Roto Riteup: August 8, 2013

Although critics proclaimed yesterday’s Roto Riteup as “brilliant” and a “gripping masterpiece,” today’s Riteup may be even better.

On today’s agenda
1. Roy Halladay ramps up rehab, Gonzalez deal hits a snag
2. Corey Kluber out 4-6 weeks, Carson Cistulli placed on suicide watch
3. Delmon Young benched in favor of Darin Ruf
4. Fun with arbitrary endpoints

Roy Halladay ramps up rehab, Gonzalez deal hits a snag
Halladay is heading down to good ole Florida to face live hitters, and the former Cy Young winner will pitch in a simulated game on Saturday. Halladay has yet to suffer a setback in his return from shoulder surgery, and if he keeps up this pace, he’ll be in line for a September showcase for potential offseason bidders.

While the Halladay news is positive, the news surrounding Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez is less so. Gonzalez, a cuban import, had agreed to a deal with the Phillies a couple of weeks ago, but now there has been a sticking point in his contract. There is speculation that the snag is injury related, which is especially likely given that monetary figures and whatnot were agreed to weeks ago. Gonzalez projects as a mid-rotation arm upon his arrival to the big leagues, and while I would vastly prefer to see him make his MLB debut in the NL, Gonzalez will be better off if he doesn’t have to pitch in Citizen’s Bank Ballpark. If his deal with the Phillies falls through, expect the Red Sox to look to swoop in.

Corey Kluber out 4-6 weeks, Carson Cistulli placed on suicide watch
Kluber sprained the middle finger on his pitching hand yesterday, forcing all of us Society members to hold our collective breaths, and now we know he’ll miss at least a month of action. Kluber has quietly been one of the league’s best pitchers this year, and the Indians will want him back for a September playoff push and for any postseason action that may present itself.

Delmon Young benched in favor of Darin Ruf
The Phillies had an outfield conundrum with the return of Domonic Brown, and the team has sorted it out by sitting Delmon on the bench. A curious signing at the time, Young has failed to provide average production at the plate, and since he has no defensive value, benching him was the easy choice. Ruf is a big strong man who dominated the kids in Double-A last year, but he was much less impressive while in Triple-A this season, and much of his current big league success is BABIP driven. Ruf will provide owners with homers and walks, but don’t expect a positive impact on your batting average.

Fun with arbitrary endpoints
A recurring feature allowing us to use selected numbers as shit-hot facts. All stats through Tuesday’s action.

• Mike Moustakas, since June 1: 52 G, .272/.318/.424, 6 HR
• Ike Davis, since being recalled from AAA: 26 G, 92 PA, 282/.446/.423, 1 HR, 19/21 K/BB, .373 BABIP
• Raul Ibanez, since the All-Star break: 16 G, 71 PA, .185/.254/.246, 0 HR, 23/6 K/BB, .286 BABIP
• Luke Scott, since June 13: 37 G, 133 PA, .288/.361/.542, 6 HR, .308 BABIP