The daily grind: 9-24-13

The Daily Grind provides daily match-up advice for tinkerers and daily fantasy players. I welcome advice to help make this column more effective, including notice of impending weather events, new injuries, and changes to platoon situations. Ownership rates are from Yahoo!

The daily picks are a mixture of Daily League specific advice and information for the more typical fantasy owner.

Today’s weather watch

Atlanta and St. Louis have a low risk of showers.

Today’s grind

A few heavily owned players and a couple o riskier youngsters round out today’s waiver wire fodder.

Tomorrow’s grind

Pitcher (to start): Danny Salazar will face the White Sox for the second time in three starts. Keep in mind that he’s pitch-constrained. Last time against the Sox, he struck out nine of 17 batters faced yet didn’t get out of the fourth inning.

Randall Delgado is a stretch option at Petco Park tomorrow. Since his midseason call up, he’s turned stingy with walks, issuing fewer than two free passes per nine innings (1.86 BB/9). During his six seasons in minor league ball, he averaged more than twice that rate. If he can maintain a pace like this, he should be a solid major league pitcher. Think of him as the kind of pitcher who could appear as a start or an exploit depending on the opponent and location.

Ricky Nolasco is heavily owned at 63 percent, but use him if he’s available against the Giants’ light offense. As with any clinched team, keep in mind that he won’t be pushed deep into the ballgame unless his pitch count is low.

Pitcher (bum): Daisuke Matsuzaka versus Greg Reynolds has the makings of a slugfest. Matsuzaka has actually pitched well in three consecutive outings, but don’t think about starting him.

It’s been mentioned recently that the Indians hit well against left-handed pitchers, right? They’ll likely finish the season as the best against lefties per wRC+ at 15 percent above league average. Tomorrow they face John Danks.

Roy Oswalt at Coors Field has an ugly sound to it. Roy Oswalt at Coors Field against the Red Sox sounds like an explosive run-fest.

Hitter (power): Ryan Raburn and Drew Stubbs have been frequent guests of The Grind recently, despite tepid results. Both hitters have long track records against left-handed pitching.

Not many Red Sox are unowned, but Daniel Nava and Jarrod Saltalamacchia are two options who could be available.

John Mayberry Jr. and Darin Ruf are good choices against Brad Hand.

Hitter (speed): The Adam Eaton and Gerardo Parra duo will face former Diamondback Ian Kennedy.

The Rangers are trying to stave off a multi-month collapse and they’ll want to milk their roster for every drop it has left. Which means starting Craig Gentry against Astros lefty Dallas Keuchel.

Eric Young Jr. hasn’t had a mention in a few days.

A Hardball Times Update
Goodbye for now.

Pitchers to come

Thursday: Ivan Nova is the headline act, but do jump on Dillon Gee and Zach McAllister if you have the opportunity.

Friday: The pickings are very slim after Scott Kazmir.

Saturday: Saturday is a good day to wind up your innings cap. Sonny Gray, Corey Kluber and Yordano Ventura are front line options with strong match-ups.

Noteworthy news

There are several little items worth mentioning. Manny Machado appears to be out for the season with a knee injury. Roy Halladay had to exit in the first inning with “arm fatigue.” Alex Rios hit for the cycle yesterday.


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ABSkippers
10 years ago

Just FYI, I think Francona said they’d let Salazar go up to 100 pitches in this last outing.  I’m sure if he gets into trouble he’ll have a quick hook, but if he’s cruising it sounds like they’ll let him stay in through about the 6th.

ABSkippers
10 years ago

That said, all I care about at this point is the win.  Sox bad, Tribe good and going all out still, but potential for him not to make 5.  would you start Salazar here?

Brad Johnson
10 years ago

Yes unless you have a similarly talented options without a possible pitch constraint.

Will
10 years ago

Danks, nor any other lefty, is pitching for CHW tomorrow best I can tell.

Brad Johnson
10 years ago

I took that right off the MLB website this morning. Unless all the names are wrong, in which case I looked at the wrong day smile