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. For today's lineups, head to our MLB Daily Lineups page.
Atlanta Braves
– The last time I wrote about the National League in this space two weeks ago, I noted that Marcell Ozuna had heated back up and regained his role as Atlanta's everyday designated hitter. Well, things have since flipped back the other way. Ozuna has been absent from the lineup for each of the last three games and four of the past six tilts. He's 4-for-38 at the dish over his last 13 games. Atlanta could continue to mix and match at DH in the final month.
– The Braves have mixed Vidal Brujan in at shortstop three times over the last 10 games, giving Nick Allen a break those days. However, the club claimed Ha-Seong Kim (back) off waivers Monday, and he appears to be in line to take over as the everyday shortstop moving forward. Kim holds a $16 million player option for 2026, so he might be the team's shortstop next year, as well.
Miami Marlins
– Otto Lopez has occupied the cleanup spot for the Marlins
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. For today's lineups, head to our MLB Daily Lineups page.
Atlanta Braves
– The last time I wrote about the National League in this space two weeks ago, I noted that Marcell Ozuna had heated back up and regained his role as Atlanta's everyday designated hitter. Well, things have since flipped back the other way. Ozuna has been absent from the lineup for each of the last three games and four of the past six tilts. He's 4-for-38 at the dish over his last 13 games. Atlanta could continue to mix and match at DH in the final month.
– The Braves have mixed Vidal Brujan in at shortstop three times over the last 10 games, giving Nick Allen a break those days. However, the club claimed Ha-Seong Kim (back) off waivers Monday, and he appears to be in line to take over as the everyday shortstop moving forward. Kim holds a $16 million player option for 2026, so he might be the team's shortstop next year, as well.
Miami Marlins
– Otto Lopez has occupied the cleanup spot for the Marlins three of the last four times they have faced a right-hander, and he's hit second twice and cleanup once the three times they've gone up against a lefty during that stretch. Lopez has stumbled since the All-Star break with just a .599 OPS, one home run and two stolen bases, but Miami has stuck with him in the middle of its lineup. Even with his underwhelming rate stats, the 26-year-old has been a top-15 second baseman and nearly a top-20 shortstop in fantasy this season.
– The right-handed-hitting Joey Wiemer was handed three straight starts (two against righties) before hitting the bench Monday. Derek Hill departed Monday's tilt with a hamstring injury, increasing Wiemer's chances of netting regular reps. Wiemer is still just 26, but he's spent most of the last two seasons in the minors and hasn't been very productive at all either at the major- or minor-league level during that time.
New York Mets
– Ronny Mauricio's playing time has completely dried up, as he's been in the lineup just one time over the Mets' last 15 contests. He had been jockeying for reps with Brett Baty and Mark Vientos, but Baty and Vientos have both been hot and, as a result, have started 15 and 17 contests, respectively, over that span. Vientos has batted lower than fifth in just one of his last 11 starts (and he hit sixth that game).
– The Mets have split up the catching duties pretty evenly between Luis Torrens (eight starts) and Hayden Senger (six starts) since Francisco Alvarez (thumb) got injured again. Alvarez is on a rehab assignment from a UCL sprain in his right thumb and suffered a fractured left pinky in his first rehab game. He's back playing again, though, and will rejoin the Mets any day now and attempt to play through the injuries.
Philadelphia Phillies
– Nick Castellanos has hit the bench six times since Aug. 1. That's quite the development, considering it was a disciplinary benching back in June that ended Castellanos' streak of 236 consecutive contests during the regular season. He's made 24 starts since the beginning of August, while Harrison Bader has made 21 starts, Brandon Marsh has made 19 starts and Max Kepler has made 16 starts. Castellanos has just a .550 second-half OPS.
– J.T. Realmuto got down to as low as the No. 8 spot in the Phillies' lineup on three occasions in late May/early June as he scuffled offensively through the first three months of the season. However, he has not hit lower than cleanup since July 29 or lower than fifth since July 19. Realmuto is slashing .294/.341/.471 since July 1, though he has slumped more recently with a 1-for-26 stretch.
Washington Nationals
– Riley Adams had found himself in the Nationals' lineup for seven straight games before sitting out Monday's contest. He's sporting a .733 OPS with three home runs across his last 25 games and hasn't hit lower than fifth in any of his starts since Aug. 16. Making contact remains a major issue for Adams, though, as he sports a 30.9 percent strikeout rate during the aforementioned stretch. Additionally, Keibert Ruiz (concussion) is expected back soon, so Adams' playing time could dip dramatically in short order.
