Roto Riteup: September 19, 2012

Seeing that 19 is my favorite number, today’s Roto Riteup is super special.

• Dynamite Max Scherzer left yesterday’s start against the Oakland A’s after experiencing shoulder fatigue. The Tigers have scheduled an MRI, so we’ll know more later, but it sounds like there’s a decent sized chance that this turns out to be serious. Many of you were probably hoping to ride Scherzer to a championship berth, but you may have to significantly alter your plans and pick up strikeouts elsewhere.

• Matt Harvey’s final start of the 2012 season will be happening at around 7:00 pm eastern, so everyone should be rushing to their television sets after work ends to catch it. Harvey is going to be widely hyped heading into 2013 drafts, and he should be able to carry a full workload next season barring injury. If you want a chance to see him with your own two eyes, tonight’s your last chance.

• Clayton Kershaw has had some problems with his hip, but the good news is that it has been diagnosed as a impingement and not something more serious. If you’re a Kershaw owner, bet on him pitching through the pain as the Dodgers attempt to crawl their way into the postseason. If at any point the Dodgers are officially out of the race, then you should expect Kershaw to be shut down immediately.

• Due to weather conditions, we have a pair of doubleheaders today! If you’re looking to pile up some extra counting stats, pick up some hitters from the Blue Jays, Yankees, Dodgers, and Nationals.

• Giancarlo Stanton has a strained oblique, and since the Marlins are out of it, they are going to be extra careful with their young star. It sounds like Stanton won’t be returning to the lineup today or tomorrow, but there’s a chance he makes it back on Friday. Oblique injuries suck, so don’t be too surprised if Stanton plays sparingly the rest of the way.

• Before last night’s outing against the Colorado Rockies, Tim Lincecum has struck out seven batters or more in his past three starts. However, in those starts Lincecum walked at least three while never lasting seven innings, also allowing a homer in each. Lincecum’s ERA on the year sat at 5.09 before last night, while all three predictors (FIP, xFIP, SIERA) laid below 4.00.

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: Chris Archer vs BOS
The Red Sox are going to be in the Danger Zone after this outing.

A Pitcher for Tomorrow: Phil Hughes vs TOR
Hughes has been solid, and the Blue Jays lineup is still in shambles.

A Hitter for Today: Cleveland Indians vs MIN (Liam Hendricks)
I have absolutely no faith in Hendricks to do anything positive in this matchup.

Thanks to everyone for a great season here at the Roto Riteup. Professor Pony has you covered for the rest of the season.