The catcher has a hit in four straight games and nine of 10 contests. His .371 batting average during the streak has raised his average to .228, a 16-point increase. Varitek isn't the solid fantasy option he used to be, but he could be a useful option down the stretch in deeper mixed leagues.

There is a good chance Jason Varitek will return to the Red Sox next year, despite his horrendous year offensively, according to the Boston Globe.Varitek has a .225 average and .316 batting average, with over 100 strikeouts. He is clearly not someone fantasy owners should have on their rosters.

Jason Varitek has scored 157 runs as a catcher with Boston and is only one shy of Carlton Fisk's team record, according to the Boston Globe.Varitek has scored five runs over his last three games, with three coming Friday at Toronto.

Varitek extended his hit streak to five games. He's scored five runs in his last three games, two of which came on homers in back-to-back contests. Varitek is hitting only .222, but nobody is taking his starting catcher spot. That alone makes him a worthy fantasy player in deep mixed formats.

News: Red Sox C Jason Varitek went 2-for-3 with a solo home run, a double and three runs scored Friday at Toronto. He has now homered in three straight games.

Analysis: Where did this power surge come from? Varitek's numbers have disappointed all season, but you should consider taking a flier on him again in mixed leagues, at least while he remains hot

The Associated Press reports Boston Red Sox C Jason Varitek hit his 11th home run of the season Friday, Aug. 22.

RedSox.MLB.com's Ian Browne reports Boston Red Sox C Jason Varitek will receive the day off Wednesday, Aug. 20.

The Associated Press' David Ginsburg reports Boston Red Sox C Jason Varitek homered Tuesday night, Aug. 19, giving him two homers in two games and 10 on the season. He has also become the first Boston catcher ever to hit at least 10 homers in nine different seasons.

That's back-to-back games with a jack for Varitek, who now has 10 blasts on the year. He'll need a whole lot more to help make up for his .218 average.

Jason Varitek socked his 10th homer of the season on Tuesday night. The shot is remarkable because Varitek has become the first Red Sox catcher to reach double-digit home runs in nine seasons, the Boston Globe reports.We also have to believe that Varitek holds the Red Sox record for catcher homers on Thursdays when there is a full moon.

News: Red Sox C Jason Varitek hit a solo home run for the Red Sox on Monday at Baltimore, finishing 1-for-4. He now has a hit in three consecutive starts after going hitless in the previous four.

Analysis: Varitek is still hitting only .216, and the home run was only his third since May. He's barely a No. 2 Fantasy C in mixed leagues at this stage of his career

David Ginsburg, of The Associated Press, reports Boston Red Sox C Jason Varitek hit a home run Monday, Aug. 18. He was previously hitting .164 with only two home runs in his last 63 games.

A big long ball for Varitek, who entered the contest mired in a 2-for-19 slump. The All-Star backstop now has nine jacks on the year to go with his .216 average.

Jason Varitek ended an 0-for-15 streak with a single against the Blue Jays Saturday, according to the Boston Globe.The struggling catcher is 5-for-33 (.152) in his last 11 games, and 32-for-199 (.161) in his last 62 games.

Boston Red Sox C Jason Varitek batted ninth for the first time all year Saturday, Aug. 9, against the Chicago White Sox, and went 1-for-4, according to The Associated Press. He batted eighth Sunday, Aug. 10.

Jason Varitek was dropped to ninth in the batting order against Chicago Saturday, according to the Boston Globe. Manager Terry Francona noted that the move had nothing to do with the veteran catcher's slumping over the last two months.Varitek is batting just .170 (31-for-182) with two home runs over his last 56 games, but is currently on a four-game hitting streak, and went 1-for-4 with a run scored from the ninth spot in Saturday's win.

News: Red Sox C Jason Varitek, batting .221 coming into play Saturday at Chicago, hit ninth for the first time this year and went 1-for-4.

Analysis: It's an indication of how poor of an offensive year Varitek is having. He may find himself hitting at the bottom of the Red Sox lineup for the foreseeable future and that would mean less at-bats for him and less chances to drive in runs. He is little more than an AL-only catcher right now

Tek's cracked three two-baggers in his last five starts, perhaps an indication that he's begun to rediscover his stroke. The veteran backstop batted just .197 in July after posting an even uglier .122 clip in June, and holds mixed-league value until he begins to produce with some regularity.