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          Fantasy baseball pitcher rankings, lineup advice for Wednesday's MLB games

          Michael King of the San Diego Padres has pitched 13 innings in May without yielding an earned run. Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images
          • Tristan H. Cockcroft
          May 15, 2024, 03:30 PM

          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.

          King of the mountain

          Through the first month and change of the 2024 season, Michael King didn't look up to his label of centerpiece of December's Juan Soto trade on the San Diego Padres' side. King, who excelled in a late-season audition in the New York Yankees rotation, posted a 5.00 ERA and 1.47 WHIP over his first six starts and one relief appearance.

          Since the calendar flipped to May, King has looked much more the part. He delivered back-to-back scoreless appearances, of six and seven innings apiece, and struck out 11 Los Angeles Dodgers in his most recent turn on Friday. Among those 11 K's were three by Will Smith, two by Freddie Freeman and one by Shohei Ohtani.

          In those two May starts, King's pitch metrics have more closely resembled those from his 2023 mini-breakthrough. His four-seam fastball has averaged 93.5 mph -- including a season-high 94.0 in that Dodgers start -- his sweeper has generated a 23.5% whiff rate, within range of his 27.8% number in his nine 2023 starts, and his changeup has a 50.0% whiff rate, better than his 41.9% rate as a 2023 starter.

          It's perfect timing for King, who next draws one of the most favorable matchups, a Colorado Rockies team visiting Petco Park. The rebuilding Rockies have averaged 3.40 runs per game while striking out 26.6% of the time on the road, third and fourth worst in baseball. Only seven times in their 20 road games though Monday have the Rockies scored more than three runs, though Monday was one of those times (5).

          King remains available in more than one-third of ESPN leagues, so scoop him up for this advantageous matchup.

          What you may have missed on Tuesday

          By Todd Zola

          • Justin Turner missed his second straight game last night and isn't in today's starting lineup as he's been under the weather. The Toronto Blue Jays have tomorrow off so the hope is that Turner can return on Friday. Daniel Vogelbach continues to serve as the DH.

          • Keaton Winn had to leave last night's start in the fifth inning due to forearm tightness. He's scheduled for an MRI today. Prior to the game, the San Francisco Giants returned C Patrick Bailey to the 7-day concussion IL. Blake Sabol will again serve as the primary catcher with Jakson Reetz as the backup. Marco Luciano was called up to fill the open roster spot. Luciano could see some action at shortstop with Nick Ahmed on the IL for a wrist sprain.

          • Seattle Mariners C/DH Mitch Garver was scratched from last night's contest after experiencing back spasms. He's questionable for tonight's final game of the three-game series with the Kansas City Royals. The club was also without 2B Jorge Polanco who is nursing a sore hamstring. Polanco felt tightness on Monday night. His availability tonight is also unclear.

          • The Chicago Cubs were without leadoff hitter 2B/SS Nico Hoerner for last night's encounter with the Atlanta Braves. Hoerner was scratched due to a tight left hamstring. His availability for tonight (when the Cubs try to avoid being swept) is unclear.

          • The Braves were also down a man yesterday, as an MRI showed 3B Austin Riley was only experiencing inflammation in his right side. A strain would have signaled an IL stint, but instead he was just held out of last night's game. The Braves have Thursday off, so there's a chance Riley is on the bench again tonight, giving him another couple of days to completely heal.

          • The Milwaukee Brewers placed 1B Rhys Hoskins on the 10-day IL prior to last night's home win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Jake Bauers will be the primary replacement in the field with Owen Miller recalled to take Hoskins' spot on the roster.

          • The Philadelphia Phillies were missing two regulars for yesterday's matinee, with C J.T. Realmuto out for a third straight game with a knee issue and 1B Bryce Harper scratched because of a migraine. Playing shorthanded, the club still prevailed as Aaron Nola posted a four-hit, complete game shutout over the New York Mets. Realmuto and Harper are both expected to be back in the lineup when the four-game home-and-home series shifts to Citizens Bank Park for the final two NL East affairs. The Phillies took both meetings in Citi Field.

