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Harold Ramirez DH | WAS
Blue Jays' Harold Ramirez: Unimpressive early in minor-league season
Ramirez is off to a slow start at Double-A New Hampshire, hitting just .103 (3-for-29) through his first eight games.
The Jays' No. 4 outfield prospect impressed at Double-A for the Pirates organization last season before coming over to the Jays. One game into his time with the Fisher Cats, Ramirez suffered a knee injury that ended his year. The 22-year-old is expected to be MLB ready in the not too distant future, but Ramirez will certainly need to do well in 2017 if he plans to stay on track. His 34 percent strikeout rate (and three percent walk rate) offers an obvious indicator of what the Colombian native lacks -- plate discipline.
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Giancarlo Stanton DH | NYY
Marlins' Giancarlo Stanton: On base five times Wednesday
Stanton went a perfect 3-for-3 with a solo homer and two walks in a 10-5 loss against the Mariners on Wednesday.
It's amazing that the Marlins got blown out in a game that saw Stanton and Christian Yelich combine to get on base eight times, including two home runs. Stanton came in hitting just .226 with a .715 OPS, but that's the beauty of April -- this big game raised his average to .268 and his OPS to .854.
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Joc Pederson DH | TEX
Dodgers' Joc Pederson: Out of lineup Wednesday
Pederson is not in the lineup Wednesday against the Rockies.
Pederson will get a breather with southpaw Tyler Anderson toeing the rubber for the Rockies. Recently recalled Brett Eibner will get the start in center field.
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Justin Turner DH | CHC
Dodgers' Justin Turner: Out of lineup Wednesday
Turner (hand) is not in the lineup Wednesday against the Rockies.
Turner will get the day off as Enrique Hernandez takes over at third base. He got hit in the hand during Tuesday's game but was able to stay in, so the Dodgers appear to be playing it safe with him. Consider him day-to-day for now, but more should be known on his status before Friday's game against the Diamondbacks.
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Eloy Jimenez DH | TOR
Cubs' Eloy Jimenez: Getting at-bats at extended ST
Jimenez (shoulder) has been used as a designated hitter at extended spring training, MLB.com's Carrie Muskat reports.
Jimenez is working his way back from a bone bruise in his right shoulder that hampered him all of spring training and has cost him the beginning of the minor-league season. However, the fact that he's ramping up his activity and is getting in-game at-bats is a welcome sign to both the Cubs and the 20-year-old prospect, although Jimenez's return date is still unknown. In Low-A last season, he hit .329 with 14 home runs and 84 RBI.
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J.D. Martinez DH | NYM
Tigers' J.D. Martinez: Plans to start running Friday
Martinez (foot) is scheduled to take batting practice Wednesday and is expected to begin running on the field Friday, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.
Martinez still looks to be a week or more away from being activated from the disabled list, but the on-field running marks an important step in the recovery process for the outfielder. Since suffering the mid-foot sprain in a March 18 Grapefruit League game, Martinez had been limited to running on a treadmill, so once he's able to show his mobility won't be an issue while covering the field, the Tigers might be able to flesh out a more defined return date. Because he's missed more than a month with the injury, Martinez will eventually require bulk at-bats during simulated games at extended spring training before his activation.
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Justin Turner DH | CHC
Dodgers' Justin Turner: Gets hit on hand, stays in game
Turner was struck in the hand with a pitch in the fifth inning of Tuesday's loss to the Rockies, but he stayed in the game and finished 1-for-4 with an RBI.
The Dodgers had X-rays done on their third baseman's hand for precautionary reasons, and the results came back negative. It appears that Turner avoided any sort of damage to his right hand, and he should be fine going forward. The 32-year-old is currently slashing .360/.448/.520 while batting third in the order this season.
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Matt Carpenter DH | STL
Cardinals' Matt Carpenter: Slated to return Wednesday
Carpenter (finger) will return to the lineup Wednesday against the Pirates, Jim Hayes of FOX Sports Midwest reports.
The laceration on Carpenter's finger, which he suffered while fielding a groundball during Sunday's game, has evidently healed to the point where it's no longer a major hindrance. Carpenter is off to a slow start this season with eight hits (only one for extra bases) in his first 36 at-bats. He will look to get it going against right-hander Gerrit Cole.
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Andrew McCutchen DH | TEX
Pirates' Andrew McCutchen: Batting .480 against Wednesday starter
McCutchen, who will bat third Wednesday afternoon, has 12 hits in 25 career at-bats against Cardinals starter Michael Wacha.
McCutchen is playing with a chip on his shoulder right now. He made several strong plays while patrolling center field for the first time in 2017 on Tuesday. Given his career numbers against Wacha and a nine-game batting streak, McCutchen makes for an interesting choice Wednesday.
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Miguel Cabrera DH | DET
Tigers' Miguel Cabrera: Continues warming trend with third homer
Cabrera went 1-for-4 with his third home run Tuesday, representing the entirety of the Detroit offense in a 5-1 loss at Tampa Bay.
After getting off to a 3-for-28 start without a single extra-base hit, Miggy has awoken with a five-game hitting streak that's seen him go 7-for-17 with three homers, a double and seven RBI. His stats still haven't caught up to their normal levels, but that's just a matter of time. Cabrera may be 34, but he's still one of the game's top hitters. It seems like the back pain that forced him out of Sunday's game is a non-issue, which is a relief.