Roto Riteup: April 5, 2019

Don’t you dare test the Roto Riteup!

WHY 👏 ARE 👏 WE 👏 STILL 👏 RUNNING 👏 ON 👏 RAMON LAUREANO??? pic.twitter.com/bEWaLnQLOy

— Red Sox on CLNS (@RedSoxCLNS) April 4, 2019

On the Agenda:
1. Kershaw’s Rehab Start
2. Various News and Notes
3. Streaming Pitchers

Kershaw’s Rehab Start
Clayton Kershaw allowed 2 ER in 4.1 IP (61 pitches) with 6 K and 2 BB in his first rehab start for Triple-A Oklahoma City. He was opposed by the Brewers Triple-A affiliate (San Antonio) – featuring guys like Corey Ray, Tyrone Taylor, Lucas Ercig, Mauricio Dubon, and Keston Hiura. He walked Ray to start the game, but didn’t give up a blemish until the second inning when he yielded a round-tripper to Tyrone Taylor.

Clayton Kershaw walks Brewers prospect Corey Ray to open the game. Everything in upper 80s. Hit 90 twice. pic.twitter.com/xQoXWQoToV

— Jacob Unruh (@jacobunruh) April 5, 2019

 

https://twitter.com/heath_pbitty/status/1113962829374205952

Another run would score later than inning, but Kershaw went on to strike out four of-the-next five hitters he faced. 10-of-the-13 outs he recorded were either via strikeout or on the ground, and his velocity sat about 88-90 mph. Last April he was sitting about 91 mph on average with his fastball, so I don’t consider this a concern as of now. Like I mentioned yesterday, Dave Roberts had already planned on there being another rehab outing in store for the southpaw, and Kershaw echoed that same sentiment after the outing.

Clayton Kershaw on his night. Said next step is “probably” another rehab start. pic.twitter.com/qoa09UoduZ

— Jacob Unruh (@jacobunruh) April 5, 2019

The important thing here is that Kershaw came out of this healthy, feeling good, and ready to take the next step. If he makes just one more rehab appearance – like I said yesterday – we should see him with the Dodgers come the week of April 14th – or as I like to call it – post Game of Thrones premier. Fantasy owners should be slightly worried about him staying healthy once he returns. However, his skills remain in tact and in my opinion, he’ll be at least a top-20 starter while on the field.

 

Various News and Notes
Trevor Bauer didn’t allow a hit in 7 IP against the Blue Jays yesterday. The pro is he notched eight strikeouts, the con is he allowed six walks. The free passes are odd since he got ahead over 60% of the time. The 28-year old has been pegged by himself and many pundits as a potential Cy-Young candidate this season – and so far – he’s delivering. Over his first 2 GS he’s 1 ER on 1 H in 14 IP to go along with a 17/7 K:BB ratio. My personal projections had him at a 3.19 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 11.2 K/9, and 2.3 BB/9 prior to the start of the season.

Staying with Cleveland, star infielder Jose Ramirez exited yesterday’s game in the seventh inning after fouling a ball off his foot.

Indians announce that Jose Ramirez left tonight's game for precautionary reasons with a left foot contusion.

— Mandy Bell (@MandyBell02) April 5, 2019

Hopefully this doesn’t result in any substantial loss in playing time, as the Indians and fantasy owners alike really need him right now. He’s currently off to a slow start, but don’t be alarmed, everything will be fine.

Speaking of injuries, Angels shortstop Andrelton Simmons left Thursday’s game against the Rangers in the third inning due to lower back tightness.

Andrelton Simmons is out of the game. David Fletcher replaces him and goes to third with Cozart at shortstop

— Rhett Bollinger (@RhettBollinger) April 5, 2019

There’s currently no sign of how serious this is, so be sure to stay tuned. Some beat writers are saying day-to-day, so at the very least assume he’ll be sidelined a game or two. David Fletcher would be the main beneficiary if Simmons was sent to the IL, as Zack Cozart is already receiving regular PT.

Max Fried was perfect until the sixth inning against the Cubs on Thursday, striking out five and not issuing a walk.

Watching Max Fried paint the black with 97mph as Brian McCann doesn’t even have to move his glove >>> pic.twitter.com/R5q4fEyZ2l

— Bally Sports: Braves (@BravesOnBally) April 4, 2019

All-in-all he ended up allowing one hit to one of the hottest offenses thus far. Fried used to carry a good amount of prospect esteem a couple of years ago, but the shine has worn off due to various reasons. His velocity and pitch mix were a bit inconsistent, and he had below-average whiffs on every offering as well. Mike Foltynewicz and Kevin Gausman are on their way back, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that Fried will be the one who gets the boot. He’s worth watching for now in deeper formats.

Corey Dickerson was placed on the 10-day injured list due to a right posterior shoulder strain. J.B. Shuck and Pablo Reyes will be receiving more playing time due to this, but neither are fantasy relevant. There’s currently no timetable for Dickerson’s return.

I think we’re all interested in some Shohei Ohtani updates:

Shohei Ohtani said he’s stretched out his throwing to about 60 feet. Took 50 swings today, including 25 on the field and he said he feels his swing and power are there. He said he feels he could be ready to hit in games by the end of April, but he understands the Angels’ caution.

— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) April 5, 2019

Shohei Ohtani spoke to the media for the first time in almost 2 weeks today and he said his rehab is going well. He feels like he has more power now. He feels like he could be ready before May, but Angels are in charge. They still say May.

— Jeff Fletcher (@JeffFletcherOCR) April 5, 2019

Shohei Ohtani said he believes he could be ready to return before the end of the month but said it’s up to the training staff

— Rhett Bollinger (@RhettBollinger) April 5, 2019

Once we get a more defined timetable for his return (to hitting of course), then we can better navigate when to possibly pick him up (in shallow formats). For the most part he’s already owned, but the way he’s talking seems like he might be a bit ahead of schedule.

 

Streaming Pitchers (Less than 50% owned)
A Pitcher for Today: Lance Lynn @ LAA
Not the best results in his first start, but he kept the ball on the ground – had a good amount of whiffs. The Angels offense has been a lethargic bunch to date, so a lot of this is predicated on that. He was superb in one start, and mediocre in another against LAA last season.

High-Risk Option: Trent Thornton @ CLE
Let’s just keep picking against Cleveland until they give us a reason not to. Thornton has two-plus pitches and logged 8 K in 5 IP against DET his first time out. Let’s see if he can get something going twice in a row.

 

A Pitcher for Tomorrow: Zack Godley vs BOS
Don’t love the options for today’s slate, but I’m banking on a Godley rebound, ironically, against one of the best offenses in the league. Godley faced the Dodgers buzz saw his first time out – I expect he’ll fair better tomorrow.

High-Risk Option: Pablo Lopez @ ATL
Lopez oozes upside. He posted 7 K in 5.1 IP against the Rockies in his first outing – deploying a strong three-pitch mix that resulted in an 18% Sw-Strike. The Braves offense has been solid thus far, but Lopez has the stuff and the command to be successful. He’s still highly volatile, and his numbers against the Braves weren’t good last year, but I’m still tantalized by him.