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          Fantasy baseball Tuesday advice: Has Blackburn found a home?

          Paul Blackburn seems to be quite comfortable pitching in a New York Mets uniform. Getty Images
          • Eric Karabell, ESPN Senior WriterAug 13, 2024, 03:45 PM
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            • 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

          Athletics visit an old friend

          New York Mets RHP Paul Blackburn made his big league debut for the Athletics in 2017 and, while his career has hardly been the smoothest ride (thanks to both injuries and poor performance), he finally established himself as a reliable starter in 2022. Blackburn, 30, has yet to pitch in a playoff game, but might get the chance with the Mets, who acquired him from Oakland several weeks ago and have enjoyed his first two appearances.

          Blackburn beat the Angels in his Mets debut, offering six innings of one-run ball, then pitched well at altitudinous Coors Field, holding the Rockies to just two runs (one earned) over another six innings in a no-decision. Blackburn goes for his third consecutive quality start on Tuesday, at home against the Athletics, the team for whom he made 77 starts (4.83 ERA) over parts of eight seasons. Fantasy managers have made Blackburn one of the 10 most-added pitchers in ESPN standard formats.

          Radar guns hardly light up when Blackburn tosses his 92-mph fastball, but the veteran induces ground balls at a high rate and aims to avoid both walks and home runs. Last season, in a surprise to many, he had more strikeouts than innings pitched.

          Interestingly, Blackburn has backed off his once-signature sinker this season, opting for more fastballs and changeups. It appears to be working (3.86 ERA, 1.17 WHIP), although his K-rate is down from 2023. The Athletics certainly should know what is coming, but perhaps Blackburn has a surprise or two in store for his old mates.

          By the way, the Athletics counter with struggling veteran RHP Ross Stripling, whose claim to fame this season may be what he achieved in his latest outing, pitching poorly enough to help the White Sox break their 21-game losing streak. Stripling is a sad 2-11 with a 5.72 ERA, and left-handed hitters are blasting him for a .335/.355/.483 line. Lefty-hitting Mets Francisco Lindor, Brandon Nimmo, Jeff McNeil and Jesse Winker should all enjoy themselves.

          What you may have missed on Monday

          By Todd Zola

          • Arizona Diamondbacks 2B Ketel Marte started last night's game, but re-injured his left ankle and left after just one at-bat. Marte had to exit last Saturday's game after he buckled over following an awkward slide by Philadelphia Phillies C Garrett Stubbs. Marte sat out on Sunday but was deemed to be ready last night. He's slated to undergo an MRI today.

          • New York Yankees 3B Jazz Chisholm Jr. left Monday night's game in the seventh inning due to an elbow injury. He reportedly got hurt sliding into home back in the fifth frame. Post-game X-rays came back negative, but Chisholm is still scheduled for an MRI today. His availability for tonight's contest is unclear.

          • Los Angeles Angels C Logan O'Hoppe was removed from last night's contest thanks to a sore knee. He was replaced in the seventh inning by Matt Thaiss. After the game, the Angels indicated the move was precautionary with O'Hoppe expected to return to the lineup tonight.

          • Kansas City Royals SS Bobby Witt Jr. was hit by a pitch in the fifth inning but was able to stay in the game. The ball glanced off his shoulder before hitting his lower left arm. X-rays indicated there was no damage. Witt has been diagnosed with merely a bruise and the expectation is that he will be in tonight's lineup.

          • Minnesota Twins OF Byron Buxton left last night's game due to hip discomfort. He's slated to be evaluated today, at which time his eventual status going forward will be determined.

          Everything else you need to know for Tuesday

          • Seattle Mariners RHP George Kirby and Detroit Tigers LHP Tarik Skubal met last week in a matchup of top-10 fantasy points starters, with Skubal earning the victory after seven innings of two-run ball. Skubal fanned nine Mariners, and has now won five of his past six decisions. Kirby, meanwhile, has won only one of his last seven appearances. Who has actually pitched better over that span? Well, we wouldn't ask if it was obvious. Kirby boasts a 2.23 ERA over the past two months, and he has not permitted more than three earned runs in any game since May. Skubal is the bigger strikeout option. Neither of these teams hit much. Let's see how many times Skubal whiffs Mariners OF Julio Rodriguez, who returned from a high-ankle sprain Sunday night and struck out five times.

          • Houston Astros LHP Yusei Kikuchi makes his third start for his new organization, facing a Tampa Bay Rays lineup that he whiffed 11 times only 11 days ago. Kikuchi permitted a Dylan Carlson first-inning homer in that game, but shined after that, striking out eight consecutive Rays in one stretch, tying an Astros record. Kikuchi certainly can miss bats, but fantasy managers -- and probably the Astros, too -- wouldn't mind more length. Kikuchi has pitched into the sixth inning in only one of his last 11 outings, and his win last week was his first in two months. Still, we like strikeouts in fantasy, and Kikuchi versus the Rays (eighth-most K's) is a good match.

          • Betting tip of the day: The Beltway Series continues tonight in Camden Yards with the Baltimore Orioles hosting the Washington Nationals. The Orioles will give the ball to LHP Trevor Rogers while the Nationals will counter with RHP Jake Irvin. Neither hurler has been especially effective of late, and the conditions should favor hitters. Our projection model sees over nine runs being scored, so I'm taking over 8.5 runs (-125).

          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