Roto Riteup: March 27, 2018

The Roto Riteup hopes you find someone who looks at you that way Anthony Rizzo looks at Kris Bryant.

Just a couple dudes having a candid moment. pic.twitter.com/H4TrOTwUuM

— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) March 26, 2018

That is the way I look at opening day.

 

On the Agenda:

1. A Flightless Bird

2. Closer Chaos

3. False Alarm!!!

4. Various News and Notes

 

A Flightless Bird

What appeared to be a minor issue isn’t. Gregory Bird will undergo ankle surgery on his right ankle to remove a bone spur that has been causing him issues. He is likely to miss 6-8 weeks. This will likely open up playing time for Tyler Austin and potentially Mike Ford, who is a Rule 5 returnee that did not make the Mariners 25-Man roster.

 

Closer Chaos

According to Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County register, Blake Parker appears likely to start the year as the closer for the Angels. This makes Cam bedrosian the setup man for now. This isn’t big news, more like a clarification. One would expect this to shift throughout the season between the two and potentially another guy or two.

According to Fox Sports Arizona, manager Torey Lovullo will announce the Diamondbacks closer prior to Tuesday’s final exhibition game. I am going to guess it will be Brad Boxberger, but be ready to snag whoever it is in shallower formats where Bradley, Boxberger and Hirano are available.

False Alarm

When I was woken up by a text message from Jason Collette, I expected the worst. He sent this video and said “waiting for the _CL tear news.”

pic.twitter.com/ZPEyuyNmYs

— Red Sox Stats (@redsoxstats) March 26, 2018

Sweating it out for the next few hours, we got the news that it is only a knee contusion and Rafael Dever will be fine. Moral of the story: Never give Jason Collette your cell phone number.

 

Various News and Notes

According to Jason Beck, JaCoby Jones has made the Opening Day roster for the Tigers. Jones was a common sleeper pick not that long ago and is still only 25-years-old (turning 26 this season.) Between AAA and the Majors, Jones hit 12 home runs and stole 18 bases in 146 games played. He is worth a speculative add in AL Only.

Dinelson Lamet felt better on Monday after experiencing pain in his elbow over the weekend according to Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune. Lamet stated that he feels like he can potentially beat the May return date. This is still a situation to monitor, but fantasy owners can begin to breathe easier… for now…