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Posted on June 17, 2008 by Andrew Flynn

Meet the New Guys: Johnson, McClung, Morton

Marlins SP Josh Johnson, who had Tommy John surgery last August, made his first rehab start Saturday, allowing two runs on eight hits and striking out seven in five innings for Class A Greensboro. He’s expected to make his next rehab start for Class A Jupiter. Johnson wasn’t expected back until September or so, but if he can get through a month of rehab without any trouble, he could be back in Florida next month. He is a top prospect and a DL stashee for all leagues where you can afford to wait until his return. There will be plenty reports on his progress in the coming weeks, so stay tuned. (CBS Sports)

Brewers SP Seth McClung continued his resurgence as a starter, lifting the Brewers to a 4-2 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Sunday. McClung (4-3) continued his superb turnaround since leaving the long relief role in the bullpen, scattering two runs and four hits, including a solo home run by Jason Kubel. He didn’t issue a walk and struck out four. The righty nicknamed “Chucky” after the horror movie character has pitched six innings in each of his last three starts, giving up a total of five earned runs with 13 strikeouts against just one walk. “My mechanics have always been fine, it’s just mentally, a mindset of just really not trying to overthrow that’s gotten me where I am right now,” said McClung, who was once a top-rated prospect in the Tampa Bay system before injuries and inconsistency eventually led the organization to trade him last season. McClung has done well with the Brewers, but we still like him more just as a NL-only Fantasy option. His next scheduled start is for Saturday against the Orioles. (CBS Sports)

Charlie Morton won in his major league debut, leading the Atlanta Braves to a 9-4 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday night. Morton, whose contract was purchased from the Braves’ Triple-A Richmond club earlier in the day, allowed three runs and five hits in six innings with four strikeouts and a walk. The 24-year-old right-hander is the ninth pitcher to start a game for the Braves, who have John Smoltz, Tom Glavine and Mike Hampton on the disabled list. A third-round pick in the 2002 draft, Morton threw 64 of his 104 pitches for strikes. He was 5-2 with a 2.05 ERA in his first season at Triple-A and didn’t allow a home run in his 79 innings. He now finds himself in a contender’s rotation and is a must-add in all NL-only leagues and long-term keeper leagues at this point. His numbers suggest he can help in mixed leagues as well. His next start is slated for Thursday afternoon at Texas. (CBS Sports)

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