MLB Player News
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Trenton Brooks DH | SD
Padres' Trenton Brooks: Idle against righty
Brooks is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Marlins.
The left-handed-hitting Brooks was on the bench for the final two games of the Padres' series in Washington over the weekend while the Nationals sent lefties to the hill, but he'll be absent from the lineup Monday versus Marlins righty Eury Perez. Since getting called up from Triple-A El Paso on June 15, Brooks is slashing just .158/.200/.289 over 40 plate appearances, and he could soon be at risk of losing his roster spot.
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Starling Marte DH | NYM
Mets' Starling Marte: Taking batting practice
Marte (knee) is taking batting practice, and the Mets still anticipate that he'll return from the injured list before the end of July, Tim Britton of The Athletic reports.
The 36-year-old hasn't recovered from a knee bruise quite as quickly as the team had hoped, but Marte isn't expected to miss too much more time. Through 188 plate appearances on the season, he's slashing .270/.353/.387 with four homers, five steals, 20 RBI and 22 runs.
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George Springer DH | TOR
Blue Jays' George Springer: Mashes 17th homer
Springer went 2-for-4 with a double, a solo home run and a second run scored in Sunday's win over the Giants.
The veteran outfielder has come out flying after the All-Star break, racking up six hits in the three-game set against San Francisco. Springer's fifth-inning long ball off former teammate Robbie Ray was his 17th homer of the season, and through 15 contests in July, he's slashing a blistering .351/.413/.702 with six home runs, three steals, 13 runs and 14 RBI.
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Luke Keaschall 2B | MIN
Twins' Luke Keaschall: Three hits through three rehab games
Keaschall (forearm) served as a designated hitter in three rehab games for Triple-A St. Paul from Friday through Sunday, going 3-for-12 with three walks, two stolen bases, one run and one RBI.
Keaschall took part in his first game action since April 25, when he sustained a fractured right forearm that disrupted what had been an impressive start to his time in the big leagues. The rookie fared well in his return to the field this weekend, but since the Twins still want him to play second base and potentially get exposure to other positions during his time at St. Paul, he's expected to be in store for a lengthier rehab assignment, per Dan Hayes of The Athletic. Keaschall produced a 1.064 OPS in 26 plate appearances in the majors prior to landing on the injured list, and if he continues to rake during his assignment, the Twins will likely find ways to get his bat in the lineup once he's activated.
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Marcell Ozuna DH | ATL
Braves' Marcell Ozuna: Says he's over hip issue
Ozuna said after Sunday's 4-2 loss to the Yankees that he's no longer bothered by the sore hip that was affecting his performance earlier in the season, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports. "It was my hip earlier this season, but now I feel fantastic," Ozuna said. "I just lost my confidence at the plate. I just lost my timing, and that's what I've been battling. As soon as I get my timing back, everything's coming like last year and the year before."
The veteran slugger has lost his regular spot in the starting lineup while Atlanta has been using either Sean Murphy or Drake Baldwin at designated hitter on their non-catching days, and Ozuna's .139/.262/.333 slash line through 42 plate appearances in July, including an 0-for-4 effort Sunday, doesn't make much of a case for him to regain his job. He also acknowledged the trade rumors surrounding him as the team's playoff odds continue to shrink, but Ozuna didn't give any hint as to whether he would use his 10-and-5 rights to veto a potential deal. Until he shows signs of life at the plate, Ozuna's fantasy value and value as a trade asset will both be low.
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Pavin Smith DH | ARI
Diamondbacks' Pavin Smith: Taking dry swings
Smith (oblique) was recently cleared to resume taking dry swings, MLB.com reports.
Smith is a little more than two weeks removed from landing on the 10-day injured list due to a right oblique strain and is at the beginning stages of a hitting progression. A timetable for Smith's return to the Diamondbacks' active roster should be available soon as he reaches the point that he's facing live pitching.
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Cody Freeman 2B | TEX
Rangers' Cody Freeman: Makes first MLB start
Freeman started at third base and went 0-for-3 in Sunday's 2-1 loss to the Tigers.
Freeman had his contract selected from Triple-A Round Rock on Friday and made his first MLB start. He's unlucky in that his first start in the show came against Detroit lefty Tarik Skubal (2.19 ERA, 2nd in MLB), but Rangers manager Bruce Bochy typically uses a right-handed batter at third base when facing a southpaw. With Josh Jung back in the minors, the Rangers' hot corner has become a rotation of Josh Smith against righties with Ezequiel Duran and now Freeman against lefties.
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Shohei Ohtani DH | LAD
Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Goes deep again Sunday
Ohtani went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run and a walk Sunday in a loss to the Brewers.
Ohtani batted second in the lineup for the first time this season, and the move paid off when he followed a Mookie Betts single in the third inning with a two-run blast to left field. The two-way superstar has homered in each of his past two contests and is up to 34 long balls on the campaign, though he's been passed for the NL lead by Eugenio Suarez, who has 35 home runs after going deep four times over the weekend. Suarez is also up on Ohtani by 20 RBI, which is due in part to the latter hitting leadoff throughout the season until Sunday. If Betts can get his bat back on track while taking over in the leadoff role, Ohtani could see more run-scoring opportunities moving forward.
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Giancarlo Stanton DH | NYY
Yankees' Giancarlo Stanton: Raps three singles Sunday
Stanton went 3-for-5 with a run scored in Sunday's 4-2 victory against Atlanta.
Though none of his knocks went for extra bases, Stanton posted his first three-hit performance of the campaign. The veteran slugger has at least one hit in eight of his past nine games, batting .393 (11-for-28) with three homers, two doubles and nine RBI during that span. While he seems to be heating up, Stanton hasn't been an everyday part of the lineup of late -- he's started just four of New York's past seven contests.
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Masataka Yoshida DH | BOS
Red Sox's Masataka Yoshida: Makes first outfield start
Yoshida started in left field and went 0-for-3 in Sunday's 6-1 win over the Cubs.
Yoshida made his first start in the field after a series of appearances as the designated hitter or as a pinch hitter. He was eventually pinch hit for against lefty Drew Pomeranz. Yoshida has gone 6-for-22 (.273) with one RBI, a stolen base and one run scored over seven games since coming off the injured list in the week leading up to the All-Star break.