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.
Rockies (+159) at Nationals (-173) — 7:05 p.m. ET
Rockies in: Ryan McMahon in
Rockies out: Charlie Blackmon
Charlie Blackmon will miss his fourth consecutive game on Friday due to a tight right quad, but the team insists he is close to returning and has yet to move him to the disabled list. Ian Desmond will make his second consecutive start at center while Ryan McMahon enters the starting lineup for just the third time this season. Nolan Arenado and Gerardo Parra both received multiple-game suspensions for their roles in the bench-clearing brawl on Wednesday, but both players will appeal and start on Friday. The Rockies have one of the worst road offenses in the league, making opposing pitcher Tanner Roark an intriguing tournament option on FanDuel at $8,200.
Blue Jays (+130) at Indians (-141) — 7:10 p.m. ET
Blue Jays in: Teoscar Hernandez
Blue Jays out: Josh Donaldson
Josh Donaldson was placed on the 10-day disabled list due to right shoulder inflammation that has been bothering him throughout the season. Teoscar Hernandez was called up to replace Donaldson on the active roster and will immediately start in left field and hit second. Hernandez is only available on DraftKings, but at $2,600 he warrants tournament consideration given his positive splits against righties and despite the Blue Jays’ current implied total of 4.0 runs. However, Donaldson’s absence weakens the overall upside of the Jays lineup, and opposing pitcher Mike Clevinger is projected for a healthy 7.3 strikeouts. His 89% Bargain Rating is preferred on FanDuel where he is the second-highest rated pitcher in the Bales Model.
Indians in: Rajai Davis
Indians out: Michael Brantley
Michael Brantley will receive a day off on Friday after playing in six of the last seven games since returning from the disabled list. Manager Terry Francona is monitoring Brantley’s innings as he returns to full strength. Yonder Alonso will take over at the cleanup spot and Rajai Davis will draw the start in left field against a right-handed pitcher for the first time this season. The Indians are currently implied to score a healthy 4.6 runs, but opposing pitcher Marcus Stroman has forced hitters into a slate-high 66% ground ball rate over the last 15 days. Jason Kipnis carries upside with a 40% hard hit rate this season and remains cheap on FanDuel at just $2,900.
Orioles (+220) at Red Sox (-241) — 7:10 p.m. ET
Red Sox in: Mitch Moreland
Red Sox out: Hanley Ramirez
As expected, Hanley Ramirez is out of Friday’s lineup after suffering a right wrist contusion in Thursday’s win. Mitch Moreland will draw the start at first base and replace Ramirez in the three-hole, while Tzu-Wei Lin enters the lineup in place of Brock Holt. The Red Sox easily carry the highest run total at 5.9 runs as they face off against Chris Tillman, who has the second-worst HR/9 out of all pitchers on Friday’s slate. Red Sox ownership will likely be extremely high in tournaments, and Lin offers a way for contrarian team stacks as he is priced at the minimum on DraftKings.
Rangers (+210) at Astros (-230) — 8:10 p.m. ET
Rangers in: Ronald Guzman
Rangers out: Elvis Andrus out
Elvis Andrus was diagnosed with a fractured right elbow and is expected to miss six-to-eight weeks. Rougned Odor (hamstring) was recently placed on the disabled list and the Rangers called up Ronald Guzman to start at first base while Isiah Kiner-Filefa enters the lineup at second base. Guzman is unavailable on both DraftKings and FanDuel, and the Rangers are currently implied to score just 3.4 runs. Opposing pitcher Gerrit Cole carries the highest overall projection in the Bales Model but is also the most expensive pitcher on both sites. The Rangers are starting six left-handed hitters, and a team stack will fly under the radar despite Cole’s struggles against lefties last season.
Pictured above: Mitch Moreland
Photo credit: Patrick McDermott — USA TODAY Sports
