Roto Riteup: August 23, 2016

Mark Trumbo’s last seven hits are all home runs. He hasn’t had a non-home run hit since Aug. 6. I’m not sure there’s ever been a more Mark Trumbo stat than that. The 30-year-old slugger now has a league-leading 38 home runs on the year, a new career-high.

Trum?s away! Watch No. 38 for @Mtrumbo44 : https://t.co/MXWIITGzqP #BirdlandPowerCo pic.twitter.com/zRpTZMyjKS

— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) August 23, 2016

On the agenda:
1. Strasburg to the DL
2. Matz, too
3. Various News and Notes
4. Streaming Pitcher Options

Strasburg to the DL
Welp. The Washington Nationals placed Stephen Strasburg on the disabled list Monday, citing soreness in his right elbow. The ace has been dealing with inflammation on and off over his last few starts, the worst three-game stretch of his career. While he could reportedly keep pitching if the situation were more important, Dusty Baker is saying “It’s not hero time yet,” which is probably the right approach. I’m sure some will look at this and think back to another notable time the Nats shut Strasburg down, but with a September return seeming certain and an eight-game lead in the NL East, this time around is a little more cut-and-dry. The 28-year-old is posting a career-worst 3.59 ERA but has still struck out more than 30 percent of batters he’s faced, and DIPS suggest he’s been better than the surface ERA (though interestingly, this is the third year in a row he’s under-performed relative to FIP/xFIP). Anyway, once he’s back he should be fine, but this is a blow, especially for those in head-to-head formats.

A.J. Cole was recalled in Strasburg’s place. He’s been only decent in his third go-round at Triple-A, so expectations should be modest.

Matz, too
Steven Matz is headed to the DL, too, with the Mets placing the lefty there due to irritation in his rotator cuff and a mild shoulder strain. While there’s no structural damage, I joked last week that Matz leads the league in Roto Riteup mentions, a troubling sign. How long he’ll sit is unclear , but the Mets can ill-afford any more bad breaks as they try to close a 4.5-game gap in the wild-card race. Robert Gsellman is getting the call from Triple-A, where he’s struggled since a mid-season promotion.

Various News and Notes
A.J. Pollock is set to return for the Diamondbacks at some point this week. Out since April 1 with a fractured elbow, Pollock has torn up a quick Triple-A rehab assignment and could be a nice boost to a fantasy team for the stretch run (he’s 77-percent owned) – after all, he broke out with 20 home runs, 39 stolen bases, and a .315 average last year.

Sticking with the D-Backs, ownership reportedly blocked a deal that would have sent Shelby Miller to the Braves for a package of players. Miller remains in the minors trying to figure things out, which looks even worse now that Dansby Swanson is up for the Braves (albeit it’s been a slow start).

Huston Street could be headed for season-ending surgery, the latest hit for a 2016 Angels team that has caught exactly zero breaks. Street hasn’t been good, anyway, and while Cam Bedrosian looked primed to take control of the closer’s seat, he’s hurt, too. Fernando Salas it is.

Josh Reddick injured his finger in a room-service incident. Or something. Apparently he caught his finger in a door while ordering food. There’s been no indication this is serious, or at least not as serious as his .378 OPS with his new squad. Check the lineup today before giving him the nod.

In an even stranger injury, Billy Butler is off to the DL thanks to a reported punch to the head from Danny Valencia. What a mess.

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: Jon Gray @ MIL (Chase Anderson)
The Brewers can definitely hit, particularly at home – they own a 104 wRC+ over the last 30 days, way up from a mark of 90 on the year, and they’ve posted a .179 ISO at home. They also happen to strikeout more than any team in baseball, and on a day with a lot of lower-ceiling streaming options, Jon Gray represents a higher-upside play. Don’t let the 4.69 ERA fool you; Gray is having a breakout year, thanks in part to some new pitches. Look for him to bounce back from three shakier outings in a row here.

A pitcher for tomorrow: Jerad Eickhoff @ CWS (James Shields)
One of the worst streaming days in recent memory forces us to reach into the 40-percent ownership range and nab Jerad Eickhoff, who’s come down to earth some with three mediocre starts in a row. Still, the 26-year-old can boast a sub-4 ERA, peripherals that nearly match, and a strikeout-minus-walk rate of almost 15 percent. That’s not nothing, and he draws the White Sox, who have been one of the worst offenses in baseball over the last month and a safely below-average one for the year.