4 weeks agoDetroit Tigers outfielder
Kerry Carpenter will take a seat in Game 2 of the American League Division Series on Monday at Progressive Field against the Cleveland Guardians and left-hander
Matthew Boyd. With Carpenter on the bench as usual against a lefty starter,
Justyn-Henry Malloy will serve as the team's designated hitter and will bat leadoff against Boyd. Carpenter should be back in the starting lineup on Wednesday when the series shifts to Comerica Park in Detroit against Cleveland right-hander
Alex Cobb. Carpenter hit just .107 (3-for-28) in a small sample size against lefties in 2024 with just one of his 18 home runs in 32 plate appearances. Malloy will be a DFS sleeper in the leadoff spot with his .203 average (41-for-202) on the year and eight home runs and 21 RBI in 71 games in his rookie season.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
4 weeks agoSan Diego Padres outfielder
Fernando Tatis Jr. bashed two homers en route to a 10-2 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 2 of the NLDS on Sunday. Tatis finished the game 3-for-4 with a double, two homers, three runs scored, and three RBI. Not a bad day at the office. He was also hit by a pitch by
Jack Flaherty after homering and doubling off him, which caused some fireworks. The Dodgers can't seem to get Tatis out, as he has gone 5-for-8 in the first two games of this series and is now sitting at a ridiculous 9-for-14 in the playoffs as a whole. He is making an early bid for playoff MVP, although there is obviously a long way to go yet.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
4 weeks agoPhiladelphia Phillies outfielder
Nick Castellanos came up huge in Game 2 of the NLDS on Sunday, hitting a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth to send the Phillies to a 7-6 win. Castellanos also homered in the sixth to tie the game at three and ended the day finished the day 3-for-5 with two runs and two RBI. It was a fantastic performance for the 32-year-old, who is looking to turn around his postseason fortune after slashing .199/.252/.382 in 136 postseason at-bats before this game. It was certainly a terrific start, and Castellanos will look to keep his momentum in Game 3 on Tuesday.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
4 weeks agoNew York Mets third baseman
Mark Vientos smacked two big-time two-run homers on Sunday in a 7-6 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 2 of the NLDS. Vientos' first dinger opened the scoring and his second tied the game up in the ninth. Unfortunately, the Mets couldn't capitalize on Vientos' masterful performance, but he is showing that he can come up in clutch moments. The 24-year-old is getting his first taste of postseason baseball and is passing with flying colors, as he is hitting .400 with a 1.179 OPS. If the Mets make a deep run, Vientos could be a huge reason why.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
4 weeks agoNew York Yankees starting pitcher
Nestor Cortes (elbow) was able to play catch on Sunday. It was Cortes' first time throwing since landing on the IL on September 22 due to a left elbow flexor strain. The Yankees are going to wait and see how Cortes' elbow responds on Monday, and then plan the next steps in his recovery. If all goes well, Cortes could return in the ALCS should the Yankees make it there. Whether he is used as a starter or reliever is another question, as he might not have the time to build up to a starter's workload.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: Gary Phillips
4 weeks agoLos Angeles Dodgers first baseman
Freddie Freeman (ankle) left Game 2 of the NLDS in the sixth inning after experiencing pain in his ankle. Freeman has been recovering from a sprained ankle since the final week of the regular season, and he managed to play through Game 1, but the pain was too significant in Game 2. The game was still very much in hand when Freeman left, which signifies that this wasn't a precautionary move and that Freeman was simply in too much pain to continue playing. Manager Dave Roberts said after the game that they won't know Freeman's status for Game 3 until closer to the game.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: Juan Toribio
4 weeks agoLos Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher
Walker Buehler will make his first start of the postseason on Tuesday when he faces
Michael King in Game 3 of the NLDS. Buehler will be in tough against a Padres lineup that just put up 10 runs against
Jack Flaherty and the Dodgers bullpen. Buehler has had a tough year, pitching to a 5.38 ERA and 1.55 WHIP while earning just one win in 16 starts. He did pitch better in September, but he will need to find another level if he hopes to shut down the Padres offense.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: Juan Toribio
4 weeks agoSan Diego Padres shortstop
Xander Bogaerts (hamstring) left Game 2 of the NLDS on Sunday against the division-rival Los Angeles Dodgers in the eighth inning due to hamstring cramping. Bogaerts felt the discomfort earlier in the game, but was able to play through it and actually homered in the eighth before leaving. It is most likely a precautionary measure, as the Padres were up 7-1 when Bogaerts was removed. He said he thinks he will be fine, so expect to see him back in the lineup for Game 3 barring a setback.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: AJ Cassavell
