Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Chase Anderson suffered a subpar outing at an inopportune time Tuesday versus the Reds. He would last 3 2/3 innings allowing three runs which left him with the loss when the Brewers only scored one run. Despite shutting down the Cubs in a short outing last time, he had allowed several hard-hit balls which perhaps foreshadowed what happened Tuesday. Anderson is a volatile fantasy option but his 3.93 ERA shows he has had some strong outings. His unpredictability also extends towards the difficulty in projecting his future fantasy value.]]>
Tampa Bay Rays second baseman Joey Wendle quietly contributed to the team effort Tuesday versus the Rangers. While Snell's milestone and, to a lesser degree, Adames HR grabbed the most attention coming out of the 4-0 victory, Wendle made his impact on the game. Wendle would produce four hits which tied the most in his major league career. He would also drive in a run as well as scoring one. Wendle has a strong batting average at .298 while also stealing 13 bases and hitting seven HR. He is not a league-winner and is not worth much in shallow or medium-depth leagues but there are deep formats where he matters.]]>
Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Blake Snell hit a major milestone Tuesday versus Texas. He would throw five scoreless innings to start off the 4-0 victory. The win he earned was his 20th of the season, which leads the majors. It is a milestone for two reasons. First, 20 wins itself is considered a seasonal milestone that has become much rarer than 30-HR or .300 batting average. Second, Snell became only the second Ray to reach 20 wins in a season. Snell is now 20-5 with a 1.97 ERA this season. Snell has become an elite fantasy pitcher in 2018.]]>
Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Willy Adames struck the key blow versus the Rangers Tuesday. He would drive a 420-foot two-run shot that made the score 2-0. The Rays would throw a combined shutout so the homer was the eventual game-winner. The HR was his tenth of the season, which is even more impressive when taking into consideration he spent part of the season in the minor leagues. Adames was a highly touted prospect who offers a mixture of power and speed to go along with his defense. He just turned 23 years old and so has room to develop physically into an even better player.]]>
Cincinnati Reds relief pitcher Michael Lorenzen was dominant in his first start of the season (and first start since the 2015 season) in Tuesday's 3-1 win over the Brewers. Lorenzen pitched four innings, allowing one unearned run on a hit and a walk with three strikeouts. Lorenzen was on a 50-60 pitch count limit and certainly made the most of it. He has done a bit of everything this season and now has a 3.03 ERA with 52 strikeouts and 30 walks in 71 1/3 innings. The Reds have an open starter's slot for Sunday's game against the Marlins and it would be nice to see what Lorenzen could do with another start opportunity.]]>
Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Dylan Bundy fell to 8-15 in Tuesday's 6-4 loss to the Blue Jays despite a solid start. Bundy allowed five runs but only two earned on seven hits and a walk with six strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings. His outing would have looked a lot different if not for a two-run error in the seventh inning which occurred with two outs. Despite the encouraging start, Bundy still has a 5.37 ERA on the season, which can be partly attributed to his massive 2.10 HR/9 rate. Tuesday's start was Bundy's first in his last 13 in which he did not allow at least one HR. Bundy will need to figure out how to limit the long ball if he is to be fantasy relevant next season.]]>
Baltimore Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Tuesday's 6-4 loss to the Blue Jays. Mullins got things started by tagging an Aaron Sanchez fastball into the right-center field seats for his fourth HR of the season. The 23-year-old has shown promise in his first stint in the big leagues, posting a .268/.348/.439 slash line with nine RBI and a steal in 140 plate appearances. His speed/pop combination makes him worth a roster spot in dynasty leagues.]]>
Minnesota Twins relief pitcher Gabriel Moya will serve as the opener again on Wednesday against the Tigers, with Stephen Gonsalves being the primary pitcher to follow him. The left-handed Moya is beginning to find a niche as an opener, but he has just a 4.73 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 29 strikeouts in 32 1/3 innings over 29 outings (three starts). He has zero fantasy value in the role.]]>
With 5 2/3 innings under his belt Tuesday night, Philadelphia Phillies ace Aaron Nola was removed from the game, with manager Gabe Kapler calling for Pat Neshek. Neshek would retire the final batter of the inning, earning a victory as a result. It was a disappointing finish for Nola, who allowed two runs on six hits and two walks, striking out nine along the way. The performance, while not, a bad one, continues a worrying trend for the young ace as the season winds down. In three starts this month, Nola has a 5.60 ERA, easily his worst of any month this year.]]>
Trailing in the sixth inning against the New York Mets Tuesday night at Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia Phillies catcher Jorge Alfaro stepped to the plate after his club tied things up. The 25-year-old, who lost the starting catcher job earlier this season, drilled a three-run home run to deep left-center field, giving his team a lead they would preserve the rest of the way. It was Alfaro's first home run of the month as he continues a strong offensive September, now hitting .364 in nine games this month. It was one of two hits for him on the night, as he batted eighth.]]>
