The sight is 2020

Now that the Blue Jays seem to have officially started their rebuild, it’s a good time to commence speculation about how long the process will take to return to at least the edge of American League contention.
Now is a good time to help out general manager Ross Atkins and see what positions can be filled from within, then try to guess at what point in the next three years the Jays will begin to spend money again on free agents at positions of need, or to make true baseball trades as buyers for fill-in pieces.
 The epiphany for Jays management, knocked off their high horse and blinded by the light of reality, may have come after losing 7-0 to the Tampa Bay Rays on Aug. 10th.

Rays manager Kevin Cash fielded a lineup that included rookies at all five infield positions, including catcher. That impressive list included shortstop Willy Adames, first baseman Jake Bauers, third baseman Joey Wendle, second baseman Brandon Lowe and catcher Michael Perez.

The Rays have hung around .500 all season during their own rebuild, while the Jays have struggled.
Maybe the realization came after Jays third baseman Yangervis Solarte swung mightily and went down with a right oblique strain, this coming after Brandon Drury had been acquired from the Yankees to play third but suffered a fractured left hand, and after Josh Donaldson had been out with calf tightness for two months with no relief in sight.

 

 

Whatever the moment that actually spurred the process, the fact is that when a pair of rookies — catcher Danny Jansen and starter Sean Reid-Foley — were written into Monday’s lineup to make MLB debuts at the same time, there was no turning back.
How can this rebuild avoid a promotion of Vlad Guerrero Jr. to the majors in September if he is to be the opening-day third baseman in 2019?

Before they can look at how high their ceiling might be in 2020, they’ll have to check existing inventory and identify the floor from which they are starting.
After this season, the Jays will be shedding $52.5 million in payroll (all dollars U.S.) from their opening-day total of $162 million. Then following 2019, there will be an additional $38 million in guaranteed payroll off the books.
The only guaranteed contracts remaining for 2020 will be shortstop Troy Tulowitzki at $14 million and infielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. at $2.9 million. The rest of the roster two years hence will either be arbitration-eligible or still under club control.
With that in mind, let’s construct a theoretical roster from players currently in the organization and use that as a floor from which to build a winner. 

 

Here is my 2020 vision:

Catcher
Danny Jansen and Luke Maile
Jansen’s path to the majors has always been toward a starting role, and nothing has changed following his debut at Kauffman Stadium. Jansen is considered better on offence than defence, but his improvement in all aspects behind the plate has been on a steady upward curve. Maile is a superior game caller and defender, throwing out more than 30 per cent of base stealers, while his offence has been a revelation in 2018.

Infielders
Gurriel (1B), Bo Bichette (2B), Guerrero (3B), Troy Tulowitzki (SS), Brandon Drury, Aledmys Diaz, Rowdy Tellez
 
If the Jays can’t trade the final two seasons of Tulowitzki’s contract worth $38 million — which will be a near-impossible task — they could do much worse than hanging on to the all-star shortstop as a clubhouse influence, a role he has filled wherever he has played. He can still play if healthy and will just be 35 in 2020. As for the rest, there is no doubt they will keep Guerrero at third base for the beginning of his career, while the belief with the toolsy Bichette is that he might have to shift from short to second in the majors. The biggest stretch is to list Gurriel as a first baseman. He is big enough and athletic enough to play that corner-infield spot, and if the lefty-hitting Tellez is also on the roster it would allow Gurriel to play other positions if necessary. With Drury and Diaz on the bench, there would be plenty of versatility to fill in at any infield position.

Outfielders

Anthony Alford (CF), Randal Grichuk (RF), Teoscar Hernandez (LF), Billy McKinney
Alford, at 24 years old, is still considered one of the game’s top prospects, but is taking longer than expected to refine his baseball skills after playing football in high school and college. Alford and Grichuk are legitimate centre fielders. Hernandez is the least skilled defensively of the group, but has major-league bat speed and needs only to refine his strike recognition. McKinney will still only be 25 years old on opening day in 2020 and has not lost his status as a top prospect, despite being with his fourth organization. McKinney and Tellez are the only left-handed hitters in this projected group of position players. The average age would be 27.5, with just Tulowitzki older than 30.

Conclusion
This is obviously not meant to define what the Jays’ rebuild will look like when completed. It’s a guide to the areas the Jays would need to fill in order to reach the goal they want to attain, in the second half of 2020 or 2021 at the latest. As for free agency, a preliminary count shows more than 30 significant position players will become available after the 2019 season. If the Jays choose not to take advantage and fill in from outside, then the rebuild will continue and fans will flee.

Lynn Winning

I think we can all agree that the biggest move at the deadline was the Yankees acquiring Lance Lynn from the Twins. Okay, we’re not to that point yet, but Lynn has been lights out through his first two appearances with the club, tossing 11 2/3 scoreless frames with a 14/1 K/BB ratio. He allowed just two hits and pitched into the eighth inning for the first time this season in his most recent start against the White Sox on Monday.

Is it time to pick Lynn up in mixed leagues? I’ll tap the breaks a little bit on that. Lynn had a disappointing 5.10 ERA in 20 starts with the Twins prior to the trade. He walked 62 batters in 102 1/2 innings, an alarmingly high number from anything he’s done in the past. It should also be noted that he struck out 100 batters in that time, so there’s some potential here if he can get his control back in check. But we need to see more before getting back on board in most mixed leagues.

I can at least see the appeal on a matchup basis. His start against the Rangers this weekend is too risky, but Lynn lines up for probable starts against the Rays, White Sox, Orioles, and Tigers after that. The Yankees’ offense has struggled recently, but those are winnable assignments. Just something to file away for now.




Mallex Smith OF, Rays
Smith has been one of the most popular waiver wire pickups in recent weeks and for good reason. After going 1-for-5 with a run scored and two steals on Wednesday, he’s now hitting .395 with a .474 on-base percentage over his last 28 games. He’s also swiped 10 bases in that time, bringing his total to 25 for the year. Only five players have stolen more in all of MLB. The Rays have hit him leadoff in each of their last three games, so hopefully he’ll get a chance to stick there. Smith has only hit six homers in 864 plate appearances in the majors, so don’t expect any power here, but he can get on base and provide a legitimate speed boost. Feel free to add him in most formats at this point.

Ryan Madson RP, Nationals
The Nationals were already missing Sean Doolittle with a stress reaction in his left foot, but now fill-in closer Kelvin Herrera has been placed on the disabled list with right rotator cuff inflammation. Brandon Kintzler and Shawn Kelley were both shipped out of town prior to last week’s trade deadline, so Madson is now at the top of the depth chart. The 37-year-old holds a mediocre 4.32 ERA this season, but he’s allowed just one run in 10 1/3 innings with a 9/2 K/BB ratio over his last 11 appearances. He also has previous experience in the role, which should carry some weight here. The Nationals recently signed Greg Holland, but he’s been far too erratic this year to trust as the club tries to stay in contention. Doolittle has yet to be cleared to throw off a mound, so Madson could get a decent run here.

