Poppin' out the box scores and right into your cubicle, the Roto Rush is your double espresso shot of fantasy baseball advice every weekday.Hey everybody, Pedro Martinez is back!
Well ... not quite.
You see, when it comes to marquee names like Pedro, the expectations are always a bit unrealistic. It would be nice if legends could harness the same stuff at age 37, but that's just not the way it goes. In fact, the Martinez we saw in his season debut Wednesday wasn't all that impressive from a fantasy perspective.
Martinez changed speeds effectively and his fastball velocity was clocked between 88-93 mph, but he only lasted five innings before departing in line for the victory. He threw 64 of his 99 pitches for strikes, 30 of which came in one toilsome inning. Over the rest of the season, it wouldn't surprise me if Martinez could manage an ERA around 4.25, but he could just as easily repeat his M.O. from last season -- good amount of strikeouts, inconsistent command, and an ERA/WHIP far too dangerous to live with in fantasy leagues.
Forget the marquee name value, there are better pitchers available for your team's stretch run -- like the guy mentioned in the first bullet point below.
Bits From the Box Scores:
• Jimmy Rollins continues to mash. He's got a .341 average over his last 10 games and five homers in his last nine. Who loves ya, baby?
• It seems like a lot of owners are sleeping on Rajai Davis and the big impact he can make in the stolen base department. The A's outfielder swiped another on Wednesday, giving him seven steals over his last 12 games. He also has an eight-game hitting streak. While Nyjer Morgan is owned in over 60% of leagues, Davis is readily available in a ton. Catch him if you can.
• Shocker Special: Aubrey Huff actually hit a home run! It's been a brutal season for fantasy owners who expected a power total similar to the 32 HR he hit last season (that includes me). The RBI count is on par, but only 13 homers doesn't cut it.
• Hunter Pence and Adam LaRoche went deep twice a piece. The homer count has been disappointing for both stars, but I think we'll see them hit more out of the park in late August and September. LaRoche has always been stronger after the break, and now he's in his comfort zone again with the Braves.• It looks like Francisco Liriano wants to keep his rotation spot, after all. The volatile lefty got shelled in back-to-back starts, but he came back with a seven-inning gem against the Royals. He allowed just three hits while striking out eight batters. Don't get too excited, though. As Rotowire mentioned, the Royals' 4.09 runs per game ranks second-to-last in the AL.
• Don't. Ever. Pay. For. Saves. Another case in point? Ryan Franklin, who has smoked four saves over the last six days. For 2009, the largely undrafted reliever has 28 saves and a miniscule 1.20 ERA. Jason Motte, who?
The Afflicted: Erik Bedard's season will end with surgery on Friday. Carlos Delgado strained his oblique (surprise, surprise!) during recovery and appears to be done for the year, as well. Tom Gorzelanny was able to throw a bullpen session Wednesday despite a bruised foot and expects to make his next start. X-rays on Homer Bailey's foot revealed no fracture. Jon Garland admitted he felt exhausted after a loss to the Mets, but it doesn't look like he miss any time -- perhaps just a few days of rest. Garland has been on a serious roll lately and has a 3.60 ERA after the break.
Lineup Lock Time: A light schedule of games on Thursday, but six of them are early starts. The Indians and Rangers play first at 12:05 PM ET.
Down on the Farm: Keep an eye on Reds prospect Drew Stubbs, who could get a call-up to join Cincinnati when rosters expand. Stubbs has outstanding speed, having swiped his 46th base Tuesday for Triple-A Louisville.
