Fantasy Baseball Lineup Analysis for the Week of April 13

Barring any weather issues, the upcoming week is expected to be a normal week from a scheduling standpoint. There will be 10 MLB games each on Monday and Thursday, with 15 games on the other five days. As the schedule normalizes, teams are starting to get into a routine. As a result, patterns begin to emerge regarding how many of them set their daily lineups. These patterns can help fantasy baseball managers find hidden value on their benches or the waiver wire. Here is my fantasy baseball lineup analysis including observations from the past week and how they may impact the fantasy landscape.

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Fantasy Baseball Lineup Analysis for Week 4

American League

Athletics

The team placed Brent Rooker on the Injured List with an oblique injury; he had previously served as the designated hitter in nine of the first 12 games. Since his absence, Carlos Cortes has filled that spot in the Athletics’ last two games, batting eighth both times, which is not ideal. With seven home games this week, Cortes may have value as a deep-league addition. The team also moved Lawrence Butler to the leadoff spot in each of the last two games, enhancing his value as the Athletics face five right-handed pitchers. Finally, the team called up Zack Gelof following Rooker’s injury; however, expectations should remain modest, as he will likely only replace Jeff McNeil in the two games against lefties.

Baltimore Orioles

The Baltimore Orioles have remarkably yet to face a left-handed starting pitcher. That will change this week, as a trio of southpaws is slated to face the Orioles. Dylan Beavers and Colton Cowser will most likely split time with Ryan Mountcastle and Leody Taveras in some capacity. Though the injury to Adley Rutschman may open up a few bats, as Samuel Basallo should start behind the plate most nights, leaving Baltimore’s DH spot unattended. Gunnar Henderson has led off in Baltimore’s last three games, with Taylor Ward hitting directly behind him. Ward has yet to leave the yard but leads all of MLB with 10 doubles. Time will tell where he slots in once Jackson Holliday returns. Holliday is still on his rehab assignment, but he is reportedly not quite 100 percent healthy yet.

Boston Red Sox

The Red Sox have moved Caleb Durbin to the two-hole for the last two games, while Trevor Story is now batting sixth. He remains one of three Boston players to start every game, along with Willson Contreras and Wilyer Abreu. In Week 4, the Red Sox play six games with a Thursday off day. They likely face three right-handed starters to open the week, then Tarik Skubal and Framber Valdez next weekend. Fantasy baseball managers with mid-week lineup flexibility may need to expect Roman Anthony and Jarren Duran to each sit out one game during that series.

Chicago White Sox

The Chicago White Sox placed Austin Hays and Everson Pereira on the Injured List this week and called up Tanner Murray and Dustin Harris. Murray has started at three different positions and lineup spots in his four appearances. Harris has hit sixth in his three starts, none of which were against left-handed starters. Chicago will likely face three lefties this week. This scenario likely benefits Lenyn Sosa and Edgar Quero. Harris, along with Andrew Benintendi and Tristan Peters, is projected to sit versus lefties. The team is also expected to call up top prospect Sam Antonacci. He has primarily played the infield in the minors but should play in the outfield for Chicago.

Cleveland Guardians

The changes observed last week in Cleveland’s lineups versus left-handed starters have remained consistent. This is a key development as the Guardians are projected to face three more left-handed starters in Week 4. Angel Martinez continues his strong performance and is likely to remain in the second spot against lefties. David Fry and Austin Hedges should move up in the batting order, while Kyle Manzardo and Bo Naylor could see reduced opportunities, though both should still receive four starts due to Cleveland’s seven-game schedule. Additionally, with Gabriel Arias placed on the Injured List and Juan Brito recalled, Brito has started at second base in all four games since his call-up, alternating between the sixth and seventh spots in the batting order.

Detroit Tigers

Like Baltimore, the Detroit Tigers have yet to face a left-handed starter this season. That will change this week, with Detroit set to face four lefties in six games. Wenceel Perez could benefit after being recalled following Parker Meadows’ injury. Detroit’s schedule may also finally give Jahmai Jones a chance. Last year, Jones posted a 167 wRC+ against lefties, ranking ninth among 240 hitters with 100+ plate appearances. If you need a one-week fill-in, you could do worse. I’m closely watching Colt Keith to see if his offensive gains hold up against southpaws.

