The MLB returns from the All-Star break Friday…save for one game. Yes, Thursday breaks the glass on the return to regular-season action with a sole game. The Phillies, who just hosted the All-Star Game, are now hosting the Mets on Thursday. We have a first pitch of 7:10 p.m. ET, and a matchup between Aaron Nola and Christian Scott on the mound.
That means this is a day for the oh-so-rare single-game contest slate during the MLB regular season. As such, you might need a refresher. You get $50,000 in salary to give out to six players. One is your Captain, who nets you more points but at an elevated salary. You can roster starting pitchers, but only starting pitchers. No working in a closer or what have you. All that said, here is the lineup I landed on for Thursday.
Captain
Brandon Marsh, PHI vs. NYM ($12,000): In order to shell out some salary to a couple high-level bats, I opted to make Marsh my Captain. Scott has pitched well this year after missing all of 2025, but he does have a 4.09 FIP compared to a 3.17 ERA. Also, while lefties have only hit .206 against him, they have also hit six of the seven home runs he's allowed. Philly being at home put this decision over the edge, as Marsh has an .886 OPS versus righties but also a .924 OPS at home.
Agree with these recommendations? Give them a spin with various combinations of other players in RotoWire's MLB DFS Lineup Optimizer.
Utility
Juan Soto, NYM at PHI ($9,800): Yeah, obviously I wanted Soto. He's far and away the Mets' best hitter, he has a .405 OBP, and he's slugged .623 against right-handed pitchers. Plus, Nola has been bad for a couple seasons. Over the last two campaigns he has a 5.88 ERA, and at home he's allowed 1.9 homers per nine innings.
Bryce Harper, PHI vs. NYM ($9,000): Having Kyle Schwarber as well as Soto would have been great, but then I would have been in a real pinch and probably left to roster utility guys. Harper is no slouch, of course. He has 20 homers this year and a real affinity for this sort of scenario. Since 2024 he has a .910 OPS against right-handed pitchers and also a .962 OPS at home.
Francisco Lindor, NYM at PHI ($7,600): This is a bet on Lindor's track record, and thus the fact had he been healthy this year his salary likely wouldn't be this low. If not for falling one swiped bag short in 2024, Lindor would have had 30 doubles, 30 homers and 30 stolen bases in each of the prior three seasons. Then, of course, there's the fact Nola has a 6.81 ERA at home in 2026.
Francisco Alvarez, NYM at PHI ($6,400): At this point, I'm taking stabs at upside, and for me, the upside is as much in Nola being on the mound as anything else. In particular, I'm thinking about the fact he has an 1.86 HR/9 rate this year. Alvarez is a catcher, and often hurt, so he doesn't usually put up big totals in counting stats. However, over the last four seasons he's has 1,272 plate appearances, and in that time he's hit 56 homers. Alvarez is basically a 20-homer guy who rarely plays enough to show that, but he can hopefully shot it against Nola.
Jared Young, NYM at PHI ($5,000): With my limited remaining salary, I didn't mind getting the Mets' surprising starter at first base. He had an .817 OPS in the three weeks prior to the break, and he has six homers and seven doubles in 51 games. Young is a southpaw, and Nola is a righty with a 6.81 ERA at home. Why not take a shot?
