Roto Riteup: September 12, 2019

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September 12, 2019

It’s my birthday and I’ll hit dongs if I want to.

On the Agenda:
1. Various News and Notes
2. Quick Hits
3. Streaming Pitchers

 

Various News and Notes
Mike Trout – who hasn’t played since Saturday – is slated to return to the Angels lineup on Friday.

If you started him in weekly formats then you’re probably feeling a bit frustrated. Hopefully he can get three games in this weekend.

According to Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Joey Gallo is expected to return from the injured list on September 20th against the Athletics. That will leave him with nine games the rest of the season (OAK, BOS, NYY). He could potentially play six games during the last full week of the season, but it’s unclear if TEX will give him full-time AB. There’s certainly risk in deploying him, but his upside is obviously immense. Tread lightly.

Jim Bowden of the Athletic reported that Christian Yelich will be out six weeks after he suffered a fractured knee cap yesterday. The ailment is not expected to require surgery per Bowden. Trent Grisham (who homered yesterday and led off) is worth speculating on the rest of the way; he’ll likely take on a fair amount of playing time and be featured against RHP. The timeline for Yelich is good news in regards to his 2020 outlook. The injured superstar is an MVP candidate, and has been taken second or third overall in the 2EarlyMocks.

Keston Hiura was activated from the 10-day injured list, but Brewers manager Craig Counsell told reporters that he’ll be relegated to pinch-hitting/bench duties until Monday – their next homestand. Since Hiura’s hamstring isn’t fully recovered, it’s tough for us to count on him for much of anything the rest of the way.

It looks like Max Muncy will be activated from the injured list on Friday.

The initial thought would be that Gavin Lux would lose some PT due to the myriad of options that the Dodgers possess. With that said, Justin Turner has been battling an injured left ankle and will have an MRI to determine his outlook. Muncy will likely mix in-and-out as the Dodgers get ready for the postseason, leaving Lux with (hopefully) the same role he’s had. If you’re in the fantasy playoffs or looking for a spark during the season’s final couple of weeks, there’s probably better options than Muncy, but he continues to be a strong bat when he’s on the field.

Owners of Lourdes Gurriel Jr. will be waiting a little bit longer for his potential return.

Dennis Lin of the Athletic reported that Garrett Richards will make his Padres debut next week against the Brewers if he’s able to get through a bullpen session unscathed on Saturday. He wasn’t supposed to make any starts with SD this season after coming off TJS, but the 31-year old has made quick progress and should make a couple of appearances before getting a full offseason. He’s posted a 10.61 ERA, 2.46 WHIP, and 13/11 K:BB over 9.1 IP (5 GS) in the minors. He’s not worth picking up this year, but he should be on our radar in 2020 and beyond.

Domingo Santana is expected to be activated for the end of the Mariners homestand this weekend – or at worst – play against the Pirates on the road on Tuesday. Santana hasn’t played since August 18th, and only has four home runs since June 23rd. The Mariners will be without Jake Fraley the rest of the way, so Santana has a chance to put up a couple of home runs and steal a base or two before the year ends.

Jesus Luzardo made his MLB debut against the Astros yesterday; hurling three innings of one run ball with two strikeouts and zero walks. He’ll be a bullpen piece for the Athletics, but his strikeout upside is great enough to own in 15-team mixed despite not starting. He touched 98 mph on his fastball, and retired the last seven hitters he faced.

Luis Severino’s second rehab start went much better than his first (1 IP, 2 ER, 1 HR, 3 H, 2 K).

This was expected to be his last rehab outing. By the time people are reading this he may already be heading to the Yankees. If he’s in the starting rotation the rest of the way, he’d be lined up to face the Angels and Blue Jays at home, and then end the season on the road against the Rangers. It’s obviously dubious for me to even project him making three starts when he’s made zero impact this season, but we’ll see how things shake out. If he’s available he should be picked up.

Bill Koch of the Providence Journal reported that David Price threw a 20-pitch bullpen session yesterday. If he can get going soon, he could be in line to make two-or-three starts before the season ends.

