MLB Player News
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Bryson Stott 2B | PHI
Phillies' Bryson Stott: Hits bench Saturday
Stott will sit Saturday against lefty MacKenzie Gore and the Nationals.
The Phillies have been going away from Stott against southpaws recently, as he's now sat against four of the last five the team has faced, with Josh Harrison getting the nod each time. Stott has actually fared better against same-sided pitching in both of his MLB seasons thus far, slashing .289/.355/.417 against lefties for his career and just .249/.294/.370 against righties, a fact which could see him return to a true everyday role down the line.
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Jose Altuve 2B | HOU
Astros' Jose Altuve: Stays hot against Rangers
Altuve went 1-for-5 with a home run and two RBI on Friday against the Rangers.
Altuve led off the game with a home run, his fifth of the season and second in three games since returning from a heel injury. He's gone 4-for-10 in that same span, also piling up five runs scored and six RBI. Though it's been a frustrating season for Altuve from a health perspective, he has maintained an excellent 143 wRC+ and .375 wOBA across 129 plate appearances.
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Tony Kemp 2B | MIN
Athletics' Tony Kemp: Key contributions in win
Kemp went 2-for-4 with an RBI triple, a stolen base and a run in a win over the White Sox on Friday.
The veteran's second-inning three-bagger was his first of the season and extended Kemp's hot stretch at the plate to 14 games. The 31-year-old owns a .333 average and .976 OPS over that span. Kemp also has three of his six steals on the season in the sample, and the fact he's on a non-contending team has afforded him the necessary time to bust out of what was at one point a career-worst offensive funk.
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Whit Merrifield 2B | ATL
Blue Jays' Whit Merrifield: Sitting Saturday
Merrifield isn't in the Blue Jays' lineup Saturday against the Red Sox, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Merrifield is 0-for-5 with three strikeouts in his last two games and will receive Saturday off to regroup. While Merrifield sits, Cavan Biggio will start at second base and bat eighth, and Daulton Varsho will take over in left field.
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Brendan Donovan 2B | SEA
Cardinals' Brendan Donovan: Sitting for afternoon game
Donovan (arm) is on the bench for the first game of Saturday's doubleheader against the Yankees, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.
Donovan was expected to sit Friday due to arm soreness, though the game wound up getting rained out. He'll be out for at least the afternoon portion of Saturday's twin bill, but his injury only prevents him from throwing, so he could still serve as a designated hitter or pinch hitter at some point in one of the day's two games. Nolan Gorman starts at second base.
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Ha-seong Kim 2B | ATL
Padres' Ha-Seong Kim: Returns to lineup
Kim (hamstring) will lead off and play second base Saturday against the Reds, Jeff Sanders of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
Kim sat out Friday's series opener while dealing with a tight hamstring, though he made an appearance off the bench and drew a walk. He'll be involved from the start Saturday and will look to build on his .373/.421/.647 line over the last 15 games.
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Nico Hoerner 2B | CHC
Cubs' Nico Hoerner: Tallies three hits in romp
Hoerner went 3-for-4 with a run scored and two RBI in Friday's 10-1 win over the Guardians. He also stole a base.
All of Hoerner's hits were singles, but he was able to maximize his output. Getting on base regularly has allowed the infielder to run wild this year, as he now has 18 stolen bases in 20 attempts. He had a career-high 20 steals in 2022, so it seems likely that he'll fly past that figure. The basestealing should allow Hoerner to maintain fantasy value the rest of the way.
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Brandon Drury 2B | KC
Angels' Brandon Drury: Nursing shoulder issue
Drury was held out of Friday's game against Arizona due to a "tweaked" shoulder, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.
Drury reportedly hurt his shoulder on a dive during Thursday's loss to the White Sox, though the issue is considered minor. The infielder enjoyed a strong June, slashing .337/.377/.531 with five homers, 18 RBI and 12 runs over 24 games, and he's typically filled an important lineup slot immediately behind either Shohei Ohtani or Mike Trout, though that could change now that Anthony Rendon is back from the injured list. Drury is considered day-to-day and could be back in the lineup this weekend.
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Andy Ibanez 2B | ATH
Tigers' Andy Ibanez: Homers in Friday's loss
Ibanez went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run in Friday's 8-5 loss to the Rockies.
Ibanez cut the deficit to three runs with his eighth-inning blast. The infielder has enjoyed a solid run to wrap up June, going 14-for-45 (.311) over his last 12 games. He's been seeing consistent playing time lately, primarily at second base but also in right field and at third base. For the season, Ibanez is slashing .239/.275/.423 with six homers, 17 RBI, 22 runs scored and no stolen bases over 171 plate appearances.
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Brendan Donovan 2B | SEA
Cardinals' Brendan Donovan: Won't throw for next few days
Donovan (arm) will not be able to throw for the next few days, but he will be available to hit and serve as a designated hitter, Katie Woo of The Athleticreports.
Donovan was scratched from Friday's lineup due to soreness in his right arm, and the infielder has reportedly been dealing with the issue for a while. Donovan could be back in the starting lineup as the DH for the Cardinals starting Saturday for one or even both games of the team's doubleheader with the Yankees.