The other story of the day, and the one relevant to the following discussion, was the brilliant start by Jon Lester against the Royals. Lester no-hit Kansas City on Monday night, a team that had been playing very well of late. He mixed his pitches well and finished the night with nine strikeouts and two walks. He committed an error on a pick-off attempt that made things interesting for a moment, but he was in total control. The no-hitter reduced his May ERA to 2.05. He remains unowned in 69 percent of FOXSports.com fantasy leagues as of this writing, but that'll change in short order.

Two injuries also need to be addressed by fantasy owners as they circle the waiver wire this week. Jake Peavy was scratched from his weekend start with discomfort in his elbow, and it now appears this all-world hurler will miss up to a month. Struggling Dodgers outfielder Andruw Jones has a cartilage tear in his knee and will make a decision regarding surgery later in the week. The team will wait for the swelling to subside, but the former fantasy hero could be out 4-6 weeks.

As we approach Memorial Day weekend, it's time to shuffle things up and fortify your squad. Let's scan the wire for some possible difference-makers.

Adds

Outfielder Ryan Ludwick of the Cardinals produced a strong April, but he's been positively crushing the ball in May. He homered for the third straight game Monday, increasing his total production this month to eight home runs with 18 RBI. He's batting an even .400 (22-for-55) this month and has reduced his strikeout rate. He's already clubbed 26 extra-base hits this season with 32 RBI, yet he remains available in 42 percent of FOXSports.com fantasy leagues.

Kansas City outfielder Jose Guillen saw his 10-game hitting streak come to an end during Lester's masterful no-hitter Monday night. During the previous 10 games, though, Guillen had hit .500 (19-for-38) with two home runs and 15 RBI. He remains available in 59 percent of FOXSports.com fantasy leagues.

Jered Weaver appeared on the downside of this listing last week as I noted his inconsistency in the six starts prior to his meeting last Tuesday against the White Sox. I watched him obliterate the scuffling White Sox in person, as he limited them to just one hit in seven strong innings while striking out six batters. He earned no decision for his efforts, but he did pitch well enough this weekend to defeat the Dodgers (two earned runs in 5 2/3 innings). I'm intrigued by his improved strikeout rate (13 in 12 2/3 innings in those starts) and will be most interested to see how he handles his next turn against those same White Sox in Chicago. He's currently available in 30 percent of FOXSports.com fantasy leagues.

Ryan Franklin downplayed his role in the Cardinals bullpen, saying he's merely a placeholder until Jason Isringhausen's ready to reclaim the job. That shouldn't deter fantasy owners from scurrying to the wire, as Franklin's pitched very well in his 22 innings of work in 2008. He's saved two games and earned a win from the closer role and owns a strong 1.64 season ERA. He doesn't possess classic closer form, which is to say he doesn't rack up many strikeouts (11) and his walk rate is high (10). However, he remains the closer until further notice, which necessitates a trip to the wire. He's available in 86 percent of FOXSports.com fantasy leagues.

B.J. Ryan continues to build arm strength to allow him to pitch in back-to-back games. In the interim, Scott Downs is coming out of the pen to pick up some spot save opportunities. In fact, he's converted five saves overall and has pitched a perfect month of May (4-for-4 in closing opportunities with a nice, round 0.00 ERA). He's available in 96 percent of FOXSports.com fantasy leagues and offers support at the back end of the bullpen.

Texas closer C.J. Wilson's struggling terribly of late. He's allowed seven earned runs in his past 4 2/3 innings and has struggled with his control. Fantasy owners may want to take a look at Eddie Guardado, the former Seattle closer who's worked his way back from surgery. Guardado picked up a save last week and could see more opportunities in the near future. He's available in virtually all FOXSports.com fantasy leagues.

Drops In the Offing

Paul Konerko's hit safely in four of his past five games, but the White Sox slugger has yet to find his longball stroke. He hasn't homered since April 27 and is batting a woeful .200 in May (12-for-60) with four RBI. He'll heat up this summer and make another run toward 30 home runs (he's reached the mark in four straight), but he's bench or waiver wire fodder at this juncture.

Alas, the unassisted triple play turned in by spring sleeper pick Asdrubal Cabrera last week didn't count in the fantasy boxscore. It would've been a nice boost for the offensively-challenged Cleveland middle infielder. Cabrera's batting just .180 (.143 this month) and has struck out nearly one in every four at-bats. Interestingly, he's still driven in 13 runs despite his struggles at the plate, just two behind catcher Victor Martinez.

Fantasy owners turned to Bill Hall early in the season because of his power potential and a comfort level he'd achieved at third base. Although he batted just .232 in April, he offered fantasy owners great support in the power categories with seven home runs and 19 RBI. He's been absolutely dreadful at the plate in May, batting .138 (8-for-58) with two solo home runs. Those are his only RBI this month, and he's struck out 19 times in 58 at-bats.

Scott Hairston of the Padres won the starting left field job coming out of spring training, but he hasn't done anything to keep it. He enters the week with an abysmal .217 average with five home runs and 11 RBI in 129 at-bats. I suspect we'll witness the recall of Chase Headley in short order in an attempt to jumpstart this offense.

The Dodgers are trying to find an answer for struggling hurlers Brad Penny and Derek Lowe. Penny pitched his third consecutive dud against the Reds on Monday night, surrendering five earned runs on nine hits and four walks in six innings. He's allowed 20 earned runs in his past three starts, a period spanning 16 2/3 innings. He's been very hittable this season (10.68 hits per nine innings), and his walk-to-strikeout rate is troubling (22-to-30). He's also experienced some tightness in his arm during the past week, so that's something to watch. Meanwhile, Lowe volunteered to pitch on three days rest and got hammered by the Angels for seven earned runs in five innings. It was his fourth straight outing in which he surrendered four or more earned runs. He's pitched to a brutal 9.28 ERA this month. They'll rebound at some point, but it's time to find another arm.