Around the Majors: May 23: K-Rod, Mauer, Votto, and More

Francisco Rodriguez was sent to the hospital due to back spasms leaving J.J. Putz to pick up the save.  Joe Mauer continues his amazing stretch.  Joey Votto had a triumphant return to the lineup.  Let’s look at these stories and all the rest from yesterday’s games.

St. Louis 5, Kansas City 0

• Kyle Lohse had lost his last three starts, giving up 17 earned runs over 14.1 innings, but turned it around at the drop of a hat.  He went 8 shutout innings giving up 4 hits and 0 walks, striking out 6, to improve to 4-3 with a 3.98 ERA.  He posted a 1.97 ERA in April, so he certainly has had his great moments and his terrible moments this season.  He clearly has value in deeper formats when the match-up is a favorable one.
• Luke Hochevar’s struggles continued, giving up 4 runs on 7 hits and 2 walks, striking out 1, over 6.1 innings.  He has now posted a 10.80 ERA while striking out 3 batters over 11.2 innings in three starts.  Don’t be surprised if he finds his way back to the minors in the near future.

New York (AL) 5, Philadelphia 4

• It seems like a lifetime ago when Brad Lidge was a lights-out closer, doesn’t it?  After not blowing a save last season, he has been terrible this season, blowing his third game of the season yesterday and seeing his ERA inflate to 9.16.  He gave up 3 runs on 3 hits and 1 walk, striking out 1, over 0.1 inning to fall to 0-2.  He’s obviously a usable option in all formats, but he clearly is not a No. 1 option at this point.
• Raul Ibanez went 1-for-4 with 1 HR, 1 RBI and 1 R, giving him 17 HR and 42 RBI on the season.  Wow…
• Alex Rodriguez went 1-for-4 with 1 HR, 2 RBI and 1 R.  He has 10 hits since returning from the DL, seven of which are home runs.  He’s a career .305 hitter, so the other hits are clearly going to come in time.

Texas 6, Houston 3

• Nelson Cruz went 2-for-4 with 2 HR, 4 RBI and 2 R.  He’s now on a four-game hitting streak, where he has gone 7-15 with 4 HR, 8 RBI, 4 R and 2 SB.  While he’s not a must start in shallow leagues, he should be used while he’s this hot.
• Chris Davis went 0-for-4 with 3 Ks.  In his last seven games he’s gone 0-for-22 with 11 Ks.  What exactly is there to say?  He certainly has not even come close to matching the expectations everyone had for him, huh?
• Hunter Pence went 2-for-3 with 1 R, extending his hitting streak to five games.  Over that stretch he’s gone 10-18 with 1 HR, 4 RBI and 3 R.  Solid numbers to say the least.
• C.J. Wilson got the save for the Rangers, but it likely was just that they did not want to overwork Frank Francisco just off the DL.  Don’t read anything into it.

Chicago (AL) 4, Pittsburgh 0

• It is an eight-game hitting streak for Andy LaRoche, after going 2-for-3 with 1 SB.  Over the streak he’s gone 13-29 with 1 HR, 9 RBI, 6 R and 1 SB.  He’s far from a must use, but is a decent short-term option while he’s hot. 
• After almost getting traded to San Diego, Clayton Richard came back and made his case to the White Sox to remain as an important cog of the rotation in the future.  He tossed 6 shutout innings giving up 4 hits and 3 walks, striking out 8.  Then again, it was against the Pirates, so let’s not get too excited.  He is coming off a good start against the Blue Jays, however, and with the Royals next on the schedule, he could be a good pitch-and-ditch option.
• Alexei Ramirez got bumped to the No. 2 hole, going 1-for-4 with 1 HR, 2 RBI and 1 R.  If he stays there his potential value increases significantly.

Colorado 4, Detroit 3

• Since going 3-for-4 with 1 HR and 5 RBI on May 13, Chris Iannetta has fallen back into a funk, going 3-22 with 1 RBI and 1 R in the subsequent six games.  He showed signs of life once again last night, going 2-3 with 1 HR, 1 RBI and 1 R.  Hopefully this will finally get him back on track.
• Ian Stewart went 0-for-4, dropping his average to .188.  I know he has power potential, but he has not shown any indication that he can hit for a good average.
• Armando Galarraga gave up 4 runs on 6 hits and 1 walk, striking out 2, over 5.1 innings to raise his ERA to 5.74 on the season.  That sad thing is that this is his best start in his last five (he had allowed 21 earned runs over 17.1 innings in his prior four starts).  With Jeremy Bonderman closing in on a return, could his time in the Tigers rotation be numbered?  He certainly isn’t usable for fantasy owners at this point, that’s for sure.

