Outlook Tyler Stephenson
Tyler Stephenson swinging a hot bat while securing everyday DH at-bats
Stephenson has provided solid thump recently, batting .300 with three homers and nine RBIs over his last 14 days. While he serves as the secondary catcher behind Jose Trevino, he has locked down the primary designated hitter role for a Reds team riding a two-game win streak despite sitting fifth in the NL Central at 69-74. With multiple Cincinnati corner bats sidelined on the injured list, his everyday volume remains rock solid down the stretch.
His recent surge is no fluke, as Stephenson has already surpassed our modest preseason expectations of 12 home runs by swatting 15 on the year with a respectable .249 average. His .333 on-base percentage closely mirrors his career norms, showing that his power and plate discipline are stabilizing near his peak 2024 production. Fantasy managers can expect his mid-order pop to remain sustainable through September.
The Reds embark on a challenging six-game road trip, opening with tough matchups in Los Angeles against aces Tarik Skubal and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who both carry sub-3.00 ERAs. However, the schedule softens considerably over the weekend in Milwaukee against more generous arms like Shane Drohan and Dustin May, who both carry ERAs above 4.15. Given his full-time plate appearances at catcher eligibility, he remains a viable lineup fixture. Start.
Updated 2 days ago
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Outlook Chase DeLauter
Chase DeLauter is swinging a sizzling bat but battles a nagging wrist injury.
DeLauter has been electric at the plate, hitting .375 over his last 14 days and .365 across his past month. His immediate availability is clouded, however, as he remains day-to-day after spraining his right wrist on September 4. When healthy, he serves as the primary designated hitter for a second-place Guardians squad (73-71) battling for a postseason berth.
His impressive rookie campaign featuring a .294 batting average, 13 homers, and 10 steals in 120 games easily outpaces our conservative preseason baseline. With consistent hard contact and elite bat-to-ball skills, this recent hot stretch is a legitimate breakout rather than good fortune. Fantasy managers should expect him to sustain a high-floor batting average with balanced category juice down the stretch.
The Guardians travel for six road games against Baltimore and Minnesota, facing beatable starters including Trevor Rogers (4.37 ERA) and Bailey Ober (4.28 ERA). While Taj Bradley (4.01 ERA) provides a tougher test, these matchups are enticing if his wrist allows him to take swings. Provided he avoids an injured list stint, keep him active. Start.
Updated 2 days ago
