All the way back on June 3, Kyle Tucker ($5,300) fouled a ball off his shin and was forced to leave the game. At first, the team announced it was a shin contusion, but recently, general manager Dana Brown said that the team suspects there was “some type of small fracture” that has caused his recovery to take so long.
After missing three months, Tucker has been activated for the Astros with time to get ramped up for the postseason. Tucker played 60 games before the injury and hit .266 with 19 homers, 10 stolen bases and a .413 wOBA.
He will hit cleanup and DH in the heart of Houston’s order on Friday night as they start their series against the Diamondbacks. Alex Bregman (elbow) is not in the lineup. He played Wednesday and Thursday after a four-game absence. Bregman continues to battle a lingering elbow issue.
The Astros are -185 on the moneyline on Friday night with Framber Valdez ($9,600) going against Brandon Pfaadt ($8,400). Pfaadt is a righty, so Tucker will be on the strong side of his splits. Fourteen of his 19 home runs have come against righties, who he has hit at a .294 clip against with a .448 wOBA this season.
While Tucker was sidelined, the Astros took command of the AL West and are -2500 to win the division. They are +425 to win the American League and +900 to win the World Series.
All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
The Crown Is Yours: Sign up for DraftKings and experience the ultimate host for games and betting experiences!
I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is z.thompson) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
