The goal with Lineup Lowdown is simple: we're looking for trends which could help identify players that 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.
To track all the latest changes around the league, visit our MLB batting order changes and MLB playing time changes pages. For today's lineups, head to our MLB Daily Lineups page.
Atlanta Braves
– The Braves are without Ronald Acuna again, losing the superstar outfielder to a calf strain just before the trade deadline. Eli White has made five consecutive starts in right field (three against right-handers and two against left-handers) since Acuna went down, batting eighth in the first four of those contests before hitting seventh Monday. He notched a two-homer game over the weekend against the Reds in the Speedway Classic game. If White retains any fantasy value while Acuna is out, it will likely be due to his speed. Jarred Kelenic took Acuna's spot on the roster, but he didn't see a single plate appearance before being sent back down.
– Marcell Ozuna seemed likely to be traded last week, but he wasn't, and he's been in Atlanta's lineup for five of the past seven contests. That was preceded by a span which saw him start only two of 10 games. Three of Ozuna's starts during the former stretch came against lefties, but he also drew a couple starts versus
The goal with Lineup Lowdown is simple: we're looking for trends which could help identify players that 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.
To track all the latest changes around the league, visit our MLB batting order changes and MLB playing time changes pages. For today's lineups, head to our MLB Daily Lineups page.
Atlanta Braves
– The Braves are without Ronald Acuna again, losing the superstar outfielder to a calf strain just before the trade deadline. Eli White has made five consecutive starts in right field (three against right-handers and two against left-handers) since Acuna went down, batting eighth in the first four of those contests before hitting seventh Monday. He notched a two-homer game over the weekend against the Reds in the Speedway Classic game. If White retains any fantasy value while Acuna is out, it will likely be due to his speed. Jarred Kelenic took Acuna's spot on the roster, but he didn't see a single plate appearance before being sent back down.
– Marcell Ozuna seemed likely to be traded last week, but he wasn't, and he's been in Atlanta's lineup for five of the past seven contests. That was preceded by a span which saw him start only two of 10 games. Three of Ozuna's starts during the former stretch came against lefties, but he also drew a couple starts versus righties. The Braves are expected to deploy Sean Murphy and Drake Baldwin in the catcher and designated hitter spots most of the time against right-handers, but it's looking like Ozuna won't be totally phased out after all. He's homered twice and reached base 11 times in his last six games.
Miami Marlins
– Jesus Sanchez was flipped to the Astros at the trade deadline, opening up a spot in the Marlins' outfield. Dane Myers has slid over from center field to right field in three of four games since then, while Jakob Marsee was called up and has drawn four straight starts in center field. The left-handed-hitting Marsee batted ninth against a lefty and sixth against three righties, and he's off to a stellar start in reaching base eight times (three doubles, one triple, four walks). Marsee was caught in his lone stolen-base attempt, but with a combined 98 steals over the last two seasons in the minors, he could be a significant contributor in the steals category down the stretch.
– Liam Hicks had already been playing a lot, but the trade of Nick Fortes gave him an additional easier path to playing time. With Kyle Stowers moving up from the cleanup spot to the two hole where Sanchez had settled in, Hicks has started each of the last three contests at cleanup. Hicks lacks the power of a typical four-hole hitter, but he's shown good on-base skills and will see a boost in RBI outlook as long as he's slotted into the cleanup spot.
New York Mets
– The Mets scooped up Cedric Mullins at the trade deadline and have started him in center field for each of their last three contests, including one against a lefty. Mullins batted seventh versus the two righties they've faced and eighth versus the southpaw. Jeff McNeil has been at second base twice and the DH spot once during that time, which has meant just one start for Brett Baty. Tyrone Taylor had already been deployed mostly as a short-side platoon bat lately, and he's been out of the lineup altogether over the last three tilts.
– Mark Vientos had an 11-game hitting stretch end Monday, but he's finally perked up a bit at the plate, slashing .302/.311/.442 with a home run, three doubles and eight RBI over that span. The 25-year-old has been in the Mets' lineup for six of the past seven contests, with three of them coming at DH, two at third base and one at first base.
Philadelphia Phillies
– The Phillies have faced two left-handed pitchers since the deadline and have done a lot of platooning in those games. New acquisition Harrison Bader has been in center field, Weston Wilson has been in left field and Edmundo Sosa has been at second base, with Brandon Marsh, Max Kepler and Bryson Stott on the bench. Sosa has also started against both righties since the deadline, getting the call at third base over Otto Kemp those days.
