Fantasy notes for June 12
Click through for information on specific matchups, injuries and weather for the day's games.
Starting pitcher rankings for June 12
| Name | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | Felix Hernandez | R | SD | 10 | 4-4 | 3.42 | 1.26 | 1-1 | 4.74 | 1.47 |
| 2 |  | Madison Bumgarner | L | HOU | 8 | 7-4 | 3.26 | 1.15 | 2-1 | 3.58 | 1.23 |
| 3 |  | Zack Greinke | R | @KC | 6 | 7-2 | 3.13 | 1.25 | 2-1 | 4.70 | 1.76 |
| 4 |  | CC Sabathia | L | @ATL | 8 | 7-3 | 3.69 | 1.23 | 2-1 | 3.43 | 1.29 |
| 5 |  | Johnny Cueto | R | CLE | 6 | 6-3 | 2.63 | 1.22 | 1-2 | 4.66 | 1.50 |
| 6 |  | Adam Wainwright | R | CHW | 9 | 5-6 | 4.97 | 1.36 | 3-1 | 3.67 | 1.07 |
| 7 |  | Colby Lewis | R | ARI | 6 | 4-5 | 3.38 | 1.09 | 0-2 | 3.60 | 1.05 |
| 8 |  | Clay Buchholz | R | @MIA | 6 | 6-2 | 5.77 | 1.58 | 2-0 | 2.76 | 1.09 |
| 9 |  | Max Scherzer | R | @CHC | 4 | 5-4 | 5.88 | 1.59 | 2-1 | 6.32 | 1.60 |
| 10 |  | Wei-Yin Chen | L | PIT | 7 | 5-2 | 3.49 | 1.30 | 1-1 | 3.86 | 1.23 |
| 11 |  | Jose Quintana | L | @STL | 9 | 1-1 | 2.05 | 0.95 | 1-1 | 2.76 | 1.10 |
| 12 |  | Alex Cobb | R | NYM | 7 | 2-2 | 4.13 | 1.29 | 1-2 | 4.76 | 1.35 |
| 13 |  | Ian Kennedy | R | @TEX | 5 | 5-5 | 3.93 | 1.30 | 2-1 | 2.33 | 1.14 |
| 14 |  | Jerome Williams | R | @LAD | 5 | 6-3 | 4.02 | 1.33 | 2-2 | 4.32 | 1.40 |
| 15 |  | Mark Buehrle | L | BOS | 3 | 5-6 | 3.49 | 1.15 | 2-2 | 4.15 | 1.15 |
| 16 |  | Aaron Harang | R | LAA | 3 | 5-3 | 3.95 | 1.36 | 2-1 | 4.22 | 1.50 |
| 17 |  | Kyle Kendrick | R | @MIN | 5 | 2-5 | 4.44 | 1.46 | 2-2 | 3.00 | 1.26 |
| 18 |  | Chris Young | R | @TB | 10 | 0-0 | 3.60 | 1.40 | 0-0 | 3.60 | 1.40 |
| 19 |  | Henderson Alvarez | R | WAS | 4 | 3-5 | 3.76 | 1.28 | 0-1 | 5.21 | 1.42 |
| 20 |  | Clayton Richard | L | @SEA | 7 | 2-7 | 4.58 | 1.32 | 0-2 | 3.86 | 1.32 |
| 21 |  | Brad Lincoln | R | @BAL | 2 | 3-1 | 2.40 | 1.07 | 0-1 | 5.63 | 1.25 |
| 22 |  | Bud Norris | R | @SF | 5 | 5-3 | 4.65 | 1.41 | 1-2 | 7.45 | 1.91 |
| 23 |  | Bartolo Colon | R | @COL | 4 | 5-6 | 3.92 | 1.26 | 1-2 | 3.43 | 1.19 |
| 24 |  | Nick Blackburn | R | PHI | 1 | 2-4 | 7.75 | 1.72 | 1-0 | 3.60 | 1.40 |
| 25 |  | Chien-Ming Wang | R | @TOR | 2 | 1-2 | 5.11 | 1.95 | 1-2 | 5.11 | 1.95 |
| 26 |  | Paul Maholm | L | DET | 2 | 4-5 | 5.10 | 1.35 | 0-2 | 6.28 | 1.81 |
| 27 |  | Luis Mendoza | R | MIL | 1 | 2-3 | 5.36 | 1.81 | 0-1 | 6.52 | 1.55 |
| 28 |  | Jeremy Guthrie | R | OAK | 3 | 3-4 | 6.35 | 1.73 | 1-2 | 8.22 | 2.35 |
| 29 |  | Jeanmar Gomez | R | @CIN | 2 | 4-4 | 4.97 | 1.29 | 1-2 | 9.77 | 1.85 |
| 30 |  | Mike Minor | L | NYY | 1 | 3-4 | 6.57 | 1.49 | 1-1 | 5.06 | 1.63 |
Rk.: The author's ranking of that pitcher for that day only. T: Pitcher throws left-handed or right-handed. Opp: The pitcher's opponent for the day. QR: "Quality Rating," or the starting pitcher's matchup rating -- separate from the author's ranking -- which accounts for past history (three years' worth as well as past 21 days), opponent and ballpark. OPS is the primary statistic used in the calculation. Ratings range from 1-10, with 10 representing the best possible matchup, statistically speaking, and 1 representing the worst. So, for example, a 10 is a must-start rating, while a 1 should be avoided (if possible); a 1-2 is poor, 3-4 is fair, 5-6 is average, 7-8 is very good and 9-10 is excellent. W-L: Pitcher's win-loss record. ERA: Pitcher's earned run average. WHIP: Pitcher's average number of walks plus hits surrendered per inning.
