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.
To track all the latest changes around the league, visit our MLB batting order changes and MLB playing time changes pages.
Baltimore Orioles
– Left-handed-hitting wunderkind Samuel Basallo has been out of the lineup each of the last four times the Orioles have faced a left-handed starter. He was dealing with a minor hand injury for the last one of those, but still, it's not ideal and surprising that he's yet to start a game against a traditional lefty starter. (His only start versus a southpaw came against lefty opener Brennan Bernardino, and Bernardino was followed by righty Richard Fitts.) Basallo was also down in the No. 8 spot each of the last two times Baltimore has faced a righty.
– Emmanuel Rivera has handled third base in each of the last six games and eight of the past 10 contests. He's batted cleanup in the club's last two games versus lefties and has handled the No. 6 spot in its last two contests against righties. Jordan Westburg (ankle) is due back in a week or so, so Rivera's reemergence will likely be short-lived.
Boston Red Sox
– The Red Sox got some devastating news last week when it was revealed
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.
To track all the latest changes around the league, visit our MLB batting order changes and MLB playing time changes pages.
Baltimore Orioles
– Left-handed-hitting wunderkind Samuel Basallo has been out of the lineup each of the last four times the Orioles have faced a left-handed starter. He was dealing with a minor hand injury for the last one of those, but still, it's not ideal and surprising that he's yet to start a game against a traditional lefty starter. (His only start versus a southpaw came against lefty opener Brennan Bernardino, and Bernardino was followed by righty Richard Fitts.) Basallo was also down in the No. 8 spot each of the last two times Baltimore has faced a righty.
– Emmanuel Rivera has handled third base in each of the last six games and eight of the past 10 contests. He's batted cleanup in the club's last two games versus lefties and has handled the No. 6 spot in its last two contests against righties. Jordan Westburg (ankle) is due back in a week or so, so Rivera's reemergence will likely be short-lived.
Boston Red Sox
– The Red Sox got some devastating news last week when it was revealed that Roman Anthony would probably miss the remainder of the regular season with an oblique strain. It's been Rob Refsnyder and Nate Eaton receiving two starts apiece and Nick Sogard getting one start in right field since Anthony went down. Wilyer Abreu (calf) is still at least a few days away from a return, and the Red Sox appear willing to mix and match in right field until then rather than summoning Kristian Campbell from Triple-A Worcester.
– Another domino from the Anthony injury was Masataka Yoshida getting elevated to the leadoff spot for two games in a row against righties over the weekend. He was back down in the No. 6 spot Monday, with Jarren Duran back up in his old leadoff spot. Yoshida has still yet to get going offensively, and manager Alex Cora remains hesitant to use Yoshida in the outfield even with Anthony and Abreu out. Just one of Yoshida's last 21 starts have come in the outfield.
New York Yankees
– Aaron Judge has finally returned to the outfield… kind of. Two of his last four starts have been in right field, but he's looked hesitant with his throwing and manager Aaron Boone has indicated Judge won't return to full-time outfielder duty this season. Because of that, it seems likely that Giancarlo Stanton will get the three more games in the outfield he needs to reach 20 and retain eligibility there heading into 2026.
– Both Paul Goldschmidt and Jasson Dominguez are playing sparingly these days. Goldy is still the regular leadoff man against left-handed pitching, but he's started only one of the last seven tilts versus righties. He's also dealing with a nagging knee issue, which could be a factor in his lack of usage. Meanwhile, Judge's inability to play the outfield for a while did not lead to more reps for Dominguez, who has started only one of the last 10 contests.
Tampa Bay Rays
– Richie Palacios finally returned to action at the beginning of September and has drawn starts in four of five games versus right-handers. Two of the starts were at designated hitter, and he was mixed in at first base and in left field once apiece. Between Palacios' versatility and the injuries the Rays are dealing with, he should be in the lineup against most righties down the stretch.
– The Rays let Ha-Seong Kim go to the Braves via waivers, and that, combined with Taylor Walls undergoing season-ending sports hernia surgery, means Carson Williams should have free reign on the shortstop job down the stretch. Williams has, rather predictably, offered a mixed bag, popping a couple homers and stealing a base in his first 14 games, but also batting just .209 with a 38.3 percent strikeout rate. Each of his last seven starts have come from the No. 8 or No. 9 spot in the lineup.
