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Skenes, Witt Among 32 First-time MLB All-Stars
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 ESPN BET, and fantasy advice is geared toward 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.
Freshmen OrientationSix rookie starting pitchers populate Sunday's slate, with Los Angeles Dodgers SP Justin Wrobleski slated for his major league debut. The promotion is intended to give the Dodgers rotation an extra day of rest, but with the state of the club's staff, this could be more than a cameo, and anyone starting for the Dodgers should pique fantasy interest.
Wroblewski is a 23-year-old left-hander. He began the season with Double-A Tulsa where he posted a 3.06 ERA and 1.04 WHIP over 7 2/3 innings, fanning 62 with 13 walks. He allowed only three homers, which drove his success. Wrobleski recently advanced to Triple-A Oklahoma City, recording a 4.35 ERA and 1.39 WHIP spanning 10 1/3 frames, albeit with an impressive 17 strikeouts to only three free passes.
Wrobleski last pitched on June 29, so he'll be well-rested for his inaugural MLB start. The southpaw draws the tough Milwaukee Brewers lineup, though Wrobleski will enjoy home field advantage in pitcher-friendly Dodgers Stadium. Predictable, the Brewers are much better at home, but they sport an above average road wOBA. However, their away wOBA facing lefties is the third lowest in the league. That said, splits facing left-handers can be noisy, even past the midpoint of the season. Even with their tempered road production, the Brewers don't fan much with a lefty on the hill. This works against Wrobleski, but the unfamiliarity factor helps negate that factor. There are a couple of safer streaming options, but if you're behind in your head-to-head leagues, Wrobleski is in play.
Sunday offers a temporary respite from the early starts with three games kicking off the day at a more reasonable 1:35 PM ET. Fantasy Week 15 concludes with the New York Yankees hosting the Boston Red Sox in the ESPN Sunday night showcase.
What you may have missed on Friday Arizona Diamondbacks SP Brandon Pfaadt left yesterday's game with one out in the fifth inning after taking a 98-mph line drive off his ankle. X-rays were negative, but it's unclear whether Pfaadt will be able to make his next start. The club was without 2B Ketel Marte who experienced back tightness and left Friday night's game early. Marte is questionable for today's rubber game in Petco Park against the San Diego Padres. Before the game, the Diamondbacks reported that a MRI indicated SP Eduardo Rodriguez's shoulder is healed and he's ready to begin throwing. No timetable has been given, with early August a reasonable target for the southpaw to join the Arizona rotation. Seattle Mariners OF Julio Rodriguez left yesterday's contest in the second inning due to a quad injury. The severity of the issue is unclear, with Rodriguez slated for an MRI. His availability for today's game, and beyond, is unclear. Houston Astros OF Yordan Alvarez left yesterday's tilt in the eighth inning. He was hit in the knee by a pitch in the sixth inning. Alvarez stayed in the game, but the DH was removed for a pinch-hitter the next time he was due up. The Astros were trailing the Minnesota Twins 9-3, with the move deemed precautionary. Alvarez didn't require imaging, so the club is hopeful he can play today. After serving exclusively as the Los Angeles Dodgers closer earlier in the season, Evan Phillips has been deployed earlier twice in the past two weeks, including yesterday against the Milwaukee Brewers. Phillips began the eighth inning with the Dodgers up 3-2 and the heart of the Brewers lineup scheduled. Phillips yielded a game-tying home run to OF Christian Yelich but was credited with the win after Miguel Vargas and Shohei Ohtani both went deep to restore the Dodgers lead. Alex Vesia recorded his fifth save in the 5-3 victory. Phillips is still the primary closer, but he could be called upon to face the opponent's best hitters a few more times over the second half, rendering Vesia an intriguing pickup in daily leagues, especially when the Dodgers play on Monday or Thursday. Everything else you need to know for Sunday The top-ranked streamer on the docket is Chicago Cubs SP Hayden Wesneski (1.1% rostered in ESPN leagues). The righty served as a swingman over the first half. He's currently in the rotation, helping fill the void