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  • Dominant in debut
    Scherzer (1-0) picked up the win Sunday, allowing one hit and no walks with four strikeouts across five scoreless innings against Kansas City.

    Advice: Scherzer showed no signs of rust after missing the first 12 weeks of the season recovering from offseason back surgery and battling thumb and forearm injuries, retiring the first 13 batters he faced and picking up the victory. Though he completed five innings, Scherzer was pulled after 57 pitches and should continue to have his workload monitored during his next few starts. Still, the three-time Cy Young winner looked like himself Sunday and is on track to face the Orioles at Camden Yards next weekend. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 10:36 pm
     
  • Punches out seven
    Valdez (6-5) allowed a run on six hits and two walks over seven innings Sunday, striking out seven and earning a win against Baltimore.

    Advice: Valdez rolled through five shutout frames without facing too much trouble before Jordan Westburg belted a solo shot in the sixth inning. The Astros gave Valdez plenty of run support as he halted a brief two-start losing streak. It was the third time this year he's struck out at least seven batters, and each of those outings have come in his last eight starts. He's produced an impressive 2.73 ERA through 33 innings this month, lowering his season mark to 3.68 across 80.2 frames. Valdez will carry a 63:26 K:BB into his next outing, which is projected to be on the road against the Mets. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 6:47 pm
     
  • Max Scherzer has great start in 2024 debut
    Max Scherzer threw five shutout innings, allowing just one hit while striking out four and walking none.

    Advice: There’s not much more you could ask for from the 39-year-old in his season debut. He was incredibly economical with his 57 pitches, throwing 39 strikes. He also induced seven whiffs on 31 swings for a 23 percent whiff rate and 26 percent CSW on the day. Two things to keep an eye on are that Scherzer’s four-seam fastball velocity was 92.9 mph, which is down from last year’s 93.7 mph, and he also allowed 92 percent zone contact, so he was really only missing bats when he got chases out of the zone. Still, it’s been just one start, and it’s great to see Scherzer on the mound and looking healthy. Rotoworld Yesterday, 2:55 pm
     
  • Framber Valdez dazzles against Orioles
    Framber Valdez allowed one run on six hits in seven innings in a win over the Orioles on Sunday.

    Advice: Valdez struck out seven and walked two on the day. He allowed just one extra-base hit, but it happened to be a solo home run to Jordan Westburg. The left-hander induced 11 whiffs on 45 swings for a 24 percent whiff rate and 34 percent CSW against a really talented offense. That’s now back-to-back really strong starts for Valdez after a rough outing against the Giants. He’ll carry a 3.68 ERA into a plus matchup against the Mets next week. Rotoworld Yesterday, 2:44 pm
     
  • Max Fried keeps Yankees bats at bay
    Max Fried allowed one run on six hits in six innings in a win over the Yankees on Sunday.

    Advice: It wasn’t a dominant outing for the left-hander, but he allowed just one extra-base hit all day and was able to pitch his way out of any trouble that he found himself in. He induced just seven whiffs on 39 swings for an 18 percent whiff rate and 26 percent CSW, but that’s a pretty solid day against a good Yankees lineup. Fried is now 7-3 with a 3.00 ERA on the year and is set up for a solid start against the Pirates next week. Rotoworld Yesterday, 2:27 pm
     
  • Picks up seventh win
    Fried (7-3) earned the win Sunday, allowing one run on six hits over six innings against the Yankees. He struck out four.

    Advice: Fried kept the Yankees off the board until a solo run crossed in the sixth on an Anthony Volpe double. Three of the six hits Fried allowed came during the sixth, but a timely double play ended the inning and kept Fried in line for his seventh win. It was Fried's eighth quality start this season in 15 outings and the seventh start in which he's gone at least six while allowing no more than one earned run. He's currently scheduled to next toe the rubber against Pittsburgh when the Pirates head to Atlanta for a weekend set. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 1:49 pm
     
  • Max Fried stellar against Yankees in win
    Max Fried shut the Yankees out over six innings in a 3-1 win on Sunday. He struck out four without walking a batter.

    Advice: Fried was great in this and kept the Yankees off-balance by mixing all five of his pitches. He didn’t throw one individual offering more than 30% of the time and was adept at varying his four-seam fastball, sinker, and curveball early in counts. He’s as steady and stable as they come. Rotoworld Yesterday, 1:08 pm
     
  • Rangers activate Mad Max for ’24 debut on Sunday
    Rangers activated RHP Max Scherzer from the 60-day injured list.

    Advice: Scherzer will make his highly-anticipated season debut on Sunday afternoon for the defending World Series champions against the Royals at Globe Life Field. The 39-year-old veteran right-hander missed the first few months of the year recovering from offseason back surgery, and a nerve-related issue in his thumb that sprung up during his rehabilitation process. He’s no longer an elite fantasy contributor at this advanced stage of his legendary career. However, he’s likely to have flashes of occasional brilliance, and make a tangible impact for fantasy managers, even in shallow mixed leagues, when healthy. Rotoworld Yesterday, 9:15 am
     
  • Reinstated from IL
    The Rangers activated Scherzer (back/thumb) from the 60-day injured list ahead of his start in Sunday's series finale against the Royals.

    Advice: Scherzer will make his season debut Sunday after having his start Saturday pushed back in favor of Jon Gray. Scherzer began the season on the injured list following offseason back surgery, and his rehab assignment was delayed due to separate thumb and forearm issues. In his last rehab start June 15, Scherzer allowed three runs on four hits and two walks while striking out eight over 4.2 innings. Sunday's start should provide clarity on whether the 39-year-old right-hander will work under any restrictions in his first big-league action since Game 3 of the 2023 World Series in October. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 9:00 am