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Every once in a while, we'll have a week where a team or two gets to play eight games.
Obviously, it's unusual with only seven days in a week, but on those occasions when a rainout is rescheduled for a week with no off days, boom, you get eight.
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Remember all those rainouts back in April? They're coming home to roost in Week 16 (July 9-15), when a whopping six teams are in line to play eight games.
That's good news for all the hitters on those teams, even if some of those eight games happen to be against high-end pitchers. An extra chance against a good pitcher is still better than no chance at all. That's not to say the Orioles, Brewers, Mets, Yankees, Phillies and Pirates are all in the top five matchups for this week, but they'd all be in the top 10.
And if you own Nelson Cruz, you may need to turn to one of those teams' hitters as a replacement. The Mariners will spend half of this week in an NL park, and considering their primary DH hasn't logged a single inning in the outfield this season, he'll likely have to come off the bench in those games.
Here are 10 potential fill-ins, all owned in less than 80 percent of CBS Sports leagues.
Brandon Nimmo has certainly scuffled of late, but considering he's still the 14th-best outfielder in points leagues since becoming a regular May 9, it's probably not enough reason to sit him — much less drop him, as some owners have. All eight of the pitchers the Mets are facing are righties, against whom he has a .972 OPS
The Astros aren't among the teams playing eight games this week, but they are playing seven against some of the worst the Athletics and Tigers have to offer. And Yuli Gurriel seems to have regained his power stroke after a hand injury sapped him of his strength early, batting .341 (15 for 44) with four homers over his past 11 games.
Brett Gardner is still the Yankees' preferred leadoff man against right-handed pitchers, and they're looking at eight of them this week. It's the toughest matchups among the teams with eight games, but he'll have an abundance of at-bats and scoring chances nonetheless.
Gregory Polanco is the best of what's available on the Pirates, so we'll make him their representative in what should be a fruitful week with three games against the back of the Nationals rotation and five against the Brewers rotation. He hasn't done much in July yet, but he's batting .358 (19 for 53) with four homers over his past 18 games.
Like Gurriel, Josh Reddick is poised to do big damage against pitchers like Frankie Montas, Chris Bassitt, Edwin Jackson, Mike Fiers and Francisco Liriano this week. He has homered twice already in July and is batting .358 (19 for 53) over his past 14 games.
Regarded as a lefty masher last year, Albert Almora has spread the love this year, batting about .330 with an OPS over .800 against both righties and lefties. So while it's nice the Cubs are facing three lefties in their six games this week, it's even nicer that they're facing questionables from the Giants and Padres rotations.
Matt Adams came off the DL with four hits Thursday and has become known for doing major damage in a short period of time over the past couple years. He may start only six of the Nationals' seven games this week, given the one lefty on the schedule, but they're against some of the worse the Pirates and Mets have to offer.
Wilmer Flores has served as the Mets primary first baseman since returning from the DL June 15, and the numbers pretty much explain why. He has hit .304 with four homers and an .899 OPS in 20 games. He's highly available in CBS Sports leagues for the Mets' eight-game week, and the surplus of right-handers shouldn't be a problem seeing as he's batting .290 with an .880 OPS against righties this year.
The Mark Trumbo recommendation hasn't worked out so far in Week 15 (July 2-8), and that's the danger in streaming an all-or-nothing hitter. He might just go the nothing route on those occasions when you choose to activate him. But with the Orioles set for eight games this week, he'll have plenty of chances to deliver. He only needs to go yard twice to make it worth your while.
Much like Flores in that he's a part-timer who has been getting every day at-bats of late, Brad Miller has been sort of the Brewers' good luck charm since they acquired him from the Rays, batting .317 (13 for 41) with two homers and a .914 OPS in 13 games. I don't necessarily expect it to last, but the Brewers have the best matchups of all the teams playing eight games this week. Plus, he's triple-eligible.
Best hitter matchups for Week 16
1. Brewers @MIA3, @PIT5
2. Phillies @NYM4, @BAL1, @MIA3
3. Orioles NYY4, PHI1, TEX3
4. Pirates WAS3, @MIL5
5. Astros OAK4, DET3
Worst hitter matchups for Week 16
1. Reds @CLE3, @STL3
2. Braves TOR2, ARI3
3. Athletics @HOU4, @SF3
4. Tigers @TB3, @HOU3
5. Blue Jays @ATL2, @BOS4
