Roto Riteup: May 18, 2016

When your third home run of the night is a walk-off grand slam, you can celebrate however you damn well please. With the nearby Golden State Warriors in the conference finals, Khris Davis opted to pay homage to Steph Curry with the pull-up on the third base line.

That ended a three-game hitless streak for Davis and pushed his wRC+ back above 100 (102). He’s hitting just .228 but has 11 home runs and 28 RBI though 37 games.
On the agenda:
1. Berrios optioned
2. Gomez to DL
3. Various News and Notes
4. Streaming Pitcher Options

Berrios optioned
Owners in 28 percent of leagues are faced with a tough decision now that the Twins have demoted top pitching prospect Jose Berrios. The 21-year-old posted a 10.20 ERA over four starts, backed by a 7.38 FIP and 4.83 xFIP. Obviously, there’s a lot of noise in there, and his 29.4 percent home run per-fly ball rate wasn’t likely to last. At the same time, he walked 16 percent of batters he faced, far too many for his 12 strikeouts per-nine innings to make up for. It’s a very live arm and he remains a great prospect, he’ll just need a little more Triple-A seasoning, it seems. If you’ve got an NA or prospect spot, hold on to Berrios, as he’ll likely get another look later in the year.

Taylor Rogers was recalled in his place, but it will be Pat Dean getting Berrios’ next start.

Gomez to DL
The Astros placed Carlos Gomez on the DL with a bruised ego left rib cage, which he suffered diving for a ball on Friday. Gomez is off to a terrible start to the season, and maybe the chance to rest up and clear his head will be for the best. He’s hitting .182/.238/.248 and has been held without a home run, enough that the No. 16 outfielder off the board on draft night is now owned in just 73 percent of leagues. Projection systems remain optimistic, pegging him for roughly .250-11-15 the rest of the way.

Evan Gattis was recalled in his place, ready to lock in catcher eligibility having dusted off his shin guards, and Colin Moran got the call to the majors, too, though he’s unintriguing.

Various News and Notes
The suspensions came down for the Rangers-Jays dust-up, and once appeals are completed, owners will be without Rougned Odor for eight games, Elvis Andrus and Jose Bautista for one, and Jesse Chavez for three.

The Cubs signed Joe Nathan to a major-league deal, and he was immediately put on the 60-day disabled list. The hope is that he can pitch by July.

Chase Anderson took a no-hitter into the eighth inning, only to see Ben Zobrist smack a double to end it. Jason Heyward homered a few batters later, and then Kris Bryant did the same. So despite seven no-hit innings, Anderson emerged with a line of two runs on three hits over 8.2 with six strikeouts, dropping his ERA on the season to 5.32.

It’s probably a bad sign when a player and manager have an “animated discussion” over a player’s health status. That’s reportedly what happened between David Wright and Terry Collins on Tuesday, with Wright fighting to play through back pain. Collins scratched him instead, as the team continues to play it cautious. Wright’s hitting .229 and striking out at a career-high rate, but he’s walking a ton and has produced a 121 wRC+. Owners will want him in there every day, but how the Mets are approaching things is probably best for all stakeholders in the long-run, given Wright’s previous back issues.

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: Nicholas Tropeano vs. LAD (Mike Bolsinger)
It’s a thinner slate here, 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.

A pitcher for tomorrow: Jonathan Gray @ StL (Michael Wacha)
There are a few intriguing names starting, but for the most part they’re drawing juggernaut opponents. It’s dangerous as all get-out, but Jonathan Gray has been mowing opponents down to the tune of a 30.5-percent strikeout rate, and he’s removed from Coors Field here. It’s a risk, but I really don’t like any of the safer plays (maybe Nate Karns against a more strikeout-heavy but equally dangerous Orioles squad suits you better?).