Delino DeShields (OF, Tex) - DeShields set out to silence his doubters Wednesday, going 3-5 with a home run, an RBI and two runs scored. It's a huge game for him considering his early season batting average struggles and days out of the lineup, but he's now slashing .267/.405/.400 with two steals and nine runs scored. A .405 OBP will be more than enough to keep Delino atop the Rangers order, but he does have the pressure to keep hitting to keep Lewis Brinson, currently in the minors, from usurping him as the starting center fielder this season. He's still a risk, but the early returns are promising. Hold tight.
Matt Shoemaker (SP, LAA) - Shoemaker was fantastic against the A's Wednesday, hurling six innings of shutout ball. He allowed only one hit and three walks while striking out five. His ERA is still even more unsettling than Bartolo Colon in a leotard however, sitting at 6.00 after the outing. It's quite likely this is a case of a weak opponent, as the A's have yet to wake their bats, with a mere .617 OPS against RHP this season, good for 27th in the Majors. Shoemaker may have to resort to his namesake's line of work, making shoes in a warehouse somewhere in rural Kentucky if he can't string together consistent productive starts. He hasn't been truly effective since 2014, and Tyler Skaggs looms in the minors with a much higher pedigree and upside. Consider Shoemaker a streaming option at best.
Miguel Sano (OF, Min) - Sano went 0-2 with two walks Wednesday at home against the White Sox, dropping his early season slash line to a woeful .125/.300/.125 with one run and one RBI. That's a line bad enough to make even Hannibal Lecter say "ew". The abomination that the Twins call an offense has had a toll on counting stats up and down their lineup, but if you're looking for a silver lining Sano at least is still drawing plenty of walks. The K's and contact are so bad there's a chance we see Sano demoted to AAA at some point, but for now that's an unlikely scenario. When he does make contact he hits the ball about as hard as anyone, and the Twins certainly need his power in the lineup. If there's an owner willing to cut bait (especially in an OBP league) it's a calculated risk to offer the Sano owner a trade.
J.A. Happ (SP, Tor) - Happ was far from hapless against the Yankees at home Wednesday night, allowing only one earned run on seven his in six innings, walking three and striking out four to nab the win. Happ was an interesting player coming into 2016. Upon being traded to the Pirates, Happ put up a 7-2 record with a 1.85 ERA under the tutelage of Ray Searage. So the question was, will the changes Searage made with Happ carry over to a new year on a new team? After two starts, the answer is yes. Happ has amassed an 8:4 K:BB ratio over 12 innings in his two starts this year with a 2.25 ERA. He'll basically give you average ratios, but in front of that vaunted Blue Jay offense he's got a shot at a lot of wins. He's still primarily a deep league option.
Ken Giles (RP, Hou) - Ken Giles' struggles continued Wednesday, as he came into the top of the eighth inning and gave up a walk and a subsequent two-run homer to Sal Perez. The two runs would prove to be enough for the Royals to take down the Astros and Giles was charged with his first loss of the season. To say he's struggled this year would be an understatement, as underscored by his 12.27 ERA and 1.36 WHIP. He's certainly got no chance of claiming the Astros closer role any time soon. Even if Gregerson slipped in the shower and broke his hip tomorrow, the Astros would find another suitor for the role than Giles. It may not be wise to cut bait entirely, however; relievers often times struggle badly for portions of the season and sooner than later right their proverbial ships and return to form. Giles is still a young pitcher and will see some ups and downs. He should be held onto in all but the shallowest of leauges, although benched, in the hopes that his pitching coach can fix what ails him and he can get back to dominating batters. Hold for now.
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