Corey Kluber is the top SP option for Thursday’s slate of games
Thursdays usually present a limited amount of games to choose from on the baseball schedule and tonight is no exception. There are only six games this evening, with one double-header taking place this afternoon. I tend not to compete in all-day contests since they lock before lineups for the late games come out, so this lineup does not include Orioles-White Sox.
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Pitcher
- Corey Kluber – CLE – $10500
After a so-so start, Kluber has turned things around this season and is looking like the Cy Young Award winner from last year. He has gone at least eight innings in each of his last three starts and has only given up two earned runs during that stretch. He faces a Seattle Mariners’ offense that has struggled to hit, only batting .238 as a team (13th in the AL) and score runs, 175 (T-13th in the AL), this year. Kluber also has good career numbers against Seattle. The Mariners have hit just .200/.238/.336 with 16 strikeouts and only one home run and three runs batted in against him.
Other Notables
- A.J. Burnett – PIT – $9600
- Ian Kennedy – SD – $7300
Catcher
- Robinson Chirinos – TEX – $2600
Chirinos has been playing well as of late, hitting .318/.400/.864 over his last seven games. He is a .333 hitter against LHP, vs. just a .141 hitter against RHP, and he faces Boston Red Sox LHP Eduardo Rodriguez who is making his major league debut tonight.
Other Notables
- Buster Posey – SFG – $4000
- Stephen Vogt – OAK – $3400
- Brian McCann – NYY – $3100
First Base
- David Ortiz – BOS – $2700
Ortiz may not be the hitter he once was, but he can still be counted on to hit a HR every now and then. The veteran slugger is a .276 hitter against RHP vs. just .105 against LHP this season and faces Texas Rangers RHP Nick Martinez tonight. All six of his home runs this year have come against RHP.
Other Notables
- Miguel Cabrera – DET – $5000
- Prince Fielder – TEX – $4600
- Freddie Freeman – ATL – $4600
Second Base
- Dustin Pedroia – BOS – $2800
Pedroia is batting .393/.400/.643 over his last seven games, including two home runs and six runs batted in. He’s a better hitter against RHP (.307), than he is against LHP (.233) as he faces RHP Martinez tonight. Pedroia has also shown a propensity for power numbers away from Fenway Park, hitting five home runs and driving in 13 runs while on the road this year. He and the Red Sox take on the Rangers in hitter-friendly Ballpark in Arlington tonight.
Other Notables
- Jason Kipnis – CLE – $4800
- Ian Kinsler – DET – $3300
Third Base
- Adrian Beltre – TEX – $3000
Beltre comes into tonight’s ball game at home against the Boston Red Sox riding a five-game hitting streak. He’s a .275 hitter at home and bats .281 against LHP. With Rodriguez making his major league debut, hopefully Beltre can take advantage of the favorable matchup.
Other Notables
- Alex Rodriguez – NYY – $3300
- Pablo Sandoval – BOS – $2700
Shortstop
- Marcus Semien – OAK – $2800
This is more about how bad New York Yankees LHP CC Sabathia has been this season (5.47 ERA), than about how Semien is playing. Righties are hitting .345 against Sabathia this year with seven home runs. Marcus Semien is hitting .307 at home this year and .326 against LHP. This should favor Semien in this matchup.
Outfield
- Andrew McCutchen – PIT – $4300
- Delino DeShields Jr. TEX – $3400
- Kole Calhoun – LAA – $2900
McCutchen has been red hot of late, hitting .462/.548/.923 over his last seven games, including three home runs and five runs batted in. On top of that, McCutchen has previous success against San Diego Padres starter Ian Kennedy. In his career against Kennedy, McCutchen is 6-for-15 (.400/.417/.600). He’ll look to continue his hot streak tonight.
Like some of his teammates in this lineup, DeShields Jr. faces a pitcher making his major league debut. The Red Sox-Rangers game has the highest projected run total according to Vegas. Hopefully DeShields Jr. can get in the action offensively tonight.
Calhoun faces Detroit Tigers starter Buck Farmer (11.57 ERA) and is a .341 hitter at home. He should be able to take advantage of this favorable pitching matchup and put up some points tonight.
Other Notables
- Mike Trout – LAA – $5000
- Hanley Ramirez – BOS – $3100
- Brett Gardner – NYY – $3500
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AJ Stone is a correspondent at FantasyPros. To read more from AJ, check out his archive and follow him @ajstone18.
