Yankees to use spot starter, push back Gerrit Cole

This was quite the delight for those who like pitchers’ duels. Both Schlittler and Reid Detmers allowed one run tonight, though Schlitter went one more inning. Both threw 99 pitches, with Schlittler’s producing 71 strikes and Detmers getting 76. Combined, they had a 17/0 K/BB. Schlittler allowed eight hard-hit balls, but only Vaughn Grissom’s homer in the seventh did any damage. His ERA is back down to 2.04 after a five-start run in which he’s allowed a total of four runs. He’ll have a good chance to keep it going at home against the Rockies next week.

Cole tossed two scoreless innings before the Angels put a run on the board on two hits in the third. He’d settle in to pitch into the sixth, recording one out and giving up two more runs on three hits before he was replaced at 90 pitches. He struck out five. The 35-year-old right-hander ends the day with a 3.29 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, and a 110/22 K/BB ratio across 104 innings into a start against the Rockies in New York next Tuesday.

Rodríguez emerged as an excellent prospect last year and has been quite good in Triple-A this season, but his six major league starts have produced an 0-3 record, a 5.40 ERA and a 21/16 K/BB in 26 2/3 innings. He’ll likely head back to Triple-A after this one, though he might make a spot start or two in September.

Rodríguez looked like the top pitching prospect that scouts and evaluators have been raving about for the last few years when he looked extremely impressive against the Astros earlier this week. He struck out six and allowed three runs over six frames in his first big-league outing since late June. The 23-year-old top prospect draws an extremely favorable spot against the Angels in Los Angeles and represents a worthwhile streaming option in deeper mixed leagues. There’s some risk here given his struggles earlier this season, but his stuff looked noticeably improved and he missed plenty of bats in his return to the majors. He could potentially stick around for the final month of the season, which makes Rodríguez worthy of a speculative roster spot in deeper mixed leagues for now.

Schlittler continues to do his part to keep runs off the board despite his struggles at times with his command. The righty would walk five batters in this one, which tied a season high, but also limited the Red Sox to just two hits over 5 2/3 innings of work. Schlittler was pulled in the sixth inning after allowing a two-out walk to Caleb Durbin. Schlittler was dominant throughout the month of August, allowing just seven earned runs over 26 innings while firing 36 strikeouts. Schlittler’s next start is scheduled for Wednesday on the road against the Angels.

Rodríguez looked the part in his return to the Yankees’ rotation. He came out blazing 99 mph sinkers early and they held firm at 97, about two ticks higher than his average velocity in the majors this season. His curveball had a few extra inches of depth too and was wicked below the zone forcing six swings-and-misses plus a good bit of soft contact. Those two pitches were enough to get through the Astros’ lineup twice as Rodríguez spent most of this start in complete control. While his Triple-A workload lets us know he’ll be limited to around 90 pitches per outing, Rodríguez could be a valuable asset down the stretch if he sticks in the Yankees’ rotation. Max Fried is potentially due back for a double-header this weekend though, so he may only have one more turn to prove his worth.

Rodríguez draws the starting assignment for Wednesday’s game against the Astros. It’ll likely be a one-and-done spot start for the 23-year-old prospect with veteran Max Fried expected back from the injured list later this week. He’s not a recommended option for fantasy purposes given his pedestrian strikeout rate and struggles in a handful of big-league outings earlier this year.

This was discussed yesterday and is now official. The 23-year-old doesn’t have major swing-and-miss stuff and has pitched to a 4.76 ERA over his four MLB starts. However, he has been much better in the minors and has recently increased his curveball usage in Triple-A, which is something to monitor in this outing. We would not be using him in fantasy leagues, however.

The move frees up a rotation spot for the Nationals to bring up pitching prospect Luis Perales. The 30-year-old came over in the Luis Garcia Jr. trade with the Yankees earlier this month. He’s posted a respectable 3.24 ERA across 8 1/3 innings for the Nationals over the last few weeks.

Boone wouldn’t make it official, but all signs point to Rodríguez replacing an injured Ryan Weathers (forearm) in New York’s rotation, at least for one turn this week. The 23-year-old has struggled in a handful of opportunities at the highest level this season, but he remains one of the organization’s best starting pitching prospects. He can be safely ignored in all fantasy formats for now.