Agenda
Today’s Roto Riteup was written while I spun Late Registration. I’m giving it another go after I got roasted in the comment section when I rated it my least favorite Kanye album.
On today’s agenda:
1. Welcome to the show, Greg Bird
2. Mitch Moreland’s big night
3. Take note of Yan Gomes
4. Streaming Pitching Options
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Just a few quick notes for this short Thursday slate…
–Andrew Miller last tripped to the hill on Tuesday when he fanned two but surrendered a pair of earned runs on three hits to be charged with his first blown save of the season. And although his 24 consecutive save streak has been reset, the Yankees summonsed their southpaw closer to the mound with a three-run lead over the Indians in Cleveland. Miller entered tonight with a 1.85 ERA (2.49 FIP) and a 27.8% K-BB%, but by the time he left the mound the lefty owned a 2.08 ERA (2.40 FIP) along with a 28.2% K-BB%. Miller surrendered an earned run on two hits while striking out two en route to his 25th save of the season. He needed 18 pitches to get through the five batters and secure the victory of the Yankees.
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Episode 264
The latest episode of “The Sleeper and the Bust” is live!
In this episode, Paul Sporer and Eno Sarris talk Hisashi Iwakuma, Miguel Sano, Aaron Hicks, Greg Bird, Curtis Granderson, Stephen Vogt, Todd Frazier, Salvador Perez, Hanley Ramirez, and Jon Lester.
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As usual, don’t hesitate to tweet us or comment with fantasy questions.
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Approximately 50 minutes of joyous analysis.
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• It may be time to pick up Hector Olivera if you want him as rehabs his hamstring injury in the minors. The Braves are saying he is two weeks off from debuting in the majors so I think it is now or never to pick the player up.
Olivera, who hasn’t played since injuring his hamstring in Triple-A in June while still a member of the Dodgers’ organization, will play two or three days in the GCL according to Hart, and he’ll be moved up through the system from there.
“Get his legs under him a little bit, and we’re satisfied that the hamstring is not an issue — with the idea that we’ll bring him to Atlanta at some point.”
Hart feels that Olivera could make his Major League debut in two weeks, barring any setbacks.
• As expected, Jose Fernandez went on the DL with a strained bicep. I expect him to do a full recovery, pitch a game or two, and then be shut down.
• Koji Uehara is on the DL and will miss the rest of the season with a fractured wrist. Follow the Bullpen Report to find out who may end up with the Save chances in Boston.
Remember when the Dodgers were so flush with players that they couldn’t regularly find all of them playing time? How many times do we see this same thing play out with starting pitchers? Either situation seems to always play itself out either with underperformance of one or more of those involved or, and this is usually the case, by injury.
The Dodgers have had a cluster of talent vying for playing time on the infield just within their 25-man roster before we even account for Corey Seager knocking on the door in the minors, but a pair of injuries – one a long-term situation – has cleared the path for one of their bench bats to get something of an extended looking. Justin Turner is recovering from a skin infection on his thigh and should return this week (could even be today), but Howie Kendrick’s hamstring strain will leave sidelined for at least three weeks.
Enrique Hernandez (aka Kike, pronounced Key-kay) was essentially a throw-in piece in the Dee Gordon–Andrew Heaney deal. By the way, it is often referenced as the Gordon-Heaney deal, but there were five others players in that trade: Hernandez, Dan Haren, Austin Barnes, Chris Hatcher, and Miguel Rojas. It was the second deal that Hernandez had essentially been thrown into that year. He went with Jarred Cosart and Austin Wates to Miami for Jake Marisnick, Colin Moran, and Francis Martes.
Agenda
Episode 90 – Our Dry Period
The latest episode of “Field of Streams” is live!
Field of Streams is moving to a new address! Please subscribe on iTunes here or via a regular feed here!
In this episode, Dylan Higgins and Matthew Dewoskin discuss having trouble finding DFS options yet again, Matt continuing to struggle with Keyvius Sampson’s name, missing Oswaldo Arcia, Matt imagining what he’d do if he ran into Kenny Williams or Robin Ventura, Clint Robison’s Twitter handle, Pat Neshek and Hector Santiago’s baseball hobbies, and Dylan and Matt sharing fanboy stories.
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The title of the article is an allusion to Schott’s Miscellany, which you should definitely check out if you never have and feel compelled to know that a group of larks is called an exaltation or that a member of the 32nd degree of Freemasonry is known as a Sublime Prince of the Royal Secret.
—Chris Bassitt’s Differential–
Chris Bassitt is the type of player that I tend to miss on in fantasy. He has never been a heralded prospect. Our own Kiley McDaniel did not rank him in the White Sox’s top prospect list in 2014, and he finished just 16th on his new team Oakland’s list prior to this season. In the upper minors, he has eclipsed a strikeout per inning, but his 29.2 innings in the majors in 2014 featured a meager 6.4 strikeouts per nine and unsettling 3.9 walks per nine. Even with a lack of established options behind Sonny Gray that promised a chance at some point in 2015, I overlooked Bassitt in favor of prospects I considered to have higher upsides like Luis Severino, Jon Gray, and Eduardo Rodriguez.
We know that average fastball velocity rises as the season progresses. And of course, velocity is highly correlated with strikeout rate. Sometimes velocity increases as a result of improved/changed mechanics, while other times pitchers might suddenly feel healthier than they had earlier in the season. Players are always dealing with aches and pains, the majority of which we never hear about. Since velocity stabilizes quickly, we should take surges very seriously. They could portend or confirm better performance. So here are your American League starting pitchers who have enjoyed at least a two mile per hour jump in velocity since April over the last two weeks.