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Giancarlo Stanton DH | NYY
Marlins' Giancarlo Stanton: Slugs 24th homer Friday
Stanton went 2-for-5 with a double and a two-run homer in Friday's win over the Giants.
He's now regained the Marlins' team lead in homers from Marcell Ozuna with 24, and Stanton's hitting .296/.367/.667 with three homers and six RBI through the first week in July. As long as he can stay healthy in the second half, the right fielder seems poised to deliver the kind of monster power performance that's been expected of him ever since he broke into the majors as a 20-year-old in 2010.
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Charlie Blackmon RF | COL
Rockies' Charlie Blackmon: Scores three runs in return to leadoff spot
Blackmon went 3-for-3 with a solo home run and three runs scored during Friday's win over the White Sox.
Blackmon shifted down to the three-hole Thursday with Nolan Arenado taking a breather, but the center fielder was right back in the leadoff spot Friday. With a .318/.372/.581 slash line, 19 homers, 60 RBI, seven stolen bases and 70 runs, Blackmon is having another monster fantasy campaign.
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Justin Turner DH | CHC
Dodgers' Justin Turner: Sitting Friday
Turner is not in the lineup for Friday's game against the Royals, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.
Logan Forsythe will shift over to third base, opening the door for Chase Utley at the keystone. Turner, a first-time All-Star this year, has been red hot since his return from the DL in early June, collecting 31 hits and seven homers in his last 81 at-bats. However, the Dodgers have been sitting him once a week or so, and that figures to continue as they look to preserve his health for the stretch run.
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Jesse Winker DH | NYM
Reds' Jesse Winker: Receives call to big leagues
Winker was recalled from Triple-A Louisville on Friday, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.
Winker continues to hit at every level, so he'll head to the majors to provide some outfield depth before the All-Star break. It'll be tough to get a ton of playing time given that Billy Hamilton, Adam Duvall and Scott Schebler are locked into starting roles, but he'll likely get plenty of opportunities off the bench. Sal Romano was sent back to the minors to make room on the active roster.
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Marcell Ozuna DH | PIT
Marlins' Marcell Ozuna: Drives in three Thursday
Ozuna went 3-for-5 with three RBI in Thursday's loss to the Cardinals.
He accounted for all the Marlins' offense on the afternoon with RBI singles in the first, third and seventh innings. Ozuna has already tied his previous career high in homers with 23, and he's now just 19 RBI shy of setting a new personal best in that category as well with 78 games to go on the schedule.
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Andrew McCutchen DH | TEX
Pirates' Andrew McCutchen: On base four times Thursday
McCutchen went 3-for-4 with two doubles, a walk and two runs Thursday in Philadelphia.
McCutchen, Josh Bell and Gregory Polanco supplied almost all of the offense in this 6-3 win, finishing with a combined nine hits and six runs scored. This was his fifth multi-hit performance in nine games since being moved from sixth to third in the batting order, and the 2013 NL MVP also has eight extra-base hits over that span. The recent uptick in performance has raised McCutchen's season line to .289/.375/.520.
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Joc Pederson DH | TEX
Dodgers' Joc Pederson: Takes seat against lefty Thursday
Pederson is not in the lineup Thursday against the Diamondbacks.
As is typically the case, Pederson will head to the bench for a night off to avoid a lefty-on-lefty matchup with Arizona starter Robbie Ray. Trayce Thompson will replace him in center field for the evening.
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Charlie Blackmon RF | COL
Rockies' Charlie Blackmon: Batting third Thursday
Blackmon will hit out of the three-hole for Thursday's game against Cincinnati, The Denver Post's Patrick Saunders reports.
With Nolan Arenado getting the day off, Blackmon will move from the leadoff spot to third while Raimel Tapia heads to the top of the order. Blackmon has been hitting the ball extremely well all season, hitting .311/.365/.571 with 18 home runs and 59 RBI, so this move comes as a surprise. All that said, Blackmon will likely return to the leadoff spot for Friday's game against the White Sox.
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Eloy Jimenez DH | TOR
Cubs' Eloy Jimenez: Showing improved approach at High-A
Jimenez, 20, is hitting .279/.358/.510 with eight home runs and a 32:17 K:BB in 147 at-bats for High-A Myrtle Beach.
Jimenez's plus-plus raw power and potentially plus hit tool are well known in prospect circles, but what's most impressive about his current campaign is the improved approach. After walking 5.4 percent of the time at Low-A, he is now walking 10.4 percent of the time at High-A, while cutting his strikeout rate from 20.3 percent to 19 percent. Jimenez is an elite hitting prospect, and could see a promotion to Double-A shortly after his appearance in this year's Futures Game.
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Giancarlo Stanton DH | NYY
Marlins' Giancarlo Stanton: Given breather Thursday
Stanton is not in the Marlins' lineup Thursday against the Cardinals, Joe Frisaro of MLB.com reports.
Fresh off launching a pair of home runs Wednesday, Stanton will take a seat for the matinee clash following a night game, and he should be back in the lineup Friday. Ichiro Suzuki gets the nod in right field and bats seventh.