WADE DAVIS IN DEMAND
Wade Davis of the Royals might be dealt as teams are contacting the club about the righty 9th inning arm. Davis has a $10 million for next season, which the Royals will certainly pick up, and then it sounds like they might be listening to moving their formerly dominating arm. If a team is looking for a one-year bridge Davis is a strong option, that is if they don’t want to spend big on one of the free agent arms out there: Aroldis Chapman, Kenley Jansen and Mark Melancon.
Davis has been arguably the best pitcher in baseball since the start of the 2014 season going 19-3 with 47 saves and 51 holds. Davis also has a 1.14 ERA, a 0.88 WHIP and 11.61 strikeouts per nine (234 in 181.1 innings). However, he was limited to a 7-year low with just 43.1 innings pitched in 2016 as he dealt with multiple issues with his forearm. He still closed 27-of-30 games with a 1.87 ERA, but he just wasn’t the same pitcher. His K/9 rate was 9.76, his BB/9 rate was 3.32 and his WHIP was 1.13. The previous two years the numbers were 12.20, 2.67 and 0.80. His only saving grace was a career best 48.6 GB-rate.
Given his track record it’s hard to bet against him, but he will be lower in my rankings next year than it would seem from a look at the surface numbers because of those arm issues.
PLAYOFF UPATES
Trevor Bauer will be moved back to Game 3 for the Indians meaning their rotation will look like this: Corey Kluber, Josh Tomlin, Bauer and Mike Clevinger. Bauer will have 10 days between starts because he hurt his finger… playing with his drone. That’s not a euphemism for his manhood, he seriously has a drone that he was hurt messing around with. It’s his pinkie so it’s the least important finger, but my goodness. Love this quote from Jordan Bastian.
Kyle Hendricks (elbow) threw a bullpen and declared himself to be good to go. He will start Game 2 for the Cubs leaving the top-4 looking like this: Jon Lester, Hendricks, Jake Arrieta and John Lackey.
Rich Hill was completely at his most Rich Hill – ness in Game 5 of the NLDS for the Dodgers. He generated six strikeouts and allowed one run. He also lasted 2.2 innings. In two starts this post-season he has a 6.43 ERA, 1.86 WHIP and he lasted seven innings. Yet I still get a note on Twitter, on nearly a daily basis, about how good he is. I just don’t get it. For a laugh, check out his minor league track record which, as pointed out by Kyle Elfrink, is amazing for it’s length.
Clayton Kershaw is the first guy in the LDS to have two starts and a save in one series (he was the first starter to get a save in the postseason on 1-day rest since Mark Buehrle in 2005). I’m sure it really doesn’t matter… but Clayton does have a bit of a wonky back so if something happens in the future Dave Roberts 
could end up getting a lot of heat for his decisions with the ace.
Francisco Liriano (concussion) is on the ALCS roster for the Blue Jays.
Matt Moore was the fifth pitcher to allow two or fewer hits, with 10 or more strikeouts, in a game in which his team faced elimination. He got a no decision in the Giants horrible bullpen meltdown in Game 5 against the Cubs meaning that three of the five men to pitch those impressive games did not emerge with a win (the only with victories were Josh Beckett in 2003 and Justin Verlander in 2013).
Daniel Murphy hit .438/.545/.438 in five games for the Nationals this playoff season. That moves his career playoff numbers to .351/.430/.662. If I’m not mistaken he’s reached base in every one of the 19 playoff games he’s participated in with seven homers, 17 RBI and 16 runs scored.
The Nationals haven’t won a playoff series since 1981 when they were the Expos. It’s the longest streak by any current team. The next longest is the Reds (1995).
Devon Travis (knee) is on the roster and sorta good to go for the Jays. Sounds like he’s not all the way there though as he could be pulled late for defense in favor of Ryan Goins.
Justin Turner hit .400 with a homer, five RBI and a 1.324 OPS in five games this NLDS. Over the course of 12 playoff games in his career Turner has hit like he’s Ted Williams with a .444/.545/.750 line. How many people realize that Turner went .275-37-90 this season?
Ray Flowers can be heard Monday/Tuesday and Thursday/Friday, 8 PM EDT, Wednesday 7 PM EDT on SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio (Sirius 210, XM 87). You can also hear Ray Sunday nights at 9 PM EDT PM on the channel talking fantasy sports. Follow Ray’s work at Fantasy Alarm and on Twitter (@baseballguys).
Player News
Orioles manager Brandon Hyde told reporters that Zach Eflin (lat) is likely to return and start Sunday against the Angels
It was assumed that Eflin would be back this weekend, but now we have a concrete date. The 31-year-old may not be at full strength after throwing fewer than 60 pitches in his rehab start, but the Orioles feel confident enough to have the right-hander back on the bump for the series finale against the Angels.
Riley Greene is not in the lineup for the first game of a doubleheader against the Rockies on Thursday.
Greene will get a break and likely return to the lineup for the second game of the twin-billing. Zach McKinstry will get the start in left field while Greene rests.
Yu Darvish (elbow) is facing live hitters on Thursday.
Darvish has been throwing bullpen sessions and traveled to the team’s complex in Arizona to face live hitters on Thursday. It will be his first time facing live batters since a spring training appearance on March 13th. He will likely need a few sessions like this before the Padres can map out a rehab appearance timeline for him.
Adael Amador is starting at second base and batting ninth for the Rockies on Thursday.
Amador has now started three of the last four games at second base for the Rockies. He’s gone just 7-for-43 this season with 15 strikeouts in 16 games. He’s just 22 years old, so there is plenty of time for him to adjust to the MLB level, but he doesn’t need to be on redraft radars right now.
Jackson Holliday is playing second base and batting second for the Orioles on Thursday against the Twins.
With Cedric Mullins sitting out on Thursday, Gunnar Henderson will bat lead off, and Holliday will jump up from sixth in the order to second. Holliday is riding a hot streak right now, and the Orioles are taking advantage. This is likely just a one-game sample with no Mullins or Adley Rutschman in the lineup, but Rutschman has been struggling, so perhaps it could become a more permanent spot in the lineup for Holliday moving forward.
Endy Rodriguez (finger) had his splint removed this week.
Rodriguez suffered a lacerated right index finger on April 14th. Now that he is out of his splint, he “is playing catch and doing a slightly modified swing.” Once he can progress to taking full swings, we’ll have a better sense of the timeline for his return.