Marlins place Jose Fernandez on DL, who can you pick up?
By Mike Marteny
The Miami Marlins have placed RHP Jose Fernandez on the 15 day disabled list with a right elbow strain. However, those are merely preliminary reports. There are rumors swirling that Fernandez will need Tommy John surgery and will miss the rest of the season and part of 2015. We will keep you posted.
If you are a Fernandez owner, this leaves a huge void in your lineups. Fernandez had a 2.44 ERA, and a whopping 70 strikeouts in just 51.2 innings. While there is no way to replace this kind of production from waivers, I will try to give you a few names that can help plug the hole in your lineups.
Mar 1, 2014; Jupiter, FL, USA; Miami Marlins pitcher Andrew Heaney (70) throws a pitch against the St. Louis Cardinals at Roger Dean Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
The Marlins could use Brad Hand or Kevin Slowey to replace Fernandez in the rotation. There is the outside shot that they will call up prospect Andrew Heaney. That likely will not happen unless Fernandez misses the rest of the season. You don’t need to settle for any of these options, although if Heaney is called up he will be worth adding in moderate and deep leagues.
For standard ten and twelve team leagues, I will give you names that are available in 15 to 50 percent of leagues. For the moderate leagues, which would be 14 and 16 team leagues, or leagues with a lot of pitcher slots, I will give you names that are available in 50 to 90 percent of leagues. For those of you in deep and “only” leagues, I will give you players that are available in 90 percent of leagues or more.
Apr 27, 2014; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Wily Peralta (38) pitches in the first inning against the Chicago Cubs at Miller Park. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
Standard League Pickups:
Wily Peralta, Brewers: Peralta still has not given up more than three runs in a start, and is posting a nice 2.17 ERA. He won’t rack up the strikeouts as fast as Fernandez, but hey, who does?
Nathan Eovaldi, Marlins: Eovaldi becomes the de-facto ace if Fernandez misses the rest of the year. He has a tendency to be wild at times, but his overall numbers (2.86 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 48K in 50.1 innings) are still very good. He is as suitable of a substitute as you will find on the wire.
Drew Smyly, Tigers: It looks like Detroit is finally going to leave him in the rotation, so he is worth a look. He does a good job of limiting baserunners, but does not have the strikeout prowess of Fernandez.
Sep 1, 2013; Washington, DC, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Jon Niese (49) throws during the second inning against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
Moderate League Pickups:
Jon Niese, Mets: Niese still has not given up more than three runs in a start. He also has a stellar 2.17 ERA and 1.07 WHIP. Niese is proving that he may be more than just a spot starter. His job with the Mets will likely temper his win total, but he puts up solid numbers everywhere else.
Corey Kluber, Indians: Since his Opening Day disaster against Oakland, Kluber has been very good. He has two double digit strikeout games, and has narrowly missed two others. He is one of the few widely available starters that average more than a strikeout per inning. He should owned in a lot more leagues than he is.
Tyson Ross, Padres: Ross had a couple of poor starts at the end of April, but has righted the ship again in May, tossing quality outings in his starts this month. He has only allowed two runs in his last 14 innings to bring his season ERA down to 3.02. He is also striking out almost a batter per inning in May as well. He is worth putting in your fantasy rotation as well.
May 9, 2014; Detroit, MI, USA; Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Phil Hughes (45) pitches in the first inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
Deep League Pickups:
Gavin Floyd, Braves: The Braves have said that Floyd will remain in the rotation after turning in two quality starts in two tries since his return from the DL. He also has 13 strikeouts in 13.1 innings pitched. He is one of the better kept secrets right now, and is worth using so long as the Braves keep him in their rotation.
Phil Hughes, Twins: Hughes has been brilliant during his four start winning streak. He has allowed only six runs in his last 26.1 innings pitched, and has walked only one batter over that stretch. He has never been a big strikeout guy, but as long as he keeps pitching this well, he can help your team.
Danny Duffy, Royals: Duffy has pitched very well since Bruce Chen landed on the DL. In his two starts, he has allowed only two runs. The Royals are going to keep him in the rotation, and he should start going deeper into games once he gets stretched out more. He hasn’t managed to get the strikeout totals up, but that could happen. Duffy was one of the better prospects in the Royals organization last year.