Roto Riteup: April 18, 2015

Did you know that the area between Double Rainbows is called Alexander’s band? This Roto Riteup author would guess that Alexander plays the clarinet.

On today’s agenda:
1. Bartolo Colon moves to 3-0
2. Danny Salazar to stay in bigs
3. Alcides Escobar may miss a day or three
4. Streaming Pitcher Options

Bartolo Colon moves to 3-0
Big ‘ole Bartolo spun another gem yesterday, striking out five Marlins and giving up just one run (on a Giancarlo Stanton dinger) over seven innings of work. On the season, Bartolo’s ERA now sits at 2.25, and the former Cy Young Award winner has struck out 18 batters while walking just one. Despite entering his age-42 season, Bartolo’s velocity remains steady from last year, and there’s little reason to suspect his command has slipped. Bartolo is a weird roto pitcher due to his traditional lack of strikeouts, but with a low WHIP and solid ERA, Colon is worth a look in all leagues.

Danny Salazar to stay in bigs
After starting today’s game against the Minnesota Twins, Salazar will remain in the Indians rotation in lieu of being sent back to the minors. Salazar will take the place off Zach McAllister, who was smacked around in his first start after an excellent spring. Salazar had a chance to start one game in the minors, striking out seven hitters and walking none over six innings. Even with the occasional homer, Salazar’s upside is tremendous. Watch his velocity closely today — if he’s sitting around 95, he should be in top form. It’s probably too late to grab Salazar, but check your waiver wire just in case.

Alcides Escobar may miss a day or three
Escobar may be sidelined for a little bit after being on the receiving end on a seemingly malicious Brett Lawrie slide last night. Escobar’s knee twisted awkwardly, but he’s been diagnosed with just a mild strain.

On the other side, there’s always the possibility that Lawrie could receive some sort of punishment for his actions. While this isn’t the NFL with The Ginger Hammer reviewing grainy video footage to determine if someone’s pad level was just a smidgen too high, someone working for MLB could conceivably take a look to see if Lawrie’s slide warrants suspension or a fine. The A’s, likewise, could opt to bench Lawrie for a day to try to send a message to their third baseman.

---

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

A pitcher for today: Chris Heston vs ARZ (Rubby De La Rosa)
A sinkerballer in a friendly park, Heston could shine against a division rival.

A pitcher for tomorrow: Daniel Norris vs ATL (Shelby Miller)
I don’t love picking Norris at home, but he’s facing a Braves squad that should go down with a whimper.