Roto Riteup: July 10, 2015

Today’s Roto Riteup was written while District 9 played in the background. It’s one of my favorite original screenplays (technically it was adapted from a short, but director of the short was the same as the movie, Neill Blomkamp) and definitely one of my best films from 2009.

On today’s agenda:
1. Starling Marte’s injury status
2. Bad news for Steven Matz
3. Matt Holliday’s potential return
4. Streaming Pitching Options

Starling Marte’s injury status
After losing Josh Harrison for seven weeks due to his thumb injury, the club is looking at the possibility of losing Marte to the disabled list as well according to Tom Singer. Marte hasn’t played since July fifth as his oblique has been giving him issues. Given the All-Star break is nearly upon us, it’s possible Marte dodges the DL. If he is to miss time, the Pirates could stash him on the DL retroactive to July sixth and he could miss as few as eight additional games. In the event the Buccos do place him on the shelf, it’s highly unlikely to find another player with Marte’s power and speed on the waiver wire, though Delino Deshields Jr. could be of use. He popped 11 home runs and nabbed 54 bags at Double-A last season, and playing half of his games in the hitter friendly confines of Globe Life Park in Arlington can help play up his power. In Yahoo! leagues Brad Miller is outfield eligible and already has eight home runs and nine steals, but he is best used at shortstop rather than OF. Both DeShields Jr. and Miller can be picked up in about 70 percent of CBS settings, over 85 percent of Yahoo! and more than 70 percent of ESPN leagues.

Bad news for Steven Matz
Well, so much for a six-man rotation for the Mets. Yesterday the team learned of a partial tear in Matz’s lat, and as a result the 24-year-old will be shut down for at least three weeks. As Matt Snyder of CBS notes, the Mets have a spotty record of handling injuries. Here’s to hoping Matz can get past this with some rest and maybe a rehab start or two.

Matt Holliday’s potential return
The Cardinals have indicated they may activate Holliday as soon as today, however no official word has broken just yet. Out since June eight with a right quad strain, he would likely be limited to pinch hitting roles and is unlikely to be tested in the field. Even if activated, it’d be hard to place Holliday back into fantasy lineups if he isn’t guaranteed plate appearances.

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Streaming Pitching Options
If you enjoy streaming pitchers, tune into the Roto Riteup for recommendations each and every day.

A pitcher for today: Kendall Graveman at CLE (Danny Salazar)
The Indians have rated about average against right-handed pitchers thus far. Graveman doesn’t offer much in the way of strikeouts, but a quality start with a decent chance at a win seems within reach. Once can find Graveman available in 40 percent of CBS leagues and 75 percent of Yahoo! or ESPN formats.

A pitcher for tomorrow: Patrick Corbin at NYM (Matt Harvey)
Matching up against Harvey is a tough task, so it’ll be tough to grab a win here. That said, the Mets haven’t hit lefties very well this season and Corbin should fare well against their lineup. He’s free to pick up in about half of CBS leagues and at least 70 percent of ESPN and Yahoo! settings.