BEST LINE: Pinnacle +111

Posted at 9:40 AM EST

2:10 PM EST. Trevor Bauer has only made five starts since his call-up in May, but he certainly made the most of them with a BB/K split of 11/35 in 28 innings. Bauer has been a high-profile prospect since taken in the first round of the 2011 draft out of UCLA. Traded from Arizona to Cleveland prior to 2013, he took a big step back at Triple-A Columbus. He struggled to limit walks and keep the ball in the ballpark but much of his 2013 struggles can be attributed to a groin injury. An unlucky 31% hit rate and high 17% hr/f have both hurt his ERA (4.08) and WHIP (1.29) but he’ll now face a Royals team that is dead last in the majors in home runs. Also note that Bauer’s last four starts came against Texas, Colorado, Baltimore and Detroit and he’ll now take a big step down in class. This kid has a high ceiling.

Yordano Ventura had recent concerns around his elbow and thus was skipped for one turn in the rotation. He came back in his last outing and was only able to muster one K in six innings. Over his last three starts, he has a 7/5 K/BB, while allowing 11 ER over 14.2 IP. In seven home starts, he is 1-4 with a 4.25 ERA and 1.39 WHIP over 36 IP. Over his last five starts, Ventura has posted a 5.27 ERA along with a 1.61 WHIP. This little guy with the big arm (fastball touches 100 MPH) may be a pitcher in peril and it’s worth nothing that his secondary offerings are definitely a work in progress. The opposing Indians have a top-5 OPS (.754) when facing right handed pitching and the Royals have dropped five of the last six games that Ventura has started.