We need to talk about interleague play.
There's a lot of it this week -- and for teams with DHs we actually care about.
Which isn't to say Hanley Ramirez, Albert Pujols, Carlos Beltran, Evan Gattis and Kendrys Morales won't play at all. Well, Morales might not. He's dealing with a hamstring strain and has already missed enough games that you have to wonder if a DL stint is in order. This is all the more incentive to sit him.
The Blue Jays and the Red Sox each play just two games in an NL park, but Ramirez's first try at first base Wednesday went so poorly, with him leaving because of back spasms, that I'm counting on him starting only four games this week. Pujols got a turn at first base Thursday to warm him up for the Angels' three-game series at the Mets, so you may not have to worry as much about him, but Beltran and Gattis, who are already competing for time at DH, would each be lucky to start more than one of the Astros' three games at the Marlins.
Considering none of those five hitters is tearing the cover off the ball right now anyway, I'd be comfortable sitting any of them for one of this group of sleeper hitters, all owned in less than 80 percent of CBS Sports leagues.
Aaron Altherr
NYM • LF • #23
last eight games
Nobody likes chasing streaks, and you've probably missed the best portion of this one. But I still don't see how you bench Aaron Altherr with the way he's swinging the bat right now, especially with matchups against the worst parts of the Rangers and Pirates rotations this week.
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Zack Cozart
SF • SS
last eight games
Of course, Zack Cozart is a living example of why chasing the streak isn't always a bad idea. He has been stringing together multi-hit games all season long and gets to beat up on the Rockies rotation for four games this week.
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Yonder Alonso
1B
2017 season
BA.303
HR11
RBI27
OPS1.076
AB99
The Athletics face three left-handers this week, which isn't Yonder Alonso's forte, but I wouldn't feel right leaving him off this list seeing as he's less than 80 percent owned and in a different class from these next seven schlubs. He's basically must-start for me.
Ryon Healy
TB • 3B • #45
2017 vs. LHP
BA0.400
HR3
2B4
OPS1.204
AB35
Now here's someone who can take advantage of all those lefties the Athletics are facing in their seven games this week. Of course, Ryon Healy has been a frequent visitor to this list, and it has rarely gone well. Maybe the splits are the secret.
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Jayson Werth
LF
last six games
Jayson Werth is swinging a hot bat and has somehow gotten shortchanged in RBI batting in the middle of the best lineup in baseball, keeping his ownership low. Chad Kuhl, R.A. Dickey, Bartolo Colon and Jaime Garcia make for some hittable foes.
Brandon Drury
LAA • 2B • #23
last 13 games
BA0.362
HR2
2B6
OPS1.005
AB47
If Brandon Drury is just starting to heat up, it's at a good time. The Diamondbacks face Tommy Milone, Jered Weaver, Luis Perdomo and Clayton Richard in their six games this week.
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Josh Reddick
ARI • RF • #22
last eight games
Josh Reddick has historically done all his damage against right-handed pitchers, and for the third straight week, that's mostly what the Astros are facing -- in all six of their games, actually. As well as it's gone in the first two, why change course?
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Max Kepler
MIN • RF • #26
2017 vs. RHP
OK, so recommending Max Kepler against a bunch of righties this past week didn't go so well, but considering the Twins are facing the hittable Rockies and Royals rotations this week (five righties in six games), it's worth another go.
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Mike Napoli
CLE • 1B • #32
last 10 games
The danger in owning Mike Napoli is that if you don't catch him at the front end of a hot streak, you can miss a month's worth of production over the span of one week. Here's hoping Thursday's two-homer game was the start of something.
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Jeimer Candelario
CIN • 3B • #3
2017 minors
BA0.340
HR4
2B12
OBP.443
OPS1.093
Even if the impetus was a Jason Heyward injury, the Cubs called Jeimer Candelario up to play, and sure enough, he was in the starting lineup for a third straight game Friday. He keeps batting fourth or fifth, too, so even if he just walks like he did in the minors, he'll be useful.
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Best hitter matchups for Week 7
1. White Sox @LAA3, @SEA4
2. Dodgers @SF3, MIA4
3. Twins COL3, KC3
4. Blue Jays ATL2, @ATL2, @BAL3
5. Padres MIL4, ARI3
Worst hitter matchups for Week 7
1. Marlins HOU3, @LAD4
2. Rays @CLE3, NYY3
3. Cardinals BOS2, SF3
4. Pirates WAS3, PHI3
5. Braves @TOR2, TOR2, WAS3
