Met Meltdown

Mike Francesa called it a “rocking-chair save.” And that’s what it should have been for the Mets. A can of corn, a layup, a day at the beach, fish in a barrel—whatever tired cliché fits your literary fancy. But nothing’s been easy for Edwin Diaz this year and Thursday’s late-inning stare-down with the Phillies was no exception.
Let’s not mince words here. Calling the Mets a dumpster fire is far too gentle. “Dumpster fire” left the station about five stops ago. In their quest for rock bottom and whatever misery lies underneath that final layer of baseball nothingness, the Mets have blazed a new trail of failure littered with blown leads, bullpen breakdowns, front-office unrest and locker-room blowups. It’s been one nightmare after another in Flushing and Diaz—who New York acquired for an arm and a leg this offseason—has had his fingerprints all over the Mets’ sinking ship.
Coming off four straight losses—a streak that began Sunday at Wrigley Field when Seth Lugo took Jacob deGrom’s six innings of hard work and flushed it down the toilet—the drowning Mets needed a life jacket and Todd Frazier threw them one with a ninth-inning mic drop. Facing a 1-0 deficit in hostile territory, Frazier pounced on a belt-high fastball from Phillies closer Hector Neris and launched it into the left-field seats for a two-run homer, giving the Mets their first lead of the afternoon. After adding an insurance run to go ahead by two, the stage was set for Diaz—a cannon-armed 25-year-old who racked up 57 saves as a Seattle Mariner last season—to finally put a stop to New York’s losing ways.
But what would be the fun in that? When New York fell to the Cubs on Sunday afternoon (a letdown that ended with Jason Vargas having to be separated from one of the team’s beat reporters inside the clubhouse), manager Mickey Callaway was raked over the coals by media and fans alike for hanging an overworked Lugo out to dry while Diaz watched it all unfold from his cushy seat in the Mets’ bullpen. After New York traded what was left of the team’s dwindling prospect base for Diaz and Robinson Cano’s Alcatraz of a contract, the least Callaway could do is actually use his closer in high-leverage situations, or so the thinking went.


That’s a fine working theory but the truth is, Diaz hasn’t been the same pitcher since leaving the Pacific Northwest. He’s still been getting swings and misses (50 Ks over 31 innings this year), but when it came to hitting his spots Thursday, Diaz couldn’t deliver. Tasked with silencing the bottom third of the Phillies’ order, New York’s late-inning gatekeeper began the frame by issuing a leadoff walk to Cesar Hernandez. Maikel Franco, who committed a costly error just minutes earlier, redeemed himself with one mighty swing, cementing his Mets killer status with a towering two-run homer to left center, knotting the game at three. Diaz tried to stop the bleeding but couldn’t, dialing the self-destruct-meter up to a 10 by putting runners on first and second with only one out. That’s when Jean Segura decided to put the Mets out of their misery, capping the Phillies’ four-game sweep with a walk-off homer to left field.
Thursday’s matinee could have been a turning point for the Mets. Frazier’s go-ahead blast (which came courtesy of a similarly flawed Phillies bullpen) had potential to be the perfect rallying cry for the Mets, a symbol of hope and resiliency amid mounting struggles. But Diaz, the ringleader of New York’s bullpen buffoonery, couldn’t rise above the Mets’ aura of hopelessness, wasting Frazier’s heroics the same way New York has squandered breakout seasons from Jeff McNeil (second-highest average in the majors) and Rookie of the Year front-runner Pete Alonso (second-most homers in MLB). Diaz’s seismic fall from grace illustrates the fragile nature and alarmingly short shelf life of even our most trusted ninth-inning arms and why unloading prospects to acquire one (unless his name is Mariano Rivera) is usually a bad idea. The Mets made their bed with Diaz (13.00 ERA, .425 BAA, three blown saves in his last nine outings) and now it’s time for them to lie in it.
Diaz has been an unquestioned bust and another strike against clueless GM Brodie Van Wagenen, but he’s far from the Mets’ only shortcoming. The ex-Mariner is just one ingredient in the Mets’ disaster stew as New York’s bullpen has compiled an inexcusable 7.96 ERA in the month of June, the worst in baseball by a country mile. New York has blown a two-run lead in each of its last five losses and Diaz, who has only logged three appearances in the last 12 days, was only on the mound for one of those. Remarkably, the Mets have actually blown more saves (a league-high 20) than they’ve converted (18). Jeurys Familia, who New York chose to bring back on a ludicrous three-year, $30 million deal this offseason, has been a horror show in setup duty, faltering to a 7.81 ERA over 29 largely disastrous outings.

Must be something in the drinking water in New York.

And that’s just the bullpen! Look around. Disappointment is everywhere. Cano's return to the Big Apple has been a bigger flop than either of The Hangover sequels while Jed Lowrie, an injury-prone 35-year-old inexplicably netting a $10 million salary, has yet to play an inning in Queens. Playing poorly isn’t a crime (or else the Orioles and Tigers would be doing hard time) but there’s a way to handle that frustration with grace. That email must have gone straight to the Mets’ spam folder. As if Sunday’s clubhouse incident at Wrigley wasn’t enough of a fiasco, Callaway somehow made things worse by butchering his first apology (his second try was only a marginal improvement), which was still better than the callous, non-apology issued by Vargas, who, while smacking gum and sporting a backwards cap, said he was only sorry for the “distraction” he created. Heartwarming stuff, Jason.
As bad as this stretch has been, New York isn’t buried yet. The Mets do have talent (Alonso, McNeil, deGrom, Noah Syndergaard) and, even with all their missteps, they remain only 6.5 games back of the Brewers and Phillies in the NL Wild Card. The real question is, do they have any fight left? After seeing Diaz take all the air out of the room Thursday, I’m not so sure.

Big Paul

AL Quick Hits: The people have spoken and Hunter Pence is their choice. He’ll represent the American League as the starting DH at next month’s All-Star Game in Cleveland. For Pence, this will be his fourth All-Star appearance overall and first since 2014. Gary Sanchez, Carlos Santana, DJ LeMahieu, Jorge Polanco, Alex Bregman, Mike Trout, George Springer and Michael Brantley were also voted in as starters in the American League. … Yankees GM Brian Cashman doesn’t anticipate having Giancarlo Stanton back until August. The former MVP landed on the injured list with a sprained PCL earlier this week. Injuries have limited Stanton to just nine games this season. … The White Sox are expected to designate Yonder Alonso for assignment on Friday. The one-time All-Star hasn’t hit a lick this season, batting an ugly .178 with just seven homers and 27 RBI in 219 at-bats for the Pale Hose. Whoever he plays for next will be his sixth team in a five-year span. … Former fourth overall pick Brendan McKay will debut for the Rays Saturday against Texas. Rated as MLB.com’s No. 23 prospect, the former Louisville standout has pitched to a dominant 1.22 ERA in 13 appearances (11 starts) between Double-A Montgomery and Triple-A Durham this season. He’s also been a force offensively, slashing .265/.400/.551 with four homers and 10 RBI over 49 Triple-A at-bats. … Kevin Kiermaier was a spectator for most of Thursday’s win over Minnesota, exiting with right calf tightness just two innings into an 18-inning marathon at Target Field. Despite his injury, the Rays center-fielder is confident he won’t miss more than one game. … Yordan Alvarez made an early departure Thursday versus Pittsburgh, exiting with left knee discomfort in the fourth inning. Manager A.J. Hinch called his removal precautionary, though the rookie is unlikely to suit up Friday when the Astros host the Mariners at Minute Maid Park. … Spencer Turnbull made it through just two innings Thursday, bowing out with shoulder fatigue in a loss to Texas. The right-hander experienced a steep drop-off in velocity, which alerted the Tigers to his injury. Luckily his MRI ruled out any structural damage. … It didn’t take long for Trevor Rosenthal to find a new home. He landed with the Tigers on a minor-league deal just four days after being cut loose by Washington. The former closer has much to prove after posting an embarrassing 22.74 ERA during his brief stint in the nation’s capital … Andrelton Simmons was back in uniform Thursday night, going 1-for-4 with a single as the Angels topped Oakland 8-3. It took the Gold Glove shortstop about five weeks to recover from a sprained ankle. … Blake Treinen completed 20 pitches off flat ground Thursday and hopes to throw a bullpen session later this weekend. A strained shoulder has shelved the A’s closer since last week.