– Robert Hassell has started eight of the past 10 tilts for the Nats, and the left-handed batter has made nine straight starts against right-handed pitching. Five of those starts have come in center field — where Hassell and Jared Young have been splitting time — and he's also been in left field, right field and the DH slot once apiece over that span. Unfortunately, the rookie has yet to find his footing at the plate, sporting a .569 OPS and 27.8 percent strikeout rate.
Chicago Cubs
– The suddenly-hot Ian Happ has occupied the cleanup spot in each of the Cubs' last three games, and he hasn't hit lower than fifth over their last five contests. He's clubbed three home runs and three doubles, added one stolen base and reached base 12 times over the five-game span.
– Former cleanup hitter Pete Crow-Armstrong was down in the seven spot for the Cubs on Monday, which is the lowest he's batted against a right-handed pitcher since early May. Crow-Armstrong has maintained everyday status, but manager Craig Counsell mentioned that the right-handed-hitting Kevin Alcantara — who was promoted Monday when rosters expanded — could see some action in center field versus southpaws. PCA has slashed just .188/.218/.388 with a 30.1 percent strikeout rate against lefties this season and has hit .163/.217/.231 since Aug. 1 versus all pitchers.
Cincinnati Reds
– The Reds summoned top prospect Sal Stewart on Monday, immediately throwing him into the fire with a start at first base and sticking him in the No. 6 spot in the batting order. Stewart is a third baseman by trade but is also capable of handling first base and second base. He is expected to see action at all three positions for the Reds, but most of his reps figure to come at second base, where Matt McLain has been a major disappointment.
– After a stretch where he looked to be settling in as the Reds' everyday cleanup hitter, Miguel Andujar has since started just two of the last nine contests against right-handed pitching. He continues to be employed as the cleanup man on days he does start, but Andujar could be reverting back to short-side platoon status. Meanwhile, Austin Hays and Gavin Lux — two guys who have fought with Andujar for playing time — have started eight and nine times, respectively, across the aforementioned nine-game span versus righties.
Milwaukee Brewers
– Brice Turang has settled back in as the club's leadoff hitter for seven of the last eight tilts. Turang has looked more like a middle-of-the-order bat since the start of August, though, slugging a whopping 11 home runs while sporting a 1.135 OPS. His strikeout rate has been up at 25.2 percent during that stretch, but Turang's hard-hit rate has climbed from 29.7 percent to 46.7 percent year-over-year, as he's been willing to sacrifice some contact for more damage.
– Andruw Monasterio made 10 consecutive starts at shortstop after Joey Ortiz went down with a hamstring injury, batting ninth in all 10 of those contests. He provided a surprising amount of punch during that stretch with a 1.063 OPS and a couple long balls, but Monasterio was immediately dispatched to the bench upon Ortiz's activation Monday. Ortiz had been hot at the plate himself before getting hurt, slashing .343/.387/.443 in August.
Pittsburgh Pirates
– Jared Triolo is the Pirates' new leadoff man, with each of his last five starts coming from atop the batting order. He's earned the prime spot by slashing .315/.417/.467 with a couple home runs and four stolen bases since being recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis at the beginning of August. Triolo doesn't offer a very fantasy-friendly skill set, but he always got on base at a high clip in the minors (.371 OBP) and he's upped his walk rate (11.9 percent) and cut his strikeout rate (19.3 percent) this year at the big-league level.
– The Pirates let Isiah Kiner-Falefa go to the Blue Jays via waivers, and in the first game without him they put recent call-up Cam Devanney at third base and in the No. 9 spot in the batting order. Devanney has put up some solid numbers in the minors, but he's also a 28-year-old who's been in Triple-A for four years, so you'd hope he'd hit well there. Nick Yorke has also been called up and could get a look at the hot corner.
St. Louis Cardinals
– Nolan Gorman has made 18 consecutive starts, which includes three versus lefties for the left-handed hitter. He had been batting fifth against righties regularly, but after Alec Burleson (wrist) got hurt Gorman inched up to the cleanup spot for each of the last three tilts. Gorman got off to a dreadful start this season but has collected a .768 OPS with 12 home runs since the beginning of June. Nolan Arenado (shoulder) is expected back at some point later this month, but Gorman seems like a good bet to still play at least against righties at that point.
