Roto Riteup: May 31st, 2012

It’s not Friday, but cheer up, because it’s only a day away! Let the Roto Riteup take up a bit of your morning, and hey, feel free to write an angry comment if you feel like wasting even more time at work.

• The Rockies have finally cut bait on Jamie Moyer, designating him for assignment just moments after his 10 billionth day on this earth. Taking his place in the rotation will be right-hander Carlos Torres. Torres, 29, has pitched 46 innings in the bigs up to this point, and he’s been pretty downright awful thus far. Torres has had problems with his control in both the majors and the minors, and he also has had troubles giving up homers. He only throws around 90 MPH, but as a guy who could make a start or two to allow a more qualified candidate more time to develop, he’s not the worst guy in the world.

• There are a number of candidates for filling Moyer’s rotation spot in the now, but there will be only one name to remember in just a matter of days. Jorge de la Rosa is currently rehabbing in Triple-A, and he could be back in no time at all. JDLR has posted good strikeout numbers in the past, but his poor control has always plagued him on the mound. JDLR is an interesting pickup in NL-only leagues and deep mixed leagues, but he’s not a player you should own in standard leagues.

• Every pitcher in the league has officially be placed on the DL or could be very soon. Jered Weaver, Roy Halladay, and Doug Fister are all out for at least 15 days, and it’s entirely possible we see Jaime Garcia join them soon, despite a clean MRI. If you’re like me and own a couple of these fellows on the same team, trying to bring pitchers in for spot starts is going to be very tempting while your studs are down, but that may not be the best option. There’s going to be a pitcher or two out there with the ability to fill the gap, especially if it’s only for a few weeks. If you’re looking at being a bit unconventional, grab a high-K reliever and see if you can luck into a save or two.

For those of you who play daily fantasy games like FanGraphs: The Game, or just like to stream players, here are a couple matchups you may be able to exploit.

A Pitcher for Today: Jeremy Guthrie vs HOU
Only three games on Thursday, and Guthrie will be the least owned of the group. If you can, take a day off from streaming and have yourself a hot cup of tea, instead.

A Pitcher for Tomorrow: Felipe Paulino vs OAK
Paulino is good, and if he’s not available, you may want to make a run at his opposition on the mound, Bartolo Colon.

A Hitter for Today: N/A
Three games today means not much to choose from, and since most of the pitchers are pretty good and I don’t want to suggest anyone against Guthrie for obvious reasons, I’m going to plead the fifth today.