As par for the course, Thursday’s slate is small -- four games, with the Yankees vs. Red Sox available for DraftKings in the second half of their doubleheader.
Weather Report
There is a chance of showers in the Denver area, but nothing seems like a washout. The other games should be good to go.
Injury Report
Ryan Mountcastle, Orioles 1B -- Mountcastle injured his shoulder at the plate Wednesday and was removed in the third inning. He is set to undergo imaging prior to Thursday’s pivotal contest against the Rays. Heston Kjerstad is expected to be called up from Triple-A Norfolk so it appears Mountcastle will be unavailable.
Starting Pitchers
Kevin Gausman, Blue Jays RHP – Gausman’s second half production has been more up and down than his first. Since August 3, Gausman has a 3.86 ERA, 20 percent K/BB ratio, and a 3-3 record. He has only pitched into seven or more innings twice and has stumbled against the Nationals and Rockies. He faces a tough matchup against the Rangers in a must-win game and his price point ($11,000 DK/ $10,300 FD) is a bit too high for my tastes.
Logan Webb, Giants RHP – Webb and the Giants make the trek up the mountains to face the Rockies at Coors Field. It seems odd to recommend a pitcher in Denver but the Rockies offense has been horrendous over the late month --.250/.319/.412 with an 83 wRC. That’s the fifth-worst offense in baseball over that time span.
Webb has been as reliable as they come, with a 3.40 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, and 3.21 SIERA to pair with a 19 percent K/BB ratio. He just surpassed his 2022 innings total and Giants manager Gabr Kapler lets him go deep into the game, if the 26-year-old is pitching well.
Batter to Target
José Ureña is the pitcher I am targeting. His 8.46 ERA, 6.62 SIERA, and 2.10 WHIP is too juicy to pass up. Max Kepler has been on fire since the All-Star break, hitting .299/.365/.561 with 10 of his 22 homers over that span. Due to his production, he has been moved up to hitting cleanup and is sandwiched in the middle of Royce Lewis and Carlos Correa.
Stack Attack
Ranger (Nathan Eovaldi) vs. Blue Jays:
Since returning from the injured list, Eovaldi hasn’t gone more than 2 1/3 innings and it is still up in the air if he is fully healthy. Springer is hitting .275/.368/.484 with five homers over the last 30 days and should be able to get to either Eovaldi or the Rangers bullpen.
Schneider has taken the majors by storm, and not because of his 1970s Cop movie mustache. He has been the best hitter on the Blue Jays over the last month, hitting .333/.467/.817 with six homers across 75 plate appearances. Since Danny Jansen’s unfortunate injury, Alejandro Kirk has received the bulk of the playing time behind the dish and could pay off at a lower price point.
Twins vs. White Sox (José Ureña)
Ureña has been dreadful, and the Twins should be able to capitalize on the Southside of Chicago. Kirilloff returned from the injured list last week and has hit extremely well against right-handers. Thursday could be the night he breaks out of his funk.
Castro also recently returned to the Twins starting lineup. He's had an amazing first season with the Twins this year, hitting .252/.329/.400 with seven homers and 31 stolen bases. He typically hits around seventh in the batting order but could provide points juice at a low price point.