Philadelphia Phillies DVOA, Stats, & MLB Rankings

Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Jose Alvarado has been suspended for 80 games. The left-hander has tested positive for a performance-enhancing substance. According to Todd Zolecki of MLB.com, this suspension is effective immediately. Through the early part of the campaign, the left-hander has been a very effective option in the Philadelphia bullpen, holding a 2.70 ERA with a 1.20 WHIP. He has struck out 25 batters across 20 innings and tallied seven saves. The 29-year-old has generated a strong 2.77 xERA (86th percentile) and a 47.3% ground-ball rate (71st percentile). He has also shown a strong command of his pitches, tallying strikeouts at an elite 29.8% rate and serving walks at a 4.8% rate. While Alvarado is sidelined, fantasy managers should expect Jordan Romano to see most of the save opportunities in Philadelphia.

Philadelphia Phillies starting pitching prospect Mick Abel was officially promoted ahead of his MLB debut on Sunday against the Pittsburgh Pirates. In a corresponding move, the Phillies optioned right-handed pitcher Daniel Robert to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Abel is set to be the temporary replacement in the rotation for Aaron Nola (ankle), who was placed on the 15-day IL earlier this week. However, veteran Taijuan Walker is expected to take Abel's spot in the rotation next week. Through his first 46 1/3 innings this season at Triple-A, Abel has posted a solid 2.53 ERA with a 1.21 WHIP. He has struck out 51 batters and served up 19 free passes. Facing a struggling Pittsburgh offense, the No. 8-ranked prospect in the Philadelphia system does have deep-league streaming appeal this afternoon.

Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Bryson Stott came into this game in a bad slump, but was able to have a productive game on Saturday. Stott connected on a solo home run off right-hander Carmen Mlodzinski in the third inning. He did a little bit of everything in this game as he went 2-for-5 with a homer, three RBI, two runs scored, and a stolen base in the win. Hopefully this nice performance will help Stott get back on track. Despite his slump, Stott is still worth rostering and starting in most 12-team formats.

Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Zack Wheeler was dominant on Saturday, blanking the Pittsburgh Pirates over six innings in his team's 5-2 home win. He allowed three hits, struck out six, and issued one free pass to earn his sixth straight quality start -- improving to 5-1 through ten appearances. All three of the hits Wheeler yielded were singles, as he continues to shut down lineups. The 34-year-old hasn't let up more than two earned runs in over a month (Apr. 13). After the scoreless outing, he's down to a sterling 2.67 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, and 80:12 K:BB ratio across 64 innings. He'll carry the impressive line into his next trip to the mound, which should come next week on the road against the Colorado Rockies or Athletics.

Chicago White Sox left-handed pitcher Tyler Gilbert (knee) was placed on the 15-day injured list due to a sprained MCL in his left knee. In a corresponding move, the White Sox have promoted left-handed pitcher Jared Shuster from Triple-A Charlotte. Through 13 games this season, Gilbert has been deployed both as an opener and out of the bullpen. In 13 innings of work, the southpaw has struck out 16 batters and posted a 4.85 ERA with a 1.15 WHIP. However, under the hood, Gilbert has generated an impressive 3.62 xERA and a strong .206 xBA, which are both well above the average marks. While Gilbert remains sidelined, fantasy managers should expect Shuster to serve in a similar middle-relief role in the bullpen. Fantasy managers should continue to expect Jordan Leasure and Cam Booser to see most of the high-leverage opportunities.