– Jordan Walker has been in the lineup on nine occasions across the last 10 contests, first benefitting from the absence of Victor Scott and then from the absence of Burleson. Scott is back now and set to retake the everyday center fielder job, which pushes Lars Nootbaar back to left. Walker should still hold down right field for now, but he might be squeezed out of a job once Burleson is back. The 23-year-old Walker has shown no signs of progress, posting a .386 OPS with a 37.2 percent strikeout rate over his last 16 games.
Arizona Diamondbacks
– Had he been healthy, Jordan Lawlar probably would have taken over as the Diamondbacks' everyday third baseman the minute Eugenio Suarez was traded. He's healthy now after recovering from a hamstring injury at Triple-A Reno and has started three of four games at the hot corner since his promotion. Lawlar has been so woeful to this point at the big-league level — going 4-for-61 with a 40.3 percent strikeout rate — that it's difficult to expect him to thrive down the stretch. The 23-year-old is ready for a long-term chance, though, after slashing .328/.414/.576 with 18 homers and 24 steals in 91 games over the last two seasons at Reno.
– Blaze Alexander has remained in the lineup for all four games after Lawlar's promotion, playing second base twice and third base and center field once apiece. He's started every game since July 29 and has posted an .834 OPS with seven home runs and one stolen base over that stretch. Alexander has hit fifth twice and fourth once over the last three contests and could remain in the middle of the batting order especially with Lourdes Gurriel suffering what looked to be a significant knee injury Monday.
Colorado Rockies
– Yanquiel Fernandez has started in the DH spot each of the last four times the Rockies have faced a right-handed pitcher. He's tallied seven hits — including a pair of home runs — over that stretch. With Fernandez seeing more action in the DH spot, Tyler Freeman has been playing the field more often, seeing three starts apiece at second base and in right field since Aug. 24. The domino effect has meant Ryan Ritter on the bench in five of the last eight tilts.
– Ezequiel Tovar didn't hit lower than third in any of his first 32 starts this season, but he's been down in the No. 6 spot for five of his last eight starts. Tovar has had a power outage this season with just eight home runs after he put 26 over the boards last season. He has picked it up a bit in the power department in the second half, hitting five long balls over 39 contests.
Los Angeles Dodgers
– Michael Conforto has started each of the last 10 games against right-handed pitching and even added a start versus a lefty in there during that stretch. The 32-year-old showed signs of putting it together in July with an .827 OPS, but he floundered again in August with a lowly .516 OPS. Hyeseong Kim is back from his shoulder injury and he saw action in left field on his rehab assignment, potentially setting himself up to usurp Conforto.
– Enrique Hernandez is also back from the IL and has started four of six games, including a pair against right-handers. Three of his four starts have come at third base, where Max Muncy (oblique/illness) is still on the mend. Hernandez is also an option in left field, though less of one now with the presence of Alex Call.
San Diego Padres
– Xander Bogaerts has landed on the IL with a fractured foot, which will keep him out for most, if not all, of the remainder of the regular season. As a result, Jose Iglesias has made four consecutive starts at shortstop, and five starts overall. Iglesias remains a steady defender (though less so than in past years) but unfortunately has been unable to recapture the offensive magic he had last season with the Mets, as the 35-year-old has just a .558 OPS with one home run in 98 tilts in 2025.
– Gavin Sheets started all but one game in left field while Jackson Merrill was sidelined and remained in the lineup Monday after Merrill was activated, as the Padres wanted to give Merrill a day to get settled in. However, Sheets would appear headed back to the bench, unless Fernando Tatis' lower-body issue lingers longer than expected. Sheets put up a robust 1.193 OPS with three long balls in 14 games while Merrill was out.
San Francisco Giants
– Luis Matos has started 10 of 11 contests since being recalled from Triple-A Sacramento. He's been scorching hot , slashing .432/.450/.811 with three home runs and two stolen bases. Matos has mostly flopped so far at the major-league level, but he's been an elite contact hitter and is still only 23. He figures to continue playing regularly down the stretch as the Giants see how he fits into their 2026 plans.
– The left-handed-hitting Drew Gilbert has been in the lineup three of the last four times the Giants have faced a righty, and he piled up a whopping nine hits while driving in seven runs during that stretch. With Heliot Ramos and Jung Hoo Lee locked in as starters, it will be difficult for both Matos and Gilbert to play every day against righties. The best path to that is if Rafael Devers settles in as the everyday first baseman and pushes Dominic Smith to the bench. Over the last 20 games, Devers has split his starts at first base and DH down the middle with 10 apiece. With 18 games played at first base overall this season, he's two away from locking in eligibility there for 2026.
