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    • The Zach Attack (USAT)

      Cleveland's surge to the top of the AL Central standings has been primarily fueled by offense. The Indians piled up 12 runs and 16 hits in Thursday's romp at Boston, and for the year they're second in runs scored, trailing only Detroit. The Tribe continues to get on base (fourth in OBP) and knock down the walls (first in homers and slugging). Keep your pitchers away from these guys.

      The pitching hasn't been nearly as sharp, posting a 4.07 ERA (19th in the majors). But let's take a second to appreciate Thursday's winning pitcher, emerging 25-year old Zach McAllister.

      McAllister scored his fourth win of the year at Fenway and it was, curiously enough, his worst outing of the season (5 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 5 K). A captain of consistency, McAllister has allowed three runs or less in all nine of his turns, fashioning a 2.89 ERA and 1.21 WHIP. His strikeout rate is nothing special this year (6.27/9), a dip from his 2012 clip, but he's collecting 2.73 whiffs for every walk. McAllister isn't going to beat himself, you have to beat him.

      Read More »from Closing Time: Indians appreciation, Zach McAllister and Yan Gomes
    • No place to hide, Fernando (Getty)

      One day after recording a rocky five-out save, Fernando Rodney took a rough turn against the Jays. So we're back to worrying about him. Or maybe you never stopped worrying. Either way, he's a big, bad-hatted worry.

      Rodney attempted to protect a one-run lead at Toronto on Wednesday, but Jose Bautista greeted him rudely, with a no-doubt bomb. Tie game. Save blown. Rodney then retired Edwin Encarnacion, but gave up a five-pitch walk to Adam Lind. At that point, Joe Maddon had seen all he needed to see. Joel Peralta entered, recording two quick outs.

      We're now 18.1 innings into Rodney's season, and he's already blown four save chances, issued 17 walks and allowed three home runs. In 74.1 innings last year, he only blew two saves, walked 15 batters and yielded two homers.

      Peralta is the clear handcuff in the Rays' bullpen, so get him if you can. He's owned in just 17 percent of Yahoo! leagues, he's pitching well (2.08 ERA, 1.02 WHIP), and he's presumably Plan B.

      When Plan A is Rodney, Plan B better be good.

      Read More »from Closing Time: Yup, we’re talking about Fernando Rodney again
    • Kipnis may own eye-popping numbers by year's end. (USAT)

      Fantasy is a speculative game. Predict the future, and you look like a genius. Don't, and you're painfully human. Gazing into the crystal ball, here's our view on 10 intriguing over/unders this week.

      If redrafting today, what second basemen should go after Robinson Cano: Jason Kipnis, Dustin Pedroia, Ben Zobrist, Brandon Philips, Ian Kinsler or OTHER.

      Dalton – PEDROIA. It makes it easier with Kinsler hurt, and others certainly have a case as well. I know Pedroia has just two home runs, but he currently sports a 11.8 K% and a 13.3 BB%, showing his .333 BA is no fluke. More homers will come.

      Brandon – PEDROIA. I had Pedroia at No. 2 and Kipnis at No. 3 on my final preseason rankings for second base, and nothing has knocked me off that stance yet.

      Brad – KIPNIS. After being locked in cold storage for most of April the Indian has thumped the drum in recent weeks slashing a .346-4-13-12-3 line since May 7, the best overall output of any player in Y! fantasy. With his ISO hovering around .235, it would be no surprise if he flirted with 30/30 territory.

      Read More »from Over/Under: Hot in Cleveland, Kipnis making case for No. 2
    • Oedipus Rex (USAT)

      The soul of Closing Time is the bullpen chase, so our logical first step takes us to Colorado. Settle in, Rafael Betancourt owners, and have your copay ready.

      The Rockies closer has been working through a groin problem for almost a month now, and it forced him out of Tuesday's appearance in the tenth inning. He's scheduled to have an MRI on Wednesday.

      Players are wired to downplay injuries, and Betancourt is no different. Here's what he told MLB.com.

