduled start of the season on April 2.
Description: The Dodgers think shortstop Hanley Ramirez (thumb) could miss anywhere from 2-10 weeks depending on the severity of his thumb injury, according to Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times.
Insight: Ramirez hurt his thumb diving for a ground ball at third base in Tuesday's WBC game. Ramirez is guaranteed to miss the start of the regular season and could miss the first two months if the thumb injury turns out to be severe.
Description: Dodgers third baseman Hanley Ramirez will have an MRI done on his right thumb today.
Insight: Ramirez may have hurt his thumb diving for a ground ball at third base earlier in Tuesday's WBC game. He finished the WBC with a .238 average in 21 at-bats. The Dodgers need a healthy, producing Ramirez if they want their offense to sparkle this season.
Description: Dodgers third baseman Hanley Ramirez left Tuesday's World Baseball Classic championship game with what appeared to be a right thumb injury, according to CBSSports.com's Danny Knobler.
Insight: Ramirez may have hurt his thumb diving for a ground ball at third base earlier in Tuesday's game. He finished the WBC with a .238 average in 21 at-bats.
Description: Dodgers GM Ned Colletti said Tuesday that he thinks Carl Crawford will be ready for Opening Day, according to Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times.
Insight: Crawford (Tommy John surgery) is not going until the 125th pick on average in Yahoo! leagues so there's less risk than usual with him. He appeared iffy for the season opener earlier this spring but has cleared his checkpoints without a setback so far. The next test he'll need to pass is playing the field.
Description: Dodgers righty Zack Greinke (elbow inflammation) will throw 45 pitches in a minor league game Wednesday with A.J. Ellis catching. SOURCE: Eric Stephen, TrueBlueLA.com
Insight: Greinke threw a bullpen session Sunday and if he can get through Wednesday's game with no issues he might be able to make his scheduled start on April 2.
Description: Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said that Tim Federowicz would back up A.J. Ellis at catcher this season.
Insight: Federowicz will have little fantasy value. The more important information is that Mattingly wants to rest Ellis twice a week. That means Ellis will have an upper limit of about 115-120 games.
Description: Dodgers righty Zack Greinke (elbow inflammation) "appears to be a longshot" to make his first start of the season on April 2, according to Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times.
Insight: Greinke won't throw off a mound until next week due to elbow inflammation. Hopefully this doesn't turn out to be a more serious issue than that.
Description: Updating an earlier report, Dodgers righty Zack Greinke (elbow inflammation) won't throw until next week, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports.com. Greinke was scheduled to throw a bullpen session Friday but his elbow didn't feel good Thursday.
Insight: Greinke signed a huge contract in December and hasn't even thrown a regular season inning for Los Angeles already but he's already experiencing elbow troubles. There's no way you can take Greinke at his current ADP of 42.6 in Yahoo! leagues, 10th among starting pitchers. It's best to wait one round and take Gio Gonzalez (ADP: 53) or Adam Wainwright (ADP: 54) or even four rounds to take Yovani Gallardo (YDP: 90.8). Gallardo is 47-26 with a 3.67 ERA and 611 strikeouts in 596 1/3 innings over the last three seasons while Greinke is 41-25 with a 3.83 ERA and 582 strikeouts in 604 innings in that same span.
Description: Dodgers left fielder Carl Crawford (elbow) will get his first game action this spring as the DH Thursday against Meiji University, according to Ken Gurnick of Dodgers.com.
Insight: Crawford (Tommy John surgery) has made progress in working through tightness in his forearm. He's not going until the 125th pick on average in Yahoo! leagues so there's less risk than usual with him. He will probably miss some games in April but could return the second or third week of the season.
Description: Dodgers righty Zack Greinke (elbow) will throw a bullpen session Friday as he tries to recover from elbow inflammation before the start of the regular season. SOURCE: Ken Gurnick, MLB.com
Insight: Greinke signed a huge contract in December and hasn't even thrown a regular season inning for Los Angeles already but he's already experiencing elbow troubles. There's no way you can take Greinke at his current ADP of 42.6 in Yahoo! leagues, 10th among starting pitchers. It's best to wait a round and take Gio Gonzalez (ADP: 53) or Adam Wainwright (ADP: 54) or even four to take Yovani Gallardo (YDP: 90.8). Gallardo is 47-26 with a 3.67 ERA and 611 strikeouts in 596 1/3 innings over the last three seasons while Greinke is 41-25 with a 3.83 ERA and 582 strikeouts in 604 innings in that same span.
Description: Dodgers left fielder Carl Crawford (elbow) took live batting practice Tuesday and called it "a step in the right direction," according to the Los Angeles Times. It was his first live BP session since being shut down two weeks ago.
Insight: Crawford (Tommy John surgery) is going to be a high-risk selection in this year's fantasy draft and probably one not worth taking anywhere in the first half of the draft. It doesn't appear that he'll be ready for Opening Day.
Description: Dodgers righty Zack Greinke was diagnosed with inflammation in the back of his right elbow and was given a platelet-rich plasma injection.
Insight: This isn't what the Dodgers wanted to hear after signing Greinke to a big contract last December. The team hopes he'll be able to start throwing again in 2-3 days but there's no guarantee that will happen.
Description: Dodgers left fielder Carl Crawford, who has been experiencing some forearm tightness, is expected to begin swinging a bat on Thursday.
Insight: Crawford (Tommy John surgery) is going to be a high-risk selection in this year's fantasy draft and probably one not worth taking anywhere in the first half of the draft. It doesn't appear that he'll be ready for Opening Day.
Description: Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp (left shoulder surgery) made his first outfield start on Tuesday.
Insight: Kemp had surgery in October to repair his left shoulder labrum. He is 0-for-8 this spring, but at least he is healthy which is the main concern this spring. The hits will come and when healthy Kemp is a dynamic fantasy asset to any lineup.
Description: Dodgers lefthander Clayton Kershaw's second start of the spring was a bit of a mixed bag. In three innings, Kershaw allowed three runs on six hits but also finished with seven strikeouts.
Insight: Always take spring training stats with a grain of salt. Kershaw (14-9, 2.53 ERA in 2012) should have all the kinks worked out by April.
Description: Dodgers left fielder Carl Crawford is experiencing some forearm tightness that Ken Gurnick of MLB.com is calling a "minor setback" after elbow surgery.
Insight: Forearm tightness is usually a sign that a player has something wrong with his elbow and usually indicates a torn UCL. Crawford just had Tommy John surgery in April so we doubt he re-injured the ligament.
Description: Dodgers left fielder Carl Crawford (elbow) was scheduled to make his spring debut Thursday but that has been canceled, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com
Insight: Crawford still expects to be ready for the season opener after having Tommy John surgery last August. He has about four weeks until Opening Day.
Description: Dodgers lefthander Ted Lilly, who had season-ending surgery on his left shoulder last September, is expected to make his spring debut on Thursday.
Insight: Lilly (5-1, 3.14 ERA) was pitching well before the shoulder gave way. At the moment, however, he doesn't have a spot in the Dodgers' loaded starting rotation.
Description: Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp won't play in spring training games until early March, manager Don Mattingly said. SOURCE: Los Angeles Times
Insight: Kemp had surgery in October to repair his left shoulder labrum. He said last week that he has only taken batting practice on he field three times since the procedure. He should be ready for Opening Day.
Description: Dodgers left fielder Carl Crawford took live batting practice Sunday for the first time this spring. SOURCE: Dodgers.com
Insight: Crawford had Tommy John surgery in August. He only played 31 games last season due to wrist and elbow injuries but was much more productive than 2011. He expects to be ready for the season opener.
Description: According to an AP report, Dodgers reliever Brandon League will begin the season as the team's closer.
Insight: League did the job for Seattle in 2011, but struggled last season and lost the closing job. He was traded to Los Angeles in midseason and when Kenley Jansen was sidelined in late August League went 6-for-6 as the Dodgers closer. This will not make fantasy owner of Jansen happy.
Description: Dodgers third baseman Hanley Ramirez did not suffer a serious injury on a hard slide during the Caribbean Series final. SOURCE: Dylan Hernandez, LA Times
Insight: Ramirez slid into second base late to try to break up a double play and was slow to get up, but he remained in the 18-inning game. Ramirez is expected to start the season as Los Angeles' starting shortstop even though he served as the DH during winter ball and will play third in the World Baseball Classic.
Description: Dodgers left fielder Carl Crawford has begun a throwing program, making it more likely he will be ready for Opening Day. SOURCE: ESPN Los Angeles
Insight: Crawford had Tommy John surgery in August. He only played 31 games last season due to wrist and elbow injuries but was much more productive than 2011. A change of scenery should do him good.
Description: The Dodgers have agreed to a one-year, $2.85 million contract with left-hander J.P. Howell. SOURCE: Buster Olney, ESPN
Insight: Howell posted a 3.04 ERA in 50.1 innings last season. He was utilized against both lefties and righties last season, holding the former group to a .200 average and the latter to .244. However, he won't hold any fantasy value in 2013.
Description: Ken Davidoff from the New York Post is reporting that the Mets are interested in acquiring Dodgers starters Chris Capuano and Aaron Harang.
Insight: The Mets need starting pitching and the Dodgers have too much of it so this seems like a perfect match. Capuano went 11-12 with a 4.55 ERA in his first go-round with the Mets back in 2011.
Description: Boston shortstop Jose Iglesias and L.A. shortstop Dee Gordon have both been mentioned as potential trade targets for the Pirates, according to John Perrotto from USA Today.
Insight: Pittsburgh is looking to unload closer Joel Hanrahan and it appears that they'll be looking for a shortstop in exchange. Clint Barmes saw the most action at shortstop for Pittsburgh in 2012, contributing eight homers and a .229 average in 144 games.
Description: Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports expects Dodgers infielders Nick Punto and Juan Uribe to be dealt during the offseason.
Insight: Skip Schumaker's arrival as the team's new utility infielder eliminates any need for Punto (.219, 1 HR, 10 RBI) and Uribe (.191, 2 HR, 17 RBI) going forward. We wouldn't expect either player to have any fantasy significance in 2013.
Description: The Cardinals have traded second baseman Skip Schumaker to the Dodgers for shortstop Jake Lemmerman.
