White Sox pitcher Hector Santiago threw 86 pitches Friday against the Rays, so he should be stretched out and well-rested when he makes his first start of the season Friday against the Royals. What should we expect from him as he replaces Gavin Floyd in the rotation?
Santiago has a 2.51 ERA in 14 1/3 innings to open the season, but he has mostly worked in long and middle relief, a completely different animal than starting. Santiago has limited experience as a starter at the major-league level, but the early returns have been promising. He has a 1.86 ERA in 19 1/3 innings, with 26 strikeouts and 11 walks.
Santiago was a late convert to a starting role, but he posting a 3.60 ERA in his lone full season as a starter in the minors. At the very least, he should be able to hold his own, but he could struggle getting deep into games due to fatigue. Santiago might be worth a look in AL-only Fantasy formats for Week 5 (April 29-May 5), against a Royals team that ranks 13th in the American League in runs scored.