-
Orlando Arcia SS | MIN
Brewers' Orlando Arcia: Hitting second Saturday
Arcia will hit second in the order Saturday against the Diamondbacks.
Arcia hit seventh in his first three big league games against right-handers, but he will replace Scooter Gennett in the second spot Saturday with the Brewers facing left-hander Patrick Corbin. Arcia is just 1-for-11 through three big league games, but his contact improved in Friday's game and he picked up both his first hit and RBI in the process.
-
Javier Baez SS | DET
Cubs' Javier Baez: Not in lineup Saturday
Baez is out of the lineup for Saturday's matchup with Oakland.
After starting the last four games, Baez will get a day off as Ben Zobrist gets the start at second. Baez could use a mental break, as he's 2-for-22 with 12 strikeouts over his last six games.
-
Trea Turner SS | PHI
Nationals' Trea Turner: Continues impressing in Friday victory
Turner went 2-for-4 with a double, home run and two runs in Friday's 5-1 victory over the Giants.
The dynamic leadoff man is now adding the long ball to his impressive repertoire, as he's homered in back-to-back contests. The 23-year-old has also hit safely in each of the first four games of August, and has multi-hit efforts in three of those contests. Turner has five RBI over that span and has already racked up 10 extra-base hits as part of an impressive .321/.353/.543 line over 81 at-bats.
-
Trevor Story SS | BOS
Rockies' Trevor Story: Undergoes surgery Thursday
Story (thumb) underwent surgery Thursday to repair a torn UCL in his thumb.
While it was initially thought that Story merely had a jammed thumb, follow-up tests revealed that he had in fact torn a ligament. Although there's been no official word on his shelf time, it seems likely that the shortstop will be shut down for the rest of the season. There's plenty of reason for excitement down the road for the 23-year-old, as he was on pace for 100-plus runs and RBI prior to the injury.
-
J.P. Crawford SS | SEA
Phillies' J.P. Crawford: Possible September call up?
Crawford, 21, is batting .255/.343/.335 with three home runs, 24 RBI and seven steals through 66 games for Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
Crawford hasn't exactly scalded the ball at this level, but he is just 21 years of age and has an extremely advanced approach at the dish. In those 66 games, he has 42 strikeouts as compared to 33 walks. The Phils could decide to give him a cup of coffee in the big leagues in September with an eye towards the starting shortstop job in 2017.
-
Dee Strange-Gordon SS | WAS
Marlins' Dee Gordon: Three hits, two steals in Wednesday loss
Gordon went 3-for-5 with one run scored and two steals in Wednesday's loss to the Cubs.
Gordon has hit in five of six starts since returning from an 80-game PED suspension on July 28, compiling a solid .348/.423/.391 slash line while going 3-for-4 in stolen base attempts. There was speculation that Gordon would be subject to a platoon with backup Derek Dietrich in order to keep the latter fresh for a potential playoff run (Gordon is ineligible for the post-season), however, manager Don Mattingly appears content to get his best available lineup out there everyday and that includes Dee Gordon atop the order. He's literally hit the ground running in his return and will be a massive source of speed over the final two months of the season.
-
Daniel Castro SS | COL
Braves' Daniel Castro: Optioned to Triple-A
The Braves have optioned Castro back to Triple-A Gwinnett on Wednesday, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.
It was a short stay for Castro, who was called up to Atlanta on Sunday. During his brief stint, Castro got no at-bats for the Braves. He will head back to Triple-A Gwinnett where he was hitting .264 in 110 at-bats, showing minimal power and speed.
-
Dansby Swanson SS | CHC
Braves' Dansby Swanson: Treading water at Double-A
Swanson, 22, is hitting .258/.334/.413 with eight home runs, 42 RBI and five steals through 75 games with Double-A Mississippi.
Though he's batting just .205 in his last 10 contests, Swanson does have a home run, seven RBI and two steals over that span. Swanson remains the shortstop of the future for the Braves, and should be in the mix for the starting job as early as next season.
-
Brandon Crawford SS | STL
Giants' Brandon Crawford: Goes yard in return to lineup
Crawford went 2-for-4 with a homer, a walk, two runs and three RBI in Tuesday's 13-8 loss to the Phillies.
Crawford proved to be no worse for the wear after sitting out two games with a hand injury, backing up a fourth-inning solo homer with a two-run single in the fifth. The slugging shortstop has managed just 10 long balls after launching 21 last year, but he's well on pace to top last season's career-high total of 84 RBI thanks to a consistent role in the heart of a talented Giants lineup.
-
Orlando Arcia SS | MIN
Brewers' Orlando Arcia: Starting, batting seventh Tuesday
Arcia will start at shortstop and bat seventh Tuesday against the Padres.
The Brewers have deemed Arcia big-league ready and will slot him in against Luis Perdomo in his major league debut, as Jonathan Villar transitions to third base. Arcia, 21, hit .267/.320/.403 with eight homers and 15 stolen bases in 100 games with Triple-A Colorado Springs this season, against competition that was (on average) more than five years older than him. The team seems content to let Arcia learn on the job and gain valuable experience over the remainder of the season.