Ryan Zimmerman - The Nationals activated third baseman Ryan Zimmerman from the DL on Friday and he went 0-for-4 against the Pirates. Zimmerman struggled before going on the DL, batting just .226 with a .132 ISO and 23% K% (up from 18% in 2012). Zimmerman hit a bunch more grounders (57% in 2013 vs. 48% in 2012), which obviously suppresses his ability to drive the baseball. He's swinging at about the same number of pitches outside the strike zone as he did in 2012, but this year his contact rate on those swings has dropped by 17%. The only encouraging sign is Zimmerman's LD rate, which remains pretty decent at 20%. Despite the slow start, I'm sure Zimmerman will begin to hit soon. I continue to be much more concerned about his inability to stay healthy, rather than his ability to hit the baseball well.
Aroldis Chapman - In a non-save situation, the Reds' Aroldis Chapman was totally ineffective versus the Cubs, allowing 6 baserunners, 3 ER and recording just 2 outs before getting yanked in favor of J.J. Hoover. Chapman had yielded just 1 ER in his first 13 1/3 innings of the season, but saw his ERA rise on Friday from 0.68 to 2.57 for the season. It was a cold and nasty afternoon in Chicago, so it's conceivable the weather played a role in Chapman's struggles. He didn't have good control and, to the credit of Cubs' hitters, they didn't chase much against the southpaw. The weather should be warmer in Chicago today, but it's doubtful that Chapman pitches because he threw 32 pitches yesterday. This is likely just one bad outing and nothing more for the elite closer option.
Ryan Howard - Ryan Howard homered for the 2nd straight game on Friday and 4th time in his past 9 games to raise his overall slash line to .288/.319/.519. Howard now has his ISO up to .231, which is in line with his marks from 2010 and 2011. On the other hand, the first baseman is struggling to draw a walk, owning a 5% BB% against a 23% K%. Howard's chase rate is in line with his 2012 campaign (37% in 2013 vs. 37% in 2012), but he's not making as much contact on those pitches outside the strike zone (41% in 2013 vs. 50% in 2012), which is adding to his strikeout totals. He's maintaining a solid 25% LD rate that's fueling his .329 BABIP. After a rough 2012, Howard is trying to get back to his old self and he's made strides during the past week and a half.
Jonathan Pettibone - Phillies' rookie Jonathan Pettibone made his 3rd career start on Friday against the Marlins, yielding 1 ER and 5 hits over 6 1/3 innings. He struck out 3 and walked 0. Pettibone has an average fastball (90 mph), but uses it to set up his best pitch, a solid changeup that fades downward. In the minors, the right hander has been a pitch-to-contact type, with K/9 rates consistently under 7.00, so he is unlikely to miss a lot of bats at the major league level. So far, the early returns have been OK as his K/9 sits at 7.02. He'll need to improve his GB rate if he's going to have any type of success at the major league level - through three starts this season, his GB% is just 40%. That said, he's a top-10 prospect within the Philadelphia system. As long as he's up, Pettibone's worth keeping an eye on as a daily play against the right lineup.
Carlos Villanueva - One of the biggest fantasy surprises this season is Carlos Villanueva, who gave up 4 ER on 7 hits with 4 strikeouts against the Reds on Friday. Friday's outing aside, Villanueva is off to an excellent start to 2013 by posting a 2.85 ERA and 3.47 xFIP. He owns a 3.00 strikeout-to-walk rate and is enjoying some good luck with a .210 BABIP and 81% strand rate. Most encouraging is Villanueva's significantly improved GB rate, up to 48% compared to 36% in 2012. On the flip side, Villanueva is struggling with the long ball, giving up 1.10 per game, so when the ball does go in the air, it's leaving the yard at a concerning rate. Villanueva owned a 4.50 ERA as a starter in 2012, but if he can maintain such a high GB rate moving forward, he should merit back end starter status in deep leagues and certainly can be plugged in as a spot starter in daily plays.
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