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Key

Middle infielders

Eric Patterson, San Diego Padres

The Padres called up a decent hitting prospect in Logan Forsythe to replace Orlando Hudson (strained right hamstring) on the 25-man, and Alberto Gonzalez could be a factor at the keystone as well. But the bottom line is that the Friars' stalled offense could use the kind of spark E-Pat has provided in the club's last two games: He went 3-for-5 with two homers and two walks.

Padilla best short-term bet

It's not expected to be a long stay for the O-Dawg, and the Pads may be quick to shift to whoever they believe has the hot hand. But those in need of short-term help should act, starting with Patterson. He doesn't have great BA statistical support but has shown patience early on and offers possible counting stuff like his older bro does - a few homers and fair number of stolen bases. It's unlikely, but what if he parlays this into more ABs?

Shallow mixed: Pass

Deep mixed: Pass

NL-only: Acquire

Outfielders

Fred Lewis, Cincinnati Reds

Lewis is back from the disabled list and now in contention for some kind of uneven platoon in left field with Jonny Gomes. Neither is outstanding defensively, though, and Gomes gets leeway from Dusty Baker and in fairness kind of rewards it. Chris Heisey is probably a better choice than either of them, but he's a backup fit at all three outfield spots.

If Baker does go with more of a straight platoon at some point, the left-handed Lewis would benefit. The splits aren't outlandishly favorable, but some managers don't pay attention to the numbers. In that ballpark, Lewis might improve his terribly modest power figures and should continue to run enough to approach 15 or 20 thefts.

Shallow mixed: Pass

Deep mixed: Pass

NL-only: Consider

Pitchers

Mark Melancon, Houston Astros

Brandon Lyon has shoulder weakness. It's not exactly breaking news. He has been awful in two of his four blown save chances, and blowing them is bad enough.

Melancon is a former future closer with the New York Yankees and kind of reclaimed that title when the Astros acquired him last year as part of the package for Lance Berkman. He has an excellent curveball and a fastball with great life, which helps him achieve that low-end closer-like K/9 (7.43 lifetime in the bigs, 8.78 in the minors). He's a little more hittable than you'd like to see, but he still has the goods to succeed.

Hopefully you planned for this move in advance, but if not and he's still available, grab the righty. Wilton Lopez or Jeff Fulchino may sniff around the ninth, but Melancon, while not elite, could hang on for a while.

Shallow mixed: Acquire

Deep mixed: Acquire

NL-only: Acquire

Hong-Chih Kuo and Vicente Padilla, Los Angeles Dodgers

Jonathan Broxton was not too sharp on Tuesday night, and now the Blue has discovered that he has some soreness in his pitching elbow. That's good news for those seeking an explanation, and potentially bad news because of the explanation.

Kuo, the lefty in this recommended duo, is probably the better long-term play because of his track record in relief and as a closer in particular. His numbers are off-the-charts good, when he's healthy. Of course, his health isn't on a schedule, and he may not be able to pitch on back-to-back days for a while. He's building up after his return from the disabled list this past weekend, although he appears to be about good to go in more crucial innings.

Padilla has nasty stuff but his own recent injury concerns. He's not available as often as a skipper would like his top reliever to be, either, but he's likelier to remain healthy over the long haul and, as a right-hander, may have an advantage. Kuo is the only southpaw in LA's 'pen.

Don Mattingly seems to be open to a number of options while Brox is sidelined, but these two are your best bets. Besides, how long will that be? Although there's much uncertainty about Broxton's status and his skipper backs him, these pickups could have long-term implications.

Shallow mixed: Consider

Deep mixed: Acquire

NL-only: Acquire