The Los Angeles Dodgers battle the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday in a matchup of the two best teams in the National League.
The game could mark the return of Bryce Harper, who is never shy about making an impact in big games.
I'm also backing two more hitters: Yandy Diaz and Ceddanne Rafaela.
So, let's dive into our MLB player props for Tuesday July 9 — featuring picks for Harper, Diaz, and Rafaela.
MLB Player Props: Tuesday, July 9
- Bryce Harper Over 1.5 Total Bases (-115, DraftKings)
- Yandy Diaz Over 1.5 Hits + Runs + RBIs (-155, DraftKings)
- Ceddanne Rafaela Over 0.5 RBIs (+155, DraftKings)
As of publish, Bryce Harper has not been officially confirmed for Tuesday's game.
However, manager Rob Thompson said he was "in play" to be activated from the IL. His props are listed across most sportsbooks, indicating he should play.
Before Harper went on the IL with a hamstring injury, he was working on a 13-game hitting streak, posting eight doubles and six home runs during the stretch. As a result, he has recorded total bases in 10 of his last 13 games, averaging 3.7 total bases per game.
If Harper plays, he will face Bobby Miller, who Harper is 0-for-2 with a walk again in three plate appearances. However, those all came last year, when Miller was making his fourth career start and had a much better rookie season.
This year, Miller has struggled through injuries. He has worked only 25 innings across six starts with a 6.12 ERA and 1.60 WHIP. He has a 9.64 ERA in 14 innings on the road, and he's allowed a triple, three home runs, and a .912 OPS to left-handed hitters.
Harper has hit 13 of his 20 home runs off right-handed pitchers this season, including 14 at Citizens Bank. He is hitting .333 at home and .330 in night games.
Additionally, this series may be a preview of the NLCS, and both sides will be looking to send a message. If the Phillies get a playoff version of Harper (11 home runs the last two postseasons) fresh off the IL, he will very likely have two total bases tonight.
The Yankees have lost 16 of their 22 games, including each of Carlos Rodon's last four starts.
Rodon's ERA has swelled from 2.93 to 4.45 in that span. His struggles in the first inning have had a lot to do with that, as he has allowed 11 earned runs in the first frame in his last four starts.
The first batter he will see tonight will be Yandy Diaz, who is 4-for-8 with a double, home run, and three runs batted in over his last two games.
Diaz has pulled back a bit after earning his first All-Star appearance last season, hitting .270 on the year entering Tuesday. However, he is still feasting on left-handed pitching, hitting .326 against the side this season and .307 against them in his career. He is also 3-for-9 with a home run and three runs batted in against Rodon.
Diaz has hit this line in 20 of his last 30 games overall and 23 of his past 36 games against the Yankees.
If Rodon's struggles in the first inning continue, Diaz may hit this line early if he gets a hit and comes around to score. If he starts the night with an out, he'll still have three or four more appearances to cash our prop.
In his first full season in the big leagues, Cedanne Rafaela has primarily batted ninth in the Red Sox lineup.
But don't tell him that. He has produced like a middle-of-the-order this season, particularly lately.
Rafaela has more RBIs than any Red Sox bat save Rafael Devers. Devers and Rafaela each homered on Sunday when Boston won a series against the Yankees.
With that home run, Rafaela has recorded an RBI in four of his past six games, driving in nine runs during the stretch. He has a hit in five of his past six games, including three home runs. He is +560 to hit a home run on FanDuel tonight.
Oakland will send fellow rookie Joey Estes to the mound, who is off a complete game shutout in his last start. However, that was against the hapless Angels. It was also at home, where he has a 1.91 ERA. Estes has a 7.00 ERA in six road starts, which includes allowing six earned runs at Minnesota and eight at Houston. He is also allowing a .282 opposing batting average on the road.
That means Boston should have several men on base tonight against Estes. If a few get on in front of Rafaela, he will have a chance to drive them in — that is if he doesn't drive himself in with a homer.