– J.T. Realmuto has been in the cleanup spot for each of his last five starts and seven of his last eight times in the lineup. It hasn't been an ideal walk year for the 34-year-old, but Realmuto is slashing .333/.347/.484 since the beginning of July. He could move down a bit when Alec Bohm (rib) returns, but Realmuto has been higher in the pecking order than Nick Castellanos of late.
Washington Nationals
– The left-handed-hitting Luis Garcia started at second base in the Nationals' first game after the All-Star break, and he's been in the lineup for two of the last three traditional lefty starters the Nats have faced. With Amed Rosario now with the Yankees, Garcia could get an opportunity to show what he can do versus southpaws. He hasn't shown much to this point, sporting a .513 OPS in 2025 and .609 OPS in his career against lefties.
– Robert Hassell was recalled Friday and has started against both righties since then, playing center field and right field one time apiece. Jacob Young sat in the first of those contests and Nathaniel Lowe sat in the other. Hassell — who has gone 3-for-8 with a homer and a double since being promoted — could get regular reps against righties down the stretch as the Nationals see how he fits into their 2026 plans.
Chicago Cubs
– New acquisition Willi Castro started in center field against a lefty Monday, with Pete Crow-Armstrong on the bench. Castro was not in the lineup versus a lefty this past Friday, although that could have been more of an instance of a team letting him get his feet under him in his first day with a new club. Crow-Armstrong has been an everyday guy this season, but with a viable alternative now in Castro to handle center field, it's possible PCA will sit more often against southpaws. He's slashing .200/.230/.429 with a 30.7 percent strikeout rate versus left-handers this season.
– In the Cubs' last three games versus right-handed pitching, Dansby Swanson has batted eighth once, ninth once and been out of the lineup for the other contest. Swanson is slashing only .237/.286/.392 against righties this season and has hit just .251/.288/.387 overall since June 1.
Cincinnati Reds
– The Reds swung an intra-division trade when they landed Ke'Bryan Hayes from the Pirates last week. Hayes has batted ninth in all four contests since arriving in Cincinnati. A move from PNC Park to Great American Ball Park is undoubtedly a positive, but with a lowly .235/.281/.294 batting line and just seven homers in 200 games since the start of last season, it's difficult to make an argument that Hayes' offensive problems were ballpark-related.
– All hope is not lost with previous third baseman Noelvi Marte, as he's started four of the last five games in right field for the Reds. Three of those came against right-handed pitching, and Marte didn't hit lower than fifth in any of those tilts. Left-handed hitters Gavin Lux, Jake Fraley and Will Benson were all out of the lineup once against a righty during that span. However, it's tough to get a good gauge of the playing time breakdown here, as TJ Friedl was away on paternity leave for part of that time.
Milwaukee Brewers
– Blake Perkins has assumed an everyday center fielder role since Jackson Chourio (hamstring) went down, making five consecutive starts. The switch hitter has been up in the No. 6 spot for each of the Brewers' last three contests versus righties. Perkins has reached base eight times and had a two-homer game since the injury to Chourio, who is expected to miss multiple weeks.
– The third-base position has become a platoon of late, with the left-handed-hitting Anthony Seigler drawing four straight starts there versus right-handed pitching. That's left the right-handed-hitting Caleb Durbin to fill the short side of a platoon. Seigler has just a .413 OPS so far in the majors, while Durbin sports an .809 OPS since June 1 and has rated better defensively. Durbin has been far superior versus lefties (.333/.400/.458) than righties (.243/.331/.345), but Seigler is just 5-for-31 against righties, so it's difficult to see this arrangement lasting unless Seigler heats up.
Pittsburgh Pirates
– Jared Triolo absorbed the roster spot vacated by the trade of Ke'Bryan Hayes, and it's been Triolo starting at third base in three of four games since that deal. He's hit eighth twice and nine once for the Pirates. Triolo offers a solid glove, but he's been dreadful the last two seasons offensively after showing some promise in his rookie season.
– Surprisingly, Tommy Pham remained in Pittsburgh rather than being dealt to a contender. He's started 10 of the last 12 contests in left field and was up in the No. 2 spot in the lineup Monday. Pham has collected a .937 OPS with five home runs since the beginning of June. Staying with the Pirates was probably the best thing for Pham's fantasy value, as he surely would've been used in a secondary role elsewhere. Unfortunately, he's no longer a stolen-base threat, with the last of his three steals this season coming all the way back on April 4.
St. Louis Cardinals
– In four contests since Nolan Arenado landed on the IL with a nagging shoulder problem, Nolan Gorman has occupied the hot corner three times. While he has picked up one hit in each of those games and driven in a couple runs, Gorman's defense has looked shaky. Still, with no apparent timetable for Arenado's return, Gorman should continue to see regular reps at third base at least against right-handed pitching.
