Clayton Kershaw returned to action yesterday, going 5 IP allowing 4 hits in 1 ER. He threw just 62 pitches. It was a great, albeit short, start for Kershaw; however, I'm alarmingly concerned. According to ESPN, all of Kershaw's fastballs were 90 MPH or slower, while last year, 0 of his 1,142 fastballs were less than 90 MPH. For the season, his FB velocity appeared down 1 MPH. Clearly he can still be effective, but he was drafted for an elite ERA and WHIP, and we may not see that rest of season if he isn't fully healthy. I wouldn't sell him for nothing but I'm concerned.
A sight for sore eyes, Josh Bell hit his 4th HR of the season yesterday, lackluster numbers for the 25-year-old. His HR/FB rate was just 5.4% entering yesterday, down from 19.1% a year earlier. His Hard% is in like with last year (when he hit 26 HR), so I would expect Bell to go on a run here as we see the HR numbers normalize. He'll be a good source of HR and RBI the rest of the way, but not much else.
Seth Lugo started yesterday, going 4 IP with 3 K and 0 ER, which reduced his ERA to 2.21. It was his first start of the season, and it's unclear if he'll make any more as we go forward. He clearly won't last long enough in games to qualify for a win if he does, but a legitimate question is: is he a viable option in Roto? I would say perhaps if he continues to be used as he has; he may well end up with 85+ IP by year's end with a sub-3.00 ERA and a 9 K rate. That could be a nice option at the back-end of a season-long Roto league. But that said, he doesn't have "elite" RP stuff, so the real value would be the number of innings as a respectable ERA rather than ultra-low ERA and WHIP.
Jack Flaherty labored through 5 IP, allowing 4 runs (3 ER) with 5 strikeouts. It was his sixth start of the season. The results have been mixed so far; his ERA was 2.15 entering yesterday, about 1.5 runs lower than his SIERA. Still, he could improve as the season goes on, and he has a legit 28% K Rate that will soften any poor games. I'm buying, but expect a mid/high 3.00s ERA with a good K rate as your base line.
Christian Villanueva hit his 15th HR of the young season. Villanueva is an extremely raw talent, but one that can be extremely valuable in daily lineups. Yesterday marked his 11th(!) HR against lefties, in just 59 plate appearances up to that point. He's batted .358 against lefties, vs. .176 against righties. Approximately one-third of his AB have been against lefties this season, so his utilization won't be high on your team, but he's as hot as it gets against lefties right now, so I'd roll with him in daily leagues given the splits.
