Closing Time: Lewis Brinson gets the call, Eduardo Nunez gets shipped
Lewis Brinson is the latest prospect getting called up who deserves your fantasy attention. He struggled mightily during his first stint in Milwaukee earlier this year, going 3-for-31. But that’s obviously a small sample, and the former first round pick destroyed minor league pitching after getting sent back down, as he’s hit .345 with 10 homers and 11 steals over 68 games in Triple-A this year (owning a strong 151 wRC+). It’s unlikely the Brewers called him up not to be an everyday player, and he finds himself in a good situation in a lineup that’s scored the seventh-most runs in baseball in 2017. Moreover, Miller Park is one of the best hitter’s parks in the league, as only Coors and Chase Field have increased run scoring more in the NL over the past three seasons. Brinson is still available in more than 90 percent of Yahoo leagues, a number that will surely start changing soon.
Eduardo Nunez was removed in the middle of Tuesday night’s game, and it quickly became apparent he had been traded (later revealed to Boston for a couple of minor pitching prospects). Nunez goes from an extreme pitcher’s park to an extreme hitter’s one, and the switch in leagues shouldn’t matter given how familiar he is with the AL. But this ultimately looks like a hit to his fantasy value, as he’s likely to be in a utility role with the Red Sox. Newly called up mega prospect Rafael Devers is going to get a shot to be the team’s everyday third baseman, but he’ll need to hit to keep the job, and of course unforeseen injuries happen. Nunez shouldn’t be dropped in fantasy leagues, and he now possesses more upside than before should he get an everyday role, but as of now, he’s looking at fewer at bats in Boston.
Quick Hits: With Anthony Swarzak traded to the Brewers, Tyler Clippard is now the favorite to close for the White Sox. He’s owned in just 16 percent of leagues…Madison Bumgarner’s win Tuesday was his first of the season…Despite an extremely tough schedule over the first seven starts of his career, Luis Castillo sits with a 4.05 ERA with 45 strikeouts over 40.0 innings. His situation isn’t ideal given a lack of run support and a tough hitter’s park to deal with, but Castillo’s averaged 97.7 mph with his fastball while producing a 12.0 SwStr%. There’s legit upside here, and he’s still available in nearly 80 percent of leagues…After blowing a 7-0 lead, Cleveland had a walk-off grand slam in extra innings (it was a huge game for Bradley Zimmer, who finished with a homer, four RBI and two steals)…Travis Shaw is now on pace to finish with 92 runs scored, 37 homers, 116 RBI and 11 steals. He was practically free during drafts in March.
Harrison Bader is an interesting prospect who was just called up in St. Louis worth adding in deeper formats with Dexter Fowler on the disabled list. He scored the walk-off run during his MLB debut Tuesday…Teammate Paul DeJong just keeps hitting, as he’s now up to 13 homers over 178 at bats this season. His 58:4 K:BB ratio is pretty ugly, but DeJong has recently been moved to the No. 3 spot in the Cardinals’ lineup, and he’s eligible at 2B/3B/SS and available in 50 percent of leagues still…During his first home at bat with the Yankees, Todd Frazier hit into a triple play, marking the first time in 11 years a run scored during such a play…This home run Tuesday night with the assist of a Triple-A outfielder’s head made Jose Canseco jealous…Over his last 10 starts, Charlie Morton has a 3.67 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP with 73 strikeouts over 61.1 innings. He should continue to rack up wins pitching for the Astros and is available in 56 percent of leagues…Joey Gallo is on pace to hit 41 homers while batting .199. He’s one of three Rangers who’ve hit at least 20 homers so far this season with a batting average of .215 or lower (Mike Napoli and Rougned Odor being the others).
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