{"id":699785,"date":"2026-06-12T13:37:08","date_gmt":"2026-06-12T13:37:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/699785\/"},"modified":"2026-06-12T13:37:08","modified_gmt":"2026-06-12T13:37:08","slug":"mlb-lineup-report-royce-lewis-multi-position-opportunity-kyle-stowers-at-first-base","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/699785\/","title":{"rendered":"MLB Lineup Report: Royce Lewis’ multi-position opportunity, Kyle Stowers at first base"},"content":{"rendered":"

This week has featured more big-league debuts, more IL stints, and more lineup shuffling. Let’s break it all down.<\/p>\n

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Geraldo Perdomo<\/a> was recently dropped to the bottom half of the lineup after hitting inside the top three in every game through June 3. Pavin Smith<\/a> returned from the IL in June and has been the primary DH against righties. Tommy Troy is the primary left fielder with Lourdes Gurriel Jr.<\/a> sidelined.<\/p>\n

Athletics<\/p>\n

Lawrence Butler<\/a> still isn’t an everyday player, even against righties. Henry Bolte isn’t one either, but he’s starting far more often than Butler. Carlos Cortes<\/a> remains in a strict platoon but draws a premium lineup slot (typically 1-4) against RHP. Zack Gelof<\/a> has started every game since May 3.<\/p>\n

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They’ve faced one lefty and one righty since Ronald Acu\u00f1a Jr.<\/a> landed on the IL. Michael Harris led off against the righty, with Mauricio Dub\u00f3n<\/a> getting the role against the southpaw. Austin Riley<\/a> hasn’t hit higher than fifth since May 18. Dominic Smith<\/a> has been locked in at DH against righties for weeks.<\/p>\n

Adley Rutschman and Samuel Basallo<\/a> both returned from minor injuries on Thursday. Colton Cowser<\/a> has become an everyday player against righties, which wasn’t the case until recently. Coby Mayo<\/a> still isn’t starting every game, but the trend is in the right direction. Jeremiah Jackson<\/a>‘s playing time has evaporated in June. Overall, the Orioles seem to be consolidating playing time more than they did to open the season.<\/p>\n

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Jarren Duran<\/a> has hit leadoff in every game since May 1. Mickey Gasper<\/a> has overtaken Carlos Narv\u00e1ez<\/a> as the starting catcher. Caleb Durbin<\/a> has started every game since May 28 after starting just three of the previous nine.<\/p>\n

Pete Crow-Armstrong moved up to leadoff (second against lefties) on May 23 and hasn’t looked back. They’ve been remarkably consistent with their starting nine.<\/p>\n

Braden Montgomery has started all three games in right field since his call-up. Sam Antonacci (vs. RHP) and Chase Meidroth<\/a> (vs. LHP) are still splitting the leadoff role. Jacob Gonzalez has started 8 of 11 since being called up.<\/p>\n

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JJ Bleday has started every game since April 29. Blake Dunn<\/a> has been the primary leadoff option, though it isn’t an exclusive role. Noelvi Marte<\/a> has started four of seven since being recalled from Triple-A. Edwin Arroyo<\/a> has started six of nine since his call-up. Matt McLain<\/a> is handling shortstop with Elly De La Cruz<\/a> sidelined.<\/p>\n

Steven Kwan<\/a> is still hitting in the bottom third of the lineup. Brayan Rocchio<\/a> has missed only three games this year. Travis Bazzana leads off against righties and hits fourth or fifth against lefties.<\/p>\n

Cole Carrigg has manned center field in all three games since debuting, batting sixth or seventh. Jake McCarthy<\/a> leads off against right-handers; Willi Castro<\/a> does so against southpaws.<\/p>\n

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Gleyber Torres<\/a> has returned from the IL and hit 1-3 in every game since. Colt Keith<\/a> has been dropped in the order against righties as a result. Dillon Dingler<\/a> has sat just once since May 3.<\/p>\n

Jose Altuve is back from the IL and hitting fifth. Christian Walker<\/a> and Isaac Paredes<\/a> are hitting 3-4 after all the offseason hand-wringing about whether there would be enough playing time to go around. Carlos Correa<\/a>‘s injury changed that calculus. Yordan Alvarez<\/a> has missed only one game this season. Joey Loperfido<\/a> is back from Triple-A, seemingly to platoon with Brice Matthews<\/a> in left field.<\/p>\n

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Jac Caglianone is on fire and has started against each of the past five lefties he’s had the opportunity to face. Carter Jensen<\/a> leads off against righties with Lane Thomas<\/a> getting the job against left-handers. Michael Massey<\/a> and Nick Loftin<\/a> are platooning at second base.<\/p>\n

