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          Fantasy baseball pitcher rankings, lineup advice for Thursday

          Clayton Kershaw makes his season debut for the Dodgers against the rival Giants. Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports
          • Eric Karabell, ESPN Senior WriterJul 25, 2024, 02:43 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 has been 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.

          A giant returns to Dodgers rotation

          Few can question Los Angeles Dodgers LHP Clayton Kershaw is one of the greatest hurlers of this or any era, a future Hall of Famer who leads all active, qualified hurlers with a career 2.48 ERA, and is third in wins with 210. What fantasy managers may question is what Kershaw -- scheduled to make his season debut Thursday afternoon at home against the Giants -- has left in his golden left arm.

          After all, the last time anyone saw Kershaw pitch in a big-league game was last October, as the eventual-NL champion Diamondbacks mercilessly pounded him for six hits and six runs in the opening inning of Game 1 of the NLDS. Kershaw would not get a second start as Arizona swept the series. He pitched through shoulder issues much of the season, necessitating major surgery in November, with a vague timetable for return in mid-summer.

          Well, it is mid-summer and Kershaw, 35, gets a few months to prove what he has left. Rostered in 34.4% of ESPN standard leagues but also among the most added, Kershaw figures to be handled extra carefully, so do not expect more than five innings or a high pitch count versus the rival Giants, a team he beat twice last season. The Dodgers again are playing for October, and they want Kershaw, even with a checkered postseason history (4.49 ERA in 194 1/3 innings), to play a key role in it.

          Fantasy managers should add Kershaw, but not necessarily activate him yet. See how he looks against the Giants. There's plenty of reason for optimism: Kershaw has rarely disappointed us prior to October. He is 25-8 with a 2.37 ERA and 1.00 WHIP over 46 starts during the past two regular seasons, with 274 strikeouts in 258 innings, elite numbers indeed. He should pitch well when he pitches, but do not expect durability. Regardless, baseball is better with Kershaw on the mound, and it is great to have him back.

          What you may have missed on Wednesday

          By Todd Zola

          • The nightcap of yesterday's doubleheader between the Atlanta Braves and Cincinnati Reds was postponed, with the makeup rescheduled for September 9 at Truist Field. After now having his first start since the break postponed twice, Braves SP Chris Sale will finally take the hill today (fingers crossed!) in Queens against the New York Mets. The Reds are off today. They'll skip last night's expected starter Nick Martinez when they open a road series with the Tampa Bay Rays tomorrow.

          • The Seattle Mariners provided an update on OF Julio Rodriguez and SS J.P. Crawford, both of whom were recently placed on the 10-day IL. Rodriguez will refrain from baseball activities and get re-evaluated around August 1. He will likely require more than the minimum visit. Crawford was given a 4-6 week timetable for his broken pinky.

          • Milwaukee Brewers OF Christian Yelich is scheduled to see a back specialist today, with season-ending surgery looming as a very real possibility. Yelich has been dealing with lingering back issues for the past several seasons.

          • Pittsburgh Pirates OF Bryan Reynolds was scratched from last night's lineup due to back spasms. The hope is that today's off day is all Reynolds needs to recover and that he can return to the lineup tomorrow when the club opens a road series with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

          • Cleveland Guardians SP Tanner Bibee left last night's game against the Detroit Tigers after completing five innings. He came out for sixth-inning warmups with the score tied 1-1, but experienced lower extremity cramping and could not continue. The Guardians went on to win 2-1. Bibee hopes to make his next start, currently slated for Monday.

          • Los Angeles Dodgers 2B Chris Taylor left last night's game in the seventh inning because of left groin tightness. The club is already shorthanded with SS Miguel Rojas having recently been placed on the IL due to right forearm tightness. Cavan Biggio, Enrique Hernandez and the newly signed Nick Ahmed will cover things up the middle.

          Everything else you need to know for Thursday

          • While Kershaw is no stranger to facing the Giants (393 1/3 innings against SF!), Giants RHP Logan Webb has faced the Dodgers 15 times, posting a 4-6 record with a 3.92 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and reduced 19% strikeout rate. His ERA at Dodger Stadium is a solid 3.44. Webb has struggled in general of late, permitting 11 earned runs on 16 hits and an uncharacteristic five walks in 11 innings against the Rockies and Blue Jays, spiking his ERA to a surprising 3.59, with a bloated 1.27 WHIP. That is not the Webb from the past three seasons. Webb always comes recommended, but we would prefer his typical statistics.

          • As with Kershaw, Texas Rangers RHP Max Scherzer is fighting to prove himself in what may be his final season. Scherzer, 39 and second among actives with 215 wins (Justin Verlander has 260 wins!), left his weekend outing in Baltimore prematurely with arm fatigue, after permitting four runs over two innings. He fanned one of 14 batters. Scherzer couldn't get a more favorable matchup Thursday, facing the pitiful White Sox at home, so fantasy managers likely have high expectations. The White Sox, last in the majors in runs, scored eight times in their first five games after the All-Star break.

          • Eight games litter the Thursday schedule, including several starting around noon ET (Padres-Nationals, Orioles-Marlins), so be prepared, daily leaguers! The lone matchup of winning teams is the start of a key Braves-Mets series, with Mets RHP Luis Severino taking center stage. The Braves keep losing key players to injury, while the Mets are within weekend striking distance of catching them for the top wildcard spot. Severino, still available in more than 70% of ESPN standard leagues, may be the top streamer of the day, as he has won consecutive starts and boasts a 3.58 ERA this season.

          • Betting tip of the day: Rays RHP Taj Bradley and his investors are enjoying quite the roll, as he has permitted only five earned runs over his last eight starts, covering 49 innings. The last-place Blue Jays struggle to score. Take Bradley for over 5.5 strikeouts (+135) and the Rays to win (-195).

          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 Thursday

          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 Thursday

          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 Thursday

          THE BAT X's Best Stacks for Thursday