This article is part of our The Lineup Card series.
Projected Starters - A look at Monday's matchups (all times Eastern)TOR (Marcus Stroman - R) at BAL (Wei-Yin Chen - L) 7:05 PM
WAS (Stephen Strasburg - R) at ATL (Ervin Santana - R) 7:10 PM
MIA (Jarred Cosart - R) at NYM (Jacob deGrom - R) 7:10 PM
NYY (Chris Capuano - L) at TB (Jake Odorizzi - R) 7:10 PM
CIN (Alfredo Simon - R) at CHC (Travis Wood - L) 8:05 PM
CWS (John Danks - L) at KC (James Shields - R) 8:10 PM
DET (Max Scherzer - R) at MIN (Anthony Swarzak - R) 8:10 PM
CLE (Zach McAllister - R) at HOU (Brad Peacock - R) 8:10 PM
LAD (Roberto Hernandez - R) at COL (Christian Bergman - R) 8:40 PM
SF (Ryan Vogelsong - R) at ARI (Wade Miley - L) 9:40 PM
SEA (Hisashi Iwakuma - R) at LAA (Matt Shoemaker - R) 10:05 PM
PHI (Jerome Williams - R) at SD (Andrew Cashner - R) 10:10 PM
Day Game After Night Game: - None
Injuries
Day-to-Day
Nolan Arenado, 3B, COL (chest) -- Was removed from Sunday's game after three innings due to a chest contusion.
Alex Avila, C, DET (head) -- Left Sunday's game due to lightheadedness and will likely miss Monday's game.
Carlos Beltran, OF, NYY (elbow) -- Missed his fifth straight start Sunday and will undergo surgery after the season to remove a bone spur.
Michael Choice, OF, TEX (hamstring) -- Left Sunday's game with a strained left hamstring and will undergo an MRI on Monday.
Danny Duffy, P, KC (shoulder) -- Felt no pain during a light bullpen session Sunday.
Evan Gattis, C, ATL (illness) -- Missed his sixth straight game Sunday.
Craig Gentry, OF, OAK (concussion) -- Making progress toward returning from a concussion.
Josh Hamilton, OF, LAA (shoulder) -- Missed his 10th straight game Sunday.
Chase Headley, 3B, NYY (face) -- Was cleared to play by a neurologist but will rest until at least Monday.
Brock Holt, 2B, BOS (head) -- Missed his ninth straight game Sunday.
Mat Latos, P, CIN (elbow) -- Hopes to make his next start but remains without a timetable for his return.
Starling Marte, OF, PIT (arm) -- Missed his third straight start Sunday.
Justin Morneau, 1B, COL (upper body) -- Missed his second straight game Sunday due to intercostal soreness.
David Ortiz, 1B, BOS (personal) -- Left Sunday's game due to a family emergency, but is expected to rejoin the team Tuesday.
Anthony Rizzo, 1B, CHC (back) -- Took part in baseball activities Friday and could return to the lineup as soon as Monday.
Hyun-Jin Ryu, P, LAD (shoulder) -- Will travel to Los Angeles for an MRI on his left shoulder and is doubtful to make his next start.
Jorge Soler, OF, CHC (personal) -- Missed the weekend series against the Pirates due to the birth of his child, but is expected to rejoin the Cubs on Monday.
Out
Pedro Alvarez, 3B, PIT (foot) -- Not expected to return this season after he was diagnosed with a stress reaction in his left foot.
Desmond Jennings, OF, TB (knee) -- Will likely miss the remainder of the season.
Dustin Pedroia, 2B, BOS (wrist) -- Underwent season-ending surgery last Thursday.
Alex Rios, OF, TEX (thumb) -- Will not return to the lineup until his incision fully heals.
Jimmy Rollins, SS, PHI (hamstring) -- Not ready to resume baseball activities.
Giancarlo Stanton, OF, MIA (head) -- Expected to have his stitches removed Tuesday, with more tests to follow that will determine his status for the remainder of the season.
Stephen Vogt, C, OAK (ankle) -- Hopes to be available for Oakland's final homestand that runs through September 24.
David Wright, 3B, NYM (shoulder) -- Was shut down for the remainder of the season, but will not require surgery.
Players on the DL
Homer Bailey, P, CIN (elbow) -- Will not pitch again this season after undergoing flexor mass tendon surgery Friday.
Josh Beckett, P, LAD (hip) -- Will not pitch again this season.
Brandon Belt, 1B, SF (concussion) -- Took batting practice Friday and is close to being able to play.
