MLB Player News
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Bryce Harper DH | PHI
Phillies' Bryce Harper: Goes yard twice in loss
Harper went 3-for-4 with a double, two home runs and four RBI in Friday's 6-5 loss to the Angels.
The ball was flying out of Citizens Bank Park, with the two teams combining for six homers, and Harper led the charge for the Phillies by taking Jake Eder deep for a three-run blast in the third inning before adding a solo shot off Jose Fermin in the eighth. Harper has 12 homers in 69 games on the season, but he's caught fire in July -- over 12 contests on the month he's slashing .333/.429/.690 with nine of his 14 hits (six doubles, three home runs) going for extra bases.
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Tristin English 3B | ATL
Diamondbacks' Tristin English: Sent to Reno
The Diamondbacks optioned English to Triple-A Reno on Friday.
English made his MLB debut July 9, going 0-for-4 with an RBI and two strikeouts. He'll return to Reno coming out of the All-Star break, where he's slashing .336/.388/.546 with nine homers and 23 doubles over 261 plate appearances.
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Bryce Eldridge 1B | SF
Giants' Bryce Eldridge: Rehabbing in rookie ball
Eldridge (hamstring) began a rehab assignment in the rookie-level Arizona Complex League on Monday and has gone 2-for-6 with a walk, an RBI and a run in his first two contests.
Eldridge started at first base in both contests and could be ready to return from Triple-A Sacramento's 7-day injured list when the affiliate opens up its post-All-Star-break schedule Friday. While the 20-year-old profiles as the Giants' first baseman of the future, he may not be in line for much more than a September call-up in 2025. Between stops at Double-A Richmond and at Sacramento prior to his rehab assignment, Eldridge slashed .263/.329/.484 with 10 home runs over 50 games.
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Matt Mervis 1B | WAS
Marlins' Matt Mervis: Returns from MiLB IL
Mervis (oblique) was activated from the 7-day injured list Tuesday.
Mervis missed just over three weeks while recovering from an oblique strain. He's been solid in five games since his return, going 5-for-16 with two home runs, three RBI, one stolen base and four runs scored.
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Matt Olson 1B | ATL
Braves' Matt Olson: Drives in three runs
Olson went 2-for-5 with three RBI in Sunday's loss to the Cardinals.
Olson knocked an RBI single in the third inning and drove in two more with another single in the fifth. He was stuck in a 3-for-25 (.120) slump with no RBI over his previous six games entering Sunday. Olson now has nine RBI over his last 17 games but all of those have come in three contests. He's slashing .262/.362/.468 with 61 RBI and 40 extra-base hits through 420 plate appearances this season.
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Michael Busch 3B | CHC
Cubs' Michael Busch: Goes deep from leadoff spot
Busch went 1-for-5 with a solo home run in Sunday's 4-1 win over the Yankees.
Busch batted leadoff for the first time all season, and he made the decision look good right away by belting his 19th home run of the year to start off the game. Ian Happ has been Chicago's leadoff man for most of the season, but the team has experimented with both Nico Hoerner and now Busch the past few days. It will be interesting to see how Chicago structures its lineup coming out of the All-Star break. A move up to No. 1 for Busch on a more permanent basis could allow him to score more runs but would likely decrease his RBI output.
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Dominic Smith 1B | SF
Giants' Dominic Smith: Taking seat against righty
Smith is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Dodgers.
Though he'll head to the bench Sunday while the right-handed Yoshinobu Yamamoto takes the hill for the Dodgers, the left-handed-hitting Smith appears to be the Giants' preferred option at first base over Wilmer Flores, who re-enters the lineup for the series finale. Smith had started in each of the Giants' previous five matchups with righties, while Flores was held out of the lineup for all of those games. The two are likely to continue forming a loose platoon at the position until designated hitter Rafael Devers is deemed ready to make his debut as a first baseman.
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Andrew Vaughn 1B | MIL
Brewers' Andrew Vaughn: Sitting Sunday
Vaughn is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Nationals.
Since being called up from Triple-A Nashville on Monday, Vaughn has gotten off to a red-hot start to his time with the Brewers, recording at least one hit in each of his first five games while producing a 1.500 OPS and driving in 10 runs. The Brewers haven't yet committed to Vaughn as a full-time player, however, as Jake Bauers will replace him in the lineup Sunday while Milwaukee looks to keep both players involved at first base in the absence of Rhys Hoskins (thumb).
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Eric Wagaman 1B | MIN
Marlins' Eric Wagaman: Resting Sunday
Wagaman is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Orioles.
Wagaman will hit the bench after he had started at first base each of the previous four games while going 1-for-13 with two walks. Liam Hicks will cover first base in Wagaman's stead.
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Bryce Harper DH | PHI
Phillies' Bryce Harper: Records steal Saturday
Harper went 1-for-3 with a double, two walks and a stolen base in Saturday's 5-4 loss to the Padres.
Harper has gone 7-for-20 (.350) with four walks and five extra-base hits over the first five games of the Phillies' road trip out west. The first baseman also logged his first steal since May 21 versus the Rockies, though he missed time due to wrist inflammation in the gap between steals. Harper is now at a .260/.372/.448 slash line for the year while adding 10 homers, nine thefts, 35 RBI, 36 runs scored and 17 doubles across 67 contests.