Few moments have caused the entire baseball universe to hold its collective breath quite like the bombshell breaking news that Mets’ ace Jacob deGrom had been scratched from Tuesday night’s scheduled start against the Cardinals due to right side tightness. The hard-throwing 32-year-old right-hander, who was recently named the National League’s Pitcher of the Month after compiling an extra-terrestrial 0.51 ERA, 0.57 WHIP and 59/4 K/BB ratio across 35 innings over five starts in April, immediately underwent a precautionary MRI, which revealed inflammation in his right lat. The good news is that he appears to have avoided a serious injury, but he’ll refrain from throwing over the next few days, at least until the swelling and soreness dissipate. Despite the short-term shutdown, the Mets seem optimistic that he won’t require a stint on the injured list, and he could potentially return to the team’s starting rotation against the Diamondbacks this weekend. The initial updates concerning deGrom’s health have been extremely encouraging so far, but fantasy managers should continue to monitor the situation closely over the next few days.
Yelich Sidelined Again with Back Injury
Meanwhile, just a few days after making his long-awaited return to the Brewers’ lineup, Christian Yelich has been sidelined once again due to a back issue. The 29-year-old fantasy superstar was placed on the 10-day injured list on Tuesday due to a lower back strain and has played in just once game since April 11. Additional imaging tests have ruled out any potential structural damage, but clearly something is wrong here, and it could be a while before he’s fully healthy again. Back issues can be extremely difficult injuries to overcome, which makes this entire situation complicated to assess and navigate from a fantasy perspective. Meanwhile, the Brewers elected to recall outfielder Tyrone Taylor from Triple-A Nashville to take Yelich’s spot on the major-league roster. The 27-year-old former second-round pick has played exceptionally well in a limited sample size, slashing .323/.400/.581 with two home runs in 35 plate appearances over 16 games this season. He’s worthy of a speculative roster spot for fantasy managers in deeper mixed leagues.[[ad:athena]]
Starting Pitchers with an EDGE
Aaron Nola vs. Brewers
6.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 10 K
33% CSW, 13 swinging strikes
Nola wriggled out of a scary bases-loaded jam in the opening frame, allowing just one run courtesy of a Daniel Vogelbach RBI single, and proceeded to allow just three baserunners combined over his final five frames. The 27-year-old righty notched his second double-digit strikeout effort, and has recorded at least 12 swinging strikes, to go along with a 27 percent (or higher) CSW (called strikes plus whiffs) in each of his seven starts this season. He’ll carry a 2.89 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 49/7 K/BB ratio across 43 2/3 innings into a road matchup against the division-rival Braves on Sunday.
Dylan Cease vs. Reds
6.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 11 K
37% CSW, 17 swinging strikes
Cease shut down a blistering-hot Reds’ lineup with an impressive performance on Tuesday evening, matching a career-high with 11 strikeouts over six scoreless frames. He generated a season-high 17 swinging strikes, only handed out a trio of free passes, didn’t allow a batted ball over 90 mph, and finished with an elite 37 percent CSW. He also added three hits and a run scored at the plate. He’s strung together back-to-back scoreless outings and will attempt to keep the momentum going against the Twins at home on Tuesday.
Kyle Gibson vs. Twins
8.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 8 K
35% CSW, 17 swinging strikes
Gibson stifled his former organization, matching a season-high with eight strikeouts and generating an eye-popping 17 swinging strikes, which were tied for the most by any pitcher on Tuesday’s jam-packed slate. A two-run homer by Byron Buxton and a solo shot from Willians Astudillo were the only blemishes in an otherwise stellar performance. The 33-year-old righty added a brand-new cutter to his repertoire over the offseason, and it’s resulted in some extremely encouraging results to open the 2021 season. He’s managed to rebound from a rough Opening Day start to complete six frames, while allowing three earned runs or fewer, in six consecutive starts. He’ll carry a 2.40 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 35/13 K/BB ratio over 41 1/3 innings (seven starts) into a home matchup against the Mariners on Sunday.
Cole Irvin vs. Blue Jays
8.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 9 K
31% CWS, 12 swinging strikes
Irvin recorded a career-high nine strikeouts and surrendered only three hits and one walk as an RBI double by Marcus Semien in the sixth inning represented the lone tally against him in this one. He induced 12 swinging strikes and finished with a 31 percent CSW (called strikes plus whiffs). The 27-year-old lefty has allowed two earned runs or fewer in four consecutive starts since April 17. He’ll carry a 3.09 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 34/5 K/BB ratio across 35 innings (six starts) into a tasty home matchup against the Rays on Sunday. Simply put, Irvin should be rostered in all fantasy formats moving forward.
