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| Wednesday, May 26, 2021 |
| In the year of the pitcher, it would only make sense that Rich Hill is back on track. At the ripe age of 41, Hill went out and pitched the best game of his career on Tuesday, striking out 13 against the Royals. I'll let you read more about it below, but the guy is on some run over his last six starts. |
| Tuesday was a busy night for hitters as well. Vladimir Guerrero and Shohei Ohtani continued to be studs, but I'd like to highlight two other names: Josh Bell and Joc Pederson. Bell added two more hits, including a home run, and all of a sudden he's batting .294 with four home runs in May. He's still hitting the ball on the ground too much, but we're witnessing the turnaround. The same could be said for Pederson, who blasted two home runs and is batting .369 in 17 games since returning from the IL. He's only 35% rostered if you're in need of an outfielder. |
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| King of the Hill |
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| Rays SP Rich Hill wasn't given much love as a Fantasy sleeper this offseason after a down 2020 combined with concerns about his age also at the forefront. Maybe that's what brought out the best in him, or maybe the Rays just know something we don't about how to get the most out of their starting pitching. Hill was dominant again on Tuesday against the Royals, going eight innings while allowing just two earned runs on six hits. He didn't walk a single batter and racked up a career-high 13 strikeouts. |
| The underlying numbers were even more impressive. Hill induced an absurd 27 whiffs on just 99 pitches. He finished with a 46 percent CSW (called strikes plus whiffs) rate. It was arguably the most dominant start of the 41-year-old's career. More surprising was the fact that 18 of those whiffs came on his fastball. Now over his last six starts, Hill has a 1.29 ERA with 44 strikeouts in just 35 2/3 innings. |
| Hill remains just 75% rostered. Scott views him as more than just a must-roster player right now -- he's a must-start player regardless of matchup. |
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| More news and notes |
| Mets SP Noah Syndergaard was removed from Tuesday's rehab start due to right elbow soreness. He lasted just one inning in a start he was supposed to go four deep. Phillies OF Bryce Harper was finally placed on the IL with a left forearm contusion, one day after Joe Girardi said he wasn't hurt. It especially crushes Fantasy managers in weekly lineup leagues as we're just one day into the scoring period. Royals SS Adalberto Mondesi was finally in the lineup for the Royals, batting seventh. He finished 2 for 4 with two doubles and two strikeouts. Mets SP Jacob deGrom made his return vs. Colorado and pitched five innings of shutout ball. He allowed just one hit, didn't walk a batter and he struck out nine batters with 12 swinging strikes induced on just 63 pitches. Oh and the fastball velocity was more than fine clocking in at 99.4 mph. OK, so we know baseball players are infamous for getting hurt in the dumbest ways possible, but we have a new one here. Indians SP Zach Plesac was placed on the IL as he fractured his thumb aggressively taking his shirt off. Apparently, he banged his thumb on a chair by his locker. Yankees SP Corey Kluber is dealing with tightness in his right shoulder. Braves OF Marcell Ozuna injured his left hand on a slide at third base. Cubs 2B/SS/OF Nico Hoerner left with an apparent leg injury. Marlins 2B/SS Jazz Chisholm suffered a mild ankle sprain. Dodgers 1B/OF Cody Bellinger has homered in two of his last three games on his rehab assignment. Rangers SP Kyle Gibson was placed on the IL with a right groin strain, which came out of nowhere. Reliever prospect (and a personal favorite) Demarcus Evans was recalled. He could be the closer of the future with great strikeout stuff, but he just walks a lot of batters. Marlins 3B Brian Anderson was placed on the IL with a left shoulder subluxation. 2B/3B/OF Jon Berti started at third base and is 8% rostered for those who need speed in deeper category leagues. Cardinals OF Harrison Bader went to the IL with a right rib hairline fracture. Twins SP Kenta Maeda could miss more than the 10-day minimum on the IL. Cardinals OF Tyler O'Neill is expected to be activated some time during their current road trip, which lasts until June 2. Yankees 2B DJ LeMahieu was placed on the paternity list. Yankees 1B Luke Voit is expected to miss this weekend's series against the Tigers as he's got a baby on the way. Rockies SP Kyle Freeland was activated off the IL and started against the Mets. Padres 3B Manny Machado and Twins DH Nelson Cruz remained out Tuesday. Cubs C Willson Contreras was out of the lineup, but X-rays on his wrist were negative. He was hit by a Craig Kimbrel fastball while catching on Sunday. Twins 2B/SS Jorge Polanco and OF Max Kepler returned to the lineup. Astros OF Michael Brantley was out on Tuesday due to leg soreness. |
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| Worryometer Wednesday |
| Angels 3B Anthony Rendon had another 0-fer (going 0 for 3) and he is now batting .227 with a .662 OPS. Under the hood, the numbers look like this: .230 xBA, .379 xSLG with a 51% FB rate and a 19% strikeout rate. He's already been on the IL twice with separate groin and knee injuries. Rendon hasn't had a chance to get in a groove due to the IL stints. However, he's been so consistent to this point that he remains high up on Scott's rankings. Just like Chris with Luis Castillo (at least until recently), Scott is not dropping him in his rankings and I agree with him. Instead, he's a buy-low candidate. Worryometer reading (on a scale of 1-10): 2 |
| Reds 3B/SS Eugenio Suarez hit his 10th homer on Tuesday but also added three strikeouts to his growing tally. He is now batting .150 with a whopping 34% strikeout rate. His quality of contact is way down and he has a .187 xBA, which is in the bottom 3% among all MLB batters. He has just two hits in his last seven games!mWorryometer reading: 7 |
| Rays 2B Brandon Lowe does have nine home runs but he is batting .204. He has a .230 xBA with a .472 xSLG. His OPS is just .375 against left-handed pitchers. Keep in mind Lowe runs really hot and really cold. A power surge could be due soon, according to Scott, and the average could come with it. Worryometer reading: 5 |
| Astros SP Zach Greinke got banged up a bit in his last start and his ERA is now up to 3.97 with a 4.00 xFIP. The further you dig under the hood, the uglier things get. He has a 9.3% swinging strike rate, his lowest since 2012. Scott is going against the advanced numbers and sees him as someone who deserves to not only be on your roster but in your starting lineups. Worryometer reading: 3 |
| A's 3B Matt Chapman is coming up hip surgery this offseason and just hasn't looked himself. He's batting .211 and while he hasn't been an average hitter, it's the power that is most concerning. He has just a .676 OPS. Worryometer reading: 5 |
| Streaming options |
| Wednesday |
| Giants SP Johnny Cueto at ARI Diamondbacks SP Merrill Kelly vs. SF Astros SP/RP Luis Garcia vs. LAD Angles SP Griffin Canning vs. TEX A's SP/RP James Kaprielian vs. SEA Cardinals SP John Gant at CWS |
| Thursday |
| Rockies SP Anthony Senzatela at NYM Phillies SP Spencer Howard at MIA Pirates SP Tyler Anderson vs. CHC Royals SP Brady Singer at TB Rays SP/RP Shane McClanahan vs. KC Mariners SP Chris Flexen vs. TEX |
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