Matt Harvey is the real deal (USAT)

I’m not sure what more can be said about Matt Harvey at this point, but I’ll go ahead and continue to pile on the praise. The guy has allowed six hits over 22.0 innings this season. Six! Thanks to a 0.82 ERA and a decent 0.55 WHIP, he’s been the No. 1 ranked fantasy player so far. Harvey’s control still isn’t great, as he’s walked multiple batters in all three of his outings (and he had a 3.93 BB/9 rate across Triple-A and with the Mets last year), but his stuff is among the nastiest in the league already. Harvey’s average fastball velocity (94.3 mph) has been the fourth-highest among all starters this season, while his slider (88.6 mph) has easily been the fastest (next highest is Madison Bumgarner at 88.0 mph) - with this ridiculous movement to boot. His curveball has also averaged the fourth-highest velocity, and he sports a plus changeup for the fun of it as well. Harvey’s 14.8 SwStr% leads the National League, and he somehow currently has a higher IFFB% (8.7) than line drive percentage (7.0). That’s pretty good. Over his first 13 starts in the major leagues, he has a 2.21 ERA and 0.98 WHIP with 95 strikeouts over 81.1 innings with a .173 BAA. In case I haven’t been clear, I think Harvey is for real, although I will caution that odds are his ERA rises above 1.00 at some point this season. Matt Harvey once visited The Virgin Islands. They have since just been referred to as The Islands.

[Also: Brewers ace Yovani Gallardo arrested for DUI]

Reeling in passes could be a common occurrence for Bush in Detroit. (USAT)

In locker-rooms, on plasma screens or behind podiums, NFL head coaches typically spew one of three different types of propaganda when discussing expectations for newly acquired players – believable, outlandish and whatever the heck flies out of Jim Schwartz’s mouth.

Over the years, Schwartz has rewarded the football community with several golden nuggets, his comparison of Jahvid Best video clips to “porn” being the best. Well, it appears the Old Hyperbolator is at it again. Last week, he divulged to Lions fans running back Reggie Bush is poised for an enormous season. In Schwartz’s fantastic words:

"Last year, when [Bush] played for the Miami Dolphins, he was a running back," Schwartz said Tuesday at a Town Hall Meeting for season ticketholders at Ford Field. "He didn’t have very many catches. He had about 20 catches last year. This is a guy who can potentially catch 60-to-70-to-80 balls, depending on how you use him..."

"You want to put players in the best position for them to show what they can do, the best position to effect the game, the best position to be able to make an impact on the game and help win the game and that’s what we plan to do with Reggie...We have a very specific role in mind for him.”

Schwartz’s above declaration may seem like a pull-a-number-of-your-butt projection, but it’s not at all unrealistic. The Lions offense is fast, explosive and high-octane, a pass-centric scheme designed to tax secondaries via constant bombardment. Over the past two seasons, Matthew Stafford chucked 43.4 passes per game, nearly two more tosses per game than next-in-line Drew Brees. With undeniably the game’s finest receiver, Calvin Johnson, and additional above average weapons on roster (e.g. Brandon Pettigrew, Ryan Broyles, Nate Burleson and Joique Bell), it’s no wonder why Detroit is stubborn in its skyward ways. Bush’s arrival only solidifies the club’s air-prolific standing.

Tony Cingrani (USAT Images)Cincinnati prospect Tony Cingrani pitched two clean innings in a start for the Louisville Bats on Sunday, allowing no hits and no walks, striking out five. For Cingrani, those numbers were fairly typical. In his two previous starts for Louisville, the 23-year-old lefty recorded 21 Ks in 12.1 innings, yielding just three hits, two walks, and no runs.

The atypical thing about Sunday's start was that Cingrani pitched only two frames before he was lifted. The Reds, apparently, are planning to call him up to take Johnny Cueto's spot in the big league rotation. Cueto is headed to the DL with a lat strain; Cingrani is almost certainly headed to Cincinnati.

Fantasy owners, this is an actionable event. If you're in need of pitching assistance, you'll want to kick the tires on Cingrani.

First of all, you have to like the way the Reds' schedule sets him up for short-term success. He'll likely face Miami and Chicago in his next two starts, teams that aren't exactly adept at reaching base or scoring runs.

And secondly ... well, just take a look at Cingrani's minor league totals. C'mon. Those stats are obscene.