We're back to a full 15-game schedule on Tuesday, with eight of these games taking place in National League parks. With the benefit of facing the pitcher spot instead of a designated hitter, these following four American League starters should all produce quality interleague starts for your fantasy team:
Clay Buchholz was snatched up by more than 20 percent of ESPN.com fantasy leagues in the past week, mostly after he threw a four-hit shutout against the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday. This marked his third straight quality start (1.50 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, 7.1 K's/9), all against AL East foes. On Tuesday, his task gets a lot easier when he faces the slumping Miami Marlins, who have scored just 10 runs during a six-game losing skid. Miami is batting .197 with a .281 OBP and .316 SLG during this winless run, with all six games coming at home. This makes Buchholz, who is still available in nearly half of ESPN.com leagues, a great pickup for Tuesday.
Max Scherzer was dropped by more than 10 percent of ESPN.com owners after the Cleveland Indians lit him up for eight runs (five earned) in just 4 1/3 innings on Wednesday. But the 86 percent of ESPN.com leagues that still include the strikeout monster (11.2 K/9) should certainly start him Tuesday at Wrigley Field. Although his dubious streak of eight straight games of allowing at least one home run doesn't inspire confidence, winds are expected to be in the single digits in Chicago on Tuesday night. More importantly, the light-hitting Chicago Cubs have a mere 20 HRs in 27 home games this season, failing to hit a single tater in 15 of these 27 Wrigley tilts. And even with their eight-run outburst on Sunday, the Cubs are still 2-8 with a .238 BA and 8.7 K's per game so far in June. With the way mound opponent Paul Maholm has thrown lately (6.41 ERA, 1.69 ERA in past five starts), Scherzer will more than likely earn his sixth win of the season.
Jose Quintana is owned in just 0.2 percent of ESPN.com fantasy leagues, but the 23-year-old lefty is coming off a strong outing. He held the Toronto Blue Jays to just two runs in six innings, allowing nine hits, but only one walk. Quintana had just one strikeout, but he has a strong minor-league strikeout rate of 8.2 K/9. This could be his final start with John Danks ready to reclaim his spot in the rotation, but Philip Humber (7.50 ERA since his perfect game) could be moved to the bullpen. No matter what the case, expect Quintana to thrive against the slumping St. Louis Cardinals, who have a weak .667 OPS and 9.0 K's per game during a 4-8 slide over their past dozen contests.
