Michael

Bourn

After an umremarkable first half in Double-A, Bourn was promoted to Triple-A on July 4 and hit .333/.425/.467 in 90 at-bats. He’s probably at least a year away from being ready for the majors, but maybe he can stay hot for a little while longer. Because of his speed, NL-only leaguers can take a chance on him. However, he’s not going to be a very good bet to produce value unless the Phillies trade another outfielder. He also won’t stay up for long if manager Charlie Manuel can’t find at-bats for him.

It’s for the best. Bourn had been red-hot since a promotion to Triple-A, but he’s likely still a year away and it didn’t make sense to use him over David Dellucci or Shane Victorino.

The move clears a roster spot for Jose Hernandez. Bourn will be back in September, but if the Phillies had any interest in giving him a significant role, they wouldn’t have kept Joe Thurston over him now.

Being a left-handed hitter, Bourn can’t platoon with David Dellucci. He’ll probably get about one start per week over Shane Victorino and also fill in when Pat Burrell’s sore foot forces him out of the lineup. Because of his speed, he could be a useful fifth outfielder in NL-only leagues. Just don’t expect much else besides a few stolen bases.

Bourn was at .274/.350/.365 for Double-A Reading, so he didn’t really earn the promotion. His stock is sliding a bit, but it’s still possible that he’ll be a regular center fielder in 2008.

The center fielder has picked up the pace recently, collecting nine hits in his last four games. He is now batting .301/.355/.396 on the season.

The Braves’ leadoff hitter has been sizzling at the plate recently, batting 21-for-44 (.477) since April 18. With a .410 OBP, Bourn is one reason why Atlanta is tied atop the NL East standings.

Bourn led off the game with a single and quickly came around to score, setting the pace for an easy win over the defending World Series champ. He’s now batting .333 with one homer, nine RBI, 11 stolen bases and 24 runs scored in 34 games this year. The speedy center fielder remains a highly valuable fantasy commodity.

Bourn will earn $6.845 million this season in his final year of arbitration eligibility. If the Braves don’t lock him up at some point before the beginning of free agency next fall, the speedy center fielder will be allowed to sign with any team. He batted .294 with a .734 OPS, 50 RBI and 61 stolen bases between Houston and Atlanta last season.

After a rough first week of the season that culminated in a .125 batting average, Bourn has produced successive hitting streaks of four, seven, and now 11 games. He is hitting .333 with 20 runs scored and 11 swipes.