Bautista & Lawrie, soon to share the infield (USAT Images)

You guys, Brett Lawrie is playing second base for the Single-A Dunedin Blue Jays right this minute, as I write this post. Check the box score if you don't believe me.

For those of us who have Lawrie stashed on fantasy DLs (and who have bums at second base), this is good news.

Lawrie is just beginning a minor league rehab assignment, recovering from a rib issue, and the organization has decided to give him a trial at second, seeking ways to keep the everyday lineup as potent as possible while Jose Reyes is out (ankle, three months). You can listen to Toronto GM Alex Anthopoulos discuss the situation right here, in conversation with Jim Bowden.

Joel Hanrahan's leash shortened on Saturday (Getty)

On second thought, perhaps it's OK to Hanrahate, just a little.

Boston's embattled closer faced only two batters in the ninth inning on Saturday, and he walked 'em both. Hanrahan threw 12 pitches, four of which were strikes. With that, his day ended. He was yanked in favor of Koji Uehara.

Hanrahan's mess was cleaned up nicely by Uehara (nine pitches, three outs), and the Red Sox managed to beat the Rays in 10 innings. So the day certainly wasn't a disaster for Boston.

But clearly, Joel Hanrahan is a closer in trouble. Over his last three appearances he's allowed four walks, three homers and six earned runs. Hanrahan received another vote of (sorta) confidence from his manager following Saturday's game...

Hurry back, Jose (USAT)

Toronto executive Alex Anthopoulos is considered by many to be the brightest young general manager in the game. As Jeff Spicoli would be the first to attest, Anthopoulos is working with an ultimate set of tools.

Unfortunately, there's no reset button to be found in Toronto's headquarters. The Blue Jays don't have the option of nixing the first two weeks of the season and starting over.

The big YYZ concern into Friday's play was a collection of slumping stars, but the stuff really hit the fan in the middle of the series opener at Kansas City. Franchise shortstop Jose Reyes sprained his left ankle while stealing a base in the top of the sixth inning, and he'll be lost for an extended period of time. The initial timetable guess is 1-3 months (and it certainly could be longer); we'll see what MRI results tell us in a day or two.

No team is well-equipped to handle this sort of injury, of course. The Jays could use rock-pulling Emilio Bonifacio at short, and journeyman Maicer Izturis is another option. Surely Anthopoulos will examine the trade market, see if anything makes sense. But this is the type of loss that leaves a scar on any ball club, be it real life or imaginary.

Get out the legal pad and round up the usual suspects; it's time to go shopping for a new fantasy middle infielder (we'll look at second basemen, too). As per usual, we'll try to hit different ownership levels, provide something for everyone.

David Ortiz at Pawtucket (Getty Images)

If, back in March, you took the injury-related discount on David Ortiz at the draft table*, then you're probably feeling pretty good today. Ortiz went 2-for-3 in his first rehab appearance at Triple-A Pawtucket on Thursday, delivering an RBI on a fifth-inning single. Both of Papi's hits came off Rochester right-hander Kyle Gibson, one of the better prospects in Minnesota's system.

(*I took the discount, so you will not lack for updates on this situation.)

Ortiz has been dealing with soreness in both heels, but he was apparently moving well enough on Thursday. Or so his current manager claimed.

This from MiLB.com:

Davis has admired his handywork often thus far. (USAT)

To the dedicated fantasy player, it would seem Chris Davis was a thirty-something fighting to make his mark as a respected power-hitter. He's been hyped and re-hyped by pundits since he dropped 17 bombs in 295 at-bats as a rookie with the Rangers in 2008. But in reality, he's a 27-year-old who's just now entering his prime. Still, despite his roaring start, many fanatics remain skeptical about this long-term capabilities.

On this week's educational program, Brad Evans and Dalton Del Don decided whether owners should turn a profit or exercise patience with Davis. Our fearless forecasters also touched on Darren McFadden's possible redemption this fall, Justin Upton's HR ceiling, Bay Area arms Brett Anderson and Barry Zito, complicated bullpens in Kansas City, St. Louis and Detroit, and, of course, answered your pressing questions.

Too busy weeping with joy at '42?' No problem. Listen to the replays below:

LISTEN TO HOUR 1 HERE (MLB/NFL)

LISTEN TO HOUR 2 HERE (MLB)