MLB Player News
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Ezequiel Tovar SS | COL
Rockies' Ezequiel Tovar: On bench Tuesday
Tovar isn't starting Tuesday against the Dodgers.
The young shortstop's major-league career has gotten off to a slow start, as he has just a .483 OPS through his first eight games. Tovar will take a seat Tuesday, which moves Jose Iglesias to start at shortstop, C.J. Cron over to designated hitter, Michael Toglia to first base, Randal Grichuk to right field and Garrett Hampson into the lineup to start in center field.
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Miguel Rojas 2B | LAD
Marlins' Miguel Rojas: Heads to bench
Rojas will sit Tuesday against Atlanta, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.
Rojas has been playing through a wrist injury since late July and will undergo surgery Wednesday morning. He was in the lineup Monday and went 0-for-2 with a walk in what may end up being his final appearance of the year. Joey Wendle will start at shortstop Tuesday.
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Xander Bogaerts SS | SD
Red Sox's Xander Bogaerts: Back in action Tuesday
Bogaerts (back) is starting at shortstop and hitting third Tuesday against the Rays.
As expected, Bogaerts returns for the penultimate game of the regular season. He is hitting .289 with two home runs, 13 runs and nine RBI in 24 games since the start of September.
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Nick Allen SS | HOU
Athletics' Nick Allen: Hot hitting continues Monday
Allen went 2-for-4 with a walk and a run in a win over the Angels on Monday.
Allen led off for the second straight game and made good use of the opportunity, generating his second multi-hit effort over the last seven contests in the process. The rookie has picked up the pace at the plate in that span, generating three extra-base hits (two doubles, one home run), four RBI, two walks and three runs while striking out at a minuscule 3.8 percent clip.
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Jorge Mateo SS | ATL
Orioles' Jorge Mateo: Nabs 35th steal
Mateo went 1-for-3 with a run scored and a stolen base in Monday's 5-1 loss to the Blue Jays.
With his third-inning pilfer, Mateo moved one ahead of teammate Cedric Mullins for the American League league in stolen bases with 35. Mateo's first full season in the majors has been a mixed bag -- he's flashed some power in addition to his speed but also been extremely streaky, leaving him with a .221/.267/.379 slash line through 524 plate appearances. The 27-year-old should get a chance to develop some consistency to go along with his tools in 2023, but it's not clear whether that chance will come at shortstop or another position as the O's try to find a defensive home for top prospect Gunnar Henderson.
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Jon Berti 3B | CHC
Marlins' Jon Berti: Swipes bag No. 40
Berti went 2-for-4 with a run scored and a stolen base in Monday's 4-0 win over Atanta.
The veteran utility player will almost certainly be the only player in the majors this season to reach the 40-steal plateau. Berti's also set a new career high in the category at the age of 32 -- his previous best was only 17 in 2019 -- but his .236/.319/.328 slash line indicates how one-dimensional his fantasy value has been. With MLB making rule changes that should boost the running game league-wide in 2023, he could be overvalued at draft tables if his SB total no longer stands out from the pack.
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Livan Soto SS | BAL
Angels' Livan Soto: Productive from leadoff spot
Soto went 2-for-5 with a run scored in Monday's extra-inning loss to the Athletics.
The 22-year-old has exploded onto the scene for the Angels over the last few weeks, and he kept it going with a strong game batting out of the leadoff spot Monday. Soto's multi-hit effort was his eighth over his last 10 games, during which he is 18-for-36. Soto will likely come back to earth next season, as he sports an unsustainable BABIP north of .500, but he will be worth keeping an eye on to see if he earns regular playing time.
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Javier Baez SS | DET
Tigers' Javier Baez: Snaps Kirby's homerless streak
Baez went 1-for-5 with a two-run home run in Monday's 4-3 win over Seattle.
Seattle starter George Kirby entered the contest having gone 14 starts since serving up his last long ball, but Baez snapped that streak with his two-run shot in the third inning on an 0-2 slider. The homer was Baez's 18th of the campaign, giving him an outside chance of reaching 20 for his fifth straight full season (excluding the substantially shortened 2020 campaign). Baez's power has ticked up near the end of the season, as he has five long balls over his past 16 contests.
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Bobby Witt SS | KC
Royals' Bobby Witt: Achieves 30-steal season
Witt went 1-for-5 with a stolen base and a run scored in Monday's 5-2 extra-inning win over the Guardians.
Witt has struggled a bit to begin October, going 2-for-13 with two walks and two steals in three games this month. The late surge on the basepaths was ultimately enough to earn him a 30-steal season as a rookie. He's also maintained a .254/.295/.431 slash line with 20 home runs, 80 RBI, 82 runs scored, 31 doubles and six triples through 148 contests.
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Wander Franco SS | TB
Rays' Wander Franco: Three hits including homer in loss
Franco went 3-for-4 with a solo homer and triple in Monday's loss to the Red Sox.
Franco launched a leadoff homer off Rich Hill to open Monday's contest, giving the Rays an early 1-0 lead. He later added a single and a triple in the contest. The homer was his sixth of the season and first since July 2. Since returning from the 10-day injured list Sept. 9, Franco has produced a .322 average with a homer, a triple, eight doubles, 10 RBI, 12 runs and three stolen bases over 86 at-bats in 24 games.