Seattle Mariners right-hander Ken Giles (finger) is heading off to a rehab assignment this weekend. Giles has not yet pitched in 2022 after injuring the middle finger on his pitching hand during the spring. The veteran hurler has not appeared in an MLB game since needing Tommy John surgery late in September of 2020. Giles will probably see an extended rehab assignment as a result but he is eventually expected to vie for some ninth-inning work for Seattle this season.
Oakland Athletics relief pitcher Lou Trivino notched his sixth save of the season in Tuesday's 5-3 win over the Blue Jays. Trivino was called upon to pitch the ninth inning with a two-run lead. He got the first out on a strikeout, got the second out on a fly-out, allowed a single, and induced a groundout to end the game. Trivino has struggled overall this season but appears to be the A's go-to for save opportunities at the moment. He has looked better of late, converting all four of his save opportunities with a 1.80 ERA in his last five appearances. The A's aren't going to see many save opportunities this season and their bullpen has been all over the place, but Trivino could be worth a look in deep roto leagues at this time for fantasy managers chasing saves.
Boston Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts looked just fine in his return to the lineup in Tuesday's 8-4 loss to the Rays. Bogaerts, who sat out Monday after getting stitches to close a left thigh laceration Sunday went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run, three RBI, a walk, and a strikeout. The 29-year-old has been what fantasy managers have come to expect, slashing .318/.391/.465 with seven HR, 34 RBI, and three stolen bases in 327 plate appearances. He may not be the most exciting fantasy player, but he is a solid contributor and should be in fantasy managers' lineups as long as he is healthy.
Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Hansel Robles was designated for assignment following Tuesday's 8-4 loss to the Rays, per Boston Sports Journal's Sean McAdam. Robles pitched the seventh inning of Tuesday's game, allowing one run on a hit and two walks with a strikeout. The move came in advance of Wednesday's game, in which pitcher Brayan Bello will be called up to start. Robles was in the mix for save opportunities at the beginning of the season for the Red Sox but has compiled a poor 5.84 ERA with six blown saves in 24 2/3 innings pitched to this point. He may end up joining another team's bullpen, but his fantasy value will remain quite low unless he is trusted with high-leverage situations.
Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Jose Quintana improved to 2-4 in Tuesday's 5-2 win over the Yankees. Quintana pitched 5 innings, allowing one run on six hits and no walks with seven strikeouts. The 33-year-old has pitched well overall this season and now owns a 3.33 ERA with an 8.22 K/9 rate and a 2.78 BB/9 rate over 16 starts. It is worth noting that he has pitched beyond 5 innings in just seven of those 16 starts, however. Quintana will face another tough matchup in his next start at the Brewers.
New York Yankees starting pitcher Jameson Taillon turned in another dud of a start in Tuesday's 5-2 loss to the Pirates, falling to 9-2. Taillon pitched 5 1/3 innings, allowing five runs on six hits (including two home runs) and no walks with five strikeouts. The 30-year-old started the season out very well but has compiled a bloated 5.12 ERA in his last seven starts since the beginning of June. He still has a respectable 3.63 ERA on the season, but fantasy managers may want to choose his matchups carefully in the coming weeks. This may include sitting Taillon in his next matchup on the road against the Red Sox.
Texas Rangers catcher Mitch Garver (forearm) homered for the second straight day Tuesday, knocking his 10th long ball of the season and scoring another run in a 2-for-4 performance. Garver, who was said to be contemplating season-ending surgery on his forearm, has now recorded a .320/.370/.720 slash line with three home runs over his last seven games. While he'll inevitably need the surgery, he appears to be fairly productive as a designated hitter for the time being. Fantasy managers are still able to plug him into the catcher slot, where he'll be a worthy streamer at the very least as long as he remains in the lineup.
Pittsburgh Pirates closer David Bednar picked up his 13th save of the season in Tuesday's 5-2 win over the Yankees. Bednar entered the game to pitch the ninth inning and protect a three-run lead. He got the first out on a line-out, allowed a single, got the second out on a force-out, and struck out Aaron Judge to end the game. The 27-year-old has been a solid fantasy contributor this season despite closing for the Pirates and now has a 2.37 ERA with a 12.08 K/9 rate and a 2.84 BB/9 rate over 38 innings pitched. He is a must-start fantasy closer as long as he continues to pitch as he has.
Texas Rangers first baseman Nate Lowe reached base four times Tuesday, going 2-for-3 with a home run, two walks, three RBI, and two runs scored in a 10-9 loss to the Baltimore Orioles. The home run was his 12th of the season to go with 34 runs, 37 RBI, and a stolen base. Lowe has slashed 307/.358/.561 with eight homers over his last 30 games. A pedestrian start to the season may be masking superior power numbers out of Lowe, who was a common pick at draft time to be a breakout hitter this year. Fantasy managers should look to make a move for Lowe now, if the window remains open.
Houston Astros relief pitcher Rafael Montero picked up his sixth save of the season in Tuesday's 9-7 win over the Royals. Montero came in to pitch the ninth inning with a three-run lead. He allowed a leadoff triple, then got an RBI groundout for the first out before striking out the next two hitters to end the game. Montero has pitched well this season, compiling a 1.93 ERA with no blown saves. However, Ryan Pressly is clearly the team's primary option for closer, which limits Montero's fantasy value. Montero is still worth a look in deep roto leagues at this time for fantasy managers looking for any kind of save support.
Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager continued his recent strong stretch at the plate Tuesday, going 3-for-5 with a home run, three RBI, and two runs scored in a 10-9 extra-inning loss to the Baltimore Orioles. Seager now has 16 home runs this season, and has slashed .321/.387/.464 with three multi-hit performances in his last seven games. Seager's .566 xSLG is in the top nine percent of the league, and his .078 shortfall in wOBA versus xwOBA seems to indicate that more production, and power, should be in the offing for the rest of 2022.
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