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Nick Kurtz 1B | ATH
Athletics' Nick Kurtz: Belts another clutch homer
Kurtz went 1-for-4 with a two-run walk-off home run Monday in a 3-1 win against the Astros.
Kurtz was quiet until the bottom of the ninth inning, when he broke a 1-1 tie with a big 447-foot, two-run shot to right-center field. It was the second time in as many days that the young slugger has won the game for the A's with a long ball -- he broke a 2-2 tie in the top of the ninth frame Sunday with a solo blast. Kurtz is still slashing a modest .235/.293/.454 on the campaign, but he's gone deep six times over his past 11 contests and has knocked in 13 runs over that span.
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Paul Goldschmidt 1B | NYY
Yankees' Paul Goldschmidt: Sitting in second straight game
Goldschmidt is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Angels.
The Yankees haven't indicated that Goldschmidt is dealing with a physical issue, but the 37-year-old will hit the bench for the second day in a row against a right-handed starting pitcher (Jose Soriano). Manager Aaron Boone will likely elaborate further on the lineup when he speaks to the media Monday, but Chris Kirschner of The Athletic speculates that the return of Giancarlo Stanton (elbows) from the 60-day injured list could result in the Yankees opting for a quasi-platoon at first base. With Stanton expected to get the majority of the at-bats at designated hitter moving forward, the right-handed-hitting Goldschmidt could give way at first base more frequently to the left-handed-hitting Ben Rice when the Yankees face righties. Goldschmidt owns a 91 wRC+ versus righties for the season, while Rice has posted a 132 wRC+ in those matchups.
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Nolan Schanuel 1B | LAA
Angels' Nolan Schanuel: Continues hot stretch with homer
Schanuel went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in a loss to Baltimore on Sunday.
Schanuel gave the Angels an early lead with a 416-foot solo shot to center field in the first inning. The long ball snapped a 23-game stretch without a homer for the lefty batter. Despite the power drought, Schanuel has been swinging the bat well of late, collecting multiple hits in five of his past 11 games and batting .341 with eight RBI and two steals over that stretch.
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Nick Kurtz 1B | ATH
Athletics' Nick Kurtz: Bashes game-winning homer
Kurtz went 2-for-4 with a solo homer in Sunday's 3-2 victory at Kansas City.
The 22-year-old rookie gave the Athletics a 3-2 lead with his 411-foot homer off Royals reliever Carlos Estevez in the ninth inning. This marks Kurtz's first homer since returning from a hip injury June 9, as he's now batting .142 (3-for-21) with no walks since that date. Overall, the Athletics first baseman is slashing .235/.295/.435 with six homers, 17 RBI and 12 runs scored across 129 total plate appearances.
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Jonathan Aranda 1B | TB
Rays' Jonathan Aranda: Tallies pair of RBI
Aranda went 2-for-4 with a double, two RBI and a run scored in Sunday's 9-0 victory over the Mets.
The Tampa Bay first baseman extended his team's lead to 6-0 with a two-RBI double off reliever Max Kranick in the fifth inning. Despite not cracking a homer, Aranda has been on fire in June, batting .325 (14-for-43) with two doubles, seven runs scored and eight RBI across 13 contests. Through 252 total plate appearances, the 27-year-old is now slashing .321/.413/.493 with eight homers, 13 doubles, 35 runs scored and 39 RBI.
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Christian Walker 1B | HOU
Astros' Christian Walker: Out of Sunday's lineup
Walker is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Twins, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
Walker's troubles at the plate have continued in June with a .678 OPS through 12 games, and he'll sit Sunday after starting the previous 14 contests. Victor Caratini will take over at first base for the series finale versus Minnesota.
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Tyler Soderstrom LF | ATH
Athletics' Tyler Soderstrom: Receiving rare day off
Soderstrom is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Royals.
The 23-year-old will take a seat for the first time since May 4 while the Athletics hand JJ Bleday a start in left field. Though he's been limited to two home runs through his first 13 games in June, Soderstrom has demonstrated a patient approach at the plate, drawing 10 walks while striking out just nine times.
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Paul Goldschmidt 1B | NYY
Yankees' Paul Goldschmidt: Heading to bench Sunday
Goldschmidt is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Red Sox.
Goldschmidt will receive Sunday off after a run of 16 consecutive starts, during which he posted a .194/.275/.339 slash line with three doubles and two homers. Ben Rice will step in at first base for the Yankees while Aaron Judge rests his legs as the designated hitter.
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Tim Elko 1B | CHW
White Sox's Tim Elko: Sent down to minors
The White Sox optioned Elko to Triple-A Charlotte on Saturday.
Elko had been working as Chicago's primary first baseman prior to the demotion and slugged four homers with eight RBI and a stolen base over 18 games, though he posted a mediocre .601 OPS and 38.1 percent strikeout rate. His spot on the 26-man roster has been taken by Ryan Noda, who was called up from Charlotte in a corresponding move and could take over as Chicago's top option at first base.