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Dan Stephens looks at big fantasy baseball stories from the fourteenth week of the 2024 MLB season: Shohei Ohtani's 10-game RBI streak, injuries to Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber, and the return of Max Scherzer
Hello, RotoBallers, and welcome to another look back at the biggest news in the baseball world over the last week. With waivers run and lineups locked, now is a great time to catch up on stories you may have missed while focusing on your own players. Hopefully, this weekly column helps steer you out of the tunnel vision that can come with the grind of micromanaging your fantasy baseball team(s).
Shohei Ohtani kept on doing his thing and set a new Dodgers franchise along the way, recording an RBI in 10 consecutive games. The Phillies got hit with a double whammy, sending Bryce Harper (hamstring) and Kyle Schwarber (groin) to the injured list. And the long-awaited season debut of Max Scherzer occurred, giving the Texas rotation a shot in the arm.
Fantasy baseball revolves around an expansive league with a six-month-long season. It can be easy for news to get lost in the shuffle, especially if it doesn’t directly relate to players we roster or actively follow. To stay on top of the latest action, bookmark our fantasy baseball news feed, download our mobile app, and check back for the next installment of the Stories of the Week every Monday.
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Shohei Ohtani's Latest Claim To Greatness
Shohei Ohtani's home run on June 26 against the White Sox made him the first National League player to reach 25 this season. It was also his second leadoff home run in as many days. It also gave Ohtani his 10th consecutive game with at least one RBI, setting a Dodgers franchise record.
Shohei Ohtani is batting .444/.563/1.194 with 8 HR and 17 RBI during his 10-game RBI streak. https://t.co/lISOyXdE7F
— MLB Stats (@MLBStats) June 27, 2024
Over the course of the 10-game streak Ohtani racked up 17 RBI and scored 14 runs himself. He went 16-for-36, with eight of those hits being home runs. On the season, Ohtani has an NL-leading 26 homers and an MLB-leading .321 batting average, and he ranks in the top 5 for runs and RBI. Oh, and he has 16 stolen bases.
Fantasy impact: The timing of the RBI explosion was funny as it coincided with Ohtani’s assumption of the leadoff spot in the Dodgers’ lineup following Mookie Betts’ (hand) departure to the injured list. The rotation of utility players that the Dodgers employ in the bottom third of their lineup might be in line for some extra runs if they can get on base as the order turns back over to Ohtani.
Miguel Rojas is hitting .350 since taking over the everyday shortstop role following the injury to Betts two weeks ago. Chris Taylor is doing his annual bit where he looks like the best ballplayer on earth, albeit in extremely limited playing time. Gavin Lux has been batting a modest .270 over the last two weeks and scored seven runs in that time. They aren’t permanent solutions, but names worth remembering if you are in a week and lagging in the runs category.
Fallen Phillies
Phillies fans and a select population of fantasy managers were dealt a blow on June 28 as both Bryce Harper (hamstring) and Kyle Schwarber (groin) were placed on the 10-day injured list. Schwarber was forced out of Philadelphia’s June 27 game against the Marlins after experiencing tightness in his groin. Harper injured his hamstring trying to beat a throw to first on what ended up as the final out of that same game.
"I can see the Phillies waiting as long as they need to wait and perhaps even taking this through the All-Star Break if they deem it necessary"@Ken_Rosenthal talks about what the Phillies might be thinking regarding the injuries to Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber pic.twitter.com/xrmpK9JT5t
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) June 29, 2024
Fortunately, both players’ injuries are reportedly mild and it is possible that each can return by their first day of eligibility, July 9. The duo accounts for 107 of Philadelphia’s 402 total RBI, leaving a big hole in the Phillies’ lineup and subtracting a substantial source of production from fantasy rosters. In corresponding moves, Kody Clemens was activated from the injured list and added to the Phillies’ roster, and Johan Rojas was selected from Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
Fantasy impact: The lefty-hitting Clemens will get his fair share of at-bats covering first base against right-handed pitchers. He ended up getting three starts over the weekend and went 2-for-9. Rojas got two starts, going 1-for-5 with two runs. He will likely share time with David Dahl. Those in need of outfield help should look Brandon Marsh’s way, as he was bumped into the cleanup spot and has been hitting a solid .298 for the last month.
Return Of The Max
June 23 marked Max Scherzer’s season debut following offseason back surgery and a lengthy rehab process. The 39-year-old looked like his old self against the Kansas City Royals last weekend, striking out four and allowing just one hit in his five innings of work. Scherzer was awarded the win in the Rangers’ 4-0 victory. Scherzer took the loss in his second start on June 28, with the two runs he allowed in his 5 ⅓ inning appearance being all that the Orioles would need to defeat Texas.
Mad Max with his FIRST K OF THE SEASON😤
@Rangers | #StraightUpTX | @BallySports 📺 pic.twitter.com/wY7IMtIr2p— Bally Sports Southwest (@BallySportsSW) June 23, 2024
Fantasy impact: Kudos to my fellow long-haulers who have been stashing Scherzer in an IL slot since drafting him in March. Now we just pray for good health and collect some extra strikeouts and help for our ratios in the meantime. Scherzer is not the dominator he once was, but he is certainly still valuable in the fantasy space.
The Rangers are not the only team to benefit from a highly anticipated return of one of their players. On June 27, Noelvi Marte was activated following his 80-game suspension for performance-enhancing drugs. Marte had been penciled in as the Reds’ starting third baseman following his strong debut in 2023, wherein he hit .316 over 35 games before his season was cut short due to injury.
The midseason additions don’t stop there. Devin Williams, Tommy Edman, Robbie Ray, and Kodai Senga are expected to be activated at some point in the coming weeks. Further down the line, Jacob deGrom and Clayton Kershaw are expected to become available. Check your waiver wire for these players and stay on top of Wade Smith’s injury stash series for similar suggestions. Tucking these players away now saves you from a bidding war down the line, and they offer better production than the typical options left up for grabs.
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