MARINERS DECISIONS
Tom Wilhelmsen has converted his last two save chances for the Mariners and it sounds like he’s surpassed Carson Smith for closing duties with the Mariners. When asked, manager Lloyd McClendon say that “as we speak” Wilhelmsen is the closer. Tom W. was killer last season with a 2.27 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 51.7 percent ground ball rate heading into 2015 with a lot of push. Through 40 outings this season the numbers don’t come close to comparing as he has a 3.86 ERA, 1.48 WHIP and a 42.7 GB-rate. Walks are always an issue with Tom meaning that his 3.38 BB/9 mark over his last 12 outings is a good number (career 4.06 per nine). Meanwhile, Smith has an elite 11.50 K/9 mark and 64.8 percent ground ball rate this season. However, he’s blown his last two save chances and over his last five outings he’s walked four men in 6.2 innings with a 5.40 ERA. For now it’s Wilhelmsen, even if Smith has performed better this season.
The Mariners have decided to send Vidal Nuno to the bullpen and to replace him with Roenis Elias. Nuno has made only four starts this season, but this sure seems odd timing after he allowed one run over 6.2 innings to the White Sox his last time out. Elias has only made one relief outing since July 2nd but bares watching in AL-only leagues. Over 79 innings this season he’s the owner of a 4.22 ERA and 1.24 WHIP.
SOME OTHER COOL STUFF
Felix Doubront hurt his foot and there was some debate about whether or not he would be able to start for the Athletics Saturday. He was able to run Wednesday and it sounds like, barring a further setback, that he will indeed take the hill Saturday. Over 18.2 innings with the Athletics Felix has a 2.41 ERA and 1.18 WHIP after he was a butcher boy with the Blue Jays (4.76 ERA, 1.63 WHIP over 22.2 innings). An AL-only option is Doubront.
Yasmani Grandal might have earned the most “extra strikes” according to Baseball Prospectus, but Buster Posey is third. He’s also the only catcher in baseball hitting over .300 that has 400 plate appearances, and he’s hit 16 homers with 79 RBIs and 58 runs scored. Posey’s one of the best in baseball. Period.
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The Rays placed Curt Casali on the DL with a strained left hamstring. They will now use Rene Rivera and J.P. Arencibia in a platoon behind the dish. All JPA does is blast away, and he was doing that hitting just .227 with 22 homers at Triple-A. Still, Rivera has been astoundingly dreadful this season with a .510 OPS over 92 games. He’s got a mark of .535 against righties and a .455 rate against lefties. Mercy.
Alex Rodriguez was 0-for-4 Wednesday at the time this article was written to drop his average over the last 19 games to .126 (9-for-71). His 
average is down to .255 but he’s still the owner of a .361 OBP and .488 SLG. Those are impressive numbers. He’s also hit 26 homers with 69 RBIs and 69 runs scored. Hell of a season… to this point. Let’s see if he can hold on or if he’s just through.
Wilin Rosario hit .270-28-71 in 2012. In 2013 he hit .292-21-79. He did slump last year to .267-13-54, but no one could have predicted what happened this year. Rosario hit .272 but with only five homers in 183 at-bats resulting in a demotion to Triple-A. In 33 games on the farm he’s hit .302 with five homers and a .519 SLG, yet he continues to toil in the minors. I know he can’t catch, his defense is terrible, but how can the Rockies not find a way to get him in there when a lefty is on the bump? In just 415 career at-bats against lefties Wilin has hit .320 with 31 homers and 80 RBIs. That effort has also produced a .964 OPS. Great job Rockies – way to bench/demote a HOF worthy talent against left-handed pitching.
Ray Flowers can be heard Monday through Friday at 8 PM EDT on SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio (Sirius 210, XM 87). You can also hear Ray Sunday nights at 9 PM on the channel talking fantasy sports. Follow Ray’s work at Fantasy Alarm and on Twitter (@baseballguys).