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Jonathan Aranda 1B | TB
Rays' Jonathan Aranda: Comes alive in Game 4
Aranda went 3-for-4 with a walk, two RBI and two runs during Game 4 of the ALCS against the Guardians on Saturday.
The first baseman went hitless in the first three games of the series, but he delivered a pair of RBI singles and scored twice Saturday to help Tampa Bay even the series 2-2. Aranda homered in Game 1 of the ALCS against the Yankees but is otherwise without an extra-base hit in October. Still, the three-hit performance improve his postseason slash line to .269/.345/.385 through seven games.
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Jake Bauers 1B | MIL
Brewers' Jake Bauers: Named NLCS MVP
Bauers was named the NLCS MVP after going 1-for-3 with a walk, a double and three RBI in Game 4 against the Dodgers on Thursday.
The first baseman's ground-rule double during the fourth inning cut a 4-0 deficit in half, and he brought home another run with a bases-loaded walk in the fifth. There were a few strong options to be named series MVP for Milwaukee, but it's hard to argue against Bauers, who went 4-for-14 with three walks, a double, a homer and six RBI during the four-game sweep.
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Jake Bauers 1B | MIL
Brewers' Jake Bauers: Launches game-deciding homer
Bauers went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run during Game 3 of the NLCS against the Dodgers on Wednesday.
After working a 12-pitch walk to help chase Yoshinobu Yamamoto early in Game 2 on Monday, Bauers capped an 11-pitch at-bat with a two-run blast during the seventh inning Wednesday to erase a 2-1 deficit for Milwaukee. The first baseman's .261 average through seven playoff games this year doesn't jump off the page -- especially since Wednesday's homer was his first extra-base hit -- but he's also worked six walks and has delivered in key moments, especially in the NLCS.
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Gavin Sheets 1B | SD
Padres' Gavin Sheets: Leaning against plantar fasciitis surgery
Padres manager Craig Stammen said Wednesday that Sheets is leaning toward not having surgery to combat plantar fasciitis in his left foot, Marty Caswell of Foul Territory reports.
Sheets missed about a month of action during the second half with his foot issue, though it's unclear when exactly it began bothering him. For now, Sheets is opting for rest rather than surgery, though it's possible he'll revisit the decision if the injury lingers. Sheets had a .748 OPS with 14 home runs in the first half but stumbled to a .580 OPS with only three long balls in the second half, and the foot problem might be partly to blame.
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Munetaka Murakami 1B | CHW
White Sox's Munetaka Murakami: Discussing contract extension
White Sox general manager Chris Getz said Tuesday that the club began discussing a contract extension with Murakami's representation in late summer and those talks are ongoing, Bruce Levine of 670TheScore.com reports.
Murakami is set to earn $17.5 million in 2027 after inking a two-year, $34 million contract with the White Sox last offseason. However, it sounds like both sides have interest in an extension that would keep the Japanese slugger in Chicago longer. The 26-year-old slashed .207/.347/.478 with 35 home runs over 127 regular-season contests for the White Sox in 2026, but he also had a 35.4 percent strikeout rate and hit only .156/.299/.375 in the final two months of the regular season.
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Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 1B | TOR
Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero: Recovering from laser-eye surgery
Guerrero has undergone laser-eye surgery since the end of the regular season.
After posting full-season career worsts in 2026 with nine homers, 57 RBI and a .688 OPS, Guerrero elected to undergo corrective eye surgery early in the offseason. It's unclear if the vision issues played a part in his struggles this year, but it certainly wasn't the lone issue given that a lack of power was the major problem. Guerrero entered the campaign with a .207 ISO through seven MLB seasons, but his .096 mark in 2026 was massive drop. Given how early after the season he underwent the procedure, Guerrero should be ready for his typical offseason schedule.
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Paul Goldschmidt 1B | NYY
Yankees' Paul Goldschmidt: Wants to continue playing career
Goldschmidt said Wednesday after the Yankees were eliminated from the postseason that he would like to continue his playing career next season, Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports.
An impending free agent, Goldschmidt had a solid 2026 campaign being used primarily as a short-side platoon player for the Yankees, slashing .252/.313/.452 with 18 home runs in 105 contests. That included a .967 OPS against southpaws, so Goldschmidt shouldn't have trouble finding work this winter despite the fact that he turned 39 in September.
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Gavin Sheets 1B | SD
Padres' Gavin Sheets: Late scratch Tuesday
Sheets was scratched from the lineup for Game 3 of the NLDS against Milwaukee on Tuesday due to neck stiffness.
Sheets will step out of the starting nine Tuesday as he tends to his neck but will be available off the bench, suggesting that his injury isn't serious. Samad Taylor will fill in as San Diego's designated hitter and bat eighth.
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Josh Naylor 1B | SEA
Mariners' Josh Naylor: Undergoes surgery on wrist
Naylor underwent surgery Saturday to repair the triangular fibrocartilage complex in his right wrist.
Naylor first hurt his wrist in early August, and he went homerless in his final 41 games after the injury. The Mariners anticipate Naylor being fully recovered before the start of spring training. Naylor will be looking to bounce back offensively for Seattle in 2027 after finishing with just a .667 OPS and 10 long balls this season, though he kept his fantasy value afloat by stealing 30 bases for the second year in a row.
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Gavin Sheets 1B | SD
Padres' Gavin Sheets: Late addition to lineup
Sheets was added to San Diego's lineup for Game 2 of the NLDS at Milwaukee on Sunday, batting sixth as the designated hitter.
Sheets was originally poised to sit for a fourth straight game to begin the playoffs, but manager Craig Stammen chose to make a late lineup change. Ethan Salas was initially listed as the designated hitter before ultimately being a healthy scratch.