Since arriving in Boston, Casey Kotchman has been all but buried on the bench, getting a mere 25 at-bats since August 10.

Of course, the fact that he’s managed just five hits in this stretch isn’t exactly prompting Terry Francona to dole out any more PT to him.

Obviously, it’s pretty hard to be productive when you’re not playing, so at this point Kotchman is completely useless in mixed leagues (unless you’re in one of those 45-team thingamabobs).

It’s a bit of a shame, because this still just 26-year-old enjoyed a huge July, batting .320 with a 934 OPS and four dingers. August, however, was a completely different story as Kotchman managed just a .216 mark.

Kotchman, who spent years as an injury waiting to happen, finally got a full season under his belt in 2008, and now that he’s landed on a deep Red Sox team (that also added Victor Martinez at the deadline), he’s been reduced to a part-timer.

But we should try to find something good to say about him. Alright, here’s two things: he’s raised his walk rate significantly this year, and he’s about to enter his “prime” power years. But Kotchman has slugged only .400 this season, and that ain’t gunna cut it as a first baseman, especially in the American League.

Modest power might have been a bit easier to swallow had Kotchman developed into the sure fire .300 hitter everyone and his brother projected him to be. But the sad fact is that his .275 mark this season represents an improvement, and unfortunately the way he’s going now, that BA could wind up much further south before this season has wrapped.

To make matters worse, his strike zone judgment – usually top notch – has not been as sharp since he arrived in Boston, although to be fair, it’s a pretty damn small sample size given his lack of PT opportunities.

Heading into the season, we projected Kotchman as a top 25 first baseman, but also expressed concern over his lack of power. With a month to go, he’s barely been a top 40 first baseman.

The BoSox head to Tampa Bay this week, so that might spur Kotchman, a St. Petersburg native. Right? Uh, maybe not. Over the past three seasons, his play at Tropicana Field represents his worst performance of any park that’s he’s had at least 15 at bats in.

The bottom line here is that Kotchman is barely worth owning even in AL-only leagues at this point. In fact, it would have to be a deeper league for me to even consider him as an option.

Sure, he’s still young enough to finally put it together, but it’s become obvious that he won’t ever approach the stardom we all once envisioned.

After taking two of three from the Florida Marlins on the weekend, the Atlanta Braves have now moved into sole possession of second place in the NL East. They’re just a half game behind the Giants in the NL Wild Card race, but Wild Card leader Colorado continues to surge, and has put 4.5 games between itself and Atlanta. And despite the fact that the Braves have played well lately, the Phillies have been that much better, opening up a seven-game bulge in the East.

But this coming week could very well dictate if the Braves have a legitimate shot at the postseason or will be playing out the string in September.

Starting Tuesday, the Braves host the scuffling Padres for a three-game set, and you’ve got to figure a sweep is a real necessity, especially considering that next weekend Atlanta heads into Philly for a crucial three-game set. By this time next week, we’ll have a much clearer idea of where Atlanta stands in the playoff race.

The Braves’ rotation has been very strong this season, but team speed has been a weakness. In fact, the only Brave with double digit steals is Nate McLouth, who has only been in Atlanta for a third of the season and is currently on the DL.

One of the team’s bigger disappointments this year has been Kelly Johnson, who has now gone more than two weeks since his last hit. On Sunday, he showed some signs of life, drawing two walks and scoring a pair of runs, yet his funk has grown to 0-for-13. Johnson also committed his ninth error as his glovework has slipped along with his hitting skills.

He’s batting just .154 with a 675 OPS for the month and has recently been losing playing time to Omar Infante. Johnson simply has not been getting on base enough to be useful. It’s a trend that’s been going on for a couple of years, actually, but the disintegration on his OBP this year is alarming. In 2007, Johnson’s breakout year, he had a very fine .375 mark. Last year that dipped to .349, but he somewhat compensated for that with more doubles, more steals and a higher BA. This season, however, Johnson’s OBP is an unacceptable .295.

Also alarming is his complete inability to come through in key situations. Johnson is one of the worst hitters in the NL when it comes to batting with runners in scoring position and two outs, having gone a mere 3-for-26 (.115) in this scenario.

He’s at that magical age 27, but we’re not seeing a significant hike in his power, so at this point, I don’t believe there’s much point of owning him in a standard sized mixed league.

