Roto Riteup: April 12, 2015

We may only be five or six games into the season, but the Royals are undefeated and tied with the Tigers for the best record in baseball. The division rivals don’t face off until the end of April, so we’re going to talk about other things in today’s Roto Riteup.

On today’s agenda:
1. Yan Gomes suffers knee sprain
2. Aaron Sanchez struggles in debut
3. Mike Olt goes down
4. Streaming Pitcher Options

Yan Gomes suffers knee sprain
Gomes suffered a right knee sprain during a collision at home plate yesterday, and full details of his injury will be revealed after an MRI today. The Indians lack traditional catcher depth, but they do have the option to move Carlos Santana back to the position if they so choose, potentially buying owners eligibility behind the plate in 2016. If you have Gomes, start looking around for another catcher and be prepared to pull the trigger today or tomorrow.

Aaron Sanchez struggles in debut
Sanchez got a chance to start his first game in the big leagues, and it didn’t go so well. Sanchez gave up two homers in less than four innings of work, walking two and striking out one. Sanchez’s fastball sat around 94 — compared with 97 out of the bullpen last year, and the right-hander induced juts three swings-and-misses over 60 pitches. I’ve never personally believed Sanchez to be much of a prospect as a starter, but he does have an electric arm that suits a role in the bullpen perfectly. The Jays need him to start this year, though, so he’ll have plenty of chances to work through any issues and try to prove himself.

Mike Olt goes down
Olt was hit in the wrist by a pitch and had to leave the game, putting a small wrench in the Cubs original plans to keep Kris Bryant in the minors for two weeks. The Cubs aren’t going to panic and call Bryant up to early to fill Olt’s spot should he need a DL stint, but they will have to come up with a new plan. Look for Arismendy Alcantara to shift into a full-time role, with an outfielder coming up from the minors — perhaps Junior Lake. Alcantara’s value jumps until Bryant is called up,

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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: 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.

A pitcher for tomorrow: Mike Leake at CHC (Jon Lester)
Many scheduled starters for Monday have yet to be revealed, but Leake is starting away from GABP, and that is at least interesting.