Outlook Nathan Church
Nathan Church Returns from IL to a Surging Cardinals Lineup
Nathan Church has returned to action for the surging Cardinals, who are riding a six-game win streak and sit second in the NL Central. Church was activated from the 10-day injured list on June 9, reclaiming his spot in the outfield after a brief rehab assignment. In his first two games back, he collected three hits in eight at-bats, showing no signs of rust.
Prior to his injury, Church was a useful deep-league asset, batting .253 with five home runs and four steals over 47 games. Our models project him to bat .247 with eight home runs and eight steals rest of season. This solid, albeit unspectacular, baseline makes him a reliable depth option once he regains everyday reps.
For the remainder of the week, St. Louis faces a tough slate against the Mets' Christian Scott and Minnesota's Joe Ryan, though a matchup against high-ERA Connor Prielipp offers some relief. Given his recent return from injury and potential playing time variation, it is best to leave him benched for now. Verdict: Sit.
Updated 3 days ago
Latest News Nathan Church
Outlook Seiya Suzuki
Seiya Suzuki heats up at the plate, anchoring the Cubs' lineup ahead of key road matchups.
Seiya Suzuki is locked in at the plate, batting .333 with a .429 on-base percentage and a home run over his last seven games. He remains the unquestioned primary right fielder for a fourth-place Chicago Cubs squad looking to snap a three-game slide. Despite early-season knee concerns, Suzuki is fully healthy and anchoring the middle of the order.
While a chilly .212 average over the last 30 days highlights some deeper mid-season struggles, Suzuki's recent resurgence aligns with his robust .261 projected average. Our models expect him to normalize toward his rest-of-season projection of 22 home runs and 73 RBIs, making this current hot streak a sustainable return to form.
The Cubs close out a series in hitter-friendly Colorado against Ryan Feltner before heading to San Francisco for three games, where they will avoid elite arms and instead face Landen Roupp, Trevor McDonald, and Logan Webb. Given his current hot hand and a final game at Coors Field, he is an essential lineup fixture. Weekly Verdict: Start.
Updated 3 days ago
