Jake Arrieta - Brian Kersey
Will Arrieta finally realize his potential? Is Wood mixed league material? Should you add Davidson?
Call-Ups
Kolten Wong was called up by the Cardinals. He'll start at second base against RHP for the time being. He was hitting .301 with 10 HR and 20 SB at AAA. I would compare him to Daniel Murphy in terms of value and expected stats moving forward. Craig Goldstein provided some analysis on Wong earlier in the season here.
Jake Arrieta has joined the Cubs rotation and was dominant against the Cardinals on Friday. He's a player whose underlying sabermetric values have suggested that he's a much better pitcher than his ERA has indicated. Arrieta had a 6.21 ERA last year for the Orioles but his FIP was 4.05 and his xFIP was just 3.65. His SIERA was even lower at 3.59. Arrieta has great stuff and has a real chance to be a post-hype sleeper in NL-only and even mixed league drafts next season. He's worth an immediate pickup in NL-only leagues but could provide some mixed league value if he can prove some consistency.
Matt Davidson was brought up by the Diamondbacks to play part-time at 3B. He has great power potential but without a full-time job it will be hard to justify adding him. If you're in a daily transaction league and can add him on a day that you know he is in the lineup then that would be a smart move. In addition, Eric Chavez could be back in about a week, forcing Davidson back down to AAA.
Travis d'Arnaud has joined the Mets to replace John Buck who is on paternity leave. d'Arnaud will most likely be sent back down upon Buck's return but should be back September 1[SUP]st[/SUP] and play in timeshare with Buck thereafter. d'Arnaud's bat could make him a top-12 fantasy catcher next season. He has hit .304 with 2 HR and 21 BB compared to just 12K in 56 AB at AAA. I would expect a .275-.285 average with 12-15 HR in his first full season in MLB assuming he stays healthy.
Notes
Alex Wood needs to be added in almost all formats. He has been dominant in 5 starts since the all-star break, going 2-0 with a 2.73 ERA and a 31:6 K:BB in 29 2/3 IP. Wood has a 2.51 xFIP on the season and pitched with a 1.96 FIP. He was also lights out at AA and AAA with a 1.31 ERA and a strikeout per inning. He'll pitch at St. Louis and then at home against the Indians in his next two starts.
Rafael Betancourt has returned to the Rockies bullpen and he'll likely close out games. He's a candidate to be traded so don't drop Rex Brothers just yet.
Injuries
Yovani Gallardo came off the DL to start against the Reds last night and pitched well. He has been dropped in many leagues due to his time on the DL and 4.91 ERA on the season, however he has potential to be much better than that and if he can string together a couple good starts then he will be worth a pickup in mixed leagues.
Trevor Cahill returned to the Diamondbacks rotation yesterday but will be a matchup play, even in NL-only leagues, the rest of the way.
Carlos Gomez sprained his knee and could be back within a week but with the Brewers having nothing to play for right now I think they'll be cautious and end up placing him on the DL.
Jason Grilli is likely about 2 weeks away from returning to the Pirates bullpen.
Wandy Rodriguez should be able to rejoin the Pirates rotation in about 2 weeks.
Jenrry Mejia may undergo his planned off-season elbow procedure earlier than expected after leaving yesterday's game early with elbow pain. It's not considered to be serious and he should be fine for next season.
Taylor Jordan was placed on the DL with a back injury and won't pitch again this season. He's obviously droppable in any single-season leagues.
Angel Pagan should be back with the Giants by the end of the month.
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