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Brandon Dixon 1B | SD
Tigers' Brandon Dixon: Records two hits in loss
Dixon went 2-for-4 with an RBI in Thursday's 6-1 loss to the Rays.
Dixon entered the game on a mini 1-for-13 slump over his past three contests, but he snapped out of the funk and raised his batting average to .296 with the two hits. A high BABIP is fueling a lot of Dixon's success, so some regression is likely coming, but he figures to hold onto a regular role with the Tigers as long as he keeps hitting.
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Garrett Cooper 1B | ATL
Marlins' Garrett Cooper: Accounts for lone run
Cooper went 1-for-3 with an RBI and a walk in Thursday's 5-1 loss to Milwaukee.
Cooper got the Marlins on the board in the sixth inning on a single to center field, but the Brewers would emerge victorious in the series finale. He's been seeing the ball well at the plate recently, collecting a base knock in six of his last seven contests. Cooper has launched two homers and sits with five RBI over that brief stretch.
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Matt Olson 1B | ATL
Athletics' Matt Olson: Heads to bench
Olson is not in the lineup Thursday against the Angels.
Olson has started the past 14 games for Oakland, slashing .222/.323/.500 with four homers and a 32.2 percent strikeout rate during that stretch. With left-hander Tyler Skaggs on the mound Thursday, Mark Canha is starting at first base and hitting sixth in place of Olson.
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Ty France 1B | SD
Padres' Ty France: Sent back to minors
France was optioned to Triple-A El Paso on Thursday.
Fernando Tatis (hamstring) was reinstated from the injured list in a corresponding move, pushing Manny Machado back to an everyday role at third base and leaving little-to-no playing time for France. As such, he'll head back to the minors to see consistent at-bats with the Chihuahuas. During his time with the Padres, France slashed .235/.290/.357 with two homers and 10 RBI in 34 appearances (107 plate appearances).
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Rowdy Tellez 1B | ATL
Blue Jays' Rowdy Tellez: On bench again
Tellez is not in the lineup Thursday against the Yankees.
Tellez will sit for a second straight game as Randal Grichuk gets the nod at designated hitter in Thursday's series finale. It's unclear if Tellez is dealing with an injury -- he missed time over the weekend with a balky hamstring -- or if his recent struggles (.133 with a .388 OPS over his last 10 games) have prompted the Blue Jays to use their DH spot as a way to give position players a day off their feet.
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Matt Olson 1B | ATL
Athletics' Matt Olson: Multi-hit effort in loss
Olson went 2-for-4 with an RBI single, a double and a walk in a loss to the Angels on Wednesday.
Olson's first multi-hit effort since May 22 snapped an 0-for-15 skid that had encompassed his previous four contests. The slugging first baseman had gotten his average up to .238 as recently as May 29, but the aforementioned multi-game slide had prompted a 36-point tumble prior to Wednesday's production.
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Dominic Smith DH | ATL
Mets' Dominic Smith: Enters lineup Thursday
Smith (thumb) will start in left field and bat second Thursday against the Giants, Matt Ehalt of Yahoo Sports reports.
Smith hyperextended his right thumb Saturday, but he avoided a trip to the injured list after an MRI cleared him of any structural damage. The injury nonetheless limited Smith to a bench role for the previous three contests, with the 23-year-old logging a sole pinch-hitting appearance during that span. With the soreness in his thumb apparently having subsided, Smith will enter the lineup in the series finale for what will be his fourth outfield start of the season. Smith could be pressed into more regular action in the event Robinson Cano (hamstring) needs to return to the IL, in which case Jeff McNeil would likely pick up more starts at second base rather than the outfield.
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Jose Abreu 1B | HOU
White Sox's Jose Abreu: Hits 16th homer
Abreu went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run in a 6-4 loss to the Nationals on Wednesday.
After hitting two long balls in late March to begin the year, the homers dried up for Abreu in April. He hit just three in that month, but he exploded for 10 in May and just smashed his first of June. Abreu has 11 homers in his last 131 at-bats. He isn't walking a lot, but his slugging percentage is a healthy .521, giving him an .822 OPS,. Overall, Abreu is batting .254 with 16 home runs, 52 RBI and 30 runs in 240 at-bats this season.
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Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 1B | TOR
Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero Jr.: Crushes clutch three-run homer
Guerrero went 2-for-4 with a three-run home run, a walk and three runs scored overall in Wednesday's 11-7 win over the Yankees.
Guerrero came up huge in the eighth inning, clubbing a 434-foot, three-run round tripper to center field to give the Blue Jays a 9-7 lead. The 20-year-old is slashing .256/.326/.472 with seven homers through his first 33 major-league games.
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Yuli Gurriel DH | SD
Astros' Yuli Gurriel: Day off Wednesday
Gurriel is not in the lineup for Wednesday's game at Seattle, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Gurriel split starts between first and third base over the last 12 games, but he will head to the bench after slashing .224/.235/.286 in that stretch. Tyler White will start at first base and bat fifth with Mike Leake taking the mound for the Mariners.