DFS PLAYS OF THE DAY
Here are some of the best plays of the day if you're looking to set your daily lineup, or if you're playing the daily game. Be sure to look out for the DFS MLB Playbook for some other daily plays (see link above).
C: Miguel Montero has hit four homers with 10 RBIs an a .350 batting average against Jason Marquis over 20 at-bats. A bonus... Carlos Ruiz has 29 at-bats against Jonathan Niese and he's ripped up the lefty for 10 hits leading to a .345 average. Ruiz has hit .272 with a .373 OBP against lefties in his career.
1B: Victor Martinez has been sitting out cause the Tigers are in Pittsburgh and don't have the DH. Could that continue Wednesday? Certainly could, but there is this - VMart has hit .464 with a homer, six doubles, and seven RBIs over 28 at-bats against Francisco Liriano. Could the Tigers move Miguel Cabrera to third base for a game to get Victor in the lineup? Just a thought.
2B: Martin Prado has hit .385 with a homer and six RBIs in 26 at-bats against Eric Stults. The last three seasons the little fella has hit .323 with a .383 OBP and .501 SLG against lefties. Those are big boy numbers.
3B: Adrian Beltre has hit .400 with a 1.537 OPS against Hector Santiago over 17 plate appearances. That effort includes three homers. Beltre has crushed lefties when he's faced them the last three years hitting .313 with 19 homers in 441 at-bats.
SS: Stephen Drew seems to enjoy facing Bud Norris. Drew has faced the righty 24 times with a .358 batting average and over the top .500 OBP to show for it. He's hit a two doubles, a triple and a big fly in the matchup. He's also produced a .779 OPS against righties in his career, .119 points higher than he's posted against lefties.
OF: Ryan Raburn has long been a lefty killer with a .468 SLG and 41 homers in just 897 at-bats. He's set to face lefty John Danks whom he has hit .333 against with three homers and 11 RBIs over 42 at-bats. He's also hit five doubles.
OF: Matt Holliday has hit .429 with a couple of bombs against Wily Peralta. The last three years he's also hit .301 with a .397 OBP and .515 SLG at home with 40 homers in 816 at-bats.
OF: Gerardo Parra has two bombs against Lance Lynn. He's also hit .471 with a .500 OBP over 18 plate appearances in the matchup.
SP: Drew Pomeranz, Athletics
Anyone scared off by the Astros right now? There a whole lot of guys in that lineup that aren't hitting... they aren't even hitting the ball (some of them). The game is in Houston, and that's a short porch in left, but come on. Pomeranz allowed a mere two hits and didn't walk a batter over seven innings his first time out against the Mariners.
SP: Lance Lynn, Cardinals
He has allowed only three homers to Brewers batters in 164 at-bats. Take away Gerardo Parra and it's one in 147 at-bats. Over the last three seasons he's 27-11 at home with a 2.81 ERA and 274 punchouts in 291 innings. He also struck out nine in his first outing this season when he allowed two runs over six innings to the Cubs.
SP: Jon Niese
In 145 plate appearances current Phillies batters are hitting .231 with a .302 OBP against this lefty. The last three seasons Niese has posted a 3.09 ERA at home while posting a 2.99 K/BB ratio. Oh, and the Phillies aren't good.
LINKS YOU HAVE TO BOOKMARKED
INJURIES
Xander Bogaerts had an MRI on his knee. The results were negative meaning he could return to the lineup as early as Wednesday. He's been at the top of his game in the batters box hitting .433 with seven RBIs and six runs scored through seven games.
Michael Brantley has had his back looked at "extensively" according to manager Terry Francona. It sounds like there is nothing structurally wrong with Brantley and that means he could be back in action as early as Wednesday, though with an off day Thursday, maybe the club will hold Brantley out until Friday. He's close to a return though I do worry a great deal about his value, at least in the short-term.
Kole Calhoun is still out of the lineup, and it sounds like he will be on the sidelines a few more days. "It's not there yet," he said of his right calf. This has not been a good start to the year for Calhoun a year after he went 17-58-90 in just 127 games for the Angels.
Carlos Carrasco took a liner off his head from Melky Cabrera in a scary situation Wednesday night, and just like that another season in which it appears unlikely that Carrasco could fail to throw 180 innings in a season yet again (he's only done it once in a decade). Let's just hope he is OK at this point (no concussion for Carrasco according to the reports is a positive). Here's my Player Profile on Carrasco. The hope is that he will be able to take the hill for his next start Monday. Is that Danny Salazar I hear knocking?
Tommy La Stella has been placed on the DL with right rib cage inflammation. Maybe now we'll get a chance to see some more of Arismendy Alcantara and those wheels.
Buster Posey missed the start Tuesday as he was out with a trapezius issue. The club expects him to return to game action at first base Wednesday. Good news.
Matt Wieters had seven at-bats Tuesday and was throwing from 150 feet. Sounds like his elbow is responding well and that he should be able to return around the end of the month.
BATTING ORDER CHANGES
Rougned Odor has been pushed up to the leadoff spot to replace Leonys Martin. Odor isn't a steal threat with four thefts and seven caught stealing in his first 122 big league games during which time he also didn't get on base (.299 OBP). Can't see how this move sticks.
Ben Revere was dropped to 8th in the order for the Phillies after a painfully slow start to the season. With a few good games you have to figure that the speedster will be moving back up, but for now his value, especially in the daily game, is slightly muted.
TRENDS
Billy Butler hasn't heard his name mentioned much but he does have a 9-game hitting streak to begin his Athletics career.
Shane Greene is the first Tigers starter to have eight innings pitched and no earned runs allowed in his first two starts of the season since 1978 when Bob Sykes pulled of the trick. #Winning
Stephen Strasburg allowed five runs and 10 hits while pitching 5.1 innings Tuesday. That's 11 runs, eight earned, in 10.2 innings over two starts. Those efforts have led to a 6.75 ERA through two starts. That's about the same as last season when his ERA after two starts last year was 6.09 (he allowed 10 total runs over 10.1 innings).
Chase Utley hit a homer off of Matt Harvey. He went 175 at-bats and 61 games between home runs.