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.
Angels (-161) @ Royals (+148) — 7:15 PM EST
Angels in: Luis Valbuena
Angels out: Ian Kinsler, Shohei Ohtani
It’s been speculated the cold weather may have forced the Angels to be cautious with Ian Kinsler, who was recently activated off the disabled list after suffering a strained groin. Shohei Ohtani gets a day of rest before taking the mound on Sunday, and he’ll be replaced in the batting order by Luis Valbuena. Zack Cozart is one of the most expensive leadoff hitters in the main slate, and the Angels are implied to score only 4.3 runs, which is actually the fourth-highest team implied total in the main slate. However, their implied total has already decreased 0.4 runs today, per our Vegas Dashboard. The wind is projected to blow around 14 MPH toward right field, and Royals starter Jake Junis has curated the second-highest fly ball rate (41%) over the last 15 days. Among hitters that have been confirmed to play, Mike Trout ranks seventh with a 51% recent fly ball rate. Trout also leads everyday hitters with a 0.455 wOBA against righties, and as the most expensive-hitter on DraftKings and FanDuel by a wide margin, he may continue to boast an average tournament ownership north of 28% as he has the previous four games.
Royals in: Ryan Goins
Royals out: Cheslor Cuthbert
Cheslor Cuthbert will receive a day off and Ryan Goins will enter the lineup at second base. Whit Merrifield will slide over to center field for the first time in his career and Lucas Duda will return to the cleanup spot for the second time in the last six games. The Royals are currently implied to score just 3.3 runs — a mark which has decreased 0.6 runs since the line opened — and opposing pitcher Garrett Richards has limited hitters to a slate-best 66% groundball rate over the last 15 days. Richards is in a plush spot, and he possesses some of the best peripheral stats among starters in the main slate. He’s facing a Royals lineup with the third-lowest team wOBA (0.296), and he leads all pitchers in the main slate with an 84% Bargain Rating on DraftKings.
Pictured above: Ian Kinsler, Shohei Ohtani
Photo Credit: Marcio Jose Sanchez — Associated Press
