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Happy Friday, everyone! We had some heavy action on Thursday despite a short slate of games but we'll lead today with a team that needed something good to happen to them more than any other team -- the Los Angeles Angels. Shohei Ohtani played hero ball on Thursday to help the Angels end a 14-game skid that included the decision -- toward the back end -- to fire manager Joe Maddon. Ohtani threw seven innings of one-run ball and struck out six along the way but he also delivered a two-run homer in the 5th inning. Ohtani was electric with the bat and with his arm, at one point hitting 101 MPH on the gun. The Angels took this one 5-2 against the Red Sox.

We'll dive into all of the action from Thursday below including another dominant performance from a pitcher who is steadily and surely entering the SP1 discussion, a season debut Stephen Strasburg would like to forget, a return to action that Max Muncy is surely excited about and more. But first, make sure you're all caught up with everything going on from the Fantasy Baseball Today team over at CBSSports.com/Fantasy/Baseball. Scott White delivered a new edition to his prospects report focusing on players who could be getting the call up very soon and you can find that here. You can also find a few more names you'll want to consider scooping up from your waiver wire here. Lastly, Chris Towers' trade value column looks into Joey Votto's resurgence and more with advice for both Roto and H2H formats -- you can find that here. 

And of course, as always, you can follow to make sure you get the latest episodes of Fantasy Baseball Today right when they drop on Apple and Spotify. 

Strasburg's debut to forget

Stephen Strasburg finally made his 2022 debut, but it didn't exactly go according to plan. It was Strasburg's first outing since June 1 of the 2021 season and he lasted just 4 2/3 innings despite going up against the Marlins. Miami tagged him for eight hits, seven earned runs and he walked two. He struck out five but only induced six swinging strikes. The most concerning number from his debut was the 90.3 mph he reached on his fastball. There's just no way he can live at that number. That doesn't mean he can't bring his velocity way back up -- he averaged nearly 94 mph in 2019 -- but it's an obvious red flag. Strasburg is currently in line for starts vs. the Braves and Phillies. He's best left on your benches for now.

Muncy mashes in return

On the flip side to Strasburg, Max Muncy enjoyed a very nice night in his return to action. Muncy collected two hits including a double, a homer and five RBI. If you hadn't already, it's time to safely put him back into your starting lineups.

Shane-O continues to deliver

At what point do we start considering Shane McClanahan one of the best pitchers in Fantasy Baseball? He's surely in the SP1 conversation and he continued his 2022 season dominance on Thursday night. McClanahan delivered his sixth consecutive quality start and this time went eight innings deep, allowing just one unearned run. He also allowed just two hits, one walk and struck out nine with 20 swinging strikes induced. Once again, he had everything working. McClanahan now has seven strikeouts or more in 11 of his last 12 starts and he leads MLB with 98 strikeouts. His ERA is down to 1.87 and his groundball rate is up to 49%. This is what one of the best pitchers in baseball looks like.

Week 11 preview

Scheduling notes

  • One team with five games: Dodgers
  • 17 teams with six games
  • Nine teams with seven games
  • Three teams with just eight games: Phillies, Nationals, Mariners

Two-start pitchers to stream

Sleeper hitters

Best hitter matchups

1. Padres: @CHC4, @COL3

2. Mariners: MIN3, LAA5

3. Phillies: MIA3, @WAS5

4. Blue Jays: BAL4, NYY3

5. Tigers: CHW3, TEX4

Worst hitter matchups

1. Dodgers: LAA2, CLE3

2. Mets: MIL3, MIA3

3. Orioles: @TOR4, TB3

4. Angels: @LAD2, @SEA5

5. Yankees: TB3, @TOR3

News and lineup notes

Every night the Fantasy Baseball Today team dives into all of the happenings around the MLB from top performers to injuries, trades and more. The podcast is a must listen for any diehard, if I do say so myself. Tune in to the podcast to hear the FBT crew expand on the news and notes below.

  • Mike Trout has now missed two straight games with left groin tightness but isn't expected to require a trip to the IL. 
  • White Sox GM Rick Hahn said that Eloy Jimenez had his rehab assignment paused due to "normal leg soreness". He'll start up a new rehab assignment next week. 
  • Tyler Stephenson left Thursday's game after a foul ball went off his bare right hand, and then we find out he's going to miss 4-6 weeks with a fractured right thumb.
  • Brandon Woodruff resumed throwing off a mound Thursday. He's currently on the IL with an ankle injury. 
  • Dave Roberts said Thursday that Clayton Kershaw could start Saturday against the Giants. 
  • Andrew Kittredge was placed on the IL and needs surgery to remove a loose body in his elbow and is expected to miss at least a month.
  • Tylor Megill will be activated to start Friday against the Angels. 
  • Christian Walker was diagnosed with a facial contusion after getting hit in the head by a pitch Thursday.
  • Aroldis Chapman is scheduled to throw a bullpen session Saturday. He's on the IL with Achilles tendonitis. 
  • Andrew Heaney allowed two hits and struck out five over 4.1 scoreless innings at Triple-A Thursday.
  • Noah Syndergaard will not start this weekend against the Mets, opting to give him extra rest. This is a real issue for Angels starters who very rarely see two-start weeks in Fantasy. 
  • Sonny Gray will throw an extended bullpen session Friday. He's on the IL with a right pectoral strain. 
  • Eduardo Rodriguez threw four scoreless innings in a rehab start at Triple-A Thursday.