Happy Tuesday, everyone! In the world of Fantasy Baseball, it's crucial to keep an eye on pitchers who are hitting their stride and delivering consistent performances. These moments can provide you clarity on whether to move forward with said pitchers, trade for them or trade them. Two such pitchers who have caught the attention of Fantasy managers in recent outings are Reid Detmers and Dylan Cease. Meanwhile, Spencer Strider and Luis Castillo have also shown their prowess on the mound. Let's take a closer look at their recent performances and what they bring to the Fantasy table. After taking a deeper dive on these pitchers, we'll look into some of the other action from Monday and more.
Detmers does it again
Reid Detmers continues to impress, recording his fourth strong start in a row -- this time against White Sox. He went seven innings, allowing only two hits and one earned run while striking out 10. Detmers displayed excellent command, issuing just two walks and generating a 30% called strikes plus whiff rate (CSW).
He relied heavily on his fastball, slider, and curveball, mixing them effectively to keep hitters off balance. Notably, his slider velocity has dipped slightly over his last two starts. With a 3.77 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, and 93 strikeouts over 75.2 innings, Detmers is proving to be a valuable asset. In his last four starts, he boasts an impressive 1.05 ERA, 0.78 WHIP, and has struck out 34 batters in 25 1/3 innings. Detmers' recent success has led to an increase in his roster percentage, now standing at 80%. As much as we want this to be the other way, Detmers screams, "sell high!"
Cease turning things around?
Dylan Cease has also been a force to reckon with on the mound as of late, surrendering two earned runs or fewer in his past five starts. Facing the Angels, Cease pitched six innings, allowing five hits and one earned run while striking out ten. He showcased his versatility by effectively utilizing his slider, fastball, curveball, and changeup, resulting in a 34% CSW.
Cease has demonstrated consistency in generating swinging strikes, recording 14 or more in his past five starts. With a 4.04 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, and 110 strikeouts over 91 1/3 innings, Cease has become a reliable Fantasy option again. Over his past five starts, he has maintained a stellar 2.20 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, and an impressive 19% swinging strike rate. Cease's recent success is a testament to his talent and makes him an intriguing pitcher for Fantasy managers.
Other aces on Monday
Moving on to other notable pitchers, Spencer Strider has made a strong impression with two consecutive solid starts. In his latest outing against the Twins, Strider pitched seven innings, allowing only three hits and one earned run while striking out ten. He displayed excellent command, utilizing his slider, fastball, and changeup effectively. Strider's fastball velocity has seen a slight increase, and he significantly increased his changeup usage, resulting in a perfect 100% whiff rate.
With a 3.73 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, and an impressive 146 strikeouts over 91.2 innings, Strider has showcased his strikeout ability, boasting a remarkable 14.3 K/9 rate. Fantasy managers should take note of Strider's recent performances as he continues to build momentum.
Luis Castillo, despite some recent control issues, managed to deliver a quality start against the Washington Nationals. He pitched seven innings, allowing seven hits and three runs (two earned) while striking out seven. Castillo demonstrated a 31% CSW by effectively mixing his fastball, slider, changeup, and sinker.
Although he has experienced a slightly low .258 BABIP and a slightly high 80% strand rate, Castillo's 2.87 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, and 108 strikeouts over 94 1/3 innings.
Castillo feels like an easy sell-high candidate.
Waiver-wire adds
Scott White has you covered with this week's waiver adds. Here are a couple players we've already scooped up:
Royce Lewis, 3B, Twins
"Lewis was a little slow out of the gate coming back from a second torn ACL. He struggled to make contact at the same high rate that we saw during his brief time in the majors last year, and for the contact he did make, the quality was lacking. The Twins themselves seemed reluctant to buy in fully, never starting him more than three games in a row. Over the past week, though, everything changed. Lewis made his sixth straight start Sunday, and during that time, he's batted .458 (11 for 24) with two homers and just two strikeouts. His average exit velocity has been 89.6 compared to 85.8 previously. He could stand to run more, but the playing time was the biggest hurdle to him helping you at shortstop or third base."
Kyle Bradish, SP, Orioles
"Bradish's latest start Sunday, in which he allowed two runs on two hits over seven innings against the Mariners, was arguably his best of the season, but he's been on a nice run for a while now, putting together a 2.92 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 8.4 K/9 over his past nine starts. Some of those starts have been on the shorter side, which is why he has only three wins on the year, but this was his second in as many starts. Pitching for the Orioles, more are likely to follow. Bradish doesn't get a ton of strikeouts, but the stuff has always earned high marks. He should remain a valuable pitcher to round out a 12-team staff given that he has a good lineup and bullpen backing him."
News and notes
- Carlos Rodon tossed four scoreless innings in a rehab start at Double-A Sunday, allowing one hit with four strikeouts.
- Julio Urias completed four innings in a rehab start at Single-A Sunday. He's expected to return to the Dodgers Friday in Kansas City.
- Max Fried was scheduled to throw another bullpen session Monday. He's responded well so far to mound work and could soon advance to facing live hitters.
- The Marlins activated both Jazz Chisholm and Jean Segura from the IL. Garrett Hampson and Jacob Amaya were optioned to Triple-A.
- AJ Smith-Shawver was optioned back to Triple-A Monday, and it sounds like Michael Soroka is likely to rejoin the Braves' rotation.
- Eduardo Rodriguez will make a rehab start Thursday at Triple-A. He's been out since late May with an injury to his left index finger.
- Riley Greene is close to beginning a rehab assignment. He's missed all of June with a stress fracture in his left fibula.
- Kris Bryant is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment Wednesday at Triple-A. He's been on the IL since late May with a left heel bruise.
- Alex Cobb is expected to return from the IL during this week's road trip.
- CJ Cron was reinstated from the IL. He's been out since May 15 due to back spasms.
- Jorge Polanco has started light baseball activities. He's been out since early June with a moderate left hamstring strain.
- Matthew Boyd was removed from his start Monday due to left elbow discomfort.
- Tarik Skubal will make his next rehab start at Triple-A Wednesday, his fifth and likely last rehab outing.
- Trevor Rogers, who has a partial tear in his right (non-throwing) lat, hopes to have better clarity on his timeline after the All-Star break.
- Adrian Houser will return to the Brewers' starting rotation Thursday against the Mets. It sounds like they're going with a six-man rotation with no days off leading into the All-Star break.
- Matt Manning will return to the Tigers' rotation Tuesday against the Rangers.