No team’s starting rotation has racked up more strikeouts on the season than the Milwaukee Brewers with 259 – that’s 28 clear of the San Diego Padres who reside in second place. The Brewers rotation also ranks in the top 10 in baseball in both ERA and WHIP and has been a big driver in their success this season.
Now their depth is going to be tested as they lost a key cog of that rotation on Sunday – at least for a couple of weeks. Freddy Peralta was lifted from his start against the Nationals in the fourth inning after experiencing tightness in his right shoulder.
Brewers skipper Craig Counsell told reporters after the game that the right-hander would be heading to the injured list, though the severity of the injury and a potential timeline for his return still remain unclear. He’s slated to undergo additional testing on Monday. Counsell also noted that the team will utilize a five-man starting rotation while Peralta is sidelined. That means that Corbin Burnes, Brandon Woodruff, Eric Lauer, Aaron Ashby and Adrian Houser will now pitch every fifth game instead of every sixth, giving a slight boost to each of their respective fantasy values.
The 25-year-old hurler wound up on the losing side of the decision on Sunday, giving up five runs on six hits over his three-plus innings of work before exiting. He now holds a disappointing 4.42 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 50/13 K/BB ratio over 38 2/3 innings through his first eight starts of the season.
He’ll be sidelined until mid-June at the absolute earliest and the Brewers are going to take every possible precaution in bringing him back, so it’s not crazy to think that his absence could extend to the All-Star break.
Starting Pitchers with an EDGE
Sandy Alcantara - 9 IP, 0 ER, 6 H, 2 BB, 7 K, W(4), 34% CSW, 25 swinging strikes
The 26-year-old right-hander logged just the fourth complete game of his career in a dazzling performance against the Braves on Sunday afternoon. Alcantara generated a whopping 25 swinging strikes in the contest – with at least five or more on each of his four pitches – while posting an elite CSW of 34 percent. The Braves scratched out an unearned run in the fifth inning – and added two more in the ninth after an error by Jesus Aguilar. Alcantara needed just 115 pitches to complete this gem, throwing 84 of those for strikes. He now boasts a 2.11 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 49/22 K/BB ratio over 59 2/3 innings through his first nine starts on the season.
Zach Eflin - 7 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, 2 BB, 12 K, 37% CSW, 19 swinging strikes
Eflin racked up a career-high 12 strikeouts in a no-decision against the Dodgers. He allowed just two runs in the contest – on solo homers to Mookie Betts and Edwin Rios – while piling up 19 swinging strikes and registering an elite CSW of 37 percent. He now holds a 3.65 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 35/7 K/BB ratio over 37 innings on the season.
Michael Kopech - 7 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 2 BB, 6 K, W(1), 38% CSW, 16 swinging strikes
Kopech picked up his first victory of the season with a dazzling performance in a victory over the Yankees. He retired the first 17 hitters that he faced in order before giving up a two-out double to light-hitting backstop Rob Brantly in the sixth inning. Kopech sports a brilliant 1.29 ERA, 0.86 WHIP and 39/19 K/BB ratio over 42 innings on the season through his first eight starts.
Hitters with an EDGE
Albert Pujols - 2-for-3, 2 HR (2), 4 RBI, 2 R
The 42-year-old slugger didn’t even start this game – he came in after Nolan Arenado had already had three at-bats – but that didn’t stop him from having a massive afternoon. He crushed a solo homer off of Chase De Jong in the fifth inning, then clobbered a three-run shot off of Josh VanMeter in the ninth that made it an 18-0 ballgame. Pujols is now hitting .231/.333/.446 with four homers and 12 RBI on the season.
Tim Anderson - 3-for-5, HR (5), 3 RBI, R
Anderson was able to silence the Yankees crowd in this one with his three-run blast off of Miguel Castro that capped off a five-run uprising in the eighth inning. The opposite-field shot traveled an estimated 357 feet. Anderson is off to a tremendous start again this season, slashing a monstrous .359/.400/.517 with five homers, 18 RBI and seven stolen bases through his first 35 ballgames.
Manny Machado - 4-for-4, 3 2B, 3B, 3 R, 2 RBI, BB
Machado had another extremely positive day at the dish in a rout over the Giants, collecting four extra-base hits and reaching base safely in each of his five plate appearances. His two-run double in the fourth inning extended the Padres early lead to 5-0. He has been sizzling at the plate through the first two months of the season, slashing a mighty impressive .374/.446/.619 to go along with eight homers, 29 RBI and seven stolen bases.