          • Last night, A.J. Puk captured his first save since the Miami Marlins moved him back to the bullpen. However, it was an extra-inning affair with closer Tanner Scott tasked with preserving a 0-0 game in the ninth. Marlins starter Ryan Weathers and Detroit Tigers starter Reese Olson both tossed eight scoreless frames. The Marlins plated the ghost runner in the top of the 10th, then Puk retired three in a row to seal the 1-0 win.

          Everything else you need to know for Wednesday

          • Robert Gasser remains in the Milwaukee Brewers rotation and will make his second career start at home against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Gasser threw 46% sweepers, generating a 47% whiff rate with the pitch, across six shutout innings in his debut on Friday. That bodes well for him, matchups-wise, against a Pirates offense that has struck out 32% and whiffed 35% of the time on swings against breaking pitches (curveballs, sliders and sweepers), fifth and seventh worst in the league. This is a more advantageous matchup from a pure strikeout perspective than the St. Louis Cardinals, his opponent in his debut.

          • Speaking of seconds, Taj Bradley will make his second start of the season for the Tampa Bay Rays, drawing another challenging matchup in a road assignment against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. Bradley was up to the task in his 2024 debut, tossing six innings of one-run, four-hit, seven-strikeout baseball against the potent New York Yankees lineup, which included an average 97.3 mph four-seam fastball, 17 called strikes and 28 whiffs plus called strikes, all of which were his second best in any of his 22 career big-league starts. Bradley is another strikeout-oriented starter, now drawing a Red Sox matchup that's one of the better ones for the category, not to mention not quite as scary as the Yankees one was on paper. He's worth streaming, if your league doesn't have a strict starts cap.

          • Sensing a theme here? Bryan Woo of the Seattle Mariners makes his second start of 2024, a home assignment against a Kansas City Royals team which shapes up as an above-average matchup but no longer as favorable as it might've been a couple seasons ago. Woo was capped at 62 pitches in his first turn on Friday, but he was efficient enough to deliver 4 1/3 scoreless frames against the Oakland Athletics. Expect a pitch count closer than 80, which is plenty to make him worth the add and start in any of the 75%-plus of ESPN leagues in which he's available.

          • The Houston Astros have picked up the pace of late, winning nine of their past 15 games (through Monday) with a 5.67 runs scored per game average that ranks fourth best in baseball during that time span. Their matchup against Athletics fill-in starter Aaron Brooks, owner of a 6.55 career big-league ERA as well as a 4.57 ERA and mere 16.8% strikeout rate in his eight starts for Triple-A Las Vegas, stands out in a big way. Jon Singleton, who has started each of the team's past 13 games, slugging .488 with four home runs to move into the No. 5 spot in the Astros' lineup, stands out as a worthwhile hitting streamer.

          • A sneakier hitting stack for Wednesday is the Detroit Tigers, who face struggling Miami Marlins left-hander Trevor Rogers. The projections grade Andy Ibanez, typically the Tigers' leadoff man against lefties, and Mark Canha as the team's most productive hitters against lefties. Spencer Torkelson, who hit home runs on both Sunday and Monday and is riding an eight-game hitting streak (through Monday), also grades a strong fantasy play for this matchup.

          • Betting tip of the day: The Arizona Diamondbacks shape up better than you might think against the struggling Cincinnati Reds (whose 2.83 runs scored per game in May ranks last in the league) and fly ball-leaning LHP Andrew Abbott. The Diamondbacks, in case you've forgotten, have baseball's best team wOBA against lefties (.364), so a good number of their props stand out for Wednesday. My pick is noted lefty killer Ketel Marte to hit a home run (+300), as he's most successful against fastballs and changeups, two of Abbott's go-to pitches.

          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 Wednesday

          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.

          Best Sub-50% rostered hitters for Wednesday

          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 Wednesday

          THE BAT X's Best Stacks for Wednesday