Fantasy Baseball Lineup Analysis for the Week of May 4

The Major League Baseball schedule for Week 7 has a few more games than usual. That is always a welcome sight for fantasy baseball managers. An even dozen teams are scheduled to play seven games this week. There will be 12 games on Monday and nine on Thursday. There are no day games on either Monday or Friday. That should enable fantasy managers to access the latest lineup and injury information before setting their lineups.

Unfortunately, there are several injuries to monitor, most of which I will touch on below. Here are my notes and observations over the past week regarding lineup analysis and expectations for the upcoming week.

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Fantasy Baseball Lineup Analysis for Week 7

American League

Athletics

The Athletics look to have finally found a consistent lineup against right-handed starting pitchers. We should get a clearer picture after the team faces five straight righties to close out the week. Nick Kurtz, Shea Langeliers, and Tyler Soderstrom have been the top three hitters versus right-handers. They have been followed by Brent Rooker, Carlos Cortes, Jacob Wilson, and Jeff McNeil. Lawrence Butler and Darell Harnaiz have rounded out the order.

When the Athletics face a left-handed starting pitcher, things are still somewhat fluid. Wilson usually leads off, with Kurtz hitting third behind Langeliers. Harnaiz hit fifth in the team’s last two games versus lefties. Colby Thomas usually starts for Cortes and has hit fifth, fourth, and seventh this week. Zack Gelof has been starting most of the time against left-handers. Gelof can either spell McNeil at second base or Butler in center field.

Baltimore Orioles

The top four hitters in Baltimore’s order have been consistent. Gunnar Henderson and Taylor Ward alternate between the top two spots depending on the opposing pitcher’s handedness. Then it is Adley Rutschman and Pete Alonso, both of whom have been heating up. After that, however, it is a whole lot of mixing and matching. Dylan Beavers started five games this week and hit in five different lineup slots while playing all three outfield positions. Samuel Basallo, Coby Mayo, and Blaze Alexander all earned four starts, while Tyler O’Neill and Leody Taveras earned three.

The Orioles do not have an off day in Week 7. They are expected to face six right-handed starters. Even with a favorable schedule, fantasy managers in need of immediate help may need to cut bait on Colton Cowser. The former first-round pick has started just one of Baltimore’s last eight games.

Boston Red Sox

Chad Tracy was rather consistent with his lineups in his first week as manager. Jarren Duran led off in five consecutive starts and was followed by Willson Contreras and Roman Anthony. Wilyer Abreu, Trevor Story, and Marcelo Mayer rounded out the top six against right-handed starting pitchers. In Boston’s lone game against a lefty, Anthony led off while Duran sat. Abreu slid up to the three-spot, while Ceddanne Rafaela batted cleanup in front of Story. Andruw Monasterio was the designated hitter and batted sixth.

The Red Sox have a full slate of seven games this week, three of which should be against left-handers. I would not rush to add Monasterio, especially considering Boston faces Tarik Skubal and Framber Valdez to start the week. Masataka Yoshida has only started once this week after starting four straight games against right-handers last week.

Chicago White Sox

The Chicago White Sox made several roster moves this week. Most notably, they activated Austin Hays from the Injured List, but lost Everson Pereira to the IL. Jarred Kelenic has been promoted to replace Pereira. Hays has only started two of five games since his return. He looks to be heavily featured when Chicago faces a left-hander. However, he will likely not play very often when the White Sox are up against a righty. Hays, Kelenic, and Derek Hill have each started once in right field in the team’s last three games following Pereira’s injury. Edgar Quero and Drew Romo have been alternating starts behind the plate.

The White Sox will face one lefty starter this week among their six games. That means Andrew Benintendi should get five starts leading off. Sam Antonacci and Tristan Peters should also get plenty of work.

Cleveland Guardians

Cleveland called up former number-one overall draft pick Travis Bazzana this week. He has started all four games at second base since his call-up and has batted seventh in each game. The team also promoted outfielder Petey Halpin, but he has yet to make a start. George Valera and Juan Brito were optioned to the Minors.

The Guardians have a full schedule in Week 7 and should face three left-handed starting pitchers. That schedule will once again make it tough to get players like Kyle Manzardo and Bo Naylor into the lineup. Neither player starts when a lefty is on the mound. I would continue to start Angel Martinez, who has been hitting second versus lefties. He has a 138 wRC+ against southpaws thus far. He has been below average against righties, but still hits sixth most of the time.

