Things That Make You Go “Hmmmm…”

Mitch Haniger was scratched from Thursday’s lineup with a knee bruise. This is a bit concerning considering Haniger has a long history of health issues. Haniger is having a breakout season, hitting .269/.351/.491 with 17 home runs and four stolen bases in 367 plate appearances. If he can manage to the field he should be a threat for a 30/10 season, but that may be a bit of a pipe dream considering his history.

The Brewers activated Tyler Saladino from the 10-day DL on Thursday and designated Eric Sogard for assignment in the corresponding move. Sogard was a big part of the Brewers resurgence last season hitting .273/.393/.378 in just under 300 plate appearances for the Brewers, but has struggled mightily this year. On the flip side, Saladino has been great for the Brewers this year, hitting .311/.340/.578 with three home runs in just 22 plate appearances after struggling in 2017 with the White Sox. With Brad Miller now in Milwaukee, Saladino may struggle to find consistent at bats to make him viable outside of NL Only leagues.

Max Fried left his start yesterday with a blister. Fried was removed in the fourth inning after allowing four runs on four hits and three walks. This was not the dominant pitcher we saw in his last outing and he was clearly bothered by something. There is no word yet on whether he will make his next start.

That Happened?!?

Luke Weaver pitched eight innings, allowing two runs while striking out seven versus the Giants on Thursday. Weaver made quick work of San Francisco, pitching a perfect game, until giving a single and then a homer up in the sixth inning. This is a nice bounceback outing for the 24-year-old after struggling in a start versus the Braves. In the same game, Johnny Cueto threw five innings, allowing 10 hits that resulted in five earned runs. Cueto struggled with his command and velocity in his first game back off of the DL. While the velocity did have moments where it started to rise towards the end of the outing, this is a bit concerning for fantasy owners. If his velocity isn’t sitting around 90-91 in his next few outings, it may be time to bail on him.

Jonathan Schoop went 2-for-4 with two home runs versus the Twins on Thursday. Schoop has struggled most of the season, so it was a nice sign of life that he was able to pop two home runs. While the average and power have not been where they have in recent seasons, his hard contact percentage has steadily risen some over each month, which may be a sign that at least the power will return.

Trea Turner went 3-for-5 with two home runs, including a grand slam, versus the Marlins. In what appeared to be a lost game after the Nationals fell behind early, Turner and the Nats exploded with a gigantic comeback to win 14-12. Turner is now hitting .280/.357/.427 with 11 home runs and 22 stolen bases, proving his mid-first round price tag was not an overpay for fantasy owners. With the Nationals offense starting to get completely healthy, he should be on track for his best season thus far in his short career.

Marco Gonzalez threw six innings versus the Angels, allowing only one run and striking out five. Marco Gonzalez continues to defy the haters as he is effective with less than overpowering stuff. He throws virtually anything but the kitchen sink on the mound, but makes it work with good sequencing and control. In spite of the lack of true power stuff, he gets a lot of swings outside of the zone and has a nice 46% ground ball rate. While there may be some regression to the mean, you shouldn’t expect it to all fall apart.

What We’ll Be Watching Today

Mike Foltynewicz versus Freddy Perata. Both players have outperformed their skill, but are trendy plays that may be worth fading, especially in Miller Park.

Can Nick Pivetta rebound? In his last start, Pivetta was shelled for seven runs versus the Nationals. Since then, he came in for a surprise save in save a few games later in extras. Pivetta has all the skills to be a top pitcher in fantasy, but has been inconsistent and can be prone to the long ball. He gets a struggling Pirates team in PNC, so that is a nice time to roll him out.

German Marquez versus Félix Hernández . Marquez has been lights out on the road and going up a Mariners team that is a little beat up with Mike Zunino hitting the DL and Hangier ailing. King Felix is dealing with some back soreness, but expected to make his start today.

Dereck Rodriguez versus the Cardinals. Rodriguez is pitching in his final game before Jeff Samardzija returns to the rotation and potentially send him back to AAA. The Cardinals offense absolutely exploded yesterday on the Giants in an 11-2 victory.

Baseball. Lots of baseball.