This article is part of our The Lineup Card series.
Projected Starters - A look at Saturday's matchups (all times Eastern)White Sox (Scott Carroll - R) at Yankees (Hiroki Kuroda - R), 1:05
Rays (Jeremy Hellickson - R) at Blue Jays (Mark Buehrle - L), 1:07
Tigers (Buck Farmer - R) at Twins (Yohan Pino - R), 1:10
Mariners (Chris Young - R) at Red Sox (Brandon Workman - R), 1:35
Orioles (Bud Norris - R) at Cubs (Kyle Hendricks - R), 2:20
Giants (Tim Lincecum - R) at Nationals (Jordan Zimmermann - R), 4:05
Astros (Collin McHugh - R) at Indians (Danny Salazar - R), 7:05
Cardinals (Shelby Miller - R) at Phillies (David Buchanan - R), 7:05
Pirates (Edinson Volquez - R) at Brewers (Wily Peralta - R), 7:10
Braves (Ervin Santana - R) at Reds (Mike Leake - R), 7:10
Royals (Jeremy Guthrie - R) at Rangers (Nick Tepesch - R), 8:05
Marlins (Tom Koehler - R) at Rockies (Jordan Lyles - R), 8:10
Padres (Andrew Cashner - R) at Diamondbacks (Vidal Nuno - L), 8:10
Tigers (Justin Verlander - R) at Twins (Trevor May - R), 8:10
Angels (C.J. Wilson - L) at Athletics (Jon Lester - L), 9:05
Mets (Jacob deGrom - R) at Dodgers (Zack Greinke - R), 9:10
Day Game After Night Game: CWS/NYY, TB/TOR, DET/MIN, SEA/BOS, SF/WAS
Injuries
Day-to-Day
Yan Gomes, C, CLE - (Concussion) Reported feeling better Friday and may be able to avoid the 7-day DL.
Mike Napoli, 1B, BOS - (Back) Missed a third straight start Friday.
Carlos Beltran, OF, NYY - (Elbow) Held out of the lineup again Friday.
Michael Cuddyer, OF, COL - (Hamstring) Expects to avoid the DL but will likely be held out until at least Sunday.
Kyle Lohse, P, MIL - (Ankle) Cleared to start Monday against the Padres.
Kirk Nieuwenhuis, OF, NYM - (Neck) Remained out of the lineup Friday.
Players on the DL
Manny Machado, 3B, BAL - (Knee) Expected to undergo surgery within a week and is done for the season.
Garrett Richards, P, LAA - (Knee) Facing a six-to-nine month recovery after undergoing surgery to repair a torn patellar tendon Friday.
Yu Darvish, P, TEX - (Elbow) May not travel with the team on its upcoming road trip.
Anibal Sanchez, P, DET - (Chest) Threw Friday for the first time since suffering his injury and emerged from the session feeling good.
Joey Votto, 1B, CIN - (Quadriceps) Resumed jogging and recent strength tests have been encouraging, but he still has not been cleared for baseball activities.
Adam Eaton, OF, CWS - (Oblique) Slated to begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Charlotte on Saturday.
Matt Garza, P, MIL - (Oblique) Slated to throw a bullpen session Sunday and appears on track to return in early September.
Brett Lawrie, 3B, TOR - (Back) Remains without a set timetable for a return to the Blue Jays.
Everth Cabrera, SS, SD - (Hamstring) Fielded grounders and hit in the batting cage Thursday, and is expected to be cleared for light jogging Monday.
Michael Saunders, OF, SEA - (Oblique) Rehab assignment will be halted for a few days due to illness.
A.J. Pollock, OF, AZ - (Hand) Expected to rejoin Triple-A Reno on Saturday.
Chris Owings, SS, AZ - (Shoulder) Moved to Triple-A Reno on Friday to continue his rehab assignment.
Joakim Soria, P, TEX - (Oblique) Scheduled to throw Saturday and is expected to return when first eligible Aug. 25.
Ryan Hanigan, C, TB - (Oblique) Began a rehab assignment with High-A Charlotte on Friday.