Shane McClanahan vs. Angels
4.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
40% CSW, 10 swinging strikes
McClanahan delivered another impressive outing on Tuesday evening, generating 10 swinging strikes, routinely touching triple digits with his fastball, and finishing with an elite 40 percent CSW (called strikes plus whiffs). The hard-throwing 24-year-old southpaw has recorded a 2.25 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 10/2 K/BB ratio across eight innings (two starts) this season. He’s lined up to face the Athletics in an extremely favorable road matchup on Sunday. The hype is legitimate, folks. McClanahan should be rostered in all fantasy formats.
Huascar Ynoa vs. Nationals
7.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
29% CSW, 8 swinging strikes
Ynoa wasn’t overpowering, but his four-seam fastball and slider combo resulted in zero extra-base hits, despite nine batted balls with an exit velocity over 95 mph. The 22-year-old righty also helped his own cause by belting a 427-foot grand slam to right-center field -- his second round-tripper of the year -- in the sixth inning.
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Hitters with an EDGE
Brandon Belt vs. Rockies (DH)
4-for-7, 3 R, 2 HR, 7 RBI, BB
There have been some pretty epic offensive performances at Coors Field over the years and this one ranks among the most impressive in recent memory. Belt tallied three hits and also drilled a grand slam in the front end of Tuesday’s doubleheader against the Rockies before launching another round-tripper in the nightcap to finish with an absurd seven RBI in the twin-billing.
Giancarlo Stanton vs. Astros
4-for-5, R, HR, 3 RBI
Stanton set the tone in the highly-anticipated three-game series opener against the Astros by clobbering a go-ahead two-run homer off Zack Greinke in the first inning and later adding an RBI single in the sixth inning to effectively put the contest away. The 31-year-old slugger has stayed healthy, and torn the cover off the ball so far, slashing .297/.343/.545 with 14 runs scored, seven homers and 18 RBI over 108 plate appearances.
Austin Meadows vs. Angels
2-for-5, 2 R, 2 HR, 5 RBI
Meadows kicked off his epic two-homer effort with a solo shot off righty Ben Rowen in the seventh inning before taking the submariner deep again for a three-run shot in the ensuing frame to effectively ice the Rays’ victory. It was the second multi-homer performance of his career. He also added an RBI ground out against starter Alex Cobb earlier in the contest to finish with a career-high five RBI. The 26-year-old outfielder owns an underwhelming .216/.333/.480 triple-slash line with 15 runs scored, seven homers and 17 RBI across 123 plate appearances overall this season.
Jose Abreu vs. Reds
2-for-4, R, HR, 3 RBI
Abreu hasn’t exactly caught fire yet, but he continues to show glimpses of the hitter that dominated the American League during the 60-game sprint season last year. He crushed a solo homer in the second inning -- his sixth round-tripper of the season -- and also added a sacrifice fly and an RBI single later in the contest. He’s been a bit underwhelming from a batting average standpoint, hitting .214 (22-for-103) over 28 games, but he’s already up to 22 RBI, putting him on pace to reach 100 RBI for the sixth time in eight seasons.
Ronald Acuña Jr. vs. Nationals
2-for-5, R, HR, RBI
Acuña Jr. crushed his major league-leading 10th round-tripper of the season against Joe Ross in the fifth inning. The 23-year-old fantasy superstar had been mired in a 6-for-34 (.176) slump at the plate after suffering a mild abdominal strain back on April 18. Clearly, he’s fully healthy and it was only a matter of time before his explosive bat roared back to life. Despite that prolonged slump, he’s still hitting .337/.430/.723 with 27 runs scored, 10 homers, 21 RBI and three stolen bases across 121 plate appearances.
Closing Time
Good luck predicting who the next save opportunity goes to in Philadelphia. After recording a five-out save in the series opener against the Brewers on Monday, and pitching two of the last three days, Héctor Neris was presumably unavailable on Tuesday evening, which opened the door for Sam Coonrod to collect his second save in the last five games. Neris remains the favorite to continue closing for the Phillies, but Coonrod has been brilliant so far this season, compiling a 1.23 ERA, 0.75 WHIP and 17/2 K/BB ratio over 14 2/3 innings. It wouldn’t be shocking to see him continue to vulture the occasional save chance, which makes him worthy of a roster spot for fantasy managers in deeper mixed leagues.