Jerome Williams had a poor outing his last time out against the Seattle Mariners, allowing seven runs (5 ER) in 5 2/3 innings, but he did fan six and walked nobody. Despite the bad performance, Williams has tossed 8-of-10 quality starts for the season. Included in this are three straight quality road starts, where he's carted a 3.26 ERA and 6.1 K's/9. His mound opponent, Aaron Harang, has been decent this season, but he sports a subpar 1.50 WHIP over his past four starts. Williams is more of a deeper league play for Tuesday, but expect him to limit the Los Angeles Dodgers, who scored a mere eight runs with zero homers when they were swept in four games in their last home series against the Milwaukee Brewers.
Hitter matchup ratings for June 12
| Overall | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | 5 | 8 | 1 | 4 | | 10 | 10 | 7 | 5 | |
| | 3 | 1 | 3 | 4 | | 7 | 9 | 5 | 5 | |
| | 9 | 10 | 7 | 8 | | 4 | 3 | 3 | 8 | |
| | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | | 10 | 8 | 10 | 6 | |
| | 8 | 9 | 5 | 6 | | 10 | 10 | 7 | 3 | |
| | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | | 10 | 9 | 10 | 7 | |
| | 10 | 10 | 9 | 5 | | 5 | 4 | 5 | 4 | |
| | 6 | 6 | 4 | 4 | | 1 | 8 | 1 | 9 | |
| | 8 | 10 | 2 | 5 | | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | |
| | 9 | 3 | 9 | 9 | | 7 | 8 | 5 | 6 | |
| | 4 | 1 | 5 | 4 | | 6 | 1 | 7 | 6 | |
| | 4 | 5 | 2 | 5 | | 1 | 1 | 4 | 9 | |
| | 8 | 9 | 6 | 5 | | 5 | 4 | 4 | 1 | |
| | 6 | 6 | 5 | 10 | | 10 | 10 | 1 | 1 | |
| | 5 | 6 | 2 | 6 | | 8 | 9 | 5 | 5 | |
Hitter ratings account for the opposing starting pitcher's past history (three years' worth as well as past 21 days) as well as ballpark factors. "LHB" and "RHB" ratings account only for left- and right-handed batters, respectively. OPS is the primary statistic used in the calculation. Ratings range from 1-10, with 10 representing the best possible matchup, statistically speaking, and 1 representing the worst. So, for example, a 10 is a must-start rating, while a 1 should be avoided (if possible); a 1-2 is poor, 3-4 is fair, 5-6 is average, 7-8 is very good and 9-10 is excellent.
• In past two starts, Ian Kennedy has allowed 1 ER and struck out 19 batters in 13 2/3 innings.
• Right-handed batters are hitting .192 against Reds starter Johnny Cueto with 24 strikeouts.
• Adam Dunn is 8-for-18 (.444 BA) in his career against Adam Wainwright, with two extra-base hits and a .667 slugging percentage.
• Entering Monday, Gregor Blanco, owned in just 12.7 percent of fantasy leagues, is 22-for-66 (.333 BA) with 6 doubles, 15 runs and 2 home runs in his past 16 games.
• Madison Bumgarner has not been effective against right-handed hitters this season, allowing 62 hits in 232 at-bats (.267 BA), including all eight of his home runs.
• Jose Altuve is 4-for-7 (.571) with a home run in his career against Madison Bumgarner. Plus Altuve has hammered lefties this year, going 26-for-67 (.388 BA) with 10 doubles, and 2 home runs.
• Bud Norris has been awful on the road this year, going 2-2 with a 7.80 ERA in 6 starts.
• Prince Fielder has struggled mightily in his career against Cubs starter Paul Maholm. Fielder is 6-for-48 (.125 BA) with no extra-base hits and 15 strikeouts.
• In his past 5 starts, Kyle Kendrick is 2-2 with a 2.73 ERA and 22 strikeouts in 33 innings pitched (0-3, 7.32 ERA in his 1st 8 starts).
• Mark Buehrle is 0-2 with an ERA of 4.91 ERA so far in June. An odd trend considering his 3.52 career ERA in June is his second-lowest of any month (minimum three starts).
