Closers and Saves Report - Week 13 Waiver Wire

No, Craig is not short for Craigory, but yes, Craig Kimbrel has finally joined a Major League Baseball team in 2019. The Red Sox bullpen, meanwhile, continues to be a mess. In Atlanta, Luke Jackson is seeing objects in his rear view mirror, and they may be a lot closer than they appear. A few […]

Adam Wainwright Pitches Well in Wednesday's Loss

St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Adam Wainwright pitched well on Wednesday but took the loss. He tossed 6 2/3 innings, allowing two runs on seven hits and a walk. He struck out nine and threw 105 pitches on the night. Despite his efforts, Wainwright was given his seventh loss, dropping to 5-7. His ERA stands […]

Jack Flaherty Struggles on Tuesday Against the A's

St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Jack Flaherty had a rough time on Tuesday night, allowing seven runs on nine hits and a walk in 4 2/3 innings. He struck out five and allowed three home runs among his 92 pitches. Flaherty has shown his upside now and then, but his 4.75 ERA shows how inconsistent […]

Brad Hand Explodes on Tuesday

Cleveland Indians closer Brad Hand blew his first save of the season on Tuesday in spectacular fashion, allowing five runs on five hits without recording a single out. Hand faced five batters, and all five reached base. Hunter Dozier's grand slam was the exclamation point on what will likely be Hand's worst outing of the […]

Shane Bieber Does OK On Tuesday

Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Shane Bieber was OK on Tuesday, firing 5 1/3 innings while allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits and two walks. He struck out six and threw an even 100 pitches. Bieber escaped with a no decision in a game Cleveland eventually lost 8-6. He'll take a 3.83 ERA into […]

Jason Kipnis Enjoys a Three-Hit Game on Monday

Cleveland Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis played well on Monday, going 3-for-5 with a home run and two singles. He scored a run and drove one in, both on the solo shot. Kipnis had a very slow start to the season, but he's been on fire lately, raising his slash line to .248/.305/.387. He's a […]

Adam Plutko's Start Cut Short After Four Strong Innings

Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Adam Plutko pitched well on Monday, but his start was cut short by an extended rain delay. He ended up with four innings pitched, allowing one run on one hit, a solo home run. He struck out three and did not issue a walk. Plutko was cruising, needing just 34 pitches […]

Jordan Hicks Diagnosed With a Torn UCL

St. Louis Cardinals closer Jordan Hicks was diagnosed with a Torn UCL in his throwing arm. Hicks was originally diagnosed with triceps tendinitis, but further testing revealed the tear in the ligament. The UCL tear diagnosis usually leads to Tommy John Surgery, although rehab is sometimes an option. Either way, Hicks is almost certainly done […]

John Gant Has a Rough Sunday Night on the Mound

St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher John Gant had a rough time on Sunday night, allowing four runs on four hits and two walks while only recording one out. It was by far Gant's worst appearance of the season and despite the four runs scoring with only one out being recorded, his ERA only went up […]

Miles Mikolas Takes a Hard Loss on Sunday

St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Miles Mikolas pitched fairly well on Sunday but took a loss. He pitched five innings, allowing just one run but seven hits and two walks. He struck out four and tossed 90 pitches in the outing. He allowed plenty of base runners, but he was mostly able to pitch around […]

Carlos Santana Hits a Home Run on Sunday

Cleveland Indians infielder/designated hitter Carlos Santana went yard on Sunday, hitting his 17th home run of the season. He ended up 1-for-3 with a walk, an RBI, and two runs scored. Santana has been the most consistent hitter in the Cleveland lineup by far, slashing an impressive .293/.416/.541.

Zach Plesac Shines Again on Sunday

Cleveland Indians rookie starting pitcher Zach Plesac was excellent again on Sunday, tossing seven innings while allowing just one run on five hits and a walk. He struck out two and allowed a solo home run in his 97 pitches. Plesac has been great at keeping runs off the board so far despite not racking […]

Brad Hand Earns Save Number 22 on Saturday

Cleveland Indians closer Brad Hand earned his 22nd save of the season on Saturday, allowing two hits but tossing a scoreless ninth inning with two strikeouts. Hand's been a bit less untouchable than usual in his last couple of outings, but he's been mostly able to work around base runners to do his job. He'll […]

Aaron Civale Pitches Well in His Major League Debut

Cleveland Indians rookie starting pitcher Aaron Civale pitched well in his debut on Saturday, tossing six scoreless innings while allowing just two hits and three walks. He struck out six and threw 87 pitches, earning his first win. Civale looked good on the mound, and the 24-year-old had been showing some upside this season in […]

Jordan Hicks Diagnosed With Triceps Tendinitis

Updating a previous post, St. Louis Cardinals closer Jordan Hicks was diagnosed with triceps tendinitis after Saturday's game. Hicks was forced to leave the game after pitching 1 1/3 innings. Manager Mike Schildt said he hoped the closer would be fine after a few days of rest. Hicks is likely to undergo an MRI and […]

