Atomic RoadRunners | Andrew Flynn’s High-Energy Fantasy Baseball

Not surprisingly, Giants manager Bruce Bochy thinks Tim Lincecum deserves the NL Cy Young Award. “If you voted right now he’d be the Cy Young winner,” Bochy said. “He’s got the numbers.” Lincecum, who’s 16-3 with an NL-best 2.54 ERA, is scheduled to start for the Giants on Saturday night against Chris Young, who came within four outs of a perfect game on Sunday at Milwaukee. The Giants haven’t exactly made an effort to preserve their 24-year-old ace’s arm, which might concern you a little going into next season. Lincecum looks like one of the most dominant pitchers in Fantasy, though, winning games even for the lowly Giants. Keep him active. (CBS Sports)

Tim Lincecum took a shutout into the ninth inning Monday and ended up allowed two runs — one earned — in 8 1/3 innings in a win over the Diamondbacks. Lincecum, who started the ninth with a 6-0 lead, threw 127 pitches to help the Giants improve to 17 games under .500. We’d hate to see what kind of workload the team would be saddling him with if it was actually in contention. Lincecum allowed five hits through eight, but with one out in the ninth, he gave up a single, a double and a walk. Two of the runs came around to score off Alex Hinshaw, but one was declared unearned because of Hinshaw’s error. Lincecum improved to 16-3 with a 2.54 ERA. He probably has a slight edge over Brandon Webb in the NL Cy Young race, but after throwing 132 pitches on 8/27, Lincecum followed with a five-inning five-run effort in his next start. Of course Coors Field may have had something to do with those runs. Lincecum shouldn’t have a problem next time out with the Padres in Petco Park. The Giants haven’t exactly made an effort to preserve their 24-year-old ace’s arm, which might concern you a little going into next season. Lincecum looks like one of the most dominant pitchers in Fantasy, though, winning games even for the lowly Giants. (Rotoworld, Rotowire, CBS Sports)

Tim Lincecum couldn’t outduel Livan Hernandez on Tuesday, giving up five runs in five innings in a no-decision against the Rockies. Lincecum gave up five hits, walked two and struck out six. It should come as no surprise he had a poor outing one start after he was left in to throw an MLB season-high 132 pitches. He still remains in the Cy Young race, however. Brandon Webb’s recent struggles have left the door wide open for Lincecum to establish himself as the Cy Young favorite. However, he may need to get to 18 wins to satisfy some. He’s currently 15-3 with a league-leading 2.60 ERA. Jake Peavy is second at 2.69. (Rotoworld, Rotowire)

Tim Lincecum held the Rockies to just one run in 7 2/3 innings on Wednesday night.He picked up his fifteenth win in the process, tying him for the second-most behind Brandon Webb. He also lowered his ERA to a league-leading 2.43, and his 210 strikeouts put him far atop the National League. It’s too bad the amazing season is being wasted in San Francisco. (Rotoworld)

Tim Lincecum improved to 14-3 Friday by holding the Padres scoreless over eight innings. Lincecum surrendered just four hits and struck out eight. He lowered his ERA to 2.48 while allowing just one extra-base hit. He now now leads the majors with 200 strikeouts. Hard to believe he’s only 24 years old and in his second season in the majors. He should continue to rock the NL when he faces the Rockies next time out. “It’s great to get there,” Lincecum said. “I’ve never had that many strikeouts in any season. It’s cool. Everything was going well, everything felt good.” He allowed four hits and three walks. (Rotoworld, CBS Sports)

Tim Lincecum improved to 13-3 Sunday by holding the Braves to one earned run over 7 2/3 innings. Lincecum fanned 10 while limiting the Braves to three hits. He lowered his ERA to 2.60 and got five of his strikeouts with runners in scoring position. He has a 1.88 ERA on the road, best in the major leagues, and will take on the Padres next. He has already racked up 192 strikeouts in 169.2 innings. (Rotoworld)

Tim Lincecum said Wednesday that he’ll be able to make his next scheduled start. Giants manager Bruce Bochy agreed, saying he was “99 percent” sure Lincecum would start against the Braves on Sunday. Lincecum left Tuesday’s game after getting hit in the leg by a comebacker, but the resulting bone bruise won’t keep him sidelined. (Rotoworld)

Tim Lincecum suffered a knee bruise as a result of the Brad Ausmus comebacker that knocked him out of Tuesday’s game. Lincecum tried to avoid the liner off the bat of Brad Ausmus, but it hit him in the side of the knee and he fell to the ground. He limped off the field before being replaced by Keiichi Yabu. He had allowed just one earned run 4 1/3 innings before leaving X-rays taken after the game revealed no fracture, and Lincecum was reportedly walking just fine after returning to the stadium later in the game. It won’t be known if he’ll make his next start until the team sees how he feel in the next few days. (Rotoworld)

