Imagine if you will, a 19 year old dominating the World Cup and the effect it would have on coverage along with endorsements. While many joke about the space and time continuum regarding Juan Soto hitting a two run home run to decide the outcome of a suspended game, which began prior to his promotion, his major league debut will not come with an asterix as a result. Also, Soto’s hitting .316/.407/.608 after 24 games in spite of starting the season in Single-A and briefly appearing in Double-A prior to joining Washington.
Soto’s hit six home runs with 14 RBI in only 79 at-bats. As to the news aspect of this, it’s unfortunately commonplace with baseball. Mike Trout does not get nearly enough support by the national media as to how great he continues to be. Did you know last week Trout went 13-for-19 with four home runs, seven RBI and seven walks. He walked more times than he made outs. Trout’s currently on pace for 135 runs, 52 home runs, 104 RBI and 29 stolen bases. And he’s slashing .328/.459/.688 but Twitter seemed more worried about Bryce Harper shaving his beard.
Night Moves
A case of the Monday’s comes with the usual flurry of injury moves and updates. Clayton Kershaw threw 45 pitches in a simulated game equating to three innings of work. Reports suggest he could return to the rotation as soon as this weekend if everything progresses well on Tuesday and no reports of soreness.
Texas activated Elvis Andrus and he will hit second in Kansas City on Monday night. Pittsburgh receives a boost in the bullpen with the return of Richard Rodriguez and they also recalled Jose Osuna to add right-handed bat to the bench.
Perhaps Sunday’s implosion was the last straw for Héctor Neris . He allowed four earned runs in the ninth inning and was removed from the game after giving up two home runs in Milwaukee. Neris did record a save the night before, but his propensity to give up hard contact outweighs his ability to generate strikeouts. Neris will try to regain his form at Triple-A in the meantime. Of course, with how Gabe Kapler handles the bullpen, there’s no guarantee this opens the door for Seranthony Dominguez to ascend to a more traditional one inning closer role, but at least there’s a chance.
Initial reports suggested Kevin Kiermaier would be ready for games with the Rays by Friday. However, he’s with the team in Houston and if he passes all the tests, could be in the lineup on Tuesday. It may be too late for weekly league owners to react, but if he’s still on the waiver wire, time’s running out to stash the oft injured outfielder who does provide upside in home runs and stolen bases.
It’s Monday, so the administrative leave for Roberto Osuna ’s been extended once again to June 25th, wash, rinse, repeat. Owners hanging on to him may wish to move on. He’s been pitching in Florida but the legal ramifications could affect his travel VISA, plus, Osuna’s pending suspension could be a lengthy one. Cue up Happy Trails.
Feel the need, the need for speed?
It’s been a tough year to target stolen bases on the waiver wire with so many injuries or players underperforming in the category. Kansas City recently promoted Adelberto Mondesi (formerly Raul Mondesi Jr.) as roster protection to Whit Merrifield . Mondesi’s produced five home runs and 10 stolen bases while slashing .250/.298/.492 in 29 games at Triple-A. He’s yet to hit well in the majors, but merits a look in 15-team leagues or deeper for upside in the category even if he’s limited to three-to-four starts a week.
Just when it seemed savvy to forget about Hernán Pérez , he’s back on the radar. Over his last 31 games, Perez has hit .333 (26-for-78) with two home runs and 10 RBI. He’s also swiped four bases in only 138 at-bats with the Brewers trying to find production at shortstop. This means Perez could see an uptick in playing time and he’s only two years removed from stealing 34 bases in 2016.
While it’s difficult to see how Michael A. Taylor will get steady playing time with a loaded Nationals outfield, he stole four bases on Sunday. Maybe, he does not need to be a full-time player to contribute in the category. Taylor presently leads the majors with 21 stolen bases, one ahead of teammate Trea Turner and Atlanta’s Ender Inciarte .
Burning Questions
What does investing $106 million dollars in your bullpen get you? If it’s the Rockies, a combined 5.74 ERA from the three pitchers in these contracts. Bryan Shaw , Jake McGee and Wade Davis have struggled this season piling on to the struggles in Colorado, losers of eight of their last 10 contests.
Could Jacob deGrom finally win a game? If so, ironically, it would be in Coors Field, segue.
Would the Brewers deal Domingo Santana or prospects in a deal for a starting pitcher, will the Mets listen?
Can Gerrit Cole record another double digit strikeout game?
Which Nick Pivetta shows up in Philadelphia tonight? If it’s the June version, good news for Miles Mikolas .
Fun contest in Wrigley, more walks for Tyler Chatwood or strikeouts for Kenta Maeda ? Will Max Muncy stay hot with the power? By the way, Muncy’s starting at second base. The plot thickens.
So many questions, with answers to ensue. Be sure to check back in the morning for the Round Up on Fantasy Alarm to keep you ahead of your competition.
Statistical Credits
MLB.com
Fangraphs.com
MiLB.com
Player News
Kyren Paris hit a two-run homer in Wednesday’s win for the Angels over the Blue Jays.
That’s the first homer for Paris since April 9 when he went deep twice against Tampa Bay and caused everyone to lose all sense of rational thought. The 23-year-old did also single and walk to improve his on-base percentage to .311,, while the homer bumps his slugging mark to .378. There is long-term upside in Paris with flashes that suggest he can be a fantasy option. Fantasy managers should still absolutely looking elsewhere for options up the middle.
Jorge Soler hit a three-run double in the bottom of the ninth to give the Angels a 5-4 win over the Blue Jays on Wednesday.
Trent Grisham went 1-for-1 with a game-tying two-run home run in the eighth inning of a 4-3 win over the Padres on Wednesday.
While the Yankees won this game on a walk-off in the 10th inning, Grisham’s game-tying home run in the eighth was the biggest moment. He came on as a pinch-hitter for Jorbit Vibas against the usually stout Jason Adam and smashed a two-strike changeup into the right field seats. This clutch shot will only continue to push Grisham’s playing time in the right direction after he just started eight of the last 10 games, hit either first or second in each, and already has 10 homers in 31 games played this season.
Jeff Hoffman blew a save and picked up a loss Wednesday against the Angels.
Devin Williams struck out three batters with one walk and hit another in a scoreless 10th inning to earn the win against the Padres on Wednesday.
The Yankees entrusted Williams with the all important 10th inning and the inherited ghost runner on second base after their dramatic comeback. While he loaded the bases and had some tense moments, he left the inning unscathed and opened the door for them to win it right after. It should be noted that Luke Weaver came on for what were the most important outs of this game at the time, after Ian Hamilton walked two to begin the eighth inning and Weaver allowed both of those inherited runners to score. He was called upon as the fireman though and will likely get the next save opportunity. Still, this was a massive step in the right direction for Williams.
Max Fried allowed five hits and one run with no walks and eight strikeouts over seven innings in a no-decision against the Padres on Wednesday.
Fried’s excellent season continued as he set down the Padres easily besides for a mammoth solo home run by Jackson Merrill. It was no matter though, as they rarely threatened otherwise and Fried continued to find his strikeout stuff. This was his fourth outing of the year with at least seven strikeouts, a mark he only hit 10 times last season in 29 starts. Fried with a strikeout rate that’s better than league average – which is where he’s at right now – is a clear top-10 pitcher in fantasy baseball. He’s set for a two-start week coming up against the Mariners and Mets.