Monday Lineup Card: Lord Have Mercer

This article is part of our The Lineup Card series.

Projected Starters - A look at Monday's matchups (all times Eastern)

Angels (Jered Weaver - R) at Indians (Trevor Bauer - R), 7:05
Royals (Jason Vargas - L) at Tigers (Justin Verlander - R), 7:08
Phillies (Cole Hamels - L) at Braves (Julio Teheran - R), 7:10
Orioles (Wei-Yin Chen - L) at Rays (Jake Odorizzi - R), 7:10
Twins (Kevin Correia - R) at Red Sox (Rubby De La Rosa - R), 7:10
Cubs (Jason Hammel - R) at Marlins (Tom Koehler - R), 7:10
Mets (Jacob DeGrom - R) at Cardinals (Carlos Martinez - R), 8:00
Brewers (Wily Peralta - R) at Diamondbacks (Brandon McCarthy - R), 9:40
Rangers (Colby Lewis - R) at Athletics (Drew Pomeranz - L), 10:05
Rockies (Tyler Matzek - L) at Dodgers (Hyun-Jin Ryu - L), 10:10
Padres (Tyson Ross - R) at Mariners (Chris Young - R), 10:10

Day Game After Night Game: None

Injuries

Day-to-Day
Jose Altuve, 2B, HOU (Hand) - Manager Bo Porter believes Altuve will return to the lineup Tuesday.
Erick Aybar, SS, LAA (Hip) - Removed from Sunday's game due to discomfort in his left hip.
Xander Bogaerts, SS, BOS (Illness) - Missed Sunday's contest with an illness but is expected to be ready to return Monday.
Brett Cecil, P, TOR (Groin) - Played catch Sunday, marking his first activity since leaving Friday's outing due to a strained groin.
R.A. Dickey, P, TOR (Groin) - Said that his groin tightness is mild, and he should be able to make his upcoming start scheduled for Friday.
Ian Krol, P, DET (Biceps) - The tendinitis in his left biceps has improved, and he could have pitched Sunday, if needed.
Adam Lind, 1B, TOR (Foot) - Had a CT scan performed on his foot before Sunday's contest, which was returned negative.
Daisuke Matsuzaka, P, NYM (Stomach) - Tried to pitch through a severely upset stomach but was removed after the first inning.
Logan Morrison, 1B, SEA (Head) - Left Sunday's contest after a 0-for-3 performance due to a cut in his forehead.
Eduardo Nunez, SS, MIN (Hamstring) - Removed from Saturday's outing in the eighth inning with a hamstring strain.
Angel Pagan, OF, SF (Back) - Scratched Sunday as a result of a stiff back
Buster Posey, C, SF (Head) - Passed concussion tests Sunday, after taking a foul ball off his face mask that induced a headache.
Brian Roberts, 2B, NYY (Knee) - Sitting out a second game in a row Sunday as a result of a bruised right knee.
Denard Span, OF, WAS (Back) - Scratched Sunday due to back tightness.
Justin Turner, 2B, LAD (Calf) - Was able to pinch hit Sunday, despite a tight calf that kept him from starting three consecutive days.

Players on the DL
Clay Buchholz, P, BOS (Knee) - Gave up three runs on four hits to go with five strikeouts in his first rehab nod Saturday at Triple-A Pawtucket.
Santiago Casilla, P, SF (Hamstring) - Will travel with the Giants for their upcoming series at the White Sox, which begins Tuesday; however, a return date has yet to be determined.
Gerrit Cole, P, PIT (Shoulder) - Tossed a 34-pitch bullpen session Sunday that went well.
Carl Crawford, OF, LAD (Ankle) - His recovery from a left ankle sprain has stalled.
Gio Gonzalez, P, WAS (Shoulder) - Expected to come off the DL in order to start Wednesday.
Juan Lagares, OF, NYM (Ribs) - Unlikely to be activated from the disabled list when first eligible, as he's some time from starting a rehab assignment.
Francisco Liriano, P, PIT (Oblique) - May be able to throw by Tuesday.
Zach McAllister, P, CLE (Back) - Surrendered no runs on five hits during Saturday's rehab start; his activation date could be determined Monday.
Will Middlebrooks, 3B, BOS (Finger) - Will take reps in the outfield during his rehab assignment at Triple-A Pawtucket.
Trevor Plouffe, 3B, MIN (Ribs) - Had an MRI performed, revealing inflammation between the ninth rib and costal cartilage.
Wilson Ramos, C, WAS (Hamstring) - Intends to ramp up baseball activities early next week.
Josh Reddick, OF, OAK (Knee) - Ran the bases Sunday and will do so again Monday, before joining Triple-A Sacramento for a rehab assignment Tuesday.
Kevin Siegrist, P, STL (Forearm) - Threw a bullpen session Sunday, which will determine whether or not he starts a rehab assignment Tuesday.
Danny Valencia, DH, KC (Hand) - Had commencement of his rehab assignment at Triple-A Omaha pushed back to Tuesday at the earliest.
Shane Victorino, OF, BOS (Hamstring) - Played five innings in right field Saturday at Triple-A Pawtucket, where he went 0-for-2 during his first rehab game.
Neil Walker, 2B, PIT (Abdomen) - Has taken part in running drills, as he recovers from an appendectomy in early June.
Eric Young Jr., OF, NYM (Hamstring) - Expected to be activated from the disabled list prior to Monday's outing.

