MLB Player News
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Marcus Semien 2B | NYM
Rangers' Marcus Semien: Belts game-winning homer
Semien went 1-for-3 with a walk, a two-run home run and a second run scored in Saturday's 4-3 win over the Rays.
With the Rangers down 3-2 in the bottom of the seventh inning, Semien got hold of a Kevin Kelly two-seamer on the inner half of the plate and drove it over the left-field wall for the game-winning hit. The second baseman snapped a 22-game homer drought with the blast, a stretch in which he'd stumbled to a .143/.196/.176 slash line. Semien's current .679 OPS on the season would be his lowest mark since the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign, but he's still on pace for his fourth straight campaign with at least 20 home runs and 80 RBI, and the 33-year-old has plenty of time to kick his offense into a higher gear.
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Ozzie Albies 2B | ATL
Braves' Ozzie Albies: Homers in back-to-back games
Albies went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run, three total RBI and two total runs scored in Saturday's 5-1 win over the Phillies.
Albies opened the scoring with an RBI single in the first inning and added his homer in the fifth. The second baseman is on a nine-game hitting streak, going 14-for-36 (.389) in that span. He's taken it up another notch recently with three straight multi-hit contests. Overall, Albies has a .266/.320/.423 slash line with eight homers, 43 RBI, 45 runs scored and six stolen bases over 79 games this season.
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Ketel Marte 2B | ARI
Diamondbacks' Ketel Marte: Held out of starting nine
Marte (back) is out of the lineup for Saturday's game against the Padres, Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports.
Marte was removed from Friday's 10-8 loss with lower-back tightness, so his absence from the lineup Saturday isn't overly surprising. However, manager Torey Lovullo said that Marte could be available off the bench if needed. Marte should be considered day-to-day.
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Michael Massey 2B | KC
Royals' Michael Massey: Not facing southpaw
Massey is absent from the starting lineup for Saturday's game against the Rockies.
Massey will give way to Freddy Fermin at DH on Saturday with lefty Austin Gomber on the mound for Colorado. Massey is 3-for-19 with a pair of solo home runs in his last six games.
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Nick Loftin 1B | KC
Royals' Nick Loftin: On bench Saturday
Loftin is out of the lineup for Saturday's game against the Rockies.
Loftin will take a seat Saturday after making three consecutive starts. Maikel Garcia will shift to third base while Garrett Hampson plays second base.
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Jorge Polanco 2B | NYM
Mariners' Jorge Polanco: Sitting again Saturday
Polanco isn't in Seattle's lineup Saturday versus the Blue Jays.
Saturday will mark the third consecutive absence from the lineup for Polanco, with Dylan Moore starting at second base for the second game in a row. The 31-year-old Polanco has put up a career-low .576 OPS through 208 plate appearances this season.
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Brandon Lowe 2B | PIT
Rays' Brandon Lowe: Resting versus lefty
Lowe isn't in the Rays' lineup for Saturday's game versus the Rangers, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
After going 1-for-4 with a walk during Friday's series opener, Lowe will retreat to the dugout to begin Saturday's game as left-hander Andrew Heaney starts on the bump for Texas. Amed Rosario will fill the vacancy in the lineup, batting third while serving as the DH.
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Xander Bogaerts SS | SD
Padres' Xander Bogaerts: Plays field in rehab game
Bogaerts (shoulder) went 0-for-3 while playing second base in a rehab game with Triple-A El Paso on Friday.
After serving as the designated hitter in his first rehab contest Thursday, Bogaerts transitioned to second base in his second game Friday. He's gone 1-for-6 with a walk and two strikeouts over the pair of appearances. While there seems to be ample time for Bogaerts to ramp up and return to the Padres before the All-Star break, MLB.com reports that manager Mike Shildt wouldn't commit to that Friday, saying "I wouldn't rule it out, but I wouldn't say, 'Yes.'"