MLB Player News
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Ha-seong Kim 2B | ATL
Padres' Ha-Seong Kim: Up to 10 steals
Kim went 1-for-4 with a double, two runs scored and a steal in Thursday's victory over the Marlins.
Kim has now swiped a base in four straight contests. He's 10-for-12 on stolen base attempts this season, putting him two shy of his total from 2022. Kim's logged a hit in 10 of his last 12 games, boosting his slash line to .241/.337/.380 with five homers, 22 runs scored and 18 RBI through 194 plate appearances.
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Whit Merrifield 2B | ATL
Blue Jays' Whit Merrifield: On base three times in win
Merrifield went 2-for-3 with a walk and a stolen base in Thursday's win over the Brewers.
After batting .372 (16-for-43) over the final 12 games in May, Merrifield had no problem carrying his momentum over into June. The 34-year-old's hot streak has pushed his slash line on the season to .295/.345/.388, and with 15 steals in 50 games he's on pace to reach the 40 SB plateau for the third time in his career.
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Harold Castro 2B | KC
Rockies' Harold Castro: Two hits Thursday
Castro went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored in Thursday's loss to the Diamondbacks.
Castro has been hot recently, going 8-for-24 (.333) over his last six games to boost his slash line to .279/.293/.342 through 117 plate appearances. The former Tiger isn't likely to provide much power, despite playing half his games at Coors Field -- he's yet to homer this season after launching seven long balls in 120 games last year. Still, he should continue to serve as the Rockies' primary second baseman against right-handed pitching.
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Luis Garcia 2B | WAS
Nationals' Luis Garcia: Pops fourth homer
Garcia went 2-for-5 with a double and a three-run home run in Wednesday's win over the Dodgers.
His eighth-inning shot off Brusdar Graterol broke open a 5-5 tie and proved to be the game-winning hit. Garcia is coming off a strong May in which he slashed .304/.347/.411 through 27 games with two of his four homers on the year, and while his lack of plus power or speed caps his fantasy value, the 23-year-old appears to be taking a big step forward at the plate in 2023.
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Enrique Hernandez SS | LAD
Red Sox's Enrique Hernandez: Shines with bat in win
Hernandez went 2-for-4 with a home run, two total runs and three total RBI in Thursday's 8-2 victory over the Reds.
Hernandez came up big late in the contest, giving Boston its first lead with a 411-foot solo shot in the seventh inning and plating another pair of runs with a single in the eighth. The multi-hit effort was his first since May 17, a span of 11 games. Hernandez hit just .194 over 31 at-bats during that stretch, so Thursday's performance was a particularly positive way to start the new month.
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Ketel Marte 2B | ARI
Diamondbacks' Ketel Marte: Two doubles to extend streak
Marte went 2-for-4 with two doubles, an RBI and two runs scored in Thursday's win over Colorado.
Marte cut the Rockies' lead to 4-3 with an RBI double in the seventh before eventually scoring the winning run after doubling again with two outs in the ninth. The 29-year-old Marte has hit safely in 11 straight games, going 15-for-48 with six extra-base hits in that span. He's now slashing .284/.342/.486 with eight homers, 33 runs scored, 23 RBI and six stolen bases through 231 plate appearances this season.
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Jorge Polanco 1B | NYM
Twins' Jorge Polanco: At leadoff in return
Polanco (hamstring) is batting leadoff in his return to the lineup Thursday night against the Guardians.
Polanco was activated from the injured list Thursday morning after missing around two weeks with a left hamstring strain. He's produced a solid .811 OPS in 23 games this year when healthy, mostly hitting near the middle of the Twins' batting order. Thursday marks his first appearance out of the leadoff spot in 2023.
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Christian Arroyo 2B | NYM
Red Sox's Christian Arroyo: Weekend return uncertain
Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Thursday that he's unsure if Arroyo (hamstring) will be activated this weekend, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.
Arroyo has already logged 15 plate appearances on a rehab stint with Triple-A Worcester and is slashing .357/.400/.429, but he apparently has a bit more proving to do on the farm. He's in the lineup again for Worcester on Thursday night. It's a right hamstring strain that has kept the 28-year-old infielder sidelined since May 7.
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Jose Altuve 2B | HOU
Astros' Jose Altuve: Returns to lineup Thursday
Altuve is back in the leadoff spot Thursday versus the Angels.
Altuve got a breather Wednesday in the final game of the Astros' previous series versus the Twins, but he's rested and ready Thursday for the opening of a four-game set against the Halos. The star second baseman boasts a .324/.425/.588 slash line in 40 plate appearances since returning two weeks ago from March 19 surgery to repair a fracture in his right thumb.
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Brandon Drury 2B | KC
Angels' Brandon Drury: Back in lineup
Drury (arm) has returned to the lineup for Thursday's game versus the Astros.
Drury sat out Wednesday after taking a pitch off the arm during Tuesday's loss to the White Sox. He's ready to roll now and will serve as the second baseman, batting cleanup against Ronel Blanco.