Lineup Lowdown: National League

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.

Atlanta Braves

-- Ozzie Albies returned from his hamstring injury last week to start six of seven games and resume his role as the Braves' No. 2 hitter. That meant Michael Harris moving back down to the nine spot and Nicky Lopez heading back to the bench outside of Albies' one day off. Harris, unfortunately, posted just a .697 OPS while Albies was out, but did drive in six runs and score five runs in 11 games. He has since collected a .985 OPS in seven contests back at the bottom of the lineup, but has driven in and scored only three runs apiece.

-- Since the All-Star break, manager Brian Snitker has given Sean Murphy 27 starts at catcher and Travis d'Arnaud 20 starts behind the dish. The split wasn't nearly that close in the first half, with Murphy drawing 58 starts at catcher (and another four at designated hitter) and d'Arnaud receiving 26 starts (and another six at DH). Granted, that was due in part to d'Arnaud missing a month with a concussion, but easing Murphy's workload during the dog days of summer certainly makes since. Unfortunately, both players have struggled offensively in the second half, which, when combined with less playing time in Murphy's case, has made him a fantasy disappointment since the break.

Miami Marlins

-- Jorge Soler has missed the last five games with a hip injury, so the Marlins have been forced to tweak their lineup. Soler has batted either first or second for each of his starts dating back to May 23, but of late it's been Luis Arraez at leadoff and Josh Bell in the two hole. The biggest beneficiary has been Jake Burger, who has moved from fifth up to third for each of the last five contests. Burger had a two-homer game (a double Burger, if you will) over the weekend and is up to 30 blasts on the season. He could receive a nice little boost if Soler winds up having to go on the IL, although it weakens Miami's lineup overall.

-- Manager Skip Schumaker has been leaning on Jacob Stallings as his catcher more often lately, starting him each of the last three contests and in six of the last eight games. You can't really blame Schumaker, as Stallings is the superior defender and Nick Fortes hasn't taken the step forward offensively that the Marlins had hoped he would.

New York Mets

-- Ronny Mauricio has arrived, garnering three starts at second base over the weekend versus the Mariners. He batted ninth in the first two contests and seven in the third game. Mauricio played shortstop exclusively in the minors until this season, when he added second, third base and left field to his resume. Second base represents his clearest path to at-bats right now, though. With Mauricio in the fold, Jeff McNeil has made three straight starts in left field.

-- DJ Stewart has played his way into regular at-bats in right field. He's started each of the last 14 games against right-handers and also made a start versus a lefty during that span, sitting just twice in the club's two other contests against southpaws. Stewart has popped nine home runs over his last 63 plate appearances, and while a 21:3 K:BB over that stretch isn't ideal, he's hitting the ball incredibly hard this season with a 92.4 mph average exit velocity and 16.9 percent barrel rate. Stewart hasn't hit higher than sixth in the batting order during his hot streak.

Philadelphia Phillies

-- I don't think we have to worry about Trea Turner being dropped down in the batting order again anytime soon. Turner entered play Monday having hit second in each of the Phillies' last 13 games, and he's sporting an utterly ridiculous 1.187 OPS with 11 home runs, 30 RBI and four stolen bases across his last 26 tilts. It's true that he's been a fantasy disappointment for most of the season, but with this hot streak he's already gone 20-20, has and outside shot at 30-30 and probably will score 100 runs.

-- Jake Cave has been in the lineup each of the last 14 times the Phillies have gone up against a right-hander, with seven of those starts coming at first base, six coming in left field and one coming in center field. After putting up a 1.200 OPS in his first 11 games during that stretch, he's slumped to a .311 OPS in his last 10 contests. With Brandon Marsh and Cristian Pache back from the IL and Johan Rojas still around, Cave could run out of chances if he doesn't heat back up in a hurry.

Washington Nationals

-- Jacob Young has taken over as the Nationals' everyday center fielder, having started each of the last eight games there while also occupying the ninth spot in the lineup. The 24-year-old rookie has gotten off to a slow start at the plate, but he's already swiped two bases and it's in that category where Young could be useful in fantasy leagues down the stretch. Joining Young in the outfield lately has been Travis Blankenhorn, who has started each of the last three games in left field as the Nats try to cover for the loss of Stone Garrett to a season-ending injury. Blankenhorn homered out of the fifth spot in the lineup in his first game and hit cleanup in the other two contests.

