Clayton Kershaw, the Los Angeles Dodgers' ace and three-time Cy Young Award winner, is poised for a much-anticipated return to the mound this Thursday. Kershaw has been on the injury list for nearly four months following offseason shoulder surgery. This marks his first start since his disheartening outing against the Arizona Diamondbacks during a postseason game where he allowed six runs and secured only one out.
This matchup isn't the only significant game on the horizon. The New York Mets are gearing up to face the Atlanta Braves, bringing with them the momentum of a notable achievement: a two-game sweep and a four-game season sweep over their city rivals, the New York Yankees.
Fantasy Sports Insights
For fantasy sports enthusiasts, understanding the metrics and performances of key players is vital. Mike McClure, a celebrated daily fantasy sports expert, who has earned over $2 million in his career, employs a proprietary projection model that simulates each game 10,000 times. Such insights can be pivotal, especially when considering players like Jurickson Profar and Gunnar Henderson.
Profar, who went 2-for-5 with a home run, two RBIs, and two runs scored in his latest outing, raked in 28.4 points on FanDuel and 21 points on DraftKings. Meanwhile, Henderson is priced at $6,300 on DraftKings and $4,500 on FanDuel. His season stats are impressive: leading all shortstops with 28 home runs and ranking in the top three at his position in multiple categories, including runs scored, RBIs, hits, slugging percentage, and OPS. This season, Henderson boasts a .287/.373/.574 slash line with a .946 OPS.
Team Performances and Player Metrics
As the Orioles gear up for the final game of their three-game series against the Miami Marlins, they carry the weight of their impressive stats—second in the AL in runs scored and win percentage. For the Marlins, Roddery Munoz's performance has been less stellar, sporting a 5.14 ERA. Adding to his challenges, left-handed hitters are batting .302 with a 1.072 OPS against him.
Henderson may find himself in a favorable position, given his .304 average and .982 OPS against right-handed pitchers this season. Another player in the spotlight is Xander Bogaerts, priced at $4,000 on DraftKings and $2,800 on FanDuel. Since his return on July 12, after a shoulder injury that sidelined him for roughly six weeks, Bogaerts has been on fire, hitting .483 with a .983 OPS over seven games. His multi-hit performances in six of these seven games underscore his readiness to make a substantial impact.
Bogaerts also has a solid track record against left-handed pitchers, with a career .306 average and an .853 OPS. Specifically, against Patrick Corbin, Bogaerts has proven particularly effective, holding a 3-for-5 record that includes a home run. For Corbin, this season has been challenging, as evidenced by his 5.35 ERA over 20 starts, with right-handed hitters batting .301 and accumulating an .855 OPS against him.
As the baseball season progresses, the performances and injuries of pivotal players like Kershaw, Henderson, and Bogaerts will continue to stir the waters of both team dynamics and fantasy sports landscapes. The coming games hold promise for thrilling performances and strategic plays, keeping both fans and fantasy sports managers on the edge of their seats.