The Colorado Rockies need more offense. That might seem ridiculous, since the Rockies are annually among the league leaders in runs scored, thanks to playing half their games in the thin air of Coors Field and rostering star infielders Nolan Arenado and Trevor Story, plus outfielder Charlie Blackmon. Still, despite a rousing 8-2 road win Tuesday against the Padres, this club is 25th in runs scored. Sure, the Rockies have played only five home games, tied for the fewest in the sport, but they have hit .242 in those games. This is not, despite the stars, a loaded lineup, though it is missing two of the five players rostered in at least 70 percent of ESPN leagues due to injury in Daniel Murphy and David Dahl.
Perhaps rookie Garrett Hampson can join that group in roster popularity. The 24-year-old middle infielder handled center field on Tuesday and registered his first home run and stolen base of the young season. Hampson, eligible in ESPN standard leagues at second base and shortstop, hit for average all through the minor leagues and stole many bases, and he had fantasy managers excited during drafts. Power is not his game, but it never stopped former Rockies second baseman DJ LeMahieu from helping many fantasy managers. Hampson can hit for average, despite a slow start in that department, and steal bases. Not every hitter on a fantasy roster needs to bash 25 home runs. He also hit second on Tuesday.
The Rockies tend to make odd personnel moves to block their young players -- notably Ryan McMahon of late -- and Hampson will need to raise his .200 batting average to continue seeing playing time when Murphy, Dahl and McMahon return to health, as well as Ian Desmond, who is just terrible but the organization seems to have no idea. Desmond missed Tuesday with a leg injury, but it is not likely to keep costing him games. I do recommend Desmond in fantasy because he is one of the few likely bets to challenge for 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases annually, but he cannot hit for average and there are no Gold Gloves coming his way. Hampson, if finances were not an issue, deserves his playing time. We shall see if the Rockies concur.
Story was part of the story in the win at San Diego for his two hits and three stolen bases, though in fairness the San Diego battery was no match for anyone that desired to run. Mark Reynolds, noted speedster he is, stole a base, giving him six over the past five seasons. Story stole a stunning 27 bases a season ago and perhaps he challenges that mark again. It is one of the ways Story differentiates himself from other power-hitting middle infielders. He hits and runs. Arenado hits. Blackmon usually does, so be patient there.
Neither rookie lefty Nick Margevicius nor rookie catcher Francisco Mejia seem the least bit equipped to stop a running game, as shown Tuesday by the five Rockies steals. They entered Tuesday with three steals in 17 games! Margevicius is a great story, for the aggressive way he landed at a college to play ball at Rider (Google it) to his meteoric rise skipping the top minor league levels to make this rotation, but his stuff is merely average. Hitters eventually figure out deception for most hurlers. The risk with Mejia, other than his defense, is he is not hitting at all. A trip to Triple-A for Mejia and Tuesday's starting pitcher could occur in May if things continue to trend this way.
Tuesday recap
Box scores
Highlights
• Yoan Moncada, 2B/3B, Chicago White Sox: 2-for-4, 2 HR
• Scott Kingery, SS, Philadelphia Phillies: 3-for-4, HR, 5 RBI
• Trevor Story, SS, Colorado Rockies: 2-for-4, R, 3 SB
• James Paxton, SP, New York Yankees: 8 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 12 K
• Mike Minor, SP, Texas Rangers: 9 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 7 K
Lowlights
• Mitch Moreland, 1B, Boston Red Sox: 0-for-4, 3 K
• Jose Abreu, 1B, Chicago White Sox: 0-for-4, 3 K
• Steven Matz, SP, New York Mets: 0 IP, 4 H, 8 R, 6 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
• Nick Margevicius, SP, San Diego Padres: 4 IP, 7 H, 5 ER, 1 BB, 7 K
• Jack Flaherty, SP, St. Louis Cardinals: 2 2/3 IP, 9 H, 5 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
Tuesday takeaways
Steven Matz had himself a bad day.
He became just the 6th starting pitcher since the mound was moved to its current distance in 1893 to allow 8 runs without recording an out.
Only 3 franchises have had this occur: the Mets, Athletics, and Reds. They've each had it happen twice. pic.twitter.com/lQ6y8sk787
- ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) April 17, 2019
• Now you buy, in theory. I know it seems crazy, but Matz permitted three earned runs over his first three starts, totaling 16 1/3 innings, and then on Tuesday, well, it was a bad night. A short, bad night. Stuff happens. Many Matz investors will dump him today as his ERA rose from 1.65 to 4.96, but you know he will make improvements. You know he is not this bad. You know his biggest problem even before debuting in the majors in 2015 has been health, rarely performance. The problem with recommending Matz in the short term is his next outing should be Monday at home against these same Phillies, a team loaded with right-handed power that should regularly torture lefty pitchers, and then home and away starts against the loaded Brewers. After that, however, it could be Miami twice. If he's healthy. OK, do what you want. My argument has holes, but in the end, over 25 starts, I see a 3.75 ERA, if you can believe it, so yeah, you buy Mr. Matz.