Granted, Johnson was hurt most of July, and at that time Martin Prado took over for him, but if Johnson doesn’t get his act together pronto, Prado could steal the second base job outright once he gets over his headache issues. If there are better options out there – which is highly likely depending on how large your league is – I’d go ahead and dump Johnson.

Okay, okay, don’t panic. Despite the headline, I’m not advocating the outright dumping of one of the NL’s better catchers. I’m pretty hung over today, but no longer drunk. However, given his in-season and historical trends, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to listen to some trade offers for Russell Martin right now.

After his 0-for-3 Friday, Martin is now in a mini 1-for-10 skid in his last three games, taking a bit of the shine off what’s been a pretty good July so far.

Trying to get a handle on Martin’s 2009 season has been about as easy as removing your own kidney with a plastic spoon. He sucked supremely in April (.205, 0 HR, 0 SB, 559 OPS), but then tore it up in May (.330, 0 HR, 7 SB, 835 OPS). June brought back Martin’s lamb, as he hit .190 without a steal, but did finally manage to smash his first long ball on the 20th. Hell, he’s doubled that season home run total with another jack this month, adding another steal while batting .316.

So while Martin is hot, it’s time to play up that improving BA and peddle him. Like most catchers, he tends to struggle in the second half (in his career, his OPS is 70 points lower after the break), making him a prime sell candidate.

It might not be a bad idea to target someone like Geovany Soto, who has had a difficult season and is now hurt. Think of how much you can add to your side of the ledger in that trade — especially in a keeper league.

Play up Martin’s durability and continually improving walk rate, and know that you’re ridding yourself of a catcher who’s numbers have slipped significantly for the second straight season – especially in the power department. A dozen extra base hits in late-July? Uh, ya.

Given that he’s just 26, it’s reasonable to expect Martin’s power to resurface in the next year or two, but right now, I’m a bit worried whether I own him in a redraft or a keeper league.

Casey Blake is likely headed for a career best in RBI, but an 0-for-4 performance Sunday has lengthened a recent slump, making me feel he is a fringe Fantasy third baseman in standard sized leagues now.

In his past seven games, Blake is 4-for-25 with eight strikeouts, dimming what had been a very good July up until about a week and a half ago.

Overall, it’s been a solid season for the veteran, and even though his 12 dingers has him tied for second on the Los Angeles Dodgers, Blake is not a feared slugger by any means.

He remains a productive run producer (possibly on his way to his first ever 100 RBI season), but he’s never been much of a base stealer, hits for pedestrian batting averages, and doesn’t really hit enough homers to compensate for the rest of his game.

There are certainly worse options at third base, but if you’re in a 12-team mixed league, he’s pretty well the worst starter you can have, and may be better suited to act as a backup in most cases. In mixed leagues smaller than 12 teams, go ahead and dump Blake.

Detroit Tigers starter Armando Galarraga may have won his last two starts, but to say he looked sharp in either outing would be highly inaccurate. In fact, in his last start against Oakland – the worst hitting team in the AL – he dodged a bullet as the A’s failed to capitalize on Galarraga’s wildness that resulted in six walks in 6 1/3 IP.

Galarraga was actually better in June than he was in May, but that’s not saying a hell of a lot after he got bitch-slapped to the tune of an 0-5 record and 8.49 ERA in six starts in May. Even though he pitched better in June, control has remained a serious issue all season. Combine that with a K/9 rate that has declined from his fine rookie effort, and you’re left with a pitcher that is best avoided in standard mixed leagues at this point.

If you’re desperate for a starter, however, next week may be a good time to gamble on Galarraga at least having a chance to bag a win or two, if not actually help your team peripherals. He has a pair of home starts, Monday against the Royals – the second-worst hitting team in the AL – and then Sunday vs. Cleveland, a team that’s hit well on the road, but hasn’t swung the sticks well anywhere recently.

Looking slightly longer term, you’ve got to be worried that if he doesn’t start turning in more quality outings and rein in all those walks, Galarraga could be usurped in the rotation by either Dontrelle Willis or Jeremy Bonderman, whenever the hell either of those two are ready to return. The Tigers have played pretty well lately, but their hold on the AL Central is tenuous with the White Sox suddenly charging hard on their heels, so Detroit won’t hesitate to make changes as soon as some of its walking wounded return.