      "It's not painful," Betancourt said. "It was feeling weird warming up. I always push a lot from that leg. I came into the game, bounced the first two pitches. Feel like weak. It was getting tight. That's all.

      "I'm the kind of guy that it's hard for me to come out of the game. But I think it was the right move to do in that situation. [Wednesday] I get an MRI, but I think everything's going to be fine, and we'll go from there."

      It's novel for Betancourt to hope for the best, but we have to prepare for the worst, just in case. If Betancourt misses any significant time, someone's going to get save chances in his stead. Rex Brothers looks like the first name to consider grabbing, with Wilton Lopez and Matt Belisle two other options.

      If the numbers were all that mattered, the left-handed Brothers would be a slam-dunk. He's posted a 0.44 ERA and 1.13 WHIP through 22 appearances, with 21 strikeouts against eight walks. The platoon splits haven't bothered him at all; he's actually better against righties (.180 BAA) this year. He looks ready for the ninth if manager Walter Weiss wants to play it that way.

      Read More »from Closing Time: Rafael Betancourt heads for MRI; Dodgers bullpen still in flux; Mike Trout is absurd
    • Paul Goldschmidt going deep (USAT)

      I wasn’t necessarily down on Paul Goldschmidt entering the year, but he came nowhere near any of my teams, as he was being drafted aggressively, and he played in what I perceived as a loaded first base position. Not only has first base been a huge disappointment in general, but Goldschmidt has quickly developed into a true star I certainly didn’t expect, as he’s on pace to finish the season with this line: .329-43-108-130-14. That’s a monster no matter what position you play. While Chase Field is a huge advantage on his side, Goldschmidt has actually posted a 1.242 OPS on the road compared to .812 at home, so while the former is bound to drop, the latter is certain to rise as well. Goldschmidt’s 23.0 K% suggests his current batting average should drop a decent amount, but the power is for real, and he’s the favorite to lead first basemen in steals. Even if it’s obviously unsustainable, it’s worth pointing out just how terrific he’s been this year when batting with runners in scoring position, as he’s hitting .421/.457/.895 with five homers and 24 RBI over 38 at-bats. He also has 10 home runs over 81 at-bats with runners on base. One final Goldschmidt quirky small sample stat – he’s hit .529/.550/1.471 with five homers over 17 at-bats against Tim Lincecum in his career. That’s right, he has a 1.417 slugging percentage against the former two-time Cy Young award winner. I regret missing the boat with Goldschmidt in 2013, and come next year, he might very well be a unanimous first round fantasy pick.

      This “home run” trot is among the best ever.

      This Ian Kinsler slide wasn’t ideal.

      Read More »from Mostly MLB Notes: Striking Goldschmidt
    • Baltimore RHP prospect Kevin Gausman (USAT Images)

      Back in the off-season, when everyone published their 2013 prospect lists, Dylan Bundy was the Baltimore pitcher who received the most buzz, by far. Bundy was rated as the game's No. 2 overall prospect by both Baseball America and MLB.com, behind only Jurickson Profar, and No. 4 by Baseball Prospectus. He's a huge talent, no doubt.

      Bundy has yet to throw a pitch this season, however, as he's been sidelined with elbow discomfort. He received a platelet rich plasma injection in late-April and he'll be shelved until June. He won't help fantasy owners anytime soon.

      But the O's have another young right-hander in the system, well-regarded by scouts, putting up impressive numbers in the high minors. Kevin Gausman entered the season not far behind Bundy in the prospect ranks — No. 26 at BA, 36 at MLB, 13 at BP — and he's off to a terrific start at Double-A Bowie. He was brilliant in his most recent start at Trenton on Friday, pitching 6.0 innings, allowing four hits and one run, recording 10 Ks. For the season, the 22-year-old has a WHIP of 1.06, an ERA of 3.11, and he's whiffed 49 batters in 46.1 innings while issuing only five walks.

      Over Gausman's last five starts, his ratios are obscene: 1.78 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, 9.20 K/9, 6.20 K/BB.

