Clayton Kershaw, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ three-time Cy Young Award winner, is set to make his eagerly anticipated season debut on Thursday. Kershaw has been sidelined for nearly four months following offseason shoulder surgery. His return is highly anticipated as fans look forward to seeing him back in action.
In his last appearance, Kershaw faced the Arizona Diamondbacks in a postseason start. Unfortunately, it was a tough outing for the star pitcher as he allowed six runs and managed to record only one out. Despite this, Kershaw's season debut brings hope and anticipation for the Dodgers' faithful who are optimistic about his return to form.
The Matchups to Watch
The New York Mets are set to clash with the Atlanta Braves on Thursday. The Mets, coming off both a two-game and a four-game season sweep over the New York Yankees, aim to keep their impressive run going. Their matchup against the Braves is one to watch as both teams vie for critical wins.
Elsewhere, the Baltimore Orioles will conclude their three-game series against the Miami Marlins on Thursday. The Orioles are performing at a high level, ranking second in the AL in both runs scored and win percentage. Gunnar Henderson, priced at $6,300 on DraftKings and $4,500 on FanDuel, has been a standout performer for the Orioles. Henderson leads all shortstops in home runs this season with 28 and ranks in the top three at his position in runs scored, RBIs, hits, slugging percentage, and OPS. His .287/.373/.574 slash line with a .946 OPS highlights his effectiveness this season.
Fantasy Baseball Insights
For fantasy baseball enthusiasts, Mike McClure remains a renowned daily Fantasy sports pro, having amassed more than $2 million in his career using a proprietary projection model that simulates each game 10,000 times. Jurickson Profar's performance on Wednesday, where he went 2-for-5 with a home run, two RBIs, and two runs scored, earned him 28.4 points on FanDuel and 21 points on DraftKings.
Key Player Performances
Xander Bogaerts is another player grabbing attention. Priced at $4,000 on DraftKings and $2,800 on FanDuel, Bogaerts has been on fire since his return on July 12 after missing roughly six weeks with a shoulder injury. Over seven games since his return, Bogaerts is hitting .483 with a .983 OPS and has notched six multi-hit performances. On Wednesday alone, he went 4-for-4 with two runs scored. For his career, Bogaerts has a solid .306 average with an .853 OPS against left-handed pitchers, and he has a 3-for-5 record with a home run against Patrick Corbin.
Corbin, on the mound, has struggled this season, posting a 5.35 ERA over 20 starts. Right-handed hitters have particularly enjoyed success against Corbin, batting .301 with an .855 OPS.
Pitching Challenges
Roddery Munoz has also faced difficulties this season, with a 5.14 ERA. Left-handed hitters have batted .302 against Munoz with an impressive 1.072 OPS. The challenges for these pitchers illustrate the demanding nature of the league and the importance of adaptability and resilience.
As the MLB season progresses, fans and analysts alike will keenly watch these players and matchups. With stars like Clayton Kershaw making their much-awaited returns and players like Gunnar Henderson and Xander Bogaerts lighting up the field, there's plenty for baseball enthusiasts to look forward to.