Roto Riteup: May 10, 2017
The Roto Riteup is issuing the following Public Service Announcements:
1. There is an incorrect way to slide:
Hits are unwelcome in CarGo’s territory. https://t.co/EBnFM2VFca pic.twitter.com/E9BxJGymdV
— MLB GIFS (@MLBGIFs) May 9, 2017
2. There is an incorrect way to high five:
Two times. pic.twitter.com/l1PuvC59c9
— MLB GIFS (@MLBGIFs) May 10, 2017
3. Ben Gamel is legit (and I called it!)
The Mariners came back from 4-run defecits (TWICE!), and Ben Gamel was a big part of that. pic.twitter.com/ETaU3WgQxh
— Mariners (@Mariners) May 10, 2017
On the Agenda:
1. Closer Chaos
2. Various News and Notes
3. Streaming Pitcher Options
Closer Chaos
Mark Melancon was placed on the DL with a mild pronator strain. Derek Law appears to be the next man up for the Giants, but it is supposed to be a short stay on the DL for Melancon.
Francisco Rodriguez finally lost his closing gig. He had blown four saves including two over the weekend against the A’s. Justin Wilson has been named the closer, but don’t be surprised if Alex Wilson gets some opportunities as well. K-Rod will assume a lower leverage role for the time being according to manager Brad Ausmus.
Various News and Notes
Miguel Sano lost his appeal and served the one-game suspension for his part in the kerfuffle back in April. He will return to the lineup today.
Jeimer Candelario was recalled to be the 26th man in yesterday’s double-header for the Cubs. While his promotion will most likely be short-lived it is a name to file away. Candelario is slashing .340/443/.649 with 4 home runs in triple AAA Iowa. The 23-year-old corner infielder is blocked in Chicago, but he could be really interesting trade bait mid summer for a Cubs team that is looking to repeat. Add him to your watch list for when he ends up on another team without a Kris Bryant or Anthony Rizzo.
Wilson Ramos will reportedly begin his minor league rehab assignment at the end of the month barring any setbacks. Ramos has already been doing catching drills and will begin catching bullpen sessions sometime next week. Ramos tore his ACL in his breakout season last year where he hit 22 home runs and slashed .307/.354/.496 in 523 plate appearances before getting hurt. He signed a two-year deal with Tampa Bay in the offseason with hopes of quickly recovering the value lost due to injury. With the state of catcher in fantasy, Ramos may be worth a stash for those that can afford to hold him for about 3-4 weeks.
According to Rick Hahn, Yoan Moncada is not close to reaching the Major Leagues. This is obviously gamesmanship because Moncada has done no wrong in AAA so far this year. So far this year he is hitting .345/.419/.549 with six home runs, eight stolen bases and an improved 26.4% strikeout rate. At best, the White Sox will leave him down until Memorial Day to stay behind the Super Two deadline, but it could be longer. He is a stash in all formats at this point because he should be up very soon.
Robinson Cano was pulled from Tuesday’s game with a quad strain. He had hit a two-run home run which incidentally had me more excited than I have been in a while:
Never check your DFS teams this early: pic.twitter.com/gACQgxobBr
— Justin Mason (@JustinMasonFWFB) May 10, 2017
and then pissed me off once he was pulled:
Never have been so disappointed in winning money. pic.twitter.com/k1ldaaJ4Xb
— Justin Mason (@JustinMasonFWFB) May 10, 2017
There was no updated information after the game on Cano’s condition. Keep an eye to see if he will head to the DL.
Andrew Toles left the game Tuesday after running into the outfield wall and injuring his knee. X-Rays came back negative, but he is scheduled for an MRI today. It sounds like no matter the results, Toles will most likely hit the DL for this injury. Between this injury and the report that Adrian Gonzalez’s rehab is going to move slowly, it appears that Cody Bellinger is in the Majors to stay.
Streaming Pitcher Options
A pitcher for today: Luis Perdomo vs TEX
Perdomo has been solid since returning from injury and his strikeout rate has increased from last year.
A pitcher for tomorrow: Tyler Anderson vs LAD
Most of the guys owned less than 50% are real risky, but I got a lot of crap last time I didn’t recommend someone. Anderson looked really good in his last start and gets a Dodgers team that is beaten up and tends to struggle against left-handed pitching. This game is in Colorado, so use at your own risk.
Justin is the co-host on The Sleeper and The Bust Podcast and writes for Rotographs covering the Roto Riteup as well as other periodic articles. In addition to his work at Rotographs, Justin is the lead fantasy writer/analyst and co-owner for FriendswithFantasyBenefits.com, and the owner of The Great Fantasy Baseball Invitational. He is also a certified addiction treatment counselor. Follow Justin on Twitter @JustinMasonFWFB.
No power in the minors and running a .500 BABIP. Color me skeptical on Gamel.
He won’t keep up what he is doing, but the strongest part of his game in the minors is steals. If he can continue to get on base and hit, he could easily cut out enough playing time go 10/20.
Strong cell battery game, Justin. Very strong.
I’ve always loved Pedormo due to his high GB%, but this year he’s taken it to a new level, combined with pretty good control. Any reason not to be incredibly bullish on him? I’m seeing a lot of 2014 Keuchel here.
The more I look at him the more I am excited. I think he’s doing all the right things so far this year, but the bottom line is he doesn’t really have a plus pitch. They are mostly all just ok. I think he can turn into a decent high end #3 in fantasy but I don’t see the huge ceiling.
I’d never heard of the Dodgers’ Chris Taylor until 10 minutes ago. Is he a good bet to start this weekend’s games in Colorado?
He is a former mediocre Mariners prospect. He could see starts against Anderson and who ever the bring up for Saturday if its a lefty. He is a career .280 hitter against southpaws. He is mostly a defensive guy, so unless its a deep league, I wouldn’t bother.
Thanks. I’m using J Polanco as a SS fill-in for Tulo, but anyone playing at Coors is so tempting for me.
woooooo gambling!
First, as it related to Ben Gamel, he was one of a number of lottery picks you made that have turned out well.
Second, if Gamel continues to play well, the player most at-risk of losing at-bats is Dyson, who continues to struggle as a hitter with a 62 wRC+. The Mariners love Haniger and for good reason, as he was among the WAR leaders before his oblique injury. While I think Seattle was unduly optimistic when it announced he’d miss three to four weeks with a Grade 2 oblique injury – such injuries typically require 4 to 8 weeks — Haniger should be back in the everyday lineup by about mid-June. With Heredia playing well along with Gamel, Dyson could be the odd man out.
Finally, while any setup man has a chance to pick up saves on nights the closer is not available, I would not expect to see Alex Wilson pick up more than the bare minimum. The Tigers have struggled with closers for years, their fan base and their front office has been frustrated by the poor performance and their manager doesn’t have the firmest grip on his job. Expect Detroit to give Justin Wilson a fairly long leash to create stability and predictability at the back end, and his track record, both over his career, and especially this season, suggest he will make well use of it.