Transactions - Players who have been demoted, called up, traded, released, you name it. We'll cover it here.

Placed on the DL
Nathan Eovaldi, P, MIA (Paternity List)
Josh Fields, P, HOU
Chone Figgins, 3B, LAD
Trevor Plouffe, 3B, MIN
Fernando Salas, P, LAA
Nick Vincent, P, SD
Christian Yelich, OF, MIA

Called Up
Paul Clemens, P, HOU
Dane De La Rosa, P, LAA
Sam Dyson, P, MIA
Pedro Florimon, SS, MIN
Carlos Triunfel, SS, LAD

Sent Down (to Triple-A, unless otherwise noted)
Randal Grichuk, OF, STL
Corey Knebel, P, DET
Michael Martinez, 3B, PIT

Contract Selected
Blaine Boyer, P, SD
Nick Greenwood, P, STL
Blaine Hardy, P, DET
Vance Worley, P, PIT

Outrighted
Wade LeBlanc, P, NYY

Traded
Blake Taylor, P, NYM (from PIT)

Closer Watch

Angels - After Ernesto Frieri blew a save in epic fashion Saturday -- four runs on five hits without tallying an out -- manager Mike Scioscia reiterated that he would keep the status quo intact at the back end of the Angels' bullpen. However, some mixing and matching may take place in certain situations, thereby allowing Joe Smith the occasional save chance. Speaking of his mate, the aforementioned outing bumped up Frieri's peripherals on the month -- 10.80 ERA and 2.20 WHIP in five frames -- but with eighth strikeouts versus one walk on the ledger, he'll continue to provide ample punch, despite his propensity to blow up this season.

Giants - Sergio Romo was unavailable Sunday after pitching on three consecutive days, the latter two of which were disastrous. Across 51 pitches, he yielded a combined seven runs on six hits and one walk, causing his ERA to skyrocket nearly two runs to 5.08. Fortunately, a 0.95 WHIP and 24:6 K:BB in 28.1 innings complement 20 saves nicely, which makes the ERA much more acceptable to fantasy pitching staffs. Considering the recent workload, though, he may receive a few days to rest up, placing Jean Machi in the ninth-inning crosshairs for opposing lineups.

Hot Batter Matchups – June 16, 2014

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Matchup Info				Career Matchup Stats
Batter	Pos	Game	Pitcher	AB	H	XBH	HR	RBI	BB	K	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS
L. Chisenhall	3B	CLE vs LAA 7:05PM	J. Weaver	12	5	1	1	2	0	6	.417	.417	.667	1.083
C. Santana	C	CLE vs LAA 7:05PM	J. Weaver	17	9	2	1	4	4	1	.529	.619	.765	1.384
A. Avila	C	DET vs KC 7:08PM	J. Vargas	11	3	3	2	4	1	3	.273	.333	.909	1.242
M. Cabrera	3B	DET vs KC 7:08PM	J. Vargas	13	4	3	1	3	5	2	.308	.500	.692	1.192
I. Kinsler	2B	DET vs KC 7:08PM	J. Vargas	50	16	8	2	5	3	2	.320	.370	.560	.930
B. Butler	DH	KC @ DET 7:08PM	J. Verlander	74	32	6	2	11	8	10	.432	.494	.568	1.062
S. Perez	C	KC @ DET 7:08PM	J. Verlander	27	12	8	1	10	0	4	.444	.414	.815	1.229
D. Uggla	2B	ATL vs PHI 7:10PM	C. Hamels	62	9	5	3	6	7	22	.145	.239	.323	.562
J. Rollins	SS	PHI @ ATL 7:10PM	J. Teheran	13	5	2	1	2	1	0	.385	.429	.692	1.121
C. Utley	2B	PHI @ ATL 7:10PM	J. Teheran	10	4	0	0	0	0	2	.400	.400	.400	.800
B. Zobrist	2B	TB vs BAL 7:10PM	W. Chen	25	10	2	1	3	2	5	.400	.444	.560	1.004
M. Prado	3B	ARI vs MIL 9:40PM	W. Peralta	10	4	0	0	0	0	0	.400	.400	.400	.800
L. Overbay	1B	MIL @ ARI 9:40PM	B. McCarthy	12	6	2	0	1	3	0	.500	.600	.667	1.267
J. Lowrie	SS	OAK vs TEX 10:05PM	C. Lewis	12	4	1	1	2	0	2	.333	.333	.583	.917

Matchup Info				Career Matchup Stats
Batter	Pos	Game	Pitcher	AB	H	XBH	HR	RBI	BB	K	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS

Hot Pitcher Matchups – June 16, 2014

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Matchup Info		Career Stats Allowed To Batters On Opposing Team
Pitcher	Game	AB	H	XBH	HR	RBI	BB	K	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS
Cole Hamels	PHI @ ATL 7:10PM	213	43	20	8	14	14	63	.202	.253	.369	.622
Julio Teheran	ATL vs PHI 7:10PM	68	14	4	2	3	3	12	.206	.239	.341	.580

Matchup Info		Career Stats Allowed To Batters On Opposing Team
Pitcher	Game	AB	H	XBH	HR	RBI	BB	K	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS

Cold Batter Matchups – June 16, 2014

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Matchup Info				Career Matchup Stats
Batter	Pos	Game	Pitcher	AB	H	XBH	HR	RBI	BB	K	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS
M. Bourn	OF	CLE vs LAA 7:05PM	J. Weaver	10	1	0	0	0	0	5	.100	.100	.100	.200
J. Kipnis	2B	CLE vs LAA 7:05PM	J. Weaver	15	2	2	0	0	2	3	.133	.235	.267	.502
D. Murphy	OF	CLE vs LAA 7:05PM	J. Weaver	55	8	4	1	4	5	12	.145	.213	.255	.468
R. Davis	OF	DET vs KC 7:08PM	J. Vargas	15	3	1	0	0	1	4	.200	.250	.267	.517
A. Jackson	OF	DET vs KC 7:08PM	J. Vargas	20	4	1	0	1	0	4	.200	.190	.250	.440
L. Cain	OF	KC @ DET 7:08PM	J. Verlander	12	3	0	0	1	0	3	.250	.250	.250	.500
A. Escobar	SS	KC @ DET 7:08PM	J. Verlander	45	9	2	0	2	2	5	.200	.250	.244	.494
A. Gordon	OF	KC @ DET 7:08PM	J. Verlander	70	14	6	2	5	9	24	.200	.291	.343	.634
M. Moustakas	3B	KC @ DET 7:08PM	J. Verlander	39	6	1	1	3	1	9	.154	.175	.231	.406
R. Doumit	C	ATL vs PHI 7:10PM	C. Hamels	15	3	2	0	0	1	2	.200	.250	.333	.583
C. Johnson	3B	ATL vs PHI 7:10PM	C. Hamels	15	5	1	0	1	0	6	.333	.333	.400	.733
B. Upton	OF	ATL vs PHI 7:10PM	C. Hamels	11	0	0	0	0	1	2	.000	.083	.000	.083
J. Upton	OF	ATL vs PHI 7:10PM	C. Hamels	23	7	2	1	1	0	8	.304	.304	.478	.783
D. Ross	C	BOS vs MIN 7:10PM	K. Correia	15	3	1	0	0	1	5	.200	.250	.267	.517
C. McGehee	3B	MIA vs CHC 7:10PM	J. Hammel	12	2	0	0	0	0	0	.167	.167	.167	.333
Y. Escobar	SS	TB vs BAL 7:10PM	W. Chen	12	1	1	0	0	0	0	.083	.083	.167	.250
D. Jennings	OF	TB vs BAL 7:10PM	W. Chen	20	3	1	0	0	2	1	.150	.227	.200	.427
E. Longoria	3B	TB vs BAL 7:10PM	W. Chen	15	3	0	0	1	1	4	.200	.250	.200	.450
S. Rodriguez	SS	TB vs BAL 7:10PM	W. Chen	15	2	2	1	2	2	2	.133	.235	.400	.635
C. Crisp	OF	OAK vs TEX 10:05PM	C. Lewis	22	4	0	0	1	4	4	.182	.308	.182	.490

Matchup Info				Career Matchup Stats
Batter	Pos	Game	Pitcher	AB	H	XBH	HR	RBI	BB	K	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS

Cold Pitcher Matchups – June 16, 2014

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Matchup Info		Career Stats Allowed To Batters On Opposing Team
Pitcher	Game	AB	H	XBH	HR	RBI	BB	K	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS
Jason Vargas	KC @ DET 7:08PM	162	44	21	6	17	15	27	.272	.336	.482	.818

Matchup Info		Career Stats Allowed To Batters On Opposing Team
Pitcher	Game	AB	H	XBH	HR	RBI	BB	K	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS

Jordy Mercer, SS, PIT - During the season's first two months, Mercer was in the friendly side of a platoon at shortstop with Clint Barmes, yet the former emerged from May with a .225/.244/.350 line. Mercer's first appearance in June went swimmingly -- he bashed a solo homer and RBI single to go with four runs scored in a 4-for-5 performance -- and he hasn't relinquinshed the gig in the meantime. Despite going 3-for-his-last-18, he boasts a .320/.340/.540 slash line with three home runs, nine RBI, and 11 runs scored this month, strengthening his place in manager Clint Hurdle's mind over Barmes, for now. With nearly triple the at-bats of Barmes -- 200 versus 72 through Sunday's action -- Mercer is clearly the favored option and should warrant more than 7.0 percent ownership in ESPN formats.

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DraftStreet Value Picks

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3B - Aramis Ramirez, MIL ($5,874)
OF - Torii Hunter, DET ($5,907)
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