Baseball is back! Check back here throughout the day for updated blurbs as teams confirm their lineup. We’ll keep you updated on some of the day’s highest-impact trends by utilizing our Models and Vegas dashboard. Projected and confirmed lineups for every game can be found on our MLB Daily Lineups page.
Orioles (+245) at Nationals (-270) — 7:05 PM EST
Nationals out: Daniel Murphy, Adam Eaton
Nationals in: Mark Reynolds, MIchael Taylor
Daniel Murphy and Adam Eaton will sit against the Orioles on Thursday, and they’ll be replaced in the field by Mark Reynolds and Michael Taylor, who will bat fifth and sixth, respectively. Bryce Harper will move up to the leadoff spot, and Juan Soto will bat cleanup for a Nationals team presently implied to score 4.5 runs. However, the Nationals’ implied total has decreased 0.4 runs since the line opened and they are dealing with negative reverse line movement. Despite the inauspicious indicator, the Nationals claim the third-highest Team Value Rating on FanDuel (66). Anthony Rendon, who remains in the three-hole, is one of the highest-rated third basemen in the Bales Model, and he leads hitters at his position and on his team with a 251-foot recent batted ball distance. He qualifies as a potential pivot option to the Cubs’ Kris Bryant, who costs $1,100 more than Rendon on DraftKings.
Cubs (-160) at Reds (+147) — 7:10 PM EST
Reds out: Scott Schebler (bereavement)
Reds in: Adam Duvall
Scott Schebler has been placed on the bereavement list and will miss anywhere from three-to-seven days. In his absence, Adam Duvall will enter the starting lineup in left field with Jesse Winker and Billy Hamilton rounding out the outfield. Jose Peraza is hitting leadoff for the first time in nearly a month against a right-handed pitcher and the Reds are currently implied to score 4.2 runs. Despite a high salary on both sites, Joey Votto ranks as the highest-rated Reds hitter in the Bales Model due to a team-high .449 wOBA against righties. Opposing pitcher Kyle Hendricks has struggled lately with an average batted-ball distance allowed of 229 feet over the past 15 days — the second-worst mark of all starters in Thursday’s main slate. Winker is one of seven Reds hitters that have seen an increase in recent batted-ball distance and remains the cheapest option on FanDuel at just $2,600.