Yelich as in Relish

NL Quick Hits: Reigning NL MVP Christian Yelich was the National League’s leading vote-getter in All-Star voting. He’ll start alongside Willson Contreras, Freddie Freeman, Ketel Marte, Javier Baez, Nolan Arenado, Cody Bellinger and Ronald Acuna in the Mid-Summer Classic slated for July 9 at Progressive Field. … Thursday brought a shakeup to the Brewers’ infield as Milwaukee made room for top prospect Keston Hiura by demoting Travis Shaw to Triple-A. Shaw was hitting just .164 for Milwaukee with six homers and 69 strikeouts in 183 at-bats. The Brewers also pulled the plug on utility man Hernan Perez, designating him for assignment. … Craig Kimbrel got a rousing ovation in his Cubs debut Thursday at Wrigley Field. The All-Star closer looked rusty in his return to the mound (1 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 0 R), but still did enough to earn the save as Chicago eked out a 9-7 win over his former club, the Atlanta Braves. … Speaking Thursday, Cubs skipper Joe Maddon didn’t rule out the possibility of Kyle Hendricks returning prior to the All-Star break. A shoulder impingement has sidelined the right-hander for the past couple of weeks. … The Dodgers kept the engine rolling Thursday with another win over the Rockies, beating them for the 12th straight time. Los Angeles slugged six homers in the victory including two by Max Muncy, who went 3-for-4 with three RBI as the Dodgers stretched their lead in the division to a commanding 13 games. … Rockies rookie Peter Lambert continued his torrid start at the plate with another hit Thursday night, running his season average to an even .600 (6-for-10). However, he didn’t fair nearly as well on the mound, surrendering nine hits and five runs over 4 2/3 lackluster innings while seeing his ERA skyrocket from 5.85 to an even bleaker 6.57. … Rockies manager Bud Black confirmed Thursday that Trevor Story won’t be activated when first eligible next week. Story is still nursing a sprained thumb he suffered earlier this month. When the time comes, the ace shortstop will likely need 2-3 rehab games in the minors before he’s summoned to Colorado.

Story

Oh Tani Oh My

All things considered, Shohei Ohtani had himself a pretty solid day on Wednesday. 

Not only did he throw off a mound for the first time since undergoing Tommy John surgery last October, but he also went 3-for-3 with a walk and a run scored to propel the Angels to a 5-1 victory over the Reds. 

The 24-year-old burgeoning slugger reached base safely in all four of his plate appearances, including a pivotal single to left field off Reds closer Raisel Iglesias in the ninth inning, which advanced the go-ahead run into scoring position with nobody out in the frame. He also drilled a 115.2 mph double, the hardest-hit ball of his career, and swiped his fourth base of the season. Simply put, Ohtani has been one of the hottest hitters in baseball, hitting .333 (26-for-78) with six homers, 18 RBI and four stolen bases in 23 games this month. There’s a legitimate case to be made that he’s somehow the most underrated five-category fantasy superstar in the game right now. 

Not only is Ohtani the most dynamic designated hitter in the big leagues, but he’s on the precipice of returning to the mound as an electrifying starting pitcher next season. According to reports, Ohtani threw 20 pitches from the windup and 20 from the stretch during his pregame bullpen session. He also threw 70 pitches from flat ground. “He looked great,” Angels pitching coach Doug White told reporters after the session. Ohtani, who posted a 3.31 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 63/22 K/BB ratio across 10 starts last year, is scheduled to throw another bullpen on Saturday. While he won’t pitch in a game this season, throwing off a mound is a pivotal milestone towards his return as a dynamic two-way fantasy threat next season. The future is extremely bright in Los Angeles.   

Injuries Piling Up For Twins 

The Twins came from behind to beat the Rays 6-4 on Wednesday night, thanks to a go-ahead, three-run double from Nelson Cruz in the seventh inning and a clutch four-out save by lefty closer Taylor Rogers. Yet, the most significant story line to emerge from Minnesota centered around the health of Eddie Rosario, who exited the contest in the fourth inning after suffering a left ankle sprain while rounding first base on a single in the third inning. The Twins are calling him day-to-day and manager Rocco Baldelli said that an MRI did not show a sprain that was “overly serious.” Rosario may have avoided serious injury, but he’ll likely be sidelined for at least a few days, if not more. Considering the recent rash of injuries to their outfield, which include Byron Buxton, Max Kepler and Marwin Gonzalez, the Twins may not have a choice but to put him on the 10-day injured list. Fantasy owners should stay tuned for more updates and monitor the situation closely over the next few days.

Stanton Sidelined Again

In the words of Ron Burgundy, “Boy, that escalated quickly.” Just a few hours after Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters that an MRI on Giancarlo Stanton’s injured right knee revealed “no new injury,” the 29-year-old slugger was placed on the 10-day injured list with a right knee sprain. There was some initial optimism that Stanton, who has been limited to nine games this season due to a variety of ailments including a biceps strain, shoulder strain and calf strain, would avoid the injured list altogether. However, clearly there was more damage done to his right knee on Tuesday night than originally reported. The Yankees, who have won nine of their last 10 games, will be without Stanton when they kick off a two-game series against the division-rival Red Sox in London, England on Saturday. While there is no official timetable for a potential return, it seems unlikely that Stanton will be ready to return until after the All-Star break in early July. There’s no way to sugarcoat it folks, it’s been a brutal season for Stanton’s fantasy owners, who just can’t seem to catch a break.

Rumor Roundup 

With the major-league trade deadline rapidly approaching, here are a few of the latest rumours regarding several big names who could be on the moving in the next few weeks including Madison Bumgarner, Will Smith and Felipe Vasquez. 

Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported Wednesday that the Twins “are showing strong interest” in Madison Bumgarner. ESPN's Jeff Passan reported that the Twins "haven’t engaged" with the Giants in “high-level talks” in recent weeks and “there isn't any traction” for a trade. The report surfaced just a few hours after the 29-year-old southpaw struck out a season-high 11 batters over six innings in a win over the Rockies on Tuesday. It was his first double-digit strikeout performance since April 2, 2017. He owns a pedestrian 4.21 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 104/24 K/BB ratio across 17 starts, but would be a massive upgrade to the Twins postseason rotation given his extensive track record of success in pivotal moments.

