Happy Wednesday, everyone! It was the largest crowd of the season for a New York Yankees home game and it was pretty cool to see the stadium with split fans sitting alongside each other. It turned out to also be the most exciting game of the series with the Mets going down by two, tying it up on an odd fielding error, the Yankees retaking the lead and the Mets putting on pressure late but falling short. It felt like playoff baseball. We're so close -- but only in the stretch run of the marathon.
Tuesday was a night of incredible performances by pitchers and hitters. We're going to dive into some of the most notable takeaways from Tuesday's action below, but first, make sure you're caught up on everything going on over at CBSSports.com/Fantasy. Scott White is pulling the plug on several hitters who finally made his cut list including Javier Baez and Lucas Giolito. Those still hanging onto either might want to reconsider.
Scott also dove deep in his latest prospects report. He talked about why Gunnar Henderson is on the verge of being called up and should be on your radar right now: "There was talk of Henderson getting the call Tuesday, which marked the first day when he'd no longer be at risk of exhausting his rookie eligibility for 2023, at least going by the days-on-the-active-roster standard. Clearly, that didn't happen, but there's a rational explanation for it. He could also exhaust his rookie eligibility by getting 131 at-bats, and there's still time for him to do that. Obviously, the Orioles wouldn't be calling him up to sit him.
"The bottom line is where there's smoke there's fire. Orioles beat writers are having to address Henderson's status on a near-daily basis now, and the longer the Orioles hang in the Wild Card race, the more likely his promotion becomes. They've even had him shift to second and first base in the last week, which is where they need the most help in the majors. Adding fuel to the fire is GM Mike Elias actually saying Henderson's promotion is "definitely on the table."
"Everything else being equal, I'd rather stash Corbin Carroll than Henderson, whose strikeout rate has crept back up since his move to Triple-A and who seems like a liability against left-handed pitchers still. But since there seems to be a little more momentum for him getting the call than Carroll right now, I'll begrudgingly move him ahead. Baseball America considers him the top prospect in baseball, after all."
Astros think long term with Justin
The fans never love to see a pitcher pulled when he hasn't allowed a hit but that's exactly what happened on Tuesday with Justin Verlander. After throwing six perfect innings with 10 strikeouts, he was pulled at just 91 pitches. The decision was a bit offputting after Verlander had gone six innings or more in 10 straight starts. As Frank Stampfl noted, Verlander is now trading off starts with Max Scherzer as they jockey for their place on the all-time strike list.
Verlander has pitched to a 1.87 ERA with 148 strikeouts over 149 innings in one of the most dominant seasons back from Tommy John that we've ever seen.
Solano is a sleeper
This time of the season is all about finding players who can help you catch lightning in a bottle, so why not Donovan Solano? He was Scott's favorite player to watch on Tuesday and he has continued his min heater. Solano collected three hits on Tuesday to bring his average to .331. He's just 4% rostered and someone to consider scooping up in deeper leagues for now.
Soon to join the 30 club
Jorge Mateo is quietly doing something we covet in Fantasy because there are so few players who do it -- steal 30 bases or more. He's two shy after stealing his 28th on Tuesday. He offers consistency right now at the scarcest category in Roto leagues and he's a player I'll be targeting next offseason in Roto drafts.
Who's hot
Mike Trout went 1-for-3 with a home run on Tuesday and looked a lot like his normal dominant self on the blast. Trout's homer had an exit velocity of 108 mph. It was also the 1,500th hit of his career. Trout has collected hits and now a homer since returning from an injury that was expected to keep him out longer. He has once again established himself as one of the most dominant hitters when healthy. Trout has hit 25 home runs in just 84 games this season.
Who's not
What's going on with Corbin Burnes? He allowed seven runs and six hits in just 3 2/3 innings on Tuesday. Burnes couldn't locate from the start when he allowed an RBI single from Freddie Freeman in the first inning. The good news is that we can probably give Burnes a pass against a tough Dodgers lineup. He has totaled a 2.84 ERA with a 0.96 WHIP on the season.
Other notable performances
- Carlos Rodon racked up 10 strikeouts through seven innings of one-run ball.
- Aaron Judge hit home run No. 48
- Pablo Lopez threw six scoreless innings.
- Freddie Freeman totaled four RBI on three hits to bring his total to 78 on the season.
- Oscar Gonzalez hit his fourth homer -- he's just 28% rostered and a waiver priority.
- Manny Margot has started three of four games since returning and is batting .299 with three homers and five stolen bases through 54 games. He's 27% rostered.
Fantasy news, injuries and notes
For a complete recap of every injury, update and more, make sure you're locked into the Fantasy Baseball Today podcast where Frank, Scott and Chris dive deep into every player note. For the CliffsNotes version, we'll recap the biggest news and notes you need to know right here:
- It's now official. Walker Buehler underwent Tommy John surgery and flexor tendon repair surgery on Tuesday. It's possible he will not throw a single pitch next season.
- Bryce Harper blasted two homers in the first game of his rehab assignment
- Trevor Story will start a rehab assignment at Double-A on Wednesday. He's been out the past five weeks with a fracture in his right wrist.
- Juan Soto was scratched Tuesday with mid-back tightness.
- Xander Bogaerts left early due to mid-back spasms.
- Byron Buxton was placed on the IL with a right hip strain.
- Vinnie Pasquantino went to the IL with right shoulder discomfort.
- Michael Kopech was placed on the IL with a left knee sprain.
- Nathan Eovaldi was placed on the IL with soreness in his neck and shoulder
- Eric Hosmer was placed on the iL with lower back inflammation.
- Graham Ashcraft went to the IL with right biceps soreness.
- Luis Severino threw approximately 25 pitches Tuesday while facing Giancarlo Stanton in a live batting practice session. Severino is eligible to return in mid-September.
- Tyler Glasnow threw his second live batting practice session Tuesday and will face hitters once more before likely beginning a rehab assignment. He's 39% rostered.
- Yu Darvish was placed on the paternity list Tuesday, which means his next start should come this weekend against the Royals.
- Willson Contreras missed both games of the doubleheader due to left ankle stiffness.
- Kris Bryant continues to wear a protective walking boot, and it has yet to be determined whether he will return this season. He's been on the IL since August 1 with plantar fasciitis.
- Nationals are keeping a close eye on Josiah Gray's workload and in-game mechanics. Gray has already set a new career high in innings pitched this season.