Insight: It's unclear whether or not Schumaker (.276, 1 HR, 28 RBI) will open the season as L.A.'s everyday second baseman with Mark Ellis still under contract. If we had to guess, this looks like a platoon scenario. If that's the case, neither player will be able to help you in fantasy next season.
Description: The Los Angeles Dodgers have agreed to a six-year, $147 million contract with free agent starter Zack Greinke, pending a physical. SOURCE: Jon Heyman, CBSSports.com
Insight: The Dodgers have deep pockets and they have emptied them for Greinke, who went 15-5 with a 3.48 ERA last season with Milwaukee and the LA Angels. From a fantasy perspective, moving back to the National League will only help Greinke's numbers.
Description: Jon Morosi from Fox Sports says the Indians have been in touch with the Dodgers about shortstop Dee Gordon.
Insight: It seems likely Los Angeles will deal Gordon this offseason now that Hanley Ramirez has established himself as the team's starting shortstop. The Mariners are also said to be interested in acquiring Gordon. Aside from his elite speed, Gordon is a below average fantasy contributor.
Description: Jerry Crasnick from ESPN reports that the Indians, Rangers, Reds and Red Sox all have interest in signing free agent outfielder Shane Victorino.
Insight: Once considered an elite fantasy player, Victorino turned in a shaky season in 2012, producing just a .255 average in 154 games. Victorino was able to offset his low average somewhat by collecting a career-high 39 stolen bases.
Description: Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times reports that the Dodgers have re-signed reliever Brandon League.
Insight: Hernandez said the deal is for three years. League pitched well for Los Angeles after coming over in a trade from the Seattle Mariners, posting a 2.30 ERA and 1.13 WHIP in 27 1/3 innings. League is expected to be the team's closer.
Description: Dodgers left fielder Carl Crawford is hoping to be ready for the start of spring training according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. Crawford underwent Tommy John surgery on his left elbow back in August.
Insight: His original timetable for a return was 7-to-9 months so this would put Crawford about a month ahead of schedule. He hit .282 with three homers and 19 RBI in 31 games for the Red Sox in 2012.
Description: Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen will have surgery Tuesday to correct an irregular heartbeat which forced him to make two trips to the disabled list, according to Ken Gurnick of mlb.com.
Insight: The procedure is only expected to keep him sidelined for three months so he should be good to go this spring.
Description: According to the Los Angeles Times, the surgery on Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp's shoulder revealed that the condition was worse than expected. There's no guarantee that Kemp will be 100 percent for the start of next season.
Insight: Kemp is believed to have torn his labrum crashing into the center-field wall in Colorado on Aug. 28, an injury the team believed to be minor heading into the surgery. The doctor who performed the surgery said he expects Kemp to be ready for Opening Day, according to a statement issued by the Dodgers.
Description: Los Angeles lefty Clayton Kershaw will not have hip surgery this offseason, Dodgers GM Ned Colletti said Thursday. SOURCE: Los Angeles Times
Insight: Kershaw led the NL in ERA for the second straight year in 2012. He dealt with a hip impingement that threatened to end his season in mid-September but he made his final three starts and went 2-0 with a 0.86 ERA and a 23/10 K/BB in 21 innings.
Description: Dodgers center fielder Matt Kemp will have surgery on his injured left shoulder on Friday.
Insight: It should take Kemp about 6-to-8 weeks to recover. Kemp (.303, 23 HR, 69 RBI) went hitless in his final 10 at bats of the season so it's clear that his shoulder had been bothering him.
Description: Los Angeles lefty Clayton Kershaw's 2.53 ERA was the lowest in the major leagues this season.
Insight: It's the second year in a row Kershaw (14-9, 2.53) has led the majors in this category. He's not likely to contend for the NL Cy Young Award but 2012 was still an excellent year for the talented 24-year-old.
Description: Los Angeles outfielder Matt Kemp could undergo surgery on his left shoulder during the offseason.
Insight: It would be a fairly minor procedure and Kemp wouldn't be in danger of missing the start of Spring Training in February. Kemp (.303, 23 HR, 69 RBI) had been on a home run tear recently before going 0-for-8 with five strikeouts to begin his final series of the year against San Francisco.
Description: Dodgers starter Clayton Kershaw will start Wednesday's regular season finale regardless of whether or not the team is still in playoff contention, manager Don Mattingly said.
Insight: Kershaw (13-9, 2.58 ERA) was a candidate to be shut down in mid-September when he was dealing with a hip injury but it didn't seem to bother him in his last start, when he threw eight scoreless innings with 10 strikeouts against the Rockies.
Description: Dodgers outfielder Andre Ethier is 25-for-55 (.455) in his career against Giants ace Matt Cain.
Insight: Ethier's numbers have dropped significantly since the All-Star break. His batting average is down 19 points and his OPS 98 points, but Monday is a favorable matchup.
Description: Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez has suddenly heated up in the past two weeks. He has an 11-game hitting streak and will get a favorable matchup Sunday with Rockies starter Jorge De La Rosa.
Insight: Gonzalez is batting .346 (9-for-26) with three homers and eight RBIs against De La Rosa. He's also hitting .378 (17-for-45) with two homers and five RBIs during his current hitting streak so he's a must-start Sunday.
Description: Dodgers center fielder Matt Kemp stayed hot with a couple of homers Saturday in a win over Colorado.
Insight: Kemp has gone 9-for-17 at the plate over his last four games with three homers and seven RBI in that span. Who knows what kind of numbers the perennial All-Star might have put up had he stayed healthy this year.
Description: Dodgers outfielder Andre Ethier is only 1-for-11 (.091) in his career against Rockies starter Jorge De La Rosa.
Insight: Ethier is hitting just .253 in September but he does have five homers. Still, his 22 strikeouts with just six walks suggest he's struggling at the plate, and a matchup with De La Rosa Sunday won't change that.
Description: Dodgers third baseman Hanley Ramirez is hitless in eight at-bats against Rockies starter Jeff Francis.
Insight: Ramirez has only been slightly better since the move to Los Angeles. he's batting .261 with 10 HR, 43 RBI and a .761 OPS in 56 games while wearing Dodger blue. He should be avoided on Friday.
Description: Los Angeles outfielder Matt Kemp is a career .375 hitter with three homers and a 1.114 OPS against Colorado starter Jeff Francis.
Insight: Kemp is batting .282 since the All-Star break with a .775 OPS versus .355 and 1.163 before the Summer Classic. Fantasy owners can only dream of what this season could have been like had Kemp not spent two stints on the disabled list.
Description: Los Angeles outfielder Matt Kemp smacked four hits Wednesday in an 8-2 win over the Padres.
Insight: Kemp (.304) had been hitless in his previous three games. Kemp's two-run shot in the sixth was his 20th home run of the season. It's his fourth season in a row with 20-plus homers.
Description: Dodgers outfielder Andre Ethier is an ugly .143 hitter (4-for-28) against Padres starter Clayton Richard.
Insight: Ethier has a modest four-game hitting streak, but all four hits are singles. He hasn't had an extra base hit since Sept. 16. Sit him on Wednesday.
Description: Dodgers third baseman Hanley Ramirez is a stunning 7-for-8 (.875) in his matchups with Padres starter Clayton Richard.
Insight: Ramirez has only been slightly better since the move to Los Angeles. he's batting .262 with 10 HR, 42 RBI and a .771 OPS in 56 games while wearing Dodger blue. He's a must start on Wednesday.
Description: Dodgers third baseman Hanley Ramirez is in the lineup Tuesday, according to Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times.
Insight: Ramirez left Sunday's game after fouling a ball of his left foot, but he only had a bruise and was able to rest Monday during Los Angeles' off day.
Description: The X-rays on Dodgers third baseman Hanley Ramirez' left foot came back negative.
Insight: Ramirez exited Sunday's game after fouling a ball off his foot. He's questionable for Tuesday's game but he should be fine to play this week at some point.
Description: Lefthander Clayton Kershaw will start Sunday's game for the Dodgers. Kershaw had been questionable for the start because of a hip injury.
Insight: Kershaw (12-9, 2.70 ERA) has allowed just one earned run in his past two outings so we're expecting a big night from the 2011 NL Cy Young Award winner.
Description: Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez is hitting just .245 with one homer and a .670 OPS in 26 games since joining Los Angeles so he's no longer a must-start everyday, but Sunday would be a good day to get him in the lineup due to the success he's had against Reds starter Homer Bailey.
Insight: Gonzalez is 6-for-12 with two doubles, three homers and five RBIs against Bailey so hopefully this matchup yields positive results for the struggling first baseman.
Description: ESPN's Buster Olney believes there's a better than 50 percent chance Dodgers lefthander Clayton Kershaw will start Sunday's game against Cincinnati. Kershaw has been struggling with an injured hip.
Insight: There was speculation earlier in the week that Kershaw (12-9, 2.70 ERA) could be done for the season but with Los Angeles still hunting down a playoff spot, the team needs its ace now more than ever. Kershaw is 1-1 with a 3.34 ERA in five career starts versus the Reds.
Description: Dodgers center fielder Matt Kemp has followed up a 5-for-48 streak with a .364 average in his last five games, but Mat Latos could silence Kemp's bat Saturday.
Insight: Kemp was banged up after slamming face-first into the center-field wall at Coors Field at the end of August and it contributed to a prolonged slump. He appears to have snapped out of that but he's just 3-for-16 (.188) with five strikeouts against Latos so he's unlikely to do much Saturday.
Description: Dodgers center fielder Matt Kemp is 9-for-22 (.409) in his career against Reds right-hander Bronson Arroyo with a pair of homers and a 1.162 OPS
Insight: Kemp is in a horrible slump, going 15-for-77 (.195) in his last 20 games. His season-long numbers are solid, but after the April he had (.417, 12 HR, 25 RBI 1.383 OPS) fantasy owners are dreaming of what could have been had he stayed healthy. Perhaps this matchup will get him started for the final few weeks of the season.
Description: Dodgers center fielder Matt Kemp is just 2-for-13 (.154) in his career against Wednesday's starter John Lannan.
