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| Thursday, June 17, 2021 |
| Either 68% of Fantasy Baseball managers on CBS aren't listening to the podcast or they're just not paying attention. That 68% represents Blake Snell's start percentage this week knowing that he had a scheduled date with the Rockies in Coors Field. As expected, Snell put up another stinker. He now has a 5.72 ERA with a 1.57 WHIP. We're currently watching the bad version of Robbie Ray disguised as Snell. Either way, get this guy out of your lineups until he strings together a few positive starts. |
| If you were depending on Snell as one of your aces coming into the season, perhaps I can interest you in Ross Stripling. While I don't think he's back to his Dodgers form from years past, I do think he's serviceable right now. Over his last five games (four starts, one relief appearance), Stripling has a 2.47 ERA with 29 strikeouts over 29.1 innings pitched. He's currently in line to face the Orioles and Marlins next week. Yum! |
| Of course, you can subscribe to make sure you get the latest episodes of Fantasy Baseball Today right when they drop on Apple and Spotify. |
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| deGrom: 'This is frustrating' |
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| Mets SP Jacob deGrom was off to what looked like an instant MLB classic on Wednesday against the Cubs. The Cy Young favorite and darkhorse MVP candidate pitched three perfect innings and struck out eight of nine batters. In the process, he drove home an RBI on a single -- that gave him two more total RBI than runs allowed on the season and brought his average above .400 and his OPS above .900. Then, we got the bad news. As I say often, you always have to hold your breath when deGrom is on the mound, and he left the game after just three innings with right shoulder soreness. |
| This came after he left his previous start early with an elbow injury. He has now battled through three injuries this season: oblique, flexor tendinitis in his right elbow, and now the shoulder. In this start, he looked a bit uncomfortable after being removed from the start when trying to stretch out his shoulder. Here's what deGrom had to say after the game, via ESPN: |
| "I felt good warming up, felt really good in the first and second innings, then there in the third my shoulder was sore. This is getting old. I want to be out there competing instead of coming out of these games with these little [things]. |
| "This is frustrating. I want to be out there as long as I can be out there." |
| On a positive note, tests on his right shoulder showed no decline in strength when compared to his left one. Also, Mets manager Luis Rojas provide a positive update of his own. |
| "During the game I got a report," Rosas said after the game. "We can call it an encouraging report." |
| There has been no talk yet of a potential IL stint, but deGrom had this to say about potentially taking some time off the mound regardless of what the coming MRI reveals: "That's a tough question because I want to be out there every fifth day. That will be a decision based on what we see [Thursday], but the competitor in me wants to be out there." |
| Scott does not see this as an opportunity to trade deGrom. The risk of giving him up for less than worth far outweighs the potential benefit -- especially because early reports suggest no reason for concern. On the flip side, he's turning 33 in two days and is throwing the hardest he ever has in his career. |
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| Alvarez gains outfield eligibility |
| Astros OF Yordan Alvarez is now outfield-eligible in leagues that grant eligibility after five games, including CBS. He started his fifth game in the outfield on Wednesday. Alvarez is batting .301 now with nine homers and an .866 OPS. |
| Mahle returning to early-season form |
| Scott is feeling hopeful about Reds SP Tyler Mahle after his most recent three starts including an outing on Wednesday that was dominant. Mahle shut down the Brewers with a career-high 12 strikeouts through six innings. He allowed just three hits and one run. He also retired the final 12 Brewers batters he faced, nine of them via the strikeout. Under the hood, the numbers back up Mahle's recent run. He induced 19 swinging strikes -- elite numbers again. He's once again looking like a high-end SP2 who can deliver SP1 performances. |
| More news and notes |
| Astros 3B Alex Bregman left Wednesday's game with a left quad injury. Twins 3B Josh Donaldson left with right calf tightness, the same calf that landed him on the IL this season. Diamondbacks SP Zac Gallen will be activated and start Thursday against the Giants. He last pitched May 7 before being sidelined with a right UCL sprain. In his most recent simulated game, Gallen only threw 46 pitches. I would be surprised if he throws more than 70 pitches. Astros OF Kyle Tucker was placed on the COVID IL. He hasn't necessarily tested positive for the virus but it's unclear when he's expected to rejoin the active roster. Dodgers SS Corey Seager, dealing with a fractured hand, is expected to hit in Arizona this weekend and begin his rehab assignment late next week. Cardinals SP Jack Flaherty played very light catch on Wednesday. Dodgers 1B/OF Cody Bellinger is hoping for a minimal stay on the IL. Phillies SS Jean Segura was placed on the IL with a left groin strain. Re-enter Brad Miller, who is batting .270 with six homers and three steals, though the strikeouts have really inflated. White Sox 3B Yoan Moncada, who's been dealing with an illness, is expected to return Thursday. Royals SS Adalberto Mondesi and A's OF Ramon Laureano each homered in their first game back. Mets OF Michael Conforto began a rehab assignment at Triple-A Wednesday. 1B Luke Voit hopes to return to the Yankees on Tuesday. Mets SP Carlos Carrasco has resumed his throwing program. He recently received a PRP injection to deal with some lingering pain in his hamstring. Blue Jays OF George Springer felt great after appearing in his first rehab game Tuesday. Reds SP Sonny Gray is likely to miss at least two more turns in the rotation. Reds 1B/2B/3B Mike Moustakas' rehab was shut down after he experienced renewed soreness in his heel. Rangers closer Ian Kennedy is back from the IL. Royals SP Brady Singer was pulled after three innings Wednesday. He said he felt something in his shoulder after his last start so the Royals wanted to keep him on a pitch limit. Braves SP Tucker Davidson, who was placed on the IL with a forearm strain, will be shut down for 10 days before he's re-evaluated. SP Ryan Weathers was demoted to Triple-A by the Padres. They plan to stretch him out as a starter in the minors. White Sox SP Michael Kopech's return date is still unclear. |
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| Mid-June standouts |
| June batting average leader: Orioles OF Cedric Mullins at .452. A few other standouts: Twins DH Nelson Cruz with a .417 average and three homers; Angels C Max Stassi with a .389 average and four homers. June home run leader Astros 2B Jose Altuve has eight already this month. Fun fact: He has now been moved up to Scott's No. 1 2B rest of season. Royals C Salvador Perez has seven homers in June. He's also batting .328 with a 1.095 OPS this month. The RBI leader: Angels 3B Anthony Rendon with 16. He is also batting .313 this month but has missed a few games recently. Stolen base leader is Braves OF Ronald Acuna with seven, but Padres OF Tommy Pham is close behind him with five. On the pitching side, 11 SPs have an xFIP below 3.00 in June and here are a few that I wanted to highlight: Robbie Ray, Marcus Stroman, Pablo Lopez, Aaron Civale, Framber Valdez, Austin Gomber, Frankie Montas. The June strikeout leader is Blue Jays Robbie Ray with 32. June saves leader: Cubs RP Craig Kimbrel with six. |
| Streaming options |
| Thursday |
| Tigers SP Matt Manning at LAA Reds SP Wade Miley at SD Cardinals SP/RP John Gant at ATL Orioles SP Jorge Lopez at CLE Yankees SP/RP Michael King at TOR |
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