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.
Rays (+147) at Red Sox (-160) — 7:10 PM EST
Red Sox in: Xander Bogaerts
Red Sox out: Rafael Devers
Xander Bogaerts has been activated from the disabled list and will return to the lineup on Friday hitting fifth and playing shortstop. Andrew Benintendi has struggled against left-handed pitching this season and will receive a day off, while J.D. Martinez shifts to left field and Hanley Ramirez moves to designated hitter. Mitch Moreland will enter the lineup at first base and hit cleanup despite having negative splits against lefties. The Red Sox are currently implied to score a healthy 4.8 runs, but the game has a 21% chance of precipitation. Bogaerts is priced at the minimum on FanDuel at just $2,000 and makes for an exceptional source of value in various Red Sox stacks. Martinez once again rates positively on FanDuel with a 76% Bargain Rating and has produced a .558 wOBA and .505 ISO against lefties over the past 12 months.
Rays in: Matt Duffy
Rays out: Johnny Field
Matt Duffy has been activated from the disabled list and will immediately return to the leadoff spot against a left-handed pitcher despite struggling against lefties in the past. Johnny Field is the odd man out for a spot platooning in the outfield as Rob Refsnyder is shifting to left field. Mallex Smith will once again man center field against a lefty and Wilson Ramos has moved up to the cleanup spot. Opposing pitcher Drew Pomeranz will be making his second start of the season after being limited to just 3.2 innings in his first appearance. C.J. Cron leads the Rays with a .240 ISO against lefties over the past 12 months, and the remainder of the offense is limited with power. If Pomeranz is fully healthy, he’ll make for an intriguing tournament option on FanDuel at $7,200 as the Rays are currently implied for just 3.8 runs.
Cardinals (-125) at Pirates (+115) — 7:05 PM EST
Cardinals in: Kolten Wong
Cardinals out: Matt Carpenter
Matt Carpenter has just two hits and zero extra-base hits in his last 17 at bats against a left-handed pitcher and will receive a routine day of rest on Friday. The Cardinals are deploying an identical lineup to Wednesday’s win in which they scored nine runs against a lefty. Tommy Pham will hit leadoff, and the Cardinals are currently implied for 4.5 runs. Opposing pitcher Steven Brault has allowed a recent average distance of 235 feet over his past two starts, setting up potential Cardinals stacks for tournament exposure. Jose Martinez has destroyed lefties in the past year with a .513 wOBA and .453 ISO, and he has benefited from a 94 mph exit velocity and a 48% hard-hit rate in the past 15 days. Yadier Molina also warrants consideration with a .355 wOBA and .321 ISO against lefties and is coming off a day of rest on Thursday after catching the prior 11 games.
Rockies (-127) at Marlins (+117) — 7:10 PM EST
Rockies in: Gerardo Parra
Rockies out: Ryan McMahon
Gerardo Parra completed his four-game suspension and will return to Friday’s lineup against the Marlins. The Rockies will continue to hit David Dahl cleanup for the third straight game against a right-handed pitcher, while Parra will bat sixth behind Trevor Story. Ian Desmond is headed back to first base and Ryan McMahon will return to a bench role. While the Rockies are implied to score 4.3 runs, the hitters suffer from a low Park Factor percentile at Marlins Park. Charlie Blackmon carries an 86% Bargain Rating on FanDuel, but left-handed hitters are at a disadvantage in Miami. Opposing pitcher Jose Urena has limited the deep ball over the past year but holds the second-worst average batted-ball distance allowed to hitters over the past 15 days.
Pictured above: Xander Bogaerts
Photo credit: Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports
