Roto Riteup: April 25, 2026

Happy birthday, kid.

On the Agenda: 

1. Closer Chaos
2. Quick Hits
3. Various News and Notes
4. Streaming Pitchers
5. Six Picks

Closer Chaos

When I agreed to write this a couple of times a week, I don’t think I fully understood how chaotic the chaos would be. Friday included some pretty uninteresting saves – Cade Smith was shaky, but locked down his sixth; Andrés Muñoz gave up a single but K’d two on the way to his fourth; Bryan Baker got hit fifth in a four-run game thanks to an “assist” from Trevor Martin who gave up a run and let a couple Twins reach before turning things over the Baker; Robert Suarez got his third; Lucas Erceg struck out two and walked one getting his sixth; Seranthony Dominguez was yet another AL Central closer to get his sixth save.

And then you have the interesting notes. Great American Small Park took down some relievers, as Tony Santillan blew a save (in the 8th) by giving up two HR to the Tigers. That teed up Kenley Jansen for a save opportunity, but the normally unflappable Jansen got two quick outs and then gave up a single to Spencer Steer, bringing Nathaniel Lowe to the plate:

It was Lowe’s second on the night (and the year). For Jansen, it was his second blown save and first loss. This doesn’t change things in Detroit, though. Yes, there are others in this pen who could step up and have closed in the past, but we are a long way from Jansen’s seat getting hot.

Antonio Senzatela, lockdown reliever. Get used to it. The 31-year-old got his second save of the month (and of his career) by going the final 1.2 innings in Queens. He has been absolutely incredible this year, as his stuff is clearly playing up out of the pen. The Stuff+ still isn’t great (104 isn’t ideal for a RP) but his Location+ (114) is excellent. Senzatela has always located well, so getting up to above average stuff, even if not elite, makes him a viable RP. The Rockies seem to like using him for multiple innings (Friday’s 1.2 IP, 4 batter-faced outing was his SHORTEST of the year) so I suspect he won’t become a traditional closer anytime soon. But this won’t be the last time Colorado turns to him to hold a lead and lets him finish the game.

The Dodgers are teaching us an important life lesson: money can by a lot of things, but it can’t buy happiness a functional bullpen. Blake Treinen got his second blown save, giving up a game-tying HR to Alex Bregman in the 8th. With the game still tied, the Dodgers turned to assumed closer Tanner Scott in the 9th. He was extremely efficient, using only six pitches to give up a single to Pete Crow-Armstrong and a homer to Dansby Swanson. He did then record a couple outs before being pulled, but he was tagged with the loss.

With the Cubs in the lead, they turned to Corbin Martin, who threw a 1-2-3 9th to lockdown his first save. With Caleb Thielbar on the IL, the Cubs need yet another option to close and given the lack of reliable names in their pen, the fact that Martin got the first shot and didn’t blink (especially in Dodger Stadium) means he is probably the best bet to get the next shot, too.

Quick Hits

If you are like me, you were worried about Michael Harris II’s quad. He has continued his second-half 2025 breakout and the last thing he needed right now was to miss time while red hot. So I was happy to here he was a scratch – Atlanta wasn’t thinking IL, they were thinking he could play. Then he couldn’t, but still, that’s good news. Better new? He came on as a PH, smashed a two-run double, and then was immediately pulled for a PR. He is obviously not 100% and he was able to jog into second on that double, but if he can hit today, he won’t be out for long.

Giancarlo Stanton was pulled with “lower-leg tightness” but we don’t know much more than that.

Aaron Boone gives @M_Marakovits an update regarding Giancarlo Stanton's lower-leg tightness. pic.twitter.com/2hsKNOxXh6

— YES Network (@YESNetwork) April 25, 2026

The Yankees also updated that Carlos Rodón should need about three rehab appearances. He just made his first Friday, so figure he could be back in the Yankee rotation sometime mid-May. Gerrit Cole made his second rehab start. Those are some big arms getting ready to return.

Eugenio Suárez was scratched Friday and appears headed to the IL with an oblique injury. That could be really bad news, but we will have to wait for more details. For now, that opens up DH for Nathaniel Lowe who, as mentioned above, went deep twice Friday. I am not a Lowe believer, but his hard-hit rate was way up and his xwOBA was .355 before the two homer-performance Friday, so there is at least something to watch.

Maikel Garcia sat Friday but is supposedly feeling better and was just letting some inflammation improve and should be back soon. Brent Rooker may also be back soon, as he may be ready to go without a rehab assignment, as soon as this weekend (so…today?).

