MLB Player News
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Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 1B | TOR
Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero: MRI clean on right knee
An MRI on Guerrero's right knee showed no structural damage, and he might be available off the bench Thursday against the Yankees, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Guerrero was scratched from the Blue Jays' lineup Wednesday -- and is not starting Thursday -- because of lingering right knee discomfort, but this latest round of imaging scans has confirmed he is merely dealing with inflammation and won't require an extended break. Spencer Horwitz will get the start at first base in Thursday's series finale at Yankee Stadium, but it sounds like Guerrero could be a full-go for the Jays' three-game weekend set versus Tampa Bay.
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Spencer Horwitz 1B | PIT
Blue Jays' Spencer Horwitz: Another start Thursday
Horwitz is playing first base and batting sixth Thursday against the Yankees.
It's the second straight start for Horwitz, who filled the DH role Wednesday after Vladimir Guerrero (knee) was scratched and tallied three RBI as part of a 6-1 victory. The 25-year-old has batted .286/.375/.429 across his first 40 major-league plate appearances this season with Toronto and could see more opportunities if Guerrero requires an extended absence.
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Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 1B | TOR
Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero: Out again with knee issue
Guerrero (knee) remains out of the lineup Thursday versus the Yankees.
Guerrero was scratched from the lineup Wednesday due to right knee discomfort and promptly sent for an MRI, the results of which are still being evaluated. Spencer Horwitz will play first base and bat sixth for the Blue Jays on Thursday at Yankee Stadium as Davis Schneider fills the DH role and hits cleanup.
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Dominic Smith 1B | ATL
Nationals' Dominic Smith: Not starting against lefty
Smith isn't in the Nationals' lineup Thursday versus Atlanta, Bobby Blanco of MASNSports.com reports.
With southpaw Max Fried on the mound for Atlanta, the lefty-hitting Smith will retreat to the dugout to begin Thursday's game. Joey Meneses will fill in at first base, moving Keibert Ruiz into the DH spot while Drew Millas starts behind the dish.
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Nolan Schanuel 1B | LAA
Angels' Nolan Schanuel: Absent from lineup
Schanuel is not in the lineup for Thursday's game versus the Rays, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.
It looks to be a routine day off for Schanuel, who had started each of the previous four contests. Brandon Drury is sliding over to first base while David Fletcher gets a start at second.
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Christian Encarnacion-Strand 1B | CIN
Reds' Christian Encarnacion-Strand: Belts homer in loss
Encarnacion-Strand went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 5-3 loss to Minnesota.
Encarnacion-Strand launched his ninth homer in the fourth inning, the rookie's third long ball over the last four games. A slumping Elly De La Cruz, who sat out for the third time in the last six contests, has opened a few extra opportunities for Encarnacion-Strand and Noelvi Marte on the left side of the infield.
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Christian Walker 1B | HOU
Diamondbacks' Christian Walker: Reaches double-digit steals
Walker went 3-for-4 with a double, an RBI, a run scored and a stolen base in Wednesday's 7-1 win over the Giants.
The first baseman took a back seat to Corbin Carroll, who became the first rookie in MLB history to hit 25 home runs and steal 50 bases in a season, but Walker's theft gave him a career-high 10 steals. The achievement is something to feel good about in a September that hasn't been kind to him, as Walker entered the day batting .169 with a .527 OPS for the month.
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Josh Bell DH | MIN
Marlins' Josh Bell: Snaps homer drought Wednesday
Bell went 2-for-4 with a solo home run, an additional run and a double in a loss to the Mets on Wednesday.
Bell accounted for half of Miami's scoring output with his 417-foot solo shot in the sixth inning. The veteran slugger had gone 14 games without a long ball prior to the blast, slashing .216/.273/.255 with a 30.9 percent strikeout rate over the cold stretch. He's slowed down quite a bit after slamming eight home runs over his first 26 contests as a Marlin.