Roto Riteup: August 24, 2020

I don’t really miss fans in the stands because we get stuff like this:

.@FreddieFreeman5 is the best. 😂 pic.twitter.com/QXy7Wvn6yj

— MLB (@MLB) August 24, 2020

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

Closer Chaos
Nick Anderson was placed on the IL with forearm inflammation. The Rays bullpen has been decimated this season. It is extremely likely they go with a committee for the foreseeable future.

According to the St. Louis Dispatch, the Cardinals are considering whether or not to put Carlos Martinez back into the rotation. Martinez is returning from COVID and may not be stretched out enough for the team to get meaningful innings from him. Martinez has been very successful as a closer, so it won’t be surprising if he returns to the role.

Emilio Pagan pitched a perfect ninth to get the save versus the Astros on Sunday. Pagan has struggled since being traded to San Diego, but with both Kirby Yates and Drew Pomeranz on the IL, he appears to be the closer now in San Diego.

Brandon Workman recorded his first save as a Philly on Sunday. It was not a clean outing, but he ended up getting the job done. If this is any indication, Workman appears to be the top dog in the Phillies bullpen for now.

 

Quick Hits
Francisco Cervelli was placed on the IL with concussion symptoms. Cervelli has a long history of concussions so this is concerning. He is droppable in all formats.
Stephen Strasburg will undergo carpal tunnel surgery on Wednesday, which will end his season. He is expected to be ready to go once spring training begins in February.

Matt Shoemaker was placed on the IL with a shoulder issue. Shoemaker has always had good skills, but has been snake bitten by bad health. There is no timetable for his return.

Pedro Severino left Sunday’s game with a hip flexor injury. Consider him day-to-day right now. This should give Chance Sisco a little more run and if it becomes more long term, DJ Stewart or Ryan McKenna could get the call. There is an outside chance that the team could consider calling up top prospect Adley Rutschman, but that seems unlikely.

Corey Dickerson left Sunday’s game with a shoulder injury. He is considered day-to-day at this time.

Kevin Newman left Sunday’s game with a stomach strain. Newman injured himself during a strikeout and was in clear pain. Consider him day to day. In the same game, Colin Moran was removed after experiencing concussion symptoms after a collision. With both guys out, Jose Osuna and Jarrod Dyson will likely get a little more playing time and the Pirates could recall Ke’Bryan Hayes as well.

 

Various News and Notes
According to the president of baseball operations, the Indians are considering Triston McKenzie for another start. After the performance McKenzie put up over the weekend, it is hard to send him back down. The Indians have not yet made a decision on if or when they will be bringing back Mike Clevinger and/or Zack Plesac, but it appears for now, McKenzie will get at least one more go.

Mike Yastremski went 1-for-4 with a home run in the victory over the Diamondbacks on Sunday. Yaz has been fantastic and leads all hitters in the Majors in WAR and has almost equaled his WAR total for 2019. He is obviously going to regress at some point, but the Giants trust him a ton and he is one of the few hitters on the team not platooning at all.

The Rays traded Daniel Robertson for cash to the Giants. Robertson has the ability to play a lot of different positions and is still fairly young. The Giants have designated fan favorite Hunter Pence as the corresponding move.

Justin Dunn threw six scoreless innings, allowing only one hit and one walk and striking out six in the victory over the Rangers on Sunday. It was a nice outing for the young hurler, but Dunn has really struggled prior to this in keeping men off the base paths and the ball in the yard. This is a nice start, but more needs to be seen before you can trust him on your roster.

The Blue Jays acquired Daniel Vogelbach from the Mariners for cash. Vogelbach had been DFA’d by the Mariners last week. This is a weird fit for him however, considering the Blue Jays already have Vlad Guerrero Jr and Rowdy Tellez. He is likely not worth picking up in any format right now.

 

Streaming Pitchers (Under 50% in CBS)
Pitcher for Today: None

High Risk Options: Ryan Castellani at ARI

Pitcher for Tomorrow: Elieser Hernandez at NYM
Hernandez has looked great this season and as long as the Mets play this week, he is a good streaming option.

High Risk Options: Alex Young vs COL