Detroit Tigers

The Detroit Tigers appear to have a perfectly mirrored week ahead of them. They will begin the week by facing two lefties sandwiched around a righty. After an off day on Thursday, they will again face a right-hander between two left-handers. That means it will be a rough week for fantasy managers counting on much from Kerry Carpenter and Colt Keith.

Jahmai Jones and Hao-Yu Lee should get most of the starts, with Jones hitting near the top of the lineup. Gleyber Torres left Saturday’s game due to injury, so perhaps Keith’s week could be salvaged if he is needed to make starts at second base. Detroit placed Javier Baez on the IL this week and recalled Jace Jung. However, given the upcoming schedule, I would expect Matt Vierling to start more often than Jung this week.

Houston Astros

Christian Walker was hit in the head with a pitch on Saturday and had to leave the game. However, he should be good to go for Houston in Week 7. The Astros have an off day on Thursday and should face two left-handed starting pitchers to finish the week. Houston does not platoon much, so their regular players should get plenty of playing time.

Even with a doubleheader this week, Jose Altuve was the only player to not start at least five of Houston’s last six games. Jeremy Pena could return to the lineup this week. He would most likely return to the leadoff role, bumping Carlos Correa down multiple spots in the batting order. If and when Pena returns, Isaac Paredes is in the most danger of losing playing time.

Kansas City Royals

The heart of Kansas City’s lineup has looked more like itself lately. Bobby Witt Jr., Vinnie Pasquantino, and Salvador Perez have all picked up their production at the plate after slow starts. Fantasy managers should be encouraged for a big week ahead.

Kansas City has a seven-game homestand beginning on Monday. They are expected to face a pair of left-handed starting pitchers and five righties. The Royals have regularly been platooning at second base, center field, and right field of late. Expect Michael Massey, Jac Caglianone, and Kyle Isbel to earn a handful of starts at those respective positions this week. Caglianone has been hitting anywhere from fifth to seventh, while Massey and Isbel typically occupy the final two spots in the batting order.

Los Angeles Angels

Yoan Moncada and Josh Lowe returned to regular roles with the Angels, facing mostly right-handed starting pitchers this week. Interestingly, Moncada hit third in all four of his starts, with the team dropping Nolan Schanuel in the lineup. Schanuel hit fifth in three straight starts versus righties before hitting third on Saturday, with Moncada getting the day off. Moncada has not been producing a whole lot at the plate. But it is hard to argue against a player hitting behind Mike Trout and in front of Jorge Soler.

The Angels face five right-handed starters in Week 7, so we will have to see if this lineup adjustment holds. With the team only scheduled to face one left-hander, do not expect much from Oswald Peraza or Vaughn Grissom.

Minnesota Twins

The Twins will be on the road this week, beginning a six-game road trip on Tuesday. They are only scheduled to face one left-handed starting pitcher. Minnesota may have finally gotten the memo that Matt Wallner is not good at baseball. He has only started two of the past five games, despite four of the five coming against right-handers. Austin Martin started both games and went 2-for-7 with a walk and no strikeouts. The last time Wallner went two straight starts without striking out was July 21 and 22 of last year. I think Martin is worth a flier for fantasy managers with the bandwidth.

Minnesota starts the week facing Washington and will see Miles Mikolas and Jake Irvin. If Martin is indeed earning more regular playing time, he could be in for a solid week.

New York Yankees

The New York Yankees placed Giancarlo Stanton on the Injured List and called up prized prospect Jasson Dominguez this week. Dominguez will occupy the primary designated hitter role, though he can play the outfield as well. The Yankees also released Randal Grichuk and replaced him with a bag of baseballs. Actually, they called up Max Schuemann to replace Grichuk. Either way, it feels like a win.

New York has a seven-game week and will most likely face two left-handed starters. That means Ryan McMahon should get most of the work at third base over Amed Rosario. Even if Ben Rice misses a start or two, he is a must-start in all formats. Trent Grisham is more likely to sit against lefties than Rice, but I would start him as well.

Seattle Mariners

Cal Raleigh was a late scratch on Saturday due to general soreness. This does not seem like a long-term issue. However, fantasy managers will need to make sure Raleigh is good to go by Monday in weekly leagues.

