Roto Riteup: September 20, 2013

Welcome to a special edition of the Friday Roto Riteup. “Why is it special,” you ask? Well, esteemed colleague Professor Pony is out being nerdy this morning, so you get me instead!

On today’s agenda:
1. Felix Hernandez to start Sunday
2. Jered Weaver gets scratched from today’s start
3. Clay Buchholz pushed up to Saturday
4. Fun with arbitrary endpoints

Felix Hernandez to start Sunday
The mighty, powerful, and righteous King Felix hasn’t started in nearly three weeks due to an oblique injury, but the Mariners are scheduling him to take the hill on Sunday against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. If Felix can record two outs in the sixth inning, the right-hander will hit the 200 inning mark for the sixth year in a row, which is pretty darn impressive considering he’s missed a few starts. The King wasn’t real sharp before hitting the DL, but perhaps he was pitching through the injury and none of us mere mortals were informed. Pitching Sunday ruins things for those of you in weekly leagues, but who are we to question the King?

Jered Weaver gets scratched from today’s start
Weaver has been very good this year despite throwing slower than my grandmother, but now the Angels’ ace is going to take a day off. The team has yet to mention why Weaver is having his start skipped as of writing, so that’s not cool. Weaver hasn’t complained of any injuries since September 9 when he had some soreness in his forearm, but he’s pitched since then without any issues — or so we thought.

Clay Buchholz pushed up to Saturday
Originally scheduled to start Sunday’s game, the Red Sox have moved Clay Buchholz up to Saturday while moving Felix Doubront back to Sunday. The move to push Buchholz up in the rotation is motivated by the postseason, as Boston now lines up with Jon Lester and Buchholz in the first two games of the American League Divisional Series. Buchholz has yet to allow an earned run since returning from the DL last week, sporting a 9/5 K/BB ratio over 11 innings of work.

Fun with arbitrary endpoints
All stats through Wednesday’s burning hot action.

Dustin Ackley, August to present: 137 PA, .325/.400/.467; 15 BB, 20 K, .378 BABIP
Jake Arrieta, since joining the Cubs rotation: 38.1 IP, 31 K, 21 BB, 6 HR; 4.42 ERA, .208 BABIP
Derek Norris, July to present: 92 PA, .333/.413/.568; 10 BB, 21 K, .400 BABIP
Tom Wilhelmsen, since returning from minors: 7 G, 6.2 IP, 4 K, 4 BB, 0 HR; 1.35 ERA, .167 BABIP
John Lackey, last 11 starts: 74 IP, 55 K, 14 BB, 8 HR; 4.62 ERA, .317 BABIP