Roto Riteup: August 23, 2023

Flying towards the end of the season like:

Wow! Alek Thomas tracks it down! 👏

(via @Dbacks)pic.twitter.com/WuQ6BMsA7f

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) August 23, 2023

On the Agenda: 

1. Quick Hits
2. Various News and Notes
3. Streaming Pitchers

 

Quick Hits

J.D. Martinez was placed on the IL with groin tightness. He is expected to miss 2-to-3 weeks. The Dodgers called up Michael Busch to take Martinez’s spot on the roster. 

Billy McKinney was placed on the IL with a back issue. There is no timetable for his return. 

The Giants signed Paul DeJong to a one year contract. DeJong was released by the Blue Jays and will join the Giants as infield depth. 

Matthew Liberatore was placed on the IL with back tightness There is no timetable for his return. 

Jarren Duran was placed on the IL with a toe sprain. There is no timetable for his return. 

 

Various News and Notes

Andy Ibanez went 2-for-3 with two home runs in the victory over the Cubs on Tuesday.
Andy Ibanez went 2-for-3 with two home runs in the victory over the Cubs on Tuesday.

What’s gotten into Andy Ibanez pic.twitter.com/ZPA9w8V8kY

— Barstool Baseball (@StoolBaseball) August 22, 2023

Ibanez has been up and down this season, hitting .248/.281/.427 with nine home runs. He is mostly a short-side platoon bat but he can be valuable in deeper formats because of his multi-positional eligibility.

Osleivis Basabe went 2-for-5 with a grand slam in the victory over the Rockies on Tuesday.

The only kind of home run Osleivis Basabe knows how to hit is the grand slam variety.

So far, anyway. pic.twitter.com/iJax1q46R1

— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) August 23, 2023

Basabe has been really good since his callup, hitting .303/.361/.485 with this home run. Basabe doesn’t have much power or speed, but he does have a good hit tool and is going to play a ton moving forward with Wander Franco on Administrative Leave. This gives Basabe deep league value.

Johan Oviedo threw five innings versus the Cardinals on Tuesday, allowing one run on four hits and a walk while striking out five in the win. Oviedo pitched pretty well, getting a 34% CSW on his slider. He did make one mistake that led to a home run but because his control was good throughout the night, he kept men off base. He has been pretty unreliable recently, so he is mostly a streamer in good matchups

Carter Kieboom went 1-for-3 with a home run in the loss to the Yankees on Tuesday.

Great moment for Carter Kieboom, who went deep tonight on his first MLB swing in two years. It was a long road back from injury. Good for him. pic.twitter.com/UQ2vh3RinA

— Grant Paulsen (@granthpaulsen) August 22, 2023

Kieboom is a former top prospect that struggled in multiple trips to the Majors before suffering multiple injuries that stalled his development. He was widely considered a “can’t miss prospect” at one point and is just 25 years old. This is someone to monitor moving forward.

Brandon Belt went 1-for-4 with a home run in the victory over the Orioles on Tuesday.

Brandon Belt would like us to tell you he's the MVP.

This tweet may or may not have been written by Brandon Belt. pic.twitter.com/qITj9Y2WI2

— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) August 23, 2023

Belt has been fantastic since the All-Star Break, hitting .272 with eight home runs for the Blue Jays. Belt has always had talent, but struggled most of his career with injuries and underperformance. He is hot right now and worth rostering in most mixed leagues.

 

Streaming Pitchers (Under 50% in CBS)

Pitcher for Today: None

A ton of high risk options but none that are safe. 

High Risk Options: Jose Quintana at ATL, Austin Gomber at TB, Michael Kopech vs SEA, Luis Severino vs WAS, Jameson Taillon at DET. 

 

Pitcher for Tomorrow: Ryan Pepiot at CLE

Pepiot is up for the Dodgers and has a nice matchup. 

High Risk Options: Brandon Pfaadt vs CIN, Brandon Williamson at ARI, Patrick Corbin at NYY, Ken Waldichuk at CHW, Jesse Sholtens vs OAK. 

For those of you that would like to see how these picks play out, I have a doc I put together to track the stats from my recommended pitchers. It does not include the “High Risk Options.”