Michael Conforto OF, Mets
Conforto’s first season back from shoulder surgery has been a struggle, but he’s at least shown signs of progress of late. The 25-year-old is batting .308/.378/.523 with three homers, five doubles, nine RBI, and 13 runs scored in 18 games since the All-Star break. That’s much closer to what we expect from him when he’s at his best. Conforto’s hard-hit percentage has been down overall this year, but he ranks top-10 in the majors over the past month. He’s also in the top-five in line drive percentage during that time. It’s a small sample, but I’m not going to complain about signs of progress. He could be a really nice value the rest of the way.

Steven Souza OF, Diamondbacks
After a nagging pectoral injury essentially rendered Souza a non-factor for the first three months of the season, he’s finally getting into a groove at the plate. The 29-year-old is hitting .293/.369/.522 with 13 extra-base hits (including three homers), 19 RBI, two steals, and 11 runs scored over 24 games since returning from the disabled list on July 5. He’s knocked in 10 runs in his last nine games while hitting fourth and fifth in Arizona’s lineup. It’s a good situation for him. I don’t expect Souza to keep this up on the batting average front, but he put up 30 homers and 16 steals with the Rays last season. There’s a reason I was aggressive on him in drafts this spring.

Kyle Gibson SP, Twins

Gibson is no stranger to this column and he gets another mention here with a matchup against the Tigers on Saturday. The 30-year-old is coming off one of his shakiest outings in quite some time, as he allowed six runs (four earned) on seven hits and three walks over just five innings against the Indians. He allowed two homers in a start for the first time since June 9. Still, Gibson has been really good for the great majority of the year, even if his record doesn’t show it. Also, the Tigers’ offense is just bad. No team has scored fewer runs since the All-Star break. They are batting .203/.251/.303 as a team during that time. Yama hama. Every matchup needs to be scrutinized at this time of the year, so we can’t let this opportunity slip by.

Ryan Tepera RP, Blue Jays
Tyler Clippard RP, Blue Jays

Tuesday night was a rough one for the back-end of the Blue Jays’ bullpen, as Tepera and Ken Giles combined to allow nine runs against the Red Sox. Giles is the closer on paper right now after coming over from the Astros in the Roberto Osuna deal, but he now holds a 6.21 ERA in 37 appearances this season and wasn’t much better during his time in Triple-A last month. The secondary numbers still provide reason for optimism, but it’s far from a sure thing that he’ll find it in the short-term. This is very much a speculate-where-you-can situation, as Tepera has a 9.72 ERA in 10 appearances since coming off the disabled list while Clippard holds a 9.00 ERA in seven appearances since the All-Star break. Good luck figuring this out.

Shohei Ohtani UTIL, Angels

Ohtani stumbled with a .200/.257/.415 batting line and a 24/5 K/BB ratio in his first 71 plate appearances after returning from his partial UCL tear at the start of July, but he’s 8-for-19 (.421) with three homers, a double, and three walks over his last five games. Even with the rough patch in July, he’s sporting a .376 wOBA for the year, which ties him with A.J. Pollock for 24th among players with at least 200 plate appearances. He’s just behind names like Trevor Story and Joey Votto and just ahead of names like A.J. Pollock and Rhys Hoskins.  He’s been legitimately impressive at the plate. Ohtani is scheduled to throw a bullpen session on Saturday in hopes of returning to game action as a pitcher down the stretch, but he’s still doing enough as a hitter to warrant attention in most formats.  

Brad Peacock SP/RP, Astros
Collin McHugh SP/RP, Astros

This is mostly a dart throw on the chance that one of these guys gets a shot in the rotation with Lance McCullers expected to be out until September with a muscle strain in his right forearm. The banged-up Astros have some convenient off-days this month, so they can afford to go with four starters in the short-term. They’ll need a fifth starter next on August 22. Peacock was effective in the rotation last year and has mostly dominated out of the Astros’ bullpen this year aside from a rough patch in the early part of July. He’s looked really good in his last three appearances. McHugh has been even better out of Houston’s bullpen this season and makes for another strong option. There’s obviously an argument to keeping them where they’ve been most successful and neither pitcher has been stretched out, so I’m not sure of the bang for your buck here if we’re only talking about a couple of starts. But both pitchers are providing value in mixed leagues even though they aren’t starting, so it’s worth a shot.

Josh Bell 1B, Pirates
Tyler White 1B, Astros

I’m grouping Bell and White together as corner infielders to keep in mind in both shallow and deeper formats. Bell is fresh off the disabled list after missing just over the minimum with an oblique strain. He’s been a disappointment overall this season and I worry a little bit about him returning from his oblique issue so quickly, but he was swinging the bat well prior to going down. He’s definitely capable of finishing strong. As for White, he’s hit .321 (9-for-28) with two homers, one double, one triple, and four runs scored over eight games since returning from the minors at the end of July. The 27-year-old is seeing pretty steady at-bats with Yuli Gurriel covering for Jose Altuve at second base. He even got a chance out of the cleanup spot on Tuesday. He’s a decent short-term pickup, anyway.

Tyler Glasnow SP/RP, Rays

I pretty much have to include Glasnow here after his start on Tuesday night. He struck out nine batters in just four innings and has now allowed two runs in seven innings with a 14/1 K/BB ratio through his first two outings since coming over to the Rays in the Chris Archer deal. He’s still in the process of getting stretched out, but he should be ready for a regular workload soon enough. I think he’s worth a stash in deeper leagues on upside alone, but I’ll acknowledge that the control remains a concern. He walked 34 batters in 56 relief innings with the Pirates this year. Two brief starts isn’t enough to convince me that he has suddenly changed, so I’d be careful about going too crazy in shallow leagues just yet. There are just better bets out there right now. Still, he’s a name to follow in all formats.

Hyun-Jin Ryu SP, Dodgers

I love stashing upside plays in a DL spot, which is why the time is right to pick up Ryu. The lefty suffered a severe groin strain back in early May, but he recently began a minor league rehab stint and threw five innings of one-run ball with Triple-A Oklahoma City on Tuesday. He got stretched out to 71 pitches (51 for strikes) in that one, so he’s not far off from rejoining the Dodgers. Ryu had a sparkling 2.12 ERA and 36/10 K/BB ratio in 29 2/3 innings over six starts prior to the injury. There’s minimal risk involved with stashing and seeing how things play out down the stretch.

Shopping at the five-and-dime:


Drew Steckenrider RP, Marlins
Adam Conley RP, Marlins

It all looked so promising not too long ago, but Kyle Barraclough’s stint as the Marlins’ closer went south in a hurry, as he holds a 22.24 ERA (yes, you read that correctly) in seven appearances since the All-Star break. He’s already allowed 14 runs during that time after giving up just six earned runs in 42 1/3 innings during the entire first half. The Marlins will pitch Barraclough in lower-leverage situations in hopes of getting him back on track, with manager Don Mattingly planning to mix and match for saves in the short-term. Steckenrider (3.42 ERA and 56/21 K/BB ratio in 50 innings) probably deserves to be considered the favorite, but lefty Conley (3.45 ERA and 34/14 K/BB ratio in 31 1/3 innings) could get a look in certain matchups. Tayron Guerrero (Yahoo: 0 percent owned) is the dark horse here.

