Closing Time: Lonnie Chisenhall steps up

Not that long ago, Lonnie Chisenhall was a pretty big deal in the scouting community. Baseball America and Baseball Prospected both rated Chisenhall on their clipboards prior to the 2010 and 2011 seasons; Chisenhall’s top rank was the No. 25 position from BA back in 2011. Not a blue-chipper or a can’t-miss kid, but a name to take seriously.

Alas, Chisenhall’s career through six years has largely been a miss. But perhaps he’s turning into something in the midst of his age-27 campaign.

The Indians have been baseball’s best team in June, rattling off a 20-6 record and a plus-62 run differential. Chisenhall has been part of the fun, posting a .305/.348/.512 slash with three home runs. He was also useful in May, when he posted an .850 OPS.

If we focus on Chisenhall’s last 45 games, we see a batter who’s controlling the strike zone at a high level: 15 walks, 23 strikeouts. That reflects batting eye, bat control, pitch recognition, the whole thing. The Indians focus on Chisenhall against right-handed pitching (.831 OPS), but he’s improved against southpaws (.792 OPS) and is getting some starts in there, too.

Cleveland doesn’t have a ridiculous offense this year, but it is ninth in runs scored — it’s a group worth investing in. Chisenhall carries two positions of eligibility (third base, outfield) and is available in 90 percent of Yahoo leagues.

• Jon Jay’s rental season has gone fairly well in San Diego. He’s working on a .296/.345/.407 season, a reliable and consistent producer in the leadoff spot.

Alas, Jay’s on ice for a while, down with a broken forearm. He’s expected to miss 4-6 weeks. It’s a pesky hit for the Padres, who were hoping to shop Jay — a pending free agent — when trading season heats up mid-summer.

Travis Jankowski was a capable Jay replacement last week, piling up five walks and five steals while Jay boiled in no-man’s land. But when Jay went on the DL on Tuesday, Alex Dickerson was recalled from Triple-A — and stepped in front of Jankowski, starting in center field. Dickerson went 1-for-5 with a couple of strikeouts.

Dickerson’s Triple-A resume speaks for itself: .382/.425/.622, with 10 homers. To be fair, he’s 26, old for the level. We’re also likely to see Hunter Renfroe at some point; the 24-year-old outfielder is slashing .325/.345/.597 with 18 homers.

(If the Padres ever run out of ideas in the outfield, maybe they could use Melvin Upton in center flanked by a random sailor and The Chicken. Good lord, Upton had a game in Tuesday’s loss to Baltimore, with a homer, a stolen base, and this ridiculous catch.)

• If you want to stop Lucas Giolito, bring your rain delay. That was the only downer to his impressive Tuesday debut against the Mets.

Giolito held the Mets scoreless over four innings, scattering three baserunners in all. The rains followed, and Washington, wisely, didn’t bring him back after the lengthy delay.

Giolito only struck out one, though he did show a snappy mid-90s fastball. I’m expecting a handful of strikeouts when he faces the Reds on Sunday. You can still take a stab at Giolito’s pedigree in 40 percent of Yahoo leagues. We’re owed a splashy rookie pitcher in 2016; the first wave of big-name promotions have been on the underwhelming side.

• Tuesday was a mixed bag for Julio Urias, but a victory is a victory.

He walked six men and allowed eight baserunners against Milwaukee, but still lasted six innings (2 R, 6 K) and bagged his first MLB win. The Dodgers aren’t expected to keep Urias in the rotation that much longer — they’ve been ultra-careful with the prized 19-year-old lefty — but he will likely make a weekend start, at home against Colorado.

Meanwhile, Clayton Kershaw is having his back examined, and a nation of fantasy owners holds its breath.