Roto Riteup: June 17, 2016

No matter how bad the week has gone, cheer up: It’s Friday, and it can only get better from here.

On the agenda:
1. Will-soon Contreras
2. J.D. Martinez out 4-6 weeks
3. Various News and Notes
4. Streaming Pitcher Options

Will-soon Contreras
The Cubs are expected to call up top prospect Willson Contreras on Friday, a pretty exciting piece of news for prospect hounds. The 24-year-old catcher is 33-percent owned, and he’s a must-add in catcher-rich formats, and maybe just in general if he’s able to carve out a substantial role from Miguel Montero and David Ross. All three catchers are on the roster for the time being and the Cubs don’t have any interleague play forthcoming, so the path to playing time isn’t particularly clear, but Contreras is likely already the best catcher of the three – not only did he own a 176 wRC+ and a 20-game hitting streak (with 16 extra-base hits in that stretch) at Triple-A, he also threw out 31 percent of would-be base-stealers and, despite starting his pro career at third, is said to have improved his handle on the defensive side of the game. This is pretty fun stuff, and it would be weird for the Cubs to have called up a third backstop without the intention of using him (somewhere).

J.D. Martinez out 4-6 weeks
The Tigers will be without J.D. Martinez for the next four-to-six weeks, as the outfielder has a non-displaced fracture in his right elbow. Martinez suffered the injury colliding with the wall on Thursday and could be out through the trade deadline, leaving Steven Moya to soak up at least the strong side of a platoon set up. Moya hasn’t done a ton in three very brief cups of coffee with Detroit but he’s been hitting the ball well at Triple-A, posting as 157 wRC+ with 13 home runs and a .302 average over 49 games. Martinez, meanwhile, hasn’t quite delivered after being the 10th outfielder off the board. He hasn’t exactly disappointed, either, with a .286 average and 12 home runs, good for 17th in outfielder value.

Various News and Notes
Following up on an item we’ve touched on a few times of late, David Wright will undergo surgery on the herniated disc in his neck, costing him at least the bulk of his season, and possibly the remainder of it. Wilmer Flores has been hitting well over the last couple of weeks, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Mets try to fortify that position.

Victor Martinez homered three times, all solo shots, giving him 12 on the season. Despite the previously modest home run total, he ranks ninth at the position in value on the season thanks in large part to a robust .338 average.

The Jays will have to face Manny Machado all weekend, as the shortstop’s appeal of a suspension won’t be heard until Tuesday. Jose Bautista could miss at least one of those games after exiting Thursday’s game with a toe injury.

Count the Royals among the teams who may kick the tires on Jose Reyes. The Padres, meanwhile, signed Edwin Jackson to a minor-league deal, and if Kyle Lohse finds a home, it could be in the Rangers’ bullpen (now that Colby Lewis is threatening perfect games and all). A lot of yawning here.

Glen Perkins won’t be returning this season. Alan Harrison has you covered in the Bullpen Report.

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: Julio Urias vs MIL (Zach Davies)
There are a couple of names I like that have already been discussed here or elsewhere (Jon Gray against the Marlins, Trevor Bauer against the White Sox), so to avoid being redundant, we’ll kick the tires on the 39-percent owners rookie. No, he probably won’t go too deep, but the Brewers own just an 89 wRC+, have a .127 ISO on the road, and strike out more than any team but the Rays. Urias looked much more comfortable his last two times out, and I don’t think hoping for six strikeouts over five innings is unrealistic here.

A pitcher for tomorrow: Cody Reed @ HOU (Dallas Keuchel)
There’s some risk in over-investing into prospects, but Cody Reed is in a good position to hit the ground running as he makes his major-league debut. The Astros strike out in nearly a quarter of their plate appearances and have a 94 wRC+ overall, so while they represent a bit of a blow-up threat, they also present a nice opportunity for the 23-year-old lefty. In 11 Triple-A starts, Reed has fashioned a 3.20 ERA and 3.37 FIP with a 23.7-percent strikeout rate.