I just did my final set of rankings for the year, so go check those out if you’d like to know how I feel about a player. Of course, what I didn’t know then was that Caden Dana was getting called up this weekend or that Vinnie Pasquantino was about to suffer a regular season-ending injury.
Rhett Lowder - SP Reds - Rostered in 10 percent of Yahoo leagues
It probably wouldn’t be happening if not for the Reds’ rash of pitching injuries, but Lowder will make his major league debut Friday following just one Triple-A start. The seventh overall pick in the 2023 draft pitched six scoreless innings then, striking out seven and walking none. He has a 3.64 ERA and a 113/24 K/BB ratio in 108 2/3 innings overall in the minors this season.
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Lowder possesses impressive command of a mid-90s fastball, plus slider and changeup. He’s also proven to be above average at generating grounders in the minors, which will be very important as he arrives in Cincinnati and homer-happy Great American Ballpark. It’s not quite ace-type stuff, but he’s one of the best bets in the minors to enjoy a career as a No. 2 or No. 3 starter in the majors. Right now, the problem is the schedule; the Reds have one of the league’s toughest the rest of the way. Lowder is due to face the Brewers, Astros, Cardinals and Braves in his first four starts. That’s not a disaster, but it seems like he should only be tried in deeper mixed leagues at the moment.
Freddy Fermin - C Royals - Rostered in 10 percent of Yahoo leagues
Unless there’s an unreported name on waivers who might be able to step in, the Royals have no good option for replacing Pasquantino, who is down for the rest of the regular season with a broken thumb. Freddy Fermin is already playing more than half the time as a catcher when Salvador Perez DHs and as an occasional DH himself. He’ll be asked to do even more now with Perez often stepping in at first base.
Fermin has quietly served as one of the league’s best part-time performers the last two years, hitting .290/.333/.433 while also playing above average defense behind the plate. Statcast thinks he’s overperformed this year, as his exit velocity numbers are considerably worse than last season. Still, he doesn’t strike out a lot, and he’s in a nice environment for offense in Kansas City, particularly since he’s more of a line-drive hitter than a swing-for-the-fences guy. He ought to be regarded as a top-15 fantasy catcher with Pasquantino out.
Caden Dana - SP Angels - Rostered in 2 percent of Yahoo leagues
This is maybe a little nuts. The Pirates are looking at shutting down Paul Skenes, a 22-year-old who threw 129 innings in 2023 and is at 136 thus far in 2024. The Angels, on the other hand, are calling up the 20-year-old Dana, who threw 68 innings last year and is at 136 right now. They’re also promoting the recently acquired Samuel Aldegheri after just six starts at the Double-A level. Meanwhile, Reid Detmers is still at Triple-A Salt Lake despite have allowed three runs over 21 innings in his last three starts. I assume Detmers will be up soon, too, but then, it’s probably wrong to ever make assumptions with this organization.
Anyway, Dana is an excellent prospect with a quality fastball and two legit breaking balls, the better of which is his hard slider. That he’s managed a 2.52 ERA and a 147/39 K/BB ratio in 23 starts in Double-A is truly impressive. I still don’t imagine he’s quite ready for the majors, but it wouldn’t be too surprising if he succeeds right out of the gate. His first two starts at home against the Mariners and on the road versus the Rangers are both decent matchups. Unfortunately, he’s lined up to get the Astros twice after that. I wouldn’t want to commit to him for the rest of the season at this point. That first start, though, is rather attractive.
Quick Hits
- The Yankees will surely give Anthony Rizzo a chance to reestablish himself at first base during the final month, and while he doesn’t really deserve the benefit of the doubt at this point after hitting just .224/.289/.341 in 70 games before going down with a fractured forearm, it’s worth keeping an eye on him in case he starts off hot. Through four games on his rehab assignment, he’s 2-for-8 with a homer.
- Likewise, I’m not sure that I’d immediately recommend Jonathan Aranda in shallow leagues following his recall to the Rays on Friday. I’ve long believed in the bat, though, and if the playing time is there, he might be an option during the final three weeks. He was on quite a tear of late at Triple-A Durham, collecting 10 hits and four homers in his last six games.
- The Braves seem sold on Ramón Laureano as a short-term upgrade on Jarred Kelenic, and they’re not really a team to waver on that kind of thing. Laureano is worth playing in all formats for as long as Atlanta sticks with him.