Roto Riteup: August 20, 2020

This may be one of my favorite twitter threads I have had in a long time.

What are the “Unwritten Rules of Baseball”? Wrong answers only.

— Justin Mason (@JustinMasonFWFB) August 18, 2020

On the Agenda:
1. COVID Issues
2. Closer Chaos
3. Quick Hits
4. Various News and Notes
5. Streaming Pitchers

 

COVID Issues
Nick Senzel was placed on the IL with an undisclosed illness. It is pretty clear that Senzel was the player that shut down the Reds last week after testing positive for COVID. He will need consecutive negative tests before he can return. Mike Moustakas returned from the COVID IL. He should be good to go for your lineups.

 

Closer Chaos
According to the Mets, Seth Lugo will transition into the rotation. Lugo has been fantastic out of the bullpen, but the woes the Mets have faced with injuries and underperformance are forcing a move. Edwin Diaz will return to being the full-time closer and Lugo will be stretched out starting Thursday against the Marlins.

Craig Kimbrel got the save in impressive fashion during the second game of the Cubs doubleheader. Kimbrel struck out all three batters he faced to shut the door in the seventh after Jeremy Jeffress blew the save in the sixth. Kimbrel is slowly earning back the trust of David Ross and is worth picking up if he was dropped in your league.

 

Quick Hits
Alex Bregman left Wednesday’s game with a hamstring injury. Consider him day-to-day for now.

The Dodgers optioned Tony Gonsolin to their alternative training site on Wednesday. Gonsolin has looked great in the Dodgers rotation, but with the depth the Dodgers have they can afford to send him down. He should return at some point.

According to manager Dusty Baker, Yordan Alvarez may be done for the season due to knee surgery to repair a partially torn patella tendon. He is a drop in all formats.

David Dahl was placed on the IL with a back injury. This is nothing new for Dahl who has missed a ton of time in his young career. He is likely droppable at this point, but if you can afford to stash him until more information is available, that might be smart if he can return some time in early September.

Evan white left Wednesday’s game after fouling a ball off of his knee. The injury looked serious as White had to be helped off the field, but x-rays came back negative and he appears to have avoided serious injury. Consider him day to day for now.

Zack Britton was removed from his relief appearance after suffering what looked like a hamstring injury. Britton didn’t look good for all five batters he faced in the outing, so it may be that he was trying to pitch through an issue and made it worse. With Aroldis Chapman back, he is likely ok to drop in all leagues without holds as a category.

 

Various News and Notes
Casey Mize made his Major League debut on Wednesday, throwing 4.1 innings, allowing three runs while striking out seven. Mize looked sharp through the first four innings before struggling in the fifth. Mize is the top prospect in the Tiger’s system and fantasy owners have high hopes for him, though he may be a bit overrated for fantasy from a fantasy ace perspective. He will face the Cubs next go around.

Dane Dunning made his Major League debut facing off against Mize and the Tigers and delivered almost the exact same line of 4.1 innings, allowing three runs while striking out seven. Dunning was impressive in the outing, allowing only one free pass and five hits. He is not the prospect that Mize is, but his secondary stuff is good as is the command which was a question in his first season back from Tommy John surgery.

Randal Grichuk went 2-for-5 with two home runs in the victory over the Orioles on Wednesday. Grichuk has been on a tear this season, hitting .344/.400/.656 with six home runs. He has walked more and struck out less with career lows in his swing percentages. He is only rostered in 44% of CBS leagues and should be snagged if available.

Brendan Rodgers was recalled from the Rockies alternative and replaced Trevor Story getting a two RBI single late in the game. With Dahl out, the Rockies may move Garrett Hampson back to the outfield which would give Rodgers some playing time when one of the infielders needs a day off. Rodgers is a former top prospect that has struggled with inconsistency and injury, but has a ton of tools and playing in Colorado usually helps.

Brad Keller threw 6.2 innings, striking out five and not allowing a run on three hits and three walks in the victory over the Reds in the first half of the doubleheader on Wednesday. Keller has been fantastic and his next two starts look like they will line up against the Cardinals and Indians for a decent two-step next week.

 

Streaming Pitchers (Under 50% in CBS)
Pitcher for Today: None
Lots of options, but they are all high risk.

High Risk Options: Kevin Gausman vs LAA, Kyle Gibson at SD, Trevor Williams at CLE, Yusei Kikuchi vs LAD, Asher Wojciechowski vs BOS

Pitcher for Tomorrow: Eliser Hernandez at WAS
Hernandez has been impressive so far this year.

High Risk Options: Adam Plutko vs DET, John Means vs BOS