Passan also added that Will Smith “is on the Twins’ radar as of now.” Passan indicated that Smith is a bigger priority for the Twins than Bumgarner. The 29-year-old lefty is one of the safest bets to be traded next month, as he's a free agent this offseason and has posted a dominant 1.95 ERA and 49/7 K/BB ratio across 32 1/3 innings. From a fantasy perspective, Minnesota would be an ideal landing spot, as he would likely remain in a closing role. If he’s jettisoned to the Dodgers or another contending team with a previously established stopper, he would be a logical fit as a setup man and lefty matchup specialist. 

Speaking of left-handed closers, Jon Morosi of MLB.com reported Wednesday that the Dodgers have interest in Felipe Vazquez. It makes sense that the Dodgers would want to strengthen the back-end of their bullpen, but this would be about the worst-case scenario for Vazquez's fantasy value since he'd likely be used primarily as a setup man in Los Angeles. While the Pirates are likely to listen to offers for the hard-throwing lefty, they don't need to trade Vazquez unless they get a great offer since he's under team control cheaply through 2023.

AL Quick Hits: Tim Anderson has been diagnosed with a high right ankle sprain. … Corey Kluber (arm) will go through a series of MRIs this week and could be cleared to resume a throwing program. … Carlos Carrasco (illness) played catch on Monday. … Byron Buxton (wrist) took some more swings Tuesday and is progressing towards a rehab assignment. … Andrew Benintendi remained out of the Red Sox' lineup Wednesday. He’s missed two consecutive games after his legs “felt heavy” after Sunday’s game against Toronto. … Yoan Moncada is considered day-to-day after being diagnosed with a right knee contusion. … Max Kepler (elbow) was held out of the Twins’ starting lineup Wednesday against the Rays. He was hit by a pitch in the right elbow on Tuesday. … DJ LeMahieu went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer to power the Yankees past the Blue Jays. … Aaron Judge, Gleyber Torres and Didi Gregorius racked up nine hits combined in the victory. … Lourdes Gurriel homered twice and drove in four runs in the losing effort. … Jose Abreu launched a go-ahead, two-run homer to lift the White Sox to a comeback win over the Red Sox. … J.D. Martinez connected on his 17th homer and Matt Barnes was charged with his sixth blown save in the loss. … Trevor Bauer racked up a season-high 12 strikeouts in the Indians’ win over the Royals. … Liam Hendriks tossed a scoreless frame to record his second save as the Athletics’ edged the Cardinals. … Matt Chapman swatted his 19th long ball in that one. … Mike Minor allowed one run on five hits in a complete-game victory over the Tigers. … Willie Calhoun went 3-for-4 with a solo homer to spearhead the Rangers’ offense in that contest. … J.P. Crawford went 3-for-5 with three RBI and a run scored in the Mariners’ win over the Brewers. … Justin Bour went 2-for-4 with a pair of homers and four RBI in the Angels’ win over the Reds. … Jonathan Villar went 3-for-4 with a two-run homer in the Orioles’ loss to the Padres. … Ryne Stanek will serve as the opener for the Rays on Thursday against the Twins. … Mitch Haniger told reporters on Wednesday that he hopes to take batting practice this weekend. … Andrelton Simmons (ankle) will not be activated off of the 10-day injured list on Wednesday, but could be activated “very soon”. … Danny Salazar (shoulder) is expected to begin a rehab assignment soon. … John Means (shoulder) will rejoin the Orioles' rotation on Friday against the Indians. … Rangers released Drew Smyly. … Royals designated Brad Boxberger for assignment. Poor Brad.

Noah

NL Quick Hits: Noah Syndergaard will come off the injured list and start on Sunday against the Braves. … Craig Kimbrel is likely to be activated on Thursday. … Bryse Wilson will be called up to start for the Braves against the Cubs on Thursday. … Mike Soroka (forearm) is scheduled to start on Friday against the Mets. … David Dahl went 2-for-4 with a grand slam and five RBI to lead the Rockies to a win over the Giants. … Eduardo Escobar went 2-for-4 with a three-run homer in the Diamondbacks’ win over the Dodgers. … Cody Bellinger launched his 26th homer in the loss … Josh Bell went 1-for-4 with a two-run homer, a pair of walks and three runs scored in the Pirates’ blowout win over the Astros. … Kevin Newman went 4-for-6 with a home run, three RBI and a stolen base in that contest. … Kris Bryant went 3-for-5 with a solo home run in the Cubs’ loss to the Braves. … Franmil Reyes homered twice in the Padres’ lopsided win over the Orioles. … Matt Strahm whiffed nine batters over six innings to pick up the win. … Zac Gallen fanned eight over five innings in a loss against the Nationals. … Patrick Corbin allowed one run over seven frames, while striking out nine, to pick up the win in that contest. … Jay Bruce delivered an RBI double in the bottom of the 10th inning to lift the Phillies to a walk-off victory over the Mets. … Jeff McNeil and Dominic Smith went deep in the losing effort. … Raisel Iglesias was charged with a season-high four runs over one inning in a loss to the Angels. … Adam Wainwright struck out nine over 6 2/3 innings of two-run ball in a loss against the Athletics. … Diamondbacks activated Jake Lamb from the 10-day injured list. He’s been out since early April with a left quad strain. … Jeurys Familia (shoulder) is not considering surgery at this time. 

Stanton Sidelined

Giancarlo Stanton can’t catch a break. It's possible that he unwittingly walked under a ladder or accidentally broke a mirror during the offseason because he can't seem to stay healthy right now. The 29-year-old slugger exited Tuesday's game against the Blue Jays in the fourth inning with a right knee bruise. It’s unclear how or when Stanton suffered the injury at this time, but it may have occurred on an awkward headfirst slide into third base in the opening frame. It would be unfair and misleading to characterize Stanton as injury-prone. He’s been extremely durable, playing at least 158 of a possible 162 games in each of the last two seasons. However, he’s certainly been plagued by persistent nagging issues so far this season. He’s missed time due to a variety of ailments including a biceps strain, shoulder strain and a calf strain. Now, he’s dealing with a knee issue. Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters after the game that results of tests on Stanton’s knee, which included an MRI, weren’t yet available. There should be some additional clarity Wednesday regarding the extent of the injury and whether it will result in any missed time. Obviously, fantasy owners will want to monitor this situation closely in the coming days.

Anderson Suffers Sprained Ankle   

Stanton wasn’t the only fantasy superstar to suffer an injury on the East Coast last night. White Sox’ dynamic shortstop Tim Anderson exited Tuesday's game against the Red Sox in Fenway Park after suffering an apparent leg injury. He had to be helped off the field and couldn't put any weight on his right leg. He was injured while making a running throw behind second base. The wet field conditions appear to have played a role in this one as Anderson appeared to roll his right ankle while attempting an off-balanced throw. He was in significant pain before being carried off. The 26-year-old burgeoning fantasy superstar was in the midst of an impressive power-speed combo campaign, hitting .317/.342/.491 with 11 homers and 15 stolen bases across 281 plate appearances. Anderson was diagnosed with a sprained ankle after x-rays came back negative and will be re-evaluated on Wednesday. It appears that Anderson avoided major injury, which is a huge relief for fantasy owners as well. He’ll likely be headed to the 10-day injured list, but should be ready to return after the All-Star break early next month.   

Homecoming Part II

On the heels of an emotional homecoming for ancient slugger Albert Pujols in St. Louis over the weekend, a pair of superstars squarely in the prime of their respective careers, Manny Machado and Gerrit Cole, came back to haunt their former organizations on Tuesday night. 

Machado reached base safely in three of his five plate appearances and clobbered a solo homer in his return to Baltimore, the city he called home for seven seasons before being traded to the Dodgers in a blockbuster deal last July and signing a 10-year, $300 million free agent contract with the Padres in the offseason. He received a standing ovation from the Orioles’ faithful in the opening frame before striking out looking in his first at-bat. Unfortunately, that was pretty much the only time they managed to keep him off the bases in this one. He launched a solo homer to left-center field off Jimmy Yacabonis, increasing the Padres’ lead to 5-1 in the third inning. Ironically, the titanic tater marked Machado’s 100th career home run at Camden Yards. He also tacked on an RBI single in the fourth and walked in the sixth. 

Meanwhile, Cole wasn’t flawless in his first career start against the team that selected him with the top overall selection in the 2011 MLB draft, but still managed to reel off six innings of one-run ball in a win over the Pirates. He struck out three batters and also issued a pair of walks. The 28-year-old righty recorded a 3.50 ERA over 127 starts for the Pirates before being the centerpiece of a massive trade with the Astros prior to last season. He’s managed to unlock his true potential and evolve into a legitimate fantasy ace over the last two years. He currently ranks second in the majors, trailing only Nationals ace Max Scherzer, with 151 strikeouts in 102 2/3 innings this season.

Hicks Headed For Tommy John

Fantasy owners received the official confirmation on Tuesday afternoon that Cardinals closer Jordan Hicks will undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery on Wednesday. The 22-year-old fireballer will likely be sidelined until the second half of the 2020 campaign. Prior to the injury, Hicks racked up 14 saves to go along with a 3.14 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 31/11 K/BB ratio in 28 2/3 innings. St. Louis GM John Mozeliak confirmed that Carlos Martinez will serve as the Cardinals' closer moving forward. He needs to be owned in all fantasy formats. The 27-year-old righty has pitched exclusively in relief since making his season debut on May 18, allowing five earned runs on 11 hits and five walks with 14 strikeouts in 15 innings. Martinez has some immediate job security, but there’s a chance that this could devolve into a full-blown committee situation if he struggles, given the presence of circling vultures John Gant and Andrew Miller.  

The official announcement came less than 24 hours after the team revealed that Hicks had a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. The central question for fantasy owners to consider moving forward is whether there was a direct correlation between his triple-digit velocity, a dramatic uptick in usage of his hard-biting slider and this major elbow injury. We’ve witnessed countless pitchers return from Tommy John surgery at (or close to) their previous level at exponentially higher rates than a decade ago. It’s becoming increasingly rare for a highly-touted prospect to reach the big leagues that hasn’t undergone at least one major surgery. So, it’s not unrealistic to believe that Hicks can come back and return to form next season, but he’s unlikely to make a significant fantasy impact until the 2021 campaign. 

If there is one encouraging takeaway, it’s that elbow issues are less worrisome long-term than shoulder problems. However, the fact that he throws so hard and relies heavily on a violent slider as his main secondary offering, has to be a concern moving forward. According to Baseball Savant’s database, the 22-year-old righty has thrown 206 pitches in excess of 100 mph this season, which is 107 more than towering Marlins righty Tayron Guerrero, who is the next closest on that leaderboard. Last year, Hicks threw 659 100-plus mph pitches. Simply put, Hicks is a bit of a historical outlier. Outside of a few peak Aroldis Chapman campaigns in Cincinnati earlier this decade, we haven’t really seen anyone throw this hard, this often. From a long-term, keeper and dynasty league perspective, this injury likely knocks him outside the top 300 overall assets moving forward. There’s simply too much long-term risk from a health and performance standpoint to justify stashing him in shallower formats.  

AL Quick Hits: Shohei Ohtani (elbow) will throw off a mound on Wednesday for the first time since undergoing Tommy John surgery last October. … Indians manager Terry Francona confirmed Tuesday that Mike Clevinger is “good to go” for Friday's start against the Orioles in Baltimore. … Max Kepler exited Tuesday's game against the Rays after being hit by a pitch on the right elbow. X-rays came back negative and he’ll undergo an MRI on Wednesday. … DJ LeMahieu, Aaron Judge, Gleyber Torres and Edwin Encarnacion launched solo homers as the Yankees’ set a major-league record with 28 straight games with a home run in their narrow victory over the Blue Jays. … Aroldis Chapman notched his 23rd save in that contest. … Brad Hand coughed up five runs and failed to record an out in an ugly blown save against the Royals. It was his first blown save in 23 opportunities this season. … Hunter Dozier blasted a go-ahead grand slam in that one. … Rafael Devers went 4-for-4 with an RBI and a pair of runs scored in the Red Sox’ win over the White Sox. … David Price struck out nine over six innings in that one. … Alex Bregman went 3-for-4 with his 22nd round-tripper of the season in the Astros’ win over the Pirates. … Daniel Vogelbach launched his 19th long ball of the season in the Mariners’ win over the Brewers. … J.P. Crawford stayed hot with a pair of hits and RBI in that one. … Jesse Chavez racked up seven strikeouts over 6 1/3 innings in a win over the Tigers … Eddie Rosario collected four hits and a pair of RBI in the Twins’ blowout win over the Rays. … Blake Snell was tagged for seven runs on 11 hits over 3 1/3 frames in the loss. … George Springer went 1-for-4 in his return to the Astros’ lineup … Joey Gallo went 1-for-4 with an RBI double in his return to the Rangers’ lineup against the Tigers. … Red Sox reinstated Steven Wright from the restricted list. … Daniel Mengden will start for the Athletics against the Cardinals on Wednesday. … Hunter Pence (hamstring) is unlikely to be activated from the 10-day injured list when first eligible on Thursday. … Salvador Perez is catching bullpen sessions, but he isn't yet being allowed to throw as he progresses after Tommy John surgery. … Astros activated Collin McHugh from the 10-day injured list. … Andrelton Simmons (ankle) will resume his minor league rehab assignment Tuesday with Class A Inland Empire. … Trevor Cahill (elbow) will be activated from the injured list on Wednesday. … Zack Cozart's injured left shoulder is not healing well and he might miss the rest of the season. … Yankees designated Kendrys Morales for assignment. … Alex Meyer announced his retirement on Tuesday. 

