Hochevar quality in loss: Royals starting pitcher Luke Hochevar put up just his fourth quality start in nine outings on Tuesday against the Yankees, however the Royals offense was unable to lift him up as he picked up his second loss in a row, 3-2. Hochevar struck out a season high eight batters in the game, however he walked three and allowed six hits in his 6 2/3 innings, which led to three runs. Those three runs were all the Yankees needed in the game, as he got very little help from his offense in the game. Hochevars record fell to 3-5 on the season. (Updated 05/22/2012)
Injury Report
No information available at this time (Updated 5/23/12).
Fantasy Analysis
The former top prospect has had a tough go of it this season, as his ERA now stands at 6.61, which would be the worst of his career. However, there are signs that he could pitch better moving forward, as he is posting the best strikeout rate of his career. He is set to face the Indians for the third time this season in his next start, on Monday of Week 9 (May 28-June 3), and he has not fared well against them so far this season, posting a 7.84 ERA in 10 1/3 innings. He has two starts in the period, however he should be left for just the deepest of AL-only leagues at this time. (Updated 05/22/2012).
05/17/2012 17:55 O's top Royals, make it 7 in row on road
Adam Jones hit a two-run homer, J.J. Hardy also drove in a pair of runs and the Baltimore Orioles beat the Kansas City Royals 5-3 on Thursday for their seventh straight road win.
05/06/2012 17:27 Cano slam helps Yanks earn split in K.C.
Robinson Cano hit his eighth career grand slam, Alex Rodriguez added a three-run shot and the New York Yankees roughed up Luke Hochevar in a 10-4 win over the Kansas City Royals on Sunday.
05/06/2012 17:17 Hit Parade for Week 6
Plenty of pitching matchups to take advantage of as we look ahead to Fantasy Week 6. Our Scott White helps you make sense of some platoons and maximizes your lineup's potential in his Hit Parade.
Luke Hochevar would be easy to overlook on Draft Day. Frankly, the only reason anyone would give him a second thought is because he's a former No. 1 overall pick -- you know, like Stephen Strasburg or Bryce Harper. But for as much as he has underachieved throughout his career, he made a few strides in the second half in 2011 that hint of legitimate growth. Though his season strikeout rate of 5.8 per nine innings was a career low, he was a legitimate strikeout pitcher over his final 10 starts, averaging 8.3 per nine innings. He also had a 3.49 ERA and 1.12 WHIP during that stretch, pitching at least six innings every time on the mound. Those aren't quite ace numbers, but they're certainly Fantasy-relevant numbers. They're also not so easy to dismiss given Hochevar's pedigree. Then again, 10 starts is an awfully small sample size, and age 28 is kind of late to be taking such a big step forward. You wouldn't want to overdraft a historically mediocre pitcher because of a few good starts, but if you're scrambling for a starting pitcher in the late rounds, Hochevar is a name to remember. (Updated 1/9/12)