4 weeks agoSan Diego Padres third baseman
Manny Machado went 1-for-5 with a two-run shot in their loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 1 of the NLDS. Machado put the Padres up early as he hit a two-run homer in the opening frame off
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, which scored
Fernando Tatis Jr. Machado tallied two RBI in the Wild Card series against the Atlanta Braves and is continuing to serve as a focal point of the offense in the NLDS. DFS players should always consider putting Machado in their lineup, given his upside for power and scoring opportunities batting in the heart of a potent lineup. Machado held a solid .275 AVG this season with 29 long balls and 11 stolen bases. He will face Dodger right-hander
Jack Flaherty on Sunday evening in Game 2 and will likely bat in the cleanup spot as he has done through most of the summer.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
4 weeks agoLos Angeles Dodgers designated hitter
Shohei Ohtani went 2-for-5 with a three-run home run in Game 1 of the NLDS. Ohtani brought the Dodgers back from a three-run deficit in the second frame by hitting a three-run blast, which scored
Will Smith and
Gavin Lux. Later in the game, Ohtani hit a single and eventually scored off a
Teoscar Hernandez single. The 30-year-old enjoyed an incredible regular season, boasting a .310/.390/.646 slash line with 54 home runs and 59 stolen bases. DFS players should always consider adding the superstar to their lineup despite the hefty price cost, as he always carries immense upside in any matchup.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
4 weeks agoNew York Mets outfielder
Jesse Winker is not in the starting nine as the Mets look to go up two games in the NLDS on Sunday afternoon. Winker got the nod in the opening game but went 0-for-1 with two walks. Instead,
J.D. Martinez will start at DH and bat in the six-hole. Winker is likely sitting because the Phillies are sending out left-hand
Cristopher Sanchez, as Winker typically sits against southpaws during the final months of the season. DFS players should expect Winker to return to the starting nine for Game 3 when the Phillies send out
Aaron Nola. Martinez is worth a look in DFS this afternoon, as he tallied two hits and three RBI during the Wild Card Series.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
4 weeks agoNew York Mets starting pitcher
Sean Manaea will start in Game 3 of the NLDS, according to Anthony Dicomo of MLB.com. This was expected as the southpaw will enter this game, pitching on a typical five days of rest. In his previous outing in the Wild Card Series, Manaea tossed five innings of two-run ball in a no-decision. The 32-year-old enjoyed a strong second half, boasting a 3.48 ERA and a 0.94 WHIP. However, during the regular season, he struggled against the Phillies, holding an underwhelming 5.40 ERA with four home runs in just 16 2/3 innings of work.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Anthony DiComo
4 weeks agoNew York Mets outfielder
Harrison Bader will cover center field and bat in the nine-hole on Sunday afternoon in Game 2 of the NLDS. Bader is getting the nod over
Tyrone Taylor who covered center field in Game 1. Taylor went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts on Saturday. Bader entered the game late as a pinch-runner and was able to score twice, stole a base, and tallied a hit which is why he has earned a starting opportunity. He will face Philadelphia southpaw
Cristopher Sanchez, who posted a strong 2.43 ERA and 1.08 WHIP through his final five starts of the regular season. Bader remains a high-risk option in DFS, given his spot in the lineup and rather difficult matchup.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
4 weeks agoPhiladelphia Phillies third baseman
Alec Bohm is not in the starting nine of Game 2 of the NLDS. Instead,
Edmundo Sosa will get the nod at the hot corner and bat in the eight-hole. Bohm went 0-for-4 in yesterday's match and will take a seat on Sunday afternoon. Sosa has carried a .214/.324/.393 line across his past 12 games. He will face New York right-hander
Luis Severino, who was able to win his last start in the Wild Card Series against the Milwaukee Brewers by tossing six frames of three-run ball. Sosa remains a high-risk option in DFS this afternoon, given his inconsistencies this summer and lack of power.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
4 weeks agoNew York Yankees outfielder
Alex Verdugo went 2-for-3 with two singles, two runs, and a walk in their Game 1 victory over the Kansas City Royals. Verdugo tallied his two runs off a
Gleyber Torres home run in the third inning and an
Austin Wells single in the sixth. In the seventh inning, Verdugo knocked a single to left field, which scored
Jazz Chisholm Jr. to put the Yankees in the lead. Rookie
Jasson Dominguez was in danger of taking Verdugo's starting role in left field, but given this performance, he should continue to see most of the opportunities there throughout the playoffs. Despite the strong outing, the 28-year-old is best to fade in DFS on Monday when he will face Kansas City southpaw
Cole Ragans.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
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