The D’backs have Robbie Ray, and are calling up Alex Young. David Price continues to generate outs. John Means is just about ready to return for the Orioles. Lyles should return for Pirates, but he hit the shelf while on a big-time skid. Mahle and Heaney have both hit the skids a bit. Marco Gonzales is on pace for tons of wins, even if he’s not pitching at anything other than average levels. Is Jack Flaherty worth anything at this point? Poor Zach Davies. Madison Bumgarner had it going against the Rockies. What does his skillset portend the rest of the way? Bassitt is slumping in Oakland, while Alzolay has been pretty darn solid for the Cubs.
THREE INDIANS HURLERS IN THE NEWS
The Indians were supposed to win with their starting rotation this season. The plan has not come together as hoped.
Mike Clevinger will return from his second IL stint Friday to face the Orioles. This most recent time on the sidelines was due to an ankle issue, and he passed all the tests with the injury and should be good to go. The last time that Clevinger threw 92 pitches in a big-league game was April 1st, my birthday, and he’s made just three starts thus far.
The Indians still don’t know if veteran starters Corey Kluber and Carlos Carrasco will pitch again this season.
Carlos Carrasco played a light game of catch. Out since June 5th with a blood condition, no one has a handle on what Carrasco is dealing with because his situation isn’t baseball related, meaning that the team can’t/won’t comment on it. Just because he tossed the ball doesn’t mean that he will be pitching any time soon. There is no current ETA.
Corey Kluber didn’t actually throw a ball, he hasn’t since breaking his forearm on May 1st, but he practiced a throwing motion with stabilizing straps. Kluber will go through a couple of MRI’s this week to see if his fracture has healed. If it has, he could start a throwing program soon but even when that happens he’s miles away from returning to the bigs.
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THE OTHER ARMS
Adbert Alzolay is old school, and I love it. He allowed a first pitch homer Tuesday night, but then tossed a scoreless 4.2 innings against the Braves. That’s two runs allowed in two starts, both solo homers, for Adbert who has allowed, you guess it, two hits. He’s also walked a large six batters in 8.2 innings. He’s likely to get a shot at a couple more starts, but when Kyle Hendricks (shoulder) is ready to go in a few weeks, Alzolay could be sent back to the minors.
Chris Bassitt check-in time. Over his last five starts he has a 5.46 ERA, 1.40 WHIP and a 6.03 K/9 rate with a 4.60 BB/9 mark. He’s really regressed. The last three starts he’s walked a total of 11 batters in 14.2 innings. Truthfully, the only part of his game that is trending s the long ball mark as he’s allowed just a single homer in five games. He’s not startable at the moment in mixed leagues.
Madison Bumgarner struck out a season best 11 batters against the Rockies Tuesday night. That’s six quality starts in seven outings. He’s really been bitten by the long ball, at least one in each of his last five outings (seven total), and the result is a 15.3 percent HR/FB rate which is fifty percent above his 10.2 percent career mark. Still rocking a 4.33 K/BB ratio is MadBum, better than his 4.14 career mark, and with a looming trade there’s still hope of a solid second half.
Zach Davies has allowed 15 earned runs his last 16.2 innings. Can’t say you weren’t warned.
What is wrong with Jack Flaherty? Let’s talk the homer. The last five outings he’s permitted nine homers, and that includes five homers the last two. The last four outings he’s also permitted 18 runs over 20.2 innings. He still has 21 punchouts, but his season of woes continues. Buy low sounds like a good plan to me, still love the arm, and his owner has to be feed up by now.
A Medievalist’s Guide to Decoding the Creatures in Godzilla: King of the Monsters.
Marco Gonzales lost 5-straight games. The last four games? All victories. After that 10-run beatdown, Marco’s last four games are solid: 4-straight games of two or fewer earned runs allowed, a total of six walks and 24.1 innings pitched. The strikeouts just haven’t been there this season, and the ratios are hoping to be league average (4.34 ERA and 1.38 WHIP), but he is on pace for 18 victories.
Andrew Heaney has made six starts. He only has one victory but he has 36 punchouts in 30.2 frames. Still, that ERA sits at 4.99 and he has walked 4.11 walks per nine. That includes back-to-back efforts of four walks leading to eight walks in nine innings. He has allowed a single run in 2-of-3 outings, but all those walks and the eight homers in 30.2 innings paint the picture of a guy with good stuff who is struggling.
Jordan Lyles (hamstring) seems likely to return Saturday against the Brewers. You shouldn’t care. Over the last four outings he’s struck out 19 batters in 18.2 innings, but he’s also walked 3.86 batters per nine while posting a 7.71 ERA as he’s allowed 16 runs.
Tyler Mahle was pitching well, until he wasn’t. Over his last six starts he’s gone 1-3 with a 5.74 ERA, eight homers allowed, and a 1.31 WHIP. He’s been dominant against righties this season with a .271 wOBA, but his work against lefties is pretty awful (.372 wOBA).
John Means is expected to return from a shoulder issue Friday against the Indians. Over his last eight stats Means has only won one game, but he’s only allowed a total of 13 runs in that time, including just two games with three earned runs allowed. Means has been a terrific addition off waivers with a 2.60 ERA and 1.13 WHIP over those eight starts, even though he’s been somewhat fortunate (84.1 percent left on base rate) and offering precious little in the strikeout column (6.80 per nine).
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David Price has allowed two or fewer earned runs in 10-of-12 outings during which time he has gone 5-1 with a 2.83 ERA, a 1.09 WHIP, a 10.29 K/9 rate and a total of 12 walks. He is good, despite the fact that many have moved on in the fantasy game. Aging with workload concerns, sure. Trustworthy while on the hill? Yes ma’am.
Robbie Ray has gone 5-5 over 17 starts and he’s punched out a massive 124 batters over 94.2 frames (11.79 K/9). He’s also gone six innings in 4-straight starts. That said, he’s walking 4.37 batters per nine, including eight the last two times out. He’s also allowed a homer in 5-straight starts, including two homers each of his last three outings. The first time through the order he has a .277 wOBA. The second time through the number is .302. The third time through the number is .375. He struggles with controlling the strike zone, and when teams see him a couple of times, they really start to hone in on his fastball/slider combination since he throws those two pitches more than 86 percent of the time (he’s allowing a rather large .886 OPS on his third pitch, the curveball). Tons of strikeouts, but not enough refinement to move the needle otherwise.
Alex Young will be called up to start for the D’backs against the Giants Thursday. The Giants offense stinks, so you can consider Young as a streaming option, but note that (A) Young isn’t an elite prospect, he’s not a top-30 D’backs prospect and (B) he has a 6.09 ERA and 1.68 WHIP in the minors this season. You’re taking a huge risk starting him.
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