Blake Snell didn't factor into the decision Monday against the Red Sox after allowing one run on two hits and three walks with three strikeouts in 1 2/3 innings. The Rays continued to carefully manage Snell's workload in his second start back from the injured list, pulling him after 52 pitches (29 strikes). While he was a little wild on Monday with the three free passes, he now has seven strikeouts in 3 2/3 innings since coming back. The Rays may opt to give him one more start as a tune-up before the playoffs, but even if he does pitch he'll likely be on a pitch count again. Fantasy owners still in the playoff hunt should seek alternatives for the season's final week.
Jonathan Villar went 3-for-8 with a homer, two runs and two RBIs against the Blue Jays on Monday. Villar continues to be one of the few bright spots for Baltimore this season, as he now has 24 homers and 108 runs to go along with 38 steals and an .801 OPS. After back-to-back disappointing seasons in 2017 and 2018, Villar has bounced back with his best campaign since 2016, proving he's capable of providing strong power numbers alongside elite stolen base totals. Squarely in his prime at 28 years old, Villar will deserve consideration in the early rounds of next year's fantasy drafts.
Mookie Betts went 2-for-4 with a run, a walk and a stolen base Monday against the Rays. Betts continued his excellent second half with another multi-hit game on Monday, giving him six in his last 11 games. He also scored his MLB-leading 133rd run and drew his 96th walk -- both career highs. His 16 steals are a mild disappointment, however, given that he's topped 20 thefts in each of the past four seasons. He's already reached 40 doubles for the fifth consecutive year, though, and is just two dingers away from his third career 30-homer season.
Brandon Lowe went 1-for-3 with a solo homer Monday vs. the Red Sox, knotting the game at 4-4 in the bottom of the fourth with his 17th homer of the year. While injuries have limited Lowe to just 78 games this year -- including only two since early July -- the 25-year-old rookie has been phenomenal when healthy, slashing .277/.341/.530 with 17 homers and 50 RBIs in roughly half a season. He's also shown some speed with five steals in five attempts, although his plate discipline could still use some work based on his 23:106 BB/K ratio. If Lowe stays healthy, he could be headed for a big season in 2020.
Austin Hays erupted for a pair of homers, a stolen base and five RBIs against the Blue Jays on Monday, albeit in a losing cause. The 24-year-old September call up has been on fire over the past week, tallying four homers and 10 RBIs over his past six games. The stolen base was the first of his MLB career, though he did show some speed with 24 thefts across 328 minor league games. With the Orioles out of contention, Hays should continue to get regular at-bats throughout the rest of the season, making him a hot pick up for the season's final week.
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