Zach Eflin Refined His Changeup And Slider
Zach Eflin has the potential to be an ace right alongside teammates Aaron Nola and Zack Wheeler. The right-hander went 4-2 with a 3.97 ERA and a 3.39 FIP in 11 outings (10 starts) last year and leaned more on his sinker while using a more effective curveball to post a career-best 28.6 percent strikeout rate. He spent the offseason refining his changeup and slider, specifically increasing his arm speed with his changeup. Eflin also worked to add more depth to his slider. Entering his age-27 season, most fantasy managers will look at his career K/9 of 7.3 and pass on him, but if he can improve on the gains he made in 2020, you're looking at a fine sleeper candidate that will come at a cheap price (203 ADP) in the later rounds of drafts.
Source: MLB.com - Todd Zolecki
Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Source: MLB.com - Todd Zolecki
Zach Eflin Cleared To Start On Sunday
Zach Eflin (lat) was officially cleared to start Sunday's contest against the Los Angeles Angels. Eflin has been sidelined for nearly a month due to a lat strain. The southpaw made his last start on April 7. Through his first three starts of the campaign, the left-hander logged 18 innings of work to the tune of a 3.00 ERA and a stellar 0.83 WHIP. During this stint, he struck out just eight batters but only allowed one walk. Under the hood, the 31-year-old has generated a modest 3.43 xERA and a .257 xBA, which place him in the 56th and 43rd percentile among qualified pitchers. Given his elite control, Eflin remains a strong SP3/SP4 when looking to boost your WHIP ratio. This afternoon, he has an excellent matchup against the Angels and should be viewed as a strong play in all DFS competitions.
Source: MLB.com
Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Source: MLB.com
Zach Eflin "Likely" To Return On Sunday
Zach Eflin (lat) will "more than likely" return from the 15-day injured list this weekend to face the Los Angeles Angels in the series finale on Sunday, according to manager Brandon Hyde. The Orioles announced on Wednesday that Eflin would be returning from the IL this weekend after throwing a successful bullpen session, but now we know the exact date. Although the matchup will be an excellent one for the 31-year-old veteran -- the Angels rank 25th in MLB with a .665 team OPS -- but Eflin could be limited pitch-count wise in his first start back after throwing only 58 pitches in his only minor-league rehab start. Still, Eflin is tempting for fantasy lineups after posting a 3.00 ERA and 0.83 WHIP with eight strikeouts in 18 innings over his first three starts this year before injuring his lat.
Source: The Baltimore Sun - Matt Weyrich
Baltimore Orioles right-hander Source: The Baltimore Sun - Matt Weyrich
Zach Eflin To Return From Injured List To Face Angels This Weekend
Zach Eflin (lat) passed his final test with a successful bullpen session on Wednesday and will come off the 15-day injured list to start against the Los Angeles Angels this weekend, according to manager Brandon Hyde. It's unclear which game Eflin will start in Anaheim in a three-game series that starts in Southern California on Friday, but for fantasy purposes, the 31-year-old veteran will be an immediate streaming option in single-year and DFS formats. Before suffering a strained right lat early in the year, Eflin had posted a decent 3.00 ERA (3.97 FIP) and 0.83 WHIP with eight strikeouts and only one walk in three starts over 18 innings pitched versus the Blue Jays, Red Sox and Diamondbacks. He'll be facing an Angels offense this weekend that ranks 26th in baseball with a weak .657 team OPS.
Source: The Baltimore Sun - Matt Weyrich
Baltimore Orioles right-hander Source: The Baltimore Sun - Matt Weyrich
Zach Eflin To Throw Bullpen On Wednesday, Nearing Return
Zach Eflin (lat) traveled with the team to Minnesota and is set to throw a bullpen session on Wednesday. Matt Weyrich of The Baltimore Sun noted that the southpaw's rehab start went well and that he is close to returning. Fantasy managers should keep a close eye on his bullpen session as this could potentially set him up to return to action this weekend. During his rehab start at High-A, Eflin logged four shutout innings. He allowed two hits and struck out four. Before his injury, Eflin held a solid 3.00 ERA with a stellar 0.83 WHIP. He struck out eight batters in 18 innings of work, but he showed strong command as he served up walks at a 1.5 percent rate. When he does return, he will be a viable SP3 in all formats, especially when looking to boost your team's WHIP.
Source: Matt Weyrich
Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Source: Matt Weyrich
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