EDGE Priority Pickup
Tyler Naquin, OF, Cincinnati Reds – Available in 84% of Yahoo fantasy leagues.
Perhaps it’s time to start taking Tyler Naquin seriously. Over the past two weeks, he has been absolutely sizzling at the plate, hitting .372 with eight runs, eight RBI, two homers and a pair of stolen bases. On the season, he’s hitting .258/.310/.467 with four long balls, 21 RBI and three swipes. He’s finding himself in the Reds lineup on a nightly basis and still gets the benefit of playing half of his games at the Great American Ballpark. He’s certainly worth streaming for his home weeks at a minimum.
Closing Time
Gregory Soto vs. Guardians - 1 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 0 BB, 0 K (7th save)
Soto made this one a bit more interesting than it needed to be, as he drilled Josh Naylor with a 1-2 pitch to start the inning, but he battled back to get Franmil Reyes on a line drive to center and then got Andres Gimenez to bounce into a game-ending double play. While he has struggled recently in non-save situations, he has now converted four straight save chances – and seven out of eight on the season while posting a 2.92 ERA, 1.46 WHIP and 11/8 K/BB ratio over 12 1/3 innings.
Art Warren vs. Blue Jays - 1 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 0 BB, 1 K (2nd save)
That now makes four different Reds relievers that have converted their last four save chances dating back to April 24 – with Warren joining Lucas Sims, Alexis Diaz and Tony Santillan. Diaz worked two scoreless innings before Warren in this one and earned a victory for his efforts. It looks like David Bell is going to continue to roll with a committee approach here, making it difficult to speculate for saves.
Jhoan Duran vs. Royals - 1 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 0 BB, 2 K (3rd save)
Duran secured his third save of the season in dominant fashion on Sunday, retiring the Royals in order in the ninth inning – including a pair of strikeouts. The right-hander now boasts a 2.66 ERA, 0.74 WHIP and impressive 31/3 K/BB ratio over 20 1/3 innings on the season. He has developed into the greatest weapon in the Twins bullpen and it’s only a matter of time before he has the closer’s job all to himself.
Raisel Iglesias vs. Athletics - 1 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 0 BB, 3 K (10th save)
Iglesias picked up his 10th save of the season on Sunday in impressive fashion, needing just 12 pitches (10 strikes) to strike out the side against the Athletics to preserve a three-run lead. The right-hander mowed down Jed Lowrie, Sean Murphy and Christian Bethancourt in succession to put this one in the win column for the Angels. He now carries a 4.02 ERA, 0.83 WHIP and 22/4 K/BB ratio over 15 2/3 innings on the season.
Monday’s Matchup of the Day
David Peterson (NYM) vs. Alex Cobb (SF)
The Matchup that I’m most intrigued by on Monday’s schedule is the final game of the night – the Mets traveling to San Francisco to take on the Giants.
David Peterson makes his return to the Mets rotation – filling in for the injured Max Scherzer. He has been impressive in his limited action this season, registering a 1.89 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 16/8 K/BB ratio across 19 innings in his four appearances (three starts).
Meanwhile, on the other side, Alex Cobb will try to erase a brutal outing against the Rockies at Coors Field his last time out. The right-hander comes in with an uninspiring 5.61 ERA, 1.52 WHIP and 32/9 K/BB ratio over 25 2/3 innings of work. He has pitched much better than those numbers would indicate though and taking on the Mets lineup on Monday night will be a nice test for him to prove that.
American League Quick Hits: The Rays placed Andrew Kittredge on the 15-day IL with a back issue. … Yankees right-hander Chad Green will undergo Tommy John surgery. … The Tigers placed Eduardo Rodriguez on the 15-day IL with a left ribcage sprain. Elvin Rodriguez was recalled from Triple-A Toledo and will start in his place on Monday. … Tarik Skubal (shin) expects to make his next scheduled start on Thursday against the Guardians. … The Mariners optioned Justin Upton to Triple-A Tacoma. He’ll get at-bats at the Mariners spring training facility before starting to play in games at Triple-A Tacoma. … The M’s placed Abraham Toro on the 10-day IL with a left shoulder sprain. They also designated Steven Souza for assignment and recalled Taylor Trammell from Triple-A. … J.D. Martinez was scratched from the Red Sox lineup on Sunday due to back spasms. … Spenser Watkins was pulled from his start on Sunday after being hit in the arm by a line drive. … The Yankees placed Joey Gallo and Kyle Higashioka on the COVID-19 injured list. … Ryan Mountcastle was pulled from Sunday’s game due to heat-related cramping. He’s considered day-to-day. … Lance McCullers (forearm) threw 10 pitches off of a mound on Sunday. … James Paxton (elbow) has been playing catch from a distance of 60 feet. … The Mariners signed Andrew Knapp to a minor league contract.
