Monday Lineup Card: New Closer in the Emerald City?

This article is part of our The Lineup Card series.

MIL (Jimmy Nelson - R) at PIT (A.J. Burnett - R) 7:05 PM
MIA (Brad Hand - L) at TOR (Marco Estrada - R) 7:07 PM
SD (Ian Kennedy - R) at ATL (Shelby Miller - R) 7:10 PM
PHI (Cole Hamels - L) at CIN (Mike Leake - R) 7:10 PM
HOU (Lance McCullers - R) at CWS (Chris Sale - L) 8:10 PM
KC (Jason Vargas - L) at MIN (Phil Hughes - R) 8:10 PM
STL (John Lackey - R) at COL (David Hale - R) 8:40 PM
ARI (Rubby De La Rosa - R) at LAD (Michael Bolsinger - R) 10:10 PM

Day Game After Night Game: - None

Injuries

Day-to-Day

Brad Boxberger, P, TB (triceps) -- Dealing with tightness in his triceps, but manager Kevin Cash expects him to be available for Tuesday's game against the Angels.
Michael Brantley, OF, CLE (back) -- Was held out of Sunday's lineup to rest his stiff back.
Asdurbal Cabrera, SS, TB (elbow) -- Was held out of Sunday's starting lineup after exiting Saturday's contest due to a hyperextended right elbow.
Edwin Encarnacion, 1B, TOR (shoulder) -- Left Saturday's game with a shoulder injury but is confident he'll be able to play Monday against the Marlins.
Howie Kendrick, 2B, LAD (knee) -- Missed his fourth straight start Sunday, but took grounders and batting practice and hopes to rejoin the lineup Monday.
Evan Longoria, 3B, TB (wrist) -- Missed his second straight start Sunday but is expected to return to the Rays' lineup Tuesday.
Jake Odorizzi, P, TB (oblique) -- Left Friday's start due to an oblique strain and will see a doctor Monday. He's expected to miss a little time.
Hunter Pence, OF, SF (wrist) -- Dealing with tendinitis in his wrist, but expects to return to the Giants' lineup Tuesday after missing four straight games.
Denard Span, OF, WAS (back) -- Left Sunday's game due to back spasms.

Out

Jenrry Mejia, P, NYM (suspension) -- Serving an 80-game suspension.
Ervin Santana, P, MIN (suspension) -- Serving an 80-game suspension.