Addison Barger needs a rehab assignment and may still be about a week away, which is frustrating news if you were thinking he might be back this weekend, like I was. Trey Yesavage, meanwhile, might need another rehab start. Or he might not? It’s not clear exactly what the next step is, but he is getting close and the Jays need him badly, because Eric Lauer 라우어 and Max Scherzer are not the answer.

Various News and Notes

Speaking of Max Scherzer not being the answer…the future Hall of Famer was tagged for 7 ER in 2.1 IP. He didn’t record a strikeout, walked three and gave up three home runs, including not one but two to Angel Martinez. Daniel Schneemann hit the other. Both Martinez and Schneemann have been excellent this year, posting 143 and 178 wRC+ respectively. Schneemann is turning on the ball more, boosting his pull rate to 48.7%. That might be the change he needed, but the K-rate is still pushing 30% and the biggest chunk of his gains are in his line drive rate, which is an unsustainable 28.2%. His .377 xwOBA suggests this is at least somewhat legit, but as that LD-rate plummets (and it will), that will come down, too. His hard-hit rate, exit velocity, and swing speeds are all up but not by much. Those small changes plus fewer grounders and more pulled contact are probably enough to make him better than last year, but but I would bet on something like a .315 wOBA rest of the way. I am more inclined to buy into Martinez, who has shown some real gains in contact quality – but those gains bring him up to a similar level as Schneemann, not something more. But the sub-20% K-rate will help that same contact quality play up quite a bit.

Spencer Torkelson has now homered in three straight. There was a clear buy-low window for him at the start of this week. It’s probably closed now. He had a 71 wRC+ after Monday. As of now, it’s already up to 109.

Adley Rutschman hit a couple of HR Friday and now has a 209 wRC+ on the year. Remember who we thought this guy was a couple of years ago? Well, he looks the part at the moment, but just a note that going into play Friday he had a .416 wOBA and a .294 xwOBA. I would still encourage patience, but if you wanted to sell high, I would understand.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. was 3-4 with a walk, 3 R, 4 RBI, and his second long ball in as many days. An 84 wRC+ doesn’t look great, but he raised it to that from 47 in in about a 28-hour period. You know Jazz can get hot.

Streaming Pitchers (Under 50% rostered on CBS)

Pitcher for Today: Walbert Urena (LAA) at KCR

He is only 5% rostered at CBS, but you know what? I am one of that 5% and he is in my lineup for today. I will admit, I am having some second thoughts about that, but it is only because this league is includes K/BB ratio as a category and I need to decide if I want his strike outs and other rates in this matchup, plus a shot at a QS, more than I fear a multi-walk performance. In 5×5? He is a great bet for 5-6 innings, with more K’s than innings and a solid ERA.

Other Options: Bailey Ober (MIN) at TBR; Matthew Liberatore (STL) vs. SEA

Pitcher for Tomorrow: Kumar Rocker (TEX) vs. ATH

Vs. and not At is a small but meaningful difference here. I wouldn’t go this route in Sacramento, but Globe Life plays very pitcher friendly, the A’s are 22nd in team wRC+ and only 20th in runs scored despite playing in a bandbox, and Rocker has been good. You can go check out his overall line – solid ERA, enough K – and you can be frustrated by the high WHIP, but it is worth noting that in his four starts, he has only one with an ERA over 3.86 or an FIP over 3.62. That start? Against the Dodgers in LA.

Other Options: Foster Griffin (WAS) at CHW

Six Picks

A new addition to my Roto Riteups will be sharing my Ottoneu Six Picks lineups. You can read more about Six Picks here but the concept is simple: six lineup spots (C, CI, MI, OF, SP, RP); $120 to fill those six spots; Ottoneu FanGraphs Points scoring. The only thing to keep in mind: Your SP will only score points if he starts and your RP will only grab points if he relieves. So no grabbing an RP-eligible player slated to start today.

Here is my Sunday lineup:

• Francisco Alvarez ($5.25) – Such a good hitter and I’ll take a R-on-L matchup with José Quintana.
• Alex Bregman ($24.00) – He’s been hitting well lately, Dodger Stadium is a good park to hit in, and I have no faith in Roki Sasaki.
• Colson Montgomery ($2.75) – Having a nice season and that’s a good park to hit in.
• Kyle Tucker ($45.75) – I think we are going to see some fireworks in LA today.
• Eury Pérez ($10.00) – I don’t have him on many rosters, but I want an excuse to watch him pitch. Plus, the Giants in Oracle is a nice matchup.
• Pete Fairbanks ($7.00) – Let’s double-down. If Eury pitches well, Fairbanks (who was off Friday) should get a shot.