Brandon Lowe 2B, Rays
This is mainly relevant to those in deep leagues, but Lowe was called up by the Rays over the weekend and figures to play at least semi-regularly with Daniel Robertson and Tommy Pham both sidelined and Adeiny Hechavarria now out of the picture. He’s already made a couple of starts in left field, though he moved to second base in each of those games. The flexibility should serve him well down the stretch. The 24-year-old broke out between Double- and Triple-A this season by batting .297/.391/.558 with 22 homers and eight steals over 100 games. If the power translates to the majors, he could be really interesting.


AL ONLY

Joshua James SP, Astros

James deserves a mention here on the chance that he gets a shot in the Astros’ rotation with McCullers sidelined. We already mentioned McHugh and Peacock earlier. Cionel Perez, Brady Rodgers, Trent Thornton, and Rogelio Armenteros are among the other candidates. James isn’t on the 40-man roster, but this could be a logical time for a call-up since he’s going to need to be protected from December’s Rule 5 Draft. The 25-year-old has improved his stock in a big way this season by posting a 3.18 ERA with 154 strikeouts in 99 innings between Double- and Triple-A.

Taylor Ward C, Angels

The Angels moved David Fletcher to second base after the Ian Kinsler trade, which means that there’s an opportunity at third base. Luis Valbuena was recently designated for assignment, so Kaleb Cowart and Jefry Marte are splitting time there right now, but Ward is an intriguing candidate for a call-up and carries plenty of fantasy appeal. The 24-year-old has put up a ridiculous .350/.445/.533 batting line with 14 homers and 17 steals over 98 games this season between Double- and Triple-A. He’s a third baseman these days, but fortunately for fantasy owners he’s going to be catcher-eligible out of the gate.

Giddy up.

NL ONLY

Jacob Nix SP, Padres

We’ve seen some big changes in the Padres’ rotation recently and the latest is Nix being called up to make his major league debut Friday against the Phillies. Nix, a third-round pick from 2015, recently spun six scoreless innings in his first start with Triple-A El Paso after posting a stingy 2.05 ERA and 41/9 K/BB ratio in 52 2/3 innings over nine starts in Double-A. The 22-year-old got a late start on the year due to a groin strain, so there shouldn’t be any workload concerns here. He hasn’t missed many bats in the minors, but he has good control and finds himself in a favorable ballpark for matchup purposes.

Bobby Wahl RP, Mets
Anthony Swarzak is back on the disabled list with right shoulder inflammation and the Mets are trying to monitor the workloads of Robert Gsellman and Seth Lugo down the stretch, so don’t be surprised if Wahl ends up getting a couple of save chances. Acquired in the recent Jeurys Familia trade with the A’s, Wahl had a 2.20 ERA with 73 strikeouts in 45 innings at the Triple-A level this season. He required surgery last summer for thoracic outlet syndrome, but his velocity has bounced back nicely. The Mets aren’t going anywhere this season, so it makes sense for them to test their young arms in high-leverage spots. Austin Jackson  is another useful option with the Mets since he’s seeing regular time in center field right now.

Fledgling Birds

It wasn’t Vladimir Guerrero Jr., but the Jays did promote two of their top prospects this week, calling up catcher Danny Jansen and right-hander Sean Reid-Foley to make their major league debuts.

Because Russell Martin had been performing better, I was growing less optimistic about Jansen getting the call this year. However, with Yangervis Solarte joining Josh Donaldson on the DL, the Jays opted to put Martin at third and give Jansen a shot. There’s an awful lot to like about Jansen’s game. To go along with decent pop, he’s sported an 89/85 K/BB ratio in 784 plate appearances since the beginning of last year, giving him a .396 OBP. On defense, he gets positive reviews aside from his arm, which is a bit below average. He looks like he’ll be a nice long-term regular, and while playing time could be an issue over the rest of this season, he’s still worth a try in two-catcher mixed leagues.

Reid-Foley has had an up-and-down minor league career since the Jays took him 49th overall in 2014, but this year looks like a breakthrough; he had a 146/47 K/BB ratio with just eight homers allowed in 126 2/3 innings between Double- and Triple-A. It helps that his fastball has ticked up some and is now typically in the 92-96 mph range. He also has two legitimate breaking balls and an adequate change up. It’s the arsenal of a No. 3 starter or maybe a No. 2 if his command continues to improve. He should be a streaming option down the stretch here.

American League notes      

- The Jays could also have room for another outfielder soon if they can find a taker for Curtis Granderson. Of the candidates, the oft-injured Dalton Pompey has played best of late in Triple-A, hitting .269/.341/.429 with eight steals in 34 games. Top prospect Anthony Alford has been a bust this year, hitting .224/.297/.330, and Billy McKinney has come in at .204/.283/.389 in 17 games since arriving in the J.A. Happ trade (he was at .226/.299/.495 for Scranton prior to the deal). The least interesting but most reliable option is Dwight Smith Jr. He’s struggled in the minors the last couple of months, but he has hit .255/.350/.471 in 51 major league at-bats this year. I still think the Jays would like to take a look at Pompey in order to see if he’ll be worth keeping on the 40-man roster this winter.

- So much for the idea that Ken Giles’ five-run meltdown in a tie game against the Red Sox last week would delay his ascension to the closer’s role in Toronto; he pitched perfect innings for saves both Sunday and Tuesday. It’s clear the job is now his to lose.

- The Twins lack an obvious option for the ninth after sending Fernando Rodney to the A’s. It wasn’t supposed to be this way; Addison Reed looked like something of a bargain for them after signing a two-year deal last winter, and 2017 rookie surprise Trevor Hildenberger continued to succeed during the first half of this year. Unfortunately, Reed has been a major disappointment with his velocity down a tick, and Hildenberger has given up 16 runs in the last month. Even though he had given up homers in three straight appearances, Hildenberger got the first save chance following the Rodney trade and converted it, though not before giving up another homer and two runs in total. He had a cleaner inning in another three-run game Tuesday, so Hildenberger is clearly the favorite for saves right now. It’d be great to see Trevor May get into the mix, though he’s still being eased back in after Tommy John. Hildenberger might keep the job the rest of the way, but he’s more of a seventh-inning guy for 2019 and beyond.

- Logan Morrison opted for season-ending hip surgery, putting Tyler Austin in position to get an extended look in Minnesota. My feeling is that better bets than Austin have been available on the waiver wire this year. The former Yankee has obvious power, but he’s pretty much hopeless against right-handers with quality breaking balls. There’s always the chance he’ll go on enough of a homer binge to be of use in deeper mixed leagues the rest of the way, but I’d bet against him.

