Lineup Lowdown: American 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.

Baltimore Orioles

– Colton Cowser made the Orioles' Opening Day roster but started just two of the first nine games. Since then, however, he's started eight straight and has been arguably the hottest hitter in baseball, heading into Tuesday having gone 10-for-27 with four home runs, 12 RBI and two stolen bases  over that stretch. The O's have gone up against just one lefty over that span and in that game Cowser played center field while Cedric Mullins sat. Mostly, though, it's been Austin Hays losing playing time with Cowser's emergence, as he's started only three of the previous eight contests.

– You might have heard that the Orioles summoned top prospect Jackson Holliday to the big leagues last week. He's started six of seven at second base since then, taking a seat the one time Baltimore faced a lefty over that span. I wouldn't worry about the 20-year-old sitting against the southpaw, as Holliday almost surely isn't going to be platooned. Holliday has been in the nine spot four times and the eight spot twice and he's just 1-for-19 with a 10:0 K:BB in the early going. Jordan Westburg has started every game at third base since Holliday's promotion, while Ramon Urias has been on the bench each contest.

Boston Red Sox

– Wilyer Abreu has been the clear No. 4 among the Red Sox's top four outfielders. However, on Monday manager Alex Cora declared his intention to play Abreu every day against right-handers moving forward. The domino effect meant Tyler O'Neill sliding over to left field, Jarren Duran moving to center and Ceddanne Rafaela getting his first start of the season at shortstop. Cora had been resistant to the idea of playing Rafaela at shortstop following the season-ending shoulder injury to Trevor Story, and he noted Monday that this was more about getting Abreu regular at-bats. However, it's difficult to see how he accomplishes that without using Rafaela as his main shortstop, as O'Neill and Duran aren't going to be sitting. Perhaps more days off for Rafaela – who has just a .474 OPS and 25 percent strikeout rate – are in order. More likely, though, is that David Hamilton – who had started six of the last seven games at shortstop before Monday – will become more of a reserve.

– It's pretty much been a strict platoon at catcher for Boston. The Red Sox began the season facing five straight right-handers. However, since April 2, they've gone up against eight righties and five lefties, and the left-handed-hitting Reese McGuire has started all but one of the former games and the right-handed hitting Connor Wong has started all of the latter games. McGuire's career .684 OPS points to regression with the year's .784 OPS, but he's at least worth using as a second catcher in deeper leagues while he's getting this many reps.

New York Yankees

– In his first 11 starts of the season, Anthony Volpe batted higher than sixth just once. Since then, however, he's assumed everyday leadoff duties for the Bronx Bombers. The young shortstop's hot start has not slowed since he was elevated in the batting order, as he's gone 7-for-19 with three stolen bases and a 1:5 K:BB as the leadoff man. Volpe worked over the offseason on leveling out his swing and the improvement in his plate discipline has been massive, as he's dropped his strikeout rate from 27.8 percent to 14.3 percent and upped his walk rate from 8.7 percent to 14.3 percent.

– On the other side of it has been Gleyber Torres, who has essentially swapped lineup spots with Volpe. We're still waiting for some slug from Torres, but he has reached base seven times in five contests since being moved down in the batting order. DJ LeMahieu (foot) had been poised to serve as the Yankees' leadoff hitter before he got hurt and is on track to begin a rehab assignment later this week. However, Volpe certainly looks like he's not going to leave the leadoff spot anytime soon.

Tampa Bay Rays

– The Rays have had to do some shuffling with their lineup with the Brothers Lowe (no, they're not actually brothers) sidelined. The biggest beneficiary has probably been Richie Palacios. Palacios has started 10 of 11 games against right-handers, with all but one of those coming in right field in the spot vacated by Josh Lowe (oblique). The last four times Tampa Bay has faced a righty, Palacios has been up in the third spot in the batting order, with Randy Arozarena moved up to Brandon Lowe's (oblique) old two spot. The counting stats have been underwhelming thus far, but Palacios has gotten on base at a .395 clip.

