Seattle Mariners outfielder/first baseman/designated hitter Luke Raley and infielder Josh Rojas are both starting the game on the bench for Wednesday's series finale at Minute Maid Park against the division-rival Houston Astros with a left-hander on the mound. Justin Turner is making the start at first base and is batting fifth, while Dylan Moore will man the hot corner and bat out of the nine-hole against Astros left-hander Yusei Kikuchi. Turner has an RBI and is hitting .273 in 11 career at-bats against Kikuchi, while Moore has gone hitless against the southpaw in five career at-bats. Raley has reached the 20-homer mark for the first time in his career in 2024, but he's also hitting just .192 (14-for-73) with just two of his 21 long balls against lefties. Rojas has been even worse against lefties, going 8-for-58 (.138) with none of his eight home runs on the year.
Seattle Mariners second baseman Josh Rojas went 2-for-5 with a stolen base in Friday's 8-1 win over the Athletics. It was the 29-year-old's fifth multi-hit game in his last seven, going 13-for-30 (.433) during that stretch, including a double, a triple, and two stolen bases. The left-handed hitter is now slashing .351/.417/.526 on the season with a .413 wOBA and 175 wRC+. He may not hit for power but with the way he's hitting, walking (10.0%), and picking up a few stolen bases along the way, there should be plenty of run-scoring opportunities hitting leadoff. That is of course dependent on the rest of the Mariners lineup picking up the pace at the plate, as they lead the entire league in strikeouts as a team and they have the seventh-worst team batting average. Rojas could be a decent waiver add as he's eligible at both 2B and 3B for owners holding onto the likes of Gleyber Torres and Ke'Bryan Hayes.
Josh Rojas, Dylan Moore Expected To Platoon At Third Base
Seattle Mariners infielders Josh Rojas and Dylan Moore, who had been projected to split time at second base in 2024, will now likely shift their platoon to third base following a trade that sent Jorge Polanco to Seattle. More than two-thirds of Polanco's appearances last season came at second base, so he'll get first dibs on the keystone with the Mariners. That moves Rojas and Moore to the hot corner and presumably demotes Luis Urias, who was originally penciled into third base after being traded by the Red Sox. All in all, the Mariners would be wise to find playing time for Rojas and Moore, both of whom are above-average defenders.
Seattle Mariners infielder Josh Rojas is on the bench for Tuesday's game against left-hander Ken Waldichuk and the Oakland Athletics. He sat on Monday as well, which was also against a lefty, so it's clear the 29-year-old is in a platoon role. Since coming to Seattle, Rojas has been on fire, slashing .290/.333/.468 with three homers and four steals in 18 games. Jose Caballero will play instead and bat ninth. The rookie hasn't looked too good, struggling to a .234 batting average with just three bombs, 33 runs, and 24 RBI across 88 games, but he has swiped 25 bags. Fantasy managers should only stream Cabellero for stolen bases if it's a dire need.
Mariners Acquire Josh Rojas, Dominic Canzone From Arizona
The Seattle Mariners acquired infielder Josh Rojas, outfielder/first baseman Dominic Canzone and infielder Ryan Bliss from the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday in exchange for closer Paul Sewald, according to a source. Rojas could probably use a change of scenery after hitting a rough .228/.292/.296 with no homers, 26 RBI, six stolen bases and 23 runs scored for the D-backs in 189 at-bats this year. The 29-year-old could have a better shot at playing time in Seattle at second base alongside Kolten Wong and Jose Caballero. Canzone, Arizona's No. 19 prospect, has gone 9-for-38 (.237) with a homer, two doubles, eight RBI and four runs in his first 15 MLB games in 2023. Bliss, Arizona's No. 29 prospect, is a middle infielder that has hit .332 with 13 homers, 27 doubles, six triples, 51 RBI and 35 steals in 81 games with Double-A Amarillo and Triple-A Reno this year.
The Arizona Diamondbacks optioned infielder Josh Rojas to Triple-A Reno after Sunday's game. In a corresponding move, the D-backs recalled outfielder Alek Thomas from Reno. Rojas had fallen out of favor in Arizona's lineup of late and will now head to the farm to work on his offense. The 28-year-old left-handed-hitting infielder was sporting a disappointing .235 batting average (43-for-183) with 13 doubles, no home runs, 26 RBI, six stolen bases and 23 runs scored in 57 games and 210 plate appearances. Rojas should be back in Arizona eventually, but he can be dumped to the waiver wire in deep-mixed fantasy leagues for now. Emmanuel Rivera and Evan Longoria figure to split playing time at the hot corner in the desert moving forward.
Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Josh Rojas is absent from the lineup for Sunday's game against the Cleveland Guardians. Rojas has taken a step back after a solid 2022 season, batting .236 with no homers, 23 runs, 26 RBI, and six steals over 56 games. Emmanuel Rivera will take his spot at the hot corner and bat second. The 26-year-old has been hot with the bat, slashing .331/.369/.432 with one bomb, 23 runs, 17 RBI, and a stolen base across 36 contests. With Tanner Bibee on the mound for the Guardians, Rivera's .308 average against righties this year paired with his spot in the batting order makes him a solid streaming option in most formats.
Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Josh Rojas is not in the lineup for Tuesday's matchup with Kyle Freeland and the Colorado Rockies. The 28-year-old is batting .243 with no home runs and six steals this season and has sat most games against left-handers, so he'll take a seat with southpaw Freeland on the mound. Emmanuel Rivera will take his spot on the field and bat second. The 26-year-old's slashing .343/.370/.471 over 22 games and owns a career .275 batting average in the minors. He's not a starting third base option, but fantasy managers can stream Rivera for some batting average help.
Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Josh Rojas is not in the lineup for a second consecutive day as the club faces a lefty for the second game in a row in Jesus Luzardo and the Miami Marlins. The 28-year-old hasn't seen many southpaws this year and is hitting just .222 off them over 10 games, so it's safe to say he's in a platoon. Rojas' platoon mate Evan Longoria will take his place at third and bat fifth. The 16-year veteran isn't having the season he hoped for, slashing .197/.250/.364 with three homers, nine runs, and six RBI across 21 games. However, Longoria combined for a .799 OPS from 2021-2022 and has been solid against lefties, with a .270 batting average this year. Fantasy managers looking for a third-base option should feel comfortable streaming the three-time All-Star.
Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Josh Rojas is absent from Friday's starting lineup against the Colorado Rockies. It appears the left-handed slugger is going to get a routine rest day on Friday. This move makes sense considering the D-Backs are facing left-hander Kyle Freeland here. Evan Longoria will cover third base and bat fifth versus Freeland. DFS players might want to consider Longo as a dart throw for Friday's slate.
Luke Raley
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Mariners
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