MLB Player News
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Whit Merrifield 2B | ATL
Braves' Whit Merrifield: Steals bag in first start
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.
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Nico Hoerner 2B | CHC
Cubs' Nico Hoerner: Scores twice, steals base Wednesday
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.
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Nolan Gorman 2B | STL
Cardinals' Nolan Gorman: Out of lineup again
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.
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Otto Lopez 2B | MIA
Marlins' Otto Lopez: Heading to bench Wednesday
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.
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Ignacio Alvarez 2B | ATL
Braves' Nacho Alvarez: Sent down after rough start
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.
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Connor Norby 3B | MIA
Marlins' Connor Norby: Sent to Triple-A
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.
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Bryson Stott 2B | PHI
Phillies' Bryson Stott: Getting maintenance day
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.
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Ketel Marte 2B | ARI
Diamondbacks' Ketel Marte: Another multi-hit effort
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.