– Since Brandon Lowe went down, it's been Curtis Mead handling second base in six of eight contests. Previously, Mead had started only four of the Rays' first 10 games of the season. Unfortunately, the 23-year-old is still looking to find a groove offensively, as he's put up just a .577 OPS and is still looking for his first extra-base hit and RBI. Amed Rosario started the two games at second that Mead didn't since Lowe's absence. Rosario, though, has mostly been an outfielder this season, making eight of his 12 starts in right field.

Toronto Blue Jays

– Alejandro Kirk has started 14 of 18 games, but Danny Jansen (wrist) is back from the injured list and would appear set to at least be 1A to Kirk's 1B behind the plate. Kirk looked fantastic during spring training and appeared ready for a big bounce-back 2024 campaign, but then the regular season started and he's collected a lowly .513 OPS, finally picking up his first extra-base hit Monday. Unlike in past years, Kirk won't be able to get many at-bats in the DH spot with Justin Turner around.

– Kevin Kiermaier's playing time is slipping a bit. He has been on the bench three times over the last seven games, including on two occasions against right-handers. On the days Kiermaier sits, the Jays slide Daulton Varsho over to center field and stick Davis Schneider in left. Schneider has started five of the last eight contests, which is a big step forward from the three starts he received in the first 10 contests. All eight of his starts have come in left field, as Toronto doesn't appear to view Schneider as a regular option at second base.

Chicago White Sox

– The White Sox are, well… they're a mess. Robbie Grossman – who was signed to a minor-league deal in late March and promoted to the majors on April 5 – is suddenly the club's regular leadoff hitter, making nine straight starts at the top of the batting order. Former leadoff man Andrew Benintendi slid down to the five spot for a while but has been the No. 2 hitter for the last three contests. Kevin Pillar – who, like Grossman, also had been on a minor-league contract – has hit cleanup the last two times the Pale Hose have faced lefties.

– While Luis Robert (hip) and Yoan Moncada (adductor) will be on the shelf for quite a bit longer, the White Sox have gotten Eloy Jimenez (adductor) back. Gavin Sheets filled in for Jimenez at DH and has been the team's best hitter this season, which has manager Pedro Grifol indicating he'll try to keep Sheets in the lineup. That could mean starts in the outfield for Sheets (more likely) and/or Jimenez (less likely), which presumably would come at the expense of Grossman. The club also inked Tommy Pham to a minor-league deal and he should join the big club in short order. Pham would also fit best in right field, although he did play a little center field last season with the Mets.

Cleveland Guardians

– Gabriel Arias' playing time and production has perked up of late. He made a fourth straight start Tuesday and came into that game having gone 6-for-10 with a home run, a triple and two doubles over his previous three contests. That's after he started just four of the first 13 games of the season. As a result, Brayan Rocchio's playing time has slipped a bit, as he's sat out three of the past seven tilts after being on the bench just once in the first 10 contests. Rocchio has yet to find his footing offensively with just a .630 OPS.

– Estevan Florial has also been seeing increased reps recently. He had started four straight contests against right-handers before sitting Tuesday, and in the one game versus a lefty over that stretch that he wasn't in the lineup, he came off the bench to deliver a pinch-hit, go-ahead home run (against his former team, the Yankees, no less). That said, while Florial has two homers over the span, they were his only two hits in 15 plate appearances, and he still has a 37.9 percent strikeout rate on the year. He could continue to see increased chances by virtue of the fact that Florial is one of the Guardians' few outfield/DH options with some upside, but he still has a ton of volatility.

Detroit Tigers

– To put it lightly, it's been a rough start to the season for Parker Meadows. The 24-year-old is just 2-for-36 with a 39.5 percent strikeout rate in his first 16 games, and as a result he's seen his playing time dip, having been on the bench three times in the last seven contests (two of which came against right-handers). When Meadows was out of the lineup Monday, manager A.J. Hinch referred to it as a "reset" for the young outfielder. Riley Greene seems to be viewed as a corner outfielder only at this point, but Matt Vierling and/or Wenceel Perez could get looks in center field if the Tigers send Meadows down for a while.