NL Quick Hits: Mike Soroka (forearm) could miss his next scheduled start after feeling some lingering tightness while playing catch on Tuesday. He'll throw off of a mound on Wednesday, and depending on how he feels, the Braves will make a determination on his status to start over the weekend. … Rockies placed Brendan Rodgers on the 10-day disabled list with a right shoulder impingement. … Jon Morosi of MLB Network reports that the Giants and Dodgers aren't ruling out the possibility of a trade that would send reliever Will Smith to Los Angeles. … Corey Seager (hamstring) took ground balls and was able to do some light running on Monday. … Caleb Smith is slated to make an additional rehab start before rejoining the Marlins big-league rotation … Lorenzo Cain underwent cryotherapy for his injured right thumb in California on Tuesday morning. … Bryan Reynolds was scratched from the Pirates’ lineup on Tuesday because of a bruised shin. … Madison Bumgarner struck out a season-high 11 batters over six innings in a win over the Rockies. … Scott Kingery walloped his 10th long ball of the season out of the Phillies’ leadoff spot against the Mets on Tuesday. … Rhys Hoskins belted his 18th homer in that contest as well. … Jeff McNeil went 4-for-5 with a run scored in the losing effort. … Max Scherzer struck out 10 over eight innings of one-run ball in a win over the Marlins. … Trea Turner belted a three-run homer in the Nationals’ victory. … Fernando Tatis Jr. Francisco Mejia and Manuel Margot left the yard in the Padres’ lopsided win over the Orioles. … Logan Allen allowed two runs over six innings to pick up his second win in that one. … Max Fried struck out eight batters over six innings in a win over the Cubs. … Ronald Acuna and Ozzie Albies left the yard in that one. … Adbert Alzolay allowed one run over 4 2/3 innings in a no-decision against the Braves. … Jack Flaherty was rocked for seven runs on nine hits over 4 2/3 innings in a loss to the Athletics. … Robbie Ray registered nine strikeouts over 6 1/3 innings in a loss against the Dodgers. … Julio Urias fired three scoreless innings to pick up a win in relief, while Kenley Jansen recorded his 23rd save of the season in that contest. … Braves activated Sean Newcomb from the 7-day concussion injured list. … Dinelson Lamet could join the Padres' rotation after one more rehab start this weekend. … Jordan Lyles (hamstring) will likely come off the injured list to face the Brewers on Saturday … Alex Wood (back) will visit a doctor after experiencing renewed soreness in his back. … Alex Reyes will miss two or three minor-league starts with a strained pectoral muscle.

Wounded Bird

Jordan Hicks

Elbows aren’t meant to withstand 100 mph fastballs. Or 105 mph fastballs.
An MRI Monday on Jordan Hicks’ right arm revealed a tear of the ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow. Hicks suffered the injury during an appearance Saturday, and although the initial prognosis was triceps tendinitis, tests revealed the bad news.
The Cardinals say that the next course of action for Hicks has yet to be determined, but obviously Tommy John surgery is a distinct possibility. Rest and rehab is another option, but even in that case he will be sidelined for a long time and the odds of a setback are fairly high. If Hicks does wind up having the operation, he probably wouldn’t be ready to pitch until the second half of next season.
It’s obviously a bummer for the game’s hardest thrower. Hicks has had some bumps in the road this season but overall has pitched quite well, posting a 3.14 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 31/11 K/BB ratio over 28 2/3 innings. He blew his first save chance of the season but converted each of his 14 opportunities after that. If Hicks does indeed wind up going under the knife, we can only hope that he’s able to regain his velocity post-op.

So who is likely to assume the closer duties for the Cards with Hicks sidelined? If you ask Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, it’s Carlos Martinez, as he writes that Martinez “is expected to take over most of the closer duties.” However, on Sunday president of baseball operations John Mozeliak indicated in an interview that John Gant would probably get the first crack at the job.
Manager Mike Shildt has not indicated his preferred option for the role but could offer more clarity prior to the team’s next game Tuesday. Both Martinez (two) and Gant (three) have picked up some saves this season and Martinez also notched five saves down the stretch last year. Either pitcher has the potential to be a fine closer if given the shot, and they’re both worth picking up as you speculate for saves.

Ross Stripling

Stripling Slides into Rotation

Ross Stripling didn’t deserve to be demoted to the bullpen when it happened in late April, but many figured he’d eventually get a chance to start again. Two months later, that opportunity has arrived.
The Dodgers announced on Monday that it would be Stripling moving back into the rotation on Tuesday against the Diamondbacks in place of the injured Rich Hill (forearm). It will be the right-hander’s first start since April 25.
Stripling posted a 2.65 ERA and 32/10 K/BB ratio over 34 innings covering six starts at the beginning of the season before shifting to the bullpen, where he held a 4.02 ERA and 16/6 K/BB ratio across 15 2/3 frames. Of course, the 29-year-old was also an All-Star in 2018 following a dominant first half while mostly being used as a starter before he wore down and struggled after the break.
Stripling hasn’t gone more than two innings or thrown more than 45 pitches since April, but manager Dave Roberts thought it was “very fair” for the righty to be able to go four innings and/or 60 pitches Tuesday. While that kind of workload makes him a less than desirable fantasy play Tuesday, Stripling could be in line for home starts versus the D-backs and Padres next week when he’s more stretched out. With Hill likely out until August, Stripling should have a shot to remain in the rotation for a while.
While Stripling is going back into the rotation, Julio Urias will remain in the bullpen, at least for now. Urias fanned five over three scoreless frames last Thursday in a spot start and has flashed dominance at times this season, but he barely pitched last year after coming back from shoulder surgery so the Dodgers want to keep a close eye on his workload. Urias is expected to pitch multiple innings in relief either on Tuesday following Stripling or on Wednesday following Tony Gonsolin, who will make his major league debut.

Caleb Smith

Caleb Cruising to Return

The main thing on Caleb Smith’s agenda during Monday’s rehab start with Double-A Jacksonville was to make sure the hip injury that sent him to the injured list wasn’t an issue. Still, it’s nice to see some positive results, as well, and he certainly got that.
Smith struck out 11 batters over 4 1/3 innings for the Jumbo Shrimp against Pensacola, giving up two runs on a couple solo home runs. The left-hander fanned eight batters in a row at one point, which tied a Southern League record.
And the hip? Smith said that he "didn't feel it at all" during the outing. Check and check.
The Marlins surely will want to see how Smith recovers and also how he feels during his normal between-starts bullpen session, but he would appear to be in line to rejoin the big league rotation this weekend against the Phillies. Smith threw 71 pitches Monday, so he would seemingly be able to handle 85-90 as soon as Saturday.
What’s going to be interesting to see is who the Marlins boot from the rotation to accommodate Smith’s return. Jordan Yamamoto (0.95 ERA, 19/8 K/BB ratio over 19 innings in three starts), Elieser Hernandez (3.78 ERA, 19/3 K/BB ratio over 16 2/3 innings in three starts) and Zac Gallen (1.80 ERA, 6/2 K/BB ratio over five innings in one start) have all pitched well with Smith, Pablo Lopez (shoulder) and Jose Urena (back) sidelined. Perhaps a six-man rotation would make sense for a while since the team needs to monitor the workloads of their young pitchers, anyway? We should have a better idea of how they’ll play things in the coming days.

National League Quick Hits: Noah Syndergaard (hamstring) will make a rehab start with Short-Season Brooklyn on Tuesday before likely rejoining the Mets’ rotation on Sunday against the Braves. ... Jon Lester threw six innings while allowing just two unearned runs and fanning seven in a win over the Braves on Monday. ... Maikel Franco went 3-for-4 with a homer, three RBI and a walk as the Phillies topped the Mets on Monday. ... Bryse Wilson is expected to start for the Braves on Thursday against the Cubs. ... Willson Contreras went 2-for-4 with a homer and three RBI in the Cubs' victory over the Braves on Monday. ... A follow-up MRI on Luke Weaver's pitching arm showed improvement, although there’s no timetable for when he might resume throwing. ... Kyle Hendricks (shoulder) threw a light, 15-pitch bullpen session Monday and is scheduled for a regular bullpen session later this week. ... Drew Pomeranz fanned 11 while allowing two runs over five innings versus the Rockies. ... Jon Gray whiffed six over six shutout frames against the Giants on Monday.


