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USATSI

Happy Thursday, everyone! It was an especially happy Wednesday evening for Yankees fans. In a remarkable feat, Domingo German achieved the 24th perfect game in MLB history during a game against the Oakland Athletics. German retired all 27 batters he faced, striking out nine and recording 17 swinging strikes on just 99 pitches, allowing just three hard-hit balls. He averaged an 84.1 MPH exit velocity against. 

He showcased his repertoire by utilizing his curveball (12 whiffs), changeup (three whiffs), fastball (one whiff), and sinker (one whiff) effectively, resulting in an impressive 37% called strikes plus whiffs (CSW) rate. Despite this incredible performance, German has struggled with a 4.54 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP over the season.

It's worth noting that he surrendered 15 earned runs in his previous two starts, which led some Fantasy managers to drop him. Currently, German is rostered in 65% of leagues. His next matchups include the Baltimore Orioles (14th in wOBA vs. RHP) and the Chicago Cubs (17th in wOBA vs. RHP) next week. Sell high if you roster him now.

Scott White breaks down German as a Fantasy asset in his Thursday edition of the Waiver Wire here.

Prospects to get on your radar

Don't fall behind on the prospects you need to know who could be called up next. Here are a few prospects who made Scott's recent Prospects Report:

Christian Encarnacion-Strand

If the big-league club can't be moved to call you up when you're batting .360, how's it going to respond to you dipping below .330? A 2-for-21 stretch has put Encarnacion-Strand in this position, and I've got to tell you, I'm concerned. Or not at all because it's nonsense. By now, I'm convinced there's nothing Encarnacion-Strand can do performance-wise to help or hinder his chances. It's just a matter of the Reds committing to him, and at the moment, they appear to be fully stocked, unwilling to free up the DH spot for either him or Joey Votto. They did try Encarnacion-Strand as an outfielder earlier this month, but that experiment appears to have ended. A 40-man roster spot is available. Super 2 is no longer a factor. There are no more excuses other than opportunity. Here's hoping one develops soon.

Colton Cowser

While Jordan Westburg beat Cowser to the majors, the latter is probably the more talented of the two. He is in a 1-for-13 skid, but he was red hot after coming back from a quadriceps injury in early June. And of course, it's the season-long numbers that count for more anyway. The fifth overall pick in the draft two years ago, Cowser excels in every facet of the game, making good swing decisions and high-quality contact. With Cedric Mullins, Austin Hays and Anthony Santander all deserving a place in the Orioles lineup, Cowser's arrival is contingent on the team's willingness to devote its DH spot to the worst defender of the bunch, which is to say Santander. So far, they've preferred to keep it versatile, and Ryan O'Hearn may have first dibs on it anyway given the way he's performed in first baseman Ryan Mountcastle's absence.

Ronny Mauricio

This fifth spot comes down to Mauricio and Sal Frelick, and since the latter is in a 3-for-19 funk at a time when he's still out to prove he's fully recovered from thumb surgery (while having a more recent scare with his knee), I'll give the nod to Mauricio this time. He hasn't been blazing hot either, but he continues to see time in left field. Tommy Pham has helped to stabilize that position at the big-league level this month, but the 35-year-old's track record is what it is. He may already be showing signs of slowing down. Mauricio's long limbs have always delivered good exit velocity readings, and he's done a much better job of putting bat to ball this year, giving him a chance to hit for both average and power.

Sell high or hold on De La Cruz?

Elly De La Cruz continues to fill up the box score for your Fantasy Baseball rosters and for the Reds. On Wednesday, he went 2-for-6 with a run, RBI and his ninth stolen base. He's currently batting .301 with a .874 OPS and a whopping 32% strikeout rate -- with a potentially troubling 63% groundball rate.

We got an email from a listener named Bodee looking to stash a minor league in his keeper league and asked who next year's Elly De La Cruz might be. Frank and the FBT discussed this on Thursday's episode of Fantasy Baseball Today. What would you be willing to trade for De La Cruz right now?

Chris Towers breaks the rookie phenom's trade value down here plus the FBT in 5 crew does the same on the podcast here.

News and notes

  • Aaron Judge was spotted playing catch before Wednesday's game. It's not much, but it seems like a step in the right direction.
  • Yordan Alvarez hit off a tee and took soft-toss Wednesday. There's no exact timetable yet for his return to the Astros. He's been out since early June with a right oblique strain.
  • Yu Darvish might be pushed back again in the Padres' rotation as he continues to battle illness.
  • Bryan Reynolds said he's aiming to be activated from the IL Friday.
  • Clayton Kershaw is expected to make his next start after leaving his start early Tuesday. When asked why, Kershaw said he "didn't feel great overall… just needed to come out right there."
  • Shohei Ohtani is expected to make his next start despite dealing with a cracked fingernail.
  • Ryan Helsley was cleared to begin a throwing program. He's been down since June 12 with a forearm strain.
  • Salvador Perez was back in the lineup Wednesday after undergoing a procedure on his eye earlier this week.
  • Chris Sale will undergo an MRI on his left shoulder Thursday. He's on the 60-day IL and isn't eligible to return until early August.
  • Ke'Bryan Hayes was placed on the IL with lower back stiffness, retroactive to June 25. 
  • Michael Soroka could be called up to start Friday against the Marlins. 
  • Dustin May played catch Wednesday, his first time throwing since going on the IL on May 18. He's been out with a right forearm strain and remains without a timetable.
  • Jose Quintana will make another rehab start Friday at Triple-A. If the outing goes well, he could be cleared to make his Mets debut sometime next week. 
  • Michael Conforto left Wednesday's game with left hamstring tightness.
  • It's a Brandon Pfaadt Thursday! He's confirmed to start Thursday against the Rays.