Try as he might, Bryce Elder just can’t break free of the malaise that’s gripped him since late June. Through his first 15 starts, he was phenomenal, an out-of-nowhere savior to an injury-stricken rotation: 54 ERA-, 86 FIP-, 84 xFIP-. Since then, it’s come crashing down a bit: 12 starts with a 108/116/126 line instead. This isn’t a case of results catching up to peripherals, as the problem is the peripherals themselves have gotten far worse. In that entire span, Elder is yet to have a single start with an FIP and xFIP below 4.50.
Elder’s most recent outing, against the Dodgers, was a pretty good example of how this last long stretch has gone, even when runs haven’t crossed the plate.