Seattle should only face one left-handed starting pitcher in Week 7. They will play six games overall. Second baseman Cole Young has been one of the hottest hitters in the league recently. He hit fifth with Raleigh out on Saturday, though I suspect he will be relegated to the bottom third once the MVP runner-up returns. Luke Raley and Dominic Canzone should get the bulk of work in right field and DH, respectively. The Mariners called up catcher Jhonny Pereda to replace the injured Will Wilson on the roster. That leaves Connor Joe and Rob Refsnyder as the only reserves who regularly play the field.

Tampa Bay Rays

Yandy Diaz missed Saturday’s game due to an oblique issue. Oblique injuries can be tricky, so prepare for Diaz to possibly miss time. With four of Tampa’s seven games this week slated to be against left-handed starting pitchers, it is not an optimal time for Diaz to go down. Jake Fraley was the DH on Saturday with Diaz out, as Jonny DeLuca was playing right field.

I’m not sure how much playing time Fraley would get against left-handed starters, however, even if Diaz is out. I would expect DeLuca to remain in the outfield while Ryan Vilade and Ben Williamson rotate between the field and DH. They are likely going to split Week 7 playing time with left-handers Fraley, Cedric Mullins, and Richie Palacios regardless of Diaz’s status.

Texas Rangers

Brandon Nimmo has been dealing with a nagging hamstring injury in recent days. Texas is already down one starting outfielder in Wyatt Langford, so hopefully Nimmo is back sooner rather than later. Josh Jung has continued his recent hot streak and has been rewarded in terms of his lineup spot. Jung has hit in the top four of the lineup in six straight ballgames. Unfortunately, the arrow is pointing down for the other Josh in the Rangers’ infield. Josh Smith has only started two of four games against right-handed starting pitchers this week. Ezequiel Duran started the other two games at second base for Texas.

The Rangers will face right-handers in four of their six games this week. Joc Pederson and Alejandro Osuna are on the strong side of platoons at DH and left field and should get most of the starts.

Toronto Blue Jays

George Springer returned from the IL this week, only to get hit by a pitch on the same foot that caused him to miss nearly three weeks. Springer should be back in a couple of days, but fantasy managers in weekly leagues may need to seek alternatives.

Toronto’s only day off in Week 7 is on Thursday. The Blue Jays have been platooning quite a bit, but they will only face two lefty starters this week. Lenyn Sosa, Myles Straw, and Davis Schneider are probably only getting two or three starts, unless Springer misses more time than expected. Straw may lead off against lefties if Springer is out, while Ernie Clement would most likely get the nod against right-handed starting pitchers.

National League

Arizona Diamondbacks

The incredible hitting streak of Ildemaro Vargas finally came to an end on Saturday. Vargas has started every game for Arizona since April 12, splitting time between first and second base. This week, Vargas has hit first, second, fourth, and fifth in the lineup. With Gabriel Moreno and Geraldo Perdomo back from injury, I would expect Vargas to hit fifth or sixth most of the time. However, Vargas has already proven he can be a productive fantasy player regardless of his lineup spot or position on the field. Fantasy managers should ride Vargas until the wheels fall off.

Arizona has a six-game homestand this week and should face five right-handed starting pitchers. With Moreno back, Adrian Del Castillo will likely be the primary DH for most of the week, while Jose Fernandez should slot in as a super-utility type.

Atlanta Braves

Ronald Acuna Jr. left Saturday’s game with a hamstring injury. I would not expect him to play much, if at all, this coming week. Michael Harris II is also dealing with a lower-body injury. He missed two straight starts before operating as Atlanta’s designated hitter on Saturday.

The Braves are facing five righties and one lefty this week. They do not currently have a left-handed hitter on their bench. Dominic Smith and Mike Yastrzemski will play most of the time anyway this week, given the schedule. Eil White is most likely to replace Acuna in the field, barring a roster move, but he would hit towards the bottom of the lineup. Drake Baldwin would be my pick to lead off, considering his ability to hit and draw walks. Harris (if healthy) and Ozzie Albies would most likely move up in the order as well.

