Down the stretch they come ....

For many pitchers returning from major arm injuries midseason, the remainder of the year is more of a ramp up for their next full season. Padres right-hander Dinelson Lamet  looks like he’s at full strength already.

Lamet missed all of 2018 following Tommy John surgery, but finally returned to the Padres in early July. There have been some hiccups in his 13 starts since returning, though he’s really come into his own lately. Featuring a fastball-slider combo that’s nearly unhittable, Lamet had arguably his best start of the season this week when he fanned 14 Brewers in only six innings. It was his third double-digit strikeout game this year.

Always a high strikeout pitcher in the minors, there was some thought Lamet would need to shift to the pen because of his lack of a third pitch. That anxiety was unfounded, as he’s fared very well as a starter with a 12.6 K/9 that trails only Gerrit Cole, Chris Sale, and Max Scherzer among starters. Lamet’s ERA metrics also show slightly better expected results than his still-strong 3.84 ERA.
Another good sign for Lamet has been his slight uptick in velocity since returning, with a fastball averaging 96 mph, ranking 13^th among starters. Lamet’s ERA and strikeout rate have improved with each month so far, another good sign indicating hitters still aren’t able to adjust to his elite two pitches.

Lamet is set to cap off his great second half with a two-start week vs. the Dodgers and at Arizona. Those matchups could be more favorable, but Lamet’s late-season ascension should keep him in fantasy lineups to close out the year and make him a popular name entering 2020.

Blake Snell had a successful return from the injured list this week, albeit very abbreviated. He threw only 26 pitches over two innings against the Dodgers. The results were encouraging, but Snell is still clearly building back strength with velocity that was down slightly and limited use of his secondary pitches. Snell could have a two-start week ahead as the Rays try to secure a Wild Card spot, and it will be interesting to see how hard the team pushes him this week as they try to extend their season. He’s certainly usable based on his strong return this week but should probably be treated more like a relief pitcher who is unlikely to throw five innings and qualify for a win.

One of the centerpieces of the return for Edwin Diaz and Robinson Cano, Justin Dunn is getting a late-season cup of coffee in the Mariners starting rotation. He failed to make it out of the first inning in his debut but was better vs. a poor Pirates lineup on Wednesday. The M’s have held Dunn under 40 pitches, so he’s not much of an option despite a possible two-start slate next week, but could be worthy as a keeper stash after an outstanding year at Double-A with a 3.55 ERA and 158/39 K/BB in 131.2 innings at Double-A.

This has not only been the year of the home run but also the year of the groundball pitcher, considering the success of some of the league’s top groundball specialists such as Dallas Keuchel, Dakota Hudson, and Marcus Stroman. One groundball pitcher who has emerged quietly is Brewers right-hander Adrian Houser, who has a 3.83 ERA in 103.1 innings between starting and relief this year, along with an elite 54% groundball rate. Although manager Craig Counsell has exercised a quick hook with Houser, he’s been a valuable piece of a banged up rotation late this year and has a 3.18 ERA over his last eight outings. The success has been somewhat surprising after posting an ERA above 5.00 in the minors last season, but he has a chance to help fantasy owners over the last week as a two-start pickup, albeit with his final outing at Coors Field.