Lineup Lowdown: National League

The goal with Lineup Lowdown is simple: we're looking for trends which could help identify players who might be undervalued or overvalued. Who is playing more/less? Who is moving up/down? We'll be doing a deep dive into one league each week as we navigate the lineup landscape.

Atlanta Braves

– The Braves, fantasy managers and the game of baseball were dealt a major blow recently when it was revealed that Ronald Acuna tore the ACL in his left knee and would be lost for the season. Manager Brian Snitker likes a turnkey lineup and that has remained the case post-Acuna. Michael Harris has been elevated to the leadoff spot for each of the five games against righties, while Ozzie Albies has been bumped up to the top of the order in the three contests against southpaws. In the corner outfield spots, Jarred Kelenic (in left field) and Adam Duvall (in right field) are now both everyday guys. It's a boost to the fantasy values of both Kelenic and Duvall, but particularly Duvall since he's going from a short-side platoon bat to everyday presence. Harris also should be ticked up in your rankings as he goes from batting sixth to first versus right-handers.

– Atlanta did at least get Sean Murphy (oblique) back just as they lost Acuna. Murphy has been at catcher for six of eight games upon his activation following an eight-plus-week absence. That's meant Travis d'Arnaud behind the plate just two times. D'Arnaud will still probably wind up playing more than most backup catchers, but his playing time outlook is certainly dinged with Murphy back in the fold, perhaps to the point where he'll no longer be worth rostering in most mixed leagues.

Miami Marlins

– The Marlins have prioritized playing time for Otto Lopez over Vidal Brujan since Tim Anderson (back) returned from the IL. In 12 contests since Anderson's activation, Lopez has started 11 games at second base. Brujan, meanwhile, has made just two starts over that stretch, playing second base and shortstop once apiece. Lopez has earned the reps by slashing .303/.338/.424 with two homers and three steals while starting 20 of 21 games since Anderson was initially sidelined.

– After beginning the season batting sixth and then mostly hitting fifth for about a month-long stretch, Jesus Sanchez hit cleanup in 13 straight tilts before returning to the five spot Tuesday. They've all been against right-handers, as he hasn't started versus a lefty all season. The ticking up in the batting order has coincided with Sanchez perking up at the dish of late with a 1.112 OPS and two long balls across his previous nine contests.

New York Mets

– Mark Vientos quickly went from short-side platoon bat to everyday third baseman following the demotion of Brett Baty. While Baty's slump had lasted virtually all season (and dating back to his time in the majors last year, too), Vientos has collected a 1.070 OPS with five home runs and four doubles in 18 games with the Mets this season. The splits with the 24-year-old have been dramatic, as he has a 1.460 OPS versus southpaws and just a .714 OPS against righties. However, with right around 30 plate appearances in each case, it's difficult to draw too many conclusions there just yet. The same can be said with Vientos' strikeout rate, which currently sits at an improved 19.7 percent in a small sample.

– Over the past two weeks, Harrison Bader hasn't started more than two games in a row at any point, making a total of nine starts across a 14-game stretch. Most of the time it's been DJ Stewart – who also has seven starts over the same span – in the lineup at Bader's expense, with Tyrone Taylor also mixed in. Bader has been a fine deep-league fantasy option in hitting .265 with eight steals, but with multiple off days each week he's probably more likely to hurt than help.

Philadelphia Phillies

– With Brandon Marsh (hamstring) on the shelf, David Dahl has been summoned from Triple-A Lehigh Valley and has made two straight starts in left field. Dahl was crushing the ball at Lehigh Valley and homered in his first game back in the big leagues. It sounds like Marsh's stint on the IL won't last long, but it would appear Dahl is in line for regular reps in left while Marsh is out.

– Edmundo Sosa has also been floated by Phillies manager Rob Thomson as a possibility in the outfield after Trea Turner (hamstring) makes it back, although this question was raised prior to Marsh getting hurt. Sosa has never started a game in the outfield at any level, but he's slashed .311/.378/.595 with three home runs in 23 tilts since Turner went down. In the meantime, Sosa will continue to be the primary shortstop, where he's started 24 of the last 29 contests.

Washington Nationals

– Joey Meneses has been on the bench for four of nine contests since Lane Thomas (knee) returned and on Sunday was down in the No. 7 spot in the lineup, which is the lowest he's batted this season. Meneses has actually shown signs of life over his last 11 games in slashing .324/.350/.487, but so far Joey Gallo has been the preferred option at first base against right-handers, starting six of the last seven games in such situations. Meneses began the season as the Nationals' primary designated hitter, Jesse Winker has been used there more frequently lately.