- I wrote about Taylor Ward and included him in the rankings last week despite not really expecting him to get the call because of his rough defense, but the Angels decided to promote him and give him a shot at third base. Ward, a 2015 first-round pick, was a catcher until moving to the hot corner this year and busting out offensively; he hit .345/.453/.520 in 42 games at Double-A Mobile and .352/.442/.537 in 60 games for Triple-A Salt Lake. No one should expect him to keep hitting for average like that in the majors, but he possesses some power and he was 18-for-21 stealing bases in the minors this year. He also should have catcher eligibility in most formats, so I prefer him to Jansen, mostly because he should have the opportunity for more playing time. There’s no one standing in his way at third base.

- Robinson Cano played first base in his first game back from an 80-game PED suspension on Tuesday. I’m not sure if he’s a bigger upgrade there than he is from the hobbled Dee Gordon at second, but he’ll almost certainly help at both spots. Ryon Healy’s limited mixed-league value is most likely gone now. Gordon is a much more difficult drop when it’s still entirely possible that he’ll get closer to 100 percent and swipe 8-10 bases in September. It’d be better to have him on the bench than in a starting lineup at the moment, but dropping him entirely would be a mistake.

- Adam Jones using his no-trade protection to void a deadline deal threw a bit of a wrench into the Orioles’ plans, but they still went ahead and called up Cedric Mullens to play center field last week, moving Jones to right field in the process. Mullens was a nice find for the Orioles in the 13th round of the 2015 draft. He hasn’t produced the kind of big numbers since that would get him a ton of notice as a top prospect, but he’s always been solid and he has the tools to continue to grow. What makes him interesting in fantasy leagues is that he was 21-for-22 stealing bases between Double- and Triple-A this season. He was caught on his first steal attempt for the Orioles, but the team has nothing to lose in continuing to give him the green light. My guess is that he falls short of mixed-league value, but with so few sources of steals available, it’d a good idea to keep an eye on him.

- For that reason, assuming steals are a priority, I would give Delino DeShields Jr. one more chance in mixed leagues right now.

- The Rays are playing games with Austin Meadows’ service time .Damn the Rays, I wonder if they’re also sitting C.J. Cron so frequently in part to try to hold down his arbitration salary this winter. They’ve made Ji-Man Choi a lineup fixture against righties, even though he doesn’t possess all that much power and has nothing to offer on defense. Cron, meanwhile, hasn’t started consecutive games in 10 days. Cron is the team’s leader in home runs, doubles, RBI and runs scored this year. He has a 118 OPS+. There’s no argument for using him as a platoon player when he has a .775 OPS against righties this year and a career mark of .772 against them (which, oddly enough, is better than his .738 mark versus lefties). Of course, he’s no star, and as cheap as first basemen/DHs can be these days, it could make a big difference in the Rays’ choice to retain him whether he makes $4 million or $6 million in arbitration next year. Still, sitting an arbitration-eligible player as a means to hold down is salary would be a truly shameful tactic. Cron was a modest mixed-league asset for four months this year, but with the Rays using him like this, he has to be dropped.

- Kyle Tucker wasn’t supposed to be back with the Astros before September, but then George Springer and Jake Marisnick weren’t supposed to land on the DL within a few days of each other. Tucker has started two of the Astros’ four games since returning to the roster, but since it looks like Springer will return from his sprained thumb on Friday, there’s little reason to take another chance on Tucker in fantasy leagues.

  The Marlins didn’t want to pay Justin Bour in the neighborhood of $5 million next year, so they pretty much gave him away to the Phillies for a modest prospect in 22-year-old left-hander McKenzie Mills. Of course, the move wrecked Bour’s fantasy value. It would have been great for him to get a chance to play regularly against right-handers in Philadelphia, but for better or worse, the Phillies are going to stick with Carlos Santana there. The Marlins will use Derek Dietrich at first, which is better for their defense since it gets him out of the outfield. Too bad that their current outfield options beyond Brian Anderson (who should be playing third base anyway) are hideous. They now have veteran minor leaguers Rafael Ortega and Isaac Galloway up alongside overmatched 22-year-old Magneuris Sierra. Meanwhile, Austin Dean remains in Triple-A despite having run circles around all of those guys offensively (their OPSs for New Orleans this year are .876 for Dean, .779 for Ortega, .744 for Galloway and .628 for Sierra). There won’t be much fantasy value to be had here, but Ortega could have a little if he keeps playing against right-handers and running (he has three steals in six games so far).

- The Cardinals announced that Carlos Martinez would rejoin the team as a reliever, which would seem to make him droppable in mixed leagues. There is the possibility of saves, but it will make more sense to use him in close games for a couple of innings at a time than to save him for the ninth in the Bud Norris role.

While the Martinez decision answers one question about the rotation, the Cardinals still have Adam Wainwright (elbow) on a rehab assignment and Michael Wacha (oblique) apparently set to begin one next week. Wainwright would likely be a downgrade on the current group, but the Cardinals will still probably give him a try anyway, maybe at John Gant’s expense.

- Joe Musgrove, one of my favorite picks for this year before he hurt his shoulder in the spring, is still unowned in a bunch of leagues despite four straight quality starts. He’s gone really heavy with the slider lately, while simultaneously cutting back on his changeup, and it seems to be paying off. He should remain an asset the rest of the way.

- After losing Kenley Jansen to an irregular heartbeat, the Dodgers shifted both Kenta Maeda and Ross Stripling to the pen. It’ll probably be a short-term switch for Stripling, just until someone else gets hurt again. Maeda, though, should get a chance to close games before Jansen gets back. Hyun-Jin Ryu will go back into the rotation after missing 3 ½ months with a groin injury. He did stellar work before going down, and while I wouldn’t want to bet heavily on him down the stretch here, he’s worth a try in mixed leagues.

- Matt Kemp owners probably need to move on at this point. A rebound is hardly impossible, but given all of the Dodgers’ options, there just isn’t much reason for the team to play him against right-handers.

- It’s probably not going to mean much for this year, but that was an encouraging debut from Touki Toussaint against the Marlins on Monday. Because of subpar control and questions about his stamina, Toussaint was starting to get looked at a reliever by some. However, because he’s been around so long, it’s easy to forget that he’s just 22 years old. His curveball is a top-notch strikeout pitch, and his upside remains intact. He still has a ways to go in the control department, but he’s gotten a little better this year. Especially given the success the Braves have had with similar talents in Mike Foltynewicz and Sean Newcomb, Toussaint could be quite the sleeper next season. That said, it probably should be noted that the breakouts of Folty and Newcomb came at ages 26 and 25, respectively.

- With his curveball back, Corey Knebel looked really good Tuesday in his second appearance since being temporarily pulled from the closer’s role. If he can do that a couple of more times, he’ll probably get another chance in the ninth in short order. At the moment, Jeremy Jeffress looks like the man in the Milwaukee pen.

Top Prospects for August 13th

Without further ado, here’s the top 10 fantasy prospects for the remainder of the 2018 season.

1. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., 3B, Toronto Blue Jays
2018 stats: 77 G, .400/.454/.681, 18 HR, 3 SB, 30 BB, 32 SO at short-season Gulf Coast, High-A Dunedin, Double-A New Hampshire and Triple-A Buffalo.

