Note: Any noted rostership rates come from the NFBC RotoWire Online Championship, the same rates we use on the FanGraphs Player Rater. For reference, these leagues are 12-team Roto leagues with 30-man rosters (2 C, 1B, 2B, SS, 3B, MI, CI, 5 OF, UT, 9 P) and weekly add/drops. This rate can be compared to other rostership rates found in this article.

Note #2: This will be a working article on Friday as more news trickles in. I thought more news would hit the wire earlier but there wasn’t much.

American League

Blue Jays

• Kevin Gausman has a new windup. Read the rest of this entry »

William Liang-Imagn Images

Note: Any noted rostership rates come from the NFBC RotoWire Online Championship, the same rates we use on the FanGraphs Player Rater. For reference, these leagues are 12-team Roto leagues with 30-man rosters (2 C, 1B, 2B, SS, 3B, MI, CI, 5 OF, UT, 9 P) and weekly add/drops. This rate can be compared to other rostership rates found in this article.

Note #2: There will be another Mining the News in place of lineups this Friday. More news will come out once teams are back.

American League

Astros

• Ronel Blanco and Hayden Wesneski are about to return from the IL.

The return of Blanco and Wesneski could satisfy the club’s starting pitching need, and relievers Bennett Sousa and Kai-Wei Teng could come off the IL immediately after the break.

Starting with Blanco, I need him to show some control once he gets to the majors in order for me to have any faith in him. His career 3.9 BB/9 is a huge red flag, even though he has a 3.45 ERA (4.36 xFIP). A combined 5.16 xFIP in the minors this year doesn’t lead to any confidence in a possible breakout.

The 28-year-old Wesneski has a little more going his way. For his career, he has a 4.01 ERA (4.04 xFIP), 1.16 WHIP, and 8.6 K/9. In 11 IP so far in his rehab, he has a 1.54 ERA (3.94 xFIP) with an 8.5 K/9 and 0.8 BB/9. Read the rest of this entry »

Aaron Doster-Imagn Images

Note: Any noted rostership rates come from the NFBC RotoWire Online Championship, the same rates we use on the FanGraphs Player Rater. For reference, these leagues are 12-team Roto leagues with 30-man rosters (2 C, 1B, 2B, SS, 3B, MI, CI, 5 OF, UT, 9 P) and weekly add/drops. This rate can be compared to other rostership rates found in this article.

American League

Angels

• Grayson Rodriguez should be off the IL any day.

RHP Grayson Rodriguez
Injury: Lower back tightness
IL date: June 15 (15-day IL)
Expected return: July 10
Status: Threw 5 1/3 innings in Triple-A rehab start on July 4, allowing one run on four hits with five strikeouts and no walks. Is expected to return to start on July 10.

Read the rest of this entry »

Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images

Note: Any noted rostership rates come from the NFBC RotoWire Online Championship, the same rates we use on the FanGraphs Player Rater. For reference, these leagues are 12-team Roto leagues with 30-man rosters (2 C, 1B, 2B, SS, 3B, MI, CI, 5 OF, UT, 9 P) and weekly add/drops. This rate can be compared to other rostership rates found in this article.

American League

Angels

Astros

• Lance McCullers Jr. is beginning his rehab assignment.

RHP Lance McCullers Jr.
Injury: Right rotator cuff impingement.
IL date: May 19 (15-day, retroactive to May 16)
Expected return: July
Status: Made first Minor League rehab start June 25 for Triple-A Sugar Land, throwing three scoreless innings.

In his first rehab start, there was no pitch mix change, and his average fastball velocity dropped 0.4 mph. The key was no walks after a 5.0 BB/9 in the majors this season. He can build around his 9.8 K/9. He’s readily available (1% rostered), so he could be a free add if he contains the walks. Read the rest of this entry »

Note: Any stated rostership rates come from the NFBC RotoWire Online Championship, the same rates we use on the FanGraphs Player Rater. For reference, these leagues are 12-team Roto leagues with 30-man rosters (2 C, 1B, 2B, SS, 3B, MI, CI, 5 OF, UT, 9 P) and weekly add/drops.

