Roto Riteup: May 3, 2017

The Roto Riteup would like to inform you that lending equipment to Rotographs writers is a mistake:

i don’t know if i had ever been aroused by seeing a catcher’s mitt not move before, but https://t.co/8l161eiQSb

— Alex Chamberlain (@DolphHauldhagen) May 2, 2017

 

On the Agenda:

1. Positional Debuts

2. Various News and Notes

3. Streaming Pitcher Options

Positional Debuts

Kyle Schwarber got his first game behind the plate. Schwarber gaining catcher eligibility would be a huge boon to his value (except in Yahoo where he already has it.) Schwarber has struggled this year hitting .196/.317/.353 and is a poor defensive outfield prone to late game replacement, so any positional flexibility he can gain is helpful.

Ian Desmond played his first game at 1B yesterday. It appeared to be just a day off for Mark Reynolds who would later come in to pitch hit and stay in the game for Gerardo Parra. While traditionally first base isn’t a position one would care about a fantasy player getting, it is not nearly as deep as it has been in years past. Desmond will become the everyday first baseman at some point, but with David Dahl not expected to return any time soon, the will rely on his positional flexibility.

Cody Bellinger received his first start at first base. In most leagues, Bellinger already has 1B eligibility as it is his natural position, but it is worth mentioning if that is not always the case. Bellinger continues to roll in his call-up and is making a strong case to stay up.

 

Various News and Notes

Greg Bird was placed on the 10-day DL with a “deep bone bruise” in his ankle. Bird has been wretched to start the year and has been struggling with injuries as well. Chris Carter will assume full-time plate appearances in his absence and could be a nice addition of pop, if you can sustain the batting average hit.

According to manager Jeff Banister, Delino DeShields has claimed the left-field job. This is awesome news for people who bought in on DD after a season where he flopped hard in 2016. Banister did also use the words “for now”, which could refer to a roster crunch decision that looms once Adrian Beltre returns to the active roster. Deshields is hitting .256/.356/.359 and has stolen 5 bases already this season in 46 plate appearances. He is only owned in 5% of ESPN leagues and will likely be among the most added this week.

Miguel Cabrera left Tuesday’s game with groin tightness. This is unfortunate news as he was just activated off of the DL from a groin injury. Miggy had hit a bomb earlier in the game. Hopefully this is nothing more than just a precautionary measure.

Corey Kluber left Tuesday’s night game with lower back stiffness. This is a bit concerning as it is the second time this season he has been forced to leave the game with this issue. Kluber has struggled out of the gate, but he has been a slow starter the last few years, so no reason to panic just yet.

 

Streaming Pitcher Options

A pitcher for today: Nick Martinez @ HOU

This one could blow up in my face, but Martinez has looked good filling in for AJ Griffin and I will roll the dice in deeper formats. Probably best reserved for AL Only or a GPP.

A pitcher for tomorrow: Brian Johnson vs BAL

You like BOLD? Johnson wasn’t sharp in his first MLB start this year, but has been in AAA including his last start where he struck out 6 over 8 innings. Probably best as an AL only streamer or GPP play.