In the dozen games since Vlad Jr. was promoted to Triple-A, he's hit .395/.489/.763. He homered in four straight games. He's picked up six extra-base hits and struck out a total of four times. He's absolutely ridiculous. Each week we don't see Guerrero called up it obviously becomes more and more likely that he won't receive a call to the show, and that's a huge disappointment, because he's ready to hit MLB pitching right now. He remains at the top spot on this list because if -- and it is if -- he gets the call, he's capable of providing tremendous fantasy numbers over the final quarter of the season. He is soo good.

2. Eloy Jimenez, OF, Chicago White Sox
2018 stats: 87 G, .331/.379/.597, 20 HR, 0 SB, 26 BB, 57 SO at Double-A Birmingham and Triple-A Charlotte.

Two more homers for Jimenez last week, and that gives him a total of 10 in 34 games since he was promoted to Charlotte. He's also hitting .325 over his last 10 games, which is slightly off his regular season pace, but not enough to complain. The only thing to complain about is that Jimenez is still doing this in Triple-A, and you can thank service time restrictions for that, unless you believe the "check all the boxes" stuff being said by the White Sox front office, and you shouldn't. Jimenez is more likely to receive a call to the show than Guerrero, and his offensive upside is still quite palpable.

3. Touki Toussaint, RHP, Atlanta Braves
2018 stats: 21 G, 117 1/3 IP, 2.68 ERA, 7 HR, 49 BB, 139 SO at  Double-A Mississippi and Triple-A Charlotte.

Oh, this is fun. Toussaint is going to make his debut this afternoon against the Marlins, and as you can probably guess from how high I'm placing him on this list, I'm a big fan of the stuff. Toussaint has two legit out pitches in his high 90s fastball and ridiculous curve; the latter being one of the best breaking balls of any prospect at any level. His ability to miss pitches is obvious to anyone who has seen the right-hander pitch. There is one reason to be concerned, however. At times, Toussaint's control can be an issue. In the past, that was an understatement, but now it's simply iffy compared to well below-average as it was at this point last year. This is also a possible one-off, which is why I can't put him above Guerrero or Jimenez. I'd add him to my redraft roster, but if I was worried about walks or WHIP, I might be a bit cautious. I expect him to pitch well against the Marlins, but it's worth pointing out.

4. Francisco Mejia, C, San Diego Padres
2018 stats: 94 G, .279/.332/.419, 8 HR, 0 SB, 23 BB, 68 SO at Triple-A Columbus and Triple-A El Paso.

Mejia got off to a hot start  after being traded to the Padres, but he's hit a bit of a rough patch, going 1-for-16 in his last four games. That's a very small sample size, however, and it could just be regression to the mean for a hitter who scorched the ball for most of the summer after getting off to a slow start. It also could be that Mejia isn't being challenged at the Triple-A level; we've seen plenty of hitters get bored in the summer doldrums. Mejia offers big offensive potential at a premium position, and with San Diego nowhere close to playoff contention. he should finish the year with the Padres.

5. Michael Kopech, RHP, Chicago White Sox
2018 stats: 23 G, 120 1/3 IP, 3.81 ERA, 12 HR, 60 BB, 161 SO at Triple-A Charlotte.

We often see young pitchers finish the year on a downslope; it's tough to keep your mechanics together for a full season/baseball is hard. Don't tell that to Michael Kopech, who is pitching as well as he has all season. He had two seven-inning starts for the Knights last week, and he allowed just two runs combined. Most impressively, he walked just two batters over those 14 innings, and he's walked just four in his last five. Considering he couldn't find the zone at all in June, this is most welcome news, indeed. Like Jimenez, the White Sox are likely going to play the service time game with Kopech, which is too bad. If he does get the call, however, he's definitely worth an add because of his ability to miss bats.

6. Peter Alonso, 1B, New York Mets
2018 stats: 112 G, .293/.384/.554, 29 HR, 0 SB, 67 BB, 110 SO at Double-A Binghamton and Triple-A Las Vegas.

Remember when Alonso was struggling to hit for average at the Triple-A level? That was short lived. Alonso has hit .400 over his last 10 games with the 51s, and he had a three homer week; showing that he's not dinking-and-dunking the ball by any means. Alonso could have a 40-homer season if he stays in the minors, and he might just do it when he gets a call to the big leagues. Whether or not that will happen will depend on things out of Alonso's control, because it's obvious that the bat is capable of contributing at the highest level right now. It certainly wouldn't hurt anything but the Mets' pockets to give Alonso a shot. 

7. Sean Reid-Foley, RHP, Toronto Blue Jays
2018 stats: 23 G, 126.2 IP, 2.98 ERA, 8 HR, 47 BB, 146 SO at Double-A New Hampshire and Triple-A Buffalo.

I'm cheating again, but Reid-Foley was a contender to be a contender for this list before the news that Reid-Foley was going to be called up to start for Monday's game against the  Royals. You have no reason to doubt me, do you? Reid-Foley has had a terrific bounceback season after struggling for most of 2017, as you can see from those numbers. He has two swing-and-miss pitches in his fastball and breaking-ball, and he's made progress with his change-up, as well. His command can come and go, which is something to be cognizant of if you are worried about WHIP. Still, he's a hurler with a deceptive delivery, and especially considering he's pitching against the woeful Royals, he's an intriguing plus-and-play in both DFS and redraft leagues.

8. Justus Sheffield, LHP, New York Yankees
2018 stats: 20 G, 107 IP, 2.19  ERA, 3 HR, 45 BB, 114 SO at Double-A Trenton and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre

Sheffield's streak of allowing one run in his start ends at five. That's the "bad" news. It's only bad news if you have a weird fascination with the number, however, because Sheffield's streak ends because he didn't give up anything on Thursday against Norfolk; allowing just three hits and striking out five in five scoreless innings. He now hasn't allowed more than a single run in a start since June 22; a ridiculous run for the 22-year-old southpaw. He hasn't been working deep into games, but it's hard to complain when you've been that effective. He should get a chance to pitch for the Yankees before the end of the season. Whether he will or not is still up for debate, but he certainly should.

9. Victor Robles, OF, Washington Nationals
2018 stats: 32 G, .241/.371/.296, 1 HR, 15 SB, 20  BB, 19 SO at short-season Gulf Coast, short-season Auburn and Triple-A Syracuse.

Since picking up two hits against Charlotte on Wednesday, Robles has been in a funk; going 0-for-13 and striking out four times in five games. That last number isn't atrocious, but it's noticeable for a player that has excellent hand-eye coordination. Robles could be pressing, or it could just be a rough stretch for a 21-year-old who missed most of the season with a hyperextended elbow. The talent is certainly there for Robles to make a contribution, but he's going to have to perform much better of the coming weeks if he's going to get a shot to play in Washington.

10. Alex Verdugo, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers
2018 stats: 76 G, .346/.395/.500, 9 HR, 6 SB, 25 BB, 40 SO at Triple-A Oklahoma City; 14 G, .280/.345/.440, 1 HR, 0 SB, 5 BB, 7 SO at Los Angeles.

