*NOTE: Ray will be out of the office from the 13th to the 21st.  

I need a vacation. We all do, right? I’m taking one. It’s likely to be filled with sun, sand and booze… as every vacation should.

Edwin Diaz had 58 strikeouts over his first 31 innings this season. That total is the most ever for a pitcher in his first 31 big innings since at least 1913.

Zack Greinke is the only starting pitcher in Royals history, to throw 162 innings, and have an ERA under 3.00 with more than a strikeout an inning (in 2009 Greinke has a 2.16 ERA and 9.50 K/9). Can Danny Duffy really become the second (2.82 ERA, 9.99 K/9)? Duffy is at 124.1 innings and has yet to throw 150-innings in a big league season (this is his sixth year with the Royals).

Can you help the return of this ill gotten booty?

With the elbow injury to Nathan Eovaldi the Yankees will turn back to Luis Severino Sunday, his normal turn based on recent usage, as Eovaldi has been placed on the DL with a tendon issue in his elbow. It’s unclear how long he will be out or if he will require surgery. The Yankees sent Severino down to the minors to work on his changeup, but he will have to work on this pitch at the big league level instead.

Why do those swimmers wear two caps in the Olympics?

Make sure to Bookmark the Player Profile Series home page for write-ups about all the players you want to know about including all those significant rookie call ups.

Jameson Taillon grabbed his third win Thursday with eight scoreless innings. He’s been a beast through 10 starts with a 2.85 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and just eight walks through 60 innings. Taillon didn’t throw an official pitch either of the last two years because of injury, and he’s up to 121.2 innings this season leaving in serious question how many more starts he will make for the Pirates.

A blue lobster. Just bad ass.

Adam Wainwright stinks right now. He had his shortest outing of the season Friday as he lasted just two innings. He was bombed for seven runs while he recorded just six outings and over his last two outings he’s allowed 15 hits, six walks and 13 runs in 8.0 innings. Wainwright, who called the fantasy experts at SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio idiots in the preseason for having him ranked so low, and I was probably lower on him than anyone else, has a 4.72 ERA and 1.37 WHIP. Adam, you stink. You were wrong. I was right. Feels good to say it.

Zack Wheeler has had yet another setback with his arm and is off to meet Dr. James Andrews to see what is going on. At this point, even if the report is a good one, it seems nearly certain that Wheeler will miss a second straight season. This is a shining example of why anyone who counts on pitchers coming back from surgery is making a mistake. Period. You need to realize folks that the surgery is about 85-90 percent effective. It doesn’t always work, and even when it does and the pitcher returns to success in the big leagues, it can take years (just look at what happened to Ryan Madson).

VIDEOS

Yunel Escobar has quietly had a fantastic season despite having no power. Troy Tulowitzki has been one of the best shortstops since July 1st. Melvin Upton Jr. has been a vacuum of suckitude over the last 9 games but could still be worth a pickup. VIDEO

Felix Hernandez is clearly not pitching like we are used to. Edwin Jackson is pitching unreliably well. Blake Snell got bombed and his WHIP is a huge concern going forward. VIDEO

Tom Koehler is locked in right now. Tyrell Jenkins is just not a pitcher you can trust. Matt Moore needs to but back on his walks. VIDEO

AROD

I know we all hate him, and that all his numbers are in doubt at this point, but I would be remiss if I didn’t write something about Alex Rodriguez.

Alex had 150 homers with three teams. No one else has ever done that.

Alex had 435 homers from 2000-09, 67 more than second place Jim Thome.

In 156 games against the Royals ARod had a .329-50-131 line with a 1.076 OPS.  

As of this writing he’s 10th all-time in MVP Shares.

He’s 25th all-time in SLG (.555) and 37th in OPS (.930).

He’s 4th in homers (696), 3rd in runs batted in (2,085) and 8th in runs (2,021).

The numbers say – a hell of a career.

The legacy is a muddled mess.

And finally…

The Rogue One trailer. Hello Darth Vader.

 

 

Ray Flowers can be heard Monday/Tuesday and Thursday/Friday, 8 PM EDT, Wednesday 7 PM EDT on SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio (Sirius 210, XM 87). You can also hear Ray Sunday nights at 11 PM on the channel talking fantasy sports. Follow Ray’s work at Fantasy Alarm and on Twitter (@baseballguys).