Thursday Lineup Card: Betances Continues To Roll

This article is part of our The Lineup Card series.

Projected Starters - A look at Thursday's matchups (all times Eastern)

Orioles (Bud Norris – R) at Phillies (Sean O'Sullivan – R), 1:05
Cardinals (Jaime Garcia – L) at Twins (Mike Pelfrey – L), 1:10
Astros (Collin McHugh – R) at Rockies (David Hale – R), 3:10
Padres (Ian Kennedy – R) at Athletics (Kendall Graveman – R), 3:35
Angels (C.J. Wilson – L) at Diamondbacks (Allen Webster – R), 3:40
Marlins (Mat Latos – R) at Yankees (C.C. Sabathia – L), 7:05
Rays (Chris Archer – R) at Nationals (Doug Fister – R), 7:05
Mets (Bartolo Colon – R) at Blue Jays (R.A. Dickey – R), 7:07
Red Sox (Clay Buchholz – R) at Braves (Shelby Miller – R), 7:10
Cubs (Jason Hammel – R) at Indians (Danny Salazar – R), 7:10
Tigers (Justin Verlander – R) at Reds (Mike Leake – R), 7:10
Brewers (Jimmy Nelson – R) at Royals (Jeremy Guthrie – R), 8:10
Pirates (Gerrit Cole – R) at White Sox (Jeff Samardzija – R), 8:10
Giants (Ryan Vogelsong – R) at Mariners (Mike Montgomery – L), 10:10
Rangers (Anthony Ranaudo – R) at Dodgers (Zack Greinke – R), 10:10

Day Game After Night Game: BAL/PHI, STL/MIN, HOU/COL, SD/OAK, LAA/ARI

Injuries

Day-to-Day

Miguel Montero, C, CHC (Back) – Scratched from Wednesday's lineup due to back stiffness.
Denard Span, OF, WAS (Back) – Did not start on Wednesday due to back stiffness.
Andrelton Simmons, SS, ATL (Hand) – Did not start on Wednesday.
Adam Jones, OF, BAL (Shoulder) – Did not start on Wednesday.

Players on the DL

Gregor Blanco, OF, SF (Concussion) – May return to action on Thursday.
Jake Peavy, SP, SF (Back) – Will make one more rehab start before joining the team.
Wil Myers, OF, SD (Wrist) – Will undergo surgery Thursday to remove a bone spur and will be sidelined up to eight weeks.
Neftali Feliz, RP, TEX (Arm) – Appeared in his fifth rehab game on Monday and did not allow a run.
Edward Mujica, RP, OAK (Hand) – Expected to make another rehab appearance on Thursday.
Pedro Baez, RP, LAD (Chest) – Will start a rehab assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City on Friday.
Joel Peralta, RP, LAD (Arm) – Rehab was moved to Triple-A Oklahoma City with the hopes of pitching on back-to-back days.
Jordan Lyles, SP, COL (Toe) – Lyles was transferred to the 60-day DL.
Ike Davis, 1B, OAK (Quadriceps) – Played in a rehab game on Wednesday, with a decision being made on Thursday regarding activation from the DL.
Chris Hatcher, RP, LAD (Oblique) – Hatcher was placed on the 15-day DL.
James Paxton, SP, SEA (Finger) – Not expected to resume throwing until the soreness goes away.
Corey Dickerson, OF, COL (Foot) – Dickerson was placed on the 15-day DL.
Archie Bradley, SP, ARI (Shoulder) – Expected to throw a simulated game on Thursday.
Kevin Gausman, SP, BAL (Shoulder) – Will start Saturday's game against Toronto.
Alex Avila, C, DET (Knee) – Close to beginning a rehab assignment.
Shane Victorino, OF, BOS (Calf) – May begin a rehab assignment at the end of the week.
Daniel Murphy, 2B, NYM (Quadriceps) – Expected to return to action on Tuesday.
Devon Travis, 2B, TOR (Shoulder) – Expected to rejoin the Blue Jays over the weekend.
Raisel Iglesias, SP, CIN (Oblique) – Threw a light throwing session on Wednesday.
Marco Scutaro, 2B, SF (Back) – Was re-signed and added to the 40-man roster and placed on the 60-day DL as a ceremonial gesture Wednesday.
Marlon Byrd, OF, CIN (Wrist) – May be back with the Reds over the weekend.
Ryan Zimmerman, 3B, WAS (Foot) – Does not have a timetable to return to baseball activities.
Danny Duffy, SP, KC (Shoulder) – Threw 65 pitches in Wednesday's rehab appearance.
Zac Rosscup, RP, CHC (Shoulder) – Rosscup was placed on the 15-day DL.
Jerome Williams, SP, PHI (Hamstring) – Williams was placed on the 15-day DL.
Tim Beckham, SS, TB (Hamstring) – Ran the bases on Wednesday and is close to a rehab assignment.
Stephen Strasburg, SP, WAS (Neck) – Threw a five-inning rehab start at Double-A Harrisburg as his fastball was clocked in the 95-97 MPH range.
Mike Morse, OF, MIA (Finger) – Started a rehab assignment on Wednesday.
Jarred Cosart, SP, MIA (Head) – Scheduled rehab start was postponed due to rain on Tuesday.
Brandon Beachy, SP, LAD (Elbow) – Threw 1.2 innings in his first rehab start since undergoing Tommy John surgery.
Brandon League, RP, LAD (Shoulder) – Pitched in back-to-back games for the first time on Tuesday.
Matt Holliday, OF, STL (Quadriceps) – Not expected to return to action until after the All-Star break, although he is recovering well.
Adam Wainwright, SP, STL (Achilles) – Does not need crutches anymore and may return to action at the end of the season.
Rafael Betancourt, RP, COL (Head) – Threw a bullpen session on Tuesday.
Justin Masterson, SP, BOS (Shoulder) – Elevated his pitch count in latest rehab appearance and may return to action soon.
Chad Billingsley, SP, PHI (Shoulder) – Scheduled to make another rehab start on Sunday.

