MLB: Tampa Bay Rays at Boston Red Sox
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Tuesday's action in the Fantasy Baseball world was highlighted by batters going yard twice and starting pitchers on the rise. Some of these batters are already on your radar and helping your Fantasy teams now. Others might be worth trading for or scooping up. We'll also dive into some pitchers who are on the rise and could make for sell-high options. Lastly, we'll appreciate one of the best Roto picks in any Fantasy draft this season from a value standpoint.

Let's dive right in.

Pitchers on the rise

Justin Verlander

Verlander has been in excellent form, and we discussed the long-time ace among other topics on the FBT in 5 podcast here. He has produced a quality start in four of his past five outings.

  • Noteworthy performance against the Yankees: Six shutout innings, two hits, four walks, and six strikeouts with a 39% CSW (called strikes plus whiffs) rate.
  • His fastball and breaking pitches have slightly decreased in velocity, but he has adapted his pitch selection, throwing more fastballs and curves.
  • Season stats: 3.24 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 76 K over 89 IP, with a 3.94 FIP and 4.53 xFIP.
  • Recent six starts: 1.46 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 32 K over 37 IP, with three starts where he had 3+ walks.

Tyler Glasnow

  • Glasnow has shown consistency, completing seven innings in back-to-back starts.
  • Impressive performance in his last outing: 7 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, and 8 K, with a 33% CSW rate.
  • Glasnow boasts an impressive 12.8 K/9 and a 52% ground ball rate.
  • Season stats: 3.26 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 88 K over 61.2 IP, with a 3.14 FIP and 2.61 xFIP.
  • Notable is his 18% SwStr rate, ranking second only to Spencer Strider.

Aaron Civale

  • Civale has been consistently solid, allowing two earned runs or fewer in nine of his last 10 starts since returning from the IL.
  • His latest performance against KC: 8 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, and 5 K, with a 27% CSW rate.
  • There's a slight concern about his decreased velocity in his past two starts.
  • Season stats: 2.54 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 54 K over 71 IP, with a 3.61 FIP and 4.61 xFIP.
  • Note that his HR/9 (0.6) is lower than his career average (1.2), and his BABIP (.246) and strand rate (81%) are also deviating from his career norms.

Bunch of double dongs

Some players have been delivering power-packed performances, hitting multiple home runs in recent games:

  • Pete Alonso: He found his groove at Yankee Stadium, going 3 for 4 with a double dong and five RBI. His season stats stand at .218 with 28 HR, 68 RBI, and an .820 OPS.

  • Julio Rodriguez: He's been on a home run spree, hitting three homers in his past four games, bringing his total to 16 HR and 23 SB. However, he's batting .246 with a .725 OPS.

  • Dansby Swanson: He made a strong return, going 3 for 3 with a double dong and four RBI. His season stats include a .271 batting average, 12 HR, four SB, and a .793 OPS.

  • Bo Naylor: He had a memorable day, going 2-3 with a double dong, including one HR with an impressive 109.4 EV and 430 ft distance. On the season, he's batting .211 with 4 HR and a .696 OPS.

Nico Hoerner appreciation

Let's take a moment to appreciate Nico Hoerner's outstanding performance as he continues to be one of the premier value picks in all of Fantasy Baseball:

In his latest game, he went 3 for 5 with a home run, two stolen bases, and seven runs batted in. This brings his season stats to .277 with 7 HR, 25 SB, 56 runs and 55 RBI.

News and notes

  • Aaron Judge played five innings in a simulated game at the Yankees' spring training complex Tuesday. The plan is for Judge to up the volume in another sim game Wednesday. 
  • Astros manager Dusty Baker said there's a chance both Yordan Alvarez and Jose Altuve could return to the lineup Wednesday.
  • Mike Trout went through some running drills Tuesday. He's been out since early July with a hamate bone injury.
  • Yandy Diaz was removed Tuesday with an apparent injury. He was seen limping off the field.
  • Thairo Estrada has resumed hitting and fielding grounders. He's been out since the beginning of July with a fractured left hand.
  • Merrill Kelly was activated for his start Tuesday against the Cardinals. He's been out about a month with a blood clot in his right calf.
  • Both Adolis Garcia and JD Martinez returned to their respective lineups on Tuesday.
  • Red Sox manager Alex Cora wouldn't rule out a return this weekend for Trevor Story. He's currently at Triple-A on a rehab assignment.
  • Chris Sale could be ready to begin a rehab assignment next week. Sale is eligible for activation on Aug.t 1 but it seems like he might need a little more time than that.
  • Starling Marte hit and ran the bases Tuesday. He's on the IL with migraines but is expected back soon. 
  • Kris Bryant was placed on the IL with a fractured left index finger. Elehuris Montero was recalled.
  • Ke'Bryan Hayes began a rehab assignment at Triple-A. He's been out since July 7 with lower back discomfort.
  • Jake Burger made his first career start at second base Tuesday and could gain that eligibility soon. 
  • C.J. Cron said he doesn't expect to return to the lineup until Friday. He's dealing with lower-back tightness.
  • Aaron Hicks was placed on the IL with a left hamstring strain.
  • Phillies top pitching prospect Andrew Painter underwent Tommy John surgery on Tuesday. He likely won't pitch in a live game until late 2024 or even early 2025.
  • The Dodgers acquired Kikè Hernandez from the Red Sox for pitchers Nick Robertson and Justin Hagenman.