Chicago Cubs outfielder Nelson Velazquez is not in the starting lineup for Friday afternoon's series opener against right-hander Graham Ashcraft and the Cincinnati Reds.
Christopher Morel will move to center field in place of Velazquez while Esteban Quiroz returns to play second base and bat leadoff.
Quiroz has a $5,000 salary on Friday's single-game slate and numberFire’s models project him for 8.5 FanDuel points. Per our MLB Heat Map, the Cubs’ implied total (3.83) is tied for No. 10 in the majors today. Among Friday's projected starters, Ashcraft has the second-lowest strikeout rate this season (15.6%).
Source: Baseball Press