Outlook Jeremy Pena
Jeremy Pena is on a scorching-hot streak, making him an absolute must-start.
Pena is absolutely scorching-hot at the plate, batting .455 with two home runs and nine runs scored over his last seven days. The fourth-place Astros, currently sitting at 28-35 in the AL West, have heavily relied on their everyday shortstop as they navigate multiple key injuries to the roster, including Jose Altuve. Despite minor injury scares earlier in the year, Pena is fully healthy and locked into his everyday starting shortstop role.
While his recent hot streak is fueled by a stellar .316 average over the last 30 days, we should expect some slight regression toward his .278 season projection. However, his underlying profile is highly encouraging; he has already shown the elite contact ability that led to a career-high .304 average last season. The recent power display is a nice bonus, but expect him to settle in as a balanced runs and average contributor.
Looking at the remaining slate, the Astros enjoy highly favorable matchups at home to close out the week. He will face Pittsburgh's Jared Jones, who enters with a 10.38 ERA, followed by Oakland's Jack Perkins (5.96 ERA) and Gage Jump (3.75 ERA). Given his red-hot bat and these targetable pitching matchups, Pena is a lock in your fantasy lineups. Weekly Verdict: Start.
Updated 1 day ago
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Outlook Bryan Torres
Cooling off after his historic debut, Torres remains a deep-league bench option
Bryan Torres's emotional call-up after 11 minor-league seasons was the feel-good story of May, but he has cooled off lately, hitting just .111 over his last three games. The third-place Cardinals (32-28) have deployed him in a utility outfield role following injuries to starters Lars Nootbaar and Nathan Church.
Over his first eight big-league appearances, Torres has maintained a .250 batting average with one home run. Our models project regression toward a bench-level utility role, forecasting a .263 average and five stolen bases over limited rest-of-season playing time as the outfield heals up.
For the remainder of the week, the Cardinals host Cincinnati for three games. Torres could draw starts against struggling Reds pitchers like Brady Singer (6.18 ERA) and Nick Lodolo (5.20 ERA). However, his part-time status makes him impossible to trust. Verdict: Sit.
Updated 1 day ago
