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.
Yankees (-163) at Orioles (+150) — 7:05 PM EST
Yankees in: Austin Romine
Yankees out: Gary Sanchez
Gary Sanchez will receive a routine day off, so the Yankees will roll with Brett Gardner, Aaron Judge, and Greg Bird at the top of the lineup for their matchup against the Orioles. They’re currently implied to score 5.7 runs and boast a top-five Team Value Rating on both DraftKings and FanDuel. Overall, each of Gardner, Judge, Didi Gregorius, Neil Walker, and Gleyber Torres have posted positive ISO and wOBA splits vs. right-handed pitchers over the past 12 months. Gardner is particularly in play on FanDuel, where his $3,100 price tag comes with a 95 percent Bargain Rating and a +1.81 Projected Plus/Minus. The Yankees are set up well against righty Andrew Cashner, who has allowed 10 earned runs in his last 15.2 innings pitched. Cashner will have his hands full with a Yankees lineup that has combined to post a slate-high .363 wOBA over the past calendar year. Both offenses could benefit from estimated wind gusts of four miles per hour blowing out to right center, although current forecasts call for an estimated 28 percent chance of precipitation.
Cubs (-113) at Mets (+104) — 7:10 PM EST
Cubs in: Chris Gimenez, Albert Almora
Cubs out: Willson Contreras, Kyle Schwarber
Willson Contreras and Kyle Schwarber will receive days off, so Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, and Albert Almora will fill the 3-5 spots for a Cubs lineup currently implied to score 4.7 runs. The Cubs are particularly in play on FanDuel, where each of their top-six batters possess a Bargain Rating of at least 70 percent. Jason Heyward has six hits in his last eight at bats, and his $2,300 price tag on FanDuel is accompanied by a +0.75 Projected Plus/Minus. The whole Cubs lineup is set up well against righty Zack Wheeler, who has allowed 20 earned runs – including five home runs – over his last 28 innings pitched. Wheeler’s struggle to limit the long ball is nothing new, as he’s allowed an average of 1.68 home runs per nine innings pitched over the past 12 months – the fifth-highest mark in Friday’s main slate. Both pitchers will have to deal with estimated wind gusts of six miles per hour blowing out to left field.
Blue Jays (-102) at Tigers (-106) — 7:10 PM EST
Tigers in: Miguel Cabrera (strained right hamstring)
Miguel Cabrera has been activated from the disabled list and will bat third for a Tigers lineup currently implied to score a solid 4.6 runs. Cabrera will look to continue to crush lefties, as he’s posted a .204 ISO and a .402 WOBA vs. southpaws over the past 12 months. Overall, he ranks among the main slate’s top-seven first basemen in average exit velocity and hard-hit rate over the past calendar year. The Tigers boast a top-six Team Value Rating on both DraftKings and FanDuel and are set up well against Jamie Garcia, who has allowed five-plus runs in three of his last five starts. Still, Garcia has done a good job limiting big hits recently, ranking among the main slate’s top-three pitchers in average exit velocity and hard-hit rate allowed over the past 15 days. He carries a mediocre 4.8 K Prediction and will take on a Tigers lineup that has combined to post an average .313 wOBA vs. left-handed pitchers over the past 12 months.
Pirates (+115) at Cardinals (-125) — 8:15 PM EST
Pirates in: Adam Frazier
Pirates out: Josh Harrison
Josh Harrison has been scratched Friday for an undisclosed reason. He’ll be replaced at second base and atop the lineup by Adam Frazier. The Pirates are currently implied to score just 3.8 runs against the Cardinals, although the Pirates-Cardinals’ matchup currently boasts the third-most hitter-friendly Weather Rating in Friday’s main slate. The Cardinals are lead by righty Miles Mikolas, who has posted a +4.5 Plus/Minus with a 64 percent Consistency Rating on DraftKings in 10 starts this season. Mikolas will look to continue to do a good job limiting big hits, as he ranks among the main slate’s top-three pitchers in average batted ball distance and fly-ball rate allowed over the past calendar year. Overall, he’s one of just seven pitchers in Friday’s main slate that have allowed less than one home run per nine innings pitched over the past 12 months.
Cardinals in: Marcell Ozuna (jammed finger)
Marcell Ozuna will start for the first time in two games and bat fourth for a Cardinals lineup currently implied to score a respectable 4.3 runs. They’re set up well against righty Jameson Taillon, as only Jose Martinez and Harrison Bader have posted negative wOBA splits vs. right-handed pitchers over the past 12 months among the Cardinals starters. The Pirates-Cardinals’ matchup currently boasts the third-most hitter-friendly Weather Rating in Friday’s main slate. Ozuna is particularly in play on DraftKings, where his $3,300 price tag comes with an 81 percent Bargain Rating and five Pro Trends. Still, Taillon has done a great job limiting big hits recently, ranking among the main slate’s top-five pitchers in average exit velocity and hard-hit rate allowed over the past 15 days. Overall, he’s allowed the second-fewest home runs per nine innings pitched over the past calendar year among all pitchers in Friday’s main slate.
Dodgers (-104) at Rockies (-104) — 8:40 PM EST
Rockies in: DJ LeMahieu (sprained left thumb)
Rockies out: David Dahl (broken right foot)
David Dahl has been placed on the 10-day disabled list due to a broken right foot and the team has activated DJ LeMahieu from the DL in a corresponding roster move. Dahl is expected to miss six-to-eight weeks due to the injury. LeMahieu will lead off for a Rockies lineup currently implied to score 5.8 runs. They have a good matchup against southpaw Scott Alexander, as each of LeMahieu, Nolan Arenado, Trevor Story, and Ian Desmond have posted positive ISO and wOBA splits vs. left-handed pitchers over the past calendar year. They’re especially in play on DraftKings, where they boast the main slate’s fourth-highest Team Value Rating. Still, each of the Rockies’ top-six batters carry a projected ownership rate of at least 5-8 percent on DraftKings. Alexander will make the first start of his career and look to improve upon his already-stellar early-season bullpen work. Overall, Alexander has posted slate-best marks in both average batted ball distance and exit velocity allowed over the past 15 days.
