Roto Riteup: August 24, 2016

The Royals have won nine games in a row. The Royals are suddenly just four games out of a wild card spot. I don’t think the Royals are particularly good, but their pixie magic from the last couple of years clearly hasn’t worn off yet. Let this be a lesson, I guess, that your fantasy season isn’t over yet – I hope your bad team still has a late push in it, friend.

On the agenda:
1. Dodgers, what the heck?
2. Various News and Notes
3. Streaming Pitcher Options

Dodgers, what the heck?
The Dodgers are having quite a time this year. On Tuesday, they tied an ignominious major-league record, sending a 27th different player to the disabled list for 2016. 27! 27 different guys on the DL throughout the season, more than an entire roster. The result has been 94 different lineups used on the year, and yet they’re still leading the NL West by two games. It’s truly remarkable that they’ve survived such a rash of injuries.

This time around, it’s Brett Anderson and Scott Kazmir headed to the DL, meaning Kenta Maeda is, for the time being, the only starter on the team to avoid the DL this year. The rotation currently includes Maeda, Bud Norris, Julio Urias, the returning Rich Hill (who starts today, assuming he doesn’t suffer another setback), and Ross Stripling. What a time.

On the “bright” side, I guess, Andre Ethier could be back in September. He doesn’t seem likely to play a great deal, but maybe he can pitch?

Various News and Notes
There’s more DL news coming, buckle in. We’ll start with Chris Tillman, whom the Orioles placed on the DL with shoulder discomfort. He received a cortisone injection and is hoping to miss the minimum amount of time, which the Orioles have to hope for, too, considering Ubaldo Jimenez has to check back into the rotation now. Tillman is having a minor bounce-back season from a down 2015, with a surge in strikeout and swinging-strike rate, good for a 3.76 ERA in 153 innings. Jimenez, meanwhile, is Jimenez.

The Astros aren’t getting Luis Valbuena back for the stretch run. The 30-year-old is undergoing season-ending hamstring surgery, killing any hope he might be on his way back after a month on the DL. That ends what was probably shaping up as the best season of his career, in which he hit 13 home runs with a 122 wRC+ in 90 games.

The Rangers still aren’t done making splashy acquisitions. This time, it comes in the form of Carlos Gomez, so time will tell if it’s a good splash or a someone-threw-the-BBQ-in-the-pool splash. When an outfielder who’s displayed that level of talent essentially comes your way for free in August, it makes sense to kick the tires, even if he owns a .594 OPS. It sounds like the plan is for Gomez to play regularly, with Delino DeShields and Nomar Mazara swapping in and out in a platoon setup, at least for now. The Rangers also placed Josh Hamilton on release waivers, by the way.

In slightly better injury news, the Jays could get Jose Bautista back later this week. Look for him in some rehab games this week as he works his way back from a knee sprain. The Jays could really use him, given the corner outfield production they’ve gotten over the last two weeks.

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: 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.

A pitcher for tomorrow: John Gant @ ARI (Robbie Ray)
To be completely honest, James Paxton is the play here, but I feel it’s a cop out to recommend a starter against the White Sox on back-to-back days. Instead, we’ll turn to John Gant, the Braves rookie who’s been decent in a swingman role and has some solid strikeout upside. He draws the Diamondbacks, who have just a 92 wRC+ over the last month (and 93 on the year), plus a strikeout rate north of 22 percent. With zero-percent ownership, Gant’s basically free.