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Angel Martinez LF | CLE
Guardians' Angel Martinez: On bench Wednesday
Martinez is not in the starting lineup for Wednesday's game against the Red Sox.
Martinez is enjoying a nice September with a 1.073 OPS and four homers in 15 games around a brief absence due to side discomfort. The 24-year-old switch hitter has emerged as the primary left fielder for Cleveland, but he will sit Wednesday as Petey Halpin starts in center field, pushing Steven Kwan to left against right-hander Sonny Gray.
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Austin Wells C | NYY
Yankees' Austin Wells: Sitting Wednesday
Wells is not in the starting lineup for Wednesday's game against the Rays.
Wells will rest his legs after starting the second game of Tuesday's doubleheader, finishing 0-for-2 with a walk. It's been a tough season for Wells, who is slashing just .185/.287/.324, but he remains a plus player behind the plate and still holds the No. 1 spot on the Yankees' catching depth chart ahead of Ali Sanchez.
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Cody Bellinger LF | NYY
Yankees' Cody Bellinger: Out of lineup Wednesday
Bellinger is not in the starting lineup for Wednesday's game against the Rays.
Bellinger was scorching hot to begin September, slashing .373/.387/.627 over his first 14 games of the month, but he has cooled off with just three hits in his last five games (20 at-bats). There has been nothing to suggest an injury is in play, so this looks like a breather ahead of the postseason. Jose Caballero will get the start in left field against right-hander Mason Englert.
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Ronald Acuna Jr. RF | ATL
Braves' Ronald Acuna: Held out of Atlanta lineup
Acuna (leg) is not in the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Reds.
Acuna was removed from Tuesday's contest after fouling a ball off his left leg. X-rays were negative and Acuna informed the club that he was fine to play Wednesday, per Mark Bowman of MLB.com. However, with the National League East already wrapped up, Atlanta will rest its star outfielder for a day just to be safe. Brewer Hicklen will cover right field Wednesday in Acuna's stead.
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Mitch Keller SP | PIT
Pirates' Mitch Keller: To resume throwing in October
Keller (shoulder) said Wednesday that he feels fully healthy and plans to resume throwing in late October, Aiden Stepansky of MLB.com reports.
Keller has remained shut down since being diagnosed with a right teres major strain in early August. The rest appears to have accomplished its goal thus far, and Keller looks to be on track to have a normal offseason throwing program. Keller held a 5.29 ERA, 1.37 WHIP and 89:42 K:BB over 115.2 innings for the Pirates this season.
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Willson Contreras 1B | BOS
Red Sox's Willson Contreras: Remaining on bench Wednesday
Contreras (hand) is not in the starting lineup for Wednesday's game against the Guardians, Tim Healey of The Boston Globe reports.
Make it five consecutive absences for Contreras since he was plunked on his right hand last Thursday. He has not appeared off the bench in any of the Red Sox's last four games. Contreras said he thought his hand was broken initially, but X-rays were negative and he remains day-to-day.
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Tyler Stephenson C | CIN
Reds' Tyler Stephenson: Sitting out Wednesday
Stephenson is absent from the lineup for Wednesday's contest in Atlanta.
It's a routine day off for Stephenson, who had started the last six games for the Reds. It will be Will Banfield doing the catching on Wednesday.
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Ceddanne Rafaela CF | BOS
Red Sox's Ceddanne Rafaela: Back from IL
The Red Sox reinstated Rafaela (quadriceps) from the injured list Wednesday, Tim Healey of The Boston Globe reports. The 26-year-old will start in center field and bat sixth in Wednesday's game against the Guardians.
A right quad strain sent Rafaela to the 10-day injured list earlier this month, but he will return to face lefty Foster Griffin in the second game of the series versus Cleveland. Rafaela bypassed a rehab assignment but has been taking simulated at-bats against the team's Trajekt machine. The 26-year-old sits with a career-best .282/.317/.443 slash line through 135 contests, and he's already matched last year's mark with 3.9 fWAR this season despite having played in 21 fewer games.