Roto Riteup: May 18, 2017
A day after talking up my boy Bradley Zimmer he got his first MLB hit on an impressive piece of hitting here:
Milestone moment: @Bzimmer5’s first career hit, in GIF form. #RallyTogether pic.twitter.com/sKz87Oa2u4
— #VoteTribe 5x a day (@Indians) May 17, 2017
Oh yeah, he also went yard later in the game…
On the Agenda:
1. Various News and Notes
2. Streaming Pitcher Options
Various News and Notes
Gregory Polanco was placed on the 10-day DL with a strained hamstring. The move is retroactive to May 15th and the Pirates believe that it will only require a minimum stay.
Blue Jays manager John Gibbons clarified the timetables on Josh Donaldson and Troy Tulowitzki on Wednesday. Both still need a few more rehab games and neither will be activated right away. Tulo has a chance to be back with the team this weekend and Donaldson will not return until next week. Neither have experienced a setback however.
Trevor Cahill has been placed on the DL. Cahill had said that he had been experienced some trouble getting his arm loose over the course of the last two starts. There is no current timetable for his return.
Jameson Taillon has been cleared to begin cardio and light throwing. Taillon, who underwent surgery for testicular cancer about ten days ago, has no current timetable for his return, but this is a really good sign for him in many ways.
Miguel Cabrera was a late scratch Wednesday with an oblique strain. He is expected to miss the next two to three days with the injury.
Yoan Moncada has been placed on the DL in AAA with thumb soreness. X-rays and the MRI came clean, so hopefully this will not delay his arrival a large amount. Widely considered the top prospect in the game, Moncada has been tearing up the minor leagues since joining the White Sox farm system. Fantasy owners will need to just hold tight if they are stashing him.
Freddie Freeman was removed from Wednesday’s game when he was hit on the wrist with a pitch. X-rays were inconclusive and he will undergo more tests today.
Streaming Pitcher Options
A pitcher for today: Tyler Chatwood @ Min
Not many great options on Thursday, but Chatwood has been better on the road than at home in Colorado so I can roll with him against the Twins.
A pitcher for tomorrow: Eddie Butler vs Mil
Again, not a ton of great options, but Butler looked good in his first career start for the Cubs. Worth a shot in deeper leagues.
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.
How would Butler be a potentially good streaming option against the second best offense in MLB?
The Brewers do have a .024 split between their home & road wOBA.
Also, no Braun at the moment.
Thames is also day-to-day with strep throat and soreness. Didn’t play yesterday, might not play today, who knows?
Chasing wins
First, let’s mention the fact I did say there weren’t great options and that streaming guys are available for a reason. Second, a number of guys mentioned Braun and Thames being injured and sick. Throw Shaw in there who has been dealing with his own injury issue. Is Butler a must pick up? No, but very few streamers are. I think my record, while definitely not unblemished, has been pretty good picking these especially considering I have not been shying away from bad lower end slates. Could it blow up in my face? Most definitely, but I’d hope people bake in that risk like we normally do for most pitchers.
It sure seems like everyone — including Justin — took my question as an attack. It was a serious question: why would a far-from-top-end starter be a good option against a very potent offense?
Rather than get a serious response, I got defensiveness. I mean, I was literally just asking a question as to the thought process there.
I appreciate the hard work that goes into these columns, and I thought my question would be received for what it was — a question, and not a trolling effort.