However, as we head into the All-Star break, the Mets have gotten some good news regarding Jose Reyes and Carlos Delgado.

Reyes has a right leg injury but he recently was able to get out on the field and perform agility drills in front of manager Jerry Manuel.

Said Manuel: “It was very encouraging to watch him move as freely as he was moving and to be able to not have a noticeable limp or anything.”

Delgado was also able to perform agility drills in addition to batting practice. However, the burly first baseman is further away from returning to the field after undergoing hip surgery. Manuel was quick to limit his enthusiasm about Delgado’s progress.

Said Manuel: “It never really bothered him to hit. And I think he’s still in that same place.”

Keep an eye on the progress made by Reyes and Delgado. Reyes could be back in a couple weeks, while Delgado is probably a month away from returning.

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1. Tim Lincecum, San Francisco Giants
The best fantasy baseball pitcher is showing why he has that title. In the last month, he has five wins, 54 strikeouts, a 1.29 WHIP and a 0.80 WHIP.

2. Dan Haren, Arizona Diamondbacks
While he doesn’t get as much attention, Haren is doing a good Lincecum impersonation. In has five wins, 46 strikeouts, a 1.40 ERA and a 0.73 WHIP in the last month.

3. Felix Hernandez, Seattle Mariners
Hernandez has been dominant for much of this season, especially at home. The Mariners are doing better than expected largely due to Hernandez’s pitching arm.

4. Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers
One of the highest regarded young pitchers in the MLB, Kershaw has been on fire as of late. In the last month, he has three wins, 33 strikeouts and a 0.61 ERA

5. Joe Nathan, Minnesota Twins
The best closer over the last month is no doubt Joe Nathan. He has ten saves, hasn’t given up an earned run and has totaled 15 strikeouts in 11 innings.

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Frye has been an interesting case so far in his NBA career. In his rookie season, the 8th overall pick of the 2005 draft was very good. He averaged 12.3 points and 5.7 rebounds in only 24.2 minutes per game.

However, since that point, Frye’s production has progressively slipped. He averaged 9.5 points in his second season, 6.8 points in his third season and 4.2 points in his fourth season.

Now with the Suns, Frye could become an interesting fantasy basketball option next season. Shaquille O’Neal is in Cleveland, which should give Frye a chance to earn plenty of minutes.

The most you should invest in Frye is a late round draft pick with the hopes that he could win a starting spot. He’s 26 so he may still have upside but don’t expect any miracles.

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1. Albert Pujols, St. Louis Cardinals
For much of the 2009 fantasy baseball season, Albert Pujols has been on fire. In the last month, he has really, really been hitting well. In that time period, he has nine homers, 31 RBIs and 23 runs.

2. Hanley Ramirez, Florida Marlins
Hanley Ramirez has started to hit his stride. In the last month, the Marlins superstar has six homers, 15 runs, 33 RBIs and four stolen bases.

3. Troy Tulowitzki, Colorado Rockies
While he’s had a number of rocky moments this fantasy season, Tulowitzki has started to put it all together. In the last month, he has eight homers, 24 runs, 17 RBIs and seven stolen bases.

4. B.J. Upton, Tampa Bay Rays
Coming into the 2009 fantasy baseball season, many experts believed B.J. Upton was the biggest sleeper in the game. In the last 30 days, he has started to show that potential for the Rays. Most notable are his 13 steals during that time period.

5. Pablo Sandoval, San Francisco Giants
In the last month, Pablo Sandoval has done a great job of getting on base. His on-base percentage of .440 is impressive — as are hs nine homers, 24 RBIs and 17 runs.

Albert Pujols is a fantasy baseball stud (Image: Zuma Press)

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Last season, McDyess averaged 9.6 points, 9.8 rebounds and 0.8 blocks per game. He hit also 51% of his shots from the field during the regular season.

