ADD Robbie Ray! BENCH Gerrit Cole? Connor Norby Recalled! | Fantasy Baseball Advice

Robbie Ray returned with a bang let's discuss on fantasy baseball today in [Applause] five welcome into fbtn 5 on Thursday July 25th I am Frank SEL joined by Scott White and let's talk about Robbie Ray who made his return to the mound his Giants debut at the Dodgers five no hit Innings one run allowed eight strikeouts 22 whiffs on 86 pitches had everything working in this one and he actually got off to a slow start first inning two walks two hit by pitches two wild pitches allowed to run his next four Innings of Works zero hits zero walks seven strikeouts Scott Robbie Ray 73% rostered feels like that needs to be closer to a 100 oh yeah I would say so and he's one of a few uh notable pitchers who are coming back from season long injuries just this week uh but I would say the fact that Robbie Ray came back like this against this team is is uh reason to consider him the most promising of that group all of a sudden we'll see how things go for for Clayton Kershaw and kodai senga the next two days but you know pitchers have had pitchers who we've seen previously come back from season long injuries this year have struggled by and large Gavin Williams Shane B uh Max Scherzer gar Cole again after looking like he maybe got back on track so it's not a sure thing and the fact that Robbie Ray came back doing this is just it's it's hard not to feel like you've already won the lottery with him and and maybe the most notable thing about the performance okay there were the no hits they were all the whiffs his fastball average fastball velocity was up 2.3 miles per hour from last year his average slider velocity up 4.8 uh that's you know compared to last year obviously but compared to 2021 when he won the sa Young Award the velocities were even higher than then and I don't think he can sustain him I think you know you look at what he was throwing at Triple A it wasn't quite this hard but if he's anywhere close to those 2021 velocities and he's able to throw strikes consistently which has been an issue for Robbie Ray throughout his career but if he's able to do that then he might just be an ace because certainly he's been that in the past well let's talk about one of the names you mentioned in there and Garrick Cole who had another rough outing against the Mets he allowed six runs over five and two3 innings three homers allowed in the start in two starts against the Mets this season 12 earned runs seven homers allowed over nine and 2/3 Innings and this sucks Scott because previous two starts before this looked like he was getting back on track and then obviously has this clunker where you at on G Cole a little confused to be honest uh I I had the last two starts had looked so good I moved him back up to 13th and my starting pitcher rankings I'm going to drop them to more like 21st now and I hate zigzagging like that but it's it's hard to get a feel for what's going on with Garrick Cole clearly the slider is at the center of this because he hadn't been throwing it's his best pitch in theory he hadn't been throwing it much this year 10% and maybe it's because of how it makes his elbow feel I I don't know exactly maybe he feels like he hasn't gotten a feel for it because he hasn't been able to throw it enough with the elbow issue uh but he had found success the last couple turns throwing a cutter instead wasn't quite as good but the starts were good so maybe it was good enough then he starts throwing the slider 30% of the time in this start instead of the 10% it doesn't go well and so I I think he's probably trying to work it back in and and maybe it'll get all the way back but what will the results look like in between now and then if he's going to feature the slider this much I I don't know maybe I don't want him to but the highest upside outcome is for him to get that slider back so it's it's it's difficult to say what we should expect from Cole moving forward next turn is against the Phillies yeah I'd be reluctant to start him I'm not saying he's an absolute sit but i' I'd be reluctant to start him let's wrap up with some news items and a big injury Christian Yelich placed on the I with lower back inflammation and season ending surgery is a possibility he'll see see a spine specialist on Thursday to discuss the next steps and Yelich was having an amazing season but this back injury has hampered him over the past couple of years so uh hopefully it's not season ending but it is a possibility and Jorge Mato was placed in the is with a dislocated left elbow Conor Norby will be recalled by the Orioles on Thursday having a big season in the miners he's only 10% rostered he's gotten some of those deeper Leagues with a middle infield spot are you looking to add Conor Norby if it's a league so deep that there's never an interesting hitter okay Norby becomes interesting by default he's going to be in a good lineup I think there's a good chance he plays more than last time we saw him because how much more do the Orioles need to see fromone Aras seriously but what I think is gonna happen for Conor Norby is he not going to be that useful his exit velocity readings at Triple A are pretty blah and a hitter with that profile he can make it work if he elevates the ball in the air if if he pulls the ball in the air well I should say but is that approach not hitting very hard but pulling in the air well going to work for a right-handed hitter at Camden Yards with its very deep left field fence I am skeptical of that and I think looking back will will come to view this time where Norby is in the mix for the Orioles as him just being a placeholder for either Kobe Mayo or maybe even Jackson holiday who's back to playing the field at triaa and also hitting well all right for more extensive Fantasy Baseball coverage listen to the fantasy baseball Today podcast on Spotify Apple podcast The Odyssey app or anywhere else podcasts are found thanks for listening to Fantasy B ball today and 5 and we will be back again tomorrow bye-bye [Applause]