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

– If it seems like we're discussing a new Braves injury in this space every two weeks, it's because we pretty much are. This time it was Austin Riley, who is expected to miss the remainder of the regular season with a fractured hand. To fill the massive hole left by Riley's absence, the Braves signed Gio Urshela, who had been released by the Tigers. Urshela has started all eight games at the hot corner since being signed and has batted in the lower-third of the lineup each time.

– Atlanta did dodge a bullet with Michael Harris avoiding a hand fracture after he had to leave Sunday's game following a hit by pitch. Harris had remained in the leadoff spot for the Braves against both righties and lefties since Jorge Soler returned from a week-plus absence with a hamstring tweak, with Soler sliding into the two hole vacated by Riley. However, after Whit Merrifield got five hits there Monday while filling in for Harris, he remained at the top of the order Tuesday, with Harris returning in the six slot. Most likely, that will be a temporary situation, but if it's not it's not great news for Harris. Elsewhere in the outfield, Ramon Laureano has started 15 straight games. That won't continue, as Harris and Soler both missed time over that stretch, but at the very least he's clearly above Adam Duvall in the pecking order as the short-side platoon in left field with Jarred Kelenic.

Miami Marlins

– The Marlins have lost Xavier Edwards (back) to the injured list, and it's been Connor Norby sliding up to the leadoff spot in his place. Norby has started all eight games since being recalled from Triple-A Jacksonville (seven at third base, one at designated hitter) and his Marlins tenure has started with a bang as he has reached base 11 times already and homered twice.

– Miami had the option of pushing Otto Lopez over to shortstop and shifting Norby to second base, but they've elected to keep those two where they are and stick Vidal Brujan at shortstop. Brujan had started just one of the previous seven games before getting the call at shortstop in each of the last four contests. He simp ly hasn't shown anything at the major-league level to suggest he could be a useful fantasy contributor.

New York Mets

– Breakout performer Mark Vientos has been elevated to the No. 2 spot in the lineup for the last 12 contests. A 22:2 K:BB in 49 plate appearances during that stretch isn't ideal, but Vientos has done a lot with the contact he has made, slugging four home runs, driving in 10 runs and posting a .977 OPS.

– While Vientos has found himself in a more favorable spot in the Mets' lineup of late, J.D. Martinez is going in the other direction. The veteran DH batted third in every one of his starts from June 12 to Aug. 4, but in the last two games he was down in the six spot, which was the lowest he's hit since early May. Martinez is slashing just .224/.303/.405 since the All-Star break.

Philadelphia Phillies

– Manager Rob Thomson has been pretty well set with Kyle Schwarber, Trea Turner, Bryce Harper and Alec Bohm as the top four in his lineup when everyone is healthy. There's been a little bit of maneuvering after that, and of late it's been Nick Castellanos batting fifth in 10 of the last 12 contests. (He batted cleanup the other two games when Harper and Bohm each had a day off.) Castellanos' overall numbers are still down, but that's mostly the result of a .610 OPS in the first two months of the season. He's slashed .281/.328/.477 since then.

– Upon Austin Hays' return from the IL this past weekend, Weston Wilson was absent from the lineup for three straight games and then went on paternity leave Monday. Even on Sunday, when Hays was given a day of rest, it was Brandon Marsh playing left field and Johan Rojas covering center. Wilson had started five of the previous seven tilts before that, but all but one of those starts came versus lefties. He has a 1.362 OPS this season versus southpaws as opposed to a .682 OPS against righties.

Washington Nationals

– The Nationals promoted Dylan Crews on Monday and immediately threw him into the two spot in the batting order versus a lefty, sandwiched in between leadoff man CJ Abrams and No. 3 hitter James Wood. He then hit seventh against a righty Tuesday. Crews can play both center and right field, but he started in right in his debut and that's likely where he'll settle in after Alex Call went to the IL with a partial tear of the plantar fascia in his left foot.

– Jose Tena has taken over as the Nationals' everyday third baseman, making nine straight starts there and starting 13 of 16 overall at the hot corner since being recalled. The left-handed batter has been in the lineup each of the last three times the Nats have faced a lefty and was up in the No. 5 spot against a right-hander Sunday.

Chicago Cubs

– Cody Bellinger is playing the field again after his recovery from a fractured finger had initially limited him to DH duties. It has not affected who has been in the lineup for the Cubs, though, as Bellinger and Seiya Suzuki have simply flip-flopped between DH and right field with Bellinger playing the latter in nine of the last 11 contests. That means Pete Crow-Armstrong remains entrenched in center field, where he's started every game since July 26.

– Isaac Paredes has stayed in the five spot each of his last nine starts against righties and moved up to the two hole twice versus lefties during that span. This, despite the fact that he's slashed just .161/.245/.310 in 24 tilts since joining the Cubs. Paredes started games at first base and DH in addition to third base this year with the Rays and previously saw action at second base and shortstop, but every inning with the Cubs thus far has been spent at third base.

Cincinnati Reds

– The Reds scooped up Dominic Smith shortly after he was let go by the Red Sox and have handed him starts in all four games against right-handed pitching (three at first base, one at DH). It would appear to be bad news for the playing time outlook of Ty France, who was on the bench for two of those four tilts. Previously, France had started 16 of 20 games since joining Cincinnati, with 13 of them coming at first base.

– Jake Fraley went down with a sprained knee last week. He had been seeing virtually all of his playing time in right field of late prior to the injury. Since then, Cincinnati has used Will Benson, Amed Rosario and Santiago Espinal two times apiece in right field. Rosario has started three of seven games since being claimed off waivers, drawing a start at DH as well as the aforementioned two in right field. The Reds have faced just one lefty since Rosario arrived, and he should be in the lineup regularly versus southpaws.