– Riley Adams got off to such a good start in the first few weeks of the season that the Nats were seeking ways to get both him and Keibert Ruiz in the lineup. However, the production dried up so much – .418 OPS, 37.3 percent strikeout rate in his last 15 games – that Adams was optioned to Triple-A Rochester over the weekend. Ruiz, meanwhile, is slashing .320/.352/.460 across his last 16 tilts and has been moved up primarily to the fifth spot in the lineup after spending some time as low as the eight hole.

Chicago Cubs

– The Cubs summoned Pete Crow-Armstrong from Triple-A Iowa last week and have given him four starts in center field in five contests. In those three games, Cody Bellinger received two starts at first base, one at designated hitter and one in right field. The fallout has been Michael Busch being on the bench for three of four tilts, including twice versus right-handers. Busch had a stretch back in mid-April when he homered in five straight games, but since then he's slashed only .202/.306/.316 with a 38.1 percent strikeout rate.

– Perhaps the biggest surprise for the Cubs this season from an offensive standpoint has been the emergence of Mike Tauchman in a prominent role. The 33-year-old didn't start either of the first two games of the season and was in the lineup on just five occasions among the club's first 11 contests. Now he's the everyday leadoff man against right-handed pitching, having made 15 straight starts in such situations before finally sitting Tuesday. Tauchman's ascension to the top of the batting order has occurred even as he's slashed just .234/.314/.308 since May 1 following a .955 OPS in April.

Cincinnati Reds

– TJ Friedl made a rapid recovery from a fractured thumb and has started six straight in center field since being activated from the IL. The left-handed batter has hit leadoff each of the four times the Reds have gone up against a righty during that span and was dropped down to the seven spot versus the two southpaws. Injuries have conspired to sabotage Friedl's season to this point, but he's started in center field all 12 games he's been on the active roster and been at the top of the batter order versus righties each time (and also once against a lefty).

– Jacob Hurtubise had a week-long run as the Reds' left fielder and leadoff man prior to Friedl being activated, but since then he's made just one start. Will Benson has been the Reds' primary center fielder and often their leadoff man or No. 2 hitter while Friedl has been on the shelf. Since Friedl returned, Benson has played left field three times and right field once and has batted either eighth or ninth. He's slashed just .189/.291/.385 across his last 42 contests.

Milwaukee Brewers

– Considering that William Contreras has started every game this season, it's a minor miracle that Gary Sanchez has appeared in 40 contests and made 31 starts. Eighteen of those starts have come since May 6, and Sanchez has produced a .776 OPS and clubbed four of his seven home runs since that date. Eleven of the 31-year-old's starts over the stretch have been from the DH slot.

– Jake Bauers has been in the lineup for three of five games even after Rhys Hoskins (hamstring) returned, as he's played first base those days while Hoskins was the DH. All three of the starts were versus righties, with Hoskins playing first and Sanchez DHing against the southpaw they faced. Bauers has started 10 of the past 12 tilts but has put up just a .478 OPS over that stretch.

Pittsburgh Pirates

– After entering the season seemingly as a short-side platoon bat, Connor Joe is now an everyday player and No. 3 hitter for the Pirates. He's started each of the last 18 contests and has batted third 11 games in a row, typically playing first base against lefties and right field versus righties. Edward Olivares is still seeing some action in right field against southpaws, but he's made just one start versus a right-hander since May 6.

– Ke'Bryan Hayes batted third almost exclusively before going on the IL with a back issue, but he's hit fifth in all five of his starts since returning. He has clubbed his second home run of the season and stolen his first base of the season since being activated, so perhaps he can work his way back up to the top third of the batting order soon.

St. Louis Cardinals

– Masyn Winn has received five straight starts in the leadoff spot against left-handed pitching. He also occupied the top of the batting order two straight days versus righties before Brendan Donovan was back there Tuesday. Winn has been a bit better this season against righties (.770 OPS) than he has versus lefties (.753 OPS), although the difference is negligible. The 22-year-old has mostly been down in the No. 8 spot when not hitting leadoff, so the fantasy impact is real.

– Lars Nootbaar is hurt again, this time going down with an oblique strain which is expected to cost him multiple weeks. Alec Burleson had already been playing every day, mostly at DH but also with some starts in the outfield and at first base. He's been in the outfield for all five contests since Nootbaar went down, with Matt Carpenter (versus righties) and Jose Fermin (versus lefties) filling the DH slot. Burleson has also replaced Nootbaar as the team's No. 2 hitter against righties.

