This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.
There is only one day game Tuesday, leaving us with a packed evening that consists of 14 games. The night will not be short on pitchers who miss plenty of bats, either. Carlos Rodon, Shane McClanahan and Spencer Strider are all scheduled to take the mound for their respective teams, so we could potentially see some big strikeout totals. The Cardinals will begin a series against the Blue Jays in Toronto, but they will be missing their two big sluggers in Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado. Both players were placed on the restricted list since they are not vaccinated against COVID-19, making them ineligible to travel to Toronto. With so many options to consider on Yahoo, let's try to help narrow down the field by highlighting some pitchers and hitters to consider.
Pitchers
Strider ($41) is coming off of a rough outing against the Nationals in which he allowed five runs over four innings. He only had four strikeouts, ending a streak of four straight outings with at least seven punchouts. Considering that he has a 37.9 percent strikeout rate for the season, look for him to bounce back in a big way against a Phillies team that is compromised with Bryce Harper (thumb) out.
The Cardinals being without their top two hitters makes them an attractive option to attack on the pitching side of things. First up will be Jose Berrios ($33), who has disappointed with a 5.22 ERA and 4.74 FIP. On the bright side, he has a 3.09 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP across his last four starts. During that stretch, he recorded 29 strikeouts over 23.1 innings.
Mike Clevinger ($46) doesn't stand out in any one particular category, but he does a lot of things right. He has a 24.7 percent strikeout rate and a 1.14 WHIP, which has helped him generate a 3.50 ERA and a 3.84 FIP. It doesn't get much better than his upcoming matchup against the Tigers, who have hit the fewest home runs and scored the fewest runs in baseball.
Top Targets
The Diamondbacks decided to make a change to their starting rotation, starting Merrill Kelly on Monday and pushing Tyler Gilbert ($25) back to Tuesday. Gilbert hasn't been good, giving up 18 home runs over a combined 74.1 innings at Triple-A and with the Diamondbacks this year. This could be the perfect matchup for Darin Ruf ($15), who has a .290 ISO and a .398 wOBA against left-handed pitchers this season.
It's been a down season for German Marquez ($31), who has a 5.47 ERA and a 4.87 FIP. He's been done in by Coors Field, recording a 5.32 FIP and a 1.58 WHIP there. Looking to take advantage will be a White Sox team that has some dangerous hitters, including Tim Anderson ($16). He has at least one hit in eight of his last nine games, leaving him with a .353 OBP for the season.
Bargain Bats
With their starting rotation shorthanded because of injuries, the Royals are expected to turn to Angel Zerpa ($28) to start against the Angels. He logged seven innings with the team earlier in July, and has pitched a total of 12 innings in the majors over the last two seasons. His experience has mostly been limited to the lower level of the minors, considering he's only pitched 2.1 career innings at Triple-A, as well. Across 64 innings at Double-A this year, he had a 4.17 FIP and a 1.42 WHIP. This could be a great matchup for Taylor Ward ($13), who has a 164 wRC+ against left-handed pitchers.
With the lefty Zerpa on the mound, Jo Adell ($9) should be in the lineup for the Angels. He's been unable to build on the .348 ISO that he's generated at Triple-A this season, sporting just a .125 ISO in the majors. However, a matchup against the inexperienced Zerpa leaves him with an opportunity to provide value.
Stacks to Consider
Blue Jays vs. Andre Pallante ($25), Cardinals: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. ($17), Teoscar Hernandez ($19), Bo Bichette ($15)
It's difficult to get too excited about Pallante's 3.34 ERA when you look at his supporting numbers. His FIP isn't nearly as impressive at 4.24, and he only has a 15.7 percent strikeout rate to go along with his 1.46 WHIP. He'll be facing an uphill battle against the Blue Jays, who have the third-highest OPS in baseball. Guerrero is starting to pick up the pace after a slow start by his standards, hitting 20-for-54 (.370) with a home run and four doubles over his last 13 games.
Dodgers vs. Josiah Gray ($36), Nationals: Freddie Freeman ($27), Mookie Betts ($19), Cody Bellinger ($10)
The Dodgers have hit the fifth-most home runs in baseball. Gray has allowed 2.2 HR/9 for his career. Sometimes, it's just that simple. The last time he faced them, he allowed seven runs and three home runs across three innings. Freeman and Betts are the big names that should be considered for any Dodgers stack, while Bellinger could also be worth targeting with his home run upside.
Rockies vs. Michael Kopech ($39), White Sox: C.J. Cron ($21), Charlie Blackmon ($21), Elias Diaz ($15)
Kopech hasn't provided the White Sox with much length, logging 5.1 innings or fewer in six of his last seven starts. During that span, he has a 5.63 ERA, 1.56 WHIP and allowed eight home runs over 32 innings. Starting at Coors Field brings an unlikely scenario for him to break out of his slump. Cron has particularly thrived there, sporting a .321 ISO and a .446 wOBA this season.
