Chris Sale was dominant last night, going 7 IP with 1 UER and 10 K in a no decision. He lowered his ERA to 3.52 on the year. For as bad as he started the season, Sale has settled in nicely. His 2.91 SIERA is elite, and it will just take a little more time for his ERA to catch up. He's not quite as sharp as he was last season, but it's tough to improve upon a 2.11 ERA. If you panicked with Sale earlier, rest easy now.
Andrew Benintendi was 1-for-5, but made the most of his lone hit as he launched a 2-R HR. Benintendi has not taken the "leap" forward that folks were hoping for, and in fact, he has regressed considerably as he's hardly playing above replacement level. That said, he's still just 24 with loads of potential. He's clearly amid a long slump; his 24% K rate is the highest rate at any level of minor leagues for him. He should rebound at some point this summer.
Mike Minor went 8 IP with 2 ER and 6 K against the Red Sox, lowering his ERA to 2.52. While minor has somehow made big strides to his strikeouts, he's been incredibly fortunate with an 87% Strand percentage. In due time, that will normalize closer to his 75% career average, which will cause a meaningful rise to his ERA, somewhere in the 4.00 ballpark. He's a mid/back rotation arm in fantasy formats.
Charlie Morton improved to a sparkling 8-0, going 7 IP with 0 ER and 7 K in the win. His career resurgence has continued, albeit we should be concerned regarding just how low his ERA can sit. Morton has improved upon his K's this year (career high 12.9% SwStr%), but his SIERA of 3.55 (entering yesterday) is higher than his ERA by over a full run. Continue to expect very solid results, just not an ERA near the Mendoza line.
Jurickson Profar was 0-for-4, as his BA sits barely above .200 for the season. Profar was a mid-round pick with a ton of upside in the preseason, but he's been so far below replacement level that he's likely not rostered on many teams. The culprit to his struggles is some skill deterioration, and also luck. His BABIP is downs 65(!) points from last season. While the extra average would be great, it still wouldn't put Profar to a level that would make him fantasy relevant in 2019.
