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Miguel Cabrera DH | DET
Tigers' Miguel Cabrera: Drives in four Thursday
Cabrera went 2-for-5 with a double and four RBI in Thursday's loss to the Angels.
Cabrera is still seeking career home run No. 500, though he did tally the 591st double of his storied career. The 19-year veteran should record the milestone long ball at some point yet this year, and the Tigers will surely keep putting him in the lineup until he's able to do so. Cabrera may see a few more rest days once he hits that elusive home run, allowing the team to take a longer look at some younger players heading into 2022.
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Brent Rooker DH | ATH
Twins' Brent Rooker: Not in Thursday's lineup
Rooker isn't starting Thursday against the Yankees.
Rooker had started 20 consecutive games after he was recalled in late July, but he'll now retreat to the bench for the second time in the last five contests. Jake Cave will shift to left field while Nick Gordon draws the start in center field.
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Byron Buxton CF | MIN
Twins' Byron Buxton: Rehab assignment on tap
Buxton (finger) will begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A St. Paul on Friday, Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.
Buxton took live batting practice Thursday and apparently felt good afterward since he'll now return to game action with the Triple-A club. The 27-year-old will play seven innings in center field during his first rehab game Friday and could be in the mix to rejoin the Twins as early as next week.
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Michael Brantley LF | HOU
Astros' Michael Brantley: Not in Thursday's lineup
Brantley isn't starting Thursday's game against the Royals, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
Brantley will get a chance to reset after he went 1-for-11 with an RBI, a walk and a strikeout across the last three games. Aledmys Diaz will shift to left field while Jacob Wilson starts at third base.
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Luis Torrens C | NYM
Mariners' Luis Torrens: Not in Thursday's lineup
Torrens isn't starting Thursday's game against the Rangers.
Torrens drew starts in each of the last five games, but he'll get a day off after he went 0-for-3 with a strikeout Wednesday. Mitch Haniger will serve as the designated hitter and bat second.
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Shohei Ohtani DH | LAD
Angels' Shohei Ohtani: Stars at dish, on mound in win
Ohtani pushed his record to 8-1 after holding the Tigers to one run on six hits and no walks while striking out eight over eight innings Wednesday in the Angels' 3-1 win. He also helped himself at the plate, going 1-for-4 with a solo home run.
Ohtani's eighth-inning blast off Jose Cisnero was his MLB-leading 40th of the season, a feat made all the more remarkable by the fact that he's supplemented his power production with a 2.79 ERA and 1.06 WHIP in 100 innings on the mound. Since he failed to escape the first inning of a June 30 start against the Yankees in which he was charged with seven earned runs, Ohtani has been lights out as a pitcher, going 5-0 with a 1.57 ERA, 0.75 WHIP and 37 strikeouts in six starts.
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Franmil Reyes DH | WAS
Indians' Franmil Reyes: Smacks solo home run
Reyes went 1-for-5 with a solo home run and a walk in Wednesday's 8-7 extra-innings loss to Minnesota.
Entering Wednesday, Reyes was mired in a 1-for-28 slump in his last eight games. With just one hit Wednesday, he's not out of trouble just yet, but it was his first homer since July 30. The 26-year-old has seen his slash line dip to .250/.316/.528 with 21 homers, 55 RBI, 40 runs scored and three stolen bases through 313 plate appearances overall.
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Yordan Alvarez DH | HOU
Astros' Yordan Alvarez: Back in action
Alvarez (illness) is starting Wednesday's game against the Royals, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
Alvarez was removed from Monday's game due to an upset stomach, and he was held out of the lineup Tuesday. The 24-year-old has gone 6-for-12 with three doubles and three RBI across his last three appearances.
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Shohei Ohtani DH | LAD
Angels' Shohei Ohtani: Notches another steal
Ohtani went 1-for-3 with three walks, a run and a stolen base in Tuesday's 8-2 victory over the Tigers.
Batting leadoff for the eighth straight contest, Ohtani reached base four times and helped manufacture a first-inning run by singling, swiping second and coming home on a single. The two-way star has walked 58 times in 118 games this season, exceeding his total across 152 contests during the previous two campaigns combined. He is on pace for a career-best .364 OBP.
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Luis Torrens C | NYM
Mariners' Luis Torrens: Cranks 14th homer in win
Torrens went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Tuesday's 3-1 win over the Rangers.
Torrens took Brett Martin deep in the ninth inning to increase the Mariners' lead to two runs. It was his second home run in three games, and he's now riding a five-game hitting streak in which he's racked up seven RBI. The catcher is slashing .220/.286/.444 with 14 homers, 32 RBI and 28 runs scored in 255 plate appearances.