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Cal Raleigh C | SEA
Mariners' Cal Raleigh: Big blast in win
Raleigh went 1-for-4 with a three-run home run in Friday's 6-5 extra-inning win over the Cubs.
Raleigh has three homers over 17 games in August, but the downside comes from those accounting for half of his hits this month. He's batting just .115 (6-for-52) in that span, dropping his average on the year to .157 through 95 contests. He's added 14 homers, 47 RBI, 28 runs scored, eight doubles and two stolen bases.
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Gabriel Moreno C | ARI
Diamondbacks' Gabriel Moreno: Posts steal in win
Moreno went 2-for-5 with one RBI and a stolen base in Friday's 9-0 win over the Reds.
The Diamondbacks showed no hesitation to run early in this contest, and even the catcher got involved. Moreno hadn't swiped a bag or even made an attempt to since June 12, a game that also came against the Reds. He's on a 14-game hitting streak, going 22-for-59 (.373) in that span. For the season, Moreno is batting .308 with an .854 OPS, 10 home runs, five steals, 63 RBI, 55 runs scored, 26 doubles and one triple over 100 contests. This is already a career year in most areas for Moreno, and he will tie his career high in steals if he records one more.
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Patrick Bailey C | CLE
Guardians' Patrick Bailey: Goes deep in rout
Bailey went 2-for-3 with a three-run home run in Friday's 9-1 win over the Rockies.
Bailey did his damage late, launching a three-run blast in the seventh inning before adding a double off a position player in the ninth. The defensive-minded backstop has now delivered consecutive two-hit performances for the first time this season, though he still owns a lowly .651 OPS in 14 August contests. On the season, he's slashing .193/.250/.313 with seven homers, 29 RBI, 23 runs scored and three steals across 274 plate appearances with the Guardians and Giants.
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Kenny Piper C | TB
Rays' Kenny Piper: Clubs first major-league homer
Piper went 1-for-3 with a two-run homer during the Rays' 5-3 loss to the Orioles on Friday.
Piper gave the Rays a 3-1 lead in the second inning by smacking a two-run homer to center field off Trevor Rogers. It was the first major-league home run of Pipers' career in just his second game in the big leagues. He's unlikely to see much more playing time for Tampa Bay, given that Liam Hicks and Nick Fortes are both ahead of Piper on the depth chart.
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William Contreras C | MIL
Brewers' William Contreras: Four hits in Friday's win
Contreras went 4-for-4 with an RBI in Friday's 2-1 win over Atlanta.
The Brewers managed only nine hits in total on the afternoon, all of them singles, but Contreras had no trouble solving Chris Sale and the Atlanta bullpen. The 28-year-old backstop has produced multiple hits in three of his last five games, an impressive turnaround after he began August with a .109/.255/.196 slash line over his first 13 contests. During his recent hot streak, Contreras is batting .450 (9-for-20) with a double, a homer, five runs and five RBI.
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Miguel Amaya C | CHC
Cubs' Miguel Amaya: Idle Friday
Amaya is not in the Cubs' starting lineup against the Mariners on Friday.
Amaya will get a breather for Friday's series opener while Carson Kelly starts behind home plate and bats ninth while forming a battery with southpaw Matthew Boyd. Amaya has gone 5-for-25 with two home runs and four RBI across 10 games in August.
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Will Smith C | LAD
Dodgers' Will Smith: Takes live batting practice Friday
Smith (neck) participated in live batting practice Friday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.
It's an encouraging sign in Smith's recovery from a neck injury, given that Friday was the first time he faced live pitching since June. There's optimism that the veteran catcher will be cleared to embark on a rehab assignment next week, putting him on track to be back with the Dodgers before the end of the regular season.
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Hunter Feduccia C | LAD
Dodgers' Hunter Feduccia: Back in action Friday
Feduccia (illness) is starting behind home plate and batting ninth against the Pirates on Friday.
Feduccia missed Wednesday's game against Colorado due to an illness, but he's recovered enough to return to action for Friday's series opener. He's gone 6-for-27 (.222) with a solo home run and three additional runs scored across 14 games in August.
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Tyler Stephenson C | CIN
Reds' Tyler Stephenson: Sitting Friday
Stephenson is not in the Reds' starting lineup against the Diamondbacks on Friday.
Stephenson will get a breather following a three-day stretch in which he went 0-for-11 with one RBI, one walk and seven strikeouts. Jose Trevino will start behind home plate and bat seventh.