Fantasy daily notes for Aug. 14
Click through for information on specific matchups, injuries and weather for the day's games.
Starting pitcher rankings for August 14
| Name | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | Jordan Zimmermann | R | @SF | 9 | 9-6 | 2.35 | 1.06 | 2-0 | 2.35 | 0.91 |
| 2 |  | Madison Bumgarner | L | WAS | 8 | 12-7 | 3.08 | 1.03 | 1-1 | 2.88 | 1.04 |
| 3 |  | Josh Johnson | R | PHI | 9 | 7-8 | 3.88 | 1.31 | 2-1 | 1.75 | 0.94 |
| 4 |  | Zack Greinke | R | CLE | 7 | 9-4 | 3.74 | 1.26 | 0-1 | 4.50 | 1.31 |
| 5 |  | Chad Billingsley | R | @PIT | 7 | 8-9 | 3.84 | 1.32 | 4-0 | 2.03 | 1.01 |
| 6 |  | Matt Moore | L | @SEA | 9 | 9-7 | 3.73 | 1.36 | 3-0 | 0.51 | 1.08 |
| 7 |  | Tim Hudson | R | SD | 10 | 11-4 | 3.77 | 1.22 | 3-0 | 4.07 | 1.15 |
| 8 |  | Mat Latos | R | NYM | 8 | 10-3 | 3.81 | 1.19 | 3-0 | 1.65 | 1.02 |
| 9 |  | Doug Fister | R | @MIN | 8 | 6-7 | 3.48 | 1.20 | 2-1 | 2.08 | 1.05 |
| 10 |  | Ian Kennedy | R | @STL | 5 | 10-9 | 4.34 | 1.32 | 3-1 | 4.44 | 1.32 |
| 11 |  | Jose Quintana | L | @TOR | 6 | 4-2 | 2.78 | 1.09 | 0-1 | 4.43 | 1.33 |
| 12 |  | Kevin Correia | R | LAD | 4 | 9-6 | 4.49 | 1.32 | 2-0 | 5.79 | 1.50 |
| 13 |  | Clayton Richard | L | @ATL | 6 | 9-11 | 3.79 | 1.19 | 2-1 | 3.42 | 1.29 |
| 14 |  | Matt Harrison | L | @NYY | 4 | 13-6 | 3.31 | 1.31 | 1-1 | 5.40 | 1.75 |
| 15 |  | Jarrod Parker | R | @KC | 6 | 7-6 | 3.55 | 1.29 | 0-2 | 6.62 | 1.70 |
| 16 |  | Ubaldo Jimenez | R | @LAA | 6 | 9-11 | 5.25 | 1.61 | 1-2 | 5.32 | 1.61 |
| 17 |  | Lucas Harrell | R | @CHC | 6 | 9-8 | 3.97 | 1.35 | 2-1 | 2.66 | 1.44 |
| 18 |  | Hiroki Kuroda | R | TEX | 5 | 10-8 | 3.24 | 1.19 | 1-1 | 2.28 | 1.08 |
| 19 |  | Josh Beckett | R | @BAL | 4 | 5-9 | 4.97 | 1.30 | 0-1 | 7.98 | 1.64 |
| 20 |  | Brian Duensing | L | DET | 3 | 2-7 | 4.46 | 1.39 | 1-1 | 2.74 | 1.30 |
| 21 |  | Joe Kelly | R | ARI | 4 | 2-5 | 3.47 | 1.44 | 1-3 | 4.70 | 1.52 |
| 22 |  | Wei-Yin Chen | L | BOS | 4 | 10-7 | 3.79 | 1.23 | 2-2 | 3.75 | 1.25 |
| 23 |  | Kyle Kendrick | R | @MIA | 3 | 4-9 | 4.86 | 1.49 | 0-1 | 7.45 | 1.97 |
| 24 |  | Tyler Chatwood | R | MIL | 1 | 2-2 | 5.06 | 1.73 | 1-1 | 1.08 | 1.32 |
| 25 |  | Chris Young | R | @CIN | 5 | 3-6 | 4.87 | 1.35 | 1-2 | 6.45 | 1.30 |
| 26 |  | Kevin Millwood | R | TB | 3 | 4-10 | 4.38 | 1.40 | 1-3 | 5.40 | 1.59 |
| 27 |  | Jeremy Guthrie | R | OAK | 4 | 4-12 | 6.10 | 1.60 | 1-2 | 4.19 | 1.24 |
| 28 |  | Henderson Alvarez | R | CHW | 3 | 7-9 | 4.58 | 1.44 | 1-2 | 4.32 | 1.86 |
| 29 |  | Randy Wolf | L | @COL | 3 | 3-8 | 5.46 | 1.54 | 0-2 | 4.81 | 1.48 |
| 30 |  | Chris Volstad | R | HOU | 3 | 0-8 | 6.94 | 1.54 | 0-1 | 3.46 | 1.15 |
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.