Will Smith was unavailable for the Giants once again yesterday (back inflammation), but he’s expected to resume throwing today and be available this weekend. He hasn’t pitched since September 6th.

Justin Upton was held out of the Angels lineup yesterday and is set to undergo an MRI on his troublesome right knee that plagued him earlier in the season. Brad Ausmus mentioned that the ailments weren’t connected. Either way, he could be out for the rest of the season depending on the severity of things. Taylor Ward got the start for him in left field yesterday.

J.P. Crawford will return to the Mariners lineup tomorrow after being out a few weeks with a hamstring injury. The Mariners have put a combination of Dylan Moore, Dee Gordon, and Donnie Walton at the shortstop position, but Crawford figures to play as much as possible down the stretch in order to get reps. He could be a nice bargain in 2020 drafts.

Quick Hits
Mike Moustakas, Jorge Soler, Ji-Man Choi, Todd Frazier, and Jeff McNeil all hit two home runs a piece yesterday.

Reynaldo Lopez continued to be his highly volatile self; yielding six earned runs over 4.2 IP to the Royals yesterday.

Kyle Lewis blasted his second home run in as many days since being called up to the major leagues. Yesterday’s three-run shot broke up Sonny Gray’s no-hitter in the seventh inning. He’s well worth an add in most formats, as he possesses mammoth raw power and can take a walk as well.

Martin Maldonado hit his third home run in two days.

Sean Murphy blasted his fourth home run in 18 at-bats this season. I still worry about playing time, but if he’s raking it’s going to be hard to keep him out of the lineup.

Marcus Semien continued to stay hot against the Astros. He’s now hitting .385/.455/.769 this month with three home runs and three steals in 39 at-bats.

Eloy Jimenez hit his second home run in as many days and is now up to four on the month (26 this season).

Adalberto Mondesi went 3-for-5 with a home run, three runs scored, two RBI, and two stolen bases against the White Sox. He’s hitting .265/.286/.382 with two home runs and eight stolen bases over 39 at-bats this month. What could’ve been if he stayed healthy.

Jordan Luplow continues to crush LHP, and sits in the top-20 in wRC+ against southpaws this season.

Steven Matz posted six scoreless innings against the Diamondbacks, and now has allowed two earned runs or less in 10-of-11 starts overall.

Pablo Lopez had another rocky start at home against the Brewers. He’s been brutal in three-of-four starts back, with the lone quality outing coming at home against the Royals.

Dallas Keuchel posted his sixth-straight start of allowing two earned runs or less in the Braves win over the Phillies.

Chris Paddock has yet to yield a run in September as he logged six scoreless innings against the Cubs. He only allowed three hits and one walk while striking out seven. For some reason he isn’t receiving a lot of love in the 2EarlyMocks, but if he logs 170 IP in 2020, he could be a top-20 starter.

Jonathan Villar’s 21st home run of the season marked the 6,106th longball across the majors; breaking the all-time MLB record set in 2017.

Corey Dickerson exited Wednesday’s contest early due to a foot injury, but X-rays came back negative.

Streaming Pitchers (Less than 50% owned)
Pitcher for Today: None
Lot of options, but none that stand out.

High Risk Options: Kolby Allard vs TB, Drew Smyly vs ATL, Jorge Lopez at CHW

Pitcher for Tomorrow: Chris Bassitt at TEX, Sandy Alcantara at SF

High Risk Options: Tyler Beede vs MIA, Adrian Houser at STL, Yusei Kikuchi vs CHW





 

Fantasy Baseball and Tampa Bay Rays enthusiast. Restaurant manager by day, fantasy analyst by night. Contributor to Rotographs, Baseball HQ, Fantasy Pros, and co-owner of Friends with Fantasy Benefits. Follow me @MikeWernerFWFB.

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Joe Mannix
4 years ago

Ya spelled Paddack incorrectly, FYI.

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Mike Werner
4 years ago
Reply to  Joe Mannix

I do that all the time….apologies.

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