There was a lot of buzz coming into Sunday about NBA free agency, but MLB did its part to keep up with the headlines. The Yankees and Red Sox clashed in London, capping off an exciting weekend across the pond which saw the Yankees take both games from their division rivals. But that’s not all — let’s get to the rest of happening from around the diamond on Sunday
Sho-Time!
Watch out people, Shoehei Ohtani is back and contributing in a big way. Ohtani laced two solo home runs and is hitting .370 over the last 28 days. He is one of the hottest hitters in baseball, reminding everyone why he was the rook of the year last season.
Gallo, Gallo, Gone!
Remember when Joey Gallo wasn’t reliable? The 2019 All Star is showing no signs of rust coming back from an oblique injury and decided to turn on a Blake Snell offering to remind everyone of his power. This is a breakout season for Gallo, and if it weren’t for the oblique injury that sidelined him, we could of seen him starting in the 2019 All Star game instead of being a reserve.
Paul Not So Much GOLD-Schmidt
The St. Louis fan base was thrilled to have Paul Goldschmidt manning a corner infield spot for the 2019 season. If you ask the Cardinals fanbase how their field about the big 1B now, they would be signing a different tune. Goldschmidt looks lost at the plate, batting a putrid .050 over his last seven games. Goldschmidt has my vote for the most disappointing first half performance and I don’t see a change coming quickly enough to make a huge difference rest of season.
Matt Chapman Surging
Chapman is surging up my 3B rankings, and he’ll be climbing a bit more after his performance from Sunday. He terrorized the Angels pitching staff, going 3-for-5 and was a single away from a cycle. His day included six RBI and two runs. Chapman is a top 10 third baseman in fantasy and has the plate discipline and power to stay in the top 10 the rest of the way.
Scherzer Dominant
Max Scherzer was masterful again on Sunday, striking out 14 hitters in eight strong innings to propel the Nats to a victory over the lowly Tigers. The best pitcher in baseball is still mowing down opposing offenses and giving his team a chance to win every fifth day. This past week Scherzer pitched 16 innings, struck out 24 and gave up two runs.
Injuries
JT Realmuto was removed from Sunday’s game against the Marlins because of a left hamstring injury. The catcher stated after the game concluded that he could have stayed in if the score was more competitive. The Phillies have an off day on Monday and return to action on Tuesday against the Braves. Monitor Realmuto’s progress over the next 24 hours and be prepared to have a backup in place for the full week.
Gary Sanchez takes a couple steps forward, and then a few steps back. The slugging catcher had to leave Sunday’s game against the Red Sox after he jammed his left thumb on a pitch in the bottom of the eighth inning. Luckily, the Yanks have an off day on Monday before their scheduled series with the Mets begins on Tuesday. The injury does not seem serious so expect Sanchez to be in the lineup for the week.
It seems to me that Matt Carpenter is breaking down in his age 33 season. He is battling a stomach issue and was not in the lineup on Sunday. Carpenter has missed four straight games, and it has not been clear if the stomach issues are to blame. This could be the break from action Carpenter needs to get back on track. Hitting .216 this season is underwhelming, and I would suggest finding a more serviceable first baseman/third baseman to plant in your lineup until Carpenter finds himself on one of his heaters.
The Yankees cannot catch a break. This time, it was Luke Voit who was absent from the Yankees lineup card on Sunday. The abdomen injury isn’t concerning to Voit or manager Aaron Boone, considering Voit was able to take batting practice. Voit should avoid the IL, which should keep fantasy managers optimistic that he will contribute in some fashion this week.
Transactions
Jose Ramirez returned to the Indians lineup from the paternity list. Ramirez has been scuffling all season and could benefit from a short absence. Feel comfortable putting him in your everyday lineup, but it may be time to explore a trade if Ramirez continues to be baffled at the plate after the All Star break.
Noah Syndergaard was on the mound Sunday for the Metropolitans after spending the last 10 days on the IL. Thor looked durable as he threw 106 pitches against the Braves. Even though the Mets have had their issues with health, Syndergaard deserves to be started each and every week for your fantasy team.
