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.
Padres (+129) at Pirates (-140)— 7:05 PM EST
Pirates out: Starling Marte (oblique)
Pirates in: Corey Dickerson
Starling Marte is once again out of the lineup on Thursday as he continues to deal with ride side discomfort, but Francisco Cervelli (arm) will return after a one-game absence. Corey Dickerson will remain in the lineup in left field for the third straight game against a left-handed pitcher while Sean Rodriguez shifts to center field. Manager Clint Hurdle stated that the team is still evaluating Marte’s injury and a decision will need to be made soon on if he requires a stint on the disabled list. Max Moroff is hitting leadoff for the second consecutive game and currently ranks as the highest-rated hitter in the Bales Model on FanDuel, as he costs the minimum $2,000. Despite suffering from a low Park Factor rating, Moroff benefits from positive splits against lefties as well as exceptional batted-ball statistics over the last 15 days. The Pirates, who are presently implied to score 4.4 runs, make for an intriguing stack option as opposing pitcher Eddie Lauer carries the worst HR/9 rate (2.795) in Thursday’s slate.
Athletics (+110) at Blue Jays (-119)— 7:07 PM EST
Blue Jays out: Teoscar Hernandez (sore back)
Blue Jays in: Dwight Smith Jr.
After playing in 30 consecutive games, Teoscar Hernandez will miss Thursday’s game against the Athletics due to a sore back. In his absence, Dwight Smith Jr. will enter the lineup in left field, Curtis Granderson will slide over to right field, and Yangervis Solarte will bat cleanup. The Blue Jays are one of two teams presently implied to score at least 5.0 runs in the main slate, and they rank first in Team Value Rating on DraftKings (84) and FanDuel (88). Athletics’ right-hander Andrew Triggs possesses a bottom-five WHIP and HR/9 rate among main-slate starters, and he’s allowed a robust 48% hard-hit rate in his last two outings. Granderson is one of the cheapest leadoff hitters on FanDuel ($2,500), and he leads the Blue Jays with a 0.382 wOBA against righties over the last 12 months. The top three hitters in the lineup have an ISO of at least 0.249, and that triumvirate costs only $9,900 on FanDuel.
