Michael Mercado DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Orion Kerkering will serve as the opener on Sunday afternoon as the Phillies look to clinch a series victory over the Oakland Athletics. Right-hander Michael Mercado will operate in a bulk role. Zack Wheeler (back) was originally scheduled to take the mound on Sunday afternoon but the Phillies will opt to give their ace some more rest as he experienced lower-back tightness in his previous start. Kerkering will likely only be called upon to pitch the opening frame, as he never recorded more than five outs at a time this season. He is currently riding an eight-inning shutout streak. Mercado struggled in his previous outing against the Atlanta Braves on July 7 when he allowed five runs but looked much sharper in his previous outing, where he allowed only one run across five innings. Mercado could be a sneaky play in DFS this afternoon, as he should have a great opportunity to tally a win and a handful of punchouts against Oakland.