Roto Riteup: September 19, 2015

The Roto Riteup’s College Gameday signs are strong.

On today’s agenda:
1. Brandon Finnegan gets a start
2. Various news and notes
3. Streaming Pitcher Options

Brandon Finnegan gets a start
It took 24 major league appearances, but Finnegan finally got his chance to start a game. Finnegan took the hill for the Reds yesterday against the Brewers, striking out four over five innings of work while allowing just one earned on a solo homer. Finnegan features two pitches that profile as plus, and his third — a changeup — is good enough to keep righties off his slider and sinker. Finnegan’s success will come down to command; if he can hit his spots or at least limit walks, he will be a quality starter, including in fantasy leagues.

The Reds are committed to giving Finnegan a spot in the rotation, both for the remainder of this season and in 2016, and you should be willing to give him a chance.

Various news and notes

Chris Sale struggled again yesterday, this start coming against the Twins. Sale allowed just one earned, but seven runs overall in his seven innings of work, including two homers. Sale’s September ERA is now 7.83. Sale has thrown nearly 400 more pitches than he did last year, but he’s yet to reach his career high set in 2013. With the team out of the playoff picture, it would not be a surprise for the White Sox to shut him down a week before the season ends to preserve some bullets for a team that may actually compete.

Speaking of shutting pitchers down, that will not happen with Phillies’ starter Aaron Nola. The right-hander has been mostly as advertised in his debut season, though his home run rate is rather alarming and not massively inflated by Citizen’s Bank Park.

Something you probably didn’t know: Melvin Upton is hitting .250 this year with five homers and eight steals over 194 plate appearances. I’m not brash enough to call this a full return to his Tampa Bay productivity, but keep an eye on him over the next two weeks and perhaps keep him in mind as a flyer in 2016.

Ketel Marte continues to produce for the Mariners, and his line sits at .280/.348/.366 with seven steals in 183 plate appearances. Marte is already penciled in for the starting shortstop job next season, where he could be an excellent stolen base threat come draft day. He may not be able to keep his .280 average up, but .260 is utterly reasonable.

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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: Jerad Eickhoff at ATL (Ryan Weber)
Facing a pitcher you’ve never heard of, roll with Eickhoff on the road.

A pitcher for tomorrow: Josh Tomlin vs CWS (John Danks)
As long as you’re not afraid of allowing a homer, Tomlin can deliver.