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Jorge Polanco DH | NYM
Twins' Jorge Polanco: Settling in as No. 3 hitter
Polanco will start at second base and bat third Tuesday against Cleveland.
Nelson Cruz had typically served as Minnesota's No. 3 hitter before he was dealt to the Rays prior to the trade deadline, but since then, Polanco has seemingly seized hold of the lineup spot that most managers reserve for their team's top hitter. After going 2-for-6 with a walkoff RBI double in Monday's 5-4 series-opening win, Polanco now owns an .814 OPS on the season, and he's supplemented his good work at the plate with nine stolen bases. The 28-year-old has proven to be an outstanding value selection for fantasy managers that nabbed him in the later rounds of drafts.
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Elvis Andrus 2B | ARI
Athletics' Elvis Andrus: Returns from paternity list
Andrus was activated from the paternity list prior to Tuesday's game against the White Sox.
The veteran shortstop will rejoin the Athletics in Chicago after being away from the club since Saturday to attend the birth of his child. Vimael Machin, who filled Andrus' void at shortstop during his absence, was optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas in a corresponding roster move.
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Gleyber Torres 2B | DET
Yankees' Gleyber Torres: Puts in on-field workout
Torres (thumb) was spotted Tuesday taking part in an on-field workout prior to the Yankees' doubleheader with the Red Sox, Brendan Kuty of The Newark Star-Ledger reports.
According to Kuty, Torres was sporting a protective guard over his sprained left thumb, but he didn't seem too inhibited during his workout. Manager Aaron Boone said just over a week ago that he expected Torres' injury would keep him on the shelf for 10-to-20 days, so the 24-year-old can't be considered a lock to make it back from the injured list when first eligible this week.
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Isan Diaz 2B | DET
Marlins' Isan Diaz: Pops fourth homer
Diaz went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Monday's 12-2 loss to Atlanta.
He took Touki Toussaint deep in the second inning to give Miami a 2-1 lead, but the game was all Atlanta after that. Diaz has been in the lineup fairly regularly throughout August and hasn't squandered the opportunities, slashing .268/.302/.488 through 43 plate appearances with two of his four homers on the year.
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Jose Altuve 2B | HOU
Astros' Jose Altuve: Collects three hits Monday
Altuve went 3-for-5 with a double and a run scored in Monday's 7-6 loss to Kansas City.
The three hits are a hopeful sign that Atluve's putting a slump behind him. He's had a rough go in August, having entered Monday's game batting .191 (9-for-47) with one RBI and one extra-base hit during the month.
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Ozzie Albies 2B | ATL
Braves' Ozzie Albies: On base four times in big win
Albies went 3-for-5 with a walk, two runs scored and three RBI in Monday's 12-2 rout of the Marlins.
The second baseman remains locked in at the plate and extended his hitting streak to six games, a stretch during which he's batting .393 (11-for-28) with four homers, two steals, eight runs and 11 RBI. Albies has run hot and cold all season, resulting in a .263/.326/.498 slash line, but he's tied his career high with 15 stolen bases. With 22 homers and 83 RBI, he sits two long balls and three RBI shy of tying his career-best marks in those categories as well.
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Brandon Lowe 2B | PIT
Rays' Brandon Lowe: Goes yard twice against O's
Lowe went 3-for-4 with two home runs and three RBI in Monday's 9-2 win over the Orioles.
He took Matt Harvey deep in the fifth inning and then got to Paul Fry in the sixth. Lowe continues to enjoy a big August, slashing .291/.344/.673 through 14 games with six of his 28 homers on the season as well as 12 runs and 16 RBI.
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Whit Merrifield 2B | ATL
Royals' Whit Merrifield: Three hits, one steal in win
Merrifield went 3-for-5 with an RBI, a stolen base and a run scored in Monday's 7-6 win over Houston.
The second baseman rattled off three singles in the contest and recorded his 34th stolen base of the season in the first inning. He's swung a hot bat lately, going 11-for-24 (.458) in his last six games. The leadoff hitter owns a .276/.322/.392 slash line through 512 plate appearances.
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Nicky Lopez 2B | TEX
Royals' Nicky Lopez: Swipes three bases
Lopez went 1-for-3 with a walk, two runs scored and three steals in Monday's 7-6 win over Houston.
Lopez drew a walk in the seventh inning and came around to score after stealing second and third. He then knocked a single, collected his third steal of the night and scored another run in the ninth. After a 24-game stolen base drought, the 26-year-old infielder has swiped five bags in his last eight games. Lopez is now slashing .270/.343/.340 with 13 steals and 47 runs scored this season.