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          Fantasy baseball pitcher rankings, lineup advice for Tuesday

          Paul Skenes takes the mound for the first time since the All-Star break. John Fisher/Getty Images
          • Eric Karabell, ESPN Senior WriterJul 23, 2024, 02:50 PM
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            • Fantasy baseball, football and basketball analyst for ESPN
            • Charter member of FSWA Hall of Fame
            • Author of "The Best Philadelphia Sports Arguments"
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          Look for our fantasy baseball starting pitcher rankings, hitter upgrades and downgrades daily to help you make smart fantasy baseball lineup decisions and for MLB betting tips. MLB game odds are provided by ESPN BET, and fantasy advice is geared toward ESPN 10-team leagues with standard scoring.

          Note: This file will be updated with any overnight pitching changes or weather-related game postponements, along with the addition of the latest MLB game odds as of the indicated time of publication.

          New York, New York, Part II

          The Mets and Yankees renew their cross-city rivalry on Tuesday, opening a two-game set at Yankee Stadium, with RHP Luis Gil hosting LHP Jose Quintana. The surprising Mets took both games at Citi Field four weeks ago, winning 9-7 and 12-2, hammering Gil in the second game. The Yankees have not played well recently against tough competition, entering this week having gone 10-21 since June 12.

          Gil seems to have righted himself his past two outings, permitting two earned runs over 12 2/3 innings with 16 strikeouts and only one walk. Prior to that stretch, Gil allowed 16 earned runs over three starts and 9 2/3 innings, including the game in Queens on June 26 when he walked four Mets and allowed five runs with Mets C Francisco Alvarez setting the tone with a third-inning home run.. These struggles likely cost Gil, who leads the league in walks, an All-Star nod.

          The generally reliable Quintana comes off a rough home performance when he permitted four home runs over 5 2/3 innings to the Rockies, losing for the first time since May. Prior to the July 14 outing, Quintana had allowed three earned runs over his previous six starts, including a terrific outing against the Nationals in which he tossed seven innings of one-hit, shutout ball. Quintana boasts one of the lower strikeout rates among starters, but points league managers cannot ignore a 3.08 ERA and 1.15 WHIP over the past eight weeks.

          What you may have missed on Monday

          By Todd Zola

          • Seattle Mariners OF Julio Rodriguez didn't play after an MRI revealed a mild sprained ankle. Rodriguez suffered the injury colliding with the outfield wall on Sunday. He's being treated as day-to-today. Last night, Victor Robles played center field and should continue to fill in while Rodriguez remains sidelined. The Mariners also lost SS J.P. Crawford in their 3-1 loss to the Los Angeles Angels. Crawford was hit by a pitch in the first inning. He stayed in and came around to score the Mariners sole tally, but was then removed. Crawford has been diagnosed with a hairline fracture in his pinky. He's headed for the IL, with an unclear date to return. Dylan Moore is expected to fill in at shortstop.

          • The San Francisco Giants announced that SP Robbie Ray will make his 2024 debut tomorrow night on the road against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Ray, acquired by the Giants last January, has been recovering from Tommy John surgery. Over 10 rehab outings, Ray fanned 45 with only six walks over 29 1/3 innings. In his last rehab appearance, Ray recorded 5 1/3 shutout frames, throwing 78 pitches. With the Giants rapidly falling out of wild-card contention, the goal will be for Ray to build up ample innings so that he can pitch next season with as few restrictions as possible.

          • In other Giants news, SP Alex Cobb is nearing a return after a solid rehab effort of his own with Triple-A Sacramento. Cobb has been recovering from left hip surgery as well as nursing a sore left shoulder. He's slated for another rehab start, after which the club will decide if he's ready to make his 2024 debut. In less optimistic news, the Giants have shut down SP Keaton Winn after he felt discomfort in his elbow while recovering from a nerve issue.

          • Arizona Diamondbacks SP Jordan Montgomery will come off the IL and start tonight's road affair against the Kansas City Royals. Montgomery will make the start without the benefit of any rehab outings. He's been recovering from a sore right knee via bullpen sessions and simulated games.

