Emmanuel Clase, RP, CLE
Clase has been placed on administrative leave as part of a sports-betting investigation by MLB. He will be out until at least until August 31, but it's obviously possible that he ends up missing more time than that. This is a devastating blow for Clase owners who have been relying on him as one of the steadiest sources of saves in the league. It's tough to cut bait with a guy who cost so much on draft day, but unless you have an extra roster spot to spare, it may be time to move on from Clase, as he may very well have little to no utility for the rest of the season. With Clase out, Cade Smith is the favorite to take on the closer role for the Guardians.
Cade Smith, RP, CLE
With Emmanuel Clase being placed on administrative leave, Smith is likely the favorite to take on the 9th inning duties for the Guardians. He got the save opportunity against the Rockies on Monday, but blew the lead by allowing 4 runs (1 ER) in the 9th inning. Smith has had a strong season as Cleveland's setup man, entering Monday with a 3.02 ERA, 2.89 xFIP, 1.19 WHIP and 13.10 K/9 across 44.2 IP. His overall numbers are not quite as good as last season when he finished with a 1.91 ERA and 0.90 WHIP across 75.1 IP, and his walk rate has jumped a bit this year to 3.43 BB/9. But his SwStr% has increased to 15.8% and he remains one of the best relievers in all of baseball. With Clase out for at least a month and possibly more, Smith is a must-add in virtually all fantasy leagues.
Troy Melton, SP, DET
Melton made his 2nd career MLB start against the Diamondbacks on Monday, and he was excellent, allowing just 5 hits across 7 shutout IP, while striking out 5 without a BB. This was a big improvement over his first outing in which he allowed 6 ER's in 5 IP, although he posted a strong 7:2 K:BB in that game as well. Across 18 appearances (16 starts) in the minors this season, Melton recorded an excellent 2.99 ERA and 101:20 K:BB through 75.1 IP, and he has carried some of that success to the big leagues, posting a 12:2 K:BB across 12 IP. If he keeps this up, the Tigers should give him plenty of opportunity to continue making starts for Detroit.
Chase Burns, SP, CIN
Burns struck out 10 batters in 5.2 IP against the Rays on Monday, allowing 3 ER's on 6 hits and 1 BB in the contest. He has now struck out exactly 10 batters in 3 consecutive starts and has an incredible 14.82 K/9 through 6 starts, yet he still has an ugly 6.26 ERA. The high ERA is mostly a result of bad luck as he has a .400 BABIP and 54.9% LOB%, while his xFIP is at a shiny 2.53. Don't give up the rookie just yet as he is bound to have much better days ahead.
Josh Jung, 3B, TEX
Jung went 1-4 with a HR against the Angels on Monday as he continues to hit since being recalled to the big leagues. Since returning to the Rangers about a week ago, Jung has hit .409 with 2 HR's in 7 games and has recorded at least 1 hit in each contest. It's a small sample size, but he has been hitting the ball harder than he was for most of the season, so perhaps he can get back to the form that saw him hit 23 HR's in 122 games as a rookie two years ago.
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