Marcell Ozuna Goes Yard Again on Saturday

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Marcell Ozuna stayed hot on Saturday, hitting his 20th home run of the season. He ended up going 1-for-3 with a walk, a run scored, and two RBI. Ozuna has been a frustratingly streaky hitter throughout his career, but he's been able to put together huge hot streaks in the past. […]

Dakota Hudson Spins Seven Strong Innings on Saturday

St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Dakota Hudson was great on Saturday, tossing seven innings while allowing just one run on five hits and a walk. He struck out six and needed 112 pitches. The win improved his record to 6-3 and lowered his ERA to 3.36. There are some signs of regression in Hudson's stats […]

Marcell Ozuna Has a Huge Game on Friday

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Marcell Ozuna had a big game on Friday, going 3-for-4 with a home run, two runs scored, and three RBI. Ozuna was all the offense the Cardinals needed on Friday, and he raised his slash line to .259/.326/.511. Ozuna's been hot and cold this season as he's been his whole career, […]

Michael Wacha Pitches Well on Friday

St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Michael Wacha earned a win and a quality start on Friday, tossing six innings while allowing just one run on five hits and a walk. He struck out four and threw 95 pitches. Wacha has had some awful outings this season, but he's been teasing his fantasy owners with great […]

Brad Hand Allows a Run But Still Earns a Save on Friday

Cleveland Indians closer Brad Hand earned his 21st save on Friday despite allowing a run. He pitched an inning, allowing a run on two hits. The run caused Hand's ERA to finally go over 1, as it's now at 1.11. He's holding opposing hitters to a .155 batting average and is one of the best […]

Trevor Bauer Lasts Just Four Innings on Friday

Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Trevor Bauer struggled on Friday, allowing five runs on 10 hits and a walk in just four innings. He struck out five and allowed two home runs among his 91 pitches. It was a challenge for Bauer, who allowed single runs in the second, third, and fourth innings before allowing two […]

Closers and Saves Report - Week 12 Waiver Wire

The Reds are tinkering with their bullpen which may lead to another committee with a fireman, while the Red Sox, Twins, Rangers, and several others continued with the strategy. In "real life" baseball, the committee approach with a fireman is oftentimes the best strategy, but hoooo boy is it frustrating for fantasy owners. We're starting summer, […]

Adam Wainwright Falls Two Outs Short of a Quality Start

St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Adam Wainwright fell just two outs short of a quality start on Thursday, allowing three runs on six hits and a walk in 5 1/3 innings. He struck out six and threw just 86 pitches on the night. It was a decent enough return from a brief stay on the […]

Carlos Santana Hits His 15th Home Run on Thursday

Cleveland Indians infielder/designated hitter Carlos Santana hit his 15th home run of the season on Thursday, going 2-for-3 with a walk. He scored a run and drove one in as well. Santana's slash line sits at a strong .292/.416/.527. He's been the most consistent member of the Cleveland offense and is worth owning in all […]

Shane Bieber Takes a Loss but Records a Quality Start on Thursday

Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Shane Bieber took a loss on Thursday, but still earned a quality start. He tossed six innings, allowing two runs on five hits. He struck out eight without allowing a walk. Bieber threw 102 pitches, 71 for strikes. His record dropped to 6-3 and his ERA to 3.86. He pitched well […]

John Gant Wins His Seventh Game on Wednesday

St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher John Gant was credited with his seventh win of the season on Wednesday, improving to a perfect 7-0. He also lowered his ERA to 1.58, tossing a perfect 11th inning before a Paul Goldschmidt walk-off home run in the bottom of the inning. Gant has been incredible this season and […]

Daniel Poncedeleon Spins Six Shutout Innings on Wednesday

St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Daniel Poncedeleon tossed six scoreless innings on Wednesday, allowing only two hits and a walk while striking out six. The Cardinals won in extra innings, so Poncedeleon had to settle for a no decision, but he was credited with a quality start. He'll go into his next start with a […]

Jordan Luplow Drives in Three Runs on Wednesday

Cleveland Indians outfielder Jordan Luplow drove in three runs on Wednesday, going 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored. He raised his slash line to .258/.331/.516 and despite some expected inconsistency, he's been a pretty solid fantasy asset so far this season.

Jason Kipnis Goes Yard Twice on Wednesday

Cleveland Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis stayed hot on Wednesday, hitting two home runs and driving in four runs. He ended up 2-for-2 with two runs scored and two walks. Kipnis has been hot lately and has been paying off for anyone who was patient through his early season slump. He's still hitting only .227/.287/.355, […]

Adam Plutko Doesn't Complete Five Innings on Wednesday

Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Adam Plutko couldn't finish the fifth inning on Wednesday, tossing just 4 1/3 while allowing three runs (two earned) on seven hits. He struck out five and did not allow a walk. Plutko was staked to an early lead, as the Cleveland offense plated seven runs in the first three innings, […]