Everth Cabrera, SS, SD (hamstring) -- May be shut down for the remainder of the season after being charged with DUI last week.
Melky Cabrera, OF, TOR (finger) -- Will miss the remainder of the season.
Matt Cain, P, SF (elbow) -- Will miss the remainder of the season.
Shin-Soo Choo, OF, TEX (elbow) -- Will miss the remainder of the season.
Yu Darvish, P, TEX (elbow) -- Will not pitch again this season.
Paul Goldschmidt, 1B, ARI (hand) -- Will not need surgery, but is expected to miss the remainder of the season.
Carlos Gonzalez, OF, COL (knee) -- Will miss the remainder of the season.
John Jaso, C, OAK (concussion) -- Has not yet been cleared to play and will cease baseball activities for the time being.
Brett Lawrie, 3B, TOR (back) -- Is not expected to resume playing anytime soon.
Cliff Lee, P, PHI (elbow) -- Will miss the remainder of the season.
Manny Machado, 3B, BAL (knee) -- Will miss the remainder of the season.
Anibal Sanchez, P, DET (chest) -- Played long-toss Sunday and will throw off a mound Monday.
George Springer, OF, HOU (quadriceps) -- The Astros are optimistic he'll return this season, but they won't risk it unless he's 100 percent.
Masahiro Tanaka, P, NYY (elbow) -- Will throw at the Yankees' minor league facility in Tampa on Monday.
Troy Tulowitzki, SS, COL (hip) -- Will miss the remainder of the season.
Shane Victorino, OF, BOS (back) -- Will miss the remainder of the season.
Joey Votto, 1B, CIN (quadriceps) -- Will travel with the Reds on their upcoming road trip, but a return to the lineup is uncertain.
Ryan Zimmerman, 3B, WAS (hamstring) -- Will face live pitching with the Nationals' instructional team in Florida on Monday.
Transactions - Players who have been called up, sent down, traded, released, you name it. We'll cover it here.
Called Up
J.T. Realmuto, C, MIA
Sent Down (to Triple-A unless otherwise noted)
None
Activated from the DL (15-day, unless otherwise noted)
Paco Rodriguez, P, LAD
Placed on the DL (15-day, unless otherwise noted)
None
Designated for Assignment
None
Traded
None
Closer Watch
Tampa Bay Rays - Primary closer Jake McGee blew his fourth save of the season Sunday against the Blue Jays, but the Rays took the lead in extra innings and left-hander Jeff Beliveau recorded the final out of the game to earn his first career save.
Washington Nationals - Nationals manager Matt Williams initially said he'd mix and match relievers to close out games while veteran Rafael Soriano worked out his mechanical kinks, but Drew Storen has taken over the closer job and run with it. The fifth-year reliever earned his fifth save of the season Sunday against the Mets, extending his streak of scoreless appearances to 16 games.
Key Matchups
Hot Batter Matchups – September 15, 2014Matchup Info | Career Matchup Stats | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Batter | Pos | Game | Pitcher | AB | H | XBH | HR | RBI | BB | K | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| F. Freeman | 1B | ATL vs WAS 7:10PM | S. Strasburg | 25 | 11 | 5 | 3 | 9 | 6 | 5 | .440 | .515 | .880 | 1.395 |
| J. Heyward | OF | ATL vs WAS 7:10PM | S. Strasburg | 31 | 13 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 6 | .419 | .486 | .613 | 1.099 |
| L. Forsythe | 2B | TB vs NYY 7:10PM | C. Capuano | 10 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | .400 | .400 | .400 | .800 |
| A. LaRoche | 1B | WAS @ ATL 7:10PM | E. Santana | 11 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 4 | .455 | .500 | .455 | .955 |
| D. Span | OF | WAS @ ATL 7:10PM | E. Santana | 33 | 13 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 1 | .394 | .400 | .576 | .976 |
| J. Werth | OF | WAS @ ATL 7:10PM | E. Santana | 14 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 6 | .286 | .375 | .571 | .946 |
| A. Rizzo | 1B | CHC vs CIN 8:05PM | A. Simon | 12 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | .333 | .429 | .833 | 1.262 |
| L. Valbuena | 3B | CHC vs CIN 8:05PM | A. Simon | 11 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | .273 | .385 | .636 | 1.021 |
| J. Bruce | OF | CIN @ CHC 8:05PM | T. Wood | 21 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 4 | .238 | .304 | .667 | .971 |
| T. Frazier | 3B | CIN @ CHC 8:05PM | T. Wood | 23 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 4 | .304 | .370 | .565 | .936 |
