Yankees: Michael Pineda has torn UCL, fantasy impact
By Bill Pivetz
The Yankees second half is not starting in a good way. Pitcher Michael Pineda was diagnosed with a partially torn UCL in his right elbow.
The New York Yankees limped into the All-Star break as they lost both games and players. With the second half beginning, the team announced that starting pitcher Michael Pineda will go on the DL with a torn UCL. He is just the latest pitcher to land on the DL this season.
Tommy John surgery has been recommended, but Jack Curry of YES Network tweeted that Pineda will get a second opinion. As one of the better pitchers in the Yankees rotation, Pineda’s loss will hurt both fantasy owners and the Yankees.
For the season, Pineda’s numbers are pretty good. He has a 4.39 ERA, 1.287 WHIP and 8-4 record in 17 starts. He also has a 4.65 FIP, 8.6 K/9 and 2.0 BB/9. However, his most-recent string of starts was nothing to be desired.
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Over his last seven starts, Pineda posted a 6.14 ERA and 1.69 WHIP in 36.2 innings. He had a 26:9 K:BB ratio and nine home runs allowed in that span. So maybe his fantasy owners won’t miss him too much.
It’s more than likely Pineda will miss the remainder of this season, regardless of treatment option. If he goes with TJ surgery, he’ll miss significant time next season too. This is important because Pineda is a free agent after this year.
Pineda will be playing for a different team next season. His fantasy value will be determined by two things. One, how well he heals and two, which team he signs with. I think he would be a good fit for a National League team, but that’s a post for another day.
As for the Yankees, they will move forward with a combination of Luis Cessa and Bryan Mitchell. Yet, we could finally see the debut of Chance Adams or see the Yankees make a trade for one of the available starting pitchers.
Adams has a 2.65 ERA, 0.954 WHIP and 10.0 K/9 in 57.2 innings in Triple-A. Sonny Gray, Julio Teheran and Gerrit Cole are some of the big names on the market. They could also go with a short-term rental like Trevor Cahill, Derek Holland or Jeremy Hellickson.
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As a highly-owned pitcher, owners will again scour the waiver wire for a replacement. Some options include R.A. Dickey, Mike Clevinger and Luis Castillo. Pineda should be dropped in standard leagues and even some deeper leagues.