Chicago Cubs

Nico Hoerner missed Saturday’s game with a neck injury that he suffered on Friday. I am starting to believe someone put a curse on all leadoff hitters. Michael Busch led off with Hoerner out of action. Busch was the team’s leadoff hitter to begin the year, so this was a natural transition. I expect Hoerner to be fine, but Busch would get a sizable bump if he could lead off for those six games. Moises Ballesteros has been the team’s DH versus right-handers and has recently been bumped up in the lineup. However, he has also now gone three straight games without a hit.

The Cubs play a full week and will square off with six right-handed starters in Week 7. Ballasteros should be fine, but it would help his outlook if he could remain in the two-hole.

Cincinnati Reds

Like the Cubs, the Cincinnati Reds will play a full seven-game week. And like Chicago, six of the seven games should be against right-handed starting pitchers. That bodes well for Nathaniel Lowe, who has been crushing righties so far this year. Lowe has a 215 wRC+ versus righties in 2026. He will certainly regress, but fantasy managers should continue to trust Lowe this week. JJ Bleday should continue to get most of the work in left field. He has mostly been hitting seventh, though he did bat second on Saturday with Matt McLain sitting. McLain has had a rough go of it, so it wouldn’t be shocking to see Bleday get another start or two at the two-spot.

Colorado Rockies

The Colorado Rockies will split their six upcoming games, facing three lefties and three righties. Considering how much they like to platoon, that makes it a rough week for many fantasy managers. Eduoard Julien and Mickey Moniak have been the top two hitters in Colorado’s lineup versus righties. However, neither has been starting against lefties. The same is true on the other side for Jordan Beck and Brenton Doyle. It will be difficult to trust any of those four players in weekly leagues since they should split starts 50-50. On the bright side, TJ Rumfield and Troy Johnston have each started three of the last four games opposed by left-handed starters. From a volume perspective, they are among Colorado’s safest Week 7 fantasy starters behind Hunter Goodman.

Los Angeles Dodgers

The last time that Shohei Ohtani pitched, he did not bat. Instead, Dalton Rushing was the leadoff and designated hitter for Los Angeles. As good as Rushing has been when called upon, his path to regular playing time is blocked by Ohtani and Will Smith. It is hard to imagine Rushing getting more than two or three starts per week even under ideal conditions. Freddie Freeman has settled into the two-spot behind Ohtani and in front of Smith. Kyle Tucker, Teoscar Hernandez, and Max Muncy will usually round out the top six, though Andy Pages makes the occasional appearance higher in the lineup. The Dodgers are off Thursday and should face five right-handed starting pitchers this week.

Miami Marlins

The Miami Marlins are in the midst of an extended homestand, during which they will play on all seven days this week. They should go up against five right-handed starting pitchers in that span. Their lineup against righties has been consistent from a lineup construction standpoint. Jakob Marsee, Kyle Stowers, Otto Lopez, and Xavier Edwards usually make up the top four. I would like to see Stowers and Edwards switch spots, but sometimes Major League managers don’t take my advice. The team activated Christopher Morel from the IL this week. He got a couple of starts at first base this week. But Miami’s primary first baseman (Connor Norby) also hits right-handed, so I do not see much platoon potential here for Morel.

Milwaukee Brewers

Tyler Black has started five games since Milwaukee called him up last week. He has multiple hits in four of them. The problem is that he is not playing against left-handed starting pitchers. The Brewers are scheduled to face four righties and two lefties in Week 7. Milwaukee has more or less settled into a platoon at shortstop between David Hamilton and Joey Ortiz. The left field job seems to belong to Brandon Lockridge for now. He has started six of Milwaukee’s last nine games in left field, despite only three of those games being started by left-handed pitchers. Switch-hitting Luis Rengifo remains the team’s preferred option at third base. He has been hitting anywhere from fifth to seventh regardless of whether the Brewers are facing a lefty or righty.

New York Mets

The hits keep on coming for the New York Mets. They placed Luis Robert on the IL this week and will place Ronny Mauricio there as well. Mauricio is an injury replacement for Francisco Lindor. The Mets will have to make a roster move to replace Mauricio. They claimed Andy Ibanez off waivers from the Athletics, but he is best suited for a corner infield or outfield spot. They also claimed Austin Slater from the Marlins. New York does get the benefit of playing in Coors Field this week. The Mets will face three lefties and three righties this week, so Ibanez and Slater could get multiple starts. However, outside of a chosen few, Mets players are tough to start in weekly leagues with how bad the offense has performed this season.

