Carlos Rodon, SP (NYY)
Rodon struggled mightily on Wednesday. He not only allowed five walks but also gave up a pair of home runs. His final line: 4.1 IP, 6 ER, 3 K. He fell to 0-3 and has now walked nine batters and given up four home runs in three starts. That's not good. The good news is his velocity is high. The bad news is, so is EV for the batters he's facing. He's giving up very hard contact and has actually even been lucky, only allowing a .195 BABIP. The veteran left-hander is clearly rusty and his control is completely off. Those are fixable problems so it's not worth giving up yet, but it's also best to keep him on the fantasy bench while he figures it out.
Edouard Julien, 2B (MIN)
Julien is taking advantage of multiple injuries to Twins regulars. The 24-year-old rookie was a perfect 2-for-2 with two walks and a home run on Wednesday, extending his hit streak to seven. He has more than one hit in each of his last six starts, including three doubles and three home runs during that stretch. Wednesday's solo homer was his fifth of the month. After struggling with strikeouts earlier in the season, Julien's plate discipline is starting to resemble his minor league record. On the downside, there are some luck statistics that are bound to regress. He won't keep up a .432 BABIP or 32% HR/FB rate. Expect those numbers to precipitously drop. As those numbers come down to earth though, his batting EYE should continue to improve, creating a decent floor for batting average. The biggest concern is whether he can maintain a spot on Minnesota's major league roster or whether the Twins opt to send him back down to AAA-St. Paul. Furthermore, all of his success is coming against righties and the Twins simply do not trust him against left-handed pitching. That will need to be addressed perhaps in the coming seasons. For now, he is a risky commitment but a fruitful output to date.
Nolan Gorman, 2B (STL)
Gorman stuffed the stat sheet on Wednesday, hitting a first-inning home run off Sandy Alcantara and later stealing his fifth base of the season. After hitting a combined 30 home runs between AAA and MLB in 2022, Gorman is trending toward similar power numbers as a full-time major leaguer this season. It tracks with an approach that basically cheats toward home runs (47% pull/47% flyball rates) and above-average quality of contact batted balls. He strikes out too much and struggles to make consistent contact, but he has a legit TTO line that presents immediate help for fantasy owners seeking cheap power, not to mention positional versatility. Gorman is only 23 years old. If he can develop better contact while holding onto his raw power, he can turn into a reliable fantasy asset.
Brandon Bielak, SP (HOU)
For the second time in his last three starts, Bielak didn't allow a run despite giving up at least three walks. The 27-year-old held the Rockies scoreless at Coors Field on only one hit in 5.2 innings. He struck out four but walked three. Walks continue to be his Achilles heel, but his ability to limit base hits has helped, although that is boosted by some good luck. All in all, he has a nice 3.46 ERA, but that comes with a 1.40 WHIP. Meanwhile, he doesn't offer a whole lot of strikeout upside. It's nice to ride the better-than-expected results, but the curtain will be pulled back and your fantasy numbers will suffer. I'd look to offload him before it's too late.
Chase Silseth, SP (LAA)
Silseth outbattled Carlos Rodon on Wednesday, quieting the Yankees offense to earn his second win of the season. It was only his second start of the major league season (his last was May 16, but he nearly completed six innings, allowing one run on four hits and two walks while striking out a career-high 10 batters. Silseth looked good over his last two minor league appearances before Wednesday's promotion, and he displayed a different pitch mix against New York, featuring his slider primarily while throwing only 12 4-seam fastballs. His slider was slower but had more movement. That led to 11 called strikes and 10 whiffs on the pitch, enough for a 54% CSW rate. He can still utilize his mid-90's fastball, but trusting his change-of-pace slider to get called and swinging strikes is a positive development for the 23-year-old. Silseth's role is still in question, but it would seem reasonable to anticipate the Angels giving him at least another start after his strong performance.
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