On the Spurs, McDyess has a chance to win his first NBA championship ring. However, fantasy basketball wise, this probably isn’t the best news for fantasy owners. Gregg Popovich and the Spurs usually limit the minutes of their players — which also limits fantasy production.

On top of that McDyess will mostly be a fourth or fifth option offensively in San Antonio. The best case scenario for fantasy owners is that he keeps up his rebounding and scoring rates while his minutes drop to around 25 per game.

McDyess should be a safe fantasy performer but don’t expect him to match last season’s numbers.

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Dempster was trying to jump over the railing in front of the dugout on Sunday when he ended up breaking his big toe on his right foot.

“I was coming out of the dugout,” explained Dempster, “stepping over the top of the railing there, sitting up on the ledge, and caught my left foot on the rail as I was coming over and it spun me around and slammed me into the ground.”

The Cubs expect Dempster to be out as long as four weeks, although he could return after three weeks.

After a great season last year, Dempster hasn’t been as impressive in the 2009 fantasy baseball season. He has a 4.09 ERA to go along with a 5-5 record. Be sure to keep him out of your lineup until the beginning of August.

Ryan Dempster Freak Accident (Image: Zuma Press)

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On the Mavs, Marion would likely start alongside Jason Kidd, Josh Howard, Dirk Nowtizki and Marcin Gortat. That would give the Mavs a deep starting lineup with capable players at each position.

Marion used to be one of the best all-around players in the game but he has slowed down the last few years. Since leaving the Phoenix Suns, his fantasy stats have suffered massively. Specifically, his scoring, rebounding and three-point shooting have gone way south.

With the Mavs, there a chance that his stats could recover. Playing with Jason Kidd would be a perfect fit for Marion, who is more of a finisher than a creator.

In terms of fantasy basketball, this would be good news for Marion. He’d have limited pressure and could go back to being an all-around assassin.

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Lee, who has spent his first four season in the NBA with the New York Knicks, would give the Blazers some toughness down in the low blocks. When the Blazers lost to the Rockets in the first round of the playoffs, a lack of toughness was one of the main reasons. Lee would be able to address that weakness.

However, looking at it with fantasy basketball in mind, Lee to the Blazers doesn’t help his fantasy value. With LaMarcus Aldridge, Greg Oden and Joel Przybilla already on the roster, where doe Lee fit in? Would he be happy coming off the bench? Would the Blazers think about going big and moving Aldridge to small forward?

If Lee signs with the Blazers, go ahead and lower his fantasy value until we get some answers. Last season, Lee averaged 16 points and 11.7 rebounds in 34.9 minutes per game. With Portland, Lee’s numbers would are sure to go down.

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The contract the Mavs will reportedly give Gortat is the entire mid-level exception. Over five years, Gortat is expected to make more than $30 million. Due to Gortat being a restricted free agent, the Magic will have a chance to match the contract offer.

Last year, Gortat averaged 3.8 points and 4.5 rebounds per game in 12.6 minutes.

In fantasy basketball, Gortat will be a boom or bust type player. His per-minute numbers suggest he’s a very good rebounder and shot blocker. However, it’s risky depending on per-minute numbers.

If Gortat is the starting center for the Magic, he very well could be worth a look in the mid rounds of a fantasy basketball draft next year simply based on his potential.

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For fantasy basketball purposes, Villanueva’s value goes up following this move. It appears as if he’s finally found a team willing to invest in him and give him the opportunity he needs to succeed. In a per-minute basis, Villanueva has always put good numbers on the board.

Last year, Villanueva averaged 16.2 points and 6.7 rebounds per game in only 26.9 minutes per game. Stretch that to 40 minutes and Villanueva would be putting up 24.1 points and 9.9 rebounds per game.

With the Pistons, expect Villanueva to play power forward. At 6-foot-11, he has the size to play the position. His all-around offensive game should allow him to flourish. Heading into the 2009-10 fantasy basketball season, he’s definitely a sleeper to explode onto the scene.

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