| T. Flowers | C | CWS @ KC 8:10PM | J. Shields | 11 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | .273 | .333 | .545 | .879 |
| A. Ramirez | SS | CWS @ KC 8:10PM | J. Shields | 51 | 21 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 4 | .412 | .444 | .588 | 1.033 |
| A. Avila | C | DET @ MIN 8:10PM | A. Swarzak | 14 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 3 | .214 | .313 | .571 | .884 |
| M. Cabrera | 3B | DET @ MIN 8:10PM | A. Swarzak | 19 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 2 | .316 | .381 | .737 | 1.118 |
| I. Kinsler | 2B | DET @ MIN 8:10PM | A. Swarzak | 16 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | .438 | .438 | .688 | 1.125 |
| E. Hosmer | 1B | KC vs CWS 8:10PM | J. Danks | 14 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | .500 | .563 | .500 | 1.063 |
| R. Ibanez | OF | KC vs CWS 8:10PM | J. Danks | 11 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 2 | .364 | .364 | .818 | 1.182 |
| J. Morneau | 1B | COL vs LAD 8:40PM | R. Hernandez | 36 | 12 | 7 | 4 | 12 | 6 | 3 | .333 | .429 | .750 | 1.179 |
| A. Hill | 2B | ARI vs SF 9:40PM | R. Vogelsong | 28 | 13 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 3 | .464 | .500 | .786 | 1.286 |
| J. Pacheco | 3B | ARI vs SF 9:40PM | R. Vogelsong | 11 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | .455 | .500 | 1.000 | 1.500 |
| B. Posey | C | SF @ ARI 9:40PM | W. Miley | 22 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 1 | .409 | .458 | .682 | 1.140 |
| H. Kendrick | 2B | LAA vs SEA 10:05PM | H. Iwakuma | 19 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | .368 | .368 | .526 | .895 |
Matchup Info | Career Matchup Stats | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Batter | Pos | Game | Pitcher | AB | H | XBH | HR | RBI | BB | K | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS |
Hot Pitcher Matchups – September 15, 2014Matchup Info | Career Stats Allowed To Batters On Opposing Team | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pitcher | Game | AB | H | XBH | HR | RBI | BB | K | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| John Danks | CWS @ KC 8:10PM | 175 | 39 | 10 | 2 | 15 | 15 | 40 | .223 | .286 | .307 | .593 |
| Hisashi Iwakuma | SEA @ LAA 10:05PM | 139 | 27 | 9 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 27 | .194 | .211 | .272 | .483 |
Matchup Info | Career Stats Allowed To Batters On Opposing Team | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pitcher | Game | AB | H | XBH | HR | RBI | BB | K | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS |
Cold Batter Matchups – September 15, 2014Matchup Info | Career Matchup Stats | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Batter | Pos | Game | Pitcher | AB | H | XBH | HR | RBI | BB | K | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| E. Bonifacio | 2B | ATL vs WAS 7:10PM | S. Strasburg | 10 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .100 | .100 | .200 | .300 |
| E. Gattis | C | ATL vs WAS 7:10PM | S. Strasburg | 10 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 6 | .200 | .200 | .500 | .700 |
| C. Johnson | 3B | ATL vs WAS 7:10PM | S. Strasburg | 26 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | .269 | .269 | .308 | .577 |
| A. Simmons | SS | ATL vs WAS 7:10PM | S. Strasburg | 14 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | .143 | .200 | .143 | .343 |
| B. Upton | OF | ATL vs WAS 7:10PM | S. Strasburg | 22 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 11 | .182 | .250 | .500 | .750 |
| I. Desmond | SS | WAS @ ATL 7:10PM | E. Santana | 15 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5 | .200 | .200 | .400 | .600 |
| W. Ramos | C | WAS @ ATL 7:10PM | E. Santana | 11 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | .182 | .182 | .182 | .364 |
| Z. Cozart | SS | CIN @ CHC 8:05PM | T. Wood | 23 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 10 | .130 | .130 | .217 | .348 |
| A. Garcia | OF | CWS @ KC 8:10PM | J. Shields | 12 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | .167 | .231 | .250 | .481 |
| T. Hunter | OF | DET @ MIN 8:10PM | A. Swarzak | 15 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | .200 | .200 | .267 | .467 |
| V. Martinez | DH | DET @ MIN 8:10PM | A. Swarzak | 14 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | .143 | .200 | .143 | .343 |
| B. Butler | DH | KC vs CWS 8:10PM | J. Danks | 34 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 9 | .206 | .200 | .265 | .465 |