– Yohel Pozo could be inching ahead or at least pulling even with Pedro Pages in the pecking order at catcher, with Pozo starting behind the dish four times in the last seven tilts. The 28-year-old journeyman has always hit in the minors and sports a .275/.302/.442 batting line with four homers in his first 126 plate appearances with the Cardinals. Ivan Herrera is looking like a long shot to return to catching this season (and perhaps ever), so Pozo could become fantasy relevant if he can push Pages aside.
Arizona Diamondbacks
– Stepping in at third base since the trade of Eugenio Suarez has been Blaze Alexander, who has drawn six straight starts at the hot corner. He's mostly hit in the bottom-third of the batting order but was up in the two hole once over the weekend when Ketel Marte got a day off. Jordan Lawlar should eventually take over at the hot corner for the Diamondbacks, but he's still working his way back from a hamstring injury at Triple-A Reno.
– Acquired in the Suarez trade, Tyler Locklear has started four straight contests at first base since being added to the roster. He's batted sixth against two righties and fifth against two lefties and popped his first home run as a Diamondback on Monday. Pavin Smith (oblique) should be back before long, but Arizona is expected to give Locklear every opportunity to lock down the first base job, with Smith likely settling back in at DH and perhaps seeing some time in the outfield.
Colorado Rockies
– Warming Bernabel has started at first base in all nine games since being summoned from Triple-A Albuquerque. He's made quite a first impression, going 15-for-36 with three home runs during that span and, as a result, has batted fifth four times and cleanup once among his last six starts. Bernabel's power production is likely to slow, but he's always been a great contact hitter and that skill should only be enhanced at Coors Field.
– The Rockies traded franchise staple Ryan McMahon to the Yankees in late July, opening up third base. Most of those starts have gone to Orlando Arcia (seven), with Kyle Farmer (three) also mixed in. Arcia has also drawn an additional start at shortstop during that stretch. The 31-year-old has done next-to-nothing offensively, though, with a lowly .502 OPS, so the Rockies could (should) eventually take a look at a younger player at third base. That could be Bernabel, who primarily played the hot corner in the minors.
Los Angeles Dodgers
– Tommy Edman aggravated his ankle injury over the weekend, joining Hyeseong Kim (shoulder) on the IL. It was Miguel Rojas handling second base Monday in the first game without Edman, but with Max Muncy now back at the hot corner, it wouldn't be a surprise if Alex Freeland gets a shot at the keystone. Freeland had started four straight contests at third base before Muncy was activated, reaching base five times.
– Teoscar Hernandez batted sixth for the Dodgers on Monday, which was just the second time all season he's hit that low in the batting order. The veteran outfielder is slashing just .236/.274/.404 versus right-handed pitching this season and only .206/.255/.349 against all pitchers since the beginning of June.
San Diego Padres
– Ramon Laureano has started in left field in all four games since being acquired at the trade deadline, batting sixth against a lefty and seventh against all three righties the Padres have faced since then. Ryan O'Hearn was in the six spot each of the first two times against right-handers before sitting in favor of Gavin Sheets on Monday. Sheets has been a nice find off the scrap heap, but he's likely to mostly be a bench bat the rest of the way.
– Also added by the Padres at the deadline was Freddy Fermin, and the 30-year-old has netted three consecutive starts at catcher, batting ninth each time. Fermin was an active No. 2 catcher in Kansas City but should see the most extensive playing time of his career in the final two months. Martin Maldonado — who leads the team in starts at catcher this season — was designated for assignment.
San Francisco Giants
– The Giants shipped Mike Yastrzemski to the Royals at the trade deadline, freeing up the right-field job. Luis Matos drew the first start there after the trade, but he's since been optioned to Triple-A Sacramento and Grant McCray has handled right field the last three games. McCray has tools, but his 44.4 percent strikeout rate is untenable. Jerar Encarnacion is back from the IL and could get a long look in right. He's also far from a sure thing, but the 27-year-old has absurd raw power and a more digestible 28.4 percent strikeout rate.
– The Rafael Devers first-base eligibility watch is on. The 28-year-old has not looked sharp defensively while learning the position on the fly, but he's nonetheless made six of his last 10 starts there and that trend figures to continue as the Giants try to find out whether he can be their everyday first baseman in 2026 and beyond. Devers is at seven games played at first base in total, so getting to 10 looks like a lock and 20 also appears likely.
