Bo Bichette, SS, TOR
Bichette went 2 for 4 with a double and an RBI on Friday night. The 25-year-old has been on a tear the past three games, going 7 for 15 with three XBH (2 2B, 1 HR) and nine RBI. Bichette was in desperate need of this hot stretch as he struggled at the dish for the bulk of June and July. Before his breakout game on Tuesday, Bichette was slashing .266/.298/.377 with two home runs and 12 RBI in his 161 PAs since June 8th. Hopefully, his resurgence over the past few days is an indication that he is back in the form.
Lance Lynn, SP, CHW
The White Sox dealt the struggling veteran right-hander to the Dodgers on Friday. Lynn is amidst a career-worst season, but the Dodgers are hoping for a turnaround to help them with their injury-riddled rotation. With a 6.47 ERA in 21 starts this season, it's hard to be optimistic about Lynn, even on a much-improved team. However, there are a few reasons to keep an eye on Lynn down the stretch. First, the 38-year-old is typically a better second-half pitcher; his career ERA is .30 lower over the second half versus the first half. Last year he posted a 7.50 ERA in 36.0 first-half innings, while he posted a 2.52 ERA in 85.2 second-half innings. This isn't the best example considering Lynn's start to the 2021 campaign was a mess due to knee surgery, but still, not a bad sign. The other reason to be optimistic is because of how he has been pitching since he committed to using his curveball again in the middle of June.
Here is a look at his last eight starts versus the previous 13 (the left column is 6/13-7/26, right column is from 3/31-6/08):
18.6 CB% - 8.2% CB%
17.4% SwStr% - 11.7% SwStr%
36.0% O-Swing% - 30.8% O-Swing%
12.17 K/9 - 9.95 K/9
HardHit% 38.2 - 41.2% HardHit%
3.45/3.74 SIERA/xFIP - 4.23/4.21 SIERA/xFIP
All of those stats point to a much-improved pitcher, the problem is that over those eight starts, Lynn has still posted a 6.08 ERA. While that is down from the 6.72 mark it was before, it's far from palatable. I wouldn't advise adding Lynn right now, but if he shows signs of life over his first couple of starts in LA, I think he'd be worth serious consideration.
Luis Robert Jr., OF, CHW
Robert hit his 29th home run of the season on Friday night against the Guardians. It was his only hit of the game and just his third home run since the All-Star break. Since the break, Robert is hitting .241 with just one walk and 20 strikeouts. He isn't a patient or contact hitter by any means, but his 36.0% K% and 1.8% BB% in the second half of the season are well above his first-half percentages of 28.5% and 5.6%, respectively. It's nothing to panic over, but fantasy owners would prefer the 25-year-old become less feast or famine rather than the other way around.
AJ Puk, RP, MIA
Puk struggled again to nail down a 9th-inning lead for the Marlins on Friday night. He gave up two hits and a run but did strike out the other three batters he faced to collect his 16th save of the season. Puk has been solid for much of the season but has been a liability at the back of the Fins' bullpen recently. He has surrendered nine runs in his last seven outings, a stretch that has seen his ERA balloon from a tidy 2.77 to a scary 4.59. The ineptitude, coupled with the arrival of veteran David Robertson, should have fantasy owners jumping ship (if they haven't already). Robertson will likely take over closing duties in Miami, giving Puk little to zero relevance in the vast majority of fantasy leagues.
Ryan Jeffers, C, MIN
Jeffers went 2 for 5 with an RBI and stolen base on Friday night. The 26-year-old has handled the bat well for the Twins this season and is making a case to be the team's preferred backstop for the stretch run. He is slashing .281/.385/.438 with a .364 wOBA and 135 wRC+ in 191 plate appearances this season. In comparison, the Twins' top catcher, Christian Vazquez, is slashing .227/.297/.314 with a .314 wOBA and 72 wRC+ in 230 PAs. Vazquez is a veteran and handles the behind-the-plate duties better, but Jeffers isn't bad defensively and has been a much more productive offensive threat. He owns a 44.3% HardHit% and has five homers, while Vazquez owns a 36.3% HardHit% and three home runs in 39 more plate appearances. The transition isn't likely to happen this season, but Jeffers might be hitting his way into a full-time gig come 2024.
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