Players on the DL

Matt Adams, 1B, STL (quadricpes) -- Will be sidelined until late August and may miss the rest of the season.
Henderson Alvarez, P, MIA (shoulder) -- Remains on a no-throw schedule with no timetable to return.
Adrian Beltre, 3B, TEX (thumb) -- Has a sprain and laceration of his left thumb, but is not expected to miss an extended period of time.
Kyle Blanks, 1B, TEX (back) -- Likely to be activated before Tuesday's series opener against the A's.
Archie Bradley, P, ARI (shoulder) -- An MRI came back negative for structural damage, but expect the D'Backs to be cautious with the young starter.
Enrique Burgos, P, ARI (shoulder) -- Dealing with shoulder tendinitis and is unlikely to return immediately when he is eligible.
Marlon Byrd, OF, CIN (wrist) -- Broke his wrist and is not expected to return until August.
Matt Cain, P, SF (forearm) -- Scheduled to make a rehab start for Double-A Richmond on Tuesday.
Jarred Cosart , P, MIA (head) -- Tossed 81 pitches over five innings during an extended spring training game Saturday.
Patrick Corbin, P, ARI (elbow) -- Will begin a rehab assignment with High-A Visalia on Monday.
Travis d'Arnaud, C, NYM (hand) -- Is expected to rejoin the Mets within the week.
Khris Davis, OF, MIL (knee) -- Will miss 4-to-6 weeks after undergoing successful knee surgery on Tuesday.
Corey Dickerson, OF, COL (foot) -- Returned to Arizona on Sunday for extended spring training games.
Sean Doolittle, P, OAK (shoulder) -- Re-injured his shoulder and went back on the DL after just one appearance.
Danny Duffy, P, KC (shoulder) -- Expected to make two or three rehab starts with Triple-A Omaha before rejoining the Royals.
Jacoby Ellsbury, OF, NYY (knee) -- Ran sprints and took dry swings Friday and hopes to return before the end of June.
Neftali Feliz, P, TEX (arm) -- Tossed a scoreless inning during his first rehab appearance at Triple-A Round Rock on Saturday.
Jose Fernandez, P, MIA (elbow) -- Allowed five runs over three innings during his first rehab appearance with High-A Jupiter on Saturday.
Doug Fister, P, WAS (forearm) -- Allowed two runs over 3.2 innings during a rehab start for Triple-A Syracuse on Sunday.
Kevin Gausman, P, BAL (shoulder) -- Struck out four over three shutout innings during a rehab appearance for High-A Frederick on Saturday.
Josh Hamilton, OF, TEX (hamstring) -- Expected to miss four weeks.
Hisashi Iwakuma, P, SEA (shoulder) -- Threw his second bullpen session Sunday.
Desmond Jennings, OF, TB (knee) -- Slated to visit a knee specialist in Colorado.
Mat Latos, P, MIA (knee) -- Will begin a rehab assignment with High-A Jupiter on Thursday.
Kyle Lobstein, P, DET (shoulder) -- Hasn't thrown since landing on the DL, as he's still waiting for soreness to subside.
Jed Lowrie, SS, HOU (thumb) -- Expected to be out until after the All-Star break.
Victor Martinez, 1B, DET (knee) -- Took batting practice Saturday and could be back as soon as Tuesday.
Devin Mesoraco, C, CIN (hip) -- Will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Louisville on Monday.
Justin Morneau, 1B, COL (head) -- Remains without a timetable to return from the DL.
Daniel Murphy, 2B, NYM (quadriceps) -- It's unclear how long he'll be sidelined after hitting the DL on Friday.
Wil Myers, OF, SD (wrist) -- Took 75 swings without pain during batting practice Friday and went on a rehab assignment with Triple-A El Paso on Sunday.
James Paxton, P, SEA (finger) -- Dealing with a strained middle finger tendon.
Wily Peralta, P, MIL (ribs) -- Dealing with a rib-cage strain.
Jorge Soler, OF, CHC (ankle) -- Likely to return in late-June.
Stephen Strasburg, P, WAS (neck) -- Threw 30 pitches from the mound during a bullpen session Saturday.
Devon Travis, 2B, TOR (shoulder) -- Will be shut down for the next week after traveling to Florida to receive further treatment on his ailing shoulder.
Justin Verlander, P, DET (triceps) -- Delivered a strong performance for Triple-A Toledo on Saturday and appears poised to return to the Tigers' rotation next week.
Jayson Werth, OF, WAS (wrist) -- A CT scan revealed two fractures in his wrist and aiming to return August 1.
David Wright, 3B, NYM (hamstring) -- Expects to play this season sooner rather than later, but still is unsure when he'll return.

Transactions - Players who have been called up, sent down, traded, released, you name it. We'll cover it here.

Called Up

Nate Adcock, P, CIN
Carlos Correa, SS, HOU
Junior Guerra, P, CWS
Spencer Patton, P, TEX
Drew Rucinski, P, LAA

Sent Down (to Triple-A unless otherwise noted)

Vic Black, P, NYM
Jake Buchanan, P, HOU
Jumbo Diaz, P, CIN
Severino Gonzalez, P, PHI
Grant Green, 2B, LAA
Dominic Leone, P, ARI
Reynaldo Navarro, SS, BAL
Danny Santana, SS, MIN
Matt Szczur, OF, CHC

Activated from the DL (15-day, unless otherwise noted)

Chris Denorfia, OF, CHC
David Hernandez, P, ARI
Bud Norris, P, BAL

Placed on the DL (15-day, unless otherwise noted)

Dan Jennings, P, CWS
Ross Ohlendorf, P, TEX

Claimed

None

Designated for Assignment

None

Signed

David Aardsma, P, ATL

Released

Matt Magill, P, CIN

Traded

None

Closer Watch

Boston Red Sox - With Koji Ueahara unavailable Sunday, Tommy Layne earned his first save of the season and third of his career with a scoreless ninth inning against the A's.

