Roto Riteup: July 18, 2012

After yesterday’s comment section, I don’t think I’ll be recommending any more TV shows to our dear readers.

• In the wake of the Joey Votto injury, Todd Frazier is literally being asked to step up to the plate. Yesterday was his second straight start at first base and he appears to have all but locked that position down for the coming three to four weeks. I’ve written about Frazier in the not-too-distant past so I won’t go over him too much. Just be aware that he is free to pick up in 93% of Yahoo! and ESPN leagues. That won’t last long, so act quickly.

• Jason Kubel was held out of his second straight game as he suffers from a hamstring injury and Gerardo Parra seems to be the primary beneficiary. Parra has started five straight games in left field now and seems to be the prime option to backup Kubel. Parra doesn’t offer a ton of upside, but he should give you a consistent .275+ average and the occasional steal and homer. He’s available in essentially 90% of both ESPN and Yahoo! formats. If Kubel hits the DL then you can expect Parra to fly off the shelves.

• Jose Bautista is another marquee hitter to land on the DL recently. The move certainly changes things in Toronto, especially the batting order. Last night Rajai Davis hit lead off and of course stole a base. Blue Jays skipper John Farrell hinted that Davis could potentially stay in the lead off spot. If Davis stays there, that could open up even more chances for him to run. Davis projects to steal 16 more bases the rest of the way and is only owned in 12% of Yahoo! and 14% of ESPN leagues. Keep an eye on his place in the batting lineup. Even if he doesn’t continue to hit at the top of the order, his projected steals make him worth owning.

• Davis’ main competition at the lead off position is prospect Anthony Gose. After being called up Monday night from Triple-A, Gose wasted no time in adjusting to the big leagues. He was inserted as a pinch hitter and recorded his first hit on a bunt single in the ninth inning. The bunt was no accident, as Gose has stolen over 40 bases in three separate seasons in the minor leagues. He nabbed 69 bags last year and had 29 in Triple-A this season. He did get caught stealing 10 times this year, so that is something to watch out for. Overall that is a minor concern to fantasy owners, but it is something to take note of. Gose sports a strong walk rate and solid power. Get ready to pick this kid up in every league you can. He’s only owned in 5% of Yahoo! leagues and a whopping 0.0% of ESPN formats.

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: Wandy Rodriguez at SD
Why yes, yes I will take that curveball at Petco.

A Pitcher for Tomorrow: Max Scherzer vs LAA
This is a bit of an optimistic pick, but I have faith in Scherzer.

A Hitter for Today: Neil Walker at COL (Jeremy Guthrie)
Walker is in the midst of a 17 game hitting streak and he hits right-handed pitching very well.