American League

Angels

• Ryan Johnson threw the best start of his career.

The rookie turned in the best outing of his young career, allowing just one hit and one walk with eight strikeouts over six scoreless innings in a 5-1 win over the Orioles on Tuesday night at Angel Stadium.

Johnson carried a no-hitter until the sixth inning before he gave up a one-out single to former Angels infielder Jeremiah Jackson on a first-pitch cutter. But he got ex-Angels outfielder Taylor Ward to promptly ground into a double play to end his night, as he faced just one over the minimum.

“I feel great,” Johnson said with a big smile after his third career start. “You can’t feel anything but great after that. That’s exactly what I wanted to do.”

Read the rest of this entry »

Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

American League

Angels

• Vaughn Grissom went on a rehab assignment.

INF Vaughn Grissom
Injury: Left oblique strain
IL date: June 8 (10-day IL, retroactive to June 6)
Expected return: Mid-June
Status: Began a rehab assignment with Single-A Rancho Cucamonga on June 14, going 2-for-5 and playing nine innings at third base. Is expected to play in a few more rehab games but is nearing a return.

I’m not sure where and how much Grissom (.735 OPS) will play when he returns. I will guess that Denzer Guzman (.567 OPS) gets demoted. Also, I could see Grissom splitting time at first (Nolan Schanuel, .687 OPS), second (Oswald Peraza, .732 OPS), and third (Guzman). Nobody knows. Read the rest of this entry »

Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

American League

Angels

• Before going on the IL, Vaughn Grissom (oblique) had been working on making more contact.

Vaughn Grissom, who has been filling in for Schanuel, also went 2-for-5 with a homer and three RBIs while Peraza, who started in place of Neto, went 2-for-5 with a double and two RBIs. Grissom noted the new approach that’s been working in recent weeks and said making more contact has been a huge key for the offense’s turnaround.

While his strikeout rate is down from 21% K% last year to 11% K% this year, the rate had grown back to 21% in June.

A deep league bench bat with his position eligibilities (1B, 2B, and possibly 3B) Read the rest of this entry »

Note: I normally dig through regular articles for information, and during the season find little useful information. I’m going to transition to at least going through the team injury information to find some actionable items.

American League

Blue Jays

• While the team likes Brandon Valenzuela’s pitch calling …

His work behind the plate has also improved during that span, with ace Kevin Gausman saying his pitch framing “is getting close to Kirky’s level where you think you’re throwing way more strikes than maybe you are.” Read the rest of this entry »

Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

American League

Angels

• Vaughn Grissom has been starting at first base.

Vaughn Grissom, who hit a grand slam and had six RBIs in Tuesday’s 10-6 win, started at first base again on Wednesday. He’s expected to get the bulk of the playing time there in Schanuel’s absence, although Oswald Peraza and Donovan Walton could see time there as well.

“For the most part now, he’s going to fill in and get the majority of the time over there at first base,” manager Kurt Suzuki said of Grissom. “But I could see Peraza or Donnie playing some first base, so we have options.”

Read the rest of this entry »

Jordan Johnson-Imagn Images

American League

Blue Jays

• Sounds like Spencer Miles will be throwing bulk innings at a regular interval.

Meanwhile, Rule 5 pick Spencer Miles is slated to pitch the bulk of the innings in the Blue Jays vacant rotation spot for the time being, either as a starter or behind an opener.

“You don’t want to move him back and forth too much. If we’re going to do it, try to be consistent with it,” said Schneider before the Blue Jays game against the New York Yankees on Monday.

In his last appearance, he threw 56 pitches across 3.2 IP. Miles has been solid this season with a 2.55 ERA (3.24 xFIP), 1.09 WHIP, 8.4 K/9, and 52% GB%. Similar rate stats to Nathan Eovaldi. Nice upside play. Read the rest of this entry »