Roto Riteup: May 4, 2016

When your steaming recommendation gives up three home runs, five walks, and five runs in five innings:

The Nicholas Tropeano suggestion was, well, this, basically:

Oh well. You can’t wear these for long. On to the next.
On the agenda:
1. Heyward dealing with wrist injury
2. A-Rod undergoing An-MRI
3. Various News and Notes
4. Streaming Pitcher Options

Heyward dealing with wrist injury
Those in daily formats will want to keep a close eye on Jason Heyward’s status over the next few days. The Cubs’ big-money free agent signing is dealing with soreness in his right wrist, something that he’s kept quiet since the opening week of the season. Joe Maddon doesn’t think it will be a long-term issue, but it may help explain Heyward’s slow start. Through 23 games, he’s hitting .211/.317/.256, and not to play Twitter Doctor, but anecdotally, it seems wrist injuries are often linked with power slumps. Heyward’s on zero home runs for the year with a .044 isolated slugging, his hard-hit rate is down significantly, he’s using the opposite field less, and he owns a ludicrous 20-percent infield fly-ball rate. Hopefully a few days off can get the top-25 outfielder right.

A-Rod undergoing An-MRI
40-year-old speedster Alex Rodriguez is set for an MRI after tweaking his right hamstring motoring around the bases. He just returned from a brief reprieve due to an oblique issue, and it’s clear that playing baseball every day at 40 is pretty hard on the body. In 20 games, Rodriguez has five home runs, two stolen bases, and a perfectly average wRC+ of 100, useful but not exactly exciting for the 47 percent of owners holding him as a UTIL-only bat. If he hits the DL, you’ll have to consider dropping him, depending on format.

Various News and Notes
Jonathan Papelbon “blew the game” against Kansas City, in his own estimation. Dusty Baker gave him a firm vote of confidence – this is only two blown saves – but his swinging-strike rate is half what it normally is, he’s not getting batters chasing out of the zone, and his velocity is down slightly. Blake Treinen looms. Elsewhere in bullpen news, Tony Zych is pitching Tony Zylch for a while after hitting the DL in Seattle and Carson Smith has been activated in Boston.

Justin Smoak hit a pair of home runs, of the game-tying and game-winning varieties. They’re the first two of the year for the switch-hitting first baseman, who owns a funny .267/.421/.422 line, and a 19.3-percent walk rate, putting the ball in play just 43.8 percent of the time. He hit 18 home runs a year ago, and even with his new full-time role, he’ll struggle to reach 20. Chris Carter hit two home runs, too, giving him nine with 21 RBI now, and Marcell Ozuna homered for the third consecutive game (it’s finally happening!).

Mallex Smith hit the least impressive home run of all time by distance, but it came off of Matt Harvey, and it immediately makes him a candidate to hit third, fourth, and fifth for the Braves. The 22-year-old has struggled to get on base, which is stalling his wheels – he’s at four steals in 19 games since arriving.

Hisashi Iwakuma threw seven innings of one-run ball, Jeff Samardzija whiffed nine in eight one-run frames of his own, and Aaron Nola continued to impress, shutting down the Cardinals for seven innings. Sonny Gray was at the other end of the spectrum, giving up seven runs on 11 hits and pushing his ERA to 4.84.

As a follow-up to yesterday, Manny Machado has officially convinced Buck Showalter to let him move to shortstop, a nice boon for his already-obscene 2017 fantasy value. The White Sox DFAd John Danks. Danks fr th Mmrs. Tim Lincecum’s showcase on Friday is expected to draw a big turnout.

Robbie Erlin is set for Tommy John surgery, which is unfortunate. With Tyson Ross still on the shelf, Cesar Vargas has a grasp on a starting job so long as he can keep it, and there’s a little bit to be excited about with him based on limited 2014 and 2015 minor-league seasons.

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: Tyler Chatwood @ SD (Cesar Vargas)
Nobody’s idea of a high-upside arm, Tyler Chatwood simply has to nice a setup to ignore here. The Padres have a 75 wRC+ and a 26.4-percent strikeout rate, and any Chatwood mistakes should be less harmful at Petco. If you’re feeling a little riskier, I like what I’ve seen from Dan Straily, and he draws the Giants.

A pitcher for tomorrow: Chase Anderson @ CIN (Alfredo Simon)
Woof, what a day. Chase Anderson hasn’t exactly lived up to his name with a 6.7-percent swinging strike rate, but the Reds are struggling right now, posting a 70 wRC+ with an average strikeout rate and very few non-Joey Votto walks.