Nationals' Keibert Ruiz catching Thursday

Washington Nationals catcher Keibert Ruiz is in the starting lineup for Thursday's series opener against right-hander Luis Castillo and the Cincinnati Reds.

What It Means:

Ruiz is returning to the lineup to replace Alex Avila behind the plate and hit sixth.

Keibert has a $2,100 salary on Thursday and numberFire's models project him for 8.2 FanDuel points. Per our MLB Heat Map, the Nationals have an implied total of 3.8 runs. Castillo is registering a 24.0 strikeout percentage and a 9.2 walk percentage this season, with a 3.61 xERA and a .291 xwOBA.