Houston Astros

Christian Walker missed Saturday’s game with a leg injury. Jeremy Pena is dealing with a potential knee injury. These issues appear minor, but both situations should be monitored before setting weekly lineups. The Astros have kept Isaac Paredes’ bat in the lineup by starting him at first and second base this weekend. If Walker and Pena return, Paredes will likely be the odd man out in Houston’s infield. Houston plays seven games this week and faces a lefty only next Sunday. Joey Loperfido appears to benefit most from the platoon, while Brice Matthews moves to the bench.

Kansas City Royals

The Kansas City Royals play six games in Week 4. They will likely face left-handed starters on Tuesday and Sunday. Carter Jensen homered in three of four starts this week; he appears to have put last week’s benching behind him. Jac Caglianone has struggled to start 2026 and has yet to drive in a run. We know the upside is there, but starting him this week may depend on your needs. The Royals activated Michael Massey from the Injured List this week. He will trade left field starts with Isaac Collins and could also spell Jonathan India at second base. Starling Marte and Lane Thomas are only starting against left-handed pitchers.

Los Angeles Angels

The Angels have no scheduled days off this week. They fly home from New York after Thursday’s game and play on Friday, which may result in one or two regulars sitting out Thursday’s matinee due to travel fatigue. Los Angeles is expected to face two left-handed starters in its seven games. Nolan Schanuel hit fifth Saturday against a lefty following two absences versus left-handed pitching. Yoan Moncada has batted seventh and eighth in their last two games against lefties, while Josh Lowe has not started versus a lefty this year. The Angels activated Vaughn Grissom off the Injured List and designated Jeimer Candelario for assignment. Grissom is projected to split second base duties with Oswald Peraza, but there is limited fantasy value here.

Minnesota Twins

The Twins placed Royce Lewis on the Injured List with a knee sprain this week. He’s never beating the allegations. Minnesota faced four left-handed starting pitchers this past week. They’re likely to do so again in Week 4. As I mentioned last week, this benefits Austin Martin and Victor Caratini most. Martin has started four of six games this week. Caratini has started all six. Trevor Larnach, Tristan Gray, and James Outman have combined for just seven starts with Minnesota’s lefty-heavy schedule. Larnach did homer against Eric Lauer on Saturday, so perhaps he can get a few reps at Matt Wallner’s expense. However, I still would not recommend starting Larnach this week until we see him more regularly against left-handers.

New York Yankees

The New York Yankees, Athletics, and Pirates are the only teams with seven home games in Week 4. New York is scheduled to face four left-handed starters, which positions Amed Rosario as a strategic weekly option. Rosario has started all three games versus left-handed pitching, batting fifth twice and leading off once, and has also appeared in two of the past three games against right-handers. Randal Grichuk has started all three contests versus lefties, moving Trent Grisham to the bench. Paul Goldschmidt replaced Ben Rice in two of those three games, leading off both times. Rice remains a recommended start for the week, but will likely receive only five starts.

Seattle Mariners

Seattle has a full seven-game schedule this week, with a trip to San Diego in between home games. The Mariners should square off against six right-handed starting pitchers, with just one lefty next Sunday. That means Luke Raley and Dominic Canzone should continue to start, although I wish Canzone would hit higher than eighth, considering how good he was last season. But I digress. Brendan Donovan has missed the last two games with illness, but I would expect him to be fine for this upcoming week. That would drop J.P. Crawford back down to the bottom third of the batting order. Seattle placed Victor Robles on the Injured List and recalled Connor Joe. He could make the occasional start but is not on the fantasy radar.

Tampa Bay Rays

Chandler Simpson has batted fifth in three of his last five starts and third in another. That is not what one would expect from a player with virtually no power. However, his seven hits in those five games have proven valuable. Simpson should be in for another productive week, as five of Tampa’s six games are against right-handed pitching. Jake Fraley has hit third or fourth in eight of 11 games versus righties, though Jonny DeLuca has earned three straight starts in right field. Ben Williamson has started four of the past five at second base at the expense of Richie Palacios. Tampa activated shortstop Taylor Walls from the Injured List and sent Carson Williams to AAA. Walls has batted ninth in all five starts and is not a recommended fantasy option.

