Roto Riteup: May 10, 2015

Some would say today’s Roto Riteup is fat with analysis, but I’d say it’s just big boned. Oh, and happy Mother’s Day!

On today’s agenda:
1. Carlos Rodon’s starting debut
2. Fun with arbitrary endpoints
3. Various news and notes
4. Streaming Pitcher Options

Carlos Rodon’s starting debut
Everything didn’t come up Aces, but Rodon was impressive against the Reds in his first big league start. The White Sox didn’t hold the youngster back, allowing him to throw 108 pitches, and since the left-hander was hitting 98 in his last few throws, the team had little reason to pull him. Rodon struck out eight over six innings, walking four and exiting with two earned runs.

Rodon’s command was spotty early, but he settled down a bit as the game wore on. Rodon threw just two changeups, living up to his fastball/slider reputation. Rodon’s fastball sat at an easy 95-96 MPH, and he was able to get some arm side run and sink on the pitch when he wanted to without sacrificing velocity. Rodon’s slider wasn’t the weapon you’d expect, but it’s a nasty pitch and flashed it’s greatness.

This was supposed to be just a spot start for Rodon, but with a strong showing, he could force his way into the rotation any day now. Hector Noesi isn’t a real MLB starter, and he was nailed in the back by a liner in the first leg of the doubleheader. John Danks is also not a good starter, but he’s less likely to get the boot thanks to his large contract and a modicum of past success.

Fun with arbitrary endpoints
We’ve finally progressed far enough into the season to bring back this feature! All stats are through Friday and encompass the past 14 days

Justin Upton: 54 PA, .283 avg, 4 HR, 5 SB
Russell Martin: 49 PA, .432 avg, 5 HR
Josh Reddick: 55 PA, .364 avg, 4 HR, 5.5% K%
Logan Morrison: 51 PA, .313 avg, 4 HR, .297 BABIP

Colby Lewis: 3 GS, 19 IP, 18 K, 5 BB, 0 HR, 1.42 ERA
Nate Karns: 3 GS, 16.2 IP, 18 K, 5 BB, 1 HR, 1.62 ERA
Stephen Strasburg: 3 GS, 14.1 IP, 15 K, 5 BB, 0 HR, 5.02 ERA

Various news and notes
– Jesse Hahn faced off against the division rival Mariners, and his defense let him down. Ill-timed errors allowed Seattle to get off to an early lead and pile on later, but Hahn was still charged with four earned on six total runs. Hahn struck out four and walked three.

– You wouldn’t know it from his ERA, but Doug Fister’s velocity is becoming an issue this year. Sitting 88-89 at the peak of his powers, Fister’s fastball is down to 86 this year, and his swinging strike rate reflects it. If you own Fister, now is the time to sell.

– Tiring of his poor performance, the Red Sox have sent Allen Craig to Triple-A. Boston was hoping Craig could be an interesting bench bat with his ability to “play” multiple positions, but he’s been awful, and the team is stuck with the $26.5 million left on his contract. Dealing John Lackey and his league minimum salary for Craig and Joe Kelly is looking like an outright disaster at the moment.

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

A pitcher for today: Tyler Lyons at PIT (Jeff Locke)
I actually like both starters in this game, but I’m not going against the Devil Magic.

A pitcher for tomorrow: Alex Colome vs NYY (CC Sabathia)
If you believe in Colby Lewis’ recent stretch, he’s also an option at home against the Royals.