Insight: Kemp is in a horrible slump, going 13-for-69 (.188) in his last 18 games. His season-long numbers are solid, but after the April he had (.417, 12 HR, 25 RBI 1.383 OPS) fantasy owners are dreaming of what could have been had he stayed healthy.
Description: Dodgers third baseman Hanley Ramirez is a career .467 hitter (5-for-15) against Washington right-hander Jordan Zimmermann.
Insight: Ramirez has improved his numbers slightly since coming to Los Angeles despite a poor September in which he's batting just .241 in 14 games. Perhaps this matchup can turn his month around.
Description: Dodgers starter Clayton Kershaw (hip) has been diagnosed with a right hip impingement, according to Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times.
Insight: Kershaw (12-9, 2.70 ERA) has been scratched from two straight starts. The left-hander's doctor Bryan Kelly said Kershaw can continue to pitch without doing any further damage to his hip if he can tolerate the pain. If he continues to have pain, he'll be shut down.
Description: Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said starter Clayton Kershaw (hip) could pitch again this season, according to Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times.
Insight: Kershaw (12-9, 2.70 ERA) has been scratched from two straight starts because of a hip injury. Mattingly conceded that there's something "serious" in Kershaw's hip, but it's not any worse than it was before so the lefty may be able to return before the season is through.
Description: Dodgers third baseman Hanley Ramirez is a career .467 hitter (5-for-15) against Washington right-hander Jordan Zimmermann.
Insight: Ramirez has improved his numbers slightly since coming to Los Angeles despite a poor September in which he's batting just .241 in 14 games. Perhaps this matchup can turn his month around.
Description: Los Angeles starter Clayton Kershaw is still feeling pain in his right hip and will travel to New York on Tuesday to see Dr. Bryan Kelly for a second opinion, according to Dylan hernandez of the Los Angeles Times.
Insight: Kershaw (12-9, 2.70 ERA) could end up being done until May if hip surgery is required.
Description: Dodgers third baseman Hanley Ramirez is having a poor September at the plate, hitting .224 with 19 strikeouts in 13 games, and it won't get any easier Sunday against Cardinals starter Adam Wainwright.
Insight: Ramirez is 4-for-21 with two RBIs in his career against Wainwright. He's been better since joining Los Angeles -- .261, 10 HRs, 38 RBIs compared to .246, 14 HRs, 48 RBIs with Miami -- but he's still not close to the player he was from 2007-10.
Description: Dodgers center fielder Matt Kemp is just 2-for-17 in his career against Sunday's starter Adam Wainwright of the Cardinals.
Insight: Kemp is in a massive slump, going 5-for-48 in his last 12 games. The cold streak coincides with Kemp running into the outfield wall at Coors Field at the end of August and injuring his shoulder.
Description: Los Angeles starter Clayton Kershaw is still feeling pain in his right hip and he has officially been ruled out for Sunday's start against St. Louis.
Insight: Kershaw (12-9, 2.70 ERA) had his last start pushed back two days for the same injury. His performance is obviously imperative to his owners' fantasy success so we'll have to keep a close eye on this situation.
Description: Los Angeles starter Clayton Kershaw is still feeling pain in his right hip and could miss his scheduled start Sunday against St. Louis.
Insight: Kershaw (12-9, 2.70 ERA) had his last start pushed back two days for the same injury and it's very possible that could happen again Sunday. The 2011 NL Cy Young winner gave up just one unearned run in his last outing Tuesday in Arizona.
Description: Dodgers lefthander Ted Lilly had season-ending surgery on his left shoulder on Friday.
Insight: Lilly (5-1, 3.14 ERA) had been working towards a comeback before encountering a setback earlier in the week. The 36-year-old hasn't pitched in the majors since May 23rd.
Description: The Dodgers are hoping they'll have closer Kenley Jansen back for the start of their series next week in Washington. Jansen has been out since August 27th because of an irregular heartbeat.
Insight: Brandon League (1-6, 3.52 ERA, 11 saves) has been getting most of the save opportunities for Los Angeles in Jansen's absence.
Description: Center fielder Matt Kemp is back in the Dodgers starting lineup after missing two games with an injured shoulder.
Insight: He'll bat fourth tonight versus the Diamondbacks. Injuries have plagued him for much of the season but when Kemp has been healthy, he has been very effective. He leads the team with a .315 batting average in 86 games.
Description: Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp is questionable for Tuesday's game against Arizona with a sore left shoulder.
Insight: An MRI on the center fielder's injured shoulder revealed only some minor inflammation. The Dodgers are hoping Kemp (.315, 18 HR, 56 RBI) will be able to return soon.
Description: Dodgers lefty Clayton Kershaw has been scratched from his start Sunday against San Francisco because of a sore hip flexor.
Insight: Joe Blanton (9-12, 4.92 ERA) will swing in to make the spot start for Los Angeles. The Dodgers are hoping Kershaw (12-8, 2.79 ERA) will be fine to start Tuesday's game in Arizona.
Description: Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp (shoulder) will miss the rest of the series against the Giants this weekend, according to Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times.
Insight: Kemp is in a 12-for-71 (.169) tailspin at the plate and he's still not fully recovered from a collision with the center-field wall in Coors Field at the end of August. He'll undergo a contrast MRI on his shoulder Saturday.
Description: Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp's average keeps sinking. Kemp is in a 12-for-71 (.169) tailspin at the plate, and Saturday he'll face a pitcher he has struggled against in Giants starter Matt Cain.
Insight: It's rare that we'd advise you to bench Kemp, but he is 10-for-44 with 11 strikeouts against Cain and he's whiffed 19 times in his last 19 games.
Description: Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez is back in the NL West, where he gets to face Giants starter Matt Cain regularly. That's good news for fantasy owners.
Insight: Gonzalez is 18-for-56 (.321) with four homers and 13 RBIs against Cain. The first baseman is hitting .241 with one homer and a .663 OPS in 13 games since coming over to Los Angeles in a trade, but Saturday's matchup with Cain could get his bat going.
Description: Dodgers outfielder Andre Ethier has clubbed five homers while batting .390 in his last 15 games, and Saturday presents a favorable matchup in the form of Giants starter Matt Cain.
Insight: Cain has never been able to tame Ethier -- the Dodgers outfielder is 25-for-53 (.472) in his career against the Giants starter, though he has never homered. Still, Ethier is a good bet to collect a few hits Saturday.
Description: Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez is a career .205 hitter against San Francisco starter Tim Lincecum with zero long balls, just one RBI and 16 strikeouts in 39 at-bats.
Insight: Gonzalez is batting .260 with a homer and 10 RBI since leaving Boston for Los Angeles. The Dodgers and fantasy owners need more, but it's not likely going to happen on Friday night.
Description: Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp is 9-for-39 (.231) against Giants right-hander Tim Lincecum with no homers, two RBI and 17 strikeouts.
Insight: Kemp is not hitting the well right now, batting .143 over the past week and .233 over the past four weeks and 23 games. This is not a favorable matchup.
Description: Dodgers outfielder Andre Ethier is just 3-for-25 (.120) in his career against Padres starter Clayton Richards.
Insight: He's been solid over the past four weeks, batting .313 with six homers and 17 RBI and has his average hovering near the .300 mark. This matchup, however, should be avoided.
Description: Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen (heart) will remain on blood thinners for 10 more days and hopes to pitch again by the team's series with the Nationals from Sept. 18-20, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Insight: Jansen was shut down last week with an irregular heartbeat and was a candidate to be shut down for the rest of the season. It appears he'll pitch again this season but that could always change. The closer will have a surgical procedure this offseason to correct his heart arrhythmia.
Description: Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez whacked a two-run double in the ninth inning of Sunday's come from behind win over the Diamondbacks.
Insight: Gonzalez had been 1-for-13 in the series before his game-winning hit. He's batting .211 with one homer and eight RBI in nine games since getting traded from Boston.
Description: Center fielder Matt Kemp has returned to the Los Angeles lineup after missing Thursday's game because of knee and jaw injuries.
Insight: Kemp ran into a wall at Coors Field earlier in the week. Fortunately for fantasy owners, he was able to walk away with only minor injuries and he should be fine for tonight's tilt versus the Diamondbacks. Kemp is hitting .298 this month with two homers and 15 RBI.
Description: According to the Los Angeles Times, the Dodgers will use Ronald Belisario and Brandon League in save chances while Kenley Jansen is out with an irregular heartbeat.
Insight: Belisario had a rough patch in July when he gave up 11 earned runs but he's only allowed five earned the rest of the season. Hopefully Jansen is not out too long, as he's clearly the most dominant option of the three.
Description: Dodgers catcher A.J. Ellis is 5-for-7 (.714) against Diamondbacks starter Trevor Cahill with a 1.857 OPS.
Insight: Catchers who produce an OPS over .800 are rare and Ellis is currently at .816 with 11 HR and 41 RBI in just 341 at-bats. He's batting .333 over the past two weeks and should be started on Friday with the highly favorable matchup.
Description: Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen will be out indefinitely while he deals with a heart condition.
Insight: Ronald Belisario (3-1, 2.75 ERA) and Brandon League (0-6, 4.02) seem like the most likely candidates to take over the team's closer role with Jansen sidelined.
Description: Dodgers righthander Chad Billingsley's latest elbow injury could cost him the rest of the season.
Insight: If Billingsley (10-9, 3.55 ERA) is indeed lost for the year, Los Angeles will likely look to add an arm for the team's stretch run. Erik Bedard, who was recently released by Pittsburgh, could be a possibility for the Dodgers.
Description: Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp has a right knee contusion and was taken for precautionary X-rays on his jaw, but he isn't experiencing concussion-like symptoms.
Insight: Kemp ran face first into the center-field wall at Coors Field and had to leave the game a play later after attempting to make a diving catch. It looks like he was able to come away with no serious issues.
Description: Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp left Tuesday's game with an apparent injury to his neck.
Insight: Kemp initially stayed in the game after he ran face first into the outfield wall at Coors Field in the bottom of the first. However, on the next play the outfielder had to dive to try to catch a bloop single and appeared to be favoring his neck. Kemp came into Tuesday's game batting .324 with five homers and an .858 OPS since returning from the DL 41 games ago.
