Chris Landers shares their top picks on DraftKings Sportsbook for Dodgers-Rays on Sunday, May 28th.
Two of baseball’s best wrap up a there-game weekend set in an early start on Sunday morning, as the Los Angeles Dodgers take on the Tampa Bay Rays. First pitch is set for 11:35 a.m. ET at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. It’ll be a battle of top prospects on the mound, as Gavin Stone (0-0, 10.13 ERA) will look to keep a spot in the Dodgers rotation after a bumpy start while Taj Bradley (3-1, 4.44) gets the ball for Tampa Bay.
[Sentence about current odds at DraftKings Sportsbook]
Dodgers-Rays picks: Sunday, May 28
Injury report
Dodgers
Out: RP Tyler Cyr (shoulder), SP Julio Urias (hamstring), SP Dustin May (elbow), SP Michael Grove (groin), SP Ryan Pepiot (oblique), SP Jimmy Nelson (elbow), 2B Gavin Lux (knee), RP Daniel Hudson (knee), RP Blake Treinen (shoulder), SP Walker Buehler (elbow), RP JP Feyereisen (shoulder), RP Alex Reyes (shoulder)
Rays
Out: RP Zack Littell (shoulder), SP Drew Rasmussen (forearm), RP Garrett Cleavinger (knee), RP Jeffrey Springs (elbow), SP Tyler Glasnow (oblique), RP Shawn Armstrong (neck), SP Shane Baz (elbow), RP Andrew Kittredge (elbow)
Starting pitchers
Gavin Stone vs. Taj Bradley
Stone entered the year as one of the top pitching prospects in baseball, but he’s struggled mightily in two starts since injuries forced him into the Dodgers rotation. The righty has allowed ten runs (nine earned) on 13 hits and a whopping seven walks in just eight innings, and while it’s obviously far too early to draw any conclusions about his potential, he’s given little reason to believe that he’s ready to go up against the Majors’ strongest offenses. Stone’s best pitch is his changeup, which tore up the Minors and which he’s thrown nearly 40% of the time as a big leaguer, but neither his fastball nor his slider offer anything that can keep hitters — especially lefties — from keying on it.
Bradley carried similar expectations and prospect pedigree, but he’s looked much more comfortable so far at the Major League level. The righty is coming off a bumpy start against the Toronto Blue Jays last time out, allowing four runs on nine hits in four innings, but he was sensational in three April starts, and 34 strikeouts in just 24.1 innings suggest his stuff is easily big-league quality. Bradley elevates his mid-90s fastball well, setting up a curveball that’s carried a strong 33.3% whiff rate so far this year.
Over/Under pick
Pick:
Moneyline pick
It’s just impossible to back Stone until we’ve actually seen him have success at the Major League level, and given how little he has to offer outside of his changeup, I’m not sure that success will come any time soon — and certainly not against Tampa’s league-best offense on the road.
Pick: Rays