Tim Lincecum allowed just two runs in eight innings to lead the Giants past the Braves on Wednesday afternoon. Lincecum allowed just five hits while striking out eight, although he did issue four walks on the afternoon. Still, he picked up his first win since July 13 and lowered his ERA to 2.68 on the season. He’ll pitch in Houston in his next outing. The Braves got their two runs against Lincecum off a pair of RBI groundouts in the fifth and sixth. Lincecum improved to 12-3 this season and is 11-2 in 19 starts following a Giants’ loss. It was only his second in his past six starts. In his three previous outings, the San Francisco ace right-hander had a loss and two no-decisions. He hasn’t allowed more than two runs in four of his last five starts. The second-year hurler remains a must-start Fantasy SP, and we expect for years to come as well. He is on track to be a two-start pitcher Fantasy Week 20 (Aug. 11-17) with his second start coming against the Braves. Both starts are on the road where Lincecum is 8-1 with a 2.04 ERA.(Rotoworld, CBS Sports)

Tim Lincecum fanned 11 while limiting the Padres to one run in seven innings on Friday. Lincecum had a lead blown by the bullpen in a second straight start. He’s 0-2 with a 3.60 ERA and a 32/7 K/BB ratio in three starts since the All-Star break. Lincecum has 41 strikeouts in his last 28 innings and has more strikeouts than innings pitched on the season. He might have a few struggles as he approaches his career high in innings, but he should remain a must-start for the rest of the season. His next start is scheduled for Wednesday against the Braves. (Rotoworld, CBS Sports)

Tim Lincecum outpitched Brandon Webb on Saturday, but took a no-decision after allowing two runs and striking out 13 in seven innings. Tyler Walker, still apparently viewed by Bruce Bochy as one of the Giants’ best relievers, took over to start the eighth and promptly gave up three runs to blow the lead. The 13 strikeouts were a new career high for Lincecum. His previous high was 12, also against the Diamondbacks, on July 1, 2007. He threw 111 pitches tonight, 76 of them strikes. (Rotoworld)

Tim Lincecum, who missed the All-Star game due to the flu, returned to action by yielding five runs in six-plus innings in a loss to the Brewers on SUnday. Lincecum was doing well with just two runs allowed through six innings, but a single, hit by pitch, and three-run Ryan Braun homer changed all that in the seventh. The loss drops Lincecum to 11-3 and raised his ERA to 2.79. (Rotoworld)

Tim Lincecum is slated to start Sunday for the Giants against Milwaukee as planned, even after the right-hander missed Tuesday’s All-Star game with flulike symptoms and dehydration. Yet Giants manager Bruce Bochy is leaving open the option of pushing Lincecum back if needed — and perhaps backing off his workload some in the second half. The hard-throwing right-hander was hospitalized in New York and missed his first All-Star game at Yankee Stadium. “He’s doing fairly well,” Bochy said during a team workout Thursday. “He’s got a cold. From what I understand he’s doing much better. We had a few guys who got sick there the last road trip. … We’re going to check on (Lincecum). He is somebody we’re going to keep an eye on and monitor him the second half because we know his innings are going to be up there.” The 24-year-old Lincecum, in his second major league season, is 11-2 with a 2.57 ERA and 135 strikeouts in 19 starts and 20 appearances for the Giants this year. Backing off on his innings will help him in the long run, but it won’t do your Fantasy team any good this year. Still, he should remain a must-start in Fantasy. Keep him active for Sunday. (CBS Sports)

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Tim Lincecum “felt much better Wednesday” after being hospitalized and missing the All-Star game with flu-like symptoms. Lincecum was released from the hospital Tuesday afternoon, but watched the All-Star game from his hotel room. He remains scheduled to start Sunday against the Brewers. (Rotoworld)

Tim Lincecum was hospitalized Tuesday with flulike symptoms, and it appeared the San Francisco Giants pitcher was likely to miss his first All-Star game. Lincecum was taken from his hotel to a Manhattan hospital after feeling ill early in the day, said Katy Feeney, senior vice president in the commissioner’s office. The right-hander was not at his locker between National League starter Ben Sheets and Edinson Volquez about 2 1/2 hours before the scheduled first pitch. His jersey and a Giants hat hung untouched on a hook on the wall as the NL team headed to the field for batting practice. Giants reliever Brian Wilson said he hadn’t spoken to Lincecum, who missed the All-Star Game Red Carpet Parade on Tuesday. “I think it was just one of those things that just hit him this morning,” said Wilson, who was left to ride alone in the back of a pickup truck up Sixth Avenue in Manhattan.

Lincecum was among several pitchers on the NL roster who threw Sunday, giving manager Clint Hurdle a tired group for the Midsummer Classic. Lincecum struck out nine over eight innings to beat fellow All-Star Ryan Dempster and the Cubs. The 24-year-old Lincecum, 11-2 in his second year with the Giants, leads the major leagues with 135 strikeouts. His 2.57 ERA is fourth best among starters, and he’s lost just once in his last 14 starts. This flu bug should be out of the way in time for his next start, which is tentatively scheduled for Sunday against Milwaukee, so continue to start him in all Fantasy formats. (CBS Sports)