American League Quick Hits: Tyler Glasnow will be shut down for the next three weeks after an MRI revealed right flexor inflammation. ... DJ LeMahieu went 4-for-4 with a walk and two runs scored against the Blue Jays on Monday. ... Freddy Galvis, hit a grand slam, singled and stole a base Monday against the Yankees. ... Diego Castillo has been diagnosed with a right shoulder impingement and is expected to be sidelined for about two weeks. ... Jackie Bradley Jr. homered and walked three times Monday as the Red Sox edged the White Sox. ... Yoan Moncada went 2-for-3 with a two-run homer and a walk against the Red Sox on Monday. ... CC Sabathia fanned nine while allowing two runs in six innings Monday in a victory over the Blue Jays. ... The Orioles signed No. 1 overall pick Adley Rutschman to a record $8.1 million bonus. ... Asdrubal Cabrera's suspension has been reduced from four to three games and he will begin serving it Tuesday. ... Rafael Devers (hamstring) doubled and walked in his return to the lineup Monday.

Top Ten Prospects

A reminder that this is strictly a list for 2019. Several of these prospects are among the best in baseball, but for the purpose of this series, it’s just measuring potential impact for this season. Also, a reminder that prospects who are on MLB rosters are not eligible for this list, nor is any player that has exhausted his prospect eligibility.

Without further ado, here’s the top 10 prospects that can help you in the 2019 season.

1. Keston Hiura, 2B, Milwaukee Brewers

2019 stats: 53 G, .322/.395/.684, 17 HR, 7 SB, 21 BB, 57 SO at Triple-A San Antonio; 17 G, .281/.333/.531, 5 HR, 1 SB, 3 BB, 23 SO at Milwaukee. 

These numbers are going to go up soon, as Hiura hit a grand slam on Sunday in a game that will be finished on Monday because of inclement weather yesterday. He also homered Saturday, and that broke a homerless streak of a whopping six games. Hopefully you pick up on the sarcasm, there. Hiura will continue to crush Triple-A pitching until he's called up. We think -- or hope -- that it's very soon. 

2. Luis Urias, INF, San Diego Padres

2019 stats: 58 G,.336/.424/.651, 17 HR, 7 SB, 31 BB, 53 SO at Triple-A El Paso; 11 G, .083/.241/.125, 0 HR, 0 SB, 4 BB, 11 SO at San Diego.

It's a bit funny that Hiura and Urias have such similar minor league numbers, isn't it? Maybe funny is the wrong word. Interesting, anyway. The difference, of course, is that Hiura was much more successful at the MLB level, but Urias hasn't been given as much of a chance to hit MLB pitching; not that Hiura has a huge sample size, himself. The expectation is that he'll be called up before the end of the month, and despite those MLB numbers, he'll absolutely be worth a roster addition when he does. 

3. Jesus Luzardo, LHP, Oakland Athletics

2019 stats: 3 G, 2.61 ERA, 10.1 IP, 11 H, 2 BB, 16 SO at High-A Stockton and Triple-A Las Vegas.

Welcome back to the list, Mr. Luzardo. We don't think you're going to be here for very long. After missing the first three months due to injury, the 21-year-old pitched exceptionally in his two rehab starts with Stockton, and while his line in his Triple-A debut wasn't great (3 1/3 innings, two runs, two walks five strikeouts), the important thing is that Luzardo is getting healthy and building arm strength. With plus command of three pitches that can miss bats, Luzardo has a high-floor and a high-ceiling, and as long as he's healthy, he should be making starts for the A's this summer. I'd stash him now.  

4. Bo Bichette, SS, Toronto Blue Jays

2019 stats: 28 G, .314/.388/.510, 3 HR, 6 SB, 12 BB, 22 SO at High-A Dunedin and Triple-A Round Rock.

Welcome back, Bo. Like Luzardo, Bichette missed considerable time due to injury, and after hitting well in his rehab time in the Florida State League, he's back in Triple-A, and tearing the cover off the baseball. After a 4-for-5 game on Sunday, Bichette is hitting .395 over his last 10 appearances, and he's homered twice and added two steals in that time. The Blue Jays are nowhere close to contention, and while they could play the service time game -- we certainly have seen it before -- they also could (should) give him a chance to finish the year in Toronto. With a double-plus hit tool and above-average power, he's going to be well worth the addition if the Blue Jays make the right decision.

5. Kyle Tucker, OF, Houston Astros

2019 stats: 70 G, .283/.356/.628, 23 HR, 17 SB, 29 BB, 69 SO at Triple-A Round Rock.

You didn't ask -- although I guess if you are reading this you are kind of asking, aren't you? -- but I continue to struggle with where to rank Tucker. That struggle has absolutely nothing to do with his talent; he's a 22-year-old who has the skills to hit for average, power, draw walks and steal bases. The issue is the playing time, and with Yordan Alvarez crushing the baseball, he's not going down anytime soon. I still call have to call him a top five prospect that would absolutely be worth an add to a roster if the Astros do call him up, but it's tough to recommend him as a stash because of the lack of guarantees. I hope that all makes sense.

6. Brendan McKay, LHP/1B, Tampa Bay Rays

2019 (pitching) stats: 13 G, 1.22 ERA, 66.2 IP, 35 H, 15 BB, 88 SO at Double-A Montgomery and Triple-A Durham.

McKay made only one start this week, but once again, it was a good one. The 23-year-old did walk three -- the first time he's issued that many free passes since May 10 -- but he didn't allow a run, and he struck out five over five scoreless innings. Since being called up to Triple-A, McKay owns an ERA of 1.08 in five games, and he's also posted an .884 OPS with four homers in 12 games. No guarantees of a promotion yet, but McKay has a chance to be a strong fantasy starter -- or 'primary' pitcher -- for the Rays after the All-Star break, maybe sooner. 

7. Mitch Keller, RHP, Pittsburgh Pirates

2019 stats: 11 G, 3.10 ERA, 58 IP, 51 H, 25 BB, 74 SO at Triple-A Indianapolis; 3 G, 10.50 ERA, 12 IP, 21 H, 6 BB, 15 SO at Pittsburgh.

Keller's MLB numbers are ugly, and after giving up four runs -- two earned -- over five innings, the Pirates decided to send him down. I think the MLB numbers aren't completely indicative of how the right-hander is pitched, and certainly aren't indicative of his talent. The key when Keller gets another chance is to avoid the big inning, because outside of his struggles in the first inning in his first two outings, the 23-year-old has pitched well. The stats don't show that, but, sometimes the stats lie. There's plenty of reasons to stay optimistic about Keller's chance to help in 2019 and beyond.

8. Carter Kieboom, INF, Washington Nationals 

2019 stats: 56 G, .323/.438/.612, 12 HR, 3 SB, 40 BB, 47 SO at Triple-A Fresno; 11 G, .128/.209/.282, 2 HR, 4 BB, 16 SO at Washington.

Now that's more like it. Kieboom is obliterating the baseball right now, with a .447 average with three homers and seven walks over his last 10 games for the Grizzlies. He's been even better over his last four; going 11-for-18 with two round-trippers in the series against Salt Lake. The Nationals are playing a bit better as of late -- as is Brian Dozier -- but Kieboom is still a prospect that has to be on the radar, and has a great chance of finishing the season with Washington. 

9. Dylan Cease, RHP, Chicago White Sox

2019 stats: 13 G, 4.69 ERA, 63.1 IP, 70 H, 28 BB, 67 SO at Triple-A Charlotte.