-- Carter Kieboom has suddenly re-emerged as the Nationals' everyday third baseman, starting 10 of the last 13 tilts there. Kieboom, who seems like he should be 32 but somehow just turned 26, has cranked three home runs already for the Nats. He's a former top prospect from years ago, of course, but was having a pretty underwhelming season at Triple-A Rochester.

Chicago Cubs

-- Christopher Morel has lost his grip on an everyday role the last couple weeks, entering play Monday having started just six of his team's last 14 games. He's just 4-for-31 over his last 11 contests, with his OPS dropping under .800 for the first time all season. Cody Bellinger needing to DH a bit because he's banged up has been a factor, but the Cubs have also essentially opted for Nick Madrigal's glove at third base over Morel's bat at DH. Madrigal entered play Monday batting .290 over his previous 13 tilts, although he's been predictably punchless with a .395 slugging percentage.

-- Mike Tauchman also seems to be running out of steam, as he had hit .130/.254/.130 over a 17-game stretch prior to a big game Sunday. It hasn't hurt his playing time yet, though, even with the Cubs re-committing to a red-hot Seiya Suzuki in right field. Tauchman entered play Monday having started 13 of the Cubs' last 16 games, with Cody Bellinger occupying first base most days during that span.

Cincinnati Reds

-- Matt McLain unfortunately went down with an oblique strain a little over a week ago, which was about a week after Joey Votto was placed on the IL with a sore shoulder. McLain had been the everyday second baseman with Jonathan India (foot) also sidelined, but since he's been out the Reds have turned to Spencer Steer for seven straight contests at the keystone coming into play Monday. With Votto out, Christian Encarnacion-Strand has gone from mostly DHing to being the everyday first baseman. Also entering the lineup on an everyday basis has been Noelvi Marte, who comes into Monday with 14 starts in the last 15 games, 13 of which have been at third base.

-- The Reds added a couple outfielders on waivers last week in scooping up Harrison Bader and Hunter Renfroe. Both players came into Monday having started two of four contests since joining the club, with one coming versus a lefty and one against a righty. It seems as though most of the playing time for both guys could come against southpaws, although Jake Fraley being limited to DH duty while battling a nagging toe issue could give Bader and Renfroe in particular more rope. The Reds seem to like Nick Martini, though, giving him 10 straight starts against righties coming into Monday. Will Benson wasn't seeing a ton of action versus lefties, anyway, but that should drop to nil with Bader and Renfroe around.

Milwaukee Brewers

-- The Brewers have been relying on Andruw Monasterio as their everyday third baseman in the second half, as he came into action Monday having started all but two games since the All-Star break (and all but three of those came at the hot corner). Milwaukee has added a potential backup plan, though, in inking Josh Donaldson to a minor-league contract after he was released by the Yankees. Donaldson has not been good in 2023, but Monasterio has just a .658 OPS since the break and has graded out poorly on defense, so it's not as if Donaldson must clear a high bar in order to get a look.

-- Rowdy Tellez came into action Monday having started just six of 13 games since being activated from the IL, and four times he was on the bench versus a right-hander. The Brewers have Carlos Santana at first base now, of course, and they've often looked to Mark Canha or William Contreras at DH instead of Tellez.

Pittsburgh Pirates

-- Connor Joe has become an everyday player for the Pirates, as he enters play Monday having started 14 of the last 15 games. Nine of those have come at first base, with the other five coming in right field. Just once did he bat lower than fifth over that stretch (and that was sixth), and in each of the last three games and four of the last five he's batted cleanup. Unfortunately, while Joe earned the bump in playing time with an .889 OPS in his first 30 games of the second half, he's managed just one hit across his last six contests.

-- After starting 10 games during an 11-game stretch, Josh Palacios came into play Monday having been benched in four straight. Yes, three of those four have come against left-handers, but the left-handed hitting Palacios had started five of six versus southpaws during the aforementioned 11-game span. Palacios did have a pinch-hit, go-ahead homer in the ninth inning off the bench over the weekend and has gone deep five times over his last 75 plate appearances. A .688 OPS over that span shows that he's done little else beyond that, though.

St. Louis Cardinals

-- Lars Nootbaar immediately slid back in at center field and the leadoff spot upon his activation from the IL this past weekend. Tommy Edman, who batted leadoff in each of his 12 starts while Nootbaar was sidelined, has hit seventh twice and ninth once since Noot returned. Edman should still be in line for leadoff duties versus left-handed pitching, but he'll go back to batting in the lower third of the order against righties. The switch-hitter played plenty of center field while Nootbaar was out, but he's ticketed for second base most days now, with Nolan Gorman seeing more action at DH.

