Outlook Xander Bogaerts
Xander Bogaerts Mired in Deep Slump But Favorable Matchups Loom
Xander Bogaerts is enduring a brutal stretch at the plate, managing a meager .125 batting average over his last five games and failing to collect a hit in his last two outings. His slump coincides with a rough patch for the second-place Padres, who are currently riding a four-game losing streak. Despite the cold bat, Bogaerts remains completely secure in his everyday starting shortstop role.
Under the hood, Bogaerts' current .236 mark is a far cry from his career standards, but our models anticipate positive regression toward a .265 average. Encouragingly, he has already swiped nine bases and hit eight home runs this year, putting him well on pace to meet or exceed our full-season projections of 12 homers and 12 steals.
For the rest of this weekly cycle, the Padres face a difficult road matchup today against Phillies ace Zack Wheeler before returning home to host the Mets. The weekend slate gets much friendlier with meetings against vulnerable arms like Sean Manaea and his 5.08 ERA. Keep rolling with the veteran shortstop through the slump. Verdict: Start.
Updated 3 days ago
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Outlook Daylen Lile
Daylen Lile battles cold streak as Nationals head to Arizona
Daylen Lile has cooled off significantly, batting just .167 with no home runs over his last seven days. The third-place Nationals (31-32) are currently mired in a three-game losing streak, but Lile's playing time remains highly secure as Washington's everyday starter in left field.
While Lile has slumped to a .250 average on the season, our models project him to bounce back toward a .268 mark with 12 home runs and 12 stolen bases rest-of-season. Having hit .305 as a rookie last year, his underlying contact skills suggest this recent slump is a temporary bump in the road rather than a permanent regression.
Washington enjoys an off-day Thursday before finishing the week with three road games at Arizona. Lile faces a favorable matchup Friday against Merrill Kelly (5.06 ERA) but will test his limits against Eduardo Rodriguez (2.24 ERA) and Michael Soroka (3.49 ERA) over the weekend. Given his current cold streak, fantasy managers should Sit him for now.
Updated 3 days ago
