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.
Cardinals (-104) at Phillies (-104) — 7:05 PM EST
Cardinals in: Jose Martinez
Jose Martinez will return from paternity leave and bat third for a Cardinals lineup presently implied to score a respectable 4.3 runs. Still, only Matt Carpenter and Marcell Ozuna have posted positive ISO splits vs. right-handed pitchers over the past 12 months. This is great news for righty Nick Pivetta, who has averaged 10.02 K/9 and a 1.39 WHIP over the past calendar year. Pivetta carries five FanDuel Pro Trends and boasts a +7.86 Projected Plus/Minus – the main slate’s third-highest mark among all pitchers. He carries a strong 7.1 K Prediction and is set up well against a Cardinals lineup that has combined to strike out every .263 at bats over the past 12 months. The bad news is the Cardinals-Phillies’ matchup currently boasts the third-most hitter-friendly Weather Rating in Monday’s main slate. Both offenses could benefit from projected wind gusts of nine miles per hour blowing out to right field.
Brewers (-120) at Pirates (+111) — 7:05 PM EST
Brewers in: Hernan Perez
Brewers out: Travis Shaw (sore right wrist)
Travis Shaw is dealing with a sore right wrist, so Hernan Perez will start at third base and bat fifth for a Brewers lineup currently implied to score a solid 4.7 runs. They’re especially in play on FanDuel, where the Brewers presently boast the main slate’s third-highest Team Value Rating. Overall, Christian Yelich, Eric Thames, and Erik Kratz form the main slate’s second-highest rated three-man stack in combined ISO. Thames in particular is set up well against righty Trevor Williams, as he ranks among the main slate’s top-two first basemen in wOBA and ISO differential vs. righties over the past 12 months. Exposure to Thames should be focused on FanDuel, where his $3,200 price tag comes with a 99 percent Bargain Rating. Williams ranks among the main slate’s bottom-six pitchers in average exit velocity and hard-hit rate allowed over the past 15 days.
Dodgers (-125) at Cubs (+115) — 8:05 PM EST
Cubs in: Ben Zobrist, Chris Gimenez
Cubs out: Javy Baez (left elbow contusion), Willson Contreras
Javy Baez will sit out with a bruised left elbow, while Willson Contreras will receive a routine day off. The Cubs will roll with Kris Bryant, Jason Heyward, and Ben Zobrist at the top of the order for their matchup against the Dodgers, who are led by righty Kenta Maeda. Overall, the Cubs are implied to score just 4.1 runs, although they’ve combined to post a respectable .320 wOBA vs. right-handed pitchers over the past 12 months. Maeda carries a strong 7.2 K Prediction and is especially in play on FanDuel, where his $8,300 price tag comes with an 85 percent Bargain Rating and a +3.5 Projected Plus/Minus. Both pitchers could benefit from expected wind gusts of 10 miles per hour blowing in from center field. Still, everyone involved carries risk thanks to an estimated 55 percent chance of precipitation.
Rangers (-111) at Royals (+103) — 8:15 PM EST
Rangers in: Elvis Andrus (fractured right elbow)
Elvis Andrus has been activated from the disabled list and will bat second for a Rangers lineup presently implied to score 4.9 runs. The Rangers are in play across the industry, as they carry the main slate’s second-highest Team Value Rating on both DraftKings and FanDuel. Overall, Shin-Soo Choo, Nomar Mazara, and Joey Gallo form the main slate’s highest-rated three-man stack on FanDuel in the Bales Model. Each player carries at least six FanDuel Pro Trends and has posted positive ISO splits vs. right-handed pitchers over the past calendar year. Ian Kennedy will have his hands full with a Rangers lineup that has combined to post a .337 wOBA vs. righties over the past 12 months – the fourth-highest mark in Monday’s main slate. Kennedy needs to do a better job forcing hitters to keep the ball on the ground, as he ranks among the main slate’s bottom-five pitchers in both average batted ball distance and fly-ball rate allowed over the past 15 days.