My goodness gracious can Verdugo hit. The 22-year-old outfielder had a pair of three-hit games last week, and he sprinkled in a two-hit game for good measure. It's funny to think that a .317 batting average over the past 10 games has seen his average plummet all the way down to .346. Yes, the sarcasm is thick. Unfortunately for Verdugo, the outfield situation hasn't changed, and it won't change without an injury. Still, Verdugo's advanced ability to hit for average -- with some sneaky power in his bat as well -- makes him well worth a spot in the top 10. 

Just missed: Brendan Rodgers, SS, Colorado Rockies; Luiz Gohara, LHP, Atlanta Braves; Mitch Keller, RHP, Pittsburgh Pirates; Keston Hiura, 2B, Milwaukee Brewers; Luis Urias, SS, San Diego Padres

A's finally cruising

Oakland’s fairly cushy post-break schedule — mostly at home, several sub-.500 opponents — takes a twist beginning Friday with a three-game series at Anaheim.
Over the next month, the bulk of the team’s games will come against AL West teams, including 10 against their nearest pursuer for the second wild-card spot, the Mariners, and six against division-leading Houston.
“It will be a good test,” third baseman Matt Chapman said on The Chronicle’s A’s Plus podcast, noting that after next Thursday’s day off, Oakland will play 20 days in a row. “When we come out of the other side of that stretch, we’ll see what we’re really made of.”

Early in the season, the A’s only real struggles came against teams in the West. They went 10-24 against their division until mid-June; a three-game sweep by Houston put them at 34-36 overall on June 14.

Then, Oakland took two of the next three from the Angels, beginning a 34-11 run, the best mark in the majors during that span. Only eight of those 45 games came against the West, but the A’s took three of four at Houston, a team that has owned Oakland in recent years, and swept four at Texas.

 

Oakland’s fairly cushy post-break schedule — mostly at home, several sub-.500 opponents — takes a twist beginning Friday with a three-game series at Anaheim.
Over the next month, the bulk of the team’s games will come against AL West teams, including 10 against their nearest pursuer for the second wild-card spot, the Mariners, and six against division-leading Houston.
“It will be a good test,” third baseman Matt Chapman said on The Chronicle’s A’s Plus podcast, noting that after next Thursday’s day off, Oakland will play 20 days in a row. “When we come out of the other side of that stretch, we’ll see what we’re really made of.”
Early in the season, the A’s only real struggles came against teams in the West. They went 10-24 against their division until mid-June; a three-game sweep by Houston put them at 34-36 overall on June 14.

Then, Oakland took two of the next three from the Angels, beginning a 34-11 run, the best mark in the majors during that span. Only eight of those 45 games came against the West, but the A’s took three of four at Houston, a team that has owned Oakland in recent years, and swept four at Texas.

“Obviously, teams don’t want to play us now, especially on the road, because they know how good we are on the road,” catcher Jonathan Lucroy said. “We hit better on the road than we do at home, because our home stadium is a pitchers’ park. Being able to go on the road, some of our power shows up a lot more. Teams are wary of that, they’re scared of that, they don’t like it, especially with the back end of our bullpen, they don’t want to get to that.
“Does it give us more confidence? Yes it does, absolutely.”
Oakland also is changing the equation by playing better at home, too, winning 15 of the past 18 games at the Coliseum by taking advantage of a fairly soft portion of the schedule.
With 22 of the next 29 games coming within the division, the question now is: Are the A’s, with essentially a new rotation and an even better bullpen than they had earlier in the year, a fundamentally different team from the one that wilted against the West?

Could they put ground between themselves and Seattle, which is 2½ games back in the race for the second wild-card spot after winning 8-6 in Houston on Thursday night — or even gain ground on the Astros?

“You can’t be naive to what’s at stake but you have to stay in the moment,” second baseman Jed Lowrie said. “If you start to think about it more or start putting more pressure on yourself because of the situation, nothing good ever comes of it. We’ve done a really good job of that.”
That is typical of the businesslike A’s: They will not be overly fixated on the significance of this stretch. They’ll just keep trying to do what they do best, handing late leads to their formidable bullpen.

“I’ve always been of the belief you treat every game the same. You keep a high intensity level no matter who you’re playing,” Lucroy said. “Obviously, record-wise, playing teams in our own division is more important from that angle. Any ground you can make up is great for a playoff run.”
Second-place Oakland trails the Astros by 4½ games, but could be facing the world champs at less than full strength next week: Houston has been particularly shorthanded with Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, George Springer and Lance McCullers all out of action. Correa is set to return Friday. Springer might be back in the lineup when the Astros visit the Coliseum for three games next weekend, with Altuve’s timeline a little less defined.

The fourth-place Angels, first up in this stretch, are no pushovers. They’re coming off a sweep of the Tigers, and they’re back to the .500 mark. Plus, Mike Trout, who missed the past seven games with a wrist injury, is expected to play against the A’s.
“I think our division is the best division in baseball,” Chapman said. “I don’t know if that’s me being biased, but until just recently, the Angels were over .500, too.
“The good thing about (the A’s) is that no matter what happens, we just keep pushing and keep going forward. We’ve made up a lot of ground in a little time, so not one game is time to panic. We got swept by Colorado and got right back on track. We’re thinking big picture, we just have to keep trending in the right direction.”

Trading Tips

Many leagues are approaching their trade deadlines, with some set in the coming days and other coming at the end of this month. With just seven weeks left in the regular season, the time has come for owners to carefully analyze their standings before making trades. This is the time of year where certain players can have massive value to one owner and very little value to someone in a different spot in the roto standings. In head-to-head leagues, looking for players who have soft September schedules is always a great idea.



Buy Low

Luis Severino, Starter (Yankees): After performing like a top-five starter for most of the season, Severino has posted a worrisome 7.31 ERA and a 1.69 WHIP across his past six starts. His owners will know that they can’t dismiss his dry spell on having a rough schedule, as he has labored through recent outings against the Rays and Royals before failing to dominate the White Sox. Still, Severino is a supremely talented starter who is backed by a productive lineup and arguably the best bullpen in baseball. There may be a small window to get him at a slight discount before he resumes performing at a game-changing level.

Chris Archer, Starter (Pirates): Overall, I’m optimistic that a change of scenery could help Archer to reach his vast potential. The right-hander has shown stellar swing-and-miss skills in recent seasons, but he is on course to post an ERA over 4.00 for a third straight year, as he struggled to put everything together as a member of the Rays. His batted-ball luck hasn’t been favorable this year (.344 BABIP), and his 71.8 percent strand rate is lower than one would expect for a starter who compiles so many whiffs. The switch to the National League should help Archer to strike out even more batters, and he is joining an organization that has typically had success with their hurlers.

