Roto Riteup: May 14, 2025

Timing is everything:

On the Agenda: 

1. Closer Chaos
2. Quick Hits
3. Various News and Notes
4. Streaming Pitchers

 

Closer Chaos

Chris Martin left Tuesday’s game with elbow soreness. This doesn’t sound good at all. Martin was filling in for injured closer Luke Jackson in the ninth inning when he had to depart. Robert Garcia is likely the next man up in Texas. 

 

Quick Hits

Jason Foley is out for the season after undergoing elbow surgery. He will return in 2026. 

TJ Friedl left Tuesday’s game after being hit by a pitch and then colliding with Elly De La Cruz the following inning. 

It is being called wrist soreness. Consider him day-to-day for now.

Roki Sasaki was placed on the IL with a shoulder injury. There is no timetable for his return. Clayton Kershaw is expected to return to the Dodgers rotation this weekend.

 

Various News and Notes
Jacob Wilson went 4-for-5 with two home runs in the victory over the Dodgers on Tuesday.

Wilson has been amazing this season, hitting .363/.389/.513 with five home runs and two stolen bases. He is one of the leaders in MLB in z-contact and while there isn’t a ton of power, it plays up in Sacramento. He has a legitimate shot to win the batting title, but won’t be a massive factor in power or speed.

Javier Baez went 2-for-5 with two home runs in the victory over the Red Sox on Tuesday.

Baez is hitting .319/.357/513 with five home runs and a stolen base. This isn’t totally flukey. He has a career best zone contact and a career low swinging strike rate. He is getting lucky, but he is making some of that luck possible with improved contact. He will regress, but maybe not to the player has been the last few years and being multi-positional eligible makes him valuable in fantasy.

Daulton Varsho went 2-for-5 with two home runs in the loss to the Rays on Tuesday.

Varsho has struggled since returning from the IL, but the power is not lacking. He has five home runs and a stolen base in his 41 plate appearances, but is still struggling to make consistent contact. However, because he is so good defensively, he can play through the strikeout problems and deliver power and speed if you can handle the poor average.

Nick Kurtz went 2-for-5 with a home run in the victory over the Dodgers on Tuesday.

This was Kurtz’s first MLB home run. He has struggled since arriving to the Majors, but the talent and approach are present. It was a matter of time before the power showed and hitting in Sacramento in the summer should be great for his upside to come to fruition.

 

Streaming Pitchers (Under 50% in CBS)

Pitcher for Today: Eduardo Rodriguez at SF

Rodriguez has pitched well recently and faces a mediocre Giants offense in a great park. 

High Risk Options: Gunnar Hoglund at LAD, Ryan Weathers at CHC, Michael Lorenzen at HOU, Dean Kremer vs MIN, Jordan Hicks vs ARI, Bryce Elder vs WAS, Patrick Corbin vs COL, Hunter Dobbins at DET.  

 

Pitcher for Tomorrow: Nick Martinez vs CHW

Martinez has pitched well as of late and gets a great matchup.

High Risk Options: Zach Littell at TOR, Chris Paddack at BAL. 

For those of you that would like to see how these picks play out, I have a doc I put together to track the stats from my recommended pitchers. It does not include the “High Risk Options.”