Poppin' out of the box scores and right into your cubicle, the Roto Rush is your double espresso shot of fantasy baseball advice every weekday.The ugly pitching line from Monday night shouldn't have been a huge shock to Jarrod Washburn fantasy owners. He went 5 2/3 innings, giving up 9 hits, 8 earned runs, 3 walks and 2 home runs. He struck out just 2. While it was his worst outing for the Tigers, he's been flat-out awful in Motown since he was acquired at the trade deadline. Sure, there was an 8-inning gem where he didn't allow a run. He also mixed in a quality start last time out for his first win in Detroit. Other than that, it's been horrifying.
In six total starts, Washburn now has tossed 37 innings. He's allowed 41 hits, 28 earned runs (6.81 ERA) and 11 home runs. Opponents sport a lofty .924 OPS against him since the move. He's allowed at least 5 earned runs in four of his six starts and worked more than 6 innings just one time. Somehow, the Tigers have managed to slug their way to a 4-2 record in his starts, but Washburn's record is 1-2. His ERA is more than four runs higher, and his WHIP is 0.4 higher in Detroit. He's a different pitcher -- one that should not be used down the stretch in fantasy baseball.
Bits From the Box Scores:
- Adam Lind just went bonkers, didn't he? He's going to be a very solid option next season. He's only 26, and he's now clubbed 27 homers and driven home 89, to go with a solid .303 average. Looks like a star in the making.
- Good day for Drew Stubbs. He played both ends of a double-dip and had a pair of two-hit games, including a home run in each. He now has two hits in five of his last six games (10-29 in the stretch, which includes his 0-4 game). We'd like to see him run more, but he has stolen 3 bases without having been caught yet.
- For those who like to whine about the Yankees home park and the effect on power, here's an anomaly: Nick Swisher has hit 19 bombs on the road this year and only 3 at home. The main complaints at Yankee Stadium have been about right field for left-handed hitters, and Swisher has hit 15 of his 22 jacks from the left-side. Very interesting.
- Kenshin Kawakami closed a good August. He started six times during the month and came through with five quality starts. It's too bad the Braves offense is stagnant at times (which is putting it nicely), because he only emerged with a 2-2 record. Still, the 2.87 ERA was good for fantasy owners and he seems to be getting acclimated to the majors.
- Derek Holland had a stretch from the beginning of July through August 20 where he looked like a serviceable option in bigger leagues. And then he seems to have hit a snag, to say the least. In his past two starts, he's gone only 9 innings, allowing 16 runs (I hope you can do that math, but it's a 16.00 ERA). He's walked 6 and struck out just 5. Opponents have a 1.216 OPS against him. Needless to say, do not start him anytime soon.
- Rich Harden looks poised to make the most starts since his first full season (2004, when he took the ball 31 times). The problem is, he's not pitching like he did in some of the injury-riddled campaigns. Last season, after coming over from the A's, Harden went 5-1 with a 1.77 ERA and 0.97 WHIP for the Cubs. This year? He's 8-8 with a 4.19 ERA and 1.29 WHIP. He's always been an enigma, but that was only because of his iffy health. Now, it appears we don't know if we'll get a good outing when he does step on the hill, which is a change from the past few years. He's worth a start if you crave strikeouts, but if your ERA and WHIP are in situations where someone could pass you, he's not worth it from here on out.
- The career year for Jason Kubel continues. He should easily set a career high in all three of his rate stats (.303/.374/.537), he already has a career high in home runs (now with 22) and he's 1 RBI shy of his previous career high. Keep him active in all leagues.
- It was good to see Gordon Beckham double, but he's still in a funk. He's hitting just .127 since August 17, with 14 strikeouts in 55 at-bats. Still, the kid is far too talented to ignore, so expect him to bust out in the near future and he's definitely a solid option moving forward in dyntasy leagues.
- Rajai Davis is still only owned in just over 30 percent of fantasy leagues. He hit .316 with 15 stolen bases in August and he's now playing everyday.
- Tim Stauffer has won back to back starts, allowing 4 earned runs in 11 2/3 innings in said starts. He's actually a relatively low-risk start for larger NL-Only Leagues, because he's never been crushed. He hasn't allowed more than 4 earned runs in a start yet -- and he's gone five innings or more in each of his past 7 outings.
- Welcome back, Justin Upton. Since returning from the disabled list six games ago, our favorite young outfielder has come to the plate 27 times. He's reached base 14 of those times (.519 OBP), accrued 12 hits (.480 average) and racked up 3 doubles and 3 home runs (.960 slugging percentage). He turned 22 years-old last week, too. I've said it before, but that won't stop me from saying it again: This is a future Hall of Famer.
- Vladimir Guerrero in August? .337 with 9 home runs, 17 RBI and a 1.014 OPS in just over 100 at-bats. He closed with a bang, slamming two out of the park Monday night. He's 34, but I guess he's got something left in the tank.
- Small sample size alert: Pete Orr is hitting .533 on the season ... in 15 at-bats. The career journeyman/utilityman hit .245 with a .671 OPS in Triple-A Syracuse this season, so we can expect a correction in his stat-line very soon. Do not jump on him.
The Afflicted: Chad Qualls is out for the season, after being a serviceable closing option. Kyle Blanks is as well. The rookie slugger should be pleased with his .868 OPS and 10 home runs in 148 at-bats -- especially with Petco Park as his home venue. Russell Branyan may make it back in mid-September, but his chances on the season are murky.
Keep an Eye Out: Tim Hudson returns to the hill Tuesday night for the Braves for the first time since July 23, 2008. We know Hudson possesses the ability to help fantasy squads down the stretch, too, so it's a big start.
Lineup Lock Time: We're going at the somewhat odd time of 5:05 PM ET today.