Daisuke Matsuzaka, P, NYM - (Elbow) Struck out seven over five scoreless innings in a rehab start for short-season Brooklyn on Thursday.
Chris Perez, P, LAD - (Ankle) Expected to remain on the DL until rosters expand.
David Phelps, P, NYY - (Elbow) Played catch again Thursday and will throw off a mound within the next week.
Kyle Blanks, OF, OAK - (Foot) Recently suffered a setback in his rehabilitation.
Paco Rodriguez, P, LAD - (Back) Cleared to begin a throwing program but won't return to the Dodgers until Sept. 1 at the earliest.
Scott Downs, P, KC - (Neck) Scheduled to throw a live bullpen session when the team returns home next week.
Corey Luebke, P, SD - (Elbow) Now playing catch three times a week from 45 feet out.
Out
Javy Guerra, P, CWS - (Personal) Rejoined the White Sox and will be activated from the bereavement list Saturday.
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)
Craig Gentry, OF, OAK
Bartolo Colon, P, NYM (bereavement list)
Placed on the DL (15-day, unless otherwise noted)
Brandon Belt, 1B, SF (transferred from 7-day DL)
Dan Jennings, P, MIA (transferred from 7-day DL)
Sent Down (to Triple-A, unless otherwise noted)
Gonzalez Germen, P, NYM
David Holmberg, P, CIN
Blake Parker, P, CHC
George Kontos, P, SF
Called Up (from Triple-A, unless otherwise noted)
Daniel Corcino, P, CIN (from Double-A)
Carlos Sanchez, 3B, CWS
Closer Watch
San Diego Padres - With Joaquin Benoit nursing a sore shoulder, manager Bud Black turned to Kevin Quackenbush to close out Wednesday's game against the Dodgers. The right-hander gave up a hit to lead off the frame but retired the next three batters to earn his first career save. In 42 appearances in total this season (entering Friday), Quackenbush has posted a 2.29 ERA and 0.97 WHIP, while holding opposing hitters to a .184/.255/.272 batting line. Benoit returned to elevated ground Thursday and could be back in action shortly, but there's still a chance he's moved in a waiver deal. In that event, the 25-year-old Quackenbush would likely take the reins in the ninth-inning role, leaving Dale Thayer and Alex Torres to continue sharing setup duties.
Philadelphia Phillies - It's been smooth sailing for Jonathan Papelbon pretty much all season, but he's been lights out over the past month or so, with no runs and just six hits allowed in his last 12 appearances. He still has another year on his contract as well a vesting option for 2016, but those in dynasty leagues should keep an eye on 23-year-old Ken Giles, who appears to be the closer in waiting for Philadelphia. Since his promotion in early June, Giles has posted a minuscule 1.19 ERA, 0.86 WHIP and 44:6 K:BB over 30.1 innings. A seventh-round pick in 2011, Giles allowed just six earned runs and fanned 38 in 28.2 innings between Double-A Reading and Triple-A Lehigh Valley to begin the year.