Toronto Blue Jays
– The Blue Jays reacquired Isiah Kiner-Falefa via waivers and he's been eating into Ernie Clement's playing time a bit. The two players have each made three starts over the last five contests, and IKF have handled third base in each of the last two games. Clement and Kiner-Falefa are basically the Spider-Man pointing meme, though Clement does offer more offensively versus lefties, sporting a .930 OPS against them this season.
– Nathan Lukes has maintained a starting job even after George Springer and Daulton Varsho returned to action, having started all but one of the Blue Jays' last 19 tilts. He has been down in the No. 6-8 spots in the lineup in seven of his last nine starts after previously spending ample time hitting leadoff when the Blue Jays were banged up. Anthony Santander (shoulder) is due back soon, though, which could put Lukes on the bench.
Chicago White Sox
– Curtis Mead has been the biggest beneficiary of Miguel Vargas' (wrist) absence, having made 10 straight starts since Vargas went down (and 11 straight starts overall). He's mostly been used at third base, with Lenyn Sosa handling first base. Mead is hitting .279 over that time, but he's homerless, has driven in just two runs and has a 7:0 K:BB. Vargas could be back any day now, perhaps sending Mead to the bench.
– Kyle Teel has not batted lower than third in any of his last 16 starts, and the left-handed hitter been in the lineup for every game against a right-hander during that span (12 at catcher, four at DH). The 23-year-old is slashing a ridiculous .365/.467/.603 with four home runs, 15 RBI and a 12:11 K:BB over his last 75 plate appearances. Fellow rookie catcher Edgar Quero is playing plenty himself and has also been productive, slashing .327/.365/.449 with one homer across a stretch where he's started 12 of 17 tilts.
Cleveland Guardians
– Two weeks ago in this space, I wrote about how Nolan Jones was getting phased out, but since then he's been phased back in, having started 11 of the past 12 contests. He's even batted fifth in each of the team's last five games. The production has gotten slightly better, with Jones slashing .256/.275/.462 with a couple home runs over the 12-game span. Jones has split time between center field (six starts) and right field (five starts) during the stretch, with one start in left field also mixed in.
– Carlos Santana had already been losing playing time, and in late August he was cut loose (he's since signed with the Cubs). With Santana no longer around, Kyle Manzardo is playing every day, having started each of the two games against lefties since Santana was released. The absence of Santana has also meant more C.J. Kayfus at first base, freeing up some playing time in right field. George Valera has handled right field in two of the last three games and batted second in each of those tilts.
Detroit Tigers
– Parker Meadows returned from the 10-day injured list this past weekend and the left-handed hitter started both games in center field versus righties. He hit ninth in those contests and cracked a home run in his first game back. Meadows should continue to see regular starts in center field against right-handed pitching, especially with Javier Baez fading badly since the All-Star break.
– Baez has started only five of the past 12 games and just two of the last 10 contests versus righties. He was the club's primary shortstop from early June to early August but has started only two games at the position since Aug. 10. Zach McKinstry has started each of the last four tilts at shortstop. Prior to that, Trey Sweeney was at short for four of six games.
Kansas City Royals
– Jac Caglianone is finally back from the IL but has been less than an everyday player so far even against righties, starting four of six contests (all versus right-handers). Michael Massey returned from the IL a little before Caglianone and has started 10 of 13 tilts, with each of the last four of those coming at second base.
– The Royals called up top prospect Carter Jensen when rosters expanded, but he's started only three of seven contests. All three of those starts have been at DH, and he's batted eighth each time. Jensen could be the future at the catcher position for Kansas City, but Salvador Perez remains an iron man and most of those starts are still coming at catcher.
Minnesota Twins
– Royce Lewis is inching his way back up in the Twins' batting order, having hit fifth in three of his last five starts. Prior to that, he had batted seventh nine games in a row and eighth in the two tilts before that. Lewis has cranked seven home runs and stolen six bases over his last 17 games. The steals have been an unexpected boost for Lewis' fantasy managers, given that he had swiped just one bag all season prior to that.
