Roto Riteup: August 8, 2012

Today’s Roto Riteup would like to be the next thing taken to Mars. You’ll have to print it out, first, but that’s not much of an obstacle.

• Evan Longoria returned to the Rays last night, and the right-hander started at DH against the Toronto Blue Jays. Longoria hasn’t played in a big league game since the end of April thanks to his hamstring, but he has been playing in Triple-A for the past two weeks. Before succombing to injury, Longo was having an awesome season, but it was only 23 games worth of at bats. Longoria is just entering his offensive prime, so as long as his hammy is healthy, he should be able to provide an outstanding fantasy performance from the hot corner.

• Drew Hutchison will now miss the next 12 months while recovering from Tommy John surgery. The Blue Jays’ pitching prospect had a promising future ahead of him, but now we aren’t likely to see him in big league action until at least May 2014.

• Jason Bay is no longer the New York Mets’ everyday left fielder, as it appears he’ll be relegated to the bench against right-handed pitchers. Jordany Valdespin is likely to get the bulk of the playing time when Bay is on the bench, but things could change should the Mets choose to recall Lucas Duda from the minor leagues. Valdespin has flashed power in his limited major league appearances, but his approach at the plate needs serious work. He’s an interesting get in large keeper leagues, as he should have eligibility at both second base and the outfield next year.

• Kevin Youkilis missed last night’s game with a bum knee. Shit like this happens when you get old, you guys, but I doubt he’ll miss more than a game or two because of it. Youkilis has hit .260/.383/.512 since being traded to the White Sox.

For those of you who play daily fantasy games like FanGraphs: The Game, or just like to stream players, here are a couple matchups you may be able to exploit.

A Pitcher for Today: Justin Masterson vs MIN
I’m still a believer in Masterson’s innate abilities, but if you’re not, you should go with his opponent this evening: Brian Duensing.

A Pitcher for Tomorrow: Joe Saunders at PIT
As much as I hate to admit it, Saunders is actually a decent play in a park that stifles right-handed power.

A Hitter for Today: N/A
I looked over today’s lineup and drew a blank. Feel free to throw rotten fruit at me and give your own suggestions in the comments.