Kyle Muller picked up the second win of his young MLB career on Monday after firing five shutout innings against the first-place Mets in the first game of a doubleheader. Muller limited the NL East leaders to four hits and two walks with three strikeouts over five innings before departing with a 2-0 lead after 75 pitches. The 23-year-old rookie -- who spun four hitless innings against New York the last time he faced them -- lowered his ERA to 2.55, as he's now allowed one earned run or less in four of his five big-league starts thus far. While his command could use some polish based on his 4.7 BB/9 rate, he's shown promise and the ability to miss bats with a 9.5 K/9 rate. While he has yet to complete six innings in a start yet, Muller is worth adding in NL-only leagues and deeper mixed formats. He'll look to keep rolling when he faces the Brewers at home this weekend.
Andrew McCutchen propelled the Phillies to a 6-5 win over the Nationals on Monday by going 2-for-4 with a double, two runs, and a walk-off three-run homer. McCutchen, who also walked, saved his best for last, crushing a game-winning homer in the bottom of the ninth to cap Philadelphia's stunning 6-5 victory. The bomb was his 18th of the season and fifth in July. The 34-year-old has been on fire since the All-Star break, going 10-for-31 with five extra-base hits, seven RBIs, and eight walks in 11 games thus far in the second half. After a middling first half in which he batted .228/.346/.434, the former NL MVP has put his slow start to the season behind him and now sports a healthy .815 OPS.
Joey Votto went 1-for-3 with a homer, three RBIs, and a walk against the Cubs on Monday. Votto remained scorching hot at the plate by homering for the third straight game, giving him four bombs in his last six games and 15 on the season. He's also been an RBI machine lately with 11 in his last seven games, giving him 51 on the season. The 37-year-old continues to be fantasy-relevant in his 15th MLB season thanks to his solid .268 average, decent power, and .864 OPS. While not the player he was five years ago, his slugging percentage is the highest it's been since 2017. Votto keeps finding way to stay effective in the batter's box, making him a worthy fantasy option once more.
Rhys Hoskins helped power the Phillies to a 6-5 win on Monday by going 1-for-4 with a three-run homer. Hoskins got Philly back in the game with his sixth-inning blast, changing the score from 4-0 to 4-3. The long ball was his 22nd of the season and fifth of July, giving him 18 RBIs in 20 games this month and 62 on the year. The Phillies slugger has rediscovered his power stroke this month with 15 extra-base hits, 10 of which have been doubles. The power surge has helped raise his OPS 60 points since the end of June, from .747 to .807. While his .232 average remains lackluster, it's worth his contributions in the power department for fantasy owners.
Anthony Rizzo helped fuel the Cubs' 6-5 win over the Reds on Monday by going 2-for-4 with a two-run homer and a walk. Rizzo got things started with a tie-breaking two-run blast in the bottom of the first, putting Chicago on track towards its eventual walk-off victory. The long ball was Rizzo's 13th of the year and second in as many games, as he's begun to heat up towards the end of July with an extra-base hit in each of his last three games. The recent production is certainly helping his trade value as the Cubs shop him at the deadline. Unfortunately for them, Rizzo hasn't been the same hitter since the pandemic and has deteriorated from All-Star level to merely good. Soon to be 32, he appears to be on the downside of his career and is worth selling high on if possible.
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