Description: Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp is a .367 hitter in 30 at-bats versus Colorado starter Jeff Francis with three homers, 11 RBI and a 1.088 OPS.
Insight: After a pair of trips to the disabled list, Kemp has hit for average, but lacked the home run power he displayed in April. He's hit just five homers in his last 166 at-bats as compared to 12 homers in 84 April at-bats. Start him in this favorable Monday matchup.
Description: Los Angeles starter Chad Billingsley (elbow) is eligible to return from elbow inflammation on Sept. 9, but Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said he doesn't know if the right-hander will return on time, according to the Los Angeles Daily News.
Insight: Billingsley will get another MRI next week and the team will be able to make a distinction regarding his return then. His first MRI was inconclusive.
Description: Dodgers outfielder Andre Ethier is scorching hot right now. After Saturday's 4-for-4 showing, Ethier now has hits in each of his last 10 at bats.
Insight: He's raised his average all the way from .274 to .291 since Wednesday. The addition of slugging first baseman Adrian Gonzalez to the Dodgers lineup should only increase Ethier's already solid fantasy appeal.
Description: First baseman Adrian Gonzalez opened his career as a Los Angeles Dodger in style by homering in his very first at bat with his new team.
Insight: The home run came against Josh Johnson, who Gonzalez carries a .333 average against in 15 lifetime at bats. Despite the homer, Gonzalez finished 0-for-4 in his final four at bats of the night and in the past, he actually hasn't had much success at his new home stadium. He's a .212 lifetime hitter at Dodger Stadium.
Description: Dodgers left fielder Shane Victorino will miss Saturday's game against the Marlins because of back tightness.
Insight: Victorino is hitting .236 with one homer and seven RBI since being traded to Los Angeles at the July 31st trade deadline. For now, consider the outfielder day-to-day.
Description: Los Angeles starter Chad Billingsley went on the DL Saturday because of a right elbow injury.
Insight: Joe Blanton was probably going to be the odd man out following the acquisition of Josh Beckett but now with Billingsley's injury he should be able to hold onto his spot in the rotation.
Description: Adrian Gonzalez is in the Dodgers' starting lineup Saturday against Miami. He'll bat fourth and play first base.
Insight: Gonzalez is hitting a superb .338 since the All-Star break with nine homers and 41 RBI. He closes out his Red Sox career with 42 round-trippers and 203 RBI in 282 games.
Description: The blockbuster trade of the summer is finally complete. Starting pitcher Josh Beckett, outfielder Carl Crawford, first baseman Adrian Gonzalez and infielder Nick Punto are headed to the Dodgers in exchange for first baseman James Loney and a package of minor leaguers.
Insight: Beckett is 1-0 with a 2.70 ERA in two career starts at Dodger Stadium. His 5.23 ERA through 21 starts this season is the second-highest of his 12 year career.
Description: Dodgers righthander Chad Billingsley has been diagnosed with right elbow inflammation.
Insight: Billingsley (10-9, 3.55 ERA) suffered the injury in Friday night's start versus the Marlins. The 28-year-old could very well wind up on the disabled list following this latest setback.
Description: Dodgers outfielder Andre Ethier is a career .462 hitter versus Miami right-hander Josh Johnson with a 1.072 OPS.
Insight: Ethier (.284, 13 HR, 73 RBI) is having a solid season, though he's struggled for most of August. He does have six hits in his last two games and combined with this favorable matchup makes him a must start candidate.
Description: Los Angeles first baseman James Loney has been scratched from Friday night's starting lineup.
Insight: Loney may have played his final game as a Dodger. Trade talks between the Red Sox and Dodgers have heated up over the last few hours and now it looks like a deal is imminent. The swap is expected to bring slugger Adrian Gonzalez, starting pitcher Josh Beckett and outfielder Carl Crawford to Los Angeles.
Description: Dodgers infielder Jerry Hairston Jr. is set to have season-ending surgery on his injured left hip.
Insight: Hairston went on the DL on August 13th because of inflammation but now it appears the injury is more severe. He'll finish the 2012 campaign with four homers and 26 RBI in 78 games.
Description: Dodgers outfielder Andre Ethier is the rare hitter with success against Giants ace Matt Cain. He's faced Cain 50 times and managed 24 hits for a .480 batting average.
Insight: Ethier (.275, 12 HR, 69 RBI) is having a solid season, though he's struggled in August with a .209 batting average and only two extra base hits.
Description: Dodgers outfielder Andre Ethier is just 1-for-10 in his career against Giants young lefty Madison Bumgarner.
Insight: Ethier (.281, 12 HR, 69 RBI) is having a solid season, though he's struggled over the past two weeks batting just .234 with one extra base hit. This matchup isn't likely to help him break out of his slump and should be avoided.
Description: Los Angeles starter Chad Billingsley has been untouchable lately and his success continued with a scoreless effort Sunday against the Braves.
Insight: Billingsley fired seven shutout innings of three-hit ball (2 BB, 4 K) Sunday to improve to 6-0 in his last six starts.
Description: Dodgers third baseman Hanley Ramirez continued his hot streak with a monster game Saturday against the Braves. Ramirez hit a solo homer and a three-run homer as part of his fifth straight multi-hit game.
Insight: Ramirez is batting .422 (19-for-45) with three homers and 15 RBIs in his last 11 games. He has quickly resurrected his career in Los Angeles, batting .330 with four home runs, 27 RBIs and a 14/9 K/BB ratio in 23 games with the Dodgers.
Description: Dodgers third baseman Hanley Ramirez is batting .317 (26-for-82) with two homers and 23 RBIs since joining the Dodgers.
Insight: Ramirez has played 21 games with Los Angeles after coming over from the Marlins. The infielder got off to a slow start with his new team but he's hitting .416 (15-for-36) with 11 RBIs and seven runs scored in his last nine games.
Description: Los Angeles left-hander Clayton Kershaw has won three consecutive starts to improve his record to 10-6.
Insight: Kershaw's ERA and WHIP are up from his Cy Young season of a year ago, but it appears that he's found his stride and you should make sure to start him on Wednesday against a Pirates team that has been shut out in two of its last four games.
Description: Dodgers third baseman Hanley Ramirez is a career.409 hitter (9-for-22) with four extra base hits against Pittsburgh starter Wandy Rodriguez.
Insight: Ramirez has been a much improved hitter since being traded to Los Angeles, batting .297 versus .246 in Miami, with a .788 OPS. Start him on Wednesday.
Description: Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp is a career .172 hitter (5-for-29), .483 OPS, against Pittsburgh starter Kevin Correia.
Insight: Kemp missed most of May, all of June and some of July, but he's batting .363 with a 1.012 OPS over the past four weeks. He's back to his early season form, but Tuesday's matchup is not a favorable one, so don't expect a big day.
Description: Outfielder Shane Victorino is a career .545 hitter versus Pirates starter Kevin Correia with a 1.434 OPS.
Insight: Victorino appears to have finally settled in with his new team, batting .364 over the past seven days with a 1.053 OPS. He's a must start on Tuesday.
Description: Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp has picked up where he left off since returning from the DL. In his last 28 games, Kemp is hitting .361 with five homers and 19 RBIs
Insight: Kemp missed most of May, all of June and some of July, but he's been so good when he has been in the lineup you won't hear many fantasy owners complain about drafting him.
Description: Los Angeles infielder Jerry Hairston Jr. was placed on the disabled list Monday. He's dealing with left hip inflammation.
Insight: Hairston hasn't been much of a fantasy asset in recent weeks anyway. Since the All-Star break, the 36-year-old has struggled to a .212 batting average with no homers.
Description: Dodgers starter Chris Capuano has gotten things back on track in his last two starts after getting hit hard his previous two turns. The Dodgers lefty tossed eight scoreless two-hit innings Sunday against Miami.
Insight: Capuano (11-8, 3.11 ERA) came in having gone 1-6 in his previous seven decisions after starting out 9-2. The lefty fanned 10 Marlins Sunday to raise his strikeout total to 135 in 150 1/3 innings. He has a good shot to exceed his career high of 176 strikeouts this year.
Description: Dodgers outfielder Andre Ethier could be in for a big fantasy day Sunday against the Marlins. He enters today's action with a .385 lifetime average against Miami lefthander Wade LeBlanc.
Insight: The two hits Ethier (.285, 11 HR, 64 RBI) collected on Saturday were his first of the year against the Marlins. Expect him to add a few more hits to that total on Sunday.
Description: Dodgers center fielder Matt Kemp is hitting a tepid .188 for his career against Miami lefthander Wade LeBlanc.
Insight: It takes some guts not to start Kemp (.359, 17 HR, 46 RBI) but if you have another decent outfielder on your bench, Sunday would be a good day to use him.
Description: Outfielder Bobby Abreu has accepted his assignment to Triple-A Albuquerque.
Insight: Abreu had been designated for assignment by the Dodgers last week. He won't carry any fantasy value while he's in the minors but Abreu (.246, 2 HR, 22 RBI) will probably be back in Los Angeles next month when the rosters expand.
Description: Dodgers outfielder and first baseman Juan Rivera won't start Friday night's series opener versus the Cubs.
Insight: Rivera (.253, 5 HR, 34 RBI) and James Loney (.255, 2 HR, 28 RBI) have been sharing time at first base since the aquisition of Shane Victorino (.258, 9 HR, 40 RBI) earlier in the week. Expect that trend to continue until a clear favorite emerges.
Description: The Phillies traded starting pitcher Joe Blanton to the Dodgers Friday for cash and a player to be named later.
Insight: Philadelphia had been in talks with the Orioles about a Blanton deal before the trade deadline but in the end, shipping him to Los Angeles made more sense. Blanton (8-9, 4.59 ERA) should see some time in the Dodgers' rotation while Ted Lilly (5-1, 3.14) continues to rehab from a shoulder injury.
Description: Outfielder Shane Victorino was unimpressive in his first game as a Dodger. He went 0-for-4 with a strikeout as Los Angeles fell to Arizona by a score of 4-0.
Insight: Victorino (.258, 9 HR, 40 RBIs, 24 SBs) started in left field for the first time since 2006 on Wednesday. He'll try to bounce back Friday against the Cubs.