Baltimore 2, Washington 1

• Koji Uehara threw three shutout innings, giving up 3 hits and 2 walks, striking out three, but was forced out due to a hamstring problem.  Time will tell if he has to miss a start or even go on the DL, but if you are an owner of him you need to monitor the news and be prepared with a replacement.
• George Sherrill picked up his ninth save, throwing a perfect ninth with 3 Ks.  His ERA is now at 2.89, and I’m sure the rumors are going to commence soon enough of him being traded to a contender. 
• Ross Detwiler was solid for his second straight start, giving up 1 run on 1 hit and 4 walks, striking out four over six innings.  He certainly hasn’t faced the toughest offenses in the league thus far (his first start was against the Pirates).  His next scheduled start comes in Philadelphia, so I would not get too crazy about him yet.  Besides the lack of big-time competition, he also offers very little in the wins potential.  Keeper league owners may want to consider him, but outside of that and the deepest of formats, he still has little value.

Atlanta 4, Toronto 3

• Jordan Schafer went 0-for-4 yesterday.  Not only has his average dropped from .273 at the end of April to .209 currently, but he has just two extra base hits in May (both doubles).  Remember the splash he made early on?  Clearly that is well behind him and he has little value at this point.
• Vernon Wells just cannot get anything consistent going, huh?  After a two-game, 5-for-9 stretch a few days ago he is now hitless in his last two games after going 0-for-4 yesterday.  He hasn’t picked up an RBI since May 6, a span of 16 games.  He is better then this, despite clearly not being the same player who hit 32 HR in 2006, and should be in line for a hot streak any game now.  If someone in your league is willing to sell low on him, he could be worth it.

Tampa Bay 10, Florida 3

• Jason Bartlett went 2-5 with 3 RBI, 1 R and 1 SB.  He’s now on a nine-game hitting streak (14-33) and has hits in 18 of his last 20 games.  He now is hitting .376 with 6 HR, 29 RBI, 31 R and 13 SB on the season.  He obviously is significantly exceeding expectations and may be a great sell high candidate if someone is willing to pay for him. 
• It wasn’t a save opportunity, but J.P. Howell gave up 2 runs on 2 hits and 2 walks, striking out 1, over 0.2 innings.  Something to think about.
• Matt Lindstrom gave up 4 runs on 3 hits and 1 walk, striking out 1, over 0.1 innings, raising his ERA to 6.75.  He had only allowed 1 run heading into this game, but still that number is extremely concerning.  He’s at best a No. 2 closer, but is more likely only useful as a No. 3 at this point.

Minnesota 6, Milwaukee 2

• Anthony Swarzak made his major league debut by stifling the Brewers hitters with seven shutout innings.  He allowed 5 hits and 2 walks, striking out 3.  He had been pitching well in Triple-A, with a 2.25 ERA over 44 innings, but he has very little strikeout potential (32 overall, with a high of six at Triple-A this season).  With Boston next on the schedule, now is not the time to gamble on him in yearly formats.  He could have some value, if the match-up is right, however, so continue to keep an eye on him.
• Joe Mauer went 3-for-3 with 1 HR, 2 RBI and 3 R.  Seriously, how long is this going to last?  He’s now scored at least one run in his last six games and fifteen out of his last sixteen.  Seriously?  From a catcher?  What he has done since returning from the DL is simply unbelievable and has entrenched him as the best catcher in baseball.
• Mat Gamel was the Brewers DH, going 0-for-4 with 2 Ks.  It is what it is with him, as he makes the most sense for the Brewers to be using in this type of role.

Cleveland 7, Cincinnati 6

• David Huff’s second start was only marginally better then his first, giving up 6 runs on 7 hits and 1 walk, striking out 3, over 3 innings.  Yeah, he’s just not worth touching in any format at this point.
• Homer Bailey’s return to the majors was just like his prior stints, giving up 6 runs on 3 hits and 6 walks, striking out 3, over 4.1 innings.  How long are people going to continue giving this guy the benefit of the doubt.  Do not touch him in any format.
• Joey Votto returned to the lineup, going 2-for-4 with 2 HR, 4 RBI and 2 R.  That is what I would call returning with a bang.  Now that he’s back, he is a must use in all formats so adjust your line-ups accordingly.
• Brandon Phillips went 2-4, but was forced out in the ninth inning with a hand injury.  Monitor the situation and hope it is nothing serious.