Wade Meckler<\/a> hits third against righties with Vaughn Grissom<\/a> sidelined. Trey Mancini<\/a> has started at first base in two of the past three games since his recall. The depth in this lineup wasn’t strong to open the season, and it’s really hurting without Grissom, Jorge Soler<\/a>, and Yo\u00e1n Moncada<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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All eyes are on whether Shohei Ohtani<\/a> is in Friday’s lineup after he exited Thursday with knee inflammation. Andy Pages<\/a> has hit second or third in each of his starts since May 26. Mookie Betts<\/a> has been at cleanup since the same date. Kyle Tucker<\/a> has mostly batted fifth or sixth lately. Ryan Ward and Alex Call<\/a> share a left field platoon.<\/p>\n

Kyle Stowers<\/a> is up to five games (four starts) at first base, cutting into Connor Norby<\/a>‘s recent opportunities. Xavier Edwards<\/a> has oscillated between leadoff and cleanup this season, which shifts the balance between runs and RBI opportunities. Joe Mack ranks 15th in plate appearances among primary catchers since his debut.<\/p>\n

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Andrew Vaughn remains the odd man out against righties but continues to mix in. David Hamilton<\/a> is consolidating the shortstop playing time versus right-handers. Gary S\u00e1nchez<\/a>‘s playing time has cratered since everyone got healthy.<\/p>\n

Royce Lewis<\/a> has started all five games since returning from Triple-A, three at first base and two at second. Brooks Lee<\/a> is sticking at third base while Tristan Gray<\/a> and Orlando Arcia<\/a> split shortstop. Kody Clemens<\/a> and Josh Bell<\/a> consistently hit 3-4.<\/p>\n

Some consistency has developed, with Mark Vientos<\/a> losing the most playing time. He has started once in their past seven games. Jared Young<\/a> is the primary cleanup option versus RHP.<\/p>\n

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Paul Goldschmidt<\/a> has been an everyday player since May 20 and is typically hitting inside the top three. Anthony Volpe<\/a> has started 10 of 15 at shortstop since Jose Caballero returned from the IL. Caballero has started 11 times in that span, but he’s back to moving around the diamond. Spencer Jones has been in the lineup against three of the four right-handers since his recall.<\/p>\n

The most consistent lineup of the past month now that Brandon Marsh<\/a> and Bryson Stott<\/a> start against the majority of southpaws. Derek Hill<\/a> was acquired from the White Sox on Thursday, possibly to platoon with Justin Crawford.<\/p>\n

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Konnor Griffin and Oneil Cruz<\/a> being sidelined puts a damper on MLB’s sixth-highest scoring offense. Spencer Horwitz<\/a> gets the leadoff role against RHP with Nick Gonzales<\/a> filling it against LHP. Jared Triolo<\/a> is the everyday shortstop with Griffin out. Marcell Ozuna<\/a>‘s playing time against righties has diminished lately.<\/p>\n

Gavin Sheets has started all but two games since May 8. Bryce Johnson<\/a>, Samad Taylor<\/a>, and Jase Bowen are getting corner-outfield reps with Ramon Laureano<\/a> on the IL and Nick Castellanos<\/a> having been designated for assignment.<\/p>\n

Bryce Eldridge has started 15 of 16, but he hasn’t hit higher than fifth this year. Casey Schmitt<\/a> has led off every game in June. Drew Gilbert<\/a> is sharing center field with Jonah Cox.<\/p>\n

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Colt Emerson has a chance to stick at shortstop with JP Crawford on the IL. Cole Young<\/a> has hit leadoff against righties in Crawford’s absence. Dominic Canzone<\/a> and Luke Raley<\/a> continue to mash in strong-side platoon roles.<\/p>\n

Lars Nootbaar<\/a> is back from the IL and hitting fifth versus RHP. He sat against the one southpaw they’ve faced since his return. Bryan Torres<\/a> has sat three straight with Nootbaar back. Nathan Church<\/a> is off the IL and playing center field with Victor Scott II<\/a> now at Triple-A.<\/p>\n

Cedric Mullins has started against seven of the past eight lefties they’ve seen. Ryan Vilade<\/a> and Austin Slater<\/a> are hitting in the top half of the order against southpaws.<\/p>\n

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Joc Pederson (vs. righties) and Wyatt Langford<\/a> (vs. lefties) are sharing leadoff duties. Evan Carter<\/a> is back to sitting against lefties now that Langford has returned. Ezequiel Duran<\/a> has started every game since April 29, bouncing between first base, second base, and right field since Corey Seager got healthy and reclaimed shortstop.<\/p>\n

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit leadoff on Tuesday, but that was a game George Springer<\/a> sat. Nathan Lukes<\/a> hits first or second against righties. Andr\u00e9s Gim\u00e9nez platoons at shortstop with Charles McAdoo. Against left-handers, McAdoo slides to second base with Ernie Clement<\/a> covering short.<\/p>\n

