Chris Sale, SP (ATL)
Sale made a strong case for the Cy Young Award on Monday with seven scoreless innings and 12 strikeouts. He only allowed three hits and no walks but had to settle for a no-decision as the Braves and Giants went to extra innings. The veteran left-hander showed increased velocity and finished with 19 whiffs and a 36% CSW rate. There are many amazing Chris Sale stats to point to this season, but how's this: Sale has allowed two or fewer earned runs in 17 of his past 18 starts. Sale entered the 2024 season with 151 innings pitched since 2019. After Monday's outing, he has 134.2 innings so far this year. One would expect the Braves to keep that in mind as they approach the postseason, but the 35 year old is showing no signs of slowing down.
Mookie Betts, SS (LAD)
Welcome back, Mookie. After missing nearly two months with a broken hand, Betts returned to the Dodgers' lineup and stuffed the stat sheet. The superstar hit his 11th home run and stole his 10th base and drove in three RBI's. It also happened to be his first start of the season in right field. Betts will likely see most of his time in the outfield after playing primarily in the middle infield before his injury. Not only is Betts transitioning out of the infield, he's also moving to second in the lineup as Dave Roberts is settling on Shohei Ohtani at the leadoff spot followed by Betts and Freddie Freeman. It breaks up the lefties and also gives Betts more RBI opportunities. Play him at shortstop, second base, right field, it really doesn't matter. He is a fantasy marvel and comes back at a great time for desperate fantasy owners.
Jake McCarthy, OF (ARI)
McCarthy continued his hot streak on Monday with two hits in four at-bats. He drove in a pair and stole his 17th base of the season. He has four multi-hit games in his last five starts and is now hitting .306 with six home runs and 17 steals. Despite the Diamondbacks' pronounced depth in the outfield, McCarthy is staking his claim to an everyday role. The young left-hander has improved his plate discipline while also increasing his line drive rate. That is leading to a high BABIP and high contact rate, which all in all makes for a high batting average. Meanwhile, he lifts the ball in the air just enough to establish double-digit home run power, although he has yet to hit more than eight in a season. The speed has never been in question as McCarthy is on his way to his third-straight 20-steal campaign. At this point, the biggest question is playing time and that becomes less of a concern every day.
Joe Musgrove, SP (SD)
Musgrove returned from the injured list after missing the past two-and-a-half months with a bone spur in his pitching elbow. He only made one rehab start, but the playoff-hungry Padres wanted to get the big right-hander back, even if it meant him only throwing 63 pitches in his return. The good news for San Diego is those 63 pitches led to 4.1 scoreless innings. He allowed only two hits and a walk while striking out one, and his velocity was right in line with his pre-injury numbers. It's been a rocky road for Musgrove in 2024, filled with injuries and inconsistency, but he has the opportunity to play an important role down the stretch for the Padres and fantasy owners. In his first three seasons with San Diego, Musgrove delivered a 3.05 ERA with a 25.6% strikeout rate. Let's not forget the upside he brings to the table.
Enrique Hernandez, UT (LAD)
Hernandez was 1-for-4 with a run scored on Monday. The veteran infielder is hitting much better, and according to an article published by Jack Harris of the LA Times, a big reason for his improvement is his vision. Hernandez was recently diagnosed with astigmatism and was prescribed new glasses to help. It's led to a .276 average with six doubles and two home runs in 21 games since the All-Star Break. For comparison's sake, he was hitting .191 with six doubles and five home runs in 71 games prior to the All-Star Break. The Dodgers have taken notice, turning to Hernandez as their everyday third baseman with Max Muncy inching closer to a return from the injured list. Hernandez will lose time at the hot corner to Muncy, but he's staking his claim to getting starts at shortstop and center field.
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