Roto Riteup: August 26, 2015

Today’s Roto Riteup was written while I wore a hoodie, as it was 54 degrees outside at the time of writing. In August. A summer month. Thanks for nothing, Michigan.

On today’s agenda:
1. Rut roh, Carlos Carrasco
2. Good news for Marlins outfielders
3. Welcome back, Denard Span
4. Streaming Pitching Options

Rut roh, Carlos Carrasco
The Indians took a body blow to the rotation as they placed the right-hander on the 15-day disabled list Tuesday, retroactive to August 22. Carrasco will be shelved for at least two weeks due to right shoulder soreness, though there is good news as an MRI came back clean, and the Tribe believes he’ll miss the minimum time frame. For those in head-to-head leagues, Carrasco should be back in time for the final week of the regular season as he threw a bullpen yesterday and felt no pain. The team recalled Cody Anderson to start today, and it seems likely he’ll be the temporary fixture in the Cleveland rotation until Carrasco returns. I’d consider grabbing the 24-year-old (soon to be 25) sinker-baller in deep leagues — just don’t count on too many strikeouts from Anderson.

Good news for Marlins outfielders
The Fish activated Christian Yelich from the 15-day DL yesterday after missing the minimum time as he dealt with a right knee contusion. He went 2-for-4 in his return game with a double and a run scored. Yelich is hitting a solid (albeit punchless) .277/.345/.380 with 14 steals in 386 plate appearances thus far, largely from the No. 2 spot. His named appeared penciled in the sixth spot yesterday, however I’d expect the left-handed hitter to return near the top of the lineup sooner rather than later, at least against right-handed pitchers.

While Giancarlo Stanton hasn’t been activated yet, it seems as though like Carrasco, Stanton will be back in time for head-to-head playoffs. He’s apparently as little as 10 days away, heading towards a likely activation on September 4, next Friday in a series kickoff against the Mets. I’m always worried about wrist injuries to hitters — particularly power hitters — and given the linked article suggestion he may not get any minor league rehab games under his belt before coming back, I’d expect him to be a bit off for the first few games. If you own Stanton in weekly leagues, you may insert him into next week’s lineup, but if the Mets rotation holds, he’d square off against Matt Harvey on Friday, Jacob deGrom on Saturday then wrap up the series against Noah Syndergaard on Sunday. I’d recommend keeping him on the bench until the following week.

Welcome back, Denard Span
A continuing back injury seems to be behind the outfielder as he returned from a six week long stint on the disabled list yesterday. Span reclaimed his leadoff spot atop the Nationals lineup. My fondness of Span’s game stems from his solid on-base skills and ability to pile up the steals. Unfortunately he sits at a mere 11 steals thus, though now that he is healthy, perhaps he’ll rediscovers his running game. Span is available in 40 percent of CBS formats as well as more than 60 percent of ESPN and Yahoo! leagues. Given his status as a leadoff man for a decent offense, Span deserves to be owned in just about any format.

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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: Chris Bassitt at SEA (Felix Hernandez)
I’d be surprised if Bassitt nabbed the win today, however I’m penciling him in for a decent outing. The M’s are a tick below league average against right-handers and their park may help contain some of Bassitt’s fly balls. He’s free to stream in 42 percent of CBS formats, 53 percent of ESPN leagues and 64 percent of Yahoo! settings.

A pitcher for tomorrow: Drew Smyly vs MIN (Tommy Milone)
Given the Rays hit left-handers very well, I think Smyly can come away with a quality start and win tomorrow. The Twins rate in the middle of the pack against southpaws, but playing at home in a spacious park should help Smyly. Look to pitch him in half of CBS and Yahoo! leagues and more than 70 percent of ESPN formats.