Hot Batter Matchups – August 23, 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 @ NYY 1:05PM | H. Kuroda | 13 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | .462 | .462 | .769 | 1.231 |
| A. Dunn | 1B | CWS @ NYY 1:05PM | H. Kuroda | 18 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 6 | .278 | .500 | .556 | 1.056 |
| A. Ramirez | SS | CWS @ NYY 1:05PM | H. Kuroda | 21 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 1 | .381 | .381 | .810 | 1.190 |
| D. Jennings | OF | TB @ TOR 1:07PM | M. Buehrle | 19 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 4 | .421 | .522 | .474 | .995 |
| J. Bautista | OF | TOR vs TB 1:07PM | J. Hellickson | 23 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | .348 | .444 | .870 | 1.314 |
| H. Pence | OF | SF @ WAS 4:05PM | J. Zimmermann | 16 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | .375 | .444 | .563 | 1.007 |
| P. Sandoval | 3B | SF @ WAS 4:05PM | J. Zimmermann | 10 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .400 | .455 | .500 | .955 |
| I. Desmond | SS | WAS vs SF 4:05PM | T. Lincecum | 14 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 1 | .714 | .714 | 1.286 | 2.000 |
| C. Johnson | 3B | ATL @ CIN 7:10PM | M. Leake | 17 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | .294 | .333 | .706 | 1.039 |
| J. Upton | OF | ATL @ CIN 7:10PM | M. Leake | 11 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | .545 | .583 | .909 | 1.492 |
| R. Braun | OF | MIL vs PIT 7:10PM | E. Volquez | 37 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 8 | .324 | .405 | .459 | .864 |
| C. Gomez | OF | MIL vs PIT 7:10PM | E. Volquez | 24 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 | .292 | .292 | .667 | .958 |
| R. Weeks | 2B | MIL vs PIT 7:10PM | E. Volquez | 19 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 2 | .368 | .500 | .737 | 1.237 |
| E. Andrus | SS | TEX vs KC 8:05PM | J. Guthrie | 19 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | .421 | .500 | .684 | 1.184 |
| M. Carp | OF | TEX vs KC 8:05PM | J. Guthrie | 11 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | .545 | .583 | 1.364 | 1.947 |
| G. Jones | 1B | MIA @ COL 8:10PM | J. Lyles | 16 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 9 | 2 | 2 | .563 | .611 | 1.063 | 1.674 |
| J. McDonald | SS | LAA @ OAK 9:05PM | J. Lester | 18 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | .278 | .350 | .500 | .850 |
| J. Gomes | OF | OAK vs LAA 9:05PM | C. Wilson | 18 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 3 | .333 | .455 | .611 | 1.066 |
Matchup Info | Career Matchup Stats | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Batter | Pos | Game | Pitcher | AB | H | XBH | HR | RBI | BB | K | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS |
Hot Pitcher Matchups – August 23, 2014Matchup Info | Career Stats Allowed To Batters On Opposing Team | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pitcher | Game | AB | H | XBH | HR | RBI | BB | K | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| C.J. Wilson | LAA @ OAK 9:05PM | 182 | 38 | 11 | 4 | 24 | 20 | 33 | .209 | .294 | .317 | .611 |
| Zack Greinke | LAD vs NYM 9:10PM | 65 | 14 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 15 | .215 | .271 | .407 | .678 |
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 – August 23, 2014Matchup Info | Career Matchup Stats | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Batter | Pos | Game | Pitcher | AB | H | XBH | HR | RBI | BB | K | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| C. Gillaspie | 3B | CWS @ NYY 1:05PM | H. Kuroda | 10 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | .200 | .200 | .200 | .400 |
| P. Konerko | 1B | CWS @ NYY 1:05PM | H. Kuroda | 15 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 4 | .200 | .278 | .400 | .678 |
| W. Myers | OF | TB @ TOR 1:07PM | M. Buehrle | 13 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 5 | .154 | .143 | .154 | .297 |
| C. Rasmus | OF | TOR vs TB 1:07PM | J. Hellickson | 22 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 6 | .182 | .308 | .409 | .717 |
| K. Johnson | 2B | BOS vs SEA 1:35PM | C. Young | 11 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | .182 | .182 | .182 | .364 |
| C. Coghlan | OF | CHC vs BAL 2:20PM | B. Norris | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 6 | .000 | .125 | .000 | .125 |
| A. Pagan | OF | SF @ WAS 4:05PM | J. Zimmermann | 20 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | .200 | .200 | .200 | .400 |
| B. Posey | C | SF @ WAS 4:05PM | J. Zimmermann | 11 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .182 | .250 | .182 | .432 |