| A. Escobar | SS | KC vs CWS 8:10PM | J. Danks | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | .000 | .071 | .000 | .071 |
| A. Gordon | OF | KC vs CWS 8:10PM | J. Danks | 29 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | .172 | .273 | .207 | .480 |
| M. Moustakas | 3B | KC vs CWS 8:10PM | J. Danks | 13 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | .077 | .200 | .154 | .354 |
| J. Willingham | OF | KC vs CWS 8:10PM | J. Danks | 17 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 8 | .176 | .250 | .176 | .426 |
| B. Dozier | 2B | MIN vs DET 8:10PM | M. Scherzer | 13 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 7 | .154 | .267 | .385 | .651 |
| E. Escobar | 3B | MIN vs DET 8:10PM | M. Scherzer | 10 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .200 | .200 | .300 | .500 |
| T. Plouffe | 3B | MIN vs DET 8:10PM | M. Scherzer | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | .067 | .176 | .067 | .243 |
| C. Pennington | SS | ARI vs SF 9:40PM | R. Vogelsong | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | .100 | .100 | .100 | .200 |
| J. Arias | SS | SF @ ARI 9:40PM | W. Miley | 16 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .188 | .188 | .188 | .375 |
| B. Crawford | SS | SF @ ARI 9:40PM | W. Miley | 11 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | .182 | .308 | .273 | .580 |
| H. Pence | OF | SF @ ARI 9:40PM | W. Miley | 19 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 8 | .105 | .190 | .105 | .296 |
| E. Aybar | SS | LAA vs SEA 10:05PM | H. Iwakuma | 16 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .250 | .250 | .250 | .500 |
| G. Beckham | 2B | LAA vs SEA 10:05PM | H. Iwakuma | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .000 | .091 | .000 | .091 |
| J. Hamilton | OF | LAA vs SEA 10:05PM | H. Iwakuma | 15 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 5 | .133 | .188 | .400 | .588 |
| A. Pujols | 1B | LAA vs SEA 10:05PM | H. Iwakuma | 22 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | .136 | .136 | .227 | .364 |
| M. Trout | OF | LAA vs SEA 10:05PM | H. Iwakuma | 22 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | .182 | .217 | .182 | .399 |
| S. Smith | OF | SD vs PHI 10:10PM | J. Williams | 13 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | .154 | .214 | .231 | .445 |
Matchup Info | Career Matchup Stats | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Batter | Pos | Game | Pitcher | AB | H | XBH | HR | RBI | BB | K | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS |
Cold Pitcher Matchups – September 15, 2014Matchup Info | Career Stats Allowed To Batters On Opposing Team | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pitcher | Game | AB | H | XBH | HR | RBI | BB | K | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| Stephen Strasburg | WAS @ ATL 7:10PM | 187 | 58 | 19 | 9 | 30 | 14 | 49 | .310 | .362 | .520 | .882 |
| James Shields | KC vs CWS 8:10PM | 164 | 51 | 15 | 3 | 11 | 6 | 31 | .311 | .351 | .454 | .805 |
| Ryan Vogelsong | SF @ ARI 9:40PM | 116 | 35 | 14 | 3 | 17 | 13 | 18 | .302 | .382 | .463 | .844 |
Matchup Info | Career Stats Allowed To Batters On Opposing Team | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pitcher | Game | AB | H | XBH | HR | RBI | BB | K | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS |
Clay Buchholz, P, BOS - Despite a disastrous season overall, Buchholz is on a nice run for the Red Sox, posting four straight quality starts with three straight wins and a 2.10 ERA during that span. He's scheduled to face the red-hot Pirates in Pittsburgh on Thursday, but the 30-year-old right-hander has been much better on the road this season (5-3 with a 3.96 ERA) than at home (3-5 with a 6.78 ERA). Buchholz may be difficult to invest in due to his horrid first-half numbers, but desperate fantasy owners in need of a pitching boost should consider him, as he's been one of the hottest pitchers in baseball over the last three weeks.
Other Recent Recommendations:Gregor Blanco, Jose Ramirez, Leonys Martin, Tyler Matzek and Joe Panik.
DraftKings Value Picks
SP - Marcus Stroman, TOR ($7,400)
C - Welington Castillo, CHC ($3,100)
1B - Eric Hosmer, KC ($3,800)
2B - Arismendy Alcantara, CHC ($3,300)
3B - Jedd Gyorko, SD ($3,800)
SS - Jose Ramirez, CLE ($3,400)
OF - Bryce Harper, WAS ($3,600)
