Roto Riteup: August 26, 2016

When you try to leave work 15 minutes early on a Friday but run into your boss on the way out:

Just kidding, you’re out of here on time today, no problem. Happy Friday.

On the agenda:
1. Does Ellis deal signal anything about Kershaw?
2. Various News and Notes
3. Streaming Pitcher Options

Does Ellis deal signal anything about Kershaw?
The Dodgers traded A.J. Ellis to the Phillies for Carlos Ruiz on Thursday, a sad day for the Dodgers. Other than the obvious tweetstorm from “Did AJ Ellis Walk,” the biggest initial reaction I saw on Twitter was what this said about the status of Clayton Kershaw. While Yasmani Grandal has caught the ace six times this year, Ellis has always been viewed as Kershaw’s personal catcher of sorts – he’s caught 83 of Kershaw’s 109 starts over the last four years. Kershaw’s presently on the DL with an uncertain timeline for a return (he’s due for a second bullpen session soon), but I don’t think the Ellis move, however hard for the battery mates, signals much here. Ruiz brings the Dodgers some extra punch, and the team’s almost surely comfortable with Grandal catching Kershaw from here if he makes it back. Still, it’s sad to see a great friendship split up like this. I’d never want to be separated from you, dear reader.

Various News and Notes
The Red Sox placed hotshot rookie Andrew Benintendi on the DL with a knee injury that was originally called a sprain but is now requiring further testing. It’s a disappointing hit to a freshman who was off to a great start to his MLB career, hitting .324 over 21 games. Chris Young stands to benefit from a playing time standpoint.

Matt Moore took a no-hitter into the ninth, lost it on a bloop single, and got flipped off by Dodgers fans afterward. It’s a fun outing for the 27-year-old lefty – one hit over 8.2 scoreless – as he continues to fashion a bit of a comeback season. After missing most of 2014 and 2015, Moore’s now at 161.2 innings, in which he’s crossed the 20-percent strikeout threshold and trimmed his ERA to below 4 (barely, but still).

In New York, Terry Collins thinks Jacob deGrom is starting to look worn down. He’s surrendered 13 runs over his last two starts, lasting just 9.2 innings, but fatigue would be an odd culprit given that he’s still 48 innings shy of last season’s total. For the season, deGrom owns a 2.96 ERA and has struck out nearly a quarter of batters, so he’s still, you know, deGrom, just keep an eye on his status down the stretch, particularly if the Mets fall further out of the race.

In his first at-bat as a Ranger, Carlos Gomez went yard. Sometimes, all you need is a fresh start.

Shelby Miller remains in the minors, which means he’s now lost a year of free agency thanks to his awful 2016. I’m skeptical that fantasy owners feel for the guy. At least he’s showing signs of life in Triple-A with a 22.7-percent strikeout-minus-walk rate over seven starts.

Speaking of the minors, that’s apparently where Yasiel Puig is going to stay the rest of the season. Sigh. The dude’s hitting .400 and slugging nearly .700. He doesn’t belong there.

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: Luke Weaver vs OAK (Ross Detwiler)
The Cardinals’ first-round pick in 2014, Luke Weaver gets his third crack at a major-league start, and he’s set up fairly well to succeed. While Weaver hasn’t blown the doors off in his first two appearances (or the lone start he made at Triple-A), there’s a lot of strikeout potential here – he owned a 28.6-percent strikeout rate at Double-A and has coaxed a 10.5-percent swinging strike rate over nine innings with the parent club. In the Athletics, he draws a team that strikes out nearly an average amount and owns a 92 wRC+ over the last 30 days.

A pitcher for tomorrow: Blake Snell @ HOU (Dallas Keuchel)
I remain surprised that Blake Snell is still just 36-percent owned. I realize that the 1.59 WHIP is unsightly and the plays for a mediocre Rays team, and that his xFIP is a little unsettling thanks to a much-too-high walk rate and some good fortune (or otherwise) on fly balls. At the same time, he’s a rookie and a top prospect with a 3.17 ERA and a 23.5-percent strikeout rate, and those type of names tend to get scooped up. In any case, I like Snell’s setup against a decent Astros team that’s a bit cold in the last month and is usually friendly with the strikeouts.