Fantasy baseball pitcher rankings and lineup tips for Monday’s MLB games

Check out our daily fantasy baseball starting pitcher rankings, hitter upgrades and demotions to help you make smart decisions. fantasy baseball alignment decisions and for MLB Betting TipsMLB game odds are provided by ESPN BET, and fantasy tips are geared toward ESPN’s 10-team leagues with standard score.

Note: This file will be updated with any overnight pitching changes or weather-related game postponements, along with incorporating the latest MLB game odds as of the stated time of publication.

Houston no longer has problems

Entering June, the Houston Astros They were in third place in the American League West, eight games below .500 and 6.5 games back of first place. Seattle MarinersThrough Saturday’s action, the Astros moved up to .500, surpassing the Texas Rangers to second place. The Astros cut the Mariners’ lead to three games and are now 3.5 games behind.

Through May, the Astros averaged 4.34 runs per game. In June, the club added nearly a full run to average 5.25 runs per game.

Pitching has also improved. Astros starting pitchers posted a 4.77 ERA through May 31, then improved to a 3.40 mark in June. Major boosts to the rotation came from starting pitchers Spencer Arrighetti and Monday’s SP, Brown hunter.

In his first nine starts, Brown posted a 7.71 ERA and a 1.93 WHIP. His 22.9% strikeout rate was acceptable, but a high 11.7% walk rate was a problem. Brown was snake-bitten with a .298 BABIP and a 64.7% left-on-base mark, along with an inflated 22.2% HR/FB rate. A 4.12 xFIP and 4.31 SIERA presaged a better month. Brown’s turnaround began in late May. In his last seven efforts, Brown has a sparkling 1.47 ERA and .88 WHIP. His fortunes turned with a .230 BABIP and a 95.9% left-on-base mark, but he also pitched better. Specifically, Brown increased his strikeout rate to 29.1% while lowering his walk rate to 6.7%. His HR/FB checked in at a league average of 11.1%.

While it’s unclear if there’s a cause-and-effect relationship, Brown has cut back on his four-seamer usage and thrown more sinkers instead. He’s also swapped some sliders for cutters.

Brown began the season with 89.8% of ESPN leagues on his roster. On May 28, his percentage was a season-low 38.9%. It has since climbed and stood at 69.8% heading into Monday’s road game with the Red Sox. Toronto Blue JaysStill, it’s worth checking to see if Brown is available; you could be picking the American League’s pitcher of the month for June.

What you might have missed on Sunday

• Angels of Los Angeles OF Taylor neighborhood Ward left yesterday’s game after being hit in the helmet by a 93 mph fastball in the ninth inning. The exit was deemed a precautionary measure. The Angels are off today, so Ward’s availability for tomorrow’s road date with the Angels is uncertain. Oakland Athletics It may not become clear until tomorrow.

• Texas Rangers Spartan Corey Seager Seager was unable to participate in ESPN’s Sunday night game with a sore wrist. Seager was hit by a pitch Saturday night, and while X-rays came back empty, the Rangers opted to give Seager a day in addition to today’s day off to recover. The Rangers will return to action tomorrow when the team is back on track. San Diego Padres Visit Arlington. The news is not so optimistic about 3B Josh JungThe club will send Jung to a specialist today to examine his surgically repaired wrist. Jung has persistent pain, so the Rangers want further evaluations.

• Baltimore Orioles 1 B Ryan Mountcastle He also missed last night’s game because he wasn’t feeling well. The right-handed pitcher would have been in the lineup with the Texas Rangers’ starting left-handed pitcher. Andrew HeaneyThe Orioles could have used Mountcastle, as Heaney dominated with 10 strikeouts in seven innings, leading the Rangers to an 11-2 victory. Mountcastle and the Orioles are off today, but the hope is that he will be available tomorrow when the club begins a series in the Pacific Northwest against the Rangers. Seattle Mariners.

• Speaking of the Mariners, C Mitch Garver He was hit in the wrist by a ball yesterday. X-rays came back negative, but he is scheduled for a follow-up evaluation today.

• Toronto Blue Jays 1 B Vladimir Guerrero Jr. He left yesterday’s game in the eighth inning. He was hit in the right hand by a pitch in the third inning, but remained on the field until he was replaced by a pinch hitter. The Blue Jays were trailing in the New York Yankees 8-1, so the measure was precautionary. Post-match X-rays were negative. Guerrero’s availability for today’s matinee at home with the Houston Astros It is not clear.

Everything you need to know for Monday

• There are only six starting pitchers scheduled for Monday, and two will take the mound at Coors Field with Bryse Wilson and the Milwaukee Brewers visiting Austin Gomber and the Colorado Rocky MountainsWith such a small roster, it’s best to act immediately and pick up as many Brewers and Rockies bats as you can. The Brewers’ top targets are Rhys Hoskins (29.3% in ESPN leagues) and Jackson Chourio (23.0% on the roster). Both are right-handed hitters, so they will enjoy platoon advantage over the left-handed Gomber. Leading the way for the Rockies are Ryan McMahon (61.9% of staff), Charlie Blackmon (7.6% registered), Nolan Jones (40.8% registered) and Michael Toglia (2.1% of players on the roster.) Keep in mind that the Rockies will be playing at home for seven games this week, so not only will they have an early advantage on Monday, but they will also have an advantage in strengthening their lineup for the week.

• The top-ranked fantasy starter is New York Mets IS David Peterson (2.5%). This is the first of seven road games for the Mets this week, and they are averaging the most runs per game on the road. Peterson will face the Washington Nationalswhose lineup will feature OF James WoodPeterson’s MLB debut. Peterson has an impressive 14 strikeouts in his last 10 1/3 innings, but he’s issued eight walks in that two-game span. It’s a favorable matchup for Peterson, as the Nationals are one of the least patient teams in the league and swing at an above-average rate against lefties.

• Considering the circumstances, it’s not surprising that the next best broadcast option is opposed to Peterson. Occupying the mound for the Nationals will be MacKenzie Gore (26.2% on the roster). Gore has been snake-bitten with a .359 BABIP, which explains his inflated 1.39 WHIP. Gore has struck out more batters and issued fewer walks than he did last season. The tricky aspect of this outing is the opposition. As mentioned, the Mets are the best road team in the league. Some of that is noise, though. Perhaps this will set Gore up better for betting and as a pitcher for DFS GPP purposes.

• Betting tip of the day: A limited three-game schedule on Monday reduces the options, but a game at Coors Field with favorable hitting conditions makes it easier. Colorado Rocky Mountains They are sending a left-handed starter Austin Gomber towards the hill, causing the right-handed contingent of the Milwaukee Brewers as target hitters. I prefer the safer “total bases” option rather than betting on a home run. William Contreras and Willy Adames They are right-handed hitters. Contreras is the best hitter, but Adames is an extreme hitter. Let’s go with Adames over 2.5 total bases (+140)I am tempted to duplicate and do the same thing in Contreras (+145).

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Starting pitcher rankings for Monday