| A. LaRoche | 1B | WAS vs SF 4:05PM | T. Lincecum | 30 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 10 | .200 | .273 | .500 | .773 |
| R. Doumit | C | ATL @ CIN 7:10PM | M. Leake | 12 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .167 | .231 | .167 | .397 |
| F. Freeman | 1B | ATL @ CIN 7:10PM | M. Leake | 11 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | .091 | .167 | .364 | .530 |
| J. Heyward | OF | ATL @ CIN 7:10PM | M. Leake | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| J. Hannahan | 3B | CIN vs ATL 7:10PM | E. Santana | 19 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6 | .158 | .273 | .211 | .483 |
| G. Parra | OF | MIL vs PIT 7:10PM | E. Volquez | 18 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | .167 | .211 | .222 | .433 |
| M. Reynolds | 1B | MIL vs PIT 7:10PM | E. Volquez | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 5 | .083 | .313 | .083 | .396 |
| J. Segura | SS | MIL vs PIT 7:10PM | E. Volquez | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| A. Beltre | 3B | TEX vs KC 8:05PM | J. Guthrie | 35 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 5 | .200 | .293 | .343 | .636 |
| M. Montero | C | ARI vs SD 8:10PM | A. Cashner | 15 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | .200 | .294 | .400 | .694 |
| G. Beckham | 2B | LAA @ OAK 9:05PM | J. Lester | 15 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | .133 | .235 | .333 | .569 |
| A. Callaspo | 3B | OAK vs LAA 9:05PM | C. Wilson | 23 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | .174 | .208 | .217 | .426 |
| C. Crisp | OF | OAK vs LAA 9:05PM | C. Wilson | 34 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 8 | .147 | .275 | .294 | .569 |
| J. Donaldson | 3B | OAK vs LAA 9:05PM | C. Wilson | 22 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | .182 | .280 | .364 | .644 |
| D. Norris | C | OAK vs LAA 9:05PM | C. Wilson | 20 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 4 | .200 | .238 | .350 | .588 |
| J. Reddick | OF | OAK vs LAA 9:05PM | C. Wilson | 21 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 5 | .143 | .250 | .143 | .393 |
| C. Granderson | OF | NYM @ LAD 9:10PM | Z. Greinke | 41 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 10 | .195 | .250 | .415 | .665 |
Matchup Info | Career Matchup Stats | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Batter | Pos | Game | Pitcher | AB | H | XBH | HR | RBI | BB | K | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS |
Cold Pitcher Matchups – August 23, 2014Matchup Info | Career Stats Allowed To Batters On Opposing Team | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pitcher | Game | AB | H | XBH | HR | RBI | BB | K | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| Mark Buehrle | TOR vs TB 1:07PM | 213 | 67 | 16 | 2 | 22 | 14 | 36 | .315 | .351 | .412 | .763 |
| Jordan Zimmermann | WAS vs SF 4:05PM | 78 | 24 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 14 | .308 | .357 | .388 | .745 |
| Tim Lincecum | SF @ WAS 4:05PM | 104 | 31 | 15 | 6 | 19 | 8 | 28 | .298 | .353 | .539 | .892 |
| Jeremy Guthrie | KC @ TEX 8:05PM | 148 | 41 | 18 | 7 | 18 | 15 | 13 | .277 | .344 | .501 | .845 |
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
Jeremy Hellickson, P, TB - Hellickson opened the season on the DL after undergoing surgery in February to remove loose bodies from his elbow, and his return was delayed until July due to several setbacks in his recovery. The 27-year-old then failed to get out of the fifth inning in any of his first three starts for the Rays, but he appears to be rounding into form, with just four earned runs allowed and a 14:3 K:BB in his last three outings (18 innings). He faces a Blue Jays team Saturday with which he's very familiar, having made six starts against them last season. In those six starts, spanning 35.2 innings, Hellickson posted a 3.28 ERA and .237 BAA; impressive numbers given his overall struggles in 2013 (5.17 ERA, 1.35 WHIP). His 3.64 FIP and 4.30 xFIP this season suggest the ERA is a bit of a mirage, but those in AL-only and daily leagues should at least consider the former Rookie of the Year and Gold Glove winner.
Other Recent Recommendations:Jon Jay, Tsuyoshi Wada, Carlos Carrasco, Carl Crawford and Michael Cuddyer
DraftKings Value Plays
SP - Jeremy Hellickson, TB ($6,500)
C - Devin Mesoraco, CIN ($3,800)
1B - Casey McGehee, MIA ($3,300)
2B - Arismendy Alcantara, CHC ($3,200)
SS - Mookie Betts, BOS ($2,600)
3B - Zach Walters, CLE ($2,300)
OF - Bryce Harper, WAS ($3,700)
