Robbie Grossman can fix Mike Trout injury void

Here’s a scenario: You start a new job, and though the work is exactly what you wanted and all of your co-workers seem like nice people, every story you’ve been told since arriving is about how amazing your predecessor was.

Despite the fact you’ve already replaced this person, you’re continuously told how invaluable he was to the company, and the way you do things is not the way he would have done them. It’s frustrating. That is until you realize the most important thing: You’re the new sheriff in town, and ultimately your boss is expecting results from you, not the beloved former colleague. You just have to keep producing.

Fantasy owners this week were dealt a tough blow when it was learned Mike Trout would miss 6-8 weeks with a strained right calf. Though trying to replace a top-five fantasy player with obviously inferior talent is an unenviable task, it has to be done, and unless someone drops Bryce Harper or Ronald Acuna, or Adolis Garcia is still available in your league, your options are limited. You’re going to take a hit somewhere.

Just remember: Consistent production is key.

Enter Detroit’s Robbie Grossman. Though he entered Friday hitting .243, his batting average only tells part of the story.

After hitting .212 with two homers, seven RBIs, eight runs, four stolen bases, a .358 on-base percentage and .676 OPS in April, he hit .286 with two homers, 11 RBIs, 13 runs, 12 walks, three stolen bases, a .403 OBP and .926 OPS over his first 16 games this month.

Tigers
Robbie Grossman
AP

Despite a 23 percent strikeout rate (which, believe it or not, is still lower than Trout’s 28.1), Grossman’s .377 on-base percentage was the 26th-best in the majors. His career-high walk rate (16.4 percent) was the fifth best and just two spots behind Trout’s (18.5 percent). He also has scored 21 runs — just two fewer than Trout.

Grossman was tied with seven others for the third-most steals (seven) in the league, just five off leader Whit Merrifield (and five more than Trout), so he has some speed.

Grossman, the third-most added player and the most added outfielder in ESPN leagues this week, is also getting consistent playing time — he is ranked 17th in plate appearances (183), aided by hitting leadoff in 40 of his 42 starts. He also has decent pop (four homers) and the ability to drive in runs (18 so far, equal to Trout).

According to Statcast, Grossman also has career-best marks in exit velocity (89.4), max exit velocity (110.9), hard-hit percentage (40.1) and sweet-spot percentage (49.1), which ranked the highest in the league among qualified hitters.

Constantly refreshing your computer hoping another Trout-type of player will magically appear on the waiver-wire is not a winning strategy, so stop wasting time and pick up Grossman.

Though Grossman is Roto Rage’s favorite target, there are other productive outfielders who may pique your interest more, like Baltimore’s Austin Hays (62 percent owned). He has at least one hit in 20 of his past 27 games, and despite striking out in 21.6 percent of his at-bats, he is hitting .255 with five homers, 13 RBIs, 22 runs and a .806 OPS in that span.

The Cubs’ Ian Happ (54.3 percent owned) entered Friday with a .206/.320/.402 slash line and 31.7 percent strikeout rate, but he was also riding a five-game hitting streak in which he was 8-for-18 (.444) with four homers, seven RBIs and a 1.696 OPS.

Milwaukee’s Avisail Garcia (39.5 percent owned) ended April hitting .195 with three homers, 10 RBIs, 26 strikeouts and a .609 OPS, but he has turned it around. Over his first 17 games this month, he was 18-for-54 (.333) with three homers, 12 RBIs, seven runs and a .956 OPS. He also had a stolen base and a .400 OBP.

Through his first 28 games, Rangers leadoff hitter Willie Calhoun (20.5 percent owned) was hitting .276 with five homers, 11 RBIs, 12 runs and a .793 OPS. He doesn’t strike out a lot (13 percent K rate), hits for a respectable average and was on pace for 20-plus homers.

Hunter Renfroe (13.6 percent owned) is a career .228 hitter and has struck out 27.7 percent of the time in his career, but he entered Friday hitting .279 with four homers, 11 RBIs, 11 runs and a .779 OPS over his first 17 games this month. That comes after hitting .167 in April.

Big Hits

Josh Fuentes 1B/3B, Rockies

Went 14-for-29 (.483) with two homers, 14 RBIs and a 1.397 OPS during a seven-game hit streak that was snapped Thursday. He was hitting .347 with a .976 OPS over his first 16 games this month.

Domingo German SP, Yankees

He is 3-0 with a 2.37 ERA, 30 Ks and a .207 opponent average over his past five starts, lasting six innings or more in four of those outings.

Gavin Lux 2B/SS, Dodgers

After hitting .179 in 17 games in April, he is 19-for-61 (.311) with two homers, 12 RBIs and a .832 OPS in his first 17 games this month.

Anthony DeSclafani SP, Giants

He is 2-0 with a 0.75 ERA and .167 opponent average over his past two starts, and hasn’t allowed more than three earned runs in any of his nine starts.

Big Whiffs

Dylan Bundy SP, Angels

The 28-year-old is 0-5 with a 6.89 ERA and .268 opponent average over his past six starts. Remember when he finished ninth in the Cy Young voting last year, then you drafted him as a top-35 starter? That was fun.

Twins
J.A. Happ
Getty Images

Marwin Gonzalez 1B/2B/3B, Red Sox

Entered Friday hitting .195 over his past 11 games while striking out 15 times. He walked once and had a .214 OBP and .483 OPS.

J.A. Happ SP, Twins

After going 2-0 with a 1.91 ERA over his first five starts, the veteran is 0-2 with a 19.29 ERA and robust .471 opponent average in his past two.

Jed Lowrie 2B, Athletics

The oft-injured vet entered Friday with just four hits in his past 32 at-bats (.125) with no homers, two RBIs, 10 strikeouts and a .378 OPS.

Check Swings

  • After failing to make it into the fifth inning over his first four starts, Corey Kluber has failed to make it to the sixth inning just once over his past five starts while going 4-0 with a 1.78 ERA, 36-9 strikeout-walk rate and .171 opponent average. Oh, he also threw a no-hitter Wednesday. The two-time Cy Young award-winning “Klubot” appears to be back!
  • One night before Kluber’s masterpiece, Detroit’s Spencer Turnbull threw a no-no of his own. He is 2-0 with a 0.59 ERA, 16-3 strikeout-walk rate and a .115 opponent average over his past two starts, and 3-2 with a 2.88 ERA and .197 opponent average over his first six.
  • The most added player in ESPN leagues this week was none other than … Brandon Crawford? The Giants shortstop’s six-RBI effort Thursday didn’t hurt, nor did the fact he had a hit in 11 of his first 14 games this month (and at least one RBI in nine of those games). He entered Friday hitting .348 with seven homers, 19 RBIs and a 1.262 OPS this month. He already has more homers and RBIs (29) than he had in 2020.

Team Name of the Week

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