MLB Player News
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Colt Keith 3B | DET
Tigers' Colt Keith: Scratched with illness
Keith was scratched from the lineup for Sunday's game against the Royals due to an illness, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.
Keith had been slated to start at third base and bat leadoff, but instead Zach McKinstry will get the nod at the hot corner while center fielder Wenceel Perez sets the table. Assuming the illness isn't anything too debilitating, Keith should return to the lineup Monday versus the Athletics. He'd gone 0-for-8 with one walk and five strikeouts over his last three starts, on the heels of a five-game hitting streak.
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Yandy Diaz 1B | TB
Rays' Yandy Diaz: Good to go Sunday
Diaz (hamstring) will start at first base and bat third Sunday against the Cardinals, Brian Murphy of MLB.com reports.
Diaz sustained a low-grade hamstring strain in the series opener versus St. Louis on Thursday and sat out Friday's 10-6 win, but he'll return to the lineup following Saturday's team off day. The first baseman has collected at least one hit in eight of his past 10 games and has five multi-hit efforts during that span.
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George Springer RF | TOR
Blue Jays' George Springer: Launches 22nd homer
Springer went 3-for-6 with a double, a home run, two runs scored and two RBI in Saturday's 7-6 extra-innings win over the Marlins.
The veteran outfielder took Tyler Phillips deep for a solo shot in the seventh inning, giving the Blue Jays a vital insurance run in what was at the time a 4-0 lead. Springer has hit safely in seven straight games since returning from a concussion, batting .345 (10-for-29) with a double, a steal, seven RBI, eight runs and four of his 22 homers on the year.
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Ben Rice C | NYY
Yankees' Ben Rice: Out of lineup Saturday
Rice isn't starting Saturday's game against the Red Sox, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.
Rice has become a mainstay in New York's lineup in August, and he entered the weekend having started at either catcher or first base in each of the team's past 15 contests. However, he'll give way behind the plate to Austin Wells on Saturday while Paul Goldschmidt mans first base. Rice's day off isn't performance-related, as he posted a 1.018 OPS with four home runs and 12 RBI during the aforementioned 15-game stretch.
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Joc Pederson DH | TEX
Rangers' Joc Pederson: Walks off Cleveland
Pederson went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI in Friday's 4-3 win over the Guardians.
Pederson laced a first-pitch double to drive in the game-winning run in the ninth inning for the walk-off win. His hit followed a game-tying single by Corey Seager on the first pitch he saw, as it appears the Rangers had a plan to jump early on Cleveland closer Cade Smith. Pederson has hit safely in four consecutive games, going 5-for-15 with a double, a home run and three RBI.
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Brent Rooker DH | ATH
Athletics' Brent Rooker: Smacks early homer
Rooker went 2-for-3 with a solo home run, a walk and a second run scored in Friday's 3-2 loss to the Mariners.
Rooker was responsible for two of the three baserunners the Athletics put on against Bryan Woo over the first seven innings. Rooker went deep in the first frame for his third homer over his last 12 games, a span in which he's batting .265 (13-for-49). For the season, the slugger is up to a .272/.345/.498 slash line with 26 homers, 74 RBI, 83 runs scored and five stolen bases through 130 contests.
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Jorge Polanco 2B | SEA
Mariners' Jorge Polanco: Connects for homer in win
Polanco went 2-for-3 with a solo home run in Friday's 3-2 win over the Athletics.
Polanco snapped a 12-game homerless drought in the seventh inning. During that span, he went 7-for-44 (.159) with one double, three RBI and 15 strikeouts. Polanco has struggled with consistency throughout much of the season with a handful of lengthy slumps on his ledger. He's at a .246/.310/.445 slash line with 19 homers, 55 RBI, 45 runs scored and five stolen bases across 107 contests.
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Yandy Diaz 1B | TB
Rays' Yandy Diaz: Not in Friday's lineup
Diaz (hamstring) is not in the Rays' starting lineup against the Cardinals on Friday.
Diaz was diagnosed with a low-grade hamstring injury that he suffered against St. Louis on Thursday. He'll be out of the lineup Friday but could be available for Sunday's series finale. Brandon Lowe will serve as the Rays' designated hitter Friday while Tristan Gray draws the start at second base and bats ninth.
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Giancarlo Stanton DH | NYY
Yankees' Giancarlo Stanton: Absent from lineup
Stanton is not in the lineup for Friday's game against the Red Sox.
Stanton is slashing an absurd .390/.490/.927 with seven home runs in August, but Aaron Judge (elbow) remains limited to designated hitter duties and the Yankees aren't comfortable playing Stanton in right field every day. Cody Bellinger will be in right field for Friday's contest.
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Colt Keith 3B | DET
Tigers' Colt Keith: Settling in at third base
Keith is adjusting well to playing third base this season and could be the Tigers' long-term solution at the position, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reports.
Despite coming up through the minors as a third baseman, Keith spent most of his 2024 rookie season playing second. This year, the Tigers had designs on him playing first, but Spencer Torkelson's resurgence eventually pushed Keith back over to the hot corner. The 24-year-old is reacclimating well defensively, and he's also been producing at the plate, posting a .301/.379/.488 slash line since the start of July. Detroit reportedly pursued Alex Bregman and others this past offseason to slot in at third, but with Keith looking comfortable, he could lock down the starting role for the foreseeable future given his age and offensive upside.