-- Jordan Walker is heating up with three home runs in his last four games and a 1.679 OPS across his previous six contests. He batted sixth Sunday against a right-hander, which is as high as he's hit versus a righty over the last month, save for one game when he hit fifth. Walker's best shot at a move up in the batting order might be if Gorman doesn't get going. He's just 2-for-25 since coming off the IL.

Arizona Diamondbacks

-- Alek Thomas has rarely hit outside of the bottom three in the batting order this season, but he came into play Monday having batted fifth each of the last four times the Diamondbacks have faced a right-hander. Thomas has just a .654 OPS in the second half and a paltry .432 OPS across his last 11 games. He's collected a solid .778 OPS this season versus right-handed pitching, though. His numbers are just weighed down by a horrific .304 OPS and 21:1 K:BB against southpaws.

-- Jace Peterson came into action Monday having started at third base for 15 of 18 games against right-handers since being acquired via trade from the Athletics. The left-handed swinger hasn't started a single game versus lefties yet. Those starts have gone to Evan Longoria since Longo came off the IL two weeks ago. The 37-year-old has managed just a .487 OPS and zero home runs in 21 games since the start of July, but overall on the year he has an .808 OPS against southpaws.

Colorado Rockies

-- The Rockies summoned Hunter Goodman from the minors in late August and had handed him starts in six of seven games heading into play Monday. The 23-year-old's first four starts came at first base before he added one start apiece at DH and right field. Goodman has not caught any yet and it's not clear whether the Rockies plan to give him any time there. He could have eligibility at catcher in your fantasy league, though, after spending ample time there in the minors.

-- Jurickson Profar was an everyday guy for the Rockies through mid-August, but his playing time had begun to wane and on Aug. 27 he was released (he's since returned to the Padres on a minor-league deal). Most of Profar's playing time for Colorado this season came in left field, but the Rockies are committed to Nolan Jones there now. Jones came into action Monday having started every game since the beginning of August, and each of the last 15 of those have come in left field.

Los Angeles Dodgers

-- With the Dodgers facing a left-handed heavy schedule, Amed Rosario played plenty for them initially upon being acquired from the Guardians at the trade deadline. The lefties have been scarce the last few weeks, though, and so has the playing time for Rosario, who has been in the lineup just six times over the last 19 games. He's been in the lineup for just five of 22 games versus right-handers since joining the Dodgers. Meanwhile, 14 of Mookie Betts' last 15 starts against righties have come at the keystone.

-- Michael Busch started five of the first seven games upon his recall back on Aug. 22, but since then he's been in the lineup just once in his team's previous six tilts. All six of Busch's starts have come in the DH spot, which wouldn't seem to bode well for him sticking around when J.D. Martinez (groin) is activated later this week.

San Diego Padres

-- Jake Cronenworth suffered a fractured wrist on Aug. 25, which will probably end his season. The biggest beneficiary has been the guy who replaced him on the roster, Matthew Batten, who entered play Monday having been in the lineup each of the last four contests and six of eight. Batten has played third base three times, second base twice and first base once, functioning mainly as a way to give Manny Machado more and more playing time at DH while he battles tennis elbow. Batten hasn't had a great year at the plate at Triple-A El Paso, but he did steal 27 bases there and he's gotten off to a nice start at the dish for the Friars.

-- The Padres have also dusted off Matt Carpenter since Cronenworth went down, as the 37-year-old entered Monday having started four of eight tilts post-Cronenworth. No, that's not a ton, but consider before that Carpenter had made one start in the Pads' previous 31 games. Seriously.

San Francisco Giants

-- The Giants brought back Casey Schmitt in mid-August following a brief stint back in the minors and they've used him a lot, as he came into Monday with eight starts in his team's last nine games and 11 starts in 15 contests since his promotion. Eight of those starts have come at the hot corner. Unfortunately, Schmitt has looked pretty similar at the plate as he did before he was demoted, producing just a .607 OPS in 13 games.

-- San Francisco picked Paul DeJong up off the scrapheap after he was cut loose by Toronto and, when Brandon Crawford (forearm) was still sidelined, handed DeJong seven straight starts at shortstop. He's been on the bench for three of the last four versus righties, though, and with Crawford back in the fold, DeJong's playing time figures to be limited only to lefties, if even then. He had a big first game with the Giants but since has gone 0-for-25 with 12 strikeouts and no walks.