Closer Quick Hits: Matt Barnes recorded the final five outs of the Red Sox’ win over the Tigers to pick up his seventh save of the season … Ian Kennedy tossed a scoreless frame against the Twins to pick up his eighth save of the year … Richard Rodríguez hurled a perfect inning against the Padres, extending his scoreless streak to 12 1/3 innings in the process, to collect his fifth save of the year … Yusmeiro Petit fired a scoreless frame to pick up a save for the Athletics against the Blue Jays … Rafael Montero picked up a win in relief against the Orioles after spinning a scoreless eighth inning … Jake McGee coughed up four runs in a non-save situation against the Rockies before teammate Camilo Doval served up a walk-off homer in an ugly blown save … Diamondbacks activated Joakim Soria from the 10-day injured list. The 36-year-old veteran righty returns to the Arizona bullpen after missing four weeks with a left calf strain … Cardinals placed Jordan Hicks on the 10-day injured list with right elbow inflammation. The 24-year-old flame-thrower is expected to be sidelined for at least the next month.
EDGE Priority Pickup
J.P. Feyereisen, RP, Brewers
Feyereisen struck out the side against the Phillies on Tuesday, racking up seven swinging strikes in the process, extending his major league-leading scoreless streak to 15 innings to open the 2021 campaign. Unless you’re a diehard Brewers fan, or possess a bizarre affinity for obscure middle relievers, you’ve probably never heard of Feyereisen. The 28-year-old righty isn’t overpowering, but he boasts elite vertical movement on each of his three pitches -- four-seamer, slider and changeup -- which makes him nearly impossible to square up in short relief outings. His control could use some refinement, but he’s given up only four hits, while posting a 16/7 K/BB ratio over 15 scoreless innings this season. He’s evolving into one of the most intriguing relievers in the game and is worthy of a speculative roster spot for fantasy managers in deeper mixed leagues.
Wednesday’s Matchup of the Day
JT Brubaker (Pirates) vs. Yu Darvish (Padres) - 8:10 PM ET
Brubaker has quietly emerged as an extremely reliable fantasy option, compiling a 2.63 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 30/5 K/BB ratio across 27 1/3 innings (five starts) this season. Per Baseball Prospectus’ Deserved Run Average metric, the 27-year-old righty’s 3.10 DRA ranks 11th out of 130 pitchers with at least 20 innings of work. He’ll lock horns with Darvish, one of the senior circuit’s elite starters, in what should be the best pitching matchup of Wednesday’s busy slate.
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American League Quick Hits: Shohei Ohtani (elbow) will start for the Angels on Wednesday against the Rays. The 26-year-old two-way sensation missed a scheduled pitching appearance on Monday after getting struck on the elbow while batting on Sunday, but reportedly felt fine while throwing a light bullpen session Tuesday … Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo told reporters Tuesday that George Springer (quad) is “day-to-day.” The 31-year-old outfielder didn’t play in the first two games of the team’s series against the Athletics on Monday and Tuesday after making an early departure from Sunday’s series finale against the Braves due to leg fatigue … Anthony Rendon (knee) was not in the Angels’ starting lineup Tuesday versus the Rays after fouling a ball hard off his left knee late in Monday’s series opener … Rafael Devers (shoulder) was held out of the Red Sox’ lineup for Tuesday’s lineup against the Tigers … Alex Kirilloff was scratched from the Twins’ starting lineup Tuesday due to wrist soreness … White Sox officially placed Luis Robert on the 10-day injured list with a Grade 3 right hip flexor strain … Chris Sale (elbow) threw off a mound on Tuesday for the first time since he underwent Tommy John surgery last March … Luke Voit (knee) kicked off a minor league rehab assignment Tuesday with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre … Mike Trout clobbered his eighth homer of the season in the Angels’ loss to the Rays … Byron Buxton launched his ninth round-tripper of the season in the Twins’ extra-inning loss to the Rangers … Salvador Perez blasted his seventh long ball of the season and Whit Merrifield stole a pair of bases in the Royals’ loss to the Indians … Xander Bogaerts, Alex Verdugo, Enrique Hernandez and Hunter Renfroe went deep in the Red Sox’ win over the Tigers … Adolis García and Willie Calhoun homered in the Rangers’ extra-inning victory over the Twins … Alex Bregman and Michael Brantley homered in the Astros’ loss to the Yankees … DJ LeMahieu collected two hits and reached base safely in three of his five plate appearances in the Yankees’ win over the Astros … Tim Anderson went 2-for-5 with three RBI in the White Sox’ blowout win over the Reds … Kyle Seager hit a solo homer and Kyle Lewis belted a three-run shot in the Mariners’ victory over the Orioles … Robbie Grossman went 3-for-3 with three RBI and a pair of walks in the Tigers’ loss to the Red Sox … Luis Patiño recorded five strikeouts over three innings of one-run ball to pick up a win in relief against the Angels … Domingo German struck out six batters over five innings in a no-decision against the Astros … Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said he’s hopeful Michael Pineda (wrist) will be ready to pitch Thursday against the Rangers … Matthew Boyd (knee) is expected to start Sunday against the Twins … A.J. Puk (biceps) threw two simulated innings on Tuesday … Twins placed Luis Arraez on the 7-day concussion injured list … Lewis Thorpe will start for the Twins on Wednesday against the Rangers … White Sox signed Brian Goodwin to a minor league contract.
