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Ryan Mountcastle 1B | BAL
Orioles' Ryan Mountcastle: Minimum IL stint possible
Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said Saturday he believes Mountcastle (shoulder) will be able to return from the injured list when first eligible, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.
Mountcastle landed on the 10-day IL last Wednesday (retroactive to Sept. 17) with inflammation in his left shoulder. He stood in and took pitches during a Felix Bautista (elbow) bullpen session Saturday, and the first baseman has begun fielding grounders as well. Mountcastle won't be eligible to return from the injured list until Wednesday, but it's encouraging to see him trending in the right direction.
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Alex Kirilloff LF | MIN
Twins' Alex Kirilloff: Not starting Saturday
Kirilloff will be on the bench for Saturday's game against the Angels, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com reports.
The Twins made several changes to the lineup after clinching a playoff berth Friday night, though Kirilloff may have been on the bench either way with lefty Kenny Rosenberg starting for Los Angeles. Jordan Luplow gets the start at first base.
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Jared Walsh 1B | CHW
Angels' Jared Walsh: Belts fourth homer
Walsh went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run against the Twins in a loss Friday.
Walsh took Minnesota starter Pablo Lopez deep to right field for a two-run shot in the fifth inning. It was Walsh's fourth long ball of the campaign, three of which have come since returning Sept. 15 from a nearly three-month stay in the minors. Aside from the power output, the veteran has struggled since rejoining the Angels, slashing .208/.240/.583 with a 52 percent strikeout rate and no walks over 25 plate appearances.
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Alex Kirilloff LF | MIN
Twins' Alex Kirilloff: Drives in three runs
Kirilloff went 1-for-2 with a home run and three RBI in Friday's win over the Angels.
Kirilloff's solo shot in the sixth inning sparked a five-run surge for the Angels. He also had sacrifice flies in the fourth and seventh frames. He has two home runs in his last three games after snapping a 15-game drought. Kirilloff is slashing .267/.343/.439 with 24 extra-base hits and 38 RBI through 81 games.
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Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 1B | TOR
Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero: Returns to lineup
Guerrero (knee) is starting at designated hitter and batting third Friday against Tampa Bay.
Guerrero missed two consecutive starts due to discomfort in his right knee, but he'll return to the lineup Friday after making a pinch-hit appearance during Thursday's loss. Guerrero had been enjoying a five-game hitting streak before getting injured, going 7-for-18 with three homers and six RBI in that span.
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Josh Naylor 1B | SEA
Guardians' Josh Naylor: Reaches 10-steal mark
Naylor went 0-for-1 with a walk, an RBI, a stolen base and a run scored in Thursday's 5-2 win over the Orioles.
Naylor was hit by a pitch and provided a sacrifice fly. He's hitting .339 (21-for-62) over 17 games in September, a span that's also seen him accumulate four of his 10 steals this season. Overall, the first baseman is at a .310/.352/.500 slash line with 17 home runs, 94 RBI and 50 runs scored through 113 contests.
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Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 1B | TOR
Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero: Enters as pinch hitter
Guerrero (knee) entered Thursday's game against the Yankees as a pinch hitter, Mike Wilner of the Toronto Star reports.
Guerrero has been out of the lineup for two consecutive games due to right knee discomfort. He had an MRI done Thursday that came back clean, which apparently gave Toronto confidence to use him off the bench. Guerrero beat out a groundball for a base hit, and his ability to run down the line is another good sign for his potential return.
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Ryan Noda 1B | BAL
Athletics' Ryan Noda: Not in lineup Thursday
Noda is not in the lineup Thursday against the Tigers.
Jordan Diaz will start at first base and bat seventh. Noda grabs a breather after going 0-for-4 with two strikeouts in Wednesday's series finale versus the Mariners.