This article is part of our The Lineup Card series.
Projected Starters - A look at Saturday's matchups (all times Eastern)Orioles (Bud Norris - R) at Yankees (Vidal Nuno - L), 1:05
Mariners (Chris Young - R) at Royals (Jason Vargas - L), 2:10
White Sox (Andre Rienzo - R) at Twins (Kevin Correia - R), 2:10
Red Sox (Rubby De La Rosa - R) at Athletics (Jesse Chavez - R), 4:05
Blue Jays (J.A. Happ - L) at Reds (Mike Leake - R), 4:10
Phillies (Cole Hamels - L) at Cardinals (Adam Wainwright - R), 4:10
Brewers (Wily Peralta - R) at Rockies (Christian Friedrich - L), 4:10
Mets (Jacob deGrom - R) at Marlins (Tom Koehler - R), 4:10
Astros (Brad Peacock - R) at Rays (Jake Odorizzi - R), 4:10
Tigers (Justin Verlander - R) at Indians (Trevor Bauer - R), 7:05
Rangers (Nick Martinez - R) at Angels (Jered Weaver - R), 7:15
Pirates (Vance Worley - R) at Cubs (Travis Wood - L), 7:15
Braves (Julio Teheran - R) at Nationals (Doug Fister - R), 7:15
Dodgers (Josh Beckett - R) at Padres (Tyson Ross - R), 10:10
Giants (Ryan Vogelsong - R) at Diamondbacks (Brandon McCarthy - R), 10:10
Day Game After Night Game: BAL/NYY, SEA/KC, CWS/MIN, BOS/OAK, TOR/CIN, PHI/STL, MIL/COL, NYM/MIA, HOU/TB
Injuries
Day-to-Day
Justin Upton, OF, ATL - (Illness) Reported feeling worse Friday than he had previously and was sent for tests.
Michael Brantley, OF, CLE - (Concussion) Took batting practice Friday and is hoping to return to the lineup Saturday.
Angel Pagan, OF, SF - (Back) Hoping to return to the lineup Saturday after being treated with an epidural earlier in the week.
Chase Headley, 3B, SD - (Back) Scratched from Friday's lineup and was sent for an examination.
Adam Lind, 1B, TOR - (Foot) Expected to remain limited to pinch-hit duty throughout the weekend.
Ben Revere, OF, PHI - (Knee) Missed a fourth straight start Friday.
Ryan Ludwick, OF, CIN - (Back) Held out of the lineup again Friday.
Edwin Jackson, P, CHC - (Calf) Experienced some cramping and was lifted from Friday's start after five innings.
Carlos Quentin, OF, SD - (Knee) Sat Friday with soreness.
R.A. Dickey, P, TOR - (Groin) Next start pushed back to Sunday.
Wil Nieves, C, PHI - (Quadriceps) Reported improvement Thursday.
Kelly Johnson, 2B, NYY - (Hand) Plunked on the hand Thursday and was not in the lineup Friday.
Players on the DL
Bryce Harper, OF, WAS - (Thumb) Could begin a rehab assignment during the team's upcoming road trip.
Nolan Arenado, 3B, COL - (Finger) X-rays came back clean and the Rockies plan to allow him to hit next week.
Cliff Lee, P, PHI - (Elbow) Completed a 30-pitch bullpen session Friday and said he hopes to return before the All-Star break.
Shane Victorino, OF, BOS - (Hamstring) Sat again Friday after being scratched from his rehab start Thursday with general stiffness.
Gavin Floyd, P, ATL - (Elbow) Placed on the 15-day DL on Friday.
Josh Reddick, OF, OAK - (Knee) Continues to progress in his rehab and seems to be eyeing a Tuesday return.
Juan Lagares, OF, NYM - (Ribs) Played seven innings in center field in a Gulf Coast League game Friday.
Michael Pineda, P, NYY - (Back) Underwent another MRI on Friday and is expected to resume his throwing program in the near future.
Dillon Gee, P, NYM - (Back) Believes he'll need several rehab outings before rejoining the Mets.
Clay Buchholz, P, BOS - (Knee) Made his final rehab start Thursday but a date for him to toe the rubber for the Red Sox has not been set.
Will Middlebrooks, 3B, BOS - (Finger) Given a routine day off from his rehab assignment Thursday.
Reid Brignac, SS, PHI - (Ankle) Landed on the 15-day DL on Friday.
Sean Marshall, P, CIN - (Shoulder) Scheduled to undergo debridement surgery in the near future.