Arizona Diamondbacks

– Corbin Carroll homered in his first game back in the leadoff spot on May 7, but the move ultimately didn't have the desired effect, as he put up a .585 OPS with just the one long ball over 24 contests from the first and second spots in the Diamondbacks' batting order. On Monday he was back down in the No. 8 spot and on Tuesday he was on the bench. Arizona was facing a lefty both times, so it's possible he'll still hit much higher against righties. Whether it's his shoulder still giving him problems or something else, Carroll has simply shown no signs of righting the ship at any point this season. His demotion down the order earlier this season lasted 10 games, but it remains to be seen how long this one will last.

– Swapping lineup spots with Carroll is Gabriel Moreno, who batted second the last two games after mostly hitting eighth for the previous couple weeks. Moreno has a .684 OPS against right-handers and an even-worse .583 versus left-handed pitching this season, so this appears to be a move for the sake of shaking things up.

Colorado Rockies

– The Rockies gave Hunter Goodman his first-ever major-league start at catcher back on May 18, although he has not been used behind the plate since. Goodman has started four straight contests, but that was preceded by a stretch which saw him make just one start across five contests. The 24-year-old has put up some big numbers in the minors, but with just a .614 OPS, 29.2 percent strikeout rate and 5.1 percent walk rate thus far, he's not exactly playing his way into a more prominent role.

– Kris Bryant has batted fifth in seven of 10 starts since coming off the IL after he had hit anywhere from second to fourth in 13 of 15 contests before getting hurt. He's also now sat out two straight games with occasionally battling more back issues, and while his .656 OPS since returning is actually a notable improvement, it's all relative. The 32-year-old' tenure in Colorado has been a disaster and it's only getting worse.

Los Angeles Dodgers

– Max Muncy has been on the shelf since mid-May with an oblique strain and remains shut down after recently experiencing a setback. In 17 games since Muncy landed on the IL, Enrique Hernandez has drawn 13 starts at third base, with Miguel Rojas picking up three and Chris Taylor one. However, he's started just two of the last six contests versus right-handers. Hernandez is providing next to nothing offensively this season and has been even worse since becoming a regular, sporting a lowly .440 OPS.

– In 10 games versus righties since he returned from the IL, Jason Heyward has started seven times. He's also picked up an additional three starts during that span against left-handed openers. That means Miguel Vargas' opportunities since his recall have been few and far between. He was called up the same day Heyward returned and has made just five starts since then.

San Diego Padres

– Xander Bogaerts fractured his left shoulder back on May 20 and is expected to remain out until well after the All-Star break. After initially turning to Luis Arraez as Bogaerts' replacement at second base, Padres manager Mike Shildt has since shifted Arraez over to first base and put Jake Cronenworth at second. With Arraez now playing the field most days, the DH spot has been opened up. Shildt has mostly mixed and matched there, but the guy experiencing the biggest uptick in playing time has been Donovan Solano, who has started seven of the last eight games and 10 games overall since Bogaerts went down. It's mostly been the result of the schedule, however, just one of Solano's starts over that span has been against a righty. David Peralta has made five starts versus six righties since Bogaerts was hurt.

– Luis Campusano has basically fallen into a timeshare with Kyle Higashioka over the last few weeks, making nine starts to Higashioka's six across the last 15 contests. Campusano has been in a nosedive at the dish since May 11, going just 5-for-54. He entered play Tuesday without a hit in his past nine games. Higashioka has been even worse offensively this season with a .469 OPS and strikeout rate over 40 percent.

San Francisco Giants

– Luis Matos has cooled considerably since his red-hot start, going just 5-for-42 (all singles) across his last 10 games. He had batted leadoff for 10 straight contests before moving to sixth Sunday, getting a day off Monday and then batting ninth Tuesday. With Michael Conforto back and Austin Slater (concussion) returning soon, he could be in danger of a demotion. Heliot Ramos looks to be in better standing, having homered in two straight games and four times across his last 14 tilts. Ramos has hit leadoff the last two times the Giants have faced a southpaw and batted fifth in their last game against a righty.

– Since LaMonte Wade (hamstring) went down, the Giants have had Trenton Brooks at first base three times and Wilmer Flores there four times. Brooks was at first in three of four contests versus righties, though, and in the other one he served as the DH. The Giants would surely prefer to just let Flores run with the job while Wade is out if he was hitting like the .257/.331/.454 he batted from 2020-23. But with a terrible .207/.276/.283 in 2024, he's kind of forced the club to give a guy like Brooks a shot.