Lineup Analysis (9/4/26)

by
September 4, 2026


Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

American League

Angels

• Oswald Peraza (.621 OPS, 7 HR, 12 SB in 344 PA) started the last three games at third base instead of Denzer Guzman.

Astros

• No changes.

Athletics

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• Alika Williams (.735 OPS) started seven of the last nine games at shortstop.

• Since coming off the IL, Denzel Clarke (.421 OPS) has started two of three games, both in center field. In the small sample since returning, he has an 80% Contact% (65% before going on the IL).

Blue Jays

• This lineup is going full Rays/Brewers with just three regulars (Vlad Guerrero Jr., Brett Bateman, Kazuma Okamoto). Almost everyone else is starting three-quarters of the time.

Guardians

• Angel Genao (.680 OPS, 2 HR, 1 SB in 91 PA) has been a utility player, with five starts in the last eight games at three different positions (2B, 3B, SS).

Mariners

• Taylor Ward (vs LHP) and Lazaro Montes (vs RHP) form an outfield platoon.

• Brock Rodden (vs RHP) and Weston Wilson (vs LHP) form a third base platoon.

Orioles

• This lineup got crowded fast with Luis Roberts Jr. (off waivers) and Blaze Alexander (off the IL) joining the team. It’s tough to know if anyone beyond Pete Alonso and Gunnar Henderson is a regular.

Rangers

• Elias Díaz (.660 OPS, 6 HR) is getting some starts against lefties. He’s started in five straight games and seven of the last 10.

Rays

• The outfield got a little crowded with Victor Mesa Jr. (.731 OPS, 10 HR, 6 SB in 188 PA) off the IL. Right now Mesa, Cedric Mullins, and Jonny DeLuca share two spots.

Red Sox

• With Willson Contreras on the IL, Mickey Gasper (.865 OPS) started the last four games at first base.

Royals

• Michael Massey (.633 OPS) is off the IL and starting at second base, replacing Nick Loftin (.723 OPS)

Tigers

• Hao-Yu Lee (.738 OPS) with 13 straight starts and bats second at times.

• John Peck started the last two games at shortstop. In the minors, he hit .288/.339/.502 with 11 HR and 22 PA.

• Brett Callahan (.757 OPS) is getting more playing time with three starts in the last four games.

Twins

• They have used the exact same lineup for four straight games (all against right-handed starters).

White Sox

• No changes.

Yankees

• Heliot Ramos only starts against lefties now and doesn’t have a set platoon partner.

National League

Braves

• Ha-Seong Kim started at shortstop in five of the last seven games. During the stretch, he is batting .375/.444/.438 in 18 PA.

Brewers

• Besides the top four bats (Chourio, Turang, Bauers, and Contreras), there are no regulars. While there is some guys who face more lefties than righties, there are no hard and fast platoons.

Cardinals

• Since being promoted, catcher-qualified Leo Bernal (13 PA) started all three games at catcher, first base, and DH. He hit .278/.363/.468 with 16 HR and 9 SB in AAA.

• Ramón Urías (.627 OPS) and Nolan Gorman (.577 OPS) split time at third base.

• Since JJ Wetherholt (wrist) went on the IL, Thomas Saggese (.718 OPS, 4 HR) has started at shortstop.

• Bryan Torres (vs RHP) and Joshua Báez (vs LHP) form an outfield platoon.

Cubs

• Pedro Ramírez dealt with a sore back and has missed a few games. Before the injury, he started 14 straight games, but you’ll want to check to see if he is back to starting every game.

Diamondbacks

• Lars Nootbaar starts and leads off against righties with one of Ryan Waldschmidt or Jordan Lawlar sitting.

Dodgers

• Max Muncy sat against four of the last five righties.

• Some changes at second base, and it is not 100% obvious what the plan is. The best read I have is that Tommy Edman starts in center field with Kyle Freeland (vs RHP) and Miguel Rojas (vs LHP) forming a platoon.

Giants

• Shay Whitcomb (.431 OPS) started 10 of 11 games at third base.

• Osleivis Basabe (vs LHP) and Nate Furman (vs RHP) form a second base platoon.

Marlins

• Agustín Ramírez faces only lefties as the DH, with Griffin Conine or Kyle Stowers being the DH against lefties.

Mets

• Since Luis Robert Jr. left the team, A.J. Ewing moved to center field, and each of Brett Baty, Nick Morabito, and Christopher Morel started in left field.

• Jared Young (.758 OPS) has started against three straight lefties and finally might be out of the platoon.

Nationals

• Since being recalled, Yohandy Morales started both games playing at first and as the DH.

• Andrés Chaparro (.858 OPS) started in just six of the last 10 games.

Padres

• With Luis Rengifo on the IL, the team is using a platoon in left field with Dustin Harris facing lefties and Samad Taylor facing righties.

• In his debut, Ethan Salas hit sixth and caught.

Phillies

• No changes.

Pirates

• Jacob Gonzalez, Jared Triolo, and Nick Yorke share two infield spots.

Reds

• Héctor Rodríguez (.785 OPS, 5 HR in 82 PA) started eight straight games and hit leadoff against righties.

• Edwin Arroyo (.536 OPS) started four straight games.

• Juan Brito (8 PA) started both games since rosters expanded. In the minors this year, he hit .236/.341/.383 with 11 HR and 9 SB in 470 PA.

Rockies

• Connor Norby started 11 straight games and has hit second in three of the last four. Cole Carrigg has moved down to batting fifth.

• Since rosters have expanded, Willi Castro has not started with Adael Amador (1.333 OPS) starting twice.

• Ezequiel Tovar (career .705 OPS vs LHP, .689 OPS vs RHP) sat against the last two righties.





 

Jeff, one of the authors of the fantasy baseball guide,The Process, writes for RotoGraphs, The Hardball Times, Rotowire, Baseball America, and BaseballHQ. He has been nominated for two SABR Analytics Research Award for Contemporary Analysis and won it in 2013 in tandem with Bill Petti. He has won four FSWA Awards including on for his Mining the News series. He's won Tout Wars three times, LABR twice, and got his first NFBC Main Event win in 2021. Follow him on Twitter @jeffwzimmerman.

3 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Steven SotoMember since 2025
1 day ago

For the Dodgers, I think you meant Alex Freeland.

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JoelMember since 2022
5 hours ago
Reply to  Steven Soto

Yeah I don’t think muncy sat against that many righties

0
Another Old GuyMember since 2020
5 hours ago

Jeff, my best guess with Willi Castro is that he is suffering from plantar fasciitis. The team I had him on is in a shallow league and I dropped him given that his playing time is likely to continue to suffer. (and it is September) Thank you for all your reports. In the case of this article discussing lineup and playing time changes, I tend to miss them and they are critical to success in fantasy.

0