Roto Riteup: May 27, 2015

Today’s Roto Riteup was researched while the present author ate a popsicle. Well, technically it was an Otter Pop, but I think those should be considered a type of popsicle. Though it lacks a wood stick, it is still a self contained frozen treat. Things such as lemon ices, etc. are not popsicles to me.

On today’s agenda:
1. Jung-ho Kang continues to rake
2. Quad injury for Matt Adams
3. Quick thoughts on Adam Warren
4. Streaming Pitching Options

Jung-ho Kang continues to rake
After a slow April where he hit .269/.310/.346, Kang has been on fire in May. Prior to yesterday’s 2-for-4 game he was hitting .318/.392/.470. As is so often the case in month-by-month splits, BABIP has played a role in Kang’s numbers. His .333 April BABIP, while still above average, pales in comparison to his May .373 rate heading into yesterday’s game. Kang has appeared at both shortstop and third base enough times to be eligible in most standard leagues and should be plugged in at short wherever possible. It’d be very surprising to see Kang’s current BABIP hold for the season, however he is still one to be owned in almost any format. He’s only tallied two home runs thus far, but does have seven doubles and three stolen bases. Given how shallow shortstop is, as well as Kang’s potential power — plus he has seemingly settled in the fifth spot in the lineup — make him one to pick up. He’s free to pick up in over 60 percent of CBS formats and more than 80 percent of Yahoo! and ESPN leagues.

Quad injury for Matt Adams
The St. Louis Cardinals may lose their primary first baseman for a spell. Adams left yesterday’s game after pulling up lame after rounding first base in the fifth inning. From the video it looks like a right quad strain, though no word on the severity of it. Count on Adams hitting the 15-day disabled list or missing a handful of games in the very least. He’s been in a fairly regular platoon with Mark Reynolds, the guy who will most likely see the biggest increase in playing time should Adams hit the DL. Reynolds’ poor rate stats make him an option in deep leagues or NL-only formats, and he can be picked up in more than 97 percent of CBS, Yahoo! and ESPN leagues.

Quick thoughts on Adam Warren
For the third consecutive outing Warren has tossed a quality start. The converted reliever hasn’t seen many strikeouts and sports a 5.68 K/9, however he did manage five strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings yesterday. Warren induced 11 whiffs on 88 pitches against a Royals squad that doesn’t strike out often in yesterday’s outing and didn’t allow a walk. With a modest 32:18 strikeout to walk ratio, Warren has been dancing between raindrops en route to his 3.91 ERA. His 4.43 xFIP tells of rockier days ahead for the right-hander, but I do expect to see an uptick in his strikeout rate, as does ZiPS and Steamer. According to Brooks Baseball, Warren has been throwing fewer breaking balls this season, potentially to reduce wear and tear on him in his expanded role. He’s probably a stream option in deep leagues or a budget pick in DFS despite his recent success.

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Streaming Pitching Options
If you enjoy streaming pitchers, tune into the Roto Riteup for recommendations each and every day.

A pitcher for today: Brad Hand at PIT (Gerrit Cole)
As Zach Sanders mentioned yesterday, today isn’t a strong day for streaming pitching options. Still, Hand will be up against a Bucs squad which rates below average against left-handers. Hand is free to pick up, and is a bit of a risky start, in more than 98 percent of the three major fantasy sites.

A pitcher for tomorrow: Buck Farmer at LAA (C.J. Wilson)
The Angels haven’t fared too well against right-handed pitching this season. Farmer will be making his third career start in the big leagues and owns a strong 2.98 ERA and 2.70 FIP in Triple-A so far. Similar to Hand, Farmer is available in 95 percent of the big the three’s leagues.