Roto Riteup: April 11th, 2012
Today’s Roto Riteup features an inordinate amount of hispanic names.
• Chipper Jones is no longer on the DL, as the Atlanta Braves have activated the third baseman. The switch-hitter came back just in time for the home opener of his farewell tour. Juan Francisco and Martin Prado have been filling in while he’s been away, but both of their roles will change now. Prado will now be playing left field everyday, and Francisco will become a powerful pinch-hitter until Chipper inevitably hits the DL once again.
• While the Pittsburgh Pirates are being relatively conservative with their handling of number-one overall pick Gerrit Cole, he may force their hand if he keeps pitching like he did on Monday. The right-hander got all of his outs either on the ground or via the strikeout. His trademark fastball was on its game, and when it is, he’s going to dominate any minor league lineup you throw at him. I was worried about him, even in dynasty formats, but this start helps rebuild my faith in his value.
• Sergio Santos is going to miss a few days as he will be away for the birth of his child. If you’re looking for short-term saves, Francisco Cordero is going to be filling in. Even if he dominates, odds are against him taking over the closer’s role without a complete meltdown from Santos.
For those of you who play daily fantasy games like FanGraphs: The Game, or just like to stream players, here are a couple matchups you may be able to exploit.
A Pitcher for Today: Phillip Humber (CWS) at CLE
Humber had a breakthrough campaign last year, and while Cleveland’s lineup is okay, it’s nothing worth being scared of.
A Pitcher for Tomorrow: None
You could make an argument for Jeff Karstens again the Dodgers or Chris Capuano, who is facing off against him, but I don’t want to put my eggs in their basket.
A Hitter for Today: The Rangers Lineup
I think Kevin Millwood was a good pickup for the Mariners, but facing the Rangers in Texas is a whole different story.
Zach is the creator and co-author of RotoGraphs' Roto Riteup series, and RotoGraphs' second-longest tenured writer. You can follow him on twitter.
Looks like Humber’s getting skipped, Danks will start.
Yes. What do you think about Danks on the road? He threw solidly in his first start at Texas.
I saw some things that worried me against TEX, but I like him for this start.
I think I’ll give him a shot. Thanks. I only watched his first start via game cast and not video. While it’s come a long way through the years, it’s not the same. What did you see? The same ol’ Danks?
I didn’t get a chance to see the start in its’ entirety, but I noticed he was having some problems with command, notably on his cutter, and he paid the price for it at times.
Then again, it was the Rangers lineup.