Roto Riteup: August 21, 2015

The Wonder Years, possibly my favorite band at the moment and for the last three years or so, just released a track from their upcoming album. If you’re into the pop-punk scene or are just interested in what kind of music I enjoy, check out “I Don’t Like Who I Was Then” (warning: language).

On today’s agenda:
1. A San Francisco outfield shuffle
2. Josh Harrison to return soon
3. Anibal Sanchez’s right shoulder strain
4. Streaming Pitching Options

A San Francisco outfield shuffle
After the Twins shook things up a bit in with their outfield on Wednesday the Giants one-upped them Thursday. The Giants acquired Marlon Byrd for the price of minor league right-hander Stephen Johnson, then placed Hunter Pence on the 15-day disabled list due to an oblique strain and activated Nori Aoki from the 7-day concussion DL. It seems as though Byrd will step into the right field job, at least until Pence returns. No word on how long it could be, but even with playing time headed his way, Byrd loses some value in the trade due to park factors. Last season his former home park of Great American Ball Park posted the second highest home run index whereas AT&T Park tallied the second worst home run grade for right-handed hitters.

Josh Harrison to return soon
Pirates manager Clint Hurdle believes Harrison could be activated some time this weekend, so sayeth Tom Singer. Out since July 5 due to a torn ligament in his left thumb, Harrison will return to a slightly different infield. With Jung-ho Kang holding down the shortstop position and Aramis Ramirez now at third, Harrison may get eased back into the swing of things due to a crowded infield and his own struggles at Triple-A. I’m not going to overreact to what he’s done during his minor league rehab assignments, but going 1-for-19 isn’t a great sign for someone attempting to rejoin a team in a playoff hunt. Count on Harrison mostly reclaiming the hot corner after a week or so, with Ramirez getting time there and at first base. If someone dropped Harrison when his injury news first broke through, go ahead and scoop him up. He’s available in 30 percent of CBS leagues, 40 percent of Yahoo! formats and over 50 percent of ESPN settings.

Anibal Sanchez’s right shoulder strain
If the Tigers are to make a big push and someone make the postseason, they may have to rely on their bats and bullpen more than their rotation. On Thursday Sanchez was placed on the 15-day DL with a rotator cuff strain. The club doesn’t think he’ll miss more than the minimum 15-days, however I’m always very pessimistic when it comes to pitcher injuries, particularly in the shoulder. That the linked article says Sanchez did not mention any discomfort to the Tigers medical staff despite his shoulder bothering him on and off for the past two months is, in my unprofessional opinion, a bad sign. Via Brooks Baseball, Sanchez’s fastball averaged 90.36 in his previous start compared to a 92.49 season average. It was a rain shortened, so perhaps he didn’t get a chance to really get going, but looking at his 1.66 HR/9 — over twice his career average — I have to think something is going on. If you were to drop Sanchez in standard 12-team mixed leagues, I wouldn’t blame you.

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

A pitcher for today: Henry Owens vs KC (Johnny Cueto)
Well, Tropeano blew up in my face yesterday, so let’s hope this pick goes better. The Royals are about average against left-handers, and don’t usually strike out too often, however I like Owens’ stuff to carry him to a quality start and possibly a win. He’s owned in a scant 30 percent of CBS leagues as well as less than 15 percent of both ESPN and Yahoo! formats.

A pitcher for tomorrow: Erasmo Ramirez at OAK (Sonny Gray)
Ramirez will be up against it squaring off against Gray, but I think he can still post a solid outing even if the win eludes him. Over the past 30 days the A’s have the worst offense in baseball by wRC+ and wOBA. The Athletics have scored 86 runs over that time frame, ranking last in the AL; only ahead of the 82 runs the Braves have pushed across. As an A’s fan, is it 2016 yet? Factor in the spacious park and it being an evening game where the ball doesn’t carry and Ramirez should be a solid start. Stream him in 40 percent of CBS settings and 70 percent of Yahoo! or ESPN leagues.