Eduardo Rodriguez, SP, BOS
Rodriguez pitched 6 scoreless innings against the Rays on Thursday, striking out 6 while allowing 4 hits and 1 BB. E-Rod has been one of the most frustrating players in fantasy this season, as his peripherals have been great all year, but the results just haven't been there. Recently, Rodriguez has finally gotten it going, posting a 2.73 ERA in 6 starts since the beginning of August. For the season, his ERA is still a disappointing 4.88, compared to his 3.44 xFIP. He has a very strong 156:39 K:BB in 132.2 IP, but has been hurt by a .354 BABIP. He will likely be a very good value heading into 2022.
Nelson Cruz, DH, TB
Cruz went 0-4 against the Red Sox on Thursday and has been in a bit of a slump over the past couple of months. Since the start of July, Cruz is hitting .213/.287/.388 with 8 HR's in 47 games. His EV has still been good, but not like what we are used to from Cruz. He has also been striking out a bit more than earlier in the year. He may very well bounce back, but you never know with a player his age. He is still worth owning though based on his track record.
Triston McKenzie, SP, CLE
McKenzie was activated off the IL and allowed 1 ER in 6 IP against the Royals on Thursday, striking out 6 while allowing just 2 hits and 1 BB. He didn't miss a beat from before his brief IL stint, as he has now been completely dominant over his last 3 starts, allowing just 2 ER's on 5 hits, with a 25:2 K:BB across 21 IP in those three starts combined. Since the start of August, McKenzie has recorded a 1.85 ERA and 34:3 K:BB in 5 starts. The decrease in walks is particularly encouraging as this the area he struggled so heavily in earlier in the season. McKenzie can still be hard to trust considering the control issues he's had this season, but he clearly has the potential to be a front of the rotation pitcher.
Adalberto Mondesi, KC
Mondesi was out of the lineup against the Indians on Thursday, as the Royals try to keep him fresh and hopefully help him stay healthy. Mondesi has been superb when he's on the field, hitting .366 with 5 HR's, 2 SB's, and a 95.4 EV in 11 games, but the Royals realize that playing him less frequently may be the only way to keep him healthy. He's worth owning even if he's only playing 4 or 5 times a week, but it will be interesting to see how he's valued in 2022 drafts, considering how amazing he can be, but also how injury-prone.
Sergio Romo, RP, OAK
Romo pitched a scoreless 9th inning against the Tigers on Thursday to collect his 2nd save of the season. Both of his saves have come in his last two appearances, with the previous one occurring on Aug 28. Lou Trivino has struggled in his last few appearances and has been dealing with a back issue, so saves may be available in
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