Rankings notes
Tuesday's slate of starting pitchers isn't exactly chock-full of great waiver-wire options. Eleven arms are owned in at least 90 percent of ESPN.com leagues, and the remaining 19 pitchers don't inspire a whole lot of confidence, other than Chad Billingsley (81 percent ESPN.com ownership). That said, the best three of the remaining starters could be decent pickups in larger formats. All three are owned in fewer than 20 percent of ESPN.com leagues:
Jose Quintana (19 percent ESPN.com fantasy ownership) has had his ups and downs, but his 3.48 ERA and 1.11 WHIP in his past six starts have helped deep-league fantasy owners in these categories. Quintana also has been strong on the road this season, posting a 3.14 ERA and 1.17 WHIP in eight games (seven starts, one relief appearance). Although his strikeout rate is terrible (4.9 K's/9), Quintana did fan five Kansas City Royals in his last outing, and Tuesday's opponent, the Toronto Blue Jays, has fanned 123 times in its past 14 contests (8.8 per game). The Jays have lost 11 of these 14 games, posting a pathetic slash line of .219/.267/.325 over this span. And considering how bad Toronto's starter Tuesday, Henderson Alvarez, has been since July 1 (5.88 ERA, 1.75 WHIP in six starts), Quintana is a great win candidate as well.
Kevin Correia (1 percent ESPN.com fantasy ownership) warrants fantasy consideration when he's pitching at home in Pittsburgh. In his past seven starts at PNC Park, he is 5-0 with a 3.32 ERA and 1.23 WHIP. Correia also is improving his strikeout rate, with 14 K's in 17 innings (7.4 K's/9) over his past three outings. His career numbers versus the Los Angeles Dodgers are mediocre (5-4, 4.20 ERA, 1.35 WHIP), but Correia did hold the Dodgers to one run in six innings when he faced them in April. And the Dodgers are not a team that flexes their muscles on the road; their .370 slugging percentage is the fourth-lowest road mark in the majors. His mound opponent, Chad Billingsley, has a 2.03 ERA during a four-start win streak, but Correia should still be able to twirl another quality start in his home park.
Clayton Richard (8 percent ESPN.com fantasy ownership) is not usually recommended in road games, but he has been pretty good away from home since June 1. In his past seven road starts, he has allowed more than two runs just once, going 3-3 with a 2.81 ERA and 1.02 WHIP in 48 innings. Richard's 8.31 ERA and 2.62 WHIP in three career starts at Turner Field is scary, but his San Diego Padres have scored 6.3 runs per game with a .769 OPS in the past seven road contests. He's too risky for standard-sized leagues, but for desperate owners in NL-only formats, his recent success makes him worthy of a start Tuesday.
Hitter matchup ratings for August 14
| Overall | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | 6 | 9 | 2 | 3 | | 10 | 10 | 8 | 2 | |
| | 5 | 1 | 7 | 10 | | 3 | 4 | 1 | 3 | |
| | 7 | 7 | 6 | 7 | | 3 | 4 | 1 | 5 | |
| | 5 | 6 | 3 | 3 | | 6 | 3 | 6 | 4 | |
| | 6 | 9 | 2 | 8 | | 8 | 10 | 5 | 5 | |
| | 9 | 10 | 6 | 4 | | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | |
| | 6 | 8 | 2 | 8 | | 5 | 6 | 3 | 4 | |
| | 3 | 5 | 1 | 7 | | 5 | 5 | 3 | 1 | |
| | 9 | 9 | 8 | 7 | | 2 | 3 | 1 | 5 | |
| | 6 | 1 | 9 | 5 | | 3 | 3 | 2 | 8 | |
| | 9 | 10 | 7 | 9 | | 3 | 5 | 1 | 4 | |
| | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | | 8 | 8 | 6 | 6 | |
| | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | | 4 | 6 | 1 | 4 | |
| | 7 | 6 | 7 | 7 | | 5 | 6 | 3 | 6 | |
| | 9 | 10 | 6 | 2 | | 3 | 1 | 3 | 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.
• Astros pitcher Lucas Harrell has struggled this season away from home, going 3-6 with a 5.50 ERA in 13 starts. Harrell is 6-2 with a 2.14 ERA in 10 starts at home this year.
• Athletics pitcher Jarrod Parker has struggled since the All-Star break with a 5.12 ERA and 1.42 WHIP (2.96 ERA, 1.24 WHIP pre-break). He'll face the Royals on the road, where his ERA is two runs higher than it is at home (4.84 road; 2.75 home).
• Entering Monday, Jesus Montero is batting .361 against left-handed pitching with 13 extra-base hits. On Tuesday, Montero faces Rays' starter Matt Moore, against whom he has five hits in six career at-bats.
• Since the All-Star break, David Murphy is 18 for 39 (.462 BA) with 7 extra base hits in 12 home games and 9 for 44 (.205 BA) with 1 extra base hit in 13 away games. He will begin a series in New York on Monday.
