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Tatsuya Imai SP | HOU
Astros' Tatsuya Imai: Sharp out of bullpen
Imai didn't factor into the decision Monday against the Blue Jays after striking out five across three perfect innings in relief.
Imai was stellar in his first appearance out of the bullpen for the Astros, as he held Toronto without a baserunner for three innings while striking out the final five batters he faced. It's certainly an encouraging development for Imai, who struggled to a 7.71 ERA across 11.2 innings in his last four starts. In the wake of Monday's successful performance, Houston figures to keep Imai in a bulk-relief role for the time being. Overall, the right-hander carries a 6-4 record with a 5.55 ERA, 1.46 WHIP and 77:40 K:BB across 61.2 innings this season.
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Richard Palacios 2B | TB
Rays' Richie Palacios: Lifts fifth homer
Palacios went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run, an additional run scored and a walk in Monday's 13-9 win over Colorado.
Palacios got in on Tampa Bay's offensive outburst, pulling a two-run homer down the right-field line in the ninth inning. Monday marked the second baseman's first multi-hit game since July 7 after he had struggled mightily at the plate in recent weeks. Overall, the 29-year-old is hitting .229/.325/.346 with five homers, 32 RBI, 32 runs and nine stolen bases across 82 contests.
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Junior Caminero 3B | TB
Rays' Junior Caminero: Blasts two homers Monday
Caminero went 2-for-5 with two homers, three total RBI and an additional run scored in Monday's 13-9 win over the Rockies.
Caminero showed off his power, lifting a 422-foot two-run homer in the first inning before adding a 442-foot solo blast in the fourth frame. Monday marked the 23-year-old's third multi-homer game of the season and first since June 25. The superstar third baseman is slashing .283/.373/.557 with 32 homers, 69 RBI, 69 runs and two stolen bases across 112 games.
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Jonathan Aranda 1B | TB
Rays' Jonathan Aranda: Logs four hits in win
Aranda went 4-for-5 with a double, two RBI and two runs scored in Monday's 13-9 win over Colorado.
Aranda was a hit machine, logging four hits for the first time since May 3. It was a much-needed performance for the first baseman, who entered Monday's contest batting just .183 in 15 games since the All-Star break. Otherwise, the 28-year-old has put together a strong campaign, slashing .286/.376/.437 with 14 homers, 67 RBI and 53 runs across 109 contests.
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Ian Seymour RP | TB
Rays' Ian Seymour: Strikes out nine in eighth win
Seymour (8-3) earned the win Monday, allowing two runs on seven hits and no walks over six innings against the Rockies. He struck out nine.
Pitching at hitter-friendly Coors Field, Seymour was able to limit the damage while recording his second-highest strikeout total of the season. The Rays have used the southpaw both as a starter and bulk reliever since inserting him into the rotation in early June. Overall, Seymour owns a 4.27 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 99:28 K:BB across 84.1 innings (37 appearances, eight starts) and is tentatively scheduled to pitch Sunday against the Mariners.
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Luis Garcia 1B | NYY
Yankees' Luis Garcia: Goes yard in team debut
Garcia went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run in Monday's 13-7 loss to the Cardinals.
Making his Yankees debut, Garcia made an immediate splash Monday. His RBI upside could take a slight hit in the interim from the move away from a Nationals lineup with All-Stars James Wood and CJ Abrams, but that should change once New York gets Cody Bellinger (hamstring) and Aaron Judge (ribs) back from the injured list later this year. Through 361 at-bats, Garcia is hitting .285 with 24 homers, 20 doubles, five triples and 78 RBI.
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Alejandro Kirk C | TOR
Blue Jays' Alejandro Kirk: Goes yard in Monday's win
Kirk went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Monday's 3-1 victory over the Astros.
Kirk opened the scoring with a solo shot over the left-field wall in the second inning. The catcher is in the midst of a 10-game on-base streak, during which he has clubbed two homers and driven in six runs. The 27-year-old is slowly trending in the right direction amid an injury-affected and otherwise lackluster campaign. Kirk is slashing .237/.318/.359 with four homers, 15 RBI and 10 runs across 39 contests.
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Tyler Rogers RP | TOR
Blue Jays' Tyler Rogers: Tallies third save
Rogers picked up the save Monday against the Astros. He did not record a strikeout over a perfect inning.
With Louis Varland presumably unavailable, Rogers was called upon to pitch the ninth inning and retired the side in order to pick up his third save. The soft-tossing right-hander has been impressively reliable as a setup man this year, posting a 1.62 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 27:14 K:BB while recording 23 holds across 50 innings.
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Cody Bellinger LF | NYY
Yankees' Cody Bellinger: Running, hitting and throwing
Bellinger (hamstring) has been doing some outdoor running while also hitting and throwing, per MLB.com.
Bellinger seems to be making progress from the left hamstring strain he suffered in late July. Still, the veteran outfielder isn't expected to be activated from the IL until late August or early September. The Yankees acquired Heliot Ramos in a trade with San Francisco on Monday, providing some depth in the outfield with Bellinger and Aaron Judge (ribs) both currently sidelined.
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Cristian Javier SP | HOU
Astros' Cristian Javier: Suffers second loss
Javier (1-2) took the loss Monday, allowing three runs on seven hits and no walks over six innings against Toronto. He struck out two.
After mostly working out of the bullpen since returning from a right shoulder strain in early July, Javier drew the start Monday and recorded a quality start, though a lack of run support saddled him with the loss. On the year, the 29-year-old owns a 6.59 ERA, 1.68 WHIP and 23:15 K:BB across 27.1 innings (nine outings, five starts). Should Javier remain in the rotation, he's lined up to take the mound Sunday against San Diego.