Texas Rangers starting pitcher Doug Fister (knee) will not return this season, according to Levi Weaver. Fister is still rehabbing, but by the time he was healthy enough to return, the regular season would've basically been over already. The veteran righty has been sidelined since early June with a right knee strain. Fister was not much of a fantasy option this season anyway, but he can be left on the waiver wire now.
Texas Rangers starting pitcher Doug Fister has been placed on the 10-day disabled list with a strained right knee. The early impression from Jeff Bannister is that this is going to be more than a minimum stay for Fister. The right-handed pitcher has a 4.50 ERA with a 1-7 in 12 starts this season, and has now been on the DL twice. Fister's 40 strikeouts in 66 innings mean there has been little upside to starting him. With his timetable unknown and the lack of upside, Fister is a pitcher fantasy owners should be looking to move on from in all but the deepest of leagues.
Texas Rangers starting pitcher Doug Fister was placed on the disabled list Sunday with a strained right knee. Fister is 1-7 with a 4.50 ERA in 12 starts. The Rangers will need to call up a pitcher to take his rotation spot, and a good option is Yovani Gallardo. According to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram's Stefen Stevenson, Gallardo "hasn't allowed more than three earned runs in each of his 10 starts for Triple-A Round Rock. He's been especially effective in his past two starts for the Express, allowing two earned runs on 10 hits over 12 combined innings." Gallardo wouldn't be anything more than a desperation streamer in AL-only leagues, however.
Texas Rangers starting pitcher Doug Fister "left Friday night's game against the Astros with right knee soreness after throwing one pitch in the sixth inning. He will be evaluated on Saturday," wrote Dave Sessions of MLB.com. Fister was 1-6 with a 4.13 ERA entering the game against the Astros. Although Fister made a very exciting between-the-legs play earlier in the game, he is not an exciting option for any fantasy owner in most formats.
Doug Fister Looking For Success Against Former Team
Texas Rangers starting pitcher Doug Fister will be looking to pick up his second win of the season against his former team. Fister's only win of 2018 came against the Houston Astros in his first start of the season. Since then, Fister is 0-6 with a 4.34 ERA and 35 strikeouts in 56 innings. The lack of strikeouts means that Fister has a low ceiling for fantasy owners. This start is full of danger and the potential for a rough outing combined with the lack of upside means we would look to avoid using Fister Friday in DFS or season-long mixed leagues.
Texas Rangers starting pitcher Doug Fister will consider himself unlucky to have taken a loss on Sunday. Little was expected of Fister, who has struggled against right-handed pitching this season, but he surpassed expectations. Fister allowed three runs on four hits in six innings. Since winning his first start of the season, Fister has yet to register another win with a 4.34 ERA and a 1.38 WHIP in those next 10 starts. Strikeouts have been an issue for Fister's fantasy value, and he had just one Sunday to take his numbers to 38 in 61 innings. In shallow mixed leagues Fister does have value as a streaming option but those opportunities are becoming less and less due his strikeout struggles.
Texas Rangers starting pitcher Doug Fister will have to improve on recent performances if he is to have success Sunday. The Los Angeles Angels have a primarily right-handed lineup and Fister has struggled when facing righties this season. Right-handed hitters have a .333 batting average and a .509 slugging percentage when facing Fister this season, compared to .208 and .318 respectively last season. In addition, Fister is 0-3 with a 5.10 ERA in his last five starts. These numbers make Fister a pitcher I would look to avoid Saturday in all formats.
Texas Rangers starting pitcher Cole Hamels has been scratched from Thursday's start with neck stiffness. Hamels may now hit the disabled list, but retroactive to his previous start. It is possible that this is the only start Hamels misses, but there is also a chance this stiffness lingers. Doug Fister will start in Hamels' place against the Chicago White Sox. The Sox are an extremely boom-or-bust team, which makes Fister an interesting play in DFS on Thursday. In 2018, Fister has a 4.06 ERA with 29 strikeouts in 37 2/3 innings.
Texas Rangers starting pitcher Doug Fister gave up 6 runs over 6.1 innings in a 6-1 loss to the Boston Red Sox. The veteran allowed 9 hits and 2 walks whiles striking out 5. The outing nearly doubles his total earned runs allowed on the season, and his ERA now stands at a less attractive 4.02. Fister has been one of the more pleasant developments of the Rangers' 2018, but advanced metrics suggested a fall was coming with a 4.16 FIP prior to the loss. Fister may continue to be a solid streaming or matchup option, but if you still have the chance to deal him for greater value, this may be the time to pull the trigger.
Rangers Place Adrian Beltre On DL, Activate Doug Fister
The Texas Rangers placed third baseman Adrian Beltre (hamstring) on the 10-day disabled list Wednesday with a left hamstring strain. Outfielder Ryan Rua was recalled from Triple-A Round Rock, and starting pitcher Doug Fister (hip) was activated from the DL in order to start against the A's. Reliever Matt Bush was also optioned to the minors in a corresponding move. Beltre has been the picture of consistency and good health for most of his career, but the 39-year-old may finally be starting to break down. He was producing at a .310/.366/.437 clip but only had one homer and eight RBI in 87 at-bats. Keep him stashed everywhere for now. Texas is brutally thin on the infield right now with Elvis Andrus and Rougned Odor also on the DL, meaning Isiah Kiner-Falefa has become a regular. Fister hasn't been bad this year, but he's a risky start in his first action back from the DL against Oakland.
