MLB Player News
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Anthony Rizzo 1B | NYY
Yankees' Anthony Rizzo: Absent from Game 3 lineup
Rizzo is not in the lineup Thursday for Game 3 of the ALCS in Cleveland.
Rizzo returned from two fractured fingers to reach base twice in each of the first two games of the series, but with southpaw Matthew Boyd on the hill for the Guardians in Game 3, the left-handed-hitting Rizzo will begin the contest on the bench. Jon Berti is starting at first base and batting sixth.
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Luis Arraez 2B | SF
Padres' Luis Arraez: Undergoes surgery on thumb
Arraez underwent surgery Wednesday to repair a torn ligament in his left thumb, Daniel Alvarez-Montes of ElExtraBase.com reports.
Arraez initially injured the thumb back in late June but played through the issue for the remainder of the season. The expectation is that he will be ready for the start of spring training. Arraez will be eligible for salary arbitration for the final time this offseason.
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Anthony Rizzo 1B | NYY
Yankees' Anthony Rizzo: Should start again in Game 2
Rizzo fared well in Game 1 of the ALCS against the Guardians and is expected to be in the starting lineup Tuesday for Game 2, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.
Rizzo picked up a single and drew a walk in Monday's series opener, and skipper Aaron Boone noted after the game that he pulled the veteran first baseman after he seemed emotionally drained, per Hoch. Rizzo suffered two fractured fingers on his right hand during the penultimate game of the regular season. The training staff will likely check on Rizzo again Tuesday morning, but all signs point to him being back in the starting nine for Tuesday's clash.
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Anthony Rizzo 1B | NYY
Yankees' Anthony Rizzo: Starting at first base in Game 1
Rizzo will start at first base and bat eighth Monday in Game 1 of the ALCS versus the Guardians.
Rizzo missed the ALDS after fracturing two fingers on his right hand when he was hit by a pitch in the penultimate game of the regular season. It's fair to assume he's operating at less than 100 percent given the incident occurred just over two weeks ago, but he's feeling well enough to give it a shot as the Yankees' regular first baseman.
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Freddie Freeman 1B | LAD
Dodgers' Freddie Freeman: Back in lineup for Game 2
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Freeman (ankle) will be back in the lineup Monday for Game 2 of the NLCS versus the Mets, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.
Freeman was lifted from Game 1 after seven innings, but that was simply to get him off his feet for a few frames since the Dodgers were out to a 6-0 lead at the time. The veteran first baseman is battling through a painful right ankle sprain but is expected to continue to gut it out as long as he doesn't experience a setback. Freeman reached base three times, drove in a run and scored a run in the Dodgers' Game 1 victory Sunday.
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Anthony Rizzo 1B | NYY
Yankees' Anthony Rizzo: Included on ALCS roster
Rizzo (fingers) is on the Yankees' roster for the ALCS against the Guardians.
Rizzo suffered two fractured fingers on his right hand during the second-to-last game of the regular season, but he has been cleared for game action barely more than two weeks after the incident. The 35-year-old will regain his starting job at first base, shifting Oswaldo Cabrera and Jon Berti to bench roles.
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Anthony Rizzo 1B | NYY
Yankees' Anthony Rizzo: Could return for ALCS
Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Sunday that Rizzo (finger) could be on New York's ALCS roster, Meredith Marakovits of YES Network reports.
Rizzo fractured two fingers on his right hand late in the regular season and wasn't part of the Yankees' roster for their ALDS victory versus Kansas City. He resumed baseball activities in early October and is set to ramp up further Sunday, per Boone, but his inclusion on the ALCS roster is far from a certainty. If he does return for the series against the Guardians, he would likely take over the starting role at first base, which was handled twice each by Oswaldo Cabrera and Jon Berti during the ALDS.
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Freddie Freeman 1B | LAD
Dodgers' Freddie Freeman: Back in lineup for Game 5
Freeman (ankle) is expected to start at first base and bat third Friday in Game 5 of the NLDS versus the Padres, Kirsten Watson of Spectrum SportsNet LA reports.
Freeman had to be scratched from the Game 4 lineup due to lingering discomfort in his right ankle. He still needs to go through a pregame workout before the Dodgers lock him into Friday's lineup, but for now it looks like he'll gut it out in the winner-take-all contest. The veteran first baseman is 3-for-11 with three singles so far in the series.
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Freddie Freeman 1B | LAD
Dodgers' Freddie Freeman: Expected back for Game 5
Freeman (ankle) is expected to be back in the lineup for Game 5 of the NLDS against the Padres on Friday, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.
Freeman was scratched from the Dodgers' Game 4 lineup with a lingering ankle issue, which he aggravated after leaping to make a defensive play in Game 3. He almost certainly won't be playing at full strength but should still provide an upgrade to the Dodgers' lineup.