Cease makes a move down the list partially because of some new additions, but also because he just isn't pitching very well. That continued on Friday when he allowed five runs on nine hits over 5 2/3 innings with three walks; although he did strike out seven. Cease has outstanding stuff and continues to show flashes of why he's one of the top pitching prospects in baseball, but they've been too few and far between as of late. He needs to turn this around if he has any chance of reaching Chicago in 2019.

10. Luis Robert, OF, Chicago White Sox

2019 stats: 64 G, .355/.404/.648, 15 HR, 21 SB, 14 BB, 63 SO at High-A Winston-Salem and Double-A Birmingham.

That's more like it. Robert went 0-for-15 to end last week, but was excellent in the Barons series in Chattanooga; hitting homers in three straight games and adding three steals. I don't want to spend too much time talking about another player in Robert's profile, but I also considered putting Jordon Adell in this spot, and if the list included 11, he'd be here. The reason I go with Robert right now is because Adell missed so much time, and right now, I think Robert is the most likely to receive a promotion. Both players are absolutely worth monitoring because of their five-tool skill set. 

Also considered:  Jordon Adell, OF, Los Angeles Angels; Jorge Mateo, INF/OF, Oakland Athletics;  Isan Diaz, 2B, Miami Marlins; Ryan Mountcastle, INF, Baltimore Orioles; Corbin Martin, RHP, Houston Astros; Bryse Wilson, RHP, Atlanta Braves

A Dominant Pitcher

One dominant pitch does not a good starter make.

On the contrary, the list of starters who have had success in the majors as a one-trick pony is short -- even a guy like Brandon Webb, who regularly threw his sinker more than 70 percent of the time, had a second pitch. The Mariano Riveras and Kenley Jansens of the world dominate with one pitch, but there’s a reason they’ve done it one inning at a time.

That doesn’t mean, though, that having a singular pitch that excels doesn't correlate strongly with success. For every pitch is laden with guys having successful years. It stands to reason -- if you do something that well, and can back it up with secondary offerings that are passable, you are probably near the top of your class.

Let’s take a look at a few of the guys having the most success with individual pitches this year.

Hyun-Jin Ryu’s change up

Ryu is actually generating positive value with three of his four offerings -- his fastball is actually tops in terms of average, not cumulative, value among qualified pitchers, and his cutter is above average as well -- but it’s his changeup that has held the key to his brilliant first half. He’s throwing the pitch more than 26 percent of the time, the highest rate of his career, and he’s generating both whiffs and bad contact with it. To that end: opponents are hitting .164/.168/.246, a .414 OPS, against his change this season. It’s not a pitch that’s come out of nowhere, but it is one that the 32-year-old has refined and turned into a weapon over time. Health has long been the thing getting in Ryu’s way, but good fortune and that dominant changeup have probably put him in line to start the All-Star Game with his 9-1 record, 1.27 ERA, 0.84 WHIP and 90/6 K/BB ratio across 99 innings of work to date.

Justin Verlander’s slider

It’s hard to believe a pitcher of Verlander’s ilk has reinvented himself at age 36, but that appears to be what he’s done this year, at least to this point. Long relying on a fastball that, by Fangraphs’ Pitch Value, has annually been the best in the game, Verlander this year is throwing his fastball less than 51 percent of the time, easily the lowest mark of his storied career. In its place, Verlander is throwing his breaking pitches more often, and with huge success. The value of his slider on a per-pitch basis is 4.57 per 100 pitches; the next closest is Max Scherzer at 3.23. He’s basically lapping the field, and it’s helped him stay on top of the game despite his usually-reliable fastball being a pedestrian offering for him this year. Great pitchers adapt, and he’s one of the best. You can’t argue with the results, either -- the right-hander is sporting a 2.59 ERA with 133 strikeouts over 16 starts this year.

Yu Darvish’s cutter

Unlike the rest of the guys on this list, there’s not a lot to praise about Darvish’s 2019 to this point. One bright spot has been his cutter, and it’s not a coincidence that he’s improved in recent weeks as he’s thrown the pitch more frequently. He’s relied on it twice as much this year as he has over the course of his career, throwing the cutter 30 percent of the time -- and he’s finding success, with a pitch value of 3.19 per 100 pitches, almost a full point higher than the next guy. His usage has been even higher in recent starts, with Darvish throwing the pitch 35 times in 89 pitches -- 39.3 percent -- in his most recent outing against the Mets on Friday. Homers and walks have been sinking him, and he’ll never thrive if those don’t improve, even with a shiny new (well, newly effective) pitch, but there are at least signs that he’s moving in a good direction. Optimists might find this a good time to buy low on the 32-year-old.

Charlie Morton’s curveball

If Verlander is the most recent high-profile example of a pitcher reinventing himself, Morton is on the Mount Rushmore. Morton was a sinker-reliant, mediocre pitcher before he overhauled his approach in 2016, throwing fewer sinkers and more breaking pitches. That reimagination has continued in recent years, to where he’s now throwing a sinker 22.5 percent of the time while throwing his four-seamer -- a pitch that helped him pick up a few ticks of velocity, which has played a part in his renaissance -- nearly 25 percent of the time and his curveball a whopping 36.2 percent, basically every third pitch. That frequency has been effective, too, with Morton leading the league in curveball pitch value at 15.0. It’s helped him not only lengthen his career but also jettison into the list of the best pitchers in today’s game. That he’s throwing his curveball more than ever this season and is finding even more success shows the 35-year-old hasn’t stopped evolving yet, a scary thing for the opposition.

Yonny Chirinos’ splitter

Chirinos is one of only a handful of guys who throws a splitter with any consistency, and he’s one of the even fewer who has had good results this year. The 25-year-old throws the pitch roughly 22 percent of the time, mixing it in with a sinker and a slider, and hitters are batting .113/.125/.169 -- a .294 OPS! -- against it. He uses the pitch as his finishing move, generating plenty of two-strike whiffs, but he also gets a ton of ground balls with it. It’s why, despite a relatively average 21.1 percent strikeout percentage, Chirinos has been able to post a 3.00 ERA and 0.97 WHIP through 87 innings of work. With the pitch being so singularly dominant, the next step in his progression could be to throw it even more often, like Masahiro Tanaka. If that happens, watch out.

Lucas gone a - hunting

Lucas Giolito’s arsenal

It would be wrong to call Giolito a jack of all trades but a master of none; he’s proven fairly masterful in this, his breakout season. What is true is that while he’s not at the tip-top for value of any one pitch, he’s in the conversation with three different offerings. His 94-mph four-seamer leads the way, with a value of 10.3, but his change up is actually his best pitch by average value at 2.98. Not to be forgotten, his slider also checks in as a plus pitch at 1.96 per 100 pitches. He does a good job mixing them, too -- he throws his four-seamer 55 percent of the time, his change up 24 percent and his slider 14 percent. It’s that arsenal that made him such a highly touted prospect and also surely what frustrated fans, fantasy players and the White Sox front office when he struggled so mightily before 2019. The same talent is what makes his 2.74 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 104 strikeouts in 85 1/3 innings of work seem viable despite such a short track record of success in the majors. The light seems to have turned on, and it’s burning bright.

Buehler Buehler .....

