Pittsburgh Pirates infielder Ke'Bryan Hayes is not in the starting lineup for Thursday's series opener against right-hander Miles Mikolas and the St. Louis Cardinals.
Hayes extended his hitting streak to five games on Wednesday and now he is getting a rare breather as the Pirates open up a home set with the Cardinals. Wilmer Difo is replacing Hayes on the hot corner and hitting fifth.
numberFire’s models project Difo for 7.6 FanDuel points and he has a $2,100 salary on Thursday’s slate. Per our MLB Heat Map, the Pirates have an implied total of 4.0 runs. Mikolas is registering a 21.6 strikeout percentage and an 8.1 walk percentage this season, with a 3.54 xERA and a .289 xwOBA.
Source: Baseball Press