Look for our fantasy baseball starting pitcher rankings, hitter upgrades and downgrades daily to help you make smart fantasy baseball lineup decisions and for MLB betting tips. MLB game odds are provided by Caesars Sportsbook, and fantasy advice is geared towards ESPN 10-team leagues with standard scoring.
Note: This file will be updated with any overnight pitching changes or weather-related game postponements, along with the addition of the latest MLB game odds as of the indicated time of publication.
What you need to know for Monday’s MLB Games
By Todd Zola
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Bonus baseball! An already busy Monday slate is embellished by an old-fashioned single admission doubleheader between the host Cleveland Guardian and visiting Detroit Tigers. The festivities get under way 3:10 p.m. ET, marking the first action of the day. Aaron Civale gets the ball for the AL Central-leading Guardians. He returned from the IL to face the Tigers in Motown last time out, fanning four with no walks in four innings. Civale should be able to tack on at least one more inning, putting him in play as a streaming option.
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As always, doubleheaders offer some players the chance to play two games, though since there is no break in between, many will only start in one end of the twin bill. Even so, the Tigers will probably start a pair of righthanders, giving the advantage to lefty-swinging Guardians. Switch-hitting Jose Ramirez is universally rostered, though Steven Kwan (76% rostered in ESPN leagues) and Andres Gimenez (62% rostered) could be available in deeper leagues, with a solid chance to start the pair. Josh Naylor (55%), Nolan Jones (3%) and Will Benson (less than 1%) will almost assuredly see action in one game, with the possibility of appearing in the other.
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Alex Cobb (22%) was the posted child for bad luck early in the season but has pitched to a 3.06 ERA and 1.15 WHIP since May 29, fanning a respectable 61 in those 61⅔ innings. On Monday, Cobb is earmarked to face a mid-pack Diamondbacks offense, making him the slate’s top streaming option.
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There are a couple of alternate choices, reviewed in order of their Daily Ranking. Josiah Gray (31%) gets a second straight start against the Cubs. Last time out he posted a quality start in Wrigley Field. Gray has had command and control issues, but a 26.3% strikeout rate is a fantasy boon. James Kaprielian (5%) isn’t especially dominant, but he draws the Rangers, one of the least dangerous lineups facing righthanders.
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Royals southpaw Kris Bubic has pitched better lately, but he’s still exhibiting inconsistent command and control. Bubic shows reverse splits with lefty swingers posting a whopping .442 wOBA against him, albeit in just 90 plate appearances. Pitchers are more likely to own their splits, but fewer than 100 chances aren’t sufficient to draw tangible conclusions. The main takeaway is don’t hesitate to use righthanded Jose Miranda (41%) as a batter enjoying the platoon edge. Miranda has been hammering the ball since the break.
Starting pitcher rankings for Monday
Best Sub-50% Rostered Hitters for Monday
Best and worst hitters from the day are generated by THE BAT X, a projection system created by Derek Carty using advanced methods like those used in MLB front offices, accounting for a variety of factors including player talent, ballparks, bullpens, weather, umpires, defense, catcher pitch-framing and lots more.
Worst Over-50% Rostered Hitters for Monday
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Chris Taylor (LAD, CF — 61%) at Freddy Peralta
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Eduardo Escobar (NYM, 2B — 58%) at Spencer Strider
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Brandon Lowe (TB, 2B — 86%) at Gerrit Cole
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Randy Arozarena (TB, LF — 92%) at Cole
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Luis Urias (MIL, 3B — 52%) vs. Julio Urias
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Cody Bellinger (LAD, CF — 93%) at Peralta
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Brandon Drury (SD, LF — 95%) at Sandy Alcantara
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Mark Canha (NYM, LF — 60%) at Strider
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Eugenio Suarez (SEA, 3B — 57%) at Shohei Ohtani
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Salvador Perez (KC, C — 92%) at Joe Ryan