Description: Newly acquired outfielder Shane Victorino is batting first and starting in left field Wednesday against Arizona.
Insight: Victorino (.261, 9 HR, 40 RBIs, 24 SB) has hit .357 in 70 lifetime at bats at Dodger Stadium so look for the two-time NL All-Star to get off to a quick start with his new team.
Description: Dodgers first baseman James Loney isn't starting Wednesday afternoon against Arizona. Loney hasn't appeared in the starting lineup for Los Angeles since Sunday.
Insight: The Dodgers lineup became even more congested yesterday when they acquired outfielder Shane Victorino from the Phillies. With Victorino (.261, 9 HRs, 40 RBIs, 24 SBs) in the oufield, Juan Rivera (.258, 5 HRs, 34 RBIs) should begin seeing more time at first base, meaning fewer reps and consequently fewer chances for Loney (.255, 2 HRs, 28 RBIs) to contribute in fantasy.
Description: Los Angeles outfielder Bobby Abreu has been designated for assignment.
Insight: The Dodgers no longer need Abreu now that they have acquired Shane Victorino (.261, 9 HRs, 40 RBIs). Expect Abreu (.246, 2 HRs, 22 RBIs) to catch on with another squad soon, though his fantasy value will probably be very limited.
Description: The Phillies traded two starting outfielders to NL West contenders Tuesday. Before Hunter Pence was traded to the Giants, Philadelphia moved Shane Victorino to the Dodgers.
Insight: Victorino (.261, 9 HR, 40 RBIs, 24 SB) is batting .385 (20-for-52) with four doubles, three triples, one homer and five stolen bases in his last 14 games. Moving to the Dodgers to join a lineup with Hanley Ramirez, Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier should only improve his fantasy value.
Description: Dodgers first baseman James Loney isn't starting Monday night against Arizona.
Insight: Loney (.257, 2 HRs, 28 RBIs) has had a pedestrian year offensively but he's coming off an impressive weekend in San Francisco (4-for-9 in three games).
Description: Los Angeles left-hander Clayton Kershaw pitched a complete game shutout Sunday against San Francisco, one start removed from allowing eight runs in 5 2/3 innings.
Insight: Kershaw (8-6, 2.95) held the Giants to five hits while striking out seven. Most of Kershaw's remaining performances this season should resemble Sunday's start rather than his previous one.
Description: Dodgers third baseman Hanley Ramirez can't be too happy to see Ryan Vogelsong in the starting lineup for San Francisco on Sunday. The former Marlin is hitless in seven career at bats against the Giants righthander.
Insight: Ramirez (.252, 15 HRs, 54 RBIs) is hitting .375 with a homer and six RBIs since his move from South Beach to Southern California earlier in the week.
Description: Dodgers left fielder Juan Rivera has been very successful in his career against Ryan Vogelsong. He's batting .412 in 17 lifetime at bats against the San Francisco starting pitcher.
Insight: Rivera (.258, 5 HRs, 34 RBIs) went 0-for-4 on Saturday but we're expecting him to rebound with a solid effort against Vogelsong (8-4, 2.26 ERA) on Sunday.
Description: Dodgers second baseman and leadoff hitter Mark Ellis could make some noise in the fantasy game on Sunday. He's a .455 lifetime hitter off of Giants righty Ryan Vogelsong.
Insight: Ellis' numbers have been pretty pedestrian this season (.259, 3 HRs, 14 RBIs) but he looks poised for a productive afternoon on Sunday.
Description: Dodgers first baseman James Loney could be in for a big fantasy day Sunday against the Giants. Loney is hitting .462 in 13 career at bats against San Francisco's Ryan Vogelsong.
Insight: Loney (.254, 2 HRs, 28 RBIs) isn't in the first player that comes to mind when you think of a fantasy superstar but his strong track record against Vogelsong (8-4, 2.26 ERA) makes him a decent play on Sunday.
Description: Los Angeles righthander Chad Billingsley fired seven and a third scoreless innings Saturday afternoon in a blowout victory over the Giants.
Insight: Billingsley (6-9, 3.89 ERA) has gone 2-0 with a 0.68 ERA since his return from the disabled list on July 23.
Description: Los Angeles outfielder Matt Kemp torched the Giants for four hits Saturday in a 10-0 Dodgers win.
Insight: Kemp (.342, 15 HRs, 38 RBIs) had been one for his last 17 before Saturday's monster performance. It's safe to say that Kemp's slump is officially over now.
Description: Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp is 22-for-49 (.449) against Giants lefty Barry Zito with a pair of homers and a 1.159 OPS.
Insight: Kemp hasn't come back strong from him double stint on the disabled list. He's batting just .224 over the past two weeks with a .657 OPS. He's still got great season-long numbers after a huge start (.330, 14 HR, 34 RBI, 1.031 OPS). This favorable matchup may get him started again.
Description: Dodgers third baseman Juan Uribe is receiving the night off Friday against the Giants.
Insight: Uribe (.196, 2 HRs, 17 RBIs) should still see regular playing time until shortstop Dee Gordon (.229, 1 HRs, 17 RBIs, 30 SBs) returns from the DL but when that happens he'll likely be reduced to a reserve role with newcomer Hanley Ramirez (.251, 14 HRs, 49 RBIs) getting most of the reps at third base.
Description: Dodgers outfielder/first baseman Juan Rivera will not appear in Friday night's game against San Francisco.
Insight: Rivera continues to be one of the more frustrating players to own in fantasy. He has posted a .242 batting average for the month of July and his season average isn't much better (.256).
Description: Dodgers outfielder Andre Ethier is the rare hitter who has success against Giants right-hander Matt Cain. In 47 official at-bats, Ethier has 22 hits (.468) with a 1.022 OPS.
Insight: Ethier is 14-for-55 (.292) since returning from injury. The addition of 3B/SS Hanley Ramirez as protection in the lineup for Ethier should also help the outfielder's numbers going forward.
Description: Hopefully you don't have to rely on Dodgers second baseman Mark Ellis in fantasy but those in deeper NL-only leagues should leave him on the bench Thursday against St. Louis starter Jake Westbrook.
Insight: Ellis is 5-for-24 (.208) with a .490 OPS in his career against Westbrook. The second baseman has minimal fantasy value, and Thursday is a particularly poor day to start him.
Description: Dodgers third baseman Hanley Ramirez went 2-for-4 with a triple, an RBI and a walk in his first game with the team.
Insight: Ramirez (.249, 14 HRs, 49 RBIs) looked comfortable with his new teammates and had a nice first game for the Dodgers. However, the triple was only a result of a Jon Jay misplay on the center field warning track after Ramirez jogged out of the box. Whether he thought it was a home run or a can of corn is irrelevant; the third baseman dogged it in his first at-bat with his new team, which shows it's going to be difficult to change who he is regardless of what uniform he's wearing.
Description: The Marlins have traded infielder Hanley Ramirez to the Dodgers along with reliever Randy Choate for Nathan Eovaldi and Scott McGough.
Insight: Ramirez (.246, 14 HRs, 48 RBIs) wore out his welcome in Miami with immature behavior, the latest of which involved the third baseman developing an infection (and forgetting to take his medication) after he punched a fan. Ramirez has regressed the last two seasons instead of coming into his prime, hitting .245 in 691 at-bats. Hopefully the change of scenery will allow him to clear his head and return to his past glory.
Description: Los Angeles left-hander Clayton Kershaw allowed eight runs on seven hits in 5 2/3 innings against St. Louis Tuesday as his ERA rose to 3.14.
Insight: Kershaw hasn't been quite as good as he was last season but he's still one of the better fantasy starters in the league. Consider Tuesday a bad day at the office for the left-hander and continue to start him.
Description: Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp is just 2-for-14 (.143) against Cardinals ace right-hander Adam Wainwright with a .393 OPS.
Insight: Kemp has come back from his two stints on the disabled list with a hot bat hitting .366 with a .981 OPS in nine games. However, history says he won't do much against Wainwright.
Description: Dodgers third baseman Juan Uribe is not in the lineup Monday against Houston.
Insight: Uribe (.190, 2 HRs, 17 RBIs) homered in Los Angeles' 8-5 win over New York on Saturday but he is still just 3-for-22 (.136) over his last 10 games.
Description: Los Angeles first baseman James Loney will be a spectator Monday against St. Louis.
Insight: Loney (.248, 2 HRs, 26 RBIs) wasn't in Sunday's starting lineup either but he ended up getting four at bats in after the game went into extra innings. We'd expect Loney to get the full night off on Monday.
Description: Dodgers starter Chad Billingsley has been activated from the 15-day disabled list. He'll start Monday against the Cardinals.
Insight: Billingsley (4-9, 4.30 ERA) hasn't started since July 7 due to right elbow inflammation, but he only spent a week on the disabled list. He was placed on the DL last week after he was scratched from a scheduled start and the team made the move retroactive to his last appearance.
Description: Los Angeles catcher A.J. Ellis is starting at catcher and batting eighth Sunday against the Mets. Ellis missed Saturday's game due to left knee soreness.
Insight: July has not been kind to the Dodgers' backstop as Ellis is hitting just .225 for the month with one homer and two RBIs.
Description: Dodgers first baseman James Loney is not in the starting lineup for Sunday afternoon's game against the Mets.
Insight: Despite a strong showing in Saturday's game (2-for-5 with an RBI), the light-hitting Loney (.288, 2 HRs, 26 RBIs) is having a dreadul season so far and carries almost no use in fantasy leagues.
Description: Dodgers third baseman Juan Uribe must have thought it was 2010 Saturday against the Mets, as he homered and drove in four runs.
Insight: Uribe belted 24 homers and had 85 RBIs with San Francisco in 2010 and then signed a free agent contract with Los Angeles. In 128 games with the Dodgers over the last two years, Uribe is batting .201 with six home runs and 45 RBIs. One big day isn't going to erase 120-plus games of failure.
Description: Dodgers outfielder Andre Ethier is 5-for-11 (.455) in his career against Mets starter Miguel Batista with three extra base hits and a 1.409 OPS.
Insight: Ethier is 8-for-23 (.348) since returning from injury. He's batting .295 this season with 11 HR and 60 RBI in 82 games.