Chicago Cubs - With Pedro Strop unavailable Sunday, Jason Motte earned his first save of the season Sunday against the Nationals. Hector Rondon worked a scoreless eighth inning during the game to earn his first hold of the season.

Detroit Tigers - Joakim Soria earned his 18th save of the season Sunday against the White Sox.

Houston Astros - Luke Gregerson was hit hard Sunday, allowing three runs on four hits against the Blue Jays while taking his first loss and blowing his second save of the season.

Kansas City Royals - Greg Holland struck out one during a scoreless ninth inning Sunday against the Rangers to earn his ninth save of the season.

Miami Marlins - A.J. Ramos struck out one during a scoreless ninth inning Sunday against the Rockies to earn his seventh save of the season.

Minnesota Twins - Glen Perkins earned his league leading 21st save of the season Sunday with a scoreless ninth inning against the Brewers.

New York Mets - Jeurys Familia pitched a perfect ninth inning Sunday against the Diamondbacks to earn his 17th save of the season.

Pittsburgh Pirates - Mark Melancon struck out two during a perfect ninth inning Sunday against the Braves to earn his 18th save of the season.

Philadelphia Phillies - Jonathan Papelbon allowed an unearned run Sunday against the Giants, but still earned his 12th save of the season.

Tampa Bay Rays - Kevin Jepsen earned his fourth save of the season Sunday against the Mariners.

Key Matchups

Hot Batter Matchups – June 8, 2015

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Matchup Info				Career Matchup Stats
Batter	Pos	Game	Pitcher	AB	H	XBH	HR	RBI	BB	K	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS
F. Freeman	1B	ATL vs SD 7:10PM	I. Kennedy	10	6	3	1	8	4	1	.600	.667	1.100	1.767
R. Howard	1B	PHI @ CIN 7:10PM	M. Leake	18	6	2	2	4	2	4	.333	.429	.667	1.095
A. Escobar	SS	KC @ MIN 8:10PM	P. Hughes	17	6	2	1	2	1	2	.353	.421	.588	1.009
A. Rios	OF	KC @ MIN 8:10PM	P. Hughes	27	13	5	1	5	0	2	.481	.464	.741	1.205
J. Mauer	1B	MIN vs KC 8:10PM	J. Vargas	33	14	2	0	9	2	2	.424	.457	.485	.942
E. Nunez	SS	MIN vs KC 8:10PM	J. Vargas	15	5	2	0	3	0	1	.333	.333	.533	.867
H. Kendrick	2B	LAD vs ARI 10:10PM	R. De La Rosa	12	5	1	1	1	0	2	.417	.417	.667	1.083

Matchup Info				Career Matchup Stats
Batter	Pos	Game	Pitcher	AB	H	XBH	HR	RBI	BB	K	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS

Hot Pitcher Matchups – June 8, 2015

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Matchup Info		Career Stats Allowed To Batters On Opposing Team
Pitcher	Game	AB	H	XBH	HR	RBI	BB	K	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS
Shelby Miller	ATL vs SD 7:10PM	51	9	4	2	6	7	14	.176	.270	.325	.595
Cole Hamels	PHI @ CIN 7:10PM	136	25	9	2	12	8	34	.184	.229	.294	.523

