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Notes: Rusney Arrives

Matthew Pouliot
Seth Trachtman looks at the week ahead, including two starts for Reds flamethrower Luis Castillo

Nothing 2015-related this week: all of the notes below focus on the next-to-last week of the 2014 season. Let’s get to it.

AL Notes

- For better or worse, it’s Kelly Johnson’s time to shine in Baltimore. Chris Davis is done for the regular season and eight postseason games after testing positive for Adderall, leaving Johnson, Ryan Flaherty and Jimmy Paredes as the Orioles’ options at third base. Obviously, not a one of those guys should be picked up in mixed leagues now, but Johnson would be my pick to ride if I were Buck Showalter. He’s definitely worth the try in AL-only leagues.

-Pawtucket’s run through the International League playoffs has denied us Rusney Castillo’s presence in the majors, but that should change Wednesday after the PawSox play the PCL champs in Tuesday’s Triple-A championship. With Mookie Betts replacing Dustin Pedroia at second base, the outfield logjam should be clear enough to allow Castillo to play pretty regularly during the final week and a half. Still, he’s probably not a good enough bet to be worthy of a late mixed-league pickup. Castillo has hit .297 with no homers, a 7/5 K/BB ratio and two steals in his 37 minor league at-bats.

- After opening the year 16-for-17 in save chances, Jake McGee has blown three of his last four. On Thursday, he gave up a walkoff three-run homer to the Yankees’ Chris Young. On Sunday, he allowed a solo shot to the Blue Jays’ John Mayberry Jr. to tie the game in the ninth. Perhaps fatigue is an issue; McGee has thrown seven more innings this year than he had in any season since moving to the pen in 2011. I wouldn’t expect Rays to shut him down, but it’s possible Brad Boxberger could get a late save or two in his place.

- Chad Qualls is supposed to be ready to go this week after missing a week with a hip injury, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll be thrown right back into save chances. Josh Fields converted the Astros’ last try on Tuesday, and has gone nine straight appearances without allowing a run. He’s probably the better bet for saves at this point.

- Cory Rasmus hasn’t pitched more than 3 1/3 innings in any of his three starts yet, but he’s an intriguing option this week with home starts against the Mariners and Rangers. As many runs as the Angels are scoring of late, Rasmus only needs to last five innings to be in good position for wins.

- Mixed leaguers might want to try Michael Bourn and/or Jose Ramirez this week. The Indians play seven games in Houston and Minnesota and even benefit from missing Dallas Keuchel in the four-game series with the Astros. Bourn, unfortunately, isn’t all that much of a basestealer these days, but maybe he has a little something left in his legs for these series; the Astros and Twins rank third and fourth, respectively, in the AL in most steals allowed this year. Ramirez is 8-for-9 stealing bases in 55 games.

- I recommended Avisail Garcia as a one-week pickup last week, but be sure to get rid of him now. Adam Eaton should be dropped, too, and maybe even Alexei Ramirez. The White Sox’s six games this week are in Kansas City and Tampa Bay.

- The A’s badly need Stephen Vogt back from his ankle sprain, but he’s unlikely to play Tuesday and he might end up missing most or all of the week. At least they do get five right-handers in six games, which makes Adam Dunn and Josh Reddick better plays in mixed leagues.

NL Notes

- The Marlins shipped off their preferred outfield replacement when they traded Jake Marisnick for Jarred Cosart at the deadline, leaving them with a light-hitting committee in right field in the wake of the unfortunate Giancarlo Stanton beaning. I thought that Enrique Hernandez might get a shot, but he just made his first start of the month on Sunday and he did so at second base (while the Astros used Hernandez in the outfield before trading him in the Cosart deal, the Marlins have kept him exclusively in the infield in Triple-A and during his brief time in the majors). There’s really nothing worth speculating on here.

- Now possessing some margin for error in the NL Central, the Cardinals opted to back off Michael Wacha and John Lackey. While things could change, neither is penciled in for a start this week. Marco Gonzales, predictably impressive against a shallow Rockies lineup Sunday, will probably get another start this weekend against the Reds, which will again make him a good play in mixed leagues. Lackey figures to rejoin the rotation for the final week, but it makes sense to drop him now.

- After sitting out a month, Charlie Morton will make his return to the Pirates rotation on Tuesday, bumping Vance Worley to the pen. That sets up a two-start week for him, with home outings against the Red Sox and Brewers. The thing is that Morton still isn’t 100 percent; he’ll probably undergo hernia surgery this winter. Still, I trust the Pirates’ judgment; they wouldn’t be making the move if they didn’t think he’d be an upgrade over Worley. Morton isn’t my favorite two-start guy this week, but those with need could do a lot worse.

- The Giants’ Ryan Vogelsong probably makes for a better two-start guy with road outings against the Diamondbacks and Padres. Also, A.J. Burnett seems like a good roll of the dice; he’ll be facing the Padres and A’s on the road. Burnett has a 4.28 ERA over the last month, but that comes with a 40/11 K/BB ratio and just three homers allowed in 33 2/3 innings.

- The way it looks right now, the Dodgers will face five lefties this week in Coors Field and Wrigley, making Scott Van Slyke a must-grab player for teams in need of homers. Since he probably won’t play against any southpaws, Carl Crawford needs to be sat down in fantasy leagues. The schedule also bodes well for Yasiel Puig and Juan Uribe. Dee Gordon, on the other hand, will probably sit at least once, even though he has slightly better numbers against lefties than righties this season.

- The Diamondbacks are the other team at Coors this week, playing four games there after a home series against the Giants to start the week. Because of that schedule, it’s worth giving A.J. Pollock and Mark Trumbo another try in mixed leagues. Also, Chris Owings makes for a decent middle-infield option.

- It looks like we will see Anthony Rizzo (back) again this season, though not Monday as hoped. Mike Olt has been filling in at first base and turning in better at-bats than he did before getting sent down. Still, he’ll probably be limited to playing third base against left-handers once Rizzo returns.

- After homering in three straight starts, September callup Matt Clark figures to finish the season as the Brewers’ first baseman against righties. The Brewers face right-handers in five of their six games this week, so while it’s not the best of schedules -- they’ll face the Cardinals and Pirates on the road -- he could be worth a pickup in mixed leagues. He looks like a better option this week than someone like Ryan Howard or Eric Hosmer.

- Phillies closer Jonathan Papelbon might be facing a suspension after Sunday’s outburst, if not for the crotch grab then for his bumping of Joe West following his ejection (even if it was West who did most of the touching). Perhaps that will result in a couple of late save chances for Ken Giles.

-Atlanta just scored six runs in three games in Texas, with the DH, and half of those came when they were already down 10-0 on Sunday. It certainly doesn’t bode well for them doing anything at all against the Nationals and Mets this week. Even Freddie Freeman and Justin Upton are merely fringe plays in mixed leagues this week. Jason Heyward, back batting fifth, seems like a poor bet, and Evan Gattis probably needs to be dropped as he battles strep throat.