MLB Player News
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Alex Bregman 3B | BOS
Red Sox's Alex Bregman: Still working back from quad strain
Bregman is not at 100 percent when running the bases, but he's still expected to continue handling a near-everyday role, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.
Bregman's abilities on the bases appeared to be compromised during Monday's extra-inning loss to the Phillies, when he was unable to score from first base on a Roman Anthony double down the right field line. He eventually scored two pitches later, so his tentative baserunning didn't end up costing the Red Sox. As Cotillo reported when Bregman returned to action prior to the All-Star break, manager Alex Cora said that the veteran third baseman would not be running hard in certain situations as the Red Sox aim to preserve his health. Since Bregman was activated from the injured list July 11, the Red Sox have managed his workload by giving him a day off following two consecutive starts. He'll start Tuesday's game in Philadelphia but is likely to rest in Wednesday's series finale.
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Josh Jung 3B | TEX
Rangers' Josh Jung: Homers following promotion
Jung went 2-for-2 with a solo home run, two additional runs and a walk in a 7-2 win against the Athletics on Monday.
Jung was summoned from Triple-A Round Rock on Monday and started at third base while batting eighth upon his return. The 27-year-old excelled in his first game back with the big club, reaching base in all three of his plate appearances and belting a solo shot in the third inning to start the scoring. Jung has struggled with a .242/.290/.381 slash line this season, but he's shown some pop with nine home runs through 300 plate appearances.
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Royce Lewis 3B | MIN
Twins' Royce Lewis: Three hits, steal in win
Lewis went 3-for-4 with a double and one stolen base in Monday's 5-2 loss to the Dodgers.
Lewis is 5-for-8 over the last two games, and he also picked up his first steal of the season Monday. This may be the spark the third baseman needs to get things going again, though he's been fairly steady by batting .294 (15-for-51) since returning from a hamstring injury at the start of July. He's up to a .233/.293/.360 slash line with four home runs, 15 RBI and 16 runs scored across 45 contests this year.
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Eugenio Suarez 3B | SEA
Diamondbacks' Eugenio Suarez: Smashes another homer
Suarez went 1-for-4 with a solo home run and a walk in Monday's 6-3 loss to the Astros.
New opponent, same result -- Suarez is still dialed in at the plate. Over four games since the All-Star break, the third baseman has slugged five homers while going 6-for-14 with three walks and eight RBI. He's up to 36 long balls on the year, good for the National League lead and just two behind Cal Raleigh for most in the majors. Suarez's power surge has his slugging percentage up to .605 and his OPS at .933, and he's added 86 RBI, 64 runs scored, 18 doubles and a stolen base over 99 contests this season.
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Ben Williamson 3B | SEA
Mariners' Ben Williamson: Logs steal in loss
Williamson went 2-for-3 with a stolen base in Monday's 6-0 loss to the Brewers.
Williamson had gone 0-for-8 over his previous three games, and this was just his second multi-hit effort in July. The rookie third baseman continues to earn his playing time through steady defense rather than big contributions on offense. For the season, he's slashing .259/.293/.319 with one home run, 19 RBI, 35 runs scored and three steals across 76 contests, giving him minimal upside as a contact hitter with little pop at the bottom of the order.
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Miguel Vargas 2B | CHW
White Sox's Miguel Vargas: Goes yard again
Vargas went 1-for-3 with a two-run homer, two walks and an additional run scored in Monday's 8-3 win versus the Rays.
Vargas drew his fifth consecutive start at first base and homered for the second consecutive contest with a two-run long ball off Tampa Bay starter Shane Baz in the fifth. Before these back-to-back games with home runs, Vargas was mired in a 26-game homerless drought during which he batted .158 (15-for-95), so perhaps he is turning a corner. Across 400 total plate appearances, the 25-year-old has a .711 OPS with 12 homers, four steals, 51 runs scored and 40 RBI.
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Max Muncy SS | ATH
Athletics' Max Muncy: Avoids serious injury
X-rays on Muncy's right hand returned negative following Monday's game against the Rangers, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports. He exited the matchup after being struck by a pitch in the fifth inning.
Muncy is likely dealing with a bruised hand considering further scans returned negative. He'll be deemed day-to-day until the club has a chance to re-evaluate the 22-year-old. Gio Urshela entered the game in Muncy's place Monday and could be in line for more playing time if Muncy is forced to sit for a few days, though Luis Urias would also be a candidate for at-bats.
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Matt Shaw SS | CHC
Cubs' Matt Shaw: Smashes home run Monday
Shaw went 2-for-4 with a three-run home run in Monday's 12-4 loss to the Royals.
Shaw is showing some signs of life lately, as he's now riding a modest four-game hitting streak, and he's gone 6-for-11 during the stretch. The rookie is still batting just .216 overall, and the Cubs may target a veteran third baseman before the trade deadline as his replacement, but Shaw does have the talent to get hot. His fantasy value is higher in dynasty formats at the moment, though the 23-year-old could still deliver some production down the stretch this year depending on his role.
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Jose Ramirez 3B | CLE
Guardians' Jose Ramirez: Reaches 20-20 milestone in win
Ramirez went 1-for-5 with a three-run home run, a walk and two additional runs scored in Monday's 10-5 win over the Orioles.
Ramirez tied the game with a three-run blast in the first inning and later came around to score in the fourth and seventh. According to Tim Stebbins of MLB.com, the 32-year-old became just the sixth player in major-league history to record seven 20-homer, 20-steal seasons, tying him for fourth on the all-time list. For the year, he's slashing .294/.364/.521 with 20 homers, 55 RBI, 60 runs scored and 29 stolen bases across 409 plate appearances.
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Brett Baty 3B | NYM
Mets' Brett Baty: Slugs 11th homer
Baty went 1-for-3 with a two-run homer, a walk and an additional run scored in Monday's 7-5 win against the Angels.
The 25-year-old opened the scoring for his team with a 404-foot, two-run blast off Los Angeles lefty Tyler Anderson in the fourth. This marks the first long ball Baty has hit off a southpaw this season, as he appears to be emerging from a strong-side platoon role into an everyday one, drawing consecutive starts against left-handers. Through 255 total plate appearances, Baty is slashing .237/.295/.431 with 33 RBI and 26 runs scored.