Roto Riteup: September 26, 2016

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On the Agenda:
1. My Thoughts on Jose Fernandez
2. Various News and Notes
3. Streaming Pitcher Options

My Thoughts on Jose Fernandez
On Sunday morning, Jose Fernandez died tragically in a boating accident. He was 24-years-old. I encourage you to read Paul Swydan’s piece from yesterday on him if you haven’t already and any other piece that comes out later today.

I spent much of yesterday thinking about what I would say about Jose Fernandez. He was the epitome of the American Dream. He came from nothing. He floated the 90 miles from Cuba, almost losing his mother in the process, in search of a better life than the one he was leaving. By the age of 24, he had become one of the faces of Major League Baseball and was widely considered a top 10 pitcher in the game, but it was the way he played the game that he will be remembered for. He treated baseball like the game that it was. He played the game with a childlike exuberance and enjoyed every moment. We enjoyed every moment too.

It seems almost selfish to think of the loss of him as a loss for baseball. He was more than just a baseball player. He was a father, a son, a role model, a humanitarian, and so much more. The world is a little dimmer without him in it.

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Various News and Notes
Bryce Harper left Sunday’s game after injuring his thumb while awkwardly sliding into third base. Pirates’ third baseman Jung Ho Kang had faked a tag forcing Harper to slide into the bag. The Nationals would later throw behind Kang’s head prompting a melee on the field. Harper will head in for x-rays on his injured thumb, but they are considered cautionary. Keep an eye on his status rest of the way as Washington may opt to rest him quite a bit over the last week even if everything checks out.

Sonny Gray threw a 48-pitch live batting practice session on Saturday. Manager Bob Melvin stated the team will “fit him in somewhere” before the end of the season. While he probably isn’t worth using in most formats as he will probably be on a pitch limit of some sort, this is encouraging news for the former A’s ace in terms of his 2017 value.

Rubby De La Rosa will visit with Dr. James Andrew on Monday. De La Rosa already has a previous Tommy John Surgery and has felt continued soreness and tightness in his elbow while trying to pitch through a sprained UCL.

Streaming Pitcher Options
A pitcher for today: Sean Manaea @LAA (Jered Weaver)
Manaea has pitched well as of late and draws the putrid Angels lineup.

A pitcher for tomorrow: Jose De Leon @SD (Paul Clemens)
It’s the Padres…