Milwaukee Brewers

– Blake Perkins returned from the IL last week and in five games since then he's started four times, as has Sal Frelick. Garrett Mitchell has drawn two starts during that span and over the last four games has not started in center field. That seems notable, given that he patrolled center field in each of the nine contests Perkins missed. Mitchell has managed just a .694 OPS with a 32.1 percent strikeout rate in 137 plate appearances in 2024.

– Jake Bauers had been out of the lineup for five straight games and 10 of the last 13 contests before starting each of the last three contests. The left-handed batter was acquired to hit right-handed pitching and 59 of his 62 starts this year have been versus righties, but he's managed just a .691 OPS against right-handers this season as opposed to a .755 OPS against southpaws.

Pittsburgh Pirates

– The Pirates have needed a new leadoff hitter since Andrew McCutchen (knee) went down, and the duties have fallen to Isiah Kiner-Falefa for each of the last 11 contests. IKF has been used at second base (six times), shortstop (four times) and third base (once) over that span, but he will take over shortstop duties on a full-time basis because…

– Oneil Cruz is moving to center field. Cruz has never played the position in pro ball, although he does have limited experience in left field. It is considered a permanent switch, at least that's the plan right now. The 25-year-old is obviously an explosive athlete but was not a strong defender at shortstop outside of his throwing arm. With Cruz in center and IKF at short, Nick Gonzales returned from the IL Monday with his second base job back in tow. Gonzales has batted cleanup once and third once in his two games since being activated.

St. Louis Cardinals

– With Willson Contreras getting hurt again — this time with a fractured finger — Nolan Arenado moved up to the third spot in the Cardinals' batting order Monday prior to a day off Tuesday, which is the highest he's hit since May 9. Arenado's .799 OPS in August is by far the best of his five months this season, although he's homered just three times.

– Ivan Herrera is back in the big leagues to take Contreras' roster spot and has received two of three starts since the veteran landed on the IL, batting fifth in each of those games. Pedro Pages is the more trusted receiver, so don't be surprised if he ultimately plays more than Herrera while Contreras is out.

Arizona Diamondbacks

– Ketel Marte's ankle injury finally became too much to play through and he was placed on the 10-day IL. Kevin Newman started the first two games at second base after the move, but since then the recently-signed Luis Guillorme has been in there for four of five tilts. There's no fantasy value to mine here, as the Diamondbacks are just prioritizing glovework until Marte is ready to return, which should happen in the near future.

– Jake McCarthy has been manager Torey Lovullo's choice in the two hole for six of seven contests since Marte went down, and he's hit there 13 times since Aug. 8 as Marte's ankle problem forced him in and out of the lineup. The handedness of the opposing pitcher hasn't mattered, either, as the left-handed hitting McCarthy boasts a .340/.398/.443 batting line versus southpaws (although all eight of his homers have come off righties).

Colorado Rockies

– Jordan Beck didn't start the first game after being promoted but then made nine straight starts, with six of those coming against left-handed pitching. He then sat out two straight before returning to the lineup for the last three tilts. Beck hasn't batted higher than seventh over that span and has not offered much offensively to this point, but the 23-year-old has power upside and some speed if he can make enough contact.

– The Rockies jettisoned Elias Diaz and summoned Drew Romo from Triple-A Albuquerque. It's been an even split at catcher between Romo and Jacob Stallings, with each guy drawing five starts apiece. Romo has batted ninth in each of his starts and hasn't gotten going offensively. He's known more for his glove than his bat, and even with the Coors Field bump it's going to be difficult for Romo to produce fantasy value if he's getting just half of the starts.

Los Angeles Dodgers

– The Dodgers have not eased Tommy Edman into things, handing him seven straight starts since he was activated from the 60-day injured list. He's split his time between center field (four starts) and shortstop (three starts) and has hit eighth or ninth in four games versus righties and fifth or sixth in three contests against left-handers. Unsurprisingly, he's shown some rust at the plate in the early going.

– Rust has not been an issue for Max Muncy, who has homered twice and reached base 10 times in his first six contests. Muncy has batted seventh five times and sixth once, as the Dodgers have kept the hot-hitting Gavin Lux in the No. 5 spot against right-handed pitching for the time being.

San Diego Padres

– A shoulder injury sent Ha-Seong Kim to the IL last week. It was Tyler Wade filling in at shortstop for the first three games after Kim went down, but the Padres have since called up Mason McCoy and handed him six straight starts. McCoy can run, but the 29-year-old doesn't offer much with the bat. You'd have to be in a pretty bad spot to take a flier on him even in a deep league.

– David Peralta has drawn every start in right field for the Padres against right-handed pitching since July 3 and has netted one start versus a lefty over that span. He's also suddenly the hottest hitter in the lineup from out of the seven hole, sporting a 1.017 OPS with four home runs in August. With that said, the Padres hope he'll be out of a job soon, as Fernando Tatis is finally ramping up workouts as he comes back from a right femoral stress reaction.

San Francisco Giants

– The Giants have opted to move Heliot Ramos off center field, as he's split time between left field and DH with Michael Conforto over the last 11 tilts. The new everyday guy in center has been Grant McCray, who gives the team a much better glove at the position. McCray has also gotten off to a nice start at the plate, although swing and miss is a major issue. The 23-year-old's defensive chops could earn him a little leash. The domino effect of Ramos now being used in left field/DH means Jerar Encarnacion's brief run at everyday playing time is over, as he's now only playing versus lefties.

– Speaking of a short-side platoon, Mark Canha has not been in the lineup for any of the Giants' last 10 contests against right-handed pitching. He also hasn't started a game anywhere other than first base or DH, as it's clear the club has a very specific, very limited role for the 35-year-old.