Nate Jones, P, CWS - (Back) Extended his long toss out to 140 feet and is also throwing a dozen or so pitches off flat ground.
Jeremy Hellickson, P, TB - (Elbow) Set for another rehab appearance with Triple-A Durham on Sunday.
Prince Fielder, 1B, TEX - (Neck) Moved to the 60-day DL on Friday.
Marco Scutaro, 2B, SF - (Back) Said Friday that the PRP injection he received earlier in the month did not help at all.
Trevor Plouffe, 3B, MIN - (Ribs) Feeling better and hopes to return when eligible June 30.
Transactions - Players who have been called up, sent down, traded, released, you name it. We'll cover it here.
Activated from the DL (15-day, unless otherwise noted)
Cody Asche, 3B, PHI
Felix Doubront, P, BOS
Ender Inciarte, OF, AZ (7-day DL)
Brett Marshall, P, CIN
Ian Stewart, 3B, LAA
Placed on the DL (15-day, unless otherwise noted)
Gavin Floyd, P, ATL
Reid Brignac, SS, PHI
Prince Fielder, 1B, TEX (transferred to 60-day DL)
Trevor Bell, P, CIN (transferred to 60-day DL)
Sean Marshall, P, CIN (transferred to 60-day DL)
Called Up (from Triple-A, unless otherwise noted)
Jose Diaz, P, CIN
Vinnie Pestano, P, CLE
Brad Mills, P, OAK
Grant Green, 2B, LAA
Liam Hendriks, P, TOR
Ryan Buchter, P, ATL
Sent Down (to Triple-A, unless otherwise noted)
Tony Cingrani, P, CIN
Zach McAllister, P, CLE
Evan Scribner, P, OAK
Garin Cecchini, P, BOS
Dane De La Rosa, P, LAA
Ian Stewart, 3B, LAA
Steve Delabar, P, TOR
Justin Marks, P, TEX
Brett Marshall, P, CIN
Designated for Assignment
J.J. Putz, P, AZ
Claimed Off Waivers
Justin Marks, P, TEX (from OAK)
Closer Watch
Pittsburgh Pirates - Manager Clint Hurdle suggested a closer change was possible after Jason Grilli blew a save Thursday, and the skipper officially made the switch Friday. While Thursday's blown save was Grilli's first since coming off the DL last month, he had struggled to the tune of eight hits and five runs in eight June appearances prior to being removed the role, with a 4:5 strikeout-to-walk ratio during that span. The ninth-inning job now belongs to Mark Melancon, who racked up 10 saves in just over three weeks while filling in for Grilli earlier in the season, and though Hurdle labeled the move temporary, it's entirely possible Melancon holds onto the job the rest of the way.
Chicago Cubs - Hector Rondon retired the side in order on eight pitches -- with two strikeouts -- in the ninth inning Friday to earn his first save since June 4. It was the right-hander's second appearance since missing over week with elbow soreness, and manager Rick Renteria's decision to use Neil Ramirez in the seventh inning suggests the closer job indeed still belongs to Rondon. Ramirez picked up a couple saves while Rondon was out, and he's posted outstanding numbers this season (1.00 ERA, 0.78 WHIP), but it looks like he'll have to bide his time in the setup role for the time being.
