Roto Riteup: June 7, 2016

Michael Fulmer hasn’t allowed a run in 22.1 innings. That may seem like a short streak – it’s still more hand stuff than Orel – but Fulmer’s been really impressive. Sadly, I watched his start Monday as he dominated the Jays, and I really hadn’t grasped just how effective his change up’s been playing. Given that his fastball sits around 95 MPH and his slider’s a dangerous weapon, mixing in a change with nearly 10 MPH of separation and some nice drop seems a little unfair. Blame his catchers.

Fulmer on his change-up “I’ve always trusted it I just haven’t thrown it, I don’t know why” Catchers are forcing him to throw it now.

— Jeff Riger (@riger1984) June 7, 2016

Fulmer’s now the owner of a 2.83 ERA (3.50 FIP), a 25.1-percent strikeout rate, and still just a 58-percent ownership tag.

On the agenda:
1. Wong demoted
2. Come and find me, Nimmo
3. Various News and Notes
4. Streaming Pitcher Options

Wong demoted
The Cardinals demoted Kolten Wong on Monday, sending him to Triple-A to make room for Jhonny Peralta. Many owners had already moved on from the No. 8 second baseman off draft boards before the season, as Wong’s ownership rate had tumbled to 35 percent. Without the benefit of a prospect slot to slide him into, it can probably fall even lower. The 25-year-old was hitting .222/.306/.286, a significant drop-off at the dish from his rookie and sophomore campaigns, and owners weren’t getting the double-digit power-speed combo they’d come to expect (one home run, three stolen bases). With Peralta, Aledmys Diaz, Matt Carpenter, Greg Garcia, and Jedd Gyorko all around, it makes sense to try to get Wong right with regular at bats in the minors. It just makes it tough for fantasy players to expect much from him for the remainder of 2016, given the path to playing time.

Swimming in the injuries, come and find me, Nimmo
The Mets really can’t catch a break. Add Juan Lagares to their list of injured players, as the outfielder has a partially torn ligament in his left thumb. He might be able to play through it (they’re not putting him on the DL yet). If he can’t, it could potentially mean a surging Brandon Nimmo gets his first taste of major-league action, though New York may just roll with a four-man outfield instead. That would mean Michael Conforto or Alejandro De Aza against lefties, and they’re probably fine with that for two weeks, if Lagares even winds up needing time off. Nimmo, if you’re curious, is hitting .306/.388/.461 and is the organization’s No. 5 or 6 prospect. If he’s not in the immediate plans, maybe the 23-year-old becomes a chip at the deadline as the 31-24 Mets look to fortify.

Various News and Notes
Rougned Odor hit a walk-off double and now has five hits in three games since returning from suspension. I guess he took notice of how well Jurickson Profar was playing in his stead and wants to make sure he’s got a firm grasp on his job. Odor’s hitting .273/.298/.470 on the year for a 99 wRC+, which should be enough, but Profar’s impressed in his 10 games up, to the extent that he hasn’t been sent back down yet. He’s hit .370/.383/.630, building on a solid start to the Triple-A season.

I tried to warn you that the new Thrice album would give Mark Trumbo the boost he needed. The Orioles’ slugger now has five home runs in 11 games since To Be Everywhere Is to Be Nowhere hit the shelves, pushing him to the league lead with 19 on the season. Death from above, indeed.

Danny Salazar’s been pushed back from his Wednesday start due to should fatigue and is instead expected to throw Sunday. Cody Anderson gets the call for a Tuesday start as a result, bumping Carlos Carrasco to Wednesday. More concerning than Salazar’s fatigue is that Michael Brantley could miss more time than originally expected, with Jeff Passan reporting that there’s “serious concern” about the outfielder.

Felix Hernandez may miss longer than the minimum 15 days on the DL. The Mariners aren’t providing a time frame, but it doesn’t sound as if Hernandez has done much since sitting down on June 1 (retroactive to May 27). For those banking on King Felix in weekly lineups next week, check his status carefully over the weekend.

The Astros will be going close by committee now. Benjamin has you covered off on this.

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: Matt Moore @ ARI (Zack Greinke)
It’s kind of a weird day, with a lot of low-ownership arms throwing but not many interesting ones, or ones in a great position to succeed. Interestingly, SaberSim sees Julio Urias as the day’s high-output arm despite the Rockies not standing out as an exceptional match-up, which may speak to a slight over-valuing of prospect performance in the model. Instead, I’ll swing for that same upside with the mercurial Matt Moore, who SaberSim is also quite fond of today (projecting him eighth among starters).

A pitcher for tomorrow: Chase Anderson vs. OAK (Jesse Hahn)
Tomorrow’s nearly as tough, as very few low-ownership arms are in play. Chase Anderson draws an Oakland outfit that is striking out below the 20-percent barrier but also producing only a 90 wRC+, barely walking, and not exactly doing damage away from O.Co. (.154 ISO). Anderson’s peripherals aren’t exactly sparkling, speaking to the low quality of the available options.