Hector Rondon, Reliever (Astros): Rondon has performed admirably out of the Astros’ bullpen this season, posting a 2.16 ERA and a 1.08 WHIP. He has also shown stellar strikeout skills (11.5 K/9 rate) and has not blown a save since picking up his first of 13 saves on June 6. Still, many of his owners are willing to trade him away right now on the assumption that Roberto Osuna will soon take over as the team’s closer. While there is no doubt that Osuna has the skills to be Houston’s stopper, I remain skeptical that the Astros will insert him into that role. In short, the optics of Osuna closing big games down the stretch are terrible. The organization took a public relations hit by acquiring the right-hander in the first place, and they may not want him on the mound when they clinch a postseason berth, division title etc. As long as Rondon holds up his end of the bargain, he could handle the closer’s role for the rest of the season.

Jesus Aguilar, First baseman (Brewers): Having built up a marginal fantasy profile prior to 2018, Aguilar has the potential to quickly fall out of favor when he experiences a cold stretch. The described stretch is happening right now, as the slugger has slashed .203/.331/.475 since the beginning of July. But a deeper look at his recent statistics shows that he has dealt with a .208 BABIP during his dry spell. This could be a good time to add Aguilar, who is already starting to heat up from a power perspective.

Josh Hader, Reliever (Brewers): Simply put, owners can always use someone like Hader late in the season. Sure, the southpaw is unlikely to compile more than a few wins and saves from this point forward, but he is very valuable due to his ability to post remarkable ratios (1.60 ERA, 0.83 WHIP) while compiling whiffs at a rate that resembles many starters. In many leagues, the Hader owner will likely be willing to trade him for an average starter in a foolish effort to chase wins down the stretch.


Sell High

Carlos Gonzalez, Outfielder (Rockies): Gonzalez still carries plenty of name value in fantasy circles, which means that more than a handful of owners are likely willing to jump on board after finding out that he has posted a .990 OPS since the beginning of July. The lure of playing many of his stretch-run games at Coors Field makes the outfielder even more appealing in trade talks. But CarGo no longer offers notable power or speed and his .287 average has been inflated by a .339 BABIP. In fact, Statcast data shows that his expected batting mark is a less impressive .254. Owners of the 32-year-old should be ready to move him when he wraps up his current homestand.

Blake Snell, Starter (Rays): Snell is back from the DL, which gives his owners a brief chance to sell high on his services before they reach their respective trade deadlines. The southpaw owns sterling statistics this season (13-5 record, 2.18 ERA, 1.03 WHIP), and while he has made some skill gains (2.9 K:BB ratio), he has been one of the luckiest starters in baseball (.236 BABIP, 87.1 percent strand rate). The fact that the Rays have six of their 14 remaining series against the Red Sox, Yankees and Indians makes trading Snell even more appealing.

Edwin Diaz, Reliever (Mariners): Diaz is here as a bit of a placeholder for a larger point about trading away closers in roto leagues during August. With just seven weeks remaining on the regular season schedule, owners want their high-priced players to be ones that they will want in their lineup for all seven of those scoring periods. But many owners will find themselves stranded in the saves category with a couple weeks to go, having little chance to gain or lose significant points in the standings via that category. For owners who can see this outcome coming, trading away a stud closer such as Diaz for a difference-making hitter or starter could be a wise move. Or to put things more simply, closers such as Diaz have a massive range of values between different teams in the same roto league at this point in the year.

Jhoulys Chacin, Starter (Brewers): The trade return for Chacin is unlikely to be a major haul, but dealing him away is something his owners should at least explore. The right-hander has been fortunate in a number of ways this season, producing a favorable 11-4 record while logging solid ratios (3.91 ERA, 1.22 WHIP) largely on the strength of a .259 BABIP. In reality, a starter with a mediocre 2.1 K:BB ratio should be borderline waiver-wire fodder and not someone who can fetch a useful return in a mixed league. Chacin owners who have a need at another position should try to make a minor deal where they plug a hole by parting with his services.

Salvador Perez, Catcher (Royals): Perez has been the best power-hitting catcher in baseball of late, producing eight homers and 23 RBIs since the beginning of July. But the power surge has not really been reflected in his skills, and he has shown his typically terrible plate discipline in recent weeks. Overall, there are two main reasons to suspect that this hot streak is likely to soon reverse course. First, Perez hits in baseball’s least productive lineup, meaning that RBI opportunities will be few and far between when he is not hitting round-trippers. Catchers who log heavy workloads are known to sometimes wear down late in the year.

Kenley Kancelled

The Dodgers bullpen was dealt a major blow on Friday when it was announced that All-Star closer Kenley Jansen would be sidelined for about a month as he undergoes treatment for an irregular heartbeat. Oh well.

It’s an issue that Jansen has dealt with before, and that he had surgery to address in October of 2012. While the specifics of his treatment plan aren’t yet known this time around, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported that the condition is believed to be “very manageable”. Easy for you to say Kenny.

The Dodgers sit tied with the Arizona Diamondbacks atop the National League West, so losing their bullpen ace for an extended period of time is definitely a major blow. It’s also a heart-breaker for fantasy owners who undoubtedly rely on Jansen’s elite production.

Scott Alexander came on for Jansen on Thursday and closed out the Rockies to earn his second save of the season. The 29-year-old southpaw looks to be the logical candidate to assume the closer’s role while Jansen is on the shelf. He boasts a 3.27 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 45/24 K/BB ratio in 52 ⅓ innings on the season.

Presuming that he does take over the job, he immediately becomes a relevant fantasy option in all mixed leagues. Now would be the time to scoop him up if he’s available. Another possible option for the Dodgers could be shifting Kenta Maeda back to the bullpen, a role that he excelled in during the playoffs last season.

Remember, during the 2017 postseason Maeda allowed just one run in 10 2/3 innings (0.84 ERA) while registering a 10/2 K/BB ratio. He could also become a dominant force in the ninth inning if given the opportunity.

Ronald Guzman

Yankee Clipper

Ronald Guzman sure does enjoy hitting against Yankees’ pitching.

The Rangers’  23-year-old rookie first baseman terrorized the Yankees’ pitching staff during the team’s three-game set in May, homering in each of the three games. He wound up hitting .500 (5-for-10) with three homers and five RBI in the series.

Entering play on Friday, he had been scuffling at the plate, hitting just .189/.259/.264 with no homers, six RBI and a 20/3 K/BB ratio in 16 games since the All-Star break.

Masahiro Tanaka, the Yankees’ starting pitcher on Friday, started the first game of that fateful series against the Rangers in May. Guzman faced Tanaka twice in that contest, going 0-for-1 and also getting hit by a pitch.

He would get his revenge in a big way on Friday.

After grounding out in his first at-bat against Tanaka, Guzman took the right-hander deep for a solo shot in the fourth inning, increasing the Rangers’ lead to 4-0. It was Guzman’s ninth home run of the season.

That good feeling carried over to his next at-bat, as he led off the sixth inning with another solo blast off of Tanaka, this time increasing the Rangers’ edge to 6-1. He wasn’t finished though.

