Roto Riteup: April 11, 2015

If you’re a Mariners fan, turn away from this Roto Riteup. You went through enough last night and you don’t want to relive it.

On today’s agenda:
1. Taijuan Walker struggles in debut
2. Don’t count on Josh Hamilton playing this year
3. Brandon Belt could return Sunday
4. Streaming Pitcher Options

Taijuan Walker struggles in debut
After a sizzling spring, there was a ton of hype surrounding Walker’s 2015 season. The only thing sizzling about Walker’s debut was the ball flying off the Athletics’ bats. Walker was clobbered for nine earned in less than four innings, striking out three and walking two. Taijuan may not have walked many, but his command was non-existent, and his .533 BABIP was actually representative of his performance. When Walker’s on his game, he’s pretty much unhittable; it will be stressful to see how often the young gun is effective this year, but he’s still worth owning on potential alone.

Don’t count on Josh Hamilton playing this year
If you were hoping Hamilton would return from injury later this year to help your team, I feel sorry for your mental health. After relapsing this offseason, it looks like the Angels are going to seek a way out of their contractual obligation to provide Hamilton with monetary considerations for his talents and services. Even if the Angels don’t find a loophole to get out of Hamilton’s deal, it’s hard to see him being welcomed back to the Halos lineup after all this. If you have Hamilton stashed on the DL, it’s best to cut bait.

Brandon Belt could return Sunday
The Giants first baseman has been sidelined with an ankle injury, but manager Bruce Bochy thinks he could be back before the end of the weekend. Being so early in the year, the Giants aren’t looking to rush Belt back, but they do need to hope he gets better soon to help provide them with some left-handed pop, as well as a functional roster spot. Belt played just 61 games last year due to injury, so hopefully 2015 is a much healthier year for the 26-year-old.

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Streaming Pitcher Options
If you enjoy streaming pitchers, tune into the Roto Riteup for recommendations each and every day.

A pitcher for today: Dillon Gee at ATL (Julio Teheran)
Gee is a solid — but not spectacular — pitcher who has a solid matchup in front of him. Don’t expect anything special, but look for a quality start and a shot at a W.

A pitcher for tomorrow: Nate Karns at MIA (Henderson Alvarez)
Karns didn’t work out so well last go around, but he gets to go to a spacious NL park, and there isn’t a great deal of other options.