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Jean Segura 3B | CLE
Mariners' Jean Segura: Hits bloop single in return to lineup
Segura (ankle) went 1-for-3 with a walk in his return from the disabled list Wednesday against Detroit.
After missing the last 18 games with an ankle injury, there seemed to be no lingering effects as the 27-year-old ran around the bases to score twice in the late innings. Segura, who is batting .341 on the year, will move back into his everyday role at shortstop, where he will look to continue his hot season at the plate.
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Alex Bregman 3B | CHC
Astros' Alex Bregman: Adjusting to pitchers
Bregman has seen the highest percentage of sliders of any player this season, Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle reports.
All young hitters go through a period of adjustment, as opponents develop a book on them. Bregman is trying to be more patient and drive balls to the right-center field gap. Returns on his adjustments have been on display during the current series in Oakland. The 23-year-old third baseman is 5-for-9 with four doubles and three walks, improving his seasonal line to .256/.338/.415 over 267 plate appearances.
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Jean Segura 3B | CLE
Mariners' Jean Segura: Activated and starting Wednesday
Segura (ankle) was activated from the disabled list ahead of Wednesday's game against the Tigers, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports. He is starting at shortstop and leading off.
As expected, Segura is back with the team after appearing in a pair of rehab games earlier in the week. The 27-year-old, who compiled a .341/.391/.462 triple slash with seven stolen bases in 43 games before landing on the DL, will face Justin Verlander in his return to the lineup. Tyler Smith was sent back to Triple-A in a corresponding roster move.
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Jose Ramirez 3B | CLE
Indians' Jose Ramirez: Named AL Player of the Week
Ramirez was named AL Player of the Week on Monday after going 16-for-31 (.516) with three home runs, seven RBI and a stolen base for the week of June 18.
The 24-year-old has raised his average from .265 to .320 over the team's last 22 contests. Among AL third basemen, Ramirez headed into Tuesday's games ranked first in hits (81), doubles (23), runs (44), average (.318), slugging percentage (.561) and steals (seven). He's now on pace to blast 25 home runs and 50-plus doubles while scoring over 100 runs this year.
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Matt Chapman 3B | SF
Athletics' Matt Chapman: Remains out Wednesday
Chapman (knee) is not in the lineup Wednesday against the Astros, Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Chapman will remain on the bench for a third straight contest as he continues to recover from a knee infection. It appears the top prospect is improving thanks to a steady dose of antibiotics, so he'll hopefully be able to return to the lineup in the coming days. While Chapman remains day-to-day, Ryon Healy will draw another start in his place at the hot corner.
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Nick Senzel 3B | LAD
Reds' Nick Senzel: Heading to Double-A
Senzel was promoted to Double-A Pensacola on Wednesday, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
The first-round draft pick (2016) continued to mash in his first taste of the High-A level this season, batting .302 while lashing out 32 extra-base hits and driving home 31 runs. Senzel will now get the opportunity to strut his stuff at the next level, where he'll continue his development as one of the organization's top prospects. His progression likely has him on track for a MLB debut sometime later in the 2018 season.
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Matt Reynolds 3B | CIN
Mets' Matt Reynolds: Shipped back to minors
Reynolds was optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas on Wednesday.
The 26-year-old infielder had been recalled on June 16 but only logged four plate appearances in that span. With Zack Wheeler (biceps) landing on the disabled list, the Mets opted to add more bullpen depth rather than keep another bench bat around, so Reynolds will head back to the minors to make room on the active roster for reliever Erik Goeddel. Reynolds will likely continue to shuttle between the two levels as needed for the reminder of the season.
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Eduardo Escobar 3B | TOR
Twins' Eduardo Escobar: Starting Wednesday's contest
Escobar (undisclosed) is in the lineup Wednesday against the White Sox, batting second and playing third base, Brandon Warne of ZoneCoverage.com reports.
Escobar was removed from Tuesday's contest due to an apparent injury, but it seems to not be a hindrance to the utility infielder any longer. The 28-year-old has been scorching hot as of late as his 1.318 OPS over the past 14 games suggests, so it's great news that he'll be able to continue playing without an injury holding him back. He doesn't seem to have a set spot in the Twins' lineup, but manager Paul Molitor seems intent on keeping his bat in the lineup in some capacity for most game while he's knocking the cover off the ball.
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Trevor Plouffe 3B | PHI
Rays' Trevor Plouffe: Draws third straight start
Plouffe will start at third base and bat fifth Wednesday against the Reds, Bill Chastain of MLB.com reports.
The Rays have wasted no time in seeing what Plouffe can do after acquiring him from the Athletics over the weekend. He'll make his third straight start Wednesday, with his entry into the lineup coming at the expense of Colby Rasmus (hip), who has yet to see the field during the series. At the very least, Plouffe looks to see regular at-bats against left-handed pitching, but he'll need to show more improvement upon his .184/.243/.346 season-long line against right-handers to secure a full-time role.
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Anthony Rendon 3B | LAA
Nationals' Anthony Rendon: Rejoins lineup Wednesday
Rendon (neck) will start at third base and bat cleanup Wednesday against the Marlins, Dan Kolko of MASN Sports reports.
Much to the relief of fantasy owners, Rendon only ended up missing one game due to the neck stinger he sustained early in Monday's contest. The Nationals have an off day Thursday, so if Rendon's injury was truly a serious concern, it's likely the team would have held him out of the lineup in the series finale. With Rendon seemingly at full strength, Stephen Drew, who filled in admirably for the third baseman with five hits and four RBI the last two games, will settle back into a bench role.