• Jordan Zimmermann is 4-0 with a 1.54 ERA and 0.857 WHIP in 35 innings pitched since the All-Star break. He was 5-6 with a 2.61 ERA and 1.124 WHIP in the first half.
• Wilin Rosario has hit eight of his 18 home runs against left-handed pitching this season, despite having 108 fewer at-bats against them.
• Jon Jay is hitting .439 (18-41) in August, which ranks 3rd in MLB. He's also hitting .382 at home this season (T-1st in MLB).
• Asdrubal Cabrera is 15 for 31 (.484) in his career against Tuesday's starter Zack Greinke. Cabrera has the second highest career batting average against Greinke (minimum 20 PA).
• Pirates second baseman Neil Walker has one hit in 9 career at-bats (.111) against Tuesday's starter Chad Billingsley.
Kevin Youkilis, 3B, White Sox: Day-to-day, arm injury. He was hit on the arm with a pitch Saturday and did not play Sunday. Ray Olmedo will replace him at third base until Youkilis is ready to return, which should be later this week.
Denard Span, OF, Twins: Day-to-day, right shoulder injury. He hurt himself Sunday diving for a ball. X-rays came back negative, so he should be able to rejoin the lineup in a couple of days.
Andrew Bailey, RP, Red Sox: Expected to be activated from DL Tuesday, thumb injury. He has not pitched all season after being signed in the offseason to be the team's closer. Boston expects to keep Alfredo Aceves in the closer role for the time being, with Bailey making his Red Sox debut as a setup man.
Trevor Plouffe, 3B, Twins: Expected to be activated from DL early this week, thumb injury. He has not played since July 20.
Mike Napoli, C, Rangers: 15-day DL, left quad strain. This injury has been bothering Napoli for the past week, and Texas finally made the move Saturday. Geovany Soto replaces Napoli behind the plate, with Mike Olt likely to take Napoli's occasional DH spot.
CC Sabathia, SP, Yankees: 15-day DL, stiffness in elbow. David Phelps took his spot in the rotation Monday, while veteran Derek Lowe was signed to replace Phelps in the bullpen. The team is not too concerned with Sabathia because an MRI taken last week came back clean.
Huston Street, RP, Padres: 15-day DL, strained quad. He injured himself running to cover first base Friday. Dale Thayer or Luke Gregerson will take over his closer role.
Paul Konerko, 1B, White Sox: 7-day DL, concussion. The move was made Friday, but the team expects Konerko to be out for more than the mandatory seven days.
Ryan Cook, RP, Athletics: Temporarily removed from closer role. Cook will not close for the next couple of chances in an attempt to get his confidence back. Grant Balfour will pitch the ninth inning until manager Bob Melvin is ready to put Cook back into the late-inning role.
Jason Kipnis, 2B, Indians: Day-to-day, neck stiffness. He has not played since Aug. 8 because of his injury, and it's unclear when he will return to action. Jason Donald is replacing him at second base.
Yunel Escobar, SS, Blue Jays: Day-to-day, sore elbow. He was hit by a pitch in the left elbow Saturday and may need to miss a few more games.
Colby Rasmus, OF, Blue Jays: Day-to-day, right groin injury. He left Friday's game after re-injuring his troublesome groin and hasn't played since. This does not appear to be a major injury that will keep him off the field for more than a couple of days.
Brandon Inge, 3B, Athletics: Day-to-day, dislocated right shoulder. He injured himself Saturday, and will undergo more tests early this week. Inge could ultimately wind up on the DL.
Will Middlebrooks, 3B, Red Sox: 15-day DL, non-displaced fracture in right wrist. Middlebrooks was hit by a pitch Friday, and although he will not need surgery, he could miss the remainder of the season. Danny Valencia was recalled to fill his roster spot, but Pedro Ciriaco will likely split time with Valencia at third base.
Willie Bloomquist, SS, Diamondbacks: 15-day DL, lower back stiffness. Stephen Drew will continue to start at shortstop in Bloomquist's absence.
Jarrod Dyson, OF, Royals: Day-to-day, sprained left ankle. He injured himself Friday and might not be ready to rejoin the starting lineup until the middle of this week.
Roberto Hernandez, SP, Indians: Will make season debut Wednesday. The pitcher formerly known as Fausto Carmona will finally finish his suspension for living under a false identity. He will replace Chris Seddon in the Indians rotation.
Skip Schumaker, 2B, Cardinals: Day-to-day, sore left wrist. He hasn't started since Aug. 7, but has been used as a pinch-hitter. Daniel Descalso has been starting in his place at second base.
Scott Rolen, 3B, Reds: Day-to-day, stiff lower back. He has not played since Aug. 7 but hopes to return to action in the middle of this week.
Nate Schierholtz, OF, Phillies: 15-day DL, fractured toe. He injured himself during Sunday's game.
Jerry Hairston Jr., 3B, Dodgers: Day-to-day, tight left hip. He did not play Sunday, but this does not appear to be a significant injury.
Eric Sogard, SS, Athletics: 15-day DL, strained back. This move was made retroactive to Aug. 7.