Texas Rangers

Wyatt Langford is dealing with a quad strain, making his status questionable for the upcoming week. Ezequiel Duran replaced Langford on Saturday in both left field and the two-spot in the Texas batting order. If Langford remains sidelined, Duran could be a sneaky add, as the Rangers will play seven games in Week 4. Duran could also start on occasion at second or third base. Five of Texas’s seven games this week will come against right-handed starting pitchers. That means it should be another solid week for the likes of Joc Pederson and Evan Carter. Andrew McCutchen and Sam Haggerty should start the other two games, but that would not be enough to consider adding or starting them in fantasy.

Toronto Blue Jays

The defending American League Champions have been bitten by the injury bug. Alejandro Kirk and Addison Barger have already hit the Injured List, and George Springer fractured his toe on Saturday. The team recalled Brandon Valenzuela and Tyler Fitzgerald and will have to make another move to replace Springer. Davis Schneider should get a sizeable bump in playing time for the near future. He could be a candidate for the leadoff spot, at least against left-handed pitchers. The problem for this week is that Toronto is not slated to face any lefties. I would like to see Andres Gimenez get a crack at the leadoff gig in Springer’s absence. He has been Toronto’s best hitter against righties in the young season.

National League

Arizona Diamondbacks

The Arizona Diamondbacks placed Carlos Santana on the Injured List to start the week and will place starting catcher Gabriel Moreno on the IL to close it. Luken Baker replaced Santana on the roster, but it has been Ildemaro Vargas and Jose Fernandez splitting time at first base. Adrian Del Castillo started multiple games at designated hitter this week, but he will now be needed behind the plate with Moreno out. My guess is that Vargas gets most of the work at first base, with Hernandez shifting to be the primary DH. Del Castillo has hit fourth or fifth in all four of his starts this year. I would expect that to continue, with Vargas and Fernandez alternating time at the fifth spot depending on the opposing starter. Arizona is off Thursday and is scheduled to face two left-handed starting pitchers.

Atlanta Braves

The Braves finally made a slight lineup change, but they’re still quite predictable from a lineup standpoint. Their biggest immediate issue is that Michael Harris is on the Paternity List. That means he will miss part of, if not all of, Atlanta’s three-game set against the Miami Marlins to start the week. That is unfortunate for fantasy managers in the sense that Miami will roll out three righties, none of whom is Sandy Alcantara. Eli White was the most likely candidate to replace Harris, but he is dealing with plantar fasciitis. The Braves could start Luke Williams in the outfield, but it’s more likely they shift super-utility man Mauricio Dubon to the outfield and insert Jorge Mateo at shortstop. Atlanta is off Thursday and unlikely to face a lefty until next Sunday in Philadelphia.

Chicago Cubs

Nico Hoerner is now leading off every day against both righties and lefties for the Chicago Cubs. Michael Busch has been hitting second against right-handers, with Alex Bregman and Ian Happ behind him. The Cubs activated Seiya Suzuki from the Injured List on Friday, but have made it known that Suzuki will not play every day quite yet. Suzuki hit fifth in his season debut, and I would expect that to continue. He, Bregman, and Happ will likely move up a spot in the order against lefties, when Busch usually bats fifth. The Cubs will play six games in Week 4, with three each against left-handers and right-handers. As I highlighted previously, that is bad news for Pete Crow-Armstrong. PCA has hit eighth in all four of Chicago’s games against lefties, and that was without Suzuki in the fold.

Cincinnati Reds

Cincinnati is off Monday before finishing up their homestand from Tuesday through Thursday against the San Francisco Giants. Robbie Ray should pitch Tuesday and be the only left-handed starting pitcher the Reds will encounter. Nathaniel Lowe got the start at first base on Saturday and contributed with a three-run double. Sal Stewart shifted over to second base, with Matt McLain getting the day off. I would not expect the Reds to deploy this unit often, but if Stewart could somehow gain eligibility at second base in the near future, that would be massive for his already significant fantasy upside. Will Benson only started three of Cincinnati’s six games this week despite all of them coming against right-handed starters. He can be ignored for fantasy purposes. Tyler Stephenson is as close to an everyday catcher as there is with Jose Trevino out.

