St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Michael Siani is not in the team's starting lineup on Monday for the series opener on the road in Pittsburgh against the division-rival Pirates. In his absence, Lars Nootbaar will get the start in center field for the Red Birds and will bat in the six-hole against Pirates right-hander Mitch Keller. Alec Burleson is in right field and is batting second, Willson Contreras is the designated hitter and batting third, and Pedro Pages will do the catching and hit out of the nine-hole for St. Louis. Siani started all three games against the Braves over the weekend but will take a break to begin the new week. Aside from his speed (13 steals in 204 at-bats), the 25-year-old hasn't produced much for fantasy managers in NL-only leagues with a .235 average and 14 RBI. Nootbaar is an interesting DFS pick with a homer, two RBI and a .417 average in 12 career at-bats against Keller.
St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Michael Siani (elbow) is back in the starting lineup on Friday against the hosting Atlanta Braves and rookie right-hander Spencer Schwellenbach to open the second half of the season, playing center field and batting ninth. Siani will return to the team's lineup for the first time since being hit by a pitch on his elbow in the first game of a doubleheader last Saturday but had a chance to heal up during this week's All-Star break. The 25-year-old has been more useful to St. Louis for his defense in center field than for his bat with Tommy Edman (wrist) out all year. Siani is batting just .227/.263/.304 with a weak .568 OPS in his first full season in the big leagues. He has no business being rostered in mixed fantasy leagues with only two home runs and 14 RBI, but he can be useful for his speed (10 steals) in NL-only setups.
Michael Siani Continues Hot May With Homer, Four RBI
St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Michael Siani continued his strong offensive month in Monday's 6-3 win over the Orioles. Siani went 2-for-4 with a single, a three-run home run, four RBI, and a stolen base. The 24-year-old's season slash line leaves a lot to be desired, but he is now hitting .341 with five RBI and three stolen bases in 41 May at-bats. Siani is likely widely available in fantasy leagues, and while his batting average and stolen bases may be helpful in deeper roto leagues, the Cardinals' overall offensive struggles and his spot in the bottom of the lineup may not allow for many opportunities for additional counting stats.
St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Michael Siani will be on the team's Opening Day roster. Siani has had a solid spring, hitting .297 (11-for-37) with an RBI, nine runs, and a stolen base over 37 at-bats. The 24-year-old slashed .227/.347/.350 with nine home runs, 48 RBI, 69 runs, and 23 stolen bases over 118 games in Triple-A. The Cardinals are dealing with multiple injuries as Lars Nootbaar (ribs) and Tommy Edman (wrist) are expected to start the season on the injured list. Siani will likely come off the bench and be sent back down to the minors once Edman or Nootbaar return to action, making him mainly an NL-only option in fantasy.
Dylan Carlson, Victor Scott II, Michael Siani Competing For CF Job
St. Louis Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said that the Opening Day center field job is still open and he is not ready to name a starter in that spot yet. With Tommy Edman (wrist) set to open the season on the injured list after having surgery on his right wrist in the offseason, Dylan Carlson, Victor Scott II and Michael Siani are competing for the job. Carlson is getting the start in center field in the team's Grapefruit League game on Saturday and is the most likely candidate to see most of the playing time in center until Edman returns. The 25-year-old year-old Carlson also had offseason surgery on his ankle in September, but he's good to go and is gaining steam in deep-mixed leagues with Edman injured. Scott, 23, has plenty of speed to spare and has really impressed in spring training. Siani, 24, would be the long shot, but he could make the Opening Day roster out of camp as a fourth or fifth outfielder.
