Matt Waldron DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

San Diego Padres right-handed pitcher Matt Waldron (oblique) was unable to pitch on Friday due to a "mild" left oblique strain. Waldron was set to enter the spring training contest but was pulled by the medical staff. After the contest, the team noted he would be evaluated further on Saturday. If Waldron were to miss time, this could open the door for Randy Vasquez to be the clear front-runner for the final spot in the starting rotation. Last season, Waldron logged 146 2/3 innings (26 starts) and held a 4.91 ERA with a 1.26 WHIP. He tallied 133 strikeouts and posted a strong 6.4 percent walk rate. He also generated a modest 4.11 xERA with a .246 xBA. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status as Vasquez, Stephen Kolek, or Kyle Hart could see opportunities in the rotation at the start of the season.

San Diego Padres starting pitcher Matt Waldron was recalled from Triple-A El Paso earlier on Sunday. In a corresponding move, the Padres demoted right-handed pitcher Randy Vasquez to the minor leagues. Vasquez was given the starting nod on Saturday evening and held his own against the Arizona Diamondbacks as he tossed six shutout innings with only one hit and one walk. Martin Perez is slated to start in the regular season finale for San Diego but Waldron could be deployed as a long relief option if Perez struggles. Fantasy managers should avoid streaming Perez this afternoon as he has generated strikeouts at a very low 18.2% rate this summer.

The San Diego Padres optioned starting pitcher Matt Waldron to Triple-A El Paso ahead of Thursday's series opener against the visiting New York Mets at Petco Park, recalling right-hander Logan Gillaspie in a corresponding move. Waldron has been a fixture in San Diego's rotation this season, but he's clearly hit a wall deep into his rookie season, allowing 22 runs in his last three starts. It's unclear what the plan is for Waldron from this point on, but fantasy managers can cut the 27-year-old knuckleballer loose while he irons things out in the minor leagues. It's also unclear if the Padres have an eye toward getting Yu Darvish (personal) back into the fold at some point down the stretch, but Bryan Hoeing is now a candidate to start Monday's series opener against the St. Louis Cardinals.

San Diego Padres starting pitcher Matt Waldron had a solid start on Sunday, tossing 5 innings of one-run ball in a 10-2 defeat of the Colorado Rockies. Waldron struck out seven while allowing just two hits and two walks. He had his knuckleball working in this one, tossing it 44% of the time while picking up five whiffs and allowing an average exit velocity of just 74.7 mph against it. The knuckler seems to be the key for Waldron, as he is usually sharp when it's working well and bad when it isn't. Overall, the 27-year-old has a decent 3.79 ERA and 1.15 WHIP with 116 strikeouts over 128 IP. He's a decent streamer option in standard-size leagues and a solid rotation piece in deeper ones.

San Diego Padres starting pitcher Matt Waldron produced his fourth consecutive quality start in Friday's 2-1 loss to the Mets. The knuckleballer went seven innings, allowing two earned runs on three hits and two walks while striking out two. It was also the seventh consecutive outing in which he allowed two earned runs or less, a phenomenal stretch in which he's posted a 1.91 ERA, 0.87 WHIP, 19.1% K-BB%, and just a single home run allowed over 42 1/3 innings pitched. The righty's season ERA now stands at 3.66 with a 1.18 WHIP and a 23:70 BB:K in 76 1/3 innings (14 starts). Waldron will have a tough test his next time out, taking on the Phillies on the road next Wednesday.