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Washington Nationals<\/p>\n

Curtis Mead still sits against the occasional righty, but he’s frequently used off the bench in those games. Luis Garc\u00eda Jr. gets the two-hole against righties. Daylen Lile<\/a> has missed only one game this year.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"This week has featured more big-league debuts, more IL stints, and more lineup shuffling. Let’s break it all…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":699786,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[65],"tags":[41070,8971,4701,2317,2111,142455,38784,371,289535,374,24068,58323,40895,253099,289534,104688,28629,63113,37405,261403,28647,142454,71312,172271,479,2318,109685,2319,2320,108398,163636,1230,158551,86976,101534,7953,201717,97917,158695,372,115094,98112,4287,38795,283829,7952,52755,104338,302769,237852,5460,169278,370,47126,10005,373,10094,39190,193021,49760,109906,28642,86975,36340,251752,142456,2321,87863,12941,10006,172017,7644,34396,302770,2322,2323,47124,106173,9892,36366,61431,133475,2324,107641,283832,2325,2326,363,4286,109350,380,1189,369,5530,216350,25923,38337,9882,66344,32033,193237,480,2240,52758,9884,25863,145049,163639,68200,2328,2329,481,3956,49763,99,1231,12948,974,2330,364,302771,201716,170849,265945,180941,26059,45450,42326,141737,30936,105280],"class_list":["post-699785","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-mlb","tag-alex-call","tag-andy-pages","tag-anthony-volpe","tag-arizona-diamondbacks","tag-atlanta-braves","tag-austin-riley","tag-austin-slater","tag-baltimore-orioles","tag-blake-dunn","tag-boston-red-sox","tag-brandon-marsh","tag-brayan-rocchio","tag-brice-matthews","tag-brooks-lee","tag-bryan-torres","tag-bryce-johnson","tag-bryson-stott","tag-caleb-durbin","tag-carlos-correa","tag-carlos-cortes","tag-carlos-narvaez","tag-carter-jensen","tag-casey-schmitt","tag-chase-meidroth","tag-chicago-cubs","tag-chicago-white-sox","tag-christian-walker","tag-cincinnati-reds","tag-cleveland-guardians","tag-coby-mayo","tag-cole-young","tag-colorado-rockies","tag-colt-keith","tag-colton-cowser","tag-connor-norby","tag-corey-seager","tag-david-hamilton","tag-daylen-lile","tag-derek-hill","tag-detroit-tigers","tag-dillon-dingler","tag-dominic-canzone","tag-dominic-smith","tag-drew-gilbert","tag-edwin-arroyo","tag-elly-de-la-cruz","tag-ernie-clement","tag-evan-carter","tag-everyday-player","tag-ezequiel-duran","tag-game","tag-gary-sanchez","tag-george-springer","tag-geraldo-perdomo","tag-gleyber-torres","tag-houston-astros","tag-il","tag-isaac-paredes","tag-jake-mccarthy","tag-jared-triolo","tag-jared-young","tag-jarren-duran","tag-jeremiah-jackson","tag-joey-loperfido","tag-jorge-soler","tag-josh-bell","tag-kansas-city-royals","tag-kody-clemens","tag-kyle-stowers","tag-kyle-tucker","tag-lane-thomas","tag-lars-nootbaar","tag-lawrence-butler","tag-leadoff-role","tag-los-angeles-angels","tag-los-angeles-dodgers","tag-lourdes-gurriel-jr","tag-luke-raley","tag-marcell-ozuna","tag-mark-vientos","tag-matt-mclain","tag-mauricio-dubon","tag-miami-marlins","tag-michael-massey","tag-mickey-gasper","tag-milwaukee-brewers","tag-minnesota-twins","tag-mlb","tag-mookie-betts","tag-nathan-church","tag-nathan-lukes","tag-new-york-mets","tag-new-york-yankees","tag-nick-castellanos","tag-nick-gonzales","tag-nick-loftin","tag-noelvi-marte","tag-oneil-cruz","tag-orlando-arcia","tag-paul-goldschmidt","tag-pavin-smith","tag-philadelphia-phillies","tag-pittsburgh-pirates","tag-ramon-laureano","tag-ronald-acuna-jr","tag-royce-lewis","tag-ryan-vilade","tag-samad-taylor","tag-samuel-basallo","tag-san-diego-padres","tag-san-francisco-giants","tag-seattle-mariners","tag-shohei-ohtani","tag-spencer-horwitz","tag-sports","tag-st-louis-cardinals","tag-steven-kwan","tag-tampa-bay-rays","tag-texas-rangers","tag-toronto-blue-jays","tag-trey-mancini","tag-tristan-gray","tag-vaughn-grissom","tag-victor-scott-ii","tag-wade-meckler","tag-willi-castro","tag-wyatt-langford","tag-xavier-edwards","tag-yoan-moncada","tag-yordan-alvarez","tag-zack-gelof"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/699785","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=699785"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/699785\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/699786"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=699785"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=699785"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=699785"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}