The Lineup Card

Welcome back to The Lineup Card, a new weekly article here at Prospects Live this season that will cover developments and changes related to playing time, lineup position, bullpen usage, and more. Time and again, it’s been shown that the most successful fantasy teams are the ones that accumulate the most playing time, and this article is here to help you clue in to playing time and usage trends that will allow you to make the smart pickups before your league mates see them coming.

The Lineup Card - Prospects LiveProspects LiveDavid Gofman

This week I’m trying something new: Rather than going through each team individually, I’ve compiled some of the more notable lineup trends across the league and written them up in greater detail. I’ve also labeled each one as either “Signal” or “Noise” to give my view on whether this is a trend that feels actionable, or whether it’s something that’s not worth moving on just yet.

Shohei Ohtani did not hit during Wednesday’s start against the Mets - SIGNAL

Photo Credit: Ross D. Franklin

On Wednesday night, for the first time since 2021, Shohei Ohtani took the mound without also being in the offensive lineup. Instead, it was Dalton Rushing who earned the start at DH following his white-hot start to the season (He also went 2-4 with another home run in Wednesday’s game). While one start by no means signifies a trend, there are a few reasons to think Ohtani may “merely” be a pitcher more often as the season rolls along. First, 2026 is Ohtani’s first full season pitching again since 2023, when he accumulated 132 innings during his final season with the Angels. As he continues to re-acclimate to the demands of sticking in the rotation for a full year, it makes perfect sense that the Dodgers would prioritize Ohtani’s work on the mound when he toes the rubber. Also, Ohtani will turn 32 in early July, and this may signal that LA will focus on keeping him fresh throughout the season as he gets older. The Dodgers showed last year that their top priority is having their top players fully healthy and peaking come playoff time, and there are no bonus points for wearing Ohtani out in April. One interesting wrinkle to monitor here, if this does become a trend, is who will be behind the plate when Ohtani pitches. With Ohtani out of the DH spot, it’s logical to think that Will Smith could get a reprieve from behind the plate; however, he appears to be Ohtani’s preferred battery mate, which explains Rushing at DH on Wednesday. Something to monitor as the season goes on.

Gary Sanchez is the primary DH in Milwaukee- SIGNAL

Photo Credit: Matt Freed

It seems like a lifetime ago when Gary Sanchez was putting up 30+ home run seasons in the Bronx, and he’s become a bit of a journeyman since leaving the Yankees after the 2021 season. Sanchez’s return to Milwaukee marks the fifth straight season where he started the year with a different team than he ended the previous season with, and he’s made quite the second impression with his new club (he played for the Brewers in 2024). It goes without saying that Sanchez can’t possibly keep this pace up, and the small sample data reinforces that: 5 of his 9 hits have gone for home runs, and he’s hit for a .273 average while putting up just a .235 BABIP. But while Sanchez came into the season seemingly locked in as a bench bat, his sizzling start, coupled with injuries to Andrew Vaughn and now Christian Yelich, has opened up a lane for everyday at-bats. Not just that, but while he continues to swing a hot bat, the Brewers have hit him cleanup, further adding to his value for fantasy managers. For the time being, Sanchez appears to be a screaming value for those who took a flyer on him early this season.

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