with Javier Assad, Ben Brown and Jordan Wicks all convalescing on the IL. Wesneski has struggled as a starter, yielding eight runs over his last two outings, spanning nine frames, but he racked up 14 strikeouts. A home date with the Los Angeles Angels fuels the high ranking as the club tote the sixth worst road wOBA versus right-handed pitching into Wrigley Field. Next up is another hurler whose home base is in the Windy City, though the Chicago White Sox are spending the weekend in South Beach where SP Jonathan Cannon takes on the Miami Marlins. The appeal is primarily the matchup, but Cannon has been solid in three of his last four efforts. The blip was allowing eight runs (five earned) to the Detroit Tigers in just one inning, but in the other three outings, Cannon yielded only four earned runs in 21 1/3 innings. The Marlins are averaging the second fewest runs per game in MLB, with only the White Sox lower. Speaking of which, the break glass in case of emergency option is Cannon's mound foe, SP Edward Cabrera (3.6% rostered). Cabrera is expected to come off the 60-day IL and take the hill at home against the White Sox. Cabrera has been sidelined since early May with a shoulder impingement. He hasn't been pitching deep into games in rehab, but Cabrera's strikeout upside, especially facing the vulnerable White Sox is enough for fantasy consideration. Washington Nationals SP DJ Herz (3.3% rostered) is one of the six rookies alluded to earlier. He has games with 10 and 13 strikeouts in his six appearances, but he's fanned no more than five in the other four outings. On Sunday, Herz will face the St. Louis Cardinals at home. The Cardinals' strikeout rate against left-handers isn't high, but they're lineup has been in flux and splits facing lefty pitching can be noisy. You could do worse that pick up a hurler with a pair of double-digit strikeout games on his ledger. Betting Tip of the Day: Even though it's the only game under the lights, it will be warmer for the ESPN Sunday night affair in the Bronx than most of the Sunday slate. The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox will play the rubber game of their weekend series. Luis Gil will start for the home team and he's in a rut, fanning just six with nine walks over his past three starts, spanning only 9 2/3 innings. Look for Red Sox 3B Rafael Devers to have a big night and take the over on 2.5 hits + RBI + runs (+160).It's never too late to start a free fantasy baseball league. Leagues drafted this week will start scoring fresh the following Monday. Come and join the fun!
Starting pitcher rankings for Sunday Reliever reportTo get the latest information on each team's bullpen hierarchy, as well as which pitchers might be facing a bit of fatigue and who might be the most likely suspects to vulture a save or pick up a surprise hold in their stead, check out the latest Closer Chart, which will be updated every morning.
Hitting reportPlan ahead in fantasy baseball with help from our Forecaster projections. Each day, we will provide an updated preview of the next 10 days for every team, projecting the matchup quality for hitters (overall and by handedness) as well as for base stealers.
Best sub-50% rostered hitters for SundayBest 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.
Andy Pages (LAD, CF -- 9%) vs. Dallas Keuchel Hunter Renfroe (KC, RF -- 3%) at Tanner Gordon Josh Bell (MIA, 1B -- 27%) vs. Jonathan Cannon Jesus Sanchez (MIA, RF -- 1%) vs. Cannon Charlie Blackmon (COL, RF -- 8%) vs. Brady Singer Alec Burleson (STL, LF -- 35%) at DJ Herz Michael Massey (KC, 2B -- 3%) at Gordon Jesse Winker (WSH, DH -- 17%) vs. Kyle Gibson Matt Vierling (DET, RF -- 8%) at Graham Ashcraft Luis Garcia Jr. (WSH, 2B -- 11%) vs. Gibson Worst over-50% rostered hitters for Sunday Gabriel Moreno (ARI, C -- 51%) at Dylan Cease Elly De La Cruz (CIN, SS -- 99%) vs. Tarik Skubal Brice Turang (MIL, 2B -- 81%) at Justin Wrobleski Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (ARI, LF -- 82%) at Cease Anthony Volpe (NYY, SS -- 82%) vs. Kutter Crawford David Fry (CLE, C -- 59%) vs. Hayden Birdsong Bo Bichette (TOR, SS -- 74%) at George Kirby Francisco Alvarez (NYM, C -- 54%) at Luis Ortiz Luis Robert Jr. (CHW, CF -- 82%) at Edward Cabrera Nick Castellanos (PHI, RF -- 68%) at Reynaldo Lopez THE BAT X's Best Stacks for Today New York Mets at Ortiz Chicago Cubs vs. Jose Soriano Los Angeles Angels at Hayden Wesneski
