Merrifield went 1-for-3 with a walk, a run scored and a stolen base in Wednesday's 6-2 win over the Brewers.

Making his first start as Atlanta's new second baseman and batting ninth, Merrifield made a solid contribution to a 6-2 victory that included his 13th steal of the year. The veteran utility player appears fully recovered from the finger injury he suffered immediately after signing with the team July 22, and until Ozzie Albies (wrist) is ready to return, Merrifield has little competition for playing time at the keystone. His .578 OPS on the season is a career low, but he could turn things around down the stretch as Atlanta tries to catch the Phillies -- the team that cut him loose in mid-July -- in the NL East standings.

Hoerner went 2-for-5 with a double, an RBI and two runs scored in Wednesday's 13-4 win over the Reds. He also stole a base.

It's been a bit of a down year for Hoerner, who's batting .252 with a .670 OPS after hitting .283 with a .729 OPS last season. The infielder has a total of 17 stolen bases this year, though he ran wild in 2023 with 43 steals. It doesn't seem like Hoerner will match last year's production overall, but if he can reach base consistently down the stretch, he could still be a fantasy difference-maker due to his ability on the basepaths.

Gorman isn't in the lineup for Wednesday contest versus the Rangers, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

The Cardinals are facing a lefty in Andrew Heaney, and the lefty-hitting Gorman is now on the bench for a fourth straight matchup with a southpaw. He's exiting the starting nine five times across the last seven games, even sitting once against a righty during that span. Brendan Donovan will occupy second base Wednesday.

Turang is absent from the lineup for Wednesday's game against Atlanta.

Atlanta is sending left-hander Chris Sale to the hill, so the lefty-hitting Turang will begin the contest on the bench. Andruw Monasterio will occupy second base for the Brewers.

Lopez is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Rays.

Though he's checking out of the lineup after starting both of the past two games, Lopez's short-term playing-time outlook has been aided by the Marlins' decision to demote trade-deadline pickup Connor Norby to Triple-A Jacksonville following his acquisition from the Orioles. Norby looked like a candidate to serve as Miami's everyday second baseman and should get the opportunity to do so later on this season, but for now, Lopez will likely remain the main option at the position.

Atlanta optioned Alvarez to Triple-A Gwinnett on Wednesday.

Alvarez got regular run at second base after Ozzie Albies (wrist) landed on the injured list, but he went just 3-for-30 with a 10:0 K:BB over eight games. Atlanta now appears prepared to go with Whit Merrifield (finger) as its regular at the keystone while Albies is shelved.

The Marlins optioned Norby to Triple-A Jacksonville on Wednesday.

The demotion comes as a surprise, as Norby appeared to be in line to take over as the Marlins' everyday second baseman after arriving via trade from the Orioles on Tuesday. While Norby should be back in the big leagues sooner rather than later, the Marlins will evaluate him in Jacksonville for the time being.

Stott is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Yankees.

The lefty-hitting Stott will get a breather for a day game after a night game while the Yankees bring southpaw Nestor Cortes to the hill. Weston Wilson will fill in for Stott at second base and bat seventh.

Marte went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored in Tuesday's 17-0 win over Washington.

Like the summer months in Arizona, Marte's bat is sizzling with multiple hits in 10 of his last 14 starts. He's gone 24-for-53 (.453) with seven home runs during that run. The hot bat stretches further back to the beginning of June; Marte is slashing .359/.439/.653 with 14 homers and 43 RBI over 47 games since June 2.

The Pirates acquired Kiner-Falefa (knee) from the Blue Jays on Tuesday in exchange for infielder/outfielder Charles McAdoo, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

Kiner-Falefa is currently on the injured list due to a left knee sprain, though he played in two rehab games over the weekend and should soon be ready to be reinstated. The utility man is in the midst of the most productive campaign of his MLB career with seven home runs and a .292/.338/.420 slash line through 82 games. He should see significant action at second base since Nick Gonzales (groin) is facing an extended absence, but Kiner-Falefa could also log starts at the hot corner, given Ke'Bryan Hayes' weak .591 OPS this season.