– Austin Martin has been in the lineup six times across the last seven tilts and 10 of the past 13 games. All but one of those starts have come in left field, with one start at second base mixed in. Martin has slashed .389/.522/.472 with three stolen bases over those 13 contests, and while he has yet to drive in a run, he has an impressive 6:10 K:BB. The stellar stretch of getting on base has resulted in him batting second one and leadoff once over the last two games.
Houston Astros
– He's still playing regularly against lefties, but Cam Smith has been in the lineup just one of the last four games and three of the last nine contests versus right-handed pitching. The rookie outfielder has just a .636 OPS since June 1 and is slashing only .229/.294/.322 against righties. Jesus Sanchez has been handling most of the reps in right field versus right-handers, and Yordan Alvarez has been in left field for six of his past seven starts since he finally came off the IL in late August.
– Mauricio Dubon was used on an everyday basis for a while, but the returns of Alvarez and also Jake Meyers have resulted in Dubon starting only four of the last eight tilts and none of the last four games versus right-handed pitching. Since Alvarez was back in action, six of Jose Altuve's 11 starts have been at DH, four have been at second base and one was in left field. It was Altuve's first start in left field since July 28.
Los Angeles Angels
– After making only three starts in his first month with the club, Oswald Peraza has been in the lineup for nine consecutive games. Seven of those starts have come at first base, a position he had never previously played. Unfortunately, Peraza has done very little with the regular playing time, slashing .233/.314/.367 with one home run and three steals. Peraza will likely go back to the bench once Nolan Schanuel (wrist) is ready to return, but Schanuel's timeline is cloudy.
– The Angels moved Mike Trout to the leadoff spot for each of their last two games and hit Zach Neto third in their last contest (he had a day off in the first game Trout batted leadoff). Perhaps it's a move being made in hopes of jumpstarting the two players, as Trout is 7-for-48 with no homers over his last 14 contests and Neto is 4-for-38 with two long balls across his last 11 games.
Sacramento Athletics
– From May 7 to July 23, Jacob Wilson batted either first or second in every one of his starts. However, since coming off the IL in late August, he's been in the No. 5 spot in the batting order for 10 of 15 starts, including each of the last four contests. The 23-year-old is slashing .339/.371/.492 with a couple home runs over that stretch, so it hasn't been struggles at the plate that's pushed him down in the batting order. He's essentially swapped spots with Shea Langeliers, as Langeliers has been hitting leadoff versus lefties and second against righties with regularity since mid-August.
– Zack Gelof has made 13 straight starts since being recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas. While he's managed to pop a couple home runs during that stretch, he's batting only .224 with a 47.1 percent strikeout rate. Gelof has shown at times that he can be a fantasy asset when he's playing regularly, but the regular reps won't continue to be there if his strikeout rate remains that high.
Seattle Mariners
– Cole Young has been absent from the Mariners' lineup for each of the last five games, a stretch in which Seattle has faced three righties and two lefties. It's been Jorge Polanco handling second base in three of those starts (two versus lefties) and Leo Rivas getting the other two starts (each of the last two against righties). Polanco has become the regular second baseman against southpaws over the last several weeks, but it looks as if Young has lost his starting job versus righties, too.
– Victor Robles has started all three games in right field since being reinstated from suspension, and that's notable because two of those contests have been against right-handers. Dominic Canzone hasn't really done anything to lose his job, and he's slashing .293/.350/.487 versus right-handed pitching this season, but it would appear the Mariners plan to turn to Robles as their everyday right fielder down the stretch.
Texas Rangers
– The Rangers have been playing good baseball lately despite seemingly losing a new player to injury every day. One of the guys to get an opportunity has been Cody Freeman, who has started six of the past seven contests and batted second each of the last three times the Rangers have faced a left-hander. The 24-year-old has a couple homers in his last 11 games but overall hasn't gained much traction at the plate, posting just a .556 OPS. Most of his reps have come in the infield, but his last two starts have been in right field.
– Also seeing regular action lately has been Michael Helman, who has become the team's primary center fielder with nine starts there over the last 10 tilts. Helman has provided a spark since being recalled from Triple-A Round Rock in late August, sporting a .922 OPS with three home runs, 11 RBI and two steals in 13 games. Helman is a 29-year-old rookie who has a .699 OPS this season at the Triple-A level, so the odds are good that he'll turn into a pumpkin sooner rather than later.