Description: Dodgers catcher A.J. Ellis is not in the starting lineup for Friday's game against New York.
Insight: Ellis produced fantasy-worthy numbers for the first two months of the season, but is batting just .223 since June 1 with two homers and five RBI. He should not be in any fantasy lineups.
Description: Dodgers infielder Jerry Hairston Jr. is hitless in 18 career at-bats versus Mets ace Johan Santana. The best I can offer you is that he's walked twice.
Insight: Hairston (.291, 4 HRs, 22 RBIs) should be on your bench this Friday against the Mets.
Description: Dodgers second baseman Mark Ellis doesn't hit Mets lefty Johan Santana well. In fact he's managed just one hit in 14 career at-bats while striking out five times.
Insight: Ellis has done little since returning from injury and at this point his fantasy value is minimal.
Description: Los Angeles lefthander Clayton Kershaw surrendered just one run on five hits in eight innings of action Wednesday against Philadelphia. The 2011 Cy Young winner walked none and struck out seven.
Insight: Unfortunately, Kershaw (7-5, 2.74 ERA) was denied his eighth win of the season as Cliff Lee was just as dominant for the Phillies (8 IP, 2 H, ER). Kershaw's next start will be on Tuesday in St. Louis.
Description: Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp was the hero Wednesday in Los Angeles' 5-3 extra innings victory over the Phillies. Kemp's RBI single tied the score at three in the bottom of the tenth and then two innings later, he ended the game on a walkoff two-run homer to center field.
Insight: Amazingly, Kemp's 12th inning blast was his first home run since April 30. He's batting .348 since his return from the DL on July 13.
Description: Dodgers outfielder Andre Ethier, who has never gotten a hit off Phillies starter Cliff Lee, is not in the starting lineup for Wednesday's game against Philadelphia. Its a good time for a rest day.
Insight: Ethier is 7-for-18 since returning from injury. He's batting .297 this season with 11 HR and 60 RBI in 80 games.
Description: Dodgers outfielder Andre Ethier has never gotten a hit off Phillies starter Cliff Lee. They have faced each other nine times and the best Ethier has done is draw a walk.
Insight: Ethier is 7-for-18 since returning from injury. He's batting .297 this season with 11 HR and 60 RBI in 80 games.
Description: Los Angeles outfielder Matt Kemp has seen little success against Phillies lefty Cliff Lee. In 10 career at-bats, he's collected a lone single and struck out five times.
Insight: Kemp is 6-for-17 since returning from a second stint on the disabled list, but has yet to take anyone deep. Given his hamstring problems, he's also not likely to steal many bases the rest of the way. We still await the return of the hitter who dominated baseball in April (.417, 12 HR, 25 RBI).
Description: Dodgers starter Chad Billingsley has landed on the 15-day disabled list. He's suffering from right shoulder inflammation.
Insight: Billingsley (4-9, 4.30 ERA) was scratched from his scheduled start Sunday so we knew something had to be wrong with him. Billingsley has been terrible lately, losing each of his last five starts while recording a 6.21 ERA. He's expected to return to the Los Angeles rotation sometime in early August.
Description: Although Los Angeles outfielder Juan Rivera went 2-for-4 in the opening game of the series, do not be tempted to add him to your starting lineup on Tuesday. He's hitless in 14 career at-bats versus Phillies right-hander Roy Halladay.
Insight: Despite continuing to see faily regular playing time, Rivera (.257, 3 HR, 28 RB) has been a massive fantasy disappointment this season. Sit him.
Description: Dodgers outfielder Andre Ethier is a rare breed - a hitter with success against Phillies ace Roy Halladay. He's 7-for-10 in their matchups with a 1.850 OPS.
Insight: Ethier is 6-for-15 since returning from injury. He's batting .297 this season with 11 HR and 60 RBI in 79 games. He's a must start on Tuesday.
Description: Dodgers starter Chad Billingsley had a second MRI on his right elbow Monday, which confirmed the initial diagnosis of right flexor tendon inflammation, according to Ken Gurnick of MLB.com.
Insight: Billingsley (4-9, 4.30 ERA) will attempt to play catch Monday as the team decides if he needs a trip to the disabled list.
Description: Dodgers outfielder Andre Ethier is a career .429 hitter (6-for-14) against Phillies right-hander Joe Blanton with a pair of homers and a 1.324 OPS
Insight: Ethier is 5-for-11 since returning from injury. He's batting .297 this season with 11 HR and 60 RBI in 78 games. He's a must start on Monday.
Description: Dodgers starter Chris Capuano allowed four runs on five hits Sunday against San Diego, but all of the runs were unearned as Los Angeles committed five errors. Capuano (9-5, 2.75 ERA) had his start pushed up to Sunday due to Chad Billingsley's elbow injury.
Insight: He's dropped three straight decisions after starting out 9-2. It seems unlikely that he can repeat his excellent first half, but even if he regresses slightly he should still put up solid fantasy numbers.
Description: Los Angeles outfielder Juan Rivera is not in the starting lineup for Sunday's tilt with the Padres.
Insight: Despite continuing to see faily regular playing time, Rivera (.253, 3 HRs, 28 RBIs) has been a massive fantasy disappointment this season. He's on pace to finish the 2012 campaign with five homers and 51 RBIs, his lowest totals since 2007 when he was limited to just 14 games because of a broken leg.
Description: Los Angeles outfielder Matt Kemp will take a seat for Sunday's series finale versus the Padres.
Insight: Kemp is 5-9 since coming back from the DL and no longer appears to be bothered by the nagging hamstring issues that caused him to miss most of the last two months. Despite his success in the first two games of this series, the Dodgers will probably give Kemp a few more off days than normal until they're sure he's 100 percent.
Description: Dodgers starter Chris Capuano's start has been moved up to Sunday against San Diego because of an injury to Chad Billingsly.
Insight: Capuano (2.91 ERA) started the year 9-2 but in his last three starts, he's just 0-2 with a 4.50 ERA. He's 0-1 with a 5.73 ERA in two starts against the Padres this season.
Description: Dodgers righthander Chad Billingsley has been scratched from his Sunday start against San Diego because of elbow pain.
Insight: Billingsley (4-9, 4.30 ERA) is scheduled to go for an MRI on his ailing elbow. In the meantime, lefthander Chris Capuano (9-4, 2.91) will fill in for Billingsly on Sunday. He was originally supposed to start Monday against Philadelphia.
Description: Matt Kemp won't be the only Dodgers outfielder returning to action this weekend. Andre Ethier, out since late June with an oblique injury, will also return to the Los Angeles lineup Friday versus the Padres. He'll bat cleanup and play right field.
Insight: Finally the heart of the Dodgers' order is in tact again. Ethier (.291) had been crushing the ball before his oblique injury. Even after missing two weeks, Ethier is still ninth in the NL in RBIs with 55. Look for Ethier to get plenty more RBI opportunities in the second half with Kemp batting ahead of him.
Description: Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp has been activated from the disabled list. He'll start in center field and bat third Friday against San Diego.
Insight: Kemp (.355, 12 HRs, 28 RBIs) participated in the Home Run Derby Monday night in Kansas City but he hasn't appeared in a real game for Los Angeles since late May. If he hits as well as he did before his hamstring injury, Kemp should give his fantasy owners a huge offensive boost in the second half.
Description: Dodgers outfielder Andre Ethier (oblique) could be back for the second-half opener, but he's a career .130 hitter (3-for-23) against Padres starter Clayton Richards.
Insight: Even if Ethier returns for the Friday night game, it might be smart to wait until Saturday to install him in your lineup.
Description: Los Angeles center fielder Matt Kemp is a career .348 hitter versus Padres starter Clayton Richards with two homers and a 1.071 OPS.
Insight: Kemp is expected to be in the lineup when the Dodgers return to the field on Friday night. The sound you here is fantasy owners getting excited by his return. Before the injury, he batted .355 with 12 HR and 28 RBI in 36 games.
Description: Los Angeles reliever Javy Guerra has been activated from the DL. Guerra underwent a procedure on his right knee about a month ago.
Insight: Guerra (2-3, 3.38 ERA) began the year as the Dodgers' closer but now that he's been moved to a setup role, he carries very little fantasy value.
Description: Dodgers shortstop Dee Gordon has been placed on the DL with a torn ligament in his thumb. Gordon will undergo thumb surgery and is expected to miss at least six weeks.
Insight: Fantasy owners won't miss Gordon's .229 batting average but they will miss his league-leading 30 stolen bases.
Description: Los Angeles center fielder Matt Kemp will participate in the Home Run Derby next week even though he's currently rehabbing from a strained hamstring. Kemp is expected to return immediately following the All-Star break.
Insight: There is no doubt that fantasy owners would rather know that Kemp is resting his hamstring for a second-half return rather than exerting himself in a meaningless contest, but at least the Derby will allow Kemp to see if he's truly ready to return after he came back too soon in May and reinjured the hamstring.
Description: Dodgers second baseman Mark Ellis will likely make his first start since May 18 Thursday against Arizona, and he'll have a favorable matchup to look forward to. Ellis is 4-for-8 with two homers against Diamondbacks starter Wade Miley.
Insight: Fantasy owners who held onto Ellis while he was on the DL with a leg injury should get him in the lineup today.
Description: Dodgers second baseman Mark Ellis has been activated from the 15-day disabled list. He missed six weeks with leg and knee issues.
Insight: Ellis was scoring a ton of runs before his injury, mostly due to the run production of Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier, both of whom are currently on the DL.
Description: Dodgers outfielder Andre Ethier (oblique) has been placed on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to June 28.
Insight: Ethier will be eligible to return immediately after the All-Star break, so fantasy owners shouldn't be without the Dodgers outfielder much longer.
Description: Dodgers second baseman Jerry Hairston is sitting out Tuesday's game against Cincinnati.
Insight: Hairston (.296, 3 HRs, 19 RBIs) went 1-4 with a homer in Monday night's game. The long ball broke an 18-game homerless drought for the 15-year veteran.
Description: Dodgers third baseman Juan Uribe will miss Tuesday night's game against the Reds. He's out with a swollen ankle.
