MLB Player News

Soto went 3-for-3 with two doubles, an RBI and a run scored in Saturday's 3-2 win over the Rangers.

Soto was part of the Angels' rally for the lead in the seventh inning, knocking a game-tying RBI double and scoring the go-ahead run on a fielder's choice. This was his sixth multi-hit effort in his last eight games, with five of his 13 hits in that span going for extra bases. The infielder is now batting .381 with a home run, a triple, four doubles, seven RBI, six runs scored and a stolen base through his first 14 major-league contests. Soto's hot hitting should help protect him from losing playing time to David Fletcher, who returned from a hand injury Thursday.

Velazquez is doing well after undergoing knee surgery Sept. 13, and he's expected to have a normal offseason, per MLB.com.

Velazquez tore the meniscus in his right knee during a game Sept. 13 and had surgery four days later. That went well according to Angels head athletic trainer Mike Frostad, and Velazquez should be able to have a normal offseason routine in preparation for spring training. The fifth-year pro impressed with his defense this year but slashed a meager .196/.236/.304 over 349 plate appearances, contributing nine home runs, 28 RBI and 17 stolen bases.

Crawford isn't starting Saturday against the Athletics.

The Mariners are resting several starters Saturday after clinching a postseason berth Friday night, and Crawford will head to the bench after going 1-for-14 with an RBI, two walks and three strikeouts over the last four games. Dylan Moore is starting at shortstop and leading off.

Correa went 2-for-5 with a two-run home run in Friday's victory over the Tigers.

Correa's two-run shot came in the seventh inning and sent Mark Contreras home. It was Correa's 22nd homer of the season, his seventh of the month, and his first since Sept. 15. The shortstop has found his stride at the end of the season, picking up hits in all but five out of 27 games in September and slashing .345/.405/.600. During the span of this month, Correa took his batting average from .269 to where it sits now at .287.

Smith isn't starting Friday's game against the Angels.

The left-handed Smith will take a seat Friday with fellow lefty Reid Detmers starting the game on the mound for Los Angeles. While he sits, Mark Mathias will take his spot in left field and bat sixth.

Seager (forearm) is starting at shortstop and hitting second Friday against the Angels.

He missed a couple games after getting hit by a pitch Tuesday, but fortunately it seems to have been just a bruise. Seager is slashing .202/.257/.362 with three home runs in 23 games this month.

Barger was promoted to Triple-A Buffalo in mid-September and went 11-for-31 (.355) with three homers and a 5:5 BB:K over eight games.

There was no level of baseball where pitchers were able to slow Barger down this season. A relatively unheralded prospect coming into the year, he rocketed from High-A to Triple-A over the course of the campaign, posting a spectacular composite slash line of .308/.378/.555 with 26 homers and 91 steals. A somewhat high strikeout rate is the only mark against him as a hitter, but Barger was able to trim that toward the end of the season too. The one complicating factor for the 22-year-old is that he's not an especially good fielder at either third base or shortstop, and the Jays are set at both of those positions for at least 2023. For Barger to find a place on Toronto's roster next year, he may have to move to second base or settle for a utility role.

Crawford went 1-for-5 with a game-winning infield single and a walk in an extra-innings victory over the Rangers on Thursday.

Crawford rapped out a sharp liner that caromed off the glove of third baseman Josh Jung into short left field to plate Dylan Moore with the winning run in the 11th inning. It's been a productive week thus far on the RBI front for the veteran shortstop, as he's knocked in four runs over the last five games to get within four of the second-highest total of his career in that category (46).

Franco went 2-for-3 with a double, a run scored and two steals in Thursday's 2-1 loss against the Guardians.

Franco recorded a double off righty starter Cal Quantrill in addition to nabbing second base twice. The shortstop has recorded three steals in his last three games and has recorded one hit or more in 14 of his last 15 contests. Furthermore, the 21-year-old has tallied six doubles over his last nine games.

Baez went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run and two runs scored in Thursday's 10-3 win over the Royals.

Baez played a big role in the blowout win with his 16th home run of the season leading the way. He's still just over half of the way to the 31 long balls he hit in 2021, as his production has dipped across the board in his first year with the Tigers. Baez is still capable of breaking out in 2023, and he figures to come at a discount in fantasy drafts.