          • Colorado Rockies SP German Marquez returned to the 15-day IL on Monday. He managed one start after recovering from Tommy John surgery before experiencing right elbow inflammation. Marquez was slated to pitch tonight against the visiting Boston Red Sox, but SP Ty Blach will now take the hill instead. Last night, the shorthanded Rockies outlasted the Red Sox, winning 9-8 in 12 innings. Both C Elias Diaz and 3B Ryan McMahon missed the extra-inning affair. Diaz missed his second game in a row due to a tight right calf. Meanwhile, McMahon jammed his finger on Sunday. They're both considered to be day-to-day.

          Everything else you need to know for Tuesday

          • Welcome to the latest Paul Skenes day! Skenes, the precocious NL All-Star game starting pitcher last week, starts the second half by facing the Cardinals, a team he had little issue with five weeks ago. Skenes fanned eight Cardinals over 6 1/3 shutout frames on June 11, the only one of his 11 big-league starts in which he walked a hitter. Skenes boasts a 1.90 ERA, .92 WHIP and 34.9% strikeout rate. If the dominant Pirate keeps this up through September, he may earn NL Cy Young award consideration in addition to being favored for top rookie honors.

          • Chicago White Sox LHP Garrett Crochet makes his first start in Texas against the defending World Series champions, and it may be his final outing for Chicago with the MLB trade deadline approaching in a week. Crochet ranks second to Padres RHP Dylan Cease (a former teammate) in strikeouts, and he is among the leaders in ESPN fantasy points, despite winning only one of his past nine starts, thanks mostly to a lack of run support. His opponent, Rangers RHP Jon Gray, hardly comes recommended, as he has 13 strikeouts over his past seven appearances combined. Crochet whiffed 13 in a recent game at Seattle.

          • Arizona Diamondbacks LHP Jordan Montgomery is scheduled to come off the injured list and face the Royals, but fantasy managers may want to pass on this one. Montgomery, one of the notable draft day busts among starting pitchers this season with a 6.44 ERA and 1.68 WHIP in 13 starts, missed a month with right knee inflammation. He allowed a .241 batting average to right-handed batters over the past two seasons, but that mark has rocketed to .338 this season, along with all of his eight home runs against. The Royals feature several right-handed power hitters, led by SS Bobby Witt Jr. Montgomery is better than his numbers, and remains available in more than 50% of ESPN standard leagues, but this may not be the time to add him.

          • Betting tip of the day: Doubting Skenes, against any opponent, seems futile. This fellow is awesome, already among my top-five pitchers for fantasy. Take over 6.5 strikeouts (-180) for starters as well as under 1.5 runs (-125). Lance Lynn, meanwhile, has a 5.36 road ERA and last season's home run problem appears to be a problem yet again. Lynn should be good for over 4.5 strikeouts (-135), but also over 2.5 runs (-125). The Pirates are winning this one (-185).

          It's never too late to start a free fantasy baseball league. Leagues drafted this week will start scoring fresh the following Monday. Come and join the fun!

          Starting pitcher rankings for Tuesday

          Reliever report

          To get the latest information on each team's bullpen hierarchy, as well as which pitchers might be facing a bit of fatigue and who might be the most likely suspects to vulture a save or pick up a surprise hold in their stead, check out the latest Closer Chart, which will be updated every morning.

          Hitting report

          Plan ahead in fantasy baseball with help from our Forecaster projections. Each day, we will provide an updated preview of the next 10 days for every team, projecting the matchup quality for hitters (overall and by handedness) as well as for base stealers.

          Best sub-50% rostered hitters for Tuesday

          Best and worst hitters from the day are generated by THE BAT X, a projection system created by Derek Carty using advanced methods like those used in MLB front offices, accounting for a variety of factors including player talent, ballparks, bullpens, weather, umpires, defense, catcher pitch-framing, and lots more.

          Worst over-50% rostered hitters for Tuesday

          THE BAT X's Best Stacks for Tuesday