Ketel Marte, 2B, ARI
Marte extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a 2 for 4 day against the Rockies. He hit a pair of doubles, walked, collected an RBI, and scored twice in the contest. Marte was scorching in May and picked up right where he left off as the calendar turned to June. The 29-year-old slashed .305/.370/.466 with five dingers and five stolen bases in 119 May plate appearances. In his previous 107 PAs, he slashed .253/.299/.455 with three homers and just one stolen base. The key to Marte's turnaround seems to be his improved launch angle, specifically getting the ball off the ground more successfully. He posted a 17.4% LD% and 39.5% FB% in May while those numbers were 14.3% and 34.5% previously. I wouldn't worry much about Marte's slow start as he notoriously struggles in the early going. He owns a career .244 average and 82 wRC+ in March/April.
Gary Sanchez, C, SDP
Sanchez went deep for the second consecutive day on Thursday afternoon in Miami. He finished the day 2 for 4 with the home run and three RBI. Before the past two games, Sanchez was 2 for 10 with two singles and one RBI on the season. With a league-low 39 wRC+ at the catcher position this season, the Padres are desperate to find a catcher to give them some offensive output. For the last two days, that has been Gary Sanchez, but given his ineptitude in recent seasons, it's hard to figure that he will have sustained success in San Diego. From the start of the 2020 campaign through last season, the 30-year-old slashed .195/.287/.394 with a 29.5% K% and 90 wRC+. The good news is that with fellow Padre catchers Austin Nola and Brett Sullivan--both of whom Sanchez has already passed in HRs this season--struggling so mightily, he should get ample opportunities to prove that this resurgence is legitimate.
Max Scherzer, SP, NYM
Scherzer gave up two runs (one earned) across 7.0 innings on Thursday afternoon against the Phillies. He surrendered five hits, walked one, and logged a season-high nine strikeouts en route to his fifth victory of the season. Scherzer has dealt with some injuries this season and was scratched from a start in May due to neck spasms. Coincidentally, the start he was scratched from was on the heels of a horrendous start in which he gave up six runs in 3.1 innings against Detroit. The brief time off seems to have done the 38-year-old some good as he is 3-0 with a 1.08 ERA and 28:4 K:BB in his four outings since. Scherzer now owns a resectable 3.21 ERA and 9.06 K/9 in 47.2 innings this season; not the Cy Young numbers we are used to, but solid numbers for an aging pitcher nonetheless.
Kyle Tucker, OF, HOU
Tucker went 3 for 4 with a pair of doubles and runs on Thursday night. The extra-base hits were a fine sight for fantasy owners to see as his power hasn't been up to his usual standards this season. His .277 average and .353 OBP are solid but his .169 ISO is well below his career .226 mark. I don't think there is anything to be concerned about with the 26-year-old right now. Apart from watching more strikes (-9.5% Z-Swing%), his plate discipline numbers have all been solid so far. In fact, his 29.4% O-Swing%, 7.2% SwStr%, and 91.9% Z-Contact% are all career-bests. Tucker's 8.4% Barrel% is a career-low (-2.7%), but his HardHit% is still 1.1% above his career 44.7% mark. Batting in the middle of a dangerous Astros lineup I would expect Tucker to turn it on sooner rather than later.
Jordan Romano, RP, TOR
Romano notched his 13th save of the season on Thursday but surrendered a run in the outing. He came in with a 3-0 lead and promptly gave up a leadoff triple to Rowdy Tellez and walked William Contreras. Romano remedied the poor start by inducing a double play and striking out the last batter to secure the save. The 30-year-old hasn't been as effective in 2023 as he was the past few seasons but his 3.27 ERA and 11.45 K/9 are far from poor. Romano has posted career-highs in O-Swing% (38.0%) and SwStr% (17.6%), and his 5.5% Barrel% is a career-low, so there probably isn't anything to worry about. His 3.50 xFIP is a little off his average 3.38 mark, but not significantly. Romano is currently tied for 5th in saves this season and will continue to be a top-flight closer for the foreseeable future.
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