A rash of injuries and setbacks have befallen starting pitching in Major League Baseball the past few days.
It's a bummer to see this happening with the trade deadline coming and since going as well.
Jacob deGrom is unlikely to pitch until September; Tyler Glasnow will miss all of 2022 due to Tommy John surgery; Clayton Kershaw had a minor setback and has no timetable to return; and, Chris Paddack and James Kaprielian landed on the injured list following their most recent starts.
The pitching landscape took a hit heading into August.
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Cole Irvin — Oakland Athletics
Yahoo: 48%, ESPN: 55%
Irvin took the tough-luck loss July 31, allowing one run over six-plus innings. He now has a 3.50 ERA and allowed 22 walks over 123 1/3 innings pitched. The strikeout totals will never be impressive, but his control and probability of logging wins on a good team are more than enough.
Austin Gomber — Colorado Rockies
Yahoo: 50%, ESPN: 51%
Gomber continues to be a reliable pitcher that's locked in as Colorado’s No. 2 starter unless they re-sign Jon Gray. He has 10 strikeouts compared to three walks in 12 innings (two starts) since returning from the IL.
Jon Gray — Colorado Rockies
Yahoo: 46%, ESPN: 49%
Gray was surprisingly kept in Denver and rewarded the Rockies with a win over the Padres this past Friday. He has faced the Padres and Dodgers twice each in July, not allowing more than two runs in any of those outings. Gray is either missing bats or walking batters, and the fact this issue has not come to roost is a concern. Look to pitch Gray at home, where he has a 3.14 ERA this season.
Patrick Sandoval — Los Angeles Angels
Yahoo: 49%, ESPN: 50%
Walks are by far the biggest concern for Sandoval. He has two July outings with five or more, but that's an issue that can be fixed. The 24-year-old has a 10.19 K Per 9, plus he's a key piece in the struggling Angels' rotation.
Tyler Anderson — Seattle Mariners
Yahoo: 20%, ESPN: 25%
The Pacific Northwest was a much better landing spot than Philadelphia for the contact-based Anderson. He was okay in his first start with the Mariners, but should fit in well for the biggest MLB surprise.
Shane McClanahan — Tampa Bay Rays
Yahoo: 49%, ESPN: 32%
It's a bit surprising to still see McClanahan still rostered in fewer than 50% of leagues, considering he boasts a 10.65 K/9 and is due for positive regression (.324 BABIP). It's difficult to ignore an xFIP of 3.27 as well.
Injuries
Tony Gonsolin was placed on the 10-day IL with right shoulder inflammation following his July 30 start.
Two-Start Pitchers
This is a projected list. Starts are subject to change and not all starters are named.
Eli Morgan and Zach Plesac (CLE) — at TOR, vs DET
Marco Gonzales (SEA) — at TB, at NYY
Michael Wacha (TB) — vs SEA, at BAL
Tylor Megill and Taijuan Walker (NYM) — at MIA, at PHI
Garrett Richards (BOS) — at DET, at TOR
Kenta Maeda (MIN) — at CIN, vs CHW
Tyler Mahle (CIN) — vs MIN, vs PIT
Dylan Cease (CHW) — vs KC, at CHC
