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Cavan Biggio RF | HOU
Blue Jays' Cavan Biggio: Back to bench role
Biggio is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Tigers.
Biggio's streak of four consecutive starts will come to an end while the Blue Jays roll out a lineup consisting of their preferred option at each position in the series opener with Detroit. Due to his defensive versatility along with the team's inclination to periodically dole out rest days to lineup regulars, Biggio should still pick up a handful of starts per week even while Toronto is at full strength.
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Nicky Lopez 2B | TEX
Royals' Nicky Lopez: Sitting Thursday
Lopez is not in the starting lineup Thursday against the Yankees.
Lopez will get a breather after he went 0-for-9 with a walk and three strikeouts over the series against the Angels. Hunter Dozier will take over at third base while Ryan O'Hearn enters the lineup in right field and bats fifth versus New York.
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Adam Frazier 2B | LAA
Mariners' Adam Frazier: Steals fifth base
Frazier went 1-for-4 with a stolen base in a win over the Rangers on Wednesday.
Frazier saw a nine-game hitting streak snapped Sunday against the Astros, but he'll head into a rematch with Houston on Thursday with a new one in tow after recording a single for the third consecutive game Wednesday. The stolen base was a nice bonus for fantasy managers and puts Frazier halfway to the career-high 10 bags he swiped in 2021 with the Pirates and Padres.
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Sam Haggerty LF | TEX
Mariners' Sam Haggerty: Productive out of bottom of order
Haggerty went 2-for-3 with an RBI double, another two-bagger and a run in a win over the Rangers on Wednesday.
Haggerty wreaked some havoc out of the No. 9 spot in the order, lacing his second and third extra-base hits over the last four games. The 28-year-old continues to produce more often than not with a recent stretch of playing time that's largely been the byproduct of Mitch Haniger's (ankle) IL stint, as Haggerty boasts a .351/.385/.622 slash line with Wednesday's two doubles, a triple, two home runs, six RBI, three steals and 10 runs across his last 13 games.
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Thairo Estrada 2B | BAL
Giants' Thairo Estrada: Produces three hits, steal
Estrada went 3-for-4 with an double, an RBI and a stolen base in Wednesday's 5-3 loss to the Diamondbacks.
Estrada was the only Giant to record multiple hits as the team's post-All-Star-break slump hit seven games. In that span, the infielder has hit a steady .292 with a double, four RBI and three runs scored. He's slashing .262/.315/.411 with 14 steals, nine home runs, 40 RBI and 49 runs scored in 87 contests overall. Estrada remains the everyday shortstop while Brandon Crawford (knee) is on the injured list.
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Jonathan Arauz 3B | LAD
Orioles' Jonathan Arauz: Likely to avoid surgery
Arauz doesn't believe he'll need surgery for his sprained right middle finger, but it could be four weeks for the ligament to fully heal, Andy Kostka of The Baltimore Sun reports.
Arauz's decision to forgo surgery will give him a more realistic chance to play again in 2022, but he still looks like he'll spend well beyond the minimum 10 days on the IL while he heals up from the injury. Terrin Vavra was summoned from Triple-A Norfolk earlier this week to provide the Orioles with an extra utility man off the bench while Arauz is on the mend.
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Jordan Westburg 2B | BAL
Orioles' Jordan Westburg: Shakes off foot injury
Westburg (foot) started at second base and went 0-for-4 with a walk and a run scored Wednesday in Triple-A Norfolk's 13-10 win over Memphis.
Westburg exited Norfolk's previous game Tuesday after being hit in the left foot by a pitch, but his re-entry into the lineup a day later suggests his removal was precautionary. The 23-year-old is one of several intriguing infield prospects in the higher levels of the Baltimore system, and he's been able to raise his production at Norfolk since receiving a promotion from Double-A Bowie in early June. Over his first 37 games at Triple-A, Westburg is slashing .288/.327/.526 across 165 plate appearances.
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Tony Kemp 2B | MIN
Athletics' Tony Kemp: Hits two doubles
Kemp went 3-for-4 with two doubles and an RBI in a 4-2 win over the Astros on Wednesday.
Kemp's RBI double in the fifth inning cashed in the Athletics' third run of the game and helped his team become the first to sweep the Astros in 2022. The three-hit game from the two-hole lifted Kemp's season-long average to .216. His career batting average is .241 and his 2022 BABIP is .243, so it is possible that the veteran's numbers continue to normalize over the remainder of the season.
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Gavin Lux SS | TB
Dodgers' Gavin Lux: Three-hit game
Lux went 3-for-4 with a double and two RBI in a 7-1 win over the Nationals on Wednesday.
Lux's three-hit performance against the Nationals punctuated his red-hot July. The 24-year-old second baseman has an OPS of 1.004 this month and is in the midst of a breakout season. His 2.8 Fangraphs WAR is equal to Pete Alonso's and a touch higher than those of Kyle Tucker and Vladimir Guerrero. Lux also has a BABIP of .363, so it is worth watching to see if his numbers regress over the remainder of the season.
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Gleyber Torres 2B | DET
Yankees' Gleyber Torres: Hits game-tying homer
Torres sent 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Wednesday's 3-2 loss to the Mets.
Torres took David Peterson deep in the eighth inning to tie the game, but the Mets ultimately walked it off in the ninth. While he's hitting just .179 (7-for-39) in his last nine games, Torres has gone deep three times and racked up seven RBI in that span. He's cooled off from a hot start to July, but he's still slashing .263/.322/.481 with 16 homers, 45 RBI, 46 runs scored and five stolen bases in 87 contests this season.