– Gio Urshela did not start the first two games of the season and was on the bench three times in the first six contests. Since then, though, he's been in the lineup nine times in 11 tilts, including each of the last four games. Urshela is batting an even .300, although with just a .340 slugging percentage. That's kind of the 32-year-old's MO at this point, as he's hitting .299 with just two home runs in 279 plate appearances since the start of last season.

Kansas City Royals

– Manager Matt Quatraro is a former bench coach with the Rays, a team that isn't shy about changing up its lineups at the drop of a hat. Quatraro has been surprisingly static with his lineups this season, though, and you can't argue with the team's results. He could be forced to find a new cleanup hitter, though, after Salvador Perez was diagnosed with a Grade 1 groin strain. Perez plans to attempt to play through it, but if he can't Freddy Fermin could be a regular for a while. Fermin has made eight starts so far, with Perez remaining in the lineup for six of those (five at first base, one at DH).

– Hunter Renfroe is one guy who Quatraro has moved around in the lineup, and it's been in the wrong direction. He was in the six spot for each of his first five starts, but in five of his previous six starts he's been down in the eight hole. Renfroe is sporting a .534 OPS with a 30.6 percent strikeout rate to this point but has been in the lineup 14 times in 18 contests. Dairon Blanco has somehow managed to steal five bases already even as he's started just one game. His speed would give him fantasy appeal should the Royals give him more playing time at Renfroe's expense, but it wouldn't seem that's in the cards right now.

Minnesota Twins

– The first three times the Twins faced left-handers this season, Ryan Jeffers hit second once, third once and fourth once. Over that same stretch, he never hit higher than seventh versus right-handers. However, Jeffers has been parked in the two hole for each of the last four contests, with three of those being against righties. Part of that is due to injuries, as Carlos Correa (intercostal) had been hitting second prior to getting hurt. It's also because Jeffers is red hot, though, as he went into Tuesday's action having gone 10-for-22 with two home runs, three doubles and seven RBI across his last six tilts.Two of his last four starts have been at DH as the Twins look to keep his bat in the lineup.

– Manager Rocco Baldelli said when Jose Miranda was recalled last week that he viewed Miranda mainly as a first baseman/DH and that he would play third base only on occasion. Baldelli has mostly stuck to that, but Miranda has made two straight starts at the hot corner and three starts there over his team's last five tilts. Miranda could also see some time at DH if Alex Kirilloff plays more in the outfield with Matt Wallner now at Triple-A St. Paul.

Houston Astros

– I've been pleasantly surprised at how much Yainer Diaz has been playing. He was taking on the added responsibility of No. 1 catcher duties, Victor Caratini was signed to a healthy contract and I wasn't sure how much the Astros wanted to use Yordan Alvarez in left field. Diaz, though, has been in the lineup for all but one game so far, making 14 starts at catcher and four at DH. Also, after batting seventh in each of the first two games of the season, he hasn't hit lower than fifth since.

– By contract, Jose Abreu hit fifth in the first two contests this season but has been down in the eighth spot each of the last two times out. He also was on the bench for two straight games last week and again Tuesday. The 37-year-old simply looks like he might be toast at this point, as he enters Tuesday's festivities with an embarrassing .250 OPS and 29.6 percent strikeout rate. Abreu is making $19.5 million in 2024 and is set to earn the same in 2025, so I'm not sure if the Astros are ready to just eat that salary and move on (or, at the very least, make him an expensive bench bat). You could definitely envision it happening, though, especially with Houston off to a slow start. Jon Singleton would seemingly be next in line among guys on the major-league roster, but don't discount minor-league home run leader Joey Loperfido, who has been playing some first base.

