Jesus Sanchez (OF-MIA) propelled the Marlins to a 5-4 win over the Diamondbacks on Wednesday, going 2-for-4 with a double and a three-run homer. Sanchez delivered the big hit with his three-run blast off Merrill Kelly in the top of the fourth, plating the first runs of the game. He also doubled, giving him four multi-hit efforts in his last five games. Sanchez has suddenly caught fire after an atrocious start to the season, hitting safely in 10 of his last 12 games (.400 average) with 10 extra-base hits and 10 RBIs. More regular playing time seems to have helped, as he was coming off the bench a fair amount in April. Sanchez's 1:12 BB/K ratio and .522 BABIP since April 25 suggest his hot streak is likely unsustainable, even though he has been hitting the ball hard. Ride him while he's hot but expect regression to rear its ugly head soon, so don't spend a ton of waiver wire money or trade capital to acquire him. He was a career .221/.291/.423 hitter coming into this season, after all, although it's possible he could be taking a step forward in his age-25 season after three relatively brief campaigns.
Eduardo Rodriguez (SP-DET) was in top form on Wednesday, firing seven shutout innings and racking up eight strikeouts against the Guardians. Rodriguez improved to 4-2 and lowered his ERA to 1.57 after scattering four hits and two walks while throwing 67 of his 99 pitches for strikes. The veteran southpaw has been phenomenal over the past month with one of the most dominant stretches of his career so far. Since getting shelled for a 6.30 ERA over his first two starts, he's allowed just two earned runs total in 41 2/3 innings over his last six outings. His command has been outstanding with 41 strikeouts against only six walks and one home run during that span. This is the pitcher the Tigers thought they were getting when they signed E-Rod to a much-criticized five-year, $77 million deal prior to the 2022 campaign. Rodriguez's first season in Motown was a bust, but his second one is shaping up to be his best campaign yet. He'll look to keep rolling in his next start against the Pirates at home next week.
Clayton Kershaw (SP-LAD) was his usual dominant self on Wednesday, firing seven innings of one-run ball against the Brewers. It was just another day at the office for the future Hall of Famer, who cruised to his sixth win of the season as LA rolled to an 8-1 victory at American Family Field. Kershaw yielded five hits and no walks while striking out eight, with the lone run coming on a harmless fourth-inning solo homer. Even at age 35, Kershaw is just as stellar as ever with a 6-2 record (most wins in NL), a 2.36 ERA and a 56:10 K/BB ratio through 49 2/3 innings. The only blemish is the seven home runs he's allowed, as his 1.3 HR/9 rate is currently the second-highest of his career. Health is always the key for him, as he hasn't pitched a full season since 2015, but he remains a fantasy ace thanks to his elite ratios and win upside. He'll try to keep up his hot start against a strong Twins team at Dodger Stadium next week.
Anthony Volpe (SS-NYY) went 1-for-5 with his first career grand slam on Wednesday against the A's. Volpe paced New York's 11-3 rout of Oakland with his fourth homer of the year and his first-ever grand slam in the big leagues. Volpe's fifth-inning big fly was part of a seven-run inning for the Yanks, helping them finish off their three-game sweep of the lowly A's. In the process, Volpe because the first rookie shortstop in team history to swat a grand slam. Despite the big hit, the 22-year-old rookie is still batting just .205 on the young season with four homers, 13 RBIs and a whopping 42 strikeouts through 38 games. Despite Volpe's obvious struggles, manager Aaron Boone has continued to leave him in the leadoff spot due to his strong batting eye (12.0 BB%). That likely won't remain the case for long, however, if Volpe and the Yankees continue to underperform expectations. With just eight hits in his last 49 at-bats, Volpe should be benched in fantasy formats until he figures things out.
Andrew McCutchen (DH-PIT) went 3-for-3 with a two-run homer and a walk on Wednesday afternoon against the Rockies. McCutchen turned back the clock with a vintage performance against Colorado, reaching base in all four of his plate appearances and swatting his seventh homer of the year. The big game was McCutchen's first multi-hit effort since April 19, snapping him out of a horrific 7-for-49 skid (.143). Much like the Pirates, the 36-year-old has been incredibly hot and cold to start the season, but his overall numbers are still an improvement over the last few years. The 2013 NL MVP still seems to have some juice left in his bat, and his homecoming to Pittsburgh appears to be rejuvenating him the same way Albert Pujols was in St. Louis last year. Even if he continues to cool off a bit, Cutch is still a solid fantasy outfielder with 20-homer pop who can give you a few steals as well.
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