MLB Player News
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Bryson Stott 2B | PHI
Phillies' Bryson Stott: On bench versus lefty
Stott is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against Atlanta, Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
The 26-year-old went 4-for-8 with a double, two RBI, a run and a stolen base in the first two games of the season, but he'll take a seat Sunday with southpaw Chris Sale on the mound for Atlanta. One of those first two starts also came against a lefty, so it doesn't appear Stott is beginning the season in a strict platoon. Whit Merrifield will take over at second base in Sunday's series finale.
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Reds' Santiago Espinal: Starts at second base
Espinal started at second base and went 1-for-3 with a stolen base in Saturday's 7-6 loss to the Nationals.
Espinal moved into the starting lineup for the first time during the regular season, slotting in against a left-hander. Jonathan India, who handled the keystone for the first game when a right-hander was on the mound, moved to DH. Those two are expected to lock down the position while Matt McLain (shoulder) is on the 60-day injured list.
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Ozzie Albies 2B | ATL
Braves' Ozzie Albies: Leads charge in Saturday's win
Albies went 3-for-5 with a home run, two runs scored, three RBI and a stolen base in Saturday's 12-4 win over the Phillies.
The 27-year-old second baseman got the barrage started for Atlanta by socking a two-run homer off Aaron Nola in the first inning for his first long ball of the season. Albies has seen his steals totals dwindle over the last couple years, as he's gone 16-for-22 on the basepaths in 212 games while registering a sprint speed in the 55th percentile in both 2022 and 2023, but even if he never becomes a reliable stolen base threat again, his power and prime placement in one of the league's most potent offenses keep his fantasy floor high.
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Brice Turang 2B | MIL
Brewers' Brice Turang: Swipes three bags in win
Turang went 2-for-5 with three stolen bases in Saturday's 7-6 win over the Mets.
Getting the start at second base and batting eighth, Turang reached on singles in the third and ninth inning and was off to the races each time. The 24-year-old infielder swiped 26 bags in 30 attempts as a rookie last year, but his speed might be his only consistent source of fantasy value after he slashed .218/.285/.300 in 448 plate appearances. Turang is 3-for-7 through two games to begin the 2024 campaign, but all three hits were singles and he's struck out three times.
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Luis Urias 2B | ATH
Mariners' Luis Urias: Sitting Saturday vs. Boston
Urias is not in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Red Sox.
Urias has struggled in his first two starts of the season, going 0-for-4 with three strikeouts. Josh Rojas will start at third base and bat ninth Saturday against Red Sox right-hander Kutter Crawford.
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Gleyber Torres 2B | DET
Yankees' Gleyber Torres: Leading off Saturday
Torres will start at second base and lead off Saturday against the Astros.
A pitch off his right thumb forced Torres from Friday's game, but X-rays were negative and it appears the second baseman won't even miss a start as a result of the injury. Torres, who is 0-for-7 with a walk and a run scored through two games this season, appears set to handle primary leadoff duties in the absence of DJ LeMahieu (foot), who was placed on the 10-day injured list Thursday.
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Brandon Lowe 2B | PIT
Rays' Brandon Lowe: Will sit vs. lefty Kikuchi
Lowe is not in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Blue Jays.
Lowe started the first two games of the season, going 3-for-8 with a grand slam and a walk over that span. With left-hander Yusei Kikuchi taking the mound for the Blue Jays on Saturday, the left-handed-hitting Lowe will head to the bench while Curtis Mead gets the start at second base.
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Andres Gimenez 2B | TOR
Guardians' Andres Gimenez: Perfect at plate Friday
Gimenez went 3-for-3 with two doubles, two walks, two RBI and two runs scored in Friday's 6-4 win over the Athletics.
Gimenez started slow at the plate in spring training but got on track quickly, ending the Cactus League slate hitting. 340 (16-for-47) over 18 contests. He's carried it over into the early stages of the regular season, going 4-for-6 with three RBI and three runs scored. He was also caught stealing Friday on his first attempt of the season after going 30-for-36 on the basepaths in 2023. Gimenez hit .251 with a .713 OPS last season, so he's looking for a bounce-back campaign.
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Jordan Westburg 2B | BAL
Orioles' Jordan Westburg: Moves to second base Saturday
Westburg will start at second base and hit in the No. 8 spot Saturday against the Angels.
Westburg started at DH and batted sixth on Opening Day. He finished the game going 1-for-3 with an RBI on a sacrifice fly. Ryan O'Hearn will be the designated hitter and No. 5 hitter Saturday against Angels right-hander Griffin Canning, while Westburg shifts to second base for Jorge Mateo.
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Oliver Dunn 2B | CHW
Brewers' Oliver Dunn: Starting at third base Saturday
Dunn will start at third base and bat seventh in Saturday's game against the Mets.
An 11th-round pick in 2019, Dunn reached as high as Triple-A with the Yankees, but he spent last season at Double-A Reading in the Phillies organization. He'll be making his big-league debut Saturday against right-hander Luis Severino after Andruw Monasterio got the Opening Day start at the hot corner. New manager Pat Murphy may just be looking to work everyone in early on this season; it's probably too early to say Dunn is leading a platoon. However, the 26-year-old has some power and speed -- enough to make him interesting in deep leagues if he's playing regularly.