In Slovenian, Hochevar means hunky. Well, that's how desperate AL-only and deep-mixed league owners, who keep telling themselves train-wreck Steve Trachsel is rosterable, translate it.

Earlier today, the 0.06 percent owned Luke Hochevar, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2006 draft, was recalled from Triple-A Omaha and is expected to replace John Bale, who is suffering from dead arm and an unshakable case of suckosis, in the KC rotation. If the 24-year-old pitches solidly at Oakland on Sunday and Apr. 26 versus Toronto, his two-start audition will unquestionably turn into an every fifth-day gig. 

Sure, he doesn't possess the untouchable hammer of Clayton Kershaw, the supersonic high-90s heat of Max Scherzer or the veteran polish of David Price, but Hochevar is what fantasy pundits would call "interesting."

Realistically, he's more of a "could succeed" rather than a "can't miss" prospect, but his peripherals, specifically his ability to generate abundant groundball outs (63.4 GB% in '07), are somewhat alluring. 

In a brief September stint with the senior club last year, Hochevar performed admirably, notching a 2.13 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 2.84 BB/9 in 12.2 IP.  However, critics will point out his 3.55 K/9 didn't exactly tickle the fantasy pickle.

Overall, his arsenal is eclectic and diverse - 92-95 mph fastball, knee-bending curve, hard-breaking slider, developing change - with a sharp-diving two-seamer his most effective pitch. Because his sinker can bewilder opponents at times, long-balls shouldn't be an issue. But scouts have expressed concern that he sometimes rushes his delivery, which causes him to drift to the left, leaving balls up in the zone. Trey Hillman noted in spring training that he never witnessed that side of Hochevar before, instead describing his approach and stuff as "pretty dominating."

So if you're on the verge of throwing a Frank Thomas-like conniption fit over your pitching staff, take a chance on Hochevar and hope he takes a hit from the Zack Greinke/Brian Bannister bong.

*Jeremy Bonderman was shaken and stirred by Jeremy Bonderman in Toronto. The once prominent No. 2 starter surrendered five hits and issued six walks in five innings. Although his ERA is a fair 4.61, Bondy's gut-wrenching 1.72 WHIP is unacceptable. The reckless 94 percent owned hurler should be thrown to the waiver wire wolves in shallow mixed leagues.

*Atlanta "Wild Thing" Manny Acosta harnessed his control and slammed the door on the Dodgers to record his first save of the season. The 94 percent available reliever will continue to trot in from the pen until Rafael Soriano returns, which could be as early as Tuesday versus Washington.

*Tampa touch tosser Andy Sonnanstine ripped holes in the White Sox, chucking the first complete game shutout of his career. The 99.5 percent available second-year starter induced 15 groundballs to swell his season GB% over 60.0. Occasionally he'll entice owners with stellar performances, but, at this time, he only warrants a look in deep-mixed and AL-only formats.

*Travis Hafner, the result of a donkey mutation experiment gone wrong, will miss Sunday's game against Minnesota to rest his ailing shoulder. With his BA down to .227 and some owners concerned about his health, he's a prime buy-low candidate.

*Premiere setup man Scot Shields registered his first save of the year, pitching a scoreless ninth against Seattle. No need to be alarmed Francisco Rodriguez owners, K-Rod was unavailable because he had pitched in five of the last six games.

*Nick Blackburn lowered his ERA to a sparkling 2.49, shutting out the Indians sputtering offense over 7.2 IP. The 26-year-old rookie righty has not issued a walk in two consecutive starts and has compiled a 55.3 GB% on the season. His arsenal isn't particularly flashy, but Blackburn's terrific command and ability to force grounders are positive signs he could keep it up. He's still available in over 99 percent of Y! leagues.