Roto Riteup: April 20, 2016

Live from a coffee shop at 6 a.m. because I just moved and don’t have the internet set up yet, it’s the Roto Riteup! Have you ever tried to exist for three days without the internet? I don’t recommend it. I’ve been hiding out at coffee shops, spending far too long around the Raptors’ facilities, and killing my data with hot-spots.

Sure, you could say, “Just use the internet less,” but in 2016, that’s akin to telling a pitcher to “just get Bryce Harper out,” or, “Just make good contact” off Stephen Strasburg. Some things are easier said than done.

On the agenda:
1. It was a really fun Tuesday
2. deGrom to return Sunday
3. Various News and Notes
4. Streaming Pitcher Options

It was a really fun Tuesday
The Cincinnati Reds stole five bases in a single inning yesterday. The Nationals had a seven-run inning. The Mets hit six home runs. None of this is all that actionable, of course, but baseball’s the best. I guess it also means Billy Hamilton was on base, a rarity. Hamilton has just two stolen bases so far, because despite an increase in walk rate, his OBP remains under .300.

The big news from a fun day, though, was Drew Smyly tossing a one-hitter over eight frames. The Rays’ lefty is still available in a quarter of leagues after barely ranking inside the top 50 at the position in draft season. The only real argument against owning him is the injury track record, and he’s healthy right now, so get on it. Eight innings of one-hit ball with 11 strikeouts and just two walks, against the Red Sox no less, demands your attention. He’s been really good through three starts.

deGrom to return Sunday
Jacob deGrom will rejoin the Mets’ rotation on Sunday, drawing back in against the Atlanta Braves. deGrom was dealing with a lat issue, then had to be placed on the family emergency list due to undisclosed complications following the birth of his son, Jaxon. Jaxon’s been discharged from the hospital and could also start this weekend, if you don’t place your commas correctly.

I like deGrom’s infant son as a streaming option against the Braves. https://t.co/bXFa4i8OiV

— Blake Murphy (@BlakeMurphyODC) April 19, 2016

Owners can confidently start deGrom on Sunday and slot him in for a one-start week next week. Awesome to hear his son is doing better, too.

Various News and Notes
Joe Kelly is hitting the DL with a right shoulder impingement. It looked pretty bad, with Kelly visibly in pain after his 23rd pitch. He hadn’t been pitching particularly well, but he leaves a big hole, and Eduardo Rodriguez is still sidelined, too. Maybe Roenis Elias or Henry Owens get the call? Owens would be more interesting given his pedigree and strikeout potential, but he’s still having trouble with his control in the minors.

Josh Hamilton could be heading on a rehab assignment soon. He won’t be ownable to start except in the deepest of formats. Still, you always root for health. Speaking of, Victor Martinez appears to have avoided disaster after taking a Kelvin Herrera slider off the right knee Tuesday.

Good players doing good things: George Springer homered for the third game in a row. Less good players doing good things: So did Jarrod Saltalamacchia.

Robbie Ray struck out eight over six shutout innings against the Giants. He had a 3.52 ERA over 127.2 innings last year with decent peripherals, and he’s off to a really solid start again in 2016. He’s owned in just seven percent of leagues. Mat Latos, by comparison, was much worse last year but has a 40-percent ownership tag thanks to a ridiculous start of his own.

Tyler Flowers had four hits to push his wRC+ to 159 through five games. Given where the Braves are on the development curve, the 30-year-old should probably be seeing more starts. He’s on a two-year deal, is a quality pitch framer, has some power, and most importantly, isn’t former TNA superstar A.J. Pierzynski.

Cory Spangenberg is dealing with a left quad strain, the type of injury diagnosis that’s hard to project. He’s only hitting .229 with a .302 OBP, anyway, but his multi-position eligibility has him on the NL-only radar, and the Padres only bench player capable of manning second is Adam Rosales. If the injury forced him to the DL, Alexi Amarista or Jemile Weeks could get the call, though 24-year-old Carlos Asuaje might be more interesting.

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

A pitcher for today: Ross Stripling @ ATL (Julio Teheran)
I like the city of Atlanta. Good people there. I really like the Hawks in this year’s NBA playoffs. Still, I’m going to keep picking on the Braves until they show they’re not the worst hitting team in the league, which they won’t, because they are (unless you prefer the Phillies’ particular brand of ineptitude). Ross Stripling hasn’t had the best control so far and his strikeout-to-walk ratio is less than two, but he’s got a tidy ground-ball rate and the stuff has looked good.

A pitcher for tomorrow: Luis Severino vs OAK (Rich Hill)
Still available in more than a third of leagues because of an unsightly 5.91 ERA and a 14.6-percent strikeout rate, Luis Severino hauls his 3.25 FIP, 2.74 xFIP, 2.1-percent walk rate, and 57.5-percent ground-ball rate into the Bronx for a start against the Athletics’ middling offense. The A’s don’t strike out a ton, but there’s a lot to like here where he’s available. Don’t give up on Severino just yet (though I wasn’t a fan at his draft-day price).