Poppin' out the box scores and right into your cubicle, the Roto Rush is your double espresso shot of fantasy baseball advice every weekday.
Who knew there was a hulking slugger waiting to bust out of Joe Mauer? After hitting his eighth jack in just 72 at-bats and driving in six RBI, the Twins catcher is putting all concerns to rest. Heck, he hit nine total home runs in 536 at-bats last season. So the "ailing" back is just fine, thank you very much, but is the power sustainable?
Well, for one, his BA/BIP is .400 (batting average on balls in play) -- that's markedly higher than his .342 last season and will come down. But much more eye-popping is his HR/F rate (home runs as a percentage of outfield flies), which stands at a ridiculous 38.3 percent. Mauer's career high over a full season of play is just 11 percent. Gotta love small sample sizes!
Enjoy Mauer's barrage of bombs while it lasts, but eventually you're going to see him return to form, which isn't a bad thing when your name is Joe Mauer. Awesome average, lots of RBI and runs, and a modest showing in the power department -- what you've come to expect from the elite fantasy catcher.
Bits From the Box Scores
• The White Sox didn't land Jake Peavy via trade, but they better do something to shake things up. Scott Podsednik, who got caught stealing again, is not the answer in center field, and the pressure to call up prospect Gordon Beckham mounts with every awful infielder performance. Keep your eyes peeled.
• Four hits and a steal from Jimmy Rollins, who lingers in buy-low territory due to a slow start. And Raul Ibanez ... jeez ... he's crushing far beyond expectations. He already has 15 home runs and 36 doesn't seem like a reach anymore (enough to match his age).
• Four hits as well from Cleveland's Asdrubal Cabrera. We're going to have to get past the unusual first name and believe in his fantasy goodness, because I don't think it's all together fluky. Measly power, but everyone could use 32 runs and seven steals.
• Edwin Jackson threw 132 pitches in his fourth win of the season. The five walks against Texas were a bit scary, but he threw a good percentage of his pitches for strikes and remains solid moving forward.
• Very rough debut for Braves rookie Kris Medlen. He was hammered for five runs and walked five in three innings of work. He'll get another chance, but he won't be given a ton of leeway since Atlanta has other options.• Troy Percival retired only one batter in a tie game against the A's. Two walks, a single, and the hook. He's given up six earned runs over his last 2 2/3 innings. Now's a good time for speculative reliever pickups like Joe Nelson and J.P. Howell.
• I think Mark Reynolds purposely stole another base just because I said I didn't think he'd snag 20 this year. A must-start in most formats, Reynolds is up to 12 homers and 10 steals before June.
• Sticking with the D'Backs, Max Scherzer continues to struggle with pitch efficiency, but 10 strikeouts sure come in handy. Despite the low win total and faltering command, Scherzer will be very valuable all year because of his K rate.
• Erik Bedard looked fine after missing a scheduled start due to a sore hamstring. Seattle's lefty allowed two hits and two runs over five solid innings against L.A..
Lineup Lock Time: Let's get the interleague action started in here. Phillies and Yankees duke it out at 7:05 PM ET, one of fifteen night games on the docket.
The Afflicted: The Reds placed Edinson Volquez on the 15-day disabled list with back spasms. Joba Chamberlain says he's "100 percent confident" that he'll make his next start despite bruising his knee on a comeback hit Thursday night. The Rangers are expecting Josh Hamilton (groin) to return to the starting lineup. Conor Jackson was diagnosed with pneumonia, which could sideline him for a month.
Down on the Farm: If Medlen can't handle the bigs, Tommy Hanson is waiting in the wings. The Braves prospect struck out nine and only gave up one hit over six innings of work in AAA. Forgotten Rays shortstop Reid Brignac chugged right along in AAA with his 13th double of the year. He's got 24 runs and a solid strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Saturday's Ace in the Hole: It doesn't get much better than Koji Uehara (2-3, 4.34 ERA) making an interleague road start vs. the Nationals. Jarrod Washburn (3-3, 3.86 ERA) vs. San Francisco is a fine choice. For shallow leagues, Scott Richmond (4-2, 3.64 ERA) against the Braves is yet another solid option.