Hot Batter Matchups – June 21, 2014Matchup Info | Career Matchup Stats | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Batter | Pos | Game | Pitcher | AB | H | XBH | HR | RBI | BB | K | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| C. Beltran | OF | NYY vs BAL 1:05PM | B. Norris | 24 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | .333 | .333 | .542 | .875 |
| A. Soriano | OF | NYY vs BAL 1:05PM | B. Norris | 20 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | .300 | .391 | .650 | 1.041 |
| A. Dunn | 1B | CWS @ MIN 2:10PM | K. Correia | 23 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 8 | .261 | .346 | .652 | .998 |
| T. Flowers | C | CWS @ MIN 2:10PM | K. Correia | 10 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | .400 | .400 | .500 | .900 |
| R. Cano | 2B | SEA @ KC 2:10PM | J. Vargas | 23 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2 | .435 | .458 | .522 | .980 |
| E. Chavez | OF | SEA @ KC 2:10PM | J. Vargas | 14 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .429 | .429 | .429 | .857 |
| B. Phillips | 2B | CIN vs TOR 4:10PM | J. Happ | 12 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 3 | .500 | .533 | 1.333 | 1.867 |
| J. Votto | 1B | CIN vs TOR 4:10PM | J. Happ | 14 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | .429 | .467 | .571 | 1.038 |
| D. Murphy | 2B | NYM @ MIA 4:10PM | T. Koehler | 16 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | .313 | .353 | .500 | .853 |
| C. Ruiz | C | PHI @ STL 4:10PM | A. Wainwright | 10 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | .400 | .417 | .600 | 1.017 |
| J. Francisco | 3B | TOR @ CIN 4:10PM | M. Leake | 10 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | .200 | .200 | .800 | 1.000 |
| M. Bourn | OF | CLE vs DET 7:05PM | J. Verlander | 24 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 7 | .417 | .481 | .500 | .981 |
| M. Brantley | OF | CLE vs DET 7:05PM | J. Verlander | 45 | 17 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 3 | 6 | .378 | .417 | .444 | .861 |
| C. Santana | C | CLE vs DET 7:05PM | J. Verlander | 37 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 7 | .189 | .302 | .459 | .762 |
| N. Swisher | 1B | CLE vs DET 7:05PM | J. Verlander | 70 | 15 | 9 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 23 | .214 | .321 | .429 | .750 |
| R. Doumit | C | ATL @ WAS 7:15PM | D. Fister | 14 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | .286 | .375 | .643 | 1.018 |
| J. Harrison | OF | PIT @ CHC 7:15PM | T. Wood | 10 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | .300 | .273 | .600 | .873 |
| S. Marte | OF | PIT @ CHC 7:15PM | T. Wood | 19 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 6 | .263 | .333 | .579 | .912 |
| J. Tabata | OF | PIT @ CHC 7:15PM | T. Wood | 16 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | .313 | .353 | .563 | .915 |
| E. Andrus | SS | TEX @ LAA 7:15PM | J. Weaver | 65 | 23 | 7 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 6 | .354 | .391 | .538 | .930 |
| S. Choo | OF | TEX @ LAA 7:15PM | J. Weaver | 31 | 14 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 4 | .452 | .500 | .645 | 1.145 |
| A. LaRoche | 1B | WAS vs ATL 7:15PM | J. Teheran | 14 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 3 | .357 | .571 | .571 | 1.143 |
| A. Hill | 2B | ARI vs SF 10:10PM | R. Vogelsong | 19 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 | .474 | .524 | .684 | 1.208 |
| J. Pacheco | 3B | ARI vs SF 10:10PM | R. Vogelsong | 10 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | .400 | .455 | .900 | 1.355 |
| G. Parra | OF | ARI vs SF 10:10PM | R. Vogelsong | 15 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | .400 | .444 | .467 | .911 |
| A. Pagan | OF | SF @ ARI 10:10PM | B. McCarthy | 11 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | .273 | .273 | .636 | .909 |
| H. Pence | OF | SF @ ARI 10:10PM | B. McCarthy | 16 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | .438 | .438 | .875 | 1.313 |
Matchup Info | Career Matchup Stats | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Batter | Pos | Game | Pitcher | AB | H | XBH | HR | RBI | BB | K | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS |
Hot Pitcher Matchups – June 21, 2014Matchup Info | Career Stats Allowed To Batters On Opposing Team | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pitcher | Game | AB | H | XBH | HR | RBI | BB | K | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| Cole Hamels | PHI @ STL 4:10PM | 62 | 15 | 8 | 1 | 8 | 2 | 16 | .242 | .274 | .401 | .674 |
| Tom Koehler | MIA vs NYM 4:10PM | 85 | 16 | 8 | 2 | 8 | 5 | 11 | .188 | .241 | .325 | .566 |
| Travis Wood | CHC vs PIT 7:15PM | 159 | 32 | 15 | 2 | 13 | 19 | 34 | .201 | .295 | .336 | .631 |
| Brandon McCarthy | ARI vs SF 10:10PM | 68 | 19 | 10 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 9 | .279 | .290 | .514 | .804 |
