Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor went 2-for-5 with a solo homer Sunday against the Blue Jays. Lindor got Cleveland on the board in the third inning with his 34th long ball of the year, setting a new career high after he went deep 33 times last year. Lindor has opened September with a bang, clubbing five home runs in nine games this month to give him a shot at his first 40-homer campaign. His 23 steals are also a personal best and he leads the majors with 118 runs scored, making him one of the most productive players in fantasy baseball this year.
Angels lefty Andrew Heaney won after allowing three hits and no walks with 12 strikeouts over seven shutout innings Sunday against the White Sox. Heaney enjoyed one of the best outings of his career with a personal-best 12 strikeouts, throwing 70 of his 96 pitches for strikes en route to his ninth win of the season. Sunday was Heaney's second scoreless outing in his last three starts, lowering his ERA to 3.98. The southpaw has demonstrated great control in his first full season back from Tommy John surgery with a 4.03 K/BB ratio and appears to have gotten his career back on track at age 27. He'll look to stay hot vs. the Mariners at home on September 14.
White Sox righty Reynaldo Lopez received a no-decision Sunday after allowing two hits and three walks with 10 strikeouts over six shutout innings vs. the Angels. Lopez matched his season high in strikeouts while picking up his third straight quality start, but settled for the no-decision as Chicago was shut out. Sunday marked just the third time that Lopez has notched double-digit strikeouts in 43 career starts, as he holds a mediocre 6.7 K/9 rate for his career. He's been reasonable effective this year with a 4.22 ERA and a 1.31 WHIP in 168 2/3 innings, making him a viable fantasy option in AL-only leagues and deeper mixed formats. He'll be a quality streaming option for his next scheduled start at the Orioles on September 15.
Astros second baseman Jose Altuve went 2-for-5 with a solo homer against the Red Sox on Sunday. Altuve connected off Rick Porcello in the sixth inning for his 11th long ball of the year and his second since returning from the DL on August 21. Altuve had been mired in a 6-for-40 slump over his last 10 games coming into Sunday's contest, so perhaps the long ball will get him back on track. After three straight seasons with at least 15 homers, Altuve is in danger of missing that mark for the first time since 2014. He's also going to finish with under 30 steals for the first time since his rookie year in 2011, but he's remained valuable with a .317 average and 73 runs scored.
Red Sox designated hitter J.D. Martinez went 1-for-4 with a home run and four RBI vs. the Astros on Sunday. Martinez victimized his former team during Sunday's series finale to help his new team avoid the sweep, knocking in four of Boston's six runs via a sacrifice fly and a three-run homer. His fifth-inning blast over the Green Monster was his 40th long ball of the year, putting him one behind Oakland's Khris Davis for the MLB lead. His 121 RBI are most in baseball, and his .331 average is still within striking distance of Mookie Betts' league-leading .342 mark. With a strong finish, Martinez could wind up winning the Triple Crown.
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