      Interested? If you're involved in a moderately deep league, you should be.

      Read More »from Farm Report: O’s prospect Kevin Gausman building case for call-up
    • It's raining blown saves in Baltimore (USAT)

      Into the middle of May, Jim Johnson was untouchable, on a streak of 35 consecutive saves. Fast forward a week and he's a struggling closer looking for a break. That's life in the ninth inning. It's time for an audit in Baltimore.

      Johnson suffered a couple of blown saves last week, mostly death by a thousand cuts (with one homer mixed in). His squandered opportunity from Monday came on one pitch, a plate-centered fastball that Travis Hafner deposited into the Oriole Park seats in left-center field. Baltimore eventually lost the game in ten innings, its sixth straight defeat.

      "We will figure it out," Johnson told the team's official site. "I'll figure it out. There's no other option."

      Orioles manager Buck Showalter quickly gave Johnson a vote of confidence after Monday's loss. "Come back tomorrow and watch it again, he was one pitch away," Showalter said to Orioles.com. "Jimmy's a very consistent human being. Professional and a great teammate. We didn't do enough to win tonight. ... It's frustrating for him, but he wasn't the only one who could come out of this game a little frustrated."

      Read More »from Closing Time: Jim Johnson blows another; Patrick Corbin laughs at gravity
    • Alt-Jimenez (USAT)In the middle of April I spent a decent chunk of one Closing Time documenting why Ubaldo Jimenez was a waste of fantasy space. This didn't sit too well with many of the readers, who openly wondered why it was worth discussing in the first place.

      Ultimately, I accepted you were right. We moved the Jimenez file to the storage area and everyone moved on.

      And now, shockingly enough, we have to discuss Jimenez again. That's what you get with this enigma. Just when we thought we were out, we get pulled back in.

      Jimenez has been terrific over his last four starts, collecting three wins and posting a snappy 1.90 ERA. He's walked just eight batters over 23.2 innings and he's struck out 29. There's been a little batted-ball fortune here (.259), but nothing crazy.

      Read More »from Where does Ubaldo Jimenez go from here?
    • All my exes live in Texas (USAT)

      It's the middle of May and we've got plenty to talk about. Jurickson Profar's promotion. Doug Fister's college days. Derek Holland's OPS.

      As usual, we'll do it in chat fashion. I'll provide the polls, you provide the beverages, everyone bring something silly. In Michael Scott's lingo, this is a win-win-win.

      Headed for a magazine mock, so you're on your own for a while. Re-convene at 10:15 pm ET.

      Read More »from Late Night Fantasy Chat: 10:15 pm
    • Jurickson Profar has been raking at Round Rock (USAT Images)On Sunday afternoon, Buster Olney broke the news that Rangers prospect Jurickson Profar — rated by many as baseball's top prospect — had arrived in Arlington. Profar has since been promoted to the big league roster, with Ian Kinsler (ribs) hitting the 15-day disabled list.

      This is an actionable fantasy event, you guys. Add Profar where you can, then return here for additional details.

      GO. MAKE THE ADD. SHOO.

      Profar didn't race out to a huge start at Round Rock this season — he hit just .231/.355/.410 in April — but he's been on a tear lately. He's hitting .415 over his last 10 games, he homered twice on Saturday, and he's raised his slash to .278/.370/.438. Not bad for a 20-year-old at Triple-A. He's swiped six bags in seven attempts so far this year, too, and he's walked nearly as often as he's struck out (21 BB, 24 Ks).

      Yes, we all understand that Profar is just a kid, and it's only the PCL. Plus he'll have no guaranteed spot in the Texas lineup when Kinsler returns (probably soon). There are issues here, no doubt. We can make no guarantees with Profar. Everyone should understand that 20-year-olds sometimes fail. Blah-blah-temper-expectations-blah-blah-losing-advice-blah. (There, satisfied with the caveats? Great.)

      Read More »from Fantasy alert: Jurickson Profar gets the call as Ian Kinsler hits the DL

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