A.J. Burnett, SP, Toronto Blue Jays

July 3, 2007 @ 14:26:55

By Aaron Adams
Edited by KFFL Staff and Ryan Dodson

When Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher A.J. Burnett left in the fifth inning of his June 28 outing against the Minnesota Twins, he clearly wasn't happy as he stormed off the field, threw his glove and tore open his jersey. Though Burnett was upset about being removed early, manager John Gibbons knew something was wrong as Burnett's fastball didn't have its normal high 90s velocity, consistently reaching only 92. Gibbons' fears were reaffirmed on Sunday when Burnett was placed on the disabled list for shoulder soreness. 

Burnett's shoulder first flared up June 12 and had him in such pain he was hunched over on the mound. The pain was first thought of as fatigue, but the drop in his velocity made Gibbons and others feel otherwise as Burnett saw arm specialist Dr. James Andrews on July 1. He was given a cortisone shot for what Gibbons described as a strain with some impingement. 

Burnett is slated to miss at least three to four weeks as he has been shut down for the next week and will then embark on a minor league rehab stint in order to rebuild strength. Twenty-two-year-old rookie Jesse Litsch was recalled from Triple-A Syracuse to take his place in the starting rotation July 3.

Table: A.J. Burnett, SP, Toronto Blue Jays

Year	G	W-L	IP	SO	ERA	WHIP
2004	20	7-6	120	113	3.68	1.17
2005	32	12-12	209	198	3.44	1.26
2006	21	10-8	135.2	118	3.98	1.30
2007	15	5-6	94	106	4.31	1.27

Fantasy Impact

Don't be too surprised if Burnett is out longer than the three-to-four week estimate as Dr. Andrews is known as a fantasy pitcher's worst nightmare, and Burnett is hardly known for his durability. For now, stash him on your disabled list, but try to get any value that you can for him as this is Burnett's 10th trip to the DL in nine seasons and can't be depended on. 

Burnett's replacement, Jesse Litsch, shouldn't be looked at as a replacement in your lineup as he has a 6.62 ERA over his four May starts. Litsch should remain on your radar for possibly next season, as he posted good numbers in the minors but jumped from Double-A New Hampshire to the majors just this season.  

Baltimore Orioles starter Jeremy Guthrie is still available in nearly 70 percent of leagues despite having a 2.62 ERA (second best in the American League), and a league leading 0.89 WHIP. Guthrie has been spectacular so far this season and should see some regression, but his strikeout numbers and low WHIP indicate that you should pick him up while you still can. 

Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Kenny Rogers looks to be a good addition as he has won both of his starts since returning and has a 0.78 ERA and 0.57 WHIP with eight strikeouts over 12 innings of work.

Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Mark Buehrle is still available in 58 percent of fantasy leagues. If that is the case, snatch him up as he should continue to post good ERA and WHIP numbers.

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Aaron Adams
Aaron has been with KFFL since 2007.

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