The New York Yankees only had three hits against the Boston Red Sox Tuesday night in the Bronx. They still managed to prevail, however, as Neil Walker provided the biggest hit of the game. Starting at first base over Luke Voit and Greg Bird, the 33-year-old stepped up to the plate in the seventh with two runners on and crushed a pitch to right field for a three-run blast. The Yankees were being shut out at that point, immediately taking a two-run lead with the shot. It was Walker's 10th home run of the season, as the Yankees tied a league record of players on a roster with double-digit home runs in one season.]]>
At long last, New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge made his return to the starting lineup just in time for the club to host the Boston Red Sox Tuesday night in the Bronx. The 26-year-old, who was out since late July with a wrist injury, batted second and started in right field. The All-Star would go hitless in four plate appearances, hitting the ball hard a couple of times but failing to reach base. The Yankees will probably have to be patient with Judge, as he didn't go on any rehab assignments before returning to the major league club.]]>
New York Yankees starter J.A. Happ was originally scheduled to make his second start in a Yankees uniform against the archrival Boston Red Sox but would be placed on the DL beforehand. On Tuesday night, however, he finally took the mound as a Yankee against the Red Sox and did quite well. The 35-year-old went six strong, allowing just one run on four hits and three walks. Happ also struck out six, but would eventually earn a no-decision, as he exited with his club trailing by a run. While Happ didn't earn a win, he had himself another sensational outing, continuing to remain a serious option to start the A.L. Wild Card game, although Masahiro Tanaka appears the obvious choice.]]>
Updating a previous report, X-rays turned up negative on Milwaukee Brewers infielder Travis Shaw (knee) after he was hit by a pitch and left the game early on Tuesday. Shaw is likely just dealing with a knee contusion and could return very soon. There's a chance he might not even need to miss a game. Shaw has been useful in all fantasy leagues with a .240/.342/.475 slash line, 29 long balls and 79 RBI in 550 plate appearances in 2018.]]>
Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Lorenzo Cain (intercostal) has been dealing with an intercostal issue and was removed from the game early on Tuesday, according to manager Craig Counsell. Cain tweaked his side on a swing the other day. He was hitless in two plate appearances with a strikeout before leaving on Tuesday. The Brewers are likely just being cautious with their start outfielder, but he could need to miss a day or two. Cain has been great for his fantasy owners in his first year in Milwaukee, hitting .308/.398/.423 with 10 home runs, 82 runs scored, 37 RBI and 28 steals. Get him back in your lineups whenever he returns to Milwaukee's.]]>
Boston Red Sox outfielder and MVP candidate Mookie Betts (side) was unavailable on Tuesday but is likely to serve as the designated hitter on Wednesday. It's great news for fantasy owners, as they'll get their first-round pick back with a likely championship ring on the line to close out the season. Betts is hitting an absurd .337/.431/.619 with 29 home runs, 72 RBI, 118 runs scored and 28 stolen bases.]]>
Detroit Tigers pitcher Jimmy Yacabonis will start on Wednesday against the Blue Jays. Jacabonis has an ugly 7.22 ERA, 1.54 WHIP and 8.2 K/9 over nine outings (four starts) in the big leagues this year. You aren't competing for a fantasy championship if you're even considering using him on Wednesday. Stay away.]]>
Detroit Tigers third baseman Jeimer Candelario (spine) left the game early on Tuesday with a lumbar spine spasm. Candelario had a walk and a strikeout in his four plate appearances on Tuesday before departing the contest. At this point in the season, an injury like that could keep him from playing another game. It'll depend on the team's diagnosis on Wednesday. He's had his growing pains with a .228/.316/.407 slash line, but Candelario also has 19 home runs and 53 RBI on the season.]]>
Milwaukee Brewers infielder Travis Shaw (knee) left the game early on Tuesday with a bruised right knee after he was hit by a pitch. Shaw scored a run in his lone plate appearance before leaving the game. It's unknown how serious this injury is, but hopefully for Shaw owners he won't need to miss much time, if any. He's hit .240/.342/.475 with 29 home runs, 68 runs scored and 79 RBI on the year and has been useful in all leagues. Jonathan Schoop would likely take over at the keystone if Shaw needed to miss any time. Schoop has been terrible since coming over from Baltimore, though, hitting just .190 with four homers and 20 RBI in 39 games for the Brew Crew.]]>
New York Mets southpaw Steven Matz shut out the Philadelphia Phillies for five innings on Tuesday night. Matz allowed just two hits, but walked five batters to go along with four strikeouts. The lefty had to work his way out of jams all night, and the bullpen could not preserve the lead, giving Matz a no-decision. However, the outing lowered his ERA on the season to a respectable 4.03. His next start will likely come this weekend against the Washington Nationals.]]>