• Popular sleeper right-hander Nick Pivetta won the Matz Massacre but did not pitch well, making it through five inefficient innings with myriad base runners. Jerad Eickhoff replaced him for the rare four-inning save (change this ridiculous rule, as well as the wins rule, please), a harbinger of Wednesday's transaction, as Pivetta and his 8.35 ERA and 2.13 WHIP were unceremoniously punted to Triple-A Lehigh Valley with Eickhoff replacing him in the rotation. This is quite the knock for Pivetta lovers, guaranteeing stardom because his 4.40 career FIP seemed more representative of his true skills than his gnarly 5.51 ERA. That remains the case, though. Pivetta continually underachieves, despite strong K rates and decent control, and many believe his eventual role is in the bullpen. This team does need a closer, you know. Eickhoff was steady in 2016 and finally regained health. The Phillies are in win-now mode. If fantasy managers are, they cannot wait for frustrating Pivetta.
• The Boston Red Sox designated intriguing Blake Swihart for assignment, but with the state of catching around the league he should find a new home quickly. The question is whether fantasy managers should invest. Well, with regular playing time, it is reasonable to view Swihart, 27, as a potential top-20 catcher in our game, for he has shown decent plate skills at times, steals bases and perhaps the pop will develop. After all, I simply cannot find 20 catchers worthy of top-20 status. Ignore in ESPN mixed leagues with only one catcher needed, but watch this situation for multi-catcher formats, because Swihart could be playing regularly soon.
• San Francisco Giants outfielder Kevin Pillar stole his third base in 18 games as a Giant, to go with his four home runs and 14 runs batted in. He is also hitting .180 with a .197 OBP in that span, so he has been all or nothing. The averages will improve and this underrated fantasy option, who averaged 12 home runs and 17 steals over four full-time seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays, should be more popular in mixed roto (not points) formats.
Health report
• Tampa Bay Rays lefty Blake Snell, the defending AL Cy Young award winner, could miss only one start after breaking a toe moving bathroom furniture. Yes, these are actual people and despite vast riches, they still break body parts during inane activities. The good news here is the expectation is that Snell misses only one start. It is probably more like two, but still, do not panic. Do not even bench him in weekly formats, since he could start next week.
• Philadelphia Phillies infielders Rhys Hoskins and Jean Segura are nursing minor injuries. Hoskins missed the Matz Massacre on Tuesday with a sprained ankle suffered on a stolen base attempt. He expects to play Wednesday. Segura hurt a hamstring rounding the bases Tuesday and he likely misses a game or two. Since Scott Kingery looks like a vastly different hitter this season, a minimum injured list stay for the durable Segura is possible as well. We advise fantasy managers to invest in skills and not roles, and I loved Kingery a season ago for his potential five-category goodness. Now he is showing it. He could supplant second baseman Cesar Hernandez or Odubel Herrera or simply sit five days a week, but in deep formats, take a chance. One issue: I do not see manager Gabe Kapler allowing his team to steal many bases. Kingery might be an eventual 20/20 option in other places, but not in Philly.
Closing time
• The Atlanta Braves have a bullpen issue. Really, much of the NL East does as well. Lefty A.J. Minter turned a 6-6 game in the ninth inning into a 9-6 loss, and quickly, and with right-hander Arodys Vizcaino on the injured list with shoulder problems and Craig Kimbrel still playing golf awaiting trillions of dollars, someone has to be next in line. Right-hander Dan Winkler was solid in 2018, registering 23 holds, but started this year in Triple-A. He is back now. I bet Minter, unless he is hurt, gets the next chance, but Winkler, over Chad Sobotka and Luke Jackson, is next for saves.
• Rays lefty Jose Alvarado seemed in control of the saves role and then he pitched the eighth inning Tuesday, facing Orioles switch-hitter Jonathan Villar, right-handed power bat Trey Mancini and lefty Dwight Smith Jr. While not formidable, it is the best Baltimore can offer, so it makes sense for the top reliever Alvarado to face it. Then again, it could mean right-hander Diego Castillo, who closed the game sans incident, is in line for double-digit saves as he shares the role. Hmmm.
W2W4
• The Red Sox and Yankees complete a brief two-game series, with Nathan Eovaldi and J.A. Happ the starting combatants, and neither has shown much to fantasy managers. Eovaldi boasts an 8.40 ERA and 1.87 WHIP; Happ is at 8.76 and 1.95! Still, while I activate neither hurler in this matchup, investing in Happ after this is smart. He is durable and features four consecutive seasons of an ERA of 3.65 or better, with stronger strikeout rates than most realize. He won 17 games last season, 20 in 2016. Invest. This will get better. I do not know about Eovaldi, the right-hander with the big, straight fastball that has struggled with control. He was likely overrated this spring off his World Series heroics. He is not durable. Pass, even against this shell of a Yankees lineup flooded with fill-ins due to injury.
• Cleveland Indians right-hander Carlos Carrasco comes off a miserable outing in which he could not escape the first inning at Kansas City of all places. Seattle Mariners right-hander Erik Swanson makes his first big league start against a sputtering offense. The prize of the James Paxton trade, Swanson intrigues many of us and he could stick around if performance warrants. Still, he is risky in his debut. Carrasco faces a tougher lineup, but his track record is fantastic. Unless he is hurt -- one never knows -- then stick with him.
Most recent KaraBlogs
• Tuesday, April 16: Closer report, Raisel Iglesias struggles
• Monday, April 15: Weekend wrap, Clayton Kershaw value
• Thursday, April 11: Free agents to get, including Dansby Swanson
• Wednesday, April 10: Extra-base hit strugglers, Tommy Pham, Eloy Jimenez
• Tuesday, April 9: Closer report, underrated Shane Greene