Roto Riteup: July 8, 2016

Greetings, from Las Vegas! I’m here for NBA Summer League and, tragically, won’t get to see the 51s in action at any point while I’m here. I will, however, be laying a boatload of money at the books on the red-hot Giancarlo Stanton to win the Home Run Derby, so long as someone heckles him first.

Fan calls Giancarlo Stanton overrated… Stanton promptly homers. pic.twitter.com/7ApJqjhSn4

— Shaun Newkirk (@Shauncore) July 6, 2016

Yes, that clip’s a day old, which is my way of bringing up that I missed the Roto Riteup yesterday. Real life got in the way on short notice, and I’m really sorry for leaving you hanging. Trust that whoever I would have picked for a streaming choice threw a perfect game with 20 punch-outs.

On the agenda:
1. Harvey considering season-ending surgery
2. Various News and Notes
3. Streaming Pitcher Options

Harvey considering season-ending surgery
Well, this was bound to happen eventually, I guess. Matt Harvey is presenting symptoms consistent with thoracic outlet syndrome, and he’s now considering his options, none of which are all that great. Harvey could get a non-surgical injection and hope it alleviates things enough for the remainder of the season – and the Mets push for a playoff spot – or he could undergo a surgery the team believes is “inevitable.” It’s unclear when Harvey will make a decision, but obviously he’s droppable in re-draft leagues if he opts for surgery. In keeper or dynasty leagues, it gets more complicated, as Harvey’s been pitching pretty poorly in his second season back from Tommy John surgery. The talent is clear, but he’s missed fewer bats and been hit harder this season, and it’s tough to see him ranking as a top-10 starter once again entering 2017.

Various News and Notes
A lot of teams are getting their ducks in a row with the usual rush of All-Star Break disabled list stints. It makes sense, particularly for starters – teams are off for four days, anyway, and it’s a good time to get guys a little bit of extra rest (and in some cases, give them a reason to skip the showcase).

Matt Carpenter is one such name, but this doesn’t sound like a procedural DL stint. The Cardinals believe his right oblique injury is cause for a “high level of concern,” and he’s set for an MRI as a result. Aledmys Diaz is replacing him in the All-Star Game and it’s Michael McKenry getting the call from Triple-A, but it’s Kolten Wong who stands to benefit the most from a playing-time standpoint.

The Cubs may have lost Jason Hammel, too. He left his start with a hand cramp, which is a very strange and possibly concerning injury for a person who makes a living with his right hand. Keep an eye on this in the coming days, but Hammel wasn’t set to pitch until after the break, anyway.

The Red Sox added Aaron Hill in a deal with the Brewers. It’s an interesting depth add, because Hill is once again on a high point of his up-and-down career. The path to playing time isn’t exactly clear, but he could find himself on the short side of a platoon with Travis Shaw. And some of those at-bats would come at Fenway, which plays nicely to Hill’s profile. Unfortunately, this probably only registers in deep formats.

Trevor Story’s been slumping some of late, but with a Final Vote in the balance, he clobbered a pair of home runs. He’s now tied Albert Pujols’ record for rookie home runs by the break with 21. In other words, the Story of the (first half of the) Year is a hero who won’t drown.

Mike Trout is also very, very good.

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

A pitcher for today: Daniel Mengden @ Hou (Collin McHugh)
The Astros are roughly an average offense overall, and pitching in Houston isn’t the easiest of tasks. At the same time, the Astros strike out more than all but three other teams, and Daniel Mengden appears to be profiling as the type to take advantage. The 23-year-old has been really impressive through five starts at the major-league level and has generally exhibited better control than he has so far, too. SaberSim is lukewarm on him but at 20-percent ownership, I’ll take that risk.

A pitcher for tomorrow: Brandon McCarthy vs. SD (Luis Perdomo)
One start after his return from a lengthy DL stint, Brandon McCarthy worked his way back to 38-percent ownership by striking out eight over five shutout innings. Now he’ll draw a Padres offense that’s improved but do most of their damage against lefties. Against righties, they own an 82 wRC+ and a 24.1-percent strikeout rate. We need to see more from McCarthy – happy belated birthday, by the way – before buying in that he can replicate his strong 2014. This is a good opportunity to build some momentum toward that.