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 – June 8, 2015

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Matchup Info				Career Matchup Stats
Batter	Pos	Game	Pitcher	AB	H	XBH	HR	RBI	BB	K	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS
J. Lucroy	C	MIL @ PIT 7:05PM	A. Burnett	12	2	0	0	0	0	3	.167	.167	.167	.333
A. Ramirez	3B	MIL @ PIT 7:05PM	A. Burnett	26	5	0	0	1	2	5	.192	.250	.192	.442
C. Maybin	OF	ATL vs SD 7:10PM	I. Kennedy	14	3	1	0	0	0	5	.214	.214	.357	.571
T. Frazier	3B	CIN vs PHI 7:10PM	C. Hamels	13	2	1	0	3	0	5	.154	.154	.231	.385
J. Votto	1B	CIN vs PHI 7:10PM	C. Hamels	18	3	2	0	1	2	2	.167	.250	.278	.528
C. Utley	2B	PHI @ CIN 7:10PM	M. Leake	12	2	2	1	3	1	0	.167	.231	.500	.731
J. Upton	OF	SD @ ATL 7:10PM	S. Miller	10	1	0	0	0	2	4	.100	.250	.100	.350
C. Carter	DH	HOU @ CWS 8:10PM	C. Sale	10	2	2	1	1	0	5	.200	.200	.600	.800
J. Dyson	OF	KC @ MIN 8:10PM	P. Hughes	12	2	1	1	4	0	6	.167	.167	.417	.583
E. Hosmer	1B	KC @ MIN 8:10PM	P. Hughes	15	3	0	0	0	2	3	.200	.294	.200	.494
S. Perez	C	KC @ MIN 8:10PM	P. Hughes	17	3	1	0	1	0	4	.176	.176	.235	.412
T. Plouffe	3B	MIN vs KC 8:10PM	J. Vargas	30	5	3	1	4	1	3	.167	.194	.333	.527

Matchup Info				Career Matchup Stats
Batter	Pos	Game	Pitcher	AB	H	XBH	HR	RBI	BB	K	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS

Cold Pitcher Matchups – June 8, 2015

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Matchup Info		Career Stats Allowed To Batters On Opposing Team
Pitcher	Game	AB	H	XBH	HR	RBI	BB	K	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS
Marco Estrada	TOR vs MIA 7:07PM	48	15	4	2	6	0	12	.312	.312	.479	.792
John Lackey	STL @ COL 8:40PM	45	11	6	3	5	0	14	.244	.244	.511	.756

Matchup Info		Career Stats Allowed To Batters On Opposing Team
Pitcher	Game	AB	H	XBH	HR	RBI	BB	K	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS

Carson Smith, P, SEA -- Smith earned his first career save Saturday night, pitching a clean ninth inning against the Rays with one strikeout. Forget what manager Lloyd McClendon is saying about Fernando Rodney or other relievers -- this is Smith's job to run away with. He has a 1.08 ERA (2.36 FIP) with 29 strikeouts and five walks over 25 innings. He doesn't have much experience in the majors with 35 games under his belt, but that hasn't slowed him to this point. Moreover, Rodney is a complete mess with a 6.94 ERA (5.51 FIP) while showing no signs of turning things around. Until further notice, Smith is best reliever to own in the Mariners' bullpen. If you're speculating for saves beyond Smith, check on former closer Tom Wilhelmsen, who aside from his recent hiccup has pitched very well with a 2.36 ERA (2.03 FIP), 14 strikeouts and four walks over 13.2 IP.

Other Recent Recommendations:Cameron Maybin, Joe Ross, Joey Butler, Lance McCullers, Mike Foltynewicz and Joey Gallo.

DraftKings Value Picks

SP - Jimmy Nelson, MIL ($6,700)
C - Kurt Suzuki, MIN ($2,900)
1B - Justin Bour, MIA ($3,100)
2B - Jace Peterson, ATL ($3,200)
3B - Alex Guerrero, LAD ($3,100)
SS - Carlos Correa, HOU ($3,600)
OF - Chris Colabello, TOR ($3,600)