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 21, 2014Matchup Info | Career Matchup Stats | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Batter | Pos | Game | Pitcher | AB | H | XBH | HR | RBI | BB | K | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| A. De Aza | OF | CWS @ MIN 2:10PM | K. Correia | 17 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | .294 | .294 | .529 | .824 |
| C. Gillaspie | 3B | CWS @ MIN 2:10PM | K. Correia | 11 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | .182 | .250 | .273 | .523 |
| K. Seager | 3B | SEA @ KC 2:10PM | J. Vargas | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | .100 | .100 | .100 | .200 |
| L. Duda | OF | NYM @ MIA 4:10PM | T. Koehler | 12 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | .167 | .231 | .250 | .481 |
| M. Byrd | OF | PHI @ STL 4:10PM | A. Wainwright | 17 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | .235 | .235 | .294 | .529 |
| J. Rollins | SS | PHI @ STL 4:10PM | A. Wainwright | 24 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | .333 | .333 | .500 | .833 |
| M. Ellis | 2B | STL vs PHI 4:10PM | C. Hamels | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .100 | .182 | .100 | .282 |
| M. Aviles | SS | CLE vs DET 7:05PM | J. Verlander | 26 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | .231 | .231 | .269 | .500 |
| J. Kipnis | 2B | CLE vs DET 7:05PM | J. Verlander | 26 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 12 | .115 | .250 | .154 | .404 |
| P. Alvarez | 3B | PIT @ CHC 7:15PM | T. Wood | 18 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | .056 | .056 | .111 | .167 |
| C. Barmes | SS | PIT @ CHC 7:15PM | T. Wood | 20 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | .150 | .227 | .200 | .427 |
| R. Martin | C | PIT @ CHC 7:15PM | T. Wood | 12 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | .333 | .333 | .417 | .750 |
| A. McCutchen | OF | PIT @ CHC 7:15PM | T. Wood | 23 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 7 | .174 | .355 | .348 | .703 |
| G. Sanchez | 1B | PIT @ CHC 7:15PM | T. Wood | 17 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | .059 | .304 | .059 | .363 |
| A. Beltre | 3B | TEX @ LAA 7:15PM | J. Weaver | 71 | 15 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 14 | .211 | .227 | .310 | .537 |
| A. Rios | OF | TEX @ LAA 7:15PM | J. Weaver | 25 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 9 | .160 | .214 | .280 | .494 |
| D. Espinosa | 2B | WAS vs ATL 7:15PM | J. Teheran | 10 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .200 | .200 | .200 | .400 |
| J. Werth | OF | WAS vs ATL 7:15PM | J. Teheran | 16 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | .188 | .278 | .188 | .465 |
| R. Zimmerman | 3B | WAS vs ATL 7:15PM | J. Teheran | 14 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | .143 | .143 | .357 | .500 |
| C. Quentin | OF | SD vs LAD 10:10PM | J. Beckett | 14 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | .143 | .200 | .286 | .486 |
Matchup Info | Career Matchup Stats | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Batter | Pos | Game | Pitcher | AB | H | XBH | HR | RBI | BB | K | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS |
Cold Pitcher Matchups – June 21, 2014Matchup Info | Career Stats Allowed To Batters On Opposing Team | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pitcher | Game | AB | H | XBH | HR | RBI | BB | K | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| Bud Norris | BAL @ NYY 1:05PM | 68 | 18 | 10 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 15 | .265 | .336 | .529 | .865 |
| Ryan Vogelsong | SF @ ARI 10:10PM | 110 | 39 | 12 | 2 | 15 | 12 | 21 | .355 | .433 | .500 | .933 |
Matchup Info | Career Stats Allowed To Batters On Opposing Team | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pitcher | Game | AB | H | XBH | HR | RBI | BB | K | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS |
Recommended Pickup
Steve Pearce, OF, BAL - Pearce served as the O's designated hitter Friday, marking his third straight start and fourth in the team's last five games. Moreover, it was his third straight start in the two-hole, and his second straight against a right-handed pitcher. Previously relegated to part-time duty, with most of his starts coming against left-handers, Pearce seems to be working himself into a more prominent role in the Baltimore offense. He came into Friday's game with a .400/.471/.633 batting line for the month of June, and proceeded to smack two more hits in the series-opening loss to the Yankees. The 31-year-old now owns a .933 OPS for the season and there's at least a chance he sticks in the No. 2 spot in the batting order with Manny Machado struggling, so he's worthy of consideration in AL-only formats and is entering the deeper mixed-league discussion as well. While most of his opportunities will come in left field and at DH, Pearce is also first-base eligible in most leagues.
Other Recent Recommendations: Jake Arrieta, Matt Dominguez, James Jones and Andrew Heaney
DraftStreet Value Plays
SP - Trevor Bauer, CLE ($10,863)
C - Rene Rivera, SD ($4,072)
1B - Mike Napoli, BOS ($5,101)
2B - Tommy La Stella, ATL ($4,785)
SS - Ian Desmond, WAS ($4,142)
3B - David Wright, NYM ($5,515)
OF - Allen Craig, STL ($4,389)