• Kelly Shoppach is 5-for-13 (.385 BA) in his career against Mark Buehrle, including three home runs.
Bryce Harper, OF, Nationals: Day-to-day, sore back. Harper did not start on Sunday, but he should return to the lineup on Monday night.
Dan Uggla, 2B, Braves: Day-to-day, ankle. He left Sunday's game after being hit with a pitch in the ankle. He could be back in the lineup on Monday night.
Alexi Ogando, P, Rangers: Day-to-day, strained right groin. He could wind up on the DL after hurting himself running the bases on Sunday. His next start is scheduled for Saturday against Houston.
Matt Holliday, OF, Cardinals: Day-to-day, back spasms. He has not played since Friday and is being replaced by Allen Craig in left field. Holliday could be back in the starting lineup on Tuesday.
Melky Cabrera, OF, Giants: Day-to-day, sore hamstring. He has not played since Thursday, but hopes to return to action on Tuesday. Gregor Blanco has replaced him in left field, while Nate Schierholtz has been starting in right field.
Brian Fuentes, RP, Athletics: Will no longer be sole closer. Oakland is expected to go with a closer-by-committee approach for the time being with Fuentes, Grant Balfour and Ryan Cook the most likely ninth-inning candidates.
Yoenis Cespedes, OF, Athletics: Day-to-day, strained left hamstring. He hasn't played since injuring himself on Thursday, but thinks he'll be back on the field Tuesday in Colorado.
Andy Pettitte, SP, Yankees: Day-to-day, bruised hand. He injured himself Sunday while fielding a ball bare-handed, but he plans on making his next start.
Doug Fister, SP, Tigers: Day-to-day, strained left side. He will not start on Wednesday, and his return to the mound is uncertain.
Daniel Nava, OF, Red Sox: Day-to-day, sore left hand. He did not play Sunday, but could return to the field on Monday.
Adam Dunn, DH, White Sox: Expected to play left field Tuesday. Dunn will start in left field, replacing Dayan Viciedo, when Chicago visits St. Louis, a National League park, starting Tuesday.
Tim Hudson, SP, Braves: Day-to-day, bone chips in left ankle. He was scratched from Sunday's start (replaced by Julio Teheran), but Hudson is expected to pitch on Wednesday night.
Carlos Zambrano, SP, Marlins: Day-to-day, stiff lower back. He left Saturday's start early and might have his next turn in the rotation skipped. Wade LeBlanc or Alex Sanabia are the likely replacements for Zambrano.
Brian Roberts, 2B, Orioles: Expects to return Tuesday. He has been out more than a year due to multiple concussions, but will probably be the team's everyday second bagger once he returns.
Jhonny Peralta, SS, Tigers: Day-to-day, Paternity list. The team expects him to return to the field on Tuesday.
Drew Stubbs, OF, Reds: Day-to-day, strained left oblique. He hasn't played since hurting himself on June 5. Although his return to the field is uncertain, Stubbs is confident that he will not land on the DL.
Jordan Schafer, OF, Astros: Day-to-day, pink eye. He did not play Sunday and may not be ready to play on Tuesday.
Octavio Dotel, RP, Tigers: Day-to-day, inflamed elbow. He has not pitched since June 2 and could wind up on the DL.
Placido Polanco, 3B, Phillies: Day-to-day, left index finger laceration. He hasn't played since June 5 and may not return to the field until later this week. Ty Wigginton will continue to play third base in Polanco's absence.
Gaby Sanchez, 1B, Marlins: Recalled from Triple-A. He was in Miami's lineup on Sunday and should see the majority of starts at first base.
Jaime Garcia, SP, Cardinals: 15-day DL, left shoulder impingement. He is expected to miss the next 4-to-6 weeks and was replaced by Joe Kelly for Sunday's start.
Felipe Paulino, SP, Royals: 15-day DL, strained right groin. Paulino was placed on the DL Saturday, but the move was made retroactive to June 7, one day after he left his start in the first inning. He will be replaced by Nate Adcock in the team's rotation.
