Roto Riteup: July 7, 2023

Name a more iconic duo:

Goated pic.twitter.com/5CanJXctDI

— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) July 5, 2023

On the Agenda: 

1. Sleeper and the Bust DK Contest
2. Closer Chaos
3. Trade Rumors!
4. Quick Hits
5. Various News and Notes
6. Streaming Pitchers

 

Sleeper and the Bust DK Contest

On most Tuesday’s and Friday’s and some other days, Paul Sporer and I will be doing a $5 draftkings game for anyone that is interested. 

 

Quick Hits

Jose Altuve was placed on the 10-Day IL with an oblique injury. Typically hitters miss 4-to-6 weeks with this type of injury, though Altuve stated he expected to return shortly after the All-Star Break. David Hensley was recalled to take his spot on the roster. 

Cal Quantrill was placed on the IL with shoulder inflammation. Cody Morris was called up to take his spot on the roster, but this could mean the return of Logan Allen at some point. 

Jeimer Candelario left Thursday’s game after getting hit with a pitch. There was no update on his condition after the game. Consider him day-to-day at this time. 

Daniel Hudson was placed on the IL with a knee sprain. This is awful news as Hudson had just returned from the IL. This is not the same knee he had torn his ACL on so that is good, but he is expected to miss an extended period of time. 

Jake Bauers will be placed on the IL with a shoulder injury. There is no timetable for his return. 

Corbin Carroll left Thursday’s game with a shoulder injury. This is his second exit in the last week with a shoulder issue. While he seemed to be in a ton of pain, the Diamondbacks have stated that the initial reports are good in terms of the stability of the shoulder. It would not be surprising to see him hit the IL as a precaution. 

 

Various News and Notes

Carlos Carrasco threw eight scoreless innings versus the Diamondbacks on Thursday, allowing just three hits and a walk while striking out four in the victory. 

ZEKE HAS HOMERED IN 3 STRAIGHT! 💪 pic.twitter.com/0jU9lqG3jX

— Texas Rangers (@Rangers) June 29, 2023

Carrasco was great in the outing, getting a 44% CSW on his slider and a 42% CSW on his curve. He was throwing with a bit more velocity as well in the outing. This was his first scoreless outing of the season, but he has pitched better overall over the last three starts. He is still nothing more than a streamer, but if he can throw the slider a bit more we could be looking at something sustainable.

Whit Merrifield went 2-for-4 with two home runs in the victory over the White Sox on Thursday.

Whit Merrifield… again.

He's hit his 3rd and 4th home runs of the season tonight. This one ties it up, 4-4. #BlueJays pic.twitter.com/X5tVqv4tay

— Keegan Matheson (@KeeganMatheson) July 7, 2023

Before we get too excited, Merrfield went 0-for-4 on the other side of the doubleheader. Merrifield has been pretty good this season, hitting .284/.341/.384 with four home runs and 19 stolen bases this season, but he has gotten lucky and when that luck runs out, he will reside in the bottom half of the lineup. This is a good sell high point for the 34-year-old after a selection to the All Star Game.

Eugenio Suarez went 3-for-4 with two home runs in the victory over the Astros on Thursday.

Eugenio Suarez – Seattle Mariners (11)
pic.twitter.com/SrrHFttkrO

— MLB HR Videos (@MLBHRVideos) July 7, 2023

Suarez has struggled this year, hitting .230/.318/.363 with 11 home runs so far. However, he is still hitting the ball hard this season and hits in the middle of what should be a more potent lineup. He now has five home runs in the three and a half weeks, so it appears he is starting to get hot.

 

Streaming Pitchers (Under 50% in CBS)

Pitcher for Today: Daniel Lynch at CLE

Lynch is always a risky bet but I am not afraid of the punchless Guardians. 

High Risk Options: Reese Olson vs TOR, Jameson Taillon at NYY, Ross Stripling vs COL, Cole Irvin at MIN, Trevor Williams vs TEX, Austin Gomber at SF

 

Pitcher for Tomorrow:  Brady Singer at CLE

Singer has pitched well lately and gets a nice matchup in Cleveland. 

High Risk Options: Matt Manning vs TOR, David Peterson at SD. 

For those of you that would like to see how these picks play out, I have a doc I put together to track the stats from my recommended pitchers. It does not include the “High Risk Options.”