Nathan Eovaldi racked up a season-high 11 strikeouts over 6 2/3 innings in a no-decision against the Mariners.… Trevor Story homered again in a victory over the Mariners. … Franchy Cordero blasted a walk-off grand slam in the 10th inning of that one. … Adam Frazier had three hits including a homer in a losing effort. … Shane Bieber racked up 10 strikeouts in a losing effort against the Tigers. … Jose Altuve swatted his ninth home run as the Astros topped the Rangers. … Alex Faedo allowed two runs over 5 1/3 innings against the Guardians to earn his first career win at the big league level. … Brady Singer struck out three over seven scoreless frames in a tough-luck no-decision against the Twins. … Bailey Ober hurled five innings of one-run baseball in his return to the Twins rotation. … Jose Urquidy struck out 10 batters over 6 2/3 innings of one-run ball in a victory over the Rangers. … Jameson Taillon fanned seven and allowed just one run over seven innings in a no-decision against the White Sox. … Johnny Cueto fired six shutout innings in a no-decision on the other side there. … AJ Pollock clubbed a go-ahead solo homer off of Aroldis Chapman in the ninth inning to win that one for the White Sox. … Aroldis Chapman gave up two runs in the ninth inning in a non-save situation and was later diagnosed with an Achilles injury. It’s unclear how long he’ll be sidelined – if at all. … Isaac Paredes smacked a three-run homer in a loss to the Orioles. … Taylor Ward will undergo an MRI exam on his neck and shoulder area on Monday. … Luis Severino fanned five over seven shutout innings in a no-decision against the White Sox. … Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout each left the yard as the Angels topped the Athletics. … Patrick Sandoval whiffed seven and allowed just one run over 7 1/3 innings in a victory over the A’s.
National League Quick Hits: The Giants placed Brandon Belt (knee) on the 10-day IL. He’s expected to return when first eligible next Sunday against the Reds. … Jazz Chisholm was removed from Sunday’s battle against the Braves due to left hamstring tightness. … The Cardinals optioned Matthew Liberatore back to Triple-A Memphis. … Kevin Newman (groin) suffered a minor setback during his rehab assignment with Triple-A Indianapolis. … Steven Matz was lifted from Sunday’s start against the Pirates with left shoulder stiffness. … Mike Minor (shoulder) will make at least one more start with Triple-A Louisville before joining the Reds rotation. … The Dodgers exercised their $8 million option on Blake Treinen for the 2023 season. … Nick Martinez will start for the Padres on Monday against the Brewers. … Austin Slater was pulled from Sunday’s game due to left wrist discomfort. … Hector Gomez of Z101 Digital reports that the Pirates plan to promote Roansy Contreras and Yerry De Los Santos from Triple-A Indianapolis on Monday. … Willson Contreras (hamstring) sat out Sunday’s game but is considered day-to-day.
Tommy Edman had three hits, three runs scored, two RBI and a swipe as the Cardinals demolished the Pirates. … Tony Gonsolin struck out seven over six innings of one-run ball in a no-decision against the Phillies. … Mookie Betts clubbed his 10th homer in an extra-inning loss to the Phillies. … Joey Votto smacked his first home run of the season to power the Reds past the Blue Jays in Toronto. … Lane Thomas doubled twice and drove in two runs in a victory over the Brewers. … Patrick Wisdom and Frank Schwindel went back-to-back for the second consecutive game as the Cubs triumphed over the Diamondbacks. … Taijuan Walker fanned six over seven scoreless innings in a victory over the Rockies. … Wil Myers went 3-for-5 and drove in three runs in a lopsided victory over the Giants. … MacKenzie Gore fanned six over six innings of one-run ball in an easy victory over the Giants.