Los Angeles Angels

– The Angels could be reaching a breaking point with Nolan Schanuel. He's been out of the lineup four times over the last eight contests, and although one of them was due to injury, his woeful performance (4-for-42) has dictated the rest. The club has mostly been shifting Brandon Drury over to first base and installing Luis Rengifo at second base on days Schanuel is sitting, although Drury tweaked his hamstring Monday (Drury didn't play Tuesday but said he was available). Miguel Sano has also received some starts at first base. Remember, Schanuel had fewer than 100 plate appearances in the minors before being called up last year, so it might not be the worst thing to give him a little more seasoning.

– Jo Adell was in the starting lineup Tuesday for the third straight game, with all of them coming in right field. Adell's defensive shortcomings are well documented and he didn't do himself any favors with a terrible baserunning blunder last week. It's also far from a guarantee that he'll ever be able to make enough contact to be a worthwhile everyday player. Now sure seems like the time for the Angels to find out one way or another, although I'm not convinced the club believes that since Aaron Hicks and Mickey Moniak have been prioritized over Adell. Perhaps that will begin shifting.

Oakland Athletics

– Abraham Toro started just three of the first nine games, batting sixth twice and fifth once. Since then, he's been in the lineup for nine straight and batted leadoff each time. The 27-year-old has split his starts between DH (five) and third base (four) over that time, but with J.D. Davis (groin) now on the shelf, Toro figures to be the Athletics' everyday third baseman for a while. He's been one of Oakland's most competent hitters this season, bringing a .273/.347/.386 batting line into play Tuesday.

– The A's recalled Esteury Ruiz on Monday after he put up a 1.004 OPS with three home runs and seven stolen bases over 11 games with Triple-A Las Vegas. He didn't start Monday's game but came off the bench to hit a pinch-hit homer for his team's only run. Then, on Tuesday, Ruiz wasn't in the lineup again. The speedster will immediately become fantasy relevant again when/if he's playing regularly, but it sure seems as though his team has no plans for that right now.

Seattle Mariners

– Ty France batted eighth for the Mariners on Opening Day and hit higher than sixth just once in his first seven games (and that was fifth) before going on paternity leave. He had three hits from the seven spot in his first game back and at that point was slashing .379/.419/.414. France was moved up in the order at that point, as he hasn't hit lower than fifth since. Dad life isn't agreeing with him, though, as he's 4-for-24 with a 32 percent strikeout from his new favorable lineup spots. That said, France's offseason visit to Driveline appears to be paying dividends, as he's sporting a robust 57.5 percent hard-hit rate. He might be a sneaky buy-low option.

– The Mariners summoned Jonatan Clase from Triple-A Tacoma to take the injured Dominic Canzone's (shoulder) spot on the roster and have given the 21-year-old two straight starts in left field and in the eight spot in the lineup. Clase was slashing .311/.396/.622 with two homers and three steals at Tacoma. In 2023 between High- and Double-A he popped 20 homers and stole 79 bases. Manager Scott Servais has indicated that the switch-hitting Clase will be a regular while he's with the big club, so he looks to be worth adding in deeper leagues.

Texas Rangers

– Josh Smith has become an everyday player since Josh Jung (wrist) went down. In 14 games since Jung's injury, Smith has started 13 times, with 10 of them coming at third base. He's even moved up in the lineup, batting fifth in six of his last seven starts and hitting second in the other one. Unfortunately, for fantasy purposes he's basically been an empty batting average (or on-base percentage), sporting a .304/.407/.370 batting line with zero home runs, zero stolen bases and just three extra-base hits (all doubles). His situation has value in deep leagues, particularly since he's multi-position eligible, but he's much more likely to be droppable in a week than he is to become more than he's been thus far.

– The sun appears to be setting on Jared Walsh's brief renaissance. After a nice start at the dish, he's gone 2-for-23 with a 39.3 percent strikeout rate. Walsh has remained a regular against right-handers during the drought, but Nathaniel Lowe (oblique) has begun a rehab assignment and soon will be ready to reclaim his first base job. It seems likely that Lowe will slide into the five spot in the Rangers' lineup when he returns, pushing Smith down.