MLB Player News

Biggio is starting at second base and batting fifth for Tuesday's Game 1 of the AL Wild Card Series in Minnesota, Ben Wagner of Sportsnet Radio reports.

No player improved his standing with the Blue Jays in September more than Biggio, who slashed .277/.408/.374 while starting each of the final 13 games down the stretch. He played four different positions in the final month but appears in line to serve as Toronto's regular second baseman versus right-handers during the postseason.

Merrifield is not in the lineup for Tuesday's AL Wild Card Series opener against the Twins, Ben Wagner of Sportsnet Radio reports.

Given his usage down the stretch of the regular season, it's not a surprise to see Merrifield begin this one on the bench. The Blue Jays are opting for Cavan Biggio at second base, Daulton Varsho in left field and Kevin Kiermaier in center.

Polanco (ankle) is starting at third base and batting second in Tuesday's Game 1 of their AL Wild Card Series versus the Blue Jays.

Polanco missed the final two games of the regular season with a right ankle injury, but he's ready to go for the Twins' playoff opener. With Royce Lewis limited to designated hitter duties as he returns from a hamstring injury, Polanco is in line to serve as Minnesota's regular third baseman.

Drury went 3-for-4 with two homers, three RBI and three runs scored in Sunday's 7-3 win over the Athletics.

Drury opened things up with a first-inning home run and added on with a two-run shot to right center in the fifth. He finishes the 2023 campaign slashing .262/.306/.497 with 26 homers, 83 RBI, 61 runs and a 25:136 BB:K in 523 plate appearances. His home run and RBI totals trailed only Shohei Ohtani for the team lead despite Drury missing seven weeks due to injury. The 30-year-old signed a two-year deal with the Halos before the season, although it's possible the team ships him off to a contender with rumors swirling that a rebuild might be in the works.

Gimenez is not in Sunday's lineup against the Tigers.

Gimenez hit .333 with three home runs and eight steals in September. Jose Tena gets the start at the keystone, hitting ninth.

Torres is not in Sunday's lineup against the Royals.

Torres, who put together his best season since his juiced-ball inflated 2019 campaign, will make way for some less accomplished infielders in the final game of the season. He hit .273 with 25 home runs and 13 steals in 158 games.

Polanco (ankle) is not in Sunday's lineup against the Rockies.

He was pulled from Friday's game with right ankle soreness and will miss a second game in a row with the Twins already locked into the postseason. It's unclear if Polanco will be ready to go for the playoffs on Tuesday.

Julien went 3-for-5 with a double, a two-run home run, an additional RBI and an additional run scored in Saturday's victory over the Rockies.

Julien fell a triple shy of the cycle Saturday, notching a single in the first inning, a double in the sixth and belting a two-run homer in the seventh. He's now up to 16 homers on the year -- two in his last three games -- while slashing .263/.381/.461 across 108 contests.

Ibanez went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBI in Saturday's 8-0 win over the Guardians.

Ibanez continued his good recent stretch, as he's batting .371 over his last 10 games with eight RBI. It's been a solid season overall for the utility player, who's batting .264 with a .747 OPS. Ibanez has also recorded a career-high 11 home runs and 40 RBI. The 30-year-old should have a similar role in 2024, which could make him an occasional fantasy contributor in deeper leagues, though he's far from an elite option.

Polanco (ankle) wasn't in the starting lineup for Saturday's game against Colorado.

Polanco was pulled from Friday's matchup due to a sore right ankle, and the Twins are likely acting out of an abundance of caution by holding him out of this one after already locking up the AL Central. He'll continue to be considered day-to-day moving forward.