New York (NL) 3, Boston 2

• This was an unbelievable game, though neither of the starting pitchers figured in the decision.  Jonathan Papelbon blew his first game of the season, giving up 2 runs on 1 hit and 1 walk, striking out 2, over 1 innings of work.  It happens.
• An extremely tough no decision for Josh Beckett who gave up an unearned run in the first inning before shutting the door after that.  He went 8 innings allowing 5 hits and 1 walk, striking out 5.  That’s the type of performance fantasy owners have been anxiously awaiting from him this season. He’s been significantly better over his last few starts and looks to be rounding into form.  He is a must use in all formats, but that really goes without saying.
• Was that Mike Pelfrey showing a strikeout pitch?  He went 7 innings giving up 2 runs on 6 hits and 1 walk, striking out 6.  Entering the game he had struck out just 11 batters over 41 innings, so this is the type of sign that fantasy owners have been hoping for.  Is he going to be an elite option?  No, but he’s certainly better then he has displayed thus far and is a usable option in all formats having given up 3 earned runs or less in each of his last six starts.
• Where was Francisco Rodriguez?  According to New York Newsday (click here for the article), “Francisco Rodriguez was taken by ambulance to a local hospital after last night’s game after suffering from back spasms so severe that he collapsed leaving the clubhouse.”  Time will tell how long he’ll be out for, but J.J. Putz is a solid pick-up if you are in need of saves, at least short-term.  He got the job done last night, in part due to some spectacular defense.

Arizona 8, Oakland 7 (11 innings)

• Since returning from the DL, Stephen Drew had gone 4-31 with 1 HR, 4 RBI and 3 R.  Yesterday he showed signs of life, going 3-for-4 with 2 RBI and 2 R.  He has the potential to be one of the best offensive shortstops in the game, so hopefully this helps propel him in the right direction.
• Dan Haren gave up 5 runs on 9 hits and 0 walks, striking out 7, over 7 innings.  The problem was that he allowed 4 HR, having allowed just four in his previous eight starts.  Everyone has bad days, it’s just surprising this one came in more of a pitcher’s ballpark.  Could the emotion of returning to Oakland have gotten to him?
• Matt Holliday went 1-for-5 with 1 SB.  At least he is starting to show signs of life, no?  He’s now on a modest five-game hitting streak.

San Francisco 5, Seattle 1

• Jesus Guzman finally got a hit, going 1-for-3, but is just 1-9 since being recalled.  He has some talent, but he currently has little value to yearly leaguers.
• Matt Cain went the distance, giving up 1 run on 10 hits and 0 walks, striking out seven, to improve to 5-1 on the season.  It’s nice to see him finally getting support, after winning just 15 games total after the past two seasons, despite ERAs of 3.65 and 3.77.  We all know he had been a better pitcher then his record had showed, though I would not classify him as a fantasy ace.  I’ll talk about him in more detail shortly, but there is a chance for at least a minor regression to be coming.
• The Mariners continue to shuffle Adrian Beltre around the line-up, this time batting him third.  At least the spots they are moving through maintain his potential value.

Los Angeles (NL) 5, Los Angeles (AL) 4 (10 innings)

• Torii Hunter went 2-for-4 with 1 HR, 3 RBI and 1 R.  He’s now hitting .310 with 10 HR, 34 RBI and 8 SB, showing no signs of slowing down.  However, having never posted a .300 season, there is reason to be skeptical that he can continue this type of performance. 
• Rafael Furcal went 0-for-4, snapping a four-game hitting streak.  If his .240 average isn’t bad enough, he hasn’t stolen a base since Apr. 25.  What is going on?  If he’s not going to be stealing any bases, he has little value to fantasy owners. 
• John Lackey looked good in what, theoretically, was his third start of the season.  He allowed 3 runs on 7 hits and 1 walk, striking out 5, over 7 innings. 

San Diego 3, Chicago (NL) 1

• Milton Bradley went 1-for-4, dropping his average to .185 and leaving him without an RBI since May 17.  While he may have attitude issues, we all know he can hit, so don’t get discouraged yet.  Kepp him stashed away as a breakout should be coming.
• Tony Gwynn Jr. went 0-for-4, leaving him at 1-for-8 since being acquired, but with 3 R.  He has the potential to have some value in deeper formats if he’s going to play as a source of SB, but we’ll have to wait and see how the Padres utilize him.  Monitor his situation for the time being if you are in desperate need of some speed.

Anyone have any thoughts?  Anything to add?

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