Roto Riteup: Monday, August 8th, 2011

Thanks to TBS’ Sunday MLB coverage, I had the chance to watch a couple innings of Mike Minor’s start yesterday against the Mets. Here are some observations I made note of during the game:

– For someone with such a low GB% last season and a HR problem in Triple-A this year, Minor didn’t seem to sit high in the strike zone. Sure, he’d hang a pitch every once and awhile, but most pitchers do.

– Minor seemed extremely comfortable with his change-up, using it to get ahead in the count on a couple of occasions. It didn’t seem to have a whole lot of movement to it, and it was only six MPH slower than his fastball, but it was effective nonetheless.

– Overall, Minor looked very good, striking out the side in the fifth inning. He’s MLB ready, and even with a multitude of advanced pitching prospects in the Braves’ system, I’d imagine Minor gets a rotation spot next year.

Now, on to other notes:

– After pitching well recently, Tampa Bay Rays’ starter Alex Cobb is going on the DL due to discomfort in his pitching hand. Cobb has had tests done for some serious stuff like blood clots, and thankfully those have all come back negative. From a fantasy perspective, no new starter will be coming up to the majors, as the Rays were rolling with a six-man starting rotation. If you own Cobb in a dynasty league, this is certainly something to be concerned about, but hopefully the doctors are good at their jobs.

– Jake Peavy has been quite good recently, and he continued his strong showings against the Twins yesterday. Over his past six starts, Peavy has pitched 37.1 innings, striking out 27 batters and walking only seven. He has not allowed a home run since his June 30th start in Colorado.

A Pitcher For Today: Matt Harrison vs SEA
Harrison isn’t much, but with his offense behind him, I expect the young left-hander to pick up a win today.

A Pitcher For Tomorrow: James McDonald at SFG
The Giants offense has put up some pretty lackluster performances recently, and while McDonald may not end up with a win, I suspect he’ll give you some good strikeouts and help your ERA.

PickSix Lock of the Day: J.J. Putz ($.50) vs HOU
Before yesterday, Putz hadn’t pitched since August 1st, and the Diamondbacks are sending Daniel Hudson out there against Wandy Rodriguez.
Prediction: IP, SV, 2 K; 14 points
Past Predictions: 4 predictions, $63.25 spent, 18.2 points.