Transactions - Players who have been demoted, called up, traded, released, you name it. We'll cover it here.

Placed on the DL (15-day DL, unless otherwise noted)

Zac Rosscup, RP, CHC
Chris Hatcher, RP, LAD
Marco Scutaro, 2B, SF
Corey Dickerson, OF, COL
Jordan Lyles, SP, COL – transferred to the 60-day DL
Jerome Williams, SP, PHI

Activated from the DL

Scott Van Slyke, OF, LAD

Called Up

Justin Miller, RP, COL
Daniel Castro, SS, ATL
Ronald Belisario, RP, TB
Yoervis Medina, RP, CHC
Jose De Paula, RP, NYY
Hector Neris, RP, PHI

Sent Down (to Triple-A, unless otherwise noted)

Jose Ramirez, RP, NYY
C.J. Riefenhauser, RP, TB
Mike Foltynewicz, SP, ATL

Released

Tim Stauffer, RP, MIN

Closer Watch

Baltimore Orioles – Zach Britton keeps chugging along, as he racked up his 18th save of the season for the Orioles on Wednesday evening. Britton gave up a walk and a hit, and needed a little help from his defense to take care of business. Britton remains one of the safer options in the game, lowering his seasonal ERA to 1.63.

New York Yankees – With Andrew Miller still sidelined to injury, Dellin Betances continues to fill in admirably. Betances picked up his fourth save of the season, as he struck out two hitters, while walking one, in 1.2 innings pitched. The Yankees will likely turn the ninth inning role back over to Miller, but there's solid argument to leave Betances in the role.

Key Matchups

Hot Batter Matchups – June 18, 2015

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Matchup Info				Career Matchup Stats
Batter	Pos	Game	Pitcher	AB	H	XBH	HR	RBI	BB	K	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS
R. Howard	1B	PHI vs BAL 1:05PM	B. Norris	13	4	3	1	5	0	3	.308	.308	.692	1.000
I. Suzuki	OF	MIA @ NYY 7:05PM	C. Sabathia	65	21	8	3	6	2	9	.323	.343	.554	.897
C. Beltran	OF	NYY vs MIA 7:05PM	M. Latos	21	7	4	3	4	3	2	.333	.417	.810	1.226
B. McCann	C	NYY vs MIA 7:05PM	M. Latos	13	4	3	0	3	4	3	.308	.444	.538	.983
C. Young	OF	NYY vs MIA 7:05PM	M. Latos	15	5	2	1	1	2	5	.333	.412	.600	1.012
J. Bautista	OF	TOR vs NYM 7:07PM	B. Colon	13	3	1	1	2	4	3	.231	.412	.462	.873
A. Pierzynski	C	ATL vs BOS 7:10PM	C. Buchholz	12	6	1	0	2	0	1	.500	.500	.583	1.083
A. Lind	1B	MIL @ KC 8:10PM	J. Guthrie	47	17	5	1	2	2	4	.362	.400	.532	.932
A. McCutchen	OF	PIT @ CWS 8:10PM	J. Samardzija	29	12	5	0	2	5	10	.414	.514	.586	1.100
S. Smith	OF	SEA vs SF 10:10PM	R. Vogelsong	16	6	3	0	1	2	5	.375	.444	.563	1.007
M. Trumbo	OF	SEA vs SF 10:10PM	R. Vogelsong	13	3	3	1	4	2	4	.231	.333	.692	1.026

Matchup Info				Career Matchup Stats
Batter	Pos	Game	Pitcher	AB	H	XBH	HR	RBI	BB	K	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS

Hot Pitcher Matchups – June 18, 2015

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Matchup Info		Career Stats Allowed To Batters On Opposing Team
Pitcher	Game	AB	H	XBH	HR	RBI	BB	K	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS
Doug Fister	WAS vs TB 7:05PM	75	18	1	0	2	3	17	.240	.269	.252	.522
Clay Buchholz	BOS @ ATL 7:10PM	72	14	1	0	5	13	14	.194	.326	.190	.516
Zack Greinke	LAD vs TEX 10:10PM	72	15	7	1	8	6	21	.208	.265	.343	.609

Matchup Info		Career Stats Allowed To Batters On Opposing Team
Pitcher	Game	AB	H	XBH	HR	RBI	BB	K	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS

Cold Batter Matchups – June 18, 2015

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Matchup Info				Career Matchup Stats
Batter	Pos	Game	Pitcher	AB	H	XBH	HR	RBI	BB	K	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS
C. Ruiz	C	PHI vs BAL 1:05PM	B. Norris	11	1	1	0	0	1	2	.091	.167	.182	.348
C. Pennington	SS	ARI vs LAA 3:40PM	C. Wilson	26	6	1	0	0	0	4	.231	.259	.269	.528
G. Jones	1B	NYY vs MIA 7:05PM	M. Latos	27	4	1	1	1	2	9	.148	.207	.259	.466
A. Cabrera	SS	TB @ WAS 7:05PM	D. Fister	41	8	0	0	1	2	10	.195	.233	.195	.428
C. Granderson	OF	NYM @ TOR 7:07PM	R. Dickey	25	5	2	0	2	4	8	.200	.333	.280	.613
J. Mayberry	OF	NYM @ TOR 7:07PM	R. Dickey	13	2	0	0	2	0	3	.154	.154	.154	.308
K. Johnson	3B	ATL vs BOS 7:10PM	C. Buchholz	12	1	0	0	0	3	6	.083	.267	.083	.350
N. Markakis	OF	ATL vs BOS 7:10PM	C. Buchholz	39	6	0	0	3	6	5	.154	.283	.154	.436
P. Alvarez	3B	PIT @ CWS 8:10PM	J. Samardzija	27	5	2	1	5	1	8	.185	.214	.333	.548
J. Mercer	SS	PIT @ CWS 8:10PM	J. Samardzija	10	0	0	0	1	3	2	.000	.214	.000	.214
J. Tabata	OF	PIT @ CWS 8:10PM	J. Samardzija	10	2	0	0	1	0	3	.200	.200	.200	.400
N. Walker	2B	PIT @ CWS 8:10PM	J. Samardzija	25	5	3	2	4	3	7	.200	.286	.520	.806
L. Morrison	1B	SEA vs SF 10:10PM	R. Vogelsong	10	2	0	0	1	1	0	.200	.273	.200	.473

Matchup Info				Career Matchup Stats
Batter	Pos	Game	Pitcher	AB	H	XBH	HR	RBI	BB	K	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS

Cold Pitcher Matchups – June 18, 2015

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Matchup Info		Career Stats Allowed To Batters On Opposing Team
Pitcher	Game	AB	H	XBH	HR	RBI	BB	K	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS
CC Sabathia	NYY vs MIA 7:05PM	89	27	10	3	10	4	15	.303	.330	.491	.821
Jeremy Guthrie	KC vs MIL 8:10PM	62	22	6	1	2	4	5	.355	.403	.486	.889

Matchup Info		Career Stats Allowed To Batters On Opposing Team
Pitcher	Game	AB	H	XBH	HR	RBI	BB	K	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS

David Phelps, SP, Miami Marlins – After Phelps allowed nine earned runs in a forgettable performance against the Rockies on June 6, he has managed to right himself by locating his pitches in more favorable spots. Phelps, who is 2-0 since his Coors Field implosion, has lowered his ERA to 3.96 on the season by only allowing two earned runs over his last 15 innings pitched. Phelps only walked three hitters in total over his last two starts, while striking out 11 batters. No, the strikeouts aren't anything to get excited about, but it's certainly a good sign that Phelps may string even more good outings together. At the very least, Phelps is worth considering as a spot-starter.

Other Recent Recommendations: Byron Buxton, Rougned Odor, Francisco Lindor, Eugenio Suarez, Avisail Garcia and Trevor May.

DraftKings Value Picks

SP: Mike Montgomery, SEA ($5,400)
C: Stephen Vogt, OAK ($3,600)
1B: Mike Napoli, BOS ($3,500)
2B: Ben Zobrist, OAK ($3,700)
SS: Ian Desmond, WAS ($3,600)
3B: Kyle Seager, SEA ($3,700)
OF: Carlos Beltran, NYM ($3,200)