Santiago Espinal (CIN): 4-4, 2 2B, HR, R, 2 RBI.
That's Espinal, Folks!
It's always fun to see role players shine, and shine is a bit of an understatement for what Santiago Espinal did last night. The Reds' utilityman led the way in his teams' 6-4 win over the Cubs, posting a 4-4, 2 2B, HR, R, 2 RBI line.
Espinal doesn't get much playing time these days—he's started just four games since the All-Star Break—but he made the most of his at-bats yesterday. He started things off by getting the better of Justin Steele, pushing a four-seam fastball up and away deep down the right-field line for his seventh home run of the year. That was just the beginning of Espinal's huge night. He followed up the two-run bomb by getting the better of Steele again, this time with a double, and he added a single and another two-bagger against Chicago's bullpen.
If a four-hit day can be lucky, Espinal's certainly was. His second double of the day was his only hard hit clocking in with an exit velocity of 97.8 mph. His other three hits, including the home run, had xBAs of .040, .150, and .100. Not the type of numbers you typically see on this kind of night.
On the season, Espinal's slashing .237/.279/.365 and owns a .279 wOBA and 73 wRC+. While those underwhelming numbers keep Espinal well off the fantasy radar, his positional versatility provides some much-needed depth on the bench in Cincinnati, especially given the litany of injuries the Reds have faced this year.
Let's see how the other hitters did Tuesday:
Eugenio Suárez (ARI): 4-6, 3 HR, 4 R, 5 RBI.
Suárez and the Diamondbacks exploded for 17 runs against Patrick Corbin and the Nationals last night, and surprisingly to me at least, Arizona now has the second-highest-scoring offense this year. With three home runs, Suárez is up to 16 big flies, but 10 of them have come this month alone. You gotta love Suárez when he's hot, but when he's not... well we all know the saying: with great power comes great whiff rates... or something along those lines. Suárez has certainly won you some matchups recently, but when the hot streak ends and the whiffs return, there's plenty of risk that he'll fall back into being the .591 OPS bat he was before July.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. (NYY): 3-6, 2 HR, 2 R, 5 RBI.
The early returns on the Jazz Chisholm Jr. deal are immaculate for the Yankees. Yesterday was his second straight two-homer night, and his second bomb came in dramatic fashion. With New York trailing 4-2 in the seventh, Chisholm turned on a Matt Strahm slider for a three-run, go-ahead home run. Jazz has started at third base the last two days, so the extra positional flexibility will be a nice bonus for his fantasy managers.
Rafael Devers (BOS): 3-5, 2B, HR, 2 R, 4 RBI.
Don't look now, but Devers is somewhat quietly putting together the best season of his career. His three-hit night pushed his slash line to .301/.380/.598, and his 11.5% walk rate, .406 wOBA, and 160 wRC+ are career bests. The Red Sox have to be feeling pretty good about that 10-year extension right about now.
Jorge Polanco (SEA): 2-4, 2B, HR, 3 R, 2 RBI, BB.
James Paxton's first start back in Boston didn't exactly go as planned. The Mariners hung 6 runs (only 3 ER) on the veteran lefty, and Polanco had one of the big blows—a 416-foot blast in the fourth. Polanco's been on a tear in the second half and I wouldn't be surprised to see it continue the rest of the way. His strikeout rate has skyrocketed in his first season in Seattle, but since the All-Star break it's down to 19.5% which is right in line with his career average. Polanco's had a wRC+ of at least 118 in four of his last five seasons, so if you need middle infield help, he's worth a look, especially with the addition of Randy Arozarena and Justin Turner to the lineup.
Austin Hays (PHI): 2-4, HR, R, 4 RBI, SB.
Hay! That's a combo meal for former All-Star Austin Hays, and I'm intrigued by the fantasy upside he has now that he's in Philadelphia. Although he was coming off a solid .275/.325/.444 batting line in 2023, he struggled to find consistent playing time on a crowded Orioles' roster. Now in Philadelphia, he's still part of an elite offense but now has a better home park, and he should have a clearer path to the starting lineup. He's a name to watch in shallow leagues and one I'd go ahead and pick up in deep formats.
Jarred Kelenic (ATL): 2-3, 2B, HR, 2 R, RBI, 2 BB.
Kelenic had one of his best games of the year, reaching base four times in the Braves 5-1 win in Milwaukee. Since taking over the leadoff role on June 15th, Kelenic's slashing an unimpressive .208/.265/.389, and I have to wonder if he'll keep his everyday role with the trade deadline addition of Jorge Soler. I think the answer is yes for now, but once Michael Harris II is back, that very well may change.
Anthony Santander (BAL): 2-3, 2B, HR, R, 2 RBI, BB.
Santander got the better of the severely depleted Blue Jays roster, hitting his 31st home run of the season. The round-tripper barely cleared the fence, traveling 355 feet to right field, and luckily for him, Camden Yards is one of just three ballparks it would've been a home run in. Santander's putting together a phenomenal season. He's just two homers shy of his previous career high, and his 18.3% walk rate and 133 wRC+ would be his best full-season marks. I'm not quite sure how new Oriole Eloy Jiménez fits into the lineup, but I can't imagine he takes away many at-bats from Santander.
Christopher Morel (TBR): 1-4, HR, 2 R, RBI.
Well, that didn't take long. The newest Ray immediately made an impact, crushing a 420-foot blast off of Edward Cabrera in his first at-bat with his new club, starting Tampa Bay's comeback. It's no secret that Morel has loud tools, the question is if he'll be able to put it all together in Florida the way he couldn't in Chicago. With a .199 average but an 11.2% walk rate, Morel is much easier to roster in OBP leagues than in standard formats.
Cody Bellinger (CHC): 2-4, HR, R, 2 RBI.
The Cubs welcomed back Bellinger to the lineup after a fractured finger sent him to the IL for a couple of weeks. He quickly looked back to form, cranking a two-run homer off a chest-high Lyon Richardson four-seamer. With a .272/.333/.421 slash line, he'll need a strong second half to live up to the preseason expectations Cubs' fans and fantasy managers had for him coming off his 134 wRC+ bounce-back 2023 campaign.
Dylan Moore (SEA): 2-3, 2 2B, 3 RBI, BB, SB.
Moore's been one of the best hitters in Seattle's lineup this year, and that tells you pretty much all you need to know about how things have gone for the Mariners. I don't say that to discount how solid Moore's been this year, but to illustrate just how desperate Seattle is for offensive help. Moore has a 110 wRC+ with 9 home runs and 20 stolen bases. His 27% strikeout rate hurts his production, but with SS, 2B, 3B, and OF eligibility, Moore can admirably plug a lot of holes in your fantasy team's lineup, just like he does for the Mariners.