Colorado Rockies

This is what I said in last week’s article about the top of the lineup for the Colorado Rockies:

“Edouard Julien has been persona non grata, having started just once in the last six games. I’m surprised he hasn’t at least earned a shot considering his ability to draw walks. Colorado ranks 29th in MLB in on-base percentage.”

On Monday, Julien led off and had two hits. He has left off each game since and has reached base 13 times in six games. Obviously, we cannot expect that type of production going forward, but Julien should at least stick as the team’s leadoff hitter until further notice. That carries some fantasy value, especially when Colorado plays at home. Hunter Goodman missed Friday’s game with an injury but was back in the lineup Saturday. Fantasy managers can breathe a sigh of relief. Ezequiel Tovar has bounced around the lineup this week. He has gone from third to sixth to fourth and hit second on Saturday. Tovar is a solid hitter but does not draw walks, which could prevent him from hitting higher on a more regular basis. The Rockies are off Monday and are scheduled to face one left-handed starter and five righties in Week 4.

Los Angeles Dodgers

Hyeseong Kim has started four of the last five games at shortstop, while Alex Freeland has started five straight at second base. Any production the Dodgers get from those two positions is the cherry on top of a giant sundae. They have already gotten 11 combined home runs this season from the hitters primarily hitting 5-7 in their lineup. There are six entire teams that haven’t hit 11 homers yet this season. Los Angeles is starting a four-game series in Coors Field on Friday. If the weather holds up, they will put up plenty of crooked numbers. The Dodgers are off Thursday and should face two left-handed starters this week, including Kyle Freeland. That will give Miguel Rojas, Santiago Espinal, and Alex Call a chance to get in on the fun.

Miami Marlins

I would hardly classify the Miami Marlins as a scary offense in the way I would the Dodgers. But Miami has been a solid offensive unit thus far. They currently rank fifth in Fangraphs’ overall team offensive metric, which measures batting plus baserunning. Last week, I mentioned Liam Hicks and Owen Caissie as standout performers. They have struggled at times, but others like Xavier Edwards and Otto Lopez have picked up the slack. The middle infielders have settled into the second and fifth spots, respectively, in Miami’s batting order against right-handed starting pitchers. Miami should face five of six righties in Week 4. Jakob Marsee continues to lead off against righties. He has stolen five bases this week, which is impressive considering he has four hits. However, he needs to start getting on base at a higher clip if he is to stick at the top of the lineup.

Milwaukee Brewers

Luis Rengifo and Sal Frelick are the only Brewers to start all five of the team’s games this week. Neither has been terribly impactful, so it will be interesting to see if they sit out a game or two this week. Jake Bauers and Gary Sanchez have settled into a platoon at first base in the wake of Andrew Vaughn’s extended absence. Milwaukee is only expected to face one lefty this week, but Sanchez could earn a start or two behind the plate. The Brewers play on six straight days beginning on Tuesday. Garrett Mitchell has also only been starting against right-handers, with Blake Perkins and Brandon Lockridge getting the nod against lefties. David Hamilton has made multiple starts this season at second base, shortstop, and third base. With five righties on tap, he could be a solid source of speed this week, especially next weekend against Miami.

New York Mets

Luis Robert Jr. hit third and second in New York’s last two games when facing a left-handed starting pitcher. Bo Bichette hit cleanup, with Jorge Polanco batting third. Polanco has been dealing with an Achilles issue, which has prevented him from playing the field since the first week of the season. Mark Vientos has been the beneficiary and is now the team’s primary first baseman. He has started eight of the last 10 games at first base. Carson Benge has gotten the bulk of work in left field following last week’s injury to Juan Soto. It has not led to much production with the bat, but he does have five stolen bases. The Mets have an off day on Thursday and should face two left-handers this week.