Buehler

Walker Buehler turned in one of the most dominant starts of the 2019 baseball season on Friday against the Rockies. He punched out 16 batters and gave up just three hits and two runs in a complete-game victory. Two of the hits were solo home runs by Nolan Arenado and Charlie Blackmon. Buehler threw 111 pitches, an amazing 83 of which were strikes and he did not issue a base-on-balls in the contest. He was locked in a duel with Rockies starter German Marquez, who pitched eight innings of two-run baseball. The game was still tied at two runs apiece in the bottom of the ninth inning when Matt Beatty ripped a two-run walk-off homer. The win improved Buehler's record to 8-1 with a 2.96 ERA and 0.86 WHIP after 15 starts. His previous career high for a strikeouts in game was 12 and this was his third double-figure strikeout game. It was the first complete game of his career.

Arenado's solo shot in the fourth inning brought an end to Buehler's streak of 20 consecutive scoreless innings dating back to June 3rd. The 16 strikeouts were the most by any pitcher in the National League this season, topping a 15-strikeout game by Max Scherzer against the Reds a couple of weeks ago. Chris Sale has the American League high with 17 punchouts in a single game this year. Buehler now has 100 strikeouts on the season, which ties him for 21st in the majors. Because of his heavy workload late last year as his team made it all the way to the World Series, the Dodgers babied Buehler in spring training and it caused him to get off to a sluggish start in the regular season. He's really turned it on of late though. Despite the slow start he owns a sublime 100:13 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 91 1/3 innings. He is one of the most elite pitchers in the game and plays for perhaps the best team in the majors. He is going to rack up a lot of wins and help a lot of his fantasy owners win championships this year.

Yelich is Transcendent

Christian Yelich homered for the third game in a row on Friday against the Reds. He took Sonny Gray deep to straightaway center field for his league-leading 29th homer of the season. He went 2-for-5 with three RBI in the ballgame. Yelich won the NL MVP Award last year and is playing at an even higher level in 2019 -- much higher actually. Last year he slashed .326/.402/.598 with 36 home runs, 110 RBI, 118 runs and 22 stolen bases. This year he is slashing a monstrous .349/.441/.760 with 29 home runs, 62 RBI and 17 stolen bases in just 69 games. If he continues at this pace it will be a truly historic season. What is amazing is that as fantastic as he's been he might not actually be the best hitter in the league this year. Cody Bellinger has been every bit as good with a .356/.451/.712 triple-slash, 25 dingers, 61 RBI and eight steals -- and he's done it in a less hitter-friendly ballpark. Both Yelich and Bellinger have identical 195 wRC+ scores. Mike Trout has a 193 wRC+ with nobody else above 164 (Anthony Rendon). In most seasons a 150 wRC+ will get a player into the MVP conversation.

Keuchel Makes Return

Dallas Keuchel made his first start of the season for the Braves on Friday against the Nationals. He gave up four runs (three earned) in five innings and took a loss. He fanned three, walked zero and yielded eight base hits, including a solo homer by Yan Gomes. Keuchel missed the first three months of the season due to a contract hold-out. He struggled to find a team that would pay him the amount of money he wanted on the free agent market. It isn't surprising that Keuchel wasn't crisp after such a long layoff. He will likely be better in his next start against the Cubs on Wednesday. He won the AL Cy Young Award in 2015 for the Astros. He shouldn't be expected to pitch at that level any longer, but he is playing for a good team and could make an impact in fantasy leagues this summer and down the stretch. He went 12-11 with a 3.74 ERA for the Astros last year.

Montas Gets the Axe

Frankie Montas was suspended for 80 games after testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs. The shocking revelation essentially brings his season to an end and delivers a huge blow to his fantasy owners. The Athletics will have just a handful of games left when his suspension ends and he will be ineligible to play in the post-season if the Athletics get there. Montas was in the midst of a breakout season. He is 9-2 with a 2.70 ERA in 15 starts. His turnaround compared to last season is remarkable. He struck out just 5.95 batters per nine innings last year and is up to 9.70 K/9 this year. Are the PEDs the reason for the improved performance? Maybe, but probably not. He isn't throwing harder -- his 96.6 mph average fastball is almost identical to his 96.5 mph career average. The key to his success seems to be a new pitch. He threw just two pitches (fastball/slider) in previous seasons and added a split-finger fastball this year.

NL Quick Hits: Jeff Samardzija allowed five runs over six innings, but managed to pick up a win over the Diamondbacks... Kevin Pillar went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer, four RBI and three runs scored to power the Giants to an 11-5 victory over the Diamondbacks... Alex Dickerson went 3-for-5 with a grand slam and a career-high six RBI in his Giants debut against the Diamondbacks... German Marquez struck out eight batter while allowing two runs (one earned) in eight innings against the Dodgers. He did not get a decision... Jose Iglesias went 4-for-5 with a pair of runs scored and two RBI, leading the Reds to an 11-7 victory over the Brewers... Yasiel Puig homered, drove in three runs and stole a base against the Brewers...  Brewers starter Chase Anderson gave up six runs in five innings in a loss to the Reds... Marcell Ozuna went 3-for-4 with a solo homer, three RBI and a stolen base to lead the Cardinals to a 5-1 victory over the Angels... Aaron Nola was handed a tough-luck loss on Friday against the Marlins after striking out 10 batters and allowing two runs over eight innings... Jose Musgrove struck out eight batters while firing sevein innings of one-run baseball in a win over the Padres... Sandy Alcantara held the Phillies to just one run in 7 2/3 innings as part of a 2-1 victory...

AL Quick Hits: Mariners starter Mike Leake earned a win against the Orioles despite giving up eight runs (seven earned) on 11 hits over 5 1/3 innings against one of the weakest offenses in the league. Luckily for him he was spotted 10 runs of support to help him get one of the most unlikely wins of the season... Pedro Severino went 3-for-4 with three RBI and a pair of runs scored in the Orioles' loss to the Mariners... J.P. Crawford went 3-for-4 with a pair of RBI, a walk and a run scored in the Mariners’ win over the Orioles... Dwight Smith Jr. went 3-for-4 with a pair of runs scored and an RBI in the Orioles' loss to the Mariners... Mallex Smith went 3-for-3 with an RBI, two stolen bases, a pair of walks and a season-high four runs scored in the Mariners 10-9 victory over the Orioles... Willy Adames went 3-for-4 with a solo homer and a pair of runs scored in the Rays’ victory over the Athletics... Matt Olson went 3-for-4 with a solo homer and two RBI in the Athletics’ loss to the Rays... Brandon Lowe went 3-for-5 with a pair of RBI and a run scored to power the Rays to a 5-3 win over the Athletics... Cheslor Cuthbert went 3-for-4 with a homer, four RBI, and two runs scored against the Twins... Randal Grichuk went 3-for-4 with a homer, a walk, and three RBI against Chris Sale and the Red Sox... Eric Sogard finished 4-for-6 with a run scored versus the Red Sox... Nomar Mazara blasted a mammoth 505 foot home run on Friday, but it wasn't enough to lead the Rangers past the White Sox. Mazara's two-run blast off of Reynaldo Lopez in the first inning was the longest home run hit in Arlington during the Statcast era... Brad Peacock struck out 11 batters but took the loss after allowing two runs in six innings against the Yankees... Gary Sanchez finished 2-for-4 with a two-run homer against the Astros... Aaron Judge went 0-for-4 with a pair of strikeouts in his return from the injured list Friday against the Astros...