Insight: Uribe is hitless in his last 23 at bats. His batting average has dropped from .240 to an even .200 in that span. Fantasy owners should stay far, far away from Uribe, especially now that he has a bum ankle.
Description: Dodgers second baseman Mark Ellis could be activated from the DL Wednesday against Cincinnati. He's been out almost two months while dealing with a sprained knee.
Insight: Ellis is 2-10 in three rehab appearances for Single-A Rancho Cucamonga. Ellis' most productive season came in 2007 when he hit .276 with 19 HRs and 76 RBIs in 150 games for the Athletics. This year he's hitting .273 with two homers and nine RBIs in 37 games played.
Description: Dodgers outfielder Andre Ethier (oblique) continues to sit out games, though the team hasn't put him on the disabled list.
Insight: Ethier has missed the last five contests. Ethier has carried the Dodgers' offense without Matt Kemp. He's batting .291 with 10 HR, 55 RBI and a .848 OPS.
Description: Dodgers shortstop Dee Gordon is out Monday with a left leg cramp.
Insight: Gordon continues to be the National League's stolen base king (28 thefts this season). Unfortunately, he's also the king of fielding errors (17 errors). His .228 batting average hasn't given fantasy owners much to cheer about either.
Description: Los Angeles shortstop Dee Gordon is questionable for Monday's game against Cincinnati with a leg injury.
Insight: Gordon is batting just .228 this season, and .192 over the past two weeks which does make it tough for him to contribute stolen bases. You can't steal first.
Description: Los Angeles center fielder Matt Kemp expects to be back for the Dodgers' July 13 game against San Diego. Kemp is currently on the disabled list with a strained hamstring.
Insight: That's the Dodgers' first game back after the All-Star break. Kemp (.355, 12 HRs, 28 RBIs) hasn't played since reinjuring himself May 30 in a game against the Brewers.
Description: Under no circumstances should you start Dodgers third baseman Juan Uribe on Saturday. He's just a .145 batter versus Mets starter Johan Santana with 20 strikeouts in 62 career at-bats and he's hitless in his last six games.
Insight: Uribe is not the same guy who hit 24 HR and knocked in 85 in 2010 and should not even be on any fantasy rosters, much less in any fantasy starting lineups.
Description: Minnesota utility man Jamey Carroll should be in fantasy lineups for today's doubleheader with Kansas City. He's a .308 career hitter (4-for-13) versus the Royals Jonathan Sanchez and a .714 hitter (5-for-7) against Luke Hochevar.
Insight: Carroll is in the middle of a slump that has dropped his average by nine points in nine days, but this double favorable matchup should be too good to pass up.
Description: As expected, Andre Ethier is not in the lineup for Thursday night's game against the Mets. Ethier is out with a strained left oblique.
Insight: Amazingly, this is only going to be the second game Ethier has missed all season. If Ethier is forced to go on the DL it would be devastating to his fantasy owners. Ethier has carried the Dodgers' offense without Matt Kemp. His 55 RBIs is the third-highest total in the National League this season.
Description: Dodgers third baseman Juan Uribe will get the evening off Thursday against the Mets.
Insight: Uribe is hitless in his last 16 at bats and just two for his last 27 at the plate. With just one homer and 12 RBIs in 38 games this season, Uribe just isn't a reasonable fantasy option anymore.
Description: While we don't expect injured Dodgers outfielder Andre Ethier (left oblique strain) to be available, if he does play on Thursday he owns a great record against Mets starter Chris Young. In 29 career at-bats, he's batting .414 with six homers and a 1.603 OPS.
Insight: Ethier left Wednesday's game against San Francisco in the first inning and if all the speculation about the injury is correct is likely headed for the disabled list.
Description: Dodgers outfielder Andre Ethier left Wednesday's game in the first inning with an apparent injury after sliding awkwardly into second base.
Insight: The slumping Dodgers can ill afford to lose Ethier. The exact nature of his injury isn't yet known.
Description: Dodgers outfielder Andre Ethier is a career .316 hitter (12-for-38) against Giants starter Tim Lincecum.
Insight: Ethier appears to be over his slump from the beginning of the month and has batted .350 this week. Added to his success against Lincecum and he should be in all lineups on Wednesday.
Description: Dodgers center fielder Matt Kemp is expected to begin a rehab assignment prior to the All-Star break. He's been out since the end of May with a strained hamstring.
Insight: Kemp (.355, 12 HRs, 28 RBIs) had an outstanding opening month for Los Angeles (.417, 12 HRs, 25 RBIs) but since then, he has only been able to play in 13 of the Dodgers' last 50 games.
Description: Dodgers first baseman James Loney is just 2-for-28 (.071) against Giants lefty Barry Zito with seven strikeouts.
Insight: Loney's statistics (.248, 2 HR, 21 RB, .654 OPS) simply aren't good enough for the first base position. In this awful matchup, Loney shouldn't get anywhere near the field.
Description: Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Juan Uribe is 2-for-21 (.095) in his career against Giants lefty Barry Zito.
Insight: Over the past two seasons, Uribe has shown little of the power that made him a valuable fantasy property in 2010 (24 HR, 85 RBI). He should not be in any starting lineups.
Description: Cubs outfielder Reed Johnson is likely one of the few hitters who enjoys seeing Johan Santana take the hill. He's a career .520 hitter (13-for-25) against the Mets lefty with a 1.316 OPS.
Insight: Johnson doesn't play everyday, but if you see his name in the Cubs lineup, put him in yours.
Description: Dodgers starter Aaron Harang allowed three runs on eight hits in a no decision against the Angels Sunday. He walked two and struck out none.
Insight: Harang bounced back from a horrific eight-walk start against Oakland his last time on the hill. The right-hander has walked 21 batters while striking out 24 in his last 33 2/3 innings, so he's a bit of a risk going forward.
Description: Los Angeles third baseman Juan Uribe is 0-for-10 in his career against Angels starter Ervin Santana.
Insight: Over the past two seasons, Uribe (.231, 1 HR, 12 RBI) has shown little of the power that made him a valuable fantasy property in 2010 (24 HR, 85 RBI). He should not be in any starting lineups.
Description: Dodgers outfielder Andre Ethier is a career .386 hitter (17-for-44) against Angels starter Dan Haren
Insight: Ethier is batting just .221 over the past four weeks. The absence of slugger Matt Kemp may finally be having an adverse effect on Ethier. Pitchers simply don't have to throw him strikes. Perhaps the favorable matchup will help get him going again.
Description: Los Angeles shortstop Dee Gordon went 0-for-4 Thursday and 0-for-12 with no walks and a caught stealing as the Dodgers were swept at Oakland.
Insight: Gordon has 21 steals in 28 attempts this year, but his .224 average and sub-.600 OPS are just too harmful to own.
Description: Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw put together his best start in more than a month Thursday, holding Oakland to one run on three hits with two walks and seven strikeouts in an eight-inning no decision.
Insight: Kershaw (5-3, 2.73) allowed 17 earned runs in 32 2/3 innings over his previous five starts. He's already allowed 10 home runs in 102 1/3 innings after giving up 15 in 233 1/3 a season ago. Still, look for the lefty to put together a dominant string at some point. He's just too talented to struggle for an extended period.
Description: Los Angeles first baseman James Loney will get the night off for the Dodgers on Wednesday.
Insight: Loney (.257) hit 12 homers for Los Angeles last season but it's looking doubtful that he'll be able to reach that number again in 2012. He has just two homers in 202 at bats this season and hasn't homered in a game since May 21st.
Description: Dodgers second baseman Mark Ellis (sprained knee) fielded grounders at second base Tuesday. He's been throwing and hitting for a week.
Insight: Ellis won't be ready to rejoin Los Angeles until around the All-Star break. The second baseman had two homers and three steals and scored 27 runs with an 18/18 K/BB ratio in 37 games prior to the injury.
Description: Dodgers outfielder Juan Rivera is not in the starting lineup for Tuesday's game in Oakland.
Insight: Rivera's 2012 campaign has been a disappointing one so far. He has struggled to stay healthy and even when Rivera has been on the field, he hasn't been very productive. The 33-year-old is hitting only .239 with 3 HRs and 21 RBIs this season.
Description: Though he hasn't played since May 31st, Dodgers center fielder Matt Kemp continues to lead the National League in All-Star voting.
Insight: Kemp (.355, 12 HRs, 28 RBIs) is expected to return from his hamstring injury in early July, so he should be a part of the All-Star festivities in Kansas City next month.
Description: Minnesota utility man Jamey Carroll doesn't get much attention in fantasy circles, but he is a career .533 hitter (8-for-15) versus Pittsburgh starter Kevin Correia.
Insight: Carroll, who is likely eligible at second, shortstop and third base, is batting .329 over the past four weeks with a respectable 0.785 OPS.
Description: Dodgers starter Chris Capuano held the White Sox to one run on six hits in eight innings Sunday. He walked one and struck out 12. Capuano (8-2, 2.71) took a no decision.
Insight: Capuano hadn't thrown more than 5 1/3 innings in any of his previous three starts. The lefty may regress slightly from his current level but he's clearly found a groove in Los Angeles this season.
Description: Dodgers first baseman James Loney won't be on the field for Sunday's matchup against the visiting White Sox.
Insight: It's just a routine off day for the Los Angeles first baseman. Loney is in the middle of his best offensive month of the year (.317 in 41 at bats in June) but he is still hitting just .264 for the season.
Description: Don't be fooled by Dodgers pitcher Nathan Eovaldi's 0-2 record, he's pitched well in all three starts this season.
Insight: Eovaldi, who has a 1.93 ERA, 1.125 WHIP and 14 Ks in 18 2/3 IP, has not yielded more than two earned runs in any game, but the Dodgers have only scored a total of three runs in his three starts. He's owned in less than 10-percent of all Yahoo leagues.
Description: Dodgers outfielder Juan Rivera is a career .438 hitter (7-for-16) versus Angels lefty C.J. Wilson with a 1.238 OPS.
Insight: Rivera has batted just .240 since returning from injury eight games ago, but has gotten hot this past week (.333) and hit a game-winning thre run homer on Tuesday night. Start him in this favorable matchup.
