Roto Riteup: May 17, 2016

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On the agenda:
1. Richards declines Tommy John, Timmy comin’
2. Yankees on the mend, chuckin’ rocks
3. Various News and Notes
4. Streaming Pitcher Options

Richards declines Tommy John, Timmy comin’
Garrett Richards has opted to decline undergoing Tommy John surgery in favor of receiving a stem-cell injection in his right elbow. Going experimental makes some sense since Richards would have likely missed most or all of 2017 whether he had the surgery now or in a few months, so even if the treatment fails, he’s mostly in the same place. If it works – and he won’t know for a while – then he may be able to get back sooner.

With Richards (and three other starters) shelved, the Angels are scrambling for arms, acquiring Jhoulys Chacin, giving Matt Shoemaker another chance, and, yes, closing in on a deal with Tim Lincecum. The 31-year-old Lincecum posted a 4.13 ERA in 15 starts last season, inducing swinging strikes 10.7 percent of the time. His velocity was down to 87, he gave up quite a bit of hard contact, and his walk rate was up to career-high levels, but that’s just, like, your opinion, man. He’s Tim Lincecum, and he should be owned in 100 percent of leagues, but Yahoo doesn’t have him in the player pool yet.

Tyler Skaggs is now cleared to resume throwing after being shut down for three weeks with a biceps issue, so more help may be on the way.

Yankees on the mend, chuckin’ rocks
The New York Yankees are expecting to bring Alex Rodriguez and CC Sabathia both off of the disabled list sometime this week. Rodriguez’s two-week trip saw his ownership drop to 40 percent, and a lot of that is probably a nod of respect or fandom – he was hitting .194 with five home runs in 72 at bats before going down. Projection systems still like him for 15 to 20 more homers this season, but with a UTIL only tag, you’re justified in passing (you’re justified in grabbing him, too, to be clear). Expect him Wednesday, followed by Sabathia on Friday. Sabathia was off to an encouraging start on the surface, with a 3.81 ERA and 3.56 FIP through five starts. Unfortunately, given the 3.4-percent home run per-fly ball rate and his four-year track record with that stat, an even further decline in missed bats, and a spike in walk rate, his two-percent ownership tag is where it should be.

Luis Severino, meanwhile, is on the DL with ineffectiveness (officially a triceps issue), with Brian Cashman calling it a “timeout” and saying he became a “rock chucker” when his confidence dropped. I prefer to kick rocks, myself. He was sporting a 7.46 ERA, 5.47 FIP, and 3.85 xFIP, really struggling to miss bats and keep the ball in the park.

Various News and Notes
*The Astros called up Tony Kemp, a 5-foot-6 speedster who will replace Preston Tucker on the roster. Kemp only stole four bases over 34 games at Triple-A, but he has a nice enough OBP profile to suggest he could be a source of steals. Tucker, meanwhile, is probably gone yachting or something. Houston also recalled Evan Gattis, who was on a stint to get reps in so he can serve as the team’s backup catcher, a potential boon for his future fantasy value.

*Steven Matz reportedly does not have ligament damage in his elbow. What you just heard is an enormous sigh of relief from the Mets and fantasy owners alike. With one Tommy John surgery already on his record and elbow and forearm soreness flaring up, this news is quite welcome. The 24-year-old owns a 2.86 ERA with the peripherals to back it through six starts.

*Henderson Alvarez wasn’t as lucky, suffering a setback with his surgically-repaired shoulder and being forced out of Monday’s game after an inning. Jesse Hahn will get another call Tuesday as the As continue to look for someone to stick until Alvarez is ready.

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: Juan Nicasio vs. ATL (Aaron Blair)
I’m cheating here a little bit with Juan Nicasio’s ownership sitting just shy of 50 percent, but it’s a pretty rough day for streams, both in terms of ceiling and floor. Nicasio’s been uneven, but he’s still striking out a batter an inning, and he draws the league’s worst offense (by far) in a good spot to nab a win.

A pitcher for tomorrow: Nicholas Tropeano vs. LAD (Mike Bolsinger)
It’s a thinner slate here, too, but there are at least some ceiling-floor questions you can ask yourself and the option to swing hard. But no, never Ricky Nolasco. I’m rolling with Nicholas Tropeano, who’s impressed me despite the 1.64 WHIP and who draws a surprisingly ineffective Dodgers offense (88 wRC+) with an average strikeout rate.