Archive for Lineup analysis

For the final time this season, let’s see who’s movin’ and shakin’ in National League lineups.

Arizona

Wilmer Flores continues to hit and keep his bat in the lineup, starting four of the last six games. Conversely, Jarrod Dyson’s epic slump (3 for 41 prior to Wednesday’s game against the Marlins), has meant a reduction in playing time, as he has started two of the last five games against righties. The most recent of those starts was on Wednesday, when Ketel Marte was out of the lineup. With Marte’s back issues possibly keeping him out for the rest of the season, Dyson could get an opportunity to work his way out of his slump. He did go 2 for 4 on Wednesday, though he was dropped to the eighth spot in the batting order.
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A few lineups are sure to get scrambled when rosters expand on Sunday. Before we get inundated with all of the roster additions, here are some recent lineup and batting order changes we’ve seen in the National League.

Arizona

Based on the four games the Diamondbacks have played since David Peralta (shoulder) went on the IL, it would seem that Ketel Marte and Josh Rojas can count on regular playing time in outfield, with Jarrod Dyson filling in for both occasionally. When Dyson plays center, Marte tends to shift to second base, whereas Rojas could get the occasional day off, like he had on Tuesday against the Giants. Right field has been a mix of Dyson, Adam Jones and Tim Locastro. Across all three outfield positions, Dyson should play fairly steadily against righties, but Jones and Locastro appear destined to remain in reserve roles.
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Already, the excitement over the recent callups of Trent Grisham, Josh Rojas and Ty France has started to fade. These are just some of the fantasy implications resulting from changes in National League lineups and batting orders this week.

Arizona

The Diamondbacks continue to employ a platoon of Jarrod Dyson and Adam Jones, but with the demotion of Tim Locastro to Triple-A Reno on Aug. 15, David Peralta is back to playing everyday in left field. He has made seven straight starts and is in the lineup once again for Friday night’s game in Milwaukee.
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The Diamondbacks’ promotion of Josh Rojas has created some unexpected fallout, while the Rockies, Phillies and Cardinals have given their outfields a new look. Here are the most noteworthy lineup changes for each National League team.

Arizona

The Diamondbacks have used a number of different platoons throughout the season, but a brand new one may be emerging between David Peralta and Adam Jones. Peralta has been out of the lineup for four of the last six games featuring a lefty starter, while Jones has started only once over the last seven games with a righty starter, including Friday night’s game against Jeff Samardzija and the Giants. The apparent beneficiary of Peralta’s and Jones’ reduced playing time is Rojas, who has started four of the team’s five games since he was called up to make his major league debut on Monday. For the one game he didn’t start, Tim Locastro got the nod in left field over Peralta versus lefty Kyle Freeland. Locastro has since been demoted to Triple-A Reno.
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With the trade deadline behind us, player movement has slowed to a crawl, but as in any other week, injuries and slumps are causing managers to tweak their lineups. Here are this week’s most notable changes in the National League.

Arizona

Just as it appeared that Christian Walker was losing playing time against righties, he has gained it back. Walker has started five straight games, including three against right-handed starters. Instead, it’s Adam Jones who is losing playing time, as he has been out of the starting lineup for three of the last five games with a right-handed starter
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The trade deadline produced some playing time winners and losers across the National League. While it’s premature to know how some of these situations will play out, the Reds, Cubs and Phillies in particular already have some interesting developments that are worth paying attention to.

Arizona

It appears that Torey Lovullo has at least two platoons in place, with Jake Lamb and Christian Walker splitting time at first base and Jarrod Dyson and Wilmer Flores sharing a spot in the lineup (with Ketel Marte starting at second base versus righties and in center field versus lefties). Neither of these is a strict platoon, but these are the tendencies that Lovullo has shown over the past week. A third platoon may be developing, as David Peralta has received each of the last five starts in left field against a righty, but Tim Locastro has taken two of the last three against a left-handed starter.
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By this time next week, several teams in the National League will probably have lineups with a different look. For now, managers are mostly tinkering on the margins. Still, there are a few players who have recently seen their playing time take a turn for the better or the worse.

Arizona

David Peralta made his return to the Diamondbacks on Wednesday after missing three weeks with a shoulder injury. He pinch-hit on Wednesday, but on Friday he started, and Christian Walker was the regular who made way for him. Going forward, Peralta’s presence could impact Jarrod Dyson and Tim Locastro, who had been splitting time in left field. A change in the batting order could be in the works, as Dyson and Locastro have been serving as the leadoff hitters. Peralta has batted exclusively in the third and fourth spots so far this season.
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Some weekend IL moves could disturb the tranquility in the Rockies’ and Pirates’ outfields, while the Cubs have already made a notable shift there. Here’s the weekly NL lineup breakdown.

Arizona

Christian Walker has started seven games in a row, so even with Kevin Cron back up from the minors, there is no apparent first base controversy. Cron could fill the DH slot for this weekend’s series in Toronto, and it would not be surprising if he got sent down afterwards.
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This week’s lineup analysis includes some not-so-great news for Keston Hiura, but some encouraging developments for Matt Carpenter and Kyle Schwarber…

Arizona

Christian Walker hasn’t lost much playing time to Kevin Cron, having started five of the seven games since the latter first baseman’s callup. Cron is now out of the picture, having been optioned back to Triple-A Reno after Thursday’s game. During the Cron Era, Walker was just 3 for 22 with six strikeouts, with two of those hits (including a home run) coming on Thursday.
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For a change, the meat of this week’s lineup update on the Padres does not involve the outfield. Also, changes could be on the way for the Cardinals and Nationals. Read all about it in the team-by-team lineup breakdown for each National League squad.

Arizona

The Diamondbacks have faced only one left-handed starter in their last nine games, but that has not meant steady playing time for Jarrod Dyson. He and Wilmer Flores have been splitting time against righties (with Ketel Marte typically moving to center field when Flores plays second base), so Dyson has started only five of the last nine games.
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