Fantasy Baseball Winners & Losers: Sixto Sanchez and Jeff McNeil stay hot

Here are Tuesday's top winners and losers.

By Frank Stampfl

Sep 9, 2020 at 9:51 am ET • 5 min read

For the most part, Scott White and I have been pretty patient with struggling players on Fantasy Baseball Today. We are now getting to the point, however, where we would need to change our stance on struggling stars even in a full-length season.

I know it feels like the season just started, but we're nearly seven weeks in. While you may not want to flat-out drop names like Austin Meadows and Gary Sanchez so that your opponents can't have them, you can certainly bench these players. There isn't really much that suggests they're going to get much better besides their track records, and the Fantasy playoffs start next week. We don't have any more time to waste. Now is the time to make moves if you're tired of the lackluster production.

We discussed slumping players who should be benched plus reviewed Tuesday's action on the Wednesday edition of the Fantasy Baseball Today podcast. Follow all our podcasts and subscribe here.

Let's find out what happened on Tuesday.

The latest in the world of Fantasy Baseball

Braves placed Max Fried on the 10-day IL Tuesday, retroactive to Sept. 6, with muscle spasms in his back. He's expected to return when first eligible Sept. 16 or soon after, according to David O'Brien.
Eric Hosmer suffered a fractured left index finger while trying to lay down a bunt with two strikes on Monday night against the Rockies. He was officially placed on the 10-day IL Tuesday, but Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union Tribune believes Hosmer will be able to return before the end of the regular season.
Jose Ramirez was not in the lineup Tuesday. An MRI revealed a left-hand bruise. The team will reassess his status Wednesday.
David Fletcher is progressing well with his ankle injury and could come off the IL when first eligible Thursday.
Juan Soto, dealing with an elbow injury, was back in the lineup Tuesday as the designated hitter.
Marcus Semien returned to the lineup for the A's in the first game of their doubleheader Tuesday. He had missed seven consecutive games before that.
Matt Chapman is dealing with right hip tendinitis, but he'll test things out on Wednesday. He didn't rule out a return by Thursday, but his timetable likely depends on how he feels after participating in baseball activities.
Stephen Piscotty is dealing with left wrist soreness that kept him out of the lineup for Tuesday's games against the Astros
Bo Bichette will play the field at the Blue Jays' alternate training site Tuesday. A weekend return has not been ruled out.
Ken Giles threw a live batting practice session that went well Tuesday. He can return as early as Thursday.
Sticking with the Blue Jays, Rowdy Tellez left Tuesday's game and is set to undergo an MRI on his right knee on Wednesday.
Renato Nunez was back in the lineup for the Orioles on Tuesday. He had missed the previous two games with a hamstring injury.
Alex Bregman returned for the first game of their doubleheader Tuesday and went 0-for-3 with a walk and two strikeouts.
The Cardinals optioned OF Dylan Carlson to their alternate training site due to his struggles.

Tuesday's biggest winners

Recently I mentioned how awesome Luis Robert has been and that his hype might get out of control heading into the 2021 season. I think the same can be said for Sixto Sanchez who looks like a stud to this point. He tossed another six shutout innings Tuesday against the Braves, striking out six while walking just one. He now has 25 strikeouts to just two walks over his first four starts. It's a small sample but so far he does exactly what you want from a pitcher; get whiffs, limit walks and induce ground balls. I'm starting to think he might be drafted as Top-25 starting pitcher heading into next season.
Like last season, Jeff McNeil got off to a slow start in the power department this year. That's not the case anymore, however, as he's now homered in three straight. Additionally, he has multiple hits in seven of his past 10 games. If you stuck with him throughout his slow start, enjoy reaping the benefits over these final few weeks.
Jeremy Jeffress is back. After a down season in 2019, he looks like the Jeffress of old. He locked down his sixth save of the season Tuesday, including the fourth consecutive save for the Chicago Cubs. He certainly seems like the go-to guy for manager David Ross. Through his first 15 games this season, Jeffress has a 1.06 ERA and a 0.82 WHIP. In the words of Borat, "very nice!"

Tuesday's biggest losers

Man, what are the Dodgers thinking? Walker Buehler clearly isn't himself and now it seems like they rushed him back from his blister issue. According to manager Dave Roberts, the plan is for Buehler to make his next start although there will be "discussions" and that "nothing's off the table". Buehler last just 2.2 innings on Tuesday, allowing five runs (two earned). It's been quite a weird season for the 26-year old.
If we're talking weird seasons, let's throw J.D. Martinez in the mix. It looks like Martinez was showing signs of life recently and then came to a crashing halt, going 0-for-12 over his last three games. He's struggled big time against right-handed pitching this season to the tune of just a .652 OPS. Like I mentioned in the open, I think Martinez is one of those names you can bench if you have better options, especially in a three-outfielder league.
It looks like we've hit the end of the road for Randy Dobnak. After a nice start to the season, Dobnak has been knocked around in two of his last three starts. On Tuesday, he allowed five runs in just 2.2 innings pitched. His next start comes against the White Sox and, considering Dobnak pitches to contact, I'm not really a fan of that matchup. I'd be OK dropping him for Tyler Mahle or Joe Musgrove if they're available.