I sure hope you’re no longer holding onto Oriole shortstop Cesar Izturis, especially with news that he could still be almost a month away from returning as he continues to rehab from appendicitis which has already cost him almost a month. Izturis will likely start a minor league rehab assignment next week, but expecting him back before late-July is foolhardy.

The Orioles, who just dropped two out of three at home against the BoSox to fall six games behind the fourth-place Jays, have turned to youngster Robert Andino as the everyday shortstop, and the fact that there’s no rush to pick him up off the waiver wires tells you everything you need to know. Shortstop was a black hole for the O’s last season, and apparently is remaining so in 2009.

Izturis had actually been doing a bit better offensively before he went down, batting .276 with 10 runs and four steals in May, but the fact that he’s had such difficulty staying healthy is recent seasons is yet another reason to shy away from him. Sure, he was getting more extra-base hits than normal (that’s not saying much) and doing a great job on the basepaths – which is really the only reason he’s even mildly attractive for Fantasy purposes – but Izturis is showing no patience this year, and his great early-season contact rates corrected themselves in May.

At this point, I see no reason to hold on to Izturis or even monitor his progress, and as for Andino, surely there are better options. As for the Orioles’ woes at this position, barring a trade or off-season free agent signing, I don’t see an immediate answer. Their shortstop ranks in the minors are fairly barren, although Pedro Florimon, Jr., a 22-year-old at High A is somewhat intriguing, as he’s taken a nice step forward this year, displaying decent gap power and speed and showing good on-base skills. Moises Coriaco is off to a strong start in the Rookie level GCL, but he’s almost 21 years old already, so it’s hard to place much stock in his performance until he proves he can hit against more advanced competition.

It seems strange to recommend ditching a player who has nine hits in his last 13 at bats, but with the O’s really unable to make up much ground on the Rays – even though they just swept the Nats – there’s no point in them trotting 38-year-old catcher Gregg Zaun out there when they’re trying to develop the most exciting young catching prospect in the game in Matt Wieters.

Zaun seems to have been helped by the extra rest, batting .500 with five runs and five RBI in limited action this month. Saturday, he jacked a solo blast as part of a 3-for-4 night. The vet saw plenty of action earlier this season, and despite a less patient approach, he’s been doing a solid job of getting on base, but unless you’re in an extremely deep AL-only league, Zaun has outlived his usefulness, something we expected from the beginning of the season.

If you’ve been hanging onto Zaun in an AL-only league, you’re better off picking up someone like Dioner Navarro, who is grossly underowned, but starting to heat up.

The Orioles will likely be very happy to get home Friday after getting swept by the Marlins, thereby losing the little ground they had made up on Tampa Bay. Visiting B-More this weekend is Washington, a team that’s been holding its own lately, but struggles badly to win on the road. The return home is good news for rookie left fielder Nolan Reimold, as he had to sit a couple of games in NL parks this week to accommodate normal DH Luke Scott.

Reimold has been very impressive so far, living up to our recommendation last month to pluck him off the wire. He smacked five dingers in just 60 at bats in May, and has continued to hit for power this month. However, Reimold is stuck in a 2-for-13 skid, causing him to wind up on a few waiver wires this week. It’s hard to recommend the former Future Game participant right now, so I’d suggest seeing how he fares over the next couple of weeks as he gets back into consistent PT.

Before all is said and done, Reimold could factor into the AL ROY race, and if nothing else, he’s part of an exciting wave of young talent that’s beginning to swarm Charm City – and it’s been a hell of a long time since we’ve been able to say that.

We recommended Luke Scott late last month when he was tearing it up after his activation from the DL, but it looks like the great run is over and it may be time to dump him in standard mixed leagues. First of all, he’s sat plenty with the Orioles playing in NL parks lately. Second of all, after a ridiculously potent May (albeit in limited action), Scott has slumped badly in June, a current 3-for-22 skid dropping him to .239 with a 699 OPS for the month.

He’ll probably be in action tonight as the Orioles – who had been on a roll until landing in South Florida – look to avoid a sweep against the Marlins. With Florida tossing lefty Sean West at B-More, I expect Scott to come through – after all, he’s torching lefties with an OPS of 1137 this year. Overall, Scott is enjoying a big power year with 14 jacks in just 184 at bats, but asking him to maintain the high BA (he was batting .336 less than four weeks ago and has dropped over 40 points since then) was too much.

Scott remains a solid option in AL-only leagues and in deeper mixed leagues, but the time to sell high on the former Astro may have passed.