Philadelphia Phillies

Philadelphia will finish a wraparound series in Miami on Monday before traveling home for a six-game homestand. Five of the seven games are scheduled against right-handed starting pitchers. Brandon Marsh (elbow) and Justin Crawford (illness) both missed Saturday’s contest. If both are good to go by Monday, fantasy managers should continue starting them. Otherwise, Felix Reyes could get some starts in the outfield. Third-string catcher Garrett Stubbs started in left field Saturday, but I don’t think the Phillies want to make that a habit. Including Saturday’s game, Stubbs now has 40 innings of MLB experience in the outfield across eight seasons. Starting catcher J.T. Realmuto was activated on Saturday. He caught and batted seventh.

Pittsburgh Pirates

Pittsburgh is off Monday before embarking on a six-game road trip out west. They will face Arizona and San Francisco. The Pirates will be up against four right-handed and two left-handed starting pitchers. Facing an all-right-handed slate of starters this past week, there weren’t many opportunities for Pittsburgh’s bench bats. Marcell Ozuna was the only regular who did not start at least five of the team’s six games this week. Jake Mangum started in the outfield in each of the two starts Ozuna missed. Bryan Reynolds and Ryan O’Hearn each played one of those games in the outfield and the other at DH. The Pirates activated Jared Triolo from the IL and optioned Nick Yorke to the Minors. Triolo was a fixture in the lineup early in the year, but he will have to earn consistent playing time going forward.

San Diego Padres

The San Diego Padres will play a full week in Week 7, and all seven games should be against right-handed starting pitchers. That could be good news for Gavin Sheets, who has started just two of San Diego’s last five games. But I don’t think the Padres are going to suddenly discount the contributions of Ty France. France has started four of five and six of eight, all at first base. Miguel Andujar has been the primary DH lately, while Nick Castellanos has started three of five in the outfield. The good news for Sheets is that France, Andujar, and Castellanos are all right-handed. Sheets may not be the safest bet, but I think he gets enough work to be considered starter-worthy from a fantasy standpoint this week.

San Francisco Giants

The San Francisco Giants have seemingly given up on the Willy Adames, Leadoff Hitter experiment. Over the last seven games, Heliot Ramos has led off in four, while Jung Hoo Lee has led off in three. San Francisco plays six games this week, all of which are against right-handers. That should give Lee the edge, at least for this week. Adames has been dropped to the six-hole. Matt Chapman had hit second all week before being dropped to fifth on Saturday. That will probably remain the case when Lee is at the top of the Giants’ lineup card. Luis Arraez, Casey Schmitt, and Rafael Devers are the team’s current 2-4 hitters most of the time against right-handers. Drew Gilbert should get the work given San Francisco’s upcoming schedule, which would send Jerar Encarnacion to the bench.

St. Louis Cardinals

The top four hitters in the St. Louis Cardinals’ lineup have been hot of late. They have faced five straight right-handed starting pitchers, which has helped boost production. JJ Wetherholt, Ivan Herrera, Alec Burleson, and Jordan Walker each have a wRC+ of at least 140 this season against right-handers. Expect the good times to continue to roll for the quartet in Week 7. Not only do the Cardinals play a full schedule, but all seven games should be against right-handed starting pitchers. Pedro Pages has a 134 wRC+ versus right-handers and has started four of six games behind the plate. Fantasy managers could do worse in two-catcher leagues. Nolan Gorman and Nathan Church have been serviceable against righties as well. At the very least, both players should get enough volume this week to remain viable.

Washington Nationals

Washington continues to platoon quite a bit. Luis Garcia Jr., Jorbit Vivas, and Drew Millas get most of the work versus right-handed starters. Curtis Mead, Joey Weimer, and Keibert Ruiz usually start when a left-hander is on the mound. However, that philosophy will not be tested much this week. The Nationals are likely to face right-handed starters in all six of their upcoming outings. Garcia should start at first base and bat second a majority of the time. Daylen Lile has struggled lately, which has coincided with the Nationals facing five lefty starters in eight games. However, Lile should get a chance to turn things back around, given Washington’s schedule. I would start him in weekly leagues despite his recent performance.