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Tommy Joseph 1B | TEX
Phillies' Tommy Joseph: Hits 15th blast of 2017 on Friday
Joseph went 2-for-2 with a solo homer and two walks Friday against the Padres.
Joseph launched his 15th homer of the campaign to put the Phillies on the board in a home loss. Although he's batting a mediocre .251, he's a solid asset for fantasy owners in need of some pop from the corner infield position.
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Freddie Freeman 1B | LAD
Braves' Freddie Freeman: Launches 15th bomb of season Friday
Freeman went 2-for-4 with a homer, a walk and three RBI on Friday against the Nationals
Freeman left the yard for the 15th time this year off Max Scherzer to break up a 1-1 tie in the seventh inning of a losing effort. He's been raking in his four games since returning from the disabled list, and continues to be one of the best hitters in the majors this season, as he's slashing .349/.459/.743.
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Anthony Rizzo 1B | NYY
Cubs' Anthony Rizzo: Crushes 20th blast of 2017 on Friday
Rizzo went 1-for-5 with a two-run homer Friday against the Pirates.
Rizzo blasted his 20th homer of the campaign as part of a three-run fourth inning that led to a divisional victory. Although his batting average is far from elite, he's been a major source of power for fantasy owners, as evidenced by his excellent .518 slugging percentage.
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Wilmer Flores 1B | SF
Mets' Wilmer Flores: Playing through leg cramps
Manager Terry Collins said that Flores is currently dealing with leg cramps, Matt Ehalt of The Record reports.
This doesn't seem like an issue that would keep him out for an extended period of time, although it is possible that he sits out most of the weekend given that he'll effectively get a week off with the All-Star break coming up. Flores will likely continue to act as a reserve bench player even when he is healthy, however.
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Chris Shaw 1B | CHW
Giants' Chris Shaw: Performing well after promotion
Shaw is slashing .299/.322/.549 in 37 games since being promoted to Triple-A Sacramento on May 24.
The slugging outfielder has produced nearly identical numbers for Sacramento following his promotion to that of his time with Double-A Richmond (.301/.390/.511 in 37 games). Giants general manager Bobby Evans stated that a 2017 appearance in the majors is unlikely because Shaw isn't required to be placed on the 40-man roster until next season, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports. That said, he didn't rule out a possible promotion if his bat forces the issue. The 2015 first-round draft pick is trending in the right direction offensively, making him an appealing asset in dynasty formats.
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Luke Voit 1B | NYM
Cardinals' Luke Voit: Keeps on mashing in Thursday's win
Voit went 2-for-4 with three RBI from a two-run double and a solo home run in Thursday's 4-3 win over the Marlins.
The rookie was a veritable one-man wrecking crew in the win, opening the Cardinals' scoring with a mammoth 446-foot shot in the first and following up with a timely two-bagger in the third that erased a 2-1 deficit. The 26-year-old has looked right at home early on against major-league pitching, and he's already racked up seven RBI over six July contests. That caliber of production is simply an extension of the excellent season Voit was enjoying at Triple-A Memphis, where he'd notched 36 extra-base hits (23 doubles, one triple, 12 homers) in 70 games.
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Freddie Freeman 1B | LAD
Braves' Freddie Freeman: Hits two doubles in return to first base
Freeman went 2-for-5 with two doubles, two RBI and a run in Thursday's 5-2 win over Washington.
With Matt Adams on the bench against Nats lefty Gio Gonzalez, Freeman played his familiar position at first base for this one after starting at third in his first two games back from a wrist injury. He smacked RBI doubles in the third and seventh innings to drive in his first runs since May 16. Freeman's picked up right where he left off before getting hurt, and now sports a .345/.455/.730 line in 178 plate appearances.
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Josh Bell DH | MIN
Pirates' Josh Bell: Three RBI in 6-3 win
Bell went 2-for-5 with a double, a homer, two runs and three RBI Thursday in Philadelphia.
Bell's error on a third-inning pickoff attempt allowed a runner to score all the way from first, but he atoned for that mistake with a two-run homer in the very next frame. The first baseman struck again in the decisive three-run eighth, driving in the go-ahead run with a double before coming around to score himself. Bell's now slashing .229/.314/.465 with 42 runs scored and 42 RBI in 85 games.
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Anthony Rizzo 1B | NYY
Cubs' Anthony Rizzo: Strong game Wednesday
Rizzo went 2-for-3 with two walks, two RBI, a double and a run scored in Wednesday's win over the Rays.
Rizzo recently shifted back to his more typical No. 3 spot in the lineup, and he was effective there Wednesday. While he did well as the Cubs' leadoff hitter, the slugging first baseman is probably best suited for the middle of the order.
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Joey Votto 1B | TOR
Reds' Joey Votto: Reaches base four times Wednesday
Votto went 2-for-3 with two walks, a triple and two runs scored in Wednesday's 5-3 loss to the Rockies.
While the first baseman is on pace for career-best performances in homers (24 through 84 games) and SLG (.625), he hasn't forgotten his bread and butter either as Votto's also on track for a batting average better than .310 and an OBP better than .425 for the third straight campaign.