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What was widely reported over the weekend was that Dodgers pitching prospect Gavin Stone would make his major-league debut Wednesday. What wasn't widely reported was ... why?

It's kind of important. If it's a one-and-done situation, there isn't much reason to bother with him in Fantasy, unless it's the sort of league where he was worth stashing in the first place. But if someone is secretly IL-bound or the Dodgers plan to go with a six-man rotation for a while, well, that changes things.

Some have suggested Noah Syndergaard will be ousted on merit, but I think that's wishful thinking. The Dodgers didn't pay him $13 million this offseason to give up on him after only six starts.

My guess is that the Dodgers are calling up Stone to fill Dustin May's spot one time through the rotation, as a way of managing workload, and that regardless of how he performs, he'll be sent back down afterward. So does that mean we ignore him now? Well, I did say it was only a guess.

Possible waiver wire pickups
LAD L.A. Dodgers • #71 • Age: 25
Rostered
33%
2023 Minors
W-L
2-2
ERA
4.74
WHIP
1.26
INN
24.2
BB
12
K
27
Though it's certainly possible Gavin Stone's impending debut Wednesday is simply to build in some extra rest for the Dodgers rotation (Dustin May in particular), it doesn't necessarily mean he'll be sent back down afterward. The Dodgers haven't been shy about using the IL in strategic ways. What seems like a small opening could become a bigger one, and the right-hander, whose changeup is a true work of art, is equipped to take advantage. His 1.48 ERA in the minors last year was as good as you'll ever see, and it was accompanied by 12.4 K/9 and an 18 percent swinging-strike rate. He's turned things around in his last two starts at Triple-A, too, allowing one earned run in 9 2/3 innings while striking out 15.
OAK Oakland • #25 • Age: 29
Rostered
67%
2023 Stats
AVG
.353
HR
9
OPS
1.245
AB
68
BB
14
K
16
The longer this hot streak goes on for Brent Rooker, the harder it is to dismiss as just a hot streak. Two more home runs this weekend give him five in his past seven games, during which he's batting .417 (10 for 24). The power has always been part of his profile -- last year, he homered 28 times in just 81 games between the Padres' and Royals' Triple-A affiliates -- but what makes this run stand out is how little he's striking out. It's less than 20 percent of the time, giving him nearly as many walks as strikeouts, and at that rate, it's hard to detect any flaws in his hitting. Skepticism is warranted for anyone whose first extended look comes for a rebuilding team at age 28, but I'm out of excuses to bypass Rooker.
CLE Cleveland • #41 • Age: 25
Rostered
55%
Sunday at Red Sox
INN
5
H
4
ER
2
BB
2
K
8
Logan Allen impressed in his debut last Sunday, and his follow-up a week later was nearly as strong, once again seeing him strike out eight. After relying mostly on his fastball and splitter last time, he turned to his sweeper this time, upping its use from 11 to 43 percent. That change in approach in only his second major-league start shows incredible versatility and a dedication to keeping hitters off balance, which helps explain why his minor-league strikeout numbers were always so high despite modest velocity. His 68 percent strike rate and 15 percent swinging-strike rate through two starts would both be elite if he can sustain them, and at this point, it's hard to imagine the Guardians sending him down.
PIT Pittsburgh • #65 • Age: 25
Rostered
51%
2023 Stats
AVG
.279
HR
6
SB
5
OBP
.393
OPS
1.011
AB
68
Jack Suwinski's early-season success is like a microcosm for the Pirates as a whole. Few gave him even a passing glance coming into the year, but now he's excelling in all facets of the game. The latest example came in Game 2 of a doubleheader Saturday, in which he went 3 for 6 with a home run and five RBI. His average and max exit velocity both rank in the top 10 percent of the league, and his xSLG and xwOBA rank in the 99th and 98th percentile, respectively. Meanwhile, he's putting his 89th percentile sprint speed to good use with five stolen bases already, and he's walking at a rate that puts his on-base percentage over the last two weeks up near .500. Even the platoon risk is lessening with the way he's performing now.
PIT Pittsburgh • #27 • Age: 31
Rostered
44%
2023 Stats
W-L
4-2
ERA
3.06
WHIP
1.18
INN
32.1
BB
12
K
32
Buying into Vince Velasquez's role in the Pirates' hot start might be a bridge too far for some given that he hasn't been a pitcher of Fantasy consequence since his rookie 2016 season. But there he was turning in a fourth straight quality start Saturday with six shutout innings at the Nationals. He has a 1.08 ERA during that four-start span, averaging 10.1 strikeouts per nine innings. It's true the 30-year-old has a long history of mediocrity, but he's doing something different this year, throwing his best swing-and-miss pitch, the slider, about twice as often as last year (43 vs. 23 percent). And last year was the most he had used it previously. I remain skeptical and would rather invest in someone like Josiah Gray, but the arsenal change suggests there may be something here.
WAS Washington • #40 • Age: 26
Rostered
43%
2023 Stats
W-L
2-4
ERA
2.67
WHIP
1.28
INN
33.2
BB
13
K
31
Yes, Josiah Gray is allowing weaker contact than last year, and on the fastball in particular. But is there an actual reason for it, or is it just the way things have gone so far? True, he's thrown the fastball less, which is one way to avoid getting burned by it, but he's upped the usage in his last two outings without a corresponding increase in home runs. In fact, he has allowed just one homer after serving up three in the opener. Maybe his new cutter, while a pitch that gets hit hard in its own right, helps to keep hitters from keying in on his fastball. Whatever the case, we've reached a point where it's worth adding Gray just to see where it goes.
MIN Minnesota • #17 • Age: 28
Rostered
22%
Saturday vs. Royals
INN
5.2
H
4
ER
1
BB
2
K
6
Bailey Ober for several years now has been a fascinating pitcher who the Twins don't seem that motivated to use. They may have no choice after losing both Kenta Maeda and Tyler Mahle over the past week. During that span, Ober made two starts and did the same thing he always does: limit damage. The key is his extreme fly-ball tendencies, which theoretically put him at increased risk for home runs but have served more to lower his batting average against. While the Twins have always kept him on a short leash, pulling him before he made it six innings in each of this year's starts, he's an efficient worker who keeps walks to a minimum. At the very least, he has the makings of a WHIP specialist, and it's possible the Twins finally turn him loose.
ARI Arizona • #15 • Age: 32
Rostered
14%
2022 Stats
AVG
.259
HR
19
OPS
.724
AB
506
BB
24
K
127
His start of the season delayed by hernia surgery, Randal Grichuk finally kicked it off with back-to-back two-hit games over the weekend, doubling twice. His first season in Colorado was underwhelming, resulting in numbers not unlike he delivered in Toronto, but he did learn to take advantage of Coors Field, batting .307 with an .851 OPS there. He's in line for plenty of playing time, and the outfield scene is still dire enough that he's worth rostering in five-outfielder leagues. If nothing else, you can use him when the Rockies are at home, and it still wouldn't be surprising, given that favorable environment, if he delivered career-best numbers at age 31.