Roto Riteup: July 9, 2016

This morning’s Roto Riteup looks forward to a couple days without the daily grind of baseball.

On the agenda:
1. Mets’ arms
2. Various News and Notes
3. Streaming Pitcher Options

Mets’ arms
The Mets’ rotation is in shambles. Matt Harvey is going to miss the remainder of the season after undergoing surgery to help relieve his thoracic outlet syndrome, and Noah Syndergaard had to be removed from his start last night after his arm went dead. Thor had some elbow troubles not even a couple weeks ago, and now some fatigue has set in; perhaps the youngster just needs some time off over the All-Star break to regain his mojo and feel 100%, or perhaps it’s something more nefarious. From what we know about pitchers these days, sitting at 98 mph with your fastball is both a blessing and a curse — you can blow the ball by hitters, but your arm can only hold up to the stress for so long before it literally explodes and everyone in a 2.5 mile radius gets hit with shrapnel. Personally, I’m benching Thor after the All-Star break and waiting to ensure all is well before inserting him back in the lineup. Hopefully the Mets give him the entire week off or more, the equivalent of skipping at least full turn in the rotation. With the break eating up a few days, a 15-day DL stint wouldn’t be the worst idea.

Various News and Notes
Michael Saunders won the final vote and will represent the AL in his first All-Star game next week. Most of us Mariner fans are very, very happy for Saunders, who showed great promise in the majors but was felled by injuries too often to put it all together. While we’d certainly prefer his .302/.377/.560 line came in a Mariner uniform, it likely wouldn’t have happened in Safeco field. The Blue Jays outfielder is still riding a .381 BABIP, but the power and plate discipline are real, so a lower batting average isn’t the end of the world going forward. Owners should have considered trading him before, and should continue to do so.

Brandon Belt won the final vote in the NL, and this will also be his first appearance in the mid-summer classic. Belt’s cut his strikeout rate substantially this year while also walking more, and not sacrificing any power to do so. 2013 and 2015 were pretty good for Belt, but 2016 is the year he’s finally lived up to the hype placed upon him when he was in the upper minors.

Sonny Gray is slated to start the second A’s game after the break, but owners should not be surprised if that start is for another MLB club. The A’s are not in a position to compete, and if they can get good value for Gray — which will be difficult in a down year — odds are they’ll move him before he hits arbitration next season. AL-only owners should pray that he doesn’t get moved to the NL.

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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: Robbie Ray at SFG (Jake Peavy)
While Ray’s ERA on the year isn’t so good, he’s been much better on the road, and the Giants’ spacious park should play nicely.

A pitcher for tomorrow: Tom Koehler vs CIN (Cody Reed)
Koehler’s been mediocre, but the Reds are bad and have to hit away from GABP.