Philadelphia Phillies

Brandon Marsh has hit cleanup in each of Philadelphia’s last two games. Alec Bohm has been dropped to seventh and eighth in the order in those two contests. I expect Bohm to turn things around and would not advise cutting him during his struggles. The Phillies play six home games in Week 4, and three of them are against left-handed starters. Bohm may never be a fantasy stud, but he is a solid player at a down position. The rest of Philadelphia’s lineup remains largely unchanged. Adolis Garcia hit cleanup the last time the Phillies faced a lefty. That may stick given Bohm’s issues. Marsh could stay in the lineup against lefties, but he will most likely be closer to the bottom of the order than the top.

Pittsburgh Pirates

The Pittsburgh Pirates play seven home games this week, with six of them likely to come against right-handed starting pitchers. Oneil Cruz, Bryan Reynolds, and Ryan O’Hearn should keep up their recent production, while Brandon Lowe has destroyed right-handers in the early going. I love Cruz this week because his contact issues should be somewhat mitigated, given the righties Pittsburgh will face. In particular, the Nationals’ quartet of starting pitchers does not miss many bats. Nick Yorke and Spencer Horwitz have helped solidify the middle of Pittsburgh’s lineup, batting ahead of Konnor Griffin. Griffin has yet to set the fantasy world on fire, but his time will come sooner rather than later. I would continue to start the teenager in all leagues. Even against a very hittable group of pitchers, Marcell Ozuna is a tough sell in weekly formats.

San Diego Padres

Sal Stewart was not the only relevant fantasy baseball player to make his debut at second base on Saturday. Fernando Tatis Jr. played second for the Padres that evening as well. This is another situation that I do not anticipate repeating very often. However, if your league has a low threshold for games played to be eligible at a certain position, this is noteworthy. Ramon Laureano has grabbed a hold of the leadoff spot, which is huge for his fantasy value. Nick Castellanos and Miguel Andujar have split most of the time as San Diego’s designated hitter recently. This is atypical in that both players are right-handed hitters. The Padres are off Monday before playing six straight. The first four games should be against right-handed pitchers, with next weekend’s tilts against two lefties.

San Francisco Giants

The San Francisco Giants have faced just two left-handed starting pitchers since Opening Day. And they will most likely face an exclusively right-handed group during their six-game slate in Week 4. That means their primary lineup should remain largely intact. Casey Schmitt started at DH in three of their last four games and hit fifth in both starts against right-handers. I wouldn’t go overboard trying to acquire him, but the matchups are right this week. San Francisco plays three in Great American Ballpark before facing Washington’s ragtag group of starting pitchers. Heliot Ramos has been dropped to seventh in the last two games to account for Schmitt’s bump up in the lineup card. The bottom of the lineup featuring Patrick Bailey and Harrison Bader has combined to go 12-for-93 with five walks. Ramos’ fantasy value is severely hampered by hitting directly in front of those two black holes.

St. Louis Cardinals

Jordan Walker has hit six home runs in 14 games this year after hitting six in 111 a year ago. He still strikes out a lot, but there is no reason to expect his lineup slot to change in a negative way anytime soon. Walker hit cleanup all week and moved up to third against a left-handed starter on Saturday. I would expect him to hit no lower than fifth for the foreseeable future. Masyn Winn was hit by a pitch on Friday and missed Saturday’s game as a result. I would expect him back in the lineup no later than Monday when the Cardinals host Cleveland for a three-game set. St. Louis will be off Thursday before traveling to Houston. They should only face one left-handed starter this week. That should benefit Nolan Gorman, who figures to get the bulk of starts at third base over Ramon Urias.

Washington Nationals

Washington will play seven games in Week 4, the first six of which should be against right-handed starters. You don’t need me to tell you to start James Wood and CJ Abrams. Curtis Mead hit second in Friday’s lineup against a right-hander, with Luis Garcia Jr. dropping to seventh and Jose Tena heading to the bench. I think I would still trust Garcia this week, considering all of the righties the Nationals face. Mead has a career 67 wRC+ against right-handed pitchers in his career, so I do not expect him to stick near the top of the lineup. If the Nationals insist on moving Garcia down, I would rather see them give Jacob Young a chance to hit second. The speedster has a .342 expected batting average so far this season.