Roto Chronicles: National League–May 12

Plenty of pitchers made this week’s edition of Ruts and Royalty.
It’s been a busy week on the diamond and there were very little surprises that were conjured up. Players broke out of slumps, players hit themselves out of respectability and the Brewers’ pitching staff seems to have their swagger back (with the exception of Gagne).

Ruts:

Eric Gagne: He was removed from the closer role earlier in the week, after blowing his 5th save of the season against the Cardinals. He gave up 2 runs in the 9th inning walking one and giving up three key hits. What’s more atrocious about his numbers is his ERA. It is an appalling 6.89. He won’t be designated for assignment like Turnbow was, but he should be able to regain some of his velocity and swagger back as the season wears on. Remember when he broke in with the Dodgers? He was a starting pitcher before he turned closer in 2002 and you know what he did then. Perhaps a little time away from his position will help him. Until then, keep him on the bench. Start him against lesser opponents, however, this week he will face the Dodgers and the Red Sox.

Jason Isringhausen: Issy was also demoted from the closer role earlier in the week, and it looks to be permanent. Though he is still trying to figure out his mechanics, he is still good enough to make an appearance in the holds position. The Cardinals will be facing the Rockies and the Brewers, teams that have shown spurts of inconsistency at the plate. His 7.47 ERA is high, but an even worse stat is his strikeout totals. He has 11 strikeouts in 18 innings pitched. That’s not something you want in a closer. He might flourish in the reliever section of the bullpen, but he has shown he can turn it around quickly.

Johnny Cueto: He started off the season well, but has tailed quite a bit. He now sports a very unattractive 5.91 ERA and a record of 2-4. His WHIP is a respectable 1.25, but he has shown that he can be sporadic. It is best to bench him for a couple starts just to see if he can come back from this stretch of bad performances. He is only a rookie, but the Reds might have made a mistake in bringing him along this early. If he doesn’t show signs of improvement in the upcoming weeks, it is best to part with him. On May 11th, Cueto only pitched 4.2 innings and gave up 6 runs.

Justin Upton: Upton has a good .321 average, but he has one hit in his last 11 at-bats. Though he’s a rookie, he has shown some great flashes at the plate. His lack of RBIs in May (6), and his homeruns (1) is a little distressing, especially if you own him, but he’ll be facing Detroit and Colorado, pitching staffs that are struggling. He’ll turn it around, and he’ll be okay to leave in your lineup. Just beware of his recent slump.

Andruw Jones: He is a player on the downhill slide. Jones is batting .170 with only 5 RBIs. To put it in a different perspective, he has 19 hits in 112 at-bats. Even though he is still a solid defensive player, he lacks offense to keep him on your roster. He can only hurt you from this point on so it would be advantageous to drop him. With the great play by Andre Ethier and the resurgence of Juan Pierre, Jones could find himself on the bench.

Royalty:

Andrew Miller: His 6.52 ERA isn’t necessarily that good, but sometimes numbers can be deceiving. He has pitched well his last two games. Against Washington, he pitched 7 innings and gave up no runs striking out 7 in that span. It appears he is making strides as the highly touted pitcher he was destined to be coming out of North Carolina. Against San Diego a week ago, Miller pitched 6 innings and gave up 4 hits and 2 runs. His WHIP is a little high with a 1.81, but if his last two starts are any indication of his improvement, I suggest starting him no matter the opponent.

Yunel Escobar: Escobar won’t get you a lot of homeruns, but he’ll get you a consistent average and OBP. He’s batting a .319 and has a .400 OBP. He does walk quite a bit, walking 18 times on the season. His defensive skills aren’t bad either, committing 5 errors. Escobar’s only a rookie so he looks to have a breakout year. He has shown no signs of slowing down. Start him if you have him. If you don’t, it would be advantageous to work out a deal for him.

Carlos Delgado: Delgado is too good of a player to keep on the bench for too long. His .236 average is deceiving, so watch for him to break out of this rut. He has a hit safely in 9 straight games and he looks to have his power returning to him. Start him if you have him. The odds are very good he’ll get you a hit when he plays. Delgado is striking out less this season than he has in the past, and his patience at the plate will pay off. Give him a little time.

Jair Jurrjens: This import from Caracao is pitching very well and has a 4-2 record to show for it. He has a WHIP of 1.02. Jurrjens has already struck out 41 batters. What’s even more amazing is that he doesn’t give up the long ball very much. In fact, he’s only given up 1. If quality starts are important in your league, he can get you some of those too. He already has 6 quality starts on the year, out of 8. He’s hot and he may get hotter. Start him and keep him.

Tom Gorzellany: Like Andrew Miller, don’t let his ERA (5.97) or his WHIP (1.76) fool you. His last two starts were good pitching an average of 2.57 and 6 innings. He looks more comfortable on the mound and his velocity has gone up to the lower 90s, but the key is his control. He is improving on his accuracy in the strike zone so take advantage of that. Start him, but don’t count on him getting you a lot of innings. He has gotten past the 5th inning only 4 times out of 8 starts.

DL Watch:

Doug Davis, P, Arizona: He is pitching some rehab assignments, but should be back in the early part of next week.

Wandy Rodriguez, P, Houston: His groin injury is now day-to-day, but the Astros will play him sparingly.

Dmitri Young, 1B, Washington: He’s still day-to-day, but the way the Nationals are playing, they may move him up and play him instead of Nick Johnson.
Troy Tulowitzki, SS, Colorado: He won’t be missed that much, but he’ll be out at least to the all-star break.

Mark Prior, P, SD: He has yet to pitch his season and he may not return.

Up and Coming Players:

Tim Linecum: Linecum is pitching a very good 1.61 ERA, and is 5-1. He can also strikeout batters, striking out 53 in 8 starts. He is the brightest part of the Giants’ pitching staff. The Giants have a good player in Linecum and he has a very young career (2 seasons). Linecum’s fastball is also getting attention pitching in the mid-90s. If you are looking for consistent pitching, he is your best bet. In 2007 Linecum slipped toward the end of the season, however, he does have a full season under his belt and his conditioning has gotten much better. He does have 8 quality starts on this young season and he only looks to get better. Linecum has great control of the strike zone and has only walked 18 batters. He’s worthy of an everyday start, and he only looks to get better. He’s only 23-years old and he should be a successful player in his years in San Francisco.