Roto Riteup: May 11, 2016

Some days, you’ve just got it like that.

Ender won’t save them, but he’ll make them a little more watchable.

On the agenda:
1. The Demon Cain
2. Mesoraco outlook worsens
3. Various News and Notes
4. Streaming Pitcher Options

The Demon Cain
Lorenzo Cain hit home runs in three consecutive plate appearances against the Yankees on Tuesday, taking Masahiro Tanaka deep twice and then rocking Andrew Miller in Miller’s first outing as a setup man this year. It’s great to see this pop out of Cain, who started the season out slowly but has really been picking up steam – the big night pushed his wRC+ north of 100 (102) and his average to .270, sneaking him back inside the top-100 ranked fantasy assets this season. For a guy who was hitting .200 on April 25, that’s a pretty nice recovery.

Aroldis Chapman, by the way, picked up his first save with the Yankees, cooling Cain off in the ninth to end it.

Mesoraco outlook worsens
Devin Mesoraco will miss six months, a much longer time frame than initially hoped when he hit the DL earlier this month. The catcher is dealing with a torn labrum in his left shoulder, and the surgery revealed multiple instances of tearing, pushing the recovery time back an additional two months. This ends the 27-year-old’s season, one in which he was limited to a .140/.218/.160 line in 55 plate appearances. There’s a lot to like about the guy, but it remains difficult to see him staying healthy, at least enough to invest heavily in moving forward.

Various News and Notes
I can’t imagine a feeling much better than a pinch-hit grand slam, so Alex Dickerson must be feeling pretty good this morning. Trayce Thompson hit a pinch-hit walk-off home run for the Dodgers, too, the second straight game in which he’s left the park.

Alex Wood struck out nine for the Dodgers in that same game, surrendering two runs (one earned) in 6.1 frames. Rubby de la Rosa held the Rockies to one run in 7.1 at Coors, striking out six. On the A.L. side, J.A. Happ came one out short of a shutout, instead keeping San Francisco scoreless over 8.2. He’s been quite good. And finally, Trevor Bauer turned in seven scoreless with seven strikeouts. It’s happening!

Following up on a note from yesterday, Andrelton Simmons will miss six-to-eight weeks following thumb surgery. Brendan Ryan was acquired from Washington for cash, and he, not Reynaldo Navarro, will split time with Cliff Pennington at short. Yawn.

Clay Buchholz thought he had been traded when the Red Sox pulled him after five innings. As it turns out, the Red Sox probably just wanted to, you know, have a chance to win. Buchholz’s ERA now sits at 5.90 with peripherals that aren’t a great deal more encouraging. The 31-year-old is missing fewer bats, walking far more batters, coaxing fewer ground balls, and his velocity is down more than half a tick.

Raul Mondesi was hit with a 50-game suspension, down from the initial 80 due to the “No Significant Fault or Negligence” provision. That means he’ll be eligible for the postseason, as he was a season ago. Mondesi was hitting .250 with five home runs and 11 stolen bases in 25 games at Double-A this year.

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: Jerad Eickhoff @ ATL (Jhoulys Chacin)
You could just as easily flip in and Run the Jhoulys but Jerad Eickhoff’s on the better side of the ledger, drawing a Braves outfit that’s been barely half an offense. Eickhoff’s also just better, with a healthy 4.9:1 strikeout to walk ratio. He’s out there in 58 percent of leagues.

A pitcher for tomorrow: Nathan Eovaldi vs. KC (Ian Kennedy)
It’s a really thin day for low-ownership starters (only six below 60 percent), and Nathan Eovaldi provides the most upside. He’s striking out nearly a batter an inning and visits the Royals, who own a 91 wRC+ and take fewer walks than any other team in the league.





Blake Murphy is a freelance sportswriter based out of Toronto. Formerly of the Score, he's the managing editor at Raptors Republic and frequently pops up at Sportsnet, Vice, and around here. Follow him on Twitter @BlakeMurphyODC.

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Mark27
7 years ago

Alex Dickerson definitely didn’t hit a walk-off grand slam.

Baller McCheesemember
7 years ago
Reply to  Blake Murphy

*Papa Slam