Cincinnati Reds outfielder Will Benson is not in the lineup for Thursday afternoon's series finale against left-hander Clayton Kershaw and the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The left-handed hitting Benson will sit versus the Dodgers' southpaw. He went 2-for-5 with a walk-off homer and 2 RBI on Wednesday night. Spencer Steer, Jose Barrero, and TJ Hopkins will start across the outfield for the Reds on Thursday afternoon. Kevin Newman will reclaim the leadoff role from Benson. Curt Casali will catch for Graham Ashcraft and hit ninth. Tyler Stephenson will be the Reds' designated hitter.
Per numberFire's MLB Heat Map, the Reds' implied total is 4.15 and the game total is 10.0. Kershaw has a 3.25 ERA and 3.59 xERA this season, with a 33.9% hard-hit rate, 30.0% strikeout rate, and 6.1% walk rate. Our models project Newman ($2,700) for 8.3 FanDuel points.
Source: Baseball Press