National League Quick Hits: Tuesday’s game between the Mets and Cardinals was postponed due to inclement weather. It will be made up as a seven-inning doubleheader on Wednesday … Nationals activated OF Juan Soto from the 10-day injured list … Bryce Harper (wrist) remained absent from the Phillies’ starting lineup Tuesday against the Brewers. The 28-year-old superstar outfielder aggravated a left wrist injury during Sunday’s game against the Mets and will continue to get rest and treatment … Amir Garrett has been suspended seven games for inciting a benches-clearing incident Saturday afternoon against the Cubs. The 29-year-old lefty is appealing the suspension and will be available out of the Reds’ bullpen until that appeal is heard … Dinelson Lamet scattered four hits over two shutout innings on Tuesday in a no-decision against the Pirates. The 28-year-old righty’s fastball velocity was up and down throughout the abbreviated outing, but he at least managed to get through two frames completely healthy after missing two weeks due to a right forearm issue … Charlie Blackmon drilled a three-run, walk-off homer in the second game of Tuesday’s doubleheader against the Giants … Andrew McCutchen clubbed a pair of solo homers in the Phillies’ win over the Brewers … Bryan Reynolds went 2-for-4 with an RBI double in the Pirates’ win over the Padres … Brian Anderson walloped a three-run homer in the Marlins’ lopsided win over the Diamondbacks … Justin Turner hit his seventh homer of the season in the second game of Tuesday’s doubleheader against the Cubs … Javier Báez slugged his eighth long ball of the season in the second game of Tuesday’s doubleheader against the Dodgers … Clayton Kershaw allowed four runs over his lone inning of work taking a loss against the Cubs in the shortest start of his career … Kyle Hendricks tossed seven innings of one-run ball in a win over the Dodgers … Sandy Alcantara struck out six batters and was charged with two runs (one earned) over six innings in a no-decision against the Diamondbacks … German Marquez was torched for eight earned runs while recording only two outs in a loss to the Giants … Ian Happ, who was injured in a scary collision with a teammate in Sunday’s loss to the Reds, has been diagnosed with a rib contusion and is considered day-to-day. He was kept out of the Cubs’ lineup for both games of Tuesday’s doubleheader against the Dodgers … Nick Senzel was scratched from the Reds’ starting lineup on Tuesday due to a sore left shoulder … Brandon Nimmo (finger) remained out of the Mets’ lineup Tuesday versus the Cardinals. He’s missed three straight games after suffering a left index finger contusion last Saturday … Giants placed Tommy La Stella on the 10-day injured list with a left hamstring injury. He’s expected to be sidelined for the next four to six weeks … Kevin Gausman is dealing with side effects from the COVID-19 vaccine, but expected to make his next scheduled start against the Padres this weekend … Mets manager Luis Rojas said Tuesday that Marcus Stroman (hamstring) is good to go for his Wednesday start against the Cardinals … Vince Velasquez will start for the Phillies on Saturday against the Braves … Ke’Bryan Hayes (wrist) faced live pitching on Tuesday … Carlos Carrasco (hamstring) and Noah Syndergaard (elbow) pitched in a simulated game on Tuesday … Sixto Sanchez (shoulder) has progressed to throwing from a distance of 105 feet … Jazz Chisholm (hamstring) is expected to begin his running progression and light baseball activity this week … Starling Marte (rib) has yet to resume baseball activities, but teammate Jorge Alfaro (hamstring) has begun running and catching drills … Elieser Hernandez (biceps) threw a 30-pitch bullpen session Tuesday … Cubs placed Jake Arrieta (right thumb abrasion) and INF Nico Hoerner (left forearm strain) on the 10-day injured list … An MRI on Brusdar Graterol‘s right forearm turned up negative for any structural damage … Jean Segura (quad) began a minor league rehab assignment Tuesday with Triple-A Lehigh Valley … Shogo Akiyama (hamstring) started a minor league rehab assignment Tuesday with Triple-A Louisville … Travis d’Arnaud underwent surgery Monday to repair the torn ligament in his left thumb.
