Welcome all to the office of the Fantasy Pharmacist. Here, I’ll check out any boo-boo’s your fantasy team might have, and we’ll give you some suggestions as to how to get better (or at least well enough to get back to work).

Whether a player is placed on the DL or is playing through a nagging injury, I’ll use my medical expertise to give you a prescription for the pain. I’ll give you two suggestions. The first will be your over-the-counter medication, which will be a player who is a known commodity who is available in most leagues. My second recommendation will be a doctor’s prescription for a player that will come with substantial risk, but has the possibility to cure all illnesses. The doctor’s prescription is designed to be a solution for teams in the most competitive of leagues. This week, we will start with a sample dosage.

Magglio Ordonez – RF – 15 Day DL (Pulled Right Oblique)
Ordonez swears that he will spend the minimum 15 days on the disabled list, but oblique injuries can be tricky. While far from his unbelievable 2007 numbers, Ordonez has had a solid 2008 campaign to date, so finding a free agent fill-in of equivalent production is out of the question in most competitive leagues.

Over-the-Counter Medication:
Skip Schumaker – St. Louis Cardinals – Schumaker has had a very good 2008 season to date, yet is still only owned in 49% of ESPN Fantasy Leagues. While he won’t put up big power numbers (6 HR’s, 30 RBI’s), he’s batting over .300 and has gotten on base enough to score 52 runs. One caution about Schumaker is his .164 batting average against lefties, but his .348 average against righties makes him well worth the pick-up if he’s still available in your league.

Doctor’s Prescription:
Andre Ethier – Los Angles Dodgers – The cluster of Dodgers outfielders should prove to be one of the biggest fantasy dilemmas down the stretch. The Dodgers seem to feel obligated to play Andruw Jones and Juan Pierre when both are healthy due to their ridiculous contracts. By doing this, two serviceable players, Matt Kemp and Ethier, are pushed into a platoon. With Jones on the DL still and Pierre injuring his knee on Sunday, Ethier and Kemp should be seeing solid playing time over the next few weeks. Last season, Ethier finished with a solid .284-13-64 line and he finished the 2006 season batting .308. Numbers like this show that Ethier has the talent to put up good fantasy numbers still, and is worth the risk.

Felix Hernandez – SP - 15 Day DL (Sprained Left Ankle)
Since Hernandez hasn’t pitched since June 24th, he is eligible to come off the DL on July 9th, but don’t expected the M’s to rush back their young ace. With the team already out of the race this season, it makes no sense to risk worsening the injury by rushing Hernandez back. For fantasy owners, especially in keeper leagues, Hernandez is still one of the best pitching assets available, but the list of injuries he’s sustained by age 22 is worrisome. Keep an eye on the future to see if the injury bug eventually catches up to Hernandez and effects his production.

Over-the-Counter Medication:
Greg Maddux – San Diego Padres – The great thing about Mad Dog is you know exactly what you’re getting. Too many people write him off due to low strike out numbers, but it’s hard to argue against the contribution he could make to a fantasy team, especially in 8 and 10 team leagues in which he is likely a free agent. With a 4.04 ERA and 10 quality starts, Maddux will help boost your numbers in these categories. With his name being brought up in trade rumors lately, expect a jump in Maddux win total should he be traded to a contender. Even casual baseball fans know about Greg Maddux, but sometimes it seems as if the most knowledgeable fantasy owners overlook his value.

Doctor’s Prescription:
Luis Mendoza – Texas Rangers – The Mighty Ducks hoped that their Luis Mendoza would learn how to stop without running into walls. The Rangers hope their Luis Mendoza can learn how to stop the bleeding. Texas starters have posted a 4.87 ERA, 5th worst in the majors. With Kason Gabbard going on the DL, Mendoza will get his shot in the rotation. According to Texas manager Ron Washington, the team expects Mendoza to “be in our rotation for a long time to come.” Mendoza had an outstanding 2007 season for the AA Frisco RoughRiders, going 15-4 with a 3.93 ERA. His strikeout numbers weren’t earth-shattering, but Mendoza has posted very low WHIP numbers at every stop in the minors. He’s unproven at the highest level, but should he produce solid numbers, you have a chance to be the first using a successful fantasy cure.