Facing A.J. Cole in the seventh inning, Guzman belted his third solo home run of the game, this time an opposite-field shot to left. It wasn’t until the eighth inning that the Yankees were able to get him out again, with Chad Green punching him out to end the frame.

What made the memorable night extra-special, was that it was the first time that Guzman’s father Manuel had seen him play a major league game in person. He actually had 10 guests in attendance, including his mother, sister, two brothers and even his little league coach.

Rangers’ skipper Jeff Bannister talked after the game about Guzman’s incredible performance coinciding with his family being in attendance, telling reporters, “''That might be one of the coolest things ever, for a major league player (to have) his dad see him play for the first time… A number of people that really had an opportunity to impact his life… A night he was able to give back to them, give them some excitement, something they'll all share together tonight and from now on. It will be one of those nights he will never forget.”

Guzman became the first Rangers’ hitter to hit three homers in a game since Adrian Beltre accomplished the feat in 2012. He’s also the first rookie to ever hit three home runs in a game against the Yankees. He’s also the only player ever to leave the yard in each of his first four games against the Bombers.

Guzman had even told his father that if he got a pitch over the plate, he was going to try to hammer it. He definitely accomplished that.

He now has 12 home runs overall on the season. Six of them have come in 15 at-bats against the Yankees, while the other six have been spread out over 263 at-bats. Coincidence? Or extra motivation?

Guzman grew up idolizing Manny Ramirez and rooting for the Boston Red Sox. He admitted after Friday’s game that he grew up detesting the Yankees. "I want to kill them every time I play them, to be honest," Guzman said. "I never liked the Yankees growing up, just the fact that every Dominican who is a Yankee fan, they are so loud and they talk so much. Now I know they hate me, but I'm happy about it."

He’ll assuredly be back in the Rangers’ lineup on Saturday, where he’ll take on newcomer Lance Lynn, a pitcher that he has never faced before. Let’s see if he can make it five straight games with a homer against his least favorite team.

Lance Lynn

Phillies get Nix’d

Padres’ pitching prospect Jacob Nix made his major league debut against the Phillies on Friday and he definitely didn’t disappoint.

The 22-year-old right-hander, ranked as the 14th best prospect in the Padres’ organization, dazzled in front of family and friends on hand, hurling six scoreless innings in a victory over the Phillies.

It wasn’t all smooth sailing. Nix struggled early on, stranding the bases loaded after walk and a pair of singles in the first inning, and leaving another pair on base in the second inning. After that, he settled in though, retiring 12 of the final 13 hitters that he faced.

Nix scattered just four hits on the night, walking two and striking out four. The rookie right-hander threw 63 of his 88 pitches for strikes.

He isn’t a great bet to be a terrific mixed league asset over the remainder of the season, but he could be worth a look as a streaming option in good matchups, especially at home in San Diego.

American League Quick Hits: The Angels officially placed Mike Trout on the 10-day disabled list, retroactive to August 6, with right wrist inflammation. The word on the streets is that he’ll return as soon as he’s eligible on Thursday against the Rangers… Edwin Encarnacion will undergo an MRI on his left biceps on Saturday after he was pulled from Friday’s game… The Baltimore Orioles were officially eliminated from contention in the American League East. On August 10. They’re 35-80 and 45 ½ games behind the Red Sox… Vladimir Guerrero Jr. homered for the third straight game at Triple-A Buffalo and is hitting .433 in the 10 games since his promotion… Tommy Pham (foot) took batting practice off a pitching machine on Thursday and seems to be ahead of schedule in his recovery from a fractured foot… The Orioles designated Danny Valencia for assignment… The Tigers signed Zach McAllister to a one-year deal… Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports that the Twins are set to call up pitching prospect Kohl Stewart… Tyler Skaggs (groin) will return from the disabled list to start on Saturday against the Athletics… Blake Snell struck out six over five perfect innings in a win over the Blue Jays, but was lifted after throwing only 47 pitches… Michael Perez clubbed his first big league home run in that victory… Jake Marisnick had to be pulled from Friday’s game against the Mariners due to left groin discomfort… Adrian Beltre homered and drove in four runs as the Rangers topped the Yankees… Jean Segura was diagnosed with a bruised wrist after X-rays came back negative following a hit by pitch during Friday’s game… Carlos Rodon fanned five over eight shutout innings in a no-decision against the Indians… George Springer (thumb) is unsure of when he will resume swinging… Cedric Mullins went 3-for-4 with a walk, two RBI, and three runs scored in his big league debut on Friday… Mookie Betts went 3-for-4 with two walks, three RBI, and three runs scored… J.D. Martinez plated two more runs in that one, giving him a major league-leading 101 RBI on the season… Xander Bogaerts homered and drove in four runs in that slugfest… Khris Davis slugged his 33rd home run as the Athletics fell to the Angels… Everyday Edwin Diaz locked down his major league-leading 44th save of the season with a scoreless ninth inning against the Astros…

National League Quick Hits: Nolan Arenado had to be removed from Friday’s contest against the Dodgers after tweaking his shoulder while turning a double play. He’ll be re-evaluated on Saturday… The Phillies bolstered their bench on Friday, acquiring Justin Bour from the Marlins in exchange for minor league left-hander McKenzie Mills… Derek Dietrich is expected to see regular action at first base for the Marlins following Bour’s departure… The Cubs signed veteran left-hander Jorge De La Rosa to a one-year contract… Stephen Strasburg (neck) will throw a high-intensity 60-pitch bullpen session Saturday… The Marlins placed closer Kyle Barraclough on the 10-day disabled list with lower back stiffness. Drew Steckenrider is likely to fill in while he’s out… The Braves are expected to call up pitching prospect Touki Toussaint to make his major league debut during Monday's doubleheader against the Marlins… Anibal Sanchez (calf) reported feeling much better on Saturday and expects to make his next start on Tuesday… Mike Puma of the New York Post hears that the Mets "are leaning toward not calling up Peter Alonso in September."... Brandon Belt (knee) will begin his minor league rehab assignment at Triple-A Sacramento on Saturday…. Jeremy Hellickson didn’t allow a hit over 5 ⅔ innings in a no-decision against the Cubs… Austin Jackson went 3-for-4 with an RBI single and two runs scored Friday against the Marlins. He’s now batting .472 (17-for-36) with two homers, three doubles, and nine RBI in 12 games since joining the Mets… Yairo Munoz was forced to leave Friday's contest against the Royals after suffering a right wrist sprain… Anthony DeSclafani racked up nine strikeouts over seven shutout innings in a dominant victory over the Diamondbacks… Ender Inciarte drove in four runs, leading the Braves in a rout of the Brewers… Kevin Gausman struck out eight over eight innings of one-run baseball in that win… Austin Hedges homered, stole a base and scored both of the Padres’ runs in a win over the Phillies… Matt Carpenter slugged his National League-leading 32nd homer in a victory over the Royals… Francisco Cervelli went 3-for-5 with a grand slam in a loss to the Giants… Buster Posey went 4-for-5 and plated three to lead the Giants past the Pirates… Max Muncy belted his 26th homer in a loss to the Rockies...