Description: There is still no timetable for Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp (.355, 12 HR, 28 RBI in 36 games) to get back to the field, according to manager Don Mattingly.
Insight: The original prognosis was four weeks which at the very least meant no sooner than the end of the month. Fantasy owners now should hope for an All-Star break return and 100-percent health in the second half, but the quest for the 50-50 season is dead.
Description: Los Angeles third baseman Juan Uribe Uribe has been activated from the 15-day DL. Uribe was placed on the DL with a sore left wrist back on May 14th.
Insight: Uribe (.250, 1 HR, 10 RBIs) returns to the hot corner after spending a little under a month on the disabled list. Now that Uribe is back, outfielder Alex Castellanos will head back to Triple-A. Castellanos was .143 with two RBIs in 11 games for the Dodgers.
Description: Dodgers outfielder Andre Ethier broke through Sunday with a grand slam, his only hit in five at-bats.
Insight: Ethier went 4-for-38 (.105) with no homers, four RBIs and 12 strikeouts in the 10 games prior to Sunday. He's not fully out of the woods yet, as he struck out two more times, but it's a start.
Description: Dodgers outfielder Juan Rivera is not in the starting lineup for Sunday's game against the Mariners.
Insight: Rivera is just 4-20 (.200) since his return from the disabled list. He should see decent playing time while Matt Kemp is out with a strained hamstring but after that, Rivera (.238, 2 HRs, 15 RBIs) could be the odd man out in an L.A. outfield that also includes Bobby Abreu (.292, 1 HR, 14 RBIs), Andre Ethier (.294, 9 HRs, 48 RBIs) and Tony Gwynn Jr (.272, 0 HRs, 16 RBIs).
Description: Los Angeles leftfielder Bobby Abreu has never been a strong performer against Seattle's Blake Beavan. In 10 career at bats against Beavan, the 17-year veteran has only one hit.
Insight: Abreu (.292, 1 HR, 14 RBIs) sat out on Saturday so odds are he'll be back in the lineup today. Just don't expect a lot of production from him until Beavan (3-5, 5.22 ERA) is out of the game.
Description: Dodgers outfielder Andre Ethier will get the day off Thursday afternoon against Philadelphia.
Insight: Ethier (.302, 9 HRs, 46 RBIs) is hitless in his last 17 at bats. He'll break out of this slump eventually but you might want to bench him until he finds his swing again.
Description: Dodgers outfielder Andre Ethier went 0-for-5 against the Phillies Wednesday.
Insight: Ethier is 0-for-16 in his last four games and 3-for-29 since May 31. Not even a favorable matchup with Kyle Kendrick -- Ethier was 5-for-13 with two homers in his career against the Phillies right-hander -- could snap him out of the slump.
Description: Dodgers starter Aaron Harang has been effective this season, going 4-3 with a 3.90 ERA in his career, but you're taking a big risk if you stream him Thursday at Philadelphia.
Insight: Harang has a 5.18 ERA and 1.67 WHIP in six career games at Citizens Bank Park. He has also pitched much better at home this season, going 1-1 with a 3.20 ERA and 1.14 WHIP in four starts at Dodgers Stadium and 3-2 with a 4.35 ERA and 1.47 WHIP in seven road starts.
Description: Dodgers outfielder Andre Ethier is a .385 hitter (5-for-13) versus Kyle Kendrick with a pair of homers and seven RBI.
Insight: Ethier, who has been carrying the Dodgers offense on his back while Kemp has been sidelined, has gone hitless in his last three contests, but a favorable matchup on Wednesday could be his breakout game.
Description: Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman James Loney is a career .571 hitter (8-for-14) against Phillies starter Kyle Kendrick with a pair of homers and seven RBI.
Insight: Loney (.247, 2 HR, 16 RBI) has done very little this season. With barely any power to go along with a mediocre batting average, there's not much incentive to have Loney on your fantasy roster, except for today in this favorable matchup.
Description: Dodgers righty Kenley Jansen has a firm grasp on Los Angeles' closer job, especially now that Javy Guerra is out for 4-6 weeks following knee surgery Tuesday morning.
Insight: Jansen has dominated out of the pen for the second straight season for Los Angeles. He's gone 7-for-10 in save chances with a 2.03 ERA, 0.86 WHIP and a 13.8 K/9. Jansen struck out an absurd 16 batters per nine innings last season, so his rate is down somewhat this year, but he's still one of the best strikeout artists in the league.
Description: Los Angeles shortstop Dee Gordon made up for getting thrown out at second base earlier in the night by poking a triple to center field to lead off the ninth inning. Gordon scored what proved to be the game-winning run one batter later on Elian Herrera's single to left field.
Insight: Gordon may be batting only .229 but his speed (14-20 in stolen base attempts) will always make him a weapon. Keep an eye out for Gordon if you need help in the steals department.
Description: Dodgers outfielder Tony Gwynn Jr. isn't in the lineup for Monday night's game against the Phillies. He's dealing with a tight hamstring.
Insight: Gwynn is a pretty average fantasy centerfielder (.269, just 14 RBIs in 51 games) but he has boosted his value recently by swiping six stolen bases in his last seven games. We're being told he could come into Monday night's game as a pinch hitter in the later innings.
Description: Dodgers outfielder Juan Rivera has been activated from the disabled list.
Insight: With Kemp sidelined again, the Dodgers need all the bats they can get. Rivera has yet to get the bat going this year, batting .247 with two homers and 13 RBI in 25 games. No reason to add him to your roster unless he shows you he's ready to go on a hot streak.
Description: Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman James Loney is not in the starting lineup for Monday's game against Philadelphia. No injury, just a day of rest.
Insight: Loney (.248, 2 HR, 16 RBI) is 3-for-21 and could use the day off. With little power to go along with a mediocre batting average, there's not much incentive to have Loney on your fantasy roster, much less in the starting lineup.
Description: Bobby Abreu hit his first homer of the season against the Rockies on Saturday. Abreu has played 33 games this season with the Angels and Dodgers.
Insight: Abreu is hitting .324 in 25 games with the Dodgers after bottoming out with the Angels, but he doesn't see enough starts to warrant a roster spot in NL-only leagues.
Description: An MRI on the left shoulder of Dodgers starter Ted Lilly revealed no structural damage, according to the Dodgers official website. The lefty will not require surgery.
Insight: Lilly has already been on the disabled list twice this season. In between, he managed to go 5-1 with a 3.14 ERA, including 5-0 with a 1.79 ERA in his first seven starts.
Description: Dodgers outfielder Juan Rivera is eligible to be activated from the disabled list on Friday, but that will not happen. Manager Don Mattingly said the outfielder was "sore" from his first rehab game.
Insight: With Kemp sidelined again, it would be a nice addition to the Dodgers lineup, but it will have to wait another day or two.
Description: Sue Falsone, the trainer for the Dodgers, says the earliest Matt Kemp could return from his latest hamstring injury is in four weeks.
Insight: That takes us all the way to June 28th and remember that is the best case scenario. A season that once looked so promising is slowly starting to fade away for Kemp and his fantasy owners.
Description: Tony Gwynn Jr. will take a seat Thursday night against the Brewers.
Insight: This is only the third game Gwynn has missed all season. Depite the consistent playing time, Gwynn (.279, 0 HR, 14 RBIs, 5 SBs) isn't much of a fantasy asset.
Description: Matt Kemp has landed back on the disabled list with a left hamstring strain just two days after being activated from the DL.
Insight: It didn't take long for Kemp (.355, 12 HRs, 28 RBIs) to get reinjured. The consensus is that this injury is worse than the one that first sent Kemp to the DL earlier in the month. We're guessing Kemp will be on the sidelines for a bit longer than the required 15 days.
Description: Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp (hamstring) left Wednesday's game after re-aggravating his hamstring strain. He's expected to land back on the disabled list.
Insight: You're going to hear a lot of second guessing on the Dodgers' decision to activate Kemp after the minimum time on the DL. This time, you can bet that the team will be extra careful with its star. Fantasy owners can only hope that this injury doesn't drag into July.
Description: Juan Rivera is expected to be activated from the disabled list this weekend. Rivera has been out since early May because of a hamstring injury.
Insight: Rivera isn't a fantasy must-own (.247, 2 HRs, 13 RBIs) but his 125 career homers and his lifetime .276 batting average suggest that he could be a solid fourth or fifth outfield option if you're looking for depth.
Description: Matt Kemp (hamstring) will return to the Dodgers' starting lineup on Tuesday.
Insight: Kemp was activated from the 15-day disabled list today. Hopefully he's fully over the hamstring strain that landed him there. The injury, a minor slump and Josh Hamilton's tear in the American League have all served to quell some of the April hoopla surrounding Kemp, but he's still the No. 21 overall player in Yahoo! leagues.
Description: Ted Lilly has been placed on the 15-day DL with left shoulder inflammation.
Insight: The move is retroactive to May 24th, the day after Lilly's most recent start. Lilly, who had come into his May 23rd start with a record of 5-0, got rocked in that outing, allowing eight runs on nine hits over just 3.1 innings. He also gave up five walks, just one better than his season-high of six surrendered April 20th against the Astros.
Description: Chris Capuano steamrolled his way through the Astros lineup Sunday on his way to his seventh victory of the season. In seven innings, the 6-foot-3 lefthander and former Duke Blue Devil gave up just two hits, one run and two walks while striking out eight.
Insight: He is now first in the NL in wins (seven), fourth in ERA (2.14) and 10th in strikeouts (58). Plain and simple, Capuano has been dominant this season. He was available in a few leagues a couple weeks back but you won't find Capuano on the waiver wire anymore: he's owned in 100 percent of ESPN fantasy leagues.
Description: Jerry Hairston put together a monster performance Sunday in the Dodgers' 5-1 win over Houston. Hairston went 5-5 with a double and an RBI.
Insight: It was a great effort but you can never put too much stock in one game. Hairston's lack of power (just 1 HR in 63 at bats) and lack of regular playing time make him a shaky fantasy option at best.
Description: Dodgers first baseman James Loney is not in the starting lineup for Sunday's game against Houston.
